Pottsgrove pursues perfection, denial of Perkiomen Valley’s PAC three-peat

It’s been a flawless debut season at the helm thus far for Pottsgrove head coach Bill Hawthorne.

Undefeated in the Pioneer Athletic Conference’s Frontier Division and favored to win a third consecutive District 1 Class 4A title, it’s awfully hard to find anything lacking at a program that’s now racked up a 20-2 record over the past two seasons combined.

And yet across the field this Friday, they’ll find the source of one of those two losses, plus another in the 2016 season — the Perkiomen Valley Vikings.

Riding a seven-game winning streak of their own, PV comes into Rick Pennypacker Field this Friday as the owner of consecutive PAC championships — both at the expense of host Pottsgrove.

The Falcons get another chance to settle the score with Perkiomen Valley, as the two teams collide to decide the title for the third time in as many years. In fact, each year of the two-division setup has concluded with a Vikings-Falcons championship game.

“We’re going to do our best to eliminate the mistakes — the turnovers, missed assignments, and penalties — to improve our chances against PV,” said Hawthorne.

Maybe the greatest similarity between the two contestants is each team’s ability to keep moving forward without key pieces in their puzzle.

The biggest question pertaining to this year’s matchup for Pottsgrove is the availability of junior running back Isaiah Taylor, who missed last week’s 31-0 win against Phoenixville. Taylor’s status for this week remains undetermined.

In his absence, senior Isaiah Glover didn’t miss a beat, making the most of his 13 carries with 208 rushing yards and three scores. Indeed, Pottsgrove has spent the 2018 season proving it doesn’t need one specific back to be successful, as they’ve replaced the graduated Rahsul Faison, who set PAC records last year with 2,920 rushing yards and 42 touchdowns and remained the league’s leading rushing team.

Quarterback Jay Sisko can’t be ignored in the team’s power running game, with 552 yards rushing and 10 TDs on the season. Focus too much on the run, and Sisko will make you pay through the air. He’s not called on to throw often, but when he does he makes it count, averaging over 21 yards per completion.

Much of the credit goes to a senior-laden offensive line. Two-way linemen Nate Tornetta, Justin Adams, Ryan Bodolus, and Darrian Seaman are joined by guard Manny Allen and center Ethan McHugh in paving the way for 233 rushing yards per contest.

The Falcons don’t make it much easier on opposing offenses, with four shutouts highlighting the performance by a defense even stingier than last year’s version. They’re allowing only 167 yards per game on average, making life equally miserable for quarterbacks and the running game. Bodolus leads the way for the Falcons up front, while Jimai Springfield patrols the defensive secondary.

If you’re looking for an unsung hero for the Falcons, pay close attention when the special teams take the field. Senior kicker/punter Michael Sereny consistently puts opponents in unfavorable starting field positions with booming kickoffs, and is an invaluable weapon in tight, defensive battles with his punting ability.

The two-time defending champion Vikings aren’t without their own concerns, after quarterback Cole Peterlin exited last week’s game against Spring-Ford just before halftime and was relieved (quite capably) by freshman Ethan Kohler as the Vikings prevailed, 27-20. Coach Rob Heist was unsure of Peterlin’s status for Friday, and admitted it would likely remain so until just before game time.

But as Kohler proved in the come-from-behind win last week, the Vikings’ offense is in capable hands either way. Kohler led a 17-point rally in the game’s final 13 minutes, throwing for 138 yards and the game-tying TD to Isaiah Domine, the PAC’s most explosive receiver whose matchup with Pottsgrove’s Springfield will be one to watch.

In the backfield, Jon Moccia and Jake Sturm combine to give PV a solid one-two punch with either Peterlin or Kohler a threat to take off at any time as well.

But perhaps the real story is on the defensive side, where the Vikings replaced eight starters from 2017 and haven’t missed a beat. Austin Rowley leads an opportunistic secondary with the help of Randy Washington, while senior Malik Smith is a stalwart at linebacker.

“Our assistant coaches have done a tremendous job getting our defense up to speed, and keeping us sound,” said Heist. “Matt Young, Don Lindberger, Tim Connolly, Jim Bildstein, Jason Heflin, Kevin Kehs — these guys get all the credit for keeping the Perkiomen Valley defense on top of our game.”

Last year’s contest ended 43-26 in favor of the Vikings, and both teams went on to successful District playoff campaigns, with Pottsgrove claiming the Class 4A title and PV advancing to the Class 6A quarterfinals.

Both have similar aspirations in 2018, but in the meantime, a much closer contest likely awaits.

Week 10 Games

Spring-Ford at Pope John Paul II

Records >> Spring-Ford 4-1 PAC Liberty, 7-2 overall; Pope John Paul II 4-1 PAC Frontier, 8-1 overall.

Last Meeting >> Spring-Ford topped PJP, 51-13, during last season’s crossover week.

PJP will be the home team in name only, as the game will be played at Spring-Ford’s Coach McNelly Stadium Friday night. The Rams controlled the first three quarters of last week’s Liberty Division showdown with Perkiomen Valley, only to see everything unravel in the fourth quarter as they fell 27-20.

Meanwhile, the Panthers needed a late TD pass and two-point conversion to squeak past Upper Merion, 22-21.

This week’s game matches the PAC’s two most prolific passers, as Spring-Ford’s Ryan Engro (1865 yards, 23 TD, 3 INT) matches wits with Kamal Gray (1769 yards, 25 TD, 5 INT). Both signal callers are only juniors, indicating that the future of PAC QB play is in good hands.

Playoff Implications >> Both teams are easily into their respective District 1 fields (6A for Spring-Ford; 3A for PJP). But the outcome will go a long way in determining whether Spring-Ford (current No. 8 in a 16-team field) hosts a first-round game, or whether Pope John Paul II finishes as the top seed in 3A, as they battle with Conwell-Egan for the honor.

Owen J. Roberts at Upper Merion

Records >> Owen J. Roberts 3-2 PAC Liberty, 6-2 overall; Upper Merion 3-2 PAC Frontier, 5-4 overall.

Last Meeting >> OJR topped the Vikings, 21-0, in a week 4 contest at Henry J. Bernat Stadium.

The setting for the rematch switches to Upper Merion, where coach Rich Kolka and his Wildcats will find a Viking offense vastly improved from their earlier meeting. Despite a two-game losing streak, Upper Merion coach Victor Brown believes his squad is playing their best football of the season in their last two contests against Pottsgrove and PJP.

For their part, Owen J. Roberts will continue to ride the legs of PAC leading rusher Marcus Martin and the high-percentage passing of Cooper Chamberlain. Dante DeNardo has emerged as a weapon in recent weeks for the Wildcats, contributing a 62-yard TD run and a team-leading six receptions just last week.

Playoff Implications >> Upper Merion is comfortably sitting in the 5A field, and OJR would need a truly unfortunate combination of events to miss out in 6A. The Vikings endeavor to host a first-round game, while the Wildcats hope to move forward in the rankings in order to avoid some of District 1’s frontrunners in the first round.

Norristown at Pottstown

Records >> Norristown 2-3 PAC Liberty, 3-6 overall; Pottstown 1-4 PAC Frontier, 4-5 overall.

Coach Joe Milligan’s Eagles are enjoying their first winning streak of the year, the product of hard-fought wins, 14-7 over Methacton and 12-6 over Boyertown the past couple weeks. Xzavier Gorski continues to round into a two-way threat for the Eagles, gaining 135 yards on the ground last week and adding several tackles on defense.

The Trojans will try to cement their place in the postseason with a win, but may be doing so without quarterback and offensive leader Josiah Wiggins who remains hampered by a leg injury. Darius Smallwood filled in last week during a 21-20 loss to Upper Perkiomen throwing for over 100 yards, while Dereck Darden and Nehemiah Figueroa combined for 17 tackles on defense.

Playoff Implications >> Norristown won’t qualify in 6A this season, but they’ll have a say in Pottstown’s fate in 4A, which could range from hosting a first-round game to missing out entirely, depending on the results for Springfield, Glen Mills, and Bishop Shanahan.

Methacton at Phoenixville

Records >> Methacton 1-4 PAC Liberty, 1-8 overall; Phoenixville 1-4 PAC Frontier, 3-6 overall.

Last Meeting >> Methacton topped Phoenixville 44-6 back in 2014.

The visiting Warriors continue to field a stingy defense, holding Owen J. Roberts to only 13 points last week, but can’t quite put things together offensively. Gary Knox, Andrew Balek, and Colby Stahl all turned in season highs in tackles last week in the absence of leading tackler Brett Romano.

For the Phantoms, the mantra of ‘taking what the defense gives you’ continues this week. They hope Methacton’s unit will be more generous than Pottsgrove was last Friday in holding Phoenixville to 77 total yards.

Playoff Implications >> It’s not as simple as ‘win and you’re in’ for Phoenixville, but currently ranked No. 17 in a 16-team Class 5A field, a victory makes their chances highly likely, given some of the matchups their District rivals are facing this week. Methacton will not qualify in Class 6A.

Boyertown at Upper Perkiomen

Record >> Boyertown 0-5 PAC Liberty, 1-8 overall; Upper Perkiomen 1-4 PAC Frontier, 2-7 overall.

Last Meeting >> The Bears’ only win this season came in the first week against Upper Perkiomen, 37-12.

Unlike last meeting, and unlike much of the season, the Indians should have do-it-all running back Tyrese Reid available. After compiling 252 total yards and three TDs last week in a 21-20 win over Pottstown, Reid will look to duplicate his performance in helping his team avenge the season-opening defeat.

It won’t come easily against a young-but improving Bears defense. Jon Myers, Connor Rohrbach, and Noah Segal are a few of the two-way sophomores singled out by coach TJ Miller as reason for optimism going forward for Boyertown.

Playoff Implications >> Friday’s game will end the 2018 season for both teams.

Exeter at Daniel Boone

Records >> Exeter 3-2 Berks Conference I, 5-4 overall; Daniel Boone 2-3 Berks Conference I, 5-4 overall.

Last Meeting >> Exeter shut out Boone last season, 42-0.

More than anything else, Daniel Boone coach Rob Flowers emphasized the fact that the Blazers are playing a relevant Week 10 game, after a two-win season last year. That alone underscores the progress through the program in 2018.

Once the game starts, Chase Lacey will be depended upon heavily on both sides of the ball as the Blazers look to neutralize an explosive Exeter offense led by QB Kolby Haag, who stands on the verge of several program passing records.

Playoff Implications >> It’s basically an elimination game for District 3’s Class 5A field, while even the winner will need some help to qualify.

The Eastern Conference playoffs remains the best postseason hope for each, with the winner clinching a spot in the 5A/6A title game.

Mercersburg Academy at Hill School

Records >> Mercersburg Academy 0-3 Mid-Atlantic Prep League, 1-6 overall; Hill School 0-3 MAPL, 0-7 overall.

The Rams continue to search for their first win this week against Mercersburg. Hill School fell 26-6 to Blair Academy last week, while Mercersburg dropped a 54-39 shootout to Peddie School.