{"id":81627,"date":"2018-10-09T18:48:31","date_gmt":"2018-10-09T18:48:31","guid":{"rendered":"\/rcntv\/?p=81627"},"modified":"2023-04-14T14:54:24","modified_gmt":"2023-04-14T14:54:24","slug":"game-year","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.astound.com\/atvn\/game-year\/","title":{"rendered":"Game of the Year?"},"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.<\/em><\/strong>\u00a0<\/strong>\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

I usually take up my blog space writing some thoughts about the national sports scene.\u00a0 The local stuff I leave for Chris Michael.\u00a0 This week, however, will be different because I am anticipating a great high school game on Friday night \u2013 Freedom<\/a> at Emmaus<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Both teams come into the game with a 7-0 record.\u00a0 That is not the only similarity between the two.\u00a0 Their profiles are amazingly similar.<\/p>\n

Emmaus has 2,645 yards of total offense; Freedom has 2,601 \u2013 that\u2019s right \u2013 just 45 total yards separate the two.\u00a0 The Emmaus defense has yielded 1,807 yards; Freedom has yielded 1,751 (a 56-yard difference).<\/p>\n

Both teams have outstanding quarterbacks:<\/p>\n

Emmaus \u2013 Ethan Parvell \u2013 61% completions, 14 touchdowns<\/p>\n

Freedom \u2013 Jared Jenkins \u2013 59% completions, 18 touchdowns<\/p>\n

Both use three running backs, all with exceptional skill; both have excellent receivers with touchdown speed available after every catch.<\/p>\n

Even though there is so much offensive skill on the field for both teams, the defenses are just as strong and athletic.\u00a0 Freedom is led by Tristan Wheeler, perhaps the best linebacker in the EPC<\/a>.\u00a0 On the Emmaus side is Jacob Weider, who could make the case that he is better.\u00a0 Both have over 40 tackles this season.<\/p>\n

The coaches have combined for over 20 years of experience, so there will not be much they haven\u2019t seen coming into this game.<\/p>\n

Keith Groller of The Morning Call wrote a story this week about former WFMZ<\/a> sports anchor, Jeff Fisher, whose job has taken him to a number of sports markets across the country.\u00a0 He is a former English student of mine, so I will proudly say (despite having no proof I had any effect on his writing skills) that he has written a book on Texas high school football.\u00a0 He is probably right when he says there is nothing like it in the country.\u00a0 But, even he admits that Pennsylvania is probably second.<\/p>\n

This Friday night should be a good example of that.\u00a0 These teams appear to be the best we have to offer this year and, if you are a high school football fan, this one deserves your attention.<\/p>\n

Friday night lights don\u2019t just burn in the Lone Star State \u2013 they burn just as bright in Pennsylvania.\u00a0 May the best team win!<\/p>\n

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

    \n
  1. How about them Browns<\/a>? After going 1-15 in 2016 and 0-16 in 2017, they have already won two games and tied one this year. \u00a0In their division they are tied with the Steelers<\/a> and a half game behind the Ravens<\/a> (they beat them).\u00a0 Cleveland has a football team!<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
      \n
    1. If you are depressed and really concerned about the Eagles<\/a>, you should be. First of all, no team has repeated as the NFC champion since 2003-04 (that WAS the Eagles, by the way).\u00a0 And no team has repeated as Super Bowl champions since New England did it in 2004-2005.\u00a0 There is a long way to go, but \u201csuccess hangover\u201d sure seems real.\u00a0 The Eagles have matched their loss total for last year already.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
        \n
      1. The NFL<\/a> was extra special this past Sunday for me. The early game featured the Carolina<\/a>–Giants<\/a> game so I got a chance to watch Saquon Barkley again.\u00a0 And, once again, he had over 100 yards rushing and receiving for the fifth straight game as a rookie.\u00a0 He is one of only three NFL players in history to accomplish that feat in their first five games.\u00a0 He also had two touchdowns and looked like he would be the hero of the game when he scored on a leap into the end zone with about a minute to play.\u00a0 The Giants lost on a Carolina 63-yard field goal on the last play.\u00a0 In the same game, Carolina was led by RB Christian McCaffrey, the son of former Central Catholic<\/a> great, Ed McCaffrey.\u00a0 It was fun to root for two guys with local ties and not care who wins.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
          \n
        1. Alabama<\/a> remains #1 in the college football polls and it sure looks like they will stay there all year. They are outscoring opponents by 240 points, the most in SEC<\/a> history.\u00a0 They are so good that their backup quarterback was an SEC Offensive Player of the Year and now does not start.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
            \n
          1. RCN-TV Sports will be broadcasting across the state of Pennsylvania this Friday night on PCN<\/a> when we bring you the Freedom-Emmaus football game at 7:00pm (see the blog). It will be followed by Bethlehem Catholic<\/a> at Easton<\/a> at 9:30pm.\u00a0 Lafayette<\/a> will try to win their second straight game on Saturday at 3:30pm when they take on Georgetown<\/a>.\u00a0 That game is LIVE on RCN.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

            Gary\u2019s Guesses: NFL Picks (Last week: 9-6)\u00a0 (Overall: 43-33-2\u00a0 57% )<\/strong><\/p>\n

            \u00a0<\/strong>Week SIX<\/strong><\/p>\n

            PHILADELPHIA<\/strong><\/p>\n

            CHICAGO<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

            MINNESOTA<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

            CLEVELAND<\/strong><\/p>\n

            CAROLINA<\/strong><\/p>\n

            JETS<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

            PITTSBURGH<\/strong><\/p>\n

            ATLANTA<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

            SEATTLE<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

            HOUSTON<\/strong><\/p>\n

            RAMS<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

            DALLAS<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

            BALTIMORE<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

            NEW ENGLAND<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

            GREEN BAY<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

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

            The views expressed in this blog are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of RCN or any other agency, organization, employer or company.\u00a0\u00a0 I usually take up my blog space writing some thoughts about the national sports scene.\u00a0 The local stuff I leave for Chris Michael.\u00a0 This…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_relevanssi_hide_post":"","_relevanssi_hide_content":"","_relevanssi_pin_for_all":"","_relevanssi_pin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_unpin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_include_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_exclude_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_no_append":"","_relevanssi_related_not_related":"","_relevanssi_related_posts":"","_relevanssi_noindex_reason":"Yoast SEO Relevanssi index exclude","inline_featured_image":false,"_exactmetrics_skip_tracking":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_active":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_note":"","_exactmetrics_sitenote_category":0,"episode_type":"","audio_file":"","podmotor_file_id":"","podmotor_episode_id":"","cover_image":"","cover_image_id":"","duration":"","filesize":"","filesize_raw":"","date_recorded":"","explicit":"","block":"","itunes_episode_number":"","itunes_title":"","itunes_season_number":"","itunes_episode_type":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-81627","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-behind-the-mic"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nGame of the Year? 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