After openers, area teams gear for Week 2

ABINGTON AT PLYMOUTH WHITEMARSH Friday, 7 p.m., Plymouth Whitemarsh High School

Records: Abington is 1-0 after defeating Northeast High, 35-34. Plymouth Whitemarsh is 0-1 after losing to Souderton, 21-14.

Last Year’s Game: Abington won, 34-12.

The Skinny: The Ghosts scored on the game’s final play to rally past Northeast in their opener while the Colonials never led in their disappointing loss to visiting Souderton.

This week, PW’s defense gets another stern test as the Ghosts feature RB Juawine Sowell, who carried 44 times for 238 yards last week, while QB David Kretschman has a pair of capable receivers in sophomore George Reid and last weekend’s hero, Jordan Neely.

The Colonials need a better passing game in Week Two, although RB Andre Robinson gave the team some quality yards in relief of Nafeese Nasir a week ago. NORRISTOWN AT WISSAHICKON Friday, 7 p.m., Wissahickon High School

Records: Norristown is 1-0 after defeating Upper Merion, 27-6. Wissahickon is 1-0 after defeating Central, 47-6.

Last Year’s Game: Wissahickon won, 30-14.

The Skinny: See Sideline Insider. ARCHBISHOP CARROLL AT UPPER MORELAND Friday, 7 p.m., Upper Moreland High School

Records: Archbishop Carroll is 0-1 after losing to Conwell-Egan, 46-21. Upper Moreland is 1-0 after defeating Penncrest, 30-12.

Last Year’s Game: Did not play.

The Skinny: Last week, the Golden Bears took a highly regarded Penncrest team behind the woodshed for a thrashing as speedster Tyler Whitmore scorched the Lions for 234 rushing yards and four touchdowns as part of the Bears’ 311yard ground attack.

That’s not exactly the footage Carroll head coach Joe Powel wanted to be watching this week when he popped the UM game disc into the DVD player, especially after C-E’s Joe Ruggiero piled up 265 yards on the ground against the young Patriots last week. But chasing Whitmore this week may wind up paying dividends down the line.

Meanwhile, the Pats would like to execute some ball control of their own, which could mean a ton of touches for RB Jay Smiley (11 carries, 70 yards last week).

OCTORARA AT UPPER MERION Friday, 7 p.m., Upper Merion Middle School

Records: Octorara is 0-1 afterlosingtoFleetwood, 42-31. Upper Merion is 0-1 after losing to Norristown, 27-6.

Last Year’s Game: Upper Merion won, 34-14.

The Skinny: The Braves took one on the chin in their opener, although they were pleased with their refusal to give up late in the game.

QB Alex Gooden (5-for12, 111 yds. last week) and RB Corey Cooper are the two key ground gainers, although Upper Merion must take advantage of a defense that allowed 365 yards in the opener.

UM will be looking for more from QB Isaiah Graham-Mobley, who rushed for 80 yards last week but was just 5-for-23 through the air. PHOENIXVILLE AT SPRING-FORD Friday, 7 p.m. at Spring- F o r d High School

Records: Phoenixville is 0-1 after losing to Great Valley, 54-0. Spring-Ford is 0-1 after losing to State College, 34-20.

Last Year’s Game: Spring-Ford won, 39-0.

The Skinny: The Rams, who featured 11 new starters on defense from one season ago, were burned by that inexperience to the tune of 454 yards at State College last week.

But while Spring-Ford is licking it wounds, consider the Phantoms, who allowed 47 first-half points last week, while gaining just 145 yards offensively.

In defeat, Rams QB Brandon Leacraft threw for 241 yards and two scores while WR Branden Barone had 127 receiving yards. POPE JOHN PAUL II AT POTTSGROVE Friday, 7 p.m., Pottsgrove High School

Records: Pope John Paul II is 0-1 after losing toBishop McDevitt, 33-14. Pottsgrove is 0-1 after losing to Benjamin Franklin, 41-7.

Last Year’s Game: Pottsgrove won, 53-14.

The Skinny: The host Falcons, fresh off the type of one-sided pastings they’re accustomed to handing out, look to extend their Pioneer Athletic Conference winning streak to 24 against the Golden Panthers, who were done in by a bad third quarter in their opener.

The Falcons opened newly christened Rick Pennypacker Field (named after their head coach) in the worst way possible, getting thumped by an experienced Electrons team while struggling offensively.

PJP, meanwhile, played well against McDevitt, but were done in by a turnoverand-penalty-plagued third quarter. QB Matt Duff and WR Jared Johns-Lupold, who combined on 10 pass plays, look like a solid pitch-catch tandem. UPPER DUBLIN AT

TRUMAN Friday, 7 p.m., Harry S Truman High School

Records: Upper Dublin is 1-0 after defeating Coconut Creek, 36-28. Truman is 1-0 after defeating Bensalem, 40-13.

Last Year’s Game: Upper Dublin won, 21-7.

The Skinny: All suntanned and giddy from their successful excursion to Disney World a week ago, the Cardinals return north after their “Cinderella” finish to the relatively “Frozen” north knowing they’ll need a “Hercules”-type effort to subdue the “Tiggers” of Truman. Before this gets too “Goofy,” suffice to day Upper Dublin will not be in “Wonderland” Friday night if it’s not prepared to handle a Truman offense that got 118 rushing yards, 61 passing yards and a combined four touchdowns last week from QB Mark Lopez-Shefcyk and 111 rushing yards from fullback Trysten Hunt.

Meanwhile, Ryan Stover’s varsity career as UD’s starting quarterback got off to a rousing start as the junior signal-caller passed for 208 yards in his debut while RB John Lee

toted

for 106. WEST CATHOLIC AT

NORTH PENN Friday, 7:30 p.m., North Penn High School

Records: West Catholic is 1-0 after defeating Haverford School, 24-19. North Penn is 0-1 after losing to La Salle, 29-7.

Last Year’s Game: Did not play.

TheSkinny: TheKnights took it tough in their annual opener against La Salle, and this week get another Philadelphia Catholic League power in the Burrs, who needed to rally to win their opener at the shore against the Haverford School.

West’s primary weapon over its recent run of success is its team speed, and the Burrs have it to “Burrn” with the pitch-catch tandem of QB Antwain McCollum (110 rush yards, 157 pass in Week One) and receiver Ahkil Crumpton (five catches, 87 yds.) PERKIOMEN VALLEY AT METHACTON Saturday, 1 p.m., Methacton High School

Records: Perkiomen Valley is 0-1 after losing to Council Rock North, 29-27. Methacton is 0-1 after losing to Bayard Rustin, 41-18.

Last Year’s Game: Perkiomen Valley won, 44-7.

The Skinny: Somehow, the Battle Axe trophy always was more fun when Thanksgiving dinner was the dessert, but that doesn’t make the contest any less intense.

Both sides came out of Week One with a loss, but the same could be said of the entire Pioneer Athletic Conference , which went a mind-boggling 0-10 in their collective openers.

Perk Valley rallied from a 22-0 deficit to almost shock CR North in the dying moments. But perhaps something more impressive than the rally was the Vikings trio that nearly led them back - running back David Williams, quarterback Stephen Sturm and receiver Justin Jaworski - all sophomores.

Methacton, in its loss to Rustin, allowed 370 rushing yards. But offensively, the Warriors got 116 passing yards and another 65 rushing from QB Conner Derrickson.

LANSDALE CATHOLIC AT SPRINGFIELD MONTCO

Saturday, 7 p.m., Springfield High School

Records: Lansdale Catholic is 0-1 after losing to Simon Gratz, 27-17. Springfield is 1-0 after defeating Lower Moreland, 48-13.

Last Year’s Game: Did not play.

The Skinny: The Spartans have designs on the D-1 Class AA playoffs and beyond, and showed off their talent level by smacking around Lower Moreland, doing so with back-up QB Brendan Doyle, who is filling in for expected starter Chris Stone (torn meniscus). Doyle was so rattled by his first start that he rushed for 141 yards and four scores and went 3-for-3 through the air for 81 yards and two more scores.

Meanwhile, the Crusaders took it tough in their opener, although Marlen Fenstermacher (69 yards) and Ryan Quigley (66) combined to rush for 135 yards.

LA SALLE AT BERGEN CATHOLIC Saturday, 4:30 p.m., at Overpeck Park

Records: La Salle is 1-0 after defeating North Penn, 29-7. Bergen Catholic is playing its season opener.

Last Year’s Game: Did not play.

The Skinny: Hot off their convincing win over North Penn a week ago, the Explorers travel to Jersey to meet the perennially powerful Crusaders, who were anything but powerful a season ago when they finished 2-7 and missed the postseason for the first time in 25 years.

That’s not expected to happen this year as the team has plenty of weapons, including junior QB Jarrett Guarantaro, receiversCorey Gaarn and Gene Coleman and running backs Jelani Ray Garvin and Corey Russo (717 rushing yds., 10 TDs last year).

Defensively, D-End Connor O’Brien had seven sacks a year ago.

Meanwhile, Explorers QB Kyle Shurmur lived up to his preseason first-team, All-State ranking with 345 passing yards and four TDs in the win over North Penn - all behind an offensive line that features just two seniors. PREP CHARTER AT GERMANTOWN

ACADEMY Saturday, 1:30 p.m., Germantown Academy

Records: Prep Charter is 1-0 after defeating Cardinal O’Hara, 26-19. Germantown Academy is 0-1 after losing to Bishop Shanahan, 14-6.

Last Year’s Game: Did not play.

The Skinny: After a 6-4 season a year ago, there was optimism in Fort Washington heading into this year.

That’s not to say the young Pats were outclassed in Week One. In fact, considering they were dealing with a returning district qualifier, they did better than some anticipated.

This week the young’uns face a stiffer test in the Huskies, who did in Cardinal O’Hara a week ago after stopping the Lions’ two-point conversion attempt in the closing minutes, then scoring themselves to seal the win.

QB Vian Dolo rushed for 104 yards, threw for 51more and accounted for a pair of touchdowns in the win, while RB Qaudir Strothers rushed for 137 yards.