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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.
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District 3, Round 2 Picks:
Harrisburg, Central Dauphin
Manheim Central, Warwick, Cocalico, York
Bishop McDevitt, Berks Catholic, Milton Hershey, Conrad Weiser
Lancaster Catholic, Middletown
York Catholic
Minor upsets with Central Dauphin, Warwick, and York. Wyomissing has a punchers shot against Middletown.
If you enjoy football, Central Dauphin and Manheim should be good. If you enjoy scoring, Warwick and Cedar Cliff will be playing 7v7. First team to 50 wins.
What are the games to watch outside of district 3 this weekend?
I am gonna go out on a limb and say the big upset this weekend will be LaSalle over St Joe Prep
FridayNightLights,
Liberty beat NP 14-12. Liberty’s best defensive player (Rutgers commit) Andre “Hoagie” Morales got thrown out of NP game for a baloney punch call. Liberty then got beat by McKeesport in the State Final 49-14. When Libertys leader wasn’t allowed to play in that final the team was devastated. The following year Liberty beat Pennsbury and got beat bad by Upper Saint Clair.
Knight Time,
Obviously Haverford laid a big egg that had a lot to do with Neshaminy. I had them above North Penn when I did (week 9) based off a very good season from their skill positions and going toe-to-toe with Garnet Valley down to the final minute in week 2. Hindsight obviously, but that GV game was probably as close as it was because it was during the week that flooded out most games in the area- GV/Hav played 1 quarter Friday night, then had to finish the last 3 quarters Saturday night. GV is also the Central League measuring stick so they tend to get everybody’s best shot like a backyard rival.
We’ll see how the Knights do this week against the Skins. Should be a great atmosphere (weather permitting) for a playoff game.
@ BR&B
Funny, right after I posted that copied tweet and my two cents, I got curious and did some digging. I came across an article that quoted the BC HC of what you said. I suppose it does make sense in a few ways for BS to continue to want to play the “Big 3” in the Chesmont. They haven’t been embarrass that I recall by C’Ville or DTE, and have played DTW close and even beat them previously. So guessing I’m guessing the 4 no votes came from the 4 6A schools. Their late season scheduling I believe is going to be a challenge. Everyone else that time of year is committed to their league play. May be able to get Malvern Prep, EA, or Haverford before they start Inter/AC play. They may be forced into a bye week or some other real crafty scheduling.
As far as BS jumping to the PCL, I think it could be good move for them overall, if they take PJPII with them. Devon Prep started play in the PCL this year, and I’m assuming Holy Ghost Prep will get the acceptance for next year as well. Be a nice little “western” PCL football division with BS, PJPII, Carroll, Bonner and O’hara.
The bigger issue in all of this is, that I believe these western D1 conferences need to realign, at least for football. Put the 6A PAC, C-M, Central and DelVal teams together, the 5A, etc. Easier said then done, I know.
@Jay:
Last year. One of the Downingtowns beat NP ( rather easily I believe). Game might have been at Downingtown tho.
Pat Devlin’s team must of had the comeback against Neshaminy..
NP beat that team ( Devlin’s) rather convincingly that year. It was 55 to something.
Shocked me a little ( the size of victory), but NP had a really good team.
Devlin was DTE’s leading rusher in that game.
NP last game ( Ridley), they passed well. Need to do that again, or they will lose.
@Jay,
DT East beat a very good Neshaminy team to get to the district final against NP. The game was played at Crawfird Stadium (NP) and NP won 55-20 I believe. You were right, it was Pete Stoll at RB/FB for the Knights who ran all over almost everybody that year. They ended up losing the east final to Liberty 14-12 and Liberty got hammered in the state championship but I forget by who… maybe Upper St Claire or PCC. I also do not recall NP losing to either of the Downingtowns in the playoffs during the Beck era. I can only recall 3 meetings though. The affore mentioned D1 final, 1 at West that NP won in 2006 I think, and the game against DT East in 2015.
@Mick thank you! I’m almost tempted to just go to that game instead but I haven’t missed a CV home game all season and now isn’t the time to start. Especially when it’s a rivalry match like Dtown who played well last week and also played Coatesville well the week before. For one quarter… But still.
@Buddy looks like our predictions are pretty much the same… but if NP beats Neshaminy, I think they beat DTW too… granted my history is a bit hazy, and despite growing up in Downingtown/Coatesville and following HSFB for many years now, I can’t recall a time where either DTE or DTW won at North Penn. Did Pat Devlin lead DTE to a comeback win over NP, or was that against Neshaminy, and then they lost to NP the following week? Not sure where I’d even look that up.
All I know is that I’ve gone to most-if-not-all DTE/DTW @ NP games, and I can’t ever remember leaving happy haha. I still have horrible nightmares where I hear a crowd screaming and then as if from the voice of God himself, “PETE STOLL FOR ANOTHER NORTH PENN TOUCHDOWN!” At least I think that was his name.
And yes I’m kidding about the nightmares. Maybe.
@ Jay, to live stream Neshaminy game on your phone, type in WBCB radio station and you will find it there
No doubt about it, it will be C’ville & GV in the D1 semi.
I suspect that winner to play DTW in the final.
Also predicting the D1 winner will play H’burg for the east.
I just want someone to beat SJP !
@jeff h That was not you saying Haverford was good it was that “genius” @uncle t who had Haverford and Truman rated higher than NP going into the District playoffs.
Neshaminy wants revenge. Looking forward to Friday Night
@Jeff H
I see what you mean about 6A WPIAL. I hadn’t really done my homework, just knew that NA went undefeated and beat really good teams along the way. I’d love to see SJP get beat but I’ll probably he disappointed as usual. Last years state final notwithstanding.
You don’t think that North Penn or Garnet Valley would have a shot? I like to think Coatesville is the best chance to topple SJP but after witnessing the CV-GV D1 final last year and how close CV was to losing, I just have this nagging feeling that GV is going to come to CV and play the game of their lives.
Can anyone stay with Southern in 2A. Starters only seem to play the first half of play which is great for the subs as they get to play often.
@Jay – trust me, the 6A WPIAL is not stacked, it’s way down this year from past years, NA is very good and so is PR,Seneca Valley is solid and that’s about it. PCC had their worst team in many years and just finished their season at 7-4 with a 15-14 loss to Seneca,, Mt Lebanon is average as their 6-5 record would indicate and got beat up by 2 5A teams, granted one was Gateway, but the other was a slightly about average Upper St. Clair team who’s already out of the 5A playoffs.. I live in Pittsburgh so obviously root for the WPIAL teams but think NA is going to lose to SJP by 3 touchdowns, assuming they win the WPIAL title and beat State College in the quarterfinals which is no sure thing, in fact I think Seneca Valley is going to give NA all they can handle this week. IMO there’s only 1 team in the state that has a chance to beat SJP and that’s Coatesville, anyone else in the final except them and it will be 3 score game for SJP, if not worse.
You are right about the WPIAL 5A being stacked this year, the winner will likely be Gateway, and if not Penn Hills, and will challenge Archbishop Wood in the semi-finals, and yes,I already have AW in the semi’s because I would be shocked if anyone beat them before then.
@Jut – where have you been, the top 3 classes in D3 have played in the western bracket for the last 7-8 years, maybe longer, and in 6A the WPIAL winner has beaten the D3 winner for the last 6 years in the semi-finals, the last D3 6A team to beat a WPIAL team was Central Dauphin over NA in 2011, and the next week of course they beat North Penn in the final. My hunch is the PIAA got tired of seeing the WPIAL winner versus the D12 winner (i.e. SJP) every year so for the next 2yr cycle including this year they flipped D12 and D3 in the brackets for 5A and 6A, but their 4A winner is still in the western bracket.
@Champ Guy – if you were referring to me I never said how good Haverford was, just that North Penn was going to lose before the D1 final, and I stand by that prediction, they are definitely going to have their hands full with Neshaminy and could very well lose that game. I specifically said Ridley would play them tough but end up losing and given the final score it certainly appears they gave them a pretty good game.
@Kevin X
Bishop Shanahan coach has already said he has no interest in moving to the “weaker” side of the Ches-Mont and wants to play with the big boys. There has been talk and “rumors” of them jumping ship to the PCL for years and nothing has happened yet, nor do I think it happens anytime in the near future.
I feel bad for schools like Sun Valley, Oxford and Kennett that now are going to have to face Coatesville and the Downingtowns. What good is going to do the league by having them get beat by 60 points.
If the WC East and Henderson want to move then dont schedule any cross over games… It does nobody any good! Just let Cville, DTE, DTW, AG and BS schedule an extra 2 or 3 non conference games a year. It wont be hard for BS and AG to find those games as other schools will view them as “winnable” games. Cville and the Downingtowns could have some issues however finding additional games.
@ et al:
No doubt about it. Nesahminy / NP game of the week in D1.
I think the other games will be one-sided. Don’t know anything about Truman ( ’cause they’re never here).
But it’s at DTW, that’s the clincher. Out west you got two #1 seeds goin’ at it.
Wonder if that will be game of the week on PCN?
“By a voye of 8-4 ChesMont League principals have decided to realign the league for next year. One Divsion will have the 6A schools plus Bishop Shanahan. The other division will be all the 5A schools. Schools on each side will play one or two non division ChesMont League games”
Wonder if the AD from Shanahan has placed (or will) a call to the PCL??? Might be a good time to jump ship…….
@David Mika
Sorry to blow up the forum with three posts in a row! Just wondering if there’s a way I can stream any other D1 games on my phone while I’m at the CV-DTE game this Friday. Specifically NP vs Neshaminy, but the DTW and GV games would be great to see too. I wish they staggered the games half on Friday and the other half on Saturday so I could double up!!
Thanks!
Jay….Your good!
As a follow up to my last comment, I forgot how strong North Allegheny is this year, and could definitely see a Harrisburg vs NA state final. SJP is always strong, and have played three fewer games than the field, so that’s why I tend to go with them, but NA has rolled through their schedule which has included defending 6A champion Pine Richland, PCC, and off the top of my head I think also Seneca Valley?? Man, the 6A WPIAL is stacked! So is 5A for that matter, maybe even more so, at least as far as the number of teams.
Screw it. Coatesville all the way. Final answer!
@Chief fellow Coatesville resident and fan, but I went to and played for Downingtown before the district split. So DTW I guess would be my alma mater, though I root for both, as well as Coatesville. That said I’m firmly in the Coatesville camp and have been since the year they went to the state final. I do believe they’ll beat DTE this week but in a close game. I’m more concerned with Garnet Valley as I think they have the weapons to win D1 and beyond. I see Neshaminy beating NP and losing to DTW. DTW at Coatesville or Garnet Valley in D1 final. If I have to pick now, then Coatesville, but I have to admit my bias possibly factoring in there, because I continue to have this sneaking suspicion that Garnet Valley will lose to Harrisburg, who will lose to SJP in Hershey. Hopefully I’m wrong. Go Raiders.
Watched the GV/Pennsbury game. Impressed with GV’s offense (not so much by their defense — but not bad). Not dumping on Haverford, but curious how they shut down GV (14 points), when seemed overmatched by Neshaminy — any feedback? I know C’ville had a tough time figuring them out last year, but I think their defense is a bit better and GV’s offense might not be quite as good as last year. Just hope C’ville has a good game plan for DTE — I’ve been telling folks that the D-town teams are pretty good — any predictions? P.S. the weather looks like it might be bad again this Friday.
@Buddy I have Garnet Valley as #2 in District 1 behind only Coatesville, North Penn is #3,that said I think you are right that Quakertown is in a world of Poop, the IF there is if Quakertown plays their kind of game, and keep it clean (no 3 turnovers in the first half like Pennsbury) they can keep it closer than most think.
@ Knight Time:
Wow, you’re apparently off you’re meds again aren’t you?
I thought PV would beat Q’town just because I thought PV would beat Q’town…………… period.
Better than 50/50 chance NP doesn’t play at Crawford stadium this Fri. Why? It’s gonna rain 3 days this week including Fri.
Hope I’m wrong though. But if I’m not, I rather see it at Souderton because it’s closer to my house ( as opposed to wissahickon).
@Smoll:
PV couldn’t stop the run, plus PV simply had a bad game ( rain was a factor, PV passes quite a lot, weather stifled that).
Hate to tell you, but Q-town is in a world of poop next week.
Just came back from watching Garnet Valley live for the first time since week 6. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a team do what they do in my 3 decades + of following high school football. They’re more than just a “typical” triple-option, and threw a couple of wrinkles in that makes you think there is more from where that came from. It used to be that the old ground-and-pound methods of Pennsbury circa 2000’s and the glory years of CB West would be fundamentally overwhelming line play followed by a hammer like Picciotti or a super freak athlete like the Jones kid from Strath Haven in the late 90’s. GV has that line but backs it up with 5 or 6 (yes, 5 or 6) carbon copy scat backs (plus 2 athletic QBs) that will either run right down the teeth of a D line or make 1-3 shifts after getting the handoff and bounce it for 10+. Granted, Pennsbury was down this year and were overmatched from the opening kickoff, but GV was impressive.
If their seemingly inevitable matchup with Coatesville comes to pass, there is no question that Ville will move the ball on that D. Pennsbury ran a spread offense that got a fair share of yards when they weren’t turning the ball over, and Coatesville’s talent dwarfs Pennsbury. If Coatesville plays a clean game, they win by at least 14, but if GV can force a couple of turnovers that game will get very competitive. Would be an awesome high school football game.
I wouldn’t be surprised to see a closer game for DTE, but Coatesville still wins by 14-17 points. I was at the first game and the scoreline didn’t tell the whole story. If DTE can come out like they did last week in the week 10 matchup, and control the tide a bit longer, who knows? Can’t wait to see it live.
Good to see DTW, Rustin and Unionville with some impressive wins too. Ches-Mont is strong this year.