Titans go to the air in win

C.B. South running back Josh Adams (12) is surrounded by North Penn defenders on this first-half play. CLEM MURRAY / Staff Photographer

C.B. South's passing attack brought North Penn to the ground in a 36-29 showdown.

By Kate Harman, For The Inquirer

Posted: October 06, 2012

Their 36 points might have been the fewest they have put on the board all season, but those five touchdowns might have been the most important in the Central Bucks South Titans' season.

After completing only three passes for 28 yards and no touchdowns in the first half, South quarterback John Pileggi turned up the heat on the North Penn defense in the final 24 minutes, throwing four touchdowns.

His second-half effort, and a strong performance from the defense, helped South defeat the host Knights, 36-29, in a Suburban One League Continental Conference faceoff.

Trailing by 23-7 at halftime and being dominated on both sides of the ball, the Titans (6-0 overall, 3-0 Continental) completed an improbable comeback, using a no-huddle offense and basically abandoning the run for Pileggi's arm.

The senior threw the ball 14 times in the second half for 175 yards, totaling 203 yards in the game. Cale Mosher and Paul Weeks had two touchdown catches apiece for the Titans, with Mosher also catching a critical two-point conversion late in the fourth quarter that tied the game at 29.

The win puts the Titans atop the Continental and gives the Knights (3-3, 2-1) their first league loss.

It was the closest game all season for the eighth-ranked Titans, who have dominated opponents all season. Until Friday night, South had won its previous games by 35, 37, 42, 28, and 16 points.

Besides a 92-yard kickoff return for a touchdown by Josh Adams, the first half was completely dominated by the Knights. Sixth-ranked North Penn had 16 first downs in the first 24 minutes, as opposed to C.B. South, which had only two.

In the first half, senior quarterback Mike Berstecher was 10 for 13 for 182 yards and two touchdowns for North Penn, and Kyle Mayfield, a senior, had 11 carries for 79 yards.

Mayfield had 40 yards rushing in the second half, before he was taken out with an injury after a hard hit.

The Titans had 12 second-half first downs, surpassing their first-half total in their first offensive drive alone. The Knights had only six first downs in the second half, and punted the ball three times on five possessions.

C.B. South 7 0 14 15 – 36

North Penn 14 9 0 6 – 29

NP: Kris Akins 26 pass from Mike Berstecher (Brandon Mandes kick)

CBS: Josh Adams 92 return (Evan Stahl kick)

NP: Kyle Mayfield 15 run (Mandes kick)

NP: George Shipp 4 pass from Berstecher (pass failed)

NP: FG Mandes 24

CBS: Cale Mosher 1 pass from John Pileggi (Stahl kick)

CBS: Paul Weeks 4 pass from Pileggi (Stahl kick)

NP: Steve Gozur 5 run (kick failed)

CBS: Weeks 10 pass from Pileggi (Mosher pass from Pileggi)

CBS: Mosher 18 pass from Pileggi (Stahl kick)