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State Champs Project: 2003 North Penn

RoverNation05

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Aug 22, 2010
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North Penn – 2003

Head Coach: Dick Beck
Record: 15-0
Points Per Game: 39.6
Points Allowed Per Game: 12.9
Margin of Victory: 26.7
Margin of Victory (Playoffs): 17.2

Schedule
Cardinal O’Hara: 35-7
Bethlehem Catholic: 38-7
Harry S. Truman: 49-8
Abington: 49-7
Pennridge: 49-10
Glen Mills: 45-19
Neshaminy: 35-17
CB East: 38-7
Pennsbury: 43-19
CB West: 41-7
Ridley: 28-7 (District 1 Quarterfinals)
Pennridge: 42-19 (District 1 Semifinals)
Interboro: 43-28 (District 1 Finals/State Quarterfinals)
Easton: 38-21 (State Semifinals)
Pittsburgh Central Catholic: 37-10 (State Finals)

AP Al State Selections
Kevin Akins (DB – 1st), Jim Casertano (D-ATH – 1st)

FBS Players
Kevin Akins (Boston College), Deanco Oliver (Syracuse)
FCS Players
Adam Hearns (Western Carolina), Jim Casertano (Delaware), Jeff Ball (Rhode Island), Mike Partain (Columbia), Eric Halberstadt (Duquesne), Dotun Akintoye (Duquesne)
Division II Players
Jim Laky (Shippensburg)
Division III Players
Chris Knechel (King's College), George Farrell (Franklin & Marshall), Chad Finney (Albright), Chris Tribanas (Mansfield)
 
Starting Lineup and Available Stats
Offense
QB: Adam Hearns (Jr. 6’0 180; Western Carolina): 59-105, 1,201 yards, 13 TDs-1 INT/103 carries, 849 yards, 12 TDs
RB: Kevin Akins (Sr. 6’2 185; Boston College): 191 carries, 2,065 yards, 24 TDs
RB: Jim Casertano (Sr. 6’2 235; Delaware): 98 carries, 640 yards, 8 TDs
WR: Deanco Oliver (Sr. 6’1 180; Syracuse/IUP): 36 catches, 672 yards, 5 TDs; 4 RET TDs
WR: Jim Laky (Sr. 5’9 180; Shippensburg): 61 carries, 424 yards, 8 TDs
TE: Jeff Ball (Sr. 6’0 220; Rhode Island): 10 catches, 188 yards
TE: Zach Raffle (Jr. 6’0 225)
LT: Zach Detwiler (Sr. 6’0 260)
LG: Chris Knechel (Sr.. 6’1 255; King’s)
C: Mike Partain (Sr. 6’4 250; Columbia)
RG: Dotun Akintoye (Jr. 6’2 275; Duquense)
RT: Ryan Adams (Sr. 6’3 285)
Defense
DE: George Farrell (Sr. 6’2 225; Franklin & Marshall)
DT: Chris Tribanas (Sr. 5’10 245; Mansfield)
DT: Dave Mims (Sr. 5’11 225
DL: Zach Raffle (Jr. 6’0 220)
DE: Jim Casertano (Sr. 6’2 235; Delaware)
LB: Jeff Ball (Sr. 6’0 220; Rhode Island): 126 tackles
LB: Chad Finney (Sr. 6’0 195; Albright)
LB: Jim Laky (Sr. 5’9 180; Shippensburg)
LB: Andrew Brown (Sr. 6’0 220)
DB: Kevin Akins (Sr. 6’2 185; Boston College)
DB: Eric Halberstadt (Jr. 5’10 185; Duquesne)
DB: Deanco Oliver (Sr. 6’1 180; Syracuse)
DB: Adam Hearns (Jr. 6’0 180; Western Carolina)
Specialist
K: Dave Kornock (Jr. 6’0 175)
 
Narrative
By 2003, North Penn was one of the biggest high schools in Pennsylvania. North Penn, like Parkland the year before, was a more recent player on the state scene. The Knights had been a solid, if unspectacular program, winning just two conference titles since the merger of Lansdale, Hatfield, and North Wales high schools in 1955. But the 1997 hiring of Mike Pettine Jr., plus the growing population in the school district, put the Knights on the fast track to success. Pettine immediately changed the culture in Lansdale, going 7-3 in his first season, and 28-8 to close the decade, and qualifying for their first District 1 playoff in 1999. In 2001, the program seemed ready to reach new heights, being named the preseason #1 in Pennsylvania and a seemingly solid favorite to take over as the power in Bucks County and eastern Pennsylvania. But a 2-3 start doomed the Knights, who missed the postseason entirely. Then, that offseason, Pettine surprised the high school football community when he left North Penn to pursue an entry level film job with the Baltimore Ravens, leaving behind North Penn just as they seemed on the cusp of breaking through the state scene.

To replace Pettine, the Knights turned to another CB West product. Dick Beck was an All State lineman for the Bucks at the beginning of their 48 game winning streak in the mid-1980s, then was a four year starter and captain at Temple, where he was an All East center. He was the offensive and defensive line coach at CB West for the 1991 state champions and 1993 state finalists and was brought on by Pettine Jr. as the defensive coordinator at North Penn in 1997. His debut season in 2002 was a wild success, the Knights making a surprising run to the Eastern Final - knocking off highly ranked Downingtown in the first round of district play, then storming all the way to the final four before a loss to eventual champ Parkland. That experience got the Knights on the radar, and 15 returning starters from that group had them the chic pick to win it in Hershey.

The headliners on offense were fullback Jim Casertano and tailback Kevin Akins. Casertano ran for 960 yards and 21 touchdowns as a junior, and led the team in tackles, on his way to All State honors, while Akins ran for 1,443 yards and established himself as an FBS prospect. The skill spots also saw the return of speedster wideout Deanco Oliver, who was also one of the best return men in the state. The high powered Knights offense also returned 4/5ths of their offensive line, and welcomed in Ryan Adams, a 6’4 295 transfer from Glen Mills, who would slot in at right tackle. The only major replacement was at quarterback, where 1,000 yard passer Jim Wutti graduated. Stepping in would be Adam Hearns, who had a rep as one of the best athletes at North Penn, but would need seasoning as a quarterback. Though with their potential running game, it was a best case scenario for a new starter.

The Knights were the preseason #1 team in Pennsylvania, with newly split Downingtown East the only other District 1 team in the top 10, coming in at #7. Defending champion Parkland was #2, and would have to rely on the bulk of their championship defense returning as they tried to replace Austin Scott. District 11 had two other teams in the top 10, with Bethlehem Catholic ranked #3 to start the year (and would be North Penn’s week 2 opponent) and Easton hovering at #10. The other favorite in the east was #5 Cumberland Valley, who were led by a pair of Penn State recruits, fullback Dan Lawlor and tackle Wyatt Bowman, and one of the few running games that could challenge North Penn. Out West, #4 Woodland Hills, #6 Gateway, and #9 Penn Hills were the favorites in the WPIAL, with the Wolverines hunting for their third straight state final, while the Gators and Indians each had superstars in Gateway tailback Justin King and Penn Hills quarterback Anthony Morelli.

North Penn opened the season with Cardinal O’Hara of the Philly Catholic League. O’Hara was picked behind St. Joseph’s Prep, the two time defending PCL champs, and was one of two common opponents with the Hawks that year. North Penn got the ball to start the game, and marched 74 yards, with Adam Hearns scoring his first career touchdown on a 32 yard option keeper. The Knights forced a quick three and out, and drove right down the field again, with a 2 yard Jim Laky touchdown coming on an inside handoff. In the second quarter, Decano Oliver fielded a punt and raced 61 yards up the right side for a touchdown. O’Hara answered with their first real drive of the day, pushing down inside the North Penn 10. But Casertano forced a fumble at the four, and Oliver recovered at the one yard line. To add insult to injury, North Penn drove 99 yards for a touchdown, with Hearns scoring on a 10 yard draw play to give the Knights a 28-0 halftime lead. Star O’Hara tailback (and future NFL linebacker) Anthony Heygod was bottled up for 31 yards in the first half. North Penn would stretch their lead to 35-0 before calling the dogs off in the 35-7 win. Akins led all rushers with 117 yards on 10 carries.

That set up a week 2 match-up with Bethlehem Catholic. The Hawks had been the dominant program in District 11, winning three of the last four 4A titles and making two trips to the eastern final. They were the preseason #3 team in the state, however, they lost a disastrous week 1 to St. Joseph’s Prep, committing six turnovers in a 40-6 loss. North Penn continued the misery, opening the game with an 11 play, 79 yard drive, highlighted by a 25 yard run by Akins to kick start things, and a 20 yard touchdown by Hearns. After trading punts, Becahi took over at their own 9, getting a 54 yard run by fullback Boomer Rice to set up the 91 yard scoring drive and take a 7-6 lead on the first play of the second quarter. But North Penn answered right back with a punishing, 12 play 76 yard drive, with Casertano retaking the lead for the Knights when he bulled in from two yards out. Bethlehem Catholic’s first drive of the second half stalled out, and the punt rolled in to the end zone. Casertano picked up seven yards on first down, then Akins made one cut and bolted 73 yards for a touchdown to put the Knights up 19-7. Becahi went 3 and out, but had some defensive success, forcing North Penn into a 3rd and 24 from their own 39. But Oliver ran a simple slant and go, and Hearns completed his first pass of the day, a 61 yard back breaking touchdown to give the Knights a commanding 26-7 lead. Akins finished with 207 yards on 20 carries, while Hearns threw for 85 and ran for 74. North Penn rushed for 391 yards in the win, while holding Becahi to just 147 yards of offense. After two non-conference tests, North Penn was 2-0 and outscored their opponents 73-14.

District 1 play would follow a similar pattern, with the Knights outscoring Truman, Abington, and Pennridge 147-25. If anything, Pennridge got the biggest win in the stretch, when they forced North Penn to punt for just the second time all year in the fourth quarter of their 49-10 loss.

That set up an intriguing week 6 match-up with Glen Mills. The Bulls were also undefeated and came into the tussle ranked #5 in the state. The Philadelphia INquirer touted it as teh “game of the year’ in southeastern Pennsylvania, with two of the state’s best offenses locking horns. It was the game of the year if the desired result was a North Penn statement. After forcing a quick three and out, Jim Casertano took a fullback trap 72 yards on the first play from scrimmage, then finished the job with a three yard touchdown on the next snap. The Knights would score on their next two possessions, a 10 yard run by Akins and a 33 yard run by Hearns, and had a 19-0 lead before Glen Mills had a first down. Shadeed Akbar, Glen Mills’ 1,000 yard rusher, did find the end zone to answer the Hearns touchdown to seemingly get the Bulls back in the game. But on the next play, Jim Laky went 70 yards for a touchdown to reassert Knight dominance. Hearns would throw a 30 yard TD to tight end Jeff Ball and Akins ran for another touchdown in the second quarter as North Penn went up 38-7 at halftime. The Knights piled up 334 yards in the first two quarters, holding Glen Mills to 89 (just 1 passing) as they simply blew the Bulls off of the field in the first half. The second half was merely a formality, and North Penn walked away a 45-19 winner over Glen Mills. Akins ran for 107 yards on 10 carries, Casertano had 78 on just three touches, and Laky ran for 93 on four carries, while Hearns was 6-8 for 96 yards, threw for a touchdown and ran for two. The win sent shockwaves around the state, and established North Penn as the overwhelming 4A favorite.

The following week, North Penn flexed for a state audience, beating Neshaminy in the PCN Game of the Week 35-17, rushing for 300 yards as a team an Akins continued his monster year with a 161 yard, 3 touchdown performance. Homecoming welcomed the 6-1 CB East Patriots, and saw another offensive show, with three rushing touchdowns from Hearns and a pair from Akins in a 38-7 win. Week nine was a near disaster, with Pennsbury trailing just 21-19 at halftime after a pair of fumbles led to short field touchdowns for the Falcons. But the Knights opened the second half with a 12 play, 80 yard touchdown drive, that not only added to their lead but physically wore down Pennsbury, who broke in the second half. The Knights scored 22 unanswered points in the 43-19 victory. The Knights finished the season by rolling rival CB West, taking a 28-7 halftime lead in a 41-7 victory in the regular season finale. The win not only gave the Knights their first undefeated regular season in school history and clinched the top seed in the District 1 playoff, but knocked CB West out of the postseason. It was also the first time CB West ever lost to a school in three straight seasons.

North Penn finished the regular season as a wire-to-wire #1 in Pennsylvania. They were top seed in the District 1-2-4 subregional and the only top 10 team in the state to make the bracket. Glen Mills dropped out of playoff contention with a week 10 loss to Altoona, keeping the 8-2 Bulls out of the postseason. District 2’s Scranton earned the #2 seed with a 10-0 regular season, while Quakertown at 9-1 was seeded third. Cheltenham, West Chester East, Pennridge, Interboro, and Ridley rounded out the subregional bracket.

Excitement was building for a potential eastern final with #2 Cumberland Valley. The Eagles rolled through the regular season at 10-0, capping the season with 500 yards rushing against Harrisburg. JP McCaskey was the other ranked team in D3, slotted at #9 after a 9-1 regular season. District 11 had a pair of ranked squads in #7 Parkland and #10 East Stroudsburg South, who would meet in the first round of the playoffs, while 9-1 Easton had been ranked as high as 4 before loss to Altoona, but they retained the top seed in D11. Out west, #3 Gateway, #4 Pittsburgh Central Catholic, #5 Penn Hills, #6 Upper St. Clair, and $8 Mount Lebanon all were rated in the top ten in the state. While Upper St. Clair was the only undefeated team in the group, each had traded losses with each other in the rugged WPIAL regular season. And in the Philadelphia Catholic League, the finals were set with St. Joseph’s Prep meeting Cardinal O’Hara. Prep ran through the regular season undefeated and had been the Inquirer’s #1 ranked team ahead of North Penn, while O’Hara’s only two losses on the year were to the Hawks and Knights.

North Penn opened the District 1 playoff with Central League champions and eight seeded Ridley. Akins scored on the first drive of the game and Casertano added a touchdown early in the second quarter to take control. But Ridley hung around, slowing the Knights offense for much of the game. But Ridley could barely move the ball - Hearns intercepted a pass in the red zone in the second quarter, then Ridley did not cross midfield again until garbage time in a 28-7 win.

District 1 semifinals brought Pennridge to town in a rematch of the week five blowout. However, Pennridge did have All State tailback Ryan Greiser this time, who missed the regular season match up with a shoulder injury. Greiser made his presence known on the opening drive, an 80 yard touchdown march where the talented junior ran for 61 yards, which set up a 1 yard TD. On the next drive, Pennridge picked up all of the omentum when it stuffed a North Penn fake punt, and had the ball in business at the Knights 38. That’s when the first disaster struck. The Rams tried to run a screen pass to Greiser, but Adam Hearns jumped the route from his safety spot, and a 59 yard pick-6 tied the game. That’s when Deanco Oliver took over. Oliver caught a 51 yard pass on a go-route on the next drive to give the Knights a lead. A long Pennridge touchdown pass re-tied things at 14 and it looked like the Rams would be tied at halftime, but Oliver returned a punt 43 yards in the final minute of the first half, then caught a 10 yard touchdown pass to go up 21-14 at the break. In the second half, Akins scored a 36 yard touchdown to break things open. A 35 yard pass by Hearns to Oliver on their next drive set up a 26 yard Hearns touchdown run, and once again the Knights won going away. Oliver finished the 42-21 win with six catches for 143 yards and two touchdowns, plus the punt return and an interception. Akins ran for 178 yards on 20 carries, and Hearns threw for 146 yards and two touchdowns, ran for a TD, and returned an interception for a TD. The win punched North Penn’s ticket to the subregional final and state quarterfinal.

The rest of the quarterfinals were set in a classic weekend of games. Out west, the WPIAL tournament was as good as advertised, with North Hills upsetting #3 Gateway in quarterfinals to crash the party of top ten teams in the state. That set up a match up with North Hills and Pittsburgh Central Catholic, with the added layer of intrigue of North Hill’s running back and Miami (FL) recruit Andrew Johnson, who played for the Vikings as a sophomore and junior. In the WPIAL semi, it was Eugue Jarvis, not Johnson who shined, as the diminutive PCC junior ran for 174 yards and a pair of touchdowns in a 24-6 win to put the Vikings back in the WPIAL final. In the other semi, undefeated Upper St. Clair smothered Penn Hills, harassing quarterback Anthony Morelli into a 6-18 night for just 92 yards, while senior running back Kevin Matthews ran for 243 yards and a touchdown in the 19-13 win. Pittsburgh Central Catholic and Upper St. Clair would meet for the WPIAL title for the first time since 1988. Also in the west, State College knocked off Altoona 24-7 to advance to quarters, while Erie Cathedral Prep thrashed Brashear 45-7.

In the east, Cumberland Valley continued their death march, as the Eagles rushed fro 434 yards and 27 first downs in a 32-14 win over Reading (holding star fullback James Bryant to 35 yards on the ground). Cumberland Valley ran for 882 yards in their two District 3 playoff games. Meanwhile, in District 11, Easton knocked off defending state champion Parkland in the final, 23-15 and winning their first D11 title since 1993. And in the other District 1 semifinal, Interboro used a suffocating defense to blow out West Chester East, 35-7, and clinch their second straight subregional finals appearance. WC East came in averaging over 34 points per game, but turned the ball over three times and were sacked five times in a contest that was never close. Interboro tailback Jake Sheffield ran for 140 yards and a touchdown in the win.

Interboro came in to the final undefeated at 10-0. However, their first two games against teams with winning records came in the District 1 playoffs. Their undersized but quick defense was their calling card, which had not given up more than 13 points in a game all season. They also were in the market for revenge after losing in the D1 final in 2002 to North Penn, where they struggled to contain Akins, who ran for 144 yards and three touchdowns.

On the Knights first drive, Akins continued his dominance of Interboro with a 32 yard run inside the 10. Jim Casertano bowled in for a touchdown and North Penn was in business. After a three and out, Akins ran for 35 yards and a touchdown on the following drive. Interboro hung around, with Sheffield scoring in the second quarter to cut the lead to 14-7 at the break. At halftime, tackle Ryan Adams said that the message was “let’s just run right at them.” And they did. Akins opened the second half with a touchdown to end an 11 play drive, all runs by Akins and Casertano, and give North Penn a two score lead, and while Interboro hit a long pass to cut the margin to 21-14, Akins scored from 64 yards out on a counter play to end any hopes of an upset. Sheffield did carve up the North Penn defense, running for 191 yards, catching five passes for 64 yards, and scoring twice, but Akins was brilliant, running for 209 yards and four touchdowns in the 43-28 win.

Out west, Pittsburgh Central Catholic had a similarly impressive showing, forcing five turnovers and getting an electric performance from Eugene Jarvis (five touchdowns - three rushing, one receiving, and an 89 yard punt return) in a 42-10 route of the previous undefeated Upper St. Clair Panthers. State College advanced to the western final with a 28-14 win over Erie Cathedral Prep, putting the Little Lions in the final four for the first time.

The week did have one massive upset - Easton knocking off state #2 Cumberland Valley in Hershey Stadium. The Red Rovers, not the Eagles, were the dominant rushing attack, pounding out 303 yards (getting 195 from fullback Brad Piperata and 140 from tailback Ovid Goulbourne) and broke a 20-20 tie with two fourth quarter touchdowns in a 34-20 win. They also held the CV rushing attack to under 200 yards for the first time all year, and All State fullback Dan Lawlor managed just 89 yards on 24 carries.

The Easton and North Penn wins set up a predicament - both schools have regularly scheduled Thanksgiving Day games. While North Penn and Lansdale Catholic preliminarily agreed to cancel should the Knights advance to the Eastern Final, Easton and Phillipsburg were not about to cancel their game. Furthermore, like East Stroudsburg back in 1995, the Red Rovers planned on playing the game and their starters on Thanksgiving two days before their state playoff game with North Penn. Phillipsburg, who went undefeated in the regular season before being upset in the New Jersey Group 4 playoffs, gave the week a sour start for Easton in a 26-21 victory, intercepting a pass at the 10 in the final minute of the game.

The Red Rovers were one of the premier rushing attacks in the state. Piperata came into the eastern final with 1,610 rushing yards and 20 touchdowns, while Goulbourne ran for 890 yards and had 23 TDs despite missing four games with a hamstring injury. The offense also featured All State tight end Kris Bisci. It was also an elite run defense, with All State linebackers Marcus Millen and Jason Groller. Their only common opponent was CB West, who Easton shut out in their opener, 20-0, while the Knights thrashed them in the regular season finale, 41-7. The night before, Easton’s basketball team beat North Penn on a buzzer beater, which the Lansdale faithful hoped was not a feature of their football contest.

While Akins dominated the District 1 playoff, the eastern final was the Adam Hearns show. On the first drive of the game, Easton had the Knights facing a third and long, when Hearns ran a bootleg play and kept for a 47 yard gain, getting pushed out inside the five. Two plays later, Jim Casesrtano gave North Penn an early 7-0 lead. Easton answered with a 10 play, 76 yard drive, but had to settle for a field goal when the Knight defense stiffened in the red zone. North Penn struck right back, using wingback Jim Laky on runs of 12, 15, and an 18 yard touchdown to go up 14-3. Easton would drive into the red zone two more times, but North Penn’s defense stiffened, forcing a fumble and holding to another field goal. In the final minute of the half, Hearns led North Penn on a scoring drive, scrambling for 22 yards, then hitting Deanco Oliver on a rocket screen for a 32 yard gain, setting up a David Kornack field goal as time expired in the first half to take a 17-6 lead into the break.

After halftime, Easton showed some desperation, going for it on fourth and 1 at midfield, but linebacker Jeff Ball blew up the play in the backfield. Five plays later, Hearns scored on a QB draw from 14 yards out. Easton answered with a 53 yard touchdown by Goulbourne, but Hearns played hero again at the end of the third quarter. After a shanked Easton punt, Hearns hit Oliver over the top for a 32 yard touchdown on the first play to ice the game at 31-14. Both teams scored in the fourth quarter to account for the final margin, a 38-21 Knights win. Hearns was brilliant, throwing for a career high 191 yards and a touchdown while rushing for 109 yards and a touchdown. Akins added 99 yards on the ground, while Jeff Ball had 100 yards on three catches from his tight end spot. The Knight defense gave up 342 yards rushing and Easton only punted once, but they stepped up in big moments, forcing three turnovers, stopping the Rovers on downs twice, and toughening up for two field goals in the red zone. After the game, Piperata noted that “North Penn is the best team in the state.” They would have a chance to prove it in their first trip to Hershey.

In the western final, Pittsburgh Central Catholic rolled in a 30-0 shutout of State College. Eugene Jarvis continued his monster year with 134 yards on 16 carries, his 11th straight 100 yard effort. The defense also sacked State College quarterback Kevin Suhey six times. Since a 49-48 triple overtime loss to Woodland Hills in week seven, the Viking defense had given up a total of 43 points in six games. Jarvis was the star of the offense, rushing for 1,464 yards and a state leading 36 touchdowns headed into the final. Quarterback Shane Murray had thrown for over 1,200 yards and rushed for over 500. The defense had thrived since the Woodland Hills OT shootout. It was also an incredibly young team, with 14 underclassmen starters, compared to the seventeen seniors (including ten on defense) for North Penn. The Vikings were worried about North Penn’s experience, particularly Akins, who head coach Art Walker likened to Eric Dickerson.

The 4A championship game had to be moved from Saturday to Sunday after a blizzard engulfed central Pennsylvania. The delay seemed to affect both teams, as the offenses traded punts early, before North Penn put together a touchdown drive near the end of the first quarter, with Akins plunging in from two yards out to get the Knights on the board. However, the rest of the first half was trench warfare, with Pittsburgh Central Catholic able to tie things up on a blocked punt inside the North Penn five, scooped up for a touchdown.

North Penn imposed their will in the second half, and took advantage of a host of PCC miscues. On their first drive of the second half, Hearns hit Casertano with a screen pass, and the fullback busted a tackle at the line of scrimmage and rumbled 35 yards into Viking territory. He finished the job from one yard out to give the Knights a 14-7 lead. Disaster struck on the ensuing kickoff, when Eugne Jarvis fumbled at his own 23. Two plays later, Hearns ran a quarterback sweep 18 yards for a touchdown. But where North Penn really took over was on the following series. Shane Murray got loose and scrambled 72 yards, but was caught from behind by Akins at the 8. But the North Penn defense flexed its muscle in the red zone, with George Farrell tackling Jarvis in the backfield, forcing an incomplete pass, then Jeff Ball snuffing out a screen to hold PCC to a field goal. Akins ripped off a 33 yard run on the next drive to set up a field goal, which preserved the Knights two touchdown lead. In the fourth quarter, the Vikings threatened again, but fumbled at the 25. Jim Laky immediately flipped momentum with a 67 yard run, and Casertano scored his second TD of the day to take a 31-10 lead. Linebacker Eric Halberstadt got a carry at fullback in the fourth quarter, and finished the scoring with a 66 yard touchdown rumble. The storybook season was complete with a 37-10 win in the state final.

North Penn ran all over the vaunted Pittsburgh Central Catholic defense, piling up 419 rushing yards. Kevin Akins had a career day, a 26 carry, 210 yard performance with the first quarter touchdown. Laky, Halberstadt, and Hearns all had more than 50 yards on the ground. It was a career day not only for the backs, but the very underrated offensive line of Ryan Adams, Mike Partain, Zach Detwiler, Chris Knechtel, and Dotun Akintoye. The defense also held Eugene Jarvis under 100 yards, and out of the end zone for the only time all season. After being doubted in the press for giving up a lot of points during their playoff run, the North Penn defense held Pittsburgh Central Catholic without an offensive touchdown.

The honors poured in after the season. Kevin Akins earned All State honors as a defensive back (to help fit in a wealth of running back talent across the state), but lost out on AP Player of the Year honors to West Catholic’s Curtis Brinkley. He was part of a star studded group of finalists that included Bishop McDevitt sophomore LeSean McCoy and Wilson West Lawn quarterback Chad Henne. Akins did win the PA Football News Mr. Football Award. Akins was the first North Penn player to rush for 2,000 yards in a seasonJim Casertano joined Akins on the AP first team as the defensive athlete for his work at defensive end and linebacker. PA Football News included Deanco Oliver on the second team as a defensive back along with linebacker Jeff Ball. Those four were joined on the Inquirer’s All Southeastern PA team by offensive tackle Ryan Adams. Akins and Oliver both played in the 2003 Big 33 Game. Dick Beck finished as the runner-up to PCC’s Art Walker for the AP Coach of the Year honors and became the second straight person to win a state title in his second year as a head coach.

The real debate at the end of the season was not settled by the state championship game. ST. Joseph’s Prep slaughtered Cardinal O’Hara 45-7 in the Philly Catholic League final, in a game that was barely that close. The Hawks finished the season 12-0, were ranked ahead of the Knights in the Philadelphia Inquirer poll, and were the #3 team in the country by the USA Today. North Penn was ranked 10th nationally by the USA Today, though Rivals had North Penn as the #1 team in the east, with SJP ranked #5. Common opponents were barely helpful, as SJP beat Bethlehem Cahtolic 40-6, while North Penn beat Becahi 38-7 (though Becahi finished a disappointing 4-6 that year and was not quite the measuring stick either school thought when they scheduled the game).. North Penn beat O’Hara 35-7, while SJP beat them 28-10 in the regular season before the title game demolition. SJP did have the most impressive win of the two teams, a 10-7 win over perennial New York powerhouse Brooklyn Poly Prep. While no coach would go on record picking a winner, Cardinal O’Hara fullback Matt Gough did tell the Inquirer that North Penn’s speed advantage would be too much for SJP. The Knight offense was certainly more prolific, but SJP’s defense did not yield more than ten points to any team, and featured All State performers Greg Ambrogi, Matt Parkhurst, and Brian Tracz. It certainly is a dream match up for high school football aficionados and message board denizens.

Kevin Akins enjoyed an excellent career at Boston College, where he was a multi-purpose defender who played cornerback, safety, and rush linebacker in his career. He was a multi-year starter on some of the most successful teams in BC history. Jim Casertano unfortunately did not have his college career pan out quite the same. He played defensive end at Delaware, but a major knee injury during his freshman season ended his career. Jeff Ball was a three year starter at Rhode Island at linebacker, while Mike Partain was a three year starter and All Ivy League center at Columbia. Eric Halberstadt and Dotun Akintoye were teammates at Duquesne, with Halberstadt earning all MAAC honors at linebacker. Akintoye is now a writer and editor at ESPN.

After his monster junior season, Adam Hearns was rated as one of the best dual threat quarterbacks in the country. He committed to Syracuse, but a fight before his senior season cost him his scholarship offers and caused him to miss a portion of his senior season. After spending a post-grad year at Hargrave Military Academy, Hearns played at Western Carolina, where was a three year starter, initially at quarterback before moving to wide receiver. Deanco Oliver also spent a year at Hargrave, then played cornerback at Syracuse before transferring to IUP to finish his college career.

Dick Beck is entering his 18th year as the head coach at North Penn. He is 176-40 with the Knights and has won 12 Suburban One Conference championships, seven District 1 titles, and two trips to state finals, though this is his only season winning the big prize. He is a member of the Montgomery County Hall of Fame and is a three time head coach of the Pennsylvania Big 33 team.
 
Great job Rover. 2003 North Penn was certainly one of the better state championship teams to come along. Note: Mike Carey and Mike Pettine Sr. were both assistant coaches under Beck that one season. How much affect did they have on North Penn’s run? Would they still have won? Is it a coincidence that North Penn never won again with arguably more talented teams in the following years without Carey and Pettine Sr.(or at least Carey) I wonder if it haunts Beck at all not winning it again without “co-pilots" of that magnitude so to speak. Beck is a really good coach and all but……………. Also how much did Prep’s season get the ball rolling as far as the Philadelphia Catholic League joining the PIAA several years later. I feel it had to have a major influence.
 
Beck is, and always has been a very good coach. Carey for his part always stood apart from other assistants (especially as OLine coach). He took assistant coaching to another level.

On another note, Pettine JR. deserves credit for the Knights title run that year because he was responsible for the school not getting consolidated into two schools a few years before.

Lastly both Ridley and Interboro were loaded with talent that year and most players on both teams lived virtually in the same neighborhood. If you combined Ridley and Interboro it would still dwarf in size to North Penn. Just Saying
 
Great job Rover. 2003 North Penn was certainly one of the better state championship teams to come along. Note: Mike Carey and Mike Pettine Sr. were both assistant coaches under Beck that one season. How much affect did they have on North Penn’s run? Would they still have won? Is it a coincidence that North Penn never won again with arguably more talented teams in the following years without Carey and Pettine Sr.(or at least Carey) I wonder if it haunts Beck at all not winning it again without “co-pilots" of that magnitude so to speak. Beck is a really good coach and all but……………. Also how much did Prep’s season get the ball rolling as far as the Philadelphia Catholic League joining the PIAA several years later. I feel it had to have a major influence.

Carey was the DC and that was the best I have seen NPs D. To me that put them over the top. I Forgot Pettine Sr. was there ,also huge. Becks record speaks for itself but plenty of years that he underachieved in the playoffs. That's where a coach is measured. NP has numbers and talent they should win.
 
Great job Rover. 2003 North Penn was certainly one of the better state championship teams to come along. Note: Mike Carey and Mike Pettine Sr. were both assistant coaches under Beck that one season. How much affect did they have on North Penn’s run? Would they still have won? Is it a coincidence that North Penn never won again with arguably more talented teams in the following years without Carey and Pettine Sr.(or at least Carey) I wonder if it haunts Beck at all not winning it again without “co-pilots" of that magnitude so to speak. Beck is a really good coach and all but……………. Also how much did Prep’s season get the ball rolling as far as the Philadelphia Catholic League joining the PIAA several years later. I feel it had to have a major influence.

I forgot to include that Carey was a coordinator, I meant to when I laid the piece out.

Which North Penn team is arguably more talented than this one? Eight Division I guys, including pretty much all of their skill guys. Akins is probably the best player Beck has had at North Penn (I’m not counting kickers here). It’s not like they’ve had a ‘96 Penn Hills or ‘08 Gateway team that didn’t win it.

I don’t know enough about the inner workings of the PCL, but I would venture a guess that this year had a lot to do with joining the PIAA. It’s the first year I remember the talk of the PCL champ being the team to beat. That drumbeat obviously got pretty loud.
 
Great research and writing! I would be really interesting to your break down of the Prep team that year. They were pretty stacked.
 
Great research and writing! I would be really interesting to your break down of the Prep team that year. They were pretty stacked.

That’s probably an appropriate bonus chapter! I’m trying to get the ‘04 PCC team out today or tomorrow, but I’ll see what I can cook up for Prep. Ted Silary’s archive is also awesome for PCL stuff.
 
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Rover, I think NP shoulda, coulda, woulda in 2005 and especially 2008. They gave those games away to Liberty. Said it then and say it now, Andy Reid specials.
 
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