The North Penn Knights finished their perfect regular season last night with a dominating 56-14 win over William Tennent. 42-7 at halftime, the entire second half was played with a running clock (mercy rule). The number one seed in the 16 team District 1 6A playoff field, it remains to be seen how they will hold up under the challenges of playoff football. Also, what artificial turf field will they play on (assuming they win) on November 16? From what I've heard, the 16 seed will be Ridley, resulting in a rematch of the 2009 District final. Ridley has to come play in "the Swamp" this time, though.

posted by Edward at 4:32 PM

Just in case anyone is paying attention, PIAA football is about to start. Here is a pre-season ranking from Pennlive.com.

The Knights come in at 8th in the PA Class 6A rankings:

Class 6A
1. St. Joseph’s Prep (12) – 13-1 – 2
2. Pine-Richland (7) – 16-0 – 1
3. Coatesville (1) – 13-2 – 3
4. Parkland (11) – 13-1 – 5
5. Williamsport (4) – 7-4 – NR
6. North Allegheny (7) – 8-4 – NR
7. State College (6) – 10-3 – 8
8. North Penn (1) – 9-3 – NR
9. Central Bucks South (1) – 7-4 – NR
10. Erie (10) – 9-3 – NR

posted by Ed at 12:47 PM

North Penn’s Beck among 4 inductees into Montgomery County Coaches Hall of Fame - North Penn Reporter

DICK BECK

Another product of the incredible football legacy at Central Bucks West High, Dick Beck began his coaching career at his alma mater, before accepting the head coaching position at North Penn High in 2002. In 16 seasons he has compiled a 176-40 record. His teams have 12 Suburban One championships, seven District 1 titles, have reached state playoffs 11 times and won the state championship in 2003.

The most telling statistic about North Penn’s consistent excellence is that Beck has led his team to the state final four seven times. Under his leadership, the Knights have rolled to 12 10-win seasons and he was named Coach of the Year by the Philadelphia Inquirer in 2011.

Congratulations, Coach Beck!

posted by Edward at 1:49 PM

From Earther article about Tobasco:

To everything there is an end. Step by step, we trudge towards our eventual destination. Bound by chains that drag along those who agree with this path, they move unerringly to their final end. That choice, that destination, was chosen by hubris and by force - by greed and power and lust. And sold in a neat package to keep everyone marching along. And all those that don’t agree will struggle against the forces arrayed against them, until they simply move on in their own way or succumb to the will of the leaders that wish to go in this direction. And while the chains can be broken, they can never be forgotten.

To everything there is an end. Step by step we move towards our eventual destination. Hand in hand, helping those who have a will to move in the same path over difficult terrain. Helping each other over every obstacle until we reach a resting place. That choice, that destination, remains within our power and will to change, if that is what we wish. It can be determined by hope, optimism, courage and strength. And we can invite others to join us, but we cannot force them to follow. This is a choice that must be made by the individual and cannot be commanded it can only be offered.

There’s a reason why McIlhenny doesn’t work the same as corporations that answer to shareholders. Its the same reason that SpaceX can take risks that not only baffle but anger people: because a human being guides the direction based on human ideals, whether we agree with them or not. This can be good or bad, depending on the path you feel we should take.

There are those who think we are not doing enough to take the riches we can lay our hands on. Who believe the greatness of humanity depends on what we can acquire and what level of consumption we present: that the only measure of worth is that of wealth - and wealth cannot be achieved without taking from everything and giving to yourself in some hedonistic orgy of consumerism. An objectivist ideal that would do Ayn Rand proud.

Then there are those who believe that the measure of who and what we are is tied to our actions and our willingness to take responsibility for our place in the world. That our actions in comparison to our society are what matter, and that our survival as a species depends on us standing together and helping each other. That when we see ourselves doing damage to the world we have an obligation and responsibility to step back from that and stop doing it. This is a socialist ideal, and has been lumped in with all the ills and woes of despotism and Soviet communism - which really wasn’t communism in any sense that served the majority of the people. And because of this, the absolutists out there feel that any step towards social awareness and environmental care taking is anathema to their personal happiness and wealth.

So we march forward, step by step, towards a destination that will be our end. And perhaps this end will be a new beginning. The Earth will abide, after all, even if we do not. Or perhaps this end will be a new start for us, because we will have realized our place in the world and will be better caretakers because of it. Or maybe we’ll pack up and go elsewhere, building our worlds as we go and let those who remain behind have what they will.

In all these cases, what humanity is right now will end at that place. We will either change or die off (in part or in whole) and what, if anything, remains will be alien to our current understanding. That’s okay too - change will come one way or another. And the Earth, as it has done in so many different epochs, will abide.

To everything there is an end. And to everything... there is also a beginning.

By PV

posted by Edward at 8:39 AM

Too funny not to post.

Nick Trademark

posted by Edward at 9:22 AM

posted by Edward at 8:03 AM

posted by Edward at 9:46 AM

posted by Edward at 8:04 AM

posted by Edward at 1:31 PM

posted by Edward at 7:15 PM

posted by Edward at 3:33 PM

Cleveland Browns Head Coach Mike Pettine

Wow! 3 posts in 2 days. In the off-season yet. But this news is too good to miss. As ABC news points out in Browns Hire Mike Pettine as Coach, "Football has formed Pettine's life. His father, Mike Pettine Sr., won four state championships at Central Bucks High School West in Doylestown, Pa., and retired in 1999 as the winningest coach in state history." There are a lot of tweets about Pettine. My favorites are from Kyle Berger: "I really learned a lot from Pettine. We did a weekly Coaches' Show on my high school's TV station together. Great guy...best of luck." and "The last time Mike Pettine was a HC, he had a full head of hair and I weighed 185. Man, those were the days. #NorthPennPride" For nostalgia's sake, I have to link to the North Penn Reporter story Browns hire former North Penn coach Mike Pettine as coach. I would have expected more of a local angle than an old picture from "The Swamp," Crawford Stadium, but the story is the same as the ABC News story.

For more pictures of the 2001 Season, check out the North Penn football site. Mike Pettine's career prior to the NFL has had a surprising amount of attention. The 1999 North Penn-CB West game was featured in The Last Game. I have to wrap up this post, but I hope to be back with more from youtube.

posted by Ed at 6:35 PM

Richard Sherman

I have no problem with Richard Sherman. Have any of the people complaining ever been around even a high school team that has just won a big game on a big play? How can you blame the guy for being amped up? The league makes pass defense progressively harder and harder, he is covering a guy whose mouth is bigger than his talent, and he just made the play that sends his team to the Super Bowl.

This Mercury News item points out "The lesser-known side to Sherman, 25, is his relentless commitment to community service." (Of course, this is after another drawn out analysis of his actions and background.) My favorite analysis is SB Nation's Richard Sherman's pass deflection: The Xs and Os behind the big story. (Linked to Philly.com). And of course, somebody had to do a recap of Greatest NFL Feuds.

Of course, as much as I like and appreciate Richard Sherman, I still hope Peyton gets a second ring.

posted by Ed at 4:15 PM

Football summary - 2013

The North Penn Knights lost the 2 games after my LaSalle post (to Archbishop Wood and St. Joe's Prep). They were written off by many, and CB West, CB South & Pennridge saw a glimmer of hope for winning the last year of the current Suburban One League Continental Conference. The Knights wouldn't stay down, though, rattling off 7 straight conference wins. By my tally, their record was 40-2 during this version of the Continental conference.

The Knights managed to get to the District 1 AAAA final in the playoffs, but they couldn't keep up with Neshaminy. It was a pretty good year, but it's all going to change with reorganization of the Suburban One League (again).

posted by Ed at 1:58 PM

Crushing defeat for the Knights

North Penn Pounded by LaSalle provides the details of the 35-7 loss. The Knights were held to 165 yards of offense compared to 409 gained by the Explorers. The Explorers' defense stifled the Knights and the North Penn defense couldn't stop either Kyle Shurmur or Jordan Meechum. Two more tough games for the Knights coming up with Archbishop Wood and St. Joe's Prep.

posted by Ed at 12:57 PM

EsaternPAFootball.com posted a "District 1 and 12 Report" by Armand Vanore today. District 12 looks to be dominated by the usual suspects, LaSalle & the Prep in AAAA and Archbishop Wood in AAA. The North Penn Knights play all three as non-conference games. Vanore also projects the Knights on top of the SOL Continental while at the same time giving a lot of pixels to Pennridge. Of course, last year the Pennridge loss kept the Knights out of the District 1 play-offs, due the 3 losses to the previously mentioned non-conference District 12 games. If the Knights can finish better than 0-3 during the first 3 weeks, it should put them in the play-offs as a very dangerous sleeper team from the bottom of the bracket.

It's still nice to remember the days when the Knights were winning all of their regular season games and near the top of the bracket. Speaking of former glory, I've heard that Andrew Stoll (North Penn class of '09) has returned to the Knights' fold as an assistant coach.

posted by Edward at 3:10 PM

North Penn Knights 2013 Schedule

EasternPAFootball.com has the North Penn football schedule for this fall, starting with a scrimmage at PW on Saturday. I also found this article on the Channel 3 website that predicts better things for the Knights in 2013. Of course, as the article notes, North Penn's 3 non-league games are against the cream of the Catholic League. They will need to beat at least one of these teams, along with last years SOL Continental winner Pennridge, to get back in the playoffs.

posted by Edward at 9:42 AM

Dick Beck talks about the 2013 North Penn Knights on EasternPAFootball.com. Sounds like they have good size on the o-line, but he doesn't say anything about speed, normally the difference maker for Dick Beck teams.

posted by Edward at 2:32 PM

Now that I have blogger on my phone, maybe I can post more often. I'm not sure how to post links yet, though.

posted by Edward at 6:21 PM

posted by Edward at 11:38 AM

posted by Edward at 4:07 PM

North Penn’s Brandon McManus signs with Indianapolis Colts

It's nice to see McManus get his shot. He was Dick Beck's first 4 year letter winner and now he has a chance to play in the NFL. Adam Vinatieri is 40 years old. He isn't the kicker he once was. With McManus and McAfee, the Colts would have 2 extremely versatile kickers who could back each other up.

posted by Ed at 9:45 AM

Same start as last year

After a 31-3 drubbing by St. Joe's Prep during which "The Prep defensive line controlled the line of scrimmage, and its linebackers often ran wild in the North Penn backfield," according to Chris Melchiorre in the Inquirer's St. Joe's Prep makes statement, the North Penn Knights are sitting with the same record they had during last year's run to Hershey. The big question remains, "Can the North Penn lines improve enough over the next 7 weeks to take them deep in the play-offs?" (With the corollary, is there a team in SOL Continental that can beat the Knights?). They good news is, only one of LaSalle and the Prep can come out of District 12.

posted by Ed at 9:03 AM

WEEK 3

As I write this, I can hear that North Penn is down 21-0 to St. Joe's Prep on wnpv1440.com. You can also follow along on the Inquirer's Rally site. According to North Penn, St. Joseph’s Prep to meet in clash of the titans in the Times Herals, St. Joe's Prep must be controlling the line of scrimmage.

At least the Phils are doing better, winning 1-0 with a lead-off homer by Rollins.

posted by Ed at 8:13 PM

Rankings don't matter

Joseph Santoloquito's Southeastern PA Top 10 Week 2

1 - Downingtown East
2 - LaSalle College HS
3 - North Penn
4 - Archbishop Wood

posted by Ed at 6:35 AM

North Penn gets their first win of the season in a comeback against Archbishop Wood. There are a lot of other things going on, but I've been blogging too much this afternoon.

posted by Ed at 3:15 PM

FOOTBALL IS BACK!

The NFL pre-season games have begun, and the Knights are back on the field at North Penn. Dan Arkans of the Reporter made note of this in Yes, it is football season yesterday. Eastern PA Football is reviewing 40 teams in 40 days. Today's entry was Pennridge, but Randy Cuthbert didn't have anything to say about North Penn. On the other hand, the Inquirer's Rick O'Brien has the North Penn at Pennridge game on October 19 as one of Twenty Games to Watch in S.E. Pennsylvania for this year. Rick also recommends the Knights' brutal opening slate against LaSalle College HS, Archbishop Wood and St. Joseph's Prep.

posted by Ed at 5:06 PM

Super Bowl Big 33 Connection

The Super Bowl has had at least one Big 33 player every year. As reported on Easterpafootball.com, this year there will be 9. Big 33 streak continues for Super Bowl XLVI.

posted by Ed at 5:40 PM

At the AAA game

No, not me. Urban Meyer, according to Kyle Berger. First tweet: "Ohio State Head Coach Urban Meyer is here at Hersheypark Stadium to watch the AAA State title game between Archbishop Wood and McDevitt." Second tweet: "Presumably Meyer is here to woo McDevitt DE Noah Spence, the #1 DE prospect in the nation, who is currently undecided on his college." Kyle tweeted that Luke Fickell and Mike Vrabel are at the game, too.

BTW, Congratulations to Clairton on their 3rd straight A championship.

Labels: high school football, Pennsylvania High School Football, PIAA playoffs

posted by Ed at 6:31 PM

Playoffs under way

Southern Columbia and Clairton are underway, with the North Penn-Central Dauphin game as the finale tomorrow knight at 6 PM. The Reporter has a nice write-up about the 2003 North Penn State Champs who are now with the team as coaches, Zack Raffle and Jim Laky. Kevin Brandt talks about the Knights' resurgence after a 1-2 start and how the team has come together in NP's Brandt anxious for state final test. Easternpafootball.com has a championship preview of the 2011 North Penn Knights and a championship preview of the Central Dauphin Rams.

Labels: North Penn football, North Penn Knights, Pennsylvania High School Football, PIAA playoffs

posted by Ed at 1:42 PM

Going to Hershey!

North Penn 21 - LaSalle College High School 14

I never got to post a preview of the game, but I'm going to at least link to everything I can find on the review of the game. Inspired second half send Knights into finals describes the North Penn miscues in the first half and the defensive dominance the Knights had over the Explorers in the second half. A nice write-up and all the stats are in North Penn earns trip to state championship by Todd Thorpe in the Intel. La Salle’s injured Coleman put best foot forward in loss describes Sean Coleman's incredible effort to overcome injury and not only play, but contribute. In NORTH PENN FOOTBALL: Beck’s decisions keep working out for Knights, Christriaan DeFranco describes Dick Beck's all out strategy and how this time it paid off.

More stories:
North Penn's Fielder feels "lucky" to be back in lineup
North Penn solves La Salle, wins semifinal
Reeves' Hat Trick Sends Knights to Title Bout
'HOW SWEET IT IS!': Knights headed to Chocolatetown USA
PIAA football roundup: CD Rams get North Penn in Quad-A final
North Penn buries its demons
And their next opponent coach: Coaching peers applaud Central Dauphin's Glen McNamee

Labels: high school football, North Penn football, Pennsylvania High School Football, PIAA playoffs

posted by Edward at 6:25 PM

North Penn 34 - Council Rock South 14

Kev Hunter describes the Knights' win in North Penn Rolls C.B. South. Led by 4 touchdowns from Ralph Reeves, the Knights finished off the Golden Hawks for their second straight District 1 title. This sets up the Knights for round 4 with the LaSalle College High School Explorers with a trip to Hershey on the line.

While the consensus will be that LaSalle is the superior team, the North Penn Knights will leave nothing on the field in their quest to get back to Hershey. The North Penn pass defense will have to provide the best performance of the last 2 years if they want to win. North Penn has certainly been of the losing side when they were favored. Ralph Reeves was their when they lost to Liberty in 2008 and Ridley in 2009. They came awfully close last year. If Corey Ernst's last pass had been complete, the Knights would have been in position to go to Hershey. That's all in the past now, and it comes down to Saturday's game at Northeast High School.

Labels: North Penn football, Pennsylvania High School Football, PIAA football, PIAA playoffs

posted by Ed at 1:40 PM

North Penn-Council Rock South Preview

I feel compelled to link to the easternpafootball.com preview of tomorrow night's game. I particularly liked Armand Vanore's questions, which I will attempt to answer/predict.

Will the Knight defensive front be able to maintain their gap integrity vs. the Hawks triple option attack? Yes, the Knights have always focused on this and the defensive linemen are chosen for speed, strength and technique. This will allow them to succeed in filling the gaps.
Will heavyweights Smink and Garland be able to wear down the Hawks defensive front if they have a lead in the fourth quarter? Maybe, maybe not. If not, the Knights will go to traps and screens to free up Mayfield and Gevirtz in space.
Will Bedesem roll the dice and have Donnelly throw more in this game? Yes, and North Penn will be prepared, leading to stalled drives and turnovers.
Will Ernst look more to his TE (Reeves) in the second half? Only if necessary.
Will the Knights be able to avoid the turnovers that have plagued them in their previous four losses over the last two years? Probably not, but it will not be a factor, just like it wasn't a factor when Gevirtz muffed the punt against Neshaminy.

In this Suburban One heavyweight bout, it will all come down to execution. Everyone already knows what the game plans will be. North Penn's extensive playoff experience will give them an edge in taking advantage of any mistakes by Council Rock South.

Labels: District 1 AAAA playoffs, North Penn football, Pennsylvania High School Football, PIAA football

posted by Ed at 10:05 AM

As the District 1 Final approaches

Kev Hunter says Top-seeded CR South a tough opponent for NP in finals in the Intel. He goes through a lot of comparisons, but it seems like the defense that steps up could determine the outcome of the game. Both offenses have been prolific in the playoffs and both defenses stingy. If either the Golden Hawks or the Knights can manage to lock down the other teams offense, that could determine the game. Chris Felton seems to agree in Inside Football Week 14. He summarizes, " I think it’s going to come down to discipline and execution. You have two systems. North Penn is a little more diverse. They can throw the ball, and they can run the ball very well. Council Rock South is the triple option, and they’re not going to pretend that they’re not. Everybody in the stadium that follows both of these teams and knows anything about District One football knows what Council Rock South is going to be running. That includes obviously North Penn, so it’s going to come down to execution for Council Rock South.

At the end of the day, just like in any other big-time playoff football game, it’s also going to come down to defense. North Penn is going to have to prove they can stop the triple option, and because of the numbers they sometimes put up, Coucil Rock South’s defense is sometimes overshadowed. I think it’s one of the top defenses in the area.

Again, it’s going to come down to execution and defense."

Football Fever Week 14 interviews the coaches of some common opponents. Neshaminy's Mark Schmidt and CB South's Dave Rackovan both foresee a close game. Pennridge's Randy Cuthbert thinks that North Penn has the edge. Finally, Christiaan DeFranco reviews the North Penn Knights football program in North Penn's Beck one of the best in the biz. As DeFranco notes, Coach Beck's program revolves around his system and getting the most out of his players in the system. With a few exceptions, this leads to great teams without focusing on star players. Certainly, the "skill position" players stand out because they score points. The defensive players in Dick Beck's system are often overlooked, in large part because they don't throw up big numbers in tackles or interceptions. They usually aren't on the field enough to get to big numbers. By the middle of the 3rd quarter they are often on the bench giving other players an opportunity to hone their game skills. The end result has been a North Penn football team that consistently been among the best high school AAAA football teams in the state.

Labels: District 1 AAAA playoffs, North Penn football, Pennsylvania High School Football, PIAA football

posted by Ed at 11:06 AM

Just three from District 1 still left in PIAA tourney

Don Seeley gives a good summary of the playoff situation in District 1 and lists the remaining teams from around the state in the Pottstown Mercury. Seeley also summarizes North Penn's success in the post season over the last 10 years. He points out that the Knights have only missed the District 1 final once since 2002, in 2007 when they lost to Neshaminy during the regular season and then again in the play-offs. On Friday night, North Penn will be going for its sixth District 1 AAAA title in the last 10 years.

Labels: District 1 AAAA playoffs, North Penn football, PIAA football

posted by Edward at 8:36 AM

Intelligencer Athlete of the Week - Dan Gevirtz

Dan certainly deserves this after the way he has stepped up his game in the playoffs. He hasn't been perfect, but he hasn't let anything stop him, either.

Labels: high school football, North Penn football

posted by Ed at 8:42 AM

Kyle Berger (@bergerkg) tweeted that the 4 sites under consideration for NP-CRS are Tennent, Souderton, H-H, or P-W.

Kevin Cooney (@KevinCooney) and TJ Smink (@tsmink77) just tweeted PW at 7:30 on Friday. TJ was told by Coach Beck.

Labels: District 1 AAAA playoffs, North Penn football, North Penn Knights, PIAA football

posted by Ed at 1:28 PM

North Penn 27 - Pennsbury 3

Pennsbury's size didn't slow down the Knights. Dan Gevirtz continued in his role as a difference maker in the playoffs scoring touchdowns on the ground, in the air and on a punt return. James Fielder got to extend his North Penn career, adding 25 of the Knight's 155 rushing yards. The defense is making the 2011 Knights the playoff juggernaut that they are. Dick Beck was quoted in the Intell's Knights roll into District Final, "Our defense is playing maybe better than any defense I’ve ever had. They have really come together and really have it going.”

Other articles about North Penn's win over Pennsbury:
Plenty of heroes for North Penn
North Penn gets in the holiday spirit

Next up for the Knights, the Golden Hawks of Council Rock South. CR South came in as the number one seed in the District 1 AAAA football playoffs. They advanced to the final with a win over Garnet Valley. The game is scheduled for Friday night at 7 PM, but, as usual, the site is the subject of speculation. Plymouth-Whitemarch seems to be the leader in the rumor mill. I'm not sure if William Tennant would be available. Some have proposed War Memorial in Doylestown, but they always winterize before Thanksgiving. Hopefully, the two teams won't be forced to make the long trip to Coatesville.

Labels: District 1 AAAA playoffs, high school football, North Penn football, Pennsylvania High School Football, PIAA football

posted by Ed at 11:16 AM

North Penn-Pennsbury Preview

I wasn't going to post anything before the game, but Kevin Cooney did a really good job in The Run To The Playoffs. Most of the things I read focused on the size of Pennsbury's offensive line. The Knights under Dick Beck have successfully dealt with this numerous times before. North Penn starters don't get their jobs because of their size. They get to start because they are fast, strong and smart.

The game is still likely to be a fight in the trenches. As Kevin rightly points out, "For all the talk of these spread offensive attacks that go five wide receivers deep and throw it around the yard, it is generally the "smack-you-in-the-face" attacks that win at this time of year." This is something I've been saying for years. It goes along with my observation that Florida and Texas High School Football have great athletes playing at a superior level, but they don't generally play in 20 degree (or colder) weather. Granted, Accuweather is predicting high 40's for game time tonight. I remember a North Penn-Downingtown West game the day after Thanksgiving 3 years ago where I couldn't feel my legs when I got up at half time. But I digress.

Kevin points out that this is another "no surprises" game where two teams will line up and try to outplay each other. And to highlight another of my recurring themes, Kevin sums things up: "The winner will be the team that executes the best."

Labels: District 1 AAAA playoffs, Pennsylvania High School Football, PIAA football

posted by Ed at 4:55 PM

Knight dominance of Redskins continues

I finally got to see the 2011 North Penn Knights in person on Friday night and they put on quite a performance. The Knights defense held Neshaminy in check all night, allowing a single touchdown and less than 125 yards total offense. Dan Gevirtz continued his playoff break-out with over 200 total yards, and both he and Kyle Mayfield broke the century mark on the ground. Kev Hunter's North Penn defense devastates Neshaminy provides a good summary of the game. Some other game summaries:

The Intel: North Penn defense smothers Neshaminy
Times-Herald: North Penn shuts down Neshaminy
The Reporter: North Penn's defense always on attack
Levittown Patch: Neshaminy Football Season Ends With Loss To North Penn

The Times-Herald had a nice write-up on Ralph Reeves by Dennis C. Way in Reeves epitomizes North Penn football. The article correctly points out that Ralph is a prototypical North Penn stand-out. He has captured 2 District Titles with the Knights and has been on the field for every game of the Knights' 28 game streak in the Suburban One Continental Conference. I'm pretty sure he is the 2nd four year starter (after Temple's Brandon McManus) for the Dick Beck coached Knights. It would be a nice ending for his high school career if he got to play in Hershey.

The Knights will face Pennsbury Friday night at Crawford Stadium. Pennsbury has played extremely well all season with a huge offensive line pushing the traditional SOL ground and pound. Dick Beck should be ready for this. As Kev Hunter notes in Pennsbury brings offense into matchup with NP, Dick Beck is 6-0 against Pennsbury. The Knights have tended to offset size with speed and technique. Friday night should be a good test of the Knight's defense to see if they have what it takes to get to Hershey.

Labels: District 1 AAAA playoffs, high school football, North Penn football, PIAA football

posted by Ed at 3:54 PM

Underdogs Move On

PIAA District 1 AAAA football playoffs - 6 of 8 teams from the bottom half of the 16 team bracket move on to week 2. Easterpafootball.com published the updated playoff bracket. Council Rock South and Garnet Valley were the only higher seeded teams to move on. Contrary to Rick O'Brien's predictions. Rick and others still see North Penn as the favorite in the field. Here is the pre-game rundown of all the matchups. And another pre-game view of the West Chester teams (both lost).

North Penn upends Rustin: Scott Huff summarizes the game.
North Penn knocks out Bayard Rustin in first round of playoffs - Kev Hunter gives his report in the Times-Herald.
North Penn’s Gevirtz deemed ‘best-kept secret’ - Dennis Way lets us in on the "secret" that Dan Gevirtz is one heck of a football player. (Nice video, Dan).
Neshaminy gets another game with North Penn - by shutting out #2 seed Unionville.

Suburban One rises to the top.

and a blast from the past - this blog entry shows the high expectations for North Penn 2 years ago, just before losing to Ridley in the District 1 final.

posted by Ed at 6:21 PM

Final District 1 AAAA Football Playoff Seedings

After Episcopal Academy & Methacton both won, the D1 seedings are:

16 – Upper Dublin
15 – Pennsbury
14 – Neshaminy
13 – CB South
12 - Ridley
11 – North Penn
10 - Coatesville
9 – Downingtown East
8 – WC Henderson
7 – Spring-Ford
6 – West Chester - Rustin
5 – Garnet Valley
4 – Plymouth-Whitemarsh
3 – Unionville
2 - Abington
1 – Council Rock South

Inter-conference replays: Pennsbury at Abington, Ridley at Garnet Valley, Downingtown East at Henderson. The higher seeded (home) team won the first game in all 3 cases.

Labels: District 1 AAAA playoffs, high school football, Pennsylvania High School Football, PIAA football

posted by Ed at 2:03 PM

North Penn 27 - Pennridge 0

While the football playoff picture is exciting, let's not overlook that the North Penn Knights have run off 28 straight victories in the Suburban One League Continental Conference since the league reorganization in 2008. The Lansdale Reporter's North Penn tops Pennridge to wrap up Continental documents their dominance of Pennridge last night - no first downs for the Rams in the 2nd quarter, no completed passes for Rams QB Alex Krivda. Due to a shoulder injury to Corey Ernst, North Penn may need to rely on their defense next Friday against Bayard Rustin.

Congratulations to the Knights for their leaque championship and good luck in the playoffs.

Labels: high school football, North Penn, North Penn football, PIAA

posted by Ed at 9:36 AM

District 1 AAAA Football Playoff Bracket

Kyle Berger has made his predictions on WNPV.
16 – Upper Dublin
15 – Pennsbury
14 – Neshaminy
13 – CB South
12 - Ridley
11 – North Penn
10 - Coatesville
9 – Downingtown East
8 – WC Henderson
7 – Spring-Ford
6 – West Chester - Rustin
5 – Plymouth-Whitemarsh
4 – Garnet Valley
3 – Unionville
2 - Abington
1 – Council Rock South
These results are dependent on GA-Episcopal (UD gets points from a GA win and could move up to the 14 seed) and Methacton-Pottstown (PW gets points from a Methacton win and could move up to the 4 seed). Half the bracket is from Suburban One. 5 teams are from Ches-Mont.

Labels: District 1 AAAA playoffs, high school football, Pennsylvania High School Football, PIAA football

posted by Ed at 12:15 AM

As the regular season ends

Rod Frisco's Week 10 rankings (before tonight's games). Not sure I agree with everything, but there they are. Kevin Cooney whines about playoff points in What's the Point? While it is easy to complain about an arbitrary system, how would you set up the selection committtee? The last place team in every league sends their coach to determine seedings?

Eastern PA Foootball's Week 10 Master Schedule.

Can CB South make a splash in the PIAA District 1 AAAA football playoffs? Kevin Cooney seems to think so. It only goes so far, though. See Avon Grove in 2009. But with a lot of luck and great matchups, the Titan's spread offense might get them to the District semi-finals. Not sure how the spread will work when the ground freezes. Ground and pound seems to work much better.

Here are some Delco games to watch. Garnett Valley should get a high seed when they beat Haverford Twp. HS tonight, but I'm not sure how much help it will be in week 2 of the playoffs. Springfield can end on a positive going into the AAA playoffs with a defeat of Marple Newtown.

So have a great time at the games tonight and listen to Kyle Berger on 1440 WNPV for the AAAA playoff seedings at 10 tonight.

Labels: high school football, Pennsylvania High School Football

posted by Edward at 6:18 PM

In Two Big Games in District 1 AAAA Rick O'Brien takes the insipid stance that both Downingtown East and Pennsbury win. A Pennsbury win I can understand; if they were playing at Heartbreak Ridge, I would say the game was Neshaminy hands down, but the game is in Fairless Hills. Mark Schmidt may be able to get the Redskins to pull out the win and get into the playoffs, though. Not that Neshaminy has shown the ability to play with the big boys this year, and their prize for a win would be a re-match with Council Rock South. CR South crushed Neshaminy in the first game. Downingtown East, however, has to go to West Chester and beat a Henderson team that takes sole possession of the league title with a win. By my calculation, a Henderson win would vault them to the 8th seed and result in a rematch with East the next week. This would be the most interesting finish to alter the District 1 AAAA bracket. For this reason alone, I am picking Henderson.

Labels: District 1 AAAA playoffs, football, high school football, PIAA football

posted by Ed at 11:25 AM

The Playoffs are coming!

Some completely unsupported thoughts about the PIAA District 1 AAAA Football playoffs coming up. North Penn continues to dominate the Suburban 1 Continental, winning their 27th straight regular season contest. The last time the Knights lost to a Continental rival was Week 10 of 2007, losing to Central Bucks South - before the SOL re-org. North Penn & CB South were in the SOL National Conference then. The last time North Penn lost to a Suburban One team at all was to Neshaminy in the 2007 playoffs.

I'm not familiar enough with potential rivals to say if anyone matches up well against North Penn, but if I were at the top of the bracket, I would worry that North Penn climbs to the #9 seed with a win on Friday against Pennridge and would then be visiting me the 2nd week. @bergerkg thinks that the Knights end up as the 10 seed with a trip to Chester County for the first round. While the Knights have had their issues with trips to Chesco over the last few years, I think they could take Rustin (@bergerkg's pick for the 7 seed). Although, as mentioned previously, a North Penn-PW match-up to see the master (Dick Beck) vs. the student (Dan Chang) would be a game I would like to see. Either way, I think PW's return to the playoffs is short-lived. I would expect North Penn, Pennsbury and Ridley to make it out of the lower half of the bracket into the 2nd week.

posted by Edward at 9:08 AM

Experience Matters

The North Penn Knights are now 6-2 after trouncing Souderton last Friday for their 26th straight Suburban One Continental victory. Depending on how other teams do in the next 2 weeks, they are going to end up right in the middle of the playoff seedings. It is not inconceivable that they will play the #1 seed in the second week. What would be realy interesting would be if PW somehow ends up with the 1 seed and the Knights have to travel down to Plymouth Meeting on November 18. Would the student, Dan Chang, be able to best the master, Dick Beck? I don't think anyone in District 1 AAAA wants to play North Penn right now. They Knights expect to get far into the play-offs. I'm sure they would relish a chance to meet LaSalle or St. Joe's Prep again in the Eastern final. (Just don't let Coach Beck hear you talking about that.)

Kevin Cooney expounds on the District 1 AAAA playoff picture in Let's Talk Football - Week 9.

posted by Ed at 6:58 AM

North Penn update

The Knights pasted Quakertown last Friday, 35-0. All the reports say it was an old-fashioned, Suburban One straight out run over the defense. North Penn keeps in simple in win over Quakertown As Kevin Cooney put it in the Courier-Times, "The straightest point to the end zone for the Knights on Friday night was a straight line right through the Quakertown defense." After which he highlighted that the North Penn offense put up nearly 500 all-purpose yards. Meanwhile, Souderton was in a shoot-out with CB South, prevailing 44-42. Souderton outlast CB South in wild one.

This was all in preparation for this weeks showdown at Crawford Stadium. The SOL featured game this week will prove whether Souderton has advanced far enough to play with the big boys or whether North Penn will continue dominance of the SOL Continental Division.

posted by Ed at 7:35 PM

North Penn moves to 4-2 with a convincing (on the scoreboard at least) 40-14 win over CB West, completing the CB sweep for 2011. The Intel's story is North Penn runs away from CB West.

posted by Edward at 5:35 PM