Council Rock North undefeated in Bucks County boys soccer halfway through the season, ranked 9th in PA

NEWTOWN — Experienced and efficient are perhaps the best descriptions for the Northern Indians of Council Rock.

The team remained undefeated with a pair of shutouts this past week. On the field Tuesday night, CR North picked up a 1-0 SOL Patriot victory over Pennsbury at Walt Snyder Stadium. The Indians added to that with a 1-0 victory over Central Bucks East on Thursday. Council Rock North is 10-0-1 halfway through the regular season and is ranked ninth in the state among Class 4A schools by the Pennsylvania Soccer Coaches Association.

It is an experienced group: Tuesday’s starting line-up consisted of nine seniors and two juniors.

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There are 14 seniors on the roster, many of them part of a team that won 19 games last year before losing in the Class 4A state semifinals to Conestoga. The experience is evident.

“They know each other inside and out as far as their movement on and off the ball,” veteran coach Joe Stackhouse said. “They create things.

“A lot of these guys were role players last year that added to the depth that we had. This year, they are the guys that are in the spotlight.”

The Indians have been particularly impressive at the back, conceding just three goals and shutting out six opponents over the course of their nine games.

Senior Calvin Hopkins is one of the best goalies in the area. He said he and his teammates are proud of their defensive efforts.

“I think it’s the biggest part of the team,” Hopkins said. “We’ve got three centre-backs who are over 6 feet tall and they’ve done a great job. I’ve made some decent saves this season but I give all (the credit) to them. They’ve been perfect for me.”

Senior defenseman James Reynolds, like Hopkins, is one of his team’s captains. He said the experience on the roster helps the Indians maintain their poise during the game.

“We have a lot of returning guys,” he said. “Everybody on the field played last year, and it’s all about sticking together and keeping a positive attitude. Nobody’s going to tear each other down, and as long as everybody stays calm and together, we’re confident we’re going to win.”

Junior defender Darek Miller starts part-time at the back. He spoke about the team’s cohesion as a unit.

“We’ve all played together before,” he said. “We know what we have and we know who we are, and we’re really ready for whatever comes next.”

Despite all the recent successes, Reynolds acknowledged there are no guarantees the victories will be repeated this season.

“It’s not going to be easier,” he said. “It’s going to be as difficult as last year. I think we can do it, but of course we have to take it game by game. We focus on that game. We think about the future, but that’s not always our highest priority.”

High School Soccer Rankings

Council Rock North was also one of five schools in the region to make the state rankings.

Central Bucks South, which lost the Class 4A state title game to Conestoga last fall, is ranked No. 2 in this week’s coaches’ poll. The Titans improved to 8-1 Tuesday night with a 4-1 win over Souderton.

First-year coach Ed Brnardic said his team has developed in the first half of the season.

“We’ve shown a steady improvement from game to game as the season has progressed,” he said. “There’s still a lot we need to improve on, but nothing unexpected when you bring players from different club teams together. We enjoy our football and we enjoy our time together.”

La Salle, the reigning Philadelphia Catholic League champion, is in third place in Class 4A. The Explorers were a perfect 8-0 through Tuesday and 5-0 in the PCL.

Faith Christian topped the Class 2A poll, with the Lions going 8-0 through Tuesday.

Conwell Egan was ranked No. 6 in the same poll. The Eagles are 9-1 through Tuesday and are a perfect 5-0 in the Catholic League.

Stackhouse spoke about the quality of play at area high schools.

“I think the whole Philadelphia area in general is known for having so many great feeder clubs and youth systems,” he said. “Philadelphia, if you look at the history of the game, has always been a hotbed.”

Rick Woelfel is a freelance writer who covers football for the Bucks County Courier Times and phillyburbs.com.

This article originally appeared in Bucks County Courier Times: Council Rock North Indians football undefeated, ranked in PA state poll