There is plenty at stake in a late-season clash between two ranked teams.
And they wouldn’t have it any other way.
No. 4 Delaware Valley (4-4 overall, 3-1) plays at No. 1 North Pocono (8-0, 4-0) on Friday at 7 p.m. in a Lackawanna Football Conference big-school battle that will impact the Division I standings and determine which team will claim a championship.
North Pocono could clinch the division title with a win. Delaware Valley needs a win to pull into a tie with the Trojans for first place heading into the final game of the regular season next week.
“You always have to target Delaware Valley, because they are always there at one or two in the division,” North Pocono wide receiver and defensive back Cole West said. “The rivalry is there, obviously, with their coach (Keith Olsommer) being a former player at North Pocono and a teammate with my dad on one of the best teams in area history (1991). So there are those ties.
“The excitement is crazy within the school and the community. When I am at church or at a restaurant, everyone is telling me how excited they are about the team. To do this with my guys is surreal.”
Delaware Valley turned its season around with four weeks of dominant football.
The Warriors shut out Valley View, 41-0, last week and continued to build confidence while piling up numbers on offense.
“Without a doubt, the biggest difference in our team right now is our mentality,” Delaware Valley linebacker Justin Estevez said. “We had to come out with confidence. I keep telling our guys, if you go out there on the field and doubt yourself, you are defeated already. We came out with confidence in Weeks 5, 6, 7 and 8. We are up right now. We believe in this team, and we are going to keep building off this momentum.”
During the winning stretch, Delaware Valley averaged 39.8 points and 270.3 yards rushing per game.
Mike Iuzzolino is at full strength after nursing an early-season injury. The leading rusher in the division has 977 yards on 132 carries and 12 touchdowns. Last week, he had 73 yards rushing and a touchdown, and caught a pass that he took 85 yards for a score.
Quarterback Colin McGarvey leads the division with 1,363 yards passing and 16 touchdowns. Trey Newton has 42 receptions for 531 yards and a division-best seven receiving touchdowns. Reagan Decker leads the conference with 50 kicking points.
“Their running back is a player,” West said. “That is going to be a challenge. Their wide receiver is a good player, too. We have to keep up with our keys, and we just have to go out and play.”
Delaware Valley’s high-scoring and multi-option attack will face a challenge against North Pocono and its top-ranked defense.
Linebackers Aidan Maguire and Evan Wolff lead the team in tackles. West has six interceptions.
The Trojans allow 195.0 yards per game.
North Pocono has an explosive offense, as well, and is ranked third in the division at 345.0 yards per game.
Josiah Gray is filling in for injured starter Joe Briskie at running back. Gray had 111 yards on 10 carries and showed off his speed with touchdown runs of 7 and 35 yards in a win over Scranton.
Chase Zimmerman is the top-rated quarterback in the division at 219.0. He has completed 36 of 50 passes for 624 yards and seven touchdowns. West is a playmaker as a running back with 256 yards on 27 carries and as a receiver with 16 catches for 354 yards and four touchdowns. Kicker Shane Youngblood is second to Decker with 42 kicking points.
Delaware Valley’s defense had its best performance against Valley View.
Ayden Conklin, Estevez and Chris Deveney all have more than 50 tackles this season. Last week, the defense limited Valley View to 1.9 yards per carry.
“We are going to do what we have to do and what we have been taught to do by the coaches,” Estevez said. “They have guys who are good players. We respect them, but we also believe in what we can do.”
4-DELAWARE VALLEY (4-4) AT 1-NORTH POCONO (8-0)
When: Friday, 7 p.m.
Where: North Pocono Trojans Stadium.
Last: Delaware Valley, 38-26 (2024).
The buzz: Delaware Valley won six straight in the series and leads the all-time series, 19-8. Delaware Valley coach Keith Olsommer was an all-state player on North Pocono’s undefeated 1991 team. Delaware Valley has four straight wins, averaging 39.8 points in the stretch. North Pocono is winning by an average margin of 29.0 points per game this season.
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Delaware Valley’s Colin McGarvey.
COLIN McGARVEY
Delaware Valley, QB
The senior completed 10 passes for 250 yards and four touchdowns last week in a win over Valley View. In his first season as a starter, he has 1,363 yards passing and 16 touchdowns.
North Pocono’s Evan Wolff.
EVAN WOLFF
North Pocono, LB-TE
One of the top all-around athletes in District 2, he had two receptions for 63 yards and a touchdown in a win over Scranton last week and is the team’s leader on defense.
SCOUTING REPORT
Delaware Valley: The Warriors found their footing after losing the first four games of the season. They attack on the ground and through the air, as the offense averages more than 400 yards a game this season. The defense plays with passion and physicality. Last week, the Warriors posted their first shutout since Oct. 20, 2023. The unit limited Valley View to 52 yards rushing and 79 yards passing.
North Pocono: The Trojans are the most consistent team in the LFC. Their offense has withstood some injuries and puts points on the board. They scored more than 30 points in seven of eight games this season and average 345.0 yards per game while removing the starters early almost every week. The defense is physical and runs to the ball. The Trojans are ranked first in Division I, giving up 195.0 yards per game, but more impressively, limiting opponents to 82 points in eight games.