HORSHAM— All season long, Upper Moreland has kept its eye on the prize. On Friday night the Golden Bears claimed their reward via a 42-7 win over host Hatboro-Horsham at N. Dennis Steinly Memorial Stadium.
The win gave Upper Moreland the outright Suburban One American title, the school’s first solo championship since 2006.
“I think they’re a great group,” said Upper Moreland coach Adam Beach. “They did it the right way and I am just happy and so proud.”
Next up for Upper Moreland (9-1, 5-0 in conference) will be a District One Class 5A playoff game next weekend (opponent, date, site, and time TBD).
Upper Moreland took an old-school route to Friday’s win. Put the ball in the hands of your veterans and let them go to work. Kyle Moore ran for one touchdown and caught a pass for another. Santino Rodriguez ran for 97 yards and a touchdown. David Adamski threw for three scores.
The win came against Upper Moreland’s longtime rival; the Golden Bears and the Hatters have faced off for nearly a century and while the two schools no longer pack the stands on Thanksgiving morning, there was an extra helping of intensity in the air.
Upper Moreland gained the advantage near the midway point of the first quarter Hatters (3-7, 2-3 in conference) failed to convert on fourth and-two from their own 47-yard line. Joe Biermaas was stopped for a two-yard loss, and the Golden Bears took advantage of the short field. Adamski found. Donnie Dinkins on a 33-yard connection to give his team the lead.
The Hatters answered however with an 80-yard drive that concluded with Brendan Heaphy finding Biermaas on a seven-yard connection with 9:20 left in the first half.
But the hosts would not score again. Upper Moreland took the lead back on a two-yard effort from Moore to cap a 54-yard march and from that point on the Golden Bears had all engines running.
Beach praised the maturity of the veterans on his roster.
“I can’t say enough good things about them,” he said. “I can’t remember a group I’ve had that’s been this strong of a group.”
Hatboro-Horsham coach Tom Butts cited the intensity his players brought with them and the intensity of the rivalry itself.
“When we play them it’s kids that have grown up playing each other in the backyard their whole lives,” he said. “Records don’t really matter at that point. And honestly, I think our kids are that way every game.
“They bring it every game, they fought hard in every game, they never quit.
“Obviously, in this game there’s a little more juice to it, I think. But that’s our kids, that’s what they do.”
Sidelines: The Golden Bears and the Hatters first played each other in 1928. Beginning in 1935 and continuing well into the 21st century, they maintained the oldest continuous Thanksgiving Day rivalry in Montgomery County until Turkey Day games went out of fashion.
Upper Moreland 7 7 14 14—42
Hatboro-Horsham 0 7 0 0—7
Scoring
UM – Dinkins 9 pass from Adamski (Rohn kick)
HH-Biermaas 7 pass from Heaphy (Heaphy kick)
UM-Moore 18 run (Rohn kick)
UM-Rodriguez 16 run (Rohn kick)
UM-Moore 28 pass from Adamski (Rohm kick)
UM-Holcombe 31 pass from Adamski (Rohn kick)
UM-Murray 43 run (Rohn kick)
Upper Moreland Hatboro-Horsham
First downs 19
Yards rushing 272 57
Passing; att.-comp-int 9-15-0 7-13-0
Passing yards 130 92
Total offense 402 149
Fumbles/Lost 0-0 2-0
Punts 1-23.0 5-33.6
Penalties 5-40 2-20
Upper Moreland
Rushing: Rodriguez 14-97 TD; Moore 10-74, TD; Murray 1-43, TD; Adamki 4-40 Dinkins 2-23; Holcombe 1- (-5)
Passing: Adamski 9-15-0, 130 yards, 3TDs
Receiving: Moore 4-40, TD; Rodriguez 2-38; Holcombe 1-33, TD; Underwood 1-12; Dinkins 1-8, TD
Hatboro-Horsham
Rushing: Heaphy 10-49; Gartland 6-19; Biermaas 8-13; Clark 1- (-2); Edwards 1- (-2); Staub 2- (-11); Center pass 1- (-9)
Passing: Heaphy 7-12-0, 92 yards, TD; Staub 0-1-0
Receiving: Edwards 3-63; Biermaas 2-10, TD; Boehm 1-12, White 1-7