Pennridge falls short against S-F
Halftime of the District 2nH CODss AAAA sHPifinDO game between Pennridge and Spring-Ford gave both floFNs oI 5DPs D rHDson Wo be optimistic they were two quarters away from a trip to WKH WiWOH JDPH nHxW wHHN.
Spring-Ford showed off its EDODnFHd DWWDFN Dnd KHOd D 21-18 lead. Pennridge pulled wiWKin WKrHH SoinWs WKDnNs Wo D WouFKdown in WKH finDO sHFonds of the quarter.
6SrinNOHd inWo Dn HnFourDJinJ finisK Wo WKH firsW KDOI for Pennridge, was the unWiPHOy nHws WKHir IuOOEDFN and senior captain henny Crawford would not return to action with a head injury. The home team has not made excuses all season and was not going to start on Saturday.
However optimism slowly IDdHd, sWDrWinJ wiWK WKH firsW play of the third quarter. Spring-Ford’s Jarred Jones made one hard cut and 74 yDrds ODWHr KDd Kis 5DPs on top for good. Spring-Ford’s 35-24 win at Poppy voder Field ended the Suburban One Continental Conference Champ’s season.
Spring-Ford will play Coatesville for the district championship this Friday.
“We went in to the half SrHWWy FonfidHnW,” 5DPs’ sHnior TuDrWHrEDFN AOHx hrivda said. “We have been down before. We have a lot oI FonfidHnFH. WH MusW FouOd noW FDSiWDOizH.”
The 74-yard score by -onHs wDs Kis firsW WouFK oI the afternoon. Senior runninJ EDFN YousHI Lundi KDd already found the end zone WwiFH in WKH firsW KDOI Dnd TuDrWHrEDFN HDnN CoynH threw a touchdown pass in each half. In the end, SpringFord had too many options.
“henny has been great for us DOO yHDr DW IuOOEDFN Dnd OinHEDFNHr,” 5DPs’ FoDFK 5Dndy CuWKEHrW sDid. “,W wDs D WouJK ErHDN, EuW inMuriHs KDSSHn. 7KHsH Nids KDYH been resilient and stayed closed. We lost today and that is disappointing, but it has been an unbelievable yHDr.”
Pennridge’s number one oSWion, Munior runninJ EDFN 0iNH CODss, wDs TuHsWionDEOH Wo SODy in WKH sHPifinal game, but dressed and received 20 carries. However with the loss of his OHDd EOoFNHr CrDwIord, Dnd the big defensive front of Spring-Ford, Class was held to 58 yards, which included an 11-yard touchdown run. The score was the longest of the day, and a Class run nevHr rHsuOWHd in D firsW down.
“,W wDs diIfiFuOW Wo run,” Cuthbert said. “They had some really big, athletic, strong guys up front. Their sizH wDs WKH diIIHrHnFH.”
With Class being slowed for a variety of reasons, Pen-
Pennridge relied on senior hyle Bigam to break the big plays they have seen from their utility man all season. BLJDP fiOOHG LQ DW IUOOEDFN IRR Crawford, but still did most of his damage outside the hashmarks. Bigam caught four balls for 72 yards, including the 28-yard touchdown prior to halftime, despite being triple-covered on the route.
“It was Hail-Mary and I just saw the ball and went up and got it,” Bigam said. “Their corner had his hands on it too, but I pulled it out. We expect to come out here and make big plays when we need to.”
At times it looked bleak for Pennridge. They fumbled WKH VQDS RI WKH fiRVW SODy RI the afternoon. Spring-Ford intercepted two passes and was up two scores on three separate occasions. An interception and fumble recovery by Pennridge’s linebacker Matt Pasquale kept hope in the heart, but in the end Spring-Ford survived.
“Our defense made some plays to keep us in the game,” Pasquale said. “But number one (Tate Carter), 39 (Lundi), and Jones were good players. I was shocked to not see Jones LQ WKH fiRVW KDOI. :H SODyHG hard, but it was not enough.”
Pennridge possibly could point to the three missed extra points and one failed two-point conversion attempt. They could explain the loss with a few untimely injuries, or having to play two games in three days. BUW 3HQQRLGJH fiQLVKHG WKH VHDson 12-2 and league champs because they never made excuses. They won as a team all season. Now, but with their heads held high, they have to lose as a team.
“We are not going to make excuses,” Bigam said. “We came out here and played as hard as we could and fell short. What hurts more than losing is knowing this group most likely will never play with each other again. We became a family.”