MARK NANCE/ For The Express Ryan Luke and Jersey Shore travel to Scranton Prep tonight for Week 9 action in football.

Coming off a tune-up win against Penn Wood (1-7), Jersey Shore football is right back to facing tough challenges as it looks to finish another regular season strong.

Scranton Prep (4-4) will serve as another test for the Bulldogs in what’s been a gauntlet of a schedule, preceding similarly tough matchups against Dallas, Delaware Valley, Shamokin, Shikellamy and Hollidaysburg.

The teams faced off last season, with the Cavaliers coming out on top, 27-19, in a classic at Thompson Street Stadium. Now, Scranton Prep has the added benefit of being host, with Friday’s game set to kick off at 7 p.m.

Facing a similarly tough schedule, the Cavaliers have taken a step back when compared to their 12-2 campaign in 2024. But since starting 2025 with three straight losses, they seem to have found their footing, having won four of their last five with one close loss to Abington Heights (6-2).

In their four wins within that span, they surpassed 35 points, including 37-0 and 35-0 shutout victories over Wallenpaupack Area and Mid Valley and a 49-44 win over Delaware Valley. Quarterback Will McPartland’s return from injury has played a key role in that span, who can be expected to give the Bulldogs problems through the air and on the ground.

That sets the stage for what could be an all-out barnburner, with both programs possessing prolific offenses.

For Jersey Shore, sophomore quarterback Nolen Pauling bounced back well from a tough outing against Hollidaysburg, totaling five touchdowns in the team’s 44-20 win over Penn Wood last Friday.

Bo Sechrist needs just 19 rushing yards to surpass 1,000 in what’s been a proficient campaign, and the Bulldogs could have Kash Herritt back in the backfield after the sophomore returned on defense last Friday. And Luke Ryan has emerged as a reliable second option in the pass game alongside Carson Watkins, coming off a 100-yard outing vs. Penn Wood.

All in all, it should be an exciting, high-scoring affair. Following Friday’s matchup, Jersey Shore will look to finish the season strong against rival Central Mountain, as it looks to head into the postseason with momentum and erase its Week 6 loss from its minds.