Check out the recaps for SOL football teams in action Thursday. Wissahickon/Upper Merion photos provided courtesy of Kim Supko; Council Rock South/Perkiomen Valley photos provided courtesy of David Oakill. CLICK HERE to go directly to Suburban One Sports' FOOTBALL GALLERIES.
SOL non-league crossover
PENNRIDGE 28, SOUDERTON 11
Don’t be fooled by the final score.
That was Pennridge coach Kyle Beller’s message after his team defeated the visiting Indians in the first meeting between the neighboring schools in three years.
“I’m really just proud of the kids - we were playing the Pennridge way,” Pennridge coach Kyle Beller said. “They grinded out a win. They were gritty, and they just kept grinding.
“It’s a rivalry game, and it’s going to be a hard-fought football game, and that’s exactly what it was. We just made one or two more plays, and it kind of went from there.
“It was hard fought on both sides, and it was much closer game than 28-11. That’s a hard-nosed rivalry game, and for our young kids to grind that out, to start learning how to be battle tested – I’m really proud of the way they ended up playing and finishing that second half.”
Just how close the game was is underscored by the fact that the Rams took a tenuous 14-11 lead into the fourth quarter after – late in the third –Souderton’s Brett Pollack scored on a one-yard quarterback sneak. The successful two-point conversion pulled the Indians to within three.
The Rams had an immediate answer, scoring in the opening seconds of the fourth quarter when quarterback Aiden Tetkowski connected with Nate Derstine on a 43-yard TD strike. The quick strike gave the Rams a 21-11 lead.
Late in the fourth quarter, the Rams iced the win when Trevor Picciotti, who rushed for 100 yards, scored on a three-yard run.
“The offensive line – I don’t know how many yards we rushed for, but they grinded it out,” Beller said. “Aiden Tetkowski made some big throws, and Nate (Derstine) had some big catches. Sean Leuthe running some speed sweeps, but when you do that, the other guys have to be doing their jobs and blocking.
“Trevor Picciotti had a fantastic day, running the ball. He got a touchdown at the end, he broke some big ones. It’s the Pennridge way. It’s not just one kid. It’s everyone doing their job. It’s what we preach and what we do, and it’s who we want to be, and they’re just doing it. It’s not one kid. It’s a lot of kids doing their jobs, how we play when we spread the ball around.”
Early on, points were hard to come by for both sides. Pennridge broke a scoreless tie when Tetkowski – on the run – connected with Ryan Flood on an 11-yard touchdown pass. The Indians made it a 7-3 game by halftime, converting a 19-yard field goal by Charlie Pisoni after coming up with an interception.
Midway through the third quarter, Sean Leuthe scored from 24 yards out, and the Rams led 14-3, but the game was far from over.
For the game, Souderton managed just 20 yards in the air and finished just shy of 200 yards of total offense.
“The defense played great,” Beller said. “The D-line played great, the linebackers played great. Devin Kelly made a huge play in the fourth quarter that I thought kind of clinched things, making them punt and us getting the ball back.
“Souderton had the ball and they were getting momentum. It was third-and-two, and they ran a speed sweep, and Devin came off the ball and made a tackle for a two- or three-yard loss, which made them punt the ball. It was a great play for him there. We got the ball back and ended up going in and scoring. That’s the difference in the game because it was a one-score game and they were getting momentum.”
For the Rams, Tetkowski was 8-for-14 for 128 yards and two touchdowns. Derstine was his top target, finishing with four catches for 87 yards and a touchdown.
Thursday’s win snapped a five-game losing streak at the hands of Souderton for the Rams, who earned their first win over the Indians in almost a decade.
“We haven’t beaten them since 2017,” Beller said. “Last time we played was my first year there, so it was like three years ago, and that was a hard-fought game. When these two teams get together, that’s what you’re going to get.
“They opened up that week on our schedule this year, and (Souderton) called us. We’re like, ‘Absolutely.’ It’s great for both communities.”
Up next: Pennridge will be on the road at Council Rock South for a non-league SOL crossover game Thursday, and Souderton will host Central Bucks West Thursday.
Souderton 0-3-8-0 11
Pennridge 0-7-7-7 21
UPPER MORELAND 20, BENSALEM 7
Three interceptions – two for pick sixes – highlighted a standout defensive effort for the Golden Bears, and in the end, it was second half interceptions by Nick Milendez and Ben Holcomb returned for TDs that were the difference in the game that was deadlocked 7-7 at halftime.
“Our defense really, really executed because we talked about the fundamentals all week and getting better at that,” UM coach Adam Beach said. “But we really got after it defensively. We were able to get some pressure on them up front, and we were able to get some negative plays against the run and some pressure for the pass. When the quarterback’s under duress, he made some throws that we were able to pick off and then we had the daylight in front of us and were able to capitalize, so that was good.”
With 5:39 remaining in the opening quarter, David Adamski connected with Brody Hughes for a 33-yard touchdown, and Craig Tucker converted the PAT to give the Bears a 7-0 lead.
UM’s defense forced the Owls to turn the ball over on downs on the final play of the opening quarter.
With 4:17 remaining in the second quarter, the Owls evened the score with a touchdown by (Brennan Farnsworth) and regained possession after a defensive stop. The Bears averted any damage when DJ Chambers came up with an interception with 43 seconds remaining in the half, and the two teams went into halftime deadlocked 7-7.
UM took a lead it would not lose when – with 8:32 remaining in the third quarter - Julian Melendez picked off a pass and ran it in for an eight-yard touchdown, giving UM a 14-7 lead.
The Bears were forced to punt, and once again, UM’s defense came up with a big play. This time it was Ben Holcombe coming up with an interception that he returned 13 yards for a TD with 2:14 remaining in the third.
“After that, it was basically a defensive struggle,” Beach said. “Both teams were having a hard time moving the ball, and then Sean Coulter forced a fumble that was recovered by Connor Lennox.
“We didn’t score again, but basically, we just ran the ball, controlled the ball, and they weren’t able to do anything, and we ended up winning.”
The UM coach credited Coulter and Lennox for their defensive play.
“Another guy is Ethan Starr,” Beach said. “He’s doing all the grunt work in the middle of the line, and he did a great job. The other guy on the D-line is Donnie Dinkins, They’re the guys that were causing all the disruptions and allowing guys to make plays on the other end, so they did a great job. It was a good defensive effort.”
With the win, the Bears are 2-0 on the young season.
“I thought our offense did enough when we needed to score points and move the ball and run the clock,” Beach said. “It was a hot, highly contested high school football game. It was just who’s going to hold on and win this.
“I think the message to our team was just doing what you’ve been taught, focus on your fundamentals and doing the right things that we coach you to do. When they did that, they got the success of the interceptions or the pick or the play in the backfield. It was just what you want as a coaching staff.”
Beach also gave credit to the Owls.
“They’re a big, physical football team,” he said. “They gave us everything we could handle, so credit to them, they did a nice job.
“Number 2 (Farnsworth) did a nice job running the ball. He got loose on us, but we made enough plays to win, so that was good.”
Up next: Upper Moreland will host Springfield Twp in Thursday’s SOL opener, and Bensalem will host Central Bucks East in its SOL opener Thursday.
Upper Moreland 7-0-13-0 20
Bensalem 0-7-0-0 7
HARRY S TRUMAN 42, COUNCIL ROCK NORTH 7
(Koko Johnson numbers courtesy of Tom Waring/Bucks County Herald. To read his complete game story, click on the following link: https://www.buckscountyherald.com/sports/koko-johnson-runs-wild-in-truman-win/article_f4743b6c-568b-485d-9293-a6330473d4a9.html
Koko Johnson had himself a night.
The Truman junior torched the Indians’ defense for five touchdowns – four in a spectacular first half, and by the time the night was finished, Johnson had 294 yards on 20 carries.
“He’s very explosive,” Truman coach Frank McArdle said. “He was able to make plays happen.”
The Tigers’ coach was also quick to credit the offensive line comprised of Brennan Gadson (center), Dontreal Lovelace (right tackle), Zamir Moore (right guard), Christian Willis (left tackle) and Makhi Kimble (left guard). Danny Cominski also saw action at guard.
“Our offensive line did a great job,” McArdle said. “They were physical, they were moving, and we were pulling guys. They were getting on defenders, and they opened up a lot of holes.”
A recap of the game would show that Rock North scored a touchdown on its first possession.
“We had them in third-and-nine, and they’re a wishbone team,” McArdle said. “They threw a pass, and our safety and our corner had their eyes in the wrong spot, and their kid ran by us. They made a great throw and scored a touchdown.”
The Tigers erased that early deficit when Johnson raced 35 yards for the touchdown. They turned a botched PAT attempt into a two-point conversion and led 8-7. The Tigers never looked back, and a 20-point second quarter – which included three Johnson TD runs - all but put the game out of reach.
So what changed in the second quarter?
“The biggest adjustment we made was our chin straps,” said McArdle. “The first possession of the game – on defense, we weren’t playing great, and they woke up and started playing. We started being physical, and that changed the game.
“I’ve been preaching to them – we have a good team. So for them to go out and see their hard work finally come to fruition a little bit – I think that’s huge for our confidence going forward.”
By halftime, Johnson had four touchdowns, and the Tigers led 28-7. In limited playing time in the second half, he added another. Sahyou Cole scored the game’s final TD in the fourth quarter.
Not to be overlooked was the standout effort of the Tigers’ defense, which did not allow a point after Rock North scored on its opening drive.
Our linebacker – Evan Pack – had a real good game,” McArdle said. “Damarion Melvin had a great game.
“TJ Talawalol had an interception, and Taheem Watts had a huge game – he had a bunch of catches and a couple of punt returns. They weren’t touchdowns, but he was huge on both sides of the ball.”
Up next: Harry S Truman will host West Philadelphia in a non-league game Thursday.
Council Rock North 7-0-0-0 7
Harry S Truman 8-20-7-7 42
Non-league
COUNCIL ROCK SOUTH 13, PERKIOMEN VALLEY 10
It was a play that loomed large.
In the closing moments of the first half, the visiting Vikings set up for a makeable field goal that didn’t exactly go as planned. Thanks in no small part to the inspired play of junior Cross Cervellero, who blocked the field goal and set up an electrifying touchdown run by Brody Walker.
Instead of heading into halftime on the short end of a 3-0 score, the Golden Hawks took a 6-0 advantage into the locker room.
“When you’re two really good teams going at it all night long, the one team that caught a break was us,” Rock South coach CJ Szydlik said. “It was a huge play at the end of the half, and obviously gave us momentum going in. It was a big play.”
Another big play – this one to open the second half – put the Hawks on top 13-0 when quarterback Cannon Benzio connected with Walker for a 69-yard touchdown completion.
But the Vikings made things interesting, trimming Rock South’s lead to 13-7 on a touchdown pass of their own. A Viking field goal late in the third quarter trimmed that lead to three, but that’s as close they would get.
“When you get games like this, especially non-conference games against really good football teams like Perk Valley, this is what you hope for,” Szydlik said. “It was one of those games that win or lose, I just want us to play well and learn lessons from it, and I think we did, so at that point, you couldn’t be any happier.
“We still have a lot of work to do, but our kids were as gritty and gutsy as you can find.”
The Rock South coach credited the play of his squad.
“For us at the end, our offensive line did a really good job,” Szydlik said. “We were short a couple guys to cramps and other things, and we were able to grind out some first downs. Jerry Rogers was huge running the football for us in those moments.
“Defensively, we’re tough. We were very physical. We played the game the right way. Our kids seem to be disciplined enough even to be a little havocy sometimes. It’s pretty cool to watch.” Rodgers was the catalyst on offense with 17 carries for 118 yards.
Up next: Council Rock South will host Pennridge in what promises to be an interesting non-league SOL crossover contest on Thursday.
Perkiomen Valley 0-0-10-0 10
Council Rock South 6-0-7-0 13
WISSAHICKON 47, UPPER MERION 0
(Game info courtesy of Ed Morlock/Times Herald: X @emor09. Check out the complete game story: https://www.thereporteronline.com/2026/09/03/football-wissahickon-rolls-past-upper-merion/
A pattern developed early in this one, and it was not a good one for the visiting Vikings.
Three-and-a-half minutes into the opening quarter, Wissahickon scored on a four-yard run by Quasir Sampson. The Trojans’ defense pinned the Vikings deep, and a bad snap out of the end zone on the Vikings’ punt resulted in a Trojans’ safety.
Sampson – who scored four touchdowns for the second time in as many games – punched it in from one yard out, and the Trojans led 13-0. Another defensive stop forced another punt, and once again, the Trojans’ defense held, forcing another punt, and once again, the long snap sailed out of the end zone for a safety.
By halftime, Sampson had three touchdowns, Tyree Chambers had one, and the Trojans had an insurmountable 31-0 advantage.
In the second half, Sampson scored his fourth TD – this one on a 34-yard pass reception from Evan Dixon. Ben Hinchcliffe nailed a 36-yard field goal, and Will Warren had a five-yard touchdown run.
“It was a full team effort,” Wissahickon coach Rory Graver said. “For us, it starts on that defensive side of the ball. Coach Dave Sowers and his staff does a great job in terms of putting our game plan together, and our players do a good job of buying in and believing in it and executing it.
“Pitching a shutout is a big deal, and it’s a great job by our defensive staff and our players on defense.”
The Trojans not only shut out the Vikings, they made a statement, limiting the Trojans less than a hundred yards of total offense.
“it’s a whole group,” Graver said. “Playing against the wing-t tonight - it’s an offense that we don’t see a ton of, so, it’s all about being disciplined. And our whole group did a great job being disciplined.
“Offensively, again, our guys up front, the offensive line, did a great job. I think we threw the ball maybe four to five times tonight. Again, they were loading in the box on us again, and offensively, we did a great job of making room for not just Quasir, but also Tyree Chambers, Evan Dixon, and Ryan Kim as well.”
Up next: Wissahickon will host Archbishop Carroll in a non-league game Thursday.
Upper Merion 0-0-0-0 0
Wissahickon 15-16-6-10 47
ABINGTON 13, NORRISTOWN 0
It had been a long time between wins – 370 days to be exact since the Ghosts handed Harry S Truman a 42-7 loss in their second game of the season last year.
After falling to Kennett in last week’s season opener, the Ghost needed a win, and they got just that with their shutout of the visiting Eagles.
“We talked all offseason about identifying what our identity is going to be, and no more talking to people about believing that things have changed, but let’s show people that things are changed, and that’s our motto every single game,” Abington coach Bruce Fleming said. “We’ll let our play do the talking, so people see that the program is different and the program’s going in a different direction.
“So, getting this win at home in front of the home fans was great, and we’re looking to do something different that we haven’t done in a few year and duplicate this next week.”
The Ghosts got on the scoreboard early, capping a long drive when quarterback Caleb Smith took it in from a yard out. Caleb Adams split the uprights on the PAT, and the Ghosts led 7-0.
There was no mistaking the significance of that early score.
“It was very important to give our guys confidence,” Fleming said. “Just to really do it off of what we did last week against Kennett.
“We had some long drives last week that we just couldn’t finish, so being able to finish a long drive tonight and put points on the board was good for us and a good confidence booster for everyone.”
Abington took that one-touchdown advantage into the halftime locker room and then made it a 13-0 game in the third quarter Kai Taylor turned a screen pass from Smith into a long touchdown run.
That was more than enough for the Ghosts, who pitched a shutout, and when it was over, there was plenty of praise to go around.
“Our offensive line did a great job – left tackle Asa Umstead, left guard Braelyn Ireland, center Austin Friedman, right guard Elijah Riveria and Thomas ‘TJ’’ Barry,” Fleming said. “From film last week, we showed them and talked about finishing our blocks. We always had one block that was missed last week, and they had an extra guy come through.
“So, this week we were really focusing on finishing everything that we had to do. Those guys really locked in this week at practice and really executed at a high level to really get the job done, so we had some big holes for our running backs to run through to get long gains, and that’s a testament to those guys up front on executing their job responsibilities.”
There were heroes galore on the defensive side of the football as well.
“Eli Hansen had two sacks and maybe a TFL,” Fleming said of his sophomore linebacker. “He had a very good game from his linebacker spot. Mykhaylo Dovhanyuk, another linebacker, did a nice job of getting everyone in the right spots.”
“Defensive line-wise, they did a great job of making it hard for Norristown to really run the ball – that’s Isaac Traylor, Leonardo Cajina and Nathan Staub. Those three started the game, and then we use a rotation of different guys after that to try and keep guys fresh.”
Up next: Abington will host Council Rock North in a non-league SOL crossover game Thursday.”
Norristown 0-0-0-0 0
Abington 7-0-6-0 13
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