Week 11 Non-League Capsules

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(Compiled by Don Seeley)

TONIGHT’S GAMES

GREAT VALLEY AT POTTSTOWN

Records: Great Valley is 6-4 after a 55-26 win over Sun Valley. Pottstown is 4-6 following a 45-27 loss to Methacton.

Inside the lines: Great Valley is led by quarterback Chris Geiss, who is among the Ches-Mont League’s leading rushers with 998 yards. He has also thrown for 715 yards and 10 touchdowns with just two interceptions. His favorite receiver of late has been Sean Fitzpatrick. Max Burgess backs up Geiss with 550 yards and five touchdowns running the ball. Defense has gotten a boost from hard-rushing Ray Colon. … Pottstown is led by quarterback Sage Reinhart, who has thrown for an area-high 1,800 yards with 15 touchdowns against just five interceptions. Five different receivers have caught passes in eight of the Trojans’ 10 games. They are Monroe Hampton (26 catches), Denzel Harvey (21), Dayon Mohler (19), Antonio Moore (19) and Darrius Bookhard (17). Hampton leads the run game (895 yards, 18 TDs). On defense, Mohler has four picks and teammates Derrick Wilson and Moore have two sacks apiece.

Notes: Great Valley leads the series, 20-18. … Trojans won the last meeting with Great Valley, 42-0, in 2001 – the Patriots final season in the PAC-10. … Patriots are scoring 28.2 points and allowing 20.2 points a game. They got hit with 12 penalties for 150 yards against Bishop Shanahan two weeks ago. … Pottstown, which averages over 365 yards a game on offense, is fourth in the area in scoring (29.4 points a game) but next-to-last in points allowed (40.7).

PERKIOMEN VALLEY AT SAUCON VALLEY

Records: Perkiomen Valley is 7-3 after a 42-28 loss to Spring-Ford. Saucon Valley is 4-6 following a 16-0 shutout of Palisades.

Inside the lines: Perkiomen Valley’s no-huddle offense centers around quarterback Rasaan Stewart, who has run for 1,078 yards and 19 touchdowns and passed for 1,404 yards and nine more scores. Running back Mark Bonomo (905 yards) gives the Vikings a second threat on the ground. Clay Domine leads the area with 49 catches and 799 yards, but Stewart has also gone consistently to Dakota Clanagan, Dayon Mitchell and Bonomo. Defense has gotten 4.5 sacks each from Anthony Pachella and Danny Light, and three from Mike Reiner. … Saucon Valley is led by workhorse running back Nick Savant, who has 69 carries and 466 yards in his last two games (1,219 on the season) behind a solid offensive line that features center Matt Ehritz, guards Tom Misiak and Tyler Kehs, and tackles Marco Santiago and John Amber. Matt Laub also gets his share of carries from quarterback Keith Mosher, who has thrown for more than 100 yards in four games. Nathaniel Schriffert has a strong leg, booming a 41-yard field goal last week.

Notes: First meeting between the two teams. … The Panthers compete in the Colonial League as a District 11-AAA team. Five of their six losses were to opponents who are playing in the postseason. … Stewart leads the area in total yards with 2,482. … Perkiomen Valley finished just one spot out of the Top 16 in the District 1-AAAA playoff points standings. … The Vikings have produced an area-high 4,118 yards of offense despite 15 turnovers and 51 penalties that have cost them 403 yards. … Saucon Valley, which opened with three straight losses, had a 34-6 lead halftime lead against Wilson Boro two weeks ago, but lost 40-34 in overtime.

SOUDERTON AT BOYERTOWN

Records: Souderton is 6-4 after an 11-10 loss to North Penn. Boyertown is 3-7 following a 42-14 win over Owen J. Roberts.

Inside the lines: Souderton is primarily a run-oriented team with Anthony Williams (826 yards, 16 TDs), Dan Knight (627-4 TDs) and Jarrett Reinhard (539-5 TDs). Quarterback A.J. Curotto has thrown for 593 yards and four scores, with most of his tosses going to Kyle Wenger (25 catches, 512 yards). Wenger is also a key on defense with five picks and seven passes defended. Marcus Miller has four sacks, while Reinhard has another 3.5 for the Indians’ defense, which has allowed just three teams to score more than once in a game this season. … Boyertown offense has picked up significantly the past two weeks with the run game going over 300 yards in each game. Cody Richmond (899 yards), Matt Moccia (737) and Eric Heller (562) have led the rush, while quarterback Griffin Pasik’s recent surge throwing the ball has him within 48 yards of 1,000 on the season. Gray Garber is having a banner season with six sacks, and sophomore Dalton Hughes came up with three interceptions last week.

Notes: Boyertown leads the series, 3-0, winning 15-7 in 1953; 19-0 in 1954; and 20-6 in 1990. … Prior to last week’s setback, Souderton’s only other losses were to Unionville (8-2), C.B. South (9-1) and Pennridge (9-1) – all District 1-AAAA playoff qualifiers. … Souderton, which has intercepted 10 passes and recovered 10 fumbles, is plus-nine in takeaways. … Boyertown wideout Nick Brough is among the area leaders in receptions with 24 for 462 yards. Teammate Justin Siejk, a sophomore defensive back, leads the team in tackles.

UPPER MERION AT OWEN J. ROBERTS

Records: Upper Merion is 1-9 after a 24-14 loss to Upper Dublin. Owen J. Roberts is 3-7 following a 42-14 loss to Boyertown.

Inside the lines: Upper Merion quarterback Carmen Fortino is 84 of 202 for 1,514 yards and 17 touchdowns, but has been intercepted 18 times. He has spread it around to Connor McGrath (25 receptions, 453 yards), Michael Grant (24-511) and three other receivers with at least 14 catches. Running back Hassan Gardner has run for 1,240 yards and 11 touchdowns. But despite the play of Tyreice Jennerette (36 tackles, 2 picks) and Ryan Marquez (4.5 sacks), the Vikings are allowing 37.6 points a game. … OJR defense needs a pick me up. After getting back to 3-3, the team has allowed an average of 44.8 points in a four-game tailspin. Offense has an excellent one-two punch with running back Wyatt Scott (920 yards) and quarterback Jarrad Pinelli (1,369 yards passing). Jay Thomas, Kyle Hinrichs and Will Bradford have been Pinelli’s main targets since record-breaking Matt Raymond went down two weeks ago with a broken ankle. OJR defense has gotten three sacks from John Raser.

Notes: First meeting between the two schools. … Six of Upper Merion’s nine losses were to opponents with winning records – and five of those six teams will be playing in this week’s postseason playoffs. … Upper Merion lost its first five games, beat Springfield-Montco (42-12), then lost its next four. … OJR, one of the area’s leaders in interceptions last year, has just one this season and is a minus-15 in takeaways.

SATURDAY’S GAMES

METHACTON AT NORRISTOWN

Records: Methacton is 5-5 after a 45-27 win over Pottstown. Norristown is 1-9 following a 42-13 loss to Cheltenham.

Inside the lines: Methacton is back to .500 thanks to three straight wins, all underlined by an offense that has produced 1,157 yards in that stretch. Quarterback Brandon Bossard has thrown for 1,026 yards and 12 touchdowns, and has run for a team-high 577 yards and another six scores. Dillon Alderfer and Cooper Given have been Bossard’s two favorite receivers. Mike Cassidy and Dillen White handle most of the running chores. Defense is getting big plays from Tom Collis (4 sacks). Chris He, Jeremy Reid and Nick Torcini. Given and Kyle Lowery each have three interceptions for the Warriors, who have 12 overall as a team. … Norristown has been in a tailspin, losing its last six and scoring only seven touchdowns in the six-game span. The quarterback is Sonny Brewer, who throws a lot to Joe Smith and Darius Wills. Corey Adams, Curtis Pardea and Wills anchor the offense, which allows 28.1 points a game.

Notes: Norristown leads the series, 16-10-2. … The Eagles won the last meeting between the two schools, 15-14, in 2006. … Norristown’s only win this season was a 27-20 decision of neighboring Upper Merion. … A Methacton win would give the Warriors back-to-back winning seasons for the first time since successive 7-4 runs in 1997 and 1998. They need 43 points to match the program’s highest-scoring season. That was back in 2000, when head coach George Marinkov – now an assistant under Paul Lepre – guided his team to a school-record 265.

Football Capsules

By Don Seeley
dseeley@pottsmerc.com


TODAY’S GAMES
PERKIOMEN SCHOOL AT ST. ANDREW’S (DEL.)
Records: Perkiomen School, coming off a bye, is 5-1. St. Andrew’s is 4-3 following a 36-15 win over Wilmington Friends.
Inside the lines: Perkiomen School is led by running backs John Garrett (476 yards) and John Williams (342), who accumulated those numbers in five games. Andy Chen and Olivier Joseph have anchored the offensive line. Defensively, the Panthers are getting big plays up front from Chen, Paul Csordas and Mark Fisher, from linebackers Garrett, Matt Bingham and Joseph, and in the secondary from Williams.   . … St. Andrew’s is primarily a running team, led by 215-pound quarterback Austin Tighman (1,514 yards, 19 TDs) and Sterling Cousar (324 yards, 4 TDs). Tighman has completed just nine passes for 92 yards the entire season. Defense, which has come up with 16 turnovers, is led by linebackers Cousar (75 tackles) and Ben Kang (39) and corner William Hughes (39).
Notes: St. Andrew’s leads the series, 5-1. … Perkiomen School’s lone win was 24-22 in 2009. … St. Andrew’s dropped its first two games and has responded with four wins in its last five outings. … Panthers, getting quality and consistent kicks from Roy Porres Suarez this fall, need a win to finish with the program’s second-best record since 1999. … Perkiomen School head coach Tom Calvario: “I’m always concerned with a week off, but it’s good to get some rest and recovery time. But if the last game of the season doesn’t pump you up I don’t know what will. We need to be aggressive, play with game speed, have a quick first step off of the ball, stay focused and play at a high tempo. Tighman is outstanding, and involved in 85 percent of their plays. Once again we will play a team that will be bigger, stronger and more athletic than us. We need to play a flawless game and execute precisely.”

EXETER AT DANIEL BOONE
Records: Exeter is 4-2 in Berks Football League Section One (6-3 overall) after a 16-6 win over Pottsville. Daniel Boone is 2-4 (2-7) following a 51-19 loss to Muhlenberg.
Inside the lines: Exeter is led by Delaware recruit Kyle Yocum, who has thrown for 825 yards, run for 533, and had a hand in 18 touchdowns overall. His favorite receiver has been Alex Dundore. Matt Connelly’s 825 yards and 11 touchdowns lead the run game. … Daniel Boone offense has been consistent behind quarterback J.D. Okuniewski, but the defense – hurt by even more injuries – has allowed 789 yards the last two games, both losses that knocked the Blazers out of the postseason. Team has also been generous in the turnover department, going in tonight minus-nine in takeaways.
Notes: Exeter leads the series, 31-22-1. … Daniel Boone has beaten Exeter in the two neighboring rivals’ last eight meetings. … Exeter, which has scored 148 of its 234 points in the first half this season, has won four in a row. … Blazers’ string of nine consecutive winning seasons was snapped earlier this year.

(For the rest of the capsules, click here...)

WEEK NINE CAPSULES

(Compiled by Don Seeley)

TONIGHT’S GAMES

MUHLENBERG AT DANIEL BOONE

Records: Muhlenberg is 2-3 in Berks Football League Section One (4-4 overall) after a 32-13 loss to Conrad Weiser. Daniel Boone is 2-3 (2-6 overall) following a 31-6 loss to Reading.

Inside the lines: Muhlenberg is led by quarterback Adam Huber (65 of 137, 903 yards, 11 TDs) and the running tandem of Francisco German (696 yards, 9 TDs) and Ben Ortiz (680 yards, 5 TDs). Elias Quinter and Zachary Waltz are the leading receivers with 24 and 21 catches, respectively, for the Muhls, who were 4-1 at one point but have slipped to .500 following three straight losses. … Daniel Boone saw its two-game winning streak and hopes for a postseason berth end last week. Injuries continued to mount, too, seeing both Pat Stone and Jeremy Bartman sidelined in the first half, then losing Adam Myers, Chris Ford and Tanner Pajakinas for the rest of the season. Rhett Glaser continues to anchor both lines. J.D. Okuniewski, with injuries limiting him to just defense recently, came on to quarterback in the game and now has 525 yards throwing the ball.

Notes: Muhlenberg leads the series, 34-10-3. … Daniel Boone has won the last three meetings after losing the previous 19. … Blazers have not scored a point in the first quarter this season, and they’ve been outscored in the first half by a 91-26 margin. … Daniel Boone head coach Bill Parks: “The injuries have affected preparation this week, but not the kids’ drive to finish strong. They have a lot of heart and strive for success. They’ve stepped up to every challenge they’ve faced and do not back down. Muhlenberg is big and physical, and will present challenges for our undersized lines. We have our work cut out for us this week.”

PERKIOMEN VALLEY AT POTTSGROVE

Records: Perkiomen Valley is 7-0 (7-1) after a 47-14 win over Upper Perkiomen. Pottsgrove is 7-0 (8-0) following a 55-20 win over Pottstown.

Inside the lines: See Seeley's Column / PV-Pottsgrove battle for title.

Notes: Pottsgrove leads the PAC-10 and overall series, 20-6. … Falcons have won the last four meetings. … Pottsgrove is 10-3 at home against the Vikings, and 10-3 at Perkiomen Valley. … Veteran Falcons coach Rick Pennypacker is 7-1 against Reed, now in his ninth year at PV.

PHOENIXVILLE AT UPPER PERKIOMEN

Records: Phoenixville is 4-2 (5-3) after a 40-19 win over Pope John Paul II. Upper Perkiomen is 0-7 (0-8) following a 47-14 loss to Perkiomen Valley.

Inside the lines: See Football Notebook.

Notes: Phoenixville leads the PAC-10 and overall series, 15-11. … The Indians have scored as many points in their last three games (54) as they did in their first five (54), and in the last three games have nearly doubled their offensive yardage from the first five.

POPE JOHN PAUL II AT BOYERTOWN

Records: Pope John Paul is 0-7 (0-8) after a 40-19 loss to Phoenixville. Boyertown is 1-6 (1-7) following a 24-20 setback to Methacton.

Inside the lines: Pope John Paul has the area’s best passing game (averaging 22 yards a game) behind quarterback Matt Mesaros (three straight 200 yard-plus games since taking over for injured James Bleming. The lack of a run game and a generous (allowing 387 yards and 42 points a game) has hurt, though. The Golden Panthers have also been slowed by turnovers (minus-10 in takeaways). … Boyertown scored twice in the final four minutes last week and nearly pulled off the upset behind solid play up front led by David Pettine, quarterback Griffin Pasik (season-best game throwing two touchdown passes and running one in for another score), and a defense led by sophomores Dalton Hughes and Justin Siejk (team’s leading tackler). Bears could get a boost with the return of linebacker Anthony Borzillo, who’s been out since Week Two with an injury.

Notes: The PAC-10 and overall series are tied, 1-1. … The Golden Panthers, who may have to go without two-way starter Tim Tadors (game-time decision), won last year’s meeting, 27-14. … PJP head coach Mike Santillo: “We’re going to strap them up and expect (our kids) to play as best they can, and may the best team that manages turnovers, penalties and adversity rise to the top. Boyertown runs that offense very well, so you have to keep them off-balanced with formations to counter their run game. We can’t afford to have their quarterback have a big night, either.” … Boyertown head coach Mark Scisly: “We just have to keep improving. Defensively, we played our second-best game of the year last week (at Methacton). We have three sophomores (Hughes, Mike Murphy and Siejk) who are really starting to play well. We’re not overlooking PJP, because that team has had some bad luck, especiall with injuries, the only reason they’re winless.”

POTTSTOWN AT SPRING-FORD

Records: Pottstown is 3-3 (4-4) after a 55-20 loss to Pottstown. Spring-Ford is 5-1 (7-1) following a 33-6 win over Owen J. Roberts.

Inside the lines: Pottstown still has two of the biggest offensive threats in the PAC-10 with running back Monroe Hampton (799 yards, 17 TDs) and quarterback Sage Reinhart (area-high 1,4844 yards passing), and have been getting big production of late from Denzel Harvey and Antonio Moore. Trojans’ big concern is improving on the defensive side, where they’re allowing an average of 385 yards and 38 points a game despite consistence performances from Chase Waters. … Spring-Ford’s defensive front has played well of late, anchoring a unit that allows just 128 yards a game. Robby Varner is coming a solid game in which he blocked a field goal, and Jarred Shoemaker is becoming an all-league caliber cornerback. Quarterback Hank Coyne (1,254 yards, area-high 17 TDs) is on pace to have seven different receivers with at least 10 receptions each, a group led by Gary Hopkins and Tate Carter.

Notes: Spring-Ford leads the PAC-10 series, 18-8, and the overall series, 31-23-1. … The Trojans, who are still without two-way tackle Josh Everette (injured), are currently 10th in the District 1-AAA playoff standings, where only eight advance into the postseason. … Pottstown head coach Brett Myers: “We’re not concerned about any hangover from last week, from playing Pottsgrove and Spring-Ford, because everybody in the league has had to deal with the same. There’s no time for the weary. We have to improve our blocking and our tackling. Spring-Ford is very good, so we must get into rhythm and not waste plays on offense.” … Spring-Ford head coach Chad Brubaker:  “We played well offensively, pretty consistently on defense and really well on special teams last week. We must continue to play like that, and not overlook Pottstown, to have a chance at the playoffs. We need to prevent (the Trojans) from getting momentum and confidence because Pottstown is very dangerous. I love Reinhart, a gritty, get-it-done type player who puts the ball where is needs to be and is very shifty. We must be disciplined and execute.”

SATURDAY’S GAMES

OWEN J. ROBERTS AT METHACTON

Records: Owen J. Roberts is 3-3 (3-5) after a 33-6 loss to Spring-Ford. Methacton is 3-4 (3-5) following a 24-20 win over Boyertown.

Inside the lines: OJR’s offense is in a tailspin the last two games, averaging only 106.5 yards, or well below 315.3 from the previous six games. Quarterback Jarred Pinelli (997 yards, 14 TDs) is still among the leaders in passing efficiency, Wyatt Scott (755 yards) is still among the leaders in yards rushing, and Matt Raymond (31 catches, 722 yards, 11 TDs) is still among the leaders in receving. Kyle Shronk, back the last two games after being injured, has been a key for the Wildcats’ improved defense. … Methacton’s defense, especially interception-happy Kyle Lowery, Cooper Given, Nico Williams and Akeem Walcott (a combined 10 picks) will be a test for Pinelli and OJR. Mike Cassidy has also been playing well for the Warriors, who have offensive threats in quarterback Brandon Bossard and receivers Dillon Alderfer and Given, all key players in ending a two-game skid last week..

Notes: OJR leads the PAC-10 series, 3-1, and the overall series, 4-1. … Warriors beat the Wildcats for the first time last year, 13-7. … OJR head coach Tom Barr: “We played well for a half last week (against Spring-Ford), but some breaks led to three (SF) scores. Our kids still have a lot of confidence in themselves, continue to work hard, and the injury list is beginning to decline. … Methacton head coach Paul Lepre: “It was good to get a win after the previous two weeks. The mistakes we made in the fourth quarter were more technique than anything, which we hope the kids corrected during practice this week. I think (OJR) and us match up well up front and in the skill positions, so it should be a good game.” 

HILL SCHOOL AT MERCERSBURG ACADEMY

Records: The Hill School is 0-3 in the Mid-Atlantic Prep League (0-5 overall) after a 34-6 loss to Blair Academy. Mercersburg is 0-3 (2-4) following a 42-13 setback to Peddie School.

Inside the lines: Hill’s offensive woes were dealt another blow last week when two more offensive linemen (tackles Will Rich and David Oh) went down with injuries. Wideout Jack Barry is also out for Saturday, and two senior defensive starters may miss the game due to ACT testing. Quarterback Grant Smith has his best game of the season (8 of 17, 170 yards, 1 TD), with Seth Regensburg pulling in six of the completions for 159 yards and the touchdown – his fourth of the season. Rams scored in the first half for the first time this season, but two first-half fumbles cost them two more possible touchdowns. … Mercersburg is led by quarterback Matt Hirshman, who has thrown well but also is susceptible to throwing interceptions. His favorite receivers have been Jordi Shapiro, Reggie Fiumano and Ben LoPrimo. The run game is fueled by Ayo Adjibaba and Kam Undieh.

Notes: Hill School leads the series, 39-19. … Rams have won the last four meetings, outscoring the Blue Storm 106-13 in the four games. … Mercersburg started off with two wins, but lost its last four and giving up an average of 39 points in the skid. … Hill School head coach Grey Simpson: “This week represents our best chance to get one in the win column, but I’m sure Mercersburg is approaching the game the same way, so they’ll be ready to play. We have to travel out there with a sense of urgency and pride ready to leave it on the field to get a win. There were definitely some positives coming away from the Blair game that we hope to build on these last two weeks. At this point, it’s become blatantly obvious to everyone involved in our program we’re not going to get any breaks or any lucky bounces. It is just going to be one of those years, so we have to go out and make our own luck and opportunities by our play on the field … every rep in practice and all four quarters in the game.”