Trending
Bloomsburg PPG--29, PPA--13; YPG--357, YPA--142
Bloomsburg notes: Bloomsburg and Loyalsock are meeting for the third time in two years after splitting two games last year. Loyalsock won the regular season contest at Bloomsburg, 32-23 before the Panthers took the District 4 Class AA quarterfinal, 34-13. The Panthers played outstanding defense in their season-opening win at Milton and allowed just one sustained drive. Ryan Traugh intercepted a pass and Shane Frey made 11 tackles, with Zane Thomas adding 10. Frey is replacing dynamic quarterback Wyatt Brosious this year and showed how dangerous he can be against Milton, totaling 223 yards and three touchdowns. Jharee Moore-Stewart is one of the district's premier receivers and has scored touchdowns five ways in his first two seasons. Last year, Moore-Stewart totaled 1,115 yards and 16 touchdowns. He topped 800 receiving yards and also returned two interceptions for touchdowns. Julius Serrano is another versatile threat and totaled 105 yards with a touchdown against Milton. He returned a kickoff 91 yards for a score last year. Bloomsburg went 9-3 last year, losing to state champion Southern Columbia in the district semifinals.
Bloomsburg player to watch--Mark Katulis: The junior two-way lineman appears poised for a breakout season following a strong start last Friday. The junior defensive end collected 1 ½ sacks and also broke up a pass. He also was part of a strong offensive line which paved the way for balanced production, totaling 357 yards.
Loyalsock PPG--45, PPA--14; YPG--478, YPA--235
Loyalsock notes: Loyalsock started strong, building a 26-point halftime lead in last week's 45-14 win at Central Columbia. The offensive line took control early and often and three Loyalsock rushers went over 60 yards. Ivan Baker ran for 170 yards and two touchdowns in his first backfield start, while Cayden Sones added 93 yards an a touchdown. Sones missed the final eight weeks of last season with an injury and made up for lost time quickly against Central. Quarterback Dyson Dupont totaled 172 yards and the freshman connected five different receivers, including Carter Brown who caught a 34-yard touchdown. Baker had a big year at safety last season and picked up where he left off, making 14 tackles, including 12 solos. Matthew Rickard had a strong game as well, generating 10 tackles. Two-way lineman Connor Tallman is a difference-maker on both sides and helped clog the run, making three tackles for loss, while opening holes offensively. Zion Cobb forced a fumble for a defense which kept Central bottled up for most of the game. The Lancers handed Bloomsburg their first loss a year ago with their Week 5 win. This series has been defined by close regular season games in recent years, Loyalsock rallying in the second half to win, 20-13 two years ago.
Loyalsock player to watch--Jackson Keefer: Another freshman making an immediate impact, Keefer finished third on the team with eight tackles. The outside linebacker excelled throughout junior high and made a quick adjustment in his first high school game, making six solo tackles. He could be quite a building block for this defense the next four seasons.
Outlook: Both teams lost some great players from last year, but each also has exciting newcomers and/or players waiting to break out. This is a good test for both squads and look for the trend of close games to continue.