If you want to win games in Eastern Pennsylvania Conference football this season, you’d better score a lot of points.
Last week’s nine EPC winners averaged 40.4 points per game, and the average margin of victory was 24.5 points.
In the previous week, the nine winners averaged 46.3 points per game, and the average margin was 40.2.
Obviously, the days of teams winning games by 7-6, 14-13, or 21-20 scores are long over. Explosive, high-powered, fast-paced offenses are the norm, and defenses often struggle to keep up.
Yet, as the weather gets cooler and the games get bigger, the old adage about “offenses sell tickets, but defenses win championships” will probably remain true. It’s just that in this era, defenses don’t have to pitch shutouts to get wins. Just a handful of stops might suffice.
Here’s a look at this week’s matchups, which all have 7 p.m. starts:
Allentown Central Catholic (4-3, 3-1 EPC) at Parkland (7-0, 4-0 EPC)
The storylines: The Vikings will definitely be in the eight-team District 11 4A tournament, but how far they advance in the postseason may depend on them cleaning up some things in the final three weeks. They had 14 penalties for 140 yards against Allen and gave up five quarterback sacks. First-year coach Jake Reichard said his team didn’t have a great week of practice last week and hoped for more focus in preparation for Parkland. The Trojans, meanwhile, have posted back-to-back shutouts and have allowed more than 13 points just once all season. Parkland has won 13 of the last 16 meetings, but the overall series, which began in 1960, is competitive, with the Trojans holding a 33-21-2 advantage.
Players to watch: ACCHS junior quarterback Patrick Cahill completed just 7 of 23 passes last week for 137 yards, but had three TD passes. He went over the 1,000-yard mark on the season. The Trojans have had four straight games that have ended under the mercy rule, so their stats may not be as impressive as some others. TJ Lawrence ran for 117 yards on 11 carries against Dieruff and has 519 yards rushing this season, while quarterback Finn Coen has thrown for 666 yards. Liam Spang leads the defense with 42 tackles, including six for losses.
Keith Groller’s pick: Parkland 35-13
Bethlehem Catholic (5-2, 2-2 EPC) at Nazareth (6-1, 3-1 EPC)
The storylines: The Golden Hawks, like Central, are a shoo-in to make the District 11 4A playoffs and will probably get a home game. However, health is their biggest concern as both of the Vassa brothers — Cayden and Carter — are dealing with injuries. Becahi still has several playmakers and a solid offensive line, and just need to grind through a very difficult Northampton County division schedule. Nazareth, meanwhile, has settled in with sophomore quarterback Cooper Madson, a deep corps of talented receivers, and the exploits of running back Marquez Wimberly. But the big story here is the return of former Nazareth star Jahan Dotson, now with the Philadelphia Eagles, who figures to attract one of the biggest crowds in Andy Leh Stadium history.
Players to watch: Becahi’s Axel Burkart completed 13 of 27 passes for 102 yards against Freedom and was also the team’s leading rusher with 51 yards. But Becahi couldn’t finish drives. In its wild 52-42 win over Liberty, the Blue Eagles got an efficient 11-for-14 passing effort from Madson, who threw for 164 yards and two TDs. Wimberly ran for 304 yards and four scores. Luke DiPietro had six catches for 78 yards and a TD. Nazareth’s Cooper Wenrich continues to lead the EPC in tackles with 93, while Jake Bendekovits has 10 tackles for loss.
Keith Groller’s pick: Nazareth 42-14
Dieruff (1-6, 1-3) at Emmaus (2-5, 1-3)
The storylines: The Huskies continue to struggle against EPC Lehigh County teams. In the last 21 years, The Huskies are 2-49 against ACCHS, Emmaus, Parkland, and Whitehall, which is why the program left for the Mountain Valley Conference and then the EPC North. The divisional alignment by county is not good for the Huskies or Allen. Emmaus, meanwhile, has its own concerns. The Green Hornets were a district finalist last year thanks mostly to a suffocating defense. But this year, the Green Hornets have allowed 34.6 points per game in their five losses. They find themselves on the District 11 6A playoff bubble and may watch Stroudsburg, a team they beat 48-10, advance instead of them.
Players to watch: Dieruff’s Bruce Billger threw for 31 yards against Parkland with Derwyn Deris making two catches for 18 yards. The Green Hornets got 187 yards rushing from Jerek Cooper and 130 from Jay Santos in their 38-31 loss to Whitehall. They also got a big defensive effort from Asher Dougherty, who had nine tackles, including six for losses.
Keith Groller’s pick: Emmaus 38-6
East Stroudsburg North (0-7, 0-4) at Stroudsburg (3-4, 2-2)
The storylines: The Timberwolves remain the league’s only winless team, but at least scored 14 points last week in a loss to Pleasant Valley. They scored just 22 points in their previous six games. The Mounties bounced back from a 62-0 loss to Easton with a solid win over Pocono Mountain West. They currently own the seventh spot in the 6A power rankings and play three teams with a combined record of 4-17 to close out the regular season.
Players to watch: North quarterback Wayne King has thrown for 332 yards and rushed for 264. Kendrick Sympson has 13 receptions for 259 yards. Stroudsburg’s defense is led by Karis Wilkins, who has had a hand in 62 tackles. Zion Essington has nine tackles for loss. The offense is led by quarterback Jack Mitchell, who has thrown for 1,002 yards and thrown 10 TD passes and just three interceptions. Keyen Johnson has run for 918 yards, averaging 6.4 yards per carry.
Keith Groller’s pick: Stroudsburg 48-12
Liberty (5-2, 2-1) at Easton (7-0, 4-0)
The storylines: The Hurricanes had a five-game winning streak in a wild 52-42 loss at Nazareth and now have to face another team averaging in the 40s. Liberty could use this one to help secure a home game in the District 11 6A playoffs while the Red Rovers are rolling toward the No. 1 seed. This is one of the oldest series in Lehigh Valley football history. It will be the 110th meeting with Easton leading the series 68-38-3 with the Red Rovers winning the last eight. It’s also going to be noisy with two of the largest and best bands in the area on opposite sides of Cottingham Stadium.
Players to watch: This is a matchup of the league’s top rusher, Easton’s Cole Ordway, who has 1,073 yards on the ground along with 19 rushing TDs, and the No. 1 passer, Liberty’s Antonio Fontanez, who has 1,571 yards through the air and 25 TDs. Liberty also has two of the league’s top eight receivers in Jake Pukszyn (28 catches for 472 yards and 11 TDs) and Zyaire Davis (27 grabs for 631 yards and 9 TDs). Easton has one of the league’s top tacklers in Sean Kilpatrick, who has 58 tackles, including a pair of sacks.
Keith Groller’s pick: Easton 42-35
Northampton (3-4, 1-3) a Freedom (4-3, 3-1)
The storylines: Perhaps the most competitive game in the league this weekend. The Konkrete Kids probably have to win one of their last three games to qualify for the District 11 6A playoffs, and this one gives them an opportunity to solidify their position and get a signature win in the division. Freedom, meanwhile, seems to have found its stride after starting 0-2 and 1-3. This one could be a 6A playoff preview. Freedom beat Northampton twice last season — 42-21 in the regular season and 38-15 in the 6A quarterfinals.
Players to watch: Northampton’s Gavin Taff, who has thrown for 952 yards and 11 TDs, has become the school’s all-time leading passer and would like to finish his career strong, while sophomore teammate Chase Kessler seems to be getting his career started in style. Kessler is fourth in the league with 836 yards rushing and eight scores. Freedom quarterback Michael Stofanak has thrown for 861 yards and nine TDs and perhaps most importantly, he hasn’t thrown an interception in the last three weeks.
Keith Groller’s pick: Northampton 27-24
Pocono Mountain East (4-3, 1-3) at Pleasant Valley (3-4, 2-2)
The storylines: It’s the 65th battle for the Old Oaken Bucket, and it’s also a battle of two teams that have had much better seasons than they had in 2024 when East finished 1-10 and PV went 0-11. It’s a preview of a likely 5A semifinal matchup. Both teams are also coming off wins. The Bears routed East Stroudsburg North 56-14, and the Cardinals soared past East Stroudsburg South 30-7. East won last year’s meeting 10-7, which was the first win for coach Dustin Thomas.
Players to watch: PV’s offense is led by Chris Ward, who has rushed for 367 yards, and Jaxson Haines, who has thrown for 605. East’s Justin Williams is second in the EPC in catches with 33 for 580 yards. His teammate, Connor Triano, has 26 receptions for 288. Amari Green leads the Cardinals’ ground game with 729 yards and seven TDs.
Keith Groller’s pick: Pocono Mountain East 21-16
Pocono Mountain West (4-3, 1-3) at East Stroudsburg South (1-6, 1-3)
The storylines: The Panthers are in a fight for one of the last District 11 6A playoff spots. South doesn’t have to worry about making it in 5A since all four teams knew they would be in the postseason before they took a single snap. The Cavaliers, though, are defending 5A champs and want to build some momentum before the playoffs begin. Both teams are coming off losses. South cruised to a 49-21 win in this meeting last year when the Cavs rolled to 227 yards rushing, much of it by Charles Capers, who scored four TDs.
Players to watch: Panthers sophomore Christian Stiehler continues to be one of the most productive players in the league with 700 yards rushing and six TDs on offense while also making 63 stops on defense. He also has 16 receptions for 225 yards and three scores. South’s Gianni Gonnella has run for 667 yards and five scores. Ivan Laubach has been battling injuries, giving sophomore Greyson Fuller an opportunity to play QB. He has thrown for 285 yards and one touchdown, but has been intercepted six times.
Keith Groller’s pick: Pocono Mountain West 33-20
Whitehall (6-1, 3-0) at Allen (3-4, 0-4)
The storylines: The Zephyrs have won five in a row and continue to play the highest-scoring games in the league. They are averaging a league-best 44.4 points per game, but also allow 30 ppg. The Canaries showed a lot of heart in a 33-6 loss to ACCHS and did a lot of good things, but five turnovers were too much to overcome. Coach Joel Rupp is hoping that the effort could spark a strong finish with Emmaus and Dieruff yet to play.
Players to watch: The Zephyrs have the No. 2 passer in the league in Tanner Dogmanits, who has thrown for 1,495 yards and 16 touchdowns. They also have the No. 1 receiver in Tanner’s brother, Talon, who has 33 catches for a league-best 628 yards and nine scores. The Canaries got 85 yards rushing, including a 78-yard touchdown, from Michael Taylor against Central Catholic. They also got 115 yards passing from Julian Pagan, including eight receptions for 44 yards by Zion Stokes.
Keith Groller’s pick: Whitehall 49-19
Note: Keith Groller’s picks were 8-1 last week and 59-17 on the season.
