MOUNT CARMEL — The Mount Carmel Area School District will honor late football coach Joe “Jazz” Diminick prior to Friday’s game against Selinsgrove by naming the field at the Silver Bowl after him.
Diminick coached the Red Tornadoes from 1962-92, compiling a 267-81-7 record in 31 seasons. His 290 wins overall were the most in Pennsylvania at that time.
Diminick guided Mount Carmel to five Eastern Conference Southern Division championships, three overall Eastern Conference championships (1969, 1972, 1973) and won 10 or more games 13 times. He had three unbeaten 12-0 seasons.
The father of six sons, all of whom played for Mount Carmel, Diminick passed away at his home July 2. He had 22 grandchildren.
District 1
It was a rough opening week for Neshaminy and North Penn, last year’s District 1 Class AAAA finalists. The Redskins fell 42-3 to Gonzaga (D.C.) College — ranked 23rd in the nation by USA Today — in their first game under new head coach Mike Frederick. The Knights, meanwhile, fell 29-7 to La Salle College, with Vanderbilt commit Kyle Shurmur throwing for 334 yards and four touchdowns for the Explorers.
• Corey Davenport rushed for 194 yards as Norristown snapped an 18-game losing streak by downing Upper Merion 27-6.
District 2
The Holy Redeemer football program, which started in 2007, never experienced a victory on opening night. That all changed this year as the Royals beat Holy Cross 30-0. In addition, it was the first win for first-year head coach Scott Dennis, who previously coached the Berwick ninth-grade team.
• There were nine crossover games between the Wyoming Valley Conference and Lackawanna Football Conference in Week 1. The LFC won five of the nine games.
• Lake-Lehman running back Joey Vigil was not in uniform Friday night against Lackawanna Trail for violating a team rule. Vigil, who rushed for 1,128 yards and averaged 12.7 yards per carry as a sophomore last year, was forced to watch from the sideline as his team opened its defense of its District 2 Class AA title with a 28-13 loss.
District 3
Despite losing 18-13 to Littlestown, Boiling Springs’ John Vaughn had himself quite the coming out party. Coming off a season-ending injury a year ago, the running back carried the ball 27 times for 204 yards and scored both Bubbler touchdowns.
• East Pennsboro’s Bryton Fegley one-upped him, though. The tailback touched the rock 35 times against Palmyra and bulldozed through the Cougar defense for 239 yards. When all was said and done, he had finished with a Carlisle Sentinel-area leading four scores and led the Panthers to a convincing 34-13 victory.
• And it didn’t end there. Big Spring trampled through West Perry in a game it’s had circled for months, shutting out the Mustangs 28-0. Despite not managing a single completion on the night, the Bulldogs racked up 298 yards on just 42 carries, as Triston Cooper led the way with two scoring plunges. Tristan Robb slashed through West Perry for 13.4 yards a touch, finishing up with 215 yards on the night.
• The Mid-Penn Colonial was looking pretty fine Friday night. Northern, Big Spring and East Pennsboro all won their non-conference battles, as did Greencastle-Antrim, James Buchanan and Waynesboro.
But Shippensburg couldn’t keep the streak alive, falling to Dover 34-13 at home.
• Camp Hill’s Michael Shuster did his thing against Upper Dauphin, throwing for 235 yards and four TDs, while running for another in the Lions’ 50-27 win over the Trojans.
But it wasn’t just the Shuster show, the defense got into the act as well.
Bill Williams opened things up 2½ minutes into the season with a 75-yard punt return. Then early in the second quarter, Michael Hope picked off a pass and took it 53 yards to the house. The returns were a part of a 43-point first half that blew the game wide open.
• Three first-year head coaches made their Lancaster-Lebanon League debuts in style Friday night. Rob Wildasin led Cedar Crest to a 38-24 victory over Lebanon in the 43rd Cedar Bowl. At Solanco, Tony Cox watched his crew squeeze by Oxford 21-15. And Pequea Valley delivered a 20-12 decision over York Tech to open the Mike Choi era.
A couple of Mid-Penn Conference coaches won their debuts, as well. Waynesboro’s Brennan Marion, the former record-setting receiver at the University of Tulsa, and Matt Lintal at State College each stand 1-0.
• National Football League veteran Ricky Watters and current Philadelphia Eagles star LeSean “Shady” McCoy are just two top-level running backs who have passed through Bishop McDevitt High School in Harrisburg. Senior Andre Robinson is the latest, and the Penn State recruit is earning his place in the Crusaders record book. Robinson scored three times in McD’s 56-0 victory over Steel-High Friday, bringing his career total to 75, one more than McCoy for second-place in school history. University of Pittsburgh senior RB Jameel Poteat holds the school’s all-time mark for touchdowns with 84.
• Class AAA preseason No. 10 Manheim Central pocketed its 15th straight regular-season win via a 42-6 romp over Warwick. Running back Damon Camacho rushed for a L-L League-best 163 yards and three touchdowns for the Barons, who won their last four games in 2012 and swept the 2013 regular-season slate.
• Penn Manor earned the distinction of being the first L-L program to play a game outside the country. And the Comets returned from Ireland with an exciting 27-20 triumph over Cedar Cliff. The Comets and Colts tangled as part of the Global Ireland Football Tournament at University College Dublin, thanks in part to QB Tanner Erisman’s 213 passing yards and three scores.
• Pop Lacey, who played at Daniel Boone in 2012 before transferring to Berks Catholic last year, ran for 155 yards and two touchdowns, scored on a 97 yards kickoff return and also took a punt 72 yards for a score in Berks Catholic’s 42-20 victory over Muhlenberg.
• Wyomissing coach Bob Wolfrum, who is in his 28th season, picked up his 250th career victory in Friday’s 41-0 rout of Pottsville.
Districts 5/6
Tyrone entered the season as one of the favorites to win District 6 Class AA, but the Golden Eagles needed a defensive stop inside their own 10-yard line at the end of the game to hold off youthful Bellwood-Antis 18-14 in the 80th renewal of the rivalry between the schools. Ricky Reader sacked B-A quarterback Jake Burch as time expired to lift the Eagles to the win.
• In another rivalry that goes back generations, Mount Union notched its third consecutive win over nemesis Huntingdon, 53-20. Trojan quarterback Trevon Walker passed for 229 yards and five touchdowns.
• There were two week 1 matchups involving two 2013 district finalists, but neither ended up being close.
Sam McCloskey scored four touchdowns and Villanova recruit Brandon Chadbourn tacked on three more TDs as District 6 Class A runner-up Bishop Guilfoyle blitzed District 6 Class AA second-place finisher Richland on the road, 61-12.
Meanwhile, in Saxton, reigning District 6 Class AA champ Central Martinsburg racked up 312 yards in total offense — more than 273 coming from rotating quarterbacks Mike Mock and Noah Benton — in a 34-12 win over District 5 Class A champion Tussey Mountain.
District 7
Three of the state’s Top 10 teams from the WPIAL opened the season 0-1 last Friday night.
Class AAAA Seneca Valley, which was No. 7 in Pennsylvania, was shut out by Quad North rival North Allegheny 14-0. Previously ranked Class AAA No. 8 Mars lost 29-26 to Indiana after star running back Josh Schultheis suffered a broken tibia. And, Class AAA No. 9 Gateway, which dropped down from Class AAAA this season, was upset by Greensburg Salem 9-6 in overtime when sophomore Ryan Collette booted a 21-yard field goal.
• Clairton, ranked second in the state, opened its season with a dominating performance. The Bears downed California 70-0. Harrison Dreher led the way with 141 yards and three touchdowns.
• McKeesport junior Khaleke Hudson turned in the best statistical game in the WPIAL for Week 1, rushing 16 times for 346 yards and five touchdowns in a 36-7 win over Connellsville.
District 8
Led by Khalil Saunders’ 139 yards, Brashear earned a 26-7 win over Carrick, a fellow Pittsburgh City League team. But because of a lack of available non-league opponents, the game didn’t count in the City League standings and the two played each other in a non-league game.
The teams will face off again Oct. 9 for real. Allderdice and Perry will do the same this week. Brashear and Perry also will play twice this season.
District 11
• The South Division of the new Eastern Pennsylvania Conference dominated the North Division in the one week featuring all crossover matchups. South teams went 7-2, with every South victory coming by at least 28 points.
• Bethlehem Catholic beat Liberty 56-27, giving it a third straight win over its city rival. Wide receiver Freddie Simmons and running back Michael McDaniel each scored three touchdowns for the Golden Hawks, who are ranked No. 7 in Class AAA in the latest Pennlive.com state football poll.
• Northampton snapped a 19-game losing streak with a 40-6 win against Allen on Saturday night. The Konkrete Kids are under the guidance of first-year coach Mark Scisly, who improved programs at Salisbury and Boyertown before coming to Northampton.
Contributors: Steve Bennett, Wilkes-Barre Citizens’ Voice; Leroy Boyer, Pottsville Republican-Herald; Phil Cmor, Altoona Mirror; Eric Epler, PennLive.com; Darryl Grumling, Pottstown Mercury; Bill Hartlep, Pittsburgh Tribune-Review; Christopher Hopkins, Carlisle Sentinel; Stephen Miller, Allentown Morning Call