A longtime rivalry between neighboring football programs takes center stage Friday as Schuylkill Valley hosts Hamburg in the latest edition of the “Frost Bowl” at 7 p.m.
The Panthers go into the Lancaster-Lebanon Section 5 game on a six-game winning streak and look to stay atop the standings in the division, while the Hawks are looking to build off a 33-12 win over Pequea Valley after losing three straight.
“I think the ‘Frost Bowl’ is great for the community, but for us it’s Week 8,” Schuylkill Valley coach Bruce Harbach said. “It’s another step on the road for a section championship; that’s the way we’re looking at it.”
“It goes back a long time; the ‘Frost Bowl’ was a big rivalry even when I was back at school,” said Hamburg coach Matt Hoffert, whose team is 1-3, 4-3. “That’s the one game that you always look forward to because you want to beat the team down the street. We’re literally touching school lines.”
After falling to Twin Valley 44-13 on the road to open the season, the Panthers (4-0, 6-1) have gone on to match their win total from last season (6-5) after defeating Columbia 28-12 last week. Along the way, resilience has been a pivotal factor, according Harbach, who is in his third season leading the Panthers.
Schuylkill Valley will close regular season with league games at Annville-Cleona (4-0, 5-2) and at Lancaster Catholic (3-1, 6-1).
“These kids are resilient,” Harbach said. “They find a way to win and that’s the mark of a good football program. I’m proud of the way they work, their offseason participation and the coaching staff.
“It’s a process when you’re trying to build a program. We’re in our third year and we’re at six wins already. So I think that’s a positive step and we’re building the right program with the kids and their work ethic and their commitment. I think that’s a big part of it.”
The Panthers will again be without All-Berks running back Dominic Giuffre, who has been sidelined with an arm injury he suffered in Week 4 vs. Kutztown.
Hamburg quarterback Tyler Shuey has thrown for 1,987 yards and 20 touchdowns this season with five interceptions. The junior completed 17-of-32 passes for two touchdowns and 235 yards in last week’s win over the Braves.
“Schuylkill Valley is having a really good season and they’re a well-coached team,” Hoffert said. “We’re both going to be well prepared for each other and it could go either way. With two great quarterbacks (Shuey and Schuylkill Valley’s Logan Nawrocki) going at it you never know what to expect. So we’re just hoping to be prepared enough so that our guys do a little bit more than theirs.”
The Panthers won last year’s matchup 41-34 at Hawk Hill.
Also on Friday night, Twin Valley will travel to Ephrata in a game with serious title implications in Section 3 of the L-L. Twin Valley (4-0, 7-0) is coming off its second consecutive one-point victory in league play after defeating Garden Spot 35-34 at home.
Sophomore running back Drew Engle scored the game-tying, 32-yard touchdown with 1:22 remaining and senior kicker Sam Frey converted the game-winning extra point.
Engle has 1,019 rushing yards on 90 attempts with nine touchdowns, while junior Evan Johnson has run for 967 yards on 146 attempts with 12 touchdowns.
“We’re getting better every week,” Twin Valley coach Brett Myers said. “Our offensive line and our backs are getting in sync and I think the production has shown it.”
Ephrata (3-1, 6-1) defeated Fleetwood last week and suffered its only loss against Garden Spot, 44-22 two weeks ago.
“What Coach Myers has done with that group in the short time he’s been there is pretty impressive,” Ephrata coach Kris Miller said. “They’re physical and they like to run the ball. I think it’s going to be a good matchup.”
Though his team is in the driver’s seat as the lone unbeaten in Section 3, Myers is not looking ahead and is staying focused on making consistent improvement.
“Section titles aren’t decided until the end of the season; that’s not very important to us now,” Myers said. “What’s important is trying to improve and our kids are doing a great job focusing on that.”
Ephrata quarterback Sam McCracken, a senior, threw for 295 yards and three touchdowns against Fleetwood last week. The Mount have scored the second most points in Section 3 with 276.
The Raiders boast the top scoring differential in Section 3 at plus 156 (279 points scored, 123 points allowed).
“We’re not trying to stop anyone individually, we’re just trying to play the best defense we can,” Myers said. “The previous seven weeks we showed we can play pretty good defense. Our kids are doing really well and they’re trying to improve. They’re not satisfied with what they’ve done. They’re just trying to keep growing.”
Rounding out the weekend is a Section 4 showdown between Wyomissing (3-1, 6-1) and Conrad Weiser (2-2, 2-5).
Following the game, the A Field in Wyomissing will be officially renamed Bob Wolfrum Field in honor of the legendary Spartans coach.
Wolfrum is in his 34th season in charge at Wyomissing and has a record of 356-88-1. He has guided the Spartans to 19 league titles, 11 District 3 championships, and the 2012 PIAA Class 2A title.
At the field that will bear his name, Wolfrum has a 150-26-1 record, including 19-0 in the postseason. And while a celebration is surely due for his extraordinary service to the program, Wolfrum humbly prefers that the attention be kept on the game at hand.
“Anybody that knows me knows that I’m uncomfortable (with the attention),” Wolfrum said. “It’s quite an honor and I’m happy as far as the ceremony and all that. Hopefully I’m gonna see a lot of people that I haven’t seen in a long time so that part will be good, but I wish we could just play the game.
“I appreciate everything that everybody has done. It’s not every day you get a field named after you. I’ll just try and enjoy it as best I can.”
The Scouts are coming off a 34-30 win against Donegal while the Spartans are coming off a 34-14 road loss to Cocalico that snapped a 41-game regular season winning streak.
Senior running back Sevon Parham ran for four touchdowns for Weiser against the Indians as the Scouts recorded 235 rushing yards.
Conrad Weiser coach Alan Moyer said he hopes the win serves as another step in the growing process of returning to a smashmouth brand of football.
“I’m very happy to get another win in the column against Donegal,” Moyer said. “I was very pleased with the offensive line play. Parham ran the ball well and I was pleased with the overall run game. It’s certainly going to be a tougher task against a stout Wyomissing defense, but we’ve been growing a little bit each week and I was pleased to see us grow in the run category.
“We want to get a little bit better each week. Continue to be coachable, continue to be positive and get back to being us. Whether it’s wins or losses, we always prided ourselves on being tough competitors on any given night and that’s what we want to continue to do.”
Wolfrum said he hopes that Saturday’s game is a chance for his team to bounce back and regain confidence.
“We got to show we can come back from a loss and not let the fact that we lost last week impact our play this week,” Wolfrum said. “If you’re gonna be any good, that’s something you have to do.
“As far as Conrad Weiser, we can’t let the quarterback (Donovan Gingrich) throw at his own speed. We have to pressure him and make sure he’s throwing on the move. We’ve had to do that the last couple of years with Wiser because they’ve had a good quarterback and that was something we’ve spent a lot of time planning for.
“This year they got a running back (Parham) and he presents another problem. You have to worry about getting pressure on the quarterback, but stopping the running back who can go the distance on any play.”
Week 8 schedule
Friday (all at 7 p.m.)
Reading High at Manheim Township
Penn Manor at Wilson
Gov. Mifflin at Lebanon
Muhlenberg at Warwick
Daniel Boone at Solanco
Fleetwood at Elizabethtown
Twin Valley at Ephrata
Octorara at Berks Catholic
Hamburg at Schuylkill Valley
Kutztown at Lancaster Catholic
Hempfield at Exeter
Saturday
Conrad Weiser at Wyomissing, 1:30 p.m.
Source: Berkshire mont
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