Game of the Week: Shippensburg at Chambersburg
This one isn't going to be a walk in the park.
Chambersburg's football team definitely made a statement in Week 1 with a 20-0 win over Greencastle-Antrim. But the Blue Devils are going through some growing pains of their own.
That's not the case for the veteran-laden Shippensburg Greyhounds, who will storm Trojan Stadium on Friday night for a 7 p.m. kickoff.
"Greencastle has a good football program, and it was a good team, but we knew they were inexperienced," Chambersburg coach Mark Luther said. "Now we're at the other end of the spectrum."
Although the Greyhounds graduated a few key skill players, the newcomers picked up right where they left off in their opening win over Dover. In his varsity debut, quarterback Carter Van Scyoc threw for 190 yards, and junior running back Philip Torres gained 108 yards on the ground.
"(Philip) was probably a little bit above our expectations for Week 1," Ship coach Eric Foust said. "A lot of the credit goes to the offensive line; they did a nice job for us up front. That really helps, and Phil did a nice job of running through the holes."
Programming note: You can watch this game live on GameTimePA.com.
Much of Friday night's game could be decided on the front lines.
"The offensive line is one of their strengths, so we'll have to play well up front against them," Luther said.
Foust said, "I think it's a huge factor in this game. This could be where the game is won or lost. If we can control the offensive and defensive lines, I think we'll win for sure."
Chambersburg's offense might not be as explosive as Shippensburg's, but that doesn't mean the Greyhound defense is going to be able to take it easy.
The Trojans proved their run game was up to par last week with 220 yards, but this week, Chambersburg will be looking to complete some passes early after throwing for just 58 yards against G-A.
"I'm sure they're thinking, 'Well, Chambersburg didn't throw the ball that well Friday night,'" Luther said. "So it's gonna be important to complete some passes and do some things to get them to respect (the passing game). We have to do some things to get them to open the defense up, so we can run the ball."
Clay Myers was the offensive star for the Trojans last week, but Luther was also complimentary of Kammeron Green's 52 yards on seven carries.
Shippensburg's defense is ready to clamp down, though.
"Primarily, we have to stop them," Foust said. "I think we'll score points, so if we can stop them, we should be in good shape. We can't turn the ball over Friday. I think the turnover that Chambersburg scored on was the spark they needed to win that game (against Greencastle)."
Greyhounds-Trojans at a glance
Game data: Shippensburg Greyhounds at Chambersburg Trojans ... Friday, 7 p.m. at Trojan Stadium ... Non-league game.
Media: Follow @liziarbogast and @LindseySquints on Twitter for updates from the game ... Live stream will be available on GameTimePA.com and midpennbroadcasting.com ... Webcast on www.sesportsnet.com ... Radio broadcast on WIOO (1480 AM, 93.9 FM)
Teams: Both teams are 1-0 ... The Hounds beat Dover, 42-7, in Week 1, while Chambersburg opened with a 20-0 defeat of Greencastle.
Series: The Trojans lead 28-10-2, but Ship has won the last two meetings.
P.O. pick: Greyhounds by 10.