Knights pull away from Plymouth Whitemarsh in second half for first league title after back-to-back runner-up finishes
After coming up short in the Suburban One League championship the past two seasons, North Penn finally finished the job Monday night.
Powered by a huge performance from quarterback Laila Bentz and playmaker Tessa Wieloch, the Knights pulled away in the second half to defeat host Plymouth Whitemarsh 41-21, capturing the SOL girls flag football title and continuing a rapid rise for the program, according to The Mercury.
The game turned just before halftime, when Bentz connected with Wieloch for a touchdown with one second remaining, then found her again on a two-point conversion to send North Penn into the break with a 21-14 lead, according to gameplay coverage.
The Knights carried that momentum straight into the second half, scoring the next 21 points to put the game out of reach. Bentz finished with five touchdown passes, while Wieloch hauled in three TD catches, added a rushing score and came away with an interception on defense, per the report.
Senior Amani Keys, one of the program’s original players from its club-team days, according to the article, added an interception and a touchdown reception of her own as North Penn celebrated its long-awaited breakthrough after falling in the championship game each of the last two years to Abington.
The Knights now advance in the postseason and are set to host Bristol in the suburban semifinals Wednesday night.
