North Penn edged Boyertown 1-0 to capture the program’s first ever District One 4A title. Photos provided by Keith Clemens Photography. Check back for a gallery of photos.
#1 NORTH PENN 1, #3 BOYERTOWN 0
For 80 minutes they had battled, and as the countdown for the game’s final seconds began, their smiles told the story. It was mission accomplished for the North Penn Knights, who captured the program’s first ever District One 4A title, and when the final horn sounded, they could at long last celebrate. And celebrate they did.
“It was one of the best feelings in the world,” senior Carter Houlihan said. “We put in so many hours and so much time and effort for this exact moment.
“We’ve talked about this in the beginning of the season that this was our goal, and we accomplished it, so it’s just fantastic.”
“It felt great,” senior Josh Jones said. “It’s indescribable because we’ve never been here before. Just making it to the final was history in itself because our program has never done it. We knew once we were here we wanted to win it.”
And on a crisp fall evening in Spring-Ford’s Coach McNelly Stadium, the Knights – thanks to a second-half goal by sophomore Hunter Stites – erased memories of postseason disappointments past.
“Starting from my freshman year, we made it to the second round of states, and we had a disappointing end,” Houlihan said. “After that season, you think, ‘I’ve got three more years to do it.’
“Then after my sophomore year when we got knocked out in the first round, you keep thinking you have two years left, but this season coming around, I knew it was this season or done. I won’t have this opportunity to go this far again in my high school career.”
From the outset, it was apparent that goals were going to be difficult to come by for both sides. On a North Penn corner midway through the opening half, Boyertown keeper Mason Kurtz emerged from the throng of players in the box and punched the ball out of harm’s way. It was one of several clutch plays by the Bears’ keeper.
“They were a really good team,” Jamie Stewart said. “They had had great wingers, great defensive line, and we were just going to have to find a way to break it.”
With just over 10 minutes remaining in the first half, the Knights saw a shot ricochet off the post, and the two teams went into halftime locked in a scoreless tie. Eight minutes into the second half, Stites – in the middle of a wild sequence – was opportunistic, scoring on a volley after an apparent defensive miscommunication.
“Not all the goals are going to be pretty,” Jones said. “We know sometimes you’re just going to have to score an ugly one. That’s what happened today.”
The Knights protected that one-goal lead behind the strong play of keeper Sawyer Meade, who was credited with another clean sheet, and a stingy defense. Thirty-two minutes after Stites found the net, the district title belonged to the Knights.
“This was our goal going into the season,” Jones said. “First of all, we wanted to win the conference, which we did. Then our next goal was districts. Hopefully, we can finish off and get three out of three and win the state championship.”
When it was over, emotions ran high on the field and in the stands, and the players celebrated with the throng of North Penn fans lining the fence around the field.
“Just being here is an incredible experience – we’ve never been here before,” Jamie Stewart said. “When they started counting down, it just hit me that – we’re the best team in District One. Winning this game, it means so much to everyone.”
“You could just feel it coming,” senior Ryan Stewart said. “When we cleared that ball with about five seconds left, I know I felt it, everyone else felt it. We were just so excited to finally get this win.
“It’s incredible. Just knowing this whole season came together like this. Winning this and knowing we still have more to do, it’s incredible and we’re just excited to keep playing.”
Stewart clutched the gold medal hanging around his neck.
“I’m not going to let it go,” the Knights’ senior captain said.
In the midst of a giddy postgame scene, coach Paul Duddy tipped his hat to his opponent.
“Our league is so tough, but it makes all of us better teams, I believe,” the Knights’ coach said. “When we get in competition like this – we could have just as easily lost tonight, but we’re ready for good tough teams.
“Credit to them – their coach does a great job. They move the ball, they’re in the right positions, and their keeper (Kurtz) was tremendous.”
The Knights battled a strong Boyertown squad to earn their biggest win of a season with yet another chapter still to be written.
“I think we would have been very disappointed if we didn’t win this game,” Houlihan said. “We already punched our ticket into states, but losing the district final would have been a bad feeling going into states. I think we can carry the momentum of this win into states.”
“I think this year we came in with a different mindset,” Jones said. “I think we might have overlooked some teams in previous years in the playoffs just because we were a higher seed.
“This year we knew we could be beaten any game, and we just carried that into every game during the playoffs so far. I think we just play a lot looser. We don’t have that stress on us any more.”
North Penn (21-1, 11-1 SOL) will face District 3’s third place team in Tuesday’s opening round of the PIAA 4A Tournament.
Boyertown 0-0 0
North Penn 0-1 1
Chaffee looking forward to return – Mike Chaffee had a front row seat to the Knights’ run through the District One 4A Tournament, but the senior captain, who was sidelined with mono, would have much rather been on the field.
“It was hard to watch, but this means the world,” Chaffee said. “To see these guys succeed even without me on the field – it just means the world.
“Coming back our next game for states, this is going to give us so much confidence. Hopefully, it’s another burst of energy for our team. I’m excited. We’re all excited.”
Chaffee has the green light to return to action for Tuesday’s state opener.
“It was painful, but I believe everything happens for a reason,” he said. “It’s great to see them succeed.
“The sky’s the limit, and we’re not done yet. I’m excited.”
Teammates, friends and a brotherhood – It’s not uncommon for successful teams to talk about their camaraderie, but there’s no mistaking the fact that the two go hand in hand.
Ask Carter Houlihan what made it work this season, and he had an immediate response.
“I think the chemistry of the group,” the senior captain said. “I think in years past we had fantastic teams, and we’ve had great seasons.
“I think this year everyone is so connected. There are no different friend groups, there’s no cliques or anything. The whole team is like a brotherhood.”
Watching the players celebrate together, there’s also no mistaking this Knights’ squad has that intangible known as good chemistry.
“We play and we win for the people around us, not just for ourselves,” Ryan Stewart said. “It just makes me so much happier not that I got this but that all my teammates got this too.”
Coach Paul Duddy pointed to the leadership of his captains – Houlihan, Josh Jones, Ryan Stewart, Jamie Stewart and Mike Chaffee – as significant in bringing the team together.
“They’re terrific,” the Knights coach said. “You couldn’t ask for five better captains.”
Assistants provide big assist – Coach Paul Duddy couldn’t talk about his team’s success without expressing gratitude for his assistant coaches.
“Thanks to all of our coaches, especially Chris DePeppe – he does a lot of our tactical things and a good amount of training day in and day out,” Duddy said. “He is so passionate about this game and this team.”
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