PERKASIE – Championships aren’t played in September, but this one had all the emotions of a title game.
Pennridge and Central Bucks West traded haymakers for 48 straight minutes. Neither side flinched, but the Rams delivered the final blow to remain unbeaten with a dramatic 14-7 win.
With 28 seconds left in regulation, junior quarterback Aiden Tetkowski hit senior wide receiver Sean Leuthe over the middle for a 36-yard touchdown, putting the Rams ahead.
“Coach Hollenbach just made a great call,” Leuthe said. “I knew it would work. Their safety was staying over our one all night, and their linebackers were manned up. Then I took it to the crib.”
The score capped an 85-yard drive, but the Bucks got the ball back with one more chance.
That chance was thwarted in a flash.
On the first play of the ensuing possession, senior Devin Kelly jumped the route for the game-sealing interception, sending Hellman Field into a frenzy.
“I just made the read,” Kelly said. “We all have faith in our coaches to put us in those spots, and we all trust each other to make those plays.”
Kelly’s interception was the third turnover forced by the Rams on a night dominated by both defenses. That started on the opening possessions.
Both teams turned the ball over on their first drives, with each giveaway coming inside the opponent’s red zone. The Rams recovered a Bucks fumble after a muffed snap before Bucks senior Mason Darrows intercepted junior Bradley Dornon on a failed trick play.
The game then turned into a stalemate until Pennridge finally broke the seal with 14 seconds left in the first half. On third down, Tetkowski connected with junior Blake Landherr on the backside screen for a touchdown, capping a drive that started inside the Rams 10-yard line.
“It felt awesome,” Landherr said on breaking the tie. “It was a great call by Coach Hollenbach, and I was wide open. It was beautiful.”
The defensive battle continued into the second half. After the teams traded stops throughout the third quarter, the Bucks finally broke through early in the fourth.
Senior Army commit Nick Milletto picked up two first downs, one on the ground and another through the air, to move the Bucks deep into Rams territory. A few plays later, senior Louie Cipollo scored on a 10-yard run to tie things up with 9:27 remaining.
Chaos then ensued.
After forcing a quick punt, the Bucks got the ball back with the momentum, but Pennridge’s defense answered. Landherr recovered a fumble to give the Rams excellent field position with 6:30 remaining.
CB West’s defense responded with another stand, forcing Pennridge to attempt a 50-yard field goal. The kick had the distance but sailed just wide right, leaving the score tied with less than five minutes remaining.
Moments later, Pennridge appeared to force another turnover when senior Michael Ferguson ripped the ball free. An inadvertent whistle, however, wiped the play and gave the Bucks another chance.
“It sucked that they called that back; I thought it was a fumble, but the refs made their decision,” Ferguson said. “We just had to bounce back and play our style of football. We had to shut them out again, and we did, because that’s just what we do.”
With emotions swinging in every direction, Pennridge remained composed and forced another CB West punt.
With 1:41 remaining, Tetkowski led his offense on the field for one final drive.
Five plays and 85 yards later, Leuthe was in the end zone.
“We never cared about the scoreboard,” Tetkowski said. “We knew we had to play to our standard, and we trusted each other and ourselves. We’re a family; we love each other, and that showed.”
For CB West, the loss dropped the Bucks to 3-1, but head coach Rob Rowan saw lessons his team could take from it.
“Are you willing to continue to learn and grow and get humble from what happened tonight?” Rowan said on his message to his team. “There were too many mistakes, a lack of execution, and all that stuff dials back to practice.”
“It’s a willingness to say, ‘Hey, am I willing to accept the truth about what got put on the field tonight.’ And if the answer is yes, we will be in a great position to respond from this.”
Pennridge also avenged a 28-14 loss to CB West last season, its only blemish of the regular season. But revenge wasn’t on the mind of head coach Kyle Beller. Instead, it was all about sticking to their brand of football.
“They just kept playing; there was never any negativity,” Beller said about the fight from his team. “Just play the next play. Do the little things right, do your job, and that’s all we talk about. On Monday we’re going to watch film, cut it loose, and play the next game. I keep saying it, but that’s just what we do.”
A rematch between two of the top dogs in the district could come in November, but neither side is looking that far ahead.
Pennridge will travel to CB East next, and CB West will host North Penn on Friday night.