Coatesville brought an end to North Penn’s successful season in Friday night’s District One 6A championship game at Pennridge High School. Photos provided courtesy of Kathy Leister Photography. CLICK HERE for a gallery of photos.
By Scott Huff
Perkasie – The explosions that erupted at Pennridge High School Friday night were generated by the big-bang Coatesville Red Raiders who captured the PIAA 6-A District One championship with a 42-13 rout of the North Penn Knights.
“It is really tough trying the keep them from making a whole lot of noise,” said North Penn head coach Dick Beck. “Once they get rolling, they can be hard to deal with.”
Each one of the seven Coatesville touchdowns either came on explosive plays – or were set up by explosive plays.
The first Red Raider score came in the first quarter on an electric 57-yard touchdown run by Michigan State recruit Aaron Young. Young would finish the night with a game-high 172 yards on 17 carries.
The first of seven PATs was converted by senior placekicker Than Hylen to give Coatesville a 7-0 lead.
North Penn countered with a second quarter touchdown. Quarterback Solomon Robinson fired a gorgeous 27-yard scoring strike to RJ Macnamara to shave the lead to 7-6. However, a failed point after kept the Knights behind by a single point.
“Our defense played tough in the first half,” said Beck. “I thought we were in good shape for most of the half, but then things began to change.”
The transformation came at the close of the second period when the Red Raiders scored with 10 seconds left in the half to take a 14-6 lead.
Again, it was a pair of Coatesville big plays the led to the decisive score.
The first was a spectacular 51-yard run by quarterback Ricky Ortega on a third and four, and the second was a gadget play on fourth and goal from the eight-yard line. Ortega handed the ball off to Young who threw back to Ortega (Coatesville Special?) for the touchdown.
“That trick play really hurt us right before the half,” said Beck. “And the kickoff return really hurt us at the beginning of the second half.”
Still another explosive Red Raider-play – this one a nifty 65-yard kickoff return by Young to the Knight 9-yard line- opened the gate for a game-changing third period. Coatesville junior Dapree Bryant scored on the 9-yard touchdown blast, and the Red Raiders were off and running with a 21-6 lead.
“That kickoff return at the beginning of the second half was tough,” said North Penn senior captain Shamar Edwards. “We had a great game plan, we were close, but we dropped our heads a little after that return.”
Coatesville continued to showcase its explosiveness in the critical 21-point third period.
The second Red Raider touchdown of the third quarter came on a brilliant 53-yard scoring jaunt by Young, and the third score of the period came on a superlative 47-yard scoring scamper by Ortega.
Ortega, the junior son of head coach Matt Ortega, rushed for 119 yards on 11 carries.
The final Red Raider score – which sent the game into an unexpected mercy-rule – came on a four-yard touchdown blast by Young. The score was set-up by still another big-play – a terrific 35-yard punt return by Bryant.
The final score of the game came against the Red Raider reserves. Macnamara closed out the North Penn scoring books on the night – and the season – with a seven-yard touchdown run. Ayoub Cherrady added the point after touchdown.
Not to be lost in the glare of the overwhelming Coatesville defeat was the success that the North Penn Knights had this 2018 season.
“Dick Beck did a great job coaching that team,” said Coatesville coach Matt Ortega. “I was impressed with what I saw on film.
“Shamar Edwards is a big playmaker,” added Ortega of the wonderful Knight running back who rushed for 109 yards on 23 carries. “But we just seemed to have more playmakers on offense, defense, and special teams tonight.”
“We had a great season – 13-0 going into a district championship game,” said Edwards who plans to play on the collegiate level next season. “But this isn’t how we wanted it to end.”
“I couldn’t be prouder of this team,” said Beck. “It was a great honor to coach these kids – they have worked hard every day since last January.
“They paid the price and it got us to a district championship game. Coatesville is surely the best team we have played this year – and this just might be their year to win it all.”
The PIAA 6-A District One champion Red Raiders sure looked like the team to beat in all of Pennsylvania on the frozen tundra at Pennridge High School.
Coatesville Red Raiders 7 7 21 7 * 42
North Penn Knights 0 6 0 7 * 13
C: Aaron Young 57 run (Than Hylen kick)
NP: RJ Macnamara 27 pass from Solomon Robinson (Hylen kick)
C: Ricky Ortega 8 pass from Young (Hylen kick)
C: Dapree Bryant 9 run (Hylen kick)
C: Young 53 run (Hylen kick)
C: Ortega 47 run (Hylen kick)
C: Young 4 run (Hylen kick)
NP: Macnamara 7 run (Ayoub Cherrady kick)
Coatesville:
Rushing: Young 17-172 & 3 TD; Ortega 11-119 & TD; Dapree Bryant 5-34 & TD; Dametris Jackson 3 (-7). Total 36-318 & 5 TD.
Passing: Ortega 2-7-0, 11 yards; Young 1-1-0, 8 yards & TD; Bryant 0-1-1. Totals 3-9-1; 19 yards & TD.
Receiving: Bryant 2-11; Ortega 1-8 & TD. Total 3-19 & TD.
North Penn:
Rushing: Shamar Edwards 23-109; Macnamara 8-51 & TD; Julian White 7-39; Jon Haynes 1-0; Robinson 11 (-20). Totals 50-179 & TD.
Passing: Robinson 3-8-0; 74 yards
Receiving: White 1-45; Macnamara 1-27 & TD; Haynes 1-2. Totals 3-74 & TD.
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