Mercury Area Week 3 Preview Capsules
Friday’s games
Tower Hill vs. Perkiomen School, 4 p.m.
Record: Tower Hill 1-0 overall; Perkiomen School 1-0 overall.
Last Week: Tower Hill defeated Harford Tech 24-12; Perkiomen School defeated Calvary Christian 22-7.
Hillers Facts/Figures: Hillers limited Panthers to 147 total yards in win last season.
Panthers Facts/Figures: Panthers received a big game from Joshua Cruz, who ran for 88 yards and a touchdown on six carries. … Panthers offense finished with 252 rushing yards in win.
Outlook: Tower Hill has won the last four contests between the two schools. Panthers last won in 2010 in a 12-7 game. Since then, Panthers have lost by double digits in three of the last four games.
Pope John Paul II at Owen J. Roberts, 7 p.m.
Record: Pope John Paul II 0-1 PAC-10, 0-2 overall; Owen J. Roberts 0-0 PAC-10, 0-2 overall.
Last Week: Pope John Paul II lost to Pottsgrove 44-20; Owen J. Roberts lost to Great Valley 34-21.
Golden Panthers Facts/Figures: Matt Duff ranks third in the PAC-10 in passing yards with 265. … PJP let up 393 yards on the ground in last week’s loss to Pottsgrove. … Team hasn’t started 0-3 since 2012 when it finished with a 1-9 overall record.
Wildcats Facts/Figures: Wildcats were able to convert on turnovers in loss to Great Valley. … Team totaled three interceptions. … Mitch Bradford ran for 93 yards on 17 attempts and three touchdowns. Bradford is second in the area in rushing touchdowns (4). … Anthony Buehler is second in the area in catches (9) after hauling in seven passes last week.
Outlook: Owen J. Roberts has won each meeting since 2011, when it fell 28-14. … The closest game came last season with the Wildcats holding off a 13-point PJP fourth quarter to come away with the win. Wildcats will likely turn to the ground game as it has averaged 146 yards in the opening two games. PJP meanwhile has struggled against the run, allowing 346.5 yards per game. If OJR can get rushing game going, Wildcats should come out with win.
Upper Perkiomen at Spring-Ford, 7 p.m.
Record: Upper Perkiomen 0-1 PAC-10, 0-2 overall; Spring-Ford 1-0 PAC-10, 2-0 overall.
Last Week: Upper Perkiomen lost to Boyertown 41-36; Spring-Ford defeated Phoenixville 58-7.
Indians Facts/Figures: Upper Perkiomen nearly came back from 41-21 deficit to overcome Boyertown. … Indians are seventh in the PAC-10 in points allowed (82).
Rams Facts/Figures: Ricky Venuto is No. 1 in the area in passer rating and has thrown five touchdowns in the Rams’ opening wins. … Selwyn Simpson is No. 4 in the area in rushing touchdowns (3) with Stone Scarcelle No. 4 in receiving yards (107). Rams totaled a team-record of 14 tackles for a loss in last week’s victory over Phoenixville.
Outlook: Indians defense has had its difficulties this season and goes up against a team that is averaging more than 300 yards of total offense a game. Rams have owned Upper Perkiomen of late, outscoring the Indians 203-20 in their last four wins.
Twin Valley vs. Daniel Boone, 7 p.m.
Record: Twin Valley 0-0 Berks II, 0-2 overall; Daniel Boone 0-0 Berks I, 2-0 overall.
Last Week: Twin Valley lost to Conrad Weiser 41-14; Daniel Boone defeated Octorara 28-0.
Raiders Facts/Figures: Raiders have allowed 294.5 rushing yards per game. … DJ Warren leads team in rushing with 102 yards. … Alex Ranck has thrown a Berks-high six interceptions.
Blazers Facts/Figures: Blazers defense hasn’t allowed a point in two straight games. … Blazers had previously registered two shutouts in the past five seasons. … Blazers have two 100-yard rushers in quarterback Nick Hughes (145 yards, 1 touchdown) and Cinque Ramsey (120 yards, 2 touchdowns).
Outlook: Daniel Boone has topped Twin Valley by double digits in the past five seasons, most recently a 34-13 showing last season. The Blazers seem poised to do that again against a team that has allowed the most points in the Berks Football League (88).
Phoenixville at Methacton (at Phoenixville), 7 p.m.
Record: Phoenixville 0-1 PAC-10, 0-2 overall; Methacton 0-1 PAC-10, 0-2 overall.
Last Week: Phoenixville lost to Spring-Ford 58-7; Methacton lost to Perkiomen Valley 60-0.
Phantoms Facts/Figures: Quarterback Troy Rossman is fifth in the PAC-10 in passing yards (209). … Matt Palubinsky is averaging 5.4 yards per carry. … Nasir Green is ranked second in the league in receiving yards (118). Phantoms last beat Methacton in 2012.
Warriors Facts/Figures: Warriors are struggling to find any consistency offensively or defensively. … Team is allowing 52.5 points per game and has allowed 654 total yards in the two losses. … Team is being outscored 48-0 in the first quarter.
Outlook: Both teams will be looking to rebound from rough losses in Week 2. Phoenixville took a step back after a promising contest against Great Valley while Methacton is ranked last in points for (13) and points against (113). Matt Palubinsky should be a difference maker in this one for Phoenxiville.
Saturday’s Games
Boyertown at Pottstown, 1 p.m.
Record: Boyertown 1-0 PAC-10, 1-1 overall; Pottstown 0-0 PAC-10, 2-0 overall.
Last Week: Boyertown defeated Upper Perkiomen 41-36; Pottstown defeated Chichester, 14-3.
Bears Facts/Figures: Bears overcame rough Week 1 with a victory over Upper Perkiomen in Week 2. … Hunter Vogels, who missed Week 1, came back from injury and rushed for 124 yards on 16 carries in the win. … Bears registered 242 yards on the ground due heavily to the option attack that gave Upper Perkiomen fits until the final quarter.
Trojans Facts/Figures: Team has allowed three points in two games. … Team achieved first 2-0 start since 2003 season. … Bryant Wise (231 yards) and Brandon Tinson (187 yards) are ranked No. 2 and No. 3, respectively in rushing.
Outlook: Pottstown last topped Boyertown in 2012. The key matchup will be how Boyertown’s offense handles a Pottstown defense that’s allowed 128 yards per game. Pottstown’s secondary is extremely athletic, which will give Boyertown receivers fits. Quarterback Lawrence Garnett and running back Hunter Vogels will need to be on top of their game for the Bears to pull out the win.
Hill School at Germantown Academy, 4:15 p.m.
Last season’s record: Hill School 0-8 overall; Germantown Academy 4-5-1 overall.
Rams Facts/Figures: Texas-bred Clayton Oliver makes his first start at the Hill. The dual-threat quarterback who has an offer from South Florida passed 591 yards in three games for Heritage High School last season. AJ Bates also comes in from out of state after he rushed for 630 yards and nine touchdowns in his senior season at Arcadia High School (Arizona). … Other new imports are Hakim Coles (Northeast) and Jeremy Subjinsky, a 285-pounder from New Jersey.
Patriots Facts/Figures: KJ Cartwright rushed for 119 yards and a touchdown in the opener vs. Bishop Shanahan. Kyle McCloskey went 11-for-29 for 100 yards with one touchdown and one interception in the win.
Outlook: Germantown Academy handled the Hill easily, 34-7 last season. However, that was before the infusion of post grads to the Rams’ roster.
