Week 1 High School Football Picks: The road to Hershey is underway

FROM KEITH GROLLER

I was out at Hersheypark this week.

Disney World it's not, although the prices may be Disneyesque. It cost me, my wife, and 9-year-old over $140 to get in and that was with $8 off coupons for each. And before we even got inside the park, we had to pay $12 to park. Where's a press pass when you need one?Hershey

And then when a couple of Nathan's Famous hot dogs, fries and drinks racked up close to $35, I was feeling woozy like Joey Chestnut after winning Nathan's Famous Hot Dog Eating Contest on July 4.

Despite the need to take out a second mortgage by the end of the day, it's still a nice park, and probably has enough attractions to be a destination resort best served with an overnight stay. I know my 9-year-old and 2-year-old granddaughter would have been content to stay in the wave pool for about 4 hours each.

It's better than Dorney, that's for sure, and closer than Knoebels, although more and more people tell me that Knoebels is well worth the extra time and miles.

I bring up Hershey because the next time I expect to be there is on the weekend of Dec. 16-17 for the state finals.

When you cover high school football around here, you simply have come to expect someone local to go the distance, at least getting to that last game. In the past 10 years since Pen Argyl in 2001, we've had a Lehigh Valley-area team make it to the final eight times. Only in 2004 and 2009 did the season end early.

They just began having state championships in football in Pennsylvania in 1988 and in those 23 seasons we've had 10 District 11 teams win state crowns, and eight other teams lose in the state finals.

Since 1986 in basketball, we've had NO state champs, but I will save that rant for December.

Central Catholic has a chance to do what no other area team has done in football and that's repeat as a state champ.

And, if not the Vikings than perhaps Pen Argyl or Liberty or even Pius X.

It's a long journey from Labor Day weeked to Christmas, and a lot can happen along the way.

So, it's better to just enjoy the journey and not look too far ahead, although we can't help it in this business.

As I've done every year since this blog began, I will pick each high school game every weekend. A bunch of years ago, we had to limit the number of games we could predict with first the "Magnificent Seven Pick the Dirty Dozen" and the last three years with the Groller-Zambelli Challenge.

Every team deserves enough attention to at least have their game used in a prediction format, so that's what I do.

Before we get to Week 1, here's my Top 10 for the week:

1. Central Catholic

2. Liberty

3. Whitehall

4. Parkland

5. Freedom

6. Nazareth

7. Emmaus

8. Pen Argyl

9. Stroudsburg

10. Easton

Now to the games:

FRIDAY NIGHT

Whitehall 34, Blue Mountain 13 ... Zephs should be 3-0 entering a big one at Liberty on Sept. 23.

Boyertown 49, Allen 14 ... Since I am investing my time at J. Birney Crum Stadium on Friday night, I am hoping for a closer game. I guess I just want to see for myself how tough things are for Allen. I keep hoping for something of a turnaround with the two Allentown schools, at least in football. Maybe the departure of the superintendent is a step in the right direction, but it's a long, long road.

Pocono Mountain East 42, Dieruff 7 ... Read the last two sentences in the Allen prediction.

Freedom 27, ES South 21 ... Could be one of the most competitive games of the night. I am very glad Jim Haney is back after his heart surgery and working. Here's hoping he has a stress-free game in his return to the gridiron.

Pennsbury 21, Easton 14 ... I remember as a kid that Pennsbury and Neshaminy were in the same league with Allen, Dieruff, Liberty, Freedom and Easton and when the Falcons came to town it was a like a pro team coming into the stadium. Beating them was never easy, and it won't be for this Red Rovers team tonight.

Emmaus 21, Germantown 7 ... Who'd have ever thought that Joe Bottiglieri, our football version of Larry "Travelin' Man" Brown, would stay in one place for nine seasons?

Liberty 28, Glen Mills 14 ... Some used to think going to Concordville to play Glen Mills was like going to a scary place, but I was there a few times and I felt safer there than at most spots in the Lehigh Valley.

Nazareth 41, Pleasant Valley 20 ... Say hello to our good friend Andy Weaver if you enter the stadium from the scoreboard side. Weave is back doing what he loves to do, giving out those tickets, and then rooting on his Blue Eagles. They'll give him plenty of points to cheer about tonight. He's predicting 33-21 Nazareth by the way.

Stroudsburg 21, Northampton 14 ... Saw a little bit of the Mounties in a scrimmage against Easton and they looked good. Joe Bernard will bring some pizzaz to the Poconos, that's for sure, although I still will miss the class of Fred Ross.

ES North 20, Valley View 13 ... The Timberwolves are talking about qualifying for the district playoffs.

Jim Thorpe 27, Tamaqua 20 ... I still think that one day there will be a league that will feature these two teams along with Panther Valley, Lehighton, Marian Catholic, Northern Lehigh, Palmerton and Northwestern. Call it the Blue Ridge Cable League if you will, or the Ed Hedes League.

Lehighton 26, Marian Catholic 20 ... My bad in the paper today. I had Lehighton winning this game last year when it was one of two Marian wins. Maybe I was just ahead of my time.

Mahanoy Area 21, Panther Valley 6 ... New Panthers coach Lonnie Hazlet has work to do with a program that was shut out four times last season.

Pius X 54, Pottstown 20 ... I believe in Phil Stambaugh and A.J. Long. I saw this game last year. The Royals haven't forgotten it.

Quakertown 19, Upper Perk 13 ... Hard to believe that these two schools, just a 20-minute ride apart, didn't play last season.

Southern Lehigh 28, Northern Lehigh 21 ... I know everybody's picking the Bulldogs. I just like I've heard about quarterback Ty Edmond and think this one being in Center Valley rather than Slatington makes a difference.

Northwestern 21, Palisades 7 ... It will be strange not to see Dennis Nemes in charge in New Tripoli this year.

Palmerton 14, Notre Dame 7 ... Two schools with new ADs, and the one with the new football coach wins a squeaker.

Bangor 34, Salisbury 6 ... Last time I wrote about a Bangor-Salisbury matchup, the Falcons were stunning the favored Slaters in the Colonial League basketball semis last February. Bangor won't have to worry about going cold in this one, however.

SATURDAY

Wilson 33, Catasauqua 14 ... Wonder if there's a surge in sales for Oakland A's stuff in Catty since Anthony Recker made it to the bigs last week.

Pen Argyl 41, Saucon Valley 13 ... You know that the late Jimmy Gum will be looking down and smiling all season long at what his son Conor is doing.

Pennridge 34, Haverford Prep 13 ... These Rams will roll, but my St. Louis Rams will likely get rolled by the NFL's "Dream Team" on opening day.

Parkland 28, Harrisburg 20 ... New offense, new quarterback, new result against Harrisburg.

Bethlehem Catholic 21, Pocono Mountain West 7 ... Could new Golden Hawks Joe Henrich could start out 2-0, considering Allen is on the schedule next.

Central Catholic 41, Downingtown East 14 ...The Vikings have become the "Greatest Show On Turf," with their explosiveness and speed. I know everyone will focus on QB Brendan Nosovitch and receiver Kevin Gulyas, and deservedly so, but Colin McDermott is capable of 2,000 yards rushing as long as the line can get a push up front. Right now, it's hard to imagine anyone comparing to the Vikings in District 11, but the comparisons to last year's team are inevitable.

That's it, 25 games to get us started. Happy Labor Day weekend and happy football season!

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