10 things to be thankful for in an EPC football season unlike any other
The abbreviated, COVID-19-clouded 2020 high school football season will be remembered for many things; most of them we would rather forget.
It will be remembered for its empty bleachers, its masks on the sidelines and everywhere else, its closed refreshment stands, its big white tents serving as makeshift locker rooms, its meet-at-midfield salutes after games that excluded handshakes, and its public address announcements asking fans to go straight to the exits without making contact with the players.
But most of all, the 2020 season will be remembered for those dreaded mass e-mails, text messages, and phone calls telling players that this game or that one was canceled.
On this Thanksgiving Day, it will be strange not to play traditional games such as Easton-Phillipsburg and Catasauqua-Northampton while the turkey and stuffing are prepared and the pumpkin pie goes into the oven.
Our hearts go out to all those seniors who waited their entire lives to play in those special games one final time representing their communities. Even winning players cry on Thanksgiving, because many of them don’t want to take off their uniforms a final time.
Likewise, we feel horrible for the kids at Parkland, East Stroudsburg South and Stroudsburg, who had their district playoff hopes end with phone calls and messages rather than on the field.
And, we ache for the seniors at Freedom and Liberty who were a little more than
24 hours from kickoff of their rescheduled rivalry game Wednesday at Bethlehem Area School District Stadium when the plug was pulled.
Yet, as we reflect on what we’ve lost, it is best to be thankful for what we have.
Looking past the disappointment, we still have a lot to appreciate, like these 11 things:
1. Administrators, especially athletic directors, who sometimes beat long odds to convince their bosses to allow games to played. Whitehall AD Bob Hartman did whatever he could to get as many opportunities as possible. Becahi’s Chris Domyan and Bangor’s Bron Holland put together a game in a matter of hours. Liberty’s
Fred Harris and Freedom’s Nate Stannard went the extra mile to arrange the Hurricanes-Patriots rivalry game, and Nazareth’s Ray Ramella earned a game ball from coach Tom Falzone for getting the Blue Eagles back on the field, where they won another district title. Kudos to Allen AD Randy Atiyeh and Dieruff ’s Dave Stoudt. Without ADs advocating for their coaches and kids, the district might have been entirely shut down.
2. The players and coaches who continually had to adapt and adjust and roll with the schedule changes, all while never losing their mental edge or focus. Many of them might have felt disconnected from their schools due to online-learning programs, but they still came together as a team during practices and worked as hard as they could to stay healthy.
3. The health professionals who developed the return-to-play plans and made sure the proper protocols were followed.
4. The behind-the-scenes folks in the press boxes who make sure the games go off without a hitch — spotters, PA announcers, timers and statisticians, who all love to be part of the scene and enhance the atmosphere for the players.
5. The outstanding high school bands and cheerleaders who weighed the risks and still wanted to be there to provide the soundtrack and boost spirits for those fortunate enough to get into the games. While Liberty’s Grenadier Band remains the gold standard, the bands at Easton, Freedom, Emmaus, Parkland and Nazareth — among others — all didn’t miss a beat or deliver a sour note in their performances.
6. We had dedicated game officials, including the chain gang with many of them in the higher risk age group, willing to get in the middle of the action knowing that the games don’t go on at least with any semblance of order without them.
7. The facilities at almost every stop in the EPC are top-notch, with many of the schools installing new turf fields, state-of-the-art scoreboards with sound effects, and comfortable locker room facilities, even though teams weren’t permitted to use them this year.
8. Traditional fans will be thankful for the return of Easton’s Cottingham Stadium next year. The area’s most classic venue is undergoing a major facelift that will incorporate some of the best elements of the past along with needed modern enhancements. According to longtime Red Rovers PA announcer Greg Hess, it’s going to be the best place to play in the Lehigh Valley next year, bar none.
9. We’ll have terrific young players back in 2021 that will energize their teams. Can’t wait to see the growth of standouts like Emmaus quarterback Jake Fotta, Parkland QB Ty Tremba, and Whitehall QB Quinn Wentling and his receivers Bryce Bashore and Tommy Buskirk. Also, fans and coaches look forward to the defensive prowess of linemen like Freedom’s Braelin Moore, and Central Catholic’s Lavon Johnson, or Easton defensive back Marcus Williams and Emmaus linebacker Jared Groller.
10. We’ll also watch for the progress made by young coaches such as East Stroudsburg South’s Matt Walters, Central’s Tim McGorry, Whitehall’s Matt Senneca and Pocono Mountain East’s Dan Burns, while seeing what savvy veterans like Nazareth’s Tom Falzone, Emmaus’ Harold Fairclough, Freedom’s Jason Roeder, Parkland’s Tim Moncman, Northampton’s Kyle Haas and Bethlehem Catholic’s Joe Henrich have up their sleeves next.
11. Finally, and most importantly, we should appreciate what we were able to do this year. On Aug. 6, Gov. Tom Wolf ended a press conference by saying he strongly recommended no sports be played until Jan. 1. At that point, it looked like it would all end before it started. But it didn’t. Games were played, rivalries maintained, memories made, bonds formed and champions crowned. Did we want more? Absolutely. Did we miss out on a lot? For sure. But the great tradition of Eastern Pennsylvania Conference football, showcasing some of the best players and coaches in the state, marched on through these unprecedented times.
Those who love high school football should all be thankful.
Keith Groller can be reached at 610-820-6740 or at kgroller@ mcall.com