Football Preview: Pope John Paul II vs. Phoenixville Phantoms
Pope John Paul II is 7-2 against Phoenixville since September of 2014, and they'll have a chance to extend that success on Saturday. Pope John Paul II will host the Phoenixville Phantoms at 1:00 p.m. Pope John Paul II's defense has only allowed 15.2 points per game this season, so Phoenixville's offense will have their work cut out for them.
Pope John Paul II is headed in fresh off scoring the most points they have all season. They breezed by Bishop Shanahan on the road to the tune of 42-14 on Friday. Given Pope John Paul II's advantage in MaxPreps' Pennsylvania football rankings (they are ranked 71st, while Bishop Shanahan is ranked 224th), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.
Pope John Paul II got their victory on the backs of several key players, but it was Luke Terlesky out in front who threw for 218 yards and two touchdowns on only 16 passes, and also rushed for 61 yards and a touchdown. Braden Reed was another key receiver, picking up 125 receiving yards and two touchdowns.
Perhaps unsurprisingly given the score, Pope John Paul II was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 233 rushing yards. That's the most rushing yards they've managed all season.
Meanwhile, Phoenixville put another one in the bag on Friday to keep their perfect season alive. Their defense stepped up to hand Kennett a 9-0 shutout.
Deacon Williams was the offensive standout of the match as he rushed for 122 yards. His rushing production has been exceptional recently as that marked his third straight game with at least 122 rushing yards dating back to last season.
Phoenixville's defense was in the mix too, especially the secondary: they snagged three passes before it was all said and done. It was truly a group effort as Kevin Kingsbury, Myles Tenbroeck, and Henry Roberts picked up one apiece.
Pope John Paul II's win bumped their record up to 3-1. As for Phoenixville, their victory bumped their record up to 3-0.
Pope John Paul II strolled past Phoenixville when the teams last played back in October of 2023 by a score of 38-21. Will Pope John Paul II repeat their success, or does Phoenixville have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
