TOWAMENCIN – Two yards from a first down, six from the goal line and the Quakertown football team up eight on North Penn late in the third quarter, senior quarterback Vince Micucci expected the Panthers to keep things on the ground.
“I’m thinking that we’re going to run the ball, try to pound it in cause I’m like we have two plays for two yards,” Micucci said. “And he calls a pass cause he trusted me to do that.”
Micucci proceeded to put his trust in Max Morris, lofting a ball toward the right corner of the end zone that Morris – while being interfered with – juggled as he fell back but ended up securing for a sensational touchdown grab.
“I know how good of a route runner he is,” said Micucci of his senior wide receiver. “So I know to just give it out there and give him a chance.”
The touchdown toss was Micucci’s fifth Friday night at Crawford Stadium, the first four coming as the Panthers built a 25-7 lead in the opening half before a 10-point burst by the host Knights cut the margin to eight at the break.
However, Morris’ tough TD catch with 32.2 seconds left in the third gave the Panther a two-score advantage. Jackson Connelly’s seven-yard touchdown run in the fourth with 4:40 remaining helped seal Quakertown’s 38-17 victory – its first win over North Penn since 1979.
“It was super-special tonight to watch them come together as a team, believe in themselves, and believe in each other, and really, really dig in,” Quakertown coach George Banas said. This is a great win for us, it’s a great win for the program, for these kids. Super-proud of them, super-proud of the staff.
“This is definitely top 10, maybe closing in on top five type of win, regardless of what they do the rest of the year and whatnot and put that type of score up, it’s special.”
Micucci finished 10-of-15 passing for 188 yards, was intercepted once while Morris caught two of his TD throws. The Panthers (1-1) added another 145 yards on the ground while Quakertown’s defense forced three turnovers, the first two leading to touchdowns.
“I think our run game set up our pass game,” Micucci said. “Obviously there was some plays where we got stuffed in the run but our line stepped up when we needed to and our receivers made some great plays.”
The Panthers had not won in their previous 13 meetings with North Penn. The Knights routed Quakertown 49-7 last season in Week 2.
“It definitely angered a couple people on the team, how we absolutely got embarrassed on our home turf last year,” Quakertown senior Anthony Ferrugio said. “So that sitting in the back of our brain we just came out with the mentality like we can’t let that happen again.
“And our coach said that they came out of the gate with no respect for us, so that was a little bit aggravating for a lot of people.”
Quarterback Matt Bucksar was 11-of-22 passing for 159 yards with a touchdown and interception for North Penn, which is 0-2 for the first time since 2017.
Both teams next play Friday, Sept. 8. The Knights look to avoid their first 0-3 start since 2013 as they visit Upper Dublin. Quakertown hosts Central Bucks West.
North Penn grabbed a 7-0 lead just 15 seconds into Friday’s game as Jackson Schurmann dashed through the crowd then raced down the left side to take the opening kickoff back for a 95-yard touchdown.
After the Knights defense held on a 4th-and-1 at its own 34, North Penn moved the ball to the Quakertown 46 but following a false start penalty on 4th-and-1 elected to punt.
Quakertown needed just four plays to pull within 7-6 – Morris catching a Micucci pass near the left sideline, evading a tackle attempt and reaching the end zone for a 44-yard score at 5:04 in the first quarter.
The Panthers recovered a fumble after a North Penn completion at the Knights 46. On 4th-and-5 from the 28, Micucci found Edward Bittner, who avoided a tackle try along the left sideline and sprinted in for a 28-yard touchdown, putting Qtown ahead 12-7 with 1:07 in the opening quarter.
“Actually I got yelled out for that one because I held on to the ball a little bit,” Micucci said. “But it was just kind of working the pocket. Last year I was really hesitant, I tried to get outside a lot so being able to stay in there and let the play develop.”
On North Penn’s next offensive play from its 21-yard line, Gavin Carroll hit the QB as he was throwing – the ball falling into the path of Ferrugio, who could not grab it at first but reached back to collect the interception and return it to the five.
“I remember I thought I was going to get a sack and then QB absolutely got leveled and I saw the ball in the air,” Ferrugio said. “It was in my vicinity and I just went up and I got that.”
First and goal, Tanner Clancy went up in the end zone to grab a Micucci pass at 52.5 seconds in the first quarter for a 19-7 lead.
After a North Penn three-and-out, Quakertown pushed its advantage to 25-7 with a nine-play, 50-yard drive finished with a Micucci to Carroll six-yard TD pass at 8:24 in the second quarter
Ryan Bocklet’s 30-yard field goal with 1:32 left in the half capped a 14-play Knights series that began on their own 28.
North Penn forced a Panther three-and-out to get the ball back at its 36 with 29.6 seconds. On 2nd-and-10 from the Knights 48, Marc Cobbs caught a short Matt Bucksar pass on the left side, juked away from a tackle attempt then cut across to the other side of the field to score from 52 yards out.
The first possession of the third quarter had Quakertown reach the Knights 20 before Micucci was intercepted by Christian Johns-Wallace. North Penn drove to Panthers 38 but on 4th-and-4 had an incomplete pass.
Micucci kept Quakertown’s next series alive with a 12-yard scramble on a 4th-and-10 from the NP 36. Five plays later, Morris made his superb TD catch on Micucci’s throw from six yards made it 32-17.
“That was just routine scramble drill,” said Micucci of his fourth-down conversion. “Obviously when things aren’t going your way, you got to try to make a play out of something. Like I said the blocks kind of set up and I saw our receivers and I thought ‘You know we’ll give it a shot.’
“I knew we had to do something, I couldn’t just take another sack so getting any yards there was huge for us and then I was blessed to break a tackle and get the first.”
After North Penn turned the ball over on downs at its own 29 with 7:37 left in the fourth, Quakertown went up 38-17 as Connelly crossed the goal line on a seven-yard run at 4:40.
