2025 Face In The Crowd – Week 12

A FACE IN THE CROWD – WEEK 12

Here in the Mobile FITC Command Center, parked this week outside the super-secret salon that holds weekly Haute Couture meetings frequented by both Greg Dolhon and Terry Gallagher, we have arrived at Championship Weekend in District 2. For the past 11 weeks, the district has whittled its membership down to this auspicious group of programs that will vie for hardware on the gridiron on Friday evening. At least four of the local squads will see their seasons conclude with a silver medal, coming up one game short of a trip to the PIAA State Tournament.

We will dispense with this week’s lessons since all of you have been properly edified by my treatises over the course of the season. Next weekend, which will be my last offering for the season, I will unveil the winner of the Inaugural Henzes Award, presented to the high school football player in District 2 who has displayed “electrifyingness” (once again, dear-departed Cousin Gino’s word, not mine) on a consistent and provocative basis. I believe that it is important to note that the three finalists, North Pocono’s Cole West, Berwick’s Ty’Meere Wilkerson, and Lackawanna Trail’s Isaac Ryon, are all competing for titles this weekend. Their performances in the season’s biggest game will certainly have a bearing on the choice for this award. I have formally invited each to meet with me inside the Command Center for a healthy repast of Cheetos and Yoo-Hoo to celebrate their grand achievements. At this moment, I am still awaiting their responses.

For the first time in FITC history, I will select scores for these title games. I noticed on social media that one of my tens of readers referred to me as Nostradamus. While I have great admiration for the French astrologer, I cannot aspire to his level of prognostication. I heard that he once collected on a 7-team parlay in the 16CFFL – that’s 16^th Century French Football League for those of you unfamiliar with European acronyms. But I am going to give you some numbers, just to sweeten the pot as they say. So, since there are 6 championship games to be played, I shall provide you with 6 scores and some perfunctory analysis to explain my idiocy. I shall list them as Fistfights, and they are ordered by my wavering interest level and the relative competitiveness of the game.

FISTFIGHT #6 TRI-VALLEY (7-4) at LACKAWANNA TRAIL (10-1)

DISTRICT 2-11 CLASS A SUBREGIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP GAME

The Bulldogs of Tri-Valley are here by way of their 3-point victory over Marian Catholic a week ago. In perusing the Bulldogs’ results, it seems to me that they beat bad football teams and lost to good ones. No harm in that, I suppose, except to note that, on Friday at Tunnel Hill, they will face a very good team, with a very good coach, and with a generational back in Isaac Ryon. Lackawanna Trail will be too much for Tri-Valley. The Lions, except for their trip to Berwick early in the season, have handled all comers, in convincing fashion. I would expect that this will end in very much the same way – with Trail marching onward to the next round and eyeing a familiar destination – a state title game – in a few weeks.

LACKAWANNA TRAIL 42 TRI-VALLEY 7

FISTFIGHT #5 WILLIAMSPORT (6-5) at WILKES-BARRE (7-4)

DISTRICT 2-4 CLASS 6A SUBREGIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP GAME

I feel as though Nostradamus is up there in French Astrologist/Football Oddsmaker heaven chuckling at me. He’s chortling, “This fool thinks he’s pretty smart. Let’s throw Ciro Cinti at him and see how he handles that mess.” The Woof-Pack was beaten on their home field by the Millionaires just two short weeks ago. Last weekend, Williamsport exhibited all sorts of offensive firepower in their resounding 43-16 thumping of Scranton. And yet, Wilkes-Barre, to quote many degenerate gamblers that I have come to know over the years, is SUPPOSED TO WIN this game. And I, your intrepid analyst, am SUPPOSED TO PICK the Woof-Pack. But, alas, I can’t do it. I’ll take the Bill-Town Millionaires to render a repeat performance of their victory in the final week of the season. Sorry, Ciro.

WILLIAMSPORT 35 WILKES-BARRE 28

FISTFIGHT #4 DALLAS (6-5) at NORTH POCONO (11-0)

DISTRICT 2 CLASS 4A CHAMPIONSHIP GAME

And we get another rematch. Let us hearken back to Week 6. North Pocono 35 Dallas 14 in a game also played in blustery Moscow, where the men are men and livestock are eyed suspiciously. I don’t know what that means, it just strikes me as humorous. It is a tendency for all coaches to shrink their playbooks in championship games. It’s natural and probably wise. But it also leads to low scoring games decided by turnovers and field position. For what seems like the 100^th week in a row, I will toss this out to all of you to explain my choice in this game. When I look at the rosters, I notice that next to #11 on the North Pocono roster, is the name “Cole West”. That name does not appear on the Dallas roster. Since that is an undeniable truth, here is another one. North Pocono has too much for Dallas. They could play 50 times, and North Pocono would win 50 times. The only difference in the games would be the margin and the weather, fickle as it is, in Moscow. The margin this week?

NORTH POCONO 30 DALLAS 14

FISTFIGHT #3 DUNMORE (8-3) at LAKELAND (10-1)

DISTRICT 2 CLASS 2A CHAMPIONSHIP GAME

Once again, let’s hearken back to Week 6. Don’t you just love to hearken? I find it comforting. Back there, on the big turf field located in #NINESQUAREMILES, Lakeland pranced over and through the Bucks 28-14 on their way to an undefeated Division 2 record and the top seed in the district tournament. Since that time, Da Bucks have won 5 consecutive football games, including last weekend’s 27-7 throttling of Riverside that caused the Ol’ Ball Coach, Harry Armstrong, to bite a hole in his laminated play sheet. This Dunmore team is different than the one that got bounced in Week 6. Lakeland has had a glittering season, surprising everyone except, perhaps, themselves with their 10-1 record. David Naniewicz is a fantastic quarterback with weapons on the outside. But I believe that the Bucks have uncovered something in senior scatback, Ryan Mecca. Quarterback Weston Yannone is a proven commodity who will be another X-factor for the Bucks. I think Friday’s result will flip the script. Give me the Bucks.

DUNMORE 23 LAKELAND 17

FISTFIGHT #2 SCRANTON PREP (6-5) at BERWICK (11-0)

DISTRICT 2 CLASS 3A CHAMPIONSHIP GAME

As the week has progressed, I have spoken with several self-proclaimed geniuses who have all explained to me why Berwick has no chance on Friday night against the Jesuit Giants from Wyoming Avenue. I have heard about the weakness of the Dawgs’ schedule, their lack of a passing attack, and myriad other reasons why it will be a sad night in Brrrk (that’s how the natives say it) on Friday. Well, kids, 11-0 is still 11-0. Coach Curry (it feels so right to say that) has done a phenomenal job in rousing this dormant giant and has put Berwick back in the conversation as one of the very best programs in the area. We have sung the praises of Ty’Meere Wilkerson all season long. He will be as advertised, and will be a handful for Coach Terry Gallagher’s defense on Friday. That defense showed up on Friday night and pitched a shutout, dancing all over Wyoming Area to the tune of 42-0. That was a healthy message to all who were paying attention. Do I think Berwick can win? Yes, I do. Do I think Berwick may have the best football team in all of District 2? Yup. But…? Experience means something. Playing in a game of this magnitude against a big-boy opponent means something. In the last three years, Prep has lined up against Neumann-Goretti, Northwestern Lehigh (twice), Loyola Blakefield (twice), Jersey Shore (twice), and Canisius (twice). Berwick has not faced anyone like that. But they will on Friday. End of discussion.

SCRANTON PREP 24 BERWICK 20

FISTFIGHT #1 DELAWARE VALLEY (6-5) at ABINGTON HEIGHTS (9-2)

DISTRICT 2 CLASS 5A CHAMPIONSHIP GAME

It should not escape your notice that this will be the 4^th time these two football teams have lined up against one another in the past two seasons. In addition to being foes in Division I of the Lackawanna Football Conference, this is the second consecutive year that these two proud programs have faced off in the 5A title game. Last year, Abington Heights stunned the Warriors to reverse the regular season decision and move forward into the state tournament. So let’s hearken, just one more time back, to Week 6. You heard me! Commence hearkening! Little did we know how fraught with circumstance that late September weekend would be. Playing without starting quarterback Nick Bradley, the best pure passer in District 2, the Comets traveled up to Milford and gave DV all they could handle, losing 28-14 in a game that was far closer than the final score would indicate. Forget the records. These two teams are very close in terms of talent level. They are both exceedingly well-coached. Each will walk onto the turf at Modular Field in Clarks Summit (note how I do not go on a diatribe about how this game should be played at the Pit) believing that they can win the football game. For me, it is assuredly the most difficult game of the weekend to call. But call it, I must. In the first contest, Mike Iuzzolino, the Brahma Bull in the DV backfield, was a real problem for the Comets. The Warriors were able to run the football effectively and control the clock. Abington Heights made big plays, and big mistakes, in the game. I think that the Comets will limit those mistakes on Friday. But DV wins by a whisker to claim the district crown.

DELAWARE VALLEY 28 ABINGTON HEIGHTS 27

So there you have it. When next we meet, the champions will have been crowned and we’ll be looking at the first round of the state tournament. But first, THE POWER 5!!

THE POWER 5 – the five best football teams in all of District 2, heedless of record, classification, or relationship status.