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2018 Football Forum

Written by: on Monday, January 1st, 2018. Follow David Mika on Twitter.

Are you ready for some football?

Welcome to the official forum on high school football for the 2018 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.

2017 Football Forum

881 Responses

  1. Any comparison for size of school that Middletown South High (NJ) is and how that you transfer over to PIAA division for points purposes? Coatesville needs all the extra points they can get just to keep up with GV and NP since Bishop Shanahan moving down to 4A. Sometimes these conference affiliations hurt going into playoff time. I’d much rather play GV or NP at home rather than away come playoff time.

    NP (wet and long) grass could hinder the speed come playoff time and just having to play ground and pound with GV in Delco is not something that I’d want to revisit. Too much for cardiac arrest.

  2. @Friday Night Lights, not serious will return in a few weeks

    To everyone else thanks for the history on Heartbreak Ridge.

  3. @Knight Time

    Any idea if Intrieri’s knee is serious? Hoping to have Edwards back for La Salle but cant rush head injuries with kids.

  4. Knight Time –

    Neshaminy’s current playing field was completed in time for the 1956 season (the new school was finished for the 1954-1955 school year but some construction continued for a few more years and that included sports fields so the ‘Skins played at the old field in “downtown” Langhorne for two seasons). Then notably the concrete stands were put in just in time for the 1963 season (prior to that they were using “standard” wooden bleachers) while the official name back then was Playwicki Field or the Neshaminy Athletic Field.

    Anyway, from 1956 through 1965 Neshaminy played very well at home. And aware of that fact, Dick Dougherty (the head of the Sports Department at the Bucks County Courier-Times) had it in mind while he was writing an article just prior to the Pennsbury game in ’65 (that was late in the season with Neshaminy having just one more game after the Falcons contest and Pennsbury might have had one more too). The game was at Neshaminy and Dougherty, knowing the ‘Skins record, was describing how difficult it was for a visiting team to win there (Neshaminy’s tally “at home” to that point and at their home field from 1956 to 1965 was actually 55-4-4). So looking to be colorful, no doubt, Dougherty referenced Neshaminy’s field as “Heartbreak Ridge” for visitors — and it stuck.

    Then part of the reason for the use of the “Ridge” term is due to geography (the “Heartbreak” is understandable). In that regard, the school’s location is right at the edge of the land mass that would form or be part of the more mountainous region leading up to the Appalachians (that would be to the north and west of the school, generally). To the south and east of that site is the beginning of the flatter land mass that runs through that part of Lower Bucks County and then New Jersey through to the Atlantic Ocean. Thus, there is a steep drop off from the school site down to the Neshaminy Creek (to the north and west where the Creek is the boundary of the school grounds) and then also to the “flatlands” to the south and east (and all of that is not far from the field’s location). Thus, and as you would suspect, the school grounds and the field essentially sit on the high top of a “ridge” area and which allowed “it” to fit nicely into Mr. Dougherty’s article.

  5. Attended the Valley View Wallenpaupack game friday night.Not really sure how good either team is .but boy what a war in the trenches! One of the most physical games i have seen in some time and some really big time hitting.Play either of those teams you better buckle up the chin strap !!!

  6. @mick, Robinson had no time to throw ball all night (all new starters on NP o line this year). If rb/lb Edwards didn’t suffer concussion in 1st half and lb/te Intreri, knee on opening kick off remained in game it wouldn’t have been that close nor would have gone to OT with our without Manzyk

  7. I was at NP/Neshaminy game on Friday. Wow. So glad I made the trip. I agreed with the choice to go for 2, and thought Neshaminy was rolling and would score. I knew that 5 would get the ball, I just didn’t think he would be stopped. NP QB Robinson came up big when he had to. Honestly, Neshaminy would have won the game if one of the following three things didn’t happen. #5 dropped a long pass. #25 dropped a sure TD pass and tipped it to NP. #5 was assed a roughing the passer penalty (which I thought was BS). Neshaminy QB was on the run all night. My group questioned why he didn’t throw more. He showed great composure in the 2 minute drill. Definitely helped us by him not passing more. Anyway, a great game by both sides. I am hoping for a rematch in November.

  8. Knight Time

    Newspaper man, the late Dick Dougherty initiated the name Heartbreak Ridge in a news article about Neshaminy in the mid 1960s. Since they opened the stadium in 1956 they were something like 55-4 there at the time, and Dougherty felt it was heartbreak for most opponents coming in. The name stuck. Check out the Neshaminy football website, it is one of the best you will find.

  9. Knight time,
    It was a great game at Neshaminy. Couple things I noticed: North Penn QB did not look good most of the game but did make a few big throws in the 4th. Neshaminys line on both sides of the ball needs to get stronger. QB on the run every time he drops back. Manzyk js unbelievable, but he can not do it alone. This kid is all over the field and can chase down anyone. Great acceleration
    No disrespect to the coaches and players but without this kid they may win 4 games. Give the Redskins credit, though, this game was over but they always find a way to come back. Steve Wilmot excellent coach and great guy/role model.

  10. What a barn burner at heartbreak Ridge. Double OT win by North Penn over Neshaminy. Still trying to find out why they call Neshaminy stadium heart break ridge.

  11. Coatesville demolished Harrisburg. I will admit, I don’t know much about Harrisburg, but I know they were very good last year and people were surprised when they didn’t make the 5A final. And I saw how bad they beat teams etc. but I don’t know if they kept their best players or anything like that. So that’s the first thing.

    Also, we all knew going into this season that Coatesville retained many of their key players from last seasons run, one that ended 21-3 up against SJP in the east final before eventually losing to them in a wild game overall.

    Coatesville will undoubtedly 10-0 or 9-1 if they have an off night and have a high playoff seed. Will they win D1 again? Will they get revenge on SJP?

    From Coatesville btw. Go Red Raiders.

  12. Are the team previews over? No Cumberland Valley this year? I know they lost a lot and have a tough schedule with McDevitt, Coatesville, Central Dauphin, and Harrisburg all in the first half of the season and then State College in the finale. Will be a difficult year. Maybe I can dig up a little and give it a shot like I did last year.

  14. Prayers also needed for the Jersey Shore player who was seriously injured in a helmet to helmet collision in practice last week. He has been in a coma ever since.

  15. My thoughts go out to Dunmore and coach Jack Henzes for a speedy recovery. Get Well Jack.

  16. Dunmore coach Jack Henzes will not be on the side line as Dunmore opens the season he is recovering from open heart surgery and most are saying we will not see him this year.join me in prayers for his recovery

  17. Kevin X, probably go with McDonogh vs. Wood or Imhotep vs. LaSalle. North Penn against Neshaminy should be interesting. Curious to see how Coatesville does against Harrisburg also.

  22. Wow 3 days to opening night kickoff, and it seems to be a little quiet around here. You guys getting your game faces on?? Two questions……..

    1. If you are headed out Friday night, just curious what game you guys are heading to across our eastern coverage area.

    2. If you had a choice of games to go to anywhere in the D1/D12 area, what game would you most like to attend Friday night. I must have at least 6-8 games on my radar.

  23. Neshaminy easily handled laslle at lasalle. Nesh scored on a pass to Manzyk who was the best player on the field. Neshaminy also scored on 2 pick six’s, 2 of the 4 interceptions thrown by lasalle. Neshaminy O line needs work as they could not get running game going and qb was on the run. Lasalle’s only score was called back on penalty. Not much O for either team. Lasalle lucky not 5 or 6 picks in about a half. Lasalle did have a nice field goal. Running game for lasalle was decent at times and some poor tackling by neshaminy. Neshaminy line on both sides will need to grow up fast, if they can Neshaminy should win their conference but it is down this year.

  24. Was anyone at the Neshaminy/Lasalle scrimmage on Saturday? How was it? North Penn QB looked good in the scrimmage with PW. NP overall looked solid but I take it with a grain of salt considering the level of competition.