Pennridge and North Penn were winners and will meet in Friday’s District 1 6A title game. Pennridge/Coatesville photos courtesy of Laura Rowe & Sharon Shipe, and North Penn photos provided courtesy of Kim Supko and Greg Lindsay. CLICK HERE to go directly to Suburban One Sports’ FOOTBALL GALLERIES.
District 1 6A Tournament semifinals
#1-1 PENNRIDGE 17, #1-4 COATESVILLE 14
(Game stats courtesy of Pennridge football. Game info courtesy of Mike Cabrey X @mpcabrey)
The Rams just keep rolling along, notching one big win after another. On Friday night, fourth-seeded Coatesville was the latest victim as the Rams earned a win that vaulted their team into next Friday’s District 1 6A title game against North Penn at Helman Field.
“It hasn’t hit me yet – I’ll be honest with you,” Pennridge coach Kyle Beller said. “It’s awesome to be able to play at Helman Field in front of our home crowd. The community has been awesome the whole season, and we know they’re going to show up and do what they do. The whole crowd is going to be there.
“It’s going to be a great atmosphere next Friday night. Two really good teams from the SOL National are going to play for the district championship. It just shows how good our conference is. It’s going to be exciting.”
It has not been uncommon during what has been a remarkable season for Pennridge football to hear the Rams’ coach use phrases like, ‘grinding it out’ or calling a win a ‘team effort.’
While that might sound cliché, it is – in fact – a reality for this Rams’ squad and was once again the case on Friday night. The Rams, clinging to a 10-7 lead at halftime, had just seen Princeton-bound senior Ryan Rowe go down with an injury that ultimately kept him out of the remainder of the game.
During the Rams’ halftime meeting, senior Chase Clontz had a message for his teammates.
“His theme was ‘Keep picking each other up,’ and he said, ‘Whatever happens – pick your brother up. We’re going to keep grinding and getting this,’” said Beller. “That was his message.
“You sit back sometimes, and you look at them and you’re so proud of these young men, just watching them seeing the bigger picture. They’re selfless, and they just take pride in picking each other up. What a great year it’s been for these guys.”
From the outset, Friday’s game was a war. Coatesville took an early 7-0 lead on a 77-yard touchdown pass by Matt Ortega Jr. The Rams got on the scoreboard when Will Dougherty tackled a Coatesville running back in the end zone for a safety.
The Rams added to that lead when – on the first play after the free kick following the safety – quarterback Noah Keating connected with Rowe for a 48-yard touchdown. An offsides call on the point-after gave the Rams an opportunity to go for two, and they got it on a Rowe run to go into halftime with a 10-7 advantage.
The two teams exchanged touchdowns in the third quarter with Keating connecting with Blake Landherr on a one-yard pass on fourth and goal. The Red Raiders answered shortly thereafter when Andre Watson took it to the house from 60 yards out on the first play of the drive to make it a 17-14 game with just under six minutes remaining in the third quarter.
“They hit us for two huge plays for touchdowns,” Beller said. “That’s a really good football team and their defense is phenomenal. Those kids are as good as advertised. We knew that going in. We saw them before, and we knew they were good.”
Neither team scored the rest of the way with the Rams’ defense coming up with one big stop after another in a contest played in front of a packed house that kept fans on the edge of their seats from start to finish.
“It was a great crowd, absolutely,” Beller said. “The atmosphere was electric, it really was. It was loud on both sides. They travelled well, they were here early, they were ready to go.”
And according to the Rams’ coach, it was a team effort that vaulted Pennridge to the win.
“I can’t just say the defense played phenomenal because it’s all three (phases of the game),” Beller said. “It’s special teams making plays for field position, the offense taking time off the clock and scoring when they needed to and grinding out first downs. The defense getting stops when they needed to.
“It’s not one kid, it’s not one phase. It’s all three. They just keep grinding it out, they play so well as a team. They just keep playing football. They don’t get down. Early on, Coatesville was taking it to us. They never hung their heads. They were just ‘Let’s go, let’s keep playing.’”
In Rowe’s absence, Pennridge sophomore Trevor Picciotti occupied his spot running out of the backfield in the second half and ran for 45 yards on 11 carries.
“Trevor came in and ran great like he’s done every time he’s in,” Beller said. “The kid’s a really good football player. We have two seniors in the backfield, and we’ve got really good backups. In some games, we’ve had guys go down, and he has stepped in. He ran his tail off, he ran hard, he fell forward – a great job by that young man.”
Also for the Rams, Keating completed 11 of 21 passes for 96 yards and two touchdowns. He also had five carries for 21 yards.
“I’ve got to credit our scout team – the young kids that aren’t playing in JV games right now,” Beller said. “We have 10 freshmen that were with us all season long as well as some sophomores. They’re doing such a great job these last three weeks in districts. They’re giving us such great looks, and that’s their job. They’re taking such pride in it.
“They show up early for practice, they watch the film, and they’re just a big part of everything that’s going on. Even though they’re young and they know they’re not getting in on Friday night, they’re doing their job.
“It’s so cliché, but it’s such a team from top to bottom. I’m just so proud of them because you don’t always get that in today’s world. They just keep showing up. It just makes you proud of them. They’re great young men.”
For Coatesville, Ortega threw for 190 yards and a touchdown. He was intercepted twice. Watson led the Raiders’ ground game with 98 yards and a touchdown on 13 carries.
Up next: Pennridge will host second-seeded North Penn in the District 1 6A title game on Friday. The Rams defeated North Penn 34-10 in a regular season contest. The Knights have won eight straight since dropping back-to-back games.
Coatesville 7-0-7-0 14
Pennridge 0-10-7-0 17
#1-2 NORTH PENN 35, #1-11 NESHAMINY 7
(Game stats courtesy of Ed Morlock @emor09 and The Reporter: https://www.thereporteronline.com/2025/11/15/district-1-6a-football-north-penn-runs-past-neshaminy-into-title-game)
Matt Pownall was just wrapping up one of his numerous postgame interviews when coach Dick Beck ran by and said to his star running back, ‘Come on, Matt, let’s go in and celebrate.”
Pownall and his teammates certainly had plenty of reasons to celebrate. The Knights – with Pownall leading the Knights’ punishing running attack – had just earned a trip to the District 1 6A title game against Pennridge with their no-doubt-about-it win.
“It’s definitely awesome,” Pownall said. “Last year (a 35-16 loss to Downingtown West) was heartbreaking. A lot of good seniors, a lot of good friends were on that team, so we’re going to go back and hopefully win it for them.”
Pownall and Rylei Gray combined for 227 rushing yards and five touchdowns with Pownall leading the charge with 134 yards and two TDs. Grey added 93 yards and three touchdowns.
“We put in so much hard work throughout the season,” Pownall said. “We have such a good coaching staff. We’re able to improve every single week with them and their coaching.
“Just go out and do our jobs is basically what we’re coached to do, and that’s what we do each and every single game.”
Dominic Tranzilli, a senior captain, is part of an offensive line that has played a major role in the Knights’ successful running game.
“Pownall and Rylei make the game way easier for the O-linemen,” Tranzilli said. “We’re playing great up front, and as long as we hold our blocks, Rylei and Pownall – I know they can always make a play even if we mess up. They have great field vision, and they make our job way easier.”
Since a pair of mid-season losses to Neshaminy and Pennridge that was followed by a 31-20 win over Central Bucks East, the Knights have done nothing but win big.
“We came out 3-0 feeling good, we had two tough losses, and we’re 3-2,” Tranzilli said. “It was either win out and show the league what we’re about or keep losing and fall to our knees, but we kept moving, we kept working.
“After the two losses against Neshaminy and Pennridge, we knew we had to flip the switch. We just didn’t know what game it was, and after that East game we won – it definitely wasn’t our best game, and following that East game, we came out hard as ever and kept rolling and kept playing.
“Our offense starts with the defensive scout team. They work us every week, every practice, so props to them, for sure.”
The Knights seized control of the Friday’s game from the outset, taking their opening drive 66 yards and capping it with Pownall scoring from two yards out. Neshaminy managed one first down but then punted, setting the stage for a 63-yard, nine-play drive that Gray finished with an 18-yard run after it looked as though he was stopped near the line of scrimmage. The Redskins blocked the PAT, and the Knights led 13-0.
“You just have to stay low and physical,” Gray said. “You’re not down until you’re down. I just stayed on my feet. All the time in the weight room getting strong in the offseason – that really pays off right now.”
A shanked punt gave the Knights a short field at their own 48. Matt Bucksar connected with Pownall for a 36-yard gain, and then it was Gray racing in from 16 yards for a 20-0 lead.
“My O-line is amazing,” Gray said. “The gaps, the holes – they were all wide open. We probably had one play for a loss of a yard. Without them, I wouldn’t do anything because they play amazing.
Neshaminy pulled to within two scores after Michael Eckart connected with Mike Sassano for a 14-yard touchdown pass with 2:20 remaining in the half to make it a 20-7 game.
The Knights quickly negated that score when – after a big return by Gray to the Redskins’ 18 -they punched it in for a touchdown and a 26-7 halftime lead.
“We watch film, and they usually squib kick it, so coach Beck put me in in the middle of the return – he knew they were going to kick it to me” said Gray, who – two plays later – took it in for the two-yard touchdown.” I just had to get going. I’m not going to lie – I didn’t see anybody, so I just had to keep going until the last second when I got caught.”
North Penn scored on their opening drive of the second half, thanks to a Pownall 16-yard run that capped a 58-yard drive that featured one run after another behind an offensive line that dominated.
“We just locked up with our guys and drove them back,” Tranzilli said. “That’s what we always try and do. Sometimes it doesn’t work out that way, but once we get our hands on them, drive them back and get a good double team – game’s over. We can keep moving.”
Beck acknowledged the strong play of his offense.
“The offense is all about the O-line blocking guys up front and Rylei Gray and Matt Pownall finding the holes and getting north and south,” the Knights’ coach said. “Rarely do they come down at the line of scrimmage. We’re a much better offense when we’re staying in front of the sticks.”
Neither team scored the rest of the way until Nate Schepian delivered a safety late in the game for the 35-7 final, and all but lost in the shuffle of the Knights’ overpowering offensive effort was a stellar showing by the defense.
“Our emphasis on defense after losing to Pennridge was to get more speed on the field,” Beck said. “We moved Christian Barnes, who is just so fast, to end, and ever since he’s been starting, he’s been explosive. Aiden Ashley is the other end. He’s another guy who’s not big, but he’s super athletic. The three D-tackles that we work in – they all can run, the linebackers all can run.
“Our secondary is probably the strength of our team with Pownall, Gray and Sal Colella – they’ve just been outstanding all year for us.”
On a night that belonged to the Knights’ offense, Bucksar attempted just five passes, completing three for 59 yards.
“Matt is doing a great job at quarterback – calling the plays at the line of scrimmage, finding the open receiver, throwing strikes,” Beck said. “We may not be opening it up, but when you’re in second-and-five, third-and-two – if it’s working, why stop running the ball when the O-line is coming off the ball, and you have those two backs that are so explosive.
“(This) was awesome. I’m so proud of them. This group has really been through a lot.”
Friday’s win was the eighth in a row for the Knights, who have outscored their opponents 255-68 in the seven wins since their 31-20 win over CB East on the heels of back-to-back losses.
“After the CB East game, I don’t know what happened to this team,” Beck said. “But the defense has been a different team. It’s been unbelievable. I would tell you that Darin Burner going into the East game – I didn’t think he would ever see the field, and now he’s one of our best D-tackles.
“Marsilis Kimber was not playing great. I don’t know what happened, but these guys started playing at a different level. I think it helps if you have those two guys at the end that are so explosive, and even if they get blocked, they can get off the block and make the tackle. It’s really helped us defensively those guys. The defense now compared to then is built for speed.”
Friday’s win effectively erased memories of Neshaminy’s 18-14 win over the Knights during the regular season.
“We just learned from it – we learned what we did wrong and just took that and improved each and every single week,” Pownall said.
North Penn is a different team than the team that was 3-2 midway through the regular season.
“The feeling in the locker room changed, and our whole defense changed,” Gray said. “The games we played that we lost – we got out-physicaled, and we came back and we’re a way more physical team, and we’ve got some dogs that did not play in the games that we lost.”
For Neshaminy, the loss could not diminish the accomplishments of a team that finished 5-2 in the SOL National and had an impressive run to the district semifinals.
“One game doesn’t define our season, whether you win or lose, and it’s supposed to hurt,” Neshaminy coach Nick Felus said. “It’s going to hurt.
“We expected a better performance. I’ll take responsibility as a head coach. I felt we had a good week of practice, but I felt like – for whatever reason – we didn’t put our best foot forward, and that’s on me as the leader of the program. The effort was there. The kids are gritty, they’re so tough. We faced so much adversity.
“Just being a new coach, we had a lot of new coaches on the staff. A whole new offense, a whole new defense. It’s not easy, and these kids made it look easy at times. We’re thankful for everything that they’ve done for the program. They put their heart and soul into Neshaminy football. It has a lot of pride and tradition, and they helped create that standard again. We’re proud of them as coaches. Tonight wasn’t our night. Credit to North Penn, they played a lot better than we did.”
Up next: North Penn (11-2) will travel to top-seeded Pennridge for the District 1 6A title game next Friday.
Neshaminy 0-7-0-0 7
North Penn 7-19-7-2 35
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