The Rick, Week 11 – 2025
By Righetto Notari, BDFN
@BDFN_OldForge
(2222-616 overall, .784 winning percentage)
Chief Cannoli of Chapman Lake…
As I was crying in my Amaretto on Friday night after my beloved Blue Devils’ season had come to an end, I received a text message from The Boss – Don Cougarini – that put a smile on The Rick’s face. It turns out there are a couple two, tree, people that read The Rick every week and have some fun with it. You don’t believe it? Well, The Rick has proof!
I placed the Mid Valley at Lakeland game in the Cannoli Game spot last week and quipped that the Chiefs would have to go to Rocco Spataro’s house for some cannoli after the game. Well, it turns out, the Spataros brought the cannoli to the Chiefs on Friday night. The boys from Chapman Lake got to enjoy their post-game victory celebration with the Italian dessert and sent the attached picture to the NPF Network of them doing so. Oh fuhgeddaboudit!
My only issue is that, I didn’t get to enjoy any of Grandma Spataro’s cannoli recipe with the LFC Division 2 Champs! I guess the Chiefs don’t like to share. They weren’t going to share the LFC D2 title with Mid Valley, and they won’t share their cannoli either. They didn’t even share with the Chief Cannoli of Chapman Lake – Superintendent Dr. Marc Wyandt! Maybe they don’t know that Dr. Wyandt is part of The Family and was one of The Rick’s young, football charges oh-so-long ago. He’s a Devil in disguise!
Congrats to the Chiefs and enjoy the cannoli one more week!
PREDICTION? PAIN
Yes, every week The Rick makes predictions on games. But every year – twice a year – The Rick makes the predictions on the league winners. So, how did I do? Let’s start in the WVC.
The Rick predicted Dallas and Wilkes-Barre to finish first and second in WVC-1 during the preseason, and Pittston Area and Crestwood to finish 1-2 at mid-season. The Patriots ended up winning the title with a 5-0 record, and Dallas finished second at 4-1. In WVC-2, The Rick had the same thoughts at the beginning and midway – Wyoming Area at 1 and Berwick at 2. But the Dawgs beat the Warriors in Week 6 and that was good enough for the title.
In the LFC, The Rick was way off in Division 1. Scranton Prep was my favorite in the preseason and the midway, but North Pocono ran the table this year to take the title. In LFC-2 The Rick had Dunmore and Lakeland finishing 1-2 in the pre-season before flipping that order midway. And that’s how they finished, with the Chiefs going 5-0 and the Bucks, 4-1. The Rick had Lackawanna Trail and Riverside to end the season 1-2 at every turn, and after the Lions curb-stomped the Vikings last week, that’s just how it ended up.
The Rick also predicted the over/under wins for all 33 District 2 teams before the season started. My record was 22-11 with four of those losses missed by just one game. The big misses by The Rick were Abington Heights, Dallas, Pittston Area and Scranton Prep. Had I put a five-timer on each game, I’d be ahead $247.50. That’s a lot of cannoli!
Oh, by the way, The Rick did not have a losing record in any of the featured games for the season.
2,000 MEN
Last week The Rick spotlighted 2,000 Man Ty’Meere Wilkerson of Berwick. The running back pushed his way toward the 3,000-mark in Week 10, but he also got some company as a 2,000 Man. Lackawanna Trail punisher Issac Ryon ran roughshod over Riverside to push his regular-season rushing total to 2,079 yards, and Wilkes-Barre passer Jake Howe pushed his season passing total to 2,026 yards. It doesn’t look like we will have anymore 2,000-yard rushers this year, but a few of our local QBs may have a shot depending upon how deep of a run they can make in the playoffs.
Let’s get to predicting Week 11….
THE RICK’S PICKS (148-36)
District 2 Class 6A Subregional
4-Hazleton Area (1-9) at 1-Wilkes-Barre Area (7-3)
3- Scranton (2-8) at 2-Williamsport (5-5)
The Rick was disappointed once again by WBA in its loss last week against Williamsport. Could the Wolfpack have been playing Sheep, thinking they could again face the Millionaires for the subregional championship? Or was it a trend we wish would break. The Rick picked the Pack to win this Class 6A title in both Weeks 1 and 6. But I also predicted they would defeat Scranton – which at this point would be an upset. However, The Rick does deep dives in the weekly box scores and noticed two names back in the lineup for the Knights that have been missing for most of the season. Don’t ask me about my business.
Wolfpack 37, Cougars 13
Knights 26, Millionaires 24
District 2 Class 5A
4- Wyoming Valley West (1-9) at 1-Abington Heights (8-2)
3-Delaware Valley (5-5) at 2-Pittston Area (8-2)
A few weeks ago, The Rick thought Pittston Area would be the favorite in this classification. But lots has happened in the last month or so of the season that has be re-thinking this. The Patriots loss to Wyoming Area last week concerns The Rick, especially after they led early and at the half. The week before they struggled at Lake Wallenpaupack. So, while The Rick knows the Pats have the talent to rebound this week, it’s going to be tough to pick against the LFC teams. Don’t let the Delaware Valley record fool you WVC fans, they are a handful and have the necessary experience. As for Abington Heights, they survived and thrived for a few weeks without superstar QB Nick Bradley. Well Bradley is back, and the Comets are now the favorites.
Comets 41, Spartans 21
Warriors 31, Patriots 20
District 2 Class 4A
4-Crestwood (5-5) at 1-North Pocono (10-0)
3-Dallas (5-5) at 2-Valley View (6-4)
The classification that has given us such thrilling games and results in the last few years seems like it will be a yawner this year. North Pocono has dominated almost every week on its way to a perfect regular season. And yet, The Rick isn’t sure what to expect from the other three teams. Crestwood and Dallas are loaded with athletes on the offensive side of the ball. Valley View has one of the top defenses in the LFC. The Rick doesn’t expect the Comets to beat the Trojans, but it could be closer than some think. I am just not sure if I think that. In the other game, The Rick is kind of inclined to go with Dallas. They have won four straight and have played one of the toughest schedules in all of District 2. But at the end of the day, The Rick doesn’t want to hear from Cougar Dave all weekend.
Trojans 31, Comets 13
Cougars 19, Mountaineers 14
District 2 Class 3A
4-Hanover Area (6-4) at 1-Berwick (10-0)
3-Scranton Prep (5-5) at 2-Wyoming Area (9-1)
It was just a few weeks ago that schools were informed this would be a four-team tournament, instead of an eight-tourney. And, honestly, it’s for the best. We didn’t need to see Tunkhannock at Berwick, Lake-Lehman at Wyoming Area and Mid Valley at Prep. We may not even need to see Hanover Area at Berwick, but the Hawkeyes were within two touchdowns of the Dawgs at halftime before falling 56-19. Here is an interesting stat though, Hanover Area has outscored its opponents, 290-0, in its six victories. However, none of those six teams qualified for the playoffs. The other game, however, may just be the best game of the weekend. The Cavaliers travel to The Jake to face the Warriors on Friday. (Better get there early Prep fans, Halloween is a big deal on Wyoming Avenue in West Pittston – and there’s only one way in from the Scranton area.) WA made a huge statement last week against rival Pittston Area, rallying for the victory in dominating fashion. Prep gave North Pocono all it could handle and despite five losses, aren’t a typical .500 squad. This game will showcase some of the better multi-dimensional players in the district. The McPartland Brothers. Gravine. Kopetchny. Ciampi. Krzywiec. The scoreboard is going to light up, but The Rick expects the bell to stay silent.
Dawgs 49, Hawks 14
Cavaliers 31, Warriors 28
District 2 Class 2A
4-Holy Redeemer (2-8) at 1-Lakeland (9-1)
3-Dunmore (7-3) at 2-Riverside (8-2)
The Class 2A tournament has three teams that are seemingly even. Unfortunately for Holy Redeemer, the Royals do not fall into that category. First-year coach Vito Quaglia has done an admirable job this season. The Royals had three losses decided by a touchdown or less. They could easily be 5-5 behind QB Brady McDermott, who has thrown for 1,691 yards and 20 TDs. But Lakeland will be too strong in that semifinal. The Chiefs’ only loss is to Wyoming Area. The other semifinal is a rematch of the season-opener that Riverside won in overtime at Dunmore. This week’s game is in Taylor, and the Vikings will need the home surroundings to temper any hangover from last week’s loss to Trail. The Bucks have been on a roller coaster all season and are looking to peak at the right time.
Chiefs 44, Royals 14
Bucks 20, Vikings 17
District 2 Class 1A Subregional
4-Nativity BVM (4-6) at 1-Lackawanna Trail (9-1)
3-Tri-Valley (6-4) at 2-Marian Catholic (7-3)
The Rick doesn’t really know much about the District 11 teams other than they aren’t nearly as good as Lackawanna Trail. The Lions are the class of Class 1A in this subregional. Isaac Ryon and Tyler Jervis lead the defending champs on both sides of the football. Both play the game the way it is supposed to be played, all gas, no brakes. Trail’s opponent in the first round, Nativity BVM of Pottsville has lost three straight games, including last week to No. 2 seed Marian Catholic. The Green Wave beat Holy Redeemer to start the season, 36-0. In the other semifinal, Marian Catholic beat Tri-Valley, 17-14, in Week 2. That is the difference in their seeding and record. Both lost to Minersville, Schuylkill Haven and Williams Valley this season. The Colts beat Hanover Area, 42-24, in Week 1.
Lions 50, Green Wave 15
Bulldogs 21, Colts 20
Time to settle all Family Business (99-15)
Wallenpaupack over Honesdale
Mid Valley over Carbondale
Upper Dauphin over Holy Cross
The Rick Six
(The top 3 big schools & top 3 small schools)
- North Pocono (10-0, 1)
- Berwick (10-0, 2)
- Abington Heights (8-2, 4)
- Delaware Valley (5-5, NS)
- Wyoming Area (9-1, 3)
- Lakeland (9-1, 6)
Next Six: Scranton Prep (5-5, NS) Lackawanna Trail (9-1, NS); Delaware Valley (5-5, NS); Wilkes-Barre Area (7-3, NS); Valley View (6-4, NS); Dunmore (7-3, NR).
