Hittin’ The Road With Travelin’ Matt (Week 10): Tigers, Spartans, Cavaliers & Cougars

Tagged under: District 11, District 2, pfn

Matt Herring | October 30, 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, October 27

3A #7 NW Lehigh (9-0) vs. 5A #8 Southern Lehigh (9-0)

Saturday, October 28

3A #10 Scranton Prep (8-1) vs. 4A Valley View (8-1)

ROUNDTRIP – 272 MILES

Friday, October 27

One of the perks of visiting dozens of towns on my high school football travels each season is having the opportunity to take in the full experience of the areas I’m visiting prior to attending the game. I attempt to arrive near my game location at least two hours early to sample a local restaurant before heading to the stadium as it provides a pronounced sense of the communities energy in advance of a big game.

As I pulled into the Lehigh County hamlet of New Tripoli (population 840) my options for pre-game fare were extremely limited. A quick Google search of area restaurants revealed only a few options in a township that is less than one square mile of land. I’m a sucker for pizza and I couldn’t pass on a place named “Don Corleone’s Restaurant & Pizza” as I’ve likely watched The Godfather and its sequels 1,000 times.

While I expected a standard pizza shop experience I was treated to an amazing visit to Don Corleone’s! Upon entering, I was greeted by a welcoming woman at the counter who spoke with a charming accent. As I was only looking for a quick slice of pizza she suggested one of the many varieties already prepared and within view at the front counter. I settled on two slices of taco pizza (never had it before) and as I waited for them to warm in the oven I kept busy questioning the woman about the pizzeria.

The restaurant is owned by a Sicilian family and has been open for just over a year. The father of the family arrives in the early morning to prepare the homemade dough and sauce…all made fresh every single day. His son and daughter also work at the pizzeria and I was introduced to both of them during my visit while the father was preparing orders in the kitchen for his customers. The woman also showed me around the restaurant pointing out a 100 year old wooded wagon from Sicily that is placed near the front door. Also at the entrance (which I failed to notice initially) is a bottle of Sambuca and a bottle of Amaretto with shot glasses for sampling…a unique touch to this authentic Italian eatery!

My two slices of pizza arrived hot from the oven and I settled at a small table near the kitchen to watch the father proudly go about his cooking duties. His focus was impressive as it was clearly evident he takes deep pride in preparing dishes for his customers. I barely made it through my pizza slices as each was massive but every bite was tremendously tasteful and I conquered the plate! I bid “arrivederci” to the staff and thanked them for a wonderful start to my visit to New Tripoli.

The stadium at Northwestern Lehigh was a brief two miles from the restaurant so I arrived in plenty of time to take in the sights and atmosphere at the stadium. Having been to Tiger Stadium (unofficial name) before I spent some time watching the early arrival of fans including a couple dozen tailgaters who had their well-adorned RV situated just outside the gates. They had a bountiful array of food and beverage tables, several hand-made signs and a train horn that likely woke the local third-shifters prior to their alarm clocks.

I was once again treated to Senior Night for the third week in a row and it didn’t disappoint as players, cheerleaders and band members made their way across the field with their parents and siblings to be recognized before their community.

After the Senior Night festivities concluded I was privy to a dramatic entrance for the Northwest Lehigh Tigers that brought the fans quickly to their feet and raised some grand memories of my old high school football days…you may have the same reaction watching the video as well.

Pre-game @nwtigerfootball vs @SolehiSpartans absolute 🔥 entrance for the Tigers! pic.twitter.com/ch4XHsqNF2

— CC Hastings (@CCHastings1863) October 30, 2023

As for the game, NW Lehigh took early control of the contest and their fellow Colonial-Schuykill League foes from Southern Lehigh were on their heels most of the night resulting in a 42-14 victory for the hometown Tigers. The win for NW Lehigh secured the C-S Gold Division Championship and a perfect 10-0 record in the regular season while Southern Lehigh suffered their first loss of the year.

Enjoy the full game story below…

The Battle of Unbeaten Goliath’s: Northwestern Lehigh Tigers Reign Supreme

As a bonus check out our PA Football News post-game interview with NW Lehigh RB Dalton Clymer who accounted for 250+ rushing yards in the Tiger victory…

My post-game interview with @clymer_7 250yd performance tonight in a 42-14 @nwtigerfootball win over Southern Lehigh @PaFootballNews

Updates sponsored by @SLUHNSportsMed pic.twitter.com/JlCghciVFw

— Brian Ptashinski (@BPtashinski) October 28, 2023

Saturday, October 28

Nothing beats late-Fall Football in Pennsylvania and my Saturday visit to Dunmore to watch 3A #10 Scranton Prep vs. 4A Valley View did not disappoint. As I traveled north via I-81 to Lackawanna County the final stages of PA foliage were in full splendor. Dunmore High School is the natural home of the 2A Dunmore Bucks but also plays host to several Scranton Prep contests as well. The setting is stunning in the Fall as half the stadium is back dropped by trees and allows one to fully embrace the splendor that is PA in October.

On this day my weather gear was put to the full test as kickoff temperatures were a pleasant 75 degrees reminiscent of late summer. By the end of the first quarter a driving rain was at hand with a steady wind and rapidly dropping temperatures towards the low 60s. And, after halftime, partly cloudy skies returned as did temperatures in the 70s. While I was enjoying pre-game in a light jacket I was quickly soaked and cold by halftime. I returned to the car to “layer up” only to find myself sweating in the heat by the end of contest. It was a Jekyll and Hyde day for myself and fans but we endured nonetheless and were treated to a classic District 2 Lackawanna Football Conference matchup between the Cavaliers of Scranton Prep and the Cougars of Valley View.

Another Senior Day highlighted the pre-game festivities as Scranton Prep honored their outgoing students and athletes. I took notice of more than 20 senior Prep football players lining up for the festivities and understood well the gravity of that situation. For the seniors it’s likely been a brotherhood of memories over the years to have such a large graduating class of players. For the underclassmen, it’s a realization there are some sizeable shoes to fill. For the coaches, it’s a signal there’s alot of work ahead to replace those players. For a 3A high school to have 20+ seniors graduating is a challenge but Scranton Prep has a strong program and I’m sure they are up to the task moving forward.

By the end of the game what I also took notice of was the play of Prep’s quarterback Louis Paris. The Cavalier signal-caller accounted for all four of Prep’s touchdowns (4 rushing TDs) and he was in complete control of the offense the entire game. It should be noted that Paris is only a Junior and Scranton Prep is in good hands heading into the playoffs this year and next season.

Watch Louis Paris in our PA Football News post-game interview…

A full weekend of football under my belt I ventured homeward fulfilled with trips to two PA football districts and some outstanding individual player performances.

Check out the Scranton Prep vs. Valley View game story below…