Frank deLaurentis and his Peddie School football team have done an about-face this season. After a woeful oh-fer, or injury riddled 0-8 season a year ago, the Falcons have come back to win two of three games this season.

Grey Simpson and his Hill School football team are hoping to do a similar about-face … starting today.

The rookie head coach and his Rams have dropped their first three games this season, but remain an optimistic bunch heading into this afternoon’s (3:30) Mid-Atlantic Prep League opener with visiting Peddie.

“We certainly did not plan to be 0-3 heading into our first league game, but I still believe we have a group who can compete for the MAPL title,” Simpson said earlier this week. “We have to take what we have learned over the first three weeks and put it all together against Peddie.

“(At the Hill) you only play for one thing, and that is a MAPL title. We’re currently 0-0 in the MAPL, so our major goal heading into the season is still within reach. In the grand scheme of things, I would much prefer playing good competition before our league schedule starts, so we can get better and ready for the league games. We have certainly done that this year.”

The Rams lost a pair of three-point encounters with Germantown Academy and Episcopal Academy, then got overrun by Chestnut Hill Academy last Saturday night at Pottstown High School. There have been breakdowns and disappointments in the early going for sure, but some bright spots as well.

And Simpson hasn’t lost sight of just who his team lined up against.

“We may be 0-3, but I think we have gotten better,” he explained. “We have certainly been tested in the early weeks. I would be less confident if we played three pushovers and didn’t really know what we had or what we were capable of as a team. I think we know these things.”

Sophomore quarterback Grant Smith has run for two touchdowns and, in a limited passing game, thrown for 234 yards and two scores. Adam Regensburg has accounted for 14 of Smith’s 21 completions. Kwame Larbi has run up 375 yards.

But Simpson certainly has to be concerned about an offense that produced 391 yards in the opener against Germantown Academy, but just 390 in the last two games combined. And with Larbi nursing an injury…

“We are banged up,” Simpson said. “Larbi has been the key to any offensive success we have enjoyed so far this season, so it will be a big blow if he cannot go or is ineffective (today).

“Gregor Davidheiser came back ahead of schedule from an injury last week in a limited role. Hopefully we can expand on what he can do for us going into our first league game. But the short week will limit us on how much we can teach him or how many reps he can get.”

Davidheiser is a two-way end and, along with Fred Santarelli (6-6, 298) and Seth Reinhart (6-1, 252) up front, will be among those needed to step up against Peddie.

The visiting Falcons haven’t exactly put up big offensive numbers. But their special teams – especially the kick return twosome of Gilberto Mendoza and Preston DeLaurentis and punter Chris Carney – have been phenomenal, long returns enabling the Falcons to work with a short field and Carney’s kicks forcing opponents to drive the length of the field.

Mendoza, who shares the ballcarrying duties with Jude Lindberg, ran for 144 yards and three touchdowns in the 28-27 thriller over Brooklyn Poly Prep – the first time Peddie had ever defeated their guests from N.Y.

“I think we’ll be ready to have a great day against Peddie,” Simpson said.

The nightcap of today’s scholastic doubleheader features Perkiomen Valley (3-0, 4-1) at Phoenixville (2-1, 4-1) in yet another game that could go a long way in determining how both teams will fare in the Pioneer Athletic Conference championship chase.

The Vikings, who share the league lead with Spring-Ford, have come from behind to win their last three games. They are 3-0 at home on natural grass and have split their two away games – both played on turf. The Phantoms, one of four teams with just one loss in the PAC-10, have yet to be beaten in two games on the turf at Washington Field.

Upset, or upsets, don’t really apply to the Pioneer Athletic Conference this season. Not yet at least.

So imagine, if you will, this possible scenario: If Phoenixville beats Perkiomen Valley tonight, Boyertown beats Spring-Ford on Friday night, and Pottstown beats Pope John Paul II on Saturday afternoon – there will either be a new leader in the PAC-10 or five-way tie for first place. If those games end as mentioned and Pottsgrove defeats Methacton on Friday night, the Falcons (4-1) would be all alone at the top with a half-game lead on Perkiomen Valley, Phoenixville, Pottstown and Spring-Ford. If Methacton wins, though, the Warriors would join that foursome in first place, all at 3-1.