With district title secured, Pope John Paul II turns attention to states, Tamaqua

The best thing about playoff season is every “big game” is followed by an even more pivotal contest.

Fresh off toppling previously undefeated Neumann Goretti of the Philadelphia Catholic League for the first District 1 title in school history, Pope John Paul II’s football team makes the short trip to Owen J. Roberts High School Friday night for the first round of the PIAA 3A state tournament, where they will meet the 10-2 Blue Raiders of Tamaqua, the District 11 champions.

A closer look at the matchup:

How They Got Here >> Before the program-defining win over Neumann Goretti, PJP dispatched of District 12’s School of the Future, 52-16, in the District 1/12 3A semifinals.

Tamaqua topped Notre Dame-Green Pond 49-28 in the District 11 semifinals before shutting out North Schuylkill, 20-0, for the title last week.

Overview >> The Golden Panthers got to show off their full arsenal as a team last week, as Neumann Goretti’s pass rush handcuffed the normally prolific PJP pass game for long stretches. PJP would find a way to victory behind special teams and defense, as senior Dylan Walker crushed a 65-yard punt and recovered a fumble for a touchdown on consecutive first-quarter plays. Senior running back Andrew McDonald converted a couple of key first downs on the ground, while senior QB Kamal Gray rushed for a pair of scores.

Meanwhile, Tamaqua was able to hold North Schuylkill’s offense to 105 total yards in avenging a defeat from earlier this season. A defensive performance like that deserves top billing, but Tamaqua can light up a scoreboard as well, as we’ll see in the next section.

When Tamaqua has the ball >> A remarkably balanced unit, the Blue Raiders have eclipsed the 40-point mark in seven of 12 contests this year. Coach Sam Bonner points to the team’s continuity, as several of this year’s seniors have played together since junior high and are seeing the fruits of their long-standing relationships this season.

Quarterback Brayden Knoblauch is the picture of consistency, averaging close to 150 yards passing per game and throwing for 16 TDs this year against only four interceptions. His favorite target is fellow senior Matt Kistler, whose 45 receptions for 762 yards and 10 touchdowns this year only tell part of the story.

Kistler fills a role similar to PJP’s Walker in that he’s heard from in all areas of the game. Last week’s district title game was one example, as Kistler caught five passes for 68 yards and a TD, adding 29 additional yards on the ground. On defense, Kistler recovered a fumble and intercepted a North Schuylkill pass, contributing four tackles from his cornerback position. When North Schuylkill was able to stop Tamaqua’s offense, Kistler kept them at bay, flipping the field by averaging 41 yards per boot on five punts. If Kistler leaves the field Friday night, you can bet that either it won’t be for long, or the outcome is no longer in doubt.

The Tamaqua running game goes as senior Nate Boyle goes, with his nearly 1,400 yards rushing on 175 carries this season. Only one other Blue Raider has carried more than 20 times on the season.

It’s the exact opposite of the Neumann Goretti offense the Golden Panthers saw last week – more solid than spectacular, as happy to grind out a dozen-play drive as they are to explode for a big play.

When Pope John Paul II has the ball >> PJP’s balance is as impressive as Tamaqua’s (219 yards passing, 191 yards rushing per game) but this offense casts a wider net with involvement from all numbers of skill players. It all starts with QB Gray, who even after a tough night (11-for-37 according to MaxPreps) at Neumann Goretti stands at 60 percent completions on the season to go with a remarkable 5:1 TD/INT ratio (35 TDs, 7 INT.)

It’s hard to envision Gray being under as much pressure as he was against Neumann Goretti, but the Golden Panthers are now able to complement his passing with a diverse running game. Gray himself leads the team with 537 yards rushing, but Andrew McDonald is hot on his heels with 519 yards on more than eight yards per carry, with Daylin Gooden, Chris Bruder, and Steele DePetrillo also contributing to this emerging ground game.

Gray’s main targets in the passing game are junior Justin Kormos (41 catches, 938 yards, 10 TDs), who broke loose for a 43-yard TD on 4th-and-9 with under two minutes to play last Friday to put PJP ahead for good, and Steve Skarbek (47 catches, 522 yards, seven TDs) who rebounded from a quiet night to catch the decisive two-point conversion.

McDonald and Walker each have over 30 receptions and 400 yards through the air. Opposing defenses are forced to get pressure on Gray or pick their poison among his receiving targets. An experienced offensive line led by Sean Anderson and Matt Dobrowolski will be tasked with keeping their quarterback clean and allowing the offense to operate freely.

Details and Prediction >> The fact that the Golden Panthers were able to amass 29 points despite the occasional dominance of Neumann Goretti’s defense last week speaks to the versatility of this team. A knack for making the big play at the perfect moment emerged, as Walker, Gray, and Kormos each stepped up as momentum was about to change or, in the final case, when the Golden Panthers were down to their last chance.

At the same time, the historic win changed the narrative around PJP football – for so long the lovable underdogs trying to carve out some respect in the PAC, a win over a team like Neumann Goretti establishes the program as a power in its own right.

Now the Golden Panthers get to test themselves against a wider net of 3A teams than District 1 can provide, and Tamaqua makes for quite the measuring stick. PJP will recognize the approach of one running the offense primarily through one running back – had Tamaqua played more close games this season, Nate Boyle would likely have more than 175 carries. He is a solid bet to see 20-plus touches on Friday night.

Pope John Paul II’s offensive production makes establishing and maintaining a lead challenging. But it’s Tamaqua’s clear preference, as the squad’s two season highs for passing attempts came in the Blue Raiders’ two losses, and the offense’s efficiency clearly suffers in such situations. The Blue Raiders, with their consistency and mistake-averse approach on both sides of the ball, clearly prefer to play from ahead.

With no common opponents to draw upon, predictions become challenging in states. We’re left with two similar team profiles – several lopsided victories, a couple of competitive losses – but two distinctly different paths to getting there. Tamaqua can clearly build a lead and protect it, while Pope John Paul II is never out of the game and can put up points in a variety of manners. Both sides have big-play threats and dependable veteran starters. It all points to a close contest, so let’s go with the battle-tested locals prevailing with a couple of signature big plays from the usual suspects. … Pope John Paul 33, Tamaqua 28.