GAME SIX
GAME SIX
GAME SIX

Pennridge runs over Souderton



By Ed Kracz


PERKASIE — The senior pieces were back in place along the line of scrimmage, somewhere they hadn’t really been together much this season, and, in the words of their head coach, Randy Cuthbert, were “moving bodies all night long.”

Pennridge welcomed back from injury linemen and captains Anthony Fecondo, Jake Newman and James Worthington, and what a difference they made as the Rams beat Souderton, 27-7, in their Suburban One League Continental Conference opener at mud-drenched Poppy Yoder Field on Friday night.

“Having them back helped so much,” said Pennridge senior lineman Tom Hastings. “Their experience really helped.”

On offense, the line opened holes for sophomore Mike Class and senior James Marrero. The dynamic duo combined to run for 214 yards. A week after running for 218 yards, Class had 135; Marrero 79. Both players had two touchdowns each.

“With Worthington and Fecondo coming back, we definitely knew we could beat these guys,” said Marrero. “We started this game knowing we should win, and that’s the mentality we had all game.”

So after an 0-3 start, the Rams have won two in a row and are 1-0 in the conference. Souderton slipped to 2-3 and 1-1 in conference.

“They were the better team tonight and I have no problem saying that,” said Souderton coach Ed Gallagher. “We’ve seen them play good defense, and we knew if we got down early, we’d be in trouble, and that’s what happened.”

The Rams’ defense has been rolling. After losing to Council Rock South, 2-0, on a safety, the Rams have only allowed a single touchdown in each of the past two games. It held Souderton to just 44 yards of total offense and six first downs, five of which came on the visitors’ only scoring drive of the night.

“Our experience, size and strength that we had back tonight neutralized them up front,” said Cuthbert. “That was the best line play we had all year.”

Pennridge grabbed a 7-0 lead in the first quarter, executing an 11-play, 48-yard drive capped by a 9-yard run by Class.

Souderton answered with 6:55 to play in the second quarter when quarterback Tanner Allem hit tight end Ry Yozallinas with a 9-yard pass. But Yozallinas was flagged for taunting after he scored, and the 15-yard unsportsmanlike conduct penalty proved costly as the Rams returned the ensuing kickoff to the the 50-yard line.

On the next play from there, Class ran through the mud slop for a score to give the Rams a lead they would never relinquish.

“Mike is a heck of a player,” said Cuthbert. “He is exciting to watch. We tell our line just give him a little space, that’s all he needs.”

Class even showed off his arm on a halfback option pass to sophomore Micah Stutzman on a second-and-20 to keep alive a drive that ended in a hard-nosed, 1-yard TD run from Marrero to make the score 20-7 Rams with 9:50 left in the game.

To Cuthbert, it was all about having his line back together again after injuries derailed them so early in the year.

“They came all at once,” he said. “We just faced so much adversity, but we talked after the Rock South game about starting over, that we were 0-0, and now they believe they can beat anybody.

“We dug ourselves a big hole, but we’re trying to bounce back.”
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PHOTO COURTESY OF Mark C Psoras