By DENNIS C. WAY

NORTH PENN AT SOUDERTON
TIME: Saturday, 1:00 p.m., Souderton High School

RECORDS: North Penn is 5-4, 4-2 after defeating Central Bucks West, 48-28. Souderton is 6-3, 4-2 after defeating Hatboro-Horsham, 37-7.

LAST SEASON’S GAME: North Penn won, 37-14.

OUTLOOK: Apparently, after having last rites read over their about-to-be playoff corpse two weeks ago, there exists some completely illogical scenario that could see North Penn make the Class AAAA playoff field with a win this week.

But since it’s the equivalent of seeing Ralph Nader declared the winner in the upcoming presidential election, let’s just submit that a Souderton win would likely lift the Indians into the quad-A field and a loss would all but see them familiarized with the aforementioned last rites.

All of that being said, this will almost certainly wind up being a game won or lost on the ground. Souderton QB A.J. Curotto has attempted just 77 passes all year while RBs Anthony Williams (826), Dan Knight (627) and Jarett Reinhard (539) have all gone over 500 yards rushing this year.

Meanwhile, the Knights ground up CB West last week to the tune of 366 rushing yards, with Kyle Mayfield and Steve Gozur combining for 283 of those yards, plus four touchdowns. 

UPPER DUBLIN AT UPPER MERION
TIME: Friday, 7:00 p.m., Upper Merion Middle School

RECORDS: Upper Dublin is 5-4, 3-3 after losing to Plymouth Whitemarsh, 42-14. Upper Merion is 1-8, 1-5 after losing to Cheltenham, 54-35.

LAST SEASON’S GAME: Upper Dublin won, 34-16.

OUTLOOK: It’s Senior Night for the Vikings’ home and season finale, and Upper Merion is just trying to put a year behind them that saw a long losing streak end, but little else.

Last week brought more anguish to the Vikings, who put up over 400 yards of offense last week and got 206 rushing yards from Hassan Gardner, yet still lost by double digits.

Upper Dublin saw any chances it had of reaching the postseason end last week with a loss to Plymouth Whitemarsh, but would still like to finish the year over the .500 mark in both the SOL American and overall. 

SPRINGFIELD AT PLYMOUTH WHITEMARSH

TIME: Friday, 7:00 p.m., Plymouth Whitemarsh High School

RECORDS: Springfield is 4-5, 1-5 after losing to Upper Moreland, 17-14. Plymouth Whitemarsh is 8-1, 6-0 after defeating Upper Dublin, 42-14.

LAST SEASON’S GAME: Did not play.

OUTLOOK: The Colonials, already with their second straight SOL American crown in their back pockets, prep for the playoffs against a Spartans team that has struggled in its return to Suburban One League football.

Spartans QB Chris Stone is also a standout defensive back and the team’s placekicker, although he did split time under center last week.

PW, remarkably, has gotten exactly 1,125 rushing yards from both Corey Kelly and Terry Brown this year, and they’ll likely both add to their totals this week. 

GERMANTOWN ACADEMY AT EPISCOPAL ACADEMY

TIME: Saturday, 1:30 p.m., Episcopal Academy

RECORDS: Germantown Academy is 3-4, 0-3 after losing to Springside Chestnut Hill Academy, 28-14. Episcopal Academy is 8-0, 3-0 after defeating Malvern Prep, 26-7.

LAST SEASON’S GAME: Episcopal Academy won, 13-10.

OUTLOOK: The Patriots meet the unbeaten Churchmen, who have played defense-and-a-half this season.

EA has allowed a mere 21 points in eight games, has pitched five shutouts and has not permitted more than seven points in any one game this year.

Offensively, QB Adam Strouss leads the team in rushing (103 carries, 572 yds.) and passing (50-for-88, 877 yds., 13 TDs).

GA, winless in Inter-Ac play, had difficulty shutting down SCHA’s running game a week ago, but is still yielding a respectable 19 points per game. 

NORRISTOWN AT CHELTENHAM
TIME: Saturday, 4:00 p.m., Cheltenham High School

RECORDS: Norristown is 1-8, 1-5 after losing to Wissahickon, 42-13. Cheltenham is 6-3, 4-2 after defeating Upper Merion, 54-35.

LAST SEASON’S GAME: Norristown won, 14-7.

OUTLOOK: The Eagles finish up league play against a Panthers team that is an overtime loss to PW away from playing for a share of the SOL American title.

Cheltenham is led by RB Mark Thompson, who rushed for 156 yards and five touchdowns a week ago (while adding another score via a punt return), while DE/LB Jonathan Howard had two interceptions, two sacks and a fumble recovery.

Norristown has had difficulty sustaining drives, which has put continual pressure on its defense to get off the field.

Neither the Eagles offense nor their defense will have an easy evening against Cheltenham.

“This is one of their better teams,” said Eagles head coach E.J. Smith. “They have a lot of weapons and a real good front.” 

SPRING-FORD AT PERKIOMEN VALLEY

TIME: Friday, 7:00 p.m., Perkiomen Valley High School

RECORDS: Spring-Ford is 8-1, 6-1 after defeating Pottstown, 55-20. Perkiomen Valley is 7-2, 7-1 after losing to Pottsgrove, 42-28.

LAST SEASON’S GAME: Spring-Ford won, 42-28.

OUTLOOK: One week after playing the Pioneer Athletic Conference’s “Game of the Year” against Pottsgrove, the Vikings face, perhaps, their own game of the year when they host the arch-rival Rams.

A victory all but assures the winner of a berth in next week’s Class AAAA playoff field, while the loser will need help, and lots of it, to get in.

Making the chore tougher for PV is the return of S-F RB Jarred Jones, who has missed the past six weeks due to a broken wrist.

“We’ve game planned this week with the idea that (Jones) would be there,” said PV head coach Scott Reed. “Spring-Ford is a different team when he’s in the lineup because he’s a home-run hitter.

“For us, this is an early playoff game, For us, the first round is (Friday).”

On the injury front, PV guards Bobby Gallus and Robbie Thacker are both nursing shoulder ailments. Thacker will likely go, Gallus is questionable. 

METHACTON AT POTTSTOWN
TIME: Saturday, 3:00 p.m., Pottstown High School

RECORDS: Methacton is 4-5, 4-4 after defeating Owen J. Roberts, 45-28. Pottstown is 4-5, 3-4 after losing to Spring-Ford, 55-20.

LAST SEASON’S GAME: Methacton won, 35-7.

OUTLOOK: The Warriors need their final two games to finish with their first back-to-back winning seasons since the program posted consecutive 7-4 logs in 1997 and 1998.

But first, a date with the Trojans, who despite losing four of their last six, remain dangerous, primarily because of the 1-2 punch of QB Sage Reinhart (104-for-178, 1,703 yds., 14 TDs) and RB Monroe Hampton (140 carries, 876 yds.).

Methacton QB Brandon Bossard did his best Rasaan Stewart imitation last week, rushing for 101 yards and three scores and passing for 85 and two touches in an easy win over Owen J. The Warriors are hoping for more of the same against a Trojans defense that yields 389 yards per game. 

WISSAHICKON AT UPPER MORELAND

TIME: Friday, 7:00 p.m., Upper Moreland High School

RECORDS: Wissahickon is 6-3, 4-2 after defeating Norristown, 42-13. Upper Moreland is 6-3, 4-2 after defeating Springfield, 17-14.

LAST SEASON’S GAME: Wissahickon won, 41-19.

OUTLOOK: The Trojans can lock up a share of second place in the SOL American with a win, then sit back to see if enough dominoes fall in the proper direction for them to sneak into the district playoffs.

They’ll have no easy go against the Bears, who have already bumped off Cheltenham and come within a touchdown of 8-1 Interboro.

The Bears are led by RB Robert Knox and QB Charlie Hooker, while senior LB Vince Cardelli heads up a rough-and-tough defense. 

UPPER PERKIOMEN AT POPE JOHN PAUL II

TIME: Saturday, 1:00 p.m., Pope John Paul II High School

RECORDS: Upper Perkiomen is 0-9, 0-8 after losing to Phoenixville, 49-20. Pope John Paul is 0-9, 0-8 after losing to Boyertown, 28-21.

LAST SEASON’S GAME: Upper Perkiomen won, 30-7.

OUTLOOK: At game’s end, one of these two teams will be in the PAC basement, and one will not.

Naturally, the Panthers are hoping to be the team not looking up.

With all of their combined problems this year, both sides have positives to point to. For the Tribe it’s RB Aidan Schaffer, whose 249-yard performance last week put him over the 1,000-yard rushing mark (178 carries, 1,038 yds.).

For PJP, it’s been a consistently dangerous passing game, which is led by receivers Chris Veisbergs (34 catches, 634 yds.) and Jamel Stinson (34 catches, 376 yds.) 

ARCHBISHOP CARROLL VS. WEST CATHOLIC

TIME: Saturday, 2:30 p.m., Cardinal O’Hara High School

RECORDS: Archbishop Carroll is 4-5 after defeating Bishop McDevitt, 43-13. West Catholic is 5-3 after losing to La Salle, 28-26.

EARLIER THIS YEAR: West Catholic defeated Archbishop Carroll, 42-22, on Oct. 12.

OUTLOOK: The Patriots gave West a tough game the first time around, and now are hopeful of springing the playoff upset.

The Burrs are led by junior RB Greg White (138 carries, 1,081 yds.), the PCL’s leading rusher. But when La Salle held White to 31 yards last week, West QB Antwain McCollum threw for a school-record 342 yards.

The Patriots got their first 100-yard rushing game from a running back this year when Shawn Springs ran for 111 yards last week, while QB Sal Bello (65-for-131, 1,052 yds., 13 TDs) cracked the 1,000-yard passing barrier. 

BONNER-PRENDERGAST VS. LANSDALE CATHOLIC

TIME: Saturday, 3:30 p.m., Plymouth Whitemarsh High School

RECORDS: Bonner-Prendergast is 3-5 after losing to Archbishop Wood, 56-35. Lansdale Catholic is 5-4 after defeating Cardinal O’Hara, 33-28.

EARLIER THIS YEAR: Bonner-Prendie defeated Lansdale Catholic, 29-8, on Oct. 6.

OUTLOOK: See Sideline Insider

ROMAN CATHOLIC VS. LA SALLE

TIME: Saturday, 3:00 p.m., William Tennent High School

RECORDS: Roman Catholic is 5-3 after defeating Father Judge, 28-17. La Salle is 8-1 after defeating West Catholic, 28-26.

EARLIER THIS YEAR: La Salle defeated Roman, 28-14, on Oct. 19.

OUTLOOK: Two weeks after defeating the Cahillites, the Explorers must do it again if they wish to set up a rematch with Saint Joseph’s Prep for the PCL AAAA title next weekend.

Much will depend on La Salle’s physical condition, although at press time nothing was known about the availability of Explorers QB Chris Kane, RBs Jared Herrmann and Jordan Meachum and DB Dad Poquie, among others.

Roman is led by the quarterback-receiver tandem of Michael Keir (94-for-150, 1,406 yds., 8 TDs) and Notre Dame recruit William Fuller (45 catches, 729 yds.)