Phantoms Look to Keep Momentum Going Through Homecoming Festivities

Well it’s that time of year again.

With the leaves and their brilliant array of colors adding to the ambience of fall, the air starting to have a crispness to it and the anticipation of who will be named homecoming queen building to a fever pitch, it’s easy to overlook the fact that there is a very important Pioneer Athletic Conference football game Saturday afternoon.

The Boyertown Bears (2-4 overall, 0-4 league) are coming to town to take on the Phantoms, who rebounded from their first league loss of the season by beating back the “Pumpkin Heads” (a.k.a. Perkiomen Valley) 14-9 to stay within one game of league leading Spring-Ford (5-1 overall, 4-0 league), whose latest victim was the aforementioned Bears by a tally of 45-14.

Given that Phoenixville and Boyertown have combined to rack up more than 3,300 yards on the ground, it doubtful that any PAC-10 passing records will be broken Saturday afternoon on the turf of Washington Field.

The Bears, who ironically have accumulated just 80 yards less than the Phantoms on the season, have struggled in the late going of games, dropping contests to Pottsgrove, Pottstown and Perkiomen Valley after carrying a lead into the fourth quarter of each tilt.

The combination of Max Marcus (87 rushes, 551 yards, 9TD) who is third in the league in scoring along with backfield mates Jon Neiman (68-657, 6TD) and Jared Von Dohren (23-297, 3TD), bears an eerie similarity to the Phantoms trio of Vinny Nattle (98 rushes, 718 yards, 6TD), Ryan Yenchick (34-302, 4TD) and Travis Andrews (47-251, 2TD), but where the Phoenixville ground attack has been able to wear teams down, the Bears have not been able to translate early success into wins.

Offensively, the two squads are very evenly matched, at least on paper, as the Bears have averaged 28.0 points to the Phantoms 26.3 points per game, but it is on the defensive side of the ball where the home team will have the edge.

Phoenixville’s defense, led by junior Ryan Pannella, Alex McLemore, Jesse Gervasi and Dennis Kelly has been down right abusive to opposing offensive lines and more specifically quarterbacks. The defense alllowed an average of 14 points a game and have only given up four touchdowns following the league regular season opener versus Methacton.

The wildcard in the mix will again be the play of the signal callers as Phoenixville senior Alec McQuiston continues to set the tone by running the offense with efficiency and has provided the leadership that his teammates have responded to.

McQuiston (57 rushes, 376 yards, 6TD), who is more known for leading with his feet and scored both touchdowns in last week's win, can also air it out as he has completed 30 of 56 passes for 304 yards and a passer rating 76.65, while Boyertown has run out the duo of Chase Garber (12/22, 93 yards, 4.55.rating) and Griffin Pasik (12/27, 124 yards, 42.82 rating) behind center and is still struggling to find an identity offensively.

After all of the pre-game festivities leading up to the crowning at halftime of this year's queen of homecoming, the home fans should have another victory to celebrate.

This week’s Phantoms projection-Phoenixville 32-15

Last week’s projections record 4-1

Season projections 20-5

Other PAC-10 projections this week

Perkiomen Valley over Pope John Paul II

Spring-Ford avenges last season’s collapse at Methacton with a win

Pottstown defeats Upper Perkiomen

Pottsgrove beats Owen J. Roberts