Khan, Carroll help Souderton hold off Quakertown for 2-0 start

FRANCONIA >> Koby Khan’s bruising runs and some electric plays by Camerin Carroll have the Souderton football team someplace it has not been in a long time — 2-0 after two weeks of the season.

Khan staked the Indians out to a early lead with a pair of short touchdown runs while Carroll made in impact in all three phases as Souderton held on and topped Quakertown 26-20 Friday night in the first 309 Bowl since 2013.

“We wanted this one,” Khan said. “We wanted to go 2-0, we want that 309 Bowl trophy back and we got it back.”

Khan had over 100 yards by halftime — 105 yards on 16 carries — and at the end of bulldozing through the Panthers defense had a game-high 174 yards on 27 carries, propelling Big Red to it first 2-0 start since 2008.

“It’s very important just to show teams that we’re a team to be reckoned with this year,” Khan said. “And to not take us lightly this year and we’re coming for the playoffs and we’re coming to go far.”

Souderton had gone 1-1 in five of the past seven years, beginning 0-2 in both 2009 and 2013.

“It feels great. Our team pulled it through. We had a couple mistakes in the first half, but we spoke in the locker room, we told them that we’re the better team,” Carroll said. “We put it to our minds and we went and worked for it. Now we’re just looking forward to next week and keep on going. We’re looking for a playoff (berth) this year.”

Carroll provided a spark to re-energize the Indians in the third quarter after Quakertown (0-2) had pulled to within 19-14 at halftime with his 56-yard punt return down to the Panthers 23.

“I just put my trust and “I did what coach told me to, When you get plays to make it happen, be the best athlete you can do and make a big play out of that,” Carroll said.

Six plays later, quarterback Joey Curotto rolled left, ran through a defender and found the end zone from three yards out as Big Red grabbed a 26-14 lead at 6:45 in the third.

In the fourth, Quakertown moved the ball to the Indians eight, but quarterback Austin Clarke was stopped for a yard long on 3rd and 4 and on 4th and 5 from the nine Carroll made his mark on defense, intercepting Clarke in the end zone.

The Panthers, however, pulled to within six with 3:45 remaining in the contest when Shevlin hauled in his second touchdown pass from Clarke, this one from 13 yards out on fourth down.

Souderton could not run out the clock and turned the ball over on downs with 1:45 left, but three straight incompletions and a sack ended Quakertown’s comeback hopes.

“We got in a hole (13-0), could of packed it in,” “We’re a young club and we didn’t, came up with the big punt block and touchdown on the punt and then that’s where momentum swung,” Quakertown coach George Banas said. “We felt we could stay in the game. I thought the big play was that we had them 3rd and long, we made a great play — I thought — ended up getting a pass interference call on us. That prolonged their drive, they scored in the first half, so I think that was a big momentum swing too for us cause I think we stop them there, we get the ball, who knows if we score but then it’s only a six point game at half.

“We come out in the second half, We played a good second half, we never gave up And we had a opportunity to win with two minutes to go and that’s all you can ask for.”

Clarke went 12-of-22 for 170 yards, two touchdowns and one interception, completing seven passes to Shevlin for 125 yards.

“We’re 0-2 but we played two really good teams,” Banas said. “We got CB West next week which is another really good team and then we open up league which is a whole another monster on itself and you almost start 0-0 in Week 4. So, there’s still a lot to play for, so that’s why we’ll coaching and the kids will keep trying to get better.”

Curotto was 6-of-9 for 117 yards and a touchdown. Carroll was Souderton’s leading receiver with two catches for 87 yards and a score.

Both teams play Friday with Quakertown hosting Central Bucks West while Souderton looks to stay unbeaten as it visits Hatboro-Horsham.

After a pair of Khan two-yard touchdown runs had Souderton up 13-0 at 9:28 in the second, Quakertown got back into the game as Souderton punt deep in its end of the field was deflected into the air and Bobby Wheeler corralled it for a short touchdown return at 4:31.

Souderton answered on its next drive. On a 2nd and 18 from the Indians 42 after a holding penalty, Curotto hit a streaking Carroll with a short pass and Carroll bolted 58 yards for six.

I looked at Joe he knew what to do and he throw the right ball pass the linebacker, I thank him for that,” Carroll said.

Big Red’s two-point conversion attempt failed, giving it a 19-6 edge with 1:38 remaining in the half.

But a late Quakertown touchdown made it just a five-point game at intermission. The next play after a 38-yard reception on 3rd and 8, Shevlin caught his first TD from Clarke on a fade to the left side of the end zone at 35.6 seconds and the Panther were within 19-14.

Souderton took a 7-0 lead at 3:57 in the first quarter as Khan capped a nine-play, 36-yard drive with a two-yard touchdown run. Khan made it 13-0 at 9:28 in the second quarter crossing the goal line again from two yards out a play after a 40-yard run.

“I try to fight for every extra yard that I can,” Khan said. “I watch my team’s blocks, I go off those blocks and I just go for the end zone every time.”