The Times Herald (Norristown, PA)
Knights take on top-seeded Whippets
North Penn takes on top-seeded Whippets for spot in the District 1-6A semifinals
It is another playoff trip to Kottmeyer Stadium for the North Penn football team.
For the second straight season, the Knights trek out to Chester County to face Downingtown West on its home turf as ninthseeded NP and the No. 1 Whippets meet in the District 1-6A quarterfinals Friday night at 7 p.m. Winner advances to the semifinals to face either No. 5 Downingtown East or No. 12 Haverford, which play Saturday night at Kottmeyer.
North Penn (8-3) and West (101) battled in last year’s district semifinal with the Knights rallying for a 35-21 victory.
Both teams earned comfortable first-round victories last Friday after strong second-half performances.
The Knights avenged a Week 9 road loss to Central Bucks South by going back to South and rolling past the No. 8 Titans 35-7. After leading just 7-0 at the break, North Penn finally began finishing drives with touchdowns, building a 35-0 lead with a running game that racked up 418 yards.
Khalani Eaton and Evan Spann both eclipsed 100 yards on the ground for the Knights — Eaton recording 150 yards and a TD on 17 carries while Spann finished
with 128 yards and two scores on 14 carries.
“I feel like if we can play our game we can beat anyone,” said North Penn senior Nate Brown last Friday after the CB South win. “It’s really just having a good week of practice, going down there and playing our game.”
The Whippets, meanwhile, got a huge game from Tyriq Lewis in their district opener to help pull away from No. 16 Pennsbury in an offensive slugfest 63-35.
The visiting Falcons led 28-14 in the second quarter before West found the end zone twice to knot things 28-28 at the break and from there the Whippets dominated, outscoring Pennsbury 35-7 to tie a season-high point total.
Lewis compiled 203 yards on 22 carries — an average of 9.2 yard per carry — and ran for five touchdowns, three in the second half. The Whippets collected a total of 353 yards on the ground. West quarterback Will Howard, a Kansas State commit, had 115 yards and two TDs on 6-of-9 passing and also added 44 yards on four rushes.
Last season’s district semifinal between North Penn and Downingtown West was not planned to be held at Kottmeyer Stadium, but snow during the week made the No. 4 Whippets host to the No. 1 Knights.
West took a 21-14 lead on Jackson Lundberg’s 87yard kickoff return to begin the third quarter and were poised to extend its the advantage later in the quarter only for NP’s Kaleem Corbin to make an interception in the back of the end zone. Two plays later, Shamar Edwards tied the game with a 58-yard touchdown run. Edwards added two more rushing TD in the fourth as the Knights pulled away to reach the district final. Edwards finished the night with 318 yards and three touchdowns on 29 carries.
The win was the fourth straight for North Penn over Downingtown High/Downingtown West — all four coming in the district tournament. The Knights topped West in the 2002 and 2006 4A quarters, the 2008 4A semis and then the 2018 6A semis. The Whippets’ last win over North Penn came in 1995.
Downingtown West began this season with nine straight victories against a challenging schedule — claiming wins over District 1-6A playoff sides Garnet Valley, CB South, Perkiomen Valley and Downingtown West and 5A’s second seed West Chester East — before taking its only loss so far against Coatesville 29-21 in Week 9. West bounced back with a win over Avon Grove and combined with Downingtown East topping Coatesville that night the two Downingtowns and Coatesville each earned a share of the Ches-Mont National Division title.
Back-to-back losses to Central Bucks West and CB South left North Penn without a SOL Continental Conference title for the first time since 2012. But the Knights have won their last two games and can reach the district semifinals for the fourth time in the last five years with a victory Friday.
*** The following is a teamby-team look at the area for Week 12.
District 12-6A Semifinal La Salle vs. St. Joe’s Prep
Time/Place: Saturday, 6p.m., at The Germantown Supersite. Records: The Explorers are 8-2 overall and finished 3-2in the PCL Red. St. Joe’s is 7-2overall and 5-0in the PCL Red. Last Week: La Salle advanced past Roman Catholic, 45-7. The Hawks blanked Father Judge 49-0. Up next: The winner advances to next week’s District 12-6A Final, to take on Olney Charter or Northeast. Players to Watch: Jack Machita found running back/receiver Brad Vespe nine times for 149yards last week for La Salle. Defensive tackle Anthony Leneghan can plug up holes for the Hawks. Prediction: St. Joe’s 35, La Salle 21.
District 12-5A Semifinal Archbishop Wood vs. Archbishop Ryan
Time/Place: Saturday, 1:30p.m., at the Germantown Supersite. Records: The Vikings are 6-3overall and 3-2in the PCL Red. Ryan is 1-8 overall and 0-5in the PCL Red. Last Week: Wood was idle. Ryan was idle. Up next: The winner advances to the final to take on either Mastery Charter North or Martin Luther King. Players to Watch: Ryan DiVergilis is one of many versatile backs for the Vikings. Ryan has an impressive wide receiver/safety in Ryan Collier. Prediction: Wood 35, Ryan 7.
District 1-6A Quarterfinal (9) North Penn at (1) Downingtown West
Time/Place: Friday, 7p.m., at Downingtown West. Records: The Knights are 8-3 overall and 4-2in the SOL Continental. The Whippets are 10-1 overall and 3-1in the Ches-Mont National. Last Week: North Penn blew away CB South 35-7. D-West got by Pennsbury, 63-35. Up next: The winner advances to the district semis, to take on Downingtown East or Haverford. Players to Watch: Khalani Eaton has been rumbling through defenses all season for NP. The
Whippets have a quarterback in Will Howard who is headed to Kansas State. Prediction: Downingtown West 35, North Penn 28.
District 1-6A Quarterfinal (7) Coatesville at (2) Central Bucks West
Time/Place: Friday, 7p.m., at CB West. Records: The Red Raiders are 8-2 overall and 3-1in the Ches-Mont National. The Bucks are 10-1overall and 5-1in the SOL Continental. Last Week: West routed Ridley 42-7. Coatesville beat Souderton 49-18. Up next: The winner advances to the district semis to take on Garnet Valley or Plymouth-Whitemarsh. Players to Watch: Jack Fallon runs hard for the Bucks. Quarterback Ricky Ortega can air it out for the Red Raiders. Prediction: Coatesville 28, CB West 20.
District 1-6A Quarterfinal (11) Plymouth-Whitemarsh at (3) Garnet Valley
Time/Place: Friday, 7p.m., at Garnet Valley. Records: The Colonials are 9-1 overall and 5-1in the SOL American. The Jaguars are 10-1overall and 9-0in the Central League. Last Week: PW beat Abington 56-42. Garnet Valley blew out Owen J. Roberts 43-0. Up next: The winner advances to take on Coatesville or CB West in the district semis. Players to Watch: PW’s Brian Dresnin had a big game running the football last week. Jake Morin dashed for 125yards last week for GV. Prediction: Garnet Valley 35, PW 20.
District 1-12 3A Subregional (2) Pope John Paul II vs. (1) Neumann Goretti
Time/Place: Friday, 7p.m., at the South Philly Supersite. Records: PJP is 9-2overall and 5-0in the PAC Frontier.
Last Week: The Golden Panthers romped 52-16over School of the Future.
Up next: The winner advances to face either North Schuylkill or Tamaqua. Players to Watch: Daylin Gooden is a tremendous twoway player for PJP. Ubayd Steed is a ball hawk in the Goretti secondary. Prediction: Neumann-Goretti 35, PJP 13.
Germantown Academy at Penn Charter
Time/Place: Saturday, 1:30p.m., at Penn Charter. Records: GA is 6-2overall and 2-2 in the InterAC. Penn Charter is 6-3 overall and 1-3in the InterAC. Last Week: The Patriots won 56-55in overtime over Episcopal. Penn Charter won 35-21over Chestnut Hill. Players to Watch: Jordan Longino quarterbacked GA to wild win last week. Kyle Jones is a standout linebacker for Penn Charter. Prediction: GA27, Penn Charter 14.
Preview capsules by Kev Hunter