GRATERFORD — Back during August training camp, Dimitri Toman did not shy away from the two most important goals he had for his senior football season at Perkiomen Valley: beat Spring-Ford and win a PAC championship.
One down, one to go.
Toman had an interception in the end zone to thwart the Rams’ most promising drive and was a key cog to a dominant defensive effort, while Patrick MacDonald and Carter McCabe each visited the end zone twice as the Vikings flexed their might in a 28-0 home shutout victory over their biggest rival on Friday night.
That the matchup looked entirely different than what everybody envisioned thanks to all-state Spring-Ford QB Matt Zollers’ season-ending ankle injury did not matter to Toman and company. After a 28-7 thumping in Royersford a year ago, the Vikings waited all year for their shot at redemption and did not disappoint when the moment finally arrived.
“It feels really good, but it’s also what we expected to do,” Toman said. “We went out there – the defense did their job, the offense did their job perfectly and that’s what we did. What I said back in August, that was one of our goals. Goal accomplished.”
Of course, the two goals of every Perk Valley season are always the same, but last year’s disappointments crystallized those aspirations more so entering the 2024 season for seniors like Toman and MacDonald.
“This is a huge stage, Senior Night at home, so I’m really happy we could go out and execute,” said MacDonald, who threw for 161 yards and a touchdown while rushing for 47 yards and another two scores. “This is a huge rivalry. They’re a great team; I know they’re missing a great player, but they’re always tough.
“I’m glad we could come out with the win, but our main goal is always a PAC championship. This is a step to get there, and we got that today. Now it’s on to 1-0 next week.”
MacDonald needed less than four minutes to score, navigating Perk Valley through an eight-play, 60-yard opening drive that culminated in a 16-yard TD run by the senior signal caller.
The teams traded punts for the next three possessions before Perk Valley (5-2, 3-0 PAC Liberty) struck again. Five plays after MacDonald found McCabe on a short pass that gained 16 yards, the two hooked up again on a dump-off over the middle of the field that McCabe took to the house for a 14-0 lead with 5:48 to go before halftime. The short passing game to running backs McCabe and Colin Sturges have opened things up even more the past few weeks for a streaking Vikings offense that is constantly improving.
“It works for us because our line up front is holding them back and Pat has a lot of time to throw the ball,” said McCabe, who rushed nine times for 69 yards and a TD while hauling in three catches for 83 yards and another score. “After that, you just get lost in coverage and go find one. These are our rivals, so of course it felt great getting in (the end zone) against them. A lot of good play calls and good blocking up front.”
Spring-Ford (3-4, 2-1) went three-and-out on its next possession, and Perk Valley had to traverse just 37 yards in five plays on its next drive that concluded with a 1-yard MacDonald TD run and a 21-0 halftime advantage.
The Rams began the second half with possession at their own 31 and marched down to the Vikings 19 in the team’s best drive of the night. But Trent Yoder’s (11-for-22, 80 yards) end zone shot downfield ended up in Toman’s hands for a back-breaking interception. McCabe added a 49-yard TD run with 7:18 remaining in the fourth quarter.
Perk Valley had the edge in first downs (15-11), rushing yards (130-97), passing yards (161-80) and turnovers (1-0). The Vikings rushed for almost six yards per carry while Spring-Ford managed a shade over three. With Zollers out, running back Jamal Lewis had averaged 200 yards on the ground the past two weeks, both Rams wins; on Friday, Lewis never found his rhythm, rushing 17 times for 51 yards.
“Our main goal for this game was to stop the run,” Toman said. “We did that, and once they knew they couldn’t run on us they tried passing, but that didn’t work for them either.”
Perk Valley, which has won four straight after an uneven 1-2 start, will be at Norristown on Thursday night, followed by a road tilt at Methacton. If the Vikings handle their business, they should earn the right to square off against reigning PAC champ Pope John Paul II for the league crown in three weeks. Spring-Ford, meanwhile, will finish at Boyertown and then home against Owen J. Roberts before its own crossover contest decides where the Rams end this rollercoaster of a season.
“It’s obviously a huge win for us, and we’re all excited and pumped up,” Toman said. “But then we have to forget about it. In 24 hours, it needs to be gone and then we’re on to Norristown. Don’t get cocky. We won this game, but we’ve got to stay humble and move on to the next.”
Perkiomen Valley 28, Spring-Ford 0
SF- 0 0 0 0 – 0
PV- 7 14 0 7 – 28
SCORING PLAYS
PV: MacDonald 16 run (Corropolese kick)
PV: McCabe 35 pass from MacDonald (Corropolese kick)
PV: MacDonald 1 run (Corropolese kick)
PV: McCabe 49 run (Corropolese kick)
TEAM STATS
SF PV
First Downs 11 15
Rushing Yards 97 130
Passing Yards 80 161
Total Yards 177 291
Passes C-A-I 11-22-1 8-13-0
Fumbles-Lost 0-0 0-0
Penalties-Yards 6-49 5-45
Punts-Avg. 5-38.0 4-29.8
INDIVIDUAL STATS
Rushing
Spring-Ford: Lewis 17-51; Hinkle 4-25; Earley 5-23; Welsh 2-4; Montgomery 1-3; Yoder 1-(-9)
Perkiomen Valley: McCabe 9-69, TD; MacDonald 12-47, 2TDs; Sturges 4-9; Reedy 2-6; Dickey 1-(-1)
Passing
Spring-Ford: Yoder 11-22-80, INT
Perkiomen Valley: MacDonald 8-13-161, TD
Receiving
Spring-Ford: Turner 4-50; Marsilio 2-18; Harmon 1-6; Lewis 2-3; Kerchner 1-3; Yoder 1-0
Perkiomen Valley: McCabe 3-83, TD; Nester 2-44; Stein 2-22; Boyd 1-12
Interceptions: PV- Toman
Sacks: PV- Cole Euker
