This column was originally published in the Nov. 11 edition of The Mercury.

One doesn’t have to stroll too far outside the Pioneer Athletic Conference football neighborhood to hear the bashing, which over the years has been as loud and clear as Chuck’s whack-and-wallop of Gifford nearly two generations ago.

From the time five schools withdrew from the Ches-Mont League, another two did the same over in the former Bux-Mont League, and Lansdale Catholic teamed up with the gang of seven to kick off the new league back in 1986, the Pioneer Athletic Conference has been tagged, among a few unprintable names, the Whimp-Mont League. Oh, it was an alignment with similar enrollments and favorable geographics, mind you, just as administrators from the eight schools had sought. But it was also an alignment, others snarled, that was just as undermanned and undersized — “feeble,” as one critic called it — when it came to their collective football program.

At one time, you had to be hard of hearing in one ear and deaf in the other not to hear the knocks. Nowadays, unless you don’t have access to a computer, it isn’t at all difficult to read the invectives on this and that Web site.

More than a few people are a bit irked by the rap the Pioneer Athletic Conference gets, and the waves of insults were at high tide a number of times this season, too.

One, Pottsgrove head coach Rick Pennypacker, is tired of hearing them. And while some may claim he’s obviously biased in his assessment of the PAC-10, they may have forgotten that long before Pennypacker took over the Falcons’ program in 1989 — a year after the league expanded to its current membership of 10 schools — he was a three-time, first-team All Ches-Mont standout at Spring-Ford, so he has vivid memories of what, at the time, was one of the best leagues in the entire state. Others may have forgotten that he invested a number of years as a coach in Virginia and West Virginia before returning to the area, and that he’s been on coaching staffs for countless Montgomery County All-Star and Big 33 games.

In other words, he’s been around, seen a bit more football than most (including the whispering wonder-minds and nameless wanna-be-writers).

And Pennypacker, like Pioneer Athletic Conference coaches past and present, doesn’t feel what he hears or reads is — for the lack of a better or printable word — fair.

“When you go to the district (playoffs) meeting and see three coaches from our league, when you realize three out of our five AAA schools are in the playoffs, to me that says a lot about our league,” Pennypacker said. “Three teams from our little area? We’ve done this before in the past, too, and yet we never seem to get much respect.

“Just look at last weekend. Phoenixville played Upper Moreland, the top-seed, and was beating them almost the entire game and should’ve beaten them; Owen J. Roberts beat Great Valley, which had another great year in the Ches-Mont; and we beat Interboro, one of those tough, tough Delaware County teams that was also one of the district’s best quad-A teams the previous two years. I for one am very proud of this league.”

Critics were getting a little hoarse this season, though, pointing out the PAC-10 didn’t really fare well at all in the preseason. Actually, it didn’t, going an overall 6-13 against opponents around and outside District 1.

But of those 19 opponents, 11 were lined up last week for playoffs in three different districts. Oh yeah, those 19 opponents had a combined 97-78 record going into last weekend, too.

And as far as the postseason, the PAC-10 is 28-29 overall in district and state playoff games … not quite “pathetic” — a few critics’ favorite word when it comes to berating the league.

In other words, PAC-10 schools aren’t exactly picking up or picking on patsies.

“We don’t have a lot of quad (A) schools like Suburban One Conference and the Ches-Mont does, so when we do go out of our league for a lot of those preseason games, we don’t necessarily do too well when it comes to wins and losses,” Pennypacker said. “That’s when we hear, ‘You guys aren’t that good.’

“But year in and year out, we have good teams in our league. A lot of people outside our league, outside our area, don’t realize that, though. We don’t get much attention from the media beyond our area, so most people don’t know much about us, about our kids, about our teams. We’re far enough from (Philadelphia) that we don’t get much press from the big-city papers … and I think that’s one reason why we don’t get the respect we deserve.”

What may get overlooked the most, Pennypacker said, is the league’s individual talent.

“I’ve coached in a lot of all-star games, especially the (Montgomery County game),” he explained. “Kids from our league excel in that game every year. They’re as dedicated and as hard-working as any, believe me, and they play exceptionally well.”

Pennypacker felt there was another unsung group — which also draws the wrath of its own fans at times — that doesn’t get nearly the respect it deserves, either.

“Our coaches,” he said. “Our league has great coaches, coaches who make you work hard every week, make you prepare every week, because if you don’t, you’re going to get beat. We have great coaches and great staffs, and I can’t say enough about all of them.”

All of which Pennypacker says easily adds up to a very competitive league.

“When you put things in perspective, we’re going out and playing good teams from around and outside our district and doing pretty well,” Pennypacker said. “That’s why all of us in (the PAC-10) want to see our teams play well, be competitive, win … we all want that badly. The league is the most important thing, and I for one think we’re doing just fine.”

Daniel Boone gave the area an added boost of respectability with another win in the District 3-AAA playoffs last Friday night. The Blazers (8-3) put an asterisk next to this, their 50th season of football, with the 42-24 win over Northern York.

Head coach Dave Bodolus, who has taken six straight teams into the postseason and is now 4-3 in districts (and 0-2 in the Eastern Conference playoffs), earned a spot in this weekend’s quarterfinals at top-seeded and unbeaten Mechanicsburg (11-0). Last year, the Blazers stunned top-seeded and unbeaten Northern York, 17-14, before falling in the semifinals the following week.

Quarterback Jon Monteiro, meanwhile, continued his record-shattering season throwing the football. The junior quarterback, five completions behind Perkiomen Valley standout Zach Zulli’s single-season mark (181), already owns the area single-season records for most games passing for 200-or-more yards (8), most games passing for 300-or-more yards (4), total yards passing (2,853), and touchdown passes (33) going into the showdown with Mechanicsburg.

Zach Keeley also continued his record-breaking season, too. With at least one game remaining, the senior wideout already owns the area single-season records for receptions (79) and yards (1,175) as well as the area career records for receptions (128) and yards (1,871).

HONORABLE

Player of the Week honors go to Perkiomen School’s Abdul Smith, who ran for 204 yards and four touchdowns and passed for 128 yards and another score in the Indians’ season-ending 33-16 romp of Pennington Prep, N.J.

Coach of the Week honors go to Owen J. Roberts’ Tom Barr, who guided the Wildcats to the 30-29 double-overtime win over Great Valley in the program’s first postseason appearance.

FILLING THE PAGES

One of the most prolific passing careers came to a close last Saturday when Perkiomen Valley’s Zach Zulli led the Vikings past Methacton in both teams’ final game.

Zulli, the PAC-10 and The Mercury’s Player of the Year last season, almost rewrote the entire league and area record book, owning or sharing nine passing marks. This fall, he set PAC-10 single-season records for completions (146), yards (2,096), and total offense (3,215), and tied former Pottstown standout Terrence Shawell’s record for touchdown passes (24). He also owns the league’s career marks for completions (288), yards (4,470), and touchdowns (54).

Zulli, who became a starter midway through his sophomore season, also established area career records for completions (374), yards (5,884), and touchdowns (67). He finished up with 6,577 yards of total offense, second only to St. Pius X graduate Zack Pierce’s 6,722.

SHORT LIST

Ryan Brumfield last week became just the fourth back in Owen J. Roberts’ history to reach the 2,000-yard, single-season mark. Just a sophomore, Brumfield now has 2,003 yards. With at least two games remaining on his schedule, Brumfield is within a carry, two or three of scooting by Dennis Laws (2006 in 1970), current OJR head coach Tom Barr (2,029 in 1978), and Matt Lucas (2,046 in 1998).

FITTING FINISHES

The Hill School didn’t just beat Lawrenceville, it put a 26-0 thumping on the Big Red to close out its first winning season in three years. Head coach Marty Vollmuth led the Rams to a pair of big back-to-back victories to finish up at 5-4. Hill will kick off next season needing just one win to join Phoenixville as the only area programs with 500 or more wins.

And up at Perkiomen School, head coach Kevin Manferdini and athletic director Ken Baker — who have taught and coached two generations of student-athletes — bid farewell to arguably the best football player in the history of the Indians’ program on Saturday. Abdul Smith, who has accepted a full scholarship from Division I-A Rutgers, finished his career with 332 carries for 2,510 yards and 33 touchdowns; 17 receptions for 181 yards and five touchdowns; and threw for 1,378 yards and 12 touchdowns. Smith also scored seven other times on defense and special teams. He was, without question, one very, very big reason why Perkiomen has strung together three straight winning seasons.

This weekend is the second round of the annual Pioneer Athletic Conference football fight … just the second round. Perkiomen Valley’s Scott Reed is well aware of that, so is Pottsgrove’s Rick Pennypacker.

So forgive the ol’ fellas if they don’t think their teams can deliver a knockout blow tonight.

Yes, both Perkiomen Valley and Pottsgrove have been mentioned over and over as the PAC-10 heavyweights this season. Yes, both punched their way to wins over credible challengers a week ago. And, yes, as long as they stay healthy, both have the ability to poke, prod and punch their way through the next – or final – seven rounds of the regular season.

So, yes, the Vikings and Falcons absolutely want to knock each other off their collective feet tonight.

But they’re also well aware that the bell rings again next week, the week after that, the week after that… all the way through the first weekend in November, then one final time Thanksgiving morning.

“Our team, and that includes every one of the players as well as all the coaches, know that whoever we play each week is the biggest game of the season,” Reed said. “That never changes. We prepare for the team we’re playing that week, and we prepare for it as the biggest game of the season.”

“This is like any other game for us,” Pennypacker added. “Yes, Perkiomen Valley is very good and, yes, this is a very big game. But all it means right now is that one of us gets a leg up on the other by being 2-0. Don’t forget, there are still a lot of games left to play.”

Though neither would admit it, Reed and Pennypacker probably spent a few extra hours with their defensive coordinators.

Understandably so.

The Vikings, who have been quite generous defensively – allowing 120 points in their first three games – will have to deal with Pottsgrove’s much-improved heavyweights up front and quick-as-lightning lightweights behind them. Quarterback Terrell Chestnut, as well as fullback Preston Hamlette and tailback Maika Polamalu, can flat out fly. Chestnut has gone 76, 61 and 77 yards for three of his five touchdowns; Hamlette went 94 yards for one score; and Polamalu, in addition to a 37-yard reception that ended in the end zone, shuffled through the defense for 63 yards and a touchdown that put last week’s bout with Phoenixville out of reach.

“(Pottsgrove) has a lot of marquee football players,” Reed said. “They have talent. They can move the ball, and they can score.”

Don’t think it’ll be any easier for Pottsgrove’s defense, either, because Perkiomen Valley lines up with one of the area’s most balanced – or most dangerous, if you prefer – offenses.

Lynwood Snowden, who showcased his speed in both the 100 and 200 meters during last spring’s PAC-10 Track and Field Championships, brought a kickoff back 90 yards in the season-opener, has run for four touchdowns and caught a pass for another. In other words, he’s a concern every time he touches the football. So is quarterback Zach Zulli – The Mercury’s Player of the Year last season – who has peppered opposing secondaries by completing 64 percent of this attempts for 671 yards and seven touchdowns – four going to Paul Thomas.

“They can score, and they can score in bunches,” Pennypacker said of the Vikings. “Zulli is one of the best high school quarterbacks I’ve seen in a long time, and with all the formations and all the motion they show you, you can’t afford any mental mistakes. Seriously, we could get blown out if we’re not careful in this one.”

Even though Pennypacker will go with an incredible number of underclassmen tonight – eight sophomores and nine juniors among the 22 lining up on both sides of the ball – Reed still sees the overall makeup of the Falcons’ youth movement.

“People have a tendency to think about running backs and receivers when you talk about speed, but Pottsgrove’s defense is very fast,” Reed said. “They get to the football very quickly, and that’s from all positions.

“They’ll be a big challenge for us. They’re very aggressive, and they fly to the football.”

* * *

Zulli needs just 26 yards passing tonight to become the area’s third quarterback to reach the 4,000-yard career mark. The others were Upper Perkiomen’s Jeff Moyer (4,161) and Daniel Boone’s Chris Bokosky (5,297). … The Falcons had beaten Perkiomen Valley seven straight times before falling 35-7 last year in Graterford.

BUSTIN’ IN BERKS

Daniel Boone, coming off what was unquestionably one of head coach Dave Bodolus’ most disturbing defeats – 48-47 in overtime to winless Columbia – opens its Inter-County League Section One card tonight against visiting Twin Valley.

The Blazers put up 440 yards and those 47 points against Columbia, so it wasn’t like they really missed quarterback Jon Monteiro, who was sidelined with a thigh bruise. Monteiro is expected to be back tonight, and Bodolus hopes the defense comes back, too. And not the defense that surrendered 451 yards and 48 points last Saturday night.

Twin Valley moved up from Section Two to Section One this season, the program’s 13th since opening up back in 1996 under former Owen J. Roberts standout Tim Kier.

PROFILE OF COURAGE

Perkiomen School’s visit to George School on Saturday will feature two outstanding quarterbacks – the Indians’ Abdul Smith and the hosts’ Justin Cancelliere.

Cancelliere, who like Smith also lines up in the secondary and returns kicks, has shown remarkable courage since losing almost his entire family in a plane crash midway through his freshman year. His mother, stepfather, three sisters and the family babysitter were killed when their plane crashed while attempting to land in Myrtle Beach, S.C. Cancelliere was actually supposed to accompany them on the flight, which originated out of Trenton, N.J., but he instead decided to stay at his father’s home to enjoy Super Bowl weekend.

“You’ve just got to keep your head up,” Cancelliere told the Bucks County Courier Times last month. “A lot of times it’s, “Ah, I feel like quitting. Why am I here?’ You ask why, but you need to look past that and think, ‘You’re still alive. You need to make your family proud. You’re living their legacy.’

“You’re the only left to represent your family, so you’ve got to represent them well and stay positive.”

Cancelliere plays three sports and is an excellent baseball player.

MILESTONES AND MORE

Pottstown was 48-48-1 at home in PAC-10 games before winning last week’s outing with visiting St. Pius X. Upper Perkiomen is 48-48-1 at home in PAC-10 games going into tonight’s game with the Trojans. Both teams will be looking to take the lead in their PAC-10 series, which is currently deadlocked at 11-11. The Indians will also be playing the 600th game in the history of their program, which kicked off in 1952 following the jointure of neighboring East Greenville and Pennsburg high schools. … Owen J. Roberts, which picked up some well-earned respect with last week’s decision over Upper Perkiomen, goes for its 100th Pioneer Athletic Conference win Saturday afternoon against Methacton, which is looking for its first.

DISTRICT BIGGIES

North Penn, No. 2 in the state and 3-0, hosts Central Bucks South (2-1), while No. 9 Neshaminy (2-1) entertains unbeaten Abington (3-0) in a pair of quality AAAA matchups. … An undefeated pairing has AAAA Upper Dublin (3-0) at AAA Upper Moreland (3-0). …Two other games – Garnet Valley (3-0) at Strath Haven (2-1) and Conestoga (2-1) at Ridley (3-0) – will also go a long way in setting up the early playoff points standings.

STATELY NOTES

Beaver Falls, Dunmore and Jeannette occupy the top three spots, respectively, in the state’s Class AA rankings. Former No. 1 West Catholic dropped to No. 4 after being upset 27-26 by La Salle College High School. Jeannette is the only team in the state that has yet to be scored on. The Jayhawks have blanked East Allegheny (43-0), Brownsville (41-0) and South Allegheny (45-0), and could make it four in a row at Waynesburg (1-2) tonight. … In Class AAA, No. 2 Erie Strong Vincent (3-0) travels across town tonight to take on No. 5 Erie Cathedral Prep (2-1). … McKeesport, which dropped a narrow 14-7 outing to powerful Colerain, Ohio, in its opener, jumped five spots to No. 3 in the AAAA state rankings behind No. 2 North Penn and No. 1 Gateway. The Tigers picked Plum apart 55-0 two weeks ago. Last Friday night, they took a 48-0 lead after one quarter and scored on eight of their first 14 plays from scrimmage en route to a 67-7 laugher over Connellsville. McKeesport and Gateway, by the way, meet in their WPIAL Foothills Conference final on Oct. 24. … If defense isn’t your thing, how about unranked William Penn High out in York? The Bearcats lead the state in scoring (167 points) after three romps over Reading (49-13), Lancaster McCaskey (57-20) and Susquehannock (61-10).

It's never been too awfully difficult to figure out who's who in Pioneer Athletic Conference football. Old-fashioned research - like checking team rosters from the previous year to see who's coming back and who isn't, a few off-the-record (of course) chats with coaches and players, and peeking in on summer practices as well as a scrimmage here and there - more often than not separates the good from the, dare we say it, not so good.

This season?

Let's see, put 'em all in alphabetical order - Boyertown, Methacton, Owen J. Roberts, Perkiomen Valley, Phoenixville, Pottsgrove, Pottstown, St. Pius X, Spring-Ford and Upper Perkiomen. Reverse the order if you'd like. Scribble the names of all those teams on a slip of paper, them into a hat, give it a flip-flop, and empty 'em on the kitchen table.

Go ahead.

Just don't dare claim to have an answer as to who is going to be on top of the standings when the show ends around noon Thanksgiving Day.

Quite simply, the 23rd season of PAC-10 football kicks off this evening with more uncertainty than any before it.

All that research, at least a few months of it, hasn't revealed any clues. And as ridiculous as it may sound, coaches - a good number of them at least - have mentioned upwards of seven teams they personally feel are capable of winning the title. Most admitted their respective scrimmages were up-and-down (inconsistent, or good and bad, as some mumbled). And after two weeks of non-league tests, no one is exactly gushing over their preseason report cards.

A few fanatics from around the football neighborhood have already put their collective feet over the chin strap, under the facemask and squarely into their mouths by claiming this could be a bad season for the PAC-10.

But, in all likelihood, because of the uncertainty - or dare we say parity - it may very well unfold as one of the best.

The opening-night card isn't going to tilt this season's seemingly level playing field, mind you. Not yet, at least. And it isn't going to reveal any unconquerable, goliath-like lineup(s), either. One week, or one game, a season doesn't make.

But it sure is a good one. Five games, five legitimate toss-ups ... and most of them have their own interesting storylines.

The headliner, if there is indeed one, is Methacton's visit to Boyertown. The Warriors are making their Pioneer Athletic Conference football debut and, naturally, would like to make a good first impression. The Bears are thinking otherwise, of course. They'd like nothing more than to end an eight-game losing streak that dates back to last season, give new head coach Mark Scisly his first win, and give the Warriors a loss to dwell on during the long bus ride back to Fairview Village.

Phoenixville and Pottsgrove will both attempt to right their respective ships after splitting their two non-league games. Each team has a potential Player of the Year, the Phantoms with Anthony Nattle and the Falcons with Terrell Chestnut, both of whom strut their stuff on both sides of the ball. And even though it doesn't play into anything, keep the number 550 in mind - this is the 550th game in the history of Pottsgrove's program, and Phoenixville is looking for the 550th win in the history of its storied program.

St. Pius X will take a short hike over to Pottstown and, for the first time in five years, look for a win in its PAC-10 opener. George Parkinson, the first head coach with three consecutive seasons on the Lions' sidelines since Dave Bodolus (1995-2001), and the Lions had last week off. But don't think they lost any of the enthusiasm or confidence from their impressive opening-night shutout of Simon Gratz down in Philadelphia. The Trojans, meanwhile, are expected to be a little healthier than they were against both Blue Mountain and Upper Dublin. And they also have Kenny Baker, another genuine Player of the Year candidate, who can break a game wide open all by himself with his quickness and speed.

Spring-Ford and Perkiomen Valley meet in Graterford to celebrate the 25th anniversary of a series that has become as good a rivalry as there is locally. It's also a series that has gone in reverse since Spring-Ford dominated the early meetings (by taking seven of its first eight PAC-10 wins by shutouts and four more in consecutive seasons - 1990-93). Perkiomen Valley has won eight of the last nine meetings, though. Both struggled the past two weeks, but both have two of the area's top quarterbacks. The Rams have Trevor Sasek, who is threatening to rewrite the school's record book, and the Vikings have Zach Zulli, who is threatening to rewrite the school's and area's record books.

And the final entry on the PAC-10 card has Upper Perkiomen at Owen J. Roberts, perhaps the two teams with as much to prove as anyone tonight. The Indians were nearly flawless in a rout of Allentown Allen and totally outplayed at Downingtown West. OJR got burnt by big plays against Downingtown West, then came up with their own to singe West Chester East. Indians head coach Keith Leamer hasn't lost any of his five games against OJR, but will have to deal with two of the league's best linemen in the Wildcats' Sam Morgan and Nelson Munoz and two of the league's most promising underclassmen in Ryan Brumfield and Scott Syrek.

MORE, MORE, MORE

Daniel Boone, the area's only 2-0 team, is at home tonight for the first time this season and entertains Columbia - a team that gave up 576 yards and 61 points in a loss to York Suburban last weekend. If that trend continues, the stat-fanats may need a calculator to add up Nate Greene's yardage on the ground and quarterback Jon Monteiro's yardage through the air.

Perkiomen School finally kicks off its season tonight at Tower Hill down in Wilmington, Del. Head coach Kevin Manferdini can ill afford any injuries this season because of lower numbers in camp. He has two promising senior guards in Eric Pfeiffer and Robert Faraco, who'll lead a charge up front for Abdul Smith, who has already committed to Rutgers University and is, without doubt, as good a candidate for Player of the Year honors as anyone.

SUNDAY SPECIAL

The Hill School will be the area's last team to step onto the field this season. The Blues' scheduled matinee for today against visiting Germantown Academy was pushed back to noon Sunday. The change was agreed upon by both schools after GA's opener with Cardinal Dougherty got washed out Saturday night and, because of scheduling conflicts, was pushed back to Monday afternoon.

See Sunday's edition of The Mercury for a preview of the Blues' opener.

DISTRICT FEATURES

Three big games on the District 1 docket tonight feature Pennsbury (2-0) at Glen Mills (2-0) and Strath Haven (1-1) at Conestoga (2-0), while the showcase event is St. Joseph's Prep (2-0) visiting North Penn (2-0). The teams are ranked No. 2 and No. 3, respectively, in the state's AAAA division. There are a couple more interesting matchups on Saturday, too, with Quakertown (2-0) visiting Cheltenham (2-0) and Henderson (2-0) traveling to Malvern Prep (1-0).

AROUND THE STATE

West Wayne ended the state's longest active losing streak at 41 games last weekend with a 21-6 win over Susquehanna Community. The Wildcats, who compete in the District 2-Class AAA bracket, hadn't won a game since Nov. 7, 2003. Going into tonight's games, Montgomery (District 4-A) and Allegheny-Clarion Valley (District 9-AA) own the state's longest active losing streak at 24. ... On the flip side, defending Class AA state champion Jeannette (District 7), which has swept 18 straight games, boasts the longest active winning streak in Pennsylvania. District 6-AA power Tyrone has won 34 consecutive regular-season games since a narrow 7-6 setback to Phillipsburg-Osceola four years ago.

CELEBRITY GAME

There were a few famous faces in the stands last week when Oaks Christian put a 35-7 thumping on Bakersfield Christian out in California. Former San Francisco 49er quarterback and Hall of Famer Joe Montana was there to watch his son, Oaks Christian quarterback Nick Montana. Seated nearby was NHL Hall of Famer Wayne Getzky and Hollywood star Will Smith, both keeping an eye on their sons who play for OC as well. On the other side of the field, former No. 1 NFL draft pick and journeyman quarterback David Carr was watching his son, Derek Carr, who was calling the signals for Bakersfield Christian.

This column originally appeared in the Sept. 9 edition of The Mercury.

Any time a family or two moves next door or up the street, it usually takes some time for the kids to blend in. You know, make a few new friends and, hopefully, get along with everyone.

Well, Tom Barr must have thought there was a mad rush to get out of the Owen J. Roberts neighborhood last month when he opened camp and Nelson Munoz and Sam Morgan were the only familiar faces on the block, or the offensive line. There were plenty of strangers ready to line up either aside of or around Munoz and Morgan, mind you. And even though Barr wasn’t expecting a family feud, if you will, he was nonetheless concerned if they could play together.

“One of our biggest concerns coming in (to the season) was that the majority of those kids on that line was inexperienced, and that they had never played together as a unit,” the veteran Wildcats coach explained.

Two games into the season, all seems well on the offensive front.

In the opener against very, very good Downingtown West, the Wildcats were able to run for 259 of their 343 yards. Last week against West Chester East, they were able to take it a step further, running for 329 of their 362 yards.

Munoz and Morgan may not have welcomed the new fellas with open arms, but Sam Odle, Sean Moloney, Mike Klinger, and Brad Davis sure seem to be playing like they’ve known one another for quite some time.

“We were a little surprised in our first scrimmage,” Barr said. “We were able to move the ball up and down the field. The line blocked so well we didn’t even have to punt once. We looked so much ahead of where we were at the same time last year.

“Then, in our second scrimmage, it was the same thing. They played well, and they were cutting down on their mistakes. They were progressing well.”

Munoz (6-0, 230) was no surprise at center. Neither was Morgan (6-3, 242), who moved in from tackle to go at left guard. But Moloney (5-10, 195) at right guard, Odle (6-6, 210), and Klinger (6-0, 245) at left and right tackles, respectively, and Davis (5-11, 195) at tight end, did raise a few eyebrows to a great extent.

And does that bode well with Barr and his staff, which has experience and talent behind the front six with old friends like Dan Miller at quarterback and his legion of running backs — Cory Bissland, Ryan Brumfield, Sam Funk, Scott Syrek, and Rich Zazo.

“We felt comfortable about the people in the skill positions coming into the season,” Barr said. “And we can utilize Bissland, Funk and Syrek in a lot of ways, too, at fullback or tailback.”

The very swift Brumfield, who ran for 772 yards as a freshman a year ago, is OJR’s feature back, at least for now. He just missed the 100-yard mark against Downingtown West, then piled up 273 yards and four touchdowns against W.C. East. Funk, who’ll usually be found out on a wing, has deceiving speed. Bissland, Syrek, and Zazo are more of the big, bowl-you-over type backs.

“We’re still making mistakes, but we’re cutting down on them and seeing improvement overall,” Barr said.

And on the other side of the ball, with Morgan at nose tackle, Zazo at middle linebacker, and Miller at a corner, it’s pretty much the same story.

Which means the Wildcats aren’t just a friendly bunch now, but a confident one approaching Friday night’s Pioneer Athletic Conference opener against Upper Perkiomen.

“We’ve just seen a lot of improvement attitude-wise,” Barr said. “That’s big, too, because in the past when something bad happened we broke down. Now it seems when something goes wrong or the kids face adversity, they bounce back. They don’t seem phased by (mistakes). They don’t let anything bother them.”

Barr hopes that continues this week … and into the fall.

HONORABLE

Player of the Week honors go to Brumfield, who carried a career-high 28 times for 273 yards and four touchdowns in the 26-21 win over West Chester East.

Not surprising, Coach of the Week honors go to Barr, who guided the Wildcats to the come-from-behind victory over the Vikings.

NO TURNAROUND

The Pioneer Athletic Conference coaches get together this week one last time before the league season kicks off Friday. Don’t be surprised if one conversation focuses on how their teams did collectively in the two-week, preseason grind.

After going just 3-7 on opening night, the PAC-10 was 3-6 last weekend.

“Those (numbers) can be a little deceiving,” Barr said. “Most of our teams go out looking for quality teams to play, teams that are going to give you the good competition to prepare us for our league schedule. We all play to win, but it’s just as important for every one of us to get to know where we’re at, where we stand going into the (league schedule).”

Perkiomen Valley, which shared the PAC-10 title a year ago and is among the frontrunners this season, may have had the toughest two-game test with Upper Dublin and Coatesville, both 2-0 and among the favorites in the Suburban One and Ches-Mont League this season. Boyertown, Owen J. Roberts, Pottstown, and Spring-Ford — whose opponents’ combined records are each 3-1 right now — all had stacked preseason schedules, too.

For the record, the PAC-10 was 3-10 against Class AAAA rivals, 2-3 against AAA opponents, and 1-0 against an AA school (St. Pius’ win over Simon Gratz).

STILL ABLAZE

The 2008 Blazer Tour through District 3 continued last week when Daniel Boone squashed Susquehannock, 35-14. Junior quarterback Jon Monteiro is 27-for-41 for 577 yards and seven touchdowns in just two weeks, and wideout Zach Keeley is proving to be as good catching the ball (10 receptions, 229 yards, 4 TDs) as he is denying opponents an opportunity to catch it, which earned him all-state honors a year ago.

Monteiro’s 342 yards passing last week is the area’s third-highest individual game mark. The record is 396 yards, set by Phoenixville’s Steve Rife back in 1982.

The Blazers play at home for the first time this season when they host Columbia on Friday night. Head coach Dave Bodolus, not to mention Monteiro and running back Nate Greene, must be chomping at the bit to get out there, too, because Columbia gave up 576 yards in a 61-26 loss to York Suburban last weekend.

DELAYED KICKOFF

The Hill School’s scheduled opener with Germantown Academy this Friday has been pushed back to noon Sunday. The Patriots were supposed to debut at Cardinal Dougherty last Saturday, but inclement weather forced officials to postpone the game until Monday afternoon.

Perkiomen School, meanwhile, will kick off its season Friday (3:45 p.m.) at Tower Hill in Wilmington, Del.

NOTES

The PAC-10 opens its 23rd season Friday night with a five-game card. Methacton debuts at Boyertown, where Warriors head coach Bob McNally is looking for his first PAC-10 win and Bears head coach Mark Scisly is looking for his first win on the Boyertown sideline; Phoenixville travels to Pottsgrove in a milestone game (more on that Friday); Spring-Ford visits Perkiomen Valley with a score to settle in the 25th renewal of their series; St. Pius X returns from a bye week and buses across town to take on Pottstown; and Upper Perkiomen and OJR get together at Bucktown. … Pottstown opens as one of two teams with a 48-48-1 record in league games played on its home field.

Originally published in the Aug. 29 edition of The Mercury

It wasn’t easy getting on MapQuest this week. The Web site wasn’t down, mind you, just a bit overloaded with devoted football fans checking in to see how to get to where their teams are playing.

Yep, opening night is here.

And on the area’s 10-game card, five teams — Daniel Boone, Owen J. Roberts, Perkiomen Valley, Spring-Ford, and St. Pius X — are hitting the road to kick off their respective seasons.

No one is traveling further west than Daniel Boone, with its 52-mile ride to Donegal in Mt. Joy, and no one is traveling further east than St. Pius X, with a 41-mile ride to Simon Gratz in Philadelphia. In between them, Owen J. Roberts, Perkiomen Valley, and Spring-Ford are taking shorter (and more familiar) trips to Downingtown West, Upper Dublin, and Bayard Rustin in West Chester. And on the flip side of the card, Boyertown, Phoenixville, Pottsgrove, Pottstown, and Upper Perkiomen will be home sweet home.

Enough of the geography lesson.

Tonight, there is a much more important issue … for everyone, regardless of who they line up against where they choose to do it.

“(Tonight’s) when you look to put the pieces together,” said Daniel Boone head coach Dave Bodolus. “(Tonight’s) when you hope everything is up to the norm, when you get that consistency in the transition from your offense, defense, and special teams.

“Everybody has had a couple of weeks of practices, a few scrimmages. You can look good out there practicing and do things well in those controlled scrimmages. But until you can go out and do it for real — in a game — you’re unproven.”

Everyone has a lot to prove, too.

Boyertown, with new head coach Mark Scisly, is out to prove it is back and as good as if not better than the Boyertown team that won the Pioneer Athletic Conference title two years ago. Owen J. Roberts has perhaps as much depth in the backfield as its had in quite some time and out to prove it has the personnel to return to its traditional winning ways. Perkiomen Valley wants to prove that graduation may have taken a lot of its stars of a year ago but not the heart and drive of a team determined to successfully defend its PAC-10 title.

Phoenixville, Pottsgrove, Pottstown, Spring-Ford, and Upper Perkiomen, all with a few familiar names and a whole lot of no-names, are bound and determined to make a big name for themselves tonight in preparations for a run of their own in the PAC-10. And St. Pius, unquestionably as young as anyone, is looking to prove it learned enough through last year’s growing pains to reverse its ways and make an impact this time around.

“You go into these games hoping to win, of course,” Bodolus explained. “But there isn’t really any one aspect of the game you focus on more than another.

“You do have concerns with the guys who are your first-year starters, though. Like I said, you can look good in practices and in scrimmage, but the important thing is looking game in a real game.”

It all gets real tonight.

Methacton — getting ready for its inaugural run in the Pioneer Athletic Conference — kicks off its new season Saturday against visiting Quakertown in a 1:30 matinee. The Warriors make their PAC-10 debut in two weeks when they visit Boyertown.

TURNOVERS

Scisly is the 10th head coach since Boyertown’s first season back in 1939. He follows Ron Zeiber (2002-07); Fred Endy (1998-2001); Ray Gionta (1995-97); Bob Hillegas (1987-94); Don Grim (1983-86); Lyn Sorber (1971-82); Warren Fry (1953-70); Bob Fleming (1940-52); and Lawrence Grim (1939).

Scisly is also one of 77 new head coaches in Pennsylvania this year, and one of only three in District One — joining C.B. East’s Tim Michael and Springfield-Delco’s Dan Ellis.

District Seven had the most coaching changes (12), while Districts Two and Three each have 11 new coaches. The rest of the districts and their respective new bosses are District Ten (nine); Districts Six and Nine with six apiece; Districts Four and Eleven with five apiece; District Twelve (four); District Five (three); and District Eight (one).

TWISTS AND TURNS

Pius met Simon Gratz once before … way back in 1977, when Jim Mich was the head coach. The Lions breezed to 35-0 shutout.

The Lions were familiar with a lot of Philadelphia teams back then while competing in the Philadelphia Suburban Catholic League throughout the 60s. They played an independent schedule through 1977, then joined the Ches-Mont League the following season.

Pius won or shared three SCL titles. Gratz hasn’t won a Philadelphia Public League title since 1949.

Tonight’s game will also be a reunion of sorts for Pius athletic director Madison Morton and Gratz head coach Eric Zipay, a graduate of Pottstown High School. Morton was an assistant coach at Pottstown when Zipay was a member of the team.

STREAKING

Pottsgrove, Daniel Boone, and Phoenixville are hoping to extend their respective runs of consecutive winning seasons, while Methacton, St. Pius X and Pottstown are determined to end their string of consecutive losing seasons.

Pottsgrove, which won 11 games last season — the fourth time a Falcons team has done that — is riding a school- record five straight winning seasons. Daniel Boone is also on a five-in-a-row run, which is three shy of the school mark of eight (1964-71). And Phoenixville has had four straight winning seasons for the first time since putting together seven in row from 1986 through 1992.

Meanwhile, Methacton hopes to turn its first season in the PAC-10 into a winning season. The Warriors have had seven straight losing seasons, which is within one of the school record of eight (1969-76). Pius has had five straight losing seasons, which has dropped the program’s overall record to just one game over the .500 mark (260-259-14). Pottstown has had four straight losing seasons, the most since a forgettable six-year run from 1989 through 1994.

Upper Perkiomen hasn’t had a losing season since 2000. The Indians were 6-6 in 2001 and 6-6 again last season. In between, they had five straight seasons of seven or more wins.

Originally published in the Aug. 29 football preview in The Mercury.

A little bit of this and that; some notes, quotes and anecdotes, if you will; and a peek or two into the past and glimpse into the future … all related to Pioneer Athletic Conference football teams.

Hold onto your socks now (or, if you prefer, your helmets)… the Pioneer Athletic Conference season doesn’t open for two more weeks.

No matter what you’ve heard, seen in any of the scrimmages, or get to hoot and holler about during tonight’s and next week’s non-league games, nothing really is for sure until Friday evening, Sept. 12 – when Methacton makes its PAC-10 debut up in Boyertown, Phoenixville travels to Pottsgrove, Upper Perkiomen visits Owen J. Roberts, Spring-Ford heads over to Perkiomen Valley, and St. Pius X buses a few blocks across town to meet Pottstown.

And it’s likely to only get better and better after that, all the way to Thanksgiving morning.

Now, if only the fellas down there at Perkiomen Valley and Methacton would get together and agree to move their game from Saturday, Nov. 8 back to Thanksgiving morning (like it once was), the final round of the Pioneer Athletic Conference would really PAC a punch (hint, hint).

HARD DEFENSE

In the previous 22 years of the Pioneer Athletic Conference, only two schools have won back-to-back, undisputed championships. Spring-Ford actually did it twice (in 1986 and 1987 and again in 1994 and 1995), while Pottsgrove (in 2000 and 2001) did it the other time.

Two others, Pottsgrove and Lansdale Catholic, won or shared consecutive titles. Pottsgrove won it all in 1990, then shared the top spot with Owen J. Roberts the following year. LC dominated in 1996, tied Upper Perkiomen for the title in 1997, then shared the top spot with both Perkiomen Valley and Spring-Ford in 1998.

Pottsgrove and Owen J. Roberts both closed up their 1991 schedule at 7-2, the only season a league champion finished with two losses. It was also the only season seven teams – that’s right, seven teams – finished with winning records. And 1998 was the only season to end in a three-way tie for the championship.

SCORES TO SETTLE

There are two PAC-10 series that are split right down the middle after 22 seasons. Pottstown and Upper Perkiomen are 11-11 against one another, a deadlock that will end when they meet Sept. 19. Pottstown is 11-11 against Perkiomen Valley, too, and that will end when they meet Oct. 10.

MORE EVEN-STEVENS

Longtime Pottstown and Upper Perkiomen fans may not want to hear about that so-called home-field advantage. In Pioneer Athletic Conference games only, both the Trojans and Indians are 48-48-1 in games on their home fields.

And if that isn’t enough, Owen J. Roberts is 45-45 in away games since joining the conference in 1988.

NO TOTAL STRANGER

Methacton enters its first season in the PAC-10 having never before played four teams – Boyertown, Pottsgrove, Pottstown and Upper Perkiomen. However, the Warriors have run into the other five teams in non-league games. They are 0-1 against Owen J. Roberts, 18-4-2 against Perkiomen Valley, 2-2 against Phoenixville, 2-9-1 against Spring-Ford, and 1-0 against St. Pius X.

STREAKING

Pottsgrove still holds the PAC-10 record for the most consecutive games without being shut out (57, set from 1988 to 1994).

If the Falcons can score at least one point (OK, two for a safety … or more) in every one of their games this season, they’ll break that record and push their current streak to 58 games.

Spring-Ford, which has scored in its last 46 league games dating back to 2002, owns the second-longest streak (53). Lansdale Catholic left the conference with a 50-game streak.

* * *

The next PAC-10 shutout will be the league’s 200th since the inaugural season back in 1986.

PLAYOFF SKED

The District 1 Class AAA and AAAA playoffs get under way the weekend of Nov. 7-8. Eight teams will qualify for the AAA bracket, while 16 will qualify in AAAA. The AAA final will be Nov. 21or 22, while the AAAA final is set for Nov. 28 and 29.

While District 1 is a region in itself in the two aforementioned classifications, it’s an entirely different story in AA and A.

In Class AA, the district’s three teams will compete with the 11 teams in District 12 for one or more of the four places in that sub-region, and no team

is guaranteed an entry into the playoffs because of having just three teams in the classification.

In Class A, the five District 1 teams will compete with the six teams from District 12 for positions in the four-team sub-region bracket. Discussions between the two districts will determine the format by which the four teams are selected.

All of the brackets’ Eastern finals are the weekend of Dec. 5-6, with state finals scheduled for Dec. 12-13 in Hersheypark Stadium.

SERIOUS SERIES

The current members of the Pioneer Athletic Conference have previously played in a number of different leagues, most in the former Bux-Mont and Ches-Mont leagues … but have managed to play one another quite a bit regardless of their membership cards.

The longest series among PAC-10 teams belongs to Phoenixville and Pottstown, who have met 95 times. Other notable rivalries (with the number of meetings in parenthesis) include Phoenixville and Spring-Ford (53 years), Spring-Ford and Owen J. Roberts (52), Pottstown and Spring-Ford (51), and Boyertown and Upper Perkiomen (50).

Two local series – Owen J. Roberts and Phoenixville, and Owen J. Roberts and Pottstown – will hit the 50-year mark this season. OJR and Phoenixville are scheduled to meet Oct. 17, while OJR and Pottstown renew their riveting Thanksgiving Day rivalry on Nov. 27.

* * *

Phoenixville and Pottstown actually own the seven longest series among PAC-10 schools. Ironically, only one – the Phantoms’ and Trojans’ 96th meeting on Sept. 26 – is still active.

The next six longest series belong to Phoenixville and Henderson (82 years), Phoenixville and Coatesville (78), Pottstown and Coatesville (69), Pottstown and Henderson (67), and Phoenixville and Downingtown (66).

COUNT’EM UP

When Pottstown lines up Thanksgiving morning against Owen J. Roberts, it will be the 999th game in the history of the Trojans’ program. … Upper Perkiomen will play its 600th against Downingtown West next Friday night. … Pottsgrove wll play its 550th a week later, Sept. 12, against Phoenixville.

MILESTONES AHEAD

Phoenixville needs two wins for 550 in the long history of its program, while Spring-Ford needs six for 275 and Upper Perkiomen needs just one to hit 260. … On the other end of that scale, Boyertown’s next loss will be No. 360, Upper Perkiomen’s next loss will be No. 325, and St. Pius X’s next loss will be No. 260.

There is no denying the PAC packed a punch throughout the last four rounds (or years) of the AAA Southeast Regional Tournament. It may not have been a knockout punch, mind you, but 19 individual champions and 63 medalists overall delivered a little more than a jab at the rest of District 1’s wrestling establishment.This year, though, word has it that the PAC – the Pioneer Athletic Conference – doesn’t have quite the clout anymore, that its whack-and-wallop has been reduced to somewhat of a slap-and-smack.Well, the district’s best lightweights, middleweights, and heavyweights – 168 in all, including 23 from the Pioneer Athletic Conference camps – step onto the scales later this afternoon … and at 5:30 tonight, they’ll all come out swinging in the 58th round – or renewal – of the AAA Southeast Regional here at Council Rock South High School.Upper Perkiomen, the regional’s real bully with four straight team titles before surrendering last year’s championship because of an eligibility infraction, and Spring-Ford each bring six entries into the feature. Owen J. Roberts has four on the card, Boyertown and Pottsgrove each have three, and Perkiomen Valley has one.And for the sake of a fair fight, Methacton – which teams up with the Pioneer Athletic Conference next year – has three more strolling onto the mats.But with the exception of the Wildcats’ 112-pound Will Bentley, who has been on a tear in the postseason; the Rams’ 135-pound Ryan Kemmerer, who was golden a year ago; and the Warriors’ 140-pound Jonathan Hammond, who has won every one of his 23 bouts since the calendars were turned to celebrate the New Year, the rest of the entourage has that unknown, unsung, and unranked tag.At least that’s the consensus among the critics, who haven’t been too generous in handing out props to many wrestlers from the PAC-10 this winter.“I think we’re down a little (in talent) from previous years,” a PAC-10 coach said recently. “But we’re not out … not yet.”There’s no question most of this season’s knockout blows have been delivered by the host Golden Hawks and their neighboring rival Council Rock North, who finished one-two, respectively, in the District 1-AAA Duals earlier this month. Quakertown and Downingtown West have also thrown some noticeable roundhouses.Who withstands the flurry – who being those 25 entries from the PAC-10 and future-member Methacton – will be revealed tonight and Saturday.* * *Among area schools the past four years, Upper Perkiomen has had far and away the most regional champions (10) and medalists, or state qualifiers (27). Boyertown is next with five champions and 17 state qualifiers. Owen J. Roberts (two) and Spring-Ford (one) are the only others with at least one AAA regional champion, and have had six and seven state qualifiers, respectively.Perkiomen Valley had two regional champions four years ago, its only state qualifiers since. Pottsgrove hasn’t had a regional champion or state qualifier in 16 years, or since Chris Beasley was a gold medalist in 1992.Methacton, which had 10 regional champions and 23 state qualifers in the 1990s, has had just two regional champions and seven state qualifiers since 2000.
REMATCH TIMETonight’s opening round features a pair of interesting PAC-10 features. At 119 pounds, Pottsgrove freshman Zach Robinson (33-7) takes on Spring-Ford’s Tim Miller (27-13), and at 215, Pottsgrove’s Mike Noto (31-10) goes up against Spring-Ford’s Alex Kanakis (30-8). Robinson edged Miller, 7-6, back on Jan. 30. Noto – who won 16 straight matches before a loss in his section final to Pennridge’s Jon Hill – and Kanakis didn’t meet this year, but Kanakis did decision the Falcon senior, 8-2, last season. … If Owen J. Roberts’ Connor McCormick (28-7) gets the best of Upper Darby’s Tom Andresen (31-3) in their 140-pound preliminary, he’ll get Hammond (40-2) in the quarterfinals.
DEFENSE TIMEThere are four defending regional champions in the field tonight – Council Rock South’s Mark Rappo (43-0) at 103; Downingtown West’s Pat May (37-3) at 119; Pennsbury’s Josh Dziewa (41-0) at 130; and Kemmerer (33-1) at 135. The four are 154-4 this year with a combined 445-49 career mark.
HOT, HOT, HOTUpper Perkiomen has a few wrestlers on a roll. The 171-pound Nick Edmonson (35-5) has won 22 in a row; 285-pound Jared Bennett (38-4) has won 21 in a row, including 14 by pin; and 130-pound Michael McStravick (31-9) won 19 of 20 going into the postseason and has since lost only in the sectional and district finals. Teammate Hoyt Emmons (24-15), perhaps as big a postseason surprise as anyone, got here by winning 15 of his 16 bouts in January.Boyertown freshman Jeremy Minich (31-11) has won 16 in a row and 19 of his last 20 bouts at 103 pounds; sophomore Alex Pellicciotti (35-4) has swept 16 straight at 130: and the always entertaining Tim Feroe (33-9) has won 12 in a row, including nine by pin.OJR’s Bentley and 145-pound Nick Fuschino, both of whom pinned down district titles last week, have won 14 and 17 in a row, respectively.
HALL OF FAMERSSix men will be inducted into the District 1 Wrestling Coaches Hall of Fame prior to Saturday night’s finals.The 2008 honorees are Steve Harner, former head coach at Norristown; Jeff Madden, former head coach at Wissahickon and current chairman of the district’s Steering Committee; Mike Pirozzola, a two-time state champion and four-time state medalist at Neshaminy; Roger Reina, a Strath Haven graduate who rebuilt the University of Pennsylvania’s program and guided the Quakers into the Division I spotlight; William Stecklein Sr., a longtime official who has worked in the Olympics; and Rod Stone, the former head coach at Central Bucks West and longtime member of the Steering Committee as well as the PIAA Board of Control.
LOOKING BACK65 YEARS AGO: Because of the nation’s gas rationing and other belt-tightening measures due to World War II, Haverford High School’s George Halas – nephew of the legendary Chicago Bears’ coach of the same name – was District 1’s only representative at the state tournament. But what a statement Halas made when he defeated defending state champion Steve DeAugustino, 3-2 in overtime, in the 120-pound semifinals. Halas’ bid for a state title fell short, though, after he dropped a 4-3 decision in the final to Waynesburg’s Jim Conklin (who became Pennsylvania’s first four-time state champion with an unbeaten 70-0-1 career record).55 YEARS AGO: Cheltenham’s John McHugh became the first District 1 wrestler to win three straight regional titles – a feat that would go unmatched until Downingtown’s Glenn Koser came up with his own hat trick (1980-82).25 YEARS AGO: Bensalem graduate Tom Scotton, who swept two section and district titles each, was the Owls’ first regional champion and placed third in the state in 1974, was inducted into Bucknell’s Hall of Fame. Scotton, a three-time East Coast Conference champion for the Bison before graduating in 1978, was unbeaten in dual meets (55-0-1) and set school records for career wins and career winning percentage (89-4-1). His four losses all occurred at the NCAA Championships.15 YEARS AGO: Four District 1 graduates helped Bloomsburg to its first Eastern Wrestling League championship in 12 years. Upper Perkiomen’s Brad Rozanski (126 pounds) and Truman’s Chad Bailey (150) were gold medalists and Bensalem’s Tyrone Howard (190) was a runner-up for the Huskies, who were coached by Pennsbury graduate Rogers Sanders. Several weeks later, Sanders resigned after 21 seasons in which he compiled a 250-104-8 career mark.
NOTESCouncl Rock North’s Oliver Hertzel (43-1), who in all likelihood will challenge Kemmerer for the title at 135 pounds, needs a win tonight to become Bucks County’s career win leader. Hertzel, a two-time section and district champion, goes into the regional tied with Council Rock South graduate Austin Carter with 154 wins each.*Don Seeley is the sports editor of The Mercury.