Hittin’ The Road With Travelin’ Matt (State Semis & Finals…plus Golf)

Tagged under: District 11, District 12, District 2, District 3, District 4, District 7, District 8, pfn, Playoffs

Matt Herring | December 11, 2023

Each week Travelin’ Matt traverses Pennsylvania attending the hottest high school football games and best match ups in the Commonwealth. Follow his exploits each week as he documents his journey from Week Zero to the Pennsylvania State Football Finals!

Friday, December 1

3A Northwestern Lehigh (14-0) vs. 3A Wyomissing (12-1)

Friday, December 1 – Wednesday, December 6

GOLF TRIP TO THE CAROLINAS!

Wednesday, December 6

STATE OF PA FOOTBALL – FINALS EDITION

PA STATE FINALS

Thursday, December 7

1A – Steelton-Highspire (15-0) vs. Fort Cherry (15-0)

4A – Aliquippa (13-0) vs. Dallas (15-0)

Friday, December 8

2A – Southern Columbia (14-1) vs. Westinghouse (13-0)

5A – Imhotep Charter (14-0) vs. Peters Township (15-0)

Saturday, December 9

3A – Belle Vernon Area (12-1) vs. Northwestern Lehigh (15-0)

6A – St. Joseph’s Prep (12-1) vs. North Allegheny (13-1)

ROUNDTRIP – 1,273 MILES

Friday, December 1

Each December I take vacation from work to embark on a 10 day journey filled with high school football and some golf to end the year. It’s a great chance to see the PA State Semifinals and Finals and also play some golf before it gets too cold to do so in the Northeast. The 1200+ miles of driving is well worth the travel!

My vacation kicked off with a semifinal contest that featured undefeated District 11 Northwestern Lehigh and one-loss District 3 Wyomissing being held at Kutztown University (Andre Reed Stadium). Having previously watched both teams play earlier in the season I had a hunch this game would be a tight one and it did not disappoint.

Wyomissing and Northwestern Lehigh are similar teams in that they are ground and pound offenses with stout defenses. They both control the ball and clock on offense and then avoid the big play on defense to defeat their opponents. In this contest, both teams stayed true to form in a game that was the tale of two halves.

Wyomissing controlled the first half heading into the break with a 17-7 lead. Ironically, two of the three first half touchdowns would be through the air although most of the total yards were racked up on the ground by both teams. Northwestern Lehigh, despite a sluggish first half, found some life in the second half as they would outscore Wyomissing 26-7 en route to a 33-24 victory and their first trip to the State Championships.

Both teams benefit from excellent fan support and it was refreshing to see substantial crowds on both sides of the stadium for a State Semifinal game. A large crowd for high school football in our state and many others has become less prevalent in a time where some fans sadly defer to watching their teams via online broadcasts. This, however, is a topic for another time and place.

Check out some of the highlights from the Northwestern Lehigh vs. Wyomissing game…

Friday, December 1 – Wednesday, December 6

While I’ve lived in the Northeast all my life – Pennsylvania, Buffalo (NY) and Boston (MA) – the older I get the less excited I am for cold weather. And for this reason, my December routine now includes heading south for four or five days to find warmer temperatures for an extended golf season.

While traveling to North/South Carolina immediately following a football game is not ideal each year my 10 hour drive is rewarded by arriving at above 60-70 degree temps on Saturday morning. Despite having not slept for more than 24 hours it was rejuvenating to be playing golf in shorts again. The Carolina’s feature some tremendous golf courses and once again this year the weather cooperated for most of the trip. Admittedly, I go overboard on these golf adventures playing two rounds of golf each day for four to five days and my body is not pleased by the end of the trip.

The golf was outstanding and I was able to play on some beautiful courses on this trip. My most memorable round took place at Thistle Golf Club in Calabash, NC and if you’re looking for a remarkable golf experience I highly recommend their impeccable loop.

Thistle Golf Club was my final round for the trip and it didn’t end without incident. As I was driving my golf cart up the 18th fairway an alarm sounded with an ominous flashing alert…”Caution: Alligators”. For a Northerner in the South, this is a warning I take very seriously and the sight of the pre-historic beast crossing the 18th fairway en route to a nearby swamp was enough for me to wait patiently to address my next shot.

Big boy alert! pic.twitter.com/yeHY5zkbhv

— CC Hastings (@CCHastings1863) December 11, 2023

Wednesday, December 6

I hit the road headed back to PA early Wednesday morning as I was due to take part in PA Football News’: STATE OF PA FOOTBALL later that night. I enjoy these shows immensely as the banter is always lively and it’s a great avenue to share information with fans. Ten hours after leaving North Carolina I arrived back in Pennsylvania. After a quick stop at the hotel to drop off my bags I made my way to Arooga’s in Mechanicsburg to participate in the show.

Click below to view the PA Football News STATE OF PA FOOTBALL: FINALS EDITION…

Thursday, December 7 – Saturday, December 9

PA STATE FOOTBALL FINALS

If you’ve never been to the PA State Football Finals you’re missing out on a tremendous experience. I’ve been attending every game at the year-end championships for 10 years and regardless of the outcome of the games the totality of the three-day slate of contests never disappoints.

While my 50 game, five month high school football journey regrettably comes to a close at the State Football Finals it is rewarding to witness the pure joy of players, coaches and parents as they attempt to put an exclamation point on their colossal seasons. While only six of the 12 teams leave victorious all exit the State Football Finals transformed by the experience.

For fans attending the games it is uncomplicated to make a day, or two or three of the event. Our yearly group of attendees has found Cumberland Valley High School and the surrounding Mechanicsburg/Carlisle area to be extremely accommodating with numerous hotels and restaurant options available. With game times six hours apart each day there is ample time to view the 1pm game, catch an early dinner at a local eatery and then return to the stadium for the 6pm night contest.

Cumberland Valley High School has more than enough amenities to host the State Football Finals. Parking has been accommodating to all 12 games we’ve watched in the past two years even when local teams are playing and attendance is higher. The Cumberland Valley stadium has also easily accommodated all fans as well even in the biggest matchups this and last season.

This year while the outcomes of five games were not as exciting as in the past we were treated to a dandy one point victory by 2A Southern Columbia that was highlighted by a game-ending 99 yard game-winning drive. The title was Southern Columbia’s record 7th in a row for the PA stalwarts from Catawissa and also their record 14th championship overall.

Click below for some video highlights of the PA State Finals weekend…