To view WNPV’s Countdown to Kickoff, which includes a look at the area teams and games, visit the following link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=houHiYSyEeU
With television cameras rolling and fans packing the stands, the atmosphere promises to be electrifying when the North Penn Knights step onto the field on Friday night at Jim Crawford Stadium to kick off the 2009 football season with a rematch of last year’s state semifinal against Bethlehem Liberty.
“I’m going to be as excited as I’m ever going to be,” Knight junior Craig Needhammer said. “You get the butterflies in the stomach – that’s just expected, but you get it out on the first kickoff and just play ball.
“You block all that stuff out and focus on what you have to do in order for your team to win.”
Last year, the Hurricanes – ranked 20th in the nation in USA Today’s preseason poll - defeated the Knights 21-14 in the state semis and went on to win the PIAA Class AAAA title. Things won’t be any easier this time around for a young Knight squad that lost the nucleus of that squad to graduation, but talk to Needhammer, and it’s clear the Knights are eager to take on the challenge.
“It’s great,” he said. “We’re a young team, and it’s going to be really exciting to have that first-game atmosphere.
“They got us last year, but we’re looking to get our revenge obviously. They’re a great team – it will be good to see how we do against them. I definitely think we have a very good shot at beating them.”
Coach Dick Beck sees the game as a win-win for his squad.
“I think it’s a no-lose situation,” the Knights’ coach said. “Win or lose the game, I think it will be an exciting challenge, and we’ll be better at the end of the game for having to play them.
“You play against that kind of competition – you’re raising your own level. By playing against better players, you’re making your players better, so that’s a big plus for us.”
Liberty returns six starters on both sides of the football from last year’s state championship squad, none more notable than senior Anthony Gonzalez.
The gifted quarterback, who earned state player of the year honors, passed for 1,580 yards and rushed for 1,697 yards with 36 total touchdowns. The impressive list of colleges pursuing his talents includes Pitt, Penn State, Florida State, among countless others.
“You really can’t prepare for a kid like Gonzalez – he’s a great athlete, but we’re just so excited to play them,” Needhammer said. “We have been working hard during the offseason and preparing all week.
“We’re trying to prepare the best we can, but you can’t really prepare for that Friday feel of the game.”
Gonzalez has a dangerous target in 6-2 wide receiver Jarod West, who made a verbal commitment to Stanford.
“It’s hard,” Beck said. “Pick your poison – are you going to let him (Gonzalez) beat you with his arm or beat you with his legs? He’ll do both.
“You don’t want to put one guy on West and have him beat you deep, but if you sit back in a zone, they’ll start attacking you with the run. It will be an interesting chess match, I’m sure.”
If it will be hard to contain the Hurricanes, it will be equally difficult to move the ball against their vaunted defense.
“They’re always really tough defensively, and with Gonzalez and West both in the secondary, they kind of keep everything together,” Beck said.
For the Knights, first-year quarterback Todd Smolinsky will be a key to putting points on the board.
“He’ll have to throw strikes when guys are open, but he’s going to have to hurt them with his legs too,” Beck said. “We just can’t just depend on lining up and running it at them. They’re too good to be able to do that, and we’re too inexperienced up front to be able to go toe to toe with them, so we’re going to have to try and get our guys in the open field.
“I think (running backs Brandon) Mercer and Needhammer can be explosive and can make big plays. We have to try and get them in that situation.”
Needhammer admits it’s a whole different world than last year when the Knights were led by the likes of Justin Davey, Ronnie Akins, Andrew Stoll, Tyler Smith, et al.
“The first day we came back in during the offseason to lift, it was like, ‘Oh yeah, the seniors aren’t going to be here,’” Needhammer said. “It’s still exciting. We get to be in the forefront.
“It’s time to show what you have, play the best you can and give it all you’ve got.”
According to Beck, Friday’s early season test can only be a benefit to his squad.
“Our guys are so young and inexperienced – I think they’re just excited about the opportunity,” he said. “We looking at this as just a tremendous challenge for these young guys to see what they can do when the pressure’s on.”
If there’s pressure on this young team to uphold the tradition of excellence established under Beck, the players aren’t letting it show.
“It’s really fun,” Needhammer said. “I think we have a really good team. We’re young. We’re going to be way better at the end of the season than at the beginning of the season.”
And as beginnings go, high school football fans couldn’t ask for a better one than Friday’s rematch of last year’s state semifinal to kick off the season.
“It’s exciting,” Beck said. “I hope we get a big crowd. I’m sure Liberty will bring a lot of people, and a lot of people from Lansdale will be here.
“I think it’s a great way to kick off the season. It’s very exciting.”
Kickoff is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. The game will be broadcast life of WNPV 1440 AM and can also be heard on the web at www.wnpv1440.com. The game will be televised live on www.6abc.com at 7:30 p.m.
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