Truman keeps rolling, puts dent in Pennridge’s playoff hopes

BRISTOL TWP. >> Truman ran away from the Pennridge football team Friday night. The Rams were left hoping the Tigers didn’t take their playoff chances with them.

Truman’s Wing-T offense – paced by Terrence Rodgers and Deondre Winton – racked up 367 yards on the ground and pulled away in the Suburban One League non-conference contest with two touchdowns in an 82-second span late in the first half as the Tigers’ 42-20 victory snapped Pennridge’s three-game win streak.

“These past three games we’ve had so much momentum. Our defense has been clicking. We’ve had all 11 hats to the ball. Today we just didn’t have that same energy and effort,” Pennridge sophomore Shane Hartzell said. “We didn’t have those 11 guys that wanted it that bad.”

Pennridge (4-5, 3-2 SOL Continental) only trailed 21-14 in the second quarter but a Javeer Peterson interception led to Enzo Poulson’s one-yard touchdown run with 1:32 left in the half. After a quick three and out, by the Rams, the Tigers grabbed a 35-14 halftime lead when Dylan Snelling hit Jahni Coleman down the sideline for a 40-yard TD strike with 10 seconds remaining.

Rodgers broke off a 50-yard touchdown on the Tigers’ first offensive play of the third quarter and Truman (8-1, 4-1 SOL National) was on its way to a fifth-consecutive win.

“It kind of reminded me of Souderton (a 38-33 Week Five loss) all over again,” Pennridge coach Cody Muller said. “We do things, we go over things – where you supposed to be, how you’re supposed to hit it and we do it right once then we mess up the next time. And against a good football team – I give Truman credit, hat off to them, they’re a good football team. We made some bone-headed plays.”

Rodgers ran for a game-high 188 yards and two touchdowns on 20 carries while Winton collected 92 yards on nine carries as the Truman offense eclipsed 40 points for the second straight game and fifth time this season.

“We have so many people we can give the ball to,” Tigers coach Mike LaPalombara said. “When you look at our stat sheet and you’re looking for this 1,000-yard rusher with the number of points and things like that, you’re not finding one cause everybody’s getting the ball, which is exciting and good for the kids sharing it.”

Friday’s loss has Pennridge just on the outside of the 16-team District 1-6A playoff field – tied for 17th with 5-4 Ridley in the rankings. But the Rams still have some control over their postseason fate as they visit No. 16 Central Bucks East next week.

“I said it to my kids I need 11 guys that want to be here for each other. We need to find it. I need to find who those 11 are that are going to fight,” Muller said. “We got a big game next week with Coach (John) Donnelly and East. I’m looking forward to it.”

Pennridge quarterback Zak Kantor threw for 151 yards on 13-of-31 passing with one touchdown and two interceptions. Connor Pleibel had five catches for 59 yards and a TD while Ryan Garner ran 16 times for 46 yards and a touchdown.

“It showed in practice this week. Tuesday’s practice was great, Wednesday’s practice was down. Thursday’s was great but unfortunately we come out and I told the kids, we can’t flip the switch on a Friday,” Muller said. “You play how you practice. They got to bring it every single time.

“Hey, are they going through the grind? Yeah, so is everybody else — Truman is too. We got to be better.”

The Rams defense intercepted Snelling three times, the last two by Cooper Chaikin with Hartzell returning the first pick 35 yards for a touchdown, tying the game 7-7 at 5:31 in the first quarter.

“I read run first and then our d-linemen pressure him very well, made him drop back, made him panic a little,” Hartzell said. “I mean, I wasn’t in great position but the quarterback just didn’t make a good throw and just fell into my hands.”

Truman, fifth in the 6A rankings, can earn at least a share of the SOL National title with a win at home Friday against Bensalem. The Tigers, Neshaminy and Pennsbury all sit tied for first at 4-1 with Neshaminy hosting Pennsbury next week.

“Every coach says there’s always a little something you can do better, but I mean, we scored a lot of points and I’m happy with what they did,” LaPalombara said. “They played hard. They do what we teach them.”

Truman used five plays to go 61 yards on the game’s opening series, grabbing a 7-0 lead at 10:44 in the first quarter when Poulson scored the first of his two rushing touchdowns from four yards out.

Hartzell’s 35-yard pick six had the Rams level but the Tigers regained the lead on the ensuing possession – a 10-play, 61-yard drive capped by James Koliyah’s two-yard TD run as time expired in the opening quarter.

After forcing a Pennridge punt, Truman pushed its advantage to 21-7 on Rodgers’ 16-yard TD run at 5:39 in the second quarter.

“You got to play gap responsible when you’re playing against a Wing-T football team,” Muller said. “We didn’t do that. “We didn’t play gap sound and they took advantage of that.”

On the Rams’ next drive, Kantor connected with Cole Urich for 43 yards down to the Truman 5. Two players later, Garner ran for a four-yard touchdown, pulling Pennridge to within 21-14 at 4:29.

Pressure on a Tigers punt forced a turnover on downs after three-yard run on 4th-and-15, setting the Rams up at the Truman 40. But Pennridge went backwards on the series and on 3rd-and-30, Peterson intercepted a Kantor pass downfield and return it to the Rams 14.

Poulson crossed the goal line from a yard out three plays later at 1:32 to make it 28-14.

After three straight incompletions, the Rams gave Truman back the ball at the Tigers 44 at 1:04 left in the half. On a 2nd-and-10 from the Pennridge 40, Snelling hit a streaking Coleman for a TD with just 10 seconds as Truman went into halftime up 21.

“You know they had that speed and we had scouted it, we knew what was coming, but what had little things that we didn’t get done,” Hartzell said. “And those little things all add up. It makes a big difference.”

A Rams three-and-out to start the third quarter led to Truman starting at the 50. On 1st-and-10, Rodgers found a seam through the right side of the line, got to the sideline and raced to the end zone to make it 42-14 at 9:47.

Pennridge posted the game’s final touchdown with 7:51 in the fourth as Kantor finished a 12-play, 70-yard drive with a three-yard touchdown pass to Pleibel.