As match-ups go, this one was anything but ideal for Upper Perkiomen’s football team.

        Pottsgrove, who came into last Friday night’s Pioneer Athletic Conference contest as the defending league champion, also came into Red Hill with one of the league’s best rushing offenses and its best defense.

        Upper Perk, meanwhile, is still trying to find its collective legs on both sides of the ball. And the Indians showed promise at times as they forced a pair of Pottsgrove turnovers and held on four downs later in the contest.

        But in the end, the experience, depth and sheer size of Pottsgrove was just too much as the Falcons prevailed, 63-7.

        Pottsgrove, which is now 3-0, got off to a slow start in the early goings of the first quarter, but gained momentum and never looked back from there. The Falcons used a 61-yard punt return, a 10-yard run and a 45-yard pass (its only one of the night) to stake out a commanding 22-0 edge after the first quarter. They posted another 22-spot before half to lead 44-0 at the break.

        Upper Perk was also dealt a blow as starting junior quarterback Wyatt Brumm went down with an ankle injury in the first half. Sophomore Jake Breyer stepped in and did an admirable job in his first outing as he finished 3 of 9.

        Senior running back Aidan Schaffer got Upper Perk on the board in the fourth quarter as he raced across the goal line from eight yards out. He finished with 68 yards on 16 carries. Fellow senior Travis Kline, who had a big game the previous week against Boyertown, was held to two catches for 12 yards against a very tough defense of the Falcons. Despite the rough outing, Kline is still among one of the top receivers in the PAC-10 as he has already hauled in 11 passes for 184 yards and two scores, and boasts a 17-yard-per catch average.

        That aforementioned defense of the Falcons held the Tribe to under 74 yards of total offense, while Pottsgrove’s offense churned out more than 400 yards, 359 of which came on the ground.

        Upper Perk will look to rebound from two tough league setbacks this Saturday at Pope John Paul II. The Panthers are fresh off their first win of the year as they rolled over Pottstown, 24-0.

        The Panthers, who liked to air out the ball in the past, have tried to focus on their running game as of late. Against the Trojans, PJP picked up 158 rushing yards and passed for just 32. The Panthers finished with three rushers who tallied more than 70 yards and took advantage of two fumbles and an interception.

        PJP is a team Indian Head Coach Steve Moyer and the Indians are looking forward to playing. Unlike the smash mouth style that both Boyertown and Pottsgrove have shown, the Panthers feature a spread offense and a 3-5 defense. It’s a scheme and a team Upper Perk expects to battle with in one of the team’s two Saturday afternoon games this season. School address is 181 Rittenhouse Road, Royersford. Kickoff is slated for 1 p.m.