Cuthbert made the right call

Pennridge coach 5Dndy CuWKEHrW PDy FoPH undHr firH in WKH FoPinJ wHHNs for playing his team DJDinsW 4uDNHrWown on 7KDnNsJiYinJ DDy Srior Wo D disWriFW sHPifinDO loss to Spring-Ford on Saturday.

WH wiOO nHYHr Nnow if the results would’ve been different if he would’ve rested his entire team as SpringFord did — or what firH KH’d EH undHr iI Kis team had still lost on 7KDnNsJiYinJ Dnd WKHn again in districts.

But in the end, Cuthbert made the right decision.

Football, in some parts, still matters on 7KDnNsJiYinJ Dnd iW should always matter.

My mother recently DsNHd wKDW WKH KoOidDy means to me.

To me, mostly it’s about the three F’s — family, food and football. I’ll let you decide the order.

My family has played D 7KDnNsJiYinJ JDPH dubbed, unfortunately, “7KH 7oiOHW BowO,” for going on 60 years. My grandfather played in WKH firsW JDPH wiWK my great uncle. My grandfather has since passed, and my uncle is still playing at age 73. There were years growing up that playing in this game was the highlight to my entire yHDr, Dnd Kow , dHfinHd 7KDnNsJiYinJ.

Now that my boys are old enough, the game has truly come full circle.

It used to be about winning — about beating my dad and elders. Now, it’s about fun and about getting everyone involved in the game. It’s about family and football and a little about food because my father is an off-thecharts chef.

For soPH, 7KDnNsgiving may be about WKDW 3HnnridJH/4uDNertown game, mainly because it’s the only game in town.

New conferences, lost rivals, it’s all added up to more and more teams doing away with WKHir 7KDnNsJiYinJ

game and tradition. What’s next to go, pumpkin pie?

Sure, if we’re not in the playoffs, we’ll play you. That didn’t work out so well for North Penn and LC for about a decade, and go fiJuUH, WKHy FRuOG’vH SODyHG this year.

Pennridge and Quakertown not only had to play because they are each RWKHU’s 1R. 1 ULvDO, QR PDWter the record or year, but because the Rams needed it to win the league title.

Easton still treats Phillips- burg as its game of the year — no matter what the future has in store for the postseason. I witnessed Stroudsburg and East Stroudsburg 6RuWK WUy WR fiJuUH RuW D new game plan in this new world. They decided to play twice — once in the league DQG RQFH RQ TKDQNsJLvLQJ.

There is no school coaches can go to on this one.

It was a magical year for Pennridge, but still the questions will be asked. I don’t think they should. It was a no-win situation for Cuthbert.

Football coaches don’t look ahead; they focus on the game in front of them. HH FRuOGQ’W KDvH SuW LQ KLs MDyvHH DQG GLsJUDFH WKH game, much like SpringFord did. He treated the game with the respect it’s GHsHUvHG IRU 83 yHDUs. Around Perkasie and 6HOOHUsvLOOH, WKH TuHsWLRQ isn’t, “How far did you go in districts?” The question is, “Did you beat Quakertown?”

This year the Rams did, DQG LW JDvH WKHP WKH OHDJuH title.

It was the right call; the only call.