The Times Herald (Norristown, PA)
COLD TURKEY
Pennridge defense shuts down Quakertown
QUAKERTOWN >> Backed into his own end zone, Quakertown quarterback Brad Bryan was completely engulfed by the Pennridge defensive line, and 6-foot, 300-pound Brian Lafty came up with the prize.
His fumble recovery for a touchdown gave the Rams an early 9-0 lead, and ushered in a dominant day for the Pennridge defense.
“Fat-man touchdown. Our defensive line coach (Alex Smith) owes me a steak dinner,” Lafty said afterwards with a wide grin. “I’m so excited for it.”
Stuffing rival Quakertown 37-6 on Thanksgiving Day, Pennridge finished off its season in convincing fashion.
“We had to bring it to them,” Lafty said. “We got on ‘em right away.
“There’s nothing like this in the world. It’s just a great feeling. I love my guys and it’s great to finish out four years with them.”
Pennridge (5-6) took the ball away four times and produced three sacks on what was a blustery, cold afternoon at packed Alumni Field.
“The guys heard it all throughout the week. We had a couple alumni come back to talk about pride, tradition, and the guys took that to heart,” Rams coach Cody Muller said. “They felt ‘this is our last ride. This is our last time to be putting on a Pennridge uniform and stepping on a field.’ They went with it. They rolled.”
And they did it against a strong Quakertown squad (9-4) that reached the District 1-6A quarterfinals.
“I give all the credit to Cody and Pennridge. They came in today with great enthusiasm and intensity,” Panthers coach George Banas said. “We had a rough time matching it.”
Its offense beginning to gain steam late in the first half, Pennridge extended to a 16-0 lead when 6-foot-2 Connor Pleibel went up and grabbed a 30-yard
FOOTBALL >> PAGE 3