Dantzler scores 4 TDs, Pennridge shuts out Pennsbury

EAST ROCKHILL  >> Pennridge took a hit in dropping its season opener. But the Rams picked themselves back up and seven days later began Suburban One League National Conference play with a dominating win over visiting Pennsbury.

“I think we needed to get punched in the face – like legit,” the Rams senior lineman Stephen Reutlinger said. “We just needed to get knocked back and regroup the next week. And then it all just built from there.”

Reutlinger and the Pennridge defense continued the Falcons’ offensive struggles while the Rams got rolling in the second quarter, finding the end zone three times to build a 21-0 halftime lead and cruised from there in claiming a 35-0 victory at Helman Field.

“We challenged our guys, we went into the film on Monday (after a 14-7 loss to Downingtown East) and there was a lot of things we had to correct – No. 1 was just intensity and just coming off the ball,” Pennridge coach Cody Muller said. “I really laid into our O-line a little bit, even tailbacks, everybody and they rose to the challenge. We focused all week on just taking care of the little things and doing them the right way.”

Junior quarterback Xavier Dantzler scored four touchdowns on a quartet of QB sneaks while junior Tyler Wetzel ran for 149 yards on 11 carries as Pennridge (1-1, 1-0 conference) racked up a total of 368 yards on a ground.

“I give credit to our o-line, we came off the ball, they opened the holes and you saw the amount of guys that went for big plays,” Muller said. “It was all cause of the guys up front.”

Pennsbury (0-2, 0-1) could not do much against the Rams’ defensive front with the Falcons also hurting themselves with four lost fumbles, Pennridge converting three of the turnovers into touchdowns.

“We did what we did all practice, all week,” said Rams junior linebacker Phil Picciotti. “And we just filled holes, took away the ball. Yeah, we locked them up.”

Picciotti also chipped in 66 yards rushing on five carries, scoring the game’s first touchdown by spinning off one tackle attempt then powering through a few more to get over the goal line for a 13-yard score at 10:44 in the second quarter.

“I just run like a raging bull,” Picciotti said. “I just don’t care – I’m going to run you over. That’s it.”

Brayden Landherr added 67 yards on four carries with Brennan Fisher going for 65 yards on four carries. Six of Wetzel’s eight carries in the first half went for at least 11 yards as he went into break with 118 yards.

“Tyler Wetzel was a tailback last year for us and I moved him to wing in the offseason thinking that I have a bigger body on that edge, be able to do certain things,” Muller said. “And as I was watching the film and watching different things I realized I was kind of doing a disservice to him by keeping him out there so I put him back at that natural position and he proved me right.

“Lucky thing for a coach to have those moments but a lot of credit to him, he’s just been waiting for the moment to be a come out here and show it.”

 Dantzler ended the night with just one yards on nine carries to go with his 42 yards on 5-of-9 passing. But the junior QB helped the Rams find success on short yardage near the goal line with his four TD runs. Pennridge beat Pennsbury for the first time since 2012 – the Falcons having won the SOL sides’ two prior meetings before Friday in 2014 and 2015.

Pennridge hosts Neshaminy next week while Pennsbury takes on North Penn in its home opener.

“That’s a big thing for us is just, like I said before, with our youth is taking care of those little things and make sure we capitalize on other teams’ mistakes but more importantly we limit ours,” Muller said. “I think our guys have done a great job with that. Last week, I believe we just had one turnover on that interception but we didn’t take care of those little things.

“This week, we kind of took care of everything that we needed to and we buttoned things up and again, it just started up front for us.”

Shawn Seacrest paced Pennsbury with 55 yards rushing on 17 carries as the Falcons were shutout for the second straight game. Pennsbury has lost its last eight games, the Falcons’ last win coming in 2019 against Neshaminy in the regular-season finale.

Pennridge doubled its lead to 14-0 after recovering a fumble at the Pennsbury 36. Three Wetzel runs had the Rams at the nine and three plays later Dantzler scored from a yard out at 5:24 in the second quarter.

“We were just more steady,” Reutlinger said. “We kept the energy up the whole game and we were just going at it. The line was pushing back on both sides.”

The Rams made it 21-0 after forcing a Falcons 3-and-out. Wetzel broke off a 47-yard run down to the Pennsbury 3 with Dantzler two players later getting his second TD on a 2-yard run with 1:50 left in the first half.

Pennsbury began the second half driving inside the Pennridge 35 but on a 4th-and-4 from the 32 the Falcons picked up just a yard to turn the ball over on downs. Dantzler proceeded to score his third touchdown on the ensuing drive – his 1-yard QB sneak at 3:14 in the third putting the host up 28-0.

The Rams took a 35-0 lead after recovering another Pennsbury fumble at the Pennridge 42. A Fisher 22-yard run set the Rams up at the Falcons 1 and on the next play Dantzler scored his fourth touchdown with 6:20 remaining in the contest.