Around District 11: The Travels of Guy & Pam Week Twelve: The Championship Triple

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Guy Smith | November 15, 2022

Around District 11: The Travels of Guy & Pam

Week Twelve:  The Championship Triple

2022.14.  The original plan was Phillipsburg (NJ) on Friday and the NCCA D2 PSAC state championship game on Saturday.  Then we changed the plan to three D11 championship games on Friday and Saturday.  But as happened a number of times last year, schedule changes broke to our benefit, and we were able to see all four D11 championship games.

That included the “Championship Triple.” Our only other football triple was “The Elizabeth Avenue Triple” in Bethlehem.  That very cold day found us at the noon Muhlenberg vs. Moravian NCAA D3 rivalry game, then a later afternoon Becahi playoff game across the street at BASD, followed by the Freedom vs. Parkland playoff game at night, with wind chills in the 20s, also at BASD.  We never even had to move the car.

With all D11 Friday games rescheduled, we went from zero to five Thursday choices.  But with Pam teaching until 5:00 in Bloomsburg, the two 6A semi-final games in the Lehigh Valley were out of reach if we were both going to go.  Any of the other three would work if we met at the stadium for the second straight Thursday.  Of the three, we chose Northern Lehigh vs. Tri-Valley because that game was for the district championship; the other two were 3A semi-finals.

On Saturday, we did have to move the car this time, but the ducks aligned perfectly for three more district championship games, the first two at Whitehall and the third at Catasauqua.

Sunday’s choice was college ice hockey, University of Delaware Blue Hens vs. Saint Joseph Hawks at Skatium in Havertown.

GAME 42.  THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 10, 2022.   DISTRICT 11 1A CHAMPIONSHIP GAME. NORTHERN LEHIGH BULLDOGS VS. TRI-VALLEY BULLDOGS @ LEHIGHTON HIGH SCHOOL.  This worked out well for us, as we got to see a championship game on a Thursday night at one of our favorite D11 stadiums, on a warm and most importantly dry night.

The “Battle of the Bulldogs” matchup was an interesting one, as we don’t recall those two teams ever playing each other before, since the two leagues only recently merged, and this is Northern Lehigh’s first year in 1A (in the current six classification setup).  Both teams entered the game with identical 10-1 records.  But records can be deceiving.  Tri-Valley is from the Schuylkill half of the Colonial-Schuylkill League, and is a perennial 1A power.  We had seen Tri-Valley play once this year, when they eked out a win over eventual 2A district champs Executive Education Academy, who missed all three of their extra points and lost by one.  Tri Valley’s lone loss was to another 2A playoff qualifier, Williams Valley.

We had also seen Northern Lehigh play once before, the Thursday night game against Northwestern Lehigh early in the season, which they won.  Northern Lehigh’s lone loss was to 3A district championship finalist North Schuylkill, but they had defeated no fewer than FIVE of the other D11 3A playoff teams: Notre Dame, Northwestern Lehigh, Jim Thorpe, Palmerton, and Lehighton.  They also beat 2A championship runner up Catasauqua.

So we had Northern Lehigh beating five 3A playoff teams and one 2A playoff team during the regular season, while losing to one 3A playoff team.  On the other hand, Tri-Valley had beaten no 3A playoff teams and also one 2A playoff teams, and lost to a 2A playoff team.  This seemed a no brainer to us as to who should be considered the clear favorite.

Lehighton is one of our favorite D11 stadiums, and we are always happy when playoff games are scheduled there.  They have one of the toppermost refreshment stands, run by the band parents.  As Pam came directly from six straight hours of teaching at Bloomsburg and I met her there, we were happy with the game site of Lehighton, for dining purposes alone.  We started off with filling and gravy appetizers for Guy, with the requisite mac and cheese for Pam.  For the main course, Guy had the pork barbeque sandwich, Pam the buffalo chicken dip nachos.  And Lehighton also earned the popcorn bonus point, with the best popcorn so far this year.  We are hoping for more playoff games at Lehighton before the season ends for our D11 teams.

The game went pretty much as we expected.  Northern Lehigh was in control throughout, and they cruised to a 40-15 victory to advance against Lackawanna Trail this Saturday afternoon at Dunmore.

GAME 43.  SATURDAY NOVEMBER 12, 2022.   DISTRICT 11 2A CHAMPIONSHIP GAME.  CATASAUQUA ROUGH RIDERS VS. EXECUTIVE EDUCATION ADADEMY CHARTER SCHOOL RAPTORS @ WHITEHALL HIGH SCHOOL.   Whitehall is another good location for us for playoff football, as it’s just a 45-minute ride over the Blue Mountain away.  Whitehall has good parking, which we thought to be a factor for scheduling a lot of the playoff games there.  We thought, until finding out the location of the 6A district final this coming week.  Ugh.

This was another interesting matchup of two teams that had never played each other before.  We had some conflicting loyalties in this game, as these are both teams we like to support.  Pam grew up in Catasauqua, graduated from high school there (and was a track district champion herself in the two-mile), Guy student taught there, and we lived there for a dozen years.  On the other hand, Guy is a proud Allentown inner city row-home kid and always has a soft spot for the city kids, especially the ones from “his” city.

We had not seen Catasauqua play this year.  With four losses and no wins over marquee teams, Catty got the got the final spot in the 2A playoffs on the final week of the regular season, then knocked off the top seed Palisades, who had beaten them in the regular season.  Executive had three loses, and not being a member of any league, played an independent schedule of teams not familiar to most of the District 11 family.  We had seen them play twice, losing a very winnable game by one at Tri-Valley, and a shutout win at home (Muhlenberg College) against an unimpressive Belmont Charter.  They only were able to play eight regular season games, not ten like the rest of the district.

Both teams have to consider the season a success.  Catty had gone 1-9 just a few years ago and had turned the program around and made it all the way to the district championship.  Executive is only in their second year of having a football team, and they went from an Eastern Football Conference title last year to the district championship in year two.  However, both barely got into the championship game, Catty winning their semi-final by three, Exec by two.

Whitehall stepped up their refreshment offerings, with an excellent fresh cut fry truck from Island Expressions, a new one for us, who offered an amazing selection of fried delicacies.  The excellent fries were of end of season “ranked” quality, and the unique buffalo chicken pierogies were truly outstanding.

They had a DJ there blasting music pre-game.  Fine.  But Catasauqua had their marching band there.  Following touchdowns by either team, the DJ played loud music and with stacks of large speakers, easily drowned out the band playing their fight song.  That was incredibly, and in our mind unspeakably rude.  Whitehall High School: You need to very, very seriously rethink that idea.

While this game was exciting in terms of the number of lead changes, the fact that no team ever had a two-score lead, and that the final lead change occurred with just three seconds left, it was an ugly game to watch, filled with mistakes throughout and 19 penalties.

Catty was a one trick pony, with most of their offense coming from one bull of a running back and almost no passing game.  Still, they rode that pony to a halftime lead, four touchdowns, and came within two plays of winning the game.

Executive plays a “playground” appearing style of football.  They just sling the ball all over the place and rely on speed, agility, and leaping ability.  They seldom run other than QB scrambles or sweeps.

Catty scored to retake the lead with 2:04 left and but gave the Raptors too much time.  Catty had them behind the eight ball with third and very long with just 23 seconds left, but their pass rush wasn’t stellar from the start and the defense was quite obviously gassed by the end.  Unbelievably, after being burned on long passes several times already by letting the Raptor receivers get behind them, they didn’t put enough personnel playing deep and when the Catty defender, again, with the receiver behind him, went for the ball and missed, it was a cake walk into the end zone with three ticks left on the clock and a championship for the Raptors.  Exec advances to play Lakeland Friday night at Dunmore.

GAME 44.  SATURDAY NOVEMBER 12, 2022.   DISTRICT 11 4A CHAMPIONSHIP GAME.  ALLENTOWN CENTRAL CATHOLIC VIKINGS VS. BETHLEHEM CATHOLIC GOLDEN HAWKS @ WHITEHALL HIGH SCHOOL.  Between games one and two of our “Championship Triple” football day, we headed to Santa Fe Taco in Northampton for a “Championship Triple” of tacos, but no fries, as we were saving those for two more orders after returning to the stadium.

Back at Whitehall for Holy War II, ACC and Becahi squared off for the second time in two weeks.  We sat in the exact same two away-side seats as we did for the earlier game.  In the first game, Becahi won by a single point to give them the number one seed.  On paper, both teams entered the game with mediocre 6-5 records, but once again, records can be deceiving.  Both teams slug it out weekly in the leviathan EPC South Division with 6A powerhouses Emmaus, Freedom, Nazareth, and Parkland.  After playing mostly 6A teams during their regular season, both Bangor and Blue Mountain, both with better records, were no match for these two last week.

We had seen both teams play before this season, but both times the games were against EPC North teams that offered little realistic challenge.

The earlier game never had a team with a two-score lead, and this game was also that way until the final quarter.  Were these teams ever playing hard!  In the end it was ACC by eleven, 14-3 in a game that was much closer than that.  MVP goes to the ACC defense, who saw Becahi move down the field into striking distance but time after time be either stopped on fourth down or by interception.  ACC moves on to face Jersey Shore this Friday.

T’was a good day for the city of Allentown as both the A-Town teams brought home their respective championships.  At one time it was Allen and Dieruff, now it’s ACC and EEACS.  It was nice to see a number of the Raptors at the second game, championship medals around their necks, supporting the other Allentown team

GAME 45.  SATURDAY NOVEMBER 12, 2022.   DISTRICT 11 5A CHAMPIONSHIP GAME.  WHITEHALL ZEPHYRS VS. SOUTHERN LEHIGH SPARTANS @ CATASAUQUA HIGH SCHOOL.  The renovations at Alumni Field are starting to pay off for Catasauqua.  This is the first playoff game that we have been to at our former home field that didn’t include the Rough Riders.  In a bit of irony, we saw Catasauqua play at Whitehall and Whitehall play at Catasauqua on the same day.  It was the first-ever visit to the stadium by both our PA Football News colleagues Brian Ptashinski and Daniel Reed.

Southern Lehigh is the lone 5A team in a league consisting of mostly 1A – 3A schools, with a trio of 4A teams.  SoLehi entered the game 9-2 and as the top seed.  Whitehall was just 6-5.  The recurring theme in this week’s blog is that records can be deceiving.  No more so than in this game.

5A Southern Lehigh’s eight regular-season wins were against a 2A, four 3As, and three 4As.  Their lone game against either their own 5A classification or a 6A school resulted in a loss, and they also lost to a 3A team.  In the semi-final game last week, they beat PM West, who ended their season with a losing record, 29-14.  The only D11 district finalist they played was 3A Northwestern Lehigh, who Mercy Ruled them.  Their current league may not be their optimal choice, as we don’t know what other option they might have, and maybe they are happy with things as they are. But SoLehi is the big fish in a smaller school pond, and with the status quo that will likely continue to haunt them come playoff time.

Meanwhile, Whitehall played up for most of their regular season.  They beat Parkland, who is playing for a 6A district championship.  They also beat 6A Liberty and Easton.  They beat 4A champs Allentown Central Catholic.  Whitehall Mercy Rule shutout PM West the only common opponent between the two.  The five Whitehall losses were to state ranked 6A teams Emmaus, Northampton, Freedom, and Nazareth, and to 4A championship runner up Bethlehem Catholic.

We always enjoyed the food at the band parent refreshment stand on the away side of the field.  Pam of course had the mac and cheese, Guy the pierogie casserole.  At the half, we both had Chic Fil A from the home side stand, and in the final quarter had a slice from Pies On Pizza (after the home side hot food was dropped to half price), an old favorite of ours when we lived in town.

One thing that happened during this game that was extremely cool was the Whitehall cheer squad came over to the home side and merged with the SoLehi to do a set of mounts that featured both groups working together.  Very impressive in both deed and implication.

Take a team that played 90% smaller schools, not by choice but because that’s the league they are in.  Take another team that played 70% bigger schools because that’s the league they are in.  The results did not surprise us one bit.  Whitehall had two touchdowns in the first 89 seconds.  To their credit, SoLehi didn’t get down or quit by any means, and played them even for the rest of the first half.  But the second half was pretty much Whitehall, and the 43-17 final could have been worse as the Zephyrs took a knee inside the ten at the end of the game.  Whitehall advances to play Del Val on Friday night.  Several Del Val jackets were spotted at the game.  There was also a big group of Northern Lehigh Bulldog players spotted.  They were there not for scouting purposes, as these teams were four classifications higher, but just because they love the game.

THIS WEEKEND.  Pam is heading to New Orleans to present at the American Speech Language Hearing Association national convention.  She is also being honored with an award.  She leaves Tuesday and arrives home late Saturday night, thus is out for this weekend and Guy is solo.  As of now, it looks like Guy’s choice will be Freedom vs. Parkland on Friday at Cottingham and Northern Lehigh vs. Lackawanna Trail on Saturday at Dunmore.

We enjoy the feedback at RTRYFBAR@aol.com

D11 TEAMS STILL PLAYING (11)

Freedom, Parkland, Whitehall, Allentown Central Catholic, Northwestern Lehigh, North Schuylkill, Executive Education Academy, Northern Lehigh, Easton (Thanksgiving Day), Northampton (Thanksgiving Day), and Catasauqua (Thanksgiving Day).

13 schools ended season after Week 10 (end of regular season)

17 more schools ended season after Week 11

6 additional schooled finished after Week 12

GUY & PAM’S 2022 FOOTBALL SCOREBOARD (2021-2023)

CURRENT OVERALL TOTAL: 65 OF 85

PIAA District 11

–Varsity or JV Home Game in 2021/2022 with Varsity All-Time (47 of 47)

–Active Alternative JV Game Sites (4 of 7)

–Special Events/Related Stadiums (1 of 2)

–Outside Teams that Played in D11 as Sub Regional Teams (0 of 6)

–All Star Games with D11 Players Participating (6 of 6)

NCAA

–D2 PSAC 16 Schools + One Related School (6 of 17)

Varsity or JV Home Game in 2021/2022 with Varsity All-Time (47 of 47)

1. Allentown Central Catholic Vikings (2021), 2. Bangor Slaters (2021), 3. Bethlehem Catholic Golden Hawks (2021), 4. Blue Mountain Eagles (2021), 5. Catasauqua Rough Riders (2021), 6. Dieruff Huskies (2021), 7. Easton Red Rovers—Cottingham Stadium (2022), 8. East Stroudsburg North Timberwolves (2021), 9. East Stroudsburg South Cavaliers (2022), 10. Emmaus Hornets (2021), 11. Executive Education Raptors (2021), 12. Freedom Patriots (2021), 13. Jim Thorpe Olympians (2022), 14. Lehighton Indians (2021), 15. Liberty Hurricanes (2021), 16. Mahanoy Area Golden Bears (2021), 17. Marian Catholic Colts (2021), 18. Minersville Battlin’ Miners (2021), 19. Nativity BVM Green Wave (2021), 20. Nazareth Blue Eagles (2021), 21. Northern Lehigh Bulldogs (2021), 22. Northampton Konkrete Kids (2021), 23. Northwestern Lehigh Tigers (2021), 24. North Schuylkill Spartans (2022), 25. Notre Dame Green Pond Crusaders (2021), 26. Palisades Pirates (2022), 27. Palmerton Blue Bombers (2021), 28. Panther Valley Panthers (2021), 29. Parkland Trojans (2021), 30. Pen Argyl Green Knights (2021), 31. Pine Grove Cardinals (2021), 32. Pleasant Valley Bears (2021), 33. Pocono Mountain East Cardinals (2022), 34. Pocono Mountain West Panthers (2021), 35. Pottsville Crimson Tide (2022), 36. Salisbury Township Falcons (2021), 37. Saucon Valley Panthers (2021), 38. Schuylkill Haven Hurricanes (2022), 39. Shenandoah Valley Blue Devils (2021), 40. Southern Lehigh Spartans (2021), 41. Stroudsburg Mounties (2021), 42. Tamaqua Blue Raiders (2021), 43. Tri-Valley Bulldogs (2022), 44. Whitehall Zephers (2021), 45. William Allen Canaries (2022), 46. Williams Valley Vikings (2021), 47. Wilson Area Warriors (2021)

Active Alternative JV Game Sites (4 of 7)

48. ALLENTOWN CENTRAL CATHOLIC VIKINGS JV—PERCY RHUE PARK, 49. Bethlehem Catholic Golden Hawks JV–High School (2022), 50. BLUE MOUNTAIN EAGLES JV–EAST FIELD, 51. Freedom Patriots JV—FHS Turf Field (2022), 52. Lehighton Indians JV–Old Football Stadium (2022), 53. Nativity BVM Green Wave JV—High School (2022), 54. POCONO MOUNTAIN WEST PANTHERS JV—OLD STADIUM

Special Event or Related Stadiums (1 of 2)

55. Easton Red Rovers—Lafayette College Thanksgiving Day Game (2021), 56. PHILLIPSBURG STATELINERS (FORMER EPC SCHOOL)

Teams that Played in D11 as Sub Regional Teams (0 of 6)

57. 2021 NEW HOPE-SOLEBURY LIONS (D1-3A), 58. 2021 ABINGTON HEIGHTS COMETS (D2-5A), 59. 2021 WYOMING VALLEY WEST SPARTANS (D2-5A), 60. 2022 HAZLETON COUGARS (D2-6A), 61. 2022 WILKES BARRE WOLFPACK (D2-6A), 62. 2022 WILLIAMSPORT MILLIONAIRES (D4-6A)

All Star Games with D11 Players Participating (6 of 6)

63. Colonial vs. Schuylkill League All-Star Game (2022 @ Schuylkill Haven)
64. Lehigh Valley All-Star Football Classic (2022 @ Nazareth)
65. PSFCA East vs. West Small School All Star Game (2022 @ Bishop McDevitt)
66. PSFCA East vs. West Big School All Star Game (2022 @ Bishop McDevitt)
67. PSFCA Pennsylvania vs. Maryland Big 33 Game (2022 @ Bishop McDevitt)
68. Schuylkill League All-Star Game (2021 @ Schuylkill Haven)

–NCAA D2 PSAC 16 Schools + One Related School (7 of 17)

69. Bloomsburg Huskies (2022), 70. CALIFORNIA VULCANS, 71. Clarion Golden Eagles (2022), 72. East Stroudsburg Warriors (2022), 73. Edinboro Fighting Scots (2022), 74. GANNON GOLDEN KNIGHTS, 75. INDIANA CRIMSON HAWKS, 76. Kutztown Golden Bears (2022), 77. LOCK HAVEN BALD EAGLES, 78. MERCYHURST LAKERS, 79. Millersville Marauders (2022), 80. SETON HILL GRIFFINS, 81. SHEPHERD RAMS (WV), 82. SHIPPENSBURG RAIDERS, 83. SLIPPERY ROCK THE ROCK, 84. WEST CHESTER GOLDEN RAMS, 85. Mansfield Mountaineers

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