Written by: Benjamin Goldstein

SOUDERTON, PA. — With their 28-24 victory over the Neshaminy Redskins in the final week of regular season action, the Pennsbury Falcons punched their ticket into their second-straight postseason. However, unlike last year, they will be road-dogs as they are the 14-seed in the PIAA 6A District One playoff, taking on the 10-0 Souderton Indians.

Keep in mind, we have seen it so many times, it does not always matter how your regular season went, it is more about getting into the dance and keep dancing. That is what the Falcons look to do in 2023.

Here are three storylines to look for on Friday night:

The Clincher

It was a thrilling way to clinch November football for Pennsbury, as they did it with their first win at the newly-renovated Falcon Field.

On senior night, the Falcons found themselves down 10 with four minutes to go in the third quarter, losing all their momentum. That was, until, Nate Beighley returned Neshaminy’s kick for 99 yards into the endzone, making it a three-point game and completely flipping the momentum. It ultimately allowed Pennsbury to recover total control of the game.

“It started up front with the guys blocking,” Beighley said to the Bucks County Herald. “They made the perfect lane. I stepped left to shift the guys over, they set up a hole, they blocked and I just ran. I felt like I walked into the end zone.”

On the next possession, Jordan Czerniak gave the Falcons the lead with a four-yard rushing touchdown, and they never looked back.

There was a bit of a scare as Neshaminy quarterback, Colin Baker, drove the Redskins up the field with some stunning passes and improbable catches by his receivers, all the way up to the four-yard-line, where Ben Primich and the Pennsbury defense were able to hold them.

First-round opponent will not be easy

Last season, the top-seeded Pennsbury fell to the North Penn Knights in round one of Districts at Falcon Field in a shocking 22-21 defeat. They will look to re-write that narrative in 2023, but it will not be easy.

The Souderton Indians and their powerful passing game went 10-0 this season, however, the two teams do have common opponents. Pennsbury beat Council Rock South, 28-19, and Souderton beat CR South, 7-0. Both teams have also slightly beaten Central Bucks East and each played a close game against Pennridge.

While it will not be easy facing an undefeated team on the road, Pennsbury definitely has a shot, but it is probably going to have to play its cleanest game of the year.

When asked if playing on the road fazes that Falcons at all, Primich, last week’s DeLonenzo’s The Burg’s player of the game said, “Not at all.”

“We’ve really shown our team is almost peaking at this point,” the senior linebacker said following their win over Neshaminy. “We started off slow, but all of our players are starting to become real playmakers, and it’s great to see.”

Just keep dancing

The Pennsbury Falcons seem to be playing their best football here late in the season after putting up 40-plus points on Abington and playing a great game against their rivals, Neshaminy. They have all the momentum they need heading into the postseason. And that may be their key, to keep riding the momentum.

We have seen it so many times in the past, not just in high school sports, but even in the pros. It does not matter what you did in the regular season or how good your team is on paper, it is all about what you can do in the playoffs if you get in.

And if a team has the mentality, they can go a long way, like the Falcons.

“The mentality is there,” Primich said, “and that’s the best thing. That’s what we need.”

“I think it’s just another chance,” Beighley said after the Week 10 win. “Last year [loss to North Penn in the first round of Districts] was just a trial run. We lost the first round, but it’s just an experience.”

General game information