Dieruff remembers 1992 championship team

It’s hard to fathom now, but 30 years ago in the fall of 1992, Allentown was the epicenter of Lehigh Valley football and the Allen-Dieruff rivalry was in the spotlight.

On Nov. 13, 1992, Dieruff beat Allen 32-27 before an announced crowd of 13,938 at J. Birney Crum Stadium on one of the biggest nights in Allentown sports history.

The win gave the Huskies the East Penn Conference title, and even though Allen gained revenge a week later in the District 11 finals, the league championship was one of the biggest moments in Dieruff ’s football history.

The 1992 team will be celebrated with a 30th anniversary Friday night when the Huskies host Pocono Mountain East.

More than 30 past players, coaches, cheerleaders and others who were involved in the 1992 team will be on hand to celebrate a season and night they’ll never forget.

“This was my idea and my intention was to put the spotlight on Dieruff football and show our current players and kids how much pride we all had in that team and what could be accomplished,” current Dieruff coach Dave Lutte said. “I was the freshman coach that year and what I remember was the closeness and the brotherhood those guys had. They formed a bond after the 1991 season. I remember vividly right after we lost to Allen in the last game of the ‘91 season and ended something like 2-8 that this wasn’t going to happen again. They vowed right then and there that the 1992 season would be different.”

It definitely was. Dieruff was 9-1 entering the regular-season finale against Allen and the Canaries were 8-1-1.

With Allen winning 14-7 the following week, the Huskies finished 10-2, the Canaries 9-2-1. Both programs have not come close to attaining the same kind of success since, although the 1996 Dieruff team beat East Stroudsburg and the great James Mungro in the district semifinals.

Lutte said the 1992 team had a bunch of hard workers who got into the weight room and dedicated themselves to improvement.

“They set a goal to turn things around and they went out and got it,” Lutte said. “I remember the weight room broke into a ‘We want Becahi!’ chant and they went out and beat Bethlehem Catholic the next night and that’s what got the season off to a good start. We had a huge, physical offensive line that called themselves the Clydesdales, and two big, tough running backs and a smart, savvy quarterback and playmakers on the outside. It was a complete team.”

Lutte said it was the fruition of the plan established by then-Dieruff coach Mike Marcks.

“He had a plan and he knew when he took over that things might be a little lean for a few years, but he was building the foundation of a championship team,” Lutte said. “It turned out that it was a wonderful year. We had a lot of fun.”

Lutte hopes to have more fun with the same group of guys Friday night with a get-together planned after his team’s game against East.

“I have to thank Paulette Kish, whose son Bryan Kish, was a big part of that 1992 team,” Lutte said. “I have been looking forward

to it all year. I am just hoping we can celebrate our first win of the season along with the 1992 team.”

Here’s a look at Pocono Mountain East-Dieruff and all the other Week 7 games in the EPC:

Allen (0 -6 ) at Pocono Mountain West (2 -4 ) Storylines:

The Panthers are on the District 11 5A playoff bubble and are looking to get back on track after a 35-0 loss to Whitehall. The Canaries continue to strive for positives and get into a more competitive situation.

Players to watch: West’s Karter Nuss leads the defense with 43 tackles, while Matt Marinovich and Malachi Walters have combined for 16 tackles for loss and 5 sacks. Allen’s Clarence Watkins is averaging more than 7 yards per carry.

What to expect: Pocono Mountain West has won 10 straight games in the series, including 50-24 last year. Allen’s Watkins had one of the best rushing nights in school history against West last year when he ran for 273 yards on 19 carries and scored three touchdowns and three 2-point conversions. The Panthers are likely determined to not allow that to happen again.

Keith Groller’s prediction: Pocono Mountain West 42-20

Bethlehem Catholic (3-3) at Easton (2-4)

Storylines: The Golden Hawks have dropped two in a row and continue a difficult stretch with games against Parkland, Freedom and Allentown Central Catholic to close the season. Becahi probably needs two wins to secure a District 11 4A playoff berth. The Red Rovers have boosted their confidence with wins over Allen and Pocono Mountain East and would like to play well on the school’s annual “Night of Champions” which brings back great players and teams from the past.

Players to watch: Becahi’s Rahmel Terry and Jacob Sutton both average more than 4 yards per carry and the offense has gone over 800 yards passing for the season, but has thrown just four TD passes while being intercepted seven times. The Red Rovers have 200 yards rushing from Aidan Hutchison in just parts of two games. He’s averaging 10 yards per carry.

What to expect: One of the most competitive games of the weekend with the Golden Hawks looking to snap their two-game slide and the Red Rovers eager to prove they’re truly back and can beat a quality team. This matchup didn’t happen last year due to COVID-19. Becahi has won five straight in the series, including a 7-0 win in 2020. This one figures to have a lot more points. Keith Groller’s prediction: Easton 28-24.

East Stroudsburg North (1 -5 ) at Stroudsburg (3 -3 )

Storylines: The Mounties have a shot at a District 11 6A berth and are looking for an improved offensive performance after the Emmaus defense held the Mounties to

142 yards and seven first downs. After having to play Emmaus and Nazareth in recent weeks, the Timberwolves are looking for an opportunity to compete and have some good things happen.

Players to watch: Stroudsburg will likely keep it on the ground with William Francis, Jaiden Bermudez and Andre Reames looking for big nights. North’s Romeo CarmenKing is over 500 yards in total offense this season.

What to expect: Stroudsburg won last year’s meeting 63-8 behind

291 yards rushing and big nights by Reames, Bermudez and Francis who combined for six touchdowns. This one figures to go much the same way.

Keith Groller’s prediction: Stroudsburg 49-8

East Stroudsburg South (3 -3 ) at Parkland (3 -3 )

Storylines: Cavaliers coach Matt Walters said he likes to measure his squad against Lehigh Valley teams and at the moment South hasn’t measured up with losses to Northampton and Liberty over the past two weeks. The Trojans snapped a two-game skid against Pleasant Valley and would like to keep things going as they attempt to cement a District 11 6A playoff spot.

Players to watch: South’s Jakob Patrick, Zahir Williams-Dennis lead the defense with a combined 99 tackles and 3½ sacks between them. South’s Colby Mitchell leads the EPC North with 894 yards passing and 8 TD passes but has thrown seven interceptions. Junior

Russell Clark leads the Parkland defense with 44 tackles including five for losses. Nate Kemmerer has eight tackles for loss including four sacks. Trojans quarterback Luke Spang 8-for-13 for 104 yards and a TD in his return after missing two games due to injury.

What to expect: Parkland won last year’s meeting 43-24, but the Cavs don’t have the same offensive firepower they had a year ago. Look for Parkland’s defense to dominate with lots of pressure and Spang to continue to sharpen his throws and timing as the Trojans want to keep the momentum going with games against Bethlehem Catholic, Liberty and Emmaus ahead.

Keith Groller’s prediction: Parkland 40-7

Liberty (2 -4 ) at Emmaus (6 -0 ) Storylines: The Hurricanes are coming off a 44-28 win over

South and still have an outside shot at a District 11 6A playoff berth. However, they’re running into a Hornets’ defense that has surrendered just 11.8 points per game. Against Stroudsburg, Emmaus racked up 469 yards of offense. including a 288-yard, 3-TD passing performance by Jake Fotta. Chase Fotta, Jake’s brother, caught two TD passes.

Players to watch: Liberty quarterback Tommy Mason passed for 213 yards and ran for

128 against South. Siddiq Small continued to lead the Liberty defense with 9½ tackles last week, while Emmaus’ Adian Garrett had seven stops. Karim Brice, who had four catches for 104 yards last week will test an aggressive Green Hornets secondary that has nine interceptions.

What to expect: Emmaus can’t get caught looking ahead to next week’s trip to Nazareth because when the stars align, the Hurricanes are dangerous. The Green Hornets won last year’s game 35-0, holding Liberty to 123 total yards. The Hurricanes’ offense will need to make big plays and avoid turnovers to keep this one competitive.

Keith Groller’s prediction: Emmaus 42-14

Pleasant Valley (5 -1 ) at Northampton (6 -0 )

Storylines: This is a rematch of last year’s 21-7 win by Northampton in the District 11 6A quarterfinals. The game featured a controversial call that will likely be remembered by PV players, coaches, and fans. The K-Kids are coming off their biggest win of the season, 31-21 over Bethlehem Catholic, and don’t want to have a letdown with a potential No. 1 seed in the District 11 6A within their grasp.

Players to watch: Northampton’s Caden Henritzy has 577 yards rushing and 1,517 yards over the past two seasons. PV’s triple-option attack posed some problems for Parkland early last week. The Bears’ Fela Olaniyan ran for 142 yards.

What to expect: Both teams will run the ball and keep the defenses on their toes with lots of movement and misdirection. The Bears don’t want to lose two straight and will give a determined effort, but Northampton has another special season shaping up.

Keith Groller’s prediction: Northampton 28-14

Pocono Mountain East (1 -5 ) at Dieruff (0 -6 ) Storylines:

The Cardinals are looking for their second win of the season at J. Birney Crum Stadium after a 24-22 win over Allen on Sept. 9. Since then East has lost three straight and has been outscored 130-18. The Huskies have dealt with a variety of issues, most of them having nothing to do with Xs and Os. They would like to welcome back the 1992 EPC title team with a solid showing.

Players to watch: East’s DJ Kelley and Rasu Wearing Poindexter have combined for 678 yards rushing and six TDs. Dieruff’s Noah Ozorio still leads the EPC North with 18 catches for 311 yards.

What to expect: One of the most competitive games either team has played all year. This was a matchup that didn’t happen last year due to COVID-19. East has won the last three games in the series including 28-12 in 2019. Dieruff needs this one to build some momentum for the season’s stretch run, but must be able to stop the Cardinals’ running game.

Keith Groller’s pick: Dieruff 28-24

Whitehall (4 -2 ) at Freedom (4-2) Storylines:

The Zephyrs and Patriots are both on 3-game winning streaks and are eyeing district playoff berths. Whitehall has been the surprise story of the season to this point with new stars emerging in quarterback

Trey Dogmanitz, wide receiver Jack Kocher and others. Freedom has been basically what was expected, a strong, hard-nosed physical team that generally dominates up front. Players to watch: Nigel Linton had his second big game for Whitehall, running for 137 yards and two scores and catching two passes for 92 yards and two TDs against Pocono Mountain West. Carter Troxell was a force defensively with nine tackles, including two for losses. Freedom’s Jalen Fletcher ran for 92 yards and Ethan Neidig completed six of 11 throws for 96 yards against Allen last week.

What to expect: Both teams are playing good football and will be tough outs during the upcoming district playoffs. Freedom is the more physical team and it will be interesting to see if the Zephyrs have the muscle to push back and make this a competitive game. Freedom won last year’s game 4112, but this one figures to be closer. Keith Groller’s prediction: Freedom 35-20

Nazareth (5 -1 ) at ACCHS (4 -2 ) Storylines:

The Blue Eagles seemed to have found their stride after the wild and high-scoring loss to Freedom on Sept. 17. The Vikings have yet to play a full game against a quality opponent. Both teams are headed to the playoffs and a win in this one could boost the power rankings number.

Players to watch: Both offenses are star-studded. Nazareth’s Sonny Sasso leads the EPC South in passing and receivers Nolan Lobb and Mason Kuehner are dynamic play-makers. Central Catholic counters with the hard-nosed running of Caiden Shaffer and Nate Schultz and the pass-catching of Jareel Calhoun.

What to expect: This was the game that was interrupted on a Friday night by a bomb scare and resumed on Saturday afternoon last year. Central Catholic didn’t respond well to the delay and was overmatched by the Blue Eagles 180. Look for more points to be scored this time around, but Nazareth to have a few more playmakers.

Keith Groller’s prediction: Nazareth 24-14

Keith Groller’s EPC predictions were 9-0 last week and are 34-11 overall this season.