TOWAMENCIN- Following an exhilarating fourth quarter comeback victory over Archbishop Wood last Saturday, the Knight’s football team entered Friday’s nonconference match versus St. Joseph’s Prep with high expectations.
But the Knights dropped the ball—literally. In an uncharacteristically lopsided performance, fumbles and interceptions defined theKnights’ play as they fell to the Hawks 31–3.
The instant the clock started, St. Joe’s came out aggressively as they capitalized on North Penn’s mistakes and scored a touchdown on the game’s opening kickoff. Head coach Dick Beck commented that the team’s poor practice habits are the underlying issues.
“We have so many peripheral things going on that when it’s time to practice, and in the game, people are just worried about everything else. You know, what their shoes look like, what their uniforms look like, what
their hair looks like, what their girlfriends are doing tonight, who they’re texting…I find it to be very tiring. We
used to be a blue collar, hard working kinda team, and now these guys have become kind of a bunch of showoffs,” said Beck.
Attributed to North Penn’s flatness, the Knight’s only had one real scoring opportunity before half time.
Senior Steve Gozur ran 12 yards for a first down, which shortly thereafter turned into an interception by St. Joe’s Pat McCabe. By half time, the score was already drastically tilted in St. Joe’s direction at 28-0.
The Knights’ lone three points came in the 3rd quarter with 8:18 left on the clock when senior Brandon Mandes kicked a 27-yard field goal. Numerous flags and penalties throughout the second half illustrated
the Knights’ nerves and anxiety.
“We got beat by a better team there’s no doubt, and we tip our hat to them. But we have to try to get better and we’re taking a win next week,” stated Beck.
Next week—that is what the knights are most looking forward to.
Just one year ago, the Knights were stumbling out of the gates to a 1-2 start after falling to the Prep, in a season that eventually ended in Hershey. But this is a different season and a different team, and the 2012 Knights know that those kinds of turnarounds don’t happen by chance.
“We need to get back to the weight room, we need to start lifting, we need to be top notch at practice,” explained senior Bobby Bull. “We can’t be making mistakes all the time at practice because if we practice well,
we’re gonna play well.”
According to senior captain Bobby McDonald, the Knights will need to refocus and “give one hundred and ten percent at every practice.”
Even after a rough night, Bobby Bull, as well as the rest out the North Penn Knights’ squad, share the same outlook in regard to the upcoming CB East game.
“I wanna get revenge.”