Game of the Week: Shippensburg at Northern York
This time last week, Shippensburg's trip to Northern York might have seemed like a walk in the park.
But after a 23-0 romp over Mifflin County, the Polar Bears have made Ship's Week 8 matchup a bit more interesting.
Just two weeks ago, Shippensburg (7-0, 4-0 MPC) was taken to the limit by the Huskies. Although the Greyhounds escaped with a five-point win, it certainly wasn't as convincing as Northern's victory over the same squad.
"I was extremely happy for our kids, and they played really well," Northern coach Bill Miller said. "We started the year with an inexperienced group, and we had struggles with trying to get some consistency. Friday night was probably our best game as far as having a consistently good effort and not hurting ourselves with penalties."
It's going to be another battle for the Polar Bears (4-3, 2-2 MPC), who are facing the Mid Penn Colonial Division's top offense.
Carter Van Scyoc is easily the most prolific quarterback in the county, boasting a 61.9 completion percentage. He has thrown for 1,245 yards and 14 touchdowns, but he has been picked off seven times.
Van Scyoc's favorite target this season has been Cody Gustafson, who has amassed 802 yards on 43 catches.
The Hounds are no slouch on the ground, either. Adam Houser (83 carries, 542 yards) and Philip Torres (79-for-452) are both obvious rushing threats for Ship.
"They're an extremely good team, and they do a lot of things well," Miller said. "They obviously have a great quarterback-receiver combo, and they're running backs run hard. Their line plays well, too, so to beat a team like that, you have to play at the top of your game."
First-year coach Miller and the Polar Bears have some tricks up their sleeves as well, though. Freshman Kyle Swartz is leading Northern's ground game with 422 yards, while Curtis Robison (53-for-250) and Steve Yurchison (38-for-211) have both been solid contributors.
"(Kyle) has done really well," Miller said. "There's still a lot of things he needs to learn, but the best part about him is he knows that. He's very coach-able, and you can tell he takes it to heart."
Ship coach Eric Foust said, "Defensively, they're also effective and efficient. They've held a lot of teams to 20 points, and I think coach Miller has done a good job."
Northern's defense is averaging 16.1 points against per game.
Greyhounds-Polar Bears at a glance
Game data: Shippensburg Greyhounds at Northern York Polar Bears ... Friday, 7 p.m. at Robert F. Bostic Field ... Mid Penn Colonial Division game.
Media: Follow @LindseySquints on Twitter for updates from the game ... Webcast will be available on sesportsnet.com ... Radio broadcast on WIOO (1480 AM, 93.9 FM).
Teams: Shippensburg (7-0, 4-0 MPC) remains undefeated after posting its second shutout of the season in Week 7 ... The Polar Bears (4-3, 2-2 MPC) are also coming off a shutout, blanking Mifflin County in Week 7.
P.O. pick: Ship by 10.