Blue Mountain-Marian

WHEN: Friday, September 26 at 7 p.m.RECORDS: Blue Mountain (2-2; 1-2 AFL), Marian (3-1; 2-1 AFL)LAST WEEK'S RESULTS: Lehighton defeated Blue Mountain, 21-14; North Schuylkill defeated Marian, 47-26.IMPACT PLAYERS: Blue Mountain - The Eagles feature a potent rushing attack, with three players having scored at least two touchdowns on the ground. The ground game is led by senior Dakota Roberts, who has tallied 265 yards and four scores on just 25 carries this season. Roberts was held to 50 yards on nine carries in last week's loss to Lehighton, and it will be important for the Colts to limit his impact again this week. Marian - This is Aaron DeAngelo's (TE/LB) first season with the Colts and he certainly looks comfortable in the Stan Dakosty system. DeAngelo has been all over the place on the defensive side of the ball and will have to be a big factor in stopping Blue Mountain's ground game this week.FAST FACTS: The Eagles are undefeated on the road, and the Colts are a perfect 2-0 at home this season ... Marian is 14-2-1 against Blue Mountain since 1979, including a 20-20 tie in 1991 ... That being said, the last contest between these two schools was in 1997, as Marian was victorious 31-0 ... Despite last week's Colt loss, K.J. Snerr continues to have a breakout 2014 campaign, as he rushed for 172 yards on the ground ... Snerr is averaging just over 128 yards per game on the ground through four weeks, which puts him on a hypothetical pace of 1,280 yards for the season ... Marian will look to rebound defensively, as the Colts gave up 373 yards on the ground last week against North Schuylkill.QUOTABLE: "We're dissapointed with the way we played last week defensively. We made a lot of alignment mistakes and things you just can't do against a quality football team. However, we did some nice things on offense. We are practicing with a ton of intensity this week. Blue Mountain is big, physical, and just an outstanding football team. We definitely have to tackle better and match their physicality." - Marian head coach Stan DakostyJim Thorpe-Schuylkill HavenWHEN: Friday, September 26 at 7 p.m.RECORDS: Jim Thorpe (4-0, 3-0 AFL); Schuylkill Haven (2-2, 2-2 AFL)LAST WEEK'S RESULTS: Jim Thorpe defeated Tri-Valley, 20-14; Tamaqua defeated Schuylkill Haven, 26-23.IMPACT PLAYERS: Jim Thorpe - John Lowin (Linebacker) is in on every play and what seems every tackle for the Olympians. Schuylkill Haven - It's clear that the Hurricanes offense goes through tailback Will Casella. The senior has racked up 699 yards and nine touchdowns on 95 carries. Casella is averaging a staggering 174.8 yards-per-game and and an equally impressive 7.4 yards-per-carry. After rushing for at least 180 yards and two scores over the first three weeks of the season, Tamaqua held Casella to just 89 yards and one score in last week's overtime game, which the Hurricanes lost.FAST FACTS: Hunter Harner of Tri-Valley scored the first offensive touchdown against Jim Thorpe all season last year on a 31-yard run ... Technically, Jim Thorpe is holding opponents to just five points per game, pitching two shutouts in the first four games of the 2014 season ... Robert Heller, Shane Snisky, and Ryan Carroll are all threats on the ground in the Oylmpians' wild-cat type offense ... last week Snisky ripped off a 75-yard scamper on the ground, as Heller and Carroll combined for 209 yards rushing ... Jim Thorpe needs to clean up some penalties, as the Olympians had two touchdowns called back last week due to holding, on the way to accumulating seven penalties for 85 yards ... Schuylkill Haven is 22-5 since 1979 against the Olympians, including a 30-12 victory in 2013.QUOTABLE: "Anytime you win a close game it provides some confidence to your players. We made some nice plays and I thought Shane (Snisky) made some nice throws and runs for us. Our winning formula is running the ball and spreading it around to different players, and our backfield is playing great. I'm very happy with the performance of the defense, only given up one touchdown in four games is impressive. This week will be a challenge and we know this is a big game for us. We showed a lot of character so far this sesaon." - Jim Thorpe head coach Mark RosenbergerGovernor Mifflin-LehightonWHEN: Friday, September 26 at 7 p.m.RECORDS: Governor Mifflin (3-1, 1-0 BIC); Lehighton (3-1, 3-1 AFL)LAST WEEK'S RESULTS: Governor Mifflin defeated Reading, 48-14; Lehighton defeated Blue Mountain, 21-14.IMPACT PLAYERS: Governor Mifflin - Quarterback Jan Johnson is the Mustangs' catalyst on offense. Johnson recently committed to Akron, a Division I program, for football. The 6-3, 210-pound Johnson was an All-Berks pick at both quarterback and linebacker as a junior, and he has continued to star at both positions for the Mustangs this season. He passed for three TDs and ran for a pair in a 48-14 win over Reading last Friday. He has also improved as a passer since last season and is completing a Berks-leading 62.5 percent of his passes, with seven TDs and two interceptions. A year ago, he completed just 41.7 percent of his passes and had eight TDs in 11 games. Defensively, he ranks fifth on the team with 13 tackles, and has a fumble recovery and blocked punt. Further proving his versatility, Johnson was also a PIAA Class AAA wrestling champion at 195 pounds to cap off a season which saw him go undefeated on the mat. Lehighton - Tegan Durishin (WR/DB) has been "sound" on both sides of the ball so far this season, noted McCarroll. Durishin and the Indians' secondary helped contain Blue Mountain to just 73 yards through the air in last week's victory. The junior also connected on all three of his extra-point kicks against the Eagles.FAST FACTS: Governor Mifflin's only loss this season came in overtime to Wilson West Lawn in the season opener ... During the Mustangs' three-game winning streak, they have outscored their opponents 114-46. Overall, Governor Mifflin is averaging just over 37 points per game this season ... The Mustangs are the defending Section I champions ... Over the last two weeks, Lehighton has shown the ability to come back and finish strong. Despite losing 28-25 to North Schuylkill in Week 3, the Indians managed to outscore the Spartans 25-0 in the second half. In last week's win over Blue Mountain, Lehighton matched the Eagles 7-7 over the final two quarters to secure the victory.QUOTABLE: "The fact that we have played two very tough teams the previous two weeks will hopefully prepare us mentally and physically for what we will see this week against a good Governor Mifflin team. Our goals are to play a complete physical game from start to finish in all three phases of the game and we're yet to do that this year. If we put that together, we can compete with any team on our schedule." - Lehighton head coach Tom McCarrollPanther Valley-TamaquaWHEN: Friday, September 26 at 7 p.m.RECORDS: Panther Valley (1-3, 1-3 AFL); Tamaqua (2-2, 1-2 AFL)LAST WEEK'S RESULTS: Panther Valley defeated Shenandoah Valley, 33-21; Tamaqua defeated Schuylkill Haven, 26-23.IMPACT PLAYERS: Panther Valley - Jake Suveg had an interception return for a touchdown in last week's victory. Suveg is also having a great season on special teams punting the ball for the Panthers. Suveg registered a punt of 70 yards on his first attempt last week against Shenandoah Valley. Tamaqua - Kyle Oliphant has played a key role in boosting the running game and helping the Blue Raiders shut down opposing offenses. In last week's win over Schuylkill Haven, Oliphant recorded three pancake blocks as Tamaqua rolled up 261 yards and four scores on the ground. Defensively, Oliphant has made just as much of an impact. Oliphant helped hold the Hurricanes' offense in check with solid play at defensive end. Oliphant has recorded 12 tackles and one sack this season.FAST FACTS: Tamaqua has won the last four meetings by a combined score of 166-26, a 41-5-6.5 average. Panther Valley's last win in the series was a 32-26 district playoff overtime thriller in 2009, a year the Panthers finished 9-3 while the Blue Raiders went 8-3. During that season, PV also registered a 20-2 victory over Tamaqua ... In last week's win over Schuylkill Haven, the Blue Raiders' defense held Will Casella to 89 yards and one touchdown on 17 carries. Coming into the game, Casella was averaging just over 203 yards per game and almost three scores on the ground ... Tamaqua's Bud Moyer is averaging just under 120 yards per game on the ground ... Trevor Skripko has been a force on the defensive side of the ball, leading Tamaqua with 11 tackles per game ... After allowing 34 and 52 points in losses to Schuylkill Haven and Marian to start the season, the Panthers have held their last two opponents (Mahanoy Area, Shenandoah Valley) to 19 and 21 points, respectively.QUOTABLE: "A win will always help boost the morale, and there's a lot of energy on the practice field this week. Matt (Hudicka) ended up getting a lot of reps last week and he made the most of it. He's a great pocket passer who stretched the field for us. We played much better on special teams last week, although we got a little sloppy in the second half. I thought we played well defenisvely, as we scored twice which helped put the game away. We need to be physical and we need to tackle well against Tamaqua. They're very well-coached and they have a bunch of backs who run hard. We need to show up and play hard for four quarters." - Panther Valley head coach Matt Davis"When you look at the schedule, this (game against Panther Valley) is probably one of the biggest of the year. They always give us a hard time, and I think (head coach) Matt Davis has done an incredible job with that team. We did well to come away with a win last week, but we have to make sure we don't give up big plays like we did at the end against Schuylkill Haven," - Tamaqua head coach Sam Bonner.Pleasant Valley-PM WestWHEN: Saturday, September 27 at 7 p.m.RECORDS: Pleasant Valley (1-3, 1-3 EPC); Pocono Mountain West (0-4, 0-4 EPC)LAST WEEK'S RESULTS: Pleasant Valley defeated William Allen, 47-14; Parkland defeated Pocono Mountain West, 46-8.IMPACT PLAYERS: Pleasant Valley - Matt Sheehan has emerged in recent weeks as a player the Bears can look to for a big play on defense or special teams. Sheehan recovered a blocked punt and took it three yards for a score in last week's win over Allen. Sheehan started the year at outside linebacker, but moved to defensive end after the opener against Easton in an effort to help the defense and as a way to stay on the field. The move has paid off for both Sheehan and the Bears, as Pleasant Valley has started to turn the corner on that side of the ball against some tough opponents. Pocono Mountain West - Offensively, the Panthers were held to just 110 yards of total offense in their loss to Parkland last week. The Trojans held the Panther to just five first downs. Qmac Quiteh is Pocono Mountain West's quarterback after moving to the position from running back early last season. The talented senior ran for 706 yards, but attempted only 39 passes in six starts last year. Chris Sanchez and sophomore A.J. Simon will both see time in the backfield at tailback.FAST FACTS: Pocono Mountain West has been outscored 162-22 to start the season. The average score of the Panthers first four games has been 40.5-5.5 ... Last year, Pleasant Valley defeated Pocono Mountain West 35-0. The Bears have won the last two meetings by a combined score of 80-10. The Panthers last win in the series came by a score of 14-7 in 2011 ... Including Saturday's contest against Pocono Mountain West, Pleasant Valley's final six games will all be against teams the Bears faced last season in the former Mountain Valley Conference. Pleasant Valley went 4-2 against those teams in 2013.QUOTABLE: "For some reason, we just don't play well there (Pocono Mountain School District Stadium). It doesn't matter what their record is; they've played really tough to start the year. I'm expecting to go there and be in a tight game. We can't overlook anybody at this point," Pleasant Valley head coach David Pacchioni.Palmerton-Notre DameWHEN: Friday, September 26 at 7 p.m.RECORDS: Palmerton (3-1, 3-1 CL), Notre Dame (0-4, 0-4 CL)LAST WEEK'S RESULTS: Palisades defeated Palmerton, 22-21; Northern Lehigh defeated Notre Dame, 20-6IMPACT PLAYERS: Palmerton - The Blue Bombers got good field position twice with kickoff returns against Palisades and a repeat of good field position will help this week. Nick Sander ran one back 70 yards and Mike Stasko took one 79 yards deep into Pirate territory. Notre Dame - The Crusaders used three quarterbacks last week against the Bulldogs, but might have found their regular starter in senior Nick Brotzman. Brotzman, a transfer from Pius X, took over after halftime and completed 10-of-15 for 137 yards. If Trey Watson, a speedster gets open, look out.FAST FACTS: The two teams met on the opening weekend last season with the Crusaders winning by a 25-13 score. Jerry Pereira caught two passes for 86 yards and a touchdown before being lost for the season with a broken collarbone ... Notre Dame holds a 18-12-1 edge in the series .... Palmerton had won five in a row before Notre Dame has won the last two ... Forcing turnovers and trying to score on them is an extra bonus, like the Bombers learned last week. The Crusaders, on the other hand saw the Bulldogs fumble six times and only lose three ... Notre Dame has given up over 200 yards rushing in all four games thus far ... It was incorrectly stated in Saturday's game story that Rae Washington ran 99 yards with a fumble for a Bomber touchdown. It was Jake Horn who picked it up and ran it in for the score.QUOTABLE: "We need to get over last week's tough loss in a hurry. At practice we will emphasize correcting our mistakes and playing more consistent football. There is still a lot of football left to play and we need to move forward and not look back." - Palmerton head coach Chris WalkowiakPalisades-Northern LehighWHEN: Friday, September 26 at 7 p.m.RECORDS: Palisades (3-1, 3-1 CL), Northern Lehigh (3-1, 3-1 CL)LAST WEEK'S RESULTS: Palisades defeated Palmerton, 22-21; Northern Lehigh defeated Notre Dame, 20-6IMPACT PLAYERS: Palisades - Everyone know about Christian Gretzinger and the Pirates running game, but a player the Bulldogs can't ignore is Nick Bord, who caught a 78-yard touchdown pass on the second play of the third quarter against Palmerton and also plays both noseguard and linebacker. He also came up with a big sack on Bomber QB Garrett Perschy on third down to halt a drive. Northern Lehigh - Jason Schaffer, Cameron Kates, and Stephan Scheib were all very solid last week on the defensive line and will have to bring their A game again this week to stop the Pirates' talented running back.FAST FACTS: This is a big game as far as District 11 playoff positioning goes. The Pirates are currently second behind North Schuylkill, while the Bulldogs are fifth behind No. 3 Northwestern and No. 4 Tamaqua ... With the success Notre Dame had throwing the ball in the second half, the Bulldogs will have to keep pressure on Palisades QB Austin Krauss. Krauss spearheaded a 35-yard drive in the last two minutes to set up freshman Jared Colletti's 20 yard field goal with 2.8 seconds left on the clock to beat Palmerton ... Pirates picked up a 28-13 win over the Bulldogs last season.... Northern Lehigh holds a 15-3 edge in the series.QUOTABLE: "We need to come and play physical fundamental football on Friday night. Palisades is a solid football team. If we are fundamentally sound and do not turn the ball over we will have the opportunity to win this game." - Northern Lehigh head coach Joe Tout