Downingtown West 28 - CB West 23

Hard to win a district semifinal game against an 11-1 team with two turnovers and giving up a punt return TD. A couple of blown coverages and some great plays by Downingtown West finally sank the Bucks. CBW ended up outgaining DTW by around 80 yards, but the big plays through the air and the punt return couldn't be overcome. After running for 380 the previous week against OJR, CBW held DTW to 9 yards rushing (or 16 depending on which stats you use), giving up 240 through the air. CBW had a couple of shots at interceptions that they couldn't hold onto, one of them coming the play before a DTW TD pass. DTW fumbled once but the QB was able to get back onto it. DTW has a big o-line and some huge players in the "big-skill" category. Lots of 6'2" to 6'4" athletes running around. They did a good job getting off blocks and limiting the CBW running attack. Without McGowan to hurt them on the outside, they played a very tight box and it was tough going on the ground. Miller was able to hit some big pass plays, to Clemens for a TD and to Morelli inside the 5 to set up a FG right before the half. Going into the game I would have said that 4 scoring drives by CBW would have been enough, but the 4-5 big passing plays couldn't be overcome. A few blown coverages, a defender in man falling down injured on another play... just not the Bucks' night. A 10-3 season in another year with disastrous injuries (at least 8 starters not dressed for the game) is a great job by Coach Rowan and staff and a tribute to the upperclassmen who helped hold it all together along with the young guys and program players who stepped up to fill in.

Both teams deserved better from the officials. These all-star crews for playoff games can be wildly inconsistent, and they were... Drew Markol was openly critical of the crew on 1210 after the game, something I don't think I've ever heard from him. It was much more than just taking a down away from CBW on the final drive of the game. That said, DTW made more big plays than CBW and that was the difference.

North Penn 21 - CB South 19

Some similarities here, with South turning the ball over 4 times (consecutively) in the second half, and North Penn hitting the big plays they needed to edge South. South outgained NP by around 140 yards but just couldn't hold onto the football. Pinkerton fumbled twice in a row followed by Wade and Harmon, and all of a sudden South was down 21-13 and needed a long late 4th quarter drive to tie things up. They moved the ball right down the field to get it within 21-19, but their gadget play on the two point conversion fell incomplete. Special teams hurt South as the XP on their first TD was blocked, with NP players running right through gaps in the South line with almost no resistance, forcing the two point attempt late. NP had a great recovery of the onsides kick, but South got the ball back with one more chance that they couldn't convert. South finishes 12-1 while an 11-2 NP moves on to DTW for the final. When was the last time a 3rd place team in a conference played for the D1 title??

North Penn @ DTW

Keys: I expect DTW to have more success running the ball against NP then they had against CBW. But North Penn also has a better passing attack than CBW so DTW will have to be much more balanced defensively. North Penn has a stud kicker / punter in Bocklet who could be a difference maker in a close game. Bucksar is a very good QB with a strong arm who can make plays with his legs also. Ewes, Pownall and Johns-Wallace lead their skill guys. I look at this as a 21-20, 28-27 type of game. They're very similar teams in that they both have the ability to hurt you through the air if the run game isn't there, or vice versa. Should be an interesting chess match. The biggest difference is that NP will get under center with 2-2 or 3-2 personnel and pound it at you if you show any weakness up front. They forced South out of a 3 man front at one-point last week in that way. Can the DTW QB keep up his hot streak from last week? I expect him to have more time to throw this week than he did against CBW so NP will need to cover down on the back end. Let's hope it's a great game.

This should be an interesting match-up in no small part due to the unknowns. Admittedly, I have not had the opportunity to watch ‘Tep play this year. I do know that they have a history of fielding teams with several notable D1 prospects. In the past, a lack of discipline, resulting in killer penalties, has been their biggest self-imposed obstacle. I haven’t read about those same issues this year, though. If their strength is their run game, then I’d have to think that Prep’s stout D-line and overall speed on the defense should help limit damage from big plays. If they have speed and talent at all skill positions, then this may pose significant problems. Moreover, if ‘Tep can get pressure and limit time for a young QB, then we’re going to have a ball game. I’m curious to hear from others about this match-up and what you expect to see.

It looks official at this point:

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Good luck to all (and good luck to the 'Skins after slipping back in the playoffs after multiple years of being absent -- even after letting that game on Friday night get away from them to our cross-town rivals).

6A: North Allegheny. Not a great team this year but then again no one in 6A is great either. Lost a close game against central but I think they’ll get their revenge like last year

5A: Peters Township. USC definitely proved they were the best team in the south hills, but all games were close. I think Peters will win in a hypothetical rematch. It’s hard to beat a team twice. Pine-Richland seems to have a injury to the QB which can sink a team

4A: Aliquippa. It hurts to say this because I want a new team like Montour winning, but Aliquippa has a special aura in the playoffs

3A: Central Valley.

2A: South Park

1A: Fort Cherry

Playoff History
2007: Parkland 17-0 (Quarterfinals)
2021: Emmaus 21-14 (Semifinals)
2023: Parkland 21-14 (Semifinals)

All Time Series: Parkland Leads 43-21-2. Emmaus won the first six times the schools played, and six of their remaining 15 wins have come since Harold Fairclough took over in 2016.

Last Time They Met: Emmaus crushed Parkland, 27-0, on the last week of the regular season to clinch the Lehigh County Division championship. It was the third conference championship for Emmaus in the Harold Fairclough era, after not winning a league crown since their 1972 Lehigh Valley League championship. Reilly Betchtel ran for 92 yards and a score, and Emmaus held Parkland to 26 rushing yards on 25 carries in the shutout.


#4 Emmaus Green Hornets (10-2)
Head Coach: Harold Fairclough (Career Record: 72-30 at Emmaus; 121-57 overall, 2010 State Champion at Allentown Central Catholic)
District 11 Championships: none
District 11 Finals: 2018, 2021
All State Candidates: Robert Edwards (DL), Reilly Bechtel (RB/LB), Brody McHugh (OT)
Offense
QB: Jerek Cooper (Jr. 6’2 190): 74-141, 963 yards, 10 TDs, 6 INTs/101 carries, 668 yards, 8 TDs
RB: Reilly Bechtel (Sr. 5’10 195): 149 carries, 1,288 yards, 19 TDs
RB: Jay Santos (So. 5’8 175): 52 carries, 413 yards, 5 TDs
WR: Kai Jefferson-Rushing (Jr. 5’11 170): 23 catches, 270 yards, 4 TDs
WR: Daniel Duggan (Sr. 5’7 160): 10 catches, 214 yards, 2 TDs
WR: Jah’Khi Daves (Sr. 6’1 170): 8 catches, 94 yards
TE: Samuel Stephen (Sr. 6’0 230): 9 catches, 101 yard, 2 TDs
LT: Brady McHugh (Jr. 6’2 280)
LG: Connor Soos (Sr. 6’2 190)
C: Joey Glover (Jr. 6’1 250)
RG: Mason Weber (So. 6’1 255)
RT: Robert Edwards (Jr. 6’2 290)

Defense
DE: Robert Edwards (Jr. 6’2 290): 87 tackles, 21 TFL, 6 sacks, INT, TD
DT: Brody McHugh (Jr. 6’2 280): 34 tackles, 7 TFL
DE: Ben Dennis (Sr. 6’7 235): 49 tackles, 11 TFL, 3 sacks
LB: Reilly Bechtel (Sr. 5’10 195): 51 tackles, 12 TFL, 3 sacks
LB: Sam Stephen (Sr. 6’0 230): 27 tackles, 4 TFL, 2 sacks
LB: Neo Michel (Sr. 5’10 190): 59 tackles, 4 TFL
LB: Chase Whitesell (Sr. 6’1 200): 42 tackles, 9 TFL, 3 sacks
DB: Daniel Duggan (Sr. 5’7 160): 32 tackles, 4 TFL
DB: Zack Stephens (Sr. 5’7 150): 54 tackles, INT
DB: Jah’Khi Daves (Sr. 6’1 170): 23 tackles, 2 INTs
DB: Cole Moreau (Jr. 6’2 190): 39 tackles, 7 TFL, 2 sacks, 2 INTs
K/P: Will Buck (Sr. 6’4 210; Cornell)

Parkland
Head Coach: Tim Moncman (Career Record: 84-24 at Parkland; 184-70 overall; 2008 State Champions at Liberty)
District 11 Championships: 1996, 1998, 2002, 2007, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2022
District 11 Finals: 1996, 1997, 1998, 2002, 2003, 2007, 2009, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2019, 2022, 2023
All State Candidates: TJ Lawrence (LB), Evan Saylor (OT), Dom Martrich (DL)
Offense
QB: Osmany Guzman (Sr. 6’0 180): 115-172, 1,621 yards, 13 TDs, 3 INTs/48 carries, 201 yards, 3 TDs
RB: TJ Lawrence (So. 5’11 200): 183 carries, 1,057 yards, 11 TDs/20 catches, 292 yards, 2 TDs
RB: Naquon Thomason (So. 5’6 175): 70 carries, 379 yards, 4 TDs
FB/TE: Reid Andrush (Sr. 5’11 190): 17 carries, 57 yards, 9 TDs/6 catches, 48 yards, TD
WR: Nassim Adams (Jr. 5’7 145): 28 catches, 342 yards, TD
WR: Leo Dauberman (Sr. 5’11 185): 32 catches, 492 yards, 6 TDs
WR: Preston Mertz (Sr. 6’0 160): 15 catches, 270 yards, 2 TDs
LT: Evan Saylor (Sr. 6’3 305)
LG: Austin Shook (Sr. 6’3 205)
C: Mason Marcks (Sr. 5’10 280)
RG: Matthew Dorsey (Jr. 5’11 260)
RT: James Tyler (Jr. 6’3 280)

Defense
DL: Matthew Dorsey (Jr. 5’11 260): 25 tackles, TFL
DL: Julian Diaz (Jr. 5’11 225): 22 tackle, 3 TFL, sack, FF
DL: Domenic Martrich (Jr.): 41 tackles, 11 TFL, 6 sacks
DL: Reid Andrush (Sr. 5’11 190): 42 tackles, 4 TFL, sack
LB: Marcel Burden (Sr. 5’10 175): 29 tackles, 2 TFL, sack
LB: TJ Lawrence (So. 5’11 200): 69 tackles, 6 TFL, sack
DB: Preston Mertz (Sr. 6’0 160): 27 tackles, 7 INTs
DB: Leo Dauberman (Sr. 5’11 185): 31 tackles, 3 TFL, FF, INT
DB: Nassim Adams (Jr. 5’7 145): 17 tackles, 2 INTs
DB: Parker Kusko (Sr. 6’0 160): 37 tackles, 3 TFL, INT
DB: Liam Spang (Jr.): 51 tackles, 6 TFL, sack
DB: Jaren Sanchez (So. 6’0 170): 41 tackles, TFL


Emmaus: The Green Hornets are going for their first District 11 championship in program history. Emmaus has long been considered a sleeping giant in football – it’s a great all around athletic program in a well-resourced school with tons of kids. Harold Fairclough has unlocked a lot of Emmaus’s potential, and has imprinted his hard nosed attitude and physical toughness on a school that often has lacked those characterisitcs. This is not a flashy group, but it’s a great defense that has only given up double-digit points to Easton since week 2. Robert Edwards is one of the best defensive players in the state and creates all sorts of problems for opposing running games. Offensively, they’re going to hammer away at you until you break. Bechtel’s 98 yard touchdown run last week vaulted Emmaus into the finals. This is a solid, physical team.

Parkland: They’re back!!! Tim Moncman’s Parkland Trojans are a seemingly unkillable program. Last week, the Freedom coaches said “if we get up by two scores, it’s over.” Well, they never could do that, and Parkland’s big offensive line and TJ Lawrence salted away a tough Parkland win. That’s how they’re going to try and do it here. Lawrence, only a sophomore, is a workhorse and just scratching the surface of how good he’ll be. For Parkland to win, he’s probably going to have to carry it another 30 times. Evan Saylor, Mason Marcks, and Matt Dorsey all were named All Conference linemen, and James Tyler is an FCS recruit at tackle. Emmaus is a tough group to lean on, but the Parkland offensive line is going to have to get something going after getting totally dominated in the regular season.

The Pick: I just don’t see how Parkland does it. The last time I said that, was the 2022 game where I predicted Freedom to kill Parkland, and the Trojans went out and won 35-10. I don’t see that happening Friday. Parkland is too limited, and Emmaus is essentially a better version of them with better playmakers. I said years ago, keep giving Fairclough bites at the apple, and he’s finally going to win Emmaus their first championship. For all intent and purposes, last week’s nail biter against Easton was the final, and I think this game is a coronation for one of the area’s best coaches getting it done at another school. Emmaus 31-7

Close the book on 2023.

Going forward, I think that Mars could be similarly good next year, but I can't see them topping the Quips or McKeesport next year from what I saw. But I guess you never know.

DTW 14 CBW 0

punt return for TD and 70 yard pass on broken play TD. Tough start for CB West but it’s still early.

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This season marks the 40th anniversary of the District 11 championship football game. D11 joined District 7 and District 3 as the only places holding a football postseason, which helped usher in the state playoffs four years later. Initially, D11 threw just a championship game, with the two highest rated teams by the Saylor Ratings matching up in the week following the regular season. Conference championships were not totally sewn up then, as many teams played Thanksgiving games that counted towards their league standings, but the match up largely pitted the champion (or at least leader) of the East Penn Conference against the champion of the Centennial League.

The tournament really gets split into four distinct eras. First is the championship game era, which ran from 1984 to 1993, where just the top two teams met for a title. Twice that was an All East Penn affair, five times it was the EPC and Centennial champ, and twice it was the EPC and twice it was EPC and the Eastern Conference. When the state tournament expanded beyond a four-team field in 1994, the D11 tournament followed suit and expanded to the top four teams qualifying for the postseason. This format ran from 1994 to 2005. The 2006 season saw the expansion of the field to eight teams as part of absorbing District 4 and District 2 into a subregional following the addition of District 12 to the state playoffs (which started in 2005 with two teams from D11 and two teams from D2 making the tournament). The original eight team bracket ran from 2006 to 2015 as a D2/4/11 subregional. The current era of the playoff is in the expanded six classification system, where eight teams, all from District 11, are in the initial field.

Here's the history of the championship game (split into those sections). I've also added the state rankings from the Harrisburg-Patriot News at the time of the championship game.

1984: Liberty 24 Lehighton 6
In the first ever D11 championship game, East Penn Conference champ Liberty took on Centennial League champ Lehighton and the Hurricanes capped their best year in over a decade with the inaugural D11 crown. Danny Warren ran for 154 yards and two touchdowns in the championship, hosted at J. Birney Crum Stadium. Bob Hepler took over at Liberty during fall camp and led them to a 10-2 record.

1985: Bethlehem Catholic 49 Stroudsburg 7
East Penn Conference champ Bethlehem Catholic obliterated Centennial Leauge champ Stroudsburg to cap a brilliant 11-1 year for the Golden Hawks. Joe Shunk (Lehigh) threw for 302 yards and 4 touchdowns, with Jon Pinckney (Stanford) and Stef Kern (Bloomsburg) both going over 100 yards receiving, while Rich Guman (West Chester) ran for 110 yards in the win. Bob Stem afterwards said it was his best team.

1986: Whitehall 20 Stroudsburg 14
East Penn champ Whitehall had a pair of goal line stands in the final minute to hold on against Centennial League champ Stroudsburg. Whitehall raced out to a 20-0 lead with two long touchdown passes from Mark Beidleman to Mark Buskirk and Andy Lisicky, then held on for the title. Whitehall finished 10-3 and shared the East Penn title with Easton after falling on Thanksgiving Day to Emmaus.

1987: Lehighton 12 Easton 0
On a frigid night, Lehighton scored one of the biggest upsets in D11 history, snapping Easton’s 19 game winning streak and knocking off the nation’s #14 team (according to the USA Today). Head coach Dave Parsons was quoted after the game saying “I didn’t think we had a snowball’s chance in hell. Until the first two series.” Skimmer Andrews ran for 138 yards on 23 carries and Lehighton smothered Easton’s rushing attack in the win.

1988: HM Pocono Mountain 20 HM Easton 17 (OT)
The first ever overtime game in D11 history, Pocono Mountain pulled the second straight Centennial League shocker in Cottingham Stadium. With seven minutes to go, Easton was driving with a 17-14 lead to ice the game, when Alan Brugger intercepted a pitch on an option play and returned it into Easton territory. Dave Smith tied the game with a field goal in the final minutes of regulation. In overtime, after Easton missed a field goal, Smith lined up on first down and knocked it through to set off a celebration in the Poconos. Pocono Mountain’s Sherman Chiles and Easton’s Jeff Staton (Temple) both went over 150 yards in a dual of all state running backs. The win by Pocono Mountain knocked Easton out of the inaugural state playoffs, as the berth went to District 3 Cedar Cliff for the inaugural state playoff berth from D11/D3, who outpointed the Cardinals on strength of schedule.

1989: HM Whitehall 8 Northampton 6
One of the great East Penn defenses of the modern era finished the year with a smothering performance over Northampton in the title game. Whitehall allowed only 52 points in a 10-1-1 season, only losing in the opener to defending 3A state champ Bethlehem Catholic. This was the first championship game rematch, after Whitehall smoked Northampton 33-0 during the regular season, harassing future first round NFL draft pick Jim Drukenmiller (Virginia Tech/49ers) into three interceptions. In the rematch, a power surge knocked out the scoreboard and half the lights in the stadium, and seemingly took the offenses with it. On fourth and one from the 34, Jesse Wright exploded through the line and went the distance from a touchdown, and then quarterback Mike Buskirk (King's) scrambled in on the two point conversion. Northampton pulled Drukenmiller for dual threat AJ Jordan, who led the Konkerete Kids on a last minute fourth quarter touchdown drive, but Andy Simock (Penn State - baseball) dropped the two point conversion to set off a Whitehall celebration. The Zephyrs did not have enough power points to overtake state finalist Wilson West Lawn from District 3 for the state playoff spot.

1990: Easton 42 Stroudsburg 10
Easton used their impressive team speed to hammer Stroudsburg and recover from a 1-2 start to emphatically win their first D11 title. The Rovers exploded for 28 points in the second quarter, with a 55-yard Juan Gaddy (Temple) touchdown run, a 66 yard Mark Libiano (East Carolina/Bengals) touchdown catch, a second Gaddy touchdown, and a short Dean Jones (Temple) run after an interception return inside the 20. Bob Apgar (Rhode Island) turned the opening kickoff of the second half to open up a 42-3 lead in the romp. The Rovers finished 10-2, and beat eventual 3A state champ Bethlehem Catholic, but did not have the power points to overtake Wilson West Lawn for a state playoff spot.

1991: #2 Easton 25 Pottsville 15
Easton finally clinched a first state playoff spot for District 11 in 4A with a 25-15 win over Pottsville in the pouring rain. Contrary to the conditions and expectations, Easton came out throwing, with Steve Billman going 10-15 for 186 yards, with 110 of them going to all state tight end Mark Libiano. Juan Gaddy scored a pair of touchdowns, and Billman threw the clinching TD to Libiano early in the fourth quarter. Easton moved onto the four-team 4A field, where it lost to eventual state champ CB West.

1992: HM William Allen 14 #10 Dieruff 7
Allen and Dieruff met in the regular season finale in one of the greatset moments in Allentown football history, where Dieruff won their first EPC championship since Andre Reed walked the halls with a 32-27 win at a sold out J. Birney Crum stadium. Nine days later, played in the rain, William Allen returned the favor with a pair of first quarter touchdowns, highlighted by future Super Bowl winner Nate Hobgood-Chittek’s 40 yard catch and run, and Hobgood-Chittek (North Carolina/Rams) single handedly stopped Dieruff inside the five just before halftime. William Allen, led by Dieruff alum Rich Snisack, finished 9-2 and won their only D11 champ, three years after a 1-9 season. They did not have the power points for a state playoff spot, which went to eventual champion Cumberland Valley.

1993: #4 Easton 26 #6 Pottsville 14
The Rovers made it a second trip to the state playoffs in the final year of the four-team format with a 26-14 win over Pottsville. The Rovers were the surprise team all season, and used 116 yards and a school record 30th touchdown from all state running back Eric Thompson (NC State - wrestling) in a win over the Randy Homa (Ohio State) led Crimson Tide. Darren Smith (East Stroudsburg) also played hero when he blew up a Pottsville screen pass in the red zone, tipping the ball to himself for an interception he returned all the way to Easton territory in a ten point swing. Easton earned the D11/3 state playoff spot, where it once again lost to the state runner-up CB West Bucks, 6-3, in the final four-team state playoff format.

Thoughts on this one? Any chance that Prep has a few surprises in store (perhaps an early return of Maxwell Roy)? While I may be a little biased, I still think that all roads to championship glory lead through the Prep. While La Salle has closed the gap tremendously, I think the Prep D is stronger and they still have more depth at the skill positions. Obviously, the X factor is the QB experience differential, which was on full display in Round 1. Has Foulke matured enough to limit panic/mistakes? Do Sidwar and O’Brien tip the scales back to La Salle and exploit Prep’s vulnerability to the pass? No matter the outcome, hats off to Gordon for the incredible turnaround from last year. Let’s hope for an equally exciting heavyweight bout in round 2.

Admittedly, I haven’t been able to watch Imhotep play this year, so I am at a loss for who this match-up is going to unfold. I know that they have a significant amount of D1 athletes. If their stength is the run game, then I suspect that the Prep’s d-line and overall speed may limit some threats. If they are balanced, then it could pose some problems. Would love to hear thoughts of others on how you expect this to play out.

It's now the top 3 teams in the league remaining in the District 1 quarterfinals. I was a bit surprised by the Neshaminy score last week, but when you throw that many picks, that's what you get. North Penn handled Ridley without too much trouble, they got some bounces go their way and Ridley didn't get their scores until late in the game. South was the most predictable outcome, and West's defense put up their best effort of the year to blank Pennsbury.

CB South vs Plymouth Whitemarsh - This one seems to be on a lot of people's upset watchlist. Coach Chang is a bit of a mad genius and I'm sure he'll have some wrinkles offensively that give South issues. They are pretty big upfront, have some nice athletes and played a tough schedule. South hasn't been putting up a lot of points against good teams, and if the PW defense can keep this one close... who knows?

North Penn vs Haverford - To me, this is a nightmare matchup for North Penn. They've had a history as of late of giving up some huge rushing numbers in the playoffs, being knocked out in 2021 and 2022 with 330+ yard games from the opposing running back. Liam Taylor is already over 2000 yards (actually almost 2500) and they'll have a steady diet of him right up the middle. First rule of defending an option attack is to stop the dive back. Quakertown seemed to forget about that last week... can North Penn not make the same mistake?

CB West vs Downingtown East - Not sure of the last time these two met, but it's been a long time and should be a very good matchup. West is without their second leading tackler and top LB, Gavin Todd, who was declared ineligible after transferring last January. He's been fantastic defensively and gave them a spark on offense at times too. There were a couple of other injuries last week that looked serious, so we'll see who is suiting up for West at game time. I think at this point the injuries to the OL are all season ending, so they'll roll with the 4 backups that have played together for the past 4-5 weeks. Credit to the OL coaches for still racking up big rushing numbers. A healthy West team would be a big favorite in this one, but I expect it to be tight under the current circumstances. You'd expect all eyes on Clemens as usual, so West will need a big game from the QB Miller and Vance Morelli at the other RB spot. Devin McGowan has given them a spark with his return to the slot receiver spot, but he's been week to week all year with a shoulder injury. D East is a good enough team that West won't squeak by with a poor effort. They can mix it up offensively and have been stellar defensively as of late.

Looks like we've got a perfect night for football!

West heads to its third straight District 1 semifinal on the legs of their QB Miller on a night that Ryan Clemens was limited to 12 carries. Clemens still had 104 yards, 2 TDs, 5 XPs, a huge sack, another TFL, etc… but was clearly on a pitch count offensively. Noah Miller stepped up with 176 yards on 27 carries, and also made some big stops defensively.

Dtown East was successful through the air, hitting some big plays in the first half to knot it at 14 at halftime. Two big plays in the third quarter swung the game. East was in the red zone driving to take the lead, when Clemens came up with a big sack to put them behind the sticks. They eventually lined up to attempt a long FG, which Jackson Lindemuth blocked coming off the right edge. Vance Morelli scooped it in stride and took it to the house. That’s the 6th different way Morelli has scored a TD this year. In the writeups, the West guys discussed how they practiced it all week, including Morelli not attempting to block it but running straight upfield to the spot the ball would bounce to if Lindemuth got the block. Specials wins games…

West then got a quick stop after pinning East deep in their own territory. On the second play of the ensuing drive, Clemens took the handoff, got hit for an apparent 3 yard loss, but broke the tackle, reversed direction and went 50 yards for the TD. West got the ball back again and on a 3rd and long from the DTown East 45, seemed to run a check play, looking over to the sideline for the call. Miller checked to some type of QB inside run (trap or iso) and wasn’t touched for the back breaking TD.

DTown East, to their credit, kept fighting and put together another TD drive before West ran the clock out and then kneed it out.

West was without the speedy McGowan again, LB Ambuster who had just returned from injury the week before and Lindemuth seemed to get hurt on his FG block. They’ll need all hands on deck next week when they travel to Downingtown West, hopefully they get some of these guys back.

The blocked kick has been a pattern for West. Clemens has a few this year, Cappa has three, Lindemuth got this one… while it doesn’t always swing games as dramatically like this one did, it’s a huge boost after giving up a TD or having a team drive the field on you. That missing point(s) adds additional stress on the opposing team.

Hate off to Coach Rowan and staff on a 10 win season in a year that they’ve been banged up since before the season started. Tons of “program” guys who you didn’t expect anything from this year have had to step up and become full time starters, and except for the hiccup against Souderton, they didn’t miss beat.

SOL National has 3/4 of the semifinalists, with the CB South / North Penn rematch looming.

Edit: When you look at DTown East, they had 5 tough losses, all against good teams. North Penn by 3, Toms River North (11-0), Rustin by one score, Dtown West by 1 and then CB West. That’s a tough road.

#4 Emmaus Green Hornets (9-2) at #1 Easton Red Rovers (10-1)

Regular Season: Easton 28-21 (OT)
Emmaus raced out to a 14-0 lead, jump started by a Jerek Cooper 74 yard touchdown run on their opening drive, then converted a short field after a shanked punt. The middle of the game was all Easton, however, as the Rovers scored 21 straight points to take a fourth quarter lead. But Reilly Bechtel got loose on another big play for Emmaus, this time a 63 yard run down to the 1, and Emmaus threw a short touchdown with 3:52 left to tie the game. Emmaus had a shot at the win at the end of regulation, but a high snap on a 25 yard field goal attempt forced Will Buck to push the kick wide right. In overtime, Easton scored on their first play from scrimmage, and a diving Will Day interception in the end zone ended the game for the Red Rovers. Day was the star, carrying 23 times for 147 yards and ran for and caught a touchdown, while Dorian Thomas “chipped in” with 129 yards on 18 carries and the game winning TD in overtime. Easton ran for 312 yards and 19 first downs on the night, while Emmaus gained 137 of their 293 yards on two plays.

Playoff History: Easton leads 2-1
In 2004, Emmaus earned their first ever D11 playoff appearance (in the old four team bracket) after a 9-1 regular season. They traveled to Cottingham to take on the top seeded and 10-0 Easton team. After torrential downpours moved the game to Saturday, Emmaus hung around all afternoon and looked like they might play spoiler when Mike Brusko threw a 34 yard touchdown pass with 2:46 to go in the game. But Easton responded with a 65 yard touchdown drive, highlighted by a 40 yard run by Zack Pizarro down to the five on third and short to set up an Ovid Goulbourne TD with 44 seconds left for the win. Pizarro and Goulbourne combined for 226 yard (136 and 90) and both Easton scores while the defense held Emmaus to 165 yards of offense. In 2018, Emmaus earned their first ever trip to the District 11 finals when it beat Easton 31-24 in the D11 semifinals on their home turf. This time, it was Easton who scored to tie the game with 6:44 left on a touchdown run by quarterback Nate Nimeh, but Emmaus struck right back with a 54 yard scoring drive, capped by a Lubens Myers touchdown run with 5:11 left. Emmaus made plays in the margins, with a third quarter interception in the end zone and a touchdown pass on 4th and 21 to knock out the Rovers. In 2020, a 2-4 Easton team pulled a massive upset over undefeated Emmaus when Marcus Williams scored four touchdowns to upend the Green Hornets 28-23. Williams ran for 103 yards and a touchdown, caught a screen pass for a TD, and returned two kickoffs for touchdowns.

Easton Lineup
Offense
QB: Cole Ordway (Jr. 5’11 170): 96-164, 1,561 yards, 14 TDs, 4 INTs/66 carries, 405 yards, 6 TDs
RB: Dorian Thomas (Sr. 5’9 170): 188 carries, 1,298 yards, 19 TDs/3 catches 6 yards
RB: Will Day (Sr. 5’10 185): 155 carries, 1,026 yards, 19 TDs/7 catches, 81 yards, TD
WR: Jasir Frutchey (Sr. 6’4 215): 27 catches, 455 yards, 6 TDs
WR: JC Wilson III (Sr. 6’3 205): 21 catches, 413 yards, TD
WR: Andrew Biddle (Jr. 5’10 165): 19 catches, 344 yards, 3 TDs
TE: Kurtis Crossman (Jr. 6’3 225): 6 catches, 124 yards
TE: Justin Cosover (So. 6’1 190): 3 catches, 22 yards, TD
LT: Algee Macon (Jr. 6’2 205)
LG: Marquis Labossiere (Sr. 5’10 255)
C: Gavin Crosson (Jr. 6’1 290)
RG: Jackson Fuhrer (Sr. 6’3 240)
RT: Elijah Grovesnor (Jr. 6’4 250)
They ran for over 300 yards against Emmaus last time out, and the calling card all year has been the run game with two-headed monster Dorian Thomas and Will Day. The wrinkle of course, was last week Cole Ordway set the single-game program record for passing yards with 326 in the win over Stroudsburg. They’ve got weapons on the outside, with physically huge receivers who can run a little bit and are almost always open in 1-on-1 match ups because of their size advantage on corners. Ordway has struggled with his deep ball accuracy, but he’s improved a ton on short to intermediate throws, and has really improved in making decisions in the run game whether to give or keep on option plays. He’s got some wiggle (he’s probably a college infield as a baseball player) and how he steps up is probably their offensive key to the game.Thomas, Day, Crossman, Macon, and Fuhrer were all First Team all EPC picks, and Crosson joined them on the All Northampton County team.

Defense
DE: Algee Macon (Jr. 6’2 205): 34 tackles, 12 TFL, 7 sacks, INT
DT: Marquis Labossiere (Sr. 5’10 255): 25 tackles, 7 TFL, 2 sacks
DT: Omar Mahmoud (Sr. 5’11 255): 16 tackles, 7 TFL, 2 sacks
DE: Kurtis Crossman (Jr. 6’3 225): 33 tackles, 5 TFL, 4 sacks
DE: Anthony Diaz (Jr. 6’3 215): 13 tackles, 3 TFL
LB: Mekhi Grant (Sr. 5’10 215): 48 tackles, 11 TFL, 4 sacks
LB: Mason Fleming (Sr. 5’11 195): 50 tackles, 8 TFL, INT
LB: Jasir Frutchey (Sr. 6’4 215): 36 tackles, 7 TFL, 2 sacks, 2 INTs
DB: Cael DiSora (Sr. 6’3 195): 48 tackles, 3 TFL, 3 INTS, FF
DB: Andrew Biddle (Jr. 5’10 165): 30 tackles, 2 TFL, 5 INTs
DB: Will Day (Sr. 5’10 185): 53 tackles, 2 TFL, sack, 3 INTs, FF
DB: Sean McPeek (So. 6’ 4195): 22 tackles, INT
DB: JC Wilson (Sr. 6’3 205): 15 tackles
The defense got absolutely torched by Nazareth, but has otherwise been stout. Their pass rush overwhelmed Stroudsburg last week and was the difference maker in their game with Freedom in week 9. Emmaus doesn’t throw the ball a ton, but Easton will have to be really disciplined in how they defend the option game, as Jerek Cooper can take it to the house anytime he pulls the ball, and Bechtel is a physical back who is going to be the down-to-down bellcow. Frutchey is probably the most important chess piece because of his versatility, they’ll need him as a run defender more than ever. Crossman, Grant, Frutchey, and Day were All Conference picks and Grant was selected as the Northampton County Defensive Player of the Year.

Emmaus Lineup
Offense
QB: Jerek Cooper (Jr. 6’2 190): 67-128, 898 yards, 10 TDs, 5 INTs/92 carries, 619 yards, 8 TDs
RB: Reilly Bechtel (Sr. 5’10 195): 133 carries, 1,153 yards, 17 TDs
RB: Jay Santos (So. 5’8 175): 49 carries, 392 yards, 5 TDs
WR: Kai Jefferson-Rushing (Jr. 5’11 170): 21 catches, 264 yards, 4 TDs
WR: Daniel Duggan (Sr. 5’7 160): 9 catches, 201 yards, 2 TDs
WR: Jah’Khi Daves (Sr. 6’1 170): 8 catches, 94 yards
TE: Samuel Stephen (Sr. 6’0 230): 9 catches, 101 yard, 2 TDs
LT: Brady McHugh (Jr. 6’2 280)
LG: Connor Soos (Sr. 6’2 190)
C: Joey Glover (Jr. 6’1 250)
RG: Mason Weber (So. 6’1 255)
RT: Robert Edwards (Jr. 6’2 290)
It’s a ground and pound offense, most in read-option from Cooper and Bechtel. They bludgeoned Nazareth last week – it’s a good offensive line with monsters in McHugh and Edwards, and Weber is going to be a really good one. Like Easton, they also use the tight end a lot in the run game and he gives them essentially an extra tackle who can run a little bit. They’re not going to throw it a ton, but Jefferson-Rushing is the major target. Easton has huge defensive backs, so Emmaus is going to have to create space and make them tackle 1-on-1. No first team all conference picks, but Bechtel, Cooper, Stephens, and McHugh all earned second team nods, and joined them Weber and Jefferson-Rushing on the all Lehigh County team. Cooper was the Lehigh County offensive player of the year

Defense
DE: Robert Edwards (Jr. 6’2 290): 71 tackles, 17 TFL, 6 sacks, INT, TD
DT: Brody McHugh (Jr. 6’2 280)
DE: Ben Dennis (Sr. 6’7 235)
LB: Reilly Bechtel (Sr. 5’10 195): 36 tackles, 7 TFL, 2 sacks
LB: Sam Stephen (Sr. 6’0 230)
LB: Neo Michel (Sr. 5’10 190)
LB: Chase Whitesell (Sr. 6’1 200)
DB: Daniel Duggan (Sr. 5’7 160)
DB: Zack Stephens (Sr. 5’7 150)
DB: Jah’Khi Daves (Sr. 6’1 170)
DB: Cole Moreau (Jr. 6’2 190)
K/P: Will Buck (Sr. 6’4 210; Cornell)
Since giving up 28 points to Easton in their overtime loss during week 5, the Emmaus defense has yielded 27 points, including back-to-back shutouts of Parkland and Nazareth in the last two weeks. This unit is the best in the Lehigh Valley, led by EPC Defensive Player of the Year, and All State candidate Robert Edwards. The massive junior defensive end leads the Valley with 17 tackles for loss and is a run stopping monster as a 3-4 defensive end. He plays with a ton of motor, and makes an astonishing amount of plays for a down lineman. He had 14 solo tackles against Easton during their regular season match-up. Reilly Bechtel is also an all-league defender from his linebacker spot, and they’ve gotten great play from Daniel Duggan and Jah’Khi Daves in the secondary. They are huge up front with Edwards, Brody McHugh, and 6’7 Ben Dennis on the defensive line, but are pretty light in the secondary, so their smaller back seven defenders will have to tackle against a big and physical group of skill players from Easton. Edwards was the EPC Defensive Player of the Year. Edwards and Bechtel were first team all conference on defense, while Duggan and Daves joined them on the Lehigh County team. Bechtel also was co-Lehigh County DPOY with Edwards. And Will Buck was both the all conference kicker and punter.

West 35-21. Gave up some big plays in the run game but blocked a FG for a TD and wore them down in the run game.

NP and South win also. Top 4 seeds hold in D1 6A.

How has everything with the football season been going so far?

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How has everything with the football season been going so far?

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How has everything with the football season been going so far?

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How has everything with the football season been going so far?

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How has everything with the football season been going so far?

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Find out what colleges are recruiting Luke Spitzer, Justice Hardy, Max Roman, Gehret Gentzyel, and Brayden Gerst now!

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Find out what some of the top players in the state are saying about football now!

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SF Head Coach Chad Brubaker has stepped down after 15 seasons. Congrats to him on a great run.

I’m not sure if this is a retirement, I didn’t think he was that old? Either way, congrats coach.

Let's keep the updates coming tonight.

GREEN GO !

WIN !