I’ll devote a separate post to playoff scenarios, but we have four teams clinched so far heading into the final week of the regular season. Wyoming Valley West has locked up the top seed, and looks like the best chance for D2 to advance to the state playoffs for the first time since they merged with D11 to become a subregional in 2004. No non-Lehigh Valley time has made the state tournament from the D11 tournament or D2/4/11 subregional since East Stroudsburg in 1995, led by future NFL running back James Mungro. That year, Mungro ran for over 3,000 yards, including a record 313 yards in the D11 final against Stroudsburg. Parkland, Freedom, and Liberty have also locked up spots and will be the leading contenders to keep the Lehigh Valley’s state playoff streak alive. There are five playoff spots remaining, four will go to D11 and one will go to D2/4. Still alive for the D11 spots are Easton, Stroudsburg, Nazareth, Pleasant Valley, and Emmaus. Delaware Valley and Williamsport are still alive for the D2/4 spot.
1. Wyoming Valley West (9-0) – Wyoming Valley Conference Champion
This Week: Wyoming Valley West throttled Scranton to complete a regular season sweep of their fellow D2 4A teams. Sean Judge continued his fabulous season with 216 yards and three touchdowns in the Spartans 41-6 win which eliminated Scranton from playoff contention. The junior also had two interceptions on defense (his fourth and fifth of the year) as the Spartans held Scranton to 152 yards and forced four turnovers. Devon Weidman pitched in five catches for 83 yards and a TD plus added an interception of his own. WVW was without leading tackler and fullback Billy Davidson, who missed the game with a hamstring issue, but should be back next week.
Stray Thought on Wyoming Valley West: I don’t know if it’s just function of their schedule, but the Spartans show the most balance of any team in the subregional. They really have blended the run and the pass as well as any team in this part of the state, and that’s what I think makes them so dangerous come November.
Next Week: Wyoming Valley West can lock up their first undefeated regular season in school history with a win over Williamsport, which would complete a sweep of all the 4A teams in D2/4. Williamsport is fighting for their playoff lives, and can clinch a spot with a win over WVW due to the wealth of power points presented by the Spartans. But the Millionaires have had a porous defense all year, and a shootout victory is highly unlikely against WVW.
2. Parkland (8-1)
Last Week: Parkland knocked of Nazareth 28-7 in a workmanlike victory. The Trojans stuck with what worked, rushing for 337 yards on the night and both Devante Cross and Eric DiGiralomo went over 140 yards on the evening. Cross only threw six passes, completing four and including a 41 yard touchdown strike to Nolan Ridgway in the first quarter. Jahan Dotson got his against the Trojan secondary, but he was the only offense for a Nazareth team that was severely overmatched on the lines.
Stray Thought on Parkland: I’ve probably been a little hard on the Trojans this year because so much was expected of them in the preseason. But I will say, their defense has really stepped up since their performance against Liberty. That’s particularly impressive after losing Billy Danko to a torn ACL during the Easton game. Danko was one of the best interior defensive linemen in the area, and it’s a credit to their depth and Tim Moncman’s schemes that they’ve been able to roll on without their 250 pound nose guard plugging the middle of the field.
This Week: Parkland finishes with Emmaus in the battle of Cedar Crest Boulevard. The Green Hornets are fighting for their playoff lives and will likely hand the ball to Kyle Boney upwards of 40 times on Friday. Boney is 96 yards away from a 2,000 yard regular season, which only three players in Lehigh Valley history have accomplished at the big school level (Austin Scott for Parkland in 2002, Dave Wilson for Bethlehem Catholic in 1999, and Tosh Riddick for Dieruff in 1997), but he’ll have to earn that against the stingy Parkland run defense.
3. Freedom (8-1)
Last Week: Freedom overcame a 13-0 halftime deficit to gut out a 19-13 overtime win over Easton to clinch back-to-back district playoff berths for the first time since 2008-2009. The Patriots made key second half adjustments on defense, particularly in defending the run. They held Nysir Minney-Gratz to just 19 yards on 10 carries in the second half and Easton to just 35 yards on 19 rushing attempts after yielding over 100 yards in the first two quarters. And in typical Freedom fashion, they created four turnovers after the break to fuel the win. Alec Huertas was the star of the show, intercepting Easton passes on three consecutive drives, the third of which came in the red zone which he returned past midfield, to set up Freedom’s tying touchdown. In OT, Cordell Cotto pounded on a fumbled handoff to give Freedom the ball with a chance to win. Offensively, Freedom only ran for 68 yards on 40 carries, and Joe Young was just 5 of 16 with a pick six, but he hit two long passes in the second half, one a 37 yard TD to Alkion Dunkins, and the other a 28 yard completion to Jonah Gundrum on 4th and 11 to set up the tying score. In OT, Freedom handed it four times to Andres Santos, who needed all four carries to punch it in for the winning score.
Stray Thought on Freedom: Would this team be the favorite if they still had Joe Jay Smith in the secondary and at receiver? The three star recruit from Bethlehem Catholic has offers from Boston College and NC State and is the best safety in the Lehigh Valley. Although he doesn’t play a ton of offense due to Becahi’s depth at receiver, at 6’3 205 has the size as athleticism to be an impact receiver. Smith attended Freedom for his freshman and sophomore years, playing varsity football as a sophomore, but transferred out following a 2-8 season in 2013. I think the Patriots are one impact player on the perimeter short of being able to contend outside of the District, and Smith would have been just that guy had he stayed at Freedom.
Next Week: Freedom takes on Liberty in our EPC Game of the Week.
4. Bethlehem Catholic (8-1) – EPC North Champion
Last Week: Bethlehem Catholic made sure William Allen didn’t get to enjoy their first win for too long, and the Golden Hawks ate the Canaries in a 46-8 win in Allentown. Nate Stewart returned a pair of punts for touchdowns and Julian Spigner threw for 101 yards and two touchdowns in the first half in the romp. Becahi held Allen to 113 yards of offense.
Stray Thought on Bethlehem Catholic: Will there come a point when their schedule catches up to them? Becahi has played nothing but laughers since their week one loss to Liberty. A win over ACC means that the Vikings will not make the playoffs and Becahi will be taking on small public schools in the D11 tournament, who will have nowhere near the talent of the Golden Hawks. Is this all setting up for a run to the Eastern Final like the 2012 ACC team, which wasn’t offered much resistance through the postseason until their public execution by Wood when they gave up 300 rushing yards in the first half.
This Week: Becahi renews their rivalry with Allentown Central Catholic. These two have not both been good at the same time since their epic stretch of games from 1992-1998 when they annually met for East Penn Conference and D11 3A championships. This year, it’s two high powered offenses and talented defenses that have underperformed in stretches. The Golden Hawks have to be excited after ACC yielded over 500 rushing yards last week, and Antwon Keenan and Julian Spigner are both more explosive than the options in the Liberty running game. Defensively, the Golden Hawks have three Division I caliber players in their secondary and have the athletes to defend the ACC passing game which has been incredibly potent this year.
5. Saucon Valley (9-0) – Colonial League Champion
Last Week: Saucon Valley won a game of the year nominee with a 42-35 thriller of Notre Dame (Green Pond) to all but clinch their third ever Colonial League championship and first since 2004. Saucon Valley led 35-14 with 3:00 left in the third quarter before a furious Notre Dame rally behind all state QB Tre Jordan tied the game with just over a minute left. But Zach Thatcher hit Alstan Wolfe on a 46 yard TD pass with 35 second remaining where Wolfe lept over a ND defender, then raced to the end zone. Thatcher was 3-4 for 86 yards and the TD, plus ran 17 times for 162 yards and 3 TDs and Evan Culver was his usual fantastic self with 201 yards and 2 TDs on 25 carries, becoming Saucon Valley’s all time leading rusher in the process. Jordan completed 19 of 30 passes for 226 yards and a TD and ran for 100 yards and 3 scores in the losing effort.
This Week: Saucon Valley takes on Palisades in what should be a coronation for a 10-0 regular season. The Panthers, oddly, are still in a must win scenario as the race for D11 3A playoff spots is so tight that a loss for the SV means they’ll be left out in the cold at 9-1. Don’t anticipate them to drop the game however, this team has been locked and loaded since week 1.
1. Wyoming Valley West (9-0) – Wyoming Valley Conference Champion
This Week: Wyoming Valley West throttled Scranton to complete a regular season sweep of their fellow D2 4A teams. Sean Judge continued his fabulous season with 216 yards and three touchdowns in the Spartans 41-6 win which eliminated Scranton from playoff contention. The junior also had two interceptions on defense (his fourth and fifth of the year) as the Spartans held Scranton to 152 yards and forced four turnovers. Devon Weidman pitched in five catches for 83 yards and a TD plus added an interception of his own. WVW was without leading tackler and fullback Billy Davidson, who missed the game with a hamstring issue, but should be back next week.
Stray Thought on Wyoming Valley West: I don’t know if it’s just function of their schedule, but the Spartans show the most balance of any team in the subregional. They really have blended the run and the pass as well as any team in this part of the state, and that’s what I think makes them so dangerous come November.
Next Week: Wyoming Valley West can lock up their first undefeated regular season in school history with a win over Williamsport, which would complete a sweep of all the 4A teams in D2/4. Williamsport is fighting for their playoff lives, and can clinch a spot with a win over WVW due to the wealth of power points presented by the Spartans. But the Millionaires have had a porous defense all year, and a shootout victory is highly unlikely against WVW.
2. Parkland (8-1)
Last Week: Parkland knocked of Nazareth 28-7 in a workmanlike victory. The Trojans stuck with what worked, rushing for 337 yards on the night and both Devante Cross and Eric DiGiralomo went over 140 yards on the evening. Cross only threw six passes, completing four and including a 41 yard touchdown strike to Nolan Ridgway in the first quarter. Jahan Dotson got his against the Trojan secondary, but he was the only offense for a Nazareth team that was severely overmatched on the lines.
Stray Thought on Parkland: I’ve probably been a little hard on the Trojans this year because so much was expected of them in the preseason. But I will say, their defense has really stepped up since their performance against Liberty. That’s particularly impressive after losing Billy Danko to a torn ACL during the Easton game. Danko was one of the best interior defensive linemen in the area, and it’s a credit to their depth and Tim Moncman’s schemes that they’ve been able to roll on without their 250 pound nose guard plugging the middle of the field.
This Week: Parkland finishes with Emmaus in the battle of Cedar Crest Boulevard. The Green Hornets are fighting for their playoff lives and will likely hand the ball to Kyle Boney upwards of 40 times on Friday. Boney is 96 yards away from a 2,000 yard regular season, which only three players in Lehigh Valley history have accomplished at the big school level (Austin Scott for Parkland in 2002, Dave Wilson for Bethlehem Catholic in 1999, and Tosh Riddick for Dieruff in 1997), but he’ll have to earn that against the stingy Parkland run defense.
3. Freedom (8-1)
Last Week: Freedom overcame a 13-0 halftime deficit to gut out a 19-13 overtime win over Easton to clinch back-to-back district playoff berths for the first time since 2008-2009. The Patriots made key second half adjustments on defense, particularly in defending the run. They held Nysir Minney-Gratz to just 19 yards on 10 carries in the second half and Easton to just 35 yards on 19 rushing attempts after yielding over 100 yards in the first two quarters. And in typical Freedom fashion, they created four turnovers after the break to fuel the win. Alec Huertas was the star of the show, intercepting Easton passes on three consecutive drives, the third of which came in the red zone which he returned past midfield, to set up Freedom’s tying touchdown. In OT, Cordell Cotto pounded on a fumbled handoff to give Freedom the ball with a chance to win. Offensively, Freedom only ran for 68 yards on 40 carries, and Joe Young was just 5 of 16 with a pick six, but he hit two long passes in the second half, one a 37 yard TD to Alkion Dunkins, and the other a 28 yard completion to Jonah Gundrum on 4th and 11 to set up the tying score. In OT, Freedom handed it four times to Andres Santos, who needed all four carries to punch it in for the winning score.
Stray Thought on Freedom: Would this team be the favorite if they still had Joe Jay Smith in the secondary and at receiver? The three star recruit from Bethlehem Catholic has offers from Boston College and NC State and is the best safety in the Lehigh Valley. Although he doesn’t play a ton of offense due to Becahi’s depth at receiver, at 6’3 205 has the size as athleticism to be an impact receiver. Smith attended Freedom for his freshman and sophomore years, playing varsity football as a sophomore, but transferred out following a 2-8 season in 2013. I think the Patriots are one impact player on the perimeter short of being able to contend outside of the District, and Smith would have been just that guy had he stayed at Freedom.
Next Week: Freedom takes on Liberty in our EPC Game of the Week.
4. Bethlehem Catholic (8-1) – EPC North Champion
Last Week: Bethlehem Catholic made sure William Allen didn’t get to enjoy their first win for too long, and the Golden Hawks ate the Canaries in a 46-8 win in Allentown. Nate Stewart returned a pair of punts for touchdowns and Julian Spigner threw for 101 yards and two touchdowns in the first half in the romp. Becahi held Allen to 113 yards of offense.
Stray Thought on Bethlehem Catholic: Will there come a point when their schedule catches up to them? Becahi has played nothing but laughers since their week one loss to Liberty. A win over ACC means that the Vikings will not make the playoffs and Becahi will be taking on small public schools in the D11 tournament, who will have nowhere near the talent of the Golden Hawks. Is this all setting up for a run to the Eastern Final like the 2012 ACC team, which wasn’t offered much resistance through the postseason until their public execution by Wood when they gave up 300 rushing yards in the first half.
This Week: Becahi renews their rivalry with Allentown Central Catholic. These two have not both been good at the same time since their epic stretch of games from 1992-1998 when they annually met for East Penn Conference and D11 3A championships. This year, it’s two high powered offenses and talented defenses that have underperformed in stretches. The Golden Hawks have to be excited after ACC yielded over 500 rushing yards last week, and Antwon Keenan and Julian Spigner are both more explosive than the options in the Liberty running game. Defensively, the Golden Hawks have three Division I caliber players in their secondary and have the athletes to defend the ACC passing game which has been incredibly potent this year.
5. Saucon Valley (9-0) – Colonial League Champion
Last Week: Saucon Valley won a game of the year nominee with a 42-35 thriller of Notre Dame (Green Pond) to all but clinch their third ever Colonial League championship and first since 2004. Saucon Valley led 35-14 with 3:00 left in the third quarter before a furious Notre Dame rally behind all state QB Tre Jordan tied the game with just over a minute left. But Zach Thatcher hit Alstan Wolfe on a 46 yard TD pass with 35 second remaining where Wolfe lept over a ND defender, then raced to the end zone. Thatcher was 3-4 for 86 yards and the TD, plus ran 17 times for 162 yards and 3 TDs and Evan Culver was his usual fantastic self with 201 yards and 2 TDs on 25 carries, becoming Saucon Valley’s all time leading rusher in the process. Jordan completed 19 of 30 passes for 226 yards and a TD and ran for 100 yards and 3 scores in the losing effort.
This Week: Saucon Valley takes on Palisades in what should be a coronation for a 10-0 regular season. The Panthers, oddly, are still in a must win scenario as the race for D11 3A playoff spots is so tight that a loss for the SV means they’ll be left out in the cold at 9-1. Don’t anticipate them to drop the game however, this team has been locked and loaded since week 1.