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Around District 11 With Pam and Guy: And Then There Were Four

Tagged under: District 11, Gameday Hub, pfn, Playoffs

| November 20, 2024


2024 Episode 28.  It was our last week before Pam’s first knee replacement surgery on the 19th.  If all goes well, the second one will happen six to eight weeks later.  With that in mind, it was mostly “Pam’s Pick” last week.  We ended up at PIAA 3A field hockey semi-finals on Tuesday, District 11 4A football championship on Thursday, District 11 2A football championship on Friday, Wilkes University football Saturday noon, Wilkes University men’s ice hockey late Saturday afternoon, Bloomsburg University men’s ice hockey Saturday evening, and NCAA D3 women’s soccer national tournament round two at the University of Scranton on Sunday.

CONGRATULATIONS TO THE DISTRICT 11 CHAMPIONS.

1A—Tri Valley Bulldogs

2A—Williams Valley Vikings

3A—Northwestern Lehigh Tigers

4A—Southern Lehigh Spartans

5A—East Stroudsburg South Cavaliers

6A—Parkland Trojans

Tri-Valley and East Stroudsburg South have been eliminated.  Other D11 teams eliminated this past week were Bethlehem Catholic, Schuylkill Haven, and Emmaus.  Also eliminated was Lackawanna Trail, the District 2 team that “subregioned” with our 1A teams and that we adopted as one of our own.

Still alive are Williams Valley, Northwestern Lehigh, Southern Lehigh, and Parkland.  Playing on Thanksgiving are Catasauqua, Easton, and Northampton.

2024 GAME 56.  THURSDAY NOVEMBER 14.  DISTRICT 11 4A CHAMPIONSHIP.  BETHLEHEM CATHOLIC GOLDEN HAWKS VS. SOUTHERN LEHIGH SPARTANS @ CATASAUQUA.  For over a decade, we lived two blocks from the Catasauqua football stadium.  Catty had quite a few good seasons during that time.  This year, while the Roughs dropped their last seven games straight, at least we saw a couple of district champions crowed there with Emmaus field hockey and Southern Lehigh football.

This kind of district championship game, when the two teams playing are from different leagues, don’t play each other during the regular season and also have few common opponents, always interest us.

We had seen Bethlehem Catholic play twice earlier in the season, both games losses to Freedom and Liberty in the Bethlehem City Series.  But although the Golden Hawks finished 0-2 in the city championship, it wasn’t Freedom or Liberty still playing in Week 13, it was Bethlehem Catholic.  Their record was just an even 6-6 entering the game, but those six losses were all to 6A district playoff qualifying teams.

Southern Lehigh, on the other hand, had a much better record at 10-1, but played smaller schools.  However, they did keep the game against state number one ranked Northwestern Lehigh to just a one-score loss.  We had seen them play one week earlier in an amazing comeback win against Pottsville.

At the onset, it looked like it might be a fairly even game.  Becahi moved the ball but turnovers killed a couple of nice drives.  It looked like Southern Lehigh might take a 14-0 lead into the locker room, but they struck again quickly and upped it to 21-0 with just seconds remaining.

The Spartans added another touchdown in the third quarter making it 28-0.  The Hawks put one on the scoreboard late in the 3rd, but that was all she wrote and the Spartans ended the Golden Hawks’ season at 6-7.  Southern Lehigh advances to the quarter finals in 4A, and will face the 9-3 Juniata Indians on Friday in Shamokin.

2024 GAME 57.  FRIDAY NOVEMBER 15.  DISTRICT 11 2A CHAMPIONSHIP.  WILLIAMS VALLEY VIKINGS VS. SCHUYLKILL HAVEN HURRICANES @ BLUE MOUNTAIN.  Of the several options on Friday, we picked this game because it was another District 11 final.

Guy had seen Schuylkill Haven play once earlier in the season when they hung 72 points on Minersville without ever throwing a pass.  Pam had not seen Haven, and neither of us had seen Williams Valley.

It looked like this should be a great matchup.  Both teams had equal 11-1 records.  Haven’s lone loss was by one score to Blue Mountain in their opener.  Williams Valley’s lone loss was by one score to Schuylkill Haven.  Both teams were ranked in the top ten by PA Football News, Haven being ranked higher.

Both schools have loyal followings and a very nice crowd was on hand.  We sat on the home (Haven) side and their fans were very confident initially, betting on how many plays it would take them to score.  The answer: Most of them.

Schuylkill Haven has had tremendous success with the run this season, so much so that they didn’t have to pass that much.  Credit the Williams Valley defensive coaching staff, because they certainly studied the game film of the first meeting when the Vikes gave up 38 to the Hurricanes, and successfully figured out how to shut down the vaunted run game in the rematch.

Meanwhile, Williams Valley had a much more balanced run/pass attack.  At this point in the season, it’s the balanced teams that win championships.  In the first half, Williams Valley forced the Hurricanes to punt time after time.  But the Hurricane defense was almost as stingy, and it looked like we were headed to a scoreless first half until the Vikings connected for a TD pass with just seconds left to take a 7-0 lead at the break.

There was more scoring in the third quarter.  First Williams Valley extended their lead to 14-0, then Haven broke one for a long TD, followed by Williams Valley again.  At the end of three it was 21-7.

But Schuylkill Haven’s offense was not made for quick scores, and down two in the fourth quarter they looked out of sync.  When forced to go to the air, a pick six made it 28-7 and wrapped up the championship for the Vikings.  A score in the waning minutes made the final 28-13.

Congratulations to Southern Lehigh and Williams Valley.  We both think that in both cases, the better team won, as it should be.

 

2024 GAME 58.  SATURDAY NOVEMBER 16.  NCAA D3.  MORAVIAN UNIVERSITY GREYHOUNDS @ WILKES UNIVERSITY COLONELS.  It’s unfathomable to us that this was our first college football game of the year.  Every single Saturday so far seemed filled with other sporting options that took precedence.  With Pam’s knee replacement looming just three days ahead, it was now or never.

We had been going to Wilkes sports this fall, but up until today had never been to see a football game there.  The website said parking was $10, and that there was no free parking on Wilkes property.  “On Wilkes property” was the key.  There is a park right next to the football field, and we had no trouble finding a free parking spot there, with a short walk to the stadium.  Game admission was $10.

We had been to this field earlier in the season for field hockey.  As is the norm for the smaller D2 and D3 football programs, the refreshment stand menu was limited.  Hamburger $4, Cheeseburger $5, Nachos $7, Hot Dog $3, Pierogies $6.  But to our most pleasant surprise, they produced the very best game burgers of the entire season.  Not only that, but they also had fresh-popped popcorn.

The rosters for both teams were loaded with former District 11 players.  Moravian rostered four from Freedom High School, including senior team captain and starting quarterback Jared Jenkins.  Of course, Guy has been retired from Freedom long enough now that any college players started their high school careers after he retired.

Both teams entered the game with identical 6-3 records, and both were 4-1 in the Landmark Conference.  At the start of the game, we briefly thought Moravian looked to be the better team as they could move the ball using the short passing game.  The first quarter ended 0-0.

But Wilkes took over completely in Q2, putting up 26 points while giving up only 7.  They kept the pedal to the metal after the break, adding another 21 in Q3 for a total of 47 points.  Wilkes ended up dominating because they had a much more balanced offense.  They totaled 329 rushing yards, but also added over 100 through the air.  Moravian, on the other hand, had a solid passing afternoon with 316, but their rushing total for the entire game tallied just 27.

Jared Jenkins had a nice game, going 29 of 39 for 269 and two TDs.  He also added a rushing TD.  But that was not nearly enough, as the 47 Wilkes put on the scoreboard in the middle two quarters was plenty to record a 47-28 win. The final 14 Moravian points came after Wilkes had built a 33-point lead and called off the dogs.

We had a very positive experience at our first Wilkes game and will absolutely be returning in the future, especially since we love Saturday afternoon games.  After the game, we made the ten-minute drive to the ice arena to see the Wilkes men’s team defeat Lebanon Valley followed by Bloomsburg vs. Alvernia.  Pam’s Bloom connections resulted in a chance to spend some time sitting on the Bloomsburg bench.

The rest of the season is in total limbo as Pam’s knee replacement will likely prevent her from attending any more games during the last three weekends.  Guy had thoughts to end the blog with this 28th edition of 2024, as it’s a team effort for us.  But Pam encouraged him to continue to attend the games and finish out the season.  Thus, it will be so.  However, Pam post-op doctor and physical therapy appointments may prevent attendance at all games.

This week all four District 11 teams still alive are playing Friday night.  Pam has PT in the afternoon, but as long as everything is going smoothly, Guy should be able to take in a game.  Three of the four teams play at stadiums we have not yet visited.  Northwestern Lehigh plays at Hazy, which we saw last year, so that one is out.  Guy has no interest in being part of this year’s D11 human sacrifice to Prep, so that one is out too.  It will be either Williams Valley vs. Riverside @ Berwick, a pair of 12-1 teams that we have both seen play this season, or Southern Lehigh vs. Juniata at Shamokin.  We have seen Southern Lehigh play the past two weeks.  As of now, it’s almost a tossup, with the slight edge tilting toward Williams Valley.  On Saturday the NCAA National Championship Tournaments begin in D2 and D3.  Since the undefeated Kutztown University Golden Bears got a round one bye in D2, Guy is heading to Kings College to see the Monarchs host the Ursinus College Bears in round one of D3.  Both teams are 9-1, Kings having lost to their next-door neighbor rival Wilkes.  Sunday looks like more college ice hockey.  Feedback always welcome at RTRYFBAR@AOL.COM.

 

PA COLLEGE TEAMS NATIONALLY RANKED

Kutztown remains the highest nationally ranked college from Pennsylvania.  They are the only one still unbeaten.  PA has nine colleges that are nationally ranked.  Penn State, Carnegie Mellon, Grove City, and Washington & Jefferson all moved up.  With losses, Villanova and California dropped.

 

3 Kutztown (D2) +/- 0

4 Penn State (FBS) +1

6 Susquehanna (D3) +/-0

14 Villanova (FCS) -6

11 Slippery Rock (D2) +/-0

15 Carnegie Mellon (D3) +1

10 California (D2) -3

16 Grove City (D3) +1

18 Washington and Jefferson (D3) +1

 

 

GUY & PAM BLOG ERA TEAM SCORECARD

(Additions This Week: None)

 

2021-2024

 

47/47. All District 11 Varsity Football Teams at Home.

7/8.  District 11 JV Teams Playing at Different Locations Than Varsity.

11/11.  D11 related: Subregional Teams, Special Events or Former EPC Teams.

6/6.  All-Star Games with D11 Players.

8/13.  Outside D11 State Playoff Game Sites with D11 Teams.

 

2022-2024

 

11/19.  NCAA D2 PSAC Colleges Including Former PSAC Schools.

  1. NCAA Bowl Games, National Playoffs, or NFL.

 

2023-2024

 

14/20.  GEFA 8-Man Semi Pro football.

 

2024

 

2/18.  D11 Teams Playing Regular Season Games Outside D11.  This is where the fun will be next year.

 

Total: 113

 

Plus 9 “Other”

 

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