Dogba's run leads Neshaminy past Pennridge, 31-24

Neshaminy's Will Dogba was eager to atone for a third-quarter fumble, and his chance came with just over a minute left in a nonleague contest Friday night at Pennridge.

Dogba's 1-yard scoring run around left end was the difference in the Redskins' 31-24, come-from-behind victory over the Rams at Helman Field.

Dogba, a 5-foot-9, 185-pound senior halfback and kick returner, carried 27 times for 154 yards and a pair of touchdowns. He also saw time on defense in the late going.

"I can't get tired," he said of the heavy workload. "I have people looking up to me and depending on me. I can't let them down."

Cornerback Joel Stills' interception at the Neshaminy 25-yard line, on a pass intended for wideout Ryan Cuthbert, clinched the hard-earned road triumph.

The 2-0 Redskins, who are ranked No. 6 in Southeastern Pennsylvania by the Inquirer, reversed last year's 17-7 home loss to No. 9 Pennridge. The squads are former Suburban One League National Conference rivals.

"This team has a lot of heart, this senior class has a lot of heart," Neshaminy second-year coach Steve Wilmot said. "We made some big plays at the end to get the job done against a quality opponent."

Tight end Oleh Manzyk's 52-yard snag set up Dogba's winning tally. The 6-foot-2, 190-pound sophomore made a 65-yard touchdown catch in the first quarter and added a 78-yard equalizer in the fourth.

Manzyk's second score immediately answered a 25-yard touchdown run by Josh Pinkney that gave Pennridge (1-0) a 24-17 advantage with 4 minutes, 47 seconds remaining.

The Redskins overcame another strong effort by the Rams' Jagger Hartshorn. The dual-threat quarterback, who ran for five first-half touchdowns in the previous week's 49-20 romp over Norristown, carried 22 times for 186 yards.

"He's their guy, and we knew that coming in," Wilmot said. "He's a very, very good player."

Jones, a third-year starter, completed 9 of 21 passes for 276 yards.

Neshaminy 7 3 7 14 - 31

Pennridge 0 7 10 7 - 24

N: Oleh Manzyk 65 pass from Mason Jones (Dylan McDonald kick)

P: Austin Herrlinger 1 run (Matt Mauer kick)

N: FG McDonald 39

P: Jagger Hartshorn 16 run (Mauer kick)

N: Will Dogba 13 run (McDonald kick)

P: FG Mauer 41

P: Josh Pinkney 25 run (Mauer kick)

N: Manzyk 78 pass from Jones (McDonald kick)

N: Dogba 1 run (McDonald kick)

robrien@phillynew.com

@ozoneinq