Northern Tier 1 recap October 22, 2013
Towanda scaled the state rankings by moving to 285 from 330 this week, the biggest jump in Northern Tier 1. The Black Knights were able to move up by beating Loyalsock Township. 22-21.
Wellsboro added to the longest winning streak in the league this week by beating Sayre, 59-29. The victory was the eighth in a row for the Hornets.
Brandon Sturzenegger was a force in the backfield as Athens bested Wyalusing Valley.
Michael Pietropola threw for 360 yards and 5 touchdowns. He went 15-20 with 0 interceptions.
Sturzenegger was the most successful running back in the league this week. He ran for 221 yards on 29 carries as the Wildcats defeated the Redskins. Teammate Tyler Forbes added to the ground attack by rushing for 83 yards.
Leading Northern Tier 1 in both passing and receiving yards, Matt Hildebrand's team's Pietropola and Brandon Owlett have proven to be a lethal combination. 6-1 quarterback Pietropola has thrown for 2,190 yards this season, while Owlett has 30 catches for 870 yards. North Penn's Bryce Zaparzynski leads the league in rushing yards with 918.
Zaparzynski of the the Panthers is only 82 yards short of surpassing 1,000 rushing yards for the season. In 139 carries Zaparzynski has put up 918 yards this year.
One of the league's premier quarterbacks will go head-to-head with its top pass rusher when the Hornets and Towanda face off next week.
An important game coming up in the league this week will be when James Wecker's team takes on Wellsboro. The Black Knights are in third place, while the Hornets are in first place.
Wellsboro took down Sayre 59-29 last week, the largest margin of any game. Pietropola ran for 17 yards in the win.
Story is based on stats entered in MaxPreps by Tuesday 5am PST each week.
