Mercury-Area Week 2 Preview: Early measuring stick game as Owen J. Roberts visits Daniel Boone

BIRDSBORO >> Rob Flowers says that Friday night is a big factor in why he decided to take the head football coaching job at Daniel Boone.

“Home games are events unto themselves here in Birdsboro,” Flowers said. “This community takes a lot of pride in the football program, and we want to bring that back.”

Flowers and his Blazers got off on the right foot last week, going on the road and outlasting Garden Spot 24-21 in a contest that saw Boone rack up 298 yards on the ground.

This Friday, the Blazers’ home opener brings Owen J. Roberts to town off their own season-opening road victory, a 20-7 decision over Conestoga.

In their opener, Daniel Boone raced out to a 21-0 lead behind the running of quarterback Tommy Buchert (14 rushes, 112 yards) and running backs Tanner Vanderslice (11-63; 2 TD) and Chase Lacey (7-51, 1 TD; 8 tackles). This week, Flowers says the emphasis will be on ball security — the robust rushing performance could’ve been even more impressive if not for three turnovers, including a fumble on the opposing one-yard like with the score 24-14 in the fourth quarter.

“It’s not issues on the exchange, it’s simple ball security,” said the coach. “That and solid tackling are our points of emphasis, and we’ll need to be better in those areas against a team like Owen J. Roberts.”

The Wildcats (1-0) also rode a strong rushing performance (178 yards) to victory over Conestoga last week, but perhaps the real story was the OJR defense, arguably the area’s top performing unit in 2017. Senior DE Aidan Hayward registered 1.5 sacks in leading a defense that allowed fewer than 100 total yards after Conestoga’s opening scoring drive.

Nonetheless, coach Rich Kolka sees room for improvement.

“We’re focusing on positioning this week — we were out of position pretty often on Friday,” he said. “We’re a young team — I’m hoping we get off to a better start this week.”

Making his first career start, quarterback Cooper Chamberlain was solid, completing 14 of 18 passes for 111 yards and adding another 51 yards on the ground plus a rushing touchdown. Senior running back Marcus Martin carried 26 times for 127 yards and a score, and added three receptions for 22 yards.

Chamberlain’s 78 percent completion percentage was certainly impressive for a debut, but Kolka says it won’t change anything about the ‘Cats approach. “We’ll go to whatever the defense gives us,” he said.

As for the Blazers, Flowers says the team has established its goals in his short time with the program, and while they ultimately include district and even state playoff ambitions, the true emphasis is on what he calls their ‘first-level’ goal.

“Win one football game every week,” he said. “You take care of that, everything else falls into place.”

Pottsgrove at Methacton >> The Warriors (0-1) will be looking to improve on a Week 1 performance that saw them amass only 30 yards of total offense. Junior quarterback Dylan Schultz figures to look Will Roese’s way often as Methacton attacks a Pottsgrove defense whose leader, senior defensive end Ryan Bodolus, registered a state-best 3.5 sacks in the opener (according to MaxPreps.com stats).

Opening week was nearly disastrous for the defending Pioneer Athletic Conference Frontier Division champion Falcons (1-0), ranked No. 13 in this week’s PA Prep Live Top 20. Pottsgrove needed a fourth-quarter comeback and thrilling two-point conversion from Isaiah Taylor to top visiting West Catholic, 15-14. The quest to fill the shoes of graduated Mercury All-Area Player of the Year Rahsul Faison produced mixed results, as Pottsgrove could only manage 77 yards of total offense, and was unable to complete a pass. Quarterback Jay Sisko is an experienced leader, however, and figures to bounce back from the lackluster opener.

Boyertown at Exeter >> The early returns on coach TJ Miller’s second season — and the Bears’ quest to return to the 6A playoffs — were impressive. Boyertown avenged last season’s loss to Upper Perkiomen with an emphatic 37-12 opener. The triple option worked to perfection, with Boyertown using nine minutes to score on the game’s opening drive, and controlled the pace of the game behind a 47-carry, 322-yard rushing performance. Jamie Moccia turned in the big plays on the ground for the victorious Bears (190 yards, TD runs of 6, 19 and 71 yards plus a 53-yard TD catch.) Defensively, Colin Hogan totaled 11 tackles and a fumble recovery, Blaise Caroselli had 11 tackles (three for a loss) and Daniel Flint had seven tackles and a forced fumble.

The Bears look to improve to 2-0 against an Exeter team that stumbled out of the gates last week in a 31-7 loss to Berks Catholic. Big plays cost the Eagles but there was some promising signs from new backfield duo, quarterback Kolby Haag (12-for-22, 118 yards) and sophomore running back Jeremiah Nixon (28 carries, 131 yards, TD reception).

Wayne Valley (N.J.) at Spring-Ford >> Defensively, it’s going to be a task for the Rams to improve on last week’s 21-0 shutout of PA Prep’s Live’s No. 11 preseason Central Bucks South squad. The Rams registered 12 tackles for loss in the contest, scoring on a blocked punt and interception return in the first quarter.

The Rams, who broke into the rankings at No. 19 this week, look to have both QB Ryan Engro and RB Stephen Brill at 100 percent after both left last week’s game with injury. They’ll need both players at full strength against Wayne Valley, a North Jersey squad who returns 17 starters from last year’s lineup.

Upper Merion at Norristown >> Both squads got off to slow starts in season-opening defeats last week. Norristown struggled to establish a ground game (-14 yards) in a loss to Upper Dublin, while Upper Merion was unable to move the ball consistently against Central League foe Radnor.

This game could come down to a promising Norristown passing game (221 yards last week, 136 of them from Daniel Watson) against an Upper Merion defense with a thirst for turnovers, forcing five Radnor fumbles last week and scoring 16 points on their own (two fumbles returned for touchdowns plus a late safety.)

Pope John Paul II at New Hope-Solebury >> There aren’t many areas for improvements after the Golden Panthers’ 51-0 victory over Kutztown last week — the squad averaged over five yards per carry, new quarterback Kamal Gray completed all seven of his passes, and the defense allowed only 23 total yards.

This week, however, brings a visit to New Hope-Solebury. With PJP reclassifying to 3A for the 2018–2019 football seasons, the Lions, who are the two-time defending Bicentennial League champions, figure to be one of their chief competitors come district playoff time. A season-opening victory over Kensington shows the Lions are a force to be reckoned with this season, and should provide a stern road test for PJP.

Martin Luther King at Phoenixville >> The Phantoms will need to improve on last week’s performance (a 28-15 loss at the hands of Great Valley), particularly against the pass. Great Valley’s Jake Prevost threw for 216 yards and three scores in that contest. Philadelphia Public League contender Martin Luther King brings an equally imposing passing offense highlighted by QB Daquan Robinson and WR Isaiah Allen, who connected eight times last week for 204 yards and three scores in a 26-0 victory over Wissahickon.

Offensively, the Phantoms will look to get the PAC’s leading returning rusher from 2017, Travis Pannella, going on the ground. Pannella only put up 14 yards on nine carries last week, as the Phantoms were forced to the air early. He did, however, have a 60-yard interception return for a defensive score. Quarterback Connor Patania leads an offense eager to show its full range of abilities after last week’s opener.

The game was originally slated for Thursday but was postponed due to heat-related early school closings in the city of Philadelphia on Thursday.

Kutztown at Upper Perkiomen >> It’s Kutztown’s second consecutive game against a Pioneer Athletic Conference Frontier Division foe, and it is certainly hoping for a better outcome than last week’s 51-0 defeat at the hands of Pope John Paul II.

Improvement won’t come easily against an Upper Perk squad eager to avenge their own opening loss to Boyertown. New starting QB Tyler Weber (12-23, 118 yards, TD, INT) was solid, while Malachi Duka (137 rushing yards, TD) carried the Indians’ offense. The team is hopeful of having speedster Tyrese Reid back from an ankle injury.

Perkiomen Valley at Downingtown East (Saturday) >> The No. 17 Vikings’ gauntlet of a non-conference slate continues at Kottmeyer Stadium Saturday night against No. 11 Downingtown East. QB Cole Peterlin turned in a Player of the Week-worthy performance last week against No. 9 Downingtown West (420 total yards, 5 TDs) but the young Vikings defense struggled with the Whippets’ dynamic QB Will Howard and WR Dan Byrnes in a 44-33 loss.

It won’t get any easier against a Downingtown East squad that shellacked Plymouth-Whitemarsh 41-7. Perhaps the matchup to watch will be Perk Valley QB Peterlin against a Cougars’ secondary that surrendered only a single passing yard in their opening victory.