EPC North notebook,

South teams have won 88 of 100 matchups

Since the 18-school Eastern Pennsylvania Conference was established in time for the 2014-15 school year and two divisions with nine teams each were formed in football, the EPC South has dominated the EPC North.

The South has won 88 of 100 matchups, including playoffs. The North won just one of 18 cross-division games last year — East Stroudsburg South beat Whitehall in Week 1.

The North teams, especially the coaches, are tired of hearing about how much better the South is, but this is the week they can show they’ve made strides with nine cross-division matchups, most of which the North is expected to lose, and, in many cases, lose big.

Things to know

1. Dieruff entered preseason camp with a battle for the starting quarterback job. The winner? Both guys.

First-year coach Dave Lutte plans to alternate sophomore Jovan Rodriguez and junior Marc Castro depending on the situation and who has the hot hand. “Both do certain things well,” Lutte said.

2. Blaec Saeger may be in his first season as head coach at Pleasant Valley, but Saeger has plenty of experience that could be beneficial to him as he tries to rebuild a program.

Most useful was his time at East Stroudsburg North, where he spent 14 seasons under coach Chuck Dailey and helped get a brand-new program to a level of respectability. And then as an assistant at Bethlehem Catholic the last two years, Saeger got to experience football at its highest level locally with two 15-game seasons that didn’t end until the Eastern finals.

3. Pocono Mountain West’s Kaleb Monaco rushed for 1,754 yards last season, the fourthmost in District 11. However, he was shut down by Easton in Week 1 and would like to avenge that performance Saturday afternoon. scheme implemented by firstyear defensive coordinator Mike Litzenberger.

“We’re going to have go crazy every game and play hard and fast,” Reed said. “Our line is a lot bigger and stronger after working in the weight room and they know the plays better.”