Willow Grove, PA – The Upper Moreland Golden Bears kicked off the 2025 high school football season with a commanding 21-6 victory over the visiting Council Rock North Indians on Friday night. In a classic tale of two halves, the Bears transformed a tight 7-6 halftime lead into a dominant second-half performance, thrilling fans at Upper Moreland High School with explosive plays and a suffocating defense. The first half was a defensive slugfest, with both teams trading blows in a low-scoring affair. Council Rock North struck first, marching 80 yards on an 11-play opening drive. Senior quarterback Will Cabo connected with Aidan Brusco for a 9-yard touchdown pass, putting the Indians up 6-0 with 7:39 left in the first quarter. However, Upper Moreland’s defense answered by blocking the extra point, setting the tone for their resilience.
The Bears responded late in the first when senior running back Elijah Davis spun his way into the end zone from 6 yards out. Luke Sword’s extra point gave Upper Moreland a 7-6 lead with 3:11 remaining in the quarter. Both teams exchanged possessions for the rest of the half, but neither could find the scoreboard, leaving the Bears clinging to a one-point edge at halftime.
The Golden Bears came out roaring in the second half, wasting no time seizing control. With 8:26 left in the third quarter, junior quarterback David Adamski found a wide-open Larry Hughes for a 25-yard touchdown pass, extending the lead to 14-6 after Sword’s PAT. The Bears’ defense then turned the tide when Ethan Starr forced a fumble from Cabo, recovering the ball at the Indians’ 20-yard line. Adamski and Hughes connected again, this time for a 20-yard touchdown strike with 6:49 left in the third, pushing the score to 21-6. That proved to be all the Bears needed, as their defense clamped down to seal the victory. The Bears’ defense was relentless in the second half, with standout performances across the board. Senior Darrius Whetstone was a force on the defensive line, recording two sacks and disrupting the Indians’ backfield all night. Larry Hughes added a strip sack to his two-touchdown performance on offense, while Elijah Davis and Travis Quirk each snagged interceptions to stifle Council Rock North’s comeback hopes.
The Indians pushed hard, driving all the way to the Bears’ one-yard line late in the game, but Upper Moreland’s defense stood tall, stopping them on four consecutive plays to preserve the shutout in the second half. Head coach Adam Beach credited halftime adjustments for the turnaround. “The big thing was to tell them to just relax. They were doing some things defensively that we had to adjust, and I thought that helped us,” Beach said. “Offensively, it was just like ‘One guy.’ We weren’t executing; we were getting the looks we wanted, but ‘One guy’ seemed to always be making a mistake, so we came out in the second half and focused on fundamentals, and we were able to execute and move the ball downfield once we got things rolling. Defensively, we got a little stout and made them a little one-dimensional, and I really think that helped us out towards the end there.”
Three Stars of the Game (CDSWEALTH.COM)
Larry Hughes: A two-way standout, Hughes hauled in two touchdown receptions on offense and contributed multiple tackles and a key strip sack on defense.
Darrius Whetstone: A defensive beast, Whetstone recorded two sacks and was a constant presence in the Indians’ backfield.
David Adamski: The junior quarterback was nearly flawless, completing all but two passes, including two touchdown tosses, while staying composed and making smart decisions in the pocket.
Despite their relentless effort, Council Rock North couldn’t capitalize on their opportunities, with the Bears’ defense proving too much to overcome. The Indians’ early momentum fizzled in the face of Upper Moreland’s second-half surge, setting the stage for an electrifying start to the 2025 season.
The Golden Bears (1-0, 0-0) will look to carry this momentum into their next matchup, while Council Rock North (0-1, 0-0) aims to regroup after a hard-fought opener. For Upper Moreland, Friday night’s victory was a statement: the Bears are ready to roar in 2025.