you have to give Coach Hollenbach of the Pennridge Rams a lot of credit as he's taken a young team and again molded them into a team on the rise. After seeing North Penn totally dismantle our boys, I was impressed w the Rams and how they beat a good Neshaminy team at their home field. With our top rb out, Desrosiers stepped up and along with QB Devon Balmer ran the ball very well against a stout Neshaminy defense. Our D on the other hand looked much better than last week and the line kept tons of pressure on the Neshaminy backfield. A guy to watch for the Rams is rising star Ryan Cuthbert, son of former Pennridge head coach and CB west great Randy Cuthbert. This kid made some great catches and runs !
Hollenbach again proves he's elite coach
- Thread starter ramgreen
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lil, Pennridge is still a ways from competing for a District title. There first goal is to make the playoffs. This isn't one of Hollenbachs better teams but a testament to his coaching ability that he can get his teams to compete year in and out. This is one of his biggest teams in a while. Abington this week but the Rams can't look down the road
The reason I asked that is I have been following Pennridge from a distance for awhile and they began catching my attention years ago with solid RBs and overall tough hard hitting competitive teams that were giving the top teams trouble almost year in and year out ,but just short of the brass ring . I hope they can get there soon. Go Rams.
In fairness to Cuthbert he did have the best single season record in school history and went farther in the playoffs than Pennridge has ever gone. Hollenbach is 17-12 in the 2 and half years he has been back. Does he have a 100 wins yet?He has beaten good teams like Neshaminy twice now and Academy Park two years ago the same year they won the District 1 AAA championship. But he is also 0-3 vs North Penn, 0-1 vs Pennsbury, 1-2 vs Quakertown, and 1-1 vs Souderton and CB South since the return so far. I believe he is a fine coach and definitely the man who made the Pennridge program. I believe though when they are good it's the defense that is clicking. I didnt go to Neshaminy but I heard the defense was stout holding Neshaminy to less than 40 rushing yards and caused 3 turnovers. I did see the Thanksgiving game last year and the O was not clicking at all, but I was very impressed with their D and their ILB play. Talking to Pennridge folk the defensive coordinator is the potential heir apparent whenever Hollenbach steps down, but some think Cuthbert or Rosenberger(Cuthbert's defensive coordinator and former Tennent head coach) will be candidates. Ramgreen or Shoe any thoughts? I don't think Pennridge is a sleeping giant, just needs to get lucky to make a run in playoffs with Pennsbury's, North Penn's, Downingtowns and Coatesvilles of the world.
Pennridge looked pretty darn good on the tape I saw. And I also had a few conversations where it was said they played a good game and looked very solid. Maybe they were caught flat-footed by North Penn.
I might add that my view of Pennridge was forged very dramatically in 1969 (guess I'm dating myself). As it was, after stopping Bishop Egan in the opener, 27-24, we went traipsing up to Perkasie just about as full of ourselves as you could be (the win over Egan was the first since 1965 as the intervening years of '66, '67 and '68 were the rebuild after John Petercuskie retired in '65).
Anyway, you go up there on the bus laughing and reading your press clippings.
Then you come back on the wrong end of a 13-0 score (nice reality check courtesy of the Rams).
I might add that my view of Pennridge was forged very dramatically in 1969 (guess I'm dating myself). As it was, after stopping Bishop Egan in the opener, 27-24, we went traipsing up to Perkasie just about as full of ourselves as you could be (the win over Egan was the first since 1965 as the intervening years of '66, '67 and '68 were the rebuild after John Petercuskie retired in '65).
Anyway, you go up there on the bus laughing and reading your press clippings.
Then you come back on the wrong end of a 13-0 score (nice reality check courtesy of the Rams).
According to this link he played really well. http://www.suburbanonesports.com/article/content/sterling-limo-players-week-week-5-0056534
I wouldn't say hes an elite coach. The year after Cuthbert left he had the best back in the state returning "Mr. PA Football" and failed to make the playoffs. I went to several games that year and watched Class be used as a decoy most of the time. Last year he was severely out-coached in BOTH games against Quakertown. If they name the DC the head coach after Hollenbach leaves (which I don't see happening) the program will fall into disrepair fast.
The kid is an animal...............I don't see him being a LB in college. If I'm projecting him its as a DE in a 40. Hes got heavy feet and a little on the slow side but the KID CAN BRING IT!! His tackle on the Neshaminy QB last week was a slobber knocker!!
Class was indeed the best back in the state that year and is also Pennridges all time leading rusher.
Pennridge under Hollenbach was a top 5 program in D1 from 1998-2004 and that's not even debatable IMO. His teams made the district semis 4 times in an era when CBW and NP were state powers. In 2000, his squad had CBW on the ropes in the district semis before falling short. No one played West tougher that year before Hershey.
For comparison sakes, Hollenbach had a 73-25 record and Cuthbert had a 55-43 record.
For comparison sakes, Hollenbach had a 73-25 record and Cuthbert had a 55-43 record.
We can always count on you to get the facts and the real story ,thanks for all your input on topics.
I don't know if Class was the best RB in the state. Teams aren't the same year to year. His junior year he had different players around him than his senior year. Look at Pollard from Neshaminy, 1st team all state as a junior, not even first team all league as a senior. I didn't go to both Quakertown games, but did see Thanksgiving loss which was 8-7. Losing two close games by what 5 total points and playing without starting QB, who reports this year say he is a big difference maker, isn't being out coached it's being hamstrung. Didn't see much Pennridge last year only two games, Neshaminy and Thanksgiving, and I was impressed overall by Pennridge's D in both games. They gave up 7 to Neshaminy (final was 21-14, but one score was a Hughes pick six). Last year they had a good ILB and good DEs. This year they don't seem to have as much speed off the edge, but #40 blitzing got pressure. I don't know when Coach Hollenbach will leave Pennridge, I bet he stays a long time still, but if he has faith in his DC, I think Pennridge folk will too.
Relayer, what many people don't know is that for Hollenbachs first few years Pennridge was in the "little conference" and was given an exemption from playing the larger schools.
I realize that, but Pennridge was in the "little conference" when they were arguably the 2nd best team in the district back in 2000. Not sure what you mean by exempt. With 10 teams in the Power 10, that allows for only 1 non-league game. Pennridge opened with a Power 10 school (CB-East) in 2000. Ironically CBE and Pennridge met for a second time that year in the district quarterfinals.
For the first part of his tenure at Pennridge they were exempt from playing the big schools. Upper moreland did the same thing