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
Just to get that far would be a nice feat for Catty whose best chance at a run in states was the Jon Linton era of the early 90’s. They have a Thanksgiving day game also against a AAAA team that will have nothing to lose and looking for revenge for last year’s series record lopsided defeat. But we’ll see if IC gets that far also… wink.
@Jive
Glad to be of assistance. I know the spinning feeling; notice my post of Oct 24th was 3:13 am. Incidently, in the district-balancing act in addition to D3 playing for the west in 4A and 3A; there is further counterbalance by the D6 and D9 3A teams playing in the east bracket. I think there are only 6 teams or so there. Additionally, in the 1A bracket, D6 swings about 23 teams to the eastern bracket for playoffs. Only 2A, fairly balanced, is without swinging districts.
@dawg, again, just add something constructive, it makes things better. Complaining about what others. Share doesn’t.
Well, AAA Pottsgrove answered the call & beat Perkiomen Valley 23-12…and it wasn’t as close as the score might indicate as PG rushed for ~360 yards…and over 400 yards in total. To PV’s credit they denied PG twice inside the 10. Plus, PV’s last TD was scored <10 seconds left in the game. They've had a great season so far beating their biggest PAC-10 rivals (AAAA Spring-Ford & AAAA Perk Valley) ON THE ROAD. If they beat Boyertown next week, 6 of their 10 wins will have been against AAAA competition (4 of those with winning records). If they can win D1 AAA perhaps they'll give Archbishop Wood a game after all.
Hey O L Coach. Complain you got to be kidding. Read what was written. You need to expand your knowledge on High School Football in the State. Rather than be tunnel visioned in around the Big Philly and Burbs. There is more out there if you want to take the time to search and read the various newspaper sports columns on the internet. If complaining is your issue you better start to read some of many comments made thus far. I don’t complain I simply state the truth and that’s all that I can say.
@Kmac
I didn’t realize D3 played on the western side of the bracket. Talk about some tough playoff games! That’s what it’s all about though. No offense to the Berwick guys, but I really don’t give them a snowballs chance against Wood. I really thought the AAA champ would either be McDevitt or come from the west. Does having all of them tough teams in the west give Wood any kind of advantage? Whoever comes out of the west will have played 2, maybe 3, very hard battles before they even step foot in Hershey, where Wood looks to cruise right on in. Thanks for the info Kmac, but you got my mind spinning scenarios at 1:00am on this.
I remember a few weeks ago when Imhotep put up 83 on Future. I was quite critical of their coach, especially since they still threw 2 TD’s after being up 45-6. I was told by their usual defenders that there was nothing coach Crosby could do about it. Well tonight Imhotep played Future again, was up 49-0 at half, and guess what? 55-0 Final. Kudos to coach Crosby for doing the right thing! Sometimes the best of coaches can learn something, and I think in game one against Future coach Crosby did. I will give praise towards somebody just as fast as I’ll knock them. Tonight coach Crosby deserves that praise. Now let’s get that AA championship trophy home to Philly.
North Penn still undefeated in D1. CBW gave them quite a struggle, but NP held them off handing them only their second loss of the season. NP managed to cover the 35 point spread by winning 50-14. Next week Souderton. Wouldn’t it be wild if NP goes undefeated in D1 after, as buddy said, they are really down this year and gonna take a few years to rebuild?
imhotep will beat catty by 20, but it would be by 40 if they didnt have to play King two days before they play catty that thanksgiving weekend.
Pottsgrove is very good. Very well coached and tough kids. WC Henderson is the only team that has a shot of beating them in D1. They are one dimensional on O but what they do, they do very well. Teams will struggle to score on them. Their D is very very good. Helmets to the ball stuff…
That said… They are in for a battle tonight vs. Perk Valley. PGrove is the class of AAA at this point in D1. The outcome tonight does not change that.
MPhillips, we’ll see tonite about Pottsgrove. There are 44 AAAA teams in D1. Spring-Ford is is the 11th rated AAAA team (as far as playoff points) in D1 and AAA Pottsgrove beat them. Spring-Ford already beat Perk Valley this year.
Tonite Pottsgrove faces Perk Valley which is the 9th ranked AAAA team in D1. PV is a tall order because they are home, have lots of talent and are motivated by revenge having lost to Pottsgrove last year in the last 2 minutes.
Next week they have Boyertown (23rd). So, if they are fortunate enough to with these last 2 games, 4 of their 10 wins will be against teams with winning records (Spring-Ford, Perk Valley, Methacton and Boyertown…all AAAA teams).
That would compare favorably with Berwick who is ranked higher than Pottsgrove.
@ Boxer
The Barons are also known for wrestling prowess.
Fantastic program there.
@Jive
The Manheim-Bishop McDevitt-Jefferson-Mifflin mix will all be in the “West” bracket as District 3 plays west in both 4A and 3A. A lot of fans are thinking a Wood-Berwick Eastern final against one of the first four listed at Hershey. Whoever wins the East will only get one of those four if one of them wins the “west”.
@Dawg93, if you have an issue with what people discuss here, why don’t you discuss what you know rather than just complain.
People post about what they know, or we hope they do, not everyone knows everything about every state district as you do.
So please stop complaining and bring something to the table.
@RRMark
i agree with you and i see catty playing imhotep. unfortunately they probably are a little overmatched by them. but i dont forsee any team beating them besides possibly palasides because they run the ball well but even that is a long shot. who knows maybe catty will.pull.the upset on imhotep and make it to hershey? anyway it’ll be exciting to watch.
TPG…
I usually tell people to think of another town named for a Lenape Indian word… Conshohocken. Similarly, Cat-a-saw-kwuh… with the accent on the third syllable. But most up here in the Valley just shorten it to “Catty”.
Pen Argyl is a more versatile team this year on offense but were stricken by injuries early on. But they have since gotten healthy and it shows. They again have decent size up front averaging 250 or 260 with good mobility. They’ve gone to a more wide open offense this year vs. the one dimensional single wing power offense they ran almost exclusively last year. And they have the skill players to do it pretty successfully in Hunt, Oyer, DePaolo and Lobb. So they can beat teams more ways this year vs. last. They will probably make noise again in districts setting up (they hope) a rematch with Catty for whom they feel they have the magic potion in big games.
Catty is pretty much the same team as last year with mostly returning starters on both sides of the ball. They are a smaller team up front and rely on quickness on defense and getting the ball out quickly on offense. They run a hurry up/spread offense with a single back ala Chip Kelly. But Bradley seldom runs. I’d say their offensive skill players rank well with the best in the state with “triplets” of QB Bradley, all-state WR Paryss Marshall, son of Connecticut basketball star Donyell Marshall and RB Ra’von Burton who can run over you or by you. But they are again deep at RB and WR with several capable players complimenting the big 3. They want to get teams in a track meet and score quickly. Bradley is uncannily accurate on deep fades in the corner of the end zone where WR’s Marshall or Houser can go up and get it over shorter DB’s. But they can also grind it out with Burton who is really something to watch. Most agree the way to beat them is to control the ball and wear down their undersized defensive line. Then stack the box to shut down Burton and hope their vertical passing game is mis-firing enough of the time. That is how Pen Argyl beat them with a good first half in last year’s dist. champ game.
My heart wants to see how my alma mater stacks up in states. But my brain tells me it is gonna be a tough go for them to hang with an Imhotep’s big-time size and speed combo up front… especially having several guys going both ways. But it would be fun to watch ’em try. A long way to go til then…
That Philly Guy says he wants to hear about other programs in the State. What’s the point!!! All this blog does is generate gossip about the Philadelphia and Suburban Schools which does not represent the entire Eastern part of the State. Beyond the Philadelphia area and it’s Suburbs there is great winning championship programs unfortunately they don’t get the press here for their successes. Gentlemen let’s wait until the last league (s) game and District Power Points for playoff before striking out the chime.
OK Boxer13, let’s talk about some other teams. Let’s talk Hershey.
AAAA- St Joes Prep should end up playing Pittsburg Central Catholic or Upper St Clair.
AAA- Archbishop Wood will have a tough time beating McDevitt (if McDevitt can get past them Manheim Central Barons). Winner of East should match up against Thomas Jefferson or West Mifflin. TJ & WM play this Saturday.
AA- Imhotep will end up playing Aliquippa. I can’t wait for this game, gonna be a hell of a battle.
A- I don’t know if they are having a single A game this year because district 12 does not compete in the little guys conference.
We are from district 3 the Lebanon-Lancaster area. We are only a AAA school but always a power house when it comes to football. 2 weeks ago we won our 500TH win with coach MIKE WILLIAMS. And if you look at the big school rankings on the home page of this site we are #5 and 8-0 as of now. But I can say one thing I know this MANHEIM CENTRAL TEAM could beat most of these AAAA teams that I have seen this year. I am a COATESVILLE grad from ’96’ and played for them and want to wish them luck in the playoffs, because there are some really good teams this year .. thanks football fans ..
General
I see a lot of posts recently about “this league” being no good, or “this district” being lousy, or this or that team playing nobody, or playing pro teams (NOT). Have we all let the state championship thing make us forget this is HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL we are talking about? The best level of football in my opinion; and we are all entitled to one. It’s the most pure of the three levels at least. It is young men (and a few young women here and there). Most leagues have been established for years and are what they are. We all know of strong football schools and weak football schools. Only 4 teams will be champions out of 579 (officially) football playing schools. That is seven-tenths of one percent of the schools. Are there not a lot of other “good’ teams winning league championships; winning a playoff game or two; winning a district title; being runner-up in the East, or West; making it to Hershey for Silver? How about struggling schools that turn a corner and go 6-4 this season? Isn’t there lots of good high school football to watch, even between teams that are not going to have an extended season? My only point of all this is let’s try to be more positive, less negative; and enjoy HSF.
How good is pottsgrove? I see they are 8-0 but they haven’t really played anyone who was half decent. The only team that had a winning record they only won by 7. This week will be the second.
Thanks
Ok, RRMark, I know we have not agreed on most of your posts but I like this one, so …that said, and knowing I’m an Imhotep fan how do Catasauqua (I admit I can’t pronounce it) and Pen Argyl compare to the Pen Argyl team from last year? The winner of that match up would likely have to come down to Philly to face the winner of the D1/D12 subregional.
D11 No prep or charter schools up here.
AAAA… LVC is the class of the district, if you will. Huge game Easton v Whitehall this week. Top teams all have 1 loss and question marks. Look for a big Easton v Parkland showdown for the d championship.
East Stroudsburg South? Meh…
AAA… Has no true standout team(s). Bethlehem Catholic v Southern Lehigh will be interesting but I think Becahi has a big edge having made a decent showing in the tougher big school LVC.
AA… Catasauqua way ahead of the pack but their coach will admit they haven’t been tested all 4 quarters yet. But looks like they have their championship aspirations in their own hands. Will most likely come down to another final tilt with a healthier and surging Pen Argyl.
A… Tri Valley? Williams Valley? Take WV since they beat TV already as well as giving undefeated Pine Grove (AA) a tough go.
Looking down the road at states… Not much confidence in anyone from D11 advancing further than the quarter finals.
@Boxer13
I would love to hear from others around the state but they don’t post. People are talking about and posting from the districts they follow. How about an update on the top teams in each classification from your part of the state.
@Ray WVW has a nice team this year but who did they play 2 td lost to Berwick and yes avg 42 points but against who? D2 is not that strong this year would love for WVW to make some noise in the playoffs but not to sure it going to happen.