North Penn Knights (Credit: NPSD)
North Penn struck fast and spent the rest of the night holding its ground, building a 14-0 first-quarter lead before outlasting Pennridge 21-14 to capture the District 1 Class 6A title — the program’s first district crown since 2016.
The Knights leaned heavily on Matthew Pownall, who ran for two touchdowns, including a key 16-yarder late in the third that stretched the margin to 21-7, according to The Mercury gameplay report.
Pennridge fought back with a late scoring drive to make it a one-score game, then forced a turnover on downs to regain possession with under a minute left. But North Penn closed the door when Ziyon Smith grabbed an interception with 3.9 seconds remaining, sealing the Knights’ ninth straight win and eighth district championship under longtime coach Dick Beck, according to game coverage.
North Penn now advances to face District 12 champion La Salle in the state semifinals, while Pennridge prepares for its annual Thanksgiving rivalry game against Quakertown.
