Whitehall coach Andy Marino is appreciative of what NFL superstar Saquon Barkley has done for his program.
The Philadelphia Eagles’ star is arguably the most famous athlete in the world, after his MVP season and leading the Eagles to the Super Bowl title, and yet he always gives back to his hometown community and his alma mater.
Barkley will be back at Zephyr Stadium on Friday night to be inducted into the school’s hall of fame. It is a halftime ceremony likely to attract one of the biggest crowds of the season at Whitehall and possibly the biggest crowd the stadium has had since Barkley had his number retired at halftime of a game in September 2021 when he was with the Giants.
“Saquon is always very accommodating when he comes back, and it’s great for the kids to see him,” Marino said. “But you know we’ve got to play a game, and we’re working on our consistency and have to tighten up some things on defense. We’ve got to focus on some things to win the football game.”
Marino and Whitehall want to make it a special night, and for the current Zephyrs players and coaches, the only way it will be completely special is if Whitehall beats East Stroudsburg South in a rematch of last year’s District 11 5A final won by the Cavaliers.
“Saquon comes back once a year at our camp and talks to our kids and hangs out and is there wherever we need him,” Marino said. “He’s a great ambassador for our program. When he comes back, he and I get to have some conversations. I usually just say hello because everyone’s trying to get to him, and we try to keep the parents and the campers away from him at certain times, which isn’t easy. We’re appreciative of having him there.”
Several of the Whitehall coaches were on the staff when Barkley played for the Zephyrs a decade ago. Several of them still stay in touch.
But Marino, in his third year running the program, has to have his team ready to play.
The game with East Stroudsburg South constitutes a rivalry. It is a nonleague game, but the two still wanted to play each other in the open part of their schedules.
“They have a great team with a great quarterback, great coaches,” Marino said. “You can see on film that they’re trying to figure out who they are, and so are we. We’re two different teams from the ones that played last year. But they’re the best team in 5A as the defending champ … until proven otherwise and we always want to compete against the best. We don’t back away from anyone. You look at the teams we’ve played in our nonleague schedule … Wilkes-Barre Area, Nazareth, and East Stroudsburg South, and they’re all good teams. But you want to play good teams to get better.”
The league games start next week.
Here’s a look at the final weekend of nonleague matchups starting with a Thursday night game and ending with a Saturday night contest:
Thursday’s game
Scranton (1-1) at Pocono Mountain East (2-0), 6 p.m.
The storyline: The Cardinals have been one of the EPC’s surprise teams through the first two weeks with wins over Dieruff and Honesdale. And if East has been a surprise team, no player has been more of a surprise than junior quarterback Ceejay Serfass, who has thrown for a league-high 561 yards and five touchdowns. East’s Justin Williams is tied with Becahi’s Carter Vassa for the league lead in receptions with 15, but has more yards (361) and touchdowns (3). The Knights are coming off a 5-6 season.
Players to watch: Scranton senior Reece Whitman has rushed for 204 yards on 19 carries, averaging 10.7 yards per carry, and has scored five TDs. He also has seven receptions for 82 yards. In last year’s meeting, Scranton rolled 34-6 behind a 212-yard passing night by Brody Coyle, who has thrown for 264 yards in two games this season.
Keith Groller’s pick: Scranton 28-14
Friday’s games
Bethlehem Catholic (2-0) at Berks Catholic (1-1)
The storylines: The Golden Hawks are off to a 2-0 start, and while that’s not as big of a surprise as Pocono Mountain East and Pocono Mountain West starting 2-0, last week’s convincing 35-14 win over Emmaus raised some eyebrows. The defense has allowed just 24 points in two games, and quarterback Cayden Vassa, who ran for three TDs in a 28-10 win over Berks Catholic last year, is tops in the league in rushing with 372 yards and six touchdowns. Berks bounced back from a 46-19 loss to Twin Valley with a 45-20 win over Executive Education.
Players to watch: While Carter Vassa has 15 catches for 153 yards for Becahi, Berks has just 10 receptions as a team. The Saints are run-oriented with seniors Xavier Gerald (17 for 153) and Aidan Curley (19 for 144) splitting the carries.
Keith Groller’s pick: Becahi 42-17
Pleasant Valley (1-1) at Exeter Township (2-0)
The storyline: The Bears are coming off their first win — a 34-7 rout of Dieruff — since 2023. They would like to continue the momentum against a team they lost to last year, 49-0. They were outgained 255-54, but this PV team has much more firepower, led by quarterback Jackson Haines, who has thrown for 259 yards and a pair of touchdowns and has not been intercepted.
Players to watch: Chris Ward is averaging 11.1 yards per carry in leading the PV ground game. He has scored four touchdowns. Marcelus Solt and William Breuer have combined for 11 catches in the Bears’ passing game. Leomar Brown leads the Exeter offense with 245 yards on 36 carries and has scored two touchdowns. Aidan Dauble has five catches for 84 yards and two TDs.
Keith Groller’s pick: Exeter 27-20
Northampton (2-0) at Parkland (2-0)
The storylines: The only all-EPC matchup featuring 2-0 teams going against each other. The Trojans have relied on their defense, which has four players — T.J. Lawrence, Liam Spang, Jaren Sanchez and Dom Martrich — all reach double digits in tackles. The Konkrete Kids have been effective running the ball with 372 yards rushing against East Stroudsburg South last week after 176 yards at Pennsbury.
Players to watch: Blake Nassry has three interceptions for Parkland, while Northampton quarterback Gavin Taff has been protecting the ball with no interceptions in 22 pass attempts. He has thrown for 212 yards and two TDs.
Keith Groller’s pick: Parkland 19-14
Dieruff (0-2) at Pocono Mountain West (2-0)
The storylines: The Huskies beat the Panthers 21-7 last Sept. 6 in Allentown, but the teams are heading in different directions this year. Dieruff has struggled defensively, giving up 38 points per game. West is averaging 36 points per game after scoring 115 points all last season.
Players to watch: West quarterback Jerel Simms has been efficient in the passing game, completing 25 of 36 passes for 277 yards and three TDs while not throwing an interception. Sophomore Christian Stiehler continues to be an emerging star for the Panthers, with 284 yards rushing and four TDs. Dieruff has completed just 12 passes in two games, four of them have gone to Derwyn Deris for 97 yards and a touchdown.
Keith Groller’s pick: Pocono Mountain West 35-13
Emmaus (0-2) at Reading (0-2)
The storylines: The Green Hornets have struggled out of the gate, but have a great opportunity to start turning things around with this trip to Berks County. Reading has been outscored 76-6 in two games. Emmaus gave up 558 yards against Becahi last week and had just seven passing yards. The Green Hornets were also stung by four turnovers.
Players to watch: Jay Santos has been productive in the running game for Emmaus with 239 yards and 6.6 yards per carry. Jerek Cooper has added 107 yards on the ground, but has completed just six passes in the first two games for 54 yards. Robert Edwards III and Asher Dougherty have combined for 27 tackles.
Keith Groller’s pick: Emmaus 27-7
Liberty (1-1) at Stroudsburg (1-1)
The storylines: The Hurricanes got things going offensively against Allentown Central Catholic and played well defensively over the last three quarters. The Mounties, meanwhile, lost an overtime thriller to Wilkes-Barre Area. This matchup, won by Liberty 31-14 last year, will provide a better gauge of where they’re headed and could be crucial when the District 11 6A playoff field is filled.
Players to watch: Hurricanes senior quarterback Antonio Fontanez has thrown the most passes (57) in the league in the first two weeks. While Jake Pukszyn continues to get double and triple-teamed, Zyaire Davis has 13 catches for 246 yards, and Jaxon Barlok has eight grabs for 79 yards. Stroudsburg’s Keyen Johnson has rushed for 260 yards on 26 carries. Mounties QB Jackson Mitchell has thrown for 381 yards and four scores.
Keith Groller’s pick: Liberty 34-28
East Stroudsburg South (0-2) at Whitehall (1-1)
The storylines: A rivalry has developed between the Cavaliers and Zephyrs with classic District 11 5A finals in recent years. South beat Whitehall twice last season, with the second game being a 22-17 thriller in the district final. Of course, the game could take a backseat in the minds of many with Saquon Barkley coming back to his alma mater to be inducted into the school’s hall of fame in a halftime ceremony.
Players to watch: Whitehall couldn’t stop Charles Capers in the district final last year, and while Capers has graduated, Gianni Gonnella has filled his shoes well with 261 yards rushing in two games. Quarterback Ivan Laubach has completed only 14 of 36 passes for 266 yards so far this season, while Whitehall’s Tanner Dogmanits has thrown for 391 and three TDs. New addition Jeziah Gregory has 260 yards and five TDs for the Zephyrs.
Keith Groller’s pick: Whitehall 40, East Stroudsburg South 22
East Stroudsburg North (0-2) at Allen (2-0)
The storylines: Canaries finally got a chance to play at J. Birney Crum Stadium after getting a forfeit win and a victory on the road in Philadelphia. Allen has built some confidence with another 2-0 start, but the 2024 season began to go off the rails when the Canaries lost to host East Stroudsburg North 26-14 in Week 3. The Timberwolves would love to get new coach Kenn Cundiff his first win before league play begins.
Players to watch: Allen has been getting big plays from junior quarterback Julian Pagan, who has run for 114 yards and two TDs and passed 121 and two scores. TeShon Gaynair has four catches for 142 yards and two TDs. Kendrick Sympson has six receptions for 107 yards for North.
Keith Groller’s pick: Allen 22-21
Erasmus Hall, Brooklyn (0-0) at Easton (2-0)
The storylines: A first-time matchup that was needed to fill the Easton schedule when Northeast from Philadelphia dropped this game after losing to the Red Rovers 51-7 in Week 3 last year. Erasmus, located on famous Flatbush Avenue in Brooklyn, has produced big stars, but mostly in the music world. The school’s alumni include Neil Diamond, Beverly Sills and Barbara Streisand, plus a bunch of other famous people like actress Susan Hayward, boxing promoter Bob Arum, and Moe Howard of the Three Stooges. Erasmus is playing its opener after going 9-3 last year. One of its losses last year was to St. Joe’s Prep, 44-16, in Week 1.
Players to watch: Chris Martinez continues to shine on the ground for Easton with 231 yards rushing, and Andrew Biddle has seven catches for 75 yards while Skyler Fowlin and Sean Kilpatrick lead the defense with 14 tackles apiece.
Keith Groller’s pick: Easton 28-14
Nazareth (2-0) at Wilson West Lawn (2-0)
The storylines: This is a rematch of one of the best games of the 2024 season, a down-to-the-wire thriller won by the Blue Eagles, 35-31. Nazareth’s offense has been operating at a video-game level with 108 points and 1,132 yards — 573 on the ground and 559 in the air. Wilson has scored a total of 62 points in wins over Cheltenham and Plymouth-Whitemarsh.
Players to watch: Peyton Falzone has rushed for 163 yards and four scores in addition to throwing six TD passes. Marquez Wimberly has 256 yards rushing and three scores and has added five catches for 71 yards and two more TDs. Wilson QB Mason Young has completed 28 of 39 passes for 356 yards and five TDs and Correll Akings, who is also a good basketball player, leads the ground game with 141 yards on 31 carries and two TDs.
Keith Groller’s pick: Nazareth 42-35
Saturday’s game
Freedom (0-2) at Allentown Central Catholic (1-1)
The storylines: The Patriots haven’t started 0-2 in Jason Roeder’s 20 previous seasons as head coach, but find themselves in desperate need of a win to boost confidence levels. Freedom, it must be noted, has lost to two of the best programs in the state in Downingtown West and Parkland, but Roeder isn’t interested in excuses or moral victories. He knows his team has to get better. ACCHS, which fell to Freedom 49-15 last year, is also looking for a bounce back after competing well for a half, but getting overwhelmed by Liberty last week.
Players to watch: While the passing game has scuffled so far, Lashawn Johnson has been consistent in the ground game for Freedom with 197 yards and two touchdowns. ACCHS quarterback Patrick Cahill has completed 16 of 31 throws for 289 yards and two touchdowns.
Keth Groller’s pick: Freedom 34-17
Note: Keith Groller’s picks were 7-5 and 16-12 overall through the first two weeks of the season.
https://www.mcall.com/2025/09/03/epc-football-week-3-matchups/
