The Decline of Football at Allentown's City High Schools

by Jeff Fisher
Pennsylvania High School Football Huddle

Even though I live in Chicago now, there's not a day that goes by when I don't check-out Lehigh Valley newspapers to keep-up with the local sports scene. It truly shows that you can take the boy out of the Lehigh Valley, but not the Lehigh Valley out of the boy.


As a young boy, Allen and Dieruff high schools, the two public schools in the City of Allentown, were always producing great teams and great athletes. Andre Reed (Buffalo Bills & Washington Redskins), who will be in Pro Football's Hall of Fame one day, is a Dieruff alum, while the Allen Canaries produced NFLers Larry Seiple (Miami Dolphins) and Joe Wolf (Arizona Cardinals).

Unfortunately, over the past two decades, these once proud football programs have fallen on tough times. In the last five years, Allen has suffered through two winless seasons and an overall record of 6-44. The Huskies have faced three winless seasons and an overall mark of 3-47.

Allen Canaries
2009 (1-9)
2008 (0-10)
2007 (0-10)
2006 (1-9)
2005 (4-6)

Dieruff Huskies
2009 (0-10)
2008 (2-8)
2007 (1-9)
2006 (0-10)
2005 (0-10)

There are many reasons for the decline, not the least of which is poverty, which really has its grip on the city. The last time I drove around the city, on a visit back home, I was amazed at how the town has deteriorated.

Of course, that decay has caused an exodus to the suburbs, which has grown programs like Parkland and Emmaus.

Today, I was happy to read a story in The Morning Call that reports on adults on the east side, who are stepping-up to try to help the Dieruff program. Writer Steve Esack reports on the formation of The Dieruff Touchdown Club, which has a goal of raising $20,000 to help the program and second-year head coach John McDowell.

Even though, I'm in the process of launching High School Football America, which focuses on small town football across this country, here's hoping that people don't forget about our inner-city programs that created a great foundation for high school football across the Keystone State.