Area Teams Bear Down For Turkey Day & Playoffs
Top 10
Week of Nov. 23, 2012
1. La Salle (Record: 11-1. Previous Week: 1. Weeks Rated: 12.)
2. St. Joseph's Prep (Record: 9-1. Previous Week: 2. Weeks Rated: 10.)
3. Archbishop Wood (Record: 10-2. Previous Week: 3. Weeks Rated: 12.)
4. Episcopal Academy (Record: 10-0. Previous Week: 4. Weeks Rated: 8.)
5. Imhotep Charter (Record: 12-0. Previous Week: 5. Weeks Rated: 12.)
6. Coatesville (Record: 10-2. Previous Week: 7. Weeks Rated: 7.)
7. Pennridge (Record: 11-1. Previous Week: 8. Weeks Rated: 6.)
8. Neshaminy (Record: 9-3. Previous Week: NR. Weeks Rated: 1.)
9. Spring-Ford (Record: 11-1. Previous Week: NR. Weeks Rated: 1.)
10. West Chester Henderson (Record: 9-3. Previous Week: NR. Weeks Rated: 1.)
By Joseph Santoliquito
Philadelphia, PA (CBS) — It's been somewhat of a trying season for long-time Neshaminy coach Mark Schmidt. He began the year with a young team that's experienced some growing pains.
Then Schmidt was the victim of an over-reaction during a game against Council Rock South on October 12, when he grabbed one of his players by the jersey after the player committed a personal foul and pulled him away from stirring a melee.
The Neshaminy School District deemed it fitting that Schmidt receive a one-game suspension, missing the Redskins' 42-33 October 19 victory over Bensalem. Schmidt himself admitted, "the biggest thing, the term 'old-school' might need to be re-evaluated."
But Schmidt received an amazing outpouring of support, among his staunchest advocates was from the father of the very player Schmidt grabbed. Now it seems the Redskins have rallied around their coach's plight this season, and are playing their best football at the most important time.
Neshaminy, seeded No. 13 in the PIAA District 1 Class AAAA playoffs, have reached the semifinals with successive upsets over No. 4 Plymouth-Whitemarsh and No. 5 seed Central Bucks South. The Redskins will play at No. 9 seed Coatesville, while No. 3 Pennridge hosts the surprise of the district playoffs, No. 7 seed Spring-Ford, Saturday afternoon at 1 p.m.
Still, Pennridge will be playing its annual Thanksgiving Day game against rival Quakertown on Thursday. Don't be surprised, however, if Pennridge coach Randy Cuthbert holds out star tailback Mike Class on Thursday to preserve him for Saturday's playoff game against Spring-Ford.
District 1 Class AAA Playoff Update: Interboro looking to make history
Each season Interboro coach Steve Lennox likes to play possum. The winningest coach in the program's history, who's produced winners year after year, will hem and haw about how his team isn't big enough, or isn't enough fast, or isn't deep enough. And each year, the Bucs battle and grind—and win.
The one thing that the Bucs have never won is a District 1 Class AAA championship. Interboro will have that chance this Friday night when the Bucs (10-2) play West Chester Henderson (9-3) at 7 p.m. at Plymouth-Whitemarsh High School for the PIAA District 1 Class AAA title.
Here is a list of the annual Turkey Day games (schedule courtesy of Easternpafootball.com):
Fels Panthers (3-8) @ Frankford (8-3) 9:45 a.m.
Archbishop Ryan (5-5) @ George Washington (8-2) 10:00 a.m.
Father Judge (2-6) @ Abraham Lincoln (4-7) 10:00 a.m.
Neumann-Goretti (5-5) @ South Philadelphia (5-6) 10:00 a.m.
Central (6-4) @ Northeast (6-5) 10:00 a.m.
Communications Tech (5-6) @ Olney (2-8) 10:00 a.m.
Springfield-Montco (4-6) @ Lower Moreland (6-3) 10:00 a.m.
Pottstown (5-6) @ Owen J. Roberts (3-8) 10:00 a.m.
Cheltenham (8-3) @ Abington (7-4) 10:00 a.m.
Haverford (8-3) @ Upper Darby (4-7) 10:00 a.m.
Hatboro-Horsham Hatters (1-10) @ Upper Moreland (6-5) 10:00 a.m.
Conwell Egan (6-4) @ Truman (2-8) 10:00 a.m.
Pennridge (11-1) @ Quakertown (1-9) 10:15 a.m.
Sun Valley (6-5) @ Chichester (3-8) 10:30 a.m.
Dobbins (5-6) @ Ben Franklin (3-8) 10:30 a.m.
Martin Luther King (1-9) @ Germantown (4-7) 10:30 a.m.
Saint Joseph's Prep (9-1) @ Malvern Prep Friars (6-4) 10:30 a.m.
Roman Catholic Cahillites (5-4) @ Roxborough Indians (4-6) 10:30 a.m.
Bartram (2-9) @ Delaware Valley Charter (6-5) 10:30 a.m.
Overbrook (7-4) @ West Philadelphia (6-5) 10:30 a.m
Joseph Santoliquito is a contributing sports blogger for CBS Philly.
