Things went about as planned during week 1, as the EPC South dominated the EPC North in opening weekend as we've come to expect. In the feature cross-division game, the Freedom Patriots looked excellent in a 27-3 drubbing of Allentown Central Catholic. The Vikings are replacing a ton, but it was a good sign for a young Freedom squad. I'll roll out a top 10 every week during the season and will highlight my Game of the Week each week in a separate thread. This week's rankings:
1. Emmaus Green Hornets (1-0)
Last Week: Beat Dieruff 62-19
The Skinny: Emmaus got a promising start from quarterback Blake Reed, who went 10-12 for 166 yards and 3 TDs against Dieruff. The Huskies were a sure win for Emmaus, but the Green Hornet season is going to depend on how far Reed can carry them, as they have gobs of proven talent just about everywhere else. Junior running back Lubens Myers got off to a great start, rushing for 131 yards and 2 TDs on six carries. Myers ran for 1,200 yards as a sophomore and looks bigger and faster in '17. Fellow junior Sone Ntoh ran for 73 yards and 2 TDs.
This Week: Emmaus takes on Whitehall in what should be a good test for both squads. The Zephyrs have big, physical offensive line and one of the best wideouts in the state in Dez Boykin. The Boykin-Myers match up when Whitehall has the ball should be a good one. Offensively, Emmaus will look to capitalize on a young Whitehall defense, particularly in the secondary.
2. Bethlehem Catholic Golden Hawks (1-0)
Last Week: Beat Pocono Mountain West 58-14
The Skinny: Pocono Mountain West is not going to tell us a whole lot about the Hawks, but they moved to 1-0 in a pretty dominant effort. Sophomore running back Tavion Banks looked like he's going to be a problem, running for 184 yards on 11 carries. He is going to have a bunch of stars next to his name on this website at this time next year. Austin Scott holds the sophomore rushing record in the Valley with 1,918 yards in 2000 - if Becahi makes a deep playoff run, Banks will challenge that. Javon Clements had a solid first start, throwing for 142 yards and a TD.
This Week: Bethlehem Catholic will have another walk-through, this time with Northampton, who hasn't beaten another team for the Lehigh Valley in four years.
3. Parkland Trojans (1-0)
Last Week: Beat William Allen 49-0
The Skinny: Parkland used a 35 point first quarter to blow by William Allen in a warm up to the regular season. Most of the game was spent with running clock. Jahan Worth looked untacklable on offense, scoring 3 of the 4 times he touched the football. There was much more to learn in their scrimmage with Wilson West Lawn, which saw the Trojans look further along that I thought in the passing game. Senior QB Michael Ruisch has made real strides in the offseason and could have the Trojans climbing this list in the coming weeks.
This Week: Parkland hosts the Jahan Dotson show as the Nazareth Blue Eagles come to town. While Parkland is a deeper and more talented team, how they scheme for Dotson, the best wide receiver in Pennsylvania, will be interesting and I'm sure a blueprint teams will use going forward if they have success.
4. Easton Red Rovers (1-0)
Last Week: Beat Stroudsburg 31-0
The Skinny: Easton hurt themselves with penalties and turnovers, but still managed a shutout victory over perennial playoff qualifier Stroudsburg. Stroudsburg drove to the Easton 23 on their opening possession, but finished the night with 63 yards of total offense. Defensive ends Trevor Storm and EJ Simmons both had excellent debuts and the Easton defensive line looked deep, with 8 bodies rotating in. Storm committed to Lafayette the morning of the game, a big pick-up for John Garrett in his first full recruiting cycle. Offensively, Easton showed a lot more 3 receiver sets and Jake Herres caught 3 passes for 98 yards and 2 scores in what should be the beginning of a big year. He also returned two punts for touchdowns, but both were called back due to the new "blindside block" penalty. Carries were split pretty evenly amongst three running backs with Katrell Thompson and Harold Reynolds both finding the end zone.
This Week: Easton takes on Liberty in our EPC Game of the Week.
5. Freedom Patriots (1-0)
Last Week: Beat Allentown Central Catholic 27-3
The Skinny: A massive varsity debut for sophomore quarterback Jared Jenkins. Jenkins went 17-23 for 247 yards and 3 TDs (to 1 INT) and completed passes to 6 different receivers. He found an instant connection with returning All Conference wideout Alec Huertas, who had 7 catches for 101 yards and a score. The four sacks are something to work on, particularly behind a veteran offensive line, but I doubt Jason Roeder could ask much more from the youngster. Freedom also held ACC to 133 yards of offense, most of which came on a 4th quarter TD drive where both teams starters were long gone.
This Week: Freedom takes on William Allen in their second cross-division match up. Should be another big win for the Patriots.
6. Whitehall Zephyrs (1-0)
Last Week: Beat Pocono Mountain East 55-12
The Skinny: Whitehall gave Rob Melosky a rude welcome back to Lehigh Valley foootball with a 55-12 pasting over PME. It will take the Cardinals time to improve under Melosky, but if anybody is going to build that program it is him. Braxton Marrero ran wild behind a veteran offensive line, posting 188 yards and 3 TDs on 15 carries. Junior quarterback Ethan Parvel ran the read-option with aplomb, totalin 89 yards and a TD on 11 carries and making good decisions on reads to get Marrero big yards as well. All State receiver Dez Boykin was quiet, but not necessarily needed against PME. He'll be there against the big boy.s
Next Week: Whitehall takes on Emmaus. The Green Hornets are the league favorites, but Whitehall has experience in the trenches to match Emmaus and the best player on the field in Boykin. They'll need to throw the ball efficiently, so this will be a trial by fire for Purvel, a first year starter at QB.
7. Liberty Hurricanes (1-0)
Last Week: Beat East Stroudsburg South 39-6
The Skinny: Liberty took a 32-0 lead into halftime and waltzed through the rebuilding Cavaliers. After splitting carries with Gunner Anglovich the last two seasons, Nasir Legree was healthy and the man for Liberty on Friday, getting the ball 17 times and putting up 161 yards and 2 TDs. The junior is incredibly talented, and if he can stay healthy will be amongst the leader rushers in the league and the eastern part of the state.
Next Week: Liberty travels to Cottingham Stadium to take on Easton in our EPC Game of the Week.
8. Southern Lehigh Spartans (1-0)
Last Week: Beat Northern Lehigh 42-0
The Skinny: Whitehall's biggest challenger in 5A are the Spartans, who rank 10th in the state in the PennLive preseason poll (Whitehall is 7th). Quarterback Logan Edmond threw for 261 yards and 4 TDs in the opener and looked every bit like the All State candidate that he is. All State wideout Eli Price caught 3 passes for 92 yards and a pair of scores. Southern Lehigh has definitely taken over as the dominant team in this rivalry.
Next Week: Southern Lehigh hosts Palmerton in what should be a week 2 rout.
9. Palisades Pirates (1-0)
Week 1: Beat Notre Dame (GP) 22-17
The Skinny: The biggest win of any Lehigh Valley team in week 1 was Palisades knocking off defending Colonial League champion and state final 4 participant Notre Dame (GP). The Pirates were up 22-3 early in the 4th quarter, then withstood a pair of ND touchdowns to make this hairy late in the game. They were able to make ND one-dimensional, holding the Crusaders to just 11 yards rushing, including bottling up dual-threat QB Cole DeFranco for 2 yards on 11 carries and do-it-all back Isaiah DeJesus to -6 yards. Offensively, they pounded it down ND's throat, with All State running back Trey Gretzinger carrying 18 times for 190 yards and 3 TDs and Jarred Colletti adding 153 yards on 21 carries. Playing keep--away is the best way to beat a Phil Stambaugh team, and Palisades was masterful at it on Friday.
Next Week: Palisades takes on Wilson, who beat Pen Argyl in their season opener. Wilson features state champion hurdler Job Goodman at running back, who tied a program record with 5 TDs last week and is a breakaway threat every time he touches the football. If Palisades can bottle up Goodman, they'll be in good shape.
10. Nazareth Blue Eagles (1-0)
Last Week: Beat Pleasant Valley 50-10
The Skinny: Welcome back Jahan Dotson. The four star receiver showed why he has scholarship offers from Alabama, Ohio State, Penn State, and others with 8 catches for 107 yards, 2 touchdowns, and 2 interceptions. Sophomore Anthony Harris had an excellent debut at quarterback as the lefty threw for 243 yards and 4 TDs in his varsity debut. Having Dotson as a security blanket will really help his development, and the Nazareth game plan found a lot of smart ways for Harris to make easy throws to build his confidence as well as get it to Dotson in space so his ability could take over. Nazareth has definite depth issues, but that pitch and catch combination will be lethal.
Next Week: Nazareth travels to Parkland to take on the five time defending D11 big school champions. The Nazareth secondary is excellent, with Dotson, Zac Keifer, and Nathan Stefanik all possessing All Conference talent. Look for Nazareth to bring a ton of pressure and leave those guys on an island against the Trojans, both to force Ruisch into quick decisions and to possibly control the Trojan running game.
1. Emmaus Green Hornets (1-0)
Last Week: Beat Dieruff 62-19
The Skinny: Emmaus got a promising start from quarterback Blake Reed, who went 10-12 for 166 yards and 3 TDs against Dieruff. The Huskies were a sure win for Emmaus, but the Green Hornet season is going to depend on how far Reed can carry them, as they have gobs of proven talent just about everywhere else. Junior running back Lubens Myers got off to a great start, rushing for 131 yards and 2 TDs on six carries. Myers ran for 1,200 yards as a sophomore and looks bigger and faster in '17. Fellow junior Sone Ntoh ran for 73 yards and 2 TDs.
This Week: Emmaus takes on Whitehall in what should be a good test for both squads. The Zephyrs have big, physical offensive line and one of the best wideouts in the state in Dez Boykin. The Boykin-Myers match up when Whitehall has the ball should be a good one. Offensively, Emmaus will look to capitalize on a young Whitehall defense, particularly in the secondary.
2. Bethlehem Catholic Golden Hawks (1-0)
Last Week: Beat Pocono Mountain West 58-14
The Skinny: Pocono Mountain West is not going to tell us a whole lot about the Hawks, but they moved to 1-0 in a pretty dominant effort. Sophomore running back Tavion Banks looked like he's going to be a problem, running for 184 yards on 11 carries. He is going to have a bunch of stars next to his name on this website at this time next year. Austin Scott holds the sophomore rushing record in the Valley with 1,918 yards in 2000 - if Becahi makes a deep playoff run, Banks will challenge that. Javon Clements had a solid first start, throwing for 142 yards and a TD.
This Week: Bethlehem Catholic will have another walk-through, this time with Northampton, who hasn't beaten another team for the Lehigh Valley in four years.
3. Parkland Trojans (1-0)
Last Week: Beat William Allen 49-0
The Skinny: Parkland used a 35 point first quarter to blow by William Allen in a warm up to the regular season. Most of the game was spent with running clock. Jahan Worth looked untacklable on offense, scoring 3 of the 4 times he touched the football. There was much more to learn in their scrimmage with Wilson West Lawn, which saw the Trojans look further along that I thought in the passing game. Senior QB Michael Ruisch has made real strides in the offseason and could have the Trojans climbing this list in the coming weeks.
This Week: Parkland hosts the Jahan Dotson show as the Nazareth Blue Eagles come to town. While Parkland is a deeper and more talented team, how they scheme for Dotson, the best wide receiver in Pennsylvania, will be interesting and I'm sure a blueprint teams will use going forward if they have success.
4. Easton Red Rovers (1-0)
Last Week: Beat Stroudsburg 31-0
The Skinny: Easton hurt themselves with penalties and turnovers, but still managed a shutout victory over perennial playoff qualifier Stroudsburg. Stroudsburg drove to the Easton 23 on their opening possession, but finished the night with 63 yards of total offense. Defensive ends Trevor Storm and EJ Simmons both had excellent debuts and the Easton defensive line looked deep, with 8 bodies rotating in. Storm committed to Lafayette the morning of the game, a big pick-up for John Garrett in his first full recruiting cycle. Offensively, Easton showed a lot more 3 receiver sets and Jake Herres caught 3 passes for 98 yards and 2 scores in what should be the beginning of a big year. He also returned two punts for touchdowns, but both were called back due to the new "blindside block" penalty. Carries were split pretty evenly amongst three running backs with Katrell Thompson and Harold Reynolds both finding the end zone.
This Week: Easton takes on Liberty in our EPC Game of the Week.
5. Freedom Patriots (1-0)
Last Week: Beat Allentown Central Catholic 27-3
The Skinny: A massive varsity debut for sophomore quarterback Jared Jenkins. Jenkins went 17-23 for 247 yards and 3 TDs (to 1 INT) and completed passes to 6 different receivers. He found an instant connection with returning All Conference wideout Alec Huertas, who had 7 catches for 101 yards and a score. The four sacks are something to work on, particularly behind a veteran offensive line, but I doubt Jason Roeder could ask much more from the youngster. Freedom also held ACC to 133 yards of offense, most of which came on a 4th quarter TD drive where both teams starters were long gone.
This Week: Freedom takes on William Allen in their second cross-division match up. Should be another big win for the Patriots.
6. Whitehall Zephyrs (1-0)
Last Week: Beat Pocono Mountain East 55-12
The Skinny: Whitehall gave Rob Melosky a rude welcome back to Lehigh Valley foootball with a 55-12 pasting over PME. It will take the Cardinals time to improve under Melosky, but if anybody is going to build that program it is him. Braxton Marrero ran wild behind a veteran offensive line, posting 188 yards and 3 TDs on 15 carries. Junior quarterback Ethan Parvel ran the read-option with aplomb, totalin 89 yards and a TD on 11 carries and making good decisions on reads to get Marrero big yards as well. All State receiver Dez Boykin was quiet, but not necessarily needed against PME. He'll be there against the big boy.s
Next Week: Whitehall takes on Emmaus. The Green Hornets are the league favorites, but Whitehall has experience in the trenches to match Emmaus and the best player on the field in Boykin. They'll need to throw the ball efficiently, so this will be a trial by fire for Purvel, a first year starter at QB.
7. Liberty Hurricanes (1-0)
Last Week: Beat East Stroudsburg South 39-6
The Skinny: Liberty took a 32-0 lead into halftime and waltzed through the rebuilding Cavaliers. After splitting carries with Gunner Anglovich the last two seasons, Nasir Legree was healthy and the man for Liberty on Friday, getting the ball 17 times and putting up 161 yards and 2 TDs. The junior is incredibly talented, and if he can stay healthy will be amongst the leader rushers in the league and the eastern part of the state.
Next Week: Liberty travels to Cottingham Stadium to take on Easton in our EPC Game of the Week.
8. Southern Lehigh Spartans (1-0)
Last Week: Beat Northern Lehigh 42-0
The Skinny: Whitehall's biggest challenger in 5A are the Spartans, who rank 10th in the state in the PennLive preseason poll (Whitehall is 7th). Quarterback Logan Edmond threw for 261 yards and 4 TDs in the opener and looked every bit like the All State candidate that he is. All State wideout Eli Price caught 3 passes for 92 yards and a pair of scores. Southern Lehigh has definitely taken over as the dominant team in this rivalry.
Next Week: Southern Lehigh hosts Palmerton in what should be a week 2 rout.
9. Palisades Pirates (1-0)
Week 1: Beat Notre Dame (GP) 22-17
The Skinny: The biggest win of any Lehigh Valley team in week 1 was Palisades knocking off defending Colonial League champion and state final 4 participant Notre Dame (GP). The Pirates were up 22-3 early in the 4th quarter, then withstood a pair of ND touchdowns to make this hairy late in the game. They were able to make ND one-dimensional, holding the Crusaders to just 11 yards rushing, including bottling up dual-threat QB Cole DeFranco for 2 yards on 11 carries and do-it-all back Isaiah DeJesus to -6 yards. Offensively, they pounded it down ND's throat, with All State running back Trey Gretzinger carrying 18 times for 190 yards and 3 TDs and Jarred Colletti adding 153 yards on 21 carries. Playing keep--away is the best way to beat a Phil Stambaugh team, and Palisades was masterful at it on Friday.
Next Week: Palisades takes on Wilson, who beat Pen Argyl in their season opener. Wilson features state champion hurdler Job Goodman at running back, who tied a program record with 5 TDs last week and is a breakaway threat every time he touches the football. If Palisades can bottle up Goodman, they'll be in good shape.
10. Nazareth Blue Eagles (1-0)
Last Week: Beat Pleasant Valley 50-10
The Skinny: Welcome back Jahan Dotson. The four star receiver showed why he has scholarship offers from Alabama, Ohio State, Penn State, and others with 8 catches for 107 yards, 2 touchdowns, and 2 interceptions. Sophomore Anthony Harris had an excellent debut at quarterback as the lefty threw for 243 yards and 4 TDs in his varsity debut. Having Dotson as a security blanket will really help his development, and the Nazareth game plan found a lot of smart ways for Harris to make easy throws to build his confidence as well as get it to Dotson in space so his ability could take over. Nazareth has definite depth issues, but that pitch and catch combination will be lethal.
Next Week: Nazareth travels to Parkland to take on the five time defending D11 big school champions. The Nazareth secondary is excellent, with Dotson, Zac Keifer, and Nathan Stefanik all possessing All Conference talent. Look for Nazareth to bring a ton of pressure and leave those guys on an island against the Trojans, both to force Ruisch into quick decisions and to possibly control the Trojan running game.
