White scores 4 TDs in 1st quarter, Souderton slams Bensalem 48-0

FRANCONIA >> The Souderton football team came into Friday still looking for its first points in Suburban One League National conference play.

Jamar White ended that search in just 22 seconds when he dashed through and by the Bensalem defense 82 yards to the end zone on the game’s first snap.

‘Well the line opened up a huge hole, I was able to hit it hard and take it to the end zone,” he said.

White was not done in the first quarter. The senior running back scored three more times in the opening 12 minutes as the Indians bounced back from a shutout loss to Pennsbury the previous week by rolling to a 48-0 win over the visiting Owls on a wet and windy night.

“We knew we could come back this week and put some points on the board,” White said. “That’s what we did on the first play.”

White finished with 146 yards and three touchdowns on 10 carries and also scored on a 22-yard reception from Joey Curotto as Souderton earned its biggest victory since beating Upper Dublin 48-0 in 2009.

“I think our kids were really anxious to get the bad taste out of their mouth, especially the guys on offense, cause we really underperformed last week,” Souderton coach Ed Gallagher said. “So, to come out and score on the first offensive play, just really speaks to the execution and the will of Jamar to be patient enough to get into the hole and once he saw it, he accelerated through it, did a really nice job finishing the run.”

Blake Gular ran 12 times for 126 yards and pair of touchdowns as the Indians (3-2, 1-1 conference) compiled a total of 479 yards on the ground. The rainy conditions led to five Bensalem fumbles, which Souderton converted into 34 points.

“We gave our effort last week with Pennsbury. This week, I think we knew we had to get this win,” White said. “This win was crucial, so that’s what we did.”

The Indians try to string back-to-back wins together for a second time this season when they visit North Penn Friday.

“We got North Penn and Neshaminy the next two weeks, we play three of four (SOL National) big boys in the first four weeks,” Gallagher said. “We’re going to find out if we have what it takes to compete in the league. We already dropped one, so there’s room for error right now.”

After White’s 82-yard TD run made it 7-0 Indians at 11:38 in the first quarter, Bensalem fumbled two plays into its first drive, giving Big Red back the ball at its own 39. Six plays later, Souderton was up 13-0 as White scored on a six-yard run at 8:40.

“The effort was there. We really had to execute better offensively and I know we struggled last week and Pennsbury’s defense is incredibly fast and we really struggled to execute our blocks,” Gallagher said. “And I thought we really worked on it in practice and we executed so much better tonight.

“Again, the level of competition’s not the same, but that Bensalem team, they’re a bunch of fighters. They’re going to get better. They’re playing a bunch of young kids, tough circumstance for them, getting us coming off of a tough Pennsbury game.”

Another fumble recovery had Big Red 35 yards from the goal line and seven plays later on a 4th-and-14 Curotto connected with White for a 22-yard touchdown at 3:15. Alec Morshead ran in the two-point conversion for a 21-0 lead.

“Joey just put the ball at a perfect spot where it was hard for the defender to come and get it,” White said. “I just had to adjust to it, quick turnaround. Perfect throw by Joe.”

On the first play after Bensalem’s third fumble, White scored his fourth touchdown on a 20-yard run with 1:59 left in the opening quarter.

Souderton went into halftime up 34-0 after Gular scored on a 8-yard run with 4:52 in the second quarter on a drive that began after another Owls fumble.

Bensalem coughed up the ball on the first play of the third quarter and six plays later Gular made his second touchdown run – this one from 23 yards out as Souderton went up 41-0.

Zach Force added another touchdown in the game’s final minute, cutting across the field to reach the end zone from 48 yards out with 28.2 seconds remaining.

Top Photo: Souderton girls taking photos on the sideline get a close look at Jamar White running in the clear for a touchdown against Bensalem during their game on Friday, Oct 2, 2015. (Bob Raines/Montgomery Media)