Week 12: Crestwood 35, Berwick 19; Bishop McDevitt 35, Manheim Central 10

Tagged under: District 11, District 2, District 4

Joe Ruby | November 20, 2014

Week 12 is in the books, and most of the District 2, 4 and 11 Champions have been crowned! It was not a good week to be undefeated, as 13 of the 29 zero-loss squads fell. Across the state, there were stunning upsets, dominating statements, and exciting finishes galore, and now the Ruby Review is going to tell you about them!

Crestwood 35, Berwick 19

This game was a rematch of last year’s District 2 Finals, in which Crestwood outgained and outplayed Berwick but was denied the trip onward, with the Bulldogs besting the Comets 14-13. I already covered Berwick’s first trip to Crestwood way back in Week 1, a rollicking contest that saw the Comets jump out to a 20-0 lead and hold on for a 28-20 victory. I wrote about other games that these teams played in, so I’m not going to tell you all about how Frank Aigeldinger breaks twenty tackles a night, or how the two-headed combo of Talanca and Maczuga gave Berwick a multi-faceted one-two punch. I’m not going to tell you about Berwick’s lengthy history or Crestwood’s recent history.

Instead, I’ll try to tell you what this one felt like.

I showed up an hour before kickoff, and the stands were already starting to fill. The temperature was in the high 20s, and a solid wind – blowing straight towards the home stands – ensured that the frigid air penetrated every layer. Back in Week 1, I wrote that it was nearly 7:40 before the sun finally set behind the distant mountains in the north. This past Friday the time I was settled in my seat at 6:15, the sun had been down for an hour.

Sitting in the middle of the Crestwood stands, I felt an old familiar feeling. It was the feeling I remembered from Friday nights cheering the 2009 Selinsgrove Seals to the State Championship, a feeling that, “hey, we know how good we are, and we think we’re going to beat this team, but there’s no way to know until it happens.” If you’re 7-4 and in the district championship after a big upset, that’s when you can be excited and ready to celebrate a win. When you’re undefeated, when you’ve beat your opponent before… when you really feel deep down that this is your year, you don’t think about celebration until after the whistle has blown. Before the game, you’re just hoping, praying that you don’t… lose… to them….

The hot commodity of the night was hot chocolate, and it flowed constantly as the game approached kickoff. The pageantry seems to take forever, and the minutes between when the team leaves the locker room and when the team takes the field are agonizing. Just… kick… the ball!

And then, just like that, before you know it, the first quarter’s half over. You can’t remember what the first play from scrimmage was, but you know that Aigeldinger just broke free for a 50+ yard score, and if you could end the game right now and take the 7-0 victory you’d do it in a heartbeat. But the rules say the other team gets a chance too.

A Berwick drive gets deep into Comets territory, and the guy in front of you says, “man, this isn’t good.” A defensive stop, a Comets score, and still, “we’re not playing well enough.” Short drives traded: “we’ll be happy to run three minutes off and win the field position battle all night.” A Crestwood punt to deep in Bulldogs territory, and the woman behind you says “Man, I would love it if we shut them out.”

A long, long Berwick passing score on the next play: “I JINXED US!”

Although, like in the first game, Crestwood never trailed in this one, there wasn’t a minute of this game that wasn’t captivating. It looked like Crestwood would run away with it a few times, but Berwick’s too good to let that happen, and each time the Comets had a chance to go up three scores, the Bulldogs seemed to come up with just enough to stay within striking distance. As the game wound down, and the outcome became more and more certain, the home fans started to smile, take deep breaths, and as each other if next week’s opponent, the District 11 winner, is any good (spoiler: they are). And when the final whistle blew – and only then – the home town was ready to celebrate their team finally, finally breaking through.

High school football players are just that: they’re high schoolers – teenagers – and they’re playing a game. The players for Berwick, Crestwood, and all the other schools already retired and still playing in the state, are growing up, going to school, learning things that will help them become successful adults and live long, happy lives. No one’s shining moment should be as a high school football player. It should be as a student, a son, a brother, a parent, a professional, a mentor, a grandparent, a leader. Playing football is just another piece of the puzzle, another place to learn what it feels like to be on a team, where your friends share your exuberance after victory and your melancholy after defeat. Another place where to learn what it means to work, and to push yourself, and to do what it takes to meet your goals and blow past them.

But that’s the thing: what those young men are doing on the field is a game, but that doesn’t mean it’s not important. When the efforts of the community, the school, the coaches, and, most importantly, the players themselves allow each of them to reach heights previously unreachable, they deserve to celebrate. Ultimately, whether in victory or defeat, the fans, coaches, and players should be proud of the work they put in. They’ll reap the benefits for the rest of their lives.

Bishop McDevitt 35, Manheim Central

Well, that got a little heavy. I’m going to inject some levity into this piece by telling you about another team that, like Crestwood, has its gaze pointed firmly towards Hershey.

On Saturday afternoon, I hopped on I-81 for the trip down south to the outskirts of Harrisburg, for the matchup between District 3 powerhouses Manheim Central and Bishop McDevitt at the latter’s Rocco Ortenzio Stadium. The home Crusaders reached the PIAA AAA Semifinals in 2012, and got to the Championship last year, falling to Archbishop Wood 22-10. Bishop McDevitt clearly feels like it has the personnel to run the table, and knows that this is the year to take care of unfinished business. First, though, they had to take care of business against the 8th-seeded Red Barons.

And take care of business they did. In Manheim Central Coach Mike Williams’s last final game at the helm, the Red Barons scored first and last, but the Crusaders did all of the scoring in between. Led by Senior QB Nick Marsilio, who has multiple FBS offers, and Senior RB Andre Robinson – one of Penn State’s star recruits – it was the athletic squad of WRs that really shined for the Crusaders in this one, as the powerful arm of Marsilio put the ball deep down the field and the receivers raced under it, looked the ball into their hands, and kicked it into another gear. Each member of the starting trio – Bryce Hall, Kyree Calli, and Kobay White – caught a score through the air, with their receiving TDs measuring 71, 36, and 77 yards respectively to help Marsilio set a new Crusaders single-season passing touchdown record. Robinson had some trouble getting going in the first half against a massive and strong Red Barons front seven, but by the end of the game he had found the endzone twice, and finished with 140 yards.

The amazing thing about this game, and this Bishop McDevitt team, is that the Crusaders, while certainly impressive, looked like they were coasting, running up and down the field and scoring without even trying. The defense was generally far too fast around the edges to let Manheim Central’s speedy Damon Camacho get around the corner, and once the Crusaders got the ball back, it almost felt like the Crusaders offense was operating at 50% capacity.

This is not a criticism. Let me demonstrate with a story: I was in a Wendy’s once, in downtown Philadelphia, when a homeless man spread out a chess board on the table next to me and asked me if I wanted to play. Now, I’m not a bad chess player, but I’m also by no means well-studied. I sat down and we started playing; after three moves, I felt like I was winning, and I thought my fourth move was particularly clever. My opponent smiled and, then, quickly, the advantage I had dissipated and I was hanging on for dear life. Around move fifteen, he made a move that I almost missed, a move that would have beaten me the next turn if I didn’t see it. But I did, and I blocked the oncoming check. “Very good!” he said, and proceeded to kick things up another notch, wipe the board with me, and checkmate me by move 25. I was better than his Level 1, about as good as his Level 2, and no match for his Level 3. I have no doubt that he could’ve kicked it up more.

If, unlike most of my readership, you haven’t been chased away, bored to tears, by my anecdote about chess, you understand what I’m saying: Bishop McDevitt was like that man I met in a Philadelphia Wendy’s. They came out and played about even for the first quarter, allowing a field goal on Manheim Central’s first drive and probing the Red Barons defense for any weakness against the run. Then, in the second quarter, they stepped it up, working their passing game to the tune of two scores. Once the second half started, the Crusaders came out like a bulldozer, dominating the game on both sides of the ball, and looking like it was easy to do so. And I have no doubt that they can play far better than they’ve shown.

Look for this team to once again take the field in Week 16.

A final note is in order about Manheim Central, who played well but were simply outmatched, and Coach Mike Williams. At the beginning of this season, Coach Williams announced that his 34th season would be his last. Over those 34 years, he amassed 348 wins – yes, that’s an average of more than 10 per season – and 16 District Championships. Coach Williams’s Manheim Central team won the PIAA AAA Championship in 2003, made the Championship game again in 2009, and formed, along with Berwick, a nearly impenetrable wall through which all of the other teams in the eastern half of the state struggled overcome. As a Selinsgrove fan in the late 1990s and 2000s, Manheim Central was the measuring stick. If we could just… beat… Manheim… Central… then that would be enough. Year after year, it didn’t happen, and not for lack of trying. What I mean to say is that, through three and a half decades at the helm of the Red Barons football team, Coach Mike Williams was excellent on the field and, through his mentorship and friendship, changed thousands of lives off of it. Enjoy retirement, Coach.

WEEK 13 PREVIEW: PIAA ROUND OF 16!

There are seven games this weekend involving the twelve teams still alive from Districts 2, 4 and 11, and the Ruby Review will give you the inside scoop on them all! I want to give the small schools some love, so I’m reversing the order this time, and we’ll go from Single A up to Quad A.

SINGLE A

D2 Champ Old Forge (12-0, A #5) vs. D4 Champ South Williamsport (11-1, A #7)

The Ruby Review has covered both Old Forge and South Williamsport, and if you’ve been paying attention you know that this is a matchup between one of the best defenses and one of the best offenses in the state. In their dozen wins, Old Forge has pitched seven shutouts, and allowed 5.6 points per game on average.

South Williamsport, on the other hand, has scored at least 5 TDs in every game, surpassed 50 points six times (including their last four games), and takes, on average, 5 minutes and 19 seconds to score the 5.6 points that the Blue Devils allow every 48.

Verdict: Needless to say, something has got to give. The question is what and how much. The Ruby Review says that South Williamsport’s Senior RB Dominic Bragalone will ensure that this one isn’t his last. South Williamsport 28, Old Forge 14.

D11 Champ Pius X (10-2, A HM) vs. D1 Champ DelCo Christian (9-2, A HM)

Even though the Royals fell by quite a large margin in the only game the Ruby Review saw them play, it’s clear from this team’s season that they bring an explosive offense to the table. Pius X still hasn’t played a game this season that’s been decided by fewer than 19 points. Their 45-14 scoreline in the District Championship, against a Marian Catholic team that most considered to be an even match, opened some eyes.

The Delaware County Christian School Knights, after starting the season 1-2, have rattled off 8 straight wins, including two in the last three weeks against Calvary Christian, by a 44-35 score in the season finale and a 52-27 margin in the District 1/12 Championship.

Verdict: Districts 1 and 12 are always strong, but that strength lies primarily in the big schools. The Royals’ offense will be too much for the Knights to handle. Pius X 41, DelCo Christian 21.

DOUBLE A

D2 Champ Dunmore (11-1, AA #8) vs. D11 Champ Northwestern Lehigh (11-1, AA #5)

As I mentioned last week, the Dunmore Bucks allowed 26 points in the first half of their season, losing their first contest, and since then have dominated the competition. This will be the second straight week Dunmore plays a team from this direction of the compass rose: in last week’s D2 Championship, the Bucks defeated the Northwest Rangers 35-0, the Rangers’ first loss since a 35-6 defeat to – wait for it – the Dunmore Bucks.

Northwestern Lehigh is surely feeling good. In the District 11 final, the Tigers gave North Schuylkill their first loss of the year, by a razor-thin 28-26 margin. That 28 point output was only the second time all year they’ve been held below 37 points.

Verdict: For the second straight week, the Tigers will end up in a coin flip of a game. And – call it a hunch – for the second straight week, they’ll win. Northwestern Lehigh 27, Dunmore 22.

District 4 Championship:
5th-Seed Montoursville (8-4) vs. 6th-Seed Loyalsock (9-3, AA HM)

Exactly what we all expected when the 8-team bracket came out, right? Montoursville, who started the season 3-4, is coming off one of the upsets of the season, a 26-14 victory over Southern Columbia, who was undefeated and ranked 3rd in the state coming into the game. The Ruby Review wisely predicted that Southern Columbia would beat Montoursville by 35 points, and is now firmly prepared to bow down in homage to the Warriors and admit I was wrong. It needs to be noted that Southern Columbia was suffering from a number of injuries last week, but most people – myself included – figured that would result in only a mild walloping by the Tigers, rather than a loss.

The Loyalsock Lancers are tricky to get a handle on. Led by QB Kyle Datres, the Lancers tend to look unbeatable until, well, until they’re beaten. Their most recent loss was in Week 10 to, wouldn’t you know, the Montoursville Warriors. Loyalsock beat 7-seed Towanda last week 50-21; it would’ve been a little more helpful to the prognosticators if they had instead shown what they could do against the 2nd-seeded Troy Trojans.

Verdict: Loyalsock has already avenged one of their three losses in this year’s playoffs, taking out Mount Carmel in the District Quarterfinals. The Ruby Review thinks that, with everyone in Montoursville’s camp, the Lancers will avenge another of their losses in swaggering style. Loyalsock 38, Montoursville 23.

TRIPLE A

D2 Champ Crestwood (12-0, AAA #6) vs. D11 Champ Bethlehem Catholic (11-1, AAA HM)

As I’ve noted many times this season, and again in the write-up above, this Crestwood team is good.

In Week 11, the Ruby Review covered Bethlehem Catholic’s victory over Lehighton in the District Semis. Although BeCaHi was explosive, their defense looked vulnerable at times, and I predicted that they’d win a close one over Saucon Valley. Well, call me impressed after a 49-7 dismantling of the Panthers last Saturday night.

Verdict: This one should be fantastic, and will hopefully bring out a ton of fans to Allentown’s huge J. Birney Crum Stadium. Bethlehem Catholic will be very good at everything, but Crestwood will be very, very good at one thing. Crestwood 36, Bethlehem Catholic 34.

D4 Champ Selinsgrove (9-3) vs. D5/6/8/9 Champ Somerset (11-1, AAA HM)

We all knew that Selinsgrove had the talent to get here – and possibly farther – but it wasn’t clear if they’d have the discipline or experience to put it all together. Well, in their second crack against Jersey Shore, the Seals handed the Bulldogs their first loss of the season, scoring a 4th quarter touchdown to take the District Championship by an ugly 6-2. It’s safe to say that 6 points isn’t going to cut it this week.

Somerset, one of just 13 teams in District 5, is sort of like Pius X, in that the Golden Eagles’ closest game this season was a 22 point victory over Bedford. Somerset has outscored their opponents by an average of 37 points in their victories, and their loss – to undefeated Single-A Championship contender Bishop Guilfoyle – was by 24 points. I admit that I don’t know a ton about Somerset, but their 27-0 shutout over Clearfield last week was a very impressive result.

Verdict: I’m as harsh on the Selinsgrove Seals as just about anyone (ah, how we hurt the ones we love!). Still, though, I think this team is gelling at the right time. Selinsgrove 24, Somerset 21.

QUAD A

District 2/4/11 Championship:
1st-seed Easton (12-0, AAAA #7) vs. 7th-seed Parkland (10-2, AAAA HM)

The Easton Red Rovers have passed every test they’ve been given this year. This makes sense, because this team is solid everywhere. Dressing 30+ seniors, the Red Rovers have outscored their opponents 74-0 so far in the playoffs. With a hard-hitting offensive line to run behind, RB Shane Simpson has scrambled all over the opposition this year, getting the carries of a workhorse while providing the dynamism of a secret weapon. The fact that he’s certainly not a secret hasn’t helped opponents tackle him.

The only team to finish a game within a touchdown of Easton is the Parkland Trojans, who fell to the Red Rovers 28-21 in Week 7. Sporting a multifaceted offense and a punishing defensive line, Parkland has faced a tougher road to get to the final, giving 2nd-seeded Stroudsburg their first loss 33-10 and dominating one-loss 3rd-seed Delaware Valley by a 31-7 margin, both times on the road.

Verdict: When this bracket came out, I thought that Easton was the clear favorite on the top half, and that the bottom half was wide open. I figured the Red Rovers would have an easy time getting to this game, but I was stunned at how easily Parkland seemed to get there. Even though they may be a little more beat up, I’ve got a hunch that we’re going to see the Trojans’ magnum opus this Friday. Parkland 34, Easton 21.

This Week’s Games!

The Ruby Review struggled all week, and almost decided to attend Old Forge vs. South Williamsport, but I’ve decided that I’m going to ride the train as far as it goes: I’ll be in Allentown to watch Crestwood vs. Bethlehem Catholic on Friday night.

On Saturday, there are a lot of games that I’d love to see that are just a little too far away, or at a bad time. But I’m going to be able to make it to Loyalsock @ Montoursville to see the District 4 Champion crowned!

As always, thanks tremendously for reading, everyone!