Are you ready for some football?
Welcome to the official forum on high school football for the 2025 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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Keep an eye out on Chester, Susquehanna, Harrisburg and Coatsville.
Chester needs to play someone with a pulse first. May have the easiest schedule in the state this year.
And that easy schedule will likely come back to haunt them come playoff time, when they face teams that are as good as they are.
Could be an ugly repeat of last year when WC Rustin took Chester out to the woodshed. And Chester played a decent competitive early season schedule last year. Difference this year I think is that D1 5A was really strong last year, not nearly as strong this year, so that should help Chester. Best of the group other than Chester that I see is Rustin and Springfield. Maybe Strath Haven, who I wrote off last Friday after seeing them, but found out after the fact that they were without they QB and one RB. Maybe seeing Rustin Friday and Springfield next week.
Most likely no. D1 5A has good public school teams but lacks size up front when faced with the D12 Privates.
Do you think the D1 winner has a realistic chance against Roman? I have my doubts, especially when you say D1 5A is not as strong as last year, but wondering your thoughts? I am going to see Peters vs. USC tomorrow night, and probably Pine Richland again next week, I do think the WPIAL winner has a pretty good chance to beat Bishop McDevitt, assuming they win D3 which seems likely, do any of you D3 guys think Exeter or anyone else will challenge McDevitt?
@ Jeff H, WPIAL folks, or anyone else who are familiar with this situation……..
Thoughts, comments, facts, updates (punishment, I am assuming there will be, or has been) on the Baldwin kid who went full WWE this past weekend in their game against EF??
The WPIAL has not handed down any punishment yet, he will almost certainly be suspended for a game and maybe two, Baldwin coach Dana Brown Jr. said there will be consequences, but he would not be kicked off the team.
He was quoted on TribLive as saying “It’s important that we help these young men navigate into adulthood,” said Brown, who also mentors student-athletes through a nonprofit he oversees called Status. “After making this mistake, messing up and doing something that’s totally unacceptable, you can’t just throw him away or throw him to the wolves. “I could never turn my head away from (a player in need), especially coming from the environment I grew up in and the kids I work with.”
“He’s shown a lot of remorse,” Brown said. “I’ve talked to him the last three days and helped him identify the issues. Regardless of whatever he says occurred (before that moment), it doesn’t make it right. He’s going through the process, learning from it and growing from it.”
I would also mention Baldwin has the longest current losing streak in the WPIAL at 24 games, they have a very small roster for a 5A school and can’t compete right now, they won’t win a game this year, so they’ll start next year on a 29 game streak.
Thanks Jeff. I may get back to this situation later, but I’m more curious to see what kind of punishment will be applied. I saw a maybe a 10 second clip of the incident, not pretty.
Did something lead up to trigger this?? Some kind of back story??
I have not heard any backstory or anything that led to the incident, and as of now have not heard of any punishment yet from the WPIAL or the school, I’m sure it’s coming soon, but nothing has been released publicly.
D2 Notes. Very few items because it was mostly blowouts & what was expected…happened. 8-2, thanks to the WVC. Sorry it’s late. I forgot about posting it. Not as detailed as I want it to be; but it’ll.do.
– Did the Game of the Week live up to the hype? Maybe not, but I’m going to gloat saying that I might’ve been the only person who predicts D2 games that might’ve had this outcome. North Pocono jumps to 5-0, beating Abington Heights 24-10.
– Pittston Area vs. Dallas: Wilkes-Barre was handed a gift in the division race. Dallas was handed a loss by Pittston. Pittston has been handed my surprise of the year. They take over the lead in WVC 1 after a 2 OT thriller.
– Valley West Upsets Hazleton: Well, leave it to the WVC for giving me both of my wrong picks this week. I believe all of the 2024 winless teams have won their first game this season. Sparty squeaked out a 31-25 win over the Cougars.
– Paupack/DV: Checking in on the expected, DV & Paupack kept it close for a half, but DV did what DV does in this rivalry, get to the 2nd half & pick up the pace. They get Win #1 on the season, winning 35-14.
Halfway Pt Playoff Update to come tomorrow, maybe
Interesting that the almost invincible, #1 ranked Modder Day school (I know, I know, it’s Mater Dei, lol) from Orange County, CA got their bootoxes kicked last week by a public high school located within the same greater LA area, Centennial (Corona, CA), affectionately stylized as ‘Cen10’ based on YT comments. Ok, they barely won, but they managed to get the W, bottom line, after being up big
early on. And this past weekend the #1 ranked team in Ohio Lakewood St. Edward got their keesters handed to them by a public team as well — Massillon High School who is also from northeast OH. Btw, the article I read made mention that it was the fourth year in a row that Massillon took out St. Eds. Again, it’s worth reiterating that this is the same St. Eds that owned St. Joe’s Prep last year, was basically their daddy. So you can see where phillyboy is going with this by connecting the dots. Don’t get me wrong, there is no question these elite private programs have every advantage under the sun, of course they do. But despite that, it’s still possible to vanquish the prepsters of the world from time to time as these schools in Ohio, the WPIAL (thank you very much) and other places have shown. Some of these high density population locales need to generate a modicum of moxie or something and extricate themselves from their Karen-esque suburban fog.
The SJP-St. Edward’s game last year, played in Cleveland the first week of the season, wasn’t nearly as one sided as your comment suggests. A bit like SJP’s loss to DeMatha this year–the final score is misleading. But I agree with your main point. Many in PA have been too caught up in complaining about boundary and non-boundary schools competing together in the playoffs. It wouldn’t be at all surprising that lots of players on boundary school teams went into playoff games against SJP thinking not only that they had no chance but that they were going to be mercy-ruled.
No I hear you FrankG, was just being a little hyperbolic/sensational with regard to the Prep for the sake of levity. Btw, watched that DeMatha game on YT, my initial inclination was ‘they got this’, next thing you know DM is doing touchdown wind sprints left and right. At any rate after the rough start they had to be the best 0-3 team in the country, literally.
The fact that public school victories over private powers are the exception, not the rule, proves that the private schools have an inherent advantage and should be competing in separate brackets when championship season comes around. Worth noting that in California postseason, Mater Dei competes in a separate Open Division with other private school powers, and only plays public schools during the regular season. Food for thought.
You’re right JCo, CA is a prime example of having separate playoffs for privates and publics, NJ as well. But phillyboy has always been of the opinion that Ohio has it perfect, or as close as it can be. They got four regions with a nice mix of urban, suburban and rural in each. Even the designation of the enrollment classifications by Division 1, 2, etc. makes more sense with the largest schools being ‘1’, not the other way around like PA, NJ and many others. Lastly, in the largest classification, they have a nice mix of public teams that step up to take the Division 1 title from time to time. Granted, it’s not nearly as often as the prepsters. I don’t know, is it 20 to 25 percent of the time that a public team nabs the OH Division 1 state championship, something like that? And in the years they don’t win, seems like it’s generally more competitive.
Looking through this site’s scoreboard at games yesterday, is this score correct???
Enterprise (AL) 127, Central (Phenix City, AL) 53
I
No,53 to 24
@Kevin – that’s reminiscent of the epic Meadville vs. Dubois game from 2015 that Meadville won 107-90 . That game featured national record-setting performances by Meadville running back Journey Brown, who rushed for 722 yards and 10 touchdowns, and DuBois quarterback Matt Miller, who passed for 787 yards and 10 touchdowns, could you imagine being at that game!
I do remember that game. I still tho can’t wrap my head around how 200 points combined can be scored in a football game.
Yeah, me neither, and how in the world did the statisticians keep up, I bet they had to review tape to make sure they had all the yardage correct. I would doubt we see either the individual rushing or passing yardage broken in our lifetime, just off the charts.
Its a typo
Central – 53
Enterprise – 24
That’s better
Rest Of The PA Slate. I think I left out a game from yesterday, so I have that in here, too.
District 11
– Parkland vs. Nazareth: Parkland 24, Naz 23
– Emmaus vs. Easton: Easton 37, Emmaus 19
– NDGP vs. Catasauqua: NDGP 41, Catty 16
District 4
– Athens vs. North Penn-Mansfield: Athens 27, NPM 22
– Loyalsock vs. Bloomsburg: Sock 28, Bloom 27
– Shikellamy vs. Jersey Shore: Shore 31, Shik 14
District 1
– North Penn vs. Pennridge: NP 29, Pennridge 20
– Owen J. Roberts vs. Perkiomen Valley: OJR 23, PV 19
– CB South vs. CB West: CBW 25, CBW 24
– Kennett vs. Rustin: Rustin 41, Kennett 15
– Unionville vs. Shanahan: Shan 37, U’ville 20
– Marple-Newton vs. Garnet Valley: M-N 27, GV 24
– Strath Haven vs. Haverford: HHS 25, Haven 16
District 12
– Neumann-Goretti vs. Lansdale Catholic: N-G 21, LC 20
– Northeast vs. Imhotep: Imhotep 49, N’east 6
District 3
– Cedar Cliff vs. Harrisburg: H’burg 32, CC 23
– Middletown vs. West Perry: WP 30, Middletown 22
– Ephrata vs. Elizabethtown: Eph 30, E’town 11
– Conrad Weiser vs Manheim Central: CW 38, MC 14
– Octorara vs. Twin Valley: TV 32, Octorara 14
– Spring Grove vs. Conestoga Valley: CV 29, SGA 16
– Eastern York vs. Solanco: Solanco 24, EY 15
D5/D6
– Bellwood-Antis vs. Tyrone: Tyrone 28, B-A 27
– Bishop Guilfoyle vs. Central: BG 33, Central 12
– Richland vs. Forest Hills: Rich 32, FH 20
– Penn Cambria vs. Central Cambria: PC 30, CC 21
– Huntington vs. Clearfield: Clearfield 34, Huntingdon 21
– Bishop McCort vs. Somerset: BM 31, Somerset 13
– Homer-Center vs. River Valley: H-C 34, RV 21
– Moshannon Valley vs. Mt. Union: MU 32, MV 26
D9/10
– Port Allegany vs. Redbank Valley: PA 41, RV 22
– Punxsutawney vs. Karns City: KC 21, Punx 20
– Moniteau vs. Keystone: Key 27, Moniteau 24
– Erie vs. Hickory: Erie 44
– Sharon vs. Farrell: Sharon 26, Farrell 24
– Corry vs. McLane: GM 31, Corry 18
– Grove City vs. Fort LeBeouf: FL 34, GC 22
– Eisenhower vs. Cochranton: Coch 23, Eisenhower 14
WPIAL
– Hempfield vs. Pittsburgh Central Catholic: PCC 47, Hempfield 10
– North Allegheny vs. Norwin: NA 37, Norwin 13
– Penn Hills vs. Aliquippa: PH 27, Quip 17
– McKeesport vs. USC: USC 26, McK 24
– Belle Vernon vs. South Fayette: SF 27, BV 22
– Mars vs. Montour: Montour 34, Mars 23
– Hopewell vs. Avonworth: A’worth 34, Hopewell 10
– South Allegheny vs. South Park: SP 32, South A 21
– Monessen vs. Fort Cherry: FC 44, Mon 15
– California vs. Avella: Cali 27, Avella 16
– Cornell vs. Bishop Canevin: Cornell 34, BC 24
– Jeannette vs. Leechburg: Leech 25, Jeannette 20
Non-PIAA/Crossovers
– Mifflinburg (4) vs. Hollidaysburg (6): Miff 29, H’burg 26
– Butler (7) vs. Westinghouse (8): Westy 24, Butler 7
– Bonner-Prendie (12) vs. Haverford School: HS 32, B-P 21
– Our Lady Of Good Counsel vs. St. Joe’s Prep (12): SJP 33, OLGC 6
– Smyrna (DE) vs. Cardinal O’Hara (12): Smyrna 24, O’Hara 14
– Chester (1) vs. Dunbar (DC): Chester 33, Dunbar 8
– Clear Spring (MD) vs. Everett (5): Everett 28, CS 24
– Wilmington (10) vs. Grand Valley (OH): Wilmy 26, GV 14
@D2 Fan – good call on Leechburg over Jeanette, they controlled the line of scrimmage and wore them down in the second half, Jeanette took a 27-21 lead midway through the third, and Leechburg scored the last 15 points to win 36-27 with a punishing rushing attack.
You were almost right about PH over they Quips, they led 10-0 at the start of the fourth and 16-15 late, then the Quips went on a 91 yard drive in the last 2 minutes capped by a 28 yard TD pass as time expired to stun Penn Hills in a walk off 21-16 win. Second week in a row the Quips were held scoreless through 3 quarters and came back to win, scoring 19 points last week against Mars and 21 last night in the fourth. That was the TV game of the week and had over 30 combined penalties and lasted so long it was still going on when I got home at 10:15 from the Avonworth game, so I got to watch the amazing ending, crazy that a high school football game lasted close to 3 1/2 hours.
You were also right about McKeesport playing USC tough even without Spell, to me that says McKeesport might be the best WPIAL 4A team even without Spell, and USC is not as good as I thought, we’ll find out soon enough as they play at Peters this week.
I was right about SA and Canevin, I think SA might be the best 2A team in the WPIAL
Very impressed with Avonworth, it’s going to take a very good team playing their A+ game to beat them, I think they would win 4A in the WPIAL this year, which is an indication of how good they are and 4A in the WPIAL is down this year, although a fully healthy McKeesport is a dangerous team.
Just the opposite for me, one hour and 50 minutes for Strath Haven and Haverford. Pretty much a snoozefest until the final 4-5 minutes. Strath Haven band did rock per usual.
Interesting CBW/CBS pick 🙂
My two contrarian D1 picks…….PV over OJR and GV over M-N
Bonus pick: Bonner over Haverford
Second Bonus pick: I’ll be a homer and take LC over NG
I disagree with some of your WPIAL picks, I would be very surprised if Penn Hills beat the Quips, they are really down this year. The Quips are down as well compared to last several years, but I think they beat PH at home by 2 scores
I also like South Allegheny to beat South Park, I said on here early in the season SA was a sleeper in 2A, and South Park got crushed by Steel Valley last week, I like SA to stay undefeated, I’ll take Jeanette over Leechburg, the Jayhawks have too much speed and skill for Leechburg to handle, and Bishop Canevin over Cornell.
Also, Kemon Spell is not playing, and USC is very good with a potent passing attack, I don’t think McKeesport will score enough points to keep up, and USC wins 35-14, I will be surprised if McKeesport can keep it within a couple of scores without Spell, if he was playing I would have gone to that game tonight.
I typically go see 5A games and occasionally the top 4A, or crossover games between the top classes. I would go see McKeesport vs. Upper St Clair tonight if Kemon Spell was playing, but he’s still out with an ankle injury, and I’m going to see USC next week vs. Peters, so I’ll try and catch McKeesport again later in the season assuming Spell is back.
Tonight I am going to see Avonworth play Hopewell who is 3-1 after a wild 51-50 loss to Beaver last week, they scored a very late TD and then went for 2 and the win but were unsuccessful. Hopewell has a very good sophomore QB who has offers from Penn State, Pitt and some other schools, last week in their loss he accounted for 609 yards of offense, on 346 passing with 4 TDs and 263 rushing with 2 TDs. Should be an interesting game with plenty of points scored, Hopewell and Elizabeth Forward are considered the next best in WPIAL 3A behind Avonworth and Imani.
Where’s anyone else going tonight? Can’t beat the weather, another beautiful night for HS football!
Delco bound tonight. Strath Haven @ Haverford. Ironically you are missing the best RB in the WPIAL (if not the state), I’m checking out my first in person look at Haverford’s RB Liam Taylor, one of the best in District One.
Had plans on making this a Haverford day/night doubleheader, with hitting up the Bonner @ The Haverford School game this afternoon. Just not coming together tho. I’ll catch Bonner later this year against La Salle and The Haverford School has plenty more of their traditional home Saturday afternoon games this season. Real cool place to see an October Saturday afternoon high school football game.
We’re going to be halfway into the season on September 20th. HOW!? Games on this week’s slate aren’t as good as last week, but there’s at least 8 very compelling games in D2 Country & two from their friends in the subregional.
– North Pocono vs. Abington Heights (LFC 1): One of these two teams will be undefeated after Saturday Afternoon. North Pocono’s had a great start, but done via a weaker schedule. AH has been battle tested. This is going to be one heck of a game. I got the Trojans, since they seem to have the best team, but I think Abington Heights could win, based on the way they’re playing. Everyone seems to be picking AH, so I want to be that one person going against the field.
– Valley View vs. Honesdale (LFC 2): Let’s take a second to appreciate this crossover game. The Howanitz Bowl is upon us & can have a say in the 4A playoff race. Valley View is frustrated after a blowout loss, but Honesdale is looking to turn their season around in a competitive 4A battle. I’ll give the edge to the Cougars to spoil George’s return to the Valley
– Dunmore vs. Carbondale (LFC 3): A couple two tree crossovers are happening in the valley, but none compare to this. Dunmore lost a close one to Trail & probably could be 4-0, while Carbondale is looking to sweep the Dunmore teams. To quote Lee Corso, if Carbondale thinks they can, I’ll say “Not so fast, my friend! Dunmore’s still better.”
– Pittston vs. Dallas (WVC 1): Dallas is 1-3 after getting back on track against Wilkes-Barre. Pittston is 3-1. This is a sneaky game, especially if Pittston wants to be the spoiler in this division. My gut says Dallas, but if Pittston’s doing this good with Russick at the helm, this might be a closer game.
– Berwick vs. Hanover Area (WVC 2): There’s a theme to the week: Matchups you would not expect to be here are featured. Last year, we all wrote this game off. This year? Berwick’s perfect & Hanover Area’s at .500. The Bulldogs can’t afford to lose this if they look ahead to the big one next week, but I hope this is close.
– Mid Valley vs. Lackawanna Trail (LFC HM): I like this matchup. Sneaky under the radar game for Sparty, based on the result from last year. I think Trail holds on & continues their dominance.
– Hazleton vs. WVW (WVC HM): Out of the 7 potential games in the WVC outside of the first two, so I’m doing this as what I think is the 3rd most compelling game. Hazleton will keep the WVW winless streak going.
– DV vs. Wallenpaupack (D2 HM): While Scranton vs. Scranton Prep is convincing, this has more on the line. DV’s offense is back & need to make sure they get closer to home field. Paupack’s Paupack. Not going to always challenge for the division (except 2018), but do need to find a way to keep up with Crestwood & Honesdale for playoff seeding. An upset here would be massive to challenge Crestwood. Unfortunately, history says otherwise. DV going 0-5 would be quite a story, but it’s their rivalry to control until we see the Buckhorns change it.
– Williamsport vs. Selinsgrove (6A): Billtown took their first loss to Shik last week, but are a good 3-1. Can they compete with a struggling Selinsgrove? Sure. They may lose this, but it’s here to keep an eye on a wacky 6A race that they lead.
– Williams Valley vs. Tri-Valley (1A): Rivals in the small school Division C are going head to head here. All games in 1A count & these Bulldogs are looking to defend their spot in the rankings in case one of the D2 teams sneaks back into the subregional race later. The Vikings are my pick here, since they’re better. T-V should be fine, since they have quite a margin over Nativity, but if they can squeak past them, Haven, or Minersville, it’d help.
Scores
– NP 26, AH 23
– VV 34, Honesdale 16
– Dunmore 31, Carbondale 12
– Dallas 38, Pittston 15
– Berwick 35, Hanover 10
– Trail 31, Mid Valley 13
– Hazleton 33, WVW 6
– DV 38, Paupack 12
– ‘Grove 24, Billtown 15
– WV 34, T-V 21
Thursday Games Elsewhere (Will do the rest later)
– Minersville vs. Schuylkill Haven: SH 33, Minersville 30
– Thomas Edison vs. Vaux (12): Edison 14, Vaux 13
– Steel-High vs. Susquehanna Twp: S-H 35, STWP 21
– Brashear vs. Allderdice (8): TA 49, Brash 7
I will never get used to the high school season being half over on the 3rd week in September. I know things change and they certainly have. The playoffs are nice,but Im not sure the overall season is as much fun as it used to be ,just my opinion. The majority of the teams are finished on the week of Halloween. Its many of the same teams with a few exceptions every yr that advance to the state playoffs both public and private. There is something to be said for teams fighting for league titles in November and those great Thanksgiving games to cap off the season. I still love the high school football season even in todays form just wish it wouldnt go by so quick.
Does anyone know if the Playoff cycle is the same this year as last and how many teams make it from each district. I am hearing it changed but I thought that only happened every 2 years.
I know of no changes, but that doesn’t that there aren’t any. Just what I would assume is that the brackets are flipped as this is the second year of the PIAA two year cycle. So teams/districts on the bottom of each bracket last year should be the home school/district this year for state level games. Specific rules of how a team gets an actual home game versus a neutral site game either in their district or at a halfway point is still fuzzy to me. I do know the PIAA frowns on teams playing on natural grass for state level playoff games. Certain stadium/facility requirements need to be met as well (seating capacity, gated facility, I’ll assume ADA compliant, etc.).
I would like to update my comment
About the quality of play for Scranton Prep
They should be in good shape now that quarterback Will McPartland is back and healthy again , which is always good to see Praise God .
It’s never good to see anybody’s athletes go down no matter what their position it’s just not good.
I did not realize in my earlier comments that he was the quarterback I thought he was
running back/athlete
However, this changes a lot for the Cavaliers and definitely opens up the 3A classification to be more competitive going into November
So, to compare D2’s 3A crop to Avonworth & NWL.
I don’t see a path for either Berwick, Wyoming Area, or Prep to make it to Cumberland Valley, but it’s possible if everything goes right. Wyoming Area, based on how they’re playing, might have the best chance of the three to make a run, but none of them have gotten past the D11 champ the last few years (which is really only Prep), since you’ll also have to probably get past Neumann-Goretti if it isn’t Northwestern (I forget the bracket setup this cycle). Prep getting their best player back can & probably will change that, but I don’t see it making much of a difference past districts. Avonworth is top dog & I’m not sold on passing the torch back to D2 for an “Eastern” championship just yet.
Schedule-wise, Prep went the DV Route this time. Kinda fared okay with it, though I feel they should go into D4/D11 instead (Prep vs. Southern would be must watch TV). Wyoming Area has played a tough schedule & won against Crestwood, Dallas, & Lakeland. Also a young WW team that was a threat last year that got hit heavily by graduation, so they could’ve had four tough games. Berwick has had a weaker schedule with Mid Valley, Hazleton, & Lake-Lehman, but did beat powerhouse Trail.
Week 6, Berwick vs. Wyoming Area will have a true say as to who gets home field & probably the 1 seed. Maybe we’ll have a better idea then.
D2 Notes. Didn’t have the best week picks wise, but we had a week that pretty much went the way it was supposed to. All the games I got wrong are at the top, as I went 7-3. I’ll break this into a couple posts.
Game of the Week: DV vs. Scranton Prep lived up to the hype & then some. If there’s a pick I’m fine with getting wrong, it was this one. We knew both were gonna be hungry & they both were. Prep’s offense is back running on all cylinders after a 49-44 win at home. This was a DV controlled game for a bit, but Prep scored 42 unanswered & didn’t look back. DV did try to storm back, but it wasn’t enough. DV gets Paupack & Prep gets Scranton next.
Comet Domination: I took Valley View in the VV/AH game, but Abington Heights proved me wrong, as they dominated the Cougars, 45-7. Not much to be said. It was just a dominant game. Big game for them next week against North Pocono.
Dallas Is Still The King: I’m genuinely surprised by this outcome. Dallas led early. The Pack came back. But it was a walk off field goal for the defending WVC 1 champs. I thought Wilkes-Barre would take the next step, but I’m afraid that they may have wasted their best chance to win WVC 1. I still think the division is up for grabs since Dallas is a younger team, so we’ll see if it’s a shared division crown this time.
Trail Squeaks Past: The battle of Wing T was all that it was advertised to be. Good small school football. The key to the victory? Special teams. Both scored 4 TD, but a key special teams play late was enough to seal the deal for the smaller school. Trail plays Mid Valley next, who seems to be finding their stride. I’ll get to Dunmore’s opp later on.
Is Old Forge Okay?: This is an uncharacteristic season in Pizzatown. The Blue Devils lost to an on the rise Hanover Area team that got the first win in this series. I’m not sure what’s going on in Old Forge, but this is uncharacteristic for one of the great programs in all of NEPA.
Give Some Respect: How about Carbondale!? The Chargers are a very convincing 3-1 this season. Their only loss? To Lakeland, who had their first loss to Wyoming Area last night. Their wins have been against reeling teams, but I’m impressed by their start. I’m curious to see how they’ll handle LFC 3 this year. The Holy Cross win is a start, but what can they do against the big dogs? Time will tell, especially with a game against Division 2 Dunmore coming up next. A game I think was close last year.
Extra Notes
– North Pocono controlled their game against Wallenpaupack last night. They’re a good 4-0 heading into the meat & potatoes of the schedule. The other undefeated teams are the aforementioned Abington Heights, Berwick, & Wyoming Area.
– On the flip side, five 0-4 remain: DV is the headliner, along with Old Forge, WVW, Susquehanna, & Nanticoke.
– Holy Redeemer snapped a 24-game losing streak as they took down Susquehanna in the only night game up in the Depot. Good to see, as Redeemer’s finally starting to win in their independent schedule. I think they’ll have a chance to squeak out another win or two on the schedule. Easier said than done.
– Strange Stat: WVW is ahead of DV in the 5A rankings. Both teams are winless. This will obviously change, but you don’t see this every season after 4 games.
– Same with Scranton Prep. 9th in 3A, even with a win. They’re barely behind Western Wayne, but this is a year that Prep may find themselves without home field in districts.
– Pittston put up 64 pts last night in a win against Valley West. Is this a record for pts scored by them, or at least in recent times? May need some help to confirm that.
I read that Old Forge is suffering from the injury bug.
My first in person, somewhat of a clunker, game Friday night. It was going to happen at some point during the season, just thought this one was going to be closer. Pick your favourite cliche to describe Imhotep: The more things change, the more they stay the same, they can’t get out of their own way, they can’t stop shooting themselves in the foot, etc. Disappointed that Imhotep’s highly touted Jr. QB Joey McLeish did not play due to a concussion. I was looking forward to seeing him play live. I don’t get many chances to see Imhotep.
A St. Joe Prep/Malvern Prep game this year would have been really very nice. Don’t know what these two do not get together on the football field, especially recently.
I don’t know why SJP and MP haven’t played one in the last ten years. Their freshman teams have done so just about every year.
For a few years at the end of the Brooks period and the beginning of the Infante period they had a fairly successful Thanksgiving series with quite big crowds at Villanova Stadium. Obviously, Thanksgiving doesn’t work now for SJP if they’re in the state playoffs, and maybe MP prefers to end its season in early November with the last Inter-Ac game. Maybe if the PIAA makes big changes to the playoffs, e.g., ending competition between boundary and non-boundary schools, a Thanksgiving SJP-MP game might make a lot more sense. Also, I wonder if Malvern becomes (and maybe it already is) so much better than the other Inter-AC schools whether they might consider joining the PCL. They already play LaSalle and Roman. Bonner and O’Hara are kind of natural rivals–as, of course, is SJP. I don’t think anything is going to happen in the next year or two, but lots could change after that.
I caught the video of the SJP-St. Frances game, now up on YouTube. I was struck by how few players St. Frances had. It seems nearly all their players were starters, though it didn’t seem any went both ways. It’s a different model. They hit hard and are very fast and talented. SJP was much better than they were against DeMatha and in the second half against American Heritage. If Foulke can improve his accuracy, they’ll be OK the rest of the way. Yes, LaSalle is probably the favorite, but it’s almost certainly the case that none of the teams LaSalle has beaten would beat any of the teams SJP has lost to.
I said yesterday I thought Avonworth vs. TJ would be a competitive game, I was wrong as Avonworth dominated in a 41-14 win that was not as close as the final score. Avonworth, which is one of the smaller schools in 3A, has now beaten 4A heavyweights Aliquippa and TJ by a combined 64-21 the last 2 weeks, people around here are searching the records books to see the last time a school beat up on the Quips and TJ like that in back to back weeks. This was one of the games of the week on TV here, and the replay came on at 11pm, so I watched most of the reply and to say Avonworth was impressive would be a massive understatement. They put up 332 yards of total offense in the first half, with 223 passing yards and 109 rushing, to take a 27-14 lead into half, then scored 2 defensive TDs in the first 3 minutes and change of the second half to make it 41-14 and coasted from there. TJ only threatened to score once in the second half, as they had a nice drive to get to first and goal at the 6 midway through the fourth quarter, then went backwards and turned it over on downs, and Avornworth grinded out the last 4+ minutes of the game. Very balanced offense, good defense, very good on both lines, kicked a couple of field goals, a very complete team, especially for a 3A school.
Avonworth is significantly better than last year’s state runner up and has the look of a team that’s going to run the table and go 16-0 and win a state championship. I’m curious how you D11 guys think this year’s NWL team compares to last year, I said a few weeks ago these schools look headed for a rematch in December, unless NWL is a good bit better than last year I don’t see them beating Avonworth.
@Jeff H. I live in NWL and I am around the program so I have my thoughts. I said after last year’s championship, that Avonworth has to be the favorite this year based on how they played with what they bring back. I am not wavering from that, if anything the past 2 weeks just confirms that.
Eastern PA is for 3A is relatively week in my opinion, the 3 top teams are in D11 so in my opinion whoever wins D11 3A is playing for the state championship, albeit as a underdog. I don’t think it will be NS based on the past couple of weeks and it will come down to NWL and ND. I still give the edge to NWL but it will be close.
NWL is only starting 5 or 6 seniors on each side but the difference is they are playing more sophomores than juniors, so relatively a young team. I was at the BM and NWL game last night, BM has size and speed and really tested our resolve. Great win and wake up call but they have a lot of growing left to do if they think they will beat Avonworth again. Avonworth is on a different level as of now, NW has NS coming up not this week but next and then SL at the end of the year which should let us know where the Tigers stand
I really don’t follow the smaller schools that closely, there are not many where I am located, so I’ll nudge D2 Fan into possibly running with this………. I don’t think one should cast aside Wyoming Area, Berwick and Scranton Prep in 3A up in D2. I don’t know if 2 of the 3 of them have played a weak schedule to date and are having undefeated seasons as the result of that, or are the likes of Berwick and WA are regaining some of their distant (Berwick) and more recent (WA) mojo. Scranton Prep is probably playing most difficult schedule of any 3A team in the east, and just got back their best player from injury. With all of that said, whoever does come out of the east in 3A will have their hands full against the Antelopes, one of the best nicknames out there!!!
Agree on the Avonworth nickname, they are affectionately referred to as the “Lopes” around here! The Mars Fightin’ Planets are another great one from the WPIAL!
Imani Christian is the only team in the WPIAL that can challenge them, they have a lot of skill and speed with 2 kids going to Penn State, but I don’t think they have the depth and physicality to beat Avonworth.
There are some great nicknames up state. Down this way the Abington Galloping Ghosts has to be right up there….Jenkintown Drakes cool one also.
Bye bye wally bye bye wally bye bye wally go back to shendo.
After 4 games, this is the most dysfunctional and fundamentally unsound Mt Carmel team I can remember. Can’t run the ball and can’t stop the run. The tackling is atrocious. There is some talent on the team but it is completely overshadowed by the number of penalties, fumbles or other miscues. If they don’t somehow turn things around, this will end up being a losing season and a record of pts/yds given up by a MCA defense. End of rant.
Your long snapper on punts snaps the ball with the velocity of a charlie hough knucleball. Your coach has a passing qb running a run the ball offense and the line isn’t very good right now. They would be better off pretending the game is still going on and don’t go to halftime because the adjustments at half time have them being outscored by about 100 in 4 games
FINAL: York High 91, Northeastern 0
I’m just about done with PA high school football outside of District One, the PCL, and Inter-Ac. You guys can have it. Carry on……
This is why I kind of wish PIAA could just do away with leagues & create regions based on geography, size, & competitive balance like other states attempt to do. Yes, you’re never going to get rid of blowouts like this completely but at least put a band-aid on the problem. Or at least better scheduling by teams, leagues, & districts to alleviate the problem.
An “unsuccess factor” should even be applied for poor performing teams. Would these big school teams that are weak be better off playing in a lower class? Like why is York Tech (a 6A school playing 1A Delone & York Catholic) even in 6A? Would the Pocono schools be competitive playing 3A or 4A teams rather than having a shot in 6A against Parkland, Emmaus, Freedom, etc.?
And on the other coin, Clairton was mentioned. There should be a competitive 1A/2A league for them & the other small school powers out West. Could Southern benefit by playing a 4A schedule with Shore, Selinsgrove, & maybe 6A Williamsport if the Quip’s safety concern playing a larger school is more or less a one-off.
I don’t know how you’d do it, but I’d love for the entire state to use the D2/3/4/11 Power Rating system (which I actually like as a determination for playoffs) & promote/relegate teams every cycle depending on the class & their rating/record, to find the balance needed. Then schedule appropriately taking in all rivalries. Size shouldn’t *be* the main factor when coming up with classes. Competitive balance probably should. Maybe if you scored at least a .700 Power Rating in a class (average over two years), you’d get promoted to the next class & below a .250 to be relegated (or below .350 to go down in some instances). Obviously, the top & bottom are concerns. 6A can’t move up. 1A can’t move down. You can still have the same appeals process if a team doesn’t feel it should be moved up, but I think dropping down should probably be accepted.
Part of the problem with Gimp software is that their methodology does not account for conferences within districts. So weaker conferences can artifically inflate the standing of a team but in reality the team will have a small shot at winning against the team in the superior conference. This happens in non-revenue sports in D4 all the time, particularly in tennis. Football is obviously not immune either.
Just for clarification, if there was any confusion, I just did a quick cut and paste of this score from another source, I’m guessing William Penn (D3, York) is also known as (or was known as) York High. I’m not familiar with that area.
That’s insane. Northeastern will never get better as long as the YAIAA keeps shoehorning them into a division with the 6A schools. They need a cycle or two with smaller schools to find their footing.
I have never heard of Northeastern, I know nothing about them or their history, I’m assuming they are in District 3 in the York area. So what would be so devastating if this school would play an independent football schedule (even temporarily, until the ship is righted) against other struggling D3 teams such as Lancaster’s McCaskey, Lebanon, Reading, Daniel Boone, etc. (you fill in the rest of the schedule) who would also be playing an independent schedule??
I think that might be a viable solution for some downtrodden programs, as I mentioned in a previous post several WPIAL schools and also a few Pittsburgh City League schools (District 8), have opted for an independent schedule, they play schools from other districts (Butler just played Meadville from D10, for example), they also play out of state schools from bordering states, so it can be done to try and rebuild a program, going independent for awhile to play comparable teams is better than getting crushed every week.
@ Kevin X
Montrose didn’t go to NY this cycle. It was the last cycle where they played at least two or three games up there.
@ Kevin X – that should be a very good game, I think Malvern wins by a TD.
I am going to see Woodland Hills vs. Penn Trafford at the Wolvarena, PT is 3-0 after coming back from a 24-13 deficit in the last 5 minutes last week to stun Moon 25-24, these teams usually play pretty competitive games, winner has a big leg up on the conference title and a higher seed in 5A playoffs.
Not a lot of marque games tonight in the WPIAL, the most intriguing is 3A #1 Avonworth hosting 4A #1 TJ. Last year TJ rolled to a 44-7 victory as Avonworth was missing several starters due to injury, this game should be much closer as I think Avonworth is better than last year and TJ is not as good. Avonworth had a very impressive victory over Aliquippa last week, will be interesting to see how they do tonight against TJ, I would be surprised if it’s not a very competitive game.
I agree, and I did see your previous post regarding that situation. Believe Montrose in D2 up by the NY state border has been playing an independent schedule recently as well. Maybe more will in the future, if something else isn’t proposed.
I’m off to Imhotep @ Malvern Prep tonight. Not excepting a 91-0 game.
Where are you off too??
Every week, we will give you a capsule preview of every game involving WVC and LFC teams presented by Dickson City Hyundai. The games will be listed based on how competitive they are, rivalry impact and storylines. So, if you are looking for a game to go watch, this guide will help you each week.
Matchup Scale
Must-see: Four Footballs Rating
Great: Three Footballs Rating
Good: Two Footballs Rating
Fair: One Football Rating
WEEK 4
Valley View Cougars (2-1) at Abington Heights Comets (3-0)
Abington Heights Stadium (Turf), Friday 7pm – Media: NEPAFootball.com
LFC Division I Game
Series: Valley View 33-20-2
Last Meeting: 2024 Valley View 18-13
Last Week: Wilkes-Barre 16, Valley View 14; Abington Heights 40, Dallas 28
Players To Watch
Valley View: WR Gabe Davis; Abington Heights: QB Nick Bradley
The Skinny: This will be a good measuring stick for Abington who has played Valley View close the past couple seasons, but ended up not winning those games. Keep an eye up front as the Comets have been surprisingly dominant in trenches and they will try to match Cougars who are always strong up front. Valley View’s defense has been outstanding only allowing four offensive touchdowns in three games. Should be a fun game under the lights at Abingt0n Heights High School.
Key Matchup: Abington Heights receivers vs. Valley View secondary
Favorite: Abington Heights by 6
Delaware Valley Warriors (0-3) at Scranton Prep Cavaliers (0-3)
Dunmore Veterans Memorial Stadium (Turf), Friday 7pm – Media: NEPAFootball.com
LFC Division I Game
Series: Delaware Valley 6-5
Last Meeting: 2024 Delaware Valley 28-25
Last Week: Central York 46, Delaware Valley 21; Canisius (NY) 41, Scranton Prep 28
Players To Watch
Delaware Valley: RB Mike Iuzzolino; Scranton Prep: DB A.J. Croom
The Skinny: This game decided the division last year even though it was played in Week 4. If either of these teams want to compete for one this year, this is a must-win. But let’s face it. There will be some urgency as both teams need a win to avoid going 0-4 to start the season. DV’s offense has looked fine, but the defense has been shredded albeit by good competition. Prep finally found some offense last week.
Key Matchup: Scranton Prep offensive line vs. Delaware Valley linebackers
Favorite: Scranton Prep 2
Dallas Mountaineers (0-3) at Wilkes-Barre Wolfpack (2-1)
Wolfpack Stadium (Turf), Friday 7pm – Media: NEPAFootball.com
WVC Division 1 Game
Series: Dallas 5-1
Last Meeting: 2024 Dallas 41-33
Last Week: Abington Heights 40, Dallas 28; Wilkes-Barre 16, Valley View 14
Players to Watch
Dallas: RB Hunter Pitcavage; Wilkes-Barre: QB Jake Howe;
The Skinny: Dallas won this game last year to end a three-game losing streak to start the season and hope to repeat that feat. Wilkes-Barre needs this win badly if they want to win the division. The Mounts are two-time defending champions so the Wolfpack can get over a hump from the past two seasons. Dallas offense looked much better last week. And Wilkes-Barre’s defense actually won the game for them last Friday.
Key Matchup: Wilkes-Barre passing game vs. Dallas secondary
Favorite: Wilkes-Barre by 10
Wallenpaupack Buckhorns (2-1) at North Pocono Trojans (3-0)
NP Sports Complex (Turf), Friday 7pm
LFC Division I Game
Series: North Pocono 17-13
Last Meeting: 2024 Wallenpaupack 21-14
Last Week: Wallenpaupack 37, Honesdale 6; North Pocono 48, Wyoming Valley West 0
Players To Watch
Wallenpaupack: DL Christian Gutierrez; North Pocono: LB Evan Wolff
The Skinny: Last season, the Buckhorns shocked the Trojans but don’t expect them to sneak up on them this season. North Pocono is ranked No. 1 and looking like the team to beat in LFC Division I. Wallenpaupack has been impressive running the football the past two game which were wins. Last week, they had three 100-yard rushers.
Key Matchup: North Pocono offensive line vs. Wallenpaupack defensive line
Favorite: North Pocono by 13
Wyoming Area Warriors (3-0) at Lakeland Chiefs (3-0)
Lakeland Stadium (Turf), Friday 7pm – Media: NEPAFootball.com
Conference Crossover Game
Series: Wyoming Area 4-2
Last Meeting: 2024 Wyoming Area 56-6
Last Week: Wyoming Area 50, Western Wayne 0; Lakeland 33, Riverside 23
Players to Watch
Wyoming Area: QB Jack Gravine; Lakeland: WR Jackson Pochas
The Skinny: This wasn’t even a game last season, but we expect it to be very competitive this Friday at Chapman Lake. The Warriors have numerous offensive weapons while the Chiefs can answer with their skill players. However, Lakeland will have to match Wyoming Area in the trenches. Good quarterback battle as both signal callers, David Naniewicz and Jack Gravine, are off to fast starts.
Key Matchup: Lakeland defensive line vs. Wyoming Area run game
Favorite: Wyoming Area by 7
Dunmore Bucks (2-1) at Lackawanna Trail Lions (2-1)
Lions Pride Stadium (Grass), Friday 7pm – Media: NEPAFootball.com
LFC Division Crossover Game
Series: Dunmore 10-5
Last Meeting: 2024 Lackawanna Trail 28-7
Last Week: Dunmore 50, Susquehanna 0; Berwick 33, Lackawanna Trail 12
Players To Watch
Dunmore: FB Brandon Mecca; Lackawanna Trail: OL Lucas Evans
The Skinny: Trail is reeling a little bit after a loss to good Berwick team so it will be time for the Lions to regroup. The Bucks are coming off two blowout wins in which their defense has been dominant and the offense has been full of big plays. The question is can Dunmore do that on the road? Battle of the Wing-T offenses this week at Tunnel Hill
Key Matchup: Lackawanna Trail offensive line vs. Dunmore linebackers
Favorite: Lackawanna Trail by 1
West Scranton Invaders (1-2) at Scranton Knights (1-2)
Scranton Veterans Memorial Stadium (Turf), Friday 5pm
LFC Division Crossover Game
Series: Scranton 21-14
Last Meeting: 2024 Scranton 21-0
Last Week: Hazleton 40, West Scranton ; Pocono Mt. East 45, Scranton 0
Players To Watch
West Scranton: QB Jake DeLuca; Scranton: TE Chris Delsantro
The Skinny: The Battle for the Bell has been dominated by Scranton in recent years. West Scranton last won the Bell Game in 2015, defeating Scranton 34–8. Last year, the game was much more competitive than recent years which is expected with rivalry games. Both teams are coming off lopsided losses, so there will be some urgency to play well as they will both head to division play next week.
Key Matchup: Scranton offensive line vs. West Scranton linebackers
Favorite: Scranton by 12
Honesdale Hornets (1-2) at Mid Valley Spartans (1-2)
Spartans Stadium (Turf), Friday 7pm
LFC Division II Game
Series: Honesdale 13-7
Last Meeting: 2024 Mid Valley 27-14
Last Week: Wallenpaupack 37, Honesdale 6; Mid Valley 42, Old Forge 0
Players To Watch
Honesdale: QB Abe Bryant; Mid Valley: DL Rhys Williams
The Skinny: Mid Valley had an easy time last Friday and it was a relief for Spartan fans as they just didn’t look like the team the first two weeks that we expected . The Spartans hope that win will give them some momentum as they head into division play. Honesdale has struggled the last two weeks, especially on offense with their new Wing-T offense. The roster is very inexperienced and it has showed at times.
Key Matchup: Mid Valley linebackers vs. Honesdale offensive line
Favorite: Mid Valley by 10
Riverside Vikings (2-1) at Lake-Lehman Black Knights (1-2)
Eddie Edwards Stadium (Turf), Friday 7pm
Conference Crossover Game
Series: Tied 4-4
Last Meeting: 2024 Lake-Lehman 42-12
Last Week: Lakeland 33, Riverside 23; Lake-Lehman 59, Northwest 0
Players To Watch
Riverside: DB Angel Grande; Lake-Lehman: RB Alex Smith
The Skinny: The Vikings struggled down the stretch last week which brings up the concerns of depth with a small roster. Lehman finally broke through last Friday pitching a shutout and scoring 59 points. This will be a tough game for Riverside to have to travel to the Back Mountain and play in the Black Hole. For the Black Knights, they are hoping they figured some things out last Friday and can pull off the upset at home.
Key Matchup: Lake-Lehman defensive line vs. Riverside offensive line
Favorite: Riverside by 11
Tunkhannock Tigers (1-2) at Nanticoke Trojans (0-3)
Fracnk Chicknoski Stadium (Turf), Friday 7pm – Media: NEPAFootball.com
WVC Division 2 Game
Series: Nanticoke 9-7
Last Meeting: 2024 Nanticoke 14-12
Last Week: Crestwood 46, Tunkhannock 7; Pittston Area 48, Nanticoke 13
Players To Watch
Tunkhannock: OL Cooper Thomas; Nanticoke: RB Jonah Guzman
The Skinny: This was Nanticoke’s only win last season so Tunkhannock is looking for some payback. The Trojans looked much better last week even though they lost their third straight. The Tigers are hoping to win the games they are favored and play better against tougher opponents which so far hasn’t happened.
Key Matchup: Nanticoke defensive line vs. Tunkhannock running game
Favorite: Tunkhannock by 28
Old Forge Blue Devils (0-3) at Hanover Area Hawkeyes (1-2)
Old Forge Veterans Memorial Stadium (Grass), Friday 7pm – Media: NEPAFootball.com
Conference Crossover Game
Series: Old Forge 7-3
Last Meeting: 2024 Old Forge 42-7
Last Week: Mid Valley 42, Old Forge 0; Hanover Area 47, Holy Cross 0
Players To Watch
Old Forge: WR Chris Rasmus; Hanover Area: RB Dawin Downey;
The Skinny: Old Forge is down. We mean really down. Hanover is on the rise and the offense has looked spectacular the first three weeks. If the Blue Devils are going to stay in this game, they will have to buckle down on defense and hope they can make some plays on offense. Hawkeyes would love a win over a historically great program like Old Forge.
Key Matchups: Hanover Area receivers vs. Old Forge secondary
Favorite: Hanover Area by 15
Holy Redeemer Royals (0-3) at Susquehanna Sabers (0-3)
William Emminger Field (Grass), Friday 7pm
Conference Crossover Game
Series: Susquehanna 11-0
Last Meeting: 2024 Susquehanna 40-14
Last Week: Carbondale 47, Holy Redeemer 13; Dunmore 50, Susquehanna 0
Players To Watch
Holy Redeemer: WR Mike Zbierski; Susquehanna: QB Gabe Maby
The Skinny: Good news is someone will get a win this week. The Sabers are very young and it as showed the first three weeks. The Royals are still trying to figure things out. This is the annual night game at Susquehanna
Key Matchup: Susquehanna offensive line vs. Holy Redeemer linebackers
Favorite: Susquehanna by 6
Berwick Bulldogs (3-0) at Hazleton Area Cougars (1-2)
Harman-Geist Memorial Field (Turf), Friday 7pm – Media: NEPAFootball.com
WVC Division Crossover Game
Series: Berwick 53-28-2
Last Meeting: 2024 Hazleton 27-10
Last Week: Berwick 33, Lackawanna Trail 7; Hazleton Area 40, West Scranton 0
Players To Watch
Berwick: LB Everett Snyder; Hazleton Area: RB Xavier Heck
The Skinny: Berwick is riding high right now and Hazleton finally got their act together last Friday. Both team’s defenses will have to find a way to stop two talented running backs. The Bulldogs want to keep it on the ground. The Cougars are more balanced as they will sling it around the field as well as run the football.
Key Matchup: Hazleton Area linebackers vs. Berwick offensive line
Favorite: Berwick by 13
Crestwood Comets (1-2) at Western Wayne Wildcats (1-2)
Sparkey-Rosetti Complex (Turf), Friday 7pm
Conference Crossover Game
Series: Crestwood 6-3
Last Meeting: 2024 Western Wayne 21-0
Last Week: Crestwood 46, Tunkhannock 7; Wyoming Area 50, Western Wayne 0
Players To Watch
Crestwood: WR Gio Barna; Western Wayne: RB Quinn Swartz
The Skinny: Western Wayne continues to rebuild while Crestwood finally got a win after two close losses. The Comets didn’t score in this game last year, but we thinkg they will put up a lot of points up this time around. Wildcats are looking for a touchdown which they haven’t scored since Week 1
Key Matchup: Western Wayne defensive line vs. Crestwood offensive line
Favorite: Crestwood by 20
Wyoming Valley West Spartans (0-3) at Pittston Area Patriots (2-1)
Charley Trippi Stadium (Grass), Friday 7pm
WVC Division 1 Game
Series: Wyoming Valley West 31-15
Last Meeting: 2024 Pittston Area 47-7
Last Week: Pittston Area 55, Nanticoke 0; North Pocono 23, Wyoming Valley West 7
Players To Watch
Wyoming Valley West: OL Trevor Ruddy; Pittston Area:RB Jude Ferentino
The Skinny: All that optimism from Week 1, when the Spartans played well, has disappeared. The Patriots are riding high. This is a mismatch on paper. Pittston’s special teams have been a factor the first three weeks.
Key Matchup: Pittston Area offensive line vs. Wyoming Valley West defensive line
Favorite: Pittston Area by 30
Holy Cross Crusaders (1-2) at Carbondale Area Chargers (2-1)
Cerra Sports Complex (Grass), Friday 7pm
LFC Division III Game
Series: Carbondale 15-1
Last Meeting: 2024 Carbondale 28-0
Last Week: Hanover Area 47, Holy Cross 0; Carbondale 47, Holy Redeemer 13
Players to Watch
Holy Cross: QB Caleb Rutkoski; Carbondale: LB Jahquest Kirby
The Skinny: Both these teams will want to run the football. Carbondale has several options while Holy Cross relies on the Wudarski brothers. The Chargers should be able to use their weapons to score a lot of points.
Key Matchup: Holy Cross running backs vs. Carbondale defensive line
Favorite: Carbondale by 22
Morrisville Bulldogs (2-1) at Montrose Meteors (1-2)
Bennett/Mullin Field (Grass),Friday 7pm
District Crossover Game
Series: First Meeting
Last Week: Pequea Valley 14, Morrisville 6; Col-Mont Vo-Tech 38, Montrose 12
Players to Watch
Morrisville: QB Merik Johnson; Montrose: WR Evan McComb
The Skinny: First time these two teams are meeting although Morrisville has played some area teams in the state subregionals. Meteors hoping to get better every week.
Key Matchup: Morrisville passing game vs. Montrose secondary
Favorite: Morrisville by 24
Week 4 in NEPA football brings us divisional play & intriguing battles
– Delaware Valley vs. Scranton Prep (LFC 1): Both have 0-3 records in common. One by injuries, one by tough scheduling. Someone has to get off the schneid. I’ll say DV flips from a zero to a one, though Prep is finding itself on offense.
– Wyoming Area vs. Lakeland (LFC 2): This crossover is much more intriguing now than I thought at the start of the season. Lakeland has looked impressive, at 3-0. But Wyoming Area is also 3-0 & may be the favorite in 3A. Wyoming Area takes this, but why do I feel this is a trap game?
– Dunmore vs. Lackawanna Trail (LFC 3): If you like small school Wing-T style football, you’ll like this one. Trail’s loss last week could add some fuel to the fire. Dunmore is red hot. I’ll take Trail, since they’ll have the advantage of being up on Tunnel Hill, but this can go either way.
– Dallas vs. Wilkes-Barre (WVC 1): Biggest game in the WVC, this year. Dallas is 0-3 & still feeling some growing pains, while Jake Howe, Ciro Cinti, & Co. are looking to take control of WVC 1. I say veteran leadership takes it. There’s a new sheriff in town in the WVC & it’s further south on 309.
– Riverside vs. Lake-Lehman (WVC 2): I’d go Berwick/Hazleton, but L-L is home. I’m not expecting much out of this, but Riverside is beatable this year. Lake-Lehman isn’t a bad team, but could they do what Hanover Area couldn’t? Probably not.
– Valley View vs. Abington Heights (LFC HM): A good battle between teams that can be a sleeper in the division. VV took a tough loss to Wilkes-Barre. I think Valley View steals this one & it’ll come down to whoever gets the last score. However, don’t be shocked if it’s the Comets winning.
– Berwick vs. Hazleton (WVC HM): It’s nice to see these two schools play each other in the division swap. Berwick has the talent to take a no-brainer win, but I’ll be interested in seeing how the Cougars fare.
– Wallenpaupack vs. North Pocono (D2 HM): I’ll feature all the LFC 1 battles. Last year, the Buckhorns got their first division win in years over this NP team. However, North Pocono is on a tear. I think this is a game that has minor upset potential, especially since this game probably means a lot to coach Nawrocki, being against his alma mater. I say North Pocono takes it, but it might not be easy.
– West Scranton vs. Scranton (Rivalry): Not a flashy game, but this is a rivalry that we need to give some love to. Both are 1-2 & struggled against decent teams. My gut says that Scranton takes it, but West going 2-2 would be quite a story.
– Tri-Valley vs. Nativity (1A Watch): This has implications in 1A, so it’s in by default. This Nativity team is rebuilding & is a nice 2-1, but Tri-Valley is also 2-1 & is trying to find a way to split the games against the 1A foes. I think the Bulldogs take this one.
Scores
– DV 28, Prep 20
– Wyo Area 26, Lakeland 23
– Trail 23, Dunmore 14
– WBA 35, Dallas 18
– Riverside 31, L-L 16
– VV 21, AH 17
– Berwick 35, Hazleton 10
– NP 31, Paupack 14
– Scranton 28, West Scranton 16
– T-V 26, Nativity 7
Week 4 PA Picks. I probably could’ve cut this by a few teams but there’s a lot of quality games this week, it seems. Sure we’ll have some disagreements this week.
District 11
– Nazareth vs. Freedom: Naz 29, Freedom 16
– ACC vs. PM East: ACC 38, PME 7
– Liberty vs. Northampton: N’ham 20, Lib 17
– Easton vs. Becahi: Easton 21, Beca 14
– Southern Lehigh vs. North Schuylkill: SL 31, NS 14
– Northern Lehigh vs. Palisades: NL 35, ‘Sades 14
– Williams Valley vs. Minersville: WV 38, Minersville 30
District 4
– Jersey Shore vs. Shamokin: JS 27, Shamokin 22
– Mount Carmel vs. Southern Columbia: SCA 28, MCA 14
– Mifflinburg vs. Montoursville: Miff 28, Montours 16
– Bloomsburg vs. Warrior Run: WR 31, Bloom 15
– Troy vs. Athens: Troy 33, Athens 13
District 1/12
– CB East vs. CB South: CBS 21, CBE 20
– North Penn vs. Neshaminy: NP 31, Neshaminy 13
– Springfield vs. Penncrest: Delco 35, Penncrest 14
– Strath Haven vs. Radnor: SH 33, Radnor 16
– Perkiomen Valley vs. Coatesville: Perk 27, C’ville 17
– Downingtown East vs. Boyertown: DTE 49, B’town 7
– Bishop Shanahan vs. Pope John Paul: PJP 27, Shanahan 19
– Arch. Carroll vs. Lansdale Catholic: LC 28, Carroll 16
– Arch. Wood vs. Father Judge: AW 30, All Rise 24
– Central (12) vs. John Bartram: Bartram 21, Central 18
District 3
– Harrisburg vs. Chambersburg: H’burg 31, C’burg 16
– Cumberland Valley vs. State College: State 30, CV 16
– West Perry vs. Susq. Township: STWP 31, WP 7
– Ephrata vs. Conestoga Valley: Eph 24, ‘Stoga Valley 21
– Gov. Mifflin vs. Exeter: Exeter 37, Mifflin 7
– Fleetwood vs. Conrad Weiser: CW 27, Fleetwood 10
– Warwick vs. Solanco: Warwick 29, Solanco 24
– Spring Grove vs. Central York: CY 41, SGA 16
– Kennard-Dale vs. Eastern York: EY 33, K-D 18
District 5/6
– Meyersdale vs. Windber: M’dale 31, Windy 24
– Huntingdon vs. Guilfoyle: BG 33, Huntingdon 12
– Richland vs. McCort: Richland 31, McCort 17
– Juniata Valley vs. Claysburg-Kimmel: C-K 24, JV 20
– Marion Center vs. Cambria Heights: CH 33, MC 20
– Penns Manor vs. Homer-Center: PMA 33, H-C 19
District 9/10
– McDowell vs. Erie: McDowell 29, Erie 16
– Hickory vs. Sharon: Sharon 24, Hickory 15
– North East vs. Ft. LeBeouf: Ft. Leb 24, NE 14
– Girard vs. Corry: Girard 24, Corry 20
– Farrell vs. Mercer: Farrell 42, Mercer 16
– Cochranton vs. Greenville: G’ville 33, Cochranton 21
– Punxsutawney vs. Central Clarion: CC 34, Punxsy 28
– Cameron County vs. Union/A-C: U/A-CV 29, CamCo 20
– Otto-Eldred vs. Redbank Valley: RV 42, O-E/OV 31
WPIAL/City
– Hempfield vs. North Allegheny: NA 44, H’field 10
– Penn-Trafford vs. Woodland Hills: Woody 26, P-T 21
– McKeesport vs. Belle Vernon: McK 24, BVA 23
– Aliquippa vs. Mars: Quip 26, Mars 14
– Thomas Jefferson vs. Avonworth: TJ 39, Avonworth 14
– Hampton vs. Upper St. Clair: USC 34, Hampton 15
– Eliz. Forward vs. South Fayette: SF 21, EF 18
– North Catholic vs. Quaker Valley: NC 33, QV 20
– Beaver vs. Hopewell: Beaver 34, Hopewell 15
– Washington vs. Waynesburg: Wash 28, WBG 17
– Laurel vs. Bishop Canevin: BC 23, Laurel 20
– Bentworth vs. California: Bent 31, Cali 21
– Clairton vs. GCC: Clairton 38, GCC 14
– Uniontown vs. Allderdice: TA 21, U’town 14
Non-PIAA/Crossover
– Calvert Hall (MD) vs. La Salle (12): La Salle 31, Calvert 10
– DeMatha (MD) vs. Roman Catholic (12): DeMatha 23, Roman 20
– Imhotep (12) vs. Malvern Prep: MP 28, Imhotep 19
– St. Frances (MD) vs. St. Joe’s Prep (12): SJP 34, STFA 26
– Hollidaysburg (6) vs. Butler (7): Hollidaysburg 42, Butler 20
– Wilmington (10) vs. Berlin (5): Wilmy 36, Berlin 23
– Hill vs. Episcopal: EA 33, Hill 13
@D2 Fan – didn’t see your post with your picks yesterday or I would have made some comments and said the TJ vs. Avonworth game would be way closer than you predicted, but wouldn’t have gone out on a limb and picked Avonworth. I would have also said Woody would beat Penn Trafford by at least 2 TDs and they ended up winning 49-21.
As for the SJP game today, I think SFA is better than DeMatha, so I would be very surprised if SJP won, I see SFA winning this game by a couple of scores.
Two of your D1 picks I’ll take the opposite side:
CB East over CB South and C’Ville over Perk Valley.
Got to a admit you have some nice games lined up this weekend in NEPA. Perfect football weather on tap as well. Let’s hope most of the games give fans a reason to stay in their seats late into the 4th quarter before they head out for some post game square pizza and a Lager (or 2).
This might be one of the most stacked weeks I’ve seen in NEPA football in a minute. So much so that I wish this was in Week 8/9 for playoff implications. All of the matchups feel competitive enough or have a storyline to pay attention to. Honesdale/Mid Valley, Crestwood/WW, & OF/Hanover Area aren’t even on here & they’re still compelling enough to me. That’s my hope, as well. We need some close games.
And indeed: Perfect football weather. Feels like we’ve hit the sweet spot all season, weather-wise.
A cut and paste from the previous page of “older comments” :
Kevin X says:
September 6, 2025 at 9:15 pm
How is it (the blowouts) due to 6 classifications??
Reply
JCo says:
September 8, 2025 at 10:30 am
Districts love to use classifications as an excuse to be lazy with scheduling. If it was really about what’s best for the kids, mixed-classification divisions would be way more common in D3 and D7.
My reply to JCo:
Bingo!!! Exactly!!! (and you can say this for across the state and it is just part of it (blowouts/mis-matches).
I wouldn’t say the WPIAL is lazy with scheduling, given they schedule every game except week 0 for every school in the WPIAL that plays football, which is well over 100, so they schedule about twice as many games as the NFL does which has to be pretty time consuming. With nonconference games they try to match schools from different classifications in the hope of creating competitive games, that’s why 4A McKeesport plays both USC and Peters Township, and has played home/home with Penn Trafford and Gateway in the recent past, or rivals from different conferences in the same classification like Penn Hills vs. Woodland Hills or PH vs. Gateway.
With that being said in the last 50+ years I have followed HS football the WPIAL has never had conferences that include schools from different classifications, with the primary reason being the conference standings dictate the playoff qualifiers, as the top x number of teams in each conference qualify for the playoffs in each class, along with a few “wildcards” that used to be determined by Gardiner points, and now are selected by the playoff committee. So, if the WPIAL started to comingle conferences with different classes they would have to come up with a different format to determine which teams qualify for the playoffs. You could make a good argument the WPIAL needs to get with the times and create conferences based on geography and schools prior level of success regardless of classification, but I just don’t see them doing that any time soon.
There have been several schools in recent years, most notably Butler, Connellsville, Uniontown and Brownsville, who dropped out of the WPIAL for football because the WPIAL forced them to play schools their size and they couldn’t compete, so they decided to play an independent schedule instead. If more downtrodden programs decide to go the same route maybe that would force the WPIAL to reconsider their scheduling and conference formats, because there’s no question the WPIAL bases their schedule on what’s best for the WPIAL and not necessarily any individual school.
I am going to get straight to the point of this line of discussion, and zero in on, at least in my opinion, one of, if not the, poster child of this issue. Your WPIAL member Clairton. First of all, I have nothing against Clairton. I know very little about them, probably couldn’t (easily) locate them on map. But the facts are that they went 10-0 last year, which is fine, but outscored their “WPIAL scheduled” opponents a gazillion to 14. There were 7 shutouts in their 9 WPIAL scheduled games. Scores of 60-0, 70-0, and 84-0. Every WPIAL “league” game involved a running clock. So far this year their “WPIAL league” game schedule has included 79-0 game and forfeit win. No expert of the WPIAL, but I would hazard a guess that this year will be a repeat of last year, especially since the WPIAL “league” schedule is the same. Their next competitive game I’m guessing won’t come to the WPIAL “A” semi finals or finals. It’s funny as I saw some complaining about the forfeit, making fun or and indirect name calling, and the Clairton coach (I think that who it was) whinning about his players who won’t have game to show off their skills to potential colleges. If I’m a college recruiter, I’d give a lot more credence in a kid playing a real good game against a quality opponent than putting video game numbers against an obvious inferior team. Maybe that’s just me. I am not demonising the WPIAL, as probably 90-95% of teams schedules are fine, but it’s the Clairton’s type of schedules across the state that creates this black eye. And the thing is, it’s fixable, that is assuming the powers that be even think it’s a problem and are willing to address it and make changes, some may be difficult or unpopular. If they don’t, I don’t want to hear the complaints of blowout wins and forfeits. That’s the hand you choose to play.
You hit the nail on the head when you said its fixable assuming the powers that be even think its a problem, because the WPIAL doesn’t view it as a problem. All of Clairton’s remaining games are against conference opponents, and as I explained in my previous post that means all will be fellow 1A schools and not any bigger schools. 1A has the most number of schools of any class in the WPIAL, I think there are over 30, there are 4 conferences and all have 7-8 teams, so as long as the WPIAL sticks with the same classification only in a conference this problem will persist. With that being said Greensburg Central Catholic who they play tomorrow and Jeanette may be competitive games for a while, and may even manage to avoid being mercy ruled, but Clairton will end up winning comfortably, they will mercy rule the other remaining teams on their schedule and likely shut many of them out.
I totally agree it’s a bit disconcerting to see Clairton mercy rule and shut out many opponents, but the WPIAL is not going to do anything about it, that’s just the sad reality, the only way its going to change would be for Clairton to voluntarily play up a class or two like Aliquippa does.
To clarify about the forfeit, it’s not officially a forfeit yet, the WPIAL considered the game to be postponed due to excessive injuries and not enough players for Shady Side Academy, giving them the opportunity to play the game at some point later this season, which we all know is not going to happen, that’s just a formality so the WPIAL doesn’t penalize Shady Side for not playing the game.
Any good match makers out there?? Can you work your magic and introduce Bonner and Chester to each other?? They could be Delco soulmates, who knows?? I understand Chester just got a forfeit win for their originally scheduled game this Saturday against Boys Latin. Understandable. Bonner is off on a scheduled (I assume) bye week. Mmmm, Bonner/Chester is a juicy match-up.
These two teams should already be matched up against one another. Put it on PCN (or some other live feed) for the state to see, as well! I don’t know why Boys’ Latin Charter would at least schedule Chester. Total mismatch.
Schedule makers & ADs need to start scheduling better matchups in non-conference/divisional situations. We see a lot of it in D2, like last week. We had Dunmore play Susquehanna & that was a total mismatch (last year’s Sabers team was not the norm), North Pocono (who’s middle of the road most seasons) had a cakewalk start with Valley West, Pittston, & Nanticoke for three games. Riverside plays Montrose later this month (& that’s gonna be very lopsided) & should’ve tried to find something better. Montrose could’ve played an extra weak school (like Sayre or Bucktail, if they had an opening). Hazleton played Nazareth, & Hazleton should play an average D3 team (Reading, McCaskey, maybe Chambersburg) or lower half D1 5A/6A (Norristown, Boyertown, Upper Darby, etc.), while Naz should travel to D3 or D1 to play Manheim Twp, Cumberland Valley, or maybe a fair PCL opponent. I bet many Top 50 PA teams would’ve been a better Week 1 game for an EPC juggernaut than that.
It makes me want to come up with some mock non-conference schedules for the ‘26 season. DV (who should tone the difficulty back a tad), Scranton Prep, Scranton, Dallas, & Honesdale scheduled well based on how they fare. Wilkes-Barre played it smart with balance & split their non-league games in this cycle. I feel there could be a lot better & if leagues, ADs, & district people took the time to look deeper into the situation, we could have some more appealing games & good early season tests for teams that need it & let struggling teams find ways to improve rather than getting handed a 63-0 loss to a Top 10-15 team in class. Having a so-called non-league “homecoming game” is fine, but at least find ways for teams to have fair schedules that still let the cream rise to the top.
D2 Notes after a mostly blowout city weekend in Week 3.
– VV/WB: Called it. What a nice win for the Pack over Valley View. It was a close one all game long & so far, WBA is 2-1. I feel they really can make a run at 9-1 this year, 8-2 at best.
– Trail/Berwick: This was a pleasant surprise. If I thought Berwick would win, I thought it’d squeak one out. Instead, Berwick controlled a good part of that game, especially with Ty’meere Wilkerson’s 231-yard show. Let’s see how Trail responds with Dunmore next week. Berwick looks to go 4-0, with a trip to Hazleton next.
– Lakeland/Riverside: Lakeland is now a legit threat in the 2A playoff race. They took down Riverside in a convincing 33-23 win. Lakeland put together some great drives in the second half to take down the Vikes & end their perfect season. Game of the Week possibly next for the Chiefs, as they face Wyoming Area.
– Scranton/PME: Scranton falls to 1-2 after being stunned by both Pocono Mountain teams. This is a surprising outcome & now with the division play opening next week, it gives me questions about if they are ready to take the next step. They at least get the Bell game (& I’ll most definitely be adding it to the picks list).
– LFC 3rd String: All LFC 3 teams lost except for Carbondale. We went through Trail & Riverside, but Susquehanna got rocked by Weston Yannone against Dunmore, Holy Cross gave Eric Richardson win #1 for Hanover Area, Old Forge got mercy ruled by Mid Valley. The Chargers got the easiest game of the bunch, beating Redeemer. While I still think it’s a two horse race, this may be a weaker LFC 3 than expected. It makes me wonder if Carbondale actually gets 3rd in division this year, especially with Old Forge not looking so good.
– Dallas/AH: Dallas went toe to toe with the Comets, but Abington Heights ended up being the better team, winning 40-28 on a Saturday at The Pit. They put up 480 total yards on offense to grab the win. They get Valley View in their first divisional test next week, while Dallas gets theirs against WBA.
– Final Records for Inter-District Play: Did a quick tally with the Week 1-3 outcomes. I’m not sure what last year’s record was, but the district went 5-18 against District 4, 11, WPIAL, & out of state. The wins? Honesdale & Paupack over ES North, Lake-Lehman over Northwest, Abington Heights over ES South, & Wilkes-Barre over Stroudsburg.
Did it help that they played out of league? Yes. Could it have been a slightly better result? Certainly. DV nearly took the Shore game, Paupack held with Stroudsburg until Rafferty was ejected in Week 1, but many of them were blowouts. I’ll be curious to see how scheduling goes in the next cycle. I feel there should be more matchups, but also even more favorable matchups for D2 teams. I’d rather see more competitive games than 50-0 blowouts. And to Bub’s point on the Dunmore/Susquehanna game, there’s gotta be better scheduling for both teams. Last year’s Sabers team was an anomaly. Let’s see Dunmore go to D4 or D11 territory playing the good teams there instead. If they can balance it, do it Week 1, then focus on inter-division rivals.
Looks like I went 8-2 this week, with the LFC 3 teams giving the lone losses. Next week should be a bit more compelling though. LFC 1 play is firing up, while non-league games are going to be few & far between.
Here we go again. If you have the best offensive player on the field every week, but you never put him on the field only when you give him the ball your wasting his talent and all the other offensive players talent. Put your 1a rb in the game at the same time and give him the ball, put him out at wr and maybe throw to your 6’7 sophomore wide receiver. Or run the qb option read with your two best rbs in and let your qb run all over people like he does but you haven’t allowed him too. Stop stealing mt. Carmels winter offense where you put 1 wr in the game and let everyone know your running the ball. Why does the same coach waste this talent year in and year out. On the two point conversion to win the game if anyone else is given the ball they score, look at the replay. Defense played good, was let down by coaches decision to take a holding call and make it 3 and 18 rather than 4th and 4 and they score. Your defense was stopping the short yardage plays. You opened up the field and gave them an extra down.
I really felt like they had a decent shot to make a big run this year. After watching that debacle on Friday, it’s the same ole stuff. In big games, it seems the offense changes things around. Maybe being too conservative is the better way to put it. The Neumann Goretti, Palmerton, and Friday night game just off the top of my head come to mind. Notre Dame is a great team too, but I believe NS is better. It just comes down to a few plays and decisions here and there that decide ball games like that.
They’ll most likely end up being the 3 seed now and travel to Northwestern in the semis. Notre Dame shouldn’t lose a game the rest of the way. Still looking forward to the Northwestern game in a few weeks, but Friday night was a tough one to swallow if you root for NS.
They have 4 good receivers, 3 good running backs if you include the qb but instead of utilizing all of them at the same time they run the fullback or te in motion with one wide receiver and hey we r running with a running back. I don’t think ND stopped ns qb one time when he ran. The problem is he only ran 3 times. Miller is the best receiver or running back on the field anytime he’s in. Put him at receiver and run the qb option read. Just because he’s in doesn’t mean he has to get the ball. The coaching staff is destroying this teams talent. If used right I think Miller could have had fewer carries but for much more yardage but it has to be with the opposing defense not knowing 100% he is getting the ball. I’ve seen the 6’7 wide receiver thrown to 2 times all year and he made both catches. I really don’t think notre dames defense improved as much as north schuylkills offense has decided to not utilize everyone. To be honest I think Miller could have had 100 yds rushing and receiving and mengel could have had 100 yds rushing only the offensive play calling doesn’t allow it. I can go thru a list of senior players who were the best players on the field every week for north schuylkill whose senior year’s were held back by this guys coaching. He scrimmages and doesn’t play anyone or run there offense in the scrimmage. Maybe he could have had a scrimmage a tested out a kicker, as a 3a school as a coach you come up with a kicker. All the athletes on this team and not a single one can kick an extra point?
@JC I watched that entire game and I thought the play calling for NS was brutal. They never really opened the field up and I think they could have thrown the ball against ND. At a bare minimum you get your qb out of the pocket, if he doesn’t throw, hes running. I was impressed by NDs defense as compared to previous years but on the flip side, NS did very well on defense against a lot of speed.
NS will now likely have to visit NW or ND in the 1st round of districts. Neither team made me think that they can beat NW though.
Side note – I thought the refs were rough and made any type of flow in the game tough.
last night’s game between dunmore and susquehanna proves a point discussed here . first it is about an hour to travel. second there really is no sense of any kind of rivalry. third ,9 times out of 10 susquehanna cannot provide competition at this level. the result is extremely low turnout. { and this is with excellent weather }. also one team has their starters sitting in the 2nd quarter. while this is great for the non starters for experience and satisfaction to play after all the practice, the starters have families who have waited for these days to watch a short window in a lifetime,only to see their child on the bench. also statistics become grotesquely distorted which go a long wat in determining all star selections, awards, etc. granted the game is about many things fun being the most important i would argue but i think every aspect of the good experience of playing is reduced when the friday night game becomes somewhat like the roman’s vs. the lions in the coliseum.
It’s fun when things are wide open as far as who is the best in the district, but having a powerhouse likes those CB West teams was interesting too,gave everyone a target. But 6a just isn’t as good as it was overall back then.
ever take a look at St. Joes, La Salle’s. Malvern Prep’s, etc. rosters and see the hometowns of the kids on their roster, I did that a year or two ago, 12 were from CB school district, 8 from North Penn another 15-20 from various Suburban 1 schools, 3 kids were at IMG, can’t lose the top 50 players in the league to schools outside the district. Remember one year 3 Quakertown kids were all starters at Archbishop Wood, Quakertown isn’t large enough to lose their 3 best athletes and still be competitive. So it is what it is, but that’s why.