Southern PPG–27, PPA–49; YPG–347, YPA–350

Southern notes: Troy ended Southern’s seven-year run as Class AA state champions last year and now the Tigers are trying to work their way back to the top. Southern returns most of its starters from last year’s squad and likely will be a tough out again. That goes despite a 49-27 opening-night loss against 4A state title contender Wyomissing. Southern hurt itself more than anything in that contest, turning the ball over four times. On the upside, the Tigers gained 347 yards against what is expected to be a stout defense. Brayden Andrews ran for 89 yards and is coming off a strong junior season in which he produced 1,062 yards and 14 touchdowns. He also caught four touchdowns. Joey Williams and Caden Hopper both topped 400 yards and are back as is quarterback Ayden Hockenbroch who threw for 1,358 yards and 16 touchdowns in his first year starting. Southern’s biggest hole is at linebacker where it must replace Dominic Fetterolf who made more than 500 career tackles. Coach Jim Roth won his 500th game a year ago when Southern blanked Loyalsock, 47-0.

Southern player to watch–Chase Williams: The junior defensive end gives Southern a weapon off the edge and had 3 ½ sacks a year ago. Williams added another sack against Wyomissing after producing seven tackles for loss last season.

Loyalsock PPG–13, PPA–47; YPG–175, YPA–414

Loyalsock notes: Talk about a tough opening stretch. After playing District 4 Class AAA district title contender Mifflinburg on the road last week, Loyalsock hosts Southern for its home opener. The Lancers lost workhorse running back Dolan Harman to a torn ACL in the offseason but that doesn’t explain why a line which seemed so promising struggled so mightily on both sides against Mifflinburg. The Lancers did show fight, scoring 13 straight points after falling behind, 34-0. Danny Dowell found CJ Taylor for a touchdown and Jalil Coates returned a punt for a touchdown. Coates also caught a game-high six passes. The passing game looked improved from last year and Dowell threw for 145 yards. Ivan Baker stood out in his first start and made a game-high 15 tackles, including a whopping 14 solos. The one drawback from Loyalsock’s perspective is that Baker is a defensive back and was making a lot of those tackles well past the line of scrimmage. Jeremiah Johnson had a sack and Wyatt Emerick made eight tackles. The Lancers are especially young at linebacker and have three new starters there. Like many teams, Loyalsock is a work in progress and playing these demanding early season opponents could help it as the season continues.

Loyalsock player to watch–Tyler Pham: One of Loyalsock’s new starting linebackers, Pham made 10 tackles against Mifflinburg. It was a strong start for a junior who only had limited varsity action before that game. It also highlights his potential as Pham settles in on a weekly basis.

Outlook: Both teams will likely be quite ornery coming into this one with how their openers played out. There’s not much margin for error for Loyalsock if it hopes to keep this one competitive.