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QUAKERTOWN – North Penn defensive back Jason Wrigley had just completed the last of his post-game interviews after Friday night’s convincing 43-13 win over Quakertown when coach Dick Beck walked by.
“That was the number one interception of all time,” the Knights’ coach said.
And then for emphasis repeated, “Of all time.”
Beck wasn’t exaggerating.
Wrigley’s impossible leaping interception late in the first quarter was highlight reel material. For starters, it looked as though the Panther receiver had inside position on a sideline route. Throw in the fact that the elements made catching a wet and slippery football an adventure, and Wrigley’s interception of a pass that appeared out of his reach was nothing short of spectacular.
“I just made sure I cut off the receiver, and when I looked up and I saw that ball in the air, I made sure I (went) up and got it because I needed my first pick, and I needed it this game,” Wrigley said. For good measure, Wrigley also recovered a fumble. Both led to touchdowns in a first half that saw the Knights’ defense accumulate four takeaways – three on fumbles and one on an interception.
“Our defense is amazing,” senior linebacker Dom Taggart said. “I think we might have the best defense out there.
“Everyone thinks they’re going to come out and run all over us or pass all over us, and that never happens obviously.”
On a night when perfection was required, it certainly was not the kind of performance the Panthers needed if they entertained any hopes of upsetting the state’s top-ranked team.
“You have to execute really flawlessly,” Quakertown coach John Donnelly said. “Our game plan going in was to run the ball right at them, and that’s certainly what we did the first couple of series.
“A fumble hurt us, a penalty hurt us, and we had a chance for a pick. At that point, it swung out of control pretty quickly. Going into it, we had the right idea, but they’re that good. At the same time, I’m confident we’re better than what we showed tonight, but it didn’t show.”
While the Knights’ defense limited the Panthers to just six yards of total offense in the first half, North Penn’s offense was racking up 291 yards.
Running back Craig Needhammer pounded out 75 yards on the ground and scored a pair of touchdowns. Quarterback Todd Smolinsky hooked up with his favorite target - Dom Taggart -for 109 yards and a TD.
“We have been playing together since 75 pounds and Pop Warner,” Taggart said. “Todd knows where to put the ball for me, and he knows I’ll make the play if he puts it up there. He just puts up great balls.
“It’s great having him back there. It’s taking us back to the old days when we used to play Cannoneers. He’s a great quarterback – he’s smart, and he knows exactly where to put the ball.”
The fun started early for the Knights in this one.
After Tony Latronica – who had 114 yards to lead the Panthers – had runs of five and four yards on his first two carries of the night, the Panthers were whistled for an illegal procedure penalty. One down later, they punted the ball away.
Needhammer ran for nine yards on first down, and then Taggart hauled in a Smolinsky strike for 37 yards.
“The more games we get into – I know exactly where he’s going to be every time now,” Smolinsky said of Taggart. “I don’t even have to look to throw in the ball anymore.”Five plays later, Smolinsky punched it in from five yards out, and the Knights, who led 6-0, were off and running.
On their ensuing possession, the Panthers picked up a first down when Ryan Tincknell found Kurtis Roberts for a six-yard gain, but two plays later, the Panthers put the ball on the ground, and Wrigley recovered.
Smolinsky connected with Taggart for a 25-yard completion, and the Knights hit paydirt yet again when Taggart scored from 18 yards out – this time on a double reverse. A two-point conversion from Smolinsky to Needhammer put the Knights on top 14-0.
“As a defense, all we’re thinking is – give the ball to our offense,” Wrigley said. “We have so many weapons, and as long as we get a three-and-out, that’s good with us.”
On their next possession, the Panthers ran off just two plays. This time it was Wrigley coming up with his dazzling interception of a Kurtis Roberts pass on a gadget play to give the Knights possession at midfield.
“Unbelievable,” Beck said. “He threw it where it looked like only the receiver could catch it. It was a trick play, and we had practiced it during the week. Jason was all over it. He has matured and become one of our best players.”
A 31-yard run by Smolinsky highlighted a four-play TD drive that culminated with Needhammer taking it in from 13 yards out.
“I always love to run the ball,” said Smolinsky, who had 59 yards on the ground to go along with 114 yards passing in just a half of action. “At the beginning of the season, I ran the ball a lot, and as the games went on, we were throwing the ball a little more and got away from the run. I only ran the ball once the last game.”
The Knights weren’t finished yet.
A huge sack by Andre Poe on third down forced the Panthers to punt the ball away yet again.
Needhammer’s 24-yard run on first down set the stage for a four-play drive that was capped with Smolinsky finding Taggart for a 47-yard touchdown pass. The extra point by Dylan Harris put the Knights on top 28-0.
Two plays later, Needhammer recovered a fumble on the Panthers’ 25. It was Needhammer powering in from a yard out to give the Knights a 34-0 lead with 3:17 remaining in the half, and they weren’t finished yet.
A three-and-out for the Panthers set the stage for a 17-yard punt return by Taggart that gave the Knights the ball at the Quakertown 31. This time it was senior Mike Culbreath rumbling into the end zone from 10 yards out for a touchdown that –after the Harris extra point – sent the Knights into halftime with a 41-0 lead.
North Penn scored a TD on each of its six first-half possessions.
“They capitalize on mistakes real quick,” Donnelly said. “Our guys, from a mindset standpoint, were ready to play. They had a good week of preparation. It is what it is.”
The second half – with the running clock in effect – saw the Panthers mount a pair of TD drives. Latronica scored both touchdowns – the first from one yard out and the second on a 30-yard run.
While the Panthers fell to 5-2, the Knights improved to 7-0 with a performance that suggested they are in a league of their own in the Continental Conference.
“There was a lot of talk of them being able to run the ball on us, being able to pass the ball on us, and stop our offense,” Wrigley said. “I don’t think they were quite ready to see a team as ready as we were.”
“We weren’t worried about anything,” Taggart added. “We knew they said this was the biggest game of their careers. We did what we do, and that’s how we win games.”
While the Knights prepare for Souderton next week, the Panthers will host Central Bucks East.
“The bump in the road is not the end of the road unless you fail to make the turn, so we’re going to make the right turn and get ready for East,” Donnelly said. “We can control our destiny from this point, and that’s what we’re going to do.”
NORTH PENN 43, QUAKERTOWN 13
North Penn 14 27 0 2-43
Quakertown 0 0 13 0-13
NP-Smolinsky 5 run (Kick failed)
NP-Taggart 18 run (Needhammer from Smolinsky pass)
NP-Needhammer 13 run (Harris kick)
NP-Taggart 47 pass from Smolinsky (Harris kick)
NP-Needhammer 1 run (Kick failed)
NP-Culbreath 10 run (Harris kick)
Q-Latronica 1 run (DeLan kick)
Q-Latronica 30 run (Kick failed)
NP-Safety (Barndt tackled in end zone)
NP Q
First Downs 17 8
Rushing Yards 227 79
Passing Yards 147 53
Total Yards 374 132
Passing (C-A-I) 10-13-0 3-6-1
Fumbles-Lost 0-0 3-3
Penalties-Yds. 2-10 2-15
Punts-Avg. 1-46.0 3-33.0
RUSHING:
North Penn: Craig Needhammer, 10-for-75, 2 TDs; Todd Smolinsky, 5-59; Troy Brosky, 7-38; Dom Taggart, 3-33; Mike Culbreath, 1-10; Aaron Graf, 4-6; Stephen Hood, 2-6; Luke Tillger, 1-3; Corey Ernst, 2-(-1); Sean Varga, 1-(-2).
Quakertown: Tony Latronica, 16-114, 2 TDs; Tyler Burke, 4-13; Joe Able, 2-6; Geoff DeLan, 1-2; Matt Roberts, 1-2, Mike Potynski, 1-1; Nick Barndt, 1-(-4); Quakertown Center, 1-(-23); Ryan Tincknell, 3-(-28).
PASSING:
North Penn: Todd Smolinsky, 6-8-114, 1 TD; Corey Ernst, 4-5-33.
Quakertown: Ryan Tincknell, 3-5-53; Kurtis Roberts, 0-1-0, 1 INT.
RECEIVING:
North Penn: Dom Taggart, 4-108, 1 TD; Troy Brosky, 1-16; Garret Pyne, 1-12; Tom Conboy, 2-5; T.J. Gill, 1-5; Craig Needhammer, 1-1.
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