Schuylkill Haven has won eight straight games at home (dating back to last season), while Marian Catholic has won eight straight on the road, but those streaks won't matter much on Friday. The Hurricanes will host Marian Catholic at 7:00 p.m. One thing working in Schuylkill Haven's favor is that they have posted at least 31 points every time they've taken the field this season.
Schuylkill Haven's offense will try to repeat the strong performance it gave on Friday, when they got past Williams Valley's usually-dominant defense. The Hurricanes strolled past the Vikings with points to spare, taking the game 43-29.
Colton Reber produced another solid performance rushing for 165 yards and two touchdowns while picking up 7.5 yards per carry, and also picking up 44 receiving yards and one TD. He showed off some serious burst, cutting through the defense on one rush that went for 54 yards. Niko Castillo was another key player, gaining 100 total yards and a touchdown.
They were just one part of a punishing run game: Schuylkill Haven was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 239 rushing yards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now rushed for at least 239 rushing yards every time they've taken the field this season.
Schuylkill Haven didn't go easy on the quarterback and picked off two passes before the game was over. The picks came courtesy of Chase Leibensperger and Adam Balulis. Leibensperger got in on the action too, converting a pick into a touchdown.
Meanwhile, after some red-hot attacks on offense in their last three games, Marian Catholic finally came back down to earth on Saturday. They were outmatched by Minersville and fell 38-7. The matchup marked Marian Catholic's lowest-scoring contest so far this season.
Schuylkill Haven's win bumped their record up to 6-0. As for Marian Catholic, their defeat was their first of the season and makes their record 5-1.
Friday's game might be decided on the ground. Schuylkill Haven has been unstoppable on the ground this season, having averaged 339.7 rushing yards per game. However, it's not like Marian Catholic struggles in that department as they've been averaging 171.5 rushing yards. There's a good chance Friday's contest turns into a tough fight on the ground.
Everything came up roses for Schuylkill Haven against Marian Catholic in their previous matchup back in October of 2024, as the squad secured a 36-0 victory. Will the Hurricanes repeat their success, or do Marian Catholic have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
