Around District 11 with Pam and Guy: Tigers and Golden Bears Get 2nd December Game First Time in Program Histories

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Guy Smith | December 5, 2023

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What a great weekend of football! We saw two of what were certainly among our top five games this season on consecutive December days. And both of our teams came out victorious.

The weekend started a day early as we took in something different for us: NCAA women’s college wresting. Alvernia visited Cedar Crest in Allentown. These matches were intense, and they flew by with only the first two lightest weight class bouts reaching the second period in the 32-16 Falcon win in a match that lasted just 35 minutes. Exciting sport for sure!

Friday it was on to Kutztown for the PIAA 3A “Eastern” Semi Final as the last remaining D11 team standing, the Northwestern Lehigh Bulldogs, took on the one-loss Wyomissing Spartans.

And Saturday it was another new PSAC stadium for us as we traveled to Slippery Rock to see our Kutztown University Golden Bears take on the Slippery Rock “Rock” in the NCAA D2 Super Region 1 championship final.

GAME 59. FRIDAY, DECEMBER 1. PIAA 3A SEMI FINAL. NORTHWESTERN LEHIGH TIGERS VS. WYOMISSING SPARTANS @ KUTZTOWN UNIVERSITY. We had been to Kutztown University for many football games in the past, both of us having lived on campus as undergrads, but never before for high school football. We can’t recall the PIAA using this field in the past, but it was a good place for the “Eastern Final” between Wyomissing and Northwestern Lehigh.

We knew K.U. does not have a good refreshment stand, so we stopped at old favorite Mark’s Sandwich Shop on Main Street for steak sandwiches and pierogies. It was raining hard when we left home, and still coming down steadily when we arrived at Mark’s. But we were confident the rain would be mostly past by game time, and indeed it was. A few drops and some mist were all we had to deal with. Not even enough to get wet. Plus, it was relatively warm by December in Pennsylvania standards.

Both schools brought good numbers of supporters to the game, Northwestern Lehigh really filled the visitor side stands, while there was a good crowd of Spartan supporters in the larger home side stands. By the way, Wyomissing used to be the Warriors, becoming the Spartans after the district merged with the West Reading School District in 1969.

The Tigers were one of ten unbeaten teams left in the state at 14-0. By the end of the weekend, two had lost (Bishop McDevitt and Selinsgrove). Wyomissing had one loss, to 5A, 12-2 Cocalico in a game where their starting QB was hurt and they had to turn to a freshman.

The two halves were like two different games. In the first half, the Tigers offense was for the most part stifled, and they got crushed in the field possession game. Three times they started drives inside their own ten, and they punted five times in the first half. Their lone highlight was a screen pass on a 4th and seven that went all the way for their only first half points. The defense played reasonably well in the first half, but at the break the Tigers were two scores down, 17-7 and the Spartans got first possession to start the second half.

Things looked grim for the Tigers, as the Spartans moved the ball to start the 3rd quarter. Then, everything changed as Ms. Momentum is a fickle individual. An INT and a quick score and all of a sudden it was a one-score game again.

The NWL offense looked like a completely different animal, and all of a sudden, they were virtually unstoppable. A second TD put them in the lead 20-17. But it was not over yet.

Wyo fought back and kicked a game tying field goal. But NWL got flagged for hitting the kicker for the second time in the game. Wyo took the points off the board and turned it into a 24-20 lead with under six minutes remaining.

However, the Tigers, who were stopped over and over in the first half, could not be stopped and marched right down the field to take the lead for good with the final a 33-24 win for Northwestern Lehigh.

Can’t say enough about Dalton Clymer. We’ve seen star running backs in the past steer clear of the play if they weren’t the ball carrier, we’ve seen QBs slide with the game on the line rather than take a hit, or offensive stars rest while their team is on defense. Clymer is THE MAN! He’s as good a blocker out of the backfield as you will see, and may be even better on defense than offense. He’s out there playing just as hard and getting the job done while not in the limelight, earning our ultimate respect.

Granted we had not seen Wyomissing play before and did not take the deep dive into their season stats, but it looked like a heavily run-based team that had a hard time adjusting once their run game was shut down and they fell behind. Balanced teams win championships.

The Tigers advance to the state title game for the first time ever. They have already set the school record for wins in a season. They will face Belle Vernon, the defending state champ, on Saturday afternoon. Though the Tigers are definitely the underdog, it’s nice to have one of our D11 teams in a state final to cheer on for the first time in eight years, since Parkland made it to the 6A.

GAME 60. SATURDAY, DECEMBER 2. NCAA D2 NATIONAL QUARTERFINAL. KUTZTOWN UNIVERSITY GOLDEN BEARS @ SLIPPERY ROCK “THE ROCK.” We didn’t have a great year adding to our PSAC school count, only visiting Lock Haven, West Chester, and Shippensburg before this past weekend. But a bizarre decision by Kutztown administration allowed us to add one more to the count. Six PSAC schools left to visit next year.

The Kutztown University administration screwed their football program, students, parents, and fans. Then they made things worse and did it again a third time. When the deadline came to submit bids to host NCAA national playoff tournament games, the university administration decided they didn’t have faith in their student-athletes and coaches, and didn’t bother to submit a bid. Thus, when #3 seed Kutztown defeated the #2 seed in D2 Super Region 1 semifinal, and Slippery Rock defeated the #1 seed, it left Kutztown as the highest seed team remaining and most thought they would host the Super Regional Final. That’s because the administration did not make public what they had done, or in this case not done, ostensibly quietly hoping their school would lose and the gaffe would remain mostly unknown. But the unranked Bears came back to beat #24 Charleston 32-31 on the road in West Virginia. Most, including the players, learned that as the higher seed they would have to travel via the social media game information post from their opponent.

The administration, who had already acted unconscionably (our opinion) twice, first by not having enough faith in their team to submit a bid, then doubling down by keeping quiet about figuring the team would lose, decided to triple-down.

The K.U. Public Relations Department issued a weaselly worded statement calling their failure to submit the bid a “misjudgment” rather than a conscious decision to not do their jobs, but still collect their paychecks. They offered an apology for “the mistake.” This was not a mistake. A mistake is forgetting the wife’s anniversary or accidently undertipping. This was a conscious decision to not submit the bid to host the game. Welcome to the world of “Due Process Job Security.”

Instead of a game in their hometown, the game was scheduled 280 miles from Kutztown, a four-and-a-half-hour drive. But where those that are paid to do a job failed miserably not once, not twice, but thrice, the great K.U. fans made the long drive to support the Golden Bears in surprisingly healthy numbers. Not to be outdone, the Slippery Rock faithful packed the larger home side grandstands.

Kutztown started the season 0-2 but had won 11 straight games since then. In the state championship game and the first two rounds of the playoffs, unranked Kutztown dispatched with three consecutive nationally ranked teams: #4 Slippery Rock for the PSAC title, then #13 Virginia Union, and #24 Charleston. They would be facing their fourth consecutive nationally ranked team, now #15 Slippery Rock in a rematch of three weeks earlier. The Rock had done one better, entering the game at 12-1, their only loss to Kutztown in the state final.

The game turned out to be one of the craziest (and nail-biting considering Kutztown never trailed) games we had ever seen. Where the night before NW Lehigh was stuck in “neutral” offensively the first half and in “overdrive” the second half, for Kutztown it was the opposite, as they went from overdrive to flat out reverse.

In the first half, K.U. got the ball first and scored. They scored on all three offensive possessions. Rock fumbled on their second possession, which allowed Kutztown to build a two-score lead. But Rock scored again on their third, and it was 21-14 Kutztown at the break with Rock getting the ball to start.

In one of the most startling differences in halves, the Golden Bears offense was totally non-existent in the second half. After a perfect three for three, they didn’t cross midfield a single time in the second half. In fact, they only ran one play past the 40, and that one resulted in a lost fumble.

Meanwhile, Slippery Rock continued to pile up the yardage and moved up and down the field almost at will. Until they got in the red zone, that is. Incredibly, Slippery Rock went 0-5 in the red zone in the second half, turning the ball over four times, including a 100-yard return pick-six to make the score 28-14. Incredibly, that 0-5 in the red zone included no missed field goals. They either turned the ball over by fumble or interception, or went for it and turned the ball over on downs each time. Over aggressive red zone play call decisions may have been their downfall.

Near the end of the game, K.U. gave up a safety, but that “might” have been on purpose to give them more room on the following free kick rather than a tight punt from the back of the end zone.

On their last at bat, Slippery Rock lost their cool and gave up a totally unnecessary dead ball personal foul, then on fourth down “Harlon Hill” finalist Braden Long scampered out of bounds rather than throwing or taking a hit trying to run for a first down. He threw for 322, mostly passes to the flat with a lot of yards after catch, but no TDs and one INT. Not overly impressive in their biggest game of the season.

The game stats are shocking. Slippery Rock outgained Kutztown by almost 300 yards, more than double at 502 to 203. They more than doubled them in first downs, too, 27-11. And the time of possession was a lopsided 37:51 to 22:09. Yet, the offense scored ZERO second half points and they lost by two scores. Incredible.

The unranked Golden Bears overcame administrative incompetence and won on the road, while defeating a Top 25 ranked opponent for the fourth consecutive week. That makes five times this season, as they only gave up three points in downing #13 Shepherd during the regular season. Not only did they set the school record for 12 wins in a season and 12 consecutive wins, but the state champions are now Super Region 1 champs for the first time ever, as well, reaching the national final four.

The Golden Bears, reshuffled #4 seed, will travel to Colorado to face the #1 seeded Colorado School of Mines Orediggers next Saturday afternoon with a trip to the national championship game at stake.

As for us, we will be at Cumberland Valley for the PA high school championships all three days. Whether or not we are there for all six games remains to be seen.

“BLOG YEARS” SCORECARD: 2021 – 2023 (99 / 175 Games)

PIAA District 11 Schools (48)

1-48. All 47 D11 football schools plus a second stadium for Executive Education, who played multiple home games at two locations (Muhlenberg College and Lafayette College) not already included for another D11 team.

D11 Alternative JV Game Sites (7). 49. Allentown Central Catholic Vikings JV (Percy Ruhe Park), 50. Bethlehem Catholic Golden Hawks JV (High School), 51. Blue Mountain Eagles JV (East Field), 52. Freedom Patriots JV (FHS Turf Field), 53. Lehighton Indians JV (Old Football Stadium), 54. Nativity BVM Green Wave JV (High School), 55. Pocono Mountain West Panthers JV (Old/West Stadium Grass Field).

D11 Related–Special Events, Sub Regional, or Former EPC teams (6). 56. Easton Red Rovers @ Lafayette College (Thanksgiving Day Game), 57. New Hope-Solebury Lions: D1-3A (Sub Regional), 58. Abington Heights Comets: D2-5A (Sub Regional), 59. Wyoming Valley West Spartans: D2-5A (Sub Regional), 60. Hazleton Cougars: D2-6A (Sub Regional) 61. Phillipsburg Stateliners (Former EPC).

All Star Games with D11 Players (6). 62. Colonial vs. Schuylkill League All-Star Game, 63. Lehigh Valley All-Star Football Classic, 64. PSFCA East vs. West Small School All Star Game, 65. PSFCA East vs. West Big School All Star Game, 66. PSFCA Pennsylvania vs. Maryland Big 33 Game, 67. Schuylkill League All-Star Game.

Out of District Playoff Game Sites with D11 Teams (7). 68. (G) Dunmore High School (Northern Lehigh Bulldogs), 69. Bald Eagle High School (Allentown Central Catholic Vikings), 70. Steelton-Highspire High School (Northern Lehigh Bulldogs), 71. (G) Governor Mifflin High School (Pleasant Valley Bears), 72. (G) Delaware Valley High School (Whitehall Zephyrs), 73. Northeast High School Supersite (Nazareth Blue Eagles), 74. Kutztown University (Northwestern Lehigh Tigers)

Pennsylvania State Finals (6). 75. 1A State Championship, 76. 2A State Championship, 77. 3A State Championship, 78. 4A State Championship, 79. 5A State Championship, 80. 6A State Championship.

NCAA D2 PSAC Colleges (11). 81. Bloomsburg Huskies, 82. Clarion Golden Eagles, 83. East Stroudsburg Warriors, 84. Edinboro Fighting Scots, 85. Kutztown Golden Bears, 86. Lock Haven Bald Eagles, 87. Millersville Marauders, 88. Shippensburg Raiders, 89. Slippery Rock The Rock, 90. West Chester Golden Rams, 91. Mansfield Mountaineers (former PSAC).

NCAA Bowl Games / National Playoffs / or NFL (6*). 92. (G) D3 Delaware Valley Aggies, xx–D2 Kutztown University Golden Bears, xx–D2 Slippery Rock The Rock, 93. (G) D3 Susquehanna River Hawks, 94. New York Jets, 95. New York Giants.

GEFA 8-Main Semi Pro (4). 96. Wilkes Barre Warriors (The Bog), 97. Snyder County Spartans (East Snyder Park), 98. Dauphin County Comanche (Koons Park), 99. Lancaster Cyclone (Manor Middle School).

Other / Not Classified (5). NCAA D1 Rutgers Scarlet Knights, NCAA D 1AA Lehigh Mountain Hawks, WFA Harrisburg Havoc, Selinsgrove High School (PIAA Playoffs), Fleetwood High School Tigers.

D11 Related / PSAC Missing (8). WILKES-BARRE WOLFPACK: 2022-23 D2-6A Subregion team, WILLIAMSPORT MILLIONAIRES: 2022-23 D4-6A subregion team. PSAC CALIFORNIA VULCANS, PSAC GANNON GOLDEN KNIGHTS, PSAC INDIANA CRIMSON HAWKS, PSAC MERCYHURST LAKERS, PSAC SETON HILL GRIFFINS, PSAC SHEPHERD RAMS (WV).

Missed for Now (6). 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).

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