Finally healthy, Pottsgrove ready to tackle Spring-Ford
POTTSGROVE >> He’s already missed one big game due to injury.
Pottsgrove senior quarterback Deyon Doctor isn’t missing this one, however.
Not against Spring-Ford. Not with a chance to fight into PAC-10 title contention on the line.
“It feels great (being able to play),” Doctor said. “I’ll probably have a little nerves during pregame but I’m a senior, I’ve played under the lights for a while. I don’t think I’ll be too nervous. It’s nice being a starter in this big of a game. I’m ready.”
Doctor will be making his second consecutive start under center after missing the past three-plus games because of a lower body injury suffered in a Week 1 loss to Ben Franklin.
He, and the rest of the Falcons are finally healthy. And with a date with Spring-Ford lurking Friday night, the recovery couldn’t have come at a better time.
“It’s good that we don’t have to have a lot of kids go both ways. We got everyone healthy, we’re excited about playing this game,” Pottsgrove head coach Rick Pennypacker said.
The Falcons have won the past three meetings over the Rams. Friday’s contest could mark the last in the series for the foreseeable future due to PAC-10 realignment with Norristown and Upper Merion becoming full members next season.
Spring-Ford and Pottsgrove aren’t slated to play each other next season.
“The sad thing about this is that we’ve always enjoyed playing Spring-Ford,” Pennypacker said. “It’s always been David and Goliath, they’re the big school and we’re the small school. We always liked playing them and have had success with them but this is the last year we’re playing. We don’t play them next year. It’s a shame to see that rivalry go, we always loved the rivalry. It just wasn’t in the cards in scheduling.”
For Doctor, there couldn’t be more implications.
“Coach (Pennypacker) just said to come out and play hard,” Doctor said. “Our PAC-10 title is on the line now. We have to win out if we want to be PAC-10 champs or co-champs. Districts, and getting a good seed for it, are on the line, too.”
Doctor will quarterback an offense that has rode a plethora of good rushing efforts to wins so far this season. Senior running back Tyrell Barr emerged as the team’s leading rusher after an early injury to Wyatt Porter and he’s rushed for an area-best 785 yards and nine touchdowns. Porter, who returned on defense in Week 2 before being close to 100 percent in Week 3’s clash with Perkiomen Valley, is sixth in the PAC-10 with 356 yards rushing and six touchdowns.
Parris Janusek and Eric Bodolus also figure in a run-heavy Pottsgrove attack that is led by a line featuring Jake Adams, Brandon Drozda and Michael Gantert among others.
“We came out here and got the job done this week in practice. We’ll see if we go out there and compete with a good team out there,” Drozda said. “We have to go out there and play like our hair’s on fire tomorrow.”
“We’re blessed right now,” Barr added. “With everyone healthy and coming back, I think we have a good chance.”
For Pennypacker, it’s all about staying relaxed.
“I want my kids to have fun,” he said. “We’re not going to do anything different, we’re going to play our brand of football. My kids are excited, they’re going to battle. They had a great week of practice and we’ll see what happens.”
