Marvel, a middle linebacker, was involved in 17 tackles in the Indians' 35-21 nonleague loss to the host Crusaders. He notched 12 solo stops and assisted on five others.

"Even at the end of the game, he was playing at his top level," C.R. North coach Tom Coates said. "He was still coming downhill on defense."

The 5-foot-11, 195-pound Marvel rarely came off the field against Judge. The fourth-year varsity member also contributed as a running back (one carry for 2 yards) and receiver (two catches for 24 yards).

"I like being out there as much as possible," he said. "A lot of it is mental. You just have to take it one play at a time. You can't let things overwhelm you."

Senior Curtis Wortham, Judge's 5-6, 155-pound tailback, exploded for 258 yards and two TDs on a career-high 33 carries. He scored on runs of 65 and 60 yards.

"He's real quick," Marvel said. "We did OK against him when we kept him trapped inside. When he was able to bounce outside, that's when we had trouble."

With Wortham carrying the bulk of the load, the Crusaders netted 274 yards on the ground. Junior quarterback Tony Smith completed 8 of 10 throws for 98 yards.

The Crusaders' offensive line featured center Ryan Bernard, guards Eric Condron and Tim Walsh, tackles Greg Kovacs and Idris Harmon, and tight ends Kevin Leneghan and Tyler McHugh.

Over the summer, Marvel attended one-day football camps at Lehigh, Delaware, William and Mary, Holy Cross and Lafayette, among other schools. He works with former Eagles running back Vaughn Hebron at VMS Movement Specialists, a fitness center and personal training studio in Newtown.

"He pushes you nonstop and does a great job of motivating you," Marvel said of Hebron. "I wouldn't want to go anywhere else."

For the third summer, Marvel, an outfielder in baseball, worked for his father at Stanley Marvel, Inc., a food distribution company headquartered in Bensalem.

"My dad would check up me, make sure I was working," the 17-year-old said with a laugh. "But he's not too tough on me. He's pretty reasonable."

Marvel is receiving football interest from Patriot League and Colonial Athletic Association schools. He plans to major in business.

Big comeback for Prep. Down by 12 points with less than six minutes to play, St. Joseph's Prep rallied with two late touchdowns to knock off District 7 power McKeesport, 27-26, Saturday in a nonleague thriller at Wheeling Island Stadium in West Virginia.

Sophomore Skyler Mornhinweg, making his first varsity start, completed TD passes of 35 and 41 yards in the late going to Bobby D'Orazio and Desmon Peoples, respectively.

Mornhinweg connected on 6 of 15 throws for 114 yards. "He's a great athlete," Prep coach Gil Brooks said. "With him back there, you always feel like you're still in the game."

After the Mornhinweg-to-D'Orazio connection, which trimmed the Tigers' lead to 26-21, John Arena recovered an onside kick by soccer-player-turned-placekicker John Gregitis. Two plays later, on a "rail" play, a scrambling Mornhinweg found a wide-open Peoples for the winner.

"Frankly, it was a battle of attrition," Brooks said. "There were a lot of guys cramping on both sides. Fortunately, we worked a lot on conditioning in training camp."

With its flexbone offense, McKeesport totaled 253 rushing yards. "I was actually pleased with our defense," Brooks said. "We did a nice job of stacking them up."

Garrett Compton, a 5-9, 210-pound senior tailback for the Hawks, rushed 32 times for 118 yards and two TDs. Mornhinweg, at free safety, sealed the dramatic win by intercepting a pass with 1 minute, 3 seconds to play.

Extra points. Council Rock North's Anthony Verrecchia, a guard and defensive tackle, suffered a dislocated elbow against Father Judge. He is expected to have an MRI exam today and likely will miss Friday's matchup vs. visiting Central Bucks South. . . . Against Judge, wideout Tyler Bostain caught four passes for 69 yards, including scores of 31 and 18 yards. Crusaders outside linebacker Raul Quinones made five solo tackles, including a fourth-quarter sack. . . . Running new coach John Iannucci's triple-option offense for the first time, Harry S Truman was nipped by host Cheltenham, 7-6, on Friday. "The mental part of it is hard," Truman senior QB Drew Peterson said of the scheme. "But the more practice you get, the better you get. We're excited about it."