Northampton senior quarterback Cooper King is excited about his team capturing the East Penn Conference (EPC) North title, but he expects more from his Konkrete Kid teammates.

With their recent 48-7 home win over Dieruff, the Kids kept their record regular season intact.

“This feels great,” beamed King. “Going 9-0 is a big milestone for us. Winning the north is just our first step. We want to go into the playoffs and win those games to keep our season going.

“The team has come a long way. We’re finally working as a whole team, and everything is flowing.”

The Kids have accounted for more than 2,500 total yards, more than 1,400 on the ground. Sophomore Caden Henritzy leads the Kids with 593 yards rushing and nine touchdowns.

King has completed 69 of 110 attempts for 1,087 yards with 14 touchdowns and zero interceptions. Junior Jalen Richardson (20 catches, 313 yards, three touchdowns), sophomore Tristen Pinnock (18, 328, 6), and senior Victor Hunt (14, 232, 3) have been his prime targets.

Hunt cherished the moment on the Senior Night win over Dieruff.

“Being a senior and winning on our home field on Senior Night means everything,” he proclaimed. “I couldn’t ask for any better circumstances.

“The team has come a long way, but we still have work to do to see through all of our goals.”

The Kids have outscored their opponents, 340-81. They opened with a hard-fought, 17-14 win over Bethlehem Catholic, and edged East Stroudsburg South, 21-20, to basically clinch the EPC North.

Head coach John Toman has watched his team flourish to reach its first pinnacle.

“Anytime you win a championship, it’s a good night,” said the legendary Toman in his first year at the helm of the Kids. “You set goals at the beginning of the season and winning the North was our first big goal.

“It was a great night for the seniors, who went through a 1-4 season last year, and they were trying to leave their mark on the program.

“Cooper King surpassed 1,000 yards passing, and that was an awesome individual accomplishment. I am really happy for the seniors, underclassmen, the school, and the community.”

The title also played a role with the loss of assistant coach Mike Gurdineer, who passed away from complications from COVID-19 in September.

“We have made adjustments to the staff to fill the void of the loss of Mike,” added Toman. “We are finally hitting our stride, and the boys have responded with continual quality practices. We feel we have improved each week since our win over East Stroudsburg South.”

The Kids will look to finish the year with an undefeated mark of 10-0 when they travel to Whitehall Friday. The Zephyrs (3-5) started the season 3-0, but have lost five-straight and have been besieged with injuries.

Still, Toman knows the matchup has turned into a heated rivalry recently.

“Whitehall defensively has aggressive downhill players,” he stated. “They will bring pressure from all directions, so we will need to be crisp in our blocking schemes.

“Whitehall offensively is a big challenge to determine what we will see. They have played three quarterbacks, and each one runs a little different scheme. Identifying what they will be Friday night will be important. Their tailback is at the top of the best backs we have seen.”

PREDICTION: The Zephyrs beat the Kids, 36-35, last season on a two-point conversion in the final moments. The Kids held off a late Zephyrs’ flurry for a 36-34 win in 2019 ... Whitehall is coming off a 34-14 loss to Nazareth, and they have scored a total of 47 points in their five-game losing streak ... Trey Dogmantis will be the likely starter at quarterback for Whitehall, as senior starter Quinn Wentling still has shoulder issues ... Damante Foreman should get the bulk of the Zephyr carries ... Everett Luisi (30 tackles) and Caden Reph (21 stops) have paced the Kids’ defense ... Kids still are second seed in District Class 6A bracket behind Parkland ... Despite Whitehall’s problems, it will still come hard to play, and it could be another barn burner ... Yet, Kids haven’t slipped on either side of the ball. They can smell and taste a 10-0 season ... Kids’ last undefeated regular seasons were in 1955 and 1956, both 9-0 ... Where can I find some good cabbage and noodles and pierogies in Northampton? Have to ask Coach Stampone ... K-KIDS, 35-21 ...