Bobby Hill's last-minute catch clinches North Penn's upset win against Pennsbury in first round
FAIRLESS HILLS — There was little doubt what was coming if North Penn found the end zone.
The Knights were trailing 21-14 on the road at Pennsbury in Friday's first-round District 1 Class 6A playoff battle. They had squandered a 14-0 halftime lead, starting with a muffed recovery attempt on the opening kickoff of the third quarter that seemed to start a downward spiral.
But panic is not a word in the vocabulary of a storied program like North Penn, and that's even more so with senior quarterback Ryan Zeltt leading the offense.
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The Knights did score, on a 9-yard scamper by running back Amir Major, and what came next was expected. Coach Dick Beck opted to go for two points, and Zeltt fed a perfect lob pass to tight end Bobby Hill, who ran wide open in the back of the end zone and pulled in what proved to be the clinching score in a 22-21 victory.
Pennsbury went on to start a promising drive, but a false start penalty and only working with one timeout proved to cost them. A last-second throw toward the end zone by quarterback Shane McGurrin would be the final play of the season for Pennsbury, and the celebration was on for the 14th-seeded Knights.
"We call them Bobby touchdowns. Nice little one-handed catch," said Zeltt, who is still undecided on a college choice. "We weren't thinking about the seeds. Everyone thought we were the underdog, and I don't think anyone cared that we were. I didn't want this to be my last game."
North Penn (6-5) will travel to No. 11 Central Bucks West for a quarterfinal game next Friday, while Pennsbury's best season in years came to a heartbreaking end, though it did mount a valiant comeback after getting burned on several big plays and an onside kick recovery by North Penn in the first half.
The Falcons scored on three of their four second-half drives, blocked a North Penn field goal in the process, and physically took over on the offensive side of the ball before Zeltt's game-winning, 61-yard drive. He finished 16 for 23 through the air for 197 yards and a touchdown.
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Three things we’ve learned:
North Penn is resilient. Despite missing a few starters and appearing to be on their way to a second-half meltdown, the Knights put together a brilliant fourth-quarter drive with the season on the line that featured only one play over 10 yards. The defense, which had struggled for the entire second half, then held on to avenge a loss to the Falcons just three weeks ago, one in which they yielded 44 points.
Pennsbury has a bright future. While they lose McGurrin and star running back Galamama Mulbah, the Falcons rebounded from back-to-back winless seasons with a 9-2 record and an outright SOL National Conference championship. That's a lot to build on for coach Galen Snyder. Among the names to watch for next year are Jackson Lenz, Nathan Beighley, Chris Karamis and CJ Wisor. "What he did this year was phenomenal," Beck said of Snyder, adding that, in his opinion, Snyder deserved Coach of the Year honors.
North Penn will be a tough out. The Knights did lose to CB West 35-14 back on Sept. 23, but they have weapons all over the offense and a defense that has proven it can get stops when needed.
Game balls:
Galamama Mulbah, Pennsbury: In his final game for the Falcons, Mulbah scored all three of his team's touchdowns in a 37-carry, 285-yard effort. Many of those yards were either after contact or up the middle.
Amir Major, North Penn: The junior running back not only scored the late touchdown for the Knights, but also led his team with 16 carries for 120 yards.
Xavier Bryan, North Penn: The senior wide receiver had a game-high five catches and 73 receiving yards, including a beautiful route in the second quarter for a 27-yard touchdown that made it 14-0.
They said it:
"When he threw it, all I could think was, 'Bobby, please catch that ball,'" said Beck about the winning two-point conversion play.
This article originally appeared on Bucks County Courier Times: PA Bucks Montco High School Football North Penn upsets Pennsbury
