Feature Photo Courtesy of Mike Apice
PERKASIE — For three quarters Thursday night, Souderton made Pennridge work for everything it got.
That’s usually how these games go.The two neighboring programs renewed an old rivalry at Helman Field, and despite entering the night from opposite directions after Week 0, there wasn’t much separating them deep into the second half.
This wasn’t the 35-0 runaway Pennridge had against Liberty a week earlier.
This one had to be earned.
Souderton made that clear immediately, stopping Pennridge on fourth down during the Rams’ opening possession. The Indians couldn’t turn the short field into points, but the message was delivered early: Pennridge wasn’t going to walk through this one.
The Rams finally broke through in the second quarter when junior quarterback Aiden Tetkowski connected with Ryan Flood for an 11-yard touchdown.
Souderton answered before halftime with a field goal, and Pennridge went to the locker room holding only a 7-3 advantage.
Rivalry football.
Pennridge began creating some separation after halftime.
Senior Sean Leuthe broke free for a touchdown run to extend the Rams’ lead to 14-3, but Souderton refused to disappear. The Indians answered with a touchdown and two-point conversion late in the third quarter to pull within 14-11.
For a moment, Helman Field had itself a ballgame again. Pennridge answered almost immediately.
Tetkowski connected with junior Nate Derstine downfield for a touchdown, giving the Rams some breathing room at 21-11 heading into the fourth.
That response proved to be the turning point. From there, Pennridge’s defense took over.
Senior Brody Blomgren led the Rams with 12 tackles and a tackle for loss, while junior linebacker Blake Landherr finished right behind him with 11 tackles.
Junior Mason Walker added 10 tackles and a tackle for loss as Pennridge’s defense continued to make life difficult for the Souderton offense.
Those three alone combined for 33 tackles.
The Rams finished with 66 total tackles and five tackles for loss, with Devin Kelly, Ryan Flood and Jamison Dulin also getting into the Souderton backfield. And once Pennridge got the lead into the fourth quarter, the offense knew exactly what to do with it.
Give the ball to Trevor Picciotti.
The junior running back carried 20 times for an even 100 yards and a touchdown, averaging five yards per carry while handling the bulk of the work on Pennridge’s game-closing drive.
Picciotti eventually punched in the final touchdown to make it 28-11 and put the rivalry matchup away.
For his effort, Picciotti earned Suburban One Insider Offensive Player of the Game, presented by CDS Wealth Management.
It wasn’t a flashy 200-yard night.
It didn’t need to be.
When Pennridge needed to move the chains, control the clock and finish the game, No. 33 kept getting the football.
Tetkowski also continued a promising start to his first season running the Rams offense. The junior completed 8 of 14 passes for 128 yards and two touchdowns, with one interception.
Derstine was his leading target, catching four passes for 87 yards and a touchdown, including a 43-yard reception. Leuthe added two catches for 28 yards to go along with 58 rushing yards and a touchdown on just four carries.
Pennridge finished with 319 yards of offense, including 191 on the ground.
But Thursday night belonged just as much to the defense. Landherr earned SOI Defensive Player of the Game after another productive night in the middle of the Rams defense.
Coming off a 135-tackle sophomore season, Landherr has entered 2026 with a reputation throughout the league. Against Souderton, he continued to show why.
Eleven more tackles.
Another physical night.
Another Pennridge win.
Then there was Austin Keller.
The senior earned SOI Special Teams Player of the Game, and his impact went beyond simply putting extra points through the uprights.
Keller converted all four PATs and, perhaps more importantly in a field-position game, sent three of his five kickoffs into the end zone for touchbacks.
Souderton had to repeatedly begin possessions without the benefit of a return, giving Pennridge’s defense a full field to work with.
Those little things matter in games like this.
Picciotti on offense.
Landherr on defense.
Keller on special teams.
Three different areas of the game, three different players making an impact.
And that may be the biggest takeaway from Pennridge through two weeks.
The Rams aren’t relying on one guy.
Against Souderton, Tetkowski threw the touchdowns. Derstine and Flood caught them. Leuthe provided the explosive run. Picciotti handled the fourth-quarter workload. Blomgren led the team in tackles. Landherr was right behind him. Keller consistently tilted field position.
A year after Pennridge made a run to the District 1 championship game, there were legitimate questions about how much the Rams would have to replace in 2026.
Two weeks doesn’t answer everything.
But 2-0 with a 63-11 scoring margin is a pretty good start.
And this one meant a little more.
Pennridge and Souderton hadn’t played since 2023. When the old Bux-Mont neighbors finally got back together Thursday night, Souderton gave the Rams exactly the kind of physical test you’d expect from the rivalry.
Pennridge passed it.
Not easily.
But convincingly enough when it mattered.
SOI Stars of the Game — Presented by CDS Wealth Management
Offensive Player of the Game — Trevor Picciotti, Pennridge
20 carries | 100 yards | 1 TD
Defensive Player of the Game — Blake Landherr, Pennridge
11 tackles
Special Teams Player of the Game — Austin Keller, Pennridge
4-for-4 PATs | 3 of 5 kickoffs for touchbacks