Mercury Football Preview: Perkiomen Valley eyes return to PAC’s peak

August 24, 2021

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Perkiomen Valley had the closest thing to a traditional season of any Pioneer Athletic Conference team in 2020 by playing a league-high eight games.

That will only help as the focus turns to a past tradition: winning the PAC championship.

The kings of the first three years of the PAC championship-game era from 2016-18, suddenly that run no longer feels like yesterday. The Vikings’ last league title came when this year’s seniors were freshmen.

“We’re super-hungry this year. We haven’t won our league since 2018 and we’re hungry to be back in that spot,” said Vikings’ head coach Rob Heist.

Perk Valley was second to Spring-Ford in the COVID-altered, seven-team PAC in 2020 and went 6-2 overall. The Week 1 showdown between the Rams and Vikings was a night of sour memories for PV, four turnovers contributing to a 27-13 win that sparked Spring-Ford’s second straight PAC title.

Perk Valley meets Spring-Ford in its league opener once again, on Sept. 24, in what has become the defining game in the Liberty Division and PAC at large. But instead of the season opener, the Vikings will enter this year’s matchup after a four-week gauntlet of top programs in the eastern half of Pennsylvania: Springfield-Delco (Aug. 27), Coatesville (Sept. 3), Downingtown West (Sept. 10) and Manheim Central (Sept. 17).

“We want to compete to win a state championship here. That’s always the goal: win our league, win District 1, win the state. You can’t compete to win a state championship if you’re not competing against the best teams in the state,” said PV head coach Rob Heist. “I just believe the only way to get better is to play teams like that.”

“Every week, if we don’t play well we can lose every single one of those games. But I believe if we play the way we are capable of we can win every single one of those games.”

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

The Vikings are capable of banging with the best because of returning seven starters on offense and five on defense, the most carryover of any PAC squad.

That returning group is headlined by All-Area first team senior quarterback Ethan Kohler, the league’s top signal-caller who is in his fourth year under center for PV. The 6-3, 212-pound right-hander was 97-for-154 for 1,451 yards – more than 500 yards better than the next Mercury-area QB – and 16 touchdowns against one interception in 2020.

“It really is a confidence booster to have someone as talented as Ethan on our team, someone who knows all the plays, knows everybody’s responsibilities,” said senior receiver/defensive back Jeremy Brewer. “He’s like having another coach. You can ask him questions and he knows what you’re supposed to do.”

Kohler’s leading target Jason Posner (21 catches, 413 yards, 6 TDs in 2020) has graduated, but the return of other skill-position players in senior receiver Dawson Debebe (10-188, 3 TDs) and junior running back Rasheem Grayson (49 carries for 288 yards, 2 TDs rushing; 19 catches for 190, 1 TD receiving) offsets that.

Better yet is the return of four starting offensive linemen in All-Area first team Jake Jonassen (6-3, 251), Vinny Corropolese (6-0, 281), Grant Euker (6-0, 212) and Austin Henry (6-1, 237).

“On the offensive side of the ball, we’re going to make our living on how well we can execute,” Heist said. “If we can dictate tempo and protect the way we need to protect our quarterback, if we can run the ball effectively and not turn the ball over – that’s what killed us in the Spring-Ford game last year, we had four turnovers – I think we can be a pretty efficient offense.”

Read the Boyertown football team preview next here

On defense, Brewer and Corropolese will go both ways and will be joined by fellow returners in senior linebackers Gage Young and Bryan Helenski and senior defensive back Jake Beaudoin.

Along with the more-than-most 2020 season, the Vikings’ offseason program has been close to traditional with team weight room sessions and workouts.

“Last year we were pretty much forced to work out and grind on our own and then try to come together all at once at camp and work with what we had,” Helenski said. “This year we’ve been working together to create that chemistry and we’re looking forward to doing some damage on the field.”

It’s just what the doctor ordered for a team and senior class that is desperate to put Perkiomen Valley back atop the PAC perch.

“I can’t say enough about these guys,” Heist said of his seniors. “What they’ve gone through in their three years as part of our varsity program and to come out on the other end as successfully as they have is remarkable. To play eight games last year is a testament to them, that they were that disciplined to sacrifice going to parties, going out to things for the sake of our team being able to play games.

“The adversity they’ve overcome, I don’t remember a class in my playing or coaching career that has overcome so much. I’m super proud of the men and leaders they’ve become.”

PERKIOMEN VALLEY

Returning starters

Offense

QB – Ethan Kohler, Sr., 6-2, 195 (97-for-154, 1,451 yards, 16 TDs, 1 INT, 175.12 passer rating; 205 yards, 7 TDs rushing)

OL – Jake Jonassen, Sr., 6-3, 251

OL – Austin Henry, Sr., 6-1, 237

OL – Vincent Corropolese, Sr., 6-0, 281

OL – Grant Euker, Jr., 6-0, 212

WR – Dawson Debebe, Sr., 6-3, 184 (11 catches, 204 yards, 3 TDs)

RB – Rasheem Grayson, Jr., 5-10, 190 (50 carries, 275 yards, 2 TD)

Defense

DL – Vincent Corropolese, Sr., 6-0, 281 (34 tackles)