Souderton, Bergey help Big Red dispatch Council Rock South 35-6 in Bucks County football

SOUDERTON — There were plenty of reasons Souderton's Jayden Bergey wanted to make it back on the football field for his senior season.

After tearing the ACL in his right knee not once, but twice in 2023, the linebacker had his doubts about if he would return.

"I thought about it a little bit (not being able to play), but I was going to do everything I could to make it back," Bergey said. "I don't plan on playing football in college, so my senior year of high school was going to be it for football and I wanted to play.

"We have a really good team and I wanted to be a part of it."

That really good team looked really good on Thursday night as the host Big Red rolled past Council Rock South 35-6 for their third straight win.

"We just need to keep taking care of business and this was a good win for us," Souderton head coach Ed Gallagher said. "I was really pleased with how the kids played tonight. They did a nice job."

Souderton's Walsh right on target

Junior quarterback Ben Walsh threw four touchdown passes in the win and completed 18 of his 23 attempts for 286 yards. All but two of his attempts came in the first half. Eight of his first-half completions and two of his touchdowns went to junior wide receiver Hunter Smeltz.

"Ben played a great game and when he squares his shoulders he throws a great ball," Gallagher said. "And we have good receivers, tight ends and running backs that can all catch the ball."

Souderton's defense didn't rest

While the Big Red offense was clicking, the defense was able to stymie the Golden Hawks and didn't allow a score until it was already 35-0.

"Being a part of this has been great," said Bergey, a starter as a sophomore and a second-team Suburban One League Continental Conference pick that season. "I was a little nervous about my knee when the season started, but after I made my first tackle (against Spring-Ford) everything was fine.

"Now, I'm just enjoying the chance to get on the field and really feel like a part of the team."

What does it mean for Council Rock South football?

The loss was the third in the last four games for the Golden Hawks, who dipped to 3-5 overall and 2-3 in the SOL Continental.

What does it mean for Souderton football?

The Big Red improved to 5-3 and 4-1 in the SOL Continental.

Key play

Trailing 14-0 in the final minutes of the second quarter, CR South drove to the Souderton 24 before a fumble ended the march. Souderton, in turn, then went 65 yards for a touchdown to make it 21-0 right before halftime.

Game balls

Houston Marshall, Souderton. The senior defensive back had an interception, a fumble recovery and also scored a rushing touchdown.

"He's a great kid and his father was in from Oklahoma and got to see him play," Gallagher said.

Ben Walsh, Souderton. As mentioned, the junior quarterback had a huge night and would have had even better numbers if not for a couple of drops.

Nate Szydlik, Council Rock South. The junior linebacker had a sack, a tackle for loss and also caught two passes for 42 yards.

They said it

"We're so young (that) we fix one thing and then something else goes wrong the next week," said CR South head coach CJ Szydlik, who had just two seniors starting Thursday night. "It's not for a lack of effort — our kids are giving their all. But Souderton is a really good team and Ed (Gallagher) has a program and just knows what he's doing."

Latest big-school football rankings: Here's the top 5 in Bucks County high school football big-school rankings after Week Seven

"We don't play again until a week from Saturday (at Council Rock North) and the break will be good for us," Gallagher said. "I normally don't like playing Saturdays, but the longer time off will help."

What's next for Council Rock South football?

The Golden Hawks host Quakertown on Oct. 18 (7 p.m.).

What's next for Souderton football?

The Big Red visit Council Rock North on Oct. 19 (1 p.m.).

Drew Markol covers local sports for PhillyBurbs.com . Support our journalism with a subscription.

This article originally appeared on Bucks County Courier Times: Souderton, Bergey help Big Red dispatch Council Rock South 35-6 in Bucks County football