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.
881 Responses
JT in Dist 11 3A should challenge this year. They return 17 of 22 starters.
@Matt-Yes, SL’s consistency over the last 10 years has been probably one of the more under-reported/under appreciated things in the Lehigh Valley and they’ve probably been one of the more underrated teams in the area. However, coming from the Colonial League that’s to be expected. The numbers discussion in an interesting one. Using East Stroudsburg South as an example from last year’s playoff, they had a roster of 62 with no freshmen. SL had 52 with 20 freshman on the roster. That’s a pretty significant difference and when it comes to playing a team as talented as Whitehall that usually ends up being the difference in the game as they don’t have near as many kids, especially linemen playing both ways.
@sausmann9-agree with your Kyle Haas sentiments. I had my son at the Berwick QB Camp last year and Haas was in charge of his group. Very impressed by his way of inspiring and motivating kids in just that small window of time. He will have no issue getting kids to play for him.
COMPETITIVE BALANCE – I love the idea!!!
Its the next best thing to getting rid of parochial/private school sports teams and making those parochial/private school kids return to their district school after they get their religious education (you know, the real reason they went to those schools) to participate in football, wrestling, basketball, etc…
https://www.mydaytondailynews.com/sports/has-competitive-balance-impacted-high-school-football/s1DWVZfEsUFmC9M94Hg4IP/
@colonial fan…. as a CL fan too, I also would like to see SL beat Whitehall for dist gold but Whitehall will be favorite again. SL has been CLs most consistent winner in league last 10 or so years….teams like PA, NL, Catty, NW etc have a couple really good years but with smaller numbers can’t compete year in and year out. SL has numbers so hopefully that can get Whitehall one of these years.
Route 54….agree but in AA Haven has to beat Southern Columbia to get further and we all know Southern will be state favorite in AA for next two years. In A Williams valley had very good teams last two years but couldn’t make it past state semis. In AAA dist 11 I think that’s the most wide open class. Notre Dame, Palisades and Lehighton all could win it.
@ StackMonster – this is all Northampton needed; a qualified experienced motivator. Northampton has athletes; both size and speed walking those hallways and they used to have (and still could) excellent feeder programs.
Wait til Haas gets his staff in place at the freshman level, middle school level, etc… give him three seasons or so and I’d bet he’s in the mix for an EPC title. Northampton area STILL GROWING on three of four sides and fast.
Thanks guys. Not a big all star game fan on any level of sports, but may be intrigued by a PA/NJ Big 33 showdown, in late April/early May (current game in mid June have beach and baseball on brain, not football), at Villanova stadium…………Yeah, that might work…..
Matt,interesting picks. It would be nice to see a D11 team finish stronger in A,AA.
Hearing some rumors of a sub-regional being proposed for District 11 and District 2 at the 5A level. Did some snooping on the PIAA website and they already have the proposed brackets posted for next season, showing those districts combined. Definitely make things more interesting as District 11 will jump from 4 teams the past two years, to what was 5 after the new relcassification and now 7 teams, with Wyoming Valley West and Wallenpaupack.
@Matt…mostly agree with your District 11 picks. I think Palisades might still have the horses to give ND a run, although that may be wishful thinking on my part. Beca has young talent, but will have an uknown at QB to start the season, but probably a good pick there. 5A will definitely become more interesting with the possibility of added teams. Don’t forget WVW beat them last year and they were not near as talented as Whitehall and I think Whitehall will be a little down this year. I’m not saying bad, but they lost some good talent. One of these years Southern Lehigh will break through for a District gold. The last two championship games have been more competitive than the final score has indicated.
Definitely looking forward to the start of spring practices, high school TEAM 7 on 7s, and start of a new season!
Matt
Agreed Parkland likely still the king at 6A for some time, but new coach Kyle Haas should breathe some life into struggling Northampton. I don’t know if they have the horses, but I think there is a young, athletic QB there that Haas could work with. Should be interesting to watch them over the next few years to see if they can build a contender.
Route 54…..
Dist 11 I’ll go Marian in A, Haven in AA, Notre Dame in 3A (Palisades will contend but lose some seniors), Beca in 4A, Whitehall in 5A and Parkland in 6A….pretty clear except for maybe 3A and A in dist 11. I’d like to see a new winner in 6A but Parkland wins it every year.
Way to early predictions. Anyone want to predict the District winners, east coast.
@ KevX – no our Big 33 has only ever been against Texas (65 – 67), Maryland, and Ohio. In the late 80’s and early 90’s PA played Maryland and back to Ohio for many years. PA used to have an instate “Big33” back in the day as well called the Blue/Grey game I think. The only all-star games involving NJ are local ones (county level) b/n the states and that hasn’t happened in YEARS. Now PA brings in Pburg kids to play in our Lehigh Valley allstar game in June at Nazareth HS.
@ Dave -I agree NJ would be a lot of fun to play in the Big 33 plus I think PA fans are more familiar w/ Jersey players and teams. JMO
@ NO – that move was personally motivated. The Quips just lost the best thing that happened to them in 21 years.
Has Pennsylvania every played NJ in the Big 33 game?? Wouldn’t mind seeing that match-up.
Kevin…I don’t think so…I rather see them play New Jersey than Maryland.
I’m happy to see the All-Academic teams. Amazing how the kids can play such a high level of football while keeping the grades up.
How about Aliquippa firing head coach Mike Zmijanac? In 21 season, his record was 237-36.
http://www.post-gazette.com/sports/high-school-football/2018/02/22/mike-zmijanac-fired-aliquippa-football-school-board-vote-wpial-western-pennsylvania/stories/201802220194
Any word on 2018 schedules?
Starting in March we are going to enter them.
@ sausmann9
Ironically one of the Prep players, to the best of my knowledge, got into trouble with the law from the ’03 team. A few years back was surprised to see in the news that their dynamic starting tailback from NJ was mentioned in the story.
@ Buddy – PA has not only played Ohio in the
Big 33 but they also played TX in the past (way past). Ohio started selected their top studs for their own in-state all star game (North v South and its a great game) and then sent the remainder of the all stars to PA for our game. That started around 2005/2006 sometime.
Maryland was another logical choice and shouldn’t really be underestimated. MD has some really nice talent for a small state as well as some very solid, nationally recognized football teams.
@ anonymous – you called out an entire football team from 2003 as an embarassment and criminals that lost scholarships. I am pretty familiar with that team; seen them in person quite a few times in 02 and 03 and still watch four of their games from those seasons from time to time. Of the starters I remember, these are the ones that I think went on to play college football on scholarships;
Kevin Akins
Eric Halberstat
George “Mauler” Farell
Casertano
Adam Hearns
Jeff Ball
Deanco Oliver
Chris Finney
Chris Tribiani
can’t remember where Laky or Raffle went but those are the ones I do.
can you tell me which players YOU were referring to???
Yo Buddy, I attended one Big 33 game in my life, back around 12 years ago for the experience of it. It was the year Ted Ginn Jr. played for Ohio (and had a nice TD catch). I tell you what, won’t do it again though. There was major gridlock in the roads around the stadium. Then they charged to park, I wasn’t feeling warm and fuzzy about that. I’ll give Hershey Park props for free parking at the PIAA state finals, but they don’t extend that same courtesy for the Big 33.
To clarify Jimmy’s comment, I believe you are referring to John Smith of Pen Argyl?
The Big 33. We used to play Ohio, now Maryland.
Why the switch? Maryland is usually a mis-match.
Is it because Ohio used to beat us most of the time, and Maryland is easier?
If that’s the case, shame.
Yo Mike A., That ‘project a matchup’ feature at calpreps.com is super cool — good looking out.
I need a geography refresher, The Perk School (and Pennsburg) is in Upper Montgomery County.
http://papreplive.com/2018/02/15/perkiomen-school-transitioning-to-eight-man-football-in-2018-names-upper-perk-grad-perlstein-coach/
Pa football fan. Smith started his first meeting with players and parents with taking credit for pocono mountain east at diffrent times during this meeting. Rob Meloski must be so glad that he does not have to deal with that guy. Plan and simple, old school con man. Who ever voted for this man to be the next coach should be ashamed.
I saw an article that the Perkiomen School (independent private prep school in Upper Bucks County (Pennsburg)) is transitioning to 8 man football for this upcoming season. The first 8 man team in Pennsylvania. So how long before other schools follow suit??