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Hittin’ The Road With Travelin’ Matt – Week 8 (Tigers, Wildcats & Hawks)

Tagged under: District 1, District 12, District 7, News, pfn

| October 21, 2024

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

 

Friday, October 18

5A #5 Pine-Richaland (7-0) vs. 6A #9 North Allegheny (7-1)

 

Saturday, October 19

6A Owen J. Roberts (7-1) vs. 6A Spring-Ford (4-4)

5A #10 Roman Catholic (6-2) vs. 6A #2 St. Joe’s Prep (4-2)

 

ROUNDTRIP – 686 MILES

 

Friday, October 18

A couple of times each season I enjoy making the journey across the state to see some of the top football teams and players in the Commonwealth and my schedule allowed for that pilgrimage this week.

Before I get to the action on the field I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention how enjoyable it is traveling through our state particularly during the Fall.  My trip took me on I-80 westward and the tail-end of leaf viewing season was on full display as the now-muted hues of auburn, crimson and golden yellow carried me over 250+ miles through the Appalachian and Allegheny Mountains and past the Susquehannock and Allegheny National State Forests.  The sights along my path were a keen reminder of how beautiful PA is and how fortunate I am to see our great state weekly on my travels.

As for the reason I made the trip I’d like to begin by making an observation about Western PA District 7 football…it’s a big deal and my favorite to watch in the state.  No District makes a larger spectacle of their games than the WPIAL and for good reason as its teams have won more state championships than any other over the years.  Every game in the WPIAL is treated like the biggest game on the planet and pre-game, in-game and post-game activities are commonplace at its games.

The monster matchup of undefeated Pine-Richland and one-loss North Allegheny presented the perfect scenario for the schools to play up the drama and North Allegheny did a fine job doing so at their home field.  To add to the spectacle, it was a “pink out” game for breast cancer awareness, Homecoming for the Tigers and Hall of Fame night as well so the stadium was packed in anticipation of a momentous night in Wexford.

Pine-Richland and North Allegheny battled back and forth all game in a tightly-contested affair.  Both teams answered the scores of their opponents all night in a game that saw the scoreboard light up to PR leading 7-0, tied 7-7, PR leading 14-7, tied 14-14 at halftime, PR leading 21-14, tied 21-21 and finally North Allegheny winning score of 28-21.  What a game, what a night and always well worth the trip west to the WPIAL!

 

Check out a few highlights from the North Allegheny vs. Pine-Richland game…

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Read the game story for North Allegheny vs. Pine-Richland here…

 

 

Saturday, October 19

Saturday began with ice on my windshield as I ventured back across the state from frigid western PA five hours eastward to an afternoon matchup between Owen J. Roberts and Spring-Ford in Royersford.  By game time the temperatures had reached a comfortable 73 degrees and I anticipated a close contest on the field between the two Pioneer Athletic Conference foes.

The two teams didn’t disappoint as they took the game down to the final seconds with OJR booting a game-winning walk-off field goal from 30 yards out for the thrilling victory en route to a spectacular 8-1 record for the Wildcats.  The game featured some high-flying plays, heavy hits and a wild ending!

Check out some highlights from the Owen J. Roberts vs. Spring-Ford…

 

 

 

 

 

Read the game story from Owen J. Roberts vs. Spring-Ford…

 

 

The second half of my Saturday was a spiritual experience as I visited historic Franklin Field in Philadelphia to witness Catholic League foes St. Joe’s Prep and Roman Catholic take to the gridiron.  Franklin Field is a football cathedral built in 1895 and it still stands as the oldest football stadium in the country.  The 129-year-old coliseum is a stunning throwback to yesteryear and the views, particularly in a nighttime setting, are breathtaking for any football fan.  Several times throughout the game I caught myself not watching the action on the field but instead soaking up the ambiance of my experience at Franklin Field.

Here’s some photos from my visit to Franklin Field…

 

 

St. Joeseph’s Prep handled their business on the field on this night cruising to a convincing 48-20 victory against city rival Roman Catholic.  Both teams featured Division I players on their rosters and the high-level talent was evident throughout the night with numerous crowd-pleasing plays.

Here’s some highlights from St. Joe’s Prep vs. Roman Catholic…

 

 

 

 

 

Read the game story from St. Joe’s Prep vs. Roman Catholic…

 

A full weekend of PA high school football games and nearly 700 miles complete I wrapped up my ninth week and headed home to plan for next week’s schedule of contests.  This week I watched my 28th, 29th and 30th games of the season and I’m looking forward to Rivalry Week next week.

Follow along next week as Travelin’ Matt takes you on another PA High School Football journey.

 

2024 SEASON RECAP – 4309 TOTAL MILES (30 GAMES)

 

Week 0

Garnet Valley – 34  Coatesville – 19

Imani Christian Academy – 45  West Catholic – 6

Bishop Guilfoyle – 21  Bald Eagle Area – 0

Week 1

Manheim Township – 28  Central York – 10

Twin Valley – 40  Selinsgrove – 10

Harrisburg – 35  Bishop McDevitt – 33 (1 OT)

Troy – 8  Dover (DE) – 3

Week 2

East Stroudsburg South – 38  Whitehall – 7

Lampeter-Strasburg – 35  Cocalico – 14

Harrisburg – 7  State College – 6

Bethlehem-Liberty – 31 Stroudsburg – 14

Week 3

Bethlehem-Freedom – 38  Nazareth – 10

Scranton Prep – 28  Delaware Valley – 25

Week 4

Schuylkill Haven – 72  Minersville – 52

Central Bucks South – 22  Central Bucks West – 17

Pope John Paul II – 24  Phoenixville – 13

Bethlehem Catholic – 27  Allentown Central Catholic – 0

Week 5

Towanda – 40  Canton – 14

Danville – 34  Southern Columbia – 8

Week 6

Bethlehem-Freedom – 24  Bethlehem Catholic – 3

Central Bucks South – 14  North Penn – 6

Neshaminy – 38  Pennridge – 3

LaSalle – 35  St. Joe’s Prep – 34 (4 OT)

Week 7

North Schuylkill – 38  Blue Mountain – 14

Wyomissing – 34  Twin Valley – 24

Cumberland Valley – 24  Harrisburg – 21

Nazareth – 36  Bethlehem Catholic – 7

Week 8

North Allegheny – 28  Pine-Richland 21

Owen J. Roberts – 27  Spring-Ford 25

St. Joe’s Prep – 48  Roman Catholic – 20

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