Are you ready for some football?
Welcome to the official blog on high school football for the 2013 season.
During the off-season let’s talk about players, recruiting news, teams and everything about high school football.
During the season each week let’s talk about match-ups and how teams did. Let us know what player(s) stood out each week.
2,248 Responses
@ Rob
I think you misunderstood my comment. I was merely rebutting Rick’s comment that suggested Dallas is not a contender solely because they don’t have Jackson. Dallas made the playoffs the last few years, including last year without Jackson. I suspect they will be the 4th team in this year as well. My point being that making the playoffs and losing has been the typical post-season for Dallas since 1999. I don’t state this to belittle Dallas teams, but just to show that the reason for the results may have more to do with other factors (like size of school compared to other AAA teams, rather than a coach).
I saw a whole different game rocky. But it’s only 7on7. Imhotep first scrimmage is at St Joes in New Jersey. That should give us all a better measurement.
How about we do this. Lets convince the Piaa to have an all star game with just the districts. For instance, the best of District 12 vs the best of District xx. Then we will see whose top dawg. Until, let the kids play and everyone else watch.
@john
LeSalle vs. Prep will again be a two game series this year. I think you are dead on on your line point. Both teams have a very good but inexperienced line. The length of the season might benefit SJP’s line. Unfortunately for the Explorers, I think the talent scales tile hugely to the SJP direction and they squeak by LaSalle this year. INJURIES will be huge for both teams.
@Rocky
GDUB has a 7v7 with SJP this week. We might have a little better idea where they stand after that night! SJP was extremely flat against Coatesville last week but walked away petty even. Defense struggle a little but the offense dis very well. Should be interesting this week!
@Rocky
Imhotep was missing a lot of starters on defense
I believe there are great competitive teams in D12, its just hard to get out of the city when the top 3 teams are the top 3 teams in the state- literally.
Huck, I was at the Washington/Imhotep 7on7 game and saw all offense. The eagles looked sharp but didn’t have a lot of players. Imhotep had a lot of players but their defense got picked apart by Washington’s 2nd string QB. The new OC of Washington (formerly of Frankford)was more enthused then the players and the Imhotep defensive players were getting verbally abused by their coaches throughout the game… not a good look for a team returning so many players, they were very confused.
Imhotep offense looked good but their QB threw a couple picks in the red zone. The Bonner player is a stud.. Spoke to parents in the stands and they have Judge next week.
Washington looks like theyre back to their dominance this year.
Groat you are way off with Dallas. Not a district contender ? They’ve played in 2 district title games in the last 5 years. They lost to an uber talented AH team in 09 and quite possibly the best valley view team since their state title team 20 years ago. Btw Dallas was up 12 -6 going into the fourth quarter in that game. Trust me, I played against both of those teams and they were for real. Those Dallas teams were much better than district winners like GAR of recent years
It will come down to SJP/LS again in the PCL. Which ever inexperienced line plays better will win that game. I want to say prep wins but the coaching at La Salle is too good. Upset La Salle wins 35-31
40 Teams in 40 Days starts Monday, July 22nd!
@ RickD
I think your assessment on WA and Redeemer are correct. However, I think your assessment of Dallas is a little bit off. While I don’t disagree that Dallas will struggle to make playoffs this year, I do not think your coaching comments make much sense. Dallas hasn’t been an elite team since the late 90s. They haven’t won a District Championship since 1999. They haven’t been District Championship material for the last 13 years, 12 of which were under the former coach. Sure they have had several seasons with good regular season records, but we are talking about championships here. They have routinely lost to Berwick, AH, and Valley View. It has been a trend stretching back over a decade, not just in the last year.
@ mark
Please don’t comment on D2 or WVC football because you make all of us look bad.
How can you say WA is weak in Class AA???? And put Redeemer as a contender?!?!?!?!? Wow. Redeemer is pitiful. WA will most likely play for the district title again even though they will be a below average football team. That is just how bad small school WVC and D2 football has become. 3-team race between Lehman, Lakeland and WA in class AA. Maybe throw Mid Valley in as a 4th team. GAR will be bad they are poorly coached and don’t have the athletes to hide it this year.
Class AAA Berwick and Abington will both be very good. Scranton Prep is not far behind and Nick Donato can flat out coach. Please do not mention Dallas anymore as a contender in the WVC or D2 AAA. With Ted Jackson gone they are in BIG trouble.
I can see WVW doing good things in class AAAA because they have a lot of talent returning and an excellent coaching staff. They have a very difficult schedule though so it makes it tough for them to qualify for the subregional.
Mike,
I’m not sure I understand your, is there football worth a damn comment. Every district has great teams, decent teams, and poor teams. D-12 is no different.
Granted, the Philly Pub by in large isnt a great collection of teams. But what inner city league is? Imhotep really has had only one exceptional season, but additional ones appear on the horizon. Over the last decade I’d say that only George Washington, Frankford, and Bok have been mostly good programs. Then, Northeast and Dobbins has been respectable.
In the PCL, these teams in their respective classes have been elite: LaSalle, Wood, West Catholic, and SJ Prep. Roman and O’Hara have been pretty good.
From 2A on up (d12 only has 2 1A teams). The 14-team (42 teams in district 12) PCL has played in 7 state title games since joining the PIAA. That is the same amount as D7 and D3, but those districts triple and double the amount of teams that you have in D12.
Now, I’ll agree that in the bigger districts (Total teams) you get more competive games on a weekly basis. More teams, more parity. But some of the elite programs in the state do reside in D12/PCL. That’s all I’m saying.
mgguy your right on. The Mid State Teams are more successful in the PIAA playoffs in the last ten years. More than the teams from the big P area. I’m not saying across the board from A to AAAA but the same teams are always there at the end of the season and do not have D1 caliper players. It is my opinion that the coaching and the feeder system develops talent to play at a high level and they must be doing something right. Look at Cumberland Valley, Central Dauphin, Wilson West Lawn, Governor Mifflin and Penn Manor. Winning year after year. Best High School Football in Eastern PA. No doubt…….
wow we wount let logic and reason get in the way of an arugment.D12 has some dominent programs just like evey other district in the state.If you want to look at it from a district view then it d7 they in the last 5 years,becuse nothining else
counts before that have 12 appearance in state final games. between all the class that 12 out of 20 doesnt leave much for the rest of the state.Keith i love your stat work becuse it the frist one on here that really makes since to me keep up the good work
@Mike, I posted some results of inter-divisional play in response to someone else. Sorry they struck a nerve with you but they speak for themselves.
@Keith Flores, the kids have been playing the games as you put it and I posted the results. Sorry the results don’t support your outlook.
@Huck I’m not really comparing. But the district I am speaking of only has one real good league and yes the PCL is better than that league. Outside of Imhotep and the PCL is their football worth a damn in D12??
If my memory serves me correct (Maybe, I’m incorrect on that), but it was a poster or two taking a shot at the PCL/D12 that started this debate. Turning it into PCL people getting defensive really isn’t accurate.
IMO SJ Prep was a top 5 team in 4A last year. So, that final ranking is mostly accurate. They lost a 1-point OT game to LS in PCL final. They would have gone on to best Frankford & Parkland, and I believe given Costesville I didn’t type of match-up problem. So, I would have given them a 50/50 chance in that game, too. It would have ended there because N. Allegheny was a super club. Anyway, that final ranking was accurate to the most recent poster.
New year and a lot of different scenarios can play out. It should be another exciting season for HS football in PA.
Just some more food for thought, go to PFN and look at the final rankings from last year using the PIAA formula , D12 isn’t all that great compared to the rest of the state as far as teams ranked highly- I love how a team can be 10-1 and ranked in the top 5 4A, play 4 or 5 more games and where does the record fall? D12 isn’t the dominant overall district when you look at the team rankings. Let the fur fly
@Cubscout
I wouldn’t equate all the PCL chatter on this thread to those being LaSalle followers. In fact a lot of the PCL “talk” as I read are league schools regurgitating the attributes of their school in comparison. Some get defensive, Why?, probably because we’ve only been able to playoff compete against those historically good/great teams that we’ve read about for decades the last 5 years.
Don’t be confused, one thing I can say for a “real” LS Alumnus, they are passionate but respectful. I believe opposition coaching staffs would relate the same regarding the LS coaching staff and players. This does get blurred when LS/SJP talk about each other. That will never change as long as the Pope remains Catholic!!
@Dawg93, yeah, seems like the only people playing football in Eastern PA are SJP, Lasalle, Imhotep and Wood. Maybe D3 and D11 should just cancel the season and let them fight it out.
I have a good stat for you OL coach the PCL in AAAA is 0-0 against D11 in 2013. In AAA they are 0-0 and in AA they are still 0-0 in 2013. I had to exhaust all my resources for those completely accurate records. I get the PCL is a great league but can we calm down with everyone getting all torn up the second someone says any league is better. It seems like you PCL guys think the SEC is beneath you and you would pull out stats stating how the PCL is undefeated against all-SEC players since 2008. It seems like such a drama also. You guys act like St. Joe’s could beat the eagles and la salle will lose to our lady of hungry’s school for the blind. Let the kids teams play not the entirety of the league. And if your league is as dominant is you guys clearly want it to be let the teams do the talking and talk about those teams not your league as a whole.
Why do we care about how one district or league compares to another? None of that matters when an individual team plays another individual team. If coatsville was in another district would they still be good. Of course. Does their competition raise their play particularly in the postseason? Absolutely. Can we please talk about individual teams? What do we think of parkland this year? What about St. Joes? Are they for real? This who’s districts is better none sense is ridiculous.
Mike,
Not to get in a pissing match, but the PCL is one league and you’re comparing it to an entire district?
Since the PCL entered the PIAA in ’08 they have represented the league very well at the state leve. They have played in 7 title games in 5 years, going (3-4). Over that time the entire D-11 is (2-0). I agree that football existed before ’08, but for the PCL folks that’s all we have to go on.
@OL Coach at the end of the day all that matters is who finishes the season top. And to be Honest outside of District 7, 12, 3, and 11 have all been comparable with state titles. I honestly can’t believe a HS football coach actually comes a website and talks as much trash about other schools as much as you do! I’d love to know your real name??????
@OL Coach is back!! With his ignorant rants against anything. Remotely he thinks is related to the PCL! Fact is football existed before 2008! And the post wasn’t directed at the the PCL it was historically!! The same thing D11 has been struggling with (losing to D12) D1 went through from for about 5-6 period (losing to D11). D11 has as many state titles as D12 in 3A and 4A since the the PCL joined in 2008. @OL Coach the sky is blue! His response would be some point about the PCL. The question doesn’t matter it is always negative directed toward the PCL.