Shamokin and Mount Carmel the Last 40 Years

Examining this rivalry over the last 40 years it is hard to imagine one school being so dominant. But going into Friday night's game with Shamokin, Mount Carmel is 31-9 in the last 40 games for a 78 percent winning percentage. Why so dominate?

Starting in 1966 all the mergers and combinations with schools were complete, but you have to look back on the 1961 game where the Red Tornadoes rallied to a 19-13 victory of Shamokin. Mike Terry, head coach of Mount Carmel at the time, suffered a fatal heart attack on the bus. This gave rise to Joe "Jazz" Diminick era. From 1966 until 1984, Diminick's team's only lost the '71 game that was played on Saturday due to the Thanksgiving Day eve blizzard. Sandwiched in between those years was the end of the Thanksgiving Day game in 1973 and the rise of Lourdes Regional as a rivalry for both squads.

The game was still held on the last weekend of the season from 1974 to 1981. With neither teams making the playoff's since 1975, the gate was beginning to suffer. The game was moved up to second week in '82, the third week in '83 and the 4th week in 1984 where it is still played today.

With Lourdes off of both schools schedule beginning in 1986 and Southern not being added to Mount Carmel until 1996 and Shamokin until 2005, the rivalry is back on par with that Thanksgiving Day atmosphere.

Some notable games from 1985 to 1995 include:

1985 - Shamokin is "sparked" by an equipment room fire and beats Mount Carmel 21-0 under Coach Jack Murdock. The win ends a 13-game winning streak for the Red Tornadoes.

1988 - Joe Faust comes off the bench as Shamokin's QB and Matt Stehman adds a late field goal to give the Indians there first victory at the Silver Bowl since 1964.

1993 - Both teams field new head coaches. Sam Schiccatano take over for the Indians and Dave "Whitey" Williams is at the helm of Mount Carmel. Freshman Brett Veach returns a kick for a touchdown, but it was all Shamokin, 42-8. It would be proof of great things to come for Mount Carmel.

1995 - With a 15-0 win, Shamokin caps off their best streak in the last 40 winning 7 games in a 9 year span.

In 2007, Mount Carmel is approaching that 1972 to 1984 streak. Two wins will tie it. The game will be moved back up to the second week with the new Heartland Conference coming into play. The game will also be at Shamokin.