Mercury Week 6 Football Preview: Upper Merion, Pottsgrove ready to prove they are Frontier contenders

It may not have immediately been figured as a key pairing of teams for supremacy in the Pioneer Athletic Conference’s Frontier Division at season’s start.

But circumstances painted a different picture for Pottsgrove and Upper Merion, who will face off in King of Prussia Friday to narrow down the number of teams leading the division near the 2021 regular season’s halfway point.

The 7 p.m. contest pits teams with identical records (1-0 PAC, 3-1 overall) who are coming off COVID-shortened campaigns in 2020. They’ve already either matched or exceeded their game totals (Pottsgrove 2-2, Upper Merion 2-3) from one year ago, with five more regular-season matchups and the hopes for district-playoff qualification in their sights.

“We had only five games, and five weeks of practices last year,” Pottsgrove coach Bill Hawthorne recalled. “That’s a lot of football to give up.”

They’re also coming off big wins last weekend. The Falcons shut out Phoenixville 31-0, and the Vikings did the same to Pottstown, 41-0.

“We know division play is here,” Hawthorne said. “After the win over Phoenixville, we know each game has vital importance. The kids understand the significance.”

The Falcons also remember the lone splotch on their otherwise-heady 2021 season to date; namely, a four-overtime 42-35 loss to Boyertown two weekends ago.

“We’re still feeling from Boyertown,” he said. “They (UM) are a similar team in terms of size and speed.”

The Vikings, under the guidance of new head coach Davis Chubb, came into the current season on the heels of two victories at the end of 2020. Like Pottsgrove, they carry the euphoria of being in the Frontier Division’s lead pack vying for more meaningful games through the regular season and into the postseason.

“The guys are real excited, chomping at the bit,” Davis said. “We hope that carries over through the rest of the regular season. The kids are getting better every week.”

In the wake of a 25-13 loss to Conwell-Egan their first game of the season, the Vikes have dispatched Norristown, Twin Valley and Pottstown by a combined 88-19 margin.

“The first game was tough,” Chubb admitted. “We usually have a number of scrimmages, but now it was just one. Obviously we want to get that one back, and play to expectations.”

Upper Merion carries the added incentive of playing Pottsgrove on the school’s Homecoming Night festivities.

“The team is excited,” Chubb added. “This couldn’t have lined up any more perfectly, with this being our Homecoming game. We haven’t beaten Pottsgrove since the PAC started. This is our chance to make a statement.”

While lauding the play of quarterback Ryan Sisko thus far — he’s 16-for-35 passing for 347 yards and six touchdowns, a 188.57 QB rating — Hawthorne notes Pottsgrove will be “as good as our offensive and defensive lines are.” At the core of that group are three two-way players: Senior Mark White and juniors Dominic Demeno and Cory Jubilee-Scott.

The Falcons’ return games stood out in spectacular fashion against Phoenixville. Bryce Caffrey returned a punt 44 yards for one touchdown, and Amir Brunson took the second-half kickoff 75 yards for another score to stake them to a 28-point lead.

“We know how the return game can help the offense,” Hawthorne said. “Do you take the ball over at the 50- or 30-yard line? That’s huge.

“We take a lot of pride in that. We want to be precise.”

One unique aspect of UM’s offense is the tandem of quarterbacks Nolan Clayton and Zayd Etheridge. While Clayton has the higher passing stats (14-for-34, 252 yards, 3 TDs) and rushing figures (98 yards, 2 touchdowns), the presence of Etheridge (2 rushing TDs) in the mix creates a challenge for opposing defenses.

“They’re both athletic, able to throw and run,” Hawthorne noted. “That presents issues when they’re playing.”

Chubb pointed out playing time for the Clayton/Etheridge tandem was dictated at the start by the running of certain packages. “Then we made decisions on the fly, as the situation develops.”

Defensively, the Vikes are led by safety Brad Zielinski (“the quarterback of our defense,” Chubb noted) and tackles Boubakar Jalloh and J’Sun Hampton-Miller. Other notables on the offensive side are running backs Qwynne Seals and Joey Kovacic, and wide receivers Marcus Crittendon and Alzere Thomas.

Week 5 games

Boyertown at Spring-ford, 7 p.m. Friday

Last week’s game: Boyertown lost to Owen J. Roberts, 27-20. Spring-Ford was edged by Perkiomen Valley, 28-22.

Last meeting: The Rams rolled the Bears in 2020, 49-13.

Preview: Quarterback Ryder Gehris (15-for-30, 178 yards) and running back Leo Egbe (406 yards, 5 TDs) continue to fuel Boyertown (0-1, 2-3) on the offensive side. Cole Marinello and Kyle Pry provide solid protection on the O-line, and Roman Marinello addes versatility in the backfield alongside Egbe and sophomore Jason Oakes.

“We need a total team effort against a phenomenal Spring Ford team,” Boyertown head coach T.J. Miller said. “This team played District 3 powerhouses and went toe-to-toe with them. Their record is not indicative of how good this team is. If we have any letups, we could be in for a long night.”

Spring-Ford (0-1, 2-3) has three players ranking in the Top 10 of the various offensive categories. Quarterback Ryan Freed (third) is 78-for-114 for 786 yards and eight TDs, Harry Adifeyeh ranks sixth in rushing (412 yards, 4 TDs) and Kolten Kqira is fourth in receiving (26-284, 3 TDs). Defensively, Payton West shares first place with UP’s Nevan Smith in interceptions (three), and Cole Turner has another pair of picks.

“As has been the case throughout the season,” head coach Chad Brubaker said, “our defense played stellar throughout the (Perkiomen Valley) contest. Matt Zollers showed his big upside in the game, coming in at the end of the game to engineer our final TD drive. Ryan Horvath, Luke Pajovich, Will Fish, Gavin Shafer and Zach Zollers played very well throughout the game.”

At the same time, Brubaker is wary of the Bears’ game plan when they have the ball.

“Boyertown runs an offense that we don’t often see in 6A football,” he said, “so we will have to be very assignment-aware.”

Methacton at Owen J. Roberts, 7 p.m. Friday

Last week’s game: Methacton topped Norristown, 21-13. Owen J. Roberts got by Boyertown, 27-20.

Last meeting: The Warriors lost to the Wildcats in 2020, 24-15.

Preview: Avrey Grimm is literally running away with the area’s rushing lead. The senior has topped the 1,000-yard mark (1,069) while helping OJR (1-0) to a 4-1 overall record, and he is a full 500 yards ahead of the rest of the field. Michael Reed (46-77-526, 128.16 rating) ranks sixth among quarterbacks, and Danny Cashman (16-179, 3 TDs) is his favorite receiver. Defensively, Ned Burgess has two interceptions – tied for third in the area; and on special teams, placekicker Carson Johnson is tied for third locally with 20 points.

For Methacton (4-1), quarterback Dan Brandi remains a double threat. Brandi ranks fourth in area passing (65-for-116, 724, yards, 5 TDs) and has 277 yards rushing with six TDs. Brian Dickey is the leading receiver (23-222) of a trio that includes Jake Chapman (12-193, 3 TDs) and Dean Sapalidis (13-139).

Perkiomen Valley at Norristown, 7 p.m. Friday

Last week’s game: Perkiomen Valley beat Spring-Ford, 28-22. Norristown lost to Methacton, 21-13.

Last meeting: The Vikings blanked the Eagles in 2019, 28-0.

Preview: PV (1-0, 3-2) continues to show a strong passing game. Quarterback Ethan Kohler, with 66-for-105 efficiency, 1,020 yards and 10 touchdowns and a 173.98 rating, leads the area ranks. Dawson Debebe (18 receptions, 383 yards, 4 TDs) heads a potent trio of receivers that includes Ryan Klimek (17-232) and Michael Poruban (15-227, 3 TDs) who stand 7-8, respectively.

Defensively, Bryan Helenski, Jake Jonassen and Jake Bedouin had strong showings for the Vikes in a win against Spring-Ford last week. Klimek’s 30 points (3 field goals, 21 conversions) leads the area’s specialists.

The hope of head coach Rob Heist is for his special teams perform well against the Eagles, who he cited for their “game-breaking ball carriers that can make you miss in space.”

“Norristown is well-coached and very athletic,” Heist said. “They have 2 very good inside linebackers who play downhill, and a sticky secondary. They have played us tough in the last two meetings, and we expect to get their best effort on Friday night.”

Meyon Ferrell had a breakout game for the Eagles in the loss to Methacton last week, toting the ball 20 times for 121 yards and a touchdown.

Pope John Paul II at Phoenixville, 7 p.m. Friday

Last week’s game: Pope John Paul II rolled Upper Perkiomen, 49-0. Phoenixville was blanked by Pottsgrove, 31-0.

Last meeting: The Golden Panthers dominated the Phantoms in 2019, 47-6.

Preview: The Golden Panthers (1-0, 3-2) seek to maintain their share of the lead in the PAC’s Frontier Division. They have three players ranking in the Top 3 of the various offensive categories. D.J. Clarke is second in passing (63-for-81, 865 yards, 10 TDs), Josh Little second in rushing (536 yards, 10 TDs) and Kese Williams third in receiving (314 yards, 3 TDs). Derek Skarbek continues to play well in all three aspects of the game (offense, defense, special teams) and the secondary of Williams, Joe Pickell, Clarke, Skarbek, Jack Lockrey, Brent Mitala and Dimitri Toman has been solid. Steve Rist has contributed 25 conversion kicks, second in the area to PV’s Ryan Klimek.

Still, head coach Rory Graver expressed concerns about Phoenixville (0-1, 1-3) and quarterback Ty Romance, who ranks fifth in passing (41-for-81, 661 yards, seven TDs) as does Owen Koch (427 yards) in rushing. Hayden Tenbroeck is among the area’s receiving leaders, second with 13 catches for 315 yards and three TDs.

“This is a physical, and well coached Phoenixville football team,” Graver said. “They are strong up front, have a powerful running game, a talented quarterback and have playmakers at the skill positions. Defensively, they are fast, physical and fundamentally sound tacklers. 

“We will need to be great on Friday night.”

Pottstown at Upper Perkiomen, 7 p.m. Friday

Last week’s game: Pottstown lost to Upper Merion, 41-0. Upper Perkiomen fell to Pope John Paul II, 49-0.

Last meeting: The Trojans edged the Indians in 2019, 8-7.

Preview: Both teams are still looking for their first PAC wins of the season, though Upper Perk has a non-league win over Lower Moreland to its credit.

The Trojans (0-5) have contended with contact-tracing matters in recent weeks, reducing their number of available players. Pottstown has received workmanlike efforts on offense from Malachi Neely (293 yards rushing) and Nyles Bunn-McNeil (110 yards receiving, two touchdowns).

“I was pleased with how we responded in the second half (against Upper Merion) and how some of the younger players rose to the occasion when given the chance,” head coach Jeff Delaney said.

“We saw some nice play by some of our younger players last week. This week we need some of them to step in a play for students who are injured or now out on Covid protocols.”

Manny Northern was the Indians’ top offensive performer in their PAC opener, totaling 14 carries for 71 yards against PJP. On defense, Nevan Smith is tied with Spring-Ford’s Payton West for most interceptions at three.

Berks Catholic at Daniel Boone, 7 p.m. Friday

Last week’s game: Daniel Boone beat Ephrara, 33-14. Berks Catholic was handled by Malvern Prep, 37-7.

Last meeting: The Blazers fell to the Saints in 2020, 49-7.

Preview: Boone (3-2) brings a three-game win streak into this week’s Berks League pairing with the Saints; ironically, its two losses were against Berks schools (Wyomissing, Twin Valley).

Dean Rotter has been solid behind center for the Blazers, completing 36 of 60 passes for 446 yards and five touchdowns. They’re headed in rushing by AJ Hofer (422 yards), in receiving by Alex Vassallo (296) and scoring by JT Hogan (five TDs, 30 points), and placekicker Nate Millard is tied for second in the area with 25 points (four field goals, 13 conversions).

Christian Caccione has been an all-around statistical leader for the Saints (3-2); he’s rushed for 629 yards, covered 106 yards on pass receptions and scored 62 points (10 TDs, one conversion). Josiah Jordan has been another offensive stalwart with 272 rushing yards, 104 receiving yards and 54 points (nine TDs). Quarterback Mitchell Gatz is 18-for-27 for 283 yards and six touchdowns.

Perkiomen School at Mercersburg Ac., 2 p.m. Saturday

Last week’s game: Perkiomen School handled Valley Forge MA, 34-8. Mercersburg Ac. doubled up Delaware County Christian, 36-18.

Last meeting: The Panthers beat the Blue Storm in the Keystone State Football League’s 2019 championship game, 32-16.

Preview: Perkiomen and Mercersburg go into the third week of KSFL play with matching 2-0 records.

The Panthers have outscored the opposition thus far by an 84-14 margin. Perkiomen has been keyed by the play of junior quarterback Mikey Boyle, senior running back/linebacker Drew Malone, senior slot/cornerback Brandon Charon and senior wide receiver/safety Hunter Eschallier.

The Blue Storm lists such key players as junior quarterback Luke Golumbic, senior running back/linebacker Louis Concordia, senior wide receiver/cornerback Christian Jetter, junior tight end/defensive end Christopher Tompkins and sophomore two-way lineman Luke Hendricks.

Pennington School at Hill School, 3 p.m. Saturday

Last week’s game: Hill School beat Springside-Chestnut Hill, 35-21. Pennington School lost to Bristol, 21-15.

Preview: Several multi-talented players have led the way for the Rams thus far. Quarterback (also linebacker) Hayden Fruhling has amassed 249 yards on 30 carries with two touchdowns, running back (also LB) Kayden White has rushed for 142 yards on 27 tries and two-way end/receiver Luke Pickard has six receptions for 72 yards and two touchdowns.

The Red Raiders (1-1) are coming off a 2020 season reduced by COVID to three games. Their key returning players are seniors Isaiah Muse (running back), Max Gibbard (wide receiver), Luke Kavulich (wide receiver) and Anthony Argiropoulos (line); juniors Tyler Bock (center/defensive end) and Marcus Gaffney (running back/middle linebacker); and sophomore Huseyin Simsir (quarterback).