The Upper Dublin football team looks to keep the SOL Continental Conference championship all to itself while Souderton aims to claim a piece of the crown when the Indians end the regular season with a trip to UD for a 7 p.m. matchup Friday.
The host Cardinals (7-2, 6-0) secured at least a share of the conference title with last week’s 17-10 win on the road over Bensalem. Upper Dublin is fifth in the District 1-5A rankings, having won sixth straight after consecutive losses to Central Bucks West and Central Bucks South — sides third and first, respectively, in District 1-6A.
Souderton (6-3, 5-1) was 2-3 after letting an early 28-point lead evaporate in a 35-34 loss at Quakertown in Week 5 but the defending Continental champs have rolled since then, outscoring its last four opponents 173-32 after last Saturday’s 45-0 win over Council Rock North.
The Indians are 10th in the District 1-6A rankings, a spot that would mean a road game for their playoff opener.
Since the Suburban One League realigned its football conferences in 2020 putting Souderton and Upper Dublin both in the Continental, the teams have split their four meetings. Souderton won 28-7 in 2020, the Cardinals beating the Indians the next two years — 10-7 in 2021, 34-3 in 2022 — with Big Red victorious 31-6 last year.
A Souderton victory over the Cards Friday also gives Quakertown a chance to earn a share of the conference title if the Panthers (5-4, 5-1, 12th District 1-6A) can beat host Cheltenham. Quakertown’s lone Continental loss came against Upper Dublin on Oct. 4 as a touchdown pass on the final play gave UD a 37-34 win.
Souderton won the conference in both 2020 and 2023, Quakertown secured the top spot in 2021 while Upper Dublin was champ in 2022.
PAC Final
The Pioneer Athletic Conference holds its championship game Friday night, last year’s winner Pope John Paul II hosting Perkiomen Valley at 7 p.m.
PJP II (8-1, 5-0 PAC Frontier, first District 1-4A) lost in three consecutive PAC finals — falling to Spring-Ford in 2019 then to Perk Valley in both ’21 and ’22 — but finally captured the league title in 2023 by edging Spring-Ford 28-27 after the Golden Panthers denied the Rams on a two-point conversion with 26 seconds left.
Pope John Paul II will host its second-ever night game at the school after having its first last Friday when it shut out Upper Merion 41-0 for its sixth win in a row.
Perk Valley (7-2, 5-0 PAC Liberty, fifth District 1-6A) also heads into the final on a six-game win streak, the Vikings capping a perfect division run with a 37-0 shutout at Methacton last Friday.
Sorting out district fields
Pennridge sits just outside the 16-team District 1-6A tournament field at 17th after the Rams fell to Central Bucks East 21-12 last Friday for their fourth straight loss. Pennridge visits undefeated Central Bucks South at 7 p.m. with the 9-0 Titans looking to secure the top seed in 6A and the outright SOL National title.
Downingtown West, CB West and North Penn hold spots 2-4 heading into Week 10. The two Wests have rivalry games Friday — the Whippets taking on Downingtown East, which is 11th in 6A while the Bucks host CB East, which is 18th. North Penn visits a 1-8 Abington side that has been shut out the last five weeks.
Plymouth Whitemarsh, ninth in 6A, look to see if it can bump up into the top eight and get a first-round home game with a win at William Tennent Friday. A victory also gives the Colonials (7-2, 4-0) the outright SOL American Conference title.
In Class 5A, Wissahickon is just out of the 16-team field at 17th as the Trojans (5-4) visit 7-2 Springfield (Montco) — the Spartans second in 4A, a seed that would have them hosting a semifinal in the four-team tournament. Bishop Shanahan is third with Lower Moreland fourth.
Boyertown at Upper Merion
Time/Place: 7 p.m. Friday, Upper Merion High School.
Records: Boyertown is 1-8 (1-4 PAC Liberty), 27th in District 1-6A rankings. Upper Merion is 1-8 (1-4 PAC Frontier), 27th in District 1-5A rankings.
Last Week: Boyertown won its first game of the season, beating Norristown 14-7 last Friday. Upper Merion lost 41-0 to Pope John Paul II last Friday.
Last Meeting: The Bears defeated Upper Merion 36-13 in Week 10 last season.
Prediction: Boyertown 20, Upper Merion 18.
Central Bucks East at Central Bucks West
Time/Place: 7 p.m. Friday, War Memorial Field, Central Bucks West High School.
Records: Central Bucks East is 4-5 (2-4 Suburban One League National Conference), 18th in District 1-6A rankings. Central Bucks West is 7-2 (5-1 SOL National third in District 1-6A rankings.
Last Week: CB East beat Pennridge 21-12 last Friday. CB West edged North Penn 17-14 last Friday on Ryan Clemens’ 33-yard field goal with six seconds left for the Bucks’ fourth straight win.
Last Meeting: West beat East 24-7 in Week 10 last season.
Prediction: Central Bucks West 27, Central Bucks East 15.
Germantown Academy at Episcopal Academy
Time/Place: 7 p.m. Friday, Episcopal Academy
Records: Germantown Academy is 4-3 (0-2 Inter-Ac League). Episcopal Academy is 2-5 (0-2 Inter-Ac).
Last Week: Both teams lost their second straight last Saturday – GA falling to SCH Academy 36-20 with Episcopal losing 31-28 to Penn Charter.
Last Meeting: The Churchmen rolled past GA 42-7 last season.
Prediction: Episcopal Academy 28, Germantown Academy 25.
Methacton at Upper Perkiomen
Time/Place: 7 p.m. Friday, Upper Perkiomen High School.
Records: Methacton is 3-6 (2-3 PAC Liberty), 21st in District 1-5A rankings. Upper Perkiomen is 5-4 (2-3 PAC Frontier), 15th in District 1-5A rankings.
Last Week: Methacton was shut out by Perkiomen Valley 37-0 last Friday for its second straight loss. Upper Perk topped Pottstown 37-9 last Friday.
Last Meeting: Methacton beat UP 41-21 in Week 4 last season.
Prediction: Upper Perkiomen 26, Methacton 22.
Norristown at Pottstown
Time/Place: 7 p.m. Friday, Pottstown High School
Records: Norristown is 3-6 (0-5 PAC Liberty), 23rd in District 1-6A rankings. Pottstown is 1-8 (0-5 PAC Frontier), eighth in District 1-4A rankings.
Last Week: Norristown fell to Boyertown 14-7 last Friday. Pottstown lost to Upper Perkiomen 37-0 last Friday.
Last Meeting: Norristown shut out Pottstown 20-0 in 2022.
Prediction: Norristown 21, Pottstown 8.
North Penn at Abington
Time/Place: 7 p.m. Friday, Schwarzman Stadium, Abington High School.
Records: North Penn is 7-2 (4-2 SOL National), fourth in District 1-6A rankings. Abington is 1-8 (0-6 SOL National), 26th in District 1-6A rankings.
Last Week: North Penn rallied from a 14-0 deficit against Central Bucks West last Friday but a last-second West field goal handed the Knights a 17-14 defeat. Abington was shut out for the fifth straight week, falling 42-0 to Pennsbury last Friday.
Last Meeting: North Penn beat the Galloping Ghosts 35-18 in Week 10 last season.
Prediction: North Penn 38, Abington 6.
Pennridge at Central Bucks South
Time/Place: 7 p.m. Friday, Central Bucks South High School.
Records: Pennridge is 4-5 (2-4 SOL National), 17th in District 1-6A rankings. Central Bucks South is 9-0 (6-0 SOL National), first in District 1-6A rankings.
Last Week: Pennridge lost its third straight, falling to Central Bucks East 21-12 last Friday. CB South stayed perfect with a 35-7 win over Neshaminy last Friday.
Last Meeting: The Titans topped Pennridge 42-12 in Week 10 last season.
Prediction: Central Bucks South 28, Pennridge 7.
Perkiomen Valley at Pope John Paul II (PAC Championship)
Time/Place: 7 p.m. Friday, Pope John Paul II.
Records: Perkiomen Valley is 7-2 (5-0 Pioneer Athletic Conference Liberty Division), fifth in District 1-6A rankings. Pope John Paul II is 8-1 (5-0 PAC Frontier), first in District 1-4A rankings.
Last Week: Perk Valley shut out Methacton 37-0 last Friday to pick up its sixth straight win. PJP II hosted its first-ever night game, the Golden Panthers blanking Upper Merion 41-0 for their sixth win in a row.
Last Meeting: The teams last played in the 2022 PAC championship game, Perk Valley beating the Panthers 21-14 for its second consecutive league title.
PAC Final: Since the PAC’s first title game in 2016, Perk Valley is 5-0 in the conference final, winning three straight from 2016-2018 then going back-to-back in 2021 and 2022. PV also won the PAC outright in 2014 along with shared titles in 1998 and 2007. PJP II lost in its first three trips to the final in 2019, ’21 and ’22 before claiming the title last season with a 28-27 win over Spring-Ford.
Prediction: Pope John Paul II 23, Perkiomen Valley 20.
Plymouth Whitemarsh at William Tennent
Time/Place: 7 p.m. Friday, William Tennent High School.
Records: Plymouth Whitemarsh is 7-2 (4-0 SOL American), ninth in District 1-6A rankings. William Tennent is 3-6 (1-3 SOL American), 22nd in District 1-6A rankings.
Last Week: PW held off Upper Moreland 21-14 last Friday to secure at least a share of the SOL American title. Tennent fell to Springfield (Montco) 43-7 last Friday for its third straight loss.
Last Meeting: The Colonials cruised past Tennent 49-7 in Week 7 last season.
Prediction: Plymouth Whitemarsh 34, William Tennent 13.
Quakertown at Cheltenham
Time/Place: 7 p.m. Friday, Cheltenham High School.
Records: Quakertown is 5-4 (4-1 SOL Continental), 12th in District 1-6A rankings. Cheltenham is 3-6 (3-3 SOL Continental), 20th in District 1-5A rankings.
Last Week: Quakertown shut out Council Rock South 21-0 last Friday. Cheltenham crushed Truman 50-14 last Friday.
Last Meeting: Cheltenham won the last battle of Panthers in 2019 30-12.
Prediction: Quakertown 24, Cheltenham 20.
Souderton at Upper Dublin
Time/Place: 7 p.m. Friday, Upper Dublin High School.
Records: Souderton is 6-3 (5-1 SOL Continental), 10th in District 1-6A rankings. Upper Dublin is 7-2 (6-0 SOL Continental), fifth in District 1-5A rankings.
Last Week: Souderton shut out Council Rock North last Saturday for its fourth win in a row. Upper Dublin earned its sixth straight victory last Friday, topping Bensalem 17-10 to clinch at least a share of the SOL Continental crown.
Last Meeting: Souderton rolled past UD 31-6 in Week 9 last season.
Prediction: Souderton 28, Upper Dublin 27.
Upper Moreland at Hatboro-Horsham
Time/Place: 7 p.m. Friday, Steinly Stadium, Hatboro-Horsham High School.
Records: Upper Moreland is 7-2 (2-2 SOL American), ninth in District 1-5A rankings. Hatboro-Horsham is 3-6 (1-3 SOL American), 18th in District 1-5A rankings.
Last Week: Upper Moreland fell to Plymouth Whitemarsh 21-14 last Friday to have its two-game win streak snapped. Hatboro-Horsham lost to Wissahickon 42-20 last Friday.
Last Meeting: The Hatters topped UM 16-7 in Week 1 last season.
Prediction: Upper Moreland 27, Hatboro-Horsham 8.
West Catholic at Archbishop Carroll
Time/Place: 7 p.m. Friday, Wissahickon High School.
Records: West Catholic is 2-7 (0-5 Philadelphia Catholic League Blue Division). Archbishop Carroll is 2-7 (1-4 PCL Blue).
Last Week: West Catholic lost to Lansdale Catholic 22-20 last Saturday. Carroll fell to Conwell-Egan 28-0 last Friday.
Last Meeting: Carroll beat West 29-24 in Week 7 last season.
Prediction: Archbishop Carroll 21, West Catholic 20.
Wissahickon at Springfield (Montco)
Time/Place: 7 p.m. Friday, Springfield Township High School.
Records: Wissahickon is 5-4 (1-3 SOL American), 17th in District 1-5A rankings. Springfield is 7-2 (3-1 SOL American), second in District 1-4A rankings.
Last Week: Wissahickon stopped a three-game losing streak by beating Hatboro-Horsham 42-20 last Friday. Springfield rolled past William Tennent 43-7 last Friday.
Last Meeting: The Spartans edged Wiss 29-28 in overtime in Week 6 last season.
Prediction: Springfield 38, Wissahickon 35.
Conwell-Egan at Archbishop Wood
Time/Place: 1 p.m. Saturday, William Tennent High School.
Records: Conwell-Egan is 5-3 (3-2 PCL Blue). Archbishop Wood is 2-6 (2-3 PCL Blue).
Last Week: Conwell-Egan shut out Archbishop Carroll 28-0 for its third consecutive win. Wood had a bye.
Last Meeting: Wood topped the Eagles 41-7 in 2020.
Prediction: Conwell-Egan 21, Archbishop Wood 14.
Roman Catholic at La Salle
Time/Place: 3 p.m. Saturday, Springfield Township High School
Records: Roman Catholic is 6-3 (2-2 PCL Red). La Salle is 9-0 (4-0 PCL Red).
Last Week: Roman lost to St. Joseph’s Prep 48-20 last Friday. La Salle shut out Father Judge 42-0 last Saturday.
Last Meeting: Roman defeated the Explorers 27-21 in Week 9 last season.
Prediction: La Salle 35, Roman Catholic 21.
Lansdale Catholic at Neumann-Goretti
Time/Place: 4 p.m. Saturday, South Philadelphia Supersite
Records: Lansdale Catholic is 6-3 (4-1 PCL Blue). Neumann-Goretti is 3-5 (3-2 PCL Blue).
Last Week: LC beat West Catholic 22-20 last Saturday for its second straight win. Neumann-Goretti handed Archbishop Ryan its first division loss, the Saints shutting out the Raiders 14-0 last Saturday to end a two-game skid.
Last Meeting: Neumann-Goretti beat the Crusaders 20-6 in Week 4 last season.
Prediction: Lansdale Catholic 26, Neuman-Goretti 22.
