Phantoms: Onward, upward

Garcia, Phoenixville out for revenge against Upper Perk

Don’t think Phoenixville has forgotten its 48-0 loss to Upper Perkiomen in last season’s penultimate game. It hasn’t. Now, with the PAC conference schedule ready to commence and both the Phantoms and Upper Perkiomen ready to vie for a division title, what a time it would be to make a statement.

“Upper Perk has whipped our butts the last two years,” Phoenixville head coach Evan Breisblatt said. “They’ve been more physical than us. We need to go in there and match their physicality. They have dog-whipped us the last two years and we need to go in there ready to go to war.”

The Phantoms entered Friday night’s game at Upper Perkiomen on a high note after senior running back Matt Garcia finished with 234 yards on 19 carries and three touchdowns in the team’s 34-12 victory over Chichester. Garcia, who battled injuries throughout his junior year, now stands 393 yards shy of his ultimate goal — becoming a 1,000-yard rusher.

“That’s always been my goal,” Garcia said as he stood next to the hulking 6-2, 290-pound junior Jon Miller. Turning to Miller, “Running behind this guy, it’s been easy.”

“Our goal as a line has been to produce a 1,000 yard rusher,” Miller added. “We’re getting there.”

Garcia, standing 5-6, 165 pounds soaking wet, has been the standout so far for the Phoenixville offense, his 607 rushing yards one yard shy of area leader Rahsul Faison fromPottsgrove. Garcia has rushed for more than 100 yards in three of the four contests, his aforementioned 234-yard performance the second best the PAC has registered this season.

Following a year hampered by injuries, one being a broken thumb that kept him out for three weeks, Garcia’s emergence has been well deserved.

Credit that to him, and Miller’s steadiness along the line.

“Garcia is what we like to call ‘the dude’ or ‘the freak.’ He has uncanny athleticism,” Breisblatt said of the back who deadlifted 540 pounds this summer. “He’s been the spark that we’ve needed. He was hurt last year,

off-and-on last year. He’s well deserved of all he’s getting, his accolades and all his yards. No one works harder.

“I’ve always wanted to run the football. I think running the football is what’s eventually going to win us games. Jon has been the cornerstone of this offensive line since his freshman year. He started against Ryan Buchholz from Great Valley (now a

defensive end at Penn State) his freshman year and he’s grown so much.

Now, the duo are counted on to lead the Phantoms against an Indians team that has defeated them two straight seasons, 21-6 in 2014 before the 48-0 drubbing last season.

“It’s going to be huge for us,” Garcia said. “It’d give us a solid winning streak, lots of momentum to roll onto the next few games.”

“We’re going to have to be physical and mentally tough,” Miller added. “We’d love to get a win here.”