Ask any football coach in our area, and they’ll be quick to tell you that it’s tough to beat a good football team twice in one season.
That task becomes even tougher when it’s a backyard or conference rival.
But that’s the scenario facing three local teams — Tri-Valley, Marian and Lehighton — competing in this weekend’s District 11 semifinals.
Each of those three teams drew a semifinal opponent that they defeated earlier this season. Tri-Valley will host Williams Valley and Marian will visit Mahanoy Area in tonight’s Class A games, while Lehighton entertains Blue Mountain in a Class AAA semifinal Saturday night.
Earlier this season, Tri-Valley downed Williams Valley 28-6 in Week 3, Marian dumped Mahanoy Area 35-7 in Week 8 and Lehighton rallied to upend Blue Mountain 36-29 in a Week 4 thriller.
Will the Dawgs, Colts or Indians be able to complete the sweep?
Or will the Vikings, Bears or Eagles even the score?
Let’s take a look at each matchup:
District 11 A semifinal
Williams Valley (5-5)
at Tri-Valley (8-2)
The Dawgs won the opener behind a balanced running game that churned out 246 yards on 39 carries. A pair of first-quarter touchdowns gave Tri-Valley a quick 14-0 lead, and the Dawgs added to it in the second half before the Vikings punched in a late score.
Tri-Valley also made a pair of goal-line stands to keep Williams Valley out of the end zone and notch the Tri-Valley League victory.
The victory by Tri-Valley broke a tie and gave the Dawgs a 26-25-3 lead in the all-time series. Williams Valley had won nine of the last 10 meetings prior to their Week 3 contest, including a 48-0 victory in the last playoff clash between the two in the 2012 District 11 Class A final.
“Our players are excited to be playing their rival for a second time in the same year,” Tri-Valley coach Mike Ulicny said. “Since we have already played them, preparation and scouting time is not as intense as if we played someone new. On the other hand, it is not always easy beating a quality opponent two times in one year.”
Quarterback Jaden Buchanan leads the Dawgs’ attack, completing 71-of-126 passes for 1,041 yards and seven touchdowns while rushing for 512 yards and 12 scores.
Sophomore Dawson Schwalm (89-610, 4 TDs) and senior Chase Schaeffer (53-446, 8 TDs) provide balance in the running game. Tyler Lucas (27-387, 3 TDs) and Ashton Buchanan (18-313, 3 TDs) are Buchanan’s main weapons in the passing game.
“They have a lot of experience up front,” Williams Valley coach Tim Savage said of Tri-Valley. “It will again be tough to slow down or hope to shut down Jaden and his stable of backs.”
An extremely young team, Williams Valley improved as the season progressed, riding the passing of senior quarterback Nick Rodichok and the running of sophomore Dylan Rabuck.
Rodichok leads the area with 1,732 yards passing, completing 96-of-194 passes with 17 touchdowns and nine interceptions. An extremely young receiving corps of sophomores Jake Wolfgang (28-735, 9 TDs), Allen Hand (26-592, 4 TDs), Dylan Rabuck (15-159) and Devon Rebuck (10-138) and freshman Levi Engle (16-163) has given Rodichok a plethora of targets.
On the ground, Rabuck has rushed for 1,000 yards and eight touchdowns, providing the Vikings with some much-needed balance.
“When given time, Nick Rodichok will put the ball on the money to three or four receivers he can throw to,” Ulicny said. “Even when he is under pressure, he has an
uncanny knack of getting off accurately thrown balls.
“Williams Valley has a simple game plan which is very effective. If you spread out to defend the pass, they will put the football in Rabuck’s hands and run the ball where you are short people in the box. If you load up to stop the run, they will hit you with the pass.”
Both teams enter tonight’s fray on the heels of demoralizing defeats.
Newport scored six second-half touchdowns en route to a 56-21 win over Tri-Valley, while Williams Valley was blanked 41-0 by Juniata. Rodichok was also injured in that game, and his status is “up in the air” for tonight’s game.
“We are very excited for the rivalry rematch,” Savage said. “We will be a large underdog with all the injuries since we last met, so there will be no pressure. Just go out and play.”
District 11 A semifinal
Marian (6-4)
at Mahanoy Area (6-4)
It could be a special night tonight in Mahanoy City.
First, for the first time in the program’s long, storied history, the Golden Bears will host a District 11 playoff game when Marian visits Alumni Stadium.
“There definitely is some added excitement,” Mahanoy Area coach Dave Holman said. “We are ecstatic about earning the two seed and having the opportunity to host a district playoff game.
“Your goal every year is to make it into the district playoffs, so when you’re fortunate enough to not only qualify, but also host a game, it’s definitely an exciting time.”
Second, Mahanoy Area could garner its first-ever District 11 playoff victory.
Although the Golden Bears have captured five Eastern Conference championships (1986, 1995, 1997, 2010, 2011), Mahanoy Area has never won a District 11 playoff game, going 0-3. The Golden Bears lost to Schuylkill Haven in the 1994 Class A final, were defeated in the 1999 Class A semifinals by Tri-Valley and lost 26-7 last year to Pius X.
The numbers all-time against Marian are just as staggering.
The Colts own a 37-6 lead in the series, which dates back to 1973. The two schools did not play in 1981 and ’82. This is the third playoff matchup, with Marian winning Eastern Conference playoff clashes in 1980 and 2013.
Marian has beaten Mahanoy Area five straight times and 19 of the last 21, including 35-7 in Week 8 in Hometown. Hunter Nause had three touchdowns for the Colts in the win.
“We were simply not the better team during Week 8 and Marian was,” Holman said. “We were in a very tough stretch of our schedule through weeks 5, 6 and 7, and by Week 8 we were banged up. It was a close game until midway through the third quarter and then Marian pulled away.
“But no excuses for the loss. Marian beat us. They were the better team.”
Tonight’s game depends on a couple of factors.
Marian senior tailback K.J. Snerr was injured in last Friday’s loss to Tamaqua and is a “game-time decision” according to Colts coach Stan Dakosty. Snerr leads Marian in rushing with 951 yards and 13 touchdowns on 149 carries.
Quarterback Ethan Kuczynski leads the passing attack, completing 69-of-128 passes for 1,009 yards and 12 TDs. Aaron DeAngelo is his top target with 33 catches for 568 yards and six scores.
If Snerr can’t go, expect Nause (42-382, 5 TDs) and Michael Neary (8-91) to share the carries.
“Mahanoy vs Marian is a great AFL rivalry,” Holman said. “Marian is a team that has a great skill set and strong guys up front on both sides of the ball. They have the ability to stretch the field and pop a big play, but they also like to establish a grind it out style run game. Defensively, they move well to the ball and play fast. Overall, they are a very good football team.”
Mahanoy Area counters with a pair of 1,000-yard rushers in tailback Lenny Dulsky (158-1,125, 15 TDs) and quarterback Mason Ryan (125-1,001, 13 TDs).
The Golden Bears don’t throw the ball much, so establishing the ground game against the Colts is critical if Mahanoy Area wants to end its District 11 playoff drought.
“We need to play with more consistency than we did Week 8,” Holman said. “We also allowed too many big plays on defense.
“Marian is a very good football team. We have to be excited about being the host team and play at a high level for four quarters.”
District 11 Class AAA semifinal
Blue Mountain (9-1)
at Lehighton (10-0)
Like Mahanoy City, Lehighton will also be abuzz when the Indians host Blue Mountain in a game televised live by Blue Ridge Cable TV-13.
Lehighton completed a 10-0 regular season and captured its first Anthracite Football League championship behind a balanced attack led by senior tailback Wyatt Clements and senior quarterback Tyler Cann.
Clements rushed for 1,454 yards and 21 touchdowns on 196 carries, while Cann completed 92-of-134 passes for 1,398 yards and 16 touchdowns with just two interceptions.
One of the most thrilling victories in that run was a 36-29, come-from-behind win over the Eagles in Week 4.
Clements rushed for 151 yards and scored three touchdowns in that contest, the final one coming on a 6-yard run with 1:26 left. Lehighton had led 28-14 at halftime, but Blue Mountain used a pair of touchdown runs and a safety to take a 29-28 lead with 5:15 remaining.
Expect another close contest this time around.
“The entire community is always very supportive, but to host a playoff game for the first time in a while is special,” Lehighton coach Tom McCarroll said. “This group has worked hard and has earned it.
“We are excited to face Blue Mountain again because the first meeting was so exciting. On the other hand, everybody knows how difficult it can be to beat a good team more than once in a season. So our challenge will be even more difficult this time around.”
Blue Mountain didn’t lose after falling to Lehighton, as the young Eagles seemed to get better and better as the season progressed.
Paced by a stellar defense, Blue Mountain won its final six games and got into districts when Bethlehem Catholic defeated Allentown Central Catholic on Saturday night.
Getting another shot at Lehighton is the Eagles’ reward.
“When you get a chance to play against a team that you lost to earlier in the season, it gives you a chance to see if you improved as a team,” Blue Mountain coach Cory Mabry said.
Blue Mountain rushed for 231 yards against Lehighton. Lucas Forbes (111-774, 11 TDs) and Mike Kalyan (99-725, 8 TDs) lead the ground game, while quarterback Mason Freed (63-for-114, 759 yards, 12 TDs) has done an excellent job in his first year as a starter.
The Eagles will need a strong night on offense if they look to turn the tables on the Indians.
“We are healthier now then we were Week 4. Week 4 we had two starters that played but were not at 100 percent. We have also become much better offensively as well as defensively.
“Lehighton is the team that moved the ball and scored the most against our defense all season. So this will be a test to see if we have corrected the mistakes and improved upon our preparation.”