Tams hope to rebound
TAMAQUA AT SCHUYLKILL HAVEN
WHEN
Friday, 7 p.m.
RECORDS
Tamaqua 5-1 overall (3-1 Anthracite League); Schuylkill Haven 4-2 overall (3-2 Anthracite League)
KEYS TO THE GAME
* Tamaqua needs to avoid the bad case of turnover-itis it developed in last week's 45-14 loss to North Schuylkill; the Blue Raiders committed five turnovers, resulting in 28 Spartan points.
* The Raiders must sustain drives against Schuylkill Haven's 50 defensive alignment and keep the pass rush of the Hurricanes' defensive ends from reaching QB Ryan Palsgrove.
* Defensively, the Raiders will key on slowing down the Haven power running game, which is led by RB Evan Fink, who has rushed for 843 yards and 9 TDs in place of All-state graduate Zach Barkett.
NOTABLE
Tamaqua had its opening five-game winning streak snapped by unbeaten North Schuylkill but was only outgained by 29 yards of total offense; the Raider gave up 4 TD returns, however ... Raiders dropped from a first place tie in the District 11 Class AA standings to third place, behind North Schuylkill and Northern Lehigh ... LB Grif Griffiths led the Raiders with 8 tackles against the Spartans and NG Eric James had 7 ... Raiders had allowed just 51 points in 5 games prior to the loss to the Spartans ... Haven QB Brian Murphy is his team's second leading rusher (371 yards, 5 TDs) and has completed 21 of 41 passes for 285 yards with 1 TD and 3 interceptions. Murphy's top targets are Tyler Naus (7-101), D.J. Fairell (6-90), Evan Marceau (3-26, 1 TD) and Fink (3-45)... Schuylkill Haven leads the series vs. Tamaqua 8-3 and has won eight straight by a combined score of 307-67. The Raiders' last win vs. the 'Canes came in 2000 by a 28-12 score on Stadium Hill ... this is the first of three road games in a row for Tamaqua, which visits Panther Valley next week and then Minersville.
QUOTABLE
"We have to bounce back. If we play our game and we don't make the mistakes we made last week, we will give ourselves a good chance." - Tamaqua coach Sam Bonner
EAST STROUDSBURG NO. AT PLEASANT VY.
WHEN
Friday, 7 p.m.
RECORDS
East Stroudsburg North 3-3 overall (2-1 Mountain Valley Conference); Pleasant Valley 2-4 overall (1-1 Mountain Valley Conference)
KEYS TO THE GAME
* North's offense isn't flashy with its three-back running scheme, but the Timberwolves do it well. Pleasant Valley head coach Jim Terwilliger has been stressing the word 'discipline' this week. He feels that if his defensive players can do their respective jobs, then his team should be in a good position this week.
* Defensively, the T'Wolves run a 3-4 and possess a lot of speed. It is nothing the Bears haven't seen before, but they must keep up with their assignments and make the proper blocks in order to be successful.
* Back-up QB Anthony Bumbulsky, who was filling in for starter Derrick Walling (broken thumb), landed hard on his shoulder last week and will be a game-time decision. Terwilliger said he couldn't see Bumbulsky not wanting to play or not being ready to play, but third-string QB 'Moose' Frinzi will be ready to go regardless.
NOTABLE
A missed extra point ended up costing North last week, as the Timberwolves fell to Pocono Mt. East 21-20 ... The Cardinals scored with 52 seconds left and converted on the PAT for the win ... North's rushing attack accounted for most of its yards, as the T'Wolves ran for 240 of their 284 total yards ... RB Kahaleel Story had two of the team's TD while running for 64 yards on four carries ... Fellow RB Omar Richardson, who ran for 60 yards on seven attempts, had the other score ... Adrian Sterling is another of North's trio of backs, as he totaled 64 yards on five touches ... QB Brendan Woods didn't throw much, completing 3-of-12 passes for 44 yards ... He also ran eight times for 13 yards ... Up until their loss last week, North had put up 35-47-45 points in its three consecutive wins ... The T'Wolves are scoring 30 points-per-game while allowing 23.3 ... Pleasant Valley leads the all-time series 4-3 ... The Bears took the first three games ('02-'04) and then won again in '07 before falling to North last year, 21-14.
QUOTABLE
"The motto this week has been having discipline. Everyone must first know what they have to do and then go out and execute. If everybody can do their jobs and stay disciplined, then I think we will put ourselves in a good situation this week." - Pleasant Valley head coach Jim Terwilliger.
STROUDSBURG AT LEHIGHTON
WHEN
Friday, 7 p.m.
RECORDS
Stroudsburg 1-5 overall (1-1 Mountain Valley Conference); Lehighton 1-5 overall (0-3 Mountain Valley Conference)
KEYS TO THE GAME
* Lehighton head coach George Ebbert is mostly concerned about Mounties' RB Jeremy Desire and his ability to break free at any given time. Although Stroudsburg has become a little more balanced over the last few weeks, Ebbert expects the Mounties to run the ball straight at his Indians.
* Stroudsburg also boasts a massive offensive line that will probably give Lehighton fits. Ebbert admitted that his defensive line does not match up well with the Mounties' O-Line, but he and his defense are going to try some different things in hopes of counter-acting the big linemen.
* Starting QB Kyle Hunter is still limping, but he will try and give it a go this Friday. If he can not play up to full speed, look for the Indians to stick with their Wildcat offense. Lehighton has been running it for the last couple of weeks and Ebbert fees his team has been getting better at it.
NOTABLE
Stroudsburg was beaten handedly by non-league opponent Wyoming Valley West last week, 41-10 ... The Mounties gained 129 yards on the ground while throwing for just 84 ... Kyle Labar scored Stroudsburg's only TD, as he hauled in a 56-yard pass from QB Rob Bennie in the second quarter ... Bennie completed six of his 11 passes for 103 yards ... He also ran 11 times for 24 yards ... Mike Costanza led the Mounties' rushing attack, as he totaled 48 yards on ten carries ... Fellow RB Jeremy Desire ran for only 32 yards on six carries ... Stroudsburg surrendered an eye-popping 340 yards on the ground and a total of 427 ... The Mounties have dropped their last two games since beating Pocono Mt. East for their first win of the year ... Stroudsburg is allowing over 34 points-per-game while scoring only 11 ... The Mounties lead the series 11-10 ... They have won the last two meetings, including last year's contest, 28-14.
QUOTABLE
"This is going to be another tough week. Physically we don't match up well with Stroudsburg, but we are going to try some different things and do the best we can." - Lehighton head coach George Ebbert.
BANGOR AT PALMERTON
WHEN
Friday, 7 p.m.
RECORDS
Bangor (2-4 overall (2-4 Colonial League); Palmerton 1-5 overall (1-5 Colonial League)
KEYS TO THE GAME
* Offensively, The Blue Bombers just have to sustain drives and score points.The defense has been on the field too much because of our lack of execution on 'O' as weas evident in both the losses to Palisades and Northwestern.
* Bangor junior QB Scott LaValva might be the best all around athlete in the Colonial League according to Palmerton head coach Paul McArdle. He feels stopping Lavalva isn't necessarily their goal. Instead, the Bombers have to minimize his big plays and respond well after he makes them. Bangor also has some other weapons like 21 and 48 so we can't just concentrate on him.
NOTABLE
Last week, Bangor wide receiver Josh Wing made five catches for 152 yds and scored four TDs, which included a fumble recovery in the end zone in the 35-7 win over Catasauqua for their second "W" of the season ... Slaters other win came over Notre Dame of Green Pond ... LaValva threw three touchdown passes and carried the ball 16 times for 111 yards inthe win over the Roughies ... Slaters' junior LB Ryan Fraunfelter is the team's leading tackler with 63 in six games ... Senior running back Brandon Vargas has his biggest game against Notre Dame picking up 92 yards on the ground ... Two teams didn't meet last year. In 2007, Bombers picked up a 32-14 win at Bangor and in 2006, Palmerton racked up a 49-0 win ... Bangor's last win at Palmerton came back in 2004 ...
QUOTABLE
"We have been in games with good football teams, but then we have been making series of mental mistakes that allow them to pull away from us. If we minimize our mistakes, I think we can be a pretty good football team." - Palmerton head coach Paul McArdle
POCONO MOUNTAIN WEST AT JIM THORPE
WHEN
Friday, 7 p.m.
RECORDS
Pocono Mountain West (1-5 overall, 1-2 MVC); Jim Thorpe (2-4 overall, 2-4 Anthracite League)
KEYS TO THE GAME
* The Panthers offense, led by QB Rich Adams and TB Terrence Quiteh, exploded last week against Pleasant Valley as the Panthers got their first win of the season 26-14. The Olympians will have to come up with the good defense that shut down Minersville in the second half last week to keep the Panthers off the scoreboard.
* Jim Thorpe's Corey Cinicola will look to hit the opener receiver and pick up some yardage himself against an aggressive West defense that shut down the Bears last week after giving up an average of 31 points a game in its previous contests.
* Olympians have had trouble scoring when they get in the red zone and it happened again near the end of the first half against Minersville last week. They can't let that happen again and must take advantage of every opportunity to score when they get inside the 20.
NOTABLE
Last week, Adams carried the ball 27 times for 155 yards and two touchdowns and also ran in a two-point conversion for the Panthers, while Quiteh rushed 21 times for 190 yards and two touchdowns to account for over 300 yards on the ground alone ... West used freshman QB Jeff Krisiak under center a bit to give Adams a break since he had two sore thumbs ...The Panthers gave up just 31 yards of offense in the first half and held PV without a first down until less than two minutes left in the second quarter ...Olympians offense played well throu
QUOTABLE
"We're taking it one game at a time, but it was nice to see our kids enjoy the excitement of what it's like to win like they did last week. The way our playoff system is set up in District 11, you have to take advantage when you play a 4A school to do whatever you can to win because it could pay off in the final playoff rankings." - Jim Thorpe head coach Mark Rosenberger
SHENANDOAH VALLEY AT PANTHER VALLEY
WHEN
Friday, 7 p.m.
RECORDS
Shenandoah Valley 3-3 (2-3 Anthracite League); Panther Valley 5-1 (4-0 Anthracite League)
KEYS TO THE GAME
* Panther Valley needs to take what Shenandoah's defense gives them. If the Devils load up on the run, PV quarterback Casey Lawrence has the abilty to do damage through the air. If SV hangs back, the Panthers can grind it out with their running game.
* Turnover battle. Both teams have had their share of problems giving the ball away. Whoever hangs on to the ball will have the upper hand.
* Panthers' effort in the trenches. PV's line, with only two starters back and two players who moved from the backfield, have improved week-by-week. They'll need to continue to play well against a veteran Blue Devil line, that is big and physical.
NOTABLE
Panther Valley's "Big Three" led the way to a 32-14 victory a year ago. Kyle McAvoy ran 10 times for 143 yards and two touchdowns, Casey Lawrence was 10-of-17 for 186 yards and three TDs passing and Jake Dunn caught seven passes for 128 yards and those three scores ... Prior to last season, the Panthers had lost six straight to the Blue Devils ... Shenandoah has wins over York Catholic (31-0), Minersville (23-20) and Jim Thorpe (43-21). Its losses have come to North Schuylkill (27-0), Tamaqua (21-10) and Schuylkill Haven (20-10) ... Devils, coached by sixth-year mentor Nick Sajone, are led on offense by senior quarterback Danny Merva and sophomore running back Eric Whalen. Shenandoah is a run-first team because of its experienced front wall, but Merva also has success throwing the ball. Whalen has run for over 700 yards this season, including a school-record 371 two weeks ago against Jim Thorpe ... The Panthers have allowed just 10.0 points per game this year, good enough for fourth best in all of District 11. PV's scoring average of 34.5 is fifth best in D-11
QUOTABLE
"They're a big physical team. They're a couple plays away from being 5-1. They're just going to come right at you. We just have to continue doing what we've been doing." - Panther Valley coach Frank Damian
Minersville at Marian
WHEN
Friday, 7 p.m.
RECORDS
Minersville 1-5 (1-4 Anthracite League); Marian 1-5 (1-3 Anthracite League)
KEYS TO THE GAME
* Marian needs to develop consistency on offense, as they've scored two offensive touchdowns or less in five of its six games this season.
* Marian's defense is leaking like a sieve right now, as they're allowing teams to average 400.7 yards of total offense on the season. Minersville will primarily line up in a Power I, double tight end set and play smashmouth football. The Colts know what's coming, but can they stop the run?
* The Colts need to do a better job of defending third down and getting their defense off the field. Dakosty estimates that Marian is allowing its opponents to sustain drives by converting at a 90-percent rate on third-and-long this season.
NOTABLE
Marian has never lost to Minersville. The Colts hold an 11-0 advantage in a series that dates back to 1985. In the series, Marian averages 30.7 points, while the Battlin' Miners average just 5.0 points ... The last time these two teams met at Men of Marian Stadium, the Colts claimed the District 11, Class A Championship with a 20-0 victory ... Friday night is Homecoming in Colt Country ... Marian has scored 93 points this season. Their opponents have scored 90 points in the second quarter alone ... Tailback Paul Martin has scored seven of his teams 14 touchdowns this season. Last week against Panther Valley, Martin accounted for 120 of his team's 188 yards of total offense ... In the first half against Panther Valley, the Marian offense ran 22 plays for just 33 yards. The week before, they tallied a combined 26 yards in four quarters against North Schuylkill ... Marian will once again employ a "quarterback by committee" with Pat Leitzel and Corey Quick rotating on a situational basis ... All five of Marian's losses have been by 17 points or more ... Minersville's last two losses have been by a combined 11 points (to Shenandoah Valley and Jim Thorpe) ... Each team's lone win this year has come against Mahanoy Area (1-5). Marian earned a 33-14 victory, while Minersville won by a score of 31-22 ... Marian's defense has allowed more than 440 yards of total offense in four of its six games this season. They've also allowed teams to score more than 30 points in five of their six games ... Minersville is led on the ground by running back Storm Walcott (62 carries, 430 yards, six touchdowns). Walcott gouged Jim Thorpe last week on 21 carries for 198 yards, including long TD runs of 52 and 56 yards ... Minersville and Marian are both stuggling in the passing game. Zack Dixon (265 yards passing) has two touchdowns and six interceptions for Minersville, while the Marian quarterback tandem of Pat Leitzel and Corey Quick (427 yards passing) have combined for two touchdowns and seven interceptions.
QUOTABLE
"In order to be successful, you have to play good football and we have not done that yet. We work hard and practice hard, but for some reason or another, it doesn't carry over into games. When you have two 1-5 teams going at it, the outcome is usually determined by the team that wants it more. We need to 'want it more' on Friday night." - Marian head coach Stan Dakosty.
