To view action photos of the game, visit the Photo Gallery by clicking on the following link: http://photos.suburbanonesports.com/
By Scott Huff
TOWAMENCIN – After every North Penn touchdown – and there have been a lot of them this season - the band blasts the theme song from the movie Rocky.
Sorry – but the Knights ain’t no Rocky Balboa. The underdog theme just doesn’t fit the way that North Penn has dominated opponents ever since the Suburban One League realigned a few years back.
And the 26th consecutive SOL Continental Conference victory was another impressive one as the Knights (6-2, 5-0) scored 37 unanswered points to rout visiting Souderton – 37-14. Some at the outset of the season considered the 
Big Red (4-4, 3-2) a team that could have ruined North Penn’s conference win streak.
“You have to give North Penn all the credit for being an excellent football team,” said Souderton head coach Ed Gallagher. “They really didn’t do anything differently than they have done all year, but they were able to make plays when they had to be made both offensively and defensively.
“I was very pleased with how we came out at the beginning of the game,” added Gallagher as the Big Red marched 50-yards on nine plays to snatch a 7-0 lead. “We executed everything we had on our script, and I thought we would be able to move the ball like that the whole game. But it didn’t happen.”
But it did happen on the first drive of the game.
Joe McNamara capped the Big Red scoring drive with a three-yard touchdown burst at the 7:49 mark of the first period. Featured in that scoring march was an 18-yard pass completion from SAHS quarterback Tanner Allem to McNamara and a 10-yard run by senior Javon White. Jeff Wolf’s placement gave the Big Red its only lead of the game at 7-0.
It took North Penn just three plays on its first possession of the game to knot the score. Senior quarterback Corey Ernst eluded a blitz and fired a 68-yard scoring strike to a streaking Dan Gervitz along the Knight sideline. Brandon Mandes booted the extra point and the score was quickly tied at 7-7.
“We knew we had to keep our heads up and get the momentum going our way,” said Gervitz, who caught five passes for 120 yards and rushed for an additional 37 yards on just two carries.
“It is great to have a lot of weapons to throw to,” said Ernst who completed 13 passes for 226 yards and three touchdowns. “Dan and I have been playing together for a long time, and all I really have to do is put the ball out there.”
North Penn scored on its second possession of the game as senior captain Ralphie Reeves was wide open on a 38-yard scoring pass from Ernst. The Mandes placement boosted the score to 14-7.
“We saw on film that they were going to cover me with a linebacker,” said Reeves – who also rushed for a score later in the game. “I think he got caught up on the line of scrimmage.”
North Penn scored on its third possession of the game as Mandes culminated a nine-play scoring drive with a booming 35-yard field goal.
North Penn scored on its fourth possession of the game when Ernst tossed a seven-yard scoring strike to a wide open Shayne Watson. The placement failed, and the Knights were forced to settle for a 23-7 first half lead.
Four offensive possessions for the Knights in the first half – all that resulted in points – and four Rocky renditions by the band.
Ernst finished the first half with an impressive stat sheet that featured 195 yards passing and the three scores.
“Ernst plays the game with a lot of poise,” said Gallagher. “We had one or two blown coverages that hurt us, but he made some great throws. And they also made some great catches with defenders around them.”
North Penn would revert to its punishing ground game in the second half.
Reeves bulled in for his one-yard touchdown run on the first play of the fourth quarter. The touchdown polished off an 11-play drive that featured just a single pass completion of nine yards from 
Ernst-to-Gervitz. Kyle Mayfield broke loose for a 22-yard scamper for the biggest gainer in the drive.
Mayfield showcased his blistering speed later in the period on an electrifying 82-yard touchdown run. The Mandes PAT ended the scoring of the Knights as NP led 37-7. Mayfield finished with a game-high 132 yards on 12 carries.
Souderton concluded the scoring on the night with a six-play, 73-yard scoring drive on its final possession. Quarterback Tanner Allem – who completed 13 passes for 136 yards – fired a 22-yard scoring pass to tight end Ry Yozallinas with 2:41 left in the game. Wolf’s point after touchdown would make the score final at 37-14.
North Penn has two games left on its SOL conference schedule as the Knights host Hatboro-Horsham next week and meet Pennridge at (SLO)Poppy Yoder Field for the conference finale in two weeks. North Penn will be comfortably favored in both of those games.
The band really needs to stop with the Rocky music.
Souderton Big Red 7 0 0 7 - 14
North Penn Knights 7 16 0 14 - 37
S – Joe McNamara 3 run (Jeff Wolf kick)
NP – Dan Gervitz 68 pass from Corey Ernst (Brandon Mandes kick)
NP – Ralphie Reeves 38 pass from Ernst (Mandes kick)
NP – Mandes 35 FG
NP – Shayne Watson 7 pass from Ernst (kick failed)
NP – Reeves 1 run (Mandes kick)
NP – Kyle Mayfield 82 run (Mandes kick)
S – Ry Yozallinas 22 pass from Tanner Allem (Wolf kick)
Souderton Big Red North Penn Knights
14 First Downs 16
100 Yards Rushing 233
136 Yards Passing 226
236 Total Offense 453
2-20 Penalties/Yards 3-25
2-35 Punts/Average 1-35
Souderton Big Red
Rushing: Javon White 10-36; Joe McNamara 10-23 and TD; Tyler Scholl 6-12; Anthony Williams 3-23; Jarrett Reinhold 1-4; Tanner Allem 4-2. Totals 34-100 and TD.
Passing: Allem 13-21-1; 136 yards and TD.
Receiving: Kyle Wenger 5-39; Ry Yozallinas 4-62 and TD; McNamara 2-22; White 2-13. Totals 13-136 and TD.
Interceptions: Anthony Williams
North Penn Knights
Rushing: Kyle Mayfield 12-132 and TD; Dan Gervitz 2-37; James Fielder 9-35; Mike Isabella 4-6; Ralphie Reeves 3-4 and TD; Corey Ernst 2-15; Luke Berry 2-4. Totals 35-233- and 2 TD.
Passing: Ernst 13-18-1; 226 yards and 3 TD.
Receiving: Dan Gervitz 5-120 and TD; Ralphie Reeves 2-43 and TD; Shayne Watson 3-22 and TD; Eddie Posavec 1-36; James Fielder 1-5; Mike Isabella 1-0. Totals 13-226 and 3 TD.
Interceptions: Kris Atkins
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