North Penn returns to Downingtown with veteran roster and playoff aspirations after last year’s championship setback
North Penn football did not expect its 2025 opener to feel like déjà vu.
The Knights’ 2024 campaign ended at Kottmeyer Stadium with a 35-16 defeat to Downingtown West in the District 1-6A championship. On Friday night, the team returns to the same field — this time against Downingtown East — determined to flip the script, according to The Mercury.
“It’s pretty crazy how we’re going back to where it ended,” senior wide receiver Mason Franek said in the article. “But hopefully we can flip it around and switch up the outcome with two different Downingtown teams.”
Looking to build on 2024 run
Last fall, North Penn opened with six straight wins, including a 28-25 victory over East in Week 1. Losses to Central Bucks South and Central Bucks West slowed momentum, but the Knights still finished 8-2 in the regular season.
A playoff push followed, with district wins over Ridley, Haverford, and a semifinal rematch with CB South before the season ended in the program’s first district final appearance since 2018.
North Penn Knights (Credit: NPSD)Offense fueled by veterans
North Penn averaged 27.4 points per game during its 11-3 finish in 2024 and returns a strong core of skill players, according to The Mercury.
Running back Matt Pownall, a Navy commit, rushed for 941 yards and four touchdowns while also catching 30 passes for 558 yards and five scores, per the report. Senior quarterback Matt Bucksar threw for 1,716 yards and 17 touchdowns, adding another 420 yards and three TDs on the ground.
Franek, an all-conference receiver, posted 348 yards and four touchdowns on 24 catches. Junior receiver Sal Colella is expected to see a bigger role this season.
“I feel like our offense can really do anything,” Franek said in the article. “You have a quarterback that can really do everything so that allows us a lot of leeway with what we can do.”
Defense set on turnovers
The Knights’ defense allowed just 15.1 points per game in 2024 — their lowest average since the 2011 state finalist squad, according to The Mercury. The unit thrived on timely takeaways, something lineman Dominic Tranzilli said the coaches emphasize every week.
“Our defensive coaches always bark on us, we want to be plus two so we want to have two turnovers every game,” Tranzilli told the newspaper. “Always try and get our ball for our offense.”
The secondary returns experience, with Pownall and junior Rylei Grey at cornerback, and Colella and Jack Staugaitis at safety.
Navigating a tough slate
North Penn faces a road-heavy start, with just one home game in its first five weeks. After the opener at Downingtown East, the Knights host Council Rock South Aug. 28 before road trips to Quakertown, Neshaminy, and Pennridge.
The Knights finish with four of their last five at Crawford Stadium, including key Suburban One League National matchups with CB South on Oct. 3 and CB West on Oct. 17.
