Reporter/Times Herald Football Notes: Early drive sets tone for Souderton in District 1-6A final
Pennridge began last Friday’s District 1-6A football final with a 10-play, 66-yard drive that ended with points – Brandon Shire’s 28-yard field goal giving the Rams the early 3-0 lead.
Needing a response on its opening series, Souderton did it by sticking to its style – cranking out yards on the ground with its Wing-T offense.
Starting at their own 33, the Indians marched 67 yards on 14 plays in 6:47 – taking the lead and never giving it back in what became a 31-17 victory at Helman Field.
“I think that gave us a lot of momentum,” Souderton senior running back Jalen White said. “Their size was intimidating and we weren’t a hundred percent positive we were going to drive it but we did it and I think that’s what gave us the momentum and we just kept pounding the ball down their throats.”
The Indians ran 13 times on the drive, its lone pass going incomplete on 1st-and-10 from its own 44. A false start gave Big Red a 1st-and-15 at the 50 but Brayden Porter ran for seven yards, White collected six more on second down while Porter’s 3-yard run on 3rd-and-2 moved the chains.
Six plays later, White scored on a six-yard touchdown run with just 50 seconds left in the first quarter for a 7-3 Big Red advantage.
Porter had five carries for 37 yards on the drive while White added 29 yards on six carries. Both ended up rushing for more than 100 yards as the Indians claimed their first-ever District 1 title – White going for 144 yards and two TDs while Porter posted 101 yards. Souderton ended the night with a total of 313 yards and four touchdowns from the ground game.
“Our line knows what they’re doing, they’re a huge part of what we do,” Souderton senior quarterback Evan Kutzler said. “And when we get in the huddle and we’re like ‘All right let’s get this push, let’s score,’ they’re going to have that will and drive to do that. They’re huge, especially cause we got some big players on our line – Ben (Murawski), everybody though, it’s everyone.”
Streaking Souderton >> Souderton’s win last Friday put its record at 7-0 for the first time under coach Ed Gallagher. It also gave the Indians their first seven-game win streak since 2007 when it won its last seven regular season games before falling to Downingtown East in the District 1-4A first round.
“Me and Jalen, especially, we’ve been together since we were five years old and that’s a really big part of our team,” Kutzler said. “We all have that chemistry, we know what each other’s strengths and weaknesses are, we know how to help them, we know how to talk to them, we know how to encourage them, so it’s huge having that chemistry and playing with that team for so long.”
The current win streak is not the longest of the Gallagher era – Big Red strung together 11 straight victories over two seasons – winning their last six in 2005 and then the first five in 2006.
St. Joseph’s Prep, which Souderton faces in the PIAA-6A semifinals noon Saturday at Cardinal O’Hara, is owner of a 15-game win streak. The Hawks are 4-0 this season and won their last 11 last year after falling to Florida’s IMG Academy 31-25 on Sept. 13, 2019.
Prep, which has claimed the past two PIAA-6A titles, comes into Saturday having won its last 25 matchups against Pennsylvania schools – its last loss to a Keystone State side coming in the 201 7 state 6A final to Pine-Richland 41-21.
For Souderton, it is just the third time under Gallagher it will face a Philadelphia Catholic League school and first since 2009 when the Indians lost to Roman Catholic in Week 3 27-7. Souderton also played Roman in 2008 and fell 32-14 in another Week 3 contest.
St. Joe’s Prep meets a Suburban One League side for the first time since 2016 when it defeated North Penn 35-25 in the 2016 state 6A semifinals.
Traveling Cards >> Upper Dublin joined fellow SOL Continental Conference member Souderton in the state semifinals as the Cardinals captured the District 1-5A championship with a 29-8 victory over visiting West Chester Rustin last Friday.
It was the third straight district playoff meeting between UD and Rustin – the Golden Knights taking last season’s first round contest 23-0 win the Cards winning their clash in the 2018 5A title game 35-28.
The district title is the third for Upper Dublin (6-1) since 2015, the Cards winning 5A in 2018 and 2020 to go with their 4A crown in 2015.
In its previous two trips to the state semifinals, UD stayed close to home but Friday will travel more than 200 miles to Hollidaysburg High School – just south of Altoona – to take on District 10 champ Erie Cathedral Prep in a 7 p.m. contest. Cathedral Prep reached the semis after Wyoming Valley West forfeited their quarterfinal due to COVID-19.
In 2015, Upper Dublin’s 4A state semifinal was at Souderton with the Cards falling to Parkland 30-14. UD’s 2018 34-12 semifinal loss to Manheim Central was at Wissahickon.
Around the Area >> Bishop McDevitt reached the PIAA semifinals for the first time in school history as the Royals Lancers went out to Camp Hill last Friday and beat the District 3 champ Lions 26-14 in their 2A quarterfinal matchup.
McDevitt (4-1) moves on to face state powerhouse Southern Columbia in the semis 1 p.m. Saturday at Selinsgrove. Southern Columbia, the District 4 champ, rolled past District 6 champ Richland 57-30 last Saturday as the Tigers aim for a fourth straight 2A title and 11th state title overall.
Upper Moreland and Archbishop Carroll had their state runs stopped last Saturday. UM was edged by District 10 champ Oil City 28-27 in the 4A quarters at Hollidaysburg while Carroll fell to host District 4 champ Danville 42-21 in the 3A quarters.
There was also some non-playoff action last weekend.
Germantown Academy hosted Penn Charter in the 134th meeting between the Inter-Ac schools last Saturday. PC won the latest edition 22-21 to hand the Patriots their first loss of 2020 and earn the Quakers their third win in the rivalry in the past four years. Penn Charter now leads 86-37-11 in the series, which began in 1887.
Archbishop Wood dropped its third straight, falling to Malvern Prep 28-14 last Saturday while Lansdale Catholic could not find its first win last Friday as the Crusaders were shutout by Bishop Shanahan 35-0.
