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 New class of skippers: You may have noticed that the Mid-Penn's newest class of first-year head coaches were doing all right. Well, thanks to Middletown's tough victory over Northern last week, we're happy to report that all five skippers, including Blue Raiders leader Brett Myers, of course, have hit the win column. Northern's Garrett Mowery took care of that assignment in week 1. Others like Mike Berry at Big Spring, Mike Whitehead Jr. at Cumberland Valley and Aaron Blanding at CD East all sport perfect 2-0 marks.
2 The power of the past: We always appreciate those programs that take the time to honor the most successful teams in their history. McKeesport was one such program on Saturday, celebrating the return of members from the 1994 and 2005 state championship teams. Saturday also was homecoming, and marked the return of skipper George Smith to the sidelines. And the end result? McKeesport (2-0), using that dangerous flexbone attack, rallied from a pair of deficits and knocked off Class AAAA No. 4 Woodland Hills 33-20. It was Smith's 199th career win.
3 Selinsgrove football: Targeting the Seals is an easy choice, not only for the District 4 rep's performance against Trinity on Friday. Yes, the Shamrocks had another rough day at the office, surrendering a whopping 341 rushing yards and 35 second-half points in Selinsgrove's 42-23 win at COBO. But the win also marked a considerable milestone, the program's 500th overall win. That puts the Seals in pretty rare company in state football history.
NOT HOT LIST
1 The unfortunate three: It's part of the game, rebuilding your sideline after a firecracker senior class moves on. But it certainly feels odd to see West York, Lancaster Catholic and Lampeter-Strasburg, three high-end District 3 franchises, sporting identical 0-2 marks this early in the season?
2 Parking wars: Let me start by saying I have not been privy to any meetings between leaders at Bishop McDevitt and elected officials from Lower Paxton and Swatara Townships. That said, I still don't understand why it's become such an arduous task to plot at least a temporary solution to the school's parking woes. I would rather hear about overall plans to keep spectators and students safe before and after football games than school oversights or township paperwork.
2 Future Imhotep Charter opponents: We'll just throw out a warning to teams like Roxborough, School of the Future, Monsignor Bonner-Prendergast, etc. The Panthers are big, very big, and just crashed a big-school La Salle College program that has made the PIAA semifinal round for five straight seasons. In case you didn't hear, IC's offensive line averages about 285 across, and coach Albie Crosby has a slew of slick playmakers that are gaining more swagger by the snap. There are plenty of hazards to negotiate between now and December, but it's going to take a special effort to keep the Panthers away from Hershey.
Epler on Twitter: @threejacker
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