Mercury Week 3 Football Preview: Pottsgrove intent on disarming Boyertown’s big plays

Boyertown’s triple-option offense is typically viewed as traditional smashmouth, three-yards-and-a-cloud-of-dust football.

So it might come as a surprise to learn that six of the Bears’ nine touchdowns this season have been of the 50-plus yard variety. When defenses miss their assignments or get out of position, the triple option is as explosive as any offense in football — maybe more.

That’s the challenge coach Bill Hawthorne and Pottsgrove (2-0) face this week in preparing for their visit to Boyertown (1-1) — restricting explosive plays and forcing the Bears into a grind-it-out game.

“It’s a monumental task,” said Hawthorne. “Ayden Mathias and Jamie Moccia are two of the most explosive football players in the area as they can score from anywhere on the field in any situation. We must play excellent alignment and assignment football against the Bears, or it will be a long night.”

Indeed, the Boyertown QB-RB tandem holds down the Nos. 2 and 3 spots in the Pioneer Athletic Conference rushing leaders after two weeks, sophomore Moccia with 280 yards and four TDs, senior QB Mathias with 261 yards and four TDs.

For their part offensively, Pottsgrove started to break out last week in the second half against Methacton – ultimately a 34-0 win – behind the running of Isaiah Taylor (119 yards, 3 TDs) and Hawthorne looks for continued improvement from Taylor plus backs Isaiah Glover and JaDore Colbert. Thus far, weather conditions and game circumstances haven’t given the Pottsgrove aerial attack many chances to shine, but quarterback Jay Sisko may see the chance to get the ball down the field against the Bears.

The Falcons’ defense has truly been the shining unit with senior defensive end Ryan Bodolus and his state-best six sacks (according to MaxPreps) leading the charge.

Boyertown coach TJ Miller said the key for his Bears will be matching the speed of Pottsgrove up front. Coming off an excellent performance in a 48-27 defeat at Exeter, Mathias (208 yards rushing, 3 TDs) will remain a focal point of the offense, but slot backs Dylan Robertson and Joe Dulin are poised for breakouts if Boyertown manages to get the requisite push up front.

Another player to watch for Boyertown will be Holden O’Donnell, who’s quickly emerged as a two-way contributor in 2018.

“We’re very happy with how he’s handling the challenge,” said Miller.

The team’s last met on Sept. 8, 2017, a 49-14 Pottsgrove victory. Star running back Rahsul Faison ran for 234 yards and two touchdowns while Sisko was 6-for-8 for 178 yards passing with three TDs and an interception.

Mathias ran six times for 60 yards and a TD and was 6-for-14 for 81 yards passing.

Phoenixville at Kennett (Thursday) >> Coach Don Grinstead and the Phantoms (1-1) look to make it two in a row after a breakthrough showing in a 22-8 win over Public League contender Martin Luther King last week. Alex Washington carried 40 times for 188 yards and two scores on the night, but he’s equaled by backfield mate Travis Pannella, who figures to see increased touches in the coming weeks. Defensive coordinator Travis Ford-Bey devised a plan that kept the explosive MLK offense off the board (their only score came via kickoff return.)

The Phantoms will attempt to do likewise against a Kennett squad playing its first home game after a pair of road losses to open the season against Avon Grove and Chichester.

Pennridge at Perkiomen Valley >> The Vikings (0-2) won’t need any extra motivation for this one. PV’s 2017 season was marred only by two losses to Pennridge — one in the early season, one in the District 1 6A quarterfinals.

Perkiomen Valley finds themselves in the unfamiliar position of an 0-2 start after falling to the two Downingtown schools (hosting Downingtown West first, then visiting East last week.) The combined 74 points allowed by the defense will be an area of focus as the Vikings hope to ride the hot hand of QB Cole Peterlin (716 total yards, seven TDs in the first two games.)

Pennridge won’t lack motivation themselves off last week’s 27-14 loss to Neshaminy, one of last weekend’s marquee matchups in the region. QB Zak Kantor completed two touchdown passes to Jonathan Post, but the offense struggled in the rainy conditions with four total turnovers.

Spring-Ford at Wilson (West Lawn) >> Quickly emerging into one of the area’s best nonleague rivalries, the Rams and Bulldogs meet for a third straight season. Spring-Ford (2-0) came up on the short end the past two seasons, and they return to John Gurski Stadium Friday night, the site of a 41-40 double-overtime loss in 2016, with revenge on their minds.

They’ll need another strong effort from QB Ryan Engro (200 total yards, four total TDs in last week’s 31-21 victory over Wayne Valley, N.J.) plus continued stinginess from a defense that forced three turnovers to change the tide of the game after a 14-14 halftime score.

Wilson (1-1) dropped its season opener to powerhouse Central Dauphin, but got healthy last week with a 42-28 decision over rival Governor Mifflin. Running back Elijah Morales was a breakout star in the win over the Mustangs while Anthony Futrick (34-for-55 for 299 yards passing, 2 TDs, 1 INT) serves as QB.

Methacton at Upper Merion >> The host Vikings (1-1) broke through with a 10-0 victory over Norristown last week in which Zaire Savage made the most of the sloppy conditions, carrying 38 times for 175 yards and the game’s only touchdown. This week, they look to get QB Dale Clayton going against an improving Methacton (0-2) defense that hung tough last week against Pottsgrove for three quarters before running out of gas late.

The Warriors will be desperate for something positive – they are yet to score a point in two outings. They will continue to rotate Dylan Schultz and Mike Merola at quarterback, and the backfield tandem of Mike Torcini and Mike Ciriello are poised for a breakout game.

Bishop Shanahan at Daniel Boone >> It’s been an impressive start to the campaign for Shanahan (2-0), and they visit the Blazers this week before embarking on one of the most demanding conference schedules around. The next two weeks will see the Eagles host PIAA 6A front-runner Coatesville before visiting Downingtown East.

The Blazers (1-1) look to rebound from last week’s 28-7 defeat at the hands of Owen J. Roberts. They’ll need to sustain their productive ground game (averaging 246 yards per game) behind QB Tommy Buchert and RBs Tanner Vanderslice and Chase Lacey.

Chichester vs. Pope John Paul II at Conshohocken “A” Field >> Pope John Paul II quarterback Kamal Gray has been the breakout player in the PAC these first couple weeks. The Archbishop Carroll transfer has led the Panthers to 45 points per game in engineering a 2-0 start, including last week’s win over new District rival New Hope-Solebury. He is 15-for-30 for 282 yards with five TDs and zero INTs through two weeks.

The Panthers will need that offensive explosiveness against 2-0 Chichester, who’s limited their first two opponents (Lower Merion and Kennett) to an average of only 12 points per game.

Owen J. Roberts at Oxford >> The Wildcats (2-0) are controlling games on the ground behind PAC leading rusher Marcus Martin and new starting QB Cooper Chamberlain. A stingy defense led by senor Aidan Hayward isn’t hurting matters, holding both Conestoga and Daniel Boone to just a single touchdown in their first two contests.

The long trip to the 2-0 Hornets, however, may be the toughest test yet, as Oxford throttled West Chester Henderson in their opener and traveled to Interboro last week to upend the Bucs, 50-27. QB Brett Kochmansky leads a multifaceted Oxford attack. Timothy Faber exploded for 218 yards and two TDs in last week’s win.

Upper Perkiomen at Upper Moreland >> The Indians (1-1) recovered from an opening setback against Boyertown by dominating Kutztown last week, 34-0. The Tribe defense, led by Max Kratohwill (INT return for TD), restricted the Kutztown attack to just over 100 total yards, benefitting from two TD runs from Malachi Duka and two Tyler Weber TD passes.

Upper Moreland’s season started with a close loss to William Tennett, followed by a shutout defeat to Sun Valley last week. Challenging themselves with 5A and 6A opponents in the early going will have the Golden Bears prepared for the Suburban One American slate starting next week.

Pottstown at Kutztown >> It’s been a tale of two weeks for the 1-1 Trojans, who were impressive in an opening 26-6 win over Octorara, but fell back to earth last week with 12 penalties and 384 rushing yards against West Chester East in a 26-0 defeat.

They’ll try to get back on track against a struggling Kutztown outfit that’s been outscored 85-0 in two games against PAC opponents Pope John Paul II and Upper Perkiomen.

Plymouth-Whitemarsh at Norristown (Saturday) >> The renewal of this old rivalry features an opportunity for someone to break through, as the 0-2 Colonials and 0-2 Eagles clash. Norristown was better defensively last week against Upper Merion, but still struggled to establish the run. Coach Joe Milligan’s “Norristown 2.0” mantra focuses heavily on strong showings in established rivalries like the one with Plymouth-Whitemarsh.