The core group of seniors on Upper Perkiomen's football team posted an undefeated season as eighth graders. Last fall, they helped the Indians qualify for the District One Class 5A playoffs.

            The 11 players with multiple years of varsity experience hope to cap their 

high school careers with a flurry. The Indians are looking to return to the district playoffs and compete for the Pioneer Athletic Conference's Frontier Division title, according to Cole Fryer, a two-way starter and a team leader.

            "We're going for it," Coach Tom Hontz said. "Hopefully, the players are hungry for success."

            According to Fryer, the team can't wait for its season opener at 7 p.m. Friday against visiting Boyertown. He said the Indians have also circled their Sept. 22 game at Pottsgrove, the team that captured the division title and knocked the Upper Perk out of the playoffs last season.

            "We had a nice season," Hontz said. "We lost a few games we should have won. This year, I have every reason to believe we have the guys to compete for the district title so long as we stay healthy."

            Tyler Whary, Austin Tutolo, Ryan Kendra, Tyler Keyser, Nico Liguoro, John Miller, Brandon Martin, Bo Duka, Trevor Stephen, Jon Brown and Fryer played on the middle school team –coached by Hontz – that finished 9-0 in 2013. 

            "We're a cohesive unit," said Fryer, a four-year starter who Hontz describes as a team leader on an off the field.

            The offensive players have been operating in the same system since middle school, according to the coach.  "We just keep adding wrinkles," Hontz said.

            Upper Perkiomen returns several skill position players, including running backs Whary, Tutulo and sophomore Tyrese Reid; tight end Stephen; wide receiver Kendra; and Keyser, a former wide receiver who will quarterback the team. 

            "Tyler will do the job well," Hontz said of Keyser, who played the same positon for the undefeated middle school team.

            The offensive line – anchored by Fryer, a four-year starter on the both interior lines, as well as the team's long snapper – features four returning starters. Riley Decker, a 6-foot-1, 220-pound freshman, has secured the starting left guard position. 

            According to Fryer, Decker showed he can compete at the varsity level during an Aug. 19 scrimmage against Wilson Area High School.  "Riley looked pretty tenacious, "Hontz said.

            Upper Perkiomen's defense, which features a 4-3 alignment, looked great during the scrimmage, according to Fryer.  "We were swarming to the ball," he said. "We didn't give the offense much."

            According to Hontz, a plethora of talented defensive ends – including Tutolo, Decker and Nick Benner – facilitated the defensive shift from a 3-5 stack.