The Rick, Week 14 – 2025
By Righetto Notari, BDFN
@BDFN_OldForge
(2250-627 overall, .784 winning percentage)
Lions, Tigers, Trojans and Cavaliers – Oh My!
What are the odds that of our three games this week, four of the teams are nicknamed Lions or Tigers? According to TheRickKings, it’s plus 1300. It’s Week 14 and the PIAA state quarterfinals are upon us. A win this week puts our local teams into the PIAA East Final. Oh My!
Studying the three remaining brackets, Lackawanna Trail has the best opportunity to become the last team from an eastern district to be alive in Class 1A. The other six remaining teams are all from western districts. So, a win crowns the Lions as the Beast of the East. But Coach Steve Jervis’s team has loftier goals.
It’s been a fun season to date. I hope the return of The Rick this year puts you in the mood every week to applaud or curse me. Thanks to Cougar Dave, the Moms of Tunnell Hill, and the Cannoli Chiefs for adding inspiration some weeks. I mean every scribe needs a muse.
The Rick is looking forward to Week 15, so how about one of our teams – or all of them – come up with a victory this weekend!
Ok, let’s get to predicting Week 14….
THE RICK’S PICKS (176-47)
PIAA Class 4A
North Pocono (13-0) v. Cardinal O’Hara (9-4) at Zephyr Stadium, Whitehall HS
The Rick has noticed something in this year’s North Pocono team. Coach Greg Dohlon has them playing eerily similar football to the great Big 11 teams of the past. Run the football no matter what; Play bone-crunching defense; And only pass the ball when you absolutely must. That recipe has kept the Trojans unblemished heading into Week 14. Sure, the Trojans have a bona-fide Batman in Cole West, but it’s been a cast of Robins that have been the key ingredients for the Men of Moscow. Tailback Josiah Gray went over the 1,000-yard mark last week, and running backs Jayden Taylor and Joe Briskie have combined for over 1,000 yards. The trio has a combined 28 TDs. Quarterback Chase Zimmerman has added 399 yards and 12 TDs on the ground to go with his 916 yards and seven TDs in the air. Cardinal O’Hara is a bit of a mystery. This is their first foray into the state playoffs in the last five years, winning the District 12 title last week over West Philly. Three of their four losses have come to state powers Roman Catholic, St. Joseph’s Prep and LaSalle College. Now they weren’t really close in any of those losses, but which teams have been close against those schools. The Lions are led by diminutive running back Amahj Gowans who has rushed for 1,700-plus yards this season. They seem to be a mirror of the Trojans offensively as they rely on a big offensive front and the ground game to power the offense. The Rick may be going out on a limb against the unknown, but I recently remembered that I have some family wearing the Red and Black. And never, I mean never, go against The Family.
Trojans 28, Lions 24
PIAA Class 3A
Scranton Prep (8-5) v. Northwestern Lehigh (13-0) at Crispin Field, Berwick HS
The Rick remembers a fighter from a few years ago that stated, “Everyone has a plan until they get punched in the mouth.” Well, Prep got punched in the mouth last week with two haymakers and was still able to stick to their plan. It was the sign of a true fighter. And that’s what Coach Terry Gallagher has in his Cavalier team. Being able to win a state playoff game after trailing 14-0 is a true testament to the toughness of the Prep players. The Cavaliers will need that toughness and fight from the jump this week. Defending state champion Northwestern Lehigh is 44-1 over the last three seasons, including 29 straight, with their only loss coming to Belle Vernon in the 2023 state title game. The Tigers have eliminated the Cavaliers from the state tournament in the last two seasons by a combined score of 61-6. NW Lehigh is led by senior Shane Leh who has thrown for over 5,000 yards and 67 touchdowns in his career, including 1,860 yards and 20 TDs this season. Running back Braxton Lakatosh has rushed for 998 yards and 12 TDs and teammate Chase Sukanick has 710 yards and 12 TDs on the ground as well. Four wideouts have 300 or more yards receiving, led by Brady Zimmerman with 604 yards and seven touchdowns. If The Prep wants to be in this game, Will McParland will need to don his Superman cape once again and get some help from the Super Friends as well.
Tigers 47, Cavaliers 20
PIAA Class 1A
Lackawanna Trail (12-1) v. Belmont Charter (9-1) at Northern Lehigh Bulldog Stadium
The Red Storm had The Rick worried for a quarter or two last weekend. But once everyone caught their collective breath, Lackawanna Trail marched on to the Elite 8 of the PIAA Class 1A Football Championship. Led by Isaac Ryon, District 2’s top tailback, the Lions broke away from a previously undefeated Line Mountain team. Ryon leads D2 with an eye-popping 15.4 yards per carry and scores a rushing touchdown every 3.8 times he carries the football. Belmont Charter is not unfamiliar with District 2 football. The Tigers lost to Old Forge, 55-21, in 2021 during the PIAA Class 1A playoffs. They have played in the state playoffs every year since and last week’s victory over York Catholic was their first PIAA state win. Based in Philadelphia, Belmont Charter’s program is only five years old but during that time the Tigers have won five District 12 titles and compiled a 33-21 record. They are led by freshman quarterback Nafis Watkins who threw for 253 yards and three TDs last week. Receivers Moise Fluerival and Tahir Tucker combined for six catches for 209 yards and three scores. Running back Jayden Parsley added 97 yards and a TD on 13 carries. He also returned an interception for a touchdown. The Tigers had three INTs on the day. Lackawanna Trail will need to continue to play its brand of punishing football on both sides of the football. Their physical style of play will be tough for BC to match up with. The Rick likes the Lions to move on to the Final Four.
Lions 35, Tigers 14
Time to settle all Family Business (108-21)
Shamokin over Southern Lehigh
Neumann Goretti over Trinity
Bishop Guilfoyle over Westinghouse
The Rick Six
(The top 3 big schools & top 3 small schools)
- North Pocono (13-0, 1)
- Scranton Prep (8-5, 3)
- Delaware Valley (7-6, 2)
- Abington Heights (9-3, 3)
- Lackawanna Trail (12-1, NS)
- Lakeland (11-2, 5)
Next Six: Berwick (11-1, 6); Wyoming Area (9-2, NS); Pittston Area (8-3, NS); Dallas (6-6, NS); Wilkes-Barre Area (8-5, NS); Dunmore (8-4, NS).
