Offensive line sets tone in Upper Dublin’s first-round win
UPPER DUBLIN >> The Upper Dublin offense was clicking on all cylinders in the first round of the District 1-5A playoffs last Friday night.
The top-seeded Cardinals scored five touchdowns on the first six possessions of their 35-0 win over No. 16 Academy Park at Cardinal Stadium. The only drive that didn’t end with a touchdown was when they took over at their own five-yard line and took a knee with less than 30 seconds left in the first half.
Senior quarterback Colin O’Sullivan threw five touchdown passes – two to DJ Cerisier, two to Staring Reaves and one to Coleman Zamborsky – but didn’t take any credit for the dazzling performance. He said it was about the big guys up front.
“When you have an offensive line that can just run the ball five yards a play, six yards a play,” O’Sullivan said. “It opens up so much in the pass game because people have to keep seven, eight in the box. It’s awesome. I owe it all to those guys up front.”
Bill Brightcliffe, Kyree Butler, Riley Hackett, Christian Holland and Alex Rossman started on the line. They opened up holes in the running game and gave O’Sullivan the time to go through his reads and find his receivers. O’Sullivan went 9-for-12 for 166 yards in the game and wasn’t sacked.
“Our offensive line did a great job keeping Colin clean,” Upper Dublin coach Bret Stover said. “You have to keep Colin clean, have to give Colin time to let all those other guys work and those guys up front did a great job tonight.”
Upper Dublin ran 25 times for 90 yards in the win. Starting running back Nyfise McIntyre carried the ball 16 times for 87 yards – a 5.4 average.
The Cardinals will face No. 8 Great Valley, a 24-21 winner over No. 9 Upper Moreland, in the quarterfinals Friday at 7 p.m. back at Upper Dublin High School.
AROUND THE DISTRICT
Elsewhere in District 1, six other teams in the Reporter/Times Herald/Montgomery area won their first-round matchups.
In Class-6A, No. 7 Souderton blanked No. 10 Central Bucks South, 10-0, while No. 14 North Penn upset No. 3 Pennsbury, 22-21, and No. 11 Central Bucks West beat No. 6 Central Bucks East, 42-26, for the second straight week. Souderton will travel to No. 2 Perk Valley in the quarterfinals while CB West hosts North Penn.
No. 4 Plymouth Whitemarsh hammered No. 13 Sun Valley in Class-5A, 41-0. The Colonials will host No. 5 Chester this Friday in the quarterfinals.
No. 2 Pope John Paul II took care of No. 3 Springfield Montco, 49-14, in the Class-4A semifinals. The Golden Panthers will face No. 1 Interboro for the district title this Friday.
In Class-A, Jenkintown won the district title with a 48-14 win over Morrisville. Running back Keegan Eichert went over 1,000 rushing yards this season in the win. The Drakes will face District 2 champion Lackawanna Trail in a regional matchup for a spot in the state playoffs.
