{"id":49561,"date":"2025-11-21T06:15:17","date_gmt":"2025-11-21T10:15:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.knightcrier.org\/?p=49561"},"modified":"2025-11-21T09:30:14","modified_gmt":"2025-11-21T13:30:14","slug":"the-rematch-north-penn-versus-pennridge-for-district-one-title","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.knightcrier.org\/sports\/2025\/11\/21\/the-rematch-north-penn-versus-pennridge-for-district-one-title\/","title":{"rendered":"The Rematch: North Penn versus Pennridge for District One title"},"content":{"rendered":"

For one team, it’s a chance to add to a storied collection of titles and avenge last year’s season ending loss; for the other, it\u2019s the biggest game in the program\u2019s history.<\/span><\/p>\n

This Friday, #2 North Penn Knights (11-2, 5-2) will take the 16 mile trip to Perkasie to face #1 Pennridge Rams (12-1, 6-1) in the District One Championship at Helman Field.<\/span><\/p>\n

The appearance is North Penn\u2019s second consecutive, having been defeated by Downingtown West last year, 35-16. The Knights are chasing their eighth district title, while the Rams are pursuing their first.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThe experience from last year’s championship helps because we know that hard feeling of losing in the championship and I can speak for the whole team,\u201d standout junior Rylei Gray said. \u201cWe do not want to feel that way again.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

This Pennridge team\u2019s season has been anything but expected. Having won just 9 games in the past three years combined paired with 24 losses, who would have predicted the Rams to win\u00a0 twelve games, let alone three playoff games for the first time in the schools 72 years of football?<\/span><\/p>\n

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Senior captian Matt Pownall under Helman Field’s lights. (Joe Jones)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

When these two teams met in mid-September, it was the Rams who came away victorious with a 34-10 win, their first win over North Penn since 2012. With the Knights trailing just 6-3 at halftime, Pennridge ran away with the game in the second half on the back of four total touchdowns from senior quarterback Noah Keating and two interceptions from the Rams defense. Before that, Keating was five years old the last time Pennridge beat North Penn in football.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThose interceptions were on no one but myself so the only adjustments are with me. I got to be better,\u201d North Penn senior quarterback Matt Bucksar said.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cKeating\u2019s a really good player, so we just have to keep the pressure on him and can\u2019t let him extend any plays. If we keep him in the pocket and force him into tough decisions, we give ourselves a good chance to slow down their whole offense, and win the game,\u201d senior captain Dom Tranzilli added.<\/span><\/p>\n

Since that fateful night, the Knights have been winners of 8 straight, including a revenge win over Neshaminy last week in the District semifinal. As the lights have gotten brighter, so have the Knights. In the playoffs, North Penn has allowed just 11.7 points per game while averaging 40 offensively.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cOur run game has really been our spark, we have been running the ball great these past games and it\u2019s really taken pressure off me,\u201d Bucksar said.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Danny “Defense” Drop works with the North Penn defense in between possessions. (Joe Jones)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u201cThe defense has been huge for us during this streak ever since we lost to [Pennridge] early in the season. We have changed a few more positions around, brought in guys who weren\u2019t in before,\u201d Tranzilli said. \u201cWe\u2019ve gotten a lot more disciplined, we\u2019re tackling better, and everyone is doing their job. It takes a ton of pressure off of the offense when we\u2019re getting stops and giving us great field position.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Similar to North Penn, Pennridge owns a 8-0 record at home this year, and has won five straight since their only loss this season to Central Bucks West. Their margin of victory in the playoffs hasn\u2019t been as clear cut as the Knights though, only scoring an average of 20 while giving up 14.7. Their defense has stepped up big time, notching three interceptions in the past two games.<\/span><\/p>\n

North Penn had beaten CBW earlier this year, and against common opponents the Knights are 7-1 compared to Pennridge\u2019s 6-1. Since 1980, the Knights are <\/span>24-5-1<\/span><\/a> against Pennridge, and the all-time standing sit at <\/span>39-26-2.<\/span><\/a> Back in 2004, North Penn got blown out by the Rams 24-8 in the regular season. In the second round of district playoffs later that year, the tables were turned as North Penn came out on top 24-21.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThe whole energy of the locker room to the field feels different; we seemed to find our confidence later in the season and it’s showing now,\u201d Gray said. \u201cI think last week’s win [over Neshaminy] shows our whole team that even though we lost to a team doesn\u2019t mean we cannot come back and beat them; it’s very possible\u2026I\u2019m not taking a loss for an answer this year so I’m going to give it all I have like there’s no tomorrow.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n