District 11 Finals: Parkland Trojans (10-2) vs. Emmaus Green Hornets (10-2)

[RoverNation05]

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

 

[Fletchster1]

Parkland gets revenge, 21-17.

 

[RoverNation05]

Parkland gets revenge, 21-17.

They always seem to. The blowout pick may just be wish casting.

Seems like Leo Dauberman won’t play for Parkland, seen on crutches coming in. I knew he got hurt last week against Freedom, tough blow, he’s a good two way player at receiver/safety

 

[RoverNation05]

Parkland watched the Easton film from last week, lots of quarterback run in the option game. 3-0 Parkland midway through the second quarter. Emmaus big offensive chance called back for a hold.

 

[RoverNation05]

Parkland safety? Emmaus muffed punt has them backed up, looks like 3rd down play is getting marked just over the goal line. Parkland going to have great field position, but still up only 3-0.

 

[RoverNation05]

TJ Lawrence touchdown run. Parkland can’t keep getting away with this.

Up 10-0

 

[RoverNation05]

Emmaus drives to the red zone, Parkland holds and forces a field goal.

Blocked!!!!! 10-0 lead at halftime for the Trojans.

 

[RoverNation05]

Parkland goes up 17-0, this one is over

 

[RoverNation05]

Final - Parkland 17 Emmaus 3.

I’m terrible at predictions. Nearly a 40 point swing from their meeting three weeks ago.

 

[RoverNation05]

Also, Phillipsburg with a walk-off field goal to win the New Jersey Group 4 Section 2 championship. Bad night all around.

 

[RoverNation05]

Not a bad night from TJ Lawrence. 18 carries for 90 yards and a touchdown. Nine tackles, blocked field goal to end the first half, and the interception on Emmaus’s final drive. He might dominate the Valley the next two years.

 

[MC1975]

So is Parkland the D11 winner?

 

[RoverNation05]

Yep, Parkland will get the SJP-Imhotep winner next week.

100% sour grapes here, but I do not think Parkland matches up well with whoever wins. Way too one dimensional. Tim will have them ready to play though, once again he has his team playing great in November.

 

[RoverNation05]

If I’m being honest, it’s Freedom who had the best chance to pull an upset. Most balanced offense, big and athletic on the offensive line, a couple good FCS kids on top of depth. But season ending injuries to an All State linebacker (Lafayette commit Justin Peluso), their leading tackler, a 6’4 280 offensive lineman with FCS offers, and their starting safety was too much to overcome in the Parkland rematch. Easton was probably next in line with their set of receivers, but biffed too many red zone opportunities against Emmaus in a game where they had 430 yards of total offense but only 19 points.

But I’ve been wrong before.

 

[Fletchster1]

Emmaus really turned it around after an early season loss to Neshaminy.

 

[RoverNation05]

Emmaus really turned it around after an early season loss to Neshaminy.

Fairclough mentioned a lot in the media this week that they had 16 or 17 new starters this year, including a first year quarterback who they moved to the position, and they knew they were going to take some lumps early. Then in that Neshaminy game, they lost their best player, Raffy Teraro (OLB/WR 6'4 215 Kent State commit), for the season with a knee injury. They grew a lot and figured a lot out during the season. Again, helps to have a state championship winning coach (ACC 2010) at the helm - Emmaus was a 4-6/5-5 program forever, Fairclough has really raised the ceiling there, he's excellent at his job. This is probably the least talented of his double-digit wins teams at Emmaus, really solid coaching job this year.

That is one thing I'll say is that the Lehigh Valley schools in the EPC almost all have very good coaching situations, that's probably the biggest change in the last five or so years, and has coincided with the Valley as a whole being way more competitive. I'd say Parkland, Emmaus, Nazareth, Freedom have guys who are as good as anybody in PA, Easton and Liberty seem to have hired well in 2022 after years and years in the wilderness, Toman at Northampton is a solid guy to run a program, Martino at Whitehall I feel pretty good about, though that's a tough job. Jury is still out on Tyler Ward at Bethlehem Catholic after year two (he moved up from Alabama to take the job, so I don't have an apples-to-apples track record to compare, and they've been "eh" in his two years). Allentown Central Catholic got shaken up by Tim McGorry resigning, and I don't think Rob Melosky was physically up to the task of running the program, a big reason he just resigned (he's had major health issues that have caused him to leave coaching twice, he just can't stay away) though on paper he was a home run. We'll see how they hire.

 

[Fletchster1]

Coaching is the key piece, administration backing them up is another. The players and families will follow. Good to see!

 

[RoverNation05]

Coaching is the key piece, administration backing them up is another. The players and families will follow. Good to see!

Emmaus is a really strong athletic program overall, that's never been the issue. They're elite in field hockey, boys and girls swimming, girls basketball, baseball, golf/tennis, etc. They have stretches where boys hoops is very competitive. There are athletes walking the halls, and a real athletic department, huge school. Football finally has a coaching staff in place that can elevate the ceiling of the program - they've never been a competitor at the D11 level to consistently making semis and finals. Matter of time before they break through.

 

[HSFB99]

Has McGorry been coaching anywhere since leaving ACC?

 

[RoverNation05]

No, I think he’s done for the time being. He has some relatively big job with the St. Luke’s hospital network, and he couldn’t do that and football. I think he’s a “consultant to the program” of some sort and he’ll always be around and welcomed at ACC (he was the quarterback for the 1998 state champs and OC for the 2010 state champs). But I don’t think he’ll be coaching again anytime soon.