(3) Perkiomen Valley 10-0 vs (14) Penn Wood 7-3; (Perk Val 19.66)
The Vikings passed serious test this year opening at Downingtown West with a 42-41 win, escaping a quality team from Haverford School 27-24 then winning on Spring Ford’s field 28-16. Thereon they’ve been unchallenged averaging 37 points a game while allowing 15. Nothing like staying in-house as the Vikings did hiring 12-year assistant coach (QB, DB, etc), Perk Val alum (Shippensburg) Rob Heist to run the show this year, replacing long time head coach Scott Reed. Coach Heist like Coach Brubaker at Spring Ford has a history of developing quarterbacks, notably Rasaan Stewart (Villanova) and Stephen Sturm, their current QB who hold most of the school records. Penn Wood’s resume is just the opposite, losing to all the +.500 teams on the schedule in games that were no contest, losing to Haverford School 48-24, Academy Park 32-8 and Interboro 42-24 by an average score of 41-19. Hey, still a heck of a year for the Patriots bouncing back from a 3-7 season to secure their first winning season since 2010’s 9-2 team. Nasty bunch with Shawn Oakman (6-9, 245, DT/DE) dominated all and nearly North Penn (13-2), before losing 20-6 after the Knights stuffed them on a 4th and goal at the 1. Perk Val should roll but the kids from Aldan, Lansdowne, Yeadon and Darby are tough kids.
(6) Downingtown East 8-2 vs (11) Souderton 6-4; (Downingtown 14.14)
About the Cougars two losses; the 23-7 loss to North Penn was a competitive game, with the score knotted early in the 3rd at 7 apiece. It was also an early game, played in week two at North Penn. Five weeks later saw them in a showdown with Coatesville in the comfortable confines of Kottmeyer Stadium where both were undefeated in league play. That all changed in a flash with Coatesville scoring three touchdowns their first five offensive possessions (!) to blow it open on the way to a 40-7 drubbing of the Cougars. Coatesville’s D may have been the real star in that one forcing numerous three and outs while allowing a paltry 196 yards of offense. A concern coming into the year was the secondary that was exploited with Rick Ortega completing 8 of 12 passes for 234 yards and 3 Tds. File that one away if they get past Souderton and Perk Val gets past Penn Wood. Not withstanding the Coatesville game, the Cougar D is at last year’s level (14ppg) making it one of their best statistical defenses going back to 2007’s 8-3 team that allowed 13ppg. At 27ppg, the offense has not matched more recent editions (15, 14, 12, 11,10, 09) that were explosive, more versatile. For Souderton, it’s been a roller coaster year, crushing Plymouth Whitemarsh in the opener 38-23 while winning their first 3 games, then losing 3 straight before winning 3 of their last 4. So who’s going to show up in Downingtown? The team that beat Whitemarsh or the one that lost to Pennridge, CB South, CB East and North Penn? Still, it’s been a good year, garnering their first winning season since 2012. But it’s a long and dangerous trip to Kottmeyer to face the playoff savvy Cougars, steeped in the tradition of this being “their time and their place”……..and well recovered from Coatesville after winning their last 3 games.
(7) Central Bucks South 8-2 vs (10) Garnet Valley 8-2; (G-Val 5.50)
Ok all you upset lovers, if this doesn’t look like a dead heat I don’t know what does! Both come in hot with the Titans on a 3 game roll and the Jaguars winning their last 4. South played a challenging schedule especially in the SOL-Continental against CB East, Souderton, North Penn, Neshaminy, CB West and Pennridge before tuning up against Tennent last week 35-7. The Jags come in on a 4 game run out of the Central League which did it’s best to mimic the EPC-South in terms of parity, beating Springfield 21-14, losing 28-20 to Ridley and to Haverford in overtime 34-28 after opening the season at Rustin, winning 24-16. With production numbers at 22ppg on offense and 14 on defense, South got a big bang for the buck winning 8 games. But you have to give them credit for winning the close ones with a 6-pt and three 7-pt wins. Don’t get in a close one with these guys! For the Jags, when they get it going they are a scoring machine, averaging 38 a game with a defense supporting at 15ppg. This has the makings of a good one!
(2) Neshaminy 10-0 vs (15) Pennridge 5-5; (Neshaminy 16.14)
Here is the one rematch of the 1st round and only game involving teams from the same league although different conferences. With a 16 team format, that’s usually unavoidable and in some cases a real detriment having to face “that” team again. It has happened for years under the 16 team format in D3 and D7 and was painful having to face a nemesis again. Moving on; Neshaminy defeated Pennridge the 2nd week of the season in a highly competitive game, winning 31-24. The score was 17-17 at the end of the 3rd quarter. Two things to remember about that one, it was early and it was at Pennridge. Another story worth mentioning is the turnaround the Skins are experiencing under second year coach Steve Wilmot, a former assistant at the school for the previous 20 years. Last year’s edition was a decent 9-4 but shaky with an offense scoring 24ppg. Knowing that, the D held up pretty good allowing 18. This year’s team is much improved and highly productive scoring 38ppg, their best in over 20 years, with a defense holding teams to an impressive 14ppg. This was achieved against a representative schedule including non-conference games with Roman Catholic, Pennridge and Downingtown West before settling into the SOL-National where they dominated. Neshaminy looks ready, with a strong OL (great size) decent quickness, one of the top backs in Will Dogba and a 3-year starting quarterback in Mason Jones. On the other side of the field, the schedule makers didn’t dish out any favors for Pennridge (it is the Continental!)…. playing Neshaminy, and Souderton at home then CB East, CB South, North Penn and Perkiomen Valley away. The away teams were a combined 36 and 4. When healthy, everyone knows the Rams have the goods to compete and always field a large offense. This year’s is at 27ppg, with previous years showing 28, 26, 30 and 33ppg , going backwards from 2015 to 2012. What they haven’t had is consistency of defense. This year’s group is sieve like, allowing 22ppg. The combination of that, a two game losing streak and a playoff game at Neshaminy before a large and loud crowd will probably bring their season to a close, sending the Tribe into the 2nd round.
