Neshaminy hammers Hatboro-Horsham
For BucksLocalSports
A lot of interesting stuff happened during the Neshaminy High School football team’s visit to HatboroHorsham last Friday night, but very little of it had to do with the outcome of the game.
The Redskins took care of business early and often against the hapless Hatters and ran out 45-0 victors Sept. 7 in Hatboro.
If nothing else, the performance adds some early fuel to the perpetual “who’s better” debate between arch-rivals Neshaminy and Pennsbury. Also last week, the Falcons squeaked by Philadelphia’s Frankford High, which edged Hatboro, 3220, on Aug. 31.
Common opponents aside, Neshaminy continued to look like the team to beat in the Suburban One National Conference. The Redskins recorded their second-straight shutout and, for the second week in a row, prevented their opponent from advancing beyond the 50 yard line.
Whereas the pass rush did the damage in a seasonopening whitewash of Philadelphia’s Northeast High, recording six sacks, the run defense did the business last night as Hatboro gained just 23 yards on the ground through the first three quarters.
Neshaminy’s pass defense didn’t fare too bad, either, allowing just one completion for minus-one yard before the subs finished out the contest.
Offensively, the Redskins pounded the run early as halfback Nate Hall gained 60 yards on eight firstquarter carries. Fullbacks Blake Sullivan and Denny Lord, along with wide receiver gustin Andrews, also chipped in runs of 10 yards or more in the opening quarter.
Hall’s 27-yard scamper opened the scoring four minutes into the game. Four minutes later, he scored on a two-yard run to make it 13-0.
Sullivan scored on a oneyard run to open the second quarter, before the Redskins opened up the playbook for two long passing scores.
Andrews took a handoff, then passed 42 yards to Hamiid Pack for one touchdown, before quarterback Hugh Hart and Andrews linked up on a 69-yard passand-run to make the score 33-0.
Subs Matt Kashow and D’Andre Pollard ran for touchdowns in the fourth quarter to complete the scoring.
With the Hatboro offense sputtering early, the Hatters seemed to run out of offensive ideas.
On their first play from scrimmage, quarterback
Steven Palo heaved a knuckleball about 10 feet over the head of a receiver who had broken free down the right sideline. It was their only real deep attempt all game.
Beyond that, the Hatters’ attack consisted mainly of runs by fullback geff Panara and halfback Chris Ejimonyeugwo into an impenetrable Neshaminy front seven. Palo tried a few more quick throws, but had accuracy problems even on the shortest pass routes.
As a result, Hatboro failed to produce a first down and never advanced as far as its own 40-yard line with the ball in the opening half.
Perhaps the most intriguing aspect of the half was the performance of the officiating crew.
On the opening kickoff, they flagged a Hatboro-Horsham player for a personal foul. But when head coach Gary Pagliaro asked for an explanation, the head referee told him to query one of his own players about the call, claiming the player witnessed the foul.
A couple of plays later, the Redskins’ defense stacked up a Hatboro-Horsham ball carrier at the line. In the midst of a rugby-style scrum, the umpire yelled “it’s over, it’s over” to signal the end of the play, but nobody had bothered to blow a whistle. The runner ended up with a couple extra yards out of the deal.
Midway through the second quarter, Neshaminy again stuffed a HatboroHorsham runner at the line, only for the ball to pop loose, defensive end Luke Carrezola to scoop it and run it back for a Neshaminy touchdown.
However, with the ball still bouncing around, one of the officials inexplicably blew perhaps the shortest whistle in history. At first the referee let the play continue. Then after a long discussion, the officials decided to replay the down.
gustice was served when the Redskins stopped two more Hatters’ runs, forced a punt and scored a quick touchdown moments later.
The scenario prompted one Hatboro-Horsham athletic department staff member to wonder aloud if “replacement refs” had been working the game.
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