Sunday, February 20, 2011

Stroudsburg Hires Joe Bernard

by Jeff Fisher
Pennsylvania High School Football Huddle

Joe Bernard is the new head football coach at Stroudsburg.

Bernard takes over for Fred Ross, who was told before last season that he wouldn't be rehired for a 43rd year as head coach of the Mounties.  Bernard has spent the last two years as the strength and conditioning coach at the University of Pittsburgh.

Bernard's last high school head coaching job was at Nazareth when he led the Blue Eagles to a 37-28-1 record in six seasons before moving on to become the head coach at Fairfield University in 2001.

 

Tuesday, February 15, 2011

Joe Henrich Returns to Bethlehem Catholic as New Head Coach

by Jeff Fisher
Pennsylvania High School Football Huddle

After a five year stint at Emmaus High School, Joe Henrich is back at Bethlehem Catholic.

Henrich, who was Emmaus' defensive coordinator, has been hired at the Golden Hawks new head coach replacing Mike Palos, who was let go at the end of last season.  Henrich served on Beca's staff back in 2005 before moving to Emmaus.

This is Henrich's first head coaching job.

Wednesday, February 09, 2011

Burrell Names New Head Football Coach

by Jeff Fisher
Pennsylvania High School Football Huddle

The Burrell Bucs have turned to a former player to lead the program into this century's second decade.

33-year old Kevin Howatt, who led the Bucs to the 1995 WPIAL Class AA title, has been hired to replace Tom Henderson, who retired in January. Henderson was 110-59 in two stints as Burrell's head coach.

Howatt has been the coach of Burrell's 7th & 8th grade team.

Last season Burrell was 4-5 overall and didn't make the WPIAL playoffs.

Saturday, February 05, 2011

The Big 33 Super Bowl Streak Continues

by Jeff Fisher
Pennsylvania High School Football Huddle

Streaks rule sports.

It starts with winning streaks…losing streaks.

Then there are accomplishment streaks…Joe DiMaggio’s hit streak or Brett Favre and Cal Ripken’s consecutive game streaks.

Today I want to talk about the Big 33 streak.

You don’t know about it?

Well I’m here to tell you on the eve of Super Bowl XV, it’s one of the most amassing high school football streaks that will stand forever.

The first Big 33 game was played in 1958.  Through the years, Pennsylvania’s top 33 football players have squared-off with all-star teams from Maryland, Ohio and Texas.  There have been games against an all-USA all-star team, plus sometimes the eastern part of the state battled the western part of the state for bragging rights.

For the past 18-years, the Big 33 has pitted the Keystone State against stars from Ohio.  It’s been a very competitive series with each state winning nine times coming into this year’s game in June.

The names of those who have strapped ‘em up for the game reads like a who’s who of NFL football…MontanaNamathDorsett and the list goes on.

And, that gets me to the streak.

When the Packers and Steelers hit the field tomorrow in Dallas, it will mark the 45th straight year that a former Big 33 player will compete in the Super Bowl.

That’s right, there’s never been a Super Bowl without a Big 33 alum!!

It all started with Big 33 alum Herb Adderley of Northeast High School in Philadelphia.  Adderley played in the first two Super Bowls with the Packers.  It continues tomorrow with five former Big 33 players on the turf at Cowboys Stadium. 

Continuing the Big 33 streak tomorrow will be Pittsburgh quarterback Ben Roethlisberger and safety Ryan Mundy.  On the other side of the ball, Green Bay has three former Big 33 players…linebacker A.J. Hawk, cornerback Brandon Underwood and linebacker Matt Wilhelm.
Roethlisberger, Hawk, Underwood and Wilhelm are former Ohio Big 33 all-stars, while Mundy is a former Pennsylvania Big 33 all-star.

Will the streak hit 46 next year?  Who knows.

But what we do know, much like DiMaggio, Favre and Ripken’s streak, it’s going to be hard to top the Big 33 streak.

Wednesday, February 02, 2011

Pennsylvania - 2011 Signing Day

Deion Barnes (Northeast, DL) - Penn St.
Dave Bowen (Radnor, OL) - Boston College
Julian Campenni (Wyoming Area, DT) - Connecticut
Michael Caputo (West Allegheny, DB) - Wisconsin
Terrell Chestnut (Pottsgrove, CB) - West Virginia
Brandon Clemons (Delaware Valley, DL) - Michigan St.
Marcus Collins (Monsignor Bonner, LB) - Iowa
Devin Cook (Beaver Falls, LB) - Pitt
James Coscia (East Stroudsburg South, LB) - Lafayette
Demetrius Dixon (Penn Manor, WR) - Lafayette
Shane Dorner (State College, DL) - Lafayette
Paul Gaughan (Dunmore, OL) - Boston College
Matt Gill (Northern Lehigh, LB) - Lafayette
Desimon Green (Clairton, QB/DB) - Texas Tech
Branden Jackson (McKeesport, LB/DB) - Texas Tech
Myles Jackson (West Chester Henderson, DE) - Rutgers
Kyshoen Jarrett (East Stroudsburg South, DB) - Virginia Tech
Ben Jeannot (Moon, OL) - Lafayette
Quinton Jefferson (Woodland Hills, DL) - Maryland
Jordan Kerner (Fairview, DB) - Penn St.
Dondi Kirby (Gateway, DB) - Illinois
Colton Kirkpatrick (Cumberland Valley, LB) - Lafayette
Ben Kline (Dallastown, LB) - Penn St.
Tyler Kroft (Downingtown East, TE) - Rutgers
Nick Kwiatkowski (Bethel Park, S) - West Virginia
Pat Lang (Mount Lebanon, TE) - Michigan St.
Skyler Lash (Wyomissing, DL) - Lafayette
Scott LaValva (Bangor, RB) - Franklin & Marshall
Anthony Loyacona (Shady Side Academy, DB) - Lafayette
Zack Mazur (Freedom, OL) - Lafayette
Garrett McNally (Trinity, OL) - Lafayette
Shawn Oakman (Penn Wood, DE) - Penn St.
Jevonte Pitts (Woodland Hills, DB) - Pitt
Lafayette Pitts (Woodland Hills, DB) - Pitt
Ejuan Price (Woodland Hills, LB) - Ohio St.
Shyquawn Pullium (Erie Cathedral Prep, DB - Penn St.
John Raymon (Council Rock North, DE) - Iowa
Sam Rodgers (Mercersburg Academy, LS) - Syracuse
Artie Rowell (Central Dauphin, OL) - Pitt
Delvon Simmons (McKeesport, DL) - North Carolina
Kevin Snyder (Cumberland Valley, LB) - Rutgers
Rob Trudo (Farrell, OL) - Syracuse
Andrew Zeller (Red Lion, OL) - Maryland
Zach Zweizig (Wilson West Lawn, QB) - Lafayette
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