Jamison Moccia's speed played a crucial role in Upper Perkiomen's season-opening loss. Moccia accumulated 245 yards from scrimmage to lead Boyertown

Boyertown defensemen Zachary Davis, Carson Flint, and Dylan Robertson team up to halt the Progress of Upper  Perk's Luke Whary in Friday night's season opener at Boyertown

to a 37-12 win. 

            The Indians (0-1) played without their top offensive threat. Junior running back Tyrese Reid who missed the game with an ankle injury, according to head coach Tom Hontz.

            Moccia scored four touchdowns in the first half to spark the Bears, who finished with 325 yards of offense. He ran for a career high 192 yards on 17 carries and three scores. His 53-yard TD reception late in the second quarter put them ahead 30-0. Hontz described as the best athlete on the field.

            "(Moccia) head and shoulders better than everyone else on the field," the coach said. "He's elite. We were prepared for everything they threw at us. When (Moccia) gets the ball, he is hard to bring down."

            Boyertown quarterback Aydan Mathias ran for 67 yards on 11 carries. He completed 3-of-5 passes for 66 yards.  "(Mathias) did a nice job managing the game," Hontz said.

            Without Reid - who is expected to play this week against Kutztown, according to the coach - Upper Perkiomen's offense managed two second-half touchdowns. The unit committed four turnovers.

            "We're young and inexperienced," the coach said. "We've got to protect the football, eliminate mental errors. We have to keep working on fundamentals."

            The Bears took command early, scoring a pair of first quarter touchdowns to go ahead 14-0. Moccia delivered both scores on the ground, including a six-yard run to cap the opening drive, which covered 69 yards on 16 plays. An Upper Perkiomen fumble set up his 19-yard TD run on the final play of the quarter.

            "This was the first real full-speed game experience for several of our players," said Hontz, whose team ran just two offensive plays during the quarter. "It's going to take some time to adjust."

            In the second quarter, following a 43-yard kickoff return by Max Kratohwill, the Indians moved the ball to Boyertown's 10-yard line. But the drive stalled.

            The offense found its footing in the second half, reaching the end zone on consecutive drives. Malachi Duka's 30-yard run midway through the third quarter prevented a shutout. Tyler Weber completed four passes for 34 yards on the drive, including a 12-yard toss to Collin Funk on third down to set up the score.

            Early in the fourth quarter, Funk caught a deflected 8-yard TD pass to cap a 10-play, 65-yard drive. Weber went 4-for-5 in the air during the series.

            "I had no complaints with what I saw from Tyler," Hontz said of his quarterback, who completed 12-of-22 passes for 116 yards and one interception. "Boyertown really pressured him in the first half."

            Andrew Carducci caught a team-high five passes for 53 yards. Duka finished with a team-best 132 yards on 19 carries. Luke Whary contributed 33 yards on five rushes.