This will show our age but in your opinion which was the best era to coach in: 70's, 80's, 90's, 00's or 10's. I feel the 90's were. Players (& parents) still had a little of the 80's mentality, the tension and politics of in district high school mergers of early 80's were resolved (for the most part) and playoffs were established.
Best decade to coach HS football in PA
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I enjoyed the 2000-2010 decade: Here are the finals.
2000:
- Witnessed the end of the Central Bucks West dynasty in one of the great finals, losing 41-35 in ot to Cathedral Prep
- Strath Haven wins second straight AAA title beating West Allegheny 31-28 for the second straight year
- Mount Carmel (MCA) wins fourth AA title in seven years beating Aliquippa 26-6
- D7 power Rochester wins first 1A title beating Southern Columbia 22-14 in SCA’s sixth finals appearance in seven years
2001:
- Neshaminy won in the mud beating Woodland Hills 21-7
- West A finally beats Strath Haven 21-10 on third try
- Washington beats Pen Aryl 19-12 after losing to Dallas 31-7 in the 1993 final. Rare finals appearance for the Colonial (Pen Argyl) League
- Rochester goes back to back beating Southern again 16-0 in 1A
2002:
- Parkland wins their first Quad-A beating Woody 34-12
- Hopewell ends Strath Haven’s consecutive finals appearance streak at four, winning 21-10
- Mount Carmel wins fifth AA in nine years 18-13 against Seton LaSalle
- Southern Columbia breaks through beating Rochester 31-6 to begin a five year run of PIAA titles
2003:
- North Penn wins their first Quad-A title beating Pitt CC 37-10
- Manheim Central wins first AAA beating Pine Richland 39-38 in 2 ot
- Aliquippa beats Northern Lehigh 32-27 for their second AA title (1991) and third appearance, losing to MCA in 2000
- Southern beats Bishop Carrol of D6 49-20
2004:
- Pitt CC beats Neshaminy 49-14 keeping the WPIAL finals appearance streak going at four
- Thomas Jefferson beats Manheim Central 56-20 denying a repeat while scoring the most points (TJ) ever in an AAA final
- Lansdale Catholic beat Grove City 40-17 for first AA title
- Southern and Rochester meet again in the 1A final with SCA winning 35-0
2005:
- McKeesport beat Liberty 49-10 after beating Bishop McDevitt 14-13, playing without one of the best backs to ever come out of the state, LeSean McCoy, who broke his ankle against Harrisburg week-4. That was probably McDevitt’s best ever team, definitely the best team in the state that year with a healthy McCoy who followed a long line of great backs at “Tailback High”; Ricky Watters (Notre Dame, Eagles), Jimmy Bryant (OSU), Sean Barowski (PSU/Syra)
- Franklin Regional wins first AAA title beating Pottsville 23-13
- South Park beat Wilson Boro 28-17 for their second AA title, winning same in 1997, 20-0 against South Williamsport
- Southern Columbia beats Duquesne 50-19
2006:
- Upper St, Clair denied Liberty in their second straight finals appearance, beating them 47-13. That was the second title for USC (1989) and might have been their third had they gone to the first playoff in 1988 rather than turning it down allowing Pitt CC who they beat 7-0 in the WPIAL final to get the gold defeating Cedar Cliff 14-7. Here’s Pitt CC vs CC Colts. Check out Bruce Arians, Al Meltzer and Dan Marino. Thought Colts would win this one! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KuwVvLli-k8
- General McLane wins their frst AAA beating Pottsville 28-23
- Wilson returns to Hershey to get gold beating Terrell Pryor led Jeannette 29-28
- Southern beats West Middlesex 56-14
2007:
- Pitt CC shuts out Parkland 21-0, the first time a Quad was shutout in the final.
- Thomas Jefferson beats Garnet Valley 28-3 for second AAA title in four years
- Jeannette makes it back to Hershey to beat Dunmore 49-21 to win AA
- Steelton Highspire Steamrollers (Steel High) beat Serra Catholic 34-15
2008: **** The Philadelphia Catholic League joins the PIAA.
- Liberty finally wins the title in third try beating Bethel Park 28-21. This will end the WPIAL’s streak of eight straight finals appearances.
- TJ Wins third AAA title in five years defeating Archbishop Wood 34-7 in Wood’s and PCL’s first AAA final
- Wilmington beats West Catholic 35-34 in 2 ot in WC’s and PCL’s first AA finals appearance
- Steel High becomes the first team in D3 to win back to back state titles beating Clairton 35-16 in the 1A final. Jeremiah Young finishes with 9027 career rush yards for the Rollers while the Bears would begin a five year run in the finals taking home gold in 2009, 2010, 2011 and 2012.
2009:
- LaSalle becomes the first AAAA-PCL team to win the title beating State College 24-7
- Selinsgrove, 60 north of Harrisburg wins their first AAA title beating Manheim Central, 28 miles East of Harrisburg 10-7. Seals were the East rep
- Lancaster Catholic 21-14 over Greensburg Central Catholic in a Double-A snow storm
- Clairton wins 1A beating the Crimson Crushers of Bishop McCort (Johnstown) 15-3
2010:
- North Allegheny beats LaSalle 21-0, denying the PCL back-to-back Quad-A titles.
- Allentown Central Catholic beats Bishop McDevitt 28-27
- West Catholic routs South Fayette 50-14 to win their first AA title
- Clairton rallies from 24-0 down to defeat Riverside 36-30 in a classic Single-A finals game.
2000:
- Witnessed the end of the Central Bucks West dynasty in one of the great finals, losing 41-35 in ot to Cathedral Prep
- Strath Haven wins second straight AAA title beating West Allegheny 31-28 for the second straight year
- Mount Carmel (MCA) wins fourth AA title in seven years beating Aliquippa 26-6
- D7 power Rochester wins first 1A title beating Southern Columbia 22-14 in SCA’s sixth finals appearance in seven years
2001:
- Neshaminy won in the mud beating Woodland Hills 21-7
- West A finally beats Strath Haven 21-10 on third try
- Washington beats Pen Aryl 19-12 after losing to Dallas 31-7 in the 1993 final. Rare finals appearance for the Colonial (Pen Argyl) League
- Rochester goes back to back beating Southern again 16-0 in 1A
2002:
- Parkland wins their first Quad-A beating Woody 34-12
- Hopewell ends Strath Haven’s consecutive finals appearance streak at four, winning 21-10
- Mount Carmel wins fifth AA in nine years 18-13 against Seton LaSalle
- Southern Columbia breaks through beating Rochester 31-6 to begin a five year run of PIAA titles
2003:
- North Penn wins their first Quad-A title beating Pitt CC 37-10
- Manheim Central wins first AAA beating Pine Richland 39-38 in 2 ot
- Aliquippa beats Northern Lehigh 32-27 for their second AA title (1991) and third appearance, losing to MCA in 2000
- Southern beats Bishop Carrol of D6 49-20
2004:
- Pitt CC beats Neshaminy 49-14 keeping the WPIAL finals appearance streak going at four
- Thomas Jefferson beats Manheim Central 56-20 denying a repeat while scoring the most points (TJ) ever in an AAA final
- Lansdale Catholic beat Grove City 40-17 for first AA title
- Southern and Rochester meet again in the 1A final with SCA winning 35-0
2005:
- McKeesport beat Liberty 49-10 after beating Bishop McDevitt 14-13, playing without one of the best backs to ever come out of the state, LeSean McCoy, who broke his ankle against Harrisburg week-4. That was probably McDevitt’s best ever team, definitely the best team in the state that year with a healthy McCoy who followed a long line of great backs at “Tailback High”; Ricky Watters (Notre Dame, Eagles), Jimmy Bryant (OSU), Sean Barowski (PSU/Syra)
- Franklin Regional wins first AAA title beating Pottsville 23-13
- South Park beat Wilson Boro 28-17 for their second AA title, winning same in 1997, 20-0 against South Williamsport
- Southern Columbia beats Duquesne 50-19
2006:
- Upper St, Clair denied Liberty in their second straight finals appearance, beating them 47-13. That was the second title for USC (1989) and might have been their third had they gone to the first playoff in 1988 rather than turning it down allowing Pitt CC who they beat 7-0 in the WPIAL final to get the gold defeating Cedar Cliff 14-7. Here’s Pitt CC vs CC Colts. Check out Bruce Arians, Al Meltzer and Dan Marino. Thought Colts would win this one! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KuwVvLli-k8
- General McLane wins their frst AAA beating Pottsville 28-23
- Wilson returns to Hershey to get gold beating Terrell Pryor led Jeannette 29-28
- Southern beats West Middlesex 56-14
2007:
- Pitt CC shuts out Parkland 21-0, the first time a Quad was shutout in the final.
- Thomas Jefferson beats Garnet Valley 28-3 for second AAA title in four years
- Jeannette makes it back to Hershey to beat Dunmore 49-21 to win AA
- Steelton Highspire Steamrollers (Steel High) beat Serra Catholic 34-15
2008: **** The Philadelphia Catholic League joins the PIAA.
- Liberty finally wins the title in third try beating Bethel Park 28-21. This will end the WPIAL’s streak of eight straight finals appearances.
- TJ Wins third AAA title in five years defeating Archbishop Wood 34-7 in Wood’s and PCL’s first AAA final
- Wilmington beats West Catholic 35-34 in 2 ot in WC’s and PCL’s first AA finals appearance
- Steel High becomes the first team in D3 to win back to back state titles beating Clairton 35-16 in the 1A final. Jeremiah Young finishes with 9027 career rush yards for the Rollers while the Bears would begin a five year run in the finals taking home gold in 2009, 2010, 2011 and 2012.
2009:
- LaSalle becomes the first AAAA-PCL team to win the title beating State College 24-7
- Selinsgrove, 60 north of Harrisburg wins their first AAA title beating Manheim Central, 28 miles East of Harrisburg 10-7. Seals were the East rep
- Lancaster Catholic 21-14 over Greensburg Central Catholic in a Double-A snow storm
- Clairton wins 1A beating the Crimson Crushers of Bishop McCort (Johnstown) 15-3
2010:
- North Allegheny beats LaSalle 21-0, denying the PCL back-to-back Quad-A titles.
- Allentown Central Catholic beats Bishop McDevitt 28-27
- West Catholic routs South Fayette 50-14 to win their first AA title
- Clairton rallies from 24-0 down to defeat Riverside 36-30 in a classic Single-A finals game.
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Stalk - Great stuff - I remember USC shut out Pgh CC and ironically they won it all in first year of states. I believe school board voted prior to season not to go.... Render must have loved that.
Guess I didn't read D1's post too well asking for best era to coach in. Wouldn't know about that but hope the trip down memory lane was interesting. About Render, I can't imagine the anger watching a team you beat win States. Cedar Cliff was wicked that year and fast, one of their best....with one of PA's best ever football/wrestling coach.
Stalk -
That first year of 1988 saw Neshaminy and Cedar Cliff play for the Eastern championship with the 'Skins on the wrong end of a 24-0 drubbing. No doubt the 'Stangs were tough but in fairness to Neshaminy they had finished the season at 11-0 but then turned in their equipment expecting CB West to be going to the post-season game; however, West and CB East played to a surprise 10-10 tie on Thanksgiving and Neshaminy had to dust off the mothballs and get it together for Cedar Cliff in a hurry (of course, they didn't as Brady and company were way too much for them in a game, I believe, was played in Allentown).
I posted the '60s as the time to be coaching (maybe as I caught one year at Neshaminy - 1969 as a sophomore - and had a lot of fun that year - and '70 and '71 as well).
That first year of 1988 saw Neshaminy and Cedar Cliff play for the Eastern championship with the 'Skins on the wrong end of a 24-0 drubbing. No doubt the 'Stangs were tough but in fairness to Neshaminy they had finished the season at 11-0 but then turned in their equipment expecting CB West to be going to the post-season game; however, West and CB East played to a surprise 10-10 tie on Thanksgiving and Neshaminy had to dust off the mothballs and get it together for Cedar Cliff in a hurry (of course, they didn't as Brady and company were way too much for them in a game, I believe, was played in Allentown).
I posted the '60s as the time to be coaching (maybe as I caught one year at Neshaminy - 1969 as a sophomore - and had a lot of fun that year - and '70 and '71 as well).
That Cedar Cliff team was quarterbacked by Lafayette legend Tommy Kirchhoff. Kirchhoff was a I-AA All American, Unitas Award Finalist, and Patriot League Player of the Year for the Leopards league championship run in 1992. I think his single season TD pass record still stands. One of the all time great guys, who tragically passed away in 2015 after a long battle with ALS
No that was perfect, with the state of football today I was just wondering what others thought about today vs yesterday! Pre playoff put a lot more emphasis on local rivals, while playoffs allowed some programs to further their vison. Then the concussion / safety issues along with single sport athlete has presented many obstacles to coaches and programs
Stalk, good stuff with the early 2000's.
Skinner, I too was at J Birney Crum in 1988 for that Neshaminy game. Back then, bleachers on both sides, what a concept! Wasn't James Franklin the QB? Not the Skins best day.
That CB-East CB-West Thanksgiving game leading up was fascinating for many reasons. At the time, West had the longest winning streak in the country at 53 games. They were 19 short of the national record. The tie also did not allow them to tie Braddock for the state record of 54 consecutive wins. Clairton now holds the record at 66. Eventually they lost to Cardinal O'Hara in week #2 of the 1989 season.
I was at that East-West game. East missed a FG on the last play, but it didn't matter for West in terms of playoffs, but the unbeaten streak was still alive. Always remember the Neshaminy players in attendance running on the field to celebrate after the tie. It was kind of an eerie feeling in front of Pettine and company.
This result was big news. After getting home with my father, Brent Musburger showed highlights at halftime of the annual Lions Thanksgiving Day game on CBS. With all the great wins Pettine had in his career, he's had some big time heart breaks. This one was right up there.
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I was at the Skins-Cedar Cliff game as well, but don't remember too much besides Kyle Brady, parking by a lake, and that crazy stadium built into the hill.
Sorry to hear about the CC QB that battled ALS.
Sorry to hear about the CC QB that battled ALS.
There always were kids jumping across the street to play at a better program. At least in the 80's it was sneaky and frowned upon. Not by coaches, they loved it and pretended they had no idea! Ha!
Once we hit the 90's. The levy broke! Full scale jumping was now the norm.
Just from a coaching perspective, I thought the 80's were the best.
We can't put the tooth paste back in the tube, I just wonder if we lost more than we gained.
Does football have value for the average high school kid, who has absolutely no shot at playing in college?
Once we hit the 90's. The levy broke! Full scale jumping was now the norm.
Just from a coaching perspective, I thought the 80's were the best.
We can't put the tooth paste back in the tube, I just wonder if we lost more than we gained.
Does football have value for the average high school kid, who has absolutely no shot at playing in college?
What folks also forget in 1988 is that Ridley was another undefeated team at 11-0, and pretty darn good as I recall. Too bad it took forever for the post season to evolve in PA.
I'll always be partial to the late 70's when I played. Can't go wrong with old school hall of fame coaches like Mike Pettine, Walt Snyder and Chuck Kane.
Relayer: Had a chuckle when you mentioned bleachers on both sides….’what a concept’. We have a similar sense of humor and it really pisses off my wife!
Rover: Thanks for the update on Kirchoff who was dealt a bad hand. I assume I got the NE PA Power Ratings article right but always appreciate your views and corrections. Freedom looks loaded again. I’ll finishing up Mid State this week and Western PA next week.
PA2CA: I thought I’d avoid referencing the Colts kicking your Skins in the semi (Ha) and wasn’t aware of their literally packin it in, then unpacking. But, CC did have what I call a “title” team that year. Forgot to tell you, nephew’s alma mater Lakeland got another title beating St. Thomas Aquinas in the 7A final. See below for an off-season fix! Awesome football. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=365Rv-nASKY....enjoy!
D1sideline: The rivalries back in the day, 70s-80s, were awesome D1. I was at a couple schools with dad on the go (Pitt, Hbg, Phl, NYC, DC) but rivalries were paramount in all those towns; Central Dauphin-Steel High, Gettysburg-Biglerville, North Hills-North Allegheny (!), Mount Lebanon-Upper St. Clair.
We played as many sports as we could. And it sincerely wasn’t about “you”, scholarships or playoffs. It was about the team and the moment. And as I’ve said to my friend PA2CA on a few occasions, we were all Pete Roses, all of us. That’s how you played then. It was NOT a conscious thing to play that way; everyone did! You gave it up, every play, leaving it on the field every game. Different times.
Technically that was 1990, I was referring to 1988. Ridley had a great run in the 80's. Green Raiders also had a 47 game winning streak between '81-'85.
Soo true, if you didn't play that way there wasn't a spot for you . Even the kids that weren't ever gonna start a game gave what they could by Instinct. Very grateful to have played in the 80's!
That's a great question about the avg kid...... I attribute the lack of interest to parents, concussions and single sport athletes, but not investing in something they know they will not pursue in college could definitely be a factor, some of those kids were great hs players back in the day
Football is at a crossroads - youth tackle numbers are dropping very quickly, while flag seems to be growing like crazy. I'm really surprised the NFL and the national youth organizations aren't doing more to counteract the impact of the concussion message in the media.
The '88 team was QB by Bill Bair, who went on to set passing records at Mansfield . Also on that squad was Bob Keberski, who got a Super Bowl ring with Green Bay as Reggie Whit'es back up.
When the numbers are crunched and statistics compared concussions really aren't what they are making them to be. Look at all the players from the 70's thru 90's that have excelled after 20 + years of football!
That is why I'm surprised the NFL and the national youth organizations aren't doing more to counteract the impact of the media's concussion message. That message is powerful, so it will take a large scale effort to swing society back to football.
Soup-no problem. That 90 team was good as well. They were leading a heavily favored NA team deep into the 4th Q when a bothched snap led to the game winning touchdown.
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