Reporter/Times Herald Football: North Penn faces Central Bucks South again in District 1
The North Penn football team visited Central Bucks South football in Week 7 with undefeated records on the line.
Friday night, the fourth-seeded Knights return to No. 1 South with bigger stakes, as the two Suburban One League National Conference rivals clash in the District 1-6A semifinals.
Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. Winner advances to face either No. 2 Downingtown West or No. 3 Central Bucks West – who also play at 7 p.m. at Downingtown West – in the district final.
The Knights and Titans were both 6-0 when they met at South for an Oct. 4 contest that ended up being a defensive battle – South holding North Penn to three yards rushing and two field goals in claiming a 14-6 win.
Quarterback Owen Pinkerton's nine-yard touchdown run gave the Titans a 7-0 lead in the second quarter before Ryan Bocklet's 21-yard field goal made it 7-3 at halftime.
A Bocklet 38-yard field goal at 5:24 in the third had the Knights down just a point but South kept North Penn off the scoreboard the rest of the way and extended its lead to 14-6 on a Braylen Cape five-yard TD run with 11:14 in the fourth.
For South, the win was second straight over North Penn after beating the Knights 50-28 in 2023. North Penn had won the previous five meetings, including District 1-6A first round games in 2019 (35-7) and 2021 (49-21).
CB South, the defending District 1-6A champion, is still undefeated, the Titans now 12-0 after back-to-back comfortable victories in the first two rounds of the district tournament.
South rolled past No. 16 Spring-Ford 49-7 in its playoff opener then last Friday in the quarterfinals cruised by No. 8 Plymouth Whitemarsh 35-0.
The shutout was the third this season for the CB South defense, which is allowing opponents just 6.5 points per game. Only twice this year have the Titans given up more than seven points – Week 4 against Central Bucks East (15) and Week 5 against Central Bucks West (17).
South's offense meanwhile has scored at least 34 points in its last five games. Pinkerton has rushed for 1,104 yards and 14 touchdowns on 164 carries this season while also throwing for 1,178 yards and 14 TDs. Cape has added 673 yards and 10 touchdowns on 97 carries.
North Penn bounced back from its loss to CB South by beating Pennsbury at home 22-14 Oct. 10 but then fell on the road the following week to Central Bucks West 17-14. The Knights capped their regular season with a 44-7 win over Abington to earn the fourth seed in districts.
Wins over a pair of Central League sides have the Knights (10-2) in the district semifinals for the first time since 2018, when it eventually lost to Coatesville in the final.
North Penn started its postseason with a 24-14 win over No. 12 Ridley then last Friday topped No. 5 Haverford 29-21.
The Knights, who had lost in their last three trips to the quarters (2019, 2021, 2022) were tied 15-15 with Haverford before taking the lead on Josiah Coleman's 41-yard touchdown run in the third quarter. In the fourth, Matt Pownall extended NP's advantage two plays after he came up with an interception as the junior reached the end zone on a 79-yard run with 1:26 remaining.
Pownall finished with 138 yards and a touchdown on 18 carries and also had three receptions for 59 yards and a TD. Against Ridley in the first round, Pownall ran for 203 yards on 27 carries.
District 1-6A Semifinals
(4) North Penn at (1) Central Bucks South
Time/Place:
Records: North Penn is 10-2 (5-2 Suburban One League National Conference). Central Bucks South is 12-0 (7-0 SOL National).
Last Week: North Penn snapped Haverford's nine-game win streak as the Knights defeated visiting No. 5 Ford 29-21 last Friday. Josiah Coleman's 41-yard touchdown run in the third quarter broke a 15-15 tie. In the fourth, Matt Pownall made an interception and two plays later ran 79 yards for a TD for a 29-15 NP lead with 1:26 left. CB South has little trouble moving two wins away from a second straight district title, the Titans collecting their third shutout of the season in defeating No. 8 Plymouth Whitemarsh 35-0 last Friday.
Last Meeting: North Penn visited CB South Oct. 4 with both teams entering the Week 7 matchup 6-0. The Titans ended the night with their record still perfect, holding the Knights to a pair of field goals while getting rushing TDs from Owen Pinkerton and Braylen Cape to earn a 14-6 win.
Postseason History: North Penn and CB South have played in the district playoffs twice before with the Knights winning both, topping the Titans 35-7 in the 2019 first round and in the 2021 first round beating South 49-21.
Players to The Knights' Pownall finished last week's win 138 yards and a touchdown on 18 carries, caught three passes for 59 yards and a score and also had an interception on defense. South's ground game is paced by quarterback Owen Pinkerton (1,104 yards, 14 TDs on 164 carries) and Cape (673 yards, 10 TDs on 97 carries. Last week, Pinkerton had 88 yards and two TDs on 17 carries while Cape collected 78 yards and a TD on 12 carries.
Prediction: Central Bucks South 27, North Penn 24.
(3) Central Bucks West at (2) Downingtown West
Time/Place:
Records: Central Bucks West is 10-2 (6-1 SOL National). Downingtown West is 11-1 (Ches-Mont League North Division).
Last Week: CB West was tied 14-14 with No. 11 Downingtown East at halftime of last Friday's quarterfinals before scoring the next 21 points – the first seven coming as Vance Morelli returned a blocked field goal 70 yards for a TD – and went on to claim a 35-21 victory. Downingtown West led No. 7 Owen J. Roberts 14-7 at halftime last Friday then shut down the Wildcats after the break, the Whippets scoring the game's last 27 points to cruise to a 41-7 win.
Players to CB West's quarterback Noah Miller and Ryan Clemens both ran for more than 100 yards last week – Miller gaining 176 yards and two TDs on 27 carries with Clemens collecting 104 yards and scoring twice on 12 carries. Downingtown West ran for 382 yards in the quarter, Amari Cannon leading the Whippets with 153 yards and two TDs on 12 carries. Spencer Dunn added 89 yards on 17 carries.
Prediction: Downingtown West 24, Central Bucks West 20.
District 1-5A Semifinals
(6) Upper Dublin at (2) West Chester Rustin
Time/Place:
Records: Upper Dublin is 9-3 (6-1 SOL American). West Chester Rustin is 11-1 (3-0 Ches-Mont Central Division).
Last Week: Upper Dublin knocked off No. 3 Phoenixville in a back-and-forth battle last Friday, as Kevin Etkin connected with Ryan O'Sullivan for a 22-yard touchdown pass with 32 seconds left to give the Cardinals a 35-28 win. Rustin rolled to the semifinals with a 45-17 win last Friday over No. 7 Chester. The Golden Knights recovered five of the Clippers' seven fumbles and scored more than 40 points for the fifth straight game.
Last Meeting: UD and Rustin last met in the 2022 District 1-5A championship game with the Cardinals claiming the title with a 21-7 victory.
Postseason History: Friday's game is the fifth district matchup between Upper Dublin and Rustin since 2018. The Cards hold a 3-1 in the previous four playoff contests – winning district finals in 2018 (35-28), 2020 (29-8) and 2022 (21-7) while Rustin won their first-round game in 2019 23-0.
Players to Upper Dublin QB Etkin was 24 of 35 passing last week for 306 yards and four touchdowns. O'Sullivan hauled in three of those TDs as he finished with 14 catches for 137 yards. Rustin's Chase Hatton scored the first three touchdowns in last week's win over Chester and ended the game with 101 yards on 18 carries.
Prediction: West Chester Rustin 35, Upper Dublin 32.
PIAA-4A First Round
Pope John Paul II at Valley View
Time/Place:
Records: Pope John Paul II is 1-1 (5-0 PAC Frontier Division). Valley View is 11-1 (5-1 Lackawanna Interscholastic Athletic Association (LIAA) Division 1).
Last Week: Pope John Paul II won its second straight District 1 title as the Golden Panthers rolled past Springfield (Montco) 49-7. Valley View won the District 2 title last Friday, scoring 35 points in the second half to defeat Dallas 41-14. The Cougars have won 11 straight since a season-opener 33-0 loss to Scranton Prep.
Players to PJP II's Braden Reed, a Villanova commit, caught nine passes for 96 yards and a TD in last week's district final while Dylan Skarbek ran 14 times for 161 yards and four touchdowns. Valley View quarterback Zach Cwalinski ran for 147 yards and four TDs in the District 2 title game.
Prediction: Pope John Paul II 28, Valley View 21.
PIAA-2A First Round
Lansdale Catholic vs. Riverside
Time/Place:
Records: Lansdale Catholic is 8-4 (4-2 Philadelphia Catholic League Blue Division). Riverside is 11-1 (5-1 LIAA Division 3).
Last Week: Lansdale Catholic got its offense going in the second quarter in last Friday's District 1/12 final at Bristol, scoring three touchdowns to take a 21-3 lead into halftime and went on to claim a 35-17 victory. Riverside, which began the season 9-0 before a Week 10 loss to Lackawanna Trial, won the District 2-2A title with a 24-6 win over Dunmore last Friday.
Players to LC quarterback Yeboa Cobbold Jr. accounted for four touchdowns in last week's win over Bristol. He threw three TD passes – two to James Webb Jr. – in going 11-of-12 for 224 yards while also running for a 74-yard touchdown. Riverside's Chase Taddonio had 164 yards and three touchdowns on 22 carries in the District 2 final.
