Hittin’ The Road With Travelin’ Matt (Week 9) Rollers & Titans & Bucks & Rocks

Tagged under: District 1, District 3, Gameday Hub, News

Matt Herring | October 24, 2023

Each week Travelin’ Matt traverses Pennsylvania attending the hottest high school football games and best match ups in the Commonwealth. Follow his exploits each week as he documents his journey from Week Zero to the Pennsylvania State Football Finals!

Friday, October 20

6A #2 Central Bucks West (8-0) vs. 6A #10 Central Bucks South (8-0)

Saturday, October 21

1A #1 Steelton-Highspire (8-0) vs. 2A #8 Trinity (5-2)

ROUNDTRIP – 352 MILES

Friday, October 20

I’m often asked how I choose which games to attend each week…what’s the process? I try to keep it simple to not to get bogged down in heavy statistics and prognostications. While I take into account our PA Football News rankings, have conversations with fellow high school football followers and visit a few high school football online resources…the plain answer is it’s more of a “feel” than anything when finding the best match ups to attend.

As I scanned the schedule of games this week I was immediately drawn to the undefeated District 1 dynasty PA football program Central Bucks West and their clash with also undefeated Central Bucks South. The history of the CB West program, an important contest involving two undefeated Suburban League teams and the anticipated high-stakes atmosphere of War Memorial Field made it a no-brainer for my Friday night destination.

The Central Bucks West football program of Doylestown reached national fame in the 1990s during the 33 year run of head coach Mike Pettine Sr who passed in 2017. Pettine Sr guided his teams to 326 wins during his tenure which included a remarkable 16 undefeated seasons, four PA state titles (1991, 1997-1999) and winning streaks of 53 and 45 games the latter which closed out his head coaching career at CB West in 1999.

While CB West’s football stadium is typical of most large-school teams what immediately attracts your attention is the statue of Mike Pettine Sr watching over his former stomping grounds. The imposing, life-size effigy, arms folded with a stoic facial expression, leaves no uncertainty regarding the storied history of the Bucks football program. Throughout the night, as I covered the game action for PA Football News, I witnessed young and old alike pausing for a moment to either take a photo with the statue or to tell a story about Pettine’s legacy at the school. His impact is surely tangible throughout the community some 20+ years after his passing.

CB West was hosting Senior Night prior to the game as football players, cheerleaders and band members walked hand-in-hand with their parents through a tunnel of peers to be recognized for their efforts at the school over the past four years. Having attended many similar events at football games I must admit this tradition strikes me as my favorite over the years. No matter the size of school, the locale or the importance of the pending contest…the culmination of a students high school career being recognized and celebrated on the field with their family tugs at my heartstrings. This simple ceremony returns all of us in memory to our own similar high school experiences and fulfills the true feeling of community every time I am fortunate to bear witness to it.

As fans began to fill the stadium there were whispers of how large the crowd would swell and some estimated more than five thousand would be present by game time. For the Doylestown community of 8,000 located 25 miles north of Philadelphia to exceed that total was stunning and a suspected tally of more than 6,000 fans were likely present. Both sides of the bleachers were at capacity and hundreds more stood around the fence line to catch a glimpse of the action. Prior to the game the opposing crowds gave enthusiastic cheers for their teams and in-game every play was followed with equal fervor.

The action on the field lived up to the billing in a hard-hitting 40-29 victory for the #2 ranked CB West Bucks who remained undefeated with their victory. The Bucks were paced by their trademark rushing attack totaling more than 300 yards on the ground. CB South suffered their first loss of the season but remained within striking distance all night thanks to their own 300 yard rushing effort trailing just 27-21 in the 3rd quarter before CB West took a commanding 40-21 lead early in the 4th.

The hometown Bucks celebrated with their fellow classmates on the field after the game as they added another victory to the history of their storied program. While I submitted my final report online I was caught off-guard by the rush of fans onto the field and narrowly avoided the crush of exuberant students in a scene I would imagine is not dissimilar to the Running of the Bulls in Pamplona, Spain.

6A #2 @westcbfootball remains undefeated at 9-0 and celebrates with their fellow students handing #10 @CBSouthFootball their first defeat of the season (8-1). @ArtisticMayhem1 @PaFootballNews pic.twitter.com/I5ZZ2nGyaX

— CC Hastings (@CCHastings1863) October 21, 2023

My experience at Central Bucks West complete I passed on a local hotel and instead made the two and a half hour/103 mile trek home for the comforts of my own bed.

Enjoy the full game story below…

Central Bucks West Dominates, Rushes for 318 Yards in a Resounding 40-29 Win Over Undefeated Central Bucks South

Saturday, October 21

A dandy Saturday afternoon match up loomed on my schedule as the 1A #1 Steelton-Highspire Rollers were set to host the 2A #9 Trinity Shamrocks in a District 3 tilt. As a sub-plot to this Mid-Penn Conference battle I was looking forward to seeing newly-anointed Rollers PA All-Time Passing Leader QB Alex Erby and Trinity sophomore running back/Penn State commit Messiah Mickens grace the field. Two nationally-recruited players at a 1A and 2A level is rare and having both on the field in the same game is an infrequent occurrence.

The scene at Steel-High’s War Veterans Memorial Field is best summed up in one word…ferocious. The field is located in the hills of Harrisburg’s Steelton community disconnected from the school and settled amid the neighborhood. Pre-game fireworks between the two schools during warm ups only fueled the intensity heading towards kickoff and as fans arrived their passion added to the emotionally charged atmosphere.

The Rollers and Shamrocks did not disappoint as the two teams went back and forth all game trading shots in a wild 42-37 affair that featured the teams combining for 34 points in the 3rd quarter. Steel High would prevail running their record to a perfect 9-0 tally on the season while Trinity dropped to 6-3 despite a tremendous effort for of the visiting Shamrocks.

Rollers QB Alex Erby was a treat to watch as his skill on the gridiron and as a leader has driven Steel-High to two PA state titles in the past three seasons. His arm strength and precise passing are terrific (10-11 for 139 yards and a TD vs. Trinity) and his elusiveness in tight spaces is a strength for the senior signal caller. The game vs. Trinity was tumultuous and Erby did a masterful job on the sidelines keeping his teammates motivated for the next play despite 14 penalties called against the home squad.

Trinity sophomore running back Messiah Mickens was equally impressive keeping the Shamrocks in the game despite the Rollers keying on him every play (21-70 TD rushing/3-97 TD receiving vs. Steel High). Mickens has spectacular skills with an excellent burst and his 5-10/200 lb frame as just a 10th grader projects well for his success as he develops over the next two seasons.

While Saturday games are limited across the state I was fortunate to take in a classic at Steel-High and I’ll be hard-pressed to find a more stirring contest heading into the final week of the regular season and playoffs.

Check out the Steel-High vs. Trinity game story below…