Around District 11 with Pam and Guy: Tamaqua Climbs to .500

Tagged under: District 11, District 2, Gameday Hub, News

Guy Smith | October 18, 2023

As happens nearly every week, our planned schedule was weather altered somewhat. Once again, the change was in football’s favor, as our planned four games this week turned to five. On Tuesday we headed west to Central Columbia High School to see their defending state champion girls’ soccer team in action. An easy win for the Blue Jays, their only loss in the past two years (40 games) was to D11 Northwestern Lehigh in this year’s opener. Thursday it was off to Tamaqua as they hosted Northern Lehigh. On Friday we ventured outside D11 for the third of the six D11 subregion teams Guy has set his sights on visiting. This time it was Hazleton to see the Cougars. We only had one game scheduled for Saturday, an afternoon NCAA D2 PSAC game at West Chester, just our second college game of the year. But when the dirt track races at Path Valley Speedway were canceled, we replaced our Saturday night choice with high school football, Whitehall at Allentown Central Catholic. After a race on Sunday, our Monday JV choice for this week was East Stroudsburg South at Stroudsburg.

GAME 38. THURSDAY OCTOBER 12, 2023. NORTHERN LEHIGH BULLDOGS @ TAMAQUA BLUE RAIDERS. We are loving the Thursday night football this year, but are concerned with games continuing until nearly 10:00 p.m. and how that affects students, especially the away team with longer travel, getting the needed amount of rest on a school night.

Tamaqua is having an interesting season. They lost their first four games and at 0-4 were a long way from .500. But in beating Northern Lehigh 23-13, they have now totally flipped their outcomes, having won four in a row and put themselves back into a district playoff spot in 3A.

Northern Lehigh is really having a rebuilding year. After going 12-2 last year, the Bulldogs are currently 3-5, not in a D11 playoff ranking spot in 1A this year, but as of this writing in line for an Eastern Football Conference 1A/2A playoff game as the away team.

Tamaqua is one of those Schuylkill County teams that has great refreshment stands. In fact, they have three of them! And all of them top the offerings at some of the big school stadiums in the Lehigh Valley. At the band parents stand, we tried the turkey dinner, which would easily rank as the number one individual food item we have tried this year so far. At the senior class stand, we went with the soup: Guy vegetable and Pam broccoli cheese, and they were both delicious. Also, the soft pretzels there are amazing, hand rolled on site. That stand also earned the stadium the popcorn bonus point. The third stand lagged behind this year, as both the mac and cheese and the fries had a temperature problem. I believe the comment on the mac and cheese was that the ketchup was warmer.

Smith Snack Bar Pick: Turkey dinner at the band parents stand.

We have been to this stadium multiple times and it is one we look forward to attending again in the future.

GAME 39. FRIDAY OCTOBER 13, 2023. WYOMING VALLEY WEST SPARTANS @ HAZLETON COUGARS. Hazleton was on our list as one of the teams that were in a subregion with D11. The last time we had been here was in 2007 when “Nasty Nate” aka “Nate the Great” Eachus was playing for Hazleton. Eachus went off in the D11 playoffs that year as Hazleton eliminated favored Easton and then Liberty on consecutive weeks. Against Easton, Eachus ran for 263 yards, and against Liberty he ran for an unthinkable 388. He even made the game saving tackle with six seconds remaining in one of the most impressive individual performances we’ve seen. A state wrestling champion too, Eachus was only recruited by a handful of colleges, played for Colgate, and was undrafted. But he signed as a free agent with the NFL KC Chiefs as a blocking back, and started at least one game as fullback.

Also of note in Hazleton history was Bob Tucker, who played his college ball at Guy’s alma mater of Bloomsburg University. Tucker played 11 seasons in the NFL, with the NY Giants and the Minnesota Vikings.

That was then, this is now. Hazleton is having a tough season, coming into the game at 1-6. But we thought this should be a good matchup as Wyoming Valley West was also 1-6. And comparing records, Hazleton’s lone win was against Pittston Area who beat WVW, while WVW’s lone win was against North Pocono, who beat Hazleton.

The booster club had parking for $3, and we always try to support organizations such as that. We are almost always in for parking, admission tickets, programs, and refreshments. One thing we don’t do is 50/50.

Although the stadium is nice, it didn’t have a friendly vibe. The same little bag Guy had brought to every other, over 25, high school stadiums this year to hold his point and shoot camera, cell phone, and glasses case was deemed contraband because it had a drawstring. It just seemed like being told it had to be returned to the car was done with a bit too much satisfaction. And finally, upon entry we were wanded, something that also hasn’t happened at any other stadium this year. People say a lot about the current status of Guy’s original home town of Allentown, but we weren’t denied entry there for a drawstring, nor was anyone wanded by the cops.

We were very impressed by the sheer number of Hazleton cheerleaders and for combining several groups together, they were very much in sync. There were not a lot of people on the away side, but the home side had a very good turnout. Lots and lots of kids walking around. Loved the “Game Day—Crazy for Hazy” sweatshirts.

The refreshment stand was a disappointment. For a school that size to have only one stand was unusual, but on top of that there was only one line for hot food. The selection and prices seemed good, but neither of us were willing to accept the wait time and miss that much game, and the line never got short for well over two hours. The only saving grace was they did have a second “snack and drink only” line where we could get popcorn and a candy bar. We stopped at Sheetz on the way home to eat.

Although on paper this looked like it could be a close game, in reality it was a mercy rule blowout for the home team. Final: Cougars 50-14.

Smith Snack Bar Pick: N/A

GAME 40. SATURDAY AFTERNOON OCTOBER 14, 2023. EAST STROUDSBURG UNIVERSITY WARRIORS @ WEST CHESTER UNIVERSITY RAMS. We have not been doing too well with our “Tour de PSAC” this year. The only other game we had made it to was Lock Haven in early September. West Chester was another box to tick, and we are now 8 for 16, or halfway through the PSAC stadiums. This was not our first time here as we had been to see Bloomsburg a couple times before, but we reset the stadium counter to zero when we started this blog in 2021.

We were going to go to West Chester a few weeks ago, but having Homecoming and Family Weekend on the same day scared us away. This was a rainy day and the result was the opposite, almost everyone else was scared away.

Parking was a bit steep at $10, but with the low turnout we parked almost right next to the stadium. Tickets for NCAA D2 games are usually $10, which feels like a pretty good deal.

Once again it looked to be a good game on paper. ESU had a 5-1 record overall, while West Chester was 4-2. In the conference, both were 2-1. In the actual game, ESU seemed to be the slightly better team, and maintained a slight lead. Nearing the end of the game just one score down, West Chester stopped ESU, bringing up a fourth down. In a major miscue, long after the play ended West Chester was hit with an unsportsmanlike conduct which gave ESU the first down and they eventually scored to cement a 28-14 win.

The stadium refreshment stand was nothing to write home about, but they had a food truck that was outstanding. Unfortunately, I didn’t get the name (Frog’s Philly?) but we had fried tilapia sandwiches, fresh fish, never fried, ten dollars, that were without a doubt the best fish sandwiches we have ever had at a football game.

Can’t end this section without mentioning the West Chester band. Although only a fraction of the 340-member band were on hand in the heavy rain (woodwinds for example, not there as the rain would damage their instruments), the band with just brass and percussion was still head and shoulders above all others we have seen this year. The WCU band is bound for the Rose Bowl parade in Pasadena. They are awesome.

Smith Snack Bar Pick: Fresh fried tilapia sandwich from the food truck.

GAME 41. SATURDAY EVENING OCTOBER 14, 2023. WHITEHALL ZEPHYRS @ ALLENTOWN CENTRAL CATHOLIC VIKINGS. Rainy. Cold. Miserable. Already wet from the afternoon game. It’s called football weather. Let’s watch two!

The matchup was the 5A Whitehall Zephs against the 4A ACC Vikes. ACC was 5-2, their only losses to state ranked 6A teams Parkland and Nazareth in the super tough EPC South. Whitehall was 4-3, losing only to the same two teams plus Bethlehem Catholic. Should be a good one.

We encountered a unique situation at the ticket booth. Adult price was $6 with senior admission $4. It’s always frustrating when you are in your early 60s and they don’t post the age to qualify for the senior discount. The term “senior” doesn’t have a legal age attached to it and since it is up to them, they should post their age requirement. As always, Guy asked and for the first time ever, was told that they leave it up to the customer to decide if they are a senior. How refreshing! By the way, both of us are in our 60s, both retired, but only one is currently receiving Social Security, so we thought the fair thing was to split the difference and go one of each, adult/senior.

When we were at J. Birney Crum Stadium a month ago to see Dieruff, Guy photographed the embarrassing condition of the Crum Memorial that was covered with moss, mildew, and mold. He posted the pic on a couple of Allentown related Facebook groups and took some grief about being a complainer, lazy because he didn’t volunteer to clean it himself, and told to stop relying on government for every damn thing. But upon this visit the memorial had been scrubbed, rubbed, and looked brand spanking new. Thank you, ASD. We spoke up for J. Birney.

We went for Santa Fe tacos in Northampton between games, so didn’t eat too much at the stadium, which has a very limited menu anyway. Who would have ever guessed that the best tacos in the entire world were made in Northampton? Anyway, we only split a rainy fry, and although they are not fresh cuts, they are the best of the non-fresh cuts. Kinda like being the JV league champs.

Whitehall looked to perhaps be the better team in the first two quarters, and held a 14-7 lead at halftime. But the second half was a whole different ballgame, and ACC outscored Whitehall 23-0 for a 30-14 win. ACC is state ranked and has already qualified for the district playoffs. Whitehall is currently in a district playoff position, but is not yet guaranteed a spot.

We continue to be concerned over the ever-increasing length of the high school games. This game was easily longer than the college game in the afternoon, although high school games are 20% shorter. Quite a number of the high school games we have been to have lasted longer than either of the two college games attended. That’s an issue that should be on the PIAA discussion agenda.

Smith Snack Bar Pick—French Fries.

GAME 42. MONDAY OCTOBER 16, 2023. EAST STROUDSBURG SOUTH CAVILIARS JV @ STROUDSBURG MOUNTAINEERS JV. We have not missed a Monday game in over two and a half years, and with just three weeks to go in the JV season why start now?

For this week we picked the rivalry game between ESS and Stroudsburg. At one time, this was one of the great rivalries in area football. From 1945 to 2014 the varsity game was played on Thanksgiving Day, for the Little Brown Jug trophy. The winning team would walk home from the game with a police escort hoisting the trophy. But like too many wonderful traditions, many of the Thanksgiving games were moved as the PIAA increased the playoffs to six weeks and now even some teams with losing records qualify. Once an iconic area game, the matchup is no longer even held on Rivalry Week.

But it’s still a pretty big deal to the players and communities, and a pretty good crowd turned out. JV football admission is still free at Stroudsburg. Prominently on display is a replica of the jersey of Artie Owens, who broke state records while playing at Stroudsburg before moving on to West Virginia University and an NFL career with the San Diego Chargers. Guy worked with Artie for a number of years.

Finally, we got a nailbiter of a game. This one came down to the wire, in fact the very last play. With ESS leading 26-20, Stroudsburg had the ball within striking distance and spent the final second throwing to the end zone going for the win. Incomplete, and this one went to the Cavaliers.

This game had the distinction of being the latest ending JV football game I have ever been to, ending at 9:06. And this one had ten-minute quarters. They keep getting longer and longer.

DISTRICT 11. Four teams remain unbeaten: Palmerton, Northwestern Lehigh, Southern Lehigh, and Parkland. Three are winless. No changes there.

D11 Power Ranking leaders so far: 1A—Minersville, 2A—Schuylkill Haven, 3A—Northwestern Lehigh, 4A—Allentown Central Catholic, 5A—Southern Lehigh, and 6A—Parkland. No changes there either.

EASTERN FOOTBALL CONFERENCE. Championship game qualifiers as of October 9: 1A/2A—Northern Lehigh @ Pen Argyl (Palisades out), 3A—Hamburg @ Upper Dauphin (Berks Catholic up to district playoffs), 4A—Pottsville @ Shamokin (Berwick up, Fleetwood, out), 5A/6A—Liberty @ Williamsport.

STATE RANKED BY PA FOOTBALL NEWS (Last Weeks Rankings): 4th—Southern Lehigh (5A), 6th—Parkland (6A), 6th—ACC (4A), 8th—Northwestern Lehigh (3A), 9th—Nazareth (6A), HM—Northampton (6A), North Schuylkill (3A), Palmerton (3A), Schuylkill Haven (2A), Minersville (1A).

GUY & PAM’S PIAA DISTRICT 11 & NCAA D2 PSAC SCORECARD: 2021 – 2023 (78 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, 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, 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).

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