Every week your PennLive.com High School Football Team will each offer you a trio of tasty tidbits we affectionately call What’s Hot-What’s Not.
HOT LIST
1. Offensive line play: A lot of those preseason question marks were attached to talented yet raw offensive lines. As you know, all those skill guys and weekend standouts can't operate or succeed without the big guys up front. Well, take a look at some of these numbers. Exactly 26 running backs surpassed the 100-yard mark in week 1. Quarterbacks, a baker's dozen worth, produced a NCAA passer rating of 150 or better. And, midstate football fans watched 14 different receivers average better than 20 yards per catch on opening weekend. Kudos to the big fellas down low.
2. Underclassmen: Remember the old days when freshmen and sophomores waited patiently for their turn behind the more seasoned upperclassmen. Well, those young guns aren't exactly sitting idle these days. Sophomore quarterback Garrett Chestnut put his Big Spring teammates on his back and steered the Bulldogs past Millersburg. Freshman RB Billy Williams chalked up 160-plus yards in his Camp Hill debut. Sophomore weapon Shyheim Brown made sure Mechanicsburg dinged Carlisle at Frederick Field. And let's not forget sophomore lineman Anthony Long, part of a Bishop McDevitt offensive line that helped keep running back Andre Robinson and QB Nick Marsilio upright against Harrisburg. The list goes on and on.
3. Step out victories: We spent a few preseason weeks discussing the current strength of Pennsylvania football against the rest of the country. The consensus was the Keystone State has taken a few steps back. Two PA programs, however, helped “our” cause during opening week. Class AA No. 2 Imhotep Charter dispatched highly-respected Cardinal Mooney (OH) 49-21. In addition, Class AAAA No. 2 St. Joseph's Prep took down host Dallas Jesuit 48-27. The Hawks hope to continue that momentum in Ramsey, N.J., on Saturday when they take on famed Don Bosco Prep at 6 p.m.
NOT HOT LIST
1. T-Rocks defense: Maybe it's because I'm simply not accustomed to seeing teams push Trinity's frontline around, so I'm still having trouble digesting Delone Catholic's superb rushing performance against the T-Rocks on Friday night. In case you missed it, the Class A Squires, no doubt a worthy adversary, sacked the Shamrocks with 365 ground yards on 72 carries. Keep in mind the T-Rocks only managed 79 rushing yards, as well, so figure head coach Bill Ragni has plenty to work on with Class AAA No. 9 Selinsgrove on tap this weekend.
2. The Mustang Corral: Of course I'm talking about Governor Mifflin, which managed just 145 total yards against a Wilson defense that was returning just a pair of starters. The end result was a 38-7 whipping that might be hard to shake. Obviously, this is not the time to panic. The Mustangs had to realize that a three-game introduction against Wilson, Lancaster Catholic and Cocalico this season would be dangerous. But only producing 108 rushing yards, on 41 carries, and coughing it up seven times is not a typical day at the office for GM.
3. Landslide decisions: I'm not talking about any sinister plots to embarrass the opposition, but I couldn't help notice a few, um, lopsided scores from around the state last weekend. Frazier routed Geibel Catholic 81-0, posting all of its points in 24 minutes of football. Over in District 9, Clarion squeezed by Clarion-Limestone 74-0. And most of us noticed Carson Long's 72-14 loss to Fairfield. Now, every coach worth their weight will tell you that week 1 affords the most genuine snapshot of where a particular football team stands. In one-sided battles like these, how much do you really learn about your football program?
Epler on Twitter: @threejacker
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