GAME TEN

GAME TEN

GAME TEN

North Penn tops Pennridge to wrap up Continental

By KEV HUNTER

khunter@thereporteronline.com

PERKASIE — North Penn finished the regular season the same way it started it, by overcoming adversity.

Despite losing starting quarterback Corey Ernst in the first quarter Friday night to a shoulder injury, the Knights got their running game going and played smothering defense to earn a 27-0 shutout over rival Pennridge.

A regular season that began with North Penn in a 1-2 hole culminated with the Knights alone atop the Continental Conference once again.

“We have overcome so much this year,” said Knights coach Dick Beck, who has guided NP to a perfect 28-0 conference record since the realignment in 2008. “With a team that had such high expectations coming into the year, and with the rough start, it would have been easy to finger-point or for the guys to hang their heads, but they just kept working. (Winning the conference) never gets old. I told the kids that this is something they’ll remember for the rest of their lives.”

The Knights (8-2 overall and 7-0 in the conference) quickly took a 7-0 lead on their seven-play opening drive, with Kyle Mayfield breaking free for a 26-yard run to set up Ralph Reeves’ five-yard burst into the end zone.

Alex Krivda, who did not complete a pass against the tough North Penn secondary, was intercepted on the Rams’ opening series, and the Knights took over at their own 39.

After quickly gaining a first down, it looked like the playoff-bound Knights were on their way to another score, but on 3rd-and-7 at the Ram 36, Ernst was forced out of the pocket, rolled left, and was sacked by James Marrero.

The ball was jarred loose on the play and John Dubyk recovered for the Rams (5-5, 4-2). Ernst left the game, having injured his left (non-throwing) shoulder. He will have an MRI on Monday.

The Knights suffered another injury when lineman Joe Potkovac went down in the second quarter, but the offense kept running smoothly.

“We had a couple injuries,” Beck said, “but the next guy stepped up.”

Austin Shearer, just a sophomore, came in at quarterback for the Knights. His best play was a well-thrown screen to the far side of the field, where Reeves found a convoy of blockers and charged 66 yards down to the one, to set up an easy touchdown for Mayfield as the NP lead doubled to 14-0 midway through the second quarter.

“I was a little nervous at first,” Shearer said smiling, “but the seniors helped settle me down.”

The North Penn defense, which limited standout sophomore running back Mike Class to 85 yards on 19 carries in the game, did not allow the Rams a first down in the second quarter.

The Knights seemingly squandered a potential scoring drive late in the second quarter with a series of penalties, but the leg of Brandon Mandes overcame them. His 48-yard boot extended NP’s lead to 17-0 at the break.

Some tough running by James Fielder and another stellar performance by Mayfield, who went over 1,000 rushing yards for the season, helped the Knights put the game away in the second half.

The speedy Dan Gevirtz sprinted away to a 36-yard score off misdirection and another long field goal by Mandes — this one from 40 yards out — completed the scoring.

The Knights now wait to see who they face in the opening round of the District One Class 4A Playoffs on Friday.

“We’re going in confident and ready,” Shearer said.

SEASON STATISTICS

.North Penn 27   Pennridge 0

North Penn (8-2, 7-0)     7 10   0   10 — 27

Pennridge (5-5, 4-2)      0   0    0     0 —   0

Scoring

First Quarter

NP—Ralph Reeves 5 run (Brandon Mandes kick), 8:42

Second Quarter

NP—Kyle Mayfield 1 run (Mandes kick), 5:52

NP—Mandes 48 field goal, :04

Fourth Quarter

NP—Dan Gevirtz 36 run (Mandes kick), 11:54

NP—Mandes 40 field goal, 5:05

                                           NP              P

First downs                         14               6

Rushing yards                    207           108

Yards passing                   122               0

Total offense                       329           108

Passing                            5-8-0-0     0-6-0-2

Fumbles ost                           2               2

Penalties                            3-20          4-35

Punts                                      0               3

RUSHING

North Penn: Kyle Mayfield 21-116, TD; Dan Gevirtz 6-57, TD; Corey Ernst 2-(-5); Luke Berry 2-2; Ralph Reeves 2-7, TD; Mike Isabella 2-(-6); James Fielder 6-58; Austin Shearer 6-(-15).

Pennridge: Alex Krivda 8-(-8); Mike Class 19-85; MacKenzie Crawford 1-1; Alex Fedele 1-2; Carter Peters 5-17; Ryan Sterling 1-4; James Marrero 4-7.

PASSING

North Penn: Ernst 1-1-7-0-0; Shearer 5-8-115-0-0.

Pennridge: Krivda 0-5-0-0-0; Class 0-1-0-0-0.

RECEIVING

North Penn: Gevirtz 2-19; Reeves 1-66; Fielder 2-20; Danny Wynne 1-17.

Pennridge: None.

INTERCEPTIONS

North Penn: Louis Dickinson; Wynne.

GAME SUMMARY

PHOTO COURTESY OF MARK PSORAS

PHOTOS PROVIDED BY CARL KOSOLA AND THE 

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