Around District 11 With Pam and Guy: Let’s Play Two
Tagged under: District 11, Gameday Hub, News, pfn
Guy Smith | October 16, 2024
2024 Episode 23. It was another busy sports week for us, with seven events on our schedule including four District 11 high school football games, two varsity / two JV. Our other three this week were Wilkes NCAA D3 men’s soccer, Penn State Altoona D3 ice hockey, and a Saturday ace in New York.
The gap between the “Haves” vs. “Have Nots” in D11 football prowess seems to continue to widen, with seven shutouts this week. Southern Lehigh 47, Bangor 0. Emmaus 54, Dieruff 0. Whitehall 35, Allen 0. Northwestern Lehigh 55, Jim Thorpe 0. Pottsville 35, Wilson 0. Williams Valley 27, Marian Catholic 0. Panther Valley 32, Shenandoah Valley 0. Even with Mercy Rule and coaches not running up scores like in times past, that’s 285-0. Ouch.
2024 GAME 41. THURSDAY, OCTOBER 10. NORTH SCHUYLKILL SPARTANS (3A) @ BLUE MOUNTAIN EAGLES (4A). The Thursday night game at Blue Mountain was our second-ever visit to this stadium. The first was also a Thursday night game in 2021. We also went to see their JV team play a Saturday morning game at the East Field.
Blue Mountain draws a great crowd, and the crowd for this one was expected to be even larger as a matchup of two winning teams made this one of the most anticipated games of the week in the district. With that in mind, it was great to see that the school had people stationed out in the parking lot directing cars to keep the parking organized and orderly.
Blue Mountain came into the game with a 6-1 record, handing both Schuylkill Haven AND Southern Lehigh their only loss to date. The only ‘L’ for the Eagles was to the state number one ranked and undefeated Northwestern Lehigh Tigers. Meanwhile, the always tough Spartans had three losses, but they did have a win against one-loss Notre Dame. Plus, one of their losses also came against Northwestern Lehigh. Since Blue Mountain had beaten Southern Lehigh and North Schuylkill had lost to them, plus throw in the home field advantage, it looked like the Eagles should be considered the favorite. But that’s why we play the game.
Blue Mountain is another one of the Skook schools that has an above average refreshment stand menu. Highlights are the fresh cut fries and the “Screamin’ Eagle,” a burger topped with spicy cheese and jalapenos.
The home side menu: Hamburger $4, Cheeseburger $5, Screamin’ Eagle Burger $6, Hot Dog $2 (cheese add $1), Chicken Tenders $5, French Fries $3 (cheese add $1), Soup $3, Mozzarella Sticks $3, Soft Pretzel $2, Pierogies $2
The away side menu: Hamburger $3, Cheeseburger $3.50, Screamin’ Eagle Burger $4, Hot Dog $2, Chicken Sandwich $4, Screamin’ Chicken Sandwich $4.50, Chicken Tenders (or Fingers depending on which menu you read) $4, Pizza $3, French Fries $3 (cheese add $.50), Pierogies $3, Screamin’ Pierogies $3.50, Mozzarella Sticks $4, Nachos $2.
Prices vary quite a bit from one side to the other.
More props go to Blue Mountain for their commitment to their feeder programs. Cheerleaders and players from younger grades were all honored, with all cheerleaders from K-12 performing together for most of the first half. We’ve never seen so many cheerleaders performing at one time. It was great to see how many kids were involved, and there was a great sense of community and pride in the air. It was nice to be there.
As for the game, we don’t overly analyze because that’s not our lane here on the PA Football News highway and we don’t need to be redundant with the other crackerjack reporters on Billy Splain’s roster. Blue Mountain scored on their first offensive play, making it look easy. They led at the end of the first quarter. North Schuylkill scored twice in the second quarter. Going into Q3, the Eagles were only down seven.
But you don’t even beat average teams with six turnovers, and North Schuylkill is no average team. Once they figured out the Eagles couldn’t run the ball on their defense, they laid back in the secondary and feasted on INTs. This one was not as close as we expected. North Schuylkill 38, Blue Mountain 14.
2024 GAME 42. FRIDAY, OCTOBER 11. NORTHERN LEHIGH BULLDOGS (2A) @ CATASAUQUA ROUGH RIDERS (2A). It was Pam’s pick last Friday, and she wanted to make sure we got to a Catty game this year, as Catasauqua is her alma mater.
Catasauqua started off the year like gangbusters, winning their first three games and just losing their fourth in a shootout against Salisbury. That game was tied 35-35 late before the Roughs fell by a single score.
Since then, the proverbial wheels have fallen off the proverbial bus for the proverbial Roughies. In five straight losses, the Roughs have given up 233 points or an embarrassing average of 46.6 per game.
Northern Lehigh, on the other hand, is currently 6-2 and undefeated in their classification. By the way, Slatington is back in 2A after a brief stint in single A. Their only two losses were against state ranked 3A schools Northwestern Lehigh and Notre Dame, and those two schools are a combined 15-1.
The last time we were at a Catty game the band parents’ refreshment stand on the away side had several varieties of excellent barbeques. Guy in particular was looking forward to that. No barbeque at all this time was both a surprise and a major culinary setback for the male half of the Pam and Guy team.
Home side menu: Pizza $3, Chick-Fil-A Sandwich $7, Hamburger $3.50, Cheeseburger $4, Hot Dog $2, Mozzarella Sticks $4, Nachos $3, Soft Pretzel $2.
Away side menu: Cabbage & Noodles $3, Bacon Cheeseburger Tater Tot Casserole $4, Meatball Bowl $3, Meatball Sub $4, Cheesy Chicken Casserole $4, Walking Taco $4, Hot Dog $2 (add chili or cheese $1), Nachos $3, Loaded Nachos $5, Buffalo Chicken Dip $5, Potato Salad $2, Pickle on a Stick $2.
There was also a fry truck, and the French fries have been removed from the main refreshment stand menu. But the truck posted no prices, so it got no attention from us. Why hide them?
The Rough Riders looked roughed and ridden, and never found the end zone the entire night. A field goal right before halftime were their only points, as they mustered little excitement in a 27-3 loss. Hopefully we will get to see Northern Lehigh at home come playoff time, although in the powerful 2A classification, where they currently rank behind Williams Valley and Schuylkill Haven.
2024 GAME 43. MONDAY, OCTOBER 14. SAUCON VALLEY PANTHERS (JV) @ PEN ARGYL GREEN NIGHTS (JV). The final day of the 8th week of high school football in Pennsylvania this season. To celebrate the halfway point in the 16 weeks of football, we did the seldom attempted (although with proper planning it’s quite easy) JV double. To do the Monday double is easy. First you have to find a game with an early start, either 4:00 or 4:30. This is accomplished by looking for teams that cancel their Freshman/Middle School/Junior High games that are usually played first, or just find fields without lights.
Pen Argyl does not have lights, thus their JV game had a 4:00 start. Of the six JV games we have seen this season, Pen Argyl is the only one that has charged admission. It was $5 to see the game, or $4 for Guy with the senior discount. The 2A JV game with a senior discount cost more than the 4A varsity adult ticket at North Pocono.
Is this wrong? We don’t think so. Every school should do what they think is best for them. Pen Argyl had a full game announcer and a refreshment stand with hot food; none of the other JV games we have attended so far had either of those. ACC didn’t even have a working scoreboard. Is it worth four or five bucks to support Junior Varsity football? Damn straight it is.
Somewhat annoying is when parents from other schools loudly protest, because their school doesn’t charge admission for the JV games. And they proclaim that this is the only school that does so. Most schools in D11 do not charge admission for the JV games. But Pen Argyl is absolutely not the only one to do so. Just because it is the only one that your son’s team has played thus far doesn’t make it a universal truth. Jeez.
Of course, the menu is limited from what you will find at a varsity game, but props to the GKs for having hot food at all. They even had fresh popped popcorn! JV Menu: Hot Dog $3 (add cheese $.50), Soft Pretzel $2 (add cheese $.50), Nachos $3, Mac & Cheese $4, Breaded Chicken Sandwich $6, Grape PB&J $2. We got a chuckle over the “Big Green,” which is Pickle on a Stick $1.
Saucon Valley scored first, but couldn’t hold the lead. Like Blue Mountain on Thursday, turnover after turnover after turnover was too much to overcome. Plus, Pen Argyl had a bruising sophomore running back that was very hard to stop. We believe the final was 34-12 Green Knights.
After the renovation of the track, all the seating on the away side was removed, and now everyone sits on the home side. Someone should tell some of those families from Saucon that it is PIAA Officials Appreciation Week. That was probably the most relentless nearly non-stop complaining we’ve ever heard at a JV game. Pam and Guy always thank the officials if we cross paths after a game. We sure couldn’t do it. As Rudy “The Kip” Kipling wrote: “You’re a better ‘person’ than I, Gunga Din.” That certainly applies to most PIAA referees, in all sports.
2024 GAME 44. MONDAY, OCTOBER 14. POCONO MOUNTAIN EAST CARDINALS (JV) @ PLEASANT VALLEY BEARS (JV). JV games do not last as long as varsity games. First of all, they usually play ten-minute quarters instead of twelve-minute quarters. Second, there are usually fewer penalties called. Sometimes if one team is really short-handed, they will agree to play with a running clock. We even saw a Whitehall vs. ACC game one time with 8:00 minute quarters.
Thus, a 4:00 start at Pen Argyl and a 5:45 start at Pleasant Valley was certainly doable. They are less than twenty minutes apart. We didn’t quite make the start of the game, but arrived just before the end of the first quarter.
It has been a tough year for the PV varsity. The defending Eastern Football Conference Big School champions, the varsity is 0-8 after suffering one-point and three-point losses in their last two games. That included Friday’s varsity game against PME, in the 64th battle for the Old Oaken Bucket. As we live in the PV district, we wanted to make sure we got to at least one game this year, and to see the prospects now on the JV roster.
We had seen the Cardinal JV team play before. They delivered a gutsy performance on the road against Bethlehem Catholic. While Becahi won that game fair and square, the PME Cards were still playing for the win in the last minute.
While they had a short roster at Becahi, PME was really down in this game, as they only suited 16 players. That meant only five players on the sideline. Remember when we said the Cardinals dished out a gutsy performance against the Golden Hawks? Well, they did it again on a cold and windy Monday night in Brodheadsville. With just five reserves, they took it to the home team and recorded a shutout 18-0 win over the Bears. When the score got to be 18-0, even the five PV JV cheerleaders packed up and left.
“Who got the bucket? We got the bucket” chanted the victorious Cardinals. Nice to see Pocono Mountain East have a modicum of gridiron success. Their celebrations often come few and far between in this sport.
Perhaps we ought to plan more Monday JV doubles so we could visit more different District 11 schools during the season. After eight weeks we’ve been to see 16 different D11 schools play a home game, plus two other D11 teams we have followed outside of the district. Five football games are on this week’s sports schedule starting Thursday at Panther Valley, or six if we would plan another Monday JV pair. You never know. Feedback always welcome at RTRYFBAR@AOL.COM.
DISTRICT 11 TOP RATED TEAMS. 1A) Lackawanna Trail (D2 Subregion team). The top ranked true D11 team is now Tri-Valley in 2nd, replacing Nativity BVM. 2A) Williams Valley. 3A) Northwestern Lehigh. 4A) Southern Lehigh. 5A) East Stroudsburg South. 6A) Freedom replaces Liberty.
DISTRICT 11 UNDEFEATED TEAMS (8 GAMES). Freedom (6A), Northwestern Lehigh (3A). According to Cody Brady, there are 34 unbeaten teams in the entire state, out of 555 teams. Four D11 teams are winless, as Pocono Mountain East got the three-point Bucket win over Pleasant Valley.
PA FOOTBALL NEWS D11 STATE RANKED TOP 10 TEAMS
1. Northwestern Lehigh (3A–Same)
5. Freedom (6A—UP! Was 6th)
5. Schuylkill Haven (2A—UP! Was 6th)
6. Lackawanna Trail (1A—D2 in Subregion with D11, Same)
9. Williams Valley (2A—Same)
10. Parkland (6A—UP! Was HM)
10. Notre Dame Green Pond (3A—Same)
HM. Easton (6A—UP! Was NR)
Out: Nativity BVM (1A)
EASTERN FOOTBALL CONFERENCE
District 11 teams in line for an Eastern Football Conference Championship Game as of the end of Week 8.
5A/6A. Dieruff would host Reading
4A. None
3A. Tamaqua would host Salisbury
1A/2A. Marian Catholic would host Wyalusing Valley
GUY & PAM BLOG ERA TEAM SCORECARD
(Additions: None This Week)
47. PIAA District 11 Schools (2021-). Varsity home games for all District 11 schools that have football. (47/47)
7. D11 Alternative JV Game Sites (2021-). Seven of eight that we know of for schools that played JV games at fields other than where their varsity plays. Missed a 2021 Nazareth game when they played a JV football game at the middle school due to a conflict with soccer playoffs. (7/7 Active)
8. D11 Related–Special Events, Sub-Regional, or Former EPC Teams (2021-). Easton vs. Phillipsburg @ Lafayette College (Thanksgiving Day Game), New Hope-Solebury Lions: D1-3A (Sub Regional), Abington Heights Comets: D2-5A (Sub Regional), Wyoming Valley West Spartans: D2-5A (Sub Regional), Hazleton Cougars: D2-6A (Sub Regional), Wilkes Barre Wolfpack: D2-6A (Sub Regional), Williamsport Millionaires D4-6A (Sub Regional) Phillipsburg Stateliners (Former EPC).
6. All Star Games with D11 Players (2021-). Colonial vs. Schuylkill League, Lehigh Valley Football Classic, PSFCA East vs. West Small School, PSFCA East vs. West Big School, PSFCA Pennsylvania vs. Maryland Big 33 Game, Schuylkill League (6/6).
8. Out of District State Playoff Game Sites with D11 Teams (2022-) (G) Dunmore High School (Northern Lehigh Bulldogs), Bald Eagle High School (Allentown Central Catholic Vikings), Steelton-Highspire High School (Northern Lehigh Bulldogs), (G) Governor Mifflin High School (Pleasant Valley Bears), (G) Delaware Valley High School (Whitehall Zephyrs), Northeast High School Supersite (Nazareth Blue Eagles), Kutztown University (Northwestern Lehigh Tigers), Cumberland Valley (Northwestern Lehigh Tigers). Made this one retroactive and missed five from 2021-222 before adding this category. They were: 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). (8/13)
11. NCAA D2 PSAC Colleges (2022-). Eleven teams so far including former PSAC school Mansfield Mountaineers who now compete in Sprint Football. Still have six PSAC and two former PSAC colleges on the Hit List. (11/18).
7. NCAA Bowl Games / National Playoffs / or NFL (2022-). (G) D3 Delaware Valley Aggies, D2 Kutztown University Golden Bears, D2 Slippery Rock The Rock, (G) D3 Susquehanna River Hawks, New York Jets, New York Giants. D1 Military Bowl. (7)
14. GEFA 8-Main Semi Pro (2023-). 2024 Eight of 11 teams at home. 2024 three neutral fields: Kickoff Classic, Keystone Bowl, All-Star Game. 2023 three additional home fields. Note: 2023 Wilkes Barre Warriors (The Bog), 2024 Wilkes Barre Warriors (Exeter Panther Junior Football Assoc. Field) (14)
2. NEW FOR 2024! D11 Teams Playing Regular Season Games Outside D11 (2024-). Shenandoah Valley @ Columbia Montour Vo-Tech Rams. Executive Education Academy @ Central Columbia Blue Jays (3)
Other. NCAA D1 Rutgers Scarlet Knights, NCAA D 1AA Lehigh Mountain Hawks, WFA Harrisburg Havoc (Harrisburg High School & Palmyra High School), Harrisburg Stampede (PA Farm Show Complex), Selinsgrove High School (PIAA Playoffs), Fleetwood High School Tigers, Scranton Lions City vs. County Dream Game (Valley View High School), North Pocono Trojans.
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