Phoenixville football vs. Boyertown preview

Phoenixville travels to Boyertown for a Friday night PAC-10 football game this week.
Boyertown’s Bears are 1-1 in league play and 2-2 overall while the Phantoms are still seeking their first victory. They are 0-2 in the league and 0-4 overall.
Last week, Boyertown defeated St. Pius X, 23-13, while Phoenixville fell to Owen J. Roberts, 40-21, at Washington Field.
In four games, the Bears have scored 71 points (17.8 avg.) while yielding 65 markers (16.3). The Phantoms have scored 65 points (16.3) while surrendering 111 (27.8).
Boyertown’s leading rusher is Ryan Schwager, who has 40 carries for 287 yards (7.2). Phoenixville’s Sam McQuiston has rushed for 270 yards on 52 tries (5.2). Schwager has also caught six passes for 54 yards (9.0).
Boyertown quarterback Dylan Pasik, a junior transfer from St. Pius X, has completed 19 of 37 passes for 235 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions.
The Bears’ junior kicker, Aaron Sassaman, booted three field goals last week, covering 30, 30 and 26 yards. Pasik had a 14-yard scoring run to put the Bears on the board first, and Schwager added a 3-yard TD run.
The Bears rushed for 325 yards and totaled 353 yards of total offense while limiting the Winged Lions to 85 yards rushing and no yards passing.
The Bears feature some huge, talented linemen, led by senior Wilmer Barndt (6-2, 295), junior Tyler Bogert (5-9, 225), junior Jake Sample (6-3, 300), senior Aaron Lepre (6-5, 260) and sophomore Chris Muller (6-6, 300).
Head coach Mark Scisly is in his second season with the Bears.
Pasik is joined in the backfield by Schwager, a 6-0, 190-pound senior; senior Logan Herb (5-11, 200), junior Tom Froehlich (5-11, 190) and junior Chase Stewart (5-7, 145). Froehlich lugged the pigskin 26 times for 184 yards against Pius X. Schwager finished with 81 yards on 15 plays and Pasik 33 yards on six snaps.
“They (Bears) are as big as ever,” said Phoenixville head coach Bill Furlong. “And their backs are as good as any in the league (outside of Owen J. Roberts’ Ryan Brumfield and Pottsgrove’s Terrell Chestnut, Maika Polamalu).”
Phoenixville will again go with sophomore Alec McQuiston at quarterback, and he is expected to double on defense in the secondary as well. Junior Tom Romano is still sidelined with an arm injury. McQuiston scored on a 24-yard touchdown run against the Wildcats.
“Alec had one touchdown pass called back (to Ricky Yenchick) when he was slightly over the line (of scrimmage),” said Furlong. “He was inches away from making a real big play.”
The Phantoms will have senior Kevin Bohl (6-4, 255) back at offensive right tackle after he suffered an injured left ankle in the second half against Owen J. Roberts. Senior Steve Carter (5-10, 260) anchors the offensive line at the center position.
Phoenixville needs some big plays offensively and defensively to snap out of this losing skid. Defensively, that would mean turnovers like the Phantoms had in the early going, particularly against Great Valley in the season opener.
“We need people to step up and stand out,” said Furlong. “Some of our seniors are playing OK, but we need them to play better to make up for some of the adversity.”