The Ruby Review’s 2015 Preseason Preview
Tagged under: District 11, District 2, District 4
Joe Ruby | September 1, 2015
The high school football season is right around the corner, and that means the Ruby Review is back and better than ever! Last season’s column sort of petered out as the winter closed in and your possibly-handsome author learned a valuable lesson about the difficulties of balancing amateur sports journalism with a full-time job, but this year the Ruby Review will offer:
- A weekly recap of the action in PIAA Districts 2, 4 and 11, as well as other notable games from around the state;
- A fan-centric account of the different fields, foods, and pageantries that make this beautiful sport so special;
- In-depth analysis of the teams and players to watch as the run to Hershey draws ever nearer; and
- Possibly, if I can get the bugs worked out, the unveiling of a brand-spanking-new high school football ranking system!
The Schedule
With so many fantastic teams in the Districts I cover, it’s simply impossible to see even most of the great matchups that each week has to offer. The upside, of course, is that there is no shortage of fantastic contests to be a part of. Week 1 kicks off THIS FRIDAY, and the Ruby Review will give you an in-person account of the following games:
- Friday Night: Crestwood @ Berwick
- Saturday Afternoon: Holy Cross @ Holy Redeemer
- Saturday Night: Old Forge @ G.A.R.
Last year, I started off with a proposed schedule for the entire regular season, and I think I made it an entire two weeks before I scrapped that plan and just went where the action was. So, keeping in mind that this is very likely to change, here are at least a few high-profile games that I am really looking forward to this year:
- Week 2: Delaware Valley @ Wyoming Valley West
- Week 4: Scranton Prep @ Scranton
- Week 7: Parkland @ Easton
- Week 10: Southern Columbia @ Selinsgrove
Who to Watch For
The couple of days between the last scrimmage and the Week 1 kickoff are a mixture of optimism and anxiety; the feeling that bigger and better things are ahead is mingled with the ever-present awareness that a few early slip-ups or a freak injury could make thing really difficult really fast. Every team, from the mighty to the small, starts with a clean slate, and no one really knows what they’re made of until they get out on the field and show what the summer’s hard work was for. Each squad brings a dozen storylines to the table, and I’ll do my best to give a shout-out to each and every team in northeast and central Pennsylvania over the course of the year, but the following teams in particular are ones to keep your eye on:
In District 2, the Coughlin Crusaders are looking to make a breakthrough; since 2007, they’ve never failed to win at least 5, but have achieved more than 6 wins only once. They look to rely on dynamic senior QB Jacob Soller, whose dual-threat abilities will keep defenses off-balance. A tough stretch from Weeks 3 to 5 (@ Crestwood, vs. Dallas, @ Wyoming Valley West) will show a lot. Don’t sleep on G.A.R. or Meyers either; it’s a very good bet that each of these three Wilkes-Barre teams will improve on last year’s campaigns. Berwick is always the measuring stick, and always has the athletes to compete. RB Daquan Hellenthal could put up some eye-popping yards-per-carry numbers. The Bulldogs will look to get revenge against the reigning District Champions Crestwood, who bookended their D2 campaign with wins against Berwick before falling in the first round of the PIAA State Playoffs last year. The Comets lost one of the best senior cores the area has seen for a long time, but returns RB Tanner Kahlau, WR Connor Sheloski, and RB/FS Lance Blass, a long, tall, ball-hawking athlete with great instincts who earned all-state honors at defensive back as a sophomore last year. Wyoming Valley West returns most of a high-powered offense, including the nearly-unguardable TE L.J. Wesneski, and looks to make a strong push towards the D2/4/11 AAAA title. Scranton Prep and Dallas are two more teams that really think this is their year, and with the teams mentioned above they will put the top of District 2’s AAA contingent in rare territory. Old Forge’s offense should be more dangerous this year than they were last year; pair that with the Blue Devils’ consistently legendary defense and you’ve got a legitimate state contender. Dunmore graduated a fine set of athletes from last year’s PIAA Runner-Up team, and it’ll be interesting to see how the newcomers will handle the LFC 2 division. I see no reason why Northwest can’t exceed expectations once again (this time with a new coach), but Lake-Lehman and Hanover are thinking the same thing. Basically, the Wyoming Valley Conference’s AA Division is going to be chaotic and exciting all season long.
In District 4, the early favorite at Single-A is North Penn, who will, like the rest of the teams in the area, will benefit from the graduation of South Williamsport’s Dominick Bragalone. Both of those teams will vie for the title. In the AA Division, last year’s surprise District Champion Montoursville, led by Junior QB Brycen Mussina (son of MLB’s Mike Mussina) and Senior RB Keith Batkowski, will compete all year for the title with perennial powerhouse Southern Columbia, who will dress 25 seniors this year, and Loyalsock, who lost the dynamic Kyle Datres to graduation but returns the rest of a high-powered offense. At AAA, the Selinsgrove Seals look to unleash a dynamic offense that was occasionally hamstrung by mental errors last year (I can be critical of them; they’re my alma mater!), and Jersey Shore looks to build on one of the best seasons in program history and get the District Title they were so close to achieving.
I know a little less about District 11 than I do about the other two districts, but one team that really caught my eye last year was Saucon Valley. The Panthers managed a 10-2 campaign primarily with underclassmen, and another year of experience for the 18 returning starters will make this team truly dangerous. Of course, to win the District Championship, they’ll have to outscore the explosive Bethlehem Catholic Golden Hawks. The AAAA scene in D11 is always strong, and Parkland looks to be the favorites this year. Despite being the 7th seed in last year’s 8-team D2/4/11 AAAA Bracket, the Trojans took the District and pushed eventual State Champion St. Joe’s Prep to the brink in the PIAA Quarterfinals. Easton graduated a huge number of seniors (I believe I counted 33 dressed on Senior Night), but they and Stroudsburg are always a challenge. In AA, North Schuylkill returns some major talent at skill positions, but they’ll have to be on the lookout once again for Northwest Lehigh, who edged them in the District Finals last season. And with the closure of defending Single-A Champion Pius X, the door is open for Marian Catholic to romp to the District Title.
Thank you all for reading! Don’t forget to check back each Monday Morning for each week’s edition of The Ruby Review!
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