Pennridge School District. (Credit: Pennridge School District)
Pennridge quarterback Noah Keating delivered one of the program’s signature moments Friday night, engineering a mix of grit and surprise to help the Rams topple North Penn 34-10 at Helman Field.
The win snapped an 11-game losing streak to the Knights dating back to 2012 and kept Pennridge unbeaten at 5-0, according to a gameplay report from The Mercury.
The turning point came midway through the third quarter, when Pennridge faced a 4th-and-15 deep in its own territory. Keating, who doubles as the team’s punter, spotted Michael Ferguson uncovered downfield and uncorked a 43-yard completion on a spontaneous fake punt, per the report.
Three plays later, Keating muscled in from five yards out, pushing the Rams’ lead to 20-3 and electrifying the home crowd.
Keating’s stat line underscored his impact: 74 rushing yards and three touchdowns on 13 carries, plus 112 passing yards and a score, according to The Mercury. His 20- and 17-yard touchdown runs in the fourth quarter sealed the victory and signaled Pennridge’s growing confidence in conference play.
“I’ve been going to Pennridge games for so long, but it’s insane that it’s been that long,” Keating told The Mercury of breaking the drought against North Penn. “It makes the win so much better.”
Pennridge’s defense played a crucial role, picking off two passes in the first half to set up a pair of field goals by Luis Nunes. The Rams limited North Penn to just 219 total yards and forced key turnovers on downs in the second half, per the report.
North Penn, now 3-2, managed a lone touchdown in the fourth quarter from Rylei Gray but struggled to contain Keating’s running lanes.
“Tip your cap to them, they played great,” Knights coach Dick Beck told The Mercury. “They caught us on those QB sneaks where they were just suckering us.”
For Pennridge, the win places them atop the District 1-6A rankings and cements them as a force in the SOL National.
Read more on the gameplay and see full stats here.
