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Easton 63 Nazareth 55

Other fun goings on for Rivalry Week:

Emmaus and Parkland meet in the Battle of Cedar Crest Boulevard. Emmaus is two missed field goals away from being undefeated and is sneaky dangerous. Riley Bechtel should crack 1,000 yards tonight for the Green Hornets. Parkland hasn’t been challenged since getting blown out by Freedom, we’ll see how much they’ve improved.

Liberty and Freedom play for the Christmas City championship (both beat Becahi). Freedom is looking to rebound after an emotional loss last week and their hopes dashed of their first ever 10-0 regular season. This game is usyallly a “throw the records out” situation - Freedom came in 9-0 in 2018 and lost to a 5-5 Liberty team. But both clubs are very good; which I think will have Liberty ready.

Allen and Dieruff will battle for Allentown supremacy. A Dieruff win clinches an Eastern Conference playoff spot.
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Easton 63 Nazareth 55

Red Rovers can clinch the East Penn championship with a win tonight over a white-hot Nazareth team. Cottingham will be rocking for the regular season finale. Couple notes.

-a win gives Easton their first conference championship since 2014. It would break the longest drought in school history. Previously, the longest Easton had gone without winning its league in football was between 1978-1984
-Easton’s current turnaround is tied for the biggest change in wins in school history, with the jump from 4-6-1 in 1976 to 9-2 in 1977. A win flips them from 3-8 to 9-1, which would tie them for the biggest jump in raw win total, when they went from 5-6 in 2002 to 11-3 in 2003.
-Easton can grab their first 9 win regular season since going 10-0 in 2014. That season capped a run where they won at least 9 regular season games seven times between 2001-2014. That stretch included ten seasons with double digit wins (six in a row from 2009-2014), which would be in reach in districts for this years group.
-Dorian Thomas is 120 yards away from a 1,000 yard regular season. He’d be the 9th Red Rover to hit that mark in the regular season. With Will Day at 774 yards, a playoff run would set them up to be the fourth pair of 1,000 yard backs in Easton history, I’m finish some research on how they fit in with other dynamic duos through the years.

So that’s all in reach with a win tonight. Nazareth has been on fire, with Marquez Wimberly rushing for over 500 yards in their last four games. He’s the most talented skill player in the Lehigh Valley, and Easton will have to be gap sound and super physical up front against a smaller Nazareth offensive line, or Wimberly will hit explosive plays. Peyton Falzone also has over 600 yards rushing, and has an outside shot at a 2,000/1,000 season if Nazareth can make a playoff run.

The other storyline here is Easton welcomed back former offensive line coach Scott Byrd, who now runs the o-line at Nazareth. Byrd’s addition to that staff has been what took Nazareth from frisky to legitimately great over the last ten years. On the Easton sideline will be two of his brightest pupils. Mike Fleming was one of Matt Senneca’s first hires, and he’s done a tremendous job with the Easton offensive line. Fleming was an All State lineman for Byrd on the 2014 team and went on to an All American career at East Stroudsburg. On the JV staff is Bob Stroble, who was a PFN All State pick in 2001 for Easton, who then got the ultimate Lehigh Valley o-line education, going from Scott Byrd at Easton to the legendary Bob Heffner at Lafayette, where Stroble played center for back-to-back Patriot League champions. Fleming and Stroble is about as you’re going to get in the upcoming generation of position coaches up here, and you can see the difference they’ve made in Easton up front. It’s the engine that makes them go. Scott has a lot to be proud of. But he might be regretting how well he taught his pupils from 7-9 tonight at Cottingham.

Should be fun.

WPIAL 5A

I hate to say this but when was Woody last a legitimate title contender? 2013?
Just about right yeah, during the miles sanders era. Couldn’t get past NA/PCC, especially in ‘15 when they were stupidly loaded. They’ve gotten screwed by injuries the past 2 season now, but their program certainly seems on the come up compared to 5 years ago. Will definitely be a top 5 preseason team next year for walter/smith senior year.
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WPIAL 5A

Login to view embedded media If Strader is out for a significant period of time, I can't see P-R getting past the second round of the WPIAL playoffs unless they put Miller at H-Back like they did with Palmieri in 2020. They only have two freshman QB's who only played in garbage time. They'll be fine against Shaler and probably whoever they play after their first-round bye, but if they play BP, USC, or PT, it'll be tough.
With the way the seeding will likely play out, PR gets the winner of Penn Trafford/moon. Can’t see PR beating either of those teams realistically without Strader unless they can perfect the run game and run what USC is doing right now, very similar to what PR did in ‘22. Tough loss, second year in a row he’s gotten hurt as well.

WPIAL 5A

Login to view embedded media If Strader is out for a significant period of time, I can't see P-R getting past the second round of the WPIAL playoffs unless they put Miller at H-Back like they did with Palmieri in 2020. They only have two freshman QB's who only played in garbage time. They'll be fine against Shaler and probably whoever they play after their first-round bye, but if they play BP, USC, or PT, it'll be tough.
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Montour/Aliquippa

getting back to the thread topic- imo the "rematch" of these teams, will be set up in D7 playoff bracket- winner will be strong- and i think Montour is the "real deal." Often overlooked- stable coaching staff sometimes tips the scales- great coach and stable system at Montour- they are legit, and this may take them far. I don't know inside details- but with Aliquippa- a new coach and lots of new players this year- these changes may have affected the Quips. Two losses in reg season? Prob been many years since that happened!

Montour/Aliquippa

That makes sense New. I’m assuming the rumors can’t be anything substantial, considering he is still coaching. Is that right?

I can’t imagine a P4 school hiring as anything more than an analyst (similar to his previous role at Pitt) at this point. Maybe I’m wrong. Also, coaching Fri nights at the HS level would be better to watch his son on Sat afternoons in college.

PIAA District 1 - Halfway Point

1. CB South - Looking really stout. Will finish 10-0.
2. Downingtown West - Rivalry game could go either way. 9-1 or 8-2.
3. CB West - Big win over NP and played CBS tough. Impressive squad.
4. North Penn - Still a tough out in the playoffs.
5. Perkiomen Valley - PJP is 4A, so win won't help as much to get in top 4.
6. Haverford - Will make some noise in the playoffs.
7. Owen J Roberts - Pville is 5A, so win won't help much to move up.
8. Neshaminy - CBS smacked them. Can they bounce back in a rivalry game to get a home playoff game?
9. Plymouth-Whitemarsh - Have slowed after solid early season performances against Wilson and MT. Are they bored?
10. Souderton - Beat UD and get a possible home playoff game?
11. Downingtown East - Rivalry game could go either way. 6-3 or 5-4. Tough out in playoffs.
12. Quakertown - Should win out to 6-4.
13. Ridley - Still not sure they can beat a playoff team. Could get blasted vs GV. Do they get in at 5-5?
14. Coatesville - Struggling offensively with all those athletes. 4 or 5 seed will have a tough out in R1.
15. Spring-ford - Should get in at 5-5.
16. Pennsbury - Need a win in a rivalry game to make playoffs.
17. Pennridge - Won't make playoffs.
18. CB East - Could they pull the upset over CBW to sneak in the playoffs?
19. Bensalem - Sneak in at 5-5? Nice effort vs UD.
20. Council Rock South - Not sure they can make it at 4-6.
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