2025 Face In The Crowd – Week 1

A FACE IN THE CROWD – WEEK 1

As I begin year 2 of my intrepid odyssey through the high school football season, I would be remiss if I did not catch you up on the most important events that dotted the winter, spring, and summer in the mobile FITC command center. First of all, I had to sell the MFITCCC. The tens of dollars I am paid to write this column did not cover the heavy monthly bills that had spiraled quickly into arrears. I underestimated the overhead that accompanied a 400-square foot, $600,000 motor home that could only go downhill. I often consulted with the constellational wizards who created GPS in hopes that they might be able to find a route from Dupont to Blakely that did not include inclines. But I digress. Needless to say, we (more on that in a minute) are looking for a permanent command center, somewhere to lay our heads, somewhere to sow and reap, somewhere to laugh and cry. My apologies to the Byrds – I got carried away. For now, we’re in a studio apartment on Main Street in Avoca above the American Legion. We get a break in the rent if I uber some of the more boisterous vets home after a night of over-stimulation.

On Valentine’s Day, Sparky, my fearless and penniless companion for the 2024 season, eloped with his soulmate, Eunice, a metallic blue-haired temptress from the Pioneer City. She dyed her hair that color last year to celebrate Carbondale Area’s Week 9 victory over Old Forge, partially to pay homage to her beloved Chargers, though I think it was mainly so Sparky could spot her across the crowded room at the Peanut Bar. The last postcard I received from the happy couple was post-marked Utica, NY where those crazy kids were visiting a shrine dedicated to the construction of the world’s largest donut in 1993. Godspeed, Sparky.

So, who’s “we”, you may be asking. Some members of my family had deduced that I was the voice behind Face in the Crowd. A psychologist in the clan identified the ramblings as those from a person suffering from a combination of ADHD, PTSD, BPD, and JPS. So the family put two and two together and came up with me. When he was asked what JPS stood for, the good doctor replied that I was “just plain stupid”. Believing that her nephew was a published and accomplished writer, my Aunt Modesta (Italian, yes) reached out to see if I had room in my fledgling enterprise for her son, Cousin Gino. Since Aunt Modesta has forearms like Jon Cena and allegedly was responsible for the untimely disappearance of dear, departed Uncle Carmine, I agreed to bring Gino along. Well, that and the possibility that Gino has racketeering ties on Long Island.

All of that brings me to the first offering of FITC. My format is unchanged. Five lessons learned, followed by the five fistfights of the week, followed by the Power 5. Consistency, as they say, is the hobgoblin of little minds. Or, my JPS is flaring up. Anyway, here we go.

LESSON 1

People who make predictions about the potential performances of high school students are misguided at best, and demented at worst. There is no way to prognosticate what the Tik-Tok generation will do tomorrow, let alone forecast the results of high school football games for the next 10 plus weeks. So I will begin by saying this foray into madness will most assuredly not end well. And not only because Gino is on the divan in the corner of this hovel, eating prosciutto out of a bag that I originally believed was hiding a semi-automatic weapon. But, hey, that’s why this platform is paying me $5 a week.

LESSON 2

When in doubt, stick with the blue-bloods of District 2: Scranton Prep, Valley View, Delaware Valley, Wyoming Area, and Dallas. Apologies to those that I may have dropped from this list, but I work in fives. Those are the “bluest of the blue”, in my opinion. When this season becomes a memory, expect those five programs to have garnered their share of the headlines. Wait, do we still have headlines around here, or are they on some sort of weird 48-hour delay? I digress. With an ever-growing high school football middle class, I will lean heavily on those programs who, year after year, stand at the top of the heap after the hardware has been awarded.

LESSON 3

Those who create schedules for the LFC are inhabitants of a “wretched hive of scum and villainy”. Yes, old Obi-Wan Kenobi had it right. How else can one explain the wildly divergent slates that face schools in the same district classification? There is no rhyme or reason to explain the non-league schedules. Why not just leave the scheduling to the athletic directors and coaches, rather than with ham-handed administrators who are better suited to crafting lunch menus and waxing poetic about the pedagogical benefits of Chat-GPT? Each coach understands the needs of his program and can weigh the benefits of wins over weak programs against those of losses to heavyweights. It’s most certainly time for a change.

LESSON 4

It’s time to develop an award in District 2 that mimics the Heisman Trophy, each year presented to college football’s most outstanding and compelling player. In reverence to the legendary mentor in Bucktown, I suggest the Henzes Award. Cousin Gino is contacting trophy manufacturers as we speak. Each week this year, we will list our top 5 (of course) contenders for this coveted, fictitious award. Oxymoronic, you say? I suppose, but Gino is excited about it. It’s important to keep him happy. We will present our first list next week.

LESSON 5

Is there a better time of year in our little corner of the state? Outside of the Plymouth Kielbasa Festival, the answer is no. As I walked the mean streets of Avoca earlier, I could literally smell football in the air. Even my friends in the Legion downstairs couldn’t contain their excitement. Or maybe Dolores, the bartender/geriatric nurse, forgot to dispense necessary medications again. Still, each program and coaching staff looks to Friday night with hope and anticipation, carrying dreams of glorious victories won amidst the full-throated cheering of rabid fan bases. That’s high school football here in NEPA. And Cousin Gino and I can’t wait for the games to begin.

Those are the lessons. Learn them well, faithful followers. Now on the 5 Fistfights of the Week. Just as we did last year, we have selected the 5 most intriguing matchups of the weekend’s slate of games. We limit our five to games featuring two District 2 opponents. So you will not find the Delaware Valley vs. McKeesport game featured here, even though it should be a dandy. And we will present our newest attraction, “Gino’s Game of the Week”. I will allow my corpulent cousin to speak on his favorite contest of the week. I made this decision after Aunt Modesta made vague threats about spleen injuries and fractures of the hyoid bone. So, for now, I will accede to her wishes and let the big paisan make his statement. Here is what we think about this week’s battles.

FISTFIGHT #5 HOLY CROSS AT MONTROSE

Don’t start with me already. This battle deep in the heart of Agway country is an opportunity for two downtrodden programs to begin their seasons with a modicum of success. And, it features my favorite set of brothers, Leland and Aiden Wudarski of Holy Cross. Can’t you just hear the public address person in the box at Montrose announcing, “Wudarski on the carry”. That just sounds like high school football. Montrose has efforted to reconstitute its program, one that has enough manpower to handle a full, 10-game schedule. Friday night represents the fruits of that labor. Congratulations to the Meteors and their entire athletic department. But, alas, I fear the marauding Crusaders will have a few Wudarski’s too many for Montrose. Holy Cross in a close one.

FISTFIGHT #4 MID-VALLEY AT PITTSTON AREA

Ah, to be in Yatesville, PA on a late summer Friday night. One can hear the echoes of the famous names of the past: Trippi, Cefalo, Barbieri. Week 1 also provides the setting for the beginning of the Paul Russick Era at Pittston Area. The former Honesdale mentor has ventured into the WVC, but on Friday he faces a familiar foe in the Spartans of Coach Stan Yanoski. While the Spartans lost some star power to graduation, my guess is that they still possess enough of the winning culture created by Coach Yanoski and his recent successes in Throop. In a topsy-turvy tilt (see what I did there), I’ll take the visitors clad in blue and white to ruin Coach Russick’s debut.

FISTFIGHT #3 WEST SCRANTON AT OLD FORGE

“Gino’s Game of the Week, sponsored by United Usurers of Luzerne County. Remember, when you’re desperate, no vig is too high”. (What can I say – I can’t refuse a $50 bill that was shoved under the door.

So this is Gino. My cousin told you, right? I can’t tell yas his name on account of my vow of celibacy. And some possible ramifications with witness protection. I spent a lot of time in Old Forge this week. Nobody told me the Blue Room was closed either. That’s a shame. So the kid coaching at West is an Old Forge kid. Played for the Devils back in the day when they was champs and everything. Now he’s across the field from the big guy what was the coach back then. So, it’s like a family feud and what not. I like that. People get all jazzed up over stuff like that. Especially when lots of them are Italian. The kid at West didn’t win no games last year. But I think he got his kids ready. I like the Invaders on Friday. By a point or two is all. Then maybe we all go get some tripe. I’ll be there, watching real inconspicuous like. If yas see me, pretend yas don’t know me, even though yas really don’t. Capisce? West over the Old Forge kids.

FISTFIGHT #2 RIVERSIDE AT DUNMORE

These two ball clubs went at it twice last year – both times in Taylor. In the opening week, Riverside signaled their coming success with a convincing win over the Bucks, sending Dunmore into a tailspin to begin the year. Eventually, the Bucks recovered and reached the Class AA title game, only to see their season ended by these same Vikings. The old ball-coach, Harry Armstrong, has some new toys to play with this year as does Coach McHale in Bucktown. The denizens of the #9SQUARE MILES will be flocking to see Weston Yannone, the transfer from Susquehanna, who should provide some electricity to the Buck offense. This has a big-game vibe, as the youngsters like to say. I like the Vikings in a game that will be much closer than either of those played in 2024.

FISTFIGHT #1 SCRANTON PREP AT VALLEY VIEW

What better way to kick off the 2025 campaign than this old-school Big 11 rivalry that pits two teams, coaching staffs, and fan bases that, on a good day, hold eye each other with great disdain? It should be a great atmosphere in Blakely for these two squads who both have giant holes to fill. Checking the schedules for both, a loss on Friday could result in a trip down the Boulevard of Broken Dreams early in the season. Cousin Gino told me that’s somewhere in Duryea behind the Convenient Store. Both teams were District 2 champions last year and carry a pedigree that fosters high expectations. Blue-blood vs. Blue-blood. Big on big. Big plays and turnovers will decide this one as both programs are breaking in brand new quarterbacks who are still a bit green in the experience department. Having said all that, I like the Jesuit Giants in an early rivalry game. Coach Terry Gallagher’s snarl is already in mid-season form which tells me that the Purple and Gold are ready for this challenge. Look for the Cavs to pull away late.

So there you have our suggested outcomes for this week. Remember that prior results are no guarantee of future success, especially for Cousin Gino, God bless him.

Finally, we’ll land this plane with our inaugural Power 5 of the season, our idea of the best 5 teams regardless of record or classification.

POWER 5 – WEEK 1