Around District 11 with Pam and Guy: Northwestern Lehigh Runs the Table

Tagged under: District 11, Gameday Hub, News

Guy Smith | November 2, 2023

After seeing four or five games most weeks, we only went to a pair during the final week of the regular season. With no D11 game on Thursday, we supported our local high school girls’ volleyball team for the third and final time this season as the Pleasant Valley Bears were eliminated by Nazareth. The game was as close as volleyball can get, 2-2 with a two-point win in the deciding fifth game. For Friday it was Pam’s Pick, and she went with the battle of unbeatens, Southern Lehigh visiting Northwestern Lehigh. We had purchased concert tickets early in the year for a show in early April. One of the three main performers was ill, and the show was postponed. Until football season? Who made that call? With the concert on Saturday afternoon, our Saturday evening was spent at The Buck Motorsports Park for their first attempt at figure-8 stock car racing so no football that day. More racing was planned for Sunday, but rained out. The final JV game of the season on Monday was the Freedom/Liberty rivalry game in Bethlehem.

GAME 45. FRIDAY, OCTOBER 27, 2023. SOUTHERN LEHIGH SPARTANS @ NORTHWESTERN LEHIGH TIGERS. Neither of us can recall being at a final week of the regular season 9-0 vs. 9-0 since we went to see Jim Thorpe @ Lehighton about five or six years ago. It was Pam’s Pick, and she opted for the showdown of unbeatens.

Guy and Pam certainly have different criteria for game choices. For Guy’s five Fridays, he chose something different all five: Executive Ed. @ Lafayette, Phillipsburg, New Hope-Solebury, Hazleton, and Wyoming Valley West. Pam’s five were traditional D11 teams: Catasauqua, Shenandoah Valley, Schuylkill Haven, Whitehall, and Northwestern Lehigh. Also, since Pam is a Colonial League gal, note she never picked a 6A school on any her Fridays.

This game was the second of the year for us where they did not accept cash and the fees pushed this to the most expensive we’ve seen to date. That didn’t seem to affect the crowd one bit, as the place was full on both sides of the field.

We were happy to see a fresh cut fry truck, and the fries were both delicious and a bargain. We would have had a fresh-cut weekend sweep had the Sunday race not rained out. While handing out the kudos, we also appreciate that there was plenty of parking and plenty of attendants out there organizing the parking so that everyone got a spot and no one got parked in. Much appreciated.

With both teams unbeaten and both state-ranked in their respective classification, we expected a much closer game. This one was pretty much all Northwestern Lehigh. To make a long story short, the Southern Lehigh defense couldn’t stop Northwestern Lehigh’s Dalton Clymer, who rushed for 250. Meanwhile, the Tigers stopped the Spartans run game and forced them to throw, then stopped that part of the offense as well. The final was 42-14, but this easily could have been a Mercy Rule win for a very impressive Northwestern Lehigh squad.

GAME 46. MONDAY, OCTOBER 30, 2023. LIBERTY HURRICANES JV VS. FREEDOM PATRIOTS JV. JUNIOR BATTLE OF BETHLEHEM. While Dr. Pam was occupied as a guest lecturer at the University of Maryland, Guy tried to plot a JV double to end the season. The plot failed.

It looked like a double was possible as the Allen vs. Dieruff JV game at JBC was scheduled for 4:00, and the Freedom vs. Liberty game at BASD was scheduled for 5:30. However, at BASD the freshmen team game preceded the JV, and when that happens the JV game never starts on time, usually about 20 minutes late, giving a bit more time between. Guy thought he could (and should, having close ties to both Allen and Freedom) do both.

But in a repeat of last year, Allen never updated their schedule on Big Teams to mark the game as canceled. Luckily, Guy learned that lesson last season and contacted the Allen Athletic Department, who at least responded with news that there was no game. Actually, there was a game, albeit no JV. The Allen freshmen team played ACCHS.

Guy decided that with no JV game, he might as well just go to Bethlehem and watch the two games there. Admission was free, and an on and off rain kept the crowd way down. Even for JV and freshmen, they usually get a pretty good turnout for the city vs. township rivalry.

The refreshment stand doesn’t have nearly the variety as the majority of the Skook stadiums for their varsity games, but at least they had the full varsity game menu for the JV game. Guy downed three of their famous $3.50 turkey BBQ sandwiches before the JVs even took the field.

If this was the only freshmen game Guy watched this season, it was a doozy. Losing with half a minute to play, Liberty scored two TDs in the last 26 seconds for a crazy comeback win.

Freedom had a district playoff game in four days and only dressed 19 players for the JV game. Liberty, on the other hand, has a scrimmage in 41 weeks and dressed a lot more. While Freedom focused on the varsity game this Friday, this game was it for the Canes this season. They had more players, more cheerleaders (Freedom had none), more fans (fewer than three dozen sat on the Pates’ side), and wanted it more. The Canes played their hearts out. The Pates never really got close to scoring, and in one crazy series lost 47 yards in four plays ending in a safety. The freshmen and JV wins went to the Canes, 16-0 in JV, but the varsity win and the district playoff spot went to the Pates.

Thus ended the JV season and for the third year in a row, we didn’t miss a Monday. JV teams we went to see this season: Pocono Mountain West, Blue Mountain, Allentown Central Catholic, Pen Argyl, East Stroudsburg South, Southern Lehigh, Stroudsburg, Pocono Mountain East, Freedom. That’s only nine, because one Monday we went to see Pleasant Valley varsity finish the lightning-postponed game from the previous Thursday. For the record, eight of the ten Mondays offered free admission, with Pen Argyl and East Stroudsburg South charging ($5).

COMING UP. With JV Monday done, we were looking at four games this weekend. That has been reduced to three. With the Saturday afternoon Pen Argyl game not kicking off until 3:00, it will prevent us from going there before heading to Williams Valley in the evening. Our current plan is Palmerton on Thursday, (D11-3A), Pleasant Valley on Friday visiting Governor Mifflin (E.C. 5A/6A), and Williams Valley Saturday (D11-2A).

DISTRICT 11 PLAYOFFS. There are 47 teams in District 11, and 30 of them have qualified for district playoffs, including three with losing records, one of those at 2-8. In addition, three more teams were invited to Eastern Conference championship games, meaning that there are still 33 teams of 47 playing in Week 11. Parkland (6A), Northwestern Lehigh (3A), and Palmerton (3A) remain perfect at 10-0. There are still 27 unbeaten schools in Pennsylvania.

STATE RANKED BY PA FOOTBALL NEWS: By beating an undefeated team and running the regular season table, Northwestern Lehigh has advanced two positions and has tied Allentown Central Catholic as the highest ranked D11 team in 6th. No D11 team is in the top five in any classification.

The other big jump, being rewarded for also going 10-0, was Palmerton, advancing from Honorable Mention to 9th.

Blue Mountain was unranked last week, and has now been awarded Honorable Mention status.

Southern Lehigh lost handily to a team in a lower classification for their first loss of the season and was knocked out of the rankings as a result.

Northampton lost to a team in a smaller school classification for their second loss, both losses coming to smaller classification schools, but remained Honorable Mention. Only one of Northampton’s eight wins came against schools in their own classification against teams that qualified for district playoffs, that being four loss Stroudsburg.

6th—Allentown Central Catholic (4A)
6th—Northwestern Lehigh (3A, +2)
7th—Parkland (6A)
9th—Nazareth (6A)
9th–Palmerton (3A, From HM)
10th–Schuylkill Haven (2A)
HM—Northampton (6A)
NEW! HM—Blue Mountain (4A)
HM–North Schuylkill (3A)
HM–Williams Valley (2A)
HM–Minersville (1A)

OUT—Southern Lehigh (5A)

GUY & PAM’S PIAA DISTRICT 11 & NCAA D2 PSAC SCORECARD: 2021 – 2023 (80 of 89)

Varsity or JV Home Game in 2021/2022 with Varsity All-Time. 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 @ Muhlenberg College (2021), 12. Executive Education Raptors @ Lafayette College (2023), 13. Freedom Patriots (2021), 14. Jim Thorpe Olympians (2022), 15. Lehighton Indians (2021), 16. Liberty Hurricanes (2021), 17. Mahanoy Area Golden Bears (2021), 18. Marian Catholic Colts (2021), 19. Minersville Battlin’ Miners (2021), 20. Nativity BVM Green Wave (2021), 21. Nazareth Blue Eagles (2021), 22. Northern Lehigh Bulldogs (2021), 23. Northampton Konkrete Kids (2021), 24. Northwestern Lehigh Tigers (2021), 25. North Schuylkill Spartans (2022), 26. Notre Dame Green Pond Crusaders (2021), 27. Palisades Pirates (2022), 28. Palmerton Blue Bombers (2021), 29. Panther Valley Panthers (2021), 30. Parkland Trojans (2021), 31. Pen Argyl Green Knights (2021), 32. Pine Grove Cardinals (2021), 33. Pleasant Valley Bears (2021), 34. Pocono Mountain East Cardinals (2022), 35. Pocono Mountain West Panthers (2021), 36. Pottsville Crimson Tide (2022), 37. Salisbury Township Falcons (2021), 38. Saucon Valley Panthers (2021), 39. Schuylkill Haven Hurricanes (2022), 40. Shenandoah Valley Blue Devils (2021), 41. Southern Lehigh Spartans (2021), 42. Stroudsburg Mounties (2021), 43. Tamaqua Blue Raiders (2021), 44. Tri-Valley Bulldogs (2022), 45. Whitehall Zephyrs (2021), 46. William Allen Canaries (2022), 47. Williams Valley Vikings (2021), 48. Wilson Area Warriors (2021).

Active Alternative JV Game Sites. 49. Allentown Central Catholic Vikings JV—Percy Ruhe Park (2023), 50. Bethlehem Catholic Golden Hawks JV–High School (2022), 51. Blue Mountain Eagles JV—East Field (2023), 52. Freedom Patriots JV—FHS Turf Field (2022), 53. Lehighton Indians JV–Old Football Stadium (2022), 54. Nativity BVM Green Wave JV—High School (2022), 55. Pocono Mountain West Panthers JV—Old West Stadium (Grass Field—2023).

D11 Related (Special Events, Sub Regional, or Former EPC teams). 56. Easton Red Rovers @ Lafayette College (Thanksgiving Day Game 2021), 57. 2021 New Hope-Solebury Lions: D1-3A (2023), 58. 2021 Abington Heights Comets: D2-5A (2023), 59. 2021 Wyoming Valley West Spartans: D2-5A (2023), 60. 2022-23 Hazleton Cougars: D2-6A, 61. 2022-23 WILKES-BARRE WOLFPACK: D2-6A, 62. 2022-23 WILLIAMSPORT MILLIONAIRES: D4-6A, 63. Phillipsburg Stateliners—Former EPC (2023).

All Star Games with D11 Players. 64. Colonial vs. Schuylkill League All-Star Game (2022 @ Schuylkill Haven), 65. Lehigh Valley All-Star Football Classic (2022 @ Nazareth), 66. PSFCA East vs. West Small School All Star Game (2022 @ Bishop McDevitt), 67. PSFCA East vs. West Big School All Star Game (2022 @ Bishop McDevitt), 68. PSFCA Pennsylvania vs. Maryland Big 33 Game (2022 @ Bishop McDevitt), 69. Schuylkill League All-Star Game (2021 @ Schuylkill Haven)

Neutral Field State Playoff Games with D11 Teams. 70. Dunmore High School (Northern Lehigh Bulldogs 2022), 71. Bald Eagle High School (Allentown Central Catholic Vikings 2022), 72. Steelton-Highspire High School (Northern Lehigh Bulldogs 2022).

NCAA D2 PSAC Colleges. 73. Bloomsburg Huskies (2022), 74. CALIFORNIA VULCANS, 75. Clarion Golden Eagles (2022), 76. East Stroudsburg Warriors (2022), 77. Edinboro Fighting Scots (2022), 78. GANNON GOLDEN KNIGHTS, 79. INDIANA CRIMSON HAWKS, 80. Kutztown Golden Bears (2022), 81. Lock Haven Bald Eagles (2023), 82. MERCYHURST LAKERS, 83. Millersville Marauders (2022), 84. SETON HILL GRIFFINS, 85. SHEPHERD RAMS (WV), 86. Shippensburg Raiders (2023) 87. SLIPPERY ROCK THE ROCK, 88. West Chester Golden Rams, 89. Mansfield Mountaineers.

Missed (For Now). Nazareth Blue Eagles JV (Played a game at the middle school in 2021 when the main field was used for a varsity soccer playoff game), Cardinal O’Hara (North Schuylkill Playoff Game 2021), Berks Catholic (Pine Grove Playoff Game 2022), Trinity (Executive Education Playoff Game 2022), South Philly Supersite (Northwestern Lehigh Playoff Game 2022), Germantown Supersite (Whitehall Playoff Game 2022).

Follow PA Football News on Twitter @PaFootballNews