Neshaminy-Pennsbury winner likely to share SONL title with Truman
It will be both a case of something very familiar and the distinct possibility of something entirely new when the Suburban One National League football teams wrap up regular-season play Friday night.
The familiar is an SONL title will again be on the line when Neshaminy and Pennsbury square off in front of a big crowd on Heartbreak Ridge.
How competitive has one of the best rivalries in the entire Delaware Valley been over all these years?
Consider after Neshaminy beat Pennsbury in the regular-season last year before the Falcons got even with their arch-rival in their ever meeting in the playoffs, the series remained tied at 4040-7.
The new is the winner of the Neshaminy-Pennsbury game will in all likelihood share the title with Truman. Should the heavily favored Tigers beat visiting Bensalem, it will result in the first league title in the history of the Truman program. PENNSBURY (5-4) AT NESHAMINY (6-3), FRIDAY, 7 P.M. >> This season has not followed the usual script for the long-time powerhouses. With a host of key returning starters, Neshaminy was expected to be here as the SONL favorite. After getting devastated by graduation from a 10-win team that advanced to the district semifinals, Pennsbury was not. It appeared even more unlikely when the Falcons lost their first three games and gave up points like a pinball machine. To its credit, Pennsbury has roared back to win five of its next six and in the lone loss during that stretch it was leading late in the fourth quarter against Truman. Neshaminy, of course, lost to Truman, 2827, on a missed extra point late in the fourth quarter. Despite Pennsbury’s momentum, it’s the Redskins who are favored because in large part they have been the more consistent defensive team. As such, it’s Pennsbury that will have to play the cleaner game and avoid mistakes such as interceptions against Neshaminy’s strong secondary. With the pressure definitely more on Neshaminy, it will be interesting to see if Pennsbury changes things up a bit like it did last year when it suddenly successfully switched from a spread to its old ground and pound in the rematch. Led by Rutgers recruit Brian Malinowski (6-5, 305), Pennsbury still has the big offensive line, but it no longer has a true power back in the mold of Andrew Basalyga. There’s a good chance that even with a loss Pennsbury can still make the playoffs, which at one point also appeared out of the question. BENSALEM (1-8) AT TRUMAN (8-1), FRIDAY, 7 P.M. >> The Owls have to be feeling pretty good after a tough win over Rock North that ended a long losing streak. These two have also been known to stage some wild shootouts that could go either way. Still, it’s just very difficult to see how this ends up being anything but a coronation for the Tigers. There’s a reason the Tigers are 8-1 and might very well be undefeated it they hadn’t been missing some key suspended starters the night they lost to Rock South. And that is they are very good on both sides of the ball.
Council Rock South (5-4) at Council Rock North (1-8), Friday, 7 p.m. — There have been some surprising developments and notable upsets in this back-yard brawl, but it would be absolutely stunning if it occurred here. Rock North fell to Bensalem last week and it’s hard to see how it will move the ball much at all against a tough Rock South defense that just limited high-powered Neshaminy to nine points. Rock South also needs this to end a playoff drought. It won’t pick up a lot of points with a win because of Rock North’s record, but one would assume a win would put the Hawks in the 6A field.
LOWER MORELAND (1-6) AT BRISTOL (4-4), FRIDAY, 7 P.M. >> Following a bye week in which it picked up a forfeit win over Delaware Christian, Bristol will return to action as it continues to prepare for the playoffs. While the Warriors are favored, they should not take a win over Class 3A Lower Moreland for granted. Lower Moreland did play Class A top-seeded Jenkintown tough in a 14-6 loss. Bristol recently lost to Jenkintown, 21-14.
NEW HOPE-SOLEBURY (7-2) AT MORRISVILLE (3-5), FRIDAY, 7 P.M. >> The Dawgs were also off last week and are really up against it against the Bicentennial Athletic League champs. New Hope hasn’t lost since the first of week of September, and that was in overtime against an Academy of New Church team that is still undefeated after last week’s win over Pennington Prep. The Mo’ville defense can hold its own, but scoring will be a problem. CARDINAL O’HARA (6-2) AT CONWELL-EGAN (9-0), SATURDAY, 7 P.M. >> With its first Philadelphia Catholic League title since 1990 secured following last week’s win over Bishop McDevitt, the Eagles are primed for an undefeated regular season and a long run in the state playoffs. O’Hara is a pretty good team as its record attests, but it doesn’t have nearly the firepower of the Eagles. ConwellEgan has scored more than 40 points in five of its games and is smashing one offensive record after another. 1. Pope John Paul (8-1) 185; 2. ConwellEgan (9-0) 180; 3. New Hope (7-2) 158; 4. School of the Future (5-3) 153.
CLASS A
1. Jenkintown (6-2) 145; 2. Bristol (4-4) 120; 3. Morrisville (3-5) 90; 4. Valley Forge (2-6) 68.