One of the things football coaches have said over and over again through the years is that the most important week of the season for practice is the one that comes after the opening game of the season.
“We have a lot of work to do,” was the common refrain from coaches after their first games of the season. Some need more work than others.
In particular, Emmaus and Freedom will want to bounce back after suffering lopsided losses to District 1 teams. Liberty also had a disappointing defeat at home on opening night.
Even teams that won their games will have plenty of things to work on as the schedule stiffens in Week 2.
Northampton, Whitehall, Nazareth, Easton and Nazareth were among the teams posting impressive wins.
New coaches — Bethlehem Catholic’s Joe Bernard and Allentown Central Catholic’s Jake Reichard — both got wins in their debuts.
Week 2 begins with three games on Thursday night. Here’s a look at how the 18 teams in the Eastern Pennsylvania Conference with one game in the books:
No. 18: Pleasant Valley
Current Pleasant Valley football coach Blaec Saeger is seen as a baseball player at Upper Perkiomen High School in May of 2007. Saeger is pleased with what he is seeing from his current PV Bears. (Steve Pestrock/Special to TMC)
Record: 0-1, 0-0 EPC
Last year’s final ranking: 18th
Last game: Lost to Gov. Mifflin 35-20
Next game: Host Dieruff, 7 p.m. Thursday
Comment: The Bears may have lost their opener to Gov. Mifflin, but showed marked improvement from 2024 when they dropped their opener to the same District 3 team, 35-0. Chris Ward ran for 110 yards, including a 57-yard touchdown run and another covering 20 yards. Niko Payan had a 28-yard TD run and Jaxson Haines threw for 104 yards.
No. 17: Dieruff
Dieruff head coach Dave Lutte, seen a practice on Aug. 8, has a lot of things to clean up after a season-opening loss to Pocono Mountain East. (Jane Therese/Special to The Morning Call)
Record: 0-1, 0-0 EPC
Last year’s final ranking: 15h
Last game: Lost to Pocono Mountain East 42-27
Next game: Play at Pleasant Valley, 7 p.m. Thursday
Comment: The Huskies got 261 yards in total offense against Pocono Mountain East, but were hurt by three turnovers. Bruce Billger threw for 156 yards with Derwyn Deris made three catches for 90 yards and a score. Elijah Dalrymple led the ground game with 53 rushing yards.
No. 16: Allen
Coach Joel Rupp talks to his players Monday, Aug. 11, 2025, during an Allen High School football practice in Allentown. Allen football is trying to build off its late-season win over Dieruff last season which gave the Canaries 3 wins, which was much better than their 0-10 season in 2023. Third-year coach Joel Rupp is hoping for more improvement. (April Gamiz/The Morning Call)
Record: 1-0, 0-0 EPC
Last year’s final ranking: 14th
Last game: The Canaries won by forfeit over Dobbins Tech, who had to pull out of the scheduled opening-night game due to a shortage of players. Allen won last year’s meeting with Dobbins, 57-0.
Next game: At Martin Luther King of Philadelphia, 7 p.m. Friday
Comment: A forfeit win to start the season wasn’t ideal, but it gave the Canaries an extra week to stay heathy and prepare for the season. Martin Luther King opened its season with a 13-6 win over South Philadelphia. Last year, Allen won its Week 2 game, 36-8, over Thomas Edison.
No. 15: East Stroudsburg North
Former East Stroudsburg North football coach David Laughlin, left, shows off one of the new jerseys that were worn for the 54th annual McDonald’s Lehigh Valley All-Star Football Classic last June. McLaughlin coached many of the kids on the current Timberwolves roster. (Keith Groller/The Morning Call)
Record: 0-1, 0-0 EPC
Last year’s final ranking:13th
Last game: Lost to Honesdale 19-9
Next game: Host Wallenpaupack, 7 p.m. Friday
Comment: Senior quarterback Wayne King ran for 44 and passed for 67 in the loss to Honesdale. Kendrick Sympson had four catches for 54 yards and Jayden Rodriguez had three receptions for nine yards. Justice Edwards led the defense with 11 tackles while Micah Alicea added nine stops.
No. 14: Pocono Mountain West
Pocono Mountain West’s Brady Behr, 1, brings down Scranton’s Kamani Sterling at Veterans Memorial Stadium in Scranton on Friday. (Sean McKeag/Citizens’ Voice)
Record: 1-0, 0-0 EPC
Last year’s final ranking: 16th
Last game: Beat Scranton 38-19
Next game: Host Lenape, New Jersey, 6 p.m. Thursday
Comment: An impressive start for the Panthers, who lost to Scranton 14-7 in Week 1 last season. Brady Behr had a 97-yard interception return for a touchdown and caught a 63-yard TD pass from Jerel Sims. Sims ran for 73 yards and passed for 88 and formed a potent trio with Behr and Christian Stiehler who ran for 140 yards on 21 carries.
No. 13: Pocono Mountain East
Rocco DelGiudice, a quarterback from Pocono Mountain East, looks to pass the ball last June during the annual McDonald’s Lehigh Valley All-Star Football Classic at Nazareth. (Oliver Lois Economidis/The Morning Call)
Record: 1-0, 0-0 EPC
Last year’s final ranking: 17th
Last game: Beat Dieruff 42-27
Next game: At Honesdale, 7 p.m. Friday
Comment: Justin Williams and Ceejay Serfass each scored three touchdowns in the season-opening win over Dieruff. Last season, the Cardinals didn’t scored more than 27 points in any game and scored just 44 points overall in their last four games. They also had to wait until Week 8 for their first win, beating Pleasant Valley 10-7. So, East is definitely ahead of schedule.
No. 12: East Stroudsburg South
East Stroudsburg coach Matt Walters works with Tampa Bay Buccaneers players and coaches as part of the NFL Coaching Academy program. (Contributed photo / Tampa Bay Buccaneers)
Record: 0-1, 0-0 EPC
Last year’s final ranking: 7th
Last game: Lost to Abington Heights 21-13
Next game: At Northampton, 7 p.m. Friday
Comment: The offense did its part on opening night for the Cavaliers. South outgained the Comets, 369-362, and more than doubled Abington Heights in first downs, 23-10, but couldn’t recover after getting down 21-7. Gianni Gonnella ran for 117 yards and quarterback Ivan Laubach ran for 90 and threw for 142 yards.
No. 11 Stroudsburg
A look inside the stadium at Stroudsburg High School. (Keith Groller)
Record: 1-0, 0-0 EPC
Last year’s final ranking: 11th
Last game: Beat Wallenpaupack 28-7
Next game: At Wilkes-Barre Area, 7 p.m. Friday
Comment: The Mounties beat Wallenpaupack in Week 1 for the second straight year. They won 30-10 last year. Quarterback Jackson Mitchell completed 11 of 16 throws for 171 yards and a TD while Jaylin Riera carried 17 times for 141 yards and three scores, including a 72-yard scoring burst.
No. 10: Liberty
Liberty wide receiver Jake Pukszyn is a multi-sport standout. (Oliver Lois Economidis/The Morning Call
Record: 0-1, 0-0 EPC
Last year’s final ranking: 6th
Last game: Lost to Pennridge 31-21
Next game: Host Allentown Central Catholic, 7 p.m. Thursday
Comment: A disappointing start for the Hurricanes who still have high hopes coming off a 7-4 season that began with a 40-14 rout of Pennridge. Hurricanes were outgained 364-264 and were hurt by three lost fumbles. Antonio Fontanez threw for 251 yards, but was sacked three times. Ground game was limited to a net 13 yards.
No. 9: Allentown Central Catholic
Allentown Central Catholic coach Jake Reichard led the Vikings to a victory in the season opener. (Jane Therese/Special to The Morning Call)
Record: 1-0, 0-0 EPC
Last year’s final ranking: 12th
Last game: Beat Trinity 19-16
Next game: At Liberty, 7 p.m. Thursday
Comment: The Vikings got the Jake Reichard Era off on the right foot with a gritty road win in Harrisburg. Patrick Cahill threw a couple of TD passes with Gavin Albeck and Yahir Edmondson on the receiving end, and Deon Johnson scored on a short run. Cahill was 10 for 15 for 165 yards passing. Edmonson had four catches for 51 yards.
No. 8: Freedom
Freedom coach Jason Roeder watches from the sidelines during Saturday’s game against Downingtown West. (Amy Shortell/The Morning Call)
Record: 0-1, 0-0 EPC
Last year’s final ranking: 4th
Last game: Lost to Downingtown West 47-7
Next game: At Parkland, 7 p.m. Friday
Comment: Obviously, things don’t go as planned for the Patriots in their mercy-rule loss to Downingtown West. The game turned around on a pick-six off a deflected pass. But more concerning for Freedom may be how they were beaten up front by the Whippets who smothered the Patriots ground game. Freedom was outrushed 200-58.
No. 7: Emmaus
Emmaus’ Jerek Cooper runs the ball against Neshaminy on Friday at East Penn School District Stadium in Emmaus. (Jonathan Broady/Special to The Morning Call)
Record: 0-1, 0-0 EPC
Last year’s final ranking: 2nd
Last game: Lost to Neshaminy 30-0
Next game: At Bethlehem Catholic, 7 p.m. Friday
Comment: The Green Hornets never recovered after an interception in the red zone ended their first drive. They were outgained 451-170. QB Jerek Cooper was 4-for-15 for 47 yards with a pair of interceptions. Robert Edwards III led the defense with seven tackles. While it doesn’t count in the standings, Friday’s game at Bethlehem Catholic is critical for the Hornets’ psyche.
No. 6: Bethlehem Catholic
Joe Bernard grins as he walks off the field Saturday at Bethlehem Area School District Stadium after winning his first game as Bethlehem Catholic football coach. The Golden Hawks beat East Pennsboro 28-10. (Keith Groller/The Morning Call)
Record: 1-0, 0-0 EPC
Last year’s final ranking: 9th
Last game: Beat East Pennsboro 28-10
Next game: Host Emmaus, 7 p.m. Friday
Comment: The Golden Hawks displayed a lot of positives in their season-opening win over East Pennsboro. Both quarterbacks, Cayden Vassa and Axel Burkart, ran the offense well and the defense allowed just three first downs. The key is going to be staying healthy. Cramping issues were a big problem Saturday night and Becahi will have to be at full strength for four quarters to have a shot against Emmaus.
No. 5: Whitehall
Tanner Dogmantis pauses from running drills Tuesday Aug. 12, 2025, during a Whitehall High School football practice in Whitehall. Whitehall football is looking for an improved season after going 5-7 last year and losing in the District 11 Class 5A title game to East Stroudsburg South. (Monica Cabrera/The Morning Call)
Record: 1-0, 0-0 EPC
Last year’s final ranking: 10th
Last game: Beat Wilkes-Barre Area 38-14
Next game: At Nazareth, 7 p.m. Friday
Comment: Good start to the season for the Zephyrs, who lost to Wilkes-Barre Area 27-10 in their opener last year. Tanner Dogmanits was 12-for-17 passing for 177 yards and a touchdown. He also ran for a score. Newcomer Jeziah Gregory, a transfer from Bethlehem Catholic, ran for 165 yards and three scores. Justin Hussett led the defense with eight tackles and also had an interception.
No. 4: Northampton
Northampton receiver Sincere Wadlington, left, and offensive lineman Riley Montgomery, right, celebrate Wadlington’s go-ahead touchdown in the fourth quarter Friday night at Falcon Field in Fairless Hills, Pa. (Kyle Franko/Trentonian Photo)
Record: 1-0, 0-0 EPC
Last year’s final ranking: 8th
Last game: Beat Pennsbury 20-14
Next game: Host East Stroudsburg South, 7 p.m. Friday
Comment: The Konkrete Kids made the most of 176 yards on offense and played tough defense. Sincere Wadlington caught three Gavin Taff passes for 65 yards and a touchdown and Taff hit Noah Kline for a score and ran for a TD. Rocco Amato led the defense with seven tackles, including two for losses. Keegan Hackett had an interception.
No. 3: Easton
Easton quarterback Cole Ordway had a big game in the Red Rovers’ opener. (Oliver Lois Economidis/The Morning Call)
Record: 1-0, 0-0 EPC
Last year’s final ranking: 3rd
Last game: Beat Central Bucks West 26-20
Next game: At Spring-Ford, 7 p.m. Friday
Comment: The Red Rovers got a big night from quarterback Cole Ordway in their season-opening win. He was 11 of 15 passing for 130 and a touchdowns and ran for 163 yards and three more scores. Andrew Biddle had six catches for 63 yards. Tristen Dees led the defense with 10 tackles, but Easton hopefully learned a lesson because a big lead nearly vanished.
No. 2 Nazareth
Nazareth quarterback Peyton Falzone threw for 265 yards in the Blue Eagles’ season-opening win. (Amy Shortell/The Morning Call)
Record: 1-0, 0-0 EPC
Last year’s final ranking: 5th
Last game: Beat Hazleton 46-7
Next game: Host Whitehall, 7 p.m. Friday
Comment: Peyton Falzone talked about how excited he was to finally have a home game to start a season and Falzone’s performance matched his excitement in a dominant performance against overmatched Hazleton. He hit Mason Marinelli for an 81-yard touchdown pass on his first throw of the season. He had 13 completions for 265 yards spread among seven different receivers. Jayden Wolf, who had a long recovery from a serious injury suffered last year, may have provided the best feel-good moment of the night with his 11-yard TD run.
No. 1: Parkland
Parkland’s TJ Lawrence runs for a touchdown against Emmaus last November. (Jonathan Broady/Special to The Morning Call
Record: 1-0, 0-0 EPC
Last year’s final ranking: 1st
Last game: Beat George Washington 19-6
Next game: Host Freedom, 7 p.m. Friday
Comment: The defense was expected to lead the way early in the season for the Trojans and that was the case on Friday night in Philadelphia. Parkland held he Philly Public School member to 70 total yards. The Trojans offense had just 224 yards, but got 125 yards rushing and a TD from TJ Lawrence. Finn Coen was intercepted twice in his debut at QB but found Nassim Adams for a 20-yard TD pass.
https://www.mcall.com/2025/08/25/epc-football-power-rankings-6/