{"id":81510,"date":"2018-08-29T15:03:07","date_gmt":"2018-08-29T15:03:07","guid":{"rendered":"\/rcntv\/?p=81510"},"modified":"2023-04-14T18:50:05","modified_gmt":"2023-04-14T18:50:05","slug":"learn","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.astound.com\/atvn\/learn\/","title":{"rendered":"What Did We Learn?"},"content":{"rendered":"

The views expressed in this blog are<\/em> those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of RCN or any other agency, organization, employer or company.
\n<\/em><\/strong>
\nThe first weekend of high school football in the Lehigh Valley is completed.\u00a0 And as in the past, we learned virtually nothing about the Eastern Pennsylvania Conference <\/a>and a great deal about the Colonial League<\/a>.\u00a0 This has been the case each year since the EPC was formed back in 2014.\u00a0 The same can be said about the Colonial League.\u00a0 Good for the Colonial League, not so good for the EPC.<\/p>\n

The EPC South always opens up their football schedule against the EPC North and, with very few exceptions, the South routs their northern opponents every opening night.\u00a0 This past weekend was no exception.\u00a0 Just check out the scores:<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Liberty<\/a> 42<\/td>\nPleasant Valley<\/a>\u00a00<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Easton<\/a> 56<\/td>\nPocono Mountain<\/a>\u00a0West 7<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Nazareth<\/a>\u00a035<\/td>\nPocono Mountain<\/a>\u00a0East 7<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Emmaus<\/a>\u00a062<\/td>\nAllen<\/a>\u00a06<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Central Catholic<\/a>\u00a038<\/td>\nAllen 6<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Freedom<\/a>\u00a068<\/td>\nEast Stroudsburg North 14<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Bethlehem Catholic<\/a>\u00a054<\/td>\nEast Stroudsburg North 14<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Parkland<\/a>\u00a041<\/td>\nNorthampton<\/a>\u00a0 0<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

The lone North winner:\u00a0 East Stroudsburg-South<\/a>\u00a037,\u00a0 Whitehall<\/a>\u00a0 28<\/p>\n

So what did we learn or, in this case after four years, NOT learn once again.\u00a0 The EPC which basically forces this schedule upon the teams does neither division ANY good.\u00a0 The South always opens up with a glorified scrimmage, which really helps neither team \u2013 one team walks to a victory while the other team starts with a demoralizing defeat.\u00a0 The years of our powerhouses opening games against the likes of North Penn<\/a>, or one of the Philadelphia schools, went away when this new league was formed.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s time to re-evaluate the independent schedules thrust upon the North and the South.\u00a0 If you are going to keep this league as it is (and that is a topic for another blog), allow some leeway in the scheduling.\u00a0 It would help both divisions.<\/p>\n

Now the Colonial League is the direct opposite in their structure.\u00a0 Due to the number of teams, there is no room for any independent games.\u00a0 All games are League games.\u00a0 The excitement of opening night far exceeds that of the EPC.\u00a0 And that proved out with a big game between \u00a0Saucon Valley<\/a>\u00a0and Southern Lehigh<\/a>.\u00a0 Southern Lehigh was favored and Saucon won 27-13.\u00a0 Northwestern<\/a>\u00a0upset Colonial League pre-season favorite in a nail-biter by a 42-41 score in overtime when they kicked an extra point.\u00a0 Pen Argyl beat Salisbury\u00a0 17-16.\u00a0 Palisades,\u00a0 Bangor<\/a>, and Northern Lehigh won by larger margins, but each of those games were important because they count in the standings.<\/p>\n

I am well aware that the EPC will not change their division alignments, but the time has come to allow the South to schedule more competitive games outside the Conference.\u00a0 It would benefit everyone.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

ABOVE THE EARS (SOME MUSINGS)<\/strong>\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

    \n
  1. It looks like players and officials are beginning to understand what the helmet rule means. There were 51 penalties for lowering the helmet in the first two weeks and just nine this past week.\u00a0 Officials are not penalizing \u201cinadvertent or incidental contact with the helmet and\/or facemask\u201d.\u00a0 If the initial contact comes from another part of the body (shoulders and arms), officials can ignore the helmet contact.\u00a0 Rest assured, most fans will not understand this. \u00a0Let the booing begin.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
      \n
    1. Imagine being asked the same question every single day when the answer is always the same. That just might get frustrating.\u00a0 Just ask Eagles<\/a> head coach Doug Pederson.\u00a0 Every day after practice, Pederson talks to the press and every day he is asked about the health and expected return of Carson Wentz.\u00a0 He cracked a bit on Sunday.\u00a0 \u201cI don\u2019t know how many times I can answer this question\u2026 ask it a different way or you\u2019re going to get the same answer.\u201d\u00a0 Everybody\u2019s getting more tense \u2013 it must be getting closer to opening night.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
        \n
      1. I am not one to put ANY stock into NFL pre-season games, but it would have been a bit comforting for the Eagles to beat the Browns or to maybe just score a point against the Browns or, perhaps, have Nick Foles look like he knew what he was doing against the Browns<\/a>. Just saying\u2026<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
          \n
        1. The Phils<\/a> are fading, not just from the NL East, but also from the Wild Card standings. They certainly need to regroup and refocus.\u00a0 Some timely hitting and better bullpen production wouldn\u2019t hurt either.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
            \n
          1. RCN-TV will present a great early season inter-city rivalry game between Bethlehem Catholic and Freedom on Saturday LIVE at 7:00pm. Mike Joseph, Tony Cocca, John Bowman and I will be there to call our first game of the season.\u00a0 Can\u2019t wait.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

             <\/p>\n

             <\/p>\n

             <\/p>\n

            \u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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