SOL heavyweights North Penn, Neshaminy clash in season opener
The North Penn football team is going with an old rival for a new opening week matchup.
After eight years of facing La Salle in their first game of the year, the Knights begin the 2018 season by visiting Heartbreak Ridge and taking on fellow Suburban One League heavyweight Neshaminy Friday night.
Kickoff between the Knights and Redskins at Neshaminy High School’s Harry E. Franks Stadium is set for 7 p.m. The game will air live on the radio on WNPV (98.5 FM and 1440 AM).
The teams’ last meeting came in 2015 — North Penn topping Neshaminy 28-7 in the District 1-4A semifinals — with the two-year break in the rivalry the longest since Dick Beck took over as head coach of the Knights in 2002.
Friday’s game is start of a tough opening stretch for both squads before the start of conference play. North Penn still has La Salle on its schedule and hosts the Explorers next week then stays at Crawford Stadium to play Pennsbury.
“We get a good test,” North Penn senior Julian White said. “It should be fun going out playing these good teams and showing what we can do against adversity.”
Neshaminy, meanwhile, visits Pennridge — which reached last season’s District 1-6A semifinals — then heads to Chester County to take on Downingtown West.
North Penn enters Friday’s game with a 10-6 record against the ‘Skins under Beck, having won the last three matchups in the series. Neshaminy’s last win the series came in 2013 when the ‘Skins routed the Knights 42-7 in the District 1-4A championship game.
Last year, North Penn won the SOL Continental Conference and finished 9-3 with Neshaminy claiming the SOL American title and capping 2017 with a 10-2 mark. Both sides’ postseason runs ended in the District 1-6A quarterfinals. North Penn lost a 35-7 second-half lead and fell to Garnet Valley 36-35 while the ‘Skins — who entered the tournament as the top seed — were knocked off by SOL National rival Pennsbury 36-17.
Neshaminy’s offense posted 30.7 points per game last season and the ‘Skins attack should continue to post plenty of points this year with junior quarterback Brody McAndrew back under center. The SOL National second-team selection threw for more than 1,800 yards and 17 touchdowns last year. Receivers Cory Joyce and Zach Canimore and tight end Oleh Manzyk are also back for Neshaminy.
Canimore (defensive back) and Manzyk (linebacker) were all-conference first team picks for a ‘Skins defense that allowed 17.6 points per game.
North Penn has a new offensive line and quarterback (senior Solomon Robinson) but the Knights do have a few playmakers returning from an attack that posted 41.3 points per game in last year. Senior Jon Haynes caught 16 passes for 209 yards and two touchdowns while senior Shamar Edwards had 11 receptions for 261 yards and four TDs.
Defensively, the Knights return All-SOL Continental second-team selections Edwards (linebacker), Haynes (defensive back) and senior Julian White (defensive end) for a group that gave up 26.7 points per game.
