RED HILL - Both Boyertown and Upper Perkiomen's football teams had something to prove in Friday night's Pioneer Athletic Conference opener.

 

Just a week earlier, both found themselves on the wrong side of a rout as their opponents racked up over 400 rushing yards, respectively.

 

And in Friday's game, it was the run game that again took center stage. Only this time, it was the Bears that got to be on the win column as they ran up a 47-15 victory over the Indians.

 

Boyertown used that run game behind the three-headed monster of backs Cody Richmond, Matt Moccia and Eric Heller. The three combined for 370 of the Bears' 443 total rushing yards. Richmond proved a force up the middle as he lugged the ball 16 times for 160 yards and a pair of scores, Moccia (15 carries, 117 yards, 2 TDs) took care of the work outside the tackles, and Eric Heller (18 carries, 93 yards) was there to do just about everything else.

 

Despite the success of his offense, Bears coach Mark Scisly said he was most impressed with the work of his defense, particularly in the run game, that held the Tribe to 162 total yards. That active group on the defense came up with three sacks, forced three fumbles and put plenty of pressure on Indian quarterback Dylan Wesley.

 

'We're a young team and we really needed this tonight,' Scisly said. 'Our run defense made some nice adjustments and played well compared to last week, we were more physical. Our defense was a big positive for us tonight.'

 

Scisly, though, said there is a lot to improve upon, though, evidenced by his squad's four fumbles to go along with 11 penalties.

 

'Our offense proved we can put people in fits, I'm happy with the points but not the penalties and turnovers,' Scisly said. 'We have a lot of work to do, but we'll take the win.'

 

While Boyertown was able to wear out the Tribe down the stretch, the two teams were in a dogfight from the start. Boyertown opened the scoring on its first touch as a personal foul on a punt set up Moccia for a 46-yard score on the next play. After trading fumbles on the ensuing possessions, Upper Perk made good on its good field position at the Bears' 11. Robbie Hinson hauled in an eight-yard pass on third down and Aidan Schaffer did the rest from there, scoring on a fourth-and-one from the two.

 

The Indians' (0-2 overall) 7-6 first-quarter lead would be its only of the night, though. Boyertown (1-1) added a touchdown pass from Griffin Pasik to Corey Long, and then piled it on with touchdown runs from Moccia, two from Richmond and a 21-yard pass from Pasik to Nick Brough. Alex Baldassarre capped the scoring with a 42-yard scoring run on his only carry of the night.

 

Upper Perk, meanwhile, got an all-around complete game from Schaffer. The senior led the Tribe's ground game with 14 carries for 86 yards and two scores, recovered a fumble, notched an interception, and was involved on special teams. His most satisfying play of the night came with four minutes left as he found enough in the tank to take a handoff to the right side and then cut back to his left, willing his way past a pair of defenders near the goal line for a 65-yard score.

 

'It's exciting to see the improvement,' said Indian head coach Steve Moyer, making his PAC-10 re-debut after coaching Upper Perk from 1985-1997. 'We definitely took a step forward from where we were last week. How many steps, we don't know, but there was improvement. We played hard until the end and we were running out of gas at the end.

 

'But that's where it starts; you have to remember a lot of these kids are only stepping onto a varsity football field for the second time.'

 

Boyertown's defense took full advantage of that inexperience. Its defense got sacks from Tyler Zilen, Gray Garber and Justin Siejk. Jarrod Coleman picked up one of two Boyertown fumble recoveries and Mike Murphy, Coleman, Zilen, Austin Jacobs and Brock Johnson all had tackles for a loss.

 

On the other side of the ball, Pasik got off to a slow start, but finished an efficient 7 of 12 for 88 yards and threw for two scores. His favorite target, Nick Brough, pulled in six passes for 85 yards and a score.

 

'Our kids were excited to play tonight, we liked the tradition of playing on Thanksgiving, so we had a little bit of a chip on our shoulder tonight that we won't be playing on Turkey Day anymore,' Scisly said. 'We definitely came into tonight's game pumped up and ready to play.'

 

NOTES The opening kickoff was delayed nearly half an hour after officials spotted lightning. Both teams took shelter in the locker room as fans were urged out of the stadium. … Before the game, all veterans in the armed forces were honored and Upper Perkiomen's stadium flag was replaced with one flown on a base in Iraq. … Former longtime Upper Perk assistant coach Tom Paul, who last coached against the Bears last Thanksgiving, is now a member of Boyertown's coaching staff.