Easton backs shine in 3-game win streak
Torrential rain postponed several football games Friday.
It didn’t stop Easton and Parkland from extending their seasons.
The Red Rovers and Trojans were among the top performers as the 2018 postseason began. Here’s a look at their playoff victories and several other stories from Friday night.
1. Dynamic Duo
Bethlehem Catholic, Emmaus and Freedom have all benefited this season from having at least two running backs capable of carrying the load. Easton has joined that group in the past three weeks as Mahki DeSilva has teamed with Harold Reynolds to shine during a three-game winning streak.
DeSilva, a senior, averaged 11.9 yards on 23 carries in wins over Parkland, Nazareth, and Northampton. He had 113 yards on just 10 attempts in Friday’s District 11 6A quarterfinal against sixthseeded Northampton, helping the third-seeded Red Rovers cruise to a 39-19 win.
DeSilva has rushed for 274 yards in the past three weeks after collecting 305 yards in his first eight games. Reynolds has remained a workhorse, pushing his season total to 941 rushing yards (pending film review) with a 12-carry, 145-yard, four-touchdown night against Northampton.
2. Great retirement gift
Ed Christian is retiring as East Stroudsburg South’s football coach after 38 seasons as head coach, 52 seasons in all.
Much like the other coaching legend in town who decided this season was his last at the end of a game last week, East Stroudsburg University’s Denny Douds, Christian is a revered figure in the community and beloved by most of his former players.
A Hollywood script would have had him being carried off the field at Hersheypark Stadium after winning a state championship.
But Christian is more than content for now with the District 11 5A title his team earned Friday night.
A 32-15 win over Pocono Mountain East combined with Wallenpaupack Area’s 28-10 victory over Southern Lehigh left South as the lone district team left in 5A and made them D11 champs.
It is the Cavaliers’ first district gold since James Mungro led East Stroudsburg High to the title in 1995.
South will host Wallenpaupack in the District 2-11 subregional final Friday night. In reality, the game also serves as a state playoff opener.
Ryan Clark, who entered the weekend third in the district in rushing with 1,803 yards, ran for 107 yards and two touchdowns against East. He didn’t play in the second half due to an injury.
3. Parkland power
By winning its District 11 Class 6A quarterfinal 35-0 at fourth-seeded Stroudsburg, Parkland completed its 2018 dominance of Eastern Pennsylvania Conference North foes.
The Trojans played the top two teams in the North, Stroudsburg, and Northampton, a total of three times. It won those games by a 100-0 margin.
No. 5 Parkland (7-4 overall) limited Stroudsburg to 61 yards on Friday to snap a two-game losing streak. It surrendered just 287 yards of total offense in its three games against EPC North opponents.
4. Proud Pirates set sail with records
Ethan Brader and Trey Gretzinger, two of the best offensive players in Palisades football history, went out in style Friday night.
In the Pirates’ 38-0 Eastern Conference win over Schuylkill Valley, Brader ran 15 times for 243 yards and four touchdowns. Gretzinger carried 17 times for 156 yards and two scores.
Both passed the previous school single-season record for rushing held by Christian Gretzinger, Trey’s brother, who had 1,580 yards in 2013.
Brader ended up with the record with an unofficial total of 1,732 yards. Trey Gretzinger, who missed parts of several games with an injury, finished with 1,679 yards.
More important, they ended up as winners and with the satisfaction of knowing they lifted the program to an elite status. Over the past three seasons, Palisades has gone 29-8 including winning the 2017 Colonial League and District 11 3A championships.
5. Keep away and advance
No. 11 Quakertown reached the District 1 6A quarterfinals by holding the ball for over 33 minutes in a 26-14 win at No. 6 Perkiomen Valley. The Panthers ran for 268 yards, with Christian Patrick (31 carries, 196 yards) doing most of the damage.
Quakertown didn’t know its quarterfinal opponent as of Saturday afternoon, but it likely will make a trip to Garnet Valley next week. Garnet Valley, the third seed, took a 10-0 record into its Saturday night quarterfinal against No. 14 Pennsbury. It features an option offense with four players who have rushed for at least 400 yards.
6. Hopes washed away
Jim Thorpe lost two games this season. Both were to North Schuylkill and both were played in less than ideal conditions.
The Olympians’ second loss to the Spartans, 16-7 Friday night, ended their season in the District 11 3A semis.
While several other games were postponed because of the weather, including the other 3A game between Notre Dame and Tamaqua, North Schuylkill and Jim Thorpe played on and the field turned into a water world, according to Rich Strack of the TimesNews.
The game featured 14 fumbles. The Olympians had a 7-0 lead but gave up 16 points in the final seven minutes.
“This was tough for our seniors, but they were terrific for us all season,” coach Mark Rosenberger told the Times-News after the game. “They left it all on the field all season long.”
Jim Thorpe was 19-4 over the past two seasons with two losses to Lehighton in 2017 and two to North Schuylkill this season.
The Olympians won a share of the Schuylkill League Division I championship with Tamaqua and North Schuylkill.