DOYLESTOWN — For the first two quarters Friday night at War Memorial Field, Central Bucks West looked like a team searching for answers.
North Penn had built a 20-7 halftime lead; its offense was moving the football, and the Bucks were in danger of falling further behind in a matchup between two teams with serious expectations in the Suburban One League National Conference.
Then halftime happened.
Whatever was said inside the C.B. West locker room changed the complexion of the game.
The Bucks emerged with renewed energy, forced North Penn into mistakes, scored 21 second-half points, and limited a high-powered Knights offense to just six after the break. When North Penn made one final push for a tie in the closing minute, senior Louie Cipollo supplied the play that sealed a dramatic 28-26 C.B. West victory.
“They’re super talented and made plays, and I think it put us back on our heels a little bit,” C.B. West head coach Rob Rowan said. “We certainly didn’t play our best football in the first half. We were going to define who we were in that second half with what we put on the field.” The Bucks did exactly that.
A completely different second half
North Penn entered Friday night having won two straight games in convincing fashion, beating Upper Dublin 35-0 and Pennsbury 35-7 after its early-season loss to Central York.
For a half, the Knights looked ready to keep that momentum going.
North Penn carried a 20-7 advantage into the locker room, but C.B. West refused to let the deficit define the night.
“The mentality just changed. The second half, we had our heads on fire and weren’t going to let anything go their way,” senior fullback and linebacker Nick Miletto said.
West’s defense began creating opportunities almost immediately. A fumbled North Penn snap gave the Bucks possession at the Knights’ 19-yard line. Three plays later, Miletto punched in a touchdown to bring West back within striking distance.
Turnovers proved costly for North Penn throughout the night. C.B. West’s first two touchdown drives covered only 27 and 19 yards after the Bucks recovered a pair of Knights fumbles.
“We can’t make it easy for the other team,” North Penn head coach Dick Beck said. The Bucks took advantage of every opening.
West finally takes the lead
While turnovers helped West get back into the game, the drive that eventually put the Bucks in front required them to earn it the hard way.
C.B. West marched 64 yards in eight plays, finishing the possession with quarterback Josh George powering across the goal line from one yard out. For the first time all night, the Bucks had the lead.
C.B. West 21, North Penn 20.
The momentum that had belonged to North Penn throughout the opening half had completely shifted.
West’s defense continued to contain a Knights offense that had produced 70 points over its previous two games, and the Bucks put themselves in position to create some breathing room late in the fourth quarter.
Once again, they turned to Miletto. The senior broke free for his second touchdown of the night, scoring from 14 yards out with 2:44 remaining to extend the lead to 28-20.
Miletto finished with touchdown runs of 11 and 14 yards and became one of the driving forces behind C.B. West’s comeback.
“It was a great win,” Miletto said. “The mentality just changed. The second half, we had our heads on fire and weren’t going to let anything go their way.”
But against North Penn, eight points was not enough to feel comfortable.
The Knights had one more run in them
The Knights had one more in them
North Penn took possession needing a touchdown and responded exactly how a defending District One champion would be expected to respond.
The Knights drove 80 yards in eight plays, refusing to allow the game to end quietly.
Senior quarterback London Evans eventually found senior running back Rylei Gray for a 12-yard touchdown, cutting the West advantage to 28-26 with just 55 seconds remaining.
There was no question about what came next.
North Penn went for two.
A successful conversion would tie the game.
Evans dropped back and looked over the middle.
Cipollo was waiting.
The C.B. West senior stepped in front of the pass and intercepted it, ending North Penn’s comeback attempt and sending the West sideline into celebration.
One play.
One read.
One interception.
Game over.
“As a coach, with what you want to see from your guys in a response against a really good football team – it doesn’t get any better than that,” Rowan said.
A response one week in the making
The way C.B. West won Friday night carried a little extra meaning because of what had happened just seven days earlier.
The Bucks entered last week unbeaten before traveling to Pennridge for another major SOL National matchup.
West battled back to tie that game in the fourth quarter, only for Pennridge to respond with an 85-yard drive and score the winning touchdown with 28 seconds remaining in a 14-7 Rams victory.
Friday presented West with another pressure situation.
Another talented opponent.
Another game hanging in the balance late. Only this time, the decisive play belonged to the Bucks.
C.B. West improved to 4-1 overall and 1-1 in the SOL National, rebounding from its first loss of the season after opening the year with wins over Easton, Wilson West Lawn and Souderton.
North Penn dropped to 3-2 overall and 1-1 in conference play after entering the night having won three of its previous four games.
And after a first half that belonged largely to the Knights, West’s ability to respond may ultimately be the biggest takeaway from Friday night.
North Penn scored 20 points before halftime.
It scored six afterward.
C.B. West trailed by 13.
It finished the night celebrating at midfield.
For Rowan and the Bucks, that second-half response told the story.
CDS Wealth Management Stars of the Game
CDS Wealth Management Stars of the Game
OFFENSE — Nick Miletto, C.B. West Miletto scored twice on runs of 11 and 14 yards, including the fourth-quarter touchdown that gave West an eight-point cushion with 2:44 remaining.
DEFENSE — Louie Cipollo, C.B. West With North Penn one conversion away from tying the game, Cipollo intercepted the Knights’ two-point attempt with 55 seconds remaining to preserve the victory.
SPECIAL TEAMS — Mason Darrows,C.B. West converted 4/4 on PATs and contributed in all three phases of the game.
SOI Stars of the Game are presented by CDS Wealth Management.