Perkiomen Valley senior LB/TE Robbie Sturges

Perkiomen Valley linebacker and tight end Robbie Sturges is well aware of the competition in District 1, and that's just fine with him.  "It's honestly awesome because I'd rather have tough opponents and give them a good shot than just walk through. I love the challenge," he told Paul Roberts of SV Sports.  The Vikings reached the District 1-6A semifinals last year before falling to Central Bucks West 14-13.  That came after Perkiomen Valley ran the table in the Liberty Division of the Pioneer Athletic Conference.  The Vikings then defeated Pope John Paul II 21-14 to claim their second straight PAC championship.  They finished with an impressive (11-2) mark.  Sturges isn't thinking too far down the road.  "We don't want to focus on the PAC championship now. We want to go (1-0) every single game," he said.  The 6'2, 210-pound senior led Perkiomen Valley with seven sacks a season ago.  He added 77 tackles, four forced fumbles, and an interception.  Sturges, who's also on the track and field team, was a first team selection on both sides of the football in the Liberty Division.  He projects as a defensive end in college and holds an offer from Division I Davidson.  Quarterback Patrick MacDonald and fullback Jake Stewart return this fall.  MacDonald took over in Week 2 when Danny Koehler suffered a season-ending knee injury.  He threw for over 1,200 yards and completed 64% of his passes as a sophomore in 2022.  MacDonald accounted for eleven touchdowns through the air and seven on the ground.  Stewart rumbled for a team-high 790 yards and 13 scores.  Three of his 17 catches ended up in the end zone.  Junior Cole Euker will be a force up front for the Vikings.  He was a first team pick at OL and DT in the Liberty Division.  Ryan Klimek averaged 6.3 yards per carry and scored a dozen touchdowns last year.  His graduation will likely mean more touches for rising senior Anthony Miceli.  "He's a great athlete. He loves the game. He's a really hard worker. If he stays healthy, he could be really good this year," predicted Sturges.  Perkiomen Valley has a tough non-league schedule that kicks off with Chester.  A date with Liberty Division foe Spring-Ford looms on October 6th.