D11/2/4 Big School Power Ranking - Week 4

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A lot of movement this week. First, Liberty drops from 3 down to 6 after a 37-35 loss to Nazareth, who moves up from 9 to 5. The Blue Eagles jump Bethlehem Catholic, who lost to Liberty, on the strength of two quality wins and the "best" loss of the one-loss group, a last minute 31-27 defeat by #4 Freedom. Easton hops Freedom on the transitive property, their 49-7 win over Emmaus slightly more impressive than Freedom’s 28-7 victory over the same Green Hornet squad. Freedom also unfortunately loses some subjective points with the season ending injury to star running back Roberto Diez. Becahi falls back slightly nobody of note while other teams are starting to gain quality wins, and Liberty has lost some luster after falling from the ranks of the undefeateds. Meanwhile, Saucon Valley went on the road blew out fellow Colonial League and 3A contender Southern Lehigh. Stroudsburg re-enters the rankings after a dominant win over East Stroudsburg South, and some rehabilitation of their close Nazareth loss after an excellent early season showing by the Blue Eagles. Parkland and Wyoming Valley West remain 1 and 2, with Parkland needing to wait another week before their schedule picks up, and the Spartans with a chance to impress this week against Berwick, though I’m not sure how big of a performance would be needed to move them ahead of the Trojans, who are such a consensus favorite.

1. Parkland (3-0)
Last Week: Parkland beat Allentown Central Catholic 28-14 in a workmanlike victory. A solid, but quiet performance from Devante Cross (12-20 for 149 yards, 13 carries, 70 yards, 2 touchdowns) and Parkland got the most production from their ground game this season, getting 87 yards from Eric DiGiralomo and 70 from Jahan Worth. But the big story was Parkland’s defense, which sacked former teammate Ethan Persa seven times and held ACC scoreless until the game was out of reach in the fourth quarter.

Early Star: Eric DiGiralomo made 85 tackles last season as the only underclassman in the linebacking corps. This season, DiGiralomo takes the mantle from Preston Saylor, Nezar Haddad, Matt Laub, Nick Gurinowich, Rob Dvorcek, and the other great Parkland linebackers that serve as the backbone of their defense. DiGiralomo has spent most of his season in opposing backfields in Tim Moncman’s blitz heavy scheme. The Lehigh lacrosse commit is also seeing carries at running back, where he has scored three touchdowns.

This Week: Parkland has their last breather, a home contest with Pocono Mountain West, before the schedule really kicks into high gear. The Trojans finish the season with Whitehall, Liberty, Easton, Freedom, Nazareth, and Emmaus, the toughest six-week stretch of any team in the District.

2. Wyoming Valley West (3-0)
Last Week: The Spartans skated past Pittston, 63-14, with Sean Judge returning two interceptions for touchdowns as the game’s big star. Quarterback Aaron Austin continued his solid debut season under center, completing eight of ten passes for 160 yards and three touchdowns in the first half to put the game away by the break.

Early Star: Wyoming Valley West has been getting the expected big production on both sides of the ball from their stars. I’ll highlight one of the less flashy guys, fullback/middle linebacker Billy Davidson. After leading the Spartans with 88 tackles last season, Davidson has racked up 28 stops, four for loss, plus a pick and a forced fumble on defense. Offensively, Davidson is averaging 13.1 yards per carry, on his way to 144 yards and 2 touchdowns, plus opening up holes from the fullback/H-back spot for Sean Judge.

This Week: Wyoming Valley West’s explosive offense will have to contend with the excellent Berwick defense on Friday. The Dawgs have given up just one offensive touchdown in three games and have not been scored on in nine straight quarters. In last week’s shutout of Dallas Area, Berwick recorded six sacks, and keeping Aaron Austin’s jersey clean will be imperative for Chris Bleich and co. on the WVW offensive line. Offensively, the Dawgs have nowhere near the fire power of the Spartans, but run a grind it out, ball control offense that I think is going to have a lot of trouble against the talented front four on WVW’s defense that can eat space for Davidson and the rest of the Spartan linebackers to come up and stop the run..

3. Easton (3-0)
Last Week: Northampton did exactly what Emmaus wanted to execute; they put 9 guys in the box at all times and limited the Easton running game, daring them to throw. Of course, those results did not go exactly as planned, as Trey Durrah completed 8 of 13 passes for 206 yards and three touchdowns. Wide receiver Trevon Mills caught four passes for 96 yards, tight ends Trey Bailey and Rich Tattolli and running back Nysir Minney-Gratz all caught touchdowns, and Katrell Thompson returned a punt 66 yards for a score, Easton's third in as many games. The Red Rover defense held Northampton to 68 yards of total offense.

Early Star: The Red Rover defense is allowing just 122.6 yards per game (84.3 rushing, 38.6 passing). They’ve allowed just 2.5 yards per carry, and the first team defense has allowed only one touchdown. Steve Shiffert has started comparing it to his 2004 unit which was even more undersized, but had a similar, fast, gang tackling style, and gave up 8.6 points per game to fuel an Eastern Final run. The 2015 group has been fabulous against the pass, getting great pressure from the front four, particularly Daloni Caldwell off of the edge, and they have athletes in the secondary that allow coordinator Doug Powell to implement creative and aggressive schemes with his linebackers.

Next Game: Easton takes on Allentown Central Catholic. The Vikings couldn’t get much going offensively last week against Parkland, but slowed down the potent Trojan offense, and were particularly impressive limiting the impact of Kenny Yeboah. Easton offers a much different look than the Trojans, but Central has the speed in the back seven to give them problems. And while ACC’s offense remains a work in progress, few playcallers have had as much success against Doug Powell defenses as Rob Melosky.

4. Freedom (3-0)
Last Week: Joe Young carved up Emmaus, completing 13 of 18 passes to seven different receivers for 185 yards and a touchdown and rushing for 106 yards on 13 carries in Freedom’s 28-7 win. The defense uncharacteristically only forced one turnover, but held non-Kyle Boney members of Emmaus’s offense to 57 yards on 31 plays. Boney did rush for 157 yards on 25 carries, but was held without a touchdown for the first time all season.

Early Star: Freedom did suffer a tremendous casualty in Friday’s win, losing running back Roberto Diez for the season with a lower leg injury. Diez was in the midst of a breakout senior campaign, running for 270 yards and 6 touchdowns in Freedom’s first two games and piling up over 50 yards in the first half against Emmaus on eight carries. He had clearly worked very hard in the offseason, putting on a bunch of good weight and looking like a back who could lead his team to a deep playoff run. Now Freedom has to scramble to replace him in the run game for at least the remainder of the regular season, if not for the whole year.

Next Week: Freedom takes on Northampton at newly renovated Al Erdosy Stadium, in the final week of a brutal stretch for the Konkrete Kids, who saw Parkland-Easton-Freedom all in a row. Northampton is better, but has not moved the ball much in the last two weeks, and the prospects aren’t good against the Freedom defense. Easton and Parkland both carved them up through the air, and Joe Young will be expected to do the same.

 

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5. Nazareth (2-1)
Last Week: I wrote but didn’t post my game of the week thread from last week, but I’ll admit to being wrong about Nazareth-Liberty, where I predicted a 49-35 win by the Hurricanes. Instead, Nazareth overcame an 11 point second half deficit, contained the Liberty aerial attack, and came out a 37-35 winner. Travis Stefanik had his third straight brilliant start, completing 24 of 36 (including a 9 for 9 fourth quarter) passes for 261 yards and a pair of scores. With Liberty constantly double covering Jahan Dotson or rolling their safety over him for help, Julian Liaci had a massive game, catching 11 passes for 150 yards and two touchdowns. Dotson was relatively contained on offense, catching 5 balls for 41 yards, but the standout sophomore returned a kickoff for an 85 yard touchdown (and had an 80 yard punt return TD called back), intercepted a fourth quarter Erney pass and returned in to the 30, which set up Nazareth’s final TD, scored that final touchdown on a six yard run, and held Liberty standout Victor Santiago to one catch.

Early Star: Junior quarterback Travis Stefanik deserves credit for how well he’s run the offense. Stefanik was thrust into action as a sophomore when the starter suffered an injury, and despite being an undersized 5’8 140, he threw for 900 yards and saw tons of important game reps. The experience has been invaluable as Stefanik has been on fire early, completing 66% of his passes for 683 yards and 7 touchdowns. He’s third in the state in completions and fourth in passing yards. He has two extremely talented receivers, but he’ clearly has command of Tom Falzone’s spread system, and has made the offense go. Not bad for a kid who was much better known for his wrestling exploits.

This Week: Nazareth takes on a reeling Emmaus team, who is 1-2 and in danger of another lost season if they take a third loss. Nazareth gives up 6.5 yards per carry and has yielded over 300 rushing yards twice this season. In their only loss, Freedom overcame a halftime deficit by attempting just one pass in the second half and running the ball down Nazareth’s throat. This is how Emmaus attacks everybody, and Nazareth may be particularly vulnerable. The flip side, of course, is that Nazareth’s track stars can make life miserable for the plodding Emmaus offense and defense, and if the Green Hornets get behind, it’s a tough hill to climb.

6. Liberty (2-1)
Last Week: Liberty tumbles this week from the 3 spot after a 37-35 loss to Nazareth in an early game of the year candidate. After Doug Erney ran in a 32 yard touchdown, the Hurricanes held a 28-17 lead in the third quarter. But the Hurricanes gave up a special teams touchdown and two fourth quarter TDs to let a 3-0 start slip from their grasp. The Hurricanes were able to gash the Blue Eagle defense for 301 yards rushing on 46 carries, but oddly threw the ball 31 times, completing just 12 of those attempts, which put them behind the chains and stalled drives.

Early Star: Despite his tough night Friday, Doug Erney has put up huge numbers early, throwing for 523 yards and 5 touchdowns and rushing for 241 yards (9.3 YPC) and 4 touchdowns. The real revelation has been Erney as a runner. They’ve certainly used him in the run game before, but he’s making great decisions in the read option and is definitely faster. This is evidence in his 135 yard performance against Bethlehem Catholic and his 97 yards Friday against Nazareth. He’s also the best in the Valley at play action and manipulating a defense with ball fakes.

This Week: A massive turning point game for the Hurricanes, who host Whitehall at BASD stadium on Friday. There is a huge difference between 3-1 and 2-2, and the winner has an inside track at a subregional playoff berth. That has been Liberty’s stated goal this year, to get back to playoffs for the first time since 2009, and to do so they’ll need to be on the right side of this anticipated Erney-Sinatore quarterback dual.

7. Saucon Valley (3-0)
Last Week: In a game that many thought will decide the Colonial League championship, Saucon Valley crushed rival Southern Lehigh 49-30. The Panthers went on a 35-7 run to put the game away, getting three touchdown runs and a TD pass from quarterback Zach Thatcher to pull away. Saucon Valley ran for a staggering 431 yards, 207 and 3 TDs from Evan Culver and 156 and 3 TDs from Thatcher. Culver was the star both ways, as he blanketed Southern Lehigh’s All State receiver, Ethan Price. The 6’2 205 pound FCS recruit had two catches in the first quarter for 134 yards in the first quarter (including a beautiful one handed catch for a 77 yard TD), but just two catches for 30 yards the rest of the game as Saucon Valley pulled away.

Early Stars: The one-two punch of Culver and Thatcher has been fabulous. The pair has combined for 119 carries, 986 yards, and 14 touchdowns in their first three games. They’re running behind an experienced offensive that reutnred all five starters, with senior three year starter Christian Carvis and four juniors, Cody Zrinski, Trey Polak, Ryan Meyers, and Stephen Good, plus tight end Mike Kane, who is heavily involved in the run game. It’s a very non-Colonial League sized line, with Zrinski (6’3 270), Polak (6’3 250) Meyers (6’2 250), and Kane (6’4 220) as big as anybody in the EPC at their positions. Their physicality, a calling card of coach Matt Evancho, has driven the Panther’s early success.

Next Week: Saucon Valley takes on 1-2 Catasaqua. This has the potential to be a trap game, sandwiched between clashes with Southern Lehigh and Northwestern Lehigh, both perennial Colonial League contenders. Still, this is an experienced SV roster, and they should handle the Rough Riders Friday.

8. Bethlehem Catholic (2-1)
Last Week: As expected, Becahi rolled with a 54-6 win over Pocono Mountain West. Antwon Keenan scored five first half touchdowns (four rushing, one receiving) and finished with 130 yards on 11 carries. Reserve tailback Randy Terry also broke the 100 yard barrier, with 137 on 13 carries and a third quarter touchdown as the Golden Hawks ran for 337 yards.

Early Star: Keenan has run very well after losing most of 2014 to a knee injury. The senior from Northampton is averaging 10 yards per carry and has scored 11 touchdowns in three games. The Golden Hawks may look back and kick themselves at not feeding Keenan the ball more in week one, where he only received 17 of Becahi’s 43 rushing attempts on the night. He’s coming off of back-to-back five touchdown games, and in an offense full of playmakers, he’s been the best in the early season.

This Week: The Golden Hawks travel to East Stroudsburg South, who have suffered a pair of blowout losses despite high expecations. The Cavaliers have a dangerous passing game, but have been bit early by the turnover bug and yield rushing yards at an alarming rate. Keenan is primed for another big night, and the Becahi secondary should be ready.

 

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9. Williamsport (2-0)
Last Week: Abington Height slowed down the Millionaires offense, but threw three crushing interceptions, two of which were run back for touchdowns, and Williamsport moved to 3-0 with a 36-14 win. The Millionaires defense allowed just one offensive touchdown, on the game’s opening drive, but put the clamps on. Junior quarterback Isaiah Hankins was excellent again, completing 13 of 16 passes for 192 yards and 3 touchdowns. The junior has not thrown an interception in 69 attempts while completing 70% of his passes on the season.

Early Star: Hankins and senior receiver Jerah Reeves has been one of the premier pitch-and-catch duos in Pennsylvania. Hankins sits in the top ten in the state in completions, yards, completion percentage, and touchdown passes, and has chipped in 141 rushing yards and three touchdowns for good measure. Reeves meanwhile, is second in the state in receiving yards and fourth in catches. At 6’3 200, he’s a physical force on the outside with great body control. The two put up huge numbers while toiling in obscurity in 2014 during Williamsport’s 2-8 season, but this year, they’re getting even better production and kick starting one of the bigger turnarounds in Pennsylvania.

This Week: Williamsport can throw a knockout punch against Hazleton on Friday, and virtually eliminate their 4A counterpart with a third loss. The subregional setup gives two of the six playoff slots to teams from D2/4, and with Wyoming Valley West looking like a slam dunk for one spot, positioning between Williamsport, Hazleotn, Del Val, and Scranton is important. Williamsport is the only undefated of the four at this point, and misses Scranton and Del Val on the schedule. This will be their last inter-4A match up until the season finale against WVW.

10. Stroudsburg (2-1)
Last Week: Stroudsburg took home the Little Brown Jug in their annual rivalry game with East Stroudsburg South (formerly held on Thanksgiving) with a dominant 49-29 victory over the Cavaliers. Running back Jamaal Brome was sensational, piling up 314 yards on 22 carries and scoring five touchdowns. Brome’s 165 yard, two touchdown second quarter put the Mounties firmly in control, and his 43 yard touchdown run on the first drive of the third quarter gave them a 35-13 lead and put a nail in the coffin. The Mounties still have issues to address in their pass defense, as they allowed 220 yards and 3 touchdowns through the air, including a 3 catch, 150 yard performance by ESS receiver Changa Hodge.

Early Star: After all-time leading rusher Gerald Douglas graduated (he of 1,934 yards and 24 touchdown in 2014), it was expected by outsiders that Stroudsburg would feature a more aerial attack with an experienced senior quarterback. Wrong. Instead, head coach Jim Miller has unleashed Brome, who tore his meniscus in preseason camp last fall and missed all of 2014. Miller has said Brome would have cut in to Douglas’s carries last season if healthy (Douglas carried the rock 254 times in 11 games) and through three games it’s clear why. Brome has rushed for 708 yards and 11 touchdowns. Both figures lead the state, the yardage by over 170. He also the only running back with more than 40 attempts to average over 10 yards per carry. At 5’6 160, he’s a totally different style back than the bruising Douglas, but he’s show excellent patience and breakaway speed.

This Week: The Mounties travel to Dieruff looking for their third consecutive EPC North victory after a season opening loss to Nazareth. With Nazareth’s status as an EPC South contender, that loss doesn’t look so bad after week three, and Stroudsburg re-enters the top ten after a dominant showing against the Cavaliers. They should roll until a 10/23 match up with Bethlehem Catholic.

Watch List: Berwick (3-0), Lehighton (3-0), Scranton (2-1), Allentown Central Catholic (2-1), Whitehall (2-1)