Northwestern-Pen Argyl

WHEN: Saturday, Sept. 13 at 1:30 p.m.RECORDS: Northwestern (2-0, 2-0 CL); Pen Argyl (0-2, 0-2 CL)LAST WEEK'S RESULTS: Northwestern def. Bangor, 41-0; Palmerton def. Pen Argyl, 21-19.IMPACT PLAYERS: Northwestern - The defensive line has jelled quite nicely and has helped to hold opponents to 251 yards of total offense in the two wins. Taylor Breininger continues to be a tackling machine, helping to shut down opponent's running games. Dylan Snyder came up with a drive-stopping interception and 35-yard touchdown return early in the game against Bangor last week to help put the Slaters in an early hole. Northwestern pulled down three interceptions in the win over Bangor and the first-team defensive unit hasn't allowed a point all season. Pen Argyl - Sophomore quarterback Logan Ruppert is a player to watch. In his first varsity start, Ruppert threw for 104 yards and went 11-for-16 passing. He also carried the ball 19 times for 91 yards against Northern Lehigh. Not bad for a kid making his first varsity start at quarterback. Overall, Ruppert has thrown for 231 yards and is 18-for-29 passing, thanks to a high percentage passing scheme and some smart decisions on his part. Even though he's inexperienced, Ruppert hasn't thrown an interception and isn't making many mistakes at the helm of the Knights' offense.FAST FACTS: Last year, Pen Argyl seniors Mike DePaolo and Ryan Lobb rushed for a combined 248 yards out of the single-wing offense. This season, DePaolo, Lobb and the entire offensive scheme are gone … Pen Argyl has a five-year playoff streak on the line and will have to do some work to keep it intact after their 0-2 start. Last season, the Green Knights lost to Catasauqua 41-14 in the District 11 AA semi-finals … Northwestern has shown to have an offense that can strike quickly this season. They've run 20 less offensive plays than their opponents have in the first two games, but have put up 73 points. Harry Hall has accounted for just under half of the 639 total yards of offense for Northwestern with 314 yards rushing. Hall and other members of Northwestern's offense have been quick to credit the offensive line with opening holes and creating opportunities ...The Tigers' offense could have a huge week against Pen Argyl. The Knights' defense has allowed 597 yards of total offense in their first two weeks, with 469 of those yards coming on the ground. Sophomore running back Tyler Foster better stay ready, because if Hall, Frank Dangello, Cam Richardson, Breininger and the rest of the first string offense do their job, Foster and the second unit, which did a great job last week at Bangor, are going to gain some more time in the spotlight. For the first time in coach Paul Reduzzi's nine-year tenure as coach at Pen Argyl, the Green Knights have started 0-2. With a few key plays here and there and a little luck thrown in, they could very well be 2-0. Northern Lehigh's defense came up with back-to-back goal line stands when Pen Argyl had them first-and-goal, to hang on for a 21-14 win in the opener. Last week, Palmerton was down 13-0 at the half against the Knights and rallied in the second-half to steal a 21-19 win.QUOTABLE: "Pen Argyl is one of those teams that you have to really prepare for. They're well coached and they've played pretty well, but just haven't been able to close out their first two games, so you know they're going to be looking to make a statement. It doesn't help too, that the game is on their field. They can be tough and we're going to have to play well, protect the football and work hard," Northwestern head coach Josh Snyder.Marian-MinersvilleWHEN: Friday, Sept. 12 at 7 p.m.RECORDS: Marian (2-0, AFL); Minersville (0-2, AFL)LAST WEEK'S RESULTS: Marian def. Panther Valley, 52-0; Lehighton def. Minersville, 50-8.IMPACT PLAYERS: Minersville - Last week against Lehighton, Bryce Miklesavage accounted for 95 yards on just four carries for the Miners. The team put up just 136 yards of total offense. Head coach Pat Mason will look to get him as many touches as possible. Marian - Nick Sully is the true defensive leader of this Colt squad and is doing a great job fillling in the shoes of 2013 Times News defensive Player of the Year Lucas Damian. On the offensive side of the ball, Sully is the fullback for the Colts and he'll look to spring some blocks for tailback K.J. Snerr against Minersville.FAST FACTS: Marian owns a 10-2 record against Minersville since the 2004 season ... The Colts have already scored 70 points in two games; last season it took Marian five games to eclipse that total ... Marian has held its first two opponents to a combined nine first downs and a total of 75 rushing yards ... Marian has a true running back by committee approach, as the Colts had a dozen different ball carriers last week led by junior K.J. Snerr.QUOTABLE: "We need to keep getting better. We sputtered sometimes on offense and our special teams isn't where it should be right now. However, we have a great group of kids who put the time in the film room and work to correct these errors. Our defense was outstanding and I thought overall it was a good win against a rival opponent. Minersville is a tough team at home and they certainly have some dangerous athletes," - Marian head coach Stan Dakosty.Tamaqua-Jim ThorpeWHEN: Friday, Sept. 12 at 7 p.m.RECORDS: Tamaqua (1-1, 0-1 AFL); Jim Thorpe (2-0, 2-0 AFL)LAST WEEK'S RESULTS: Tamaqua def. Schuylkill Valley, 25-6; Jim Thorpe def. Shenandoah Valley, 46-0.IMPACT PLAYERS: Tamaqua - Special teams can often play a big role in any game. Whether it's putting points on the board or gaining an edge in the battle for field position, there's no doubt it's a key aspect in winning any game. Tamaqua found out just how critical it can be last Friday against Schuylkill Valley, when senior Malik Roper made his season debut as the Blue Raiders' punter. Roper recorded four punts that averaged 46.5 yards, with a long of 50, regularly putting the Panthers on their heels. That kind of situational kicking will be crucial once again this week against Jim Thorpe. Jim Thorpe - The Olympians' Hunter Gibson has been a force on both sides of the ball so far this season. On offense, Gibson's play at left tackle has helped pave the way for a ground game that has piled up over 600 yards rushing in back-to-back wins. Defensively, Gibson has been dominant at defensive tackle, causing chaos in the backfield and helping Jim Thorpe keep its first two opponents off the scoreboard while allowing less than 250 yards combined after the first two weeks of the season.FAST FACTS: 2013 AFL champions Jim Thorpe have picked up right where it left off by outscoring its first two opponents by an astonishing 81-0 margin over the first two contests ... Olympian first year quarterback Shane Snisky appears to be very comfortable in the offense completing 66 percent of his passes and throwing for 169 yards against Shenandoah Valley last week ... Tamaqua's Thad Zuber is still sidelined after a week one injury which shifted Ernie Shilko to quarterback and Bud Moyer to running back ... last week against Schuylkill Valley, Moyer exploded for 226 rushing yards en route to earning the Times News Player of the week award ... The Olympians' victory over Shenandoah Valley last week gave Mark Rosenberger his 100th career win as Jim Thorpe's head coach.QUOTABLE: "Malik (Roper) is a guy that's out for the first time as a senior and he's been a huge contributor for us. He did a great job punting last week, but he's also been playing really well on defense with two fumble recoveries. He's in an odd situation as a senior that's only going to be playing for one year, but he's really helped us out. A lot of times those guys don't have much success, but he's done really well for us," Tamaqua head coach Sam Bonner."I think winning two games the way we have breeds a lot of confidence. The guys know what they're capable of, and it helps when they see the results on the field. This week (against Tamaqua) we know that we're going to be challenged physically. They're tough upfront and coming off a big win against Schuylkill Valley, so they have a lot of momentum. They're definitely a threat, and we need to be ready to play on Friday night," Jim Thorpe head coach Mark Rosenberger.Mahanoy Area-Panther ValleyWHEN: Friday, Sept. 12 at 7 p.m.RECORDS: Mahanoy Area (1-1, 1-1 AFL); Panther Valley (0-2, 0-2 AFL)LAST WEEK'S RESULTS: Mahanoy Area def. Schuylkill Haven, 38-21; Marian def. Panther Valley, 52-0.IMPACT PLAYERS: Mahanoy Area - Mason Ryan should once again be called upon to be the playmaker of the Golden Bear offense. Last week Ryan exploded for 146 yards on the ground and took a fumble recovery 80 yards to the house to help Mahanoy Area come from behind and stun Schuylkill Haven. Panther Valley - Kyle Emmert (Offensive Line/Middle Linebacker) has been active all over the football field on the defensive side of the ball the first two weeks of the season. Look for Emmert to make a difference as the Panthers attempt to contain Mason Ryan and the Golden Bear ground attack.FAST FACTS: After giving up 47 points to Lehighton in week one, the Golden Bears were extremely aggressive on the defensive side of the ball as they forced five turnovers in week two against Schuylkill Haven ... Mahanoy Area shut out Schuylkill Haven for the entire second half last week after giving up 21 first half points ... However, Mahanoy Area did give up 304 yards on the ground last week, so Panther Valley will look to get Ali Capobianco going early after he was limited to just 12 yards on seven carries last week against Marian ... Panther Valley was limited to just 70 yards of total offense against a Marian defense which has yielded just eight points in its first eight quarters of action in 2014 ... The Panthers must take care of the ball this week as they lost four fumbles against Marian, and the Golden Bears are thriving off of takeaways this season.QUOTABLE: "We are looking to bounce back and play well at home against a very good Mahanoy Area team who is coming off a huge win. Defensively we need to play responsible football and swarm to the ball. Offensively we need to take care of the football and find the end zone. Last week we took a step back and we need to get back on track and improve in all areas of the game. The effort has been great at practice and we are looking to pick up win number one," - Panther Valley head coach Matt Davis.Whitehall-Pleasant ValleyWHEN: Friday, Sept. 12 at 7 p.m.RECORDS: Whitehall (2-0, 2-0 EPC); Pleasant Valley (0-2, 0-2 EPC)LAST WEEK'S RESULTS: Whitehall def. Allentown Central Catholic, 42-41; Bethlehem Catholic def. Pleasant Valley, 40-38IMPACT PLAYERS: Whitehall - The Zephyrs will go as far as Penn State-recruit Saquon Barkley takes them. Barkley scored three touchdowns and rolled up 101 yards rushing on just 14 carries in last week's shootout win over ACC. Barkley also showed his versatility, scoring on an 82-yard punt return, a 36-yard run and a 10-yard run. Barkley compiled over 1,100 yards on the ground last year and will be a major concern for the Bears this week. Pleasant Valley - Tyson Calhoun has been an outstanding difference maker on the defensive side of the ball for the Bears. Calhoun has displayed natural ability to play both the run and the pass. Last week against Becahi, he showed he can bait opposing quarterbacks into throwing the ball his way, as Calhoun recorded his first interception of the season to go along with more than a handful of tackles.FAST FACTS: Friday's game will be a rematch of last year's District 11 AAAA quarterfinal, which the Zephyrs won 56-28 ... This week's contest will also mark the Bears' third straight game against teams formerly of the Lehigh Valley Conference ... In last week's game against Central Catholic, Whitehall trailed 28-0 late in the second quarter. With the score one touchdown away from putting the mercy-rule into effect, the Zephyrs managed to rip off 27 unanswered points to cut the deficit to 28-27 midway through the fourth quarter. After a Central Catholic touchdown and extra point gave the Vikings a 35-27 lead, Whitehall responded with a touchdown and two-point conversion to tie the game 35-35 at the end of regulation. Though the Vikings got the first score of overtime, the Zephyrs got the one that mattered most when Barkley scored from 10 yards out and Conor Ilgenfritz capped the comeback with the game-winning extra point.QUOTABLE: "Last week the kids got excited even when we were down because they saw that we can execute offensively and put points on the board. Brandon (Kuehner) did a great job commanding our spread offense and progressing through his reads when he threw the football. Some of our kids really stepped up due to injuries and played great. Our line blocked really well which in result got the rest of our offense going. I'm extremely proud of the kids, they've shown that they are a resiliant bunch that never gives up," - Pleasant Valley head coach Dave Pacchioni.Bangor-PalmertonWHEN: Friday, Sept. 12 at 7 p.m.RECORDS: Bangor (1-1, 1-1 CL); Palmerton (2-0, 2-0 CL)LAST WEEK'S RESULTS: Northwestern def. Bangor, 41-0; Palmerton def. Pen Argyl, 21-19IMPACT PLAYERS: Bangor - Mike Hlatkey is the quarterback in charge of running the Slaters offense, but most of the time the ball will be snapped to running back Saivaughn Vass. Vass scored on an 85-yard run against Catasauqua, but was held to minus-4 yards rushing on five carries last week against Northwestern. Most of the yardage the Slaters picked up were when both teams had their reserves in during the second half. Palmerton - The Bombers are starting to get comfortable with sophomore quarterback Garrett Perschy at the helm. Perschy has backs Tre Nelson and Mike Stasko running the ball and has found a nice target in Sean Doherty who had a touchdown called back last week against Pen Argyl on a long reception.FAST FACTS: Bangor utilizes the single wing offense very well. Trying to get a good simulation of its offense during the week is tough to do. The Slaters like to pound the ball at you and try to catch you off guard with a play action pass. They are also not afraid to air it out as they did against Northwestern. The key to defending the single wing is playing assignment football and winning the line of scrimmage battle ... Slaters have won the last five meetings including last year's matchup by a 41-28 score. Bangor also holds a 14-5 edge in the series.QUOTABLE: "Friday's game revealed a lot about our team in terms of character and their will to fight. However, we can not rest on last week's results. We have a lot to improve upon and fix immediately because in this league you better bring your 'A' game week in and week out. Bangor will be another good test for us," - Palmerton head coach Chris Walkowiak.No. Lehigh-WilsonWHEN: Saturday, Sept. 13 at 1:30 p.m.RECORDS: Northern Lehigh (1-1, 1-1 CL); Wilson (0-2, 0-2 CL)LAST WEEK'S RESULTS: Saucon Valley def. Northern Lehigh, 35-6 ; Southern Lehigh def. Wilson, 40-20IMPACT PLAYERS: Northern Lehigh - The Bulldogs ... Wilson - Jahid Beamon leads a strong line for the Warriors and despite his size, he still has a quick step in the second half just as he does early in the game. Senior running back Nick Labatch does most of the ball carrying and QB Michael Glovas improved quite a bit from the first week loss to Palmerton to last week's battle with Southern Lehigh.FAST FACTS: Wilson is by far the biggest team Northern Lehigh head coach Joe Tout has seen this season ... Bulldogs have to make sure their offense can move around that. Bulldogs have to focus on speed this week and may have to start throwing the ball more ... Tout has been impressed with the two games Chad Cederberg has had at quarterback ... Nate Farber reaggravated a first week injury and wasn't as mobile as he could be ... Bulldogs have some skilled players including Cederberg that may be used more to open up the offense ... Lineman Ethan Caldwell returns and he'll help the depth up front ... Seth Keiser has also been cleared to play this week and he could be used at tailback or flanker ... Wilson was Northern Lehigh's bye team the last two seasons. In 2011, Bulldogs won 55-12 and in 2010, Bulldogs won 52-36.QUOTABLE: "We were very flat and weren't excited to play last Friday. And it got out of hand with the turnovers. That was the reality of it. Against Pen Argyl we didn't have the bad turnovers and didn't have the penalties. We have to understand that the league is so balanced that we're capable of winning the rest of the games, but we're also capable of losing them all also," - Northern Lehigh head coach Joe Tout.