Defensive tackles Derek Brandt and Josh Cook have played key roles in North Penn’s defensive dominance in recent weeks.
North Penn football coach Dick Beck did a double take when – on a recent Saturday Christmas shopping outing with his wife – he drove by the home of junior Derek Brandt.
“I looked in his driveway, and he’s standing there in his entire Boy Scout uniform,” the Knights’ coach said. “I said, ‘Is that Derek Brandt?’“
It turns out it was Brandt, who recently completed his Eagle Scout project, and while the junior lineman might be a mild-mannered Boy Scout on Saturdays, he spent his Friday nights this fall beating up on opposing offensive linemen who have been no match for the 5-10, 225-pound junior.
“I’ll tell you right now – Derek Brandt is one of the best D-tackles we have ever had,” Beck said. “His game against La Salle could have been the single best performance of any D-tackle in the history of my career. If he didn’t make the tackle, he was driving his guy into the tackle.”
Brandt had himself a career day in the Knights’ hard-fought 21-14 win over La Salle in last Saturday’s PIAA Class AAAA Eastern Final. He finished the game with seven solo tackles, which included three tackles for a loss. He also had a sack and a fumble recovery, wreaking the kind of havoc that left La Salle’s usually dangerous offense looking bewildered and very ordinary.
“Brandt was a madman,” Beck said. “He was just doing it.”
Brandt has hardly been a one-man wrecking crew. Fellow defensive tackle Josh Cook also had a big day, delivering five tackles, which included one behind the line of scrimmage.
One week earlier, Cook turned in a monster performance in North Penn’s 34-14 win over Council Rock South in the District One AAAA title game. The senior defensive tackle had seven tackles – two for a loss. He also caused a fumble and recovered a fumble. Brandt, meanwhile, had six tackles with two for losses.
“That kind of production out of your D-tackles is phenomenal,” Beck said. “These two guys have just been incredible.”
Even more incredible is the fact that defensive tackle is a relatively new position for Cook, who was moved from defensive end to D-tackle after the Knights’ opening round district win over Bayard Rustin.
“I think the turning point of our defensive line and our defense was when Josh Cook was moved to defensive tackle and George Shipp was moved to D-end,” Beck said. “Cook was coming off a bad game playing D-end, so we made the switch, and it’s made a world of difference to us up front.
“George didn’t play one snap at D-end until the Neshaminy game. He played very well in the four games he’s played D-end, and Cook has been unbelievable at defensive tackle.”
“There’s not too much difference,” Cook said of his new position. “It’s just more fighting pressure and just a little more in the trenches.”
Ask both Cook and Brandt the key to the success of their defensive line, and they have similar responses.
“We just practice really hard,” Brandt said. “Our scout team O-line gives us a really good look to help us out.”
“It’s coaching,” Cook added. “And our scout team does a great job every week, kicking our butts, and it just turned our whole season around.”
Cook – who is 5-11, 225 pounds – has a build that is almost identical to Brandt’s, and both say they relish the challenge of going against bigger linemen.
“We played against Pennsbury, and they had a kid going to Wisconsin,” Brandt said of 6-7, 310-pound JJ Denman. “We’ve played against the biggest and the best.”
“Every time we heard about a big O-lineman - it just got us that much more fired up that week,” Cook added.
Ask the Knights’ two D-tackles to describe each other’s strengths, and Brandt points to Cook’s effective pass rush moves. Cook, meanwhile, is impressed by Brandt’s quickness.
“This guy is just so quick off the ball and quick fighting pressure and reading how they’re blocking him and what they’re doing,” Cook said.
The Knights’ defense has been the big story in their most recent wins over Council Rock South and La Salle.
“It just starts with everybody doing their job,” Cook said. “Without everyone else doing their jobs, one of us couldn’t have been free. It’s a lot of the team that helped us open up.”
“It’s about our responsibilities and doing what we had to do,” Brandt added.
While Brandt is a relative newcomer to football – he didn’t start until he was in seventh grade, Cook has been playing for 12 years.
“I have always dreamed about getting to the state championship, so it’s a dream come true,” Cook said. “It’s an amazing feeling to share this with such a great team.”
Making the Knights’ run to Saturday’s state title game even more impressive is the fact that it came on the heels of a 1-2 start.
“It’s amazing how our team came together as a whole and as a family to finish our season strong,” Cook said.
Exactly what kind of aspirations did the players have when their team was 1-2?
“A lot of it was aimed at (winning) the league, and then we had to worry about trying to get into the playoffs,” Cook said.
“We were just trying to win the rest of our games,” Brandt said. “It was do or die every week. We couldn’t lose a game or we wouldn’t make the playoffs.”
The Knights did make the playoffs, and just one win separates them from a state title. The players are not taking this opportunity for granted.
“I’m really excited,” Brandt said. “I might never get this chance again. We’re working our hardest and trying to make the best of it.”
Saturday’s state title game pitting North Penn against Central Dauphin will be held HersheyPark Arena, beginning at 6 p.m.
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