Mercury Football Preview: After year with the big boys, Upper Perk ready to show its strength

August 24, 2021

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The Upper Perkiomen football team was grouped with the big boys last time out. It suited them, though: becoming bigger boys has been a focus recently.

The Tribe were the lone Pioneer Athletic Conference Frontier Division team to begin the 2020 season altered by the COVID-19 pandemic on time alongside larger-school squads Boyertown, Owen J. Roberts, Methacton, Perkiomen Valley and Spring-Ford.

Upper Perk held its own by going 2-3 (2-4 overall) featuring wins over Owen J. Roberts and Boyertown. It rallied from an 0-3 start and was ignited by convincing wins over the Wildcats and Bears but fell 20-12 in its finale to late-starting Phoenixville. It ended the Indians’ late-arriving playoff aspirations.

“I know a lot of us came out of last year knowing there was a chance we could make it to playoffs and we lost our last game which obviously destroyed that chance,” said senior offensive and defensive lineman Damon Faraco. “So I think this year we’re really looking forward to getting back that momentum that we had.”

Pick up The Mercury’s Thursday (Aug. 26) edition for the 2021 High School Football Preview

Upper Perk will return to the traditional Frontier Division setup in 2021 but will look to carry over the lessons of last year.

“I think it’s a positive (playing against the large schools in 2020) because it helped us grow and come together as a team with the limited amount of players we had,” senior tight end and linebacker Brady Thompson said. “There was a lot of adversity but we came together and we were able to beat two of them so that was a big positive.”

A rededication to the weight room is part of the foundation Upper Perk is laying with captains Logan Simmon, Faraco and Thompson leading the way.

“The past couple years we’ve been really pushing the weight room,” said Simmon, a senior running back and linebacker. “A lot of these bigger schools, they’re all about the weight room and practices. I feel like ever since we started hitting the weight room more as a team it’s definitely helped us a lot. Back in the day, everyone was all about the weight room. As a program I think it got away from that, but we’re getting back into that and that’s definitely helping us a lot.

“These three guys took a challenge I gave them three years ago that they needed to change the culture,” coach Tom Hontz said. “They really took a hold of that and that’s evidenced by their physiques, their strength, all over the 1,000-weight club.”

Read the Perkiomen Valley season preview next here

Hontz wishes their example could have been more present for the entire team, but that was not possible over the past year and a half due to Covid restrictions.

“I wish they could have been that core in our weight room the past two years but we lost that opportunity,” Hontz said. “They served as a great example doing things on their own and it was really mature of them. But I regret losing that opportunity for the whole team to experience.”

Upper Perk was one of the last teams able to begin group offseason activities.

“Literally from the end of the season, we were not allowed to have contact until June 14,” Hontz said. “It was just our school district’s policy — we weren’t even allowed to meet off campus.

“That’s why we were very fortunate to have these guys as captains who did a nice job communicating with players, getting them in the weight room on their own. Now this last month and a half it’s been a crash course, trying to get everything in as much as we can.”

Strength is going to be integral in the Tribe’s offensive identity in 2021 with a reliance on the run game. Multi-year starter Logan Simmon was fifth in the PAC in rushing in 2020 (91 carries, 578 yards, 6 TDs) and is the second-highest returner. Ushering the way will be returning starters senior guard Faraco, senior tight end Thompson and junior center Josh Hill.

“We’re going to lean heavily on our run game and go back to some smashmouth Upper Perk football and see where that takes us,” Hontz said.

Two-year starting quarterback Hunter Flack, who was 57-for-99 for 844 yards with five TDs in 2020 and also handled kicking and punting duties, has graduated. Junior Tommy Flud is the leading candidate to take over under center.

Other key graduations include fullback/linebacker Malachi Duka and linemen Riley Decker and Ethan Wambold.

On defense, the front seven will be looked to lead with an all-new secondary coming in.

“In the box we should be pretty strong and able to pressure the quarterback with Brady (Thompson) anchoring the middle and Logan (moving to linebacker) with his speed closer to the line of scrimmage,” Hontz said. “Pass defense is going to be a work in progress.”

A lot is being asked of Upper Perk’s three senior captains Simmon, Faraco and Thompson, but that seems to suit them just fine.

“I think we’re hungry,” Simmon said. “We lost a couple of our starters from last year and have some younger guys that have to step up. But we have some good leaders on the team and we’re all taking control. I think we’re going to come out hungry.”

Upper Perkiomen

Head Coach: Tom Hontz

Assistant Coaches: Brian Peoples, Chris Bieler, Toby Cole, Jason Kulp, Bill Maximuck

Key Starters Lost:

QB- Hunter Flack

H-Back Malachi Duka

WR- Corey Jackson

OT- Riley Decker

OG – Ethan Wambold

Offensive Starters Returning:

Jr. C Josh Hill 6’1″ 245

Sr. G Damon Faraco 6’2″ 230