Tri-Valley hoping to avoid trap
After spending last weekend easing past winless Panther Valley — Kameron Wetzel (7 for 157, one TD) and Jake Scheib (10 for 100, 3 TDs) cracked the 100-yard barrier in the 49-0 triumph — surging Tri-Valley (6-1, 3-0) will pay a visit to Colonial-Schuylkill Blue playmate Shenandoah Valley (2-4, 2-1) with plenty riding on the outcome. With a victory, Jeff Sampson’s Bulldogs can maintain their spot atop the Blue Division standings and the District 11 Class 1A power rankings with one week remaining in the regular season.
What adds importance to this week’s scrap is Tri-Valley and backyard playmate Williams Valley will square off next weekend between the tall pines in Williamstown. Should Tri-Valley run its winning streak to four games, it will add even more oomph to a post-game celebration — especially since assistant coach and former Bulldogs skipper Mike Ulicny played his high school ball at Shendo. As for the host Blue Devils (2-4, 2-1), they were off last weekend while dealing with a COVID-19 pause that cost them a date with … Williams Valley.
Speaking of the Vikings …
Since the plug on its Week 8 contest was pulled just hours before kickoff, Williams Valley (6-1, 2-0) has had plenty of time to heal some nagging bumps and bruises while taking a few deep breaths. Nonetheless, this weekend’s road matchup at Nativity (4-4, 2-2) figures to be a dangerous matchup that Tim Savage’s bunch will take extremely seriously — especially since playing in Saint Clair is like climbing into a time machine and beaming back to the 1930s.
Factor in last season’s scrap with Nativity, a 35-34 Vikings victory in Saint Clair, and that’s another reason why the passionate fans that live along U.S. 209 will take this game seriously. While the Vikings downed Marian Catholic 35-7 two weeks ago behind productive efforts from feature back Alex Achenbach, QB Isaac Whiteash and wideout Brady Evans for their third straight victory — and double-digit tackles from Jackson Yoder — Nativity was upended by the previously winless Colts last weekend in overtime (19-13).
No word on whether QB Cody Miller will be available for Pat Mason’s Green Wave, but the Spolski brothers, Stephan and Samuel, are capable ballcarriers. Just a hunch here, but giving the innovative Savage and his staff two weeks to prepare for an opponent seems almost unfair.
