One big play was all Pottstown needed Friday to spoil Upper Perkiomen football team's Homecoming game.

      Facing third-and-11 on their own 34-yard line late in the third quarter, Pottstown quarterback Dillon Mayes lofted a short pass to running back Nahzier Booker, who made a spin and then raced to the end zone for a 66-yard TD.

Zachary Adam, right, attempts to intercept a deflected pass last weekend against  Pottstown.

      That touchdown was the only score of the contest as the Trojans, whose ensuing two-point conversion run failed, claimed a 6-0 victory.

      Upper Perk (0-3, 1-6) had its chances, but could not answer. In the second quarter, Upper Perk got the ball on the Trojan (1-2, 4-3) 20 after Brody Weiss partially blocked a punt. But two costly Upper Perk penalties made it third-and-30 and an incomplete pass forced the Tribe to punt.

      In the second half, another Indian drive made it just outside the red zone thanks to a 25-yard pass from sophomore quarterback Logan O'Donnell to John Renzi.  A six-yard toss to Brody Weiss advanced the ball to the Trojan 25, but a jump ball in the end zone on fourth down fell incomplete. Upper Perk's last threat came on a 15-play, 61-yard drive that included one fourth-down conversion and one that came up just short.

      The drive, which started at Upper Perk's 27, was boosted by a 30-yard run off right tackle by Zach Schwartz (20 carries, 80 yards). A Pottstown encroachment call four plays later extended the drive, and Kane Krier pulled in a 10-yard pass and added a 10-yard run the next play to put the ball on the 20.   

       Schwartz went off right tackle and cut back to the middle for an 11-yard gain to the 7, which later turned into fourth-and-goal at the 12. O'Donnell's nine-yard scramble came up short, which gave the Trojans the ball back with 10 minutes left in regulation. It was Upper Perk's third game decided by a touchdown or less.

      "The game Friday was disappointing, but it is a team loss," Heinrichs said. "There are things as a coach I know I could have done better: different situational packages and play calling. And player-wise we played well on defense at times but could not execute the key plays we thought we could run. Against a six- or seven-man front everyone must be clicking together and we did not do that consistently."

      Defensively, Upper Perk held Pottstown to 257 yards, 235 of which Booker accounted for. The 6-foot-3, 210-pound senior back led all rushers with 145 yards on 24 carries, as well as through the air with three grabs for 90 yards.

      Upper Perk's linebackers were especially busy with the tall task of taking down Booker. Brody Weiss tallied eight tackles and one for a loss and fellow backer Matt Delzingaro had four tackles for a loss to go along with two solo stops. Up front, Maddux Diaz had a pair of tackles for a loss and a solo tackle, James Rogers and Jon Strohl (tackle for a loss) combined for a sack, and Nate Schramm had a tackle for a loss and two tackles.

      "In the last three weeks we are going to work harder than we ever have and keep working on our mental approach to Friday nights," Heinrichs said. "I think our approach changes a little. We had a bad Tuesday practice offensively and not defensively last week and that's the day that showed up Friday."

       Upper Perk will need that different mental approach as it hosts Phoenixville on Friday night at Bill Keeny Stadium. The Frontier-leading Phantoms have allowed just 14 points in the conference (compared to fellow 3-0 Pope John Paul's 27) and are outscoring opponents 263-69 in seven games this season.

      Phantoms running back Deacon Williams averages 111 yards per game and has scored 10 times, and Sam Moore (six TDs) is averaging 86 rushing yards a contest. Quarterback Ty Romance has four rushing and nine passing touchdowns and has completed over 60 percent of his passes this season.

      "We are young and we need to learn how to finish," Heinrichs said. "Putting the nail in the coffin. I ponder our halftime scores throughout the year and four of our five losses we were down less than three points. We moved the ball more against PJP than we did this week. We cannot afford to plateau or digress. We must get better. Finish is the emphasis on our season and every Friday night moving forward."