WILLOW GROVE — Springfield Township gave Upper Moreland exactly the kind of game the Golden Bears expected.
The Spartans came in with energy, showed some different looks defensively and made Upper Moreland work for everything early. But by the time Saturday morning was over, the Bears had done what they’ve continued to do throughout this season — adjust, settle in and take control.
Upper Moreland defeated Springfield Township 24-7, improving to 7-1 overall and 3-0 in the SOL American, while keeping itself firmly in control of the conference race with two regular-season games remaining.
For head coach Adam Beach, the most encouraging part was not simply the final score. It was the way his team responded when Springfield took away some of the things Upper Moreland wanted to do.
“They came out with a good scheme and had some wrinkles for us,” Beach said. “What I was really proud of was how we solved the puzzle. We identified what they were doing, communicated it to the players and made the adjustments we needed to make. That allowed us to sustain drives and make some big plays, especially in the second half.”
That ability to adapt could become increasingly important as the calendar moves toward November.
“Teams are going to try to take things away from you,” Beach said. “You have to be able to adjust, and I was really happy with how our guys handled that.”
Moore Finds the End Zone Three Times
Senior Kyle Moore once again provided the finishing touch for the Upper Moreland offense.
Moore opened the scoring with a 5-yard touchdown run with 7:48 remaining in the first quarter. The extra point was blocked, leaving the Bears with a 6-0 lead.
He struck again in the second quarter, scoring from 2 yards out with 6:17 remaining. Upper Moreland’s two-point attempt failed, but the Bears had built a 12-0 advantage.
Then, with 5:30 remaining in the third quarter, Moore found the end zone for a third time, this time from 8 yards out, pushing the lead to 18-0.
Moore said the Bears knew Springfield would not make things easy.
“We knew they were going to give us a good game,” Moore said. “All week it was about preparation. Even when the game got postponed, our mindset stayed exactly the same. Everybody got up, got here on time and came ready to play.”
Springfield finally broke through late in the third quarter when quarterback Nathan Torrealba tossed a touchdown to Michael Eder from 18 yards out with 2:27 remaining, cutting the deficit to 18-7.
But that would be the only damage the Spartans could manage against an Upper Moreland defense that once again controlled the game.
Bears Front Takes Over
Springfield entered the matchup with one of the league’s most dangerous playmakers in Mekhi Paschall, but Upper Moreland’s secondary never allowed him to take over.
Kamasi Underwood, Brody Hughes and Bige “BJ” Chambers Jr. were outstanding on the back end, limiting Paschall’s opportunities and preventing the highly touted recruit from finding the end zone. Outside of one explosive first-down gain, the Bears kept Springfield’s biggest threat from changing the game.
That coverage allowed Upper Moreland’s defensive front to attack.
Santino Rodriguez recorded three sacks, while Connor Lennox added 1.5 and Trevor Fuchs recorded another, giving the Bears relentless pressure throughout the game.
Rodriguez said the defensive front felt it could control the matchup.
“We knew we could win up front,” Rodriguez said. “It was about being aggressive and doing our jobs. We felt like we were controlling the line of scrimmage.”
Rodriguez was just as important offensively.
The senior consistently picked up tough yards on the ground, helping Upper Moreland extend drives and keep Springfield’s offense on the sideline. He eventually finished the scoring himself, punching in a 5-yard touchdown with 8:57 remaining in the fourth quarter to make it 24-7.
“I’m just doing my job,” Rodriguez said. “Kyle might be the flashy one, but my job is to get yards and run hard.”
Donnie Dinkins also made plays on both sides of the football, contributing to an Upper Moreland team that continues to get production from seemingly every part of its roster.
Lennox Continues Historic Season
Lennox Continues Historic Season
Lennox’s 1.5 sacks pushed his season total to 11, the highest total in the entire Suburban One League.
For the senior defensive end, the individual recognition has become something he’s starting to hear about away from the field as well.
“It’s really exciting,” Lennox said. “People come up to me at school and talk to me about it. There’s definitely pride in it, but we still have to come out every week and execute.”
While Lennox’s sack total stands out, Beach continues to point back to the entire unit.
He credited Rodriguez, Lennox, Hughes, Underwood, Dinkins and the rest of the defense for understanding their responsibilities and playing within the scheme.
“We’re playing great team defense,” Beach said. “When one guy makes a play, there are a lot of other things happening that allow that play to happen. The fun part with this group is that we can talk scheme with them. We can make adjustments in a timeout without having to draw everything up. They understand what we’re trying to do.”
That understanding has helped turn Upper Moreland into one of the league’s stingiest defensive teams.
“We’re getting turnovers, getting stops and limiting points,” Beach said. “If we keep doing that, we’re going to be in every football game.”
One Game at a Time
With the postseason approaching and Upper Moreland sitting in a strong position both in the conference and District 1 standings, Beach said the biggest challenge now is keeping his team focused on what is directly in front of them.
He believes his senior class has made that easier.
“Our seniors have really been the cornerstone of this team,” Beach said. “They understand that every time you walk onto the field, you have to prove yourself all over again. Nobody cares what you did last week. You have to bring the same energy and focus every time.”
Rodriguez has his eyes on something even bigger.
“It feels amazing,” Rodriguez said. “We’re making history, and hopefully we can get one in the Den. To do that my senior year would mean everything. That’s the goal.”
Springfield made Upper Moreland work Saturday.
The Bears answered.
And with two regular-season games remaining, they continue to look like a team whose best football may still be ahead of it.
Offensive Star — Kyle Moore, Upper Moreland Moore powered the Bears’ offense with three rushing touchdowns, scoring from 5, 2 and 8 yards out and accounting for 18 of Upper Moreland’s 24 points.
Co-Defensive Star — Santino Rodriguez, Upper Moreland
. Rodriguez was all over the field, finishing with three sacks, consistently pressuring Springfield up front and helping the Bears control the line of scrimmage.
Co-Defensive Star — Connor Lennox, Upper Moreland
. Lennox added 1.5 sacks, pushing his season total to 11, the most in the Suburban One League. Lennox also had a handful oof tackles.