Times Herald Week 3 football preview capsules

NORRISTOWN AT PLYMOUTH WHITEMARSH

TIME: Friday, 7:00 p.m., Plymouth Whitemarsh High School

RECORDS: Norristown is 2-0 after defeating Wissahickon, 38-13. Plymouth Whitemarsh is 2-0 after defeating Abington, 33-18.

LAST SEASON’S GAME: PW won, 35-6.

OUTLOOK: See Sideline Insider

ABINGTON AT UPPER DUBLIN

TIME: Friday, 7:00 p.m., Upper Dublin High School

RECORDS: Abington is 0-2 after losing to Plymouth Whitemarsh, 33-18. Upper Dublin is 2-0 after defeating Harry S Truman, 38-7.

LAST SEASON’S GAME: Abington won, 27-20 .

OUTLOOK: The Cardinals are legit, as if anyone needed to be converted, and they go for their third straight to open the season against a Ghosts team that is not to be confused with standout Ghosts teams of the recent past.

Last week, Abington hurt itself with penalties and missed opportunities against PW, but still made it a close game in the fourth quarter, primarily on the arm of QB David Kretschman and the hands of WR George Reid.

Upper Dublin, meanwhile, got 145 rushing yards and two touchdowns from QB Ryan Stover.

WISSAHICKON AT SOUDERTON

TIME: Friday, 7:00 p.m., Souderton High School

RECORDS: Wissahickon is 1-1 after losing to Norristown, 38-13. Souderton is 1-1 after defeating Central Bucks West, 21-14.

LAST SEASON’S GAME: Souderton won, 20-14.

OUTLOOK: The Big Red got into the win column last week, thanks, in part, to a tough running game, led by Jamar White and Koby Khan, although they did cough up a two-touchdown lead late in the game.

Wissahickon should have no trouble remembering its last game against Souderton, which ended on a hook-and-lateral play by the Big Red that turned into the winning touchdown on the contest’s final play.

The Trojans got burned by Norristown’s big-play ability last week, but it’s unlikely Souderton can match that kind of explosiveness.

SUN VALLEY AT UPPER MERION

TIME: Friday, 7:00 p.m., Upper Merion High School

RECORDS: Sun Valley is 0-2 after losing to Radnor, 42-19. Upper Merion is 1-1 after defeating Harriton, 29-13.

LAST SEASON’S GAME: Did not play.

OUTLOOK: The Vikings and Vanguards should be a Very interesting matchup as both programs are Vastly Vociferous about earning a Victory.

The Vikings got into the win column last week behind a ground game led by Kyle Smith (two touchdowns) and Isaiah Graham-Mobley, who latched onto a long touchdown pass.

The Vanguards are winless, but move behind the arm of QB Gabe Boccella and the legs of RB Quentin West.

POPE JOHN PAUL II at OWEN J. ROBERTS

TIME: Friday, 7:00 p.m., Owen J. Roberts High School

RECORDS: Pope John Paul is 0-2, 0-1 after losing to Pottsgrove, 49-21. Owen J. Roberts is 0-2, 0-0 after losing to Great Valley, 34-21.

LAST SEASON’S GAME: Owen J. Roberts won, 21-19.

OUTLOOK: The Golden Panthers gave Pottsgrove some trouble a week ago, before finally folding under the weight of the Falcons ground game.

Against the Wildcats this week, PJP will be challenged at quarterback by either Mitch Bradford, who had to sit out the fourth quarter a week ago with a leg injury, or big-armed Dawson Stuart, who took over for Bradford and had his moments in the loss to Great Valley.

UPPER PERKIOMEN AT SPRING-FORD

TIME: Friday, 7:00 p.m., Spring-Ford High School

RECORDS: Upper Perkiomen is 0-2, 0-1 after losing to Boyertown, 41-36. Spring-Ford is 2-0, 1-0 after defeating Phoenixville, 58-7.

LAST SEASON’S GAME: Spring-Ford won, 62-7.

OUTLOOK: The Rams, off to a blistering offensive start this year, play host to an Indians team that has yielded a total of 825 yards over its first two games.

Rams QB Ricky Venuto has been terrific in the early going, throwing for a team-record four TD passes last week, and has totaled 305 passing yards and five scores through the air this year.

Upper Perk is led by RB Michael Felix (27 carries, 122 yds.) and QB Zeke Hallman (18-for-51, 231 yds.).

PERKIOMEN VALLEY AT POTTSGROVE

TIME: Friday, 7:00 p.m., Pottsgrove High School

RECORDS: Perkiomen Valley is 2-0, 1-0 after defeating Methacton, 60-0. Pottsgrove is 1-1, 1-0 after defeating Pope John Paul II, 44-20.

LAST SEASON’S GAME: Perkiomen Valley won, 49-21.

OUTLOOK: The Vikings have continued their offensive success, and now seem to be approaching the level of the Vikings offensive juggernauts that have feasted on the PAC-10 over the past half-dozen seasons.

The Falcons, who are seen to have slipped slightly in the last couple of years, got an early challenge from Pope John Paul last week before unleashing their ground game in the person of Tyrell Barr, who rolled up 328 yards and four touchdowns in the lopsided victory.

BISHOP MCDEVITT AT ARCHBISHOP CARROLL

TIME: Friday, 7:00 p.m., Archbishop Carroll High School

RECORDS: Bishop McDevitt is 1-1 after losing to Cheltenham, 19-13. Archbishop Carroll is 0-2 after losing Upper Moreland, 27-6.

LAST SEASON’S GAME: Archbishop Carroll won, 28-3.

OUTLOOK: The Patriots have two losses and six points this year.

Will that change against the Lancers, who are a much better team since long-time head coach Pat Manzi returned from a sabbatical.

Their 1-2 offensive punch of RB Vince DiLeo (25 carries, 248 yds.)and QB Max Bryson (18-for-36, 276 yds.) will have to be contained if McDevitt is to be slowed.

Meanwhile, Carroll needs to get its offense untracked. The Pats are high on sophomore QB Rick Groce, who despite a shaky debut last week has the confidence of the Carroll staff.

LANSDALE CATHOLIC AT HATBORO-HORSHAM

TIME: Friday, 7:00 p.m., Hatboro-Horsham High School

RECORDS: Lansdale Catholic is 2-0 after defeating Springfield (M), 49-7. Hatboro-Horsham is 0-2 after losing to Quakertown, 38-19.

LAST SEASON’S GAME: Lansdale Catholic won, 28-13.

OUTLOOK: Ryan Quigley has picked up where he left off a season ago, leading the Crusaders to wins in their first two games.

LC has another winnable contest this week against a Hatters team that has had difficulty defensively, having yielded a total of 93 points in its first two games.

That’s good news for the Crusaders, who got a combined for 324 yards and seven touchdowns from Quigley (177 yds., 4 TDs on the ground) and QB Michael Basillii (5-for-6, 147 yds., 3 TDs through the air last week.

H-H relies on QB Casey Walsh to run its offense.

LA SALLE AT DEMATHA CATHOLIC

TIME: Friday, 7:00 p.m., at Prince George’s Sports and Learning Complex

RECORDS: La Salle is 2-0 after defeating Pennsbury, 14-0. DeMatha is 1-0 after defeating American Heritage, 23-22.

LAST SEASON’S GAME: La Salle won, 41-39.

OUTLOOK: The Explorers travel to our nation’s capital to face the country’s fourth-ranked scholastic team in the Stags, whose sidelines include the likes of receiver Tino Ellis, a Maryland commit, and defensive lineman Shane Simmons, who’s headed for Happy Valley.

La Salle has impressed over its first two starts, keeping the offenses of both North Penn and Pennsbury in check. The Explorers have gotten plenty of offense from RB Syaire Madden and unheralded quarterback Chris Ferguson.

NORTH PENN AT DOWNINGTOWN EAST

TIME: Friday, 7:00 p.m., Downingtown East High School

RECORDS: North Penn is 1-1 after defeating West Catholic, 40-24. Downingtown East is 2-0 after defeating Roman Catholic, 35-21.

LAST SEASON’S GAME: Did not play.

OUTLOOK: The Knights, fresh off a quality win over West Catholic, look to tame Downingtown East, a team the program has met twice before — both times in the District One playoffs.

East , as usual, is big and tough, and led by TE Cary Angeline, 6-foot-7 tight end and USC commit.

The Knights, in emerging victorious over West, got 254 passing yards and three TD strikes from QB Reece Udinski, although head coach Dick Beck was not particularly pleased with the number of Knights penalties and amount of yardage the North Penn defense allowed.

PHOENIXVILLE AT METHACTON

TIME: Saturday, 1:00 p.m., Phoenixville High School

RECORDS: Phoenixville is 0-2, 0-1 after losing to Spring-Ford, 58-7. Methacton is 0-2, 0-1 after losing to Perkiomen Valley, 60-0.

LAST SEASON’S GAME: Methacton won, 44-6.

OUTLOOK: The Warriors play a home game on the road against a school whose field the game is being played upon.

If your head is still attached to your neck after that bizarre sentence, get ready for another test for a Warriors team that has allowed a total of 103 points in its first two games.

If that trend is to continue, that will likely mean big games for Phantoms QB Trey Rossman (14-for-28, 210 yds,, 1 TD) and RB Matt Palubinsky (21 carries, 103 yds.).

HILL SCHOOL AT GERMANTOWN ACADEMY

TIME: Saturday, 4:00 p.m., Germantown Academy

RECORDS: Hill School is playing its season opener. Germantown Academy is 2-0 after defeating Prep Charter, 28-20.

LAST SEASON’S GAME: Germantown Academy won, 34-7.

OUTLOOK: GA got a huge win on the road last weekend against a highly thought of Prep Charter squad and try to build on that against a Blues team that is opening its season.

Last week, the Patriots got a bounce-back big game from QB Kyle McCloskey, who threw for 245 yards and four touchdowns, including three to Jimmy McAfee (7 catches, 143 yds.).