Pope John Paul II Takes a One Game at a Time Approach, Wins Second Consecutive District 1 4A Championship

Tagged under: District 1, Gameday Hub, News, Playoffs

Willie McGonigle | November 9, 2024

ROYERSFORD: As cliché has it may sound the Pope John Paul Golden Panthers take an approach to take one game at a time. Thus far this season that’s been a successful formula Friday night with a 49-7 rout over the visiting Springfield Township the Golden Panthers for the tenth time in eleven tries this week went 1-0. This victory their second of the season over the Spartans gave the Golden Panthers their second consecutive District 1 4A Championship.

“Our key is to just keep the 1-0 mentality,” Sr OL and DL Chase Frantz said adding that “when you go 1-0 every week, the bigger goals take care of themselves.” Frantz, along with fellow big fellas Makel Parker, Dan Tammaro, Nate Seasholtz and Ignacio Escobar, allowed the Golden Panthers dangerous playmakers, particularly Dylan Skarbek and Braden Reed, to do their thing. Skarbek, a Jr RB who moved to RB in the middle of the season, is following in his older brother Boyd who last season, an All-State RB footsteps. Dylan rushed for 161 yards on 14 carries and four touchdowns. Reed the Villanova commit and Swiss-army knife of the Golden Panthers offense carried the ball two times for 39 yards, hauled in 9 passes for 96 yards, and for good measure threw a 73-yard touchdown in addition to shining on the defensive side of the ball.

After forcing and recovering a Spartans fumble on the game’s opening drive, the Golden Panthers took over on the Spartans’ 30 and wasted little time taking the 7-0 lead. QB Luke Terlesky capped the drive with his 2-yard touchdown run.

On the next Golden Panthers drive they appeared poised to tack on to their lead, driving down to the Spartan 5-yard line before fumbling the ball away. The Spartans took advantage of the miscue marching down the field and tying the game up with a 2-yard touchdown run by QB Jack McGukin.

In the second quarter, the Golden Panthers took what was at point a close game and blew it wide open with 21 points in the 12 minutes. The Golden Panthers’ scoring parade started when Terlesky took advantage of a clean pocket and connected with Reed for a 53-yard touchdown On the next Golden Panthers drive they reached into their bag of tricks, Reed took an end around but instead pulled and hit Brandon De’Angelo who made a spectacular catch and raced 73 yards for the touchdown. Then on the extra point, Reed pulled the ball and found Bradey Bass for the two-point conversion opening a 22-7 advantage. Skarbek added a two-yard plunge to give the Golden Panthers the 28-7 halftime lead.

In the third quarter, Skarbek added scoring runs of 1,28, and 11 yards to cap the scoring.

The Golden Panthers now have won 9 consecutive games and move to 11-1 on the season and should they go 1-0 next week when they take on the District 2 champion Valley View they will do something that no other team in Golden Panthers history has ever done and that’s winning a playoff game. when asked about the possibility of their senior class being the first one to deliver a state playoff victory both Reed and Frantz deflect the focus from that of their class having the chance to accomplish that feat to more of the team aspect

“It’s got nothing to do with our class,” said Reed, “but with the team as a whole. It’s not just us out there, we have a bunch of great underclassmen.”  Frantz focused on the program saying

“As a program, we just want to keep growing, “Moving forward, bringing in people who keep this thing successful.”

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