WARRINGTON — C.B. South entered Friday night as one of the hottest teams in the Suburban One League.
C.B. West made sure that momentum didn’t last long.
The Bucks controlled the line of scrimmage, produced explosive plays on offense and consistently won the hidden-yardage battle on special teams in a convincing 45-13 victory over C.B. South in an SOL National Conference matchup at Titan Stadium.
It was the kind of complete performance West head coach Rob Rowan had been looking for.
“I thought it was all three phases,” Rowan said. “Offensively, special teams and defensively, everything really complemented each other. We kind of got back to playing C.B. West football.”
That showed up quickly.
West established its physicality early and never really allowed South to settle into the game. The Bucks built a 16-0 lead, and when the Titans finally found some life and cut the margin to 16-7, Braylen Cape answered with the play that changed the feel of the night.
Cape burst through the left side and turned what looked like a solid gain into a 70-yard touchdown, pulling away from the South defense and restoring West’s control.
Cape said he could feel defenders closing in before finding another gear.
“I saw them kind of closing in on me, and I’m thinking, ‘I’ve got to score this,’” Cape said. “Then I kind of got that extra top speed. It felt great.”
The senior finished with 156 rushing yards on 12 carries and two touchdowns, earning CDS Wealth Management Offensive Star of the Game honors.
For Cape, the night carried a little more meaning. He had spent time in the C.B. South program before arriving at West, and he looked completely comfortable in the spotlight.
His big-play ability was only part of the story.
West’s offensive line consistently created room for both Cape and Nick Miletto, allowing the Bucks to wear South down as the game progressed.
Miletto finished with 91 rushing yards on 14 carries, two touchdowns and a two-point conversion, but his impact went far beyond the offensive stat sheet.
When asked what made the offense click, Miletto immediately pointed to the people in front of him.
“You can’t have an offense without a line,” Miletto said. “Our O-line just dominated throughout.”
That physical tone carried over to the other side of the ball.
South entered the game having scored 108 points over its previous three victories and riding a three-game winning streak.
Gavin Graham remained productive, rushing for 136 yards and scoring both South touchdowns, but West never allowed the Titans’ offense to take control of the game.
Miletto said the defensive plan all week was simple: make Graham earn everything.
“All week it was just, ‘Don’t let Gavin beat us,’” Miletto said. “We took it personal. We thought they didn’t take us seriously, so we came out and showed them they had to.”
Cape echoed that same mindset.
“Our game plan was to attack him physically, hit him hard every single play and wear him down,” Cape said. “I think that’s exactly what we did. Everybody on defense played their heart out.”
That effort earned Miletto CDS Wealth Management Defensive Star of the Game honors.
West also found ways to impact the game on special teams.
Mason Darrows and Jake Stranix were named co-Special Teams Stars of the Game. Darrows handled the kicking and punting duties, while Stranix’s work as the long snapper helped keep the operation clean throughout the night.
Those plays do not always show up in a highlight reel, but they were part of what Rowan meant when he talked about a complete three-phase effort.
The Bucks also got another disruptive performance from Liam Laphen, who contributed a sack as West repeatedly forced South into difficult situations.
By the time the second half settled in, the game had become less about whether South could rally and more about how decisively West could close it out.
They did.
C.B. West improved to 6-1 overall and 3-1 in the SOL National, keeping itself firmly in the conference race behind unbeaten Pennridge.
C.B. South fell to 3-4 overall and 3-1 in conference play, snapping a three-game winning streak that had included decisive victories over Abington, Neshaminy and C.B. East.
For Rowan, the biggest takeaway was not one run, one stop or one touchdown.
It was the response.
West had been challenged to match the physicality and urgency of a South team that came in playing its best football of the season.
The Bucks answered from the opening whistle.
“We knew it was going to be a really tough game,” Rowan said. “Those guys were coming in on a roll, and we challenged our guys. They answered. I couldn’t be more proud of their effort from start to finish.”
And when Cape broke free for that 70-yard score, Rowan’s reaction was less about the touchdown itself and more about the player who produced it.
“He works so hard,” Rowan said. “He’s been an amazing young man from the moment he stepped into the program. Anything that goes his way, I couldn’t be happier for him.”
For Cape and the Bucks, Friday night felt like more than another conference win.
It felt like a reminder.
West is still very much in this race.
And after 45 points, 247 combined rushing yards from Cape and Miletto, and a complete performance across all three phases, the rest of the SOL National has another team it cannot afford to overlook.
CDS Wealth Management Stars of the Game
Offense — Braylen Cape, C.B. West 156 rushing yards, 2 touchdowns, including a 70-yard score
Defense — Nick Miletto, C.B. West 91 rushing yards, 2 touchdowns, 2-point conversion and a major defensive presence against South’s rushing attack
Co-Special Teams — Mason Darrows, C.B. West Handled the Bucks’ kicking and punting duties
Co-Special Teams — Jake Stranix, C.B. West Long snapper and key piece of West’s special teams operation, offense, & defense.
Up Next
C.B. West returns home to face Neshaminy on Oct. 16.
C.B. South travels to Pennsbury on Oct. 16 as the Titans look to bounce back from their first conference loss of the season.