North Penn and Central Bucks South are separated by 12 miles. The last time they faced each other on the gridiron, they were separated by 8 points.
The fourth-seeded Knights enter the game with a 10-2 record, their best record in three seasons. In their two playoff games before this semi-final matchup, they defeated Ridley 24-14 and Haverford 29-19.
The North Penn offense is headed by junior quarterback Matt Bucksar, who’s averaging 133 passing yards and 38 rushing yards a game. The backfield is powered by junior Matthew Pownall and senior Josiah Coleman, who have put up 1,452 yards together.
The defensive machine that has pushed the Knights to this point in the season is piloted by seniors Christian Johns-Wallace and Cole D’Ambrosio, along with junior Nate Schepian, putting up a total of 220 tackles.
First-seeded CB South is coming off an imposing 12-0 undefeated season, with their two playoff games being a 49-7 win over Springford followed by a 35-0 win over Plymouth Whitemarsh.
The Titans are led by Senior quarterback Owen Pinkerton, who Is averaging 98 passing yards and 92 rushing yards per game, and versatile sophomore running back Braylen Cape, averaging 77 all-purpose yards per game.
On the defensive side, senior defensive end Eddie Bowen, junior linebacker Jack Bartolillo, and senior defensive back Matt Harmon provide the base for one of the best defenses in the conference, allowing just 11.8 points per game. Bowen and Bartolillo combine for 12.5 sacks and 23 tackles for loss, while Harmon has posted 4 interceptions and 24 tackles this year.
The last time these squads lined up against each other, the Titan’s defense held the Knights to 118 total yards, forcing two field goals, while sacking Bucksar six times. The 242 yards gained by the Titans was their second-lowest this season, proving the strength of the Knights’ defense. “I thought the defense played really hard,” head coach Dick Beck said after the loss in the team’s first meeting. “They played really hard, really fought, keeping [CB South] out of the endzone, so I was proud of the defense.”
“They kicked the crap out of us on the offensive line. They’re really good, defensively,” Beck said after that same loss. The offensive line will have to have made some adjustments to adapt and provide Bucksar time to utilize his arm which has been a spark plug for the Knights.
Coming off of a win over a rush-heavy Haverford offense, North Penn should be well prepared for a similar approach that CB South has exercised all season.
This matchup is set to be another low-scoring defensive showdown, with two district powerhouses contending for a spot in the district championship against the winner of Downingtown West and CB West and a shot at a state playoff run.
The game is on Friday 11/15 at 7 P.M. @ CB South HS
Purchase tickets at https://piaad1.hometownticketing.com/embed/all?tile_item=2