With their second consecutive District 1-4A title secured, Pope John Paul II’s football team moves into the state playoffs this weekend with a contest at Valley View, champions of District 2.
The Golden Panthers have repeated as both PAC and district champions, so this week represents an opportunity to carve out a new accomplishment with the program’s first-ever state playoff win (PJP lost first-round PIAA games to Tamaqua of District 3 in 2019, and to Bonner-Prendergast last season.)
Head coach Scott Reed discussed the idea of setting such lofty goals within the confines of his overall program philosophy.
“We build a calendar for the whole season back in February or March, and that calendar takes into account every week of districts and states,” said Reed. “We prepare as if we expect to play in the final game of the season. I want our players and coaches to have that mentality.
“We try to keep our goals short-term. Our goal in camp is to prepare the kids to physically and mentally compete in varsity football at a high level. We respect every single team on our schedule, and we prepare accordingly. We emphasize 1-0 every single week. The idea is if you string enough 1-0 games together, the goals will fall in place.”
PJP has only missed that primary goal once all year, a 20-13 setback on Sept. 7 against WC Rustin – a District 1-5A semifinalist. From here on, each game represents a new high in program history.
Pope John Paul II at a glance: PJP arrived at this point with consecutive one-sided victories over Lower Moreland (46-0) and Springfield Township (49-7) to capture the District title.
The Golden Panthers weren’t challenged for long in either game, but aside from the loss to Rustin, PJP has played tight games this season with Springfield Township (a 34-27 win on Aug. 23), Phoenixville (a 24-13 victory on Sept. 21), and Perkiomen Valley (28-19 winners in the PAC championship on Oct. 25.)
The common element? The defense’s abilities to limit or take away the explosiveness of PJP’s offensive weapons. Last week, the Golden Panthers scored two touchdowns of 50 yards or greater and had three other plays of at least 40 yards. Quarterback Luke Terlesky had a near-perfect day passing (13-for-14, 137 yards and a TD) and also ran for a score.
Running back Derek Skarbek, in the midst of a postseason breakout, had his biggest game yet with 137 yards rushing and four touchdowns, while Braden Reed became the PAC’s all-time leading receiver with 129 yards through the air and a score, adding a passing TD and a long run for good measure.
Braden Reed has gotten plenty of attention in these previews all season, and for good reason. But the emergence of Skarbek as a 15-plus carry per game back, in addition to Terlesky’s running ability and Brandon DeAngelo establishing himself as a threat in the passing game, gives PJP a multi-dimensional element that defensive coaches dread this time of year.
Making this offense depend on the run or pass is the first key to victory – for instance, while Rustin allowed 259 passing yards to PJP in week three, they surrendered only 18 yards on the ground. In every other contest, PJP has amassed at least 115 yards on the ground and at least 90 through the air.
The engine of the operation is an offensive line that welcomed a number of new contributors this season, but has settled on a quintet of Makel Parker, Dan Tammaro, Nate Seasholtz, Ignacio Escobar, and Chase Frantz, along with tight end Denny Owens.
“We just want to get guys in space, because they can make 1-2 guys miss every play,” Frantz said after the district title game. “If we take care of the other nine? It’s a touchdown.”
Defensively, PJP won’t have the services of Anthony Borzillo, who transferred from Malvern Prep and is ineligible to play in the postseason, but Frantz and Parker lead the way up front with a highly productive linebacking level featuring Ryan Lamson, Sean McNally, Owens, and Kiernan Myers cementing a tough front seven.
Skarbek, Reed, and DeAngelo each have multiple interceptions to their credit this year, with Zahaid Edwards-Boone, who missed last week’s game, leading the team with three picks.
Sam Simonic has been dependable on conversions and can execute a variety of kickoffs depending on how the Golden Panthers want to attack the field position element. Braden Reed is the team’s punter and primary kick returner.
Valley View at a glance: “We are watching film and game planning,” said Scott Reed. “But we really do not know much about Valley View or the teams they play during the season.”
The stats paint a profile of a decidedly smashmouth team – three different players averaged over 70 rushing yards per game – who was considerably more tested in districts than PJP. The Cougars survived Crestwood, 21-14, in the first round, before overcoming a late deficit against defending state finalist Dallas for a 41-14 victory.
Coach Scot Waslichak’s team, like the Golden Panthers, features a number of players who figure prominently on both sides of the ball. Quarterback Zach Cwalinski plays mostly on offense and has near identical yardage totals running and throwing (895 yards rushing, 846 passing) and 26 total touchdowns (19 rushing, seven passing).
Cwalinski is far from a one-man show, as senior Preston Reed edges him out for the team lead in rushing at 951 yards and eight touchdowns, with Nick Kucharski accounting for 859 yards and seven scores. Both Reed and Cwalinski are listed at 210 pounds and should present formidable challenges if Valley View can get into their preferred short-yardage scenarios.
“They line up on offense and challenge their opponents to stop them,” said Scott Reed. “They get downhill and are content to gain four yards every play.”
A young but rapidly improving offensive line paves the way to more than 200 rushing yards per contest and allows the Cougars to dictate the tempo.
When Cwalinski takes to the air, his favorite target is Beyon McLain, who’s caught 24 passes this season for almost 18 yards per reception and six touchdowns.
Gianni Marino and Jeff Waslichak lead Valley View in tackles, and Kucharski isn’t far behind with the added threat of his four interceptions. Valley View carries an 11-game winning streak since an opening 33-0 loss to Scranton Prep and has allowed an average of 14 points per game during the winning streak.
Overview: Boiling this game down to speed vs. power undersells both sides. But it’s pretty clear that an explosive game with plenty of big plays favors the locals from PJP, while a slower tempo and emphasis on extended possessions is to Valley View’s liking. The power running with multiple backs and a physical offensive line is somewhat reminiscent of Rustin’s profile – the team that handed PJP its lone loss.
But there’s no way to compare Valley View’s opponents and profiles to those of Rustin, arguably District 1’s best defense. Nor is it easy to determine if Valley View has seen a team that resembles PJP. Both the beauty and the threat of the postseason is that lack of familiarity – the realization that no matter how many statistics, results, or scouting reports you read, there’s only so much you can do to prepare for an unfamiliar opponent.
“I don’t like traveling 2.5 hours,” Scott Reed said. “But I love the idea of playing a team we have never played before and playing in a Pennsylvania town that we have never seen before.”
It’s Valley View’s fourth trip to states since 2017, but their first since 2021 when the current class of seniors were only freshmen. Will PJP’s experience from last year – albeit a bitter one – provide the difference?
“I really hope it does,” said Scott Reed. “Our seniors have gotten to play in a lot of big games over the last 3-4 years. They have been to four PAC Championships, they have been to three District Finals, and this will be their second state appearance.
“The difficulty of playing high-level state games is where I hope the experience comes into play. Our players know that they will have to give maximum effort on every single play if they want to win state-level football games.”
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