What's the Deal with Parkland

[RoverNation05]

The Trojans just finished the regular season 10-0, their first undefeated regular season since 2017 and sixth since the state tournament was expanded ('96, '99, '06, '07, '17, and '23 - notably they lost their season opener in 2002 when they won the state title). By some polls, they're the #2 team in the state, and I haven't seen them lower than five. Yet, they're barely talked about on larger state forums, and I don't think the casual fan state-wide knows what kind of team they're looking. So, on behalf of District 11, here's what I've got.

Skill Players
QB: Luke Spang (Sr. 6’1 175): 110-163, 1,647 yards, 21 TDs, 6 INTs/48 carries, 310 yards, 6 TDs
RB: Trey Tremba (Sr. 5’11 205; Army): 154 carries, 1,411 yards, 20 TDs/19 catches, 224 yards, 3 TDs
WR: Connor Johns (Sr. 6’3 190; Penn): 33 catches, 620 yards, 10 TDs
WR: Leo Dauberman (Jr. 5’10 175): 11 catches, 160 yards, TD
WR: Jendel Sanchez (Sr. 6’3): 21 catches, 366 yards, 4 TDs
TE: Robbie Ruisch (Sr. 6’4 220): 10 catches, 157 yards, 3 TDs

Everything on offense starts with Tremba. He's a four year starter, who played slot receiver as a freshman before moving into a hybrid role as a sophomore, and he's been their bell cow the last two years. He's catching fewer passes out of the backfield this year, but he's averaging over nine yards a carry and over 140 yards per game. He's kind of a perfect sized high school running back, who is faster than he looks, and runs with real power, and has the soft hands that his receiver background would have you think. They like to move him around and motion him a lot to get him in match ups. He did not play in the state tournament game last year against SJP after suffering a concussion in the D11 championship game. The revelation this year has been Connor Johns. He was looking at basketball opportunities before getting recruited to come out and play football last year when they were short (both in numbers and size) at receiver last year. He's a really good, big athlete, who has blossomed as he's learned to play the position - Lehigh thought they had a bead on him by offering very early, but he's committed to UPenn to play football. He's their stretch the field guy on the perimeter and is great in jump ball spots. Luke Spang is a classic high school quarterback. He's not super talented, but he's a three year starter, smart kid, who knows the offense and by and large doesn't make mistakes. He can scoot a little bit, but mostly to buy time and get the ball to Tremba or Johns. The other guy who can be a blue chipper here is Ruisch, who is weighing low-level Division I basketball offers, he's a really good athlete who they don't throw it to a ton, but can act like a third tackle in the run game and gives them some nice match up looks in the red zone.

Offensive Line
LT: Ali Wezza (Sr. 6’2 245)
LG: Russell Clark (Sr. 6’1 255)
C: Mason Marcks (Jr. 6'3 265)
RG: James Tyler (So. 6’3 255)
RT: Evan Saylor (Jr. 6’2 230)
---
RT: Owen Broadhead (Sr. 6’2 250)
C: Kale Kumernitsky (Sr. 6’3 265)

Parkland came into the year with four returning starters, but long term injuries to Broadhead and Kumernitsky has had them have to reach down into their depth, and have gotten really good seasons out of Evan Saylor and James Tyler. Broadhead and Kumernitsky are expected back for the playoffs, which will be interesting to see who starts and who sits - I wouldn't be shocked if Kumernitsky came back to play defensive tackle but got rest when the Trojans have the ball. Clark is a two-time all conference kid, who is too small to get FCS looks, but is a heck of a football player. Wezza also is a multi-year starter. Tyler is a kid I'm on alert for as a big recruit in two years, he's a lean 6'3 255 who could very easily hold a lot more weight as a good athlete who has played really well as a 10th grader. As a general proposition, this group is mean and gets in your grill. Not the biggest offensive line they've had at Parkland, but they play with an edge and a physicality that sets the tone for the whole team. A really fun group.

Defense
DE: Robbie Ruisch (Sr. 6’4 220): 18 tackles, sack
DT: Russell Clark (Sr. 6’1 255): 29 tackles
DT: Matthew Dorsey (So.): 10 tackles, sack
DE: Jake Beidleman (Sr. 6’1 210): 34 tackles, 7 sacks
Kumernitsky could also slot in for a lot of snaps here, as Dorsey has filled in as the senior has been hurt since week four. Beidleman plays a stand up, edge, DE/OLB hybrid and they like to rush him. Ruisch is probably the most talented guy in the front, he hasn't quite dominated the way I thought he would, but he's a good player. Clark's motor is at 100 mph at all times. Really fun high school player, who is probably going to go be an all conference level PSAC kid because he doesn't have the measurables to play higher but is great at football.

LB: TJ Lawrence (Fr. 5’10 190): 48 tackles
LB: Trey Tremba (Sr. 5’11 205; Army): 12 tackles, sack , 2 INT
LB: Joseph Trestail (Sr. 5’8 175): 16 tackles, sack
LB: Jarrett Graham: 24 tackles, sack
Lawrence had tons of hype coming into the season and has largely lived up to it. I don't necessarily know if he's Baby Saquon (notwithstanding that Saquon didn't even get snaps until he was a junior at Whitehall), but he's their leading tackler as a 9th grader who is holding up at linebacker, can really run, and plays physical. He's the starter kit for a top 100 type player nationally by the time he's a senior, with upside even higher if he really hits a growth spurt. Kid could be special, and I think he blows up at running back when Tremba graduates. Tremba is a better running back than defender (that's where he'll play at Army), but he's a good athlete who can make a lot of plays in space.

DB: Nolan Coen (Sr. 5’11 170): 35 tackles, INT
DB: Jendel Sanchez (Sr. 6’3 175): 16 tackles, 2 INTs
DB: Leo Dauberman (Jr. 5’10 175): 35 tackles
DB: Aidan Gallagher (Sr.): 32 tackles, sack
The back end is solid, if unspectacular. Coen, the son of former Lehigh head coach Andy Coen, is the best football player of the bunch, plays like a coach's kid and gets to the right spots. Sanchez has some range and they use him a lot in coverage. It feels like they've had a Dauberman in their secondary for 100 years, and they're all coaches's kids (their dad is their D-backs coach) who play really smart and are always in the right spot, if not the best athletes.

 

[bucksftball]

Really hoping to see a rematch with Nazareth and to see if they can make more substantial adjustments to slow down the Parkland run game. Parkland's balance makes that challenging as you still have to deal with a very good QB and WR duo. But I think if you're going to pick your poison, you have to dare Parkland to beat you through the air rather than get run over by Tremba. Load the box, play a soft zone behind it and make Parkland throw it 30+ times. If the rematch happens, that's one of the premier games in the state this year.

 

[Stalker]

I feel they're ignored if not written off almost entirely as a result of the playoff format alignment with SJP. That's way too bad as the district's 6As are often as good as many if not any in the state. Same for all other classifications.
Another influencer is their never scheduling inter-district games. Never. I believe this is mandated that non-EPC-South games are cross overs. That right Rover?

 

[bucksftball]

I feel they're ignored if not written off almost entirely as a result of the playoff format alignment with SJP. That's way too bad as the district's 6As are often as good as many if not any in the state. Same for all other classifications.
Another influencer is their never scheduling inter-district games. Never. I believe this is mandated that non-EPC-South games are cross overs. That right Rover?

Now that the league has opened up the schedule for next year, hopefully we get some great matchups in the first two weeks and D11 can showcase themselves around the Eastern part of the state. (If not further West) Easton will open with CB West and Northeast.

 

[RoverNation05]

Stalk - absolutely agree with you, because D11 teams aren't in a position to be playing in the semifinals/finals weekend, they get overlooked, when I think this year that Parkland and Nazareth would beat every 6A team in D1 and D3, and I think it would be a great game with PCC. But I don't think either team is beating SJP.

I don't think there is anything standing in the way of a Parkland-Nazareth rematch. Both teams will smoke their D2/4 opponents (Wilkes-Barre and Williamsport) and I don't think Northampton and the Freedom/Emmaus winner will pose much of a threat in semis. Which is good, because Parkland-Nazareth is one of the best regular season games in 6A this year (Parkland scoring a long TD with 1:33 left to win it) and I'd love to see it again with higher stakes. Coming into the year, I was 100% that Nazareth was the better team, because their best players are better, but Parkland seems like they're deeper, particularly on defense where Nazareth has a couple personnel holes in the front 7.

That said, Nazareth changed that game when they moved Sean Kinney to nose tackle and that really helped against the Parkland run-game. Kinney is the best player in the area and how Nazareth uses him is going to set the tone for the game. That said, Moncman and company will have a counterpunch. Two good coaching staffs going at it, so I think we'll see adjustments on both sides. But I agree, the way to beat Parkland is force Spang to beat you.

The other thing to watch is Peyton Falzone did not play last week against Easton (in street clothes on the sideline) and I don't think Nazareth is in a good spot to win without him - though Mason Kuehner played really well as an option QB. Again, Nazareth has some really high end kids in Kuehner, Caleb Newsome, Marquez Wimberly, Sean Kinney, and Falzone, but needs all of their stars in their roles to win it.
Those two teams played a classic in 2019 (Nazareth scored on a two-point conversion in OT to win it) and I could see the same. I'll go back in history, but I think every time we've had a D11 title game that's 10-0 vs. 9-1 and the 1 is the regular season match up, the game has been a classic ('02 Bethlehem Catholic-Parkland, '04 Liberty-Easton, '98 Whitehall-Parkland all come to mind).

As far as other classifications - Northwestern Lehigh in 3A and Allentown Central Catholic in 4A should be playing relatively deep into the playoffs. Northwestern beat the ever loving snot out of Southern Lehigh last weekend, who as overranked as #5 in the state in 5A, but still a pretty good football team two classifications bigger. Brett Snyder does a great job at his alma mater. And Central I'll probably post a deeper dive on their roster - they're built more like Nazareth, lots of high end talent guys, not quite as deep as Parkland.

Yes, the mandatory crossover is going away!! They are moving to three divisions, and teams will play the other six teams in their division, plus one game in each of the other divisions, with two open dates. I would assume Parkland would play a good out of area non-conference schedule. Moncman used to have North Penn on the Liberty schedule then had set ups with Glen Mills and State College that they played after he left. And Parkland has always played good non-con, going back to playing SJP in 2008, and have had Cumberland Valley, Harrisburg, Glen Mills, George Washington, and the Schor Del Val teams all on their schedule. I'd assume they'll get good match ups going forward, which can up their reputation.

 

[Stalker]

Stalk - absolutely agree with you, because D11 teams aren't in a position to be playing in the semifinals/finals weekend, they get overlooked, when I think this year that Parkland and Nazareth would beat every 6A team in D1 and D3, and I think it would be a great game with PCC. But I don't think either team is beating SJP.

I don't think there is anything standing in the way of a Parkland-Nazareth rematch. Both teams will smoke their D2/4 opponents (Wilkes-Barre and Williamsport) and I don't think Northampton and the Freedom/Emmaus winner will pose much of a threat in semis. Which is good, because Parkland-Nazareth is one of the best regular season games in 6A this year (Parkland scoring a long TD with 1:33 left to win it) and I'd love to see it again with higher stakes. Coming into the year, I was 100% that Nazareth was the better team, because their best players are better, but Parkland seems like they're deeper, particularly on defense where Nazareth has a couple personnel holes in the front 7.

That said, Nazareth changed that game when they moved Sean Kinney to nose tackle and that really helped against the Parkland run-game. Kinney is the best player in the area and how Nazareth uses him is going to set the tone for the game. That said, Moncman and company will have a counterpunch. Two good coaching staffs going at it, so I think we'll see adjustments on both sides. But I agree, the way to beat Parkland is force Spang to beat you.

The other thing to watch is Peyton Falzone did not play last week against Easton (in street clothes on the sideline) and I don't think Nazareth is in a good spot to win without him - though Mason Kuehner played really well as an option QB. Again, Nazareth has some really high end kids in Kuehner, Caleb Newsome, Marquez Wimberly, Sean Kinney, and Falzone, but needs all of their stars in their roles to win it.
Those two teams played a classic in 2019 (Nazareth scored on a two-point conversion in OT to win it) and I could see the same. I'll go back in history, but I think every time we've had a D11 title game that's 10-0 vs. 9-1 and the 1 is the regular season match up, the game has been a classic ('02 Bethlehem Catholic-Parkland, '04 Liberty-Easton, '98 Whitehall-Parkland all come to mind).

As far as other classifications - Northwestern Lehigh in 3A and Allentown Central Catholic in 4A should be playing relatively deep into the playoffs. Northwestern beat the ever loving snot out of Southern Lehigh last weekend, who as overranked as #5 in the state in 5A, but still a pretty good football team two classifications bigger. Brett Snyder does a great job at his alma mater. And Central I'll probably post a deeper dive on their roster - they're built more like Nazareth, lots of high end talent guys, not quite as deep as Parkland.

Yes, the mandatory crossover is going away!! They are moving to three divisions, and teams will play the other six teams in their division, plus one game in each of the other divisions, with two open dates. I would assume Parkland would play a good out of area non-conference schedule. Moncman used to have North Penn on the Liberty schedule then had set ups with Glen Mills and State College that they played after he left. And Parkland has always played good non-con, going back to playing SJP in 2008, and have had Cumberland Valley, Harrisburg, Glen Mills, George Washington, and the Schor Del Val teams all on their schedule. I'd assume they'll get good match ups going forward, which can up their reputation.

Thanks. And of course I'll take you to task on Naz-Park beating every 6A team in D-1 and 3. When Harrisburg is not self-destructing (not since Township game 3), they are near to unbeatable except in the case of a Park-Naz-Twp-SJP-PCC-NA also playing the perfect game. I don't know of a weakness. They are that talented and have corrected many historic issues. But realistically, they might not get out of the district the way Manheim Township and Cumberland Valley are playing.
Cumberland Valley is playing their best football right now with their new Qb (IMG) starting. I missed that somewhere (off season?), transferring back in I believe. But it's the D that's lights out. So they're also in it and Central York 10-0 who beat both CD and DV, early. And who the hell wants to play Wilson in the post season where Coach Dahms works his magic?

In 1, the Ches Mont teams, DE/W/Coats are scary when on and CBW has their act together tho I don't think they've been tested except for CBS. GVal, UDub and most of their schedule are underachieving teams or just 'down' with the recent slump of the entire SOL barring CBW. Never seen an entire conference go down like that. Bucks can address that but that's my view. GVal lost a lot of key people. The line....'these types just reload' is WAY overstated and sometimes just false. Check their scores.

About EPC scheduling; Maybe you can connect with folks to remind that District-3 teams love to travel to play anyone, anywhere, all the way down to 1A Steel High and 2A Trinity. Maybe something could be worked out, Parkland vs Township, CD vs Parkland (blast from the past) and Cumberland Valley vs Beca or Freedom.

 

[RoverNation05]

Stalk - fair enough, I probably oversold it. But they're definitely two state-caliber teams that I think we'd be talking about a lot more (and anticipating that match up on November 17th) way more if they were placed somewhere different in the state bracket.

If Falzone is healthy for the playoff, I think I'm still in the corner that Nazareth can turn the tables. I probably should write an explainer there too - their skill guys are GREAT (Kuehner is weighing offers from MAC schools and Temple, Newsome is a junior with a bunch of Patriot/Ivy offers, and Wimberly is a sophomore with West Virginia in his pocket and some other big schools sniffing around, plus Bedenkovitz and Hilarczyk are two solid high school players who may be PSAC guys) and they're got an experienced offensive line anchored by an all state tackle in Sean Kinney, who holds a wrestling offer for Penn State, but seems like he wants to play football, and what I'm hearing may be James Madison bound? The high end talent is really good. Like I said, hinges on Falzone, their sophomore quarterback, who is the best quarterback prospect up here we've had since Nosovitch - he reminds me of a of Dan Harding (tall, skinny, quick release, huge arm on the deep ball), who was 4A AP Player of the Year in 2011 for the Nazareth team that lost 41-33 to LaSalle in quarters. Except he's doing what Harding did as a senior as a sophomore.

I know Cumberland Valley has played Easton, Parkland, and I think Whitehall maybe in the past during the regular season, I'm sure that would be a possible nonconference opponent. Parkland and Wilson West Lawn have scrimmaged for years, that one could convert too. I think you'll definitely see match ups from the Valley schools.