Souderton shuts out Central Bucks South in District 1-6A first round

FRANCONIA >> Souderton’s offense produced a first-quarter touchdown and a field goal late in the third.

But with a defense that bent but never allowed Central Bucks South to break through, it was enough for the Indians to advance in the District 1-6A football playoffs.

The visiting No. 10 seeded Titans made a handful of trips in Souderton territory Friday night only for the No. 7 Indians to hold firm each time and shut out South for a 10-0 first-round victory.

“They have good, tough physical kids and I’m proud that our kids matched their physicality tonight,” Souderton coach Ed Gallagher said. “I’m not going to say we out-physicaled them cause that’s probably not true but we matched their physicality and that kept us in the game and we made enough plays to win.”

A double-handoff flea flicker on their second offensive play went for 62 yards, setting up quarterback Jared Zimmerman’s one-yard touchdown run at 5:57 in the first quarter.

It was still 7-0 until the Indians (9-2) added three more on their first series after halftime – Ty Quintois hitting a 35-yard field goal with 1:50 left in the third.

“That trick play early was huge,” Gallagher said. “We needed to execute and get those points on the board. And I can’t say more about the way the kids executed.”

Central Bucks South (7-4) twice drove inside the Souderton 20 in the fourth quarter but came away empty on both – the first ending with a 26-yard field goal try blocked with another attempt at a field goal from 28 yards no good with 2:23 remaining.

“We already got out-physicaled twice by Upper Dublin and CB East,” Indians junior defensive end Evan Zettle said. “We knew third time’s a charm, we just had to get it done, stay in our gaps and do our job.”

Zimmerman was 8-of-11 passing for 102 yards and an interception, connecting with Danny Dyches four times for 80 yards. The senior QB also ran 14 times for 64 yards and a TD as Souderton hosted a district game at its current stadium for the first time. The Indians have won 13 straight home games, the last defeat on their own turf coming to CB South in the 2019 regular-season finale.

“It means a lot,” Zimmerman said. “It’s our first win in the stadium in a playoff game like that. And to come out here and win our first playoff game like that is just a great feeling.”

Souderton moves onto the quarterfinals where it visits No. 2 Perkiomen Valley, which rolled past No. 15 Owen J. Roberts 56-19.

“We lost two games this year by being out-physicaled – I think CB East took it to us up front, Upper Dublin took it to us up front,” Gallagher said. “And we challenged our kids, I challenged them before the game, I challenged them against at halftime, I’m like ‘You got to be physical – this is going to be won by the team that’s going to fight more in the trenches.’

“And our kids did tonight. So proud of them, can’t wait to go play another game next week.”

The Titans had won their last five meetings with Souderton and came into Friday on a four-game win streak after starting the season 3-3. But in being dealt its first shutout loss since falling 32-0 to Pennridge in 202 South is still searching for its first district win since 2012.

“It’s a tough one,” Titans senior Tommy Donnelly said. “We put a lot of work into this and obviously we didn’t expect this outcome but I love the fight we put up. I love my guys forever, they’re my boys.”

Donnelly put together a superb receiving performance, hauling 10 passes – five in each half five in each half – for 137 yards. South quarterback Brett Szarko was 16-of-27 passing for 215 yards and an interception.

“Our game plan was to stop Donnelly, we wanted to stop 15 but he’s elusive, he kept getting open,” Gallagher said. “He’d get open and then we’d tackle him and we just kept him in front of us, he didn’t get in the end zone, that’s all that matters.”

On the game’s opening series, CB South had a 4th-and-2 at the Indians 26 but a false start backed them up five. On the 4th-and-7, an incompletion gave Souderton the ball at its own 31.

After a six-yard Logan Wrubel run,  the Indians got tricky on second down from the 37 – a flea flicker off a double handoff with Zimmerman connecting down the field to Danny Dyches, who was tackled a yard short of a TD for a 62-yard completion.

“I saw Danny just break on the corner,” Zimmerman said. “I saw open field and I was like ‘Wow, this worked perfectly.’”

Zimmerman powered over the goal line on a QB sneak the following play for a 7-0 Souderton lead at 5:57.

A South series that began at its own 18 with 1:27 left in the opening quarter reached the Indians 29 but the Titans could not connect on a throw towards the end zone on 4th-and-4.

“We moved the ball well,” Donnelly said. “I think just a couple mistakes here and there cost us some of those yards but that’s football.”

In the final moments of the first half, CB South got to Souderton 35. After a second-down incompletion the clock went to zeroes and while the Titans looked to have some time added to their consternation none was and the Indians went into the break still leading by seven.

Souderton made it a two-score game with a 14-play drive that lasted 6 minutes, 37 seconds.

Zimmerman ran for nine on 3rd-and- 4 from the 36 with Shaun Purvy picking up six on 3rd-and-5 at the South 48. Facing a 4th-and-4 at the 36, Zimmerman hit a diving Dyches for a 10-yard gain.

After three straight runs had the Indians with a 4th-and-2 at the 18, Souderton opted for the field goal –Quintois knocking it through from 35 yards out to make it 10-0 Big Red at 1:50 in the third.

“I said it all week, this is a tossup,” Gallagher said. “Our kicking game’s been great all year and if it comes down to a kicking game, I like our chances. We’ve got a good one.”

A 21-yard Szarko to Jack Carver completion on 3rd-and-9 gave the Titans first down at the Souderton 12. South had a 3rd-and-2 from the four but a false start moved the ball back to the nine.

The Indians’ Caleb Hageman broke up a pass in the end zone and the Titans attempted a 26-yard field goal only for Purvy to come off the right edge and get a hand on the kick, deflecting it into the line.

A Souderton punt gave South the ball back at its own 9 with 5:07 remaining in the fourth but the Titans moved the ball down to Big Red’s 15. However, on third down a sack by Zettle resulted in a loss of nine.

Donnelly’s 13-yard reception gave South a 4th-and-6 at the 11 – the visitors again tried to pull within seven on a field goal but the 28-yard effort was no good.

The Indians proceeded to punt after a three-and-out, the Titans starting the drive at their own 49 with 1:11 left. Two Szarko completions had South at the Souderton 28 but on 2nd-and-10 a throw tipped off a receiver’s hands and Ryan Sadowski made a diving interception.

Souderton 10, CB South 0

CB South (7-4) 0 0 0 0 – 0

Souderton (9-2) 7 0 3 0 – 10

First Quarter

S- Jared Zimmerman 1 run (Ty Quintois kick), 5:57

Third Quarter

S- Quintois 35 field goal, 1:50.

 

CBS S

First Downs 17 11

Rushes-yards 32-103 33-135

Passing 16-27-1 8-11-1

Passing yards 216 102

Totals yards 319 237

Punts 3 5

Penalties-yards 4-40 2-15

Fumbles-lost 0-0 1-0

Rushing

Central Bucks South: Jack Carver 13-50; Corey Moore 7-34; Anthony Leonardi 8-30; Sebastian Pacchione 1-10; Brett Szarko 3-(-21).

Souderton: Jared Zimmerman 14-64, TD; Ryan Sadowski 4-38; Logan Wrubel 9-17; Shaun Purvy 3-11; Caleb Hageman 1-3; Danny Dyches 2-2.

Passing

Central Bucks South: Brett Szarko 16-27-1, 216.

Souderton: Jared Zimmerman 8-11-1, 102.

Receiving

Central Bucks South: Tommy Donnelly 10-137; Jack Carver 2-31; Sebastian Pacchione 2-30; Owen Wheeler 1-12; Corey Moore 1-5.

Souderton: Danny Dyches 4-80; Winday Dawson 2-17; Shaun Purvy 2-5.

Interceptions

Central Bucks South: Jack Carver.

Souderton: Ryan Sadowski.