Quakertown wins again, tops CR North in football; Thomas continues to excel

NEWTOWN — Matt Thomas picked an ideal time to make the three biggest plays of his high school career.

Trailing 34-29 with 17 seconds remaining and needing to go 80 yards to win, Thomas, a Quakertown senior receiver/defensive back, caught a 12-yard pass from junior quarterback Brady Martin on an out pattern. After a 15-yard personal foul penalty on Souderton, Thomas secured a 43-yard Hail Mary from Martin amid a group of seven players, giving the Panthers the ball at the 10-yard line with two seconds left.

On the next/final play, Thomas grabbed the game-winning 10-yard pass from Martin in the middle of the end zone, giving the Panthers a 35-34 Suburban One League Continental Conference victory on Sept. 20 and setting off an epic celebration at Alumni Field.

"I had so much adrenaline once I caught it," said Thomas, a 5-foot-9, 155-pounder. "I was so happy. Coming back from down 28-0 — it was such a big game. We knew this game could decide our future. If we lose, we'd go down to 1-4."

Instead, Quakertown improved to 3-3 (3-0 SOL Continental) with Friday night's 35-7 victory at Council Rock North as Thomas contributed two catches for 19 yards and an interception. The win was the Panthers' third in a row.

Thomas had career-highs in catches (nine) and receiving yards (141), as well as an earlier 10-yard TD catch, against Souderton. The game-winner was the first of his football career.

"It just let me know no moment's too big," said Thomas, 17. "I'm not supposed to make those last two catches. It lets you know in any situation, we can come back and win."

Martin passed for a school-record 363 yards and five touchdown passes, which tied a school record, vs. Souderton. Senior receiver Aiden Burgy contributed TD catches of 70, 40 and 27 yards among his seven receptions for a school-record 193 yards.

Quakertown head coach George Banas is thrilled to have Thomas on his team.

"Matt is a great young man who is always ready for anything you ask him to do," Banas said. "He is self-motivated and determined to be the best he can be. … He has really emerged as one of our go-to guys on offense this year. His catch radius is remarkable because of his athleticism."

Thomas has 24 receptions for 303 yards on the season, as well as 22 tackles and 257 return yards.

He's been playing football since the age of 7 for the Pennridge Greenjackets, then spent seventh grade with Quakertown Pop Warner after the family moved from Telford to Quakertown. He plans on continuing to play in college.

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While the Souderton win was unforgettable, Thomas insists he has more to give.

"I expect to keep on progressing," he said. "On a couple running plays, I didn't hold my block (long enough). On a couple catches, I cut back inside (when I should have gone outside). I know I can get better."

What it means for Quakertown

The Panthers have won three in a row after an 0-3 start against quality opponents, putting them atop the SOL Continental with Upper Dublin. They turned in another solid performance.

What it means for Council Rock North

CR North (1-5, 1-2 SOL) again did some things well, especially on defense, but it's almost impossible to win when you throw five interceptions.

Key play

After CR North stopped Quakertown on consecutive drives, Panthers junior Brady Martin intercepted a pass, then hit senior receiver Aiden Burgy on a 41-yard touchdown deep ball for a 14-0 lead.

By the numbers: Quakertown vs. Council Rock North

Quakertown senior receiver/defensive end Aiden Burgy followed his school-record 193 receiving yards against Souderton with 101 yards on four catches and two TDs (41 and 43 yards).

CR North junior Tucker Martin returned a kickoff 85 yards for a touchdown in the fourth quarter.

Head coach George Banas won his 97th game at Quakertown, which is the most in school history.

Game Balls

Quakertown junior quarterback Brady Martin completed 10 of 15 passes for 162 yards and two TDs, in addition to intercepting two passes and running for a score.

CR North junior cornerback Gabe Ortiz forced a fumble and recovered it in the second quarter. Junior teammates Brady Pae and Max Chernets added an interception and fumble recovery, respectively.

Panthers senior linebacker Gavin Mushrush had an interception right before halftime and junior defensive end Emilio Olivares added an INT off the back of a fallen CR North player after he batted down the pass.

They said it

"It's a big game," said Quakertown head coach George Banas on visiting conference co-leader Upper Dublin next Friday. "You practice all year to be in a game like this. We have a great opportunity. It'll be a great environment."

"It's hard to do anything when you give the ball away five times," said CR North head coach Brandon Garrett. "Our defense played well. Our offense continued to be slow-starting. It's not the way to win games."

What's next for Quakertown football?

The Panthers visit Upper Dublin (4-2 overall, 3-0 SOL) for first place in the SOL Continental on Oct. 4 (7:30 p.m.).

What's next for CR North football?

CR North visits Cheltenham (1-5, 1-2 SOL) on Oct. 5 (3:30 p.m.).

Tom Moore: tmoore@couriertimes.com ; @TomMoorePhilly is a sports columnist for PhillyBurbs.com . Support our journalism with a subscription.

This article originally appeared on Bucks County Courier Times: Quakertown wins again, tops CR North in football; Thomas continues to excel