http://blogs.mcall.com/groller/
FROM KEITH GROLLER
I was asked to speak to the Whitehall football team on Thursday night at their weekly pre-game team meal.
It's the second year they're doing this and they ask former coaches, players and other area personalities to come in and address the team, give them some personal thoughts and maybe get them a little fired up for the game.
I was honored to be asked on the eve of my 32nd full-time season covering Lehigh Valley-area high school football, although I did cover a few games as a part-timer before getting a full-time position here in 1982.
I wrote down an entire speech that I was going to deliver to the team, but when I got up in front of them inside the Whitehall cafeteria, I didn't look down at all at what I had written.
Instead, I talked to them from the heart about how much high school football has meant to me in my Morning Call career, how much it means to our community and how much it should mean to them.
The more I talked, the more the coach within me came out, and I actually got fired up talking about high school football in general and the reputuation of Whitehall football in particular.
By the time I was done, I was ready to lead the team out on to the field. Probably no one would've followed, but I was ready to roll.
Maybe they thought I was nuts and have spent too much time at this keyboard, but I really tried to impress upon the kids how lucky they are to be playing football and representing their school in such a high-profile way.
And I meant it. High school football is, indeed, one of the most special things about the Lehigh Valley and one of the few traditional things we can still look forward to every year.
I don't know if I got the Whitehall kids ready for the season, but I got myself all pumped up for the start of high school football and my first batch of predictions.
I am having trouble finding my exact final record from last season, but I believe it was close to 195-60. That's ok, but it should be better.
Week 1 is always the toughest to gauge because all you can go off is the coaches comments from scrimmages, and coaches. ... ahem ... have been known to tell a fib or two.
MVC
Pocono Mt. East 28, Dieruff 20 ... The Huskies looked good, from all accounts, in their two scrimmages. But until proven otherwise, I have concerns about the Dieruff defense. And the Cardinals have Frank Scagliotta as its new defensive coordinator. And remember what I said for almost every Bangor prediction last year? Four words -- In Scags I Trust.
LVC-MVC
Bethlehem Catholic 34, Pocono Mt. West 14 -- I am told that the Golden Hawks have a track team in cleats and possess as much speed as any team in the area. West pulled a suprise in last year's opener, but QB Jeff Krisiak and some great receivers are gone. Becahi gets its revenge and a good start.
Stroudsburg 21, Northampton 14 -- The Mounties are two-time defending MVC champs, but lost several talented linemen, a top-notch receiver and head coach Joe Bernard. Still, I believe Stroudsburg has enough back to get new coach Jim Miller a win in his debut.
Nazareth 42, Pleasant Valley 28 -- One of the most entertaining games of the night. The Bears return their quarterback Brandon Leap and a top-notch RB In Austyn Borre, but they lost a number of key players from a defense that got them to the district final a year ago. My good pal the Weave is going with his favorite school by a similar score of 44-33. See Weave (below right) with his new boss, Nazareth AD Joe Silimperi,
No comments:
Post a Comment