ON TAP TODAY: ATHENS, SAYRE OPEN 2025 FOOTBALL SEASON AT HOME AGAINST NTL FOES (2025-08-22)
Valley Sports ReportTHE VALLEY — The 2025 high school football season kicks off tonight in the Valley with Athens and Sayre both hosting NTL opponents.
FOOTBALL
South Williamsport at Athens, 7 p.m. @ Alumni Stadium: The Wildcats are coming off a 5-6 season that ended with a 50-7 loss to Shamokin in the District 4, Class 4A playoffs, while the Mounties were 5-6 as well and saw their season end with a 63-27 loss to Troy in the Class AA quarterfinals.
"South is a well-coached team," said Athens coach Shawn Bradley. "They lost their quarterback and a fed other key players, but they will come ready to play."
Athens scored 24.2 points per game in 2024, but allowed 29.5, while South Williamsport scored 22.2 points per game and gave up 28 points per contest.
Bradley said he doesn't expects South Williamsport to change much from last year.
"They are going to pound the football at us," he said. "We are going to have to be physical and hit to stop them."
The Wildcats were 3-2 at home last year, while the Mounties were 3-3 on the road.
Last year, South Williamsport topped Athens, 26-13, at home.
Troy at Sayre, 7 p.m. @ Lockhart Street Bowl: The Redskins are coming off a 1-9 season that ended with a 51-6 loss at Athens in the "Rusty Rail" rivalry game, while the Trojans reeled off a 16-0 season, culminating with a 25-24 win over Central Clarion in the PIAA Class AA championship game.
"Starting with the defending 2A state champions is no easy task, but we have to work with the schedule we have been given and go out and put our best performance out there on Friday night," said Sayre coach Ricky Lindblad.
Sayre was outscored by an average of 50.4 to 13.5 last season, while Troy outscored its foes by an average of 50.1 to 13.3.
Sayre was 1-4 at home last year, while Troy was 5-0 in road games and 3-0 in neutral site games.
Last season, Troy opened the season with an 84-12 win over Sayre at Alparon Park.
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