North Penn pulled off a 31-21 upset of third-seeded Pennsbury in Friday night’s District One Quad-A quarterfinal game. To view game action photos, please visit the Photo Gallery.
By Scott Huff
Fairless Hills - North Penn burst through its banner and onto Falcon Field in the PIAA District One Quad-A quarterfinal against host Pennsbury with the Rocky theme music rockin’ its arrival by the Knight band. There have been very few times in recent memory when North Penn was indeed considered an underdog, but Friday night might have been one of those rare times as the #11th-seeded Suburban One League Continental Conference Knights made the trek east on the PA Turnpike to visit the #3-seeded SOL National Conference champions Falcons.
North Penn (9-3) proved that the underdog tag surely did not fit as the Knights marched to a 31-21 victory over the stunned Falcons (10-2). North Penn will now face #15 seed Perkiomen Valley at home next weekend in the PIAA District One Quad-A semifinals. Perkiomen Valley (10-2) blasted host #7 seed Central Bucks West (9-3) by a 60-20 score – that’s right, 60-20.
“Sure it’s nice to be home, but we’re just glad to still be playing,” said North Penn head coach Dick Beck. “It will be nice for our fans, and it will be nice that my wife won’t have to travel so far to the game. But this was just one fantastic football game.
“This team has grown up quite a bit since the beginning of the season,” added Beck in reference to the Knights 0-3 start of the season. “We have matured as a team, and now we have to try and keep it going.”
North Penn got it going with a terrific offensive showing by senior quarterback Austin Shearer and sophomore running back Nyfease West. Shearer was masterful running the Knight offense, completing 7-of-8 passes for 108 yards and three touchdowns, while West was remarkable with 176 yards on 23 carries and a touchdown.
“There is no doubt that this is the best game that Austin has ever had,” said Beck. “And Nyfease is one tough kid – a slender kid – but a very tough kid.”
“When we can show that we can run the football, the passing game opens up,” said Shearer who located five different Knight receivers. “The offensive line did a great job of protecting me and creating holes for the backs.
“It will be great to be able to play another home game at Crawford Stadium,” added Shearer. “Our crowd will be there – and it will be a great atmosphere at school all week and at the game on Friday.”
“There were a lot of people who doubted us when we were 0-3,” said West – who did not start in the North Penn backfield until the fourth game of the season. “This is a great win for our team – and especially our seniors.”
Pennsbury, though, took early control of this game by scoring a touchdown on the opening possession of the game to snatch a 7-0 lead. The Falcons soared 57-yards on 10-plays for the touchdown. Ronquay Smith capped the scoring drive with a 4-yard touchdown burst on fourth down, and Josh Leon added the first of his three successful extra points.
North Penn, however, pieced together a 10-play scoring drive of its own to knot the score at 7-7. Shearer culminated the scoring drive with a 10-yard scoring pass to Nick Wright. It was the only pass play of the drive. Matt Ammendola booted the first of his two successful placements.
The Knights assumed a 13-7 lead with another scoring drive on their second possession of the game. Shearer capped the scoring drive with a 22-yard scoring aerial to tight end Connor Gill. It was the only pass play of the drive. The PAT failed, and North Penn would carry that 13-7 lead into the halftime locker room.
The North Penn defense made a huge stop at the close of the second period to secure its halftime lead. Pennsbury had a first-and-goal from the 4-yard line but failed to punch it in.
The Knights extended the lead to 20-7 with a scoring drive on their initial possession of the second half. NP scored on a 9-play drive that was capped by a 15-yard scoring strike from Shearer to Wright.
The North Penn lead swelled to 28-7 later in the period. The Knight defense came up with a huge play when – with quarterback Breon Clark in the grasp of Wright - Nick Muth intercepted a pass. Just two plays later West danced into the end zone for an 18-yard touchdown scamper and Shearer added a 2-point conversion with a run.
Pennsbury – despite being down 21 – stayed with the run game and it was successful. Victor Delgado culminated a 10-play scoring drive with a 3-yard touchdown run to close the gap to 28-14 with 3:01 left in the third period.
North Penn would score its final points of the game later in the third period to extend the lead to 31-14. Ammendola – who broke the North Penn school record with a 56-yard field goal this season – was perfect on a 32-yard field goal.
Pennsbury would close out the scoring in the game with a fourth period touchdown. Clark capped a 10-play Falcon scoring drive with a one-yard quarterback sneak. There was no scoring, however, over the final 9:01 of the game and North Penn would collect its ‘upset’ victory.
Pennsbury – which rushed for 329 yards and passed for zero yards - will close its season with a conference championship and will return a host of players from this fine 2013 squad. The Falcons, though, will be on the sidelines next week as fellow SOL-National Conference rivals #8 seed Abington (10-2) and #4 seed Neshaminy (11-1) meet in the ‘other’ PIAA District One Quad-A semifinal game at Heartbreak Ridge.
Pennsbury beat both Abington (37-0) and Neshaminy (31-3) decisively during the regular season – but the game that mattered most this playoff season was against North Penn. And that final was 31-21 – Knights.
And, for the Falcons, that was indeed upsetting.
North Penn Knights 7 6 18 0 - 31
Pennsbury Falcons 7 0 7 7 - 21
P: Runquay Smith 4 run (Josh Leon kick)
NP: Nick Wright 10 pass from Austin Shearer (Matt Ammendola kick)
NP: Connor Gill 22 pass from Austin Shearer (kick failed)
NP: Wright 15 pass from Shearer (Ammendola kick)
NP: Nyfease West 18 run (Shearer run)
P: Victor Delgado 3 run (Leon kick)
NP: Ammendola 32 FG
P: Breon Clark 1 run (Leon kick)
North Penn Knights Pennsbury Falcons
20 First Downs 20
260 Yards Rushing 329
108 Yards Passing 0
368 Total Offense 329
2-38 Punts / Avg. 1-44
5-35 Penalties / Yds. 2-20
North Penn:
Rushing: Nyfease West 23 carries, 176 yards, TD; Luke Berry 12/ 43; Austin Shearer 4/ 17; Justin Hudimac 2/ 6; Nick Wright 1/ 5; Lewis Dickinson 1/ 3. Totals 43 carries. 260 yards, TD.
Passing: Austin Shearer 7-8-0; 108 yards and 3 TD.
Receiving: Nick Wright 3-43 & 2 TD; Connor Gill 1-22 & TD; Colby Beck 1-25; Justin Hudimac 1-17; Luke Berry 1-1. Totals 7-108 & 3 TD.
Interceptions: Nick Muth.
Pennsbury:
Rushing: Chuck Snorweah 12 carries, 94 yards; Ronquay Smith 17/ 93/ & TD; Raheem Thompson 14/ 84; Breon Clark 8/ 25; Quinn Pfender 2/ 19; Victor Delgado 2/ 14/ & TD. Totals 55 carries, 329 yards, 3 TD.
Passing: Breon Clark 0-5-1; 0 yards.
Receiving: None.
Interceptions: None.
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