LANSDALE — When North Penn fell to Neshaminy back in mid-September, the Knights felt they didn’t play their best football.
A rematch Friday in the District 1 Class 6A semifinals at Crawford Stadium gave them a chance for a little revenge and an opportunity to show themselves at the top of their game.
Lineman Mason Charles, Jacob Cheeseman, RJ Smith, Dominic Tranzilli, and Charles Ashley and tight ends Wyatt Martin and Louis Locco paved the way for the backfield of Rylei Gray and Matthew Pownall in No. 2 North Penn’s dominant 35-7 win over No. 11 Neshaminy.
The Knights (11-2) rushed 51 times for 283 yards and five touchdowns and attempted just five passes to get back to the District 1 championship game for the second consecutive year, where they will face top seed Pennridge.
“Oh it’s great,” Tranzilli said. “That’s always our game plan, especially at North Penn. Dominate on the run and if we can’t, we’ll get to our pass. But we love playing up front. We love driving off the ball. We love running the game.”
Gray and Pownall accounted for 225 yards rushing as well as all five scores, averaging 6.8 yards per carry. Carter Clee’s 16 carries for 75 yards highlighted the offense for Neshaminy (9-4), which was making its first district semifinal appearance in a decade.
Pownall rushed 18 times for 132 yards and a pair of scores, also adding 45 receiving yards. Gray ran 15 times for 93 yards and two touchdowns. Ziyon Smith and Cameron Mainor took over backfield duties in the fourth to add onto the big day for the rushing attack.
“We have different formations, so whichever play Coach Beck likes for each one of us,” Pownall said of him and Gray. “He’s a little bit speedier than me. I’m a little bit more of a power back. We just spread the ball out and run it up the gut and let the line do their thing.”
North Penn scored on all four of its first-half drives. The Knights drove 61 yards on nine plays to go up 7-0 when Pownall scored from two yards out with 4:44 left in the first quarter. On their second drive, Gray capped a nine-play, 63-yard drive with an 18-yard touchdown run.
They needed just two plays for their next score. A big pass from Matt Bucksar to Pownall set up Gray for a 16-yard touchdown run, making it 20-0 Knights with 6:51 left in the half. Neshaminy finally got on the board when Michael Eckart connected with Mike Sassano on a 14-yard touchdown pass at the 2:20 mark in the second.
But the Knights struck right back with a long Gray kick return, setting himself up for a two-yard score almost exactly a minute later to make it 26-7 North Penn at half. Pownall made it five scores in five drives when he finished off a seven-play, 58-yard touchdown drive to start the first half with a 16-yard touchdown run.
“Last time we played them we made a lot of mistakes, we weren’t physical,” Gray said. “They out-physicaled us. “They beat us fair and square. And we had to watch a lot of film on it, and we just came out and were more physical than last time.”
North Penn’s defense was equally impressive, holding Neshaminy to 153 yards total in the game, including just 34 yards and one first down in the second half. Darin Burner and Marsalis Kimber both tallied sacks. Sal Calella picked off a pass for the Knights. They added a safety in the fourth quarter.
The Knights went into Friday’s game shorthanded after safety Jack Staugaitis, a team captain, and linebacker Jacob Garrett both went down to injury last week. Smith is one of the players Tranzilli said stepped up for North Penn on the defensive side of the ball.
“We lost a couple key players last week defensively,” Tranzilli said. “We knew this week we just had high focus. We had to get a couple guys in, get their reps they didn’t have before, but they definitely stepped it up. The starters who also had to play stepped it up, so it was a great game.”
After its loss to Neshaminy earlier this season, the Knights dropped a 34-10 game to Pennridge the next week (Sept. 19). Following the two-game skid, North Penn has won each of its eight games by multiple scores, outscoring opponents 286-88 during that stretch.
The Knights already got their revenge on Neshaminy. They will now get a second chance at Pennridge, the top seed in the bracket, after the Rams (12-1) held on for a 17-14 win over Coatesville.
Also in the Knights’ minds as they chase the program’s first district title since 2016, will be a 35-16 loss to Downingtown West in last season’s District 1 championship game
“It’s amazing,” Pownall said. “Just all the hard work showing right here this game. It just feels great. We’re going to go and put our foot forward, our best effort and just go.”
| Teams | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | Final |
| Neshaminy | 0 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 7 |
| North Penn | 7 | 19 | 7 | 2 | 35 |
Individual Scoring
First Quarter
NP: Matt Pownall 2 run (Matt Manien kick) 4:44
Second Quarter
NP: Rylei Gray 18 run (kick blocked) 10:45
NP: Rylei Gray 16 run (Matt Marnien kick) 6:51
NSH: Mike Sassano 14 pass from Michael Eckart (Stephen Buczek kick) 2:20
NP: Rylei Gray 2 run (pass failed) 1:15
Third Quarter
NP: Matt Pownall 16 run (Matt Marnien kick) 8:57
Fourth Quarter
NP: Safety 1:34
Team Statistics
…………………….NSH……………….NP
1st downs………..11…………………24
rush-yds……….23-71……….51-283
comp-att-int….12-20-1…………..3-5-0
pass yds……….82………………59
total yds…………153……………….342
fumb-lost……..0-0………………1-0
pen-yds…………3-20…………..1-15
Individual Statistics
Rushing:
Neshaminy: Carter Clee 16-75; Brock Williams 1-4; Cayden Weaver 1-(-2); Michael Eckart 5-(-6).
North Penn: Matt Pownall 18-132, 2 TDs; Rylei Gray 15-93, 3 TDs; Ziyon Smith 6-29; Cameron Mainor 7-17; Matt Bucksar 4-11; Aiden Ashley 1-1.
Passing:
Neshaminy: Michael Eckart 12-20, 82 yards, TD, INT.
North Penn: Matt Bucksar 3-5, 59 yards.
Receiving:
Neshaminy: Mike Sassano 3-37, TD; Brock Williams 3-22; Nick Sassano 3-15; Lucas Stewart 2-9; Carter Clee 1-(-1).
North Penn: Matt Pownall 2-45; Mason Franek 1-14.
Interceptions: North Penn: Sal Colella.
Sacks: Neshaminy: Corey Keenoy-Webb; North Penn: Darin Burner, Marsalis Kimber.