QUAKERTOWN, Pa. – The Panthers found themselves down 13-0 at the half, but Quakertown battled back to score 14 unanswered points in the second half to secure the 14-13 win over Upper Dublin at Alumni Field on Friday night in a Suburban One League football game. The difference was a missed extra point by the Cardinals after their first touchdown of the game, back in the second quarter.
That missed PAT attempt loomed large and haunted Upper Dublin (3-3, 1-2 SOL) who couldn’t muster any points in the game’s final two periods. The unit was without starting quarterback Tristan Cairnes, who exited the game after playing just one snap in the third quarter. He did not return due to an injury. Nick Rodriguez took the spot under center for the Cardinals for the remainder of the contest.
Neither team found paydirt in the first quarter as turnovers were common in the first few series. Both teams coughed up the ball in the opening period. Upper Dublin got the scoring started with 9:18 left in the first half when Jacob Rossman punched in a six-yard rushing touchdown, but the aforementioned missed extra point attempt left it with a 6-0 lead.
The Cardinals tacked on to that lead before they headed to the warmer locker room on what was the coldest evening of the 2019 high school football season so far. Rossman ran in another score, this one from three-yards out with 2:53 left in the second quarter.
That 13-0 lead did not last very long. Quakertown (3-4, 3-1) took the first drive of the second half and went right down the field. The Panthers found the endzone with a 27-yard strike from Will Steich to Ben Kave after a fake hand-off. That score cut the lead to 13-7 with 10 minutes left in the third quarter.
The biggest play of the game came on the final snap of the third quarter. Quakertown’s Steich rolled to his left and hit Tyler Merwarth. Merwarth, after the catch, raced down the field, made several defenders miss, as he got down to Upper Dublin’s three-yard line. That effort set up the eventual game-winning touchdown.
A few plays later Steitch snuck into the endzone with a designed quarterback sneak. The extra point was successful, which gave the Panthers their first lead of the game with 11:20 to go and their defense held the Cardinals the rest of the day.
Upper Dublin had two more possessions in the fourth quarter and got as far as Quakertown’s 29 yard line in the final few minutes, but could not get any points to try and stave off the comeback.
The Panthers overcame having four first-half turnovers to earn the home victory.
Next week Quakertown will visit Plymouth Whitemarsh and Upper Dublin will face Wissahickon on the road on Friday night.
