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
From what I hear, SJP is the beast of the east this year.
I’m sick of this recruiting none sense, does anyone think any eastern teams have a really good shot of bringing home the gold in Hershey? Certainly in the D11 area id have to say Catty is the one that I know right now has a quality shot of potentially making a playoff run. The problem in this area is I think there are alot of pretty good teams but there haven’t been alot of really good or certainly no trully great ones since central and liberty one there state championships. But who does everyone think the best bet in the east is? My easy but certainly quality pick in AAAA is Coatseville.
@Mike
I’m sorry I did not explain. They lived in Bethlehem and were in 8th grade an anttended Broughal middle school. They went to central the next year because they wanted to go their because of centrals success the previous year. They played freshmen football but ended up not playing football and now play soccer and baseball. Not totally denying your other claims of the three players trying to transfer but I respectively doubt that it was actually suppose to happen. Freedom beat central fairly handily that year so I think central should have allowed those two in, unless of course you mean the PIAA did not allow them to transfer? Regardless I was just trying to give an example of how in 99% of these transfer cases there isn’t much true recruiting going on. Sometimes i wonder if these guys think that the coaches go to these players houses to meet their mothers and give them pamphlets about their high schools! Maybe these people just like the recruiting process so much they want a middle school national signing day! Either way it’s ridiculous and the hardest working, most talented coaches and players will win the ball games this fall regardless of what these recruiting conspiracy theorists believe.
Paul from Philly-
Thanks. You are a class act. I don’t hate, just understand the situation. It is hard for some D1 schools cause they may lose some talent to other schools. Some Schools more than others. If they don’t have a “program”, they are susceptible to losing the better kids. It is their responsibility to have something that those kids want to be a part of moving forward. If they don’t, then kids will go elsewhere. Good luck this year!!
As for Hatboro, They use to be a football powerhouse back in the late 70’s early 80’s. Bux-mont league champs in 1982. 11-0. Love to see that return
The PIAA needs to understand that schools that can recruit have an unfair advantage over those that can’t. It’s that simple. I have no problem with school getting quality athletes, but they should play in their own playoffs. It’s like telling Penn State that they can only draw players from PA, but then allowing Ohio State to draw from the entire country? That is what it was like when Pen Argyl took the field against Imhotep. The Pen Argyl players were all home grown. No transfers at all.
Bethlehem Catholic in wrestling is even more insane. They have wrestlers from everywhere. Public schools can’t compete with that.
@ Glass & Chip
Well said, both of you.
Remember the point that Glass made. Many of these kids that transfer and are really good players don’t pay the going rate. Many of these families couldn’t afford it. That’s important. Whether it be LaSalle, SJP or Wood.
That’s what I question. In effect, that’s giving scholarships ( like colleges). Not sure how equitable that is in relationship to the public schools.
Recruiting Recruiting that all we ever hear
1 has any of these schools been investigated by the P.I.A.A
2 has any of these schools had a complaint filed aganist them by their district
3 has any schools or coaches files a complaint on these schools with their district or the P.I.A.A
iF NOT THEY MUST BE IN THE RULES LET IT GO AND LET PLAY BALL !
@ Glass Slipper and Chip Trussel Meyer
Thank you. The way the earlier post made it sound was Philly Pubs are bad because the private/charter schools are raiding their talent base. I agree with both of you on your view of the situation. And the reason the philly pubs suck is because there are no programs, no coaches, and no kids dedicated to it like other top teams.
2 kids did not transfer into ACC in 2011 one kid did from Wilson did and he barely played, and one kid did from Allen he played on special teams and that’s it. Not to mention that Nick Sharga (Northampton), Eddie Elliot (Freedom), Okezie Alozie (Freedom) tried to transfer into ACC and were not permitted. If Anybody recruits in the LVC it’s Freedom! They have more kids on their roster from Allentown than do from Bethlehem!
Correction to my name on my previous post. Wouldn’t want to butcher the great Jimmy Tressels’ name.
Kids transfer because of good football teams without technical “recruiting,” going on. I know of two brothers (I live in the lehigh valley) who transferred to Central Catholic in 2011 because they won the state championship the year before. Lasalle is a good school, why wouldn’t parents send their kids there for quality academics if they can afford it plus the quality football program? And when a talented, competitive kid who wants to win talks to a coach about the idea of transferring to his school what should the coach say? Of course he’d tell him to go to his school! This isn’t a giant conspiracy meant to down the public schools. Bethlehem catholic use to be a powerhouse in football and you couldn’t mention them without “recruiting,” coming up. Now that they are nowhere at that level it isn’t even mentioned yet I’ve heard of football players transferring in the last few years purely for football!!! Kids will transfer, private/catholic schools will accept them, and public schools will still continue to compete and win an equal amount as these alleged recruiting powerhouses. Oh and public schools get transfers too but no one complains then….. Unless that schools wins of course.
Yo Paul-
Lighten up… Nobody is questioning where the kids from LaSalle come from. They come from all over southeastern PA. They always field a great team no matter where the talent originates. It is a great school and they have good Coaches. ???? mentions one kid, you need to relax and have some perspective on things. I am a D1 fan, but realize that this stuff happens in this area. It is not an indictment on LaSalle or any other PCL/Charter School. It is just a fact… Kids leave some of the Public Schools for a reason. bad Schools, bad teams, bad situations.. However, you can’t say that the PCL or Charter schools don’t target certain kids in their attempt to get the enrollment that they need. I won’t call it “recruiting”, but alot of those families don’t pay the going rate to attend LaSalle/SJP/Wood or other schools. It just is what it is.. In the end, the parents and the kids need to decide what is the best situation for their own situation.
Watch out for Coatesville this year, they are going to be another contending team this upcoming season. The entire secondary for defensive are possible Division 1 recruits and are hungry for another state run with what happened last season. Just don’t let your guard down on them
@ ????
Wow! You mention one player from Philly on the La Salle team. Name some more. Should be easy considering they sucked all the talent from Philly Pubs! Most of the kids are from the suburbs so if they’re recruiting they’re pulling from the suburbs, not the city. Plus with all the players that went on to real D1 schools….oh wait, they didn’t. They’re just a bunch of smart kids (remember you have to pass a test to get in) that are really well coached. Remember Sharrif Floyd from Washington? He lived with a friend so he could attend Washington. Na, no recruiting there!
Sorry for incorrect spelling typing kinda fast.
District 12 is good football its just that the charter/catholic school take out all the talent from the pub but when you look at it tho a kids eyes in philadelphia he looks at it like this. What school can give me a better chance at making it to the next level. Many kids leave because they want to be on yhe best team not average. Like that kid from lasalle Zaire Franklin. Lives in philadelphia but goes to lasalle. Catholic/Charter schools are ruining the public league. Its so micb talent in the pub really that Catholic/Charter schools get to get the pickings of the best…Imagine if the pub was organize unit it woulf be great football to watch.
District 12 is not good football! As somebody pointed below… 3-5 good teams and that is it! Recruiting is what it is, I personally believe it is done just as frequently at some public schools as it done at some private schools. Their is a great post below that I would expand on. Just district 12 4A schools Ryan, Judge, Roman, Frankford, GW, South Philadelphia, Mastbaum, Olney, Edison, Lincoln, and of course Lasalle and Prep. With the obvious exception of prep and Lasalle not one of those teams would be a 500 team in D1, D11, D3, or D7. If you break down 3A it is even worse than what 4A looks like with really only Wood and with Ohara being competitive more often than not. St. Joe prep sits in the city, Lasalle is in Montgomery county, and Wood is in Bucks county. How competitive would these teams be if prep could only take kids from within the city, Lasalle from only Montgomery county, and wood from only bucks? I’m sure they would still be very good considering the outstanding coaching Staff’s. But it would not be what it is. Limit the catholic schools to only allow students to participate in sports if they live within in the county.
Cinderalla-
You should really do your homework before casting pebbles. Dist 7 has 1/23 schools (Pitts Central Catholic) that are either prep/catholic shools. Same with Dist 10, with 1/10 (Erie Cathedral)in AAA. The same cannot be said for either District 1 or 12 in Philly. In District 12 AAAA, you have 6/17 Schools that are either Charter/Catholic. In AAA, you have 8/12 that are Charter or Catholic. Clearly there is a tranfer of talent in the Philadelphia area that you don’t see in the Pittsburgh area. Maybe that dimishes the “skill” talent that you refer to.. In District 1 it is all Public, but some of those kids go to the Catholic/Charter Schools outside or inside of Philly….. You can’t compare apples to oranges!! It is what it is…… However, your analysis of the State Playoff games is spot on in recent years.. I totally agree with your last comments regarding Religious comments…..
@ Cinderella Man
Don’t you think it’s a little early to start the “Recruiting” nonsense. Most people wait for the Catholic and Charter schools to go well into the playoffs before they start playing that card. Plus you make it sound like the Vikings come into town and “Raid’ the hamlets and steal the children. Nice bedtime story!!
I’ve been unimpressed by D-1 and D-12 AAAA football. District 1 is the largest in the state for the AAAA class and put average football teams in the state finals every year. D-12 is all Catholic and Charter schools who raid the pub schools for their best players. Legitimately big lineman but not often GOOD SKILL players.
PS: Can we please leave religious and praising God comments off this board. If I were to post non-conformist posts on here would they be deleted?!?! It’s all of nothing. Thank you
Buddy, here’s the link to North Penn’s schedule:
http://www.npfootball.com/game_schedule.htm
Yeah, they will probably have 12 by the end of the summer
Yeah they now have 8 D1 players
it is goin to interesting to see what IMOTEP does this year.. great coach but lets see what happens.. as for the PCL.. should be a good season for all the teams..