Game of the Week: Schuylkill Valley (7-1) vs. Annville-Cleona (6-2)
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Schuylkill Valley (7-1 ) vs. Annville-Cleona (6-2)
Kick: Friday, 7, at Annville.
Section 5 records: Panthers 5-0, Dutchmen 5-0.
Series: Schuylkill Valley leads 3-2.
Last year: Annville-Cleona 42, Schuylkill Valley 10.
2022 recap: Phoenix Music rushed for 147 yards and scored four touchdowns as the Dutchmen snapped the Panthers’ six-game winning streak. The Dutchmen led 21-3 at the half and 28-3 in the third quarter. A-C’s defense held the Panthers to 78 rushing yards and Dominic Giuffre to a season-low 65 yards on 17 carries. He scored Schuylkill Valley lone TD on a 10-yard, third-quarter run.
Panthers update: Set program record last week with seventh straight win, 28-13 over Hamburg in the Frost Bowl. . . Have won last 4 games without All-State running back Dominic Giuffre and may be without him again Friday. He won’t be cleared to play until Thursday, at the earliest. . . Giuffre broke his arm early in a 49-21 win over Kutztown in Week 4. . . Without him the Panthers have turned to defense and have yielded just 6 TDs over the last 4 games. . . They lead Berks with 13 interceptions and with a plus-10 turnover differential. . . Allowing 176 rushing yards per game. . . QB Logan Nawrocki has thrown for 1,505 yards with 17 TDs and 6 INTs. . . Top receiver Kowen Gerner has tied program record with 10 TD receptions and is second in the Lancaster-Lebanon League with 827 receiving yards. . . He is averaging a league-best 25.0 yards per catch. . . Moved into state rankings as a Team To Watch in Class 3A for the first time this season after seventh straight win.
Did you know? Schuylkill Valley won its first five league games last season before losses to Annville-Cleona and Lancaster Catholic in the final two weeks of the regular season. The Panthers have never won a league title of any kind in football. They can clinch a tie for the Section 5 title with a win Friday.
Dutchmen update: Beat Pequea Valley 42-6 last week for fifth straight win as Cael Harter ran for 212 yards and 4 TDs. . . Pulled off major win in Week 7, knocking off defending Section 5 champ Lancaster Catholic 35-21 on Crusaders home field. . . Losses came in Week 2 to Elco (49-7) and Week 3 to Littlestown (33-21). . . Scored go-ahead TD with 4:41 left to edge Kutztown 41-40 in Week 6. . . Veer attack kicked into gear once league play began. . . Pounded out 388 yards on 70 carries in win over Catholic. . . Veteran O-line, with three returning starters, averages 220 pounds. . . Run-heavy offense keeps the ball on the ground 92 percent of the time. . . No. 1 in the league in rushing at 330 yards per game. . . Overall, averaging 357 yards, which ranks 11th in the league. . . Harter has 855 yards and 12 TDs; he’s averaging 8.4 yards per carry. . . QB Cameron Connelly has attempted just 34 passes; he has rushed for 546 yards and 11 TDs. . . Defense has 16 takeaways, leading to plus-11 turnover differential. . . Ranked No. 1 in District 3 Class 2A power ratings. . . Reached championship game last season as No. 1 seed; fell to No. 3 Trinity 58-27 to finish 8-4.
Fast fact: The Panthers need one win to match the program record for victories in a season. They went 8-3 in 2003 and 8-4 in 2012.
Quotable: “Our offensive line has really picked up the pace. We moved our tight end, Darrian Holloway, to tackle (after the third game) and that’s when everything changed for us. This is the biggest line we’ve ever had and they’re all athletic, multi-sport kids. We’re going to try to just pound on teams; if we can do that we have a chance to win.” – Dutchmen coach Matt Gingrich
