Edwards’ late TD catch helps North Penn hold off Central Bucks East

TOWAMENCIN >> The play was going to be there, it was up to Jalen Edwards to come through when the North Penn football team needed it the most Friday night.

 “Coach (Dick Beck) came to the huddle, told us this is going to you,” Edwards said. “D leave the seam open and I’m just like ‘OK Coach.’”

Visiting Central Bucks East had rallied from a 21-0 deficit to pull even in the fourth quarter with the Knights, who faced a 3^rd-and-5 from their own 41 with 5:13 remaining in the Suburban One League National Conference matchup.

Edwards proceeded to race free down the right seam and when quarterback Ryan Zeltt threw the ball his way the senior reached up in stride to haul it in and sprint to the end zone for a 59-yard go-ahead touchdown at 5:03.

“Ball was in the air for a long time,” Edwards said. “Just went up and caught it, ran for a touchdown.”

Edwards came up with an interception on East’s ensuing drive and North Penn went on to hold off the Patriots to stay undefeated with a 28-21 victory at Crawford Stadium.

“We ran a similar play (to) that two other times and both times they released him,” said Beck of Edwards. “The first time we threw the touchdown pass except it called back for holding and the second time they intercepted the ball so I figured well if they’re just going to let him run by them, I mean what I told him just to throw it to him and I figured he’d be open.”

Khalani Eaton surpassed 4,000 career rushing yards on his 64-yard touchdown run in the second quarter and ended with 125 yards on 19 carries. Zeltt threw for 233 yards and two scores as the Knights (9-0, 6-0) clinched at least a share of the SOL National title in a contest that did not seem to be headed for a close finish after NP took a 21-0 lead on the opening drive of the third.

“Of course it’s a wake-up call from everybody,” Eaton said. “Cause we just looking at it like we’re 9-0, we got to start acting like we’re 9-0. We got to start grinding like we’re 9-0.”

Central Bucks East (6-3, 4-2) cut the deficit to 21-13 early in the fourth before Tommy Day’s interception and 69-yard return set the Patriots up at the North Penn six. Three plays later, quarterback Pat Keller scored from two yards out with 6:33 left.

Keller then pulled off a bit of magic on the tying two-point conversion – lofting a pass as he backpedaled under pressure that Jack Donnelly dove to catch in the front right corner of the end zone.

“I think East played tough,” Beck said. “I thought our injuries started to catch up on us a little bit but we’re not playing well up front offensively whether it’s running the ball or it’s passing blocking, not a lot of holes so I’m a little disappointed but we got work to do.”

Starting at its own 36 at 6:31, North Penn picked up five yards on consecutive runs to face a 3^rd-and-5 at the 41. Zeltt, who had completed just two of his first eight second-half passes, found his target in Edwards, who dashed away from a defender to complete the 59-yard TD strike.

“That was probably the biggest play of the game,” Zeltt said. “Coach says you know he’s going to be open, I trust Jalen to catch it and I threw it and he did the rest.”

A NP personal foul penalty on the kick return set Central Bucks East up at the Knights’ 47 but the Patriots went backwards from there. Facing a 4^th-and-19 from the East 44, Keller’s pass over the middle could not get hauled in and bounced into the arms of Edwards, giving North Penn the ball back with 3:06 left.

“He dropped the ball, I was right there for the (pick),” Edwards said. “I was like take it and go.”

On a 4^th-and-4 from the 25, Zeltt connected with Levi Carroll for 24 yards down to the one and from there three kneeldowns secured the North Penn win.

“Later in the season, you can’t step off the pedal,” Zeltt said. “I mean, we were up and we stepped off the pedal and they’re right back in it. They’re going to be a playoff team and who knows, we might see them again. You have to always keep your foot on the pedal no matter what.”

The Knights, second in the District 1-6A rankings, can claim the outright conference title with a win at Central Bucks South. The Patriots, 12th in the 6A rankings, try to snap a two-game skid hosting Central Bucks West.

 Keller threw for 154 yards and an interception 10-of-22 passing. East’s Quinn Moody had two receptions for 57 yards while Matt LaBouliere caught four passes for 51 yards. Day ran 20 times for 81 yards and a touchdown.

Zeltt completed 12-of-21 passes and was picked off once. Carroll had five catches for 72 yards while Rashad Mcneill had 53 yards on two catches – reaching up over the middle on his first to grab a 33-yard touchdown pass from Zeltt for a 7-0 NP lead at 5:28 in the first quarter.

“I saw Rashad had a couple steps on him and I rolled out, threw it up to him and again I’ll trust my guys any day,” Zeltt said. “I’ll trust they catch it.”

Eaton, who came into Friday 52 yards shy of 4,000 for his career, eclipsed the mark on his six carry of the night, going through the middle of the line then cutting to open space down the left side to reach the end zone from 64 yards out at 6:05 in the second quarter to make it 14-0.

“It means a lot honestly,” said Eaton of the career milestone. “It just shows all the hard work. Since (I was) a young child, I’ve just been playing football, since I was like 8-years-old, just all that hard work. It’s kind of emotional, it means a lot to me.”

North Penn thought it went up three scores later in the second quarter on a Zeltt-to-Edwards 52-yard touchdown pass but the play was called back due to a holding penalty and the hosts went into halftime still up 14-0.

The Knights did get their third TD on a 10-play, 58-yard drive that began the third quarter capped by Ethan Spann scoring on a run from a yard out at 6:57.

On the ensuing kickoff, a LaBouliere 53-yard return had CB East starting the possession at the NP 37. Keller found LaBouliere for a 33-yard completion on 3^rd-and-11 at the 38 and two plays later Day’s three-yard TD run made it 21-7 at 4:51 in the third.

After a North Penn three-and-out, the Patriots took over at their own six and drove 94 yards on 14 plays to get within 21-13 – Dan Reinhadt getting over the goal line on 4^th-and-Goal from the one at 10:12 in the fourth. East could not get off the extra point and a pass for two was intercepted, keeping the Knights up eight.

On a 3^rd-and-11 from the North Penn 13, Zeltt connected with Mcneill for a first down – East punching the ball from Mcneill only for it to roll out of bounds at the Patriots 38. However, three plays later Day jumped in front of a NP receiver for an interception at the 35 and returned it all the way to the Knights six.

Keller’s two-yard TD run on 3^rd-and-Goal had East trailing 21-19 with Donnelly getting to Keller’s throw in the end zone for the two-point conversion, tying the game at 21.

North Penn 28, CB East 21
CB East (6-3, 4-2) 0 0 7 14 — 21
North Penn (9-0, 6-0) 7 7 7 7 — 28
Scoring
First Quarter
NP — Ryan Zeltt 33 pass to Rashad Mcneill (Ryan Bocklet kick), 5:28.
Second Quarter
NP — Khalani Eaton 64 run (Bocklet kick), 6:05.
Third Quarter
NP — Ethan Spann 1 run (Bocklet kick), 6:57.
CBE — Tommy Day 3 run (Jack Corrigan kick), 4:51.
Fourth Quarter
CBE — Dan Reinhardt 1 run (pass failed)
CBE — Pat Keller 2 run (Keller pass to Jack Donnelly), 6:33.
NP — Zeltt 59 pass to Jalen Edwards (Bocklet kick), 5:03.
TEAM STATISTICS
CBE NP
First Downs 13 14
Rushes-Yards 36-65 31-145
Passing Yards 154 233
Total Yards 219 378
Passing 10-22-1 12-21-1
Punts 3 2
Fumbles-Lost 0-0 2-0
Penalties-Yards 7-55 8-90
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
RUSHING
Central Bucks East: Tommy Day 20-81, TD; Quinn Moody 2-6; Dan Reinhardt 1-1, TD; Matt LaBouliere 1-(-1); Pat Keller 11-(-25), TD; Jack Donnelly 1-3.
North Penn: Khalani Eaton 19-125, TD; Ryan Zeltt 5-12; Ethan Spann 3-5, TD; Donovan Williams 2-3; Levi Carroll 2-0.
PASSING
Central Bucks East: Pat Keller 10-22-1, 154.
North Penn: Ryan Zeltt 12-21-1, 233, 2 TD.
RECEIVING
Central Bucks East: Quinn Moody 2-57; Matt LaBouliere 4-51; Nick Carter 1-24; Jack Donnelly 3-22.
North Penn: Levi Carroll 5-72; Jalen Edwards 1-59, TD; Rashad Mcneill 2-53, TD; Seth Walton 2-43; Khalani Eaton 2-6.
INTERCEPTIONS
Central Bucks East: Tommy Day.
North Penn: Jalen Edwards.