NEWTOWN — For as much as both sides wanted to win this one, and they did, Friday night's matchup of archrivals Council Rock South and CR North also gave a glimpse of the future.

With so many non-seniors playing big roles (three of the four touchdown scorers in the Golden Hawks' 28-6 win aren't graduating in June), both coaches were able to see what they had coming back in 2025.

"We have a lot of younger guys playing," said CR South running back Gavin Lacey, one of seven sophomore starters for the Golden Hawks who also scored the game's second touchdown.

"We learned so much from this year's seniors and we want to come back next year and really be ready to go."

Council Rock South, which finished the season 4-6, used a punishing ground game, rushing for 238 yards, to notch its second straight win over the Indians (1-9) and also grabbed a 12-11 lead in the all-time series.

"We were really looking forward to this game and this was the one that we knew we had to win," Lacey said.

Junior Nate Szydlik and Lacey scored on short runs in the first quarter to help South pull away before junior Pat Malone capped the first half scoring with a 3-yard touchdown run midway through the second quarter to make it 21-0 Golden Hawks at halftime.

"I thought our defense played really well and to have (senior) Ryan Small back at linebacker and flying around after he missed a lot of the season with a hamstring injury was great to see," CR South head coach C.J. Szydlik said.

"And our younger guys, who have played really big roles all season, keep getting better and better."

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What does it mean for Council Rock North football?

With the loss, the Indians finished the season with a 1-9 record with their lone win coming against Harry S. Truman. Council Rock North heads into the 2025 campaign looking for its first winning full season since 2015. (The Indians did go 3-2 in the COVID-shortened 2020 season.)

What does it mean for Council Rock South football?

A young team like the Indians (between the two teams Friday there were only seven seniors starting), the Golden Hawks finished their season 4-6. They'll strive for more consistency in 2025 as one of their wins came in August, one in September and two in October.

Key play

After taking a 7-0 lead on their first possession of the game, the Golden Hawks got the ball right back when senior defensive back Jake Maurer, despite having a cast on his right hand, intercepted a pass deep in CR North territory. Three plays later, CR South was back in the end zone to make it 14-0.

Game balls

Nate Szydlik, CR South. The junior linebacker/running back scored the game's first touchdown on a short run in the first quarter and also made at least a dozen tackles.

Ryan Small, CR South. The senior linebacker, who missed half of the season with a hamstring injury, was all over the field defensively and also scored the Golden Hawks' final touchdown in the third quarter.

William Cabo, CR North. The junior, who stepped in at running back after numerous injuries, took over at quarterback late in the game after senior Gio Cozza was shaken up, and threw a 32-yard touchdown pass to senior Grant Capozzoli.

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They said it

"We only had four senior starters, but the rest of our seniors stayed with the program the whole way," CR North first-year head coach Brandon Garrett said. "They did whatever we asked of them. Running the scout team, helping the younger guys — everything. None of them quit and were the kind of kids we need to help us keep building the program. I couldn't be prouder of them."

"Ending the season with a win is going to help us," C.J. Szydlik said. "It makes that first weightlifting session in the offseason so much easier because we can use this to build momentum."

Drew Markol covers local sports for PhillyBurbs.com. Support our journalism with a subscription.

This article originally appeared on Bucks County Courier Times: High school football: Council Rock South gets rivalry win over CR North