North Penn Knights (Credit: NPSD)
Penalties and turnovers plagued the Knights in the final two quarters, stalling promising drives
North Penn could not hold onto a halftime lead Friday night, falling 18-14 at Neshaminy in the Suburban One League National Conference opener. The loss snapped the Knights’ three-game win streak and marked Neshaminy’s first victory over North Penn since 2020, according to The Times Herald.
Quarterback Matt Bucksar gave North Penn momentum heading into the break, finding Sal Colella for a 10-yard touchdown with 11 seconds left in the second quarter. That score, paired with a short run by Matthew Pownall earlier in the quarter, pushed the Knights ahead 14-12 at halftime, according to the gameplay report.
But North Penn’s offense came up short in the second half. Twice, the Knights drove deep into Neshaminy territory only to come away with nothing, missing a short field goal attempt and later losing a fumble inside the 10, according to The Times Herald.
The miscues proved costly as Neshaminy quarterback Michael Eckart led a 92-yard drive in the fourth quarter, finishing it with a 41-yard touchdown pass that put the hosts in front for good.
Pownall paced the North Penn ground game with 97 yards and a touchdown on 19 carries, per the article. Bucksar completed 12 of 18 passes for 140 yards and a score, spreading the ball around to seven different receivers.
Still, penalties and turnovers plagued the Knights in the final two quarters, stalling promising drives and allowing Neshaminy to run out the clock after a decisive fourth-down conversion.
Now 3-1 overall and 0-1 in league play, North Penn will try to rebound next week in another tough matchup, traveling to unbeaten Pennridge.
Read the full game story at The Reporter
