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By Scott Huff
Plymouth Meeting – The weather for Saturday’s PIAA Quad-A Eastern Final at Plymouth Whitemarsh High School was spectacular. It was a splendid December afternoon devoid of biting cold, blustery wind, and splashed with the warmth of bright sunshine.
The game between North Penn and La Salle was even more spectacular – much more spectacular. The District One champion Knights lost an exhilarating 38-35 title game to the District 12 champion Explorers.There were a mind-blowing seven lead changes during the course of the magnificently played game.
“I’m sure that the players are upset now,” said North Penn head coach Dick Beck. “But 10 years from now they will remember that they played in one of the greatest high school games that most people can remember.”
“It was a great game against a great team,” said North Penn senior running back Dominic Taggart who punctured the La Salle goal line four times for touchdowns. “I wish them the best of luck, but I can’t help thinking about how we lost a chance to go the Hershey to play for the (state) championship.”
La Salle – the defending PIAA Quad-A State Champion - will meet North Allegheny next Saturday at Hershey Park Stadium with a 5 pm kickoff. North Allegheny defeated Cumberland Valley – 35-17 - to earn the title date with La Salle.
“This was the best game I have ever seen,” said La Salle senior running/defensive back Jamal Abdur-Rahman. “It was like we were in the backyard – it was a lot of fun.
“This team has had to live in the shadow of last year’s team,” added Abdur-Rahman. “Now with this win over North Penn, we have a chance to show that we too can be state champions.”
The outcome of the game from the outset was always in question as both teams put on a tremendous show for the overflow crowd at Colonial Stadium.North Penn opened the scoring on its initial drive of the game. The Knights pounded the ball 70 yards on just eight plays – all running plays. Taggart bulled in from the one-yard line for the score to cap the march. Brandon Mandes was perfect on the first of his five placements to give NP a 7-0 lead.
La Salle counter-punched with a 70-yard scoring drive of its own. The Explorers featured a pair of pass connections from quarterback Matt Magarity to Sean Coleman for 62 yards to set up the touchdown. Abdur-Rahman sealed the TD deal with a two-yard lunge, and place kicker Ryan Winslow added the first of his five extra points to knot the score at 7-7.
North Penn answered quickly as junior quarterback Corey Ernst fired a gorgeous 55-yard scoring strike to junior tight end Ralphie Reeves. It was the first pass attempt of the day for the Knights.
The Explorers marched back to tie the score at 14-14 with a 13-play drive that covered 54 yards. The scoring play was a two-yard pass from Magarity to fullback Tim Wade.
The first of three critical North Penn turnovers helped La Salle take its first lead of the game. A fumble on a kickoff return gave the Explorers a short field, and a 24-yard field goal by Winslow gave La Salle a 17-14 lead.
It would now be North Penn’s turn to counter-punch as the Knights marched 82 yards on 12 plays to regain the lead at 21-17. Taggart – who ripped off a 25-yard burst in the drive – concluded the drive with a one-yard touchdown on fourth and goal.
La Salle would answer with a ‘short field’ score on its first drive of the second half to regain the lead at 24-21.Abdur-Rahman – who returned a NP punt 37-yards to set the Explorers up with great field position – capped the drive with a nine-yard touchdown jaunt.
Again North Penn would answer – and again it was Taggart who blasted into the end zone to make the score 28-24 Knights. The eight-play drive showcased a 29-yard pass play from Ernst to Reeves.
Taggart – who became the first player this year to rush for over 100 yards against the Explorers as he rushed for 134 yards on 28 carries – scored on a seven-yard run.
La Salle – again – would answer in lightening quick speed as Abdur-Rahman capped a short scoring drive with a three-yard run. The touchdown regained the lead for La Salle at 31-28.
The Knights pieced together their most impressive drive of the game to regain the lead at 35-31.
NP had a relentless 15-play, 87-yard drive that ended with – how else? – a touchdown run by Taggart. What proved to be the final North Penn score came with 4:43 left in the fourth quarter when Taggart danced in for a 19-yard TD run.La Salle would score the game’s final points in the final moments.
Magarity fired a 25-yard scoring pass to Coleman with 2:11 left in the contest. Abdur-Rahman – who rushed for a game-high 145 yards and three scores – had a 23-yard run in the critical drive.
North Penn, though, did not go quietly.
Ernst fired a clutch 30-yard pass completion to Gerard Wendowski on fourth-and-long to extend the final Knight drive. On the next play, a tipped NP pass fell into the hands of La Salle defensive tackle Ryan Geiger for the game-sealing interception.
“We can leave here with our heads held high,” said Taggart as tears streamed down his face. “We played hard, but they were a little better and won the game.”
“There was not one player – on either team – that didn’t leave everything on the field,” said Beck. “It was a game filled with energy and emotion. It was just a great high school football game.”
And the weather wasn’t bad either.
Knightmares – North Penn had to play the game at far less than 100 percent as both seniors Craig Needhammer and Gerard Wendowski were physically unable to perform at their best…Needhammer showed a great deal of courage playing on a damaged ankle that kept him out of the NP offensive backfield – the Knights leading ball carrier rushed for just 12 yards – eight coming from a fake punt formation…Wendowski – who had two interceptions in the 42-6 win over Neshaminy – had the flu and did not play in the NP defensive backfield. On offense he caught two balls for 34 yards. North Penn out gained La Salle in total offense by almost the length of the football field (426 yards-328 yards), but the Knights had three turnovers – the Explorers had zero.
La Salle 7 10 14 7 - 38
North Penn 14 7 7 7 - 35
NP: Dominic Taggart 1 run (Brandon Mandes kick)
LS: Jamal Abdur-Rahman 2 run (Ryan Winslow kick)
NP: Ralphie Reeves 55 pass from Corey Ernst (Mandes kick)
LS: Tim Wade 2 pass from Matt Magarity (Winslow kick)
LS: Winslow 24 FG
NP: Taggart 1 run (Mandes kick)
LS: Abdur-Rahman 9 run (Winslow kick)
NP: Taggart 7 run (Mandes kick)
LS: Abdur-Rahman 3 run (Winslow kick)
NP: Taggart 19 run (Mandes kick)
LS: Sean Coleman 25 pass from Magarity (Winslow kick)
La Salle North Penn
16 First Downs 17
159 Rushing Yards 242
169 Passing Yards 184
328 Total Offense 426
3-33 Punts / Avg. 1-37
4-40 Pen. / Yards 2-10
La Salle
Rushing: Jamal Abdur-Rahman 21-145- 3 TD; Matt Magarity 6-18; Tim Wade -14; Team 1 (minus 18). Totals 31-159-3 TD.
Passing: Magarity 10-19-0; 169 yards & 2 TD.
Receiving: Sean Coleman 5-107 & TD; Kevin Forster 3-33; Colin Buckley 1-27; Tim Wade 1-2 & TD. Totals 10-169- 2 TD.
Interceptions: Coleman & Ryan Geiger.
North Penn
Rushing: Dominic Taggart 28-134- 4 TD; Brandon Mercer 12-82; Corey Ernst 2-14; Craig Needhammer 3-12. Totals 46-242- 4 TD.
Passing: Ernst 8-16-2; 184 yards & TD; Taggart 0-1-0; 0 yards. Totals 8-17-2.
Receiving: Ralphie Reeves 5-138 & TD; Gerard Wendowski 2-34; Needhammer 1-12. Totals 8-184 & TD.
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