Shamokin Area Week 4 Preview Against Selinsgrove

Going into Week 4, the Shamokin Area Indians are winless and face an uphill battle this week against Selinsgrove. It is not that the Seals have a team expected to make a deep run in the playoffs, but the fact that Shamokin hasn't won in Selinsgrove since 2003.

Last season, the Indians gave the Seals all they could handle at Kemp Memorial, but mistakes cost Shamokin the victory.  When they faced off in Week 11 at Harold Bolig Memorial Field, it seemed like the Indians couldn't wait to get the winter sports season started. 

Last week Shamokin couldn't capitalize on an early turnover and were down 21-0 to a good Danville squad with 11:25 left in the 2nd quarter.  From that point on the Indian played great defense and didn't allow an Ironman touchdown until 5 minutes left in the game.  Offensively, Shamokin was able to put together a 14-play drive for a touchdown and had another touchdown called back.

What Shamokin team will show up?  Will it be the one that went toe to toe with one of the better teams in the Heartland or will Selinsgrove's 3-5 defense prove itself again at home against the Indians?

Shamokin's Week 4 Preivew

Not much has changed in the past year for Selinsgrove and Shamokin.  Selinsgrove is coming into Week 4 with back-to-back 0-3 starts while Shamokin is coming in after losing big to Southern Area.

What will the numbers bring?  Hard to say.  Shamokin has given up 32, 20 and 46 points in three games.  In the meantime Selinsgrove has played Mount Carmel and Manheim Central with also a loss to Danville.  Do the Indians have a chance?

Southern rushed for around 300 yards against the Indians and only complete one pass for 23 yards.  Southern had big rush plays of 80, 32 and 37 yards go for touchdowns.   This was about 60 percent of their total.

If Shamokin could stay away from the big, their game becomes much more manageable.

Shamokin at Selinsgrove Preview

After losing the 2003 District IV AAA final to Shamokin 17-3, the Selinsgrove Seals from 2004 to present have been quite impressive going deep into the state playoff and capping it off with the 2009 PIAA AAA championship.  It was also the last time the Indian beat the Seals.

The 2010 version of the Selinsgrove Seal have had to replace 18 starters and for the first 12 quarters of 2010 struggled offensively with the football opening up the season 0-3.  Justin Keiser was 16-20 for a 160 yards engineering two big second half drives to pull the Seals within one of Manheim Central.  The Seals tried to win the game in regulation with under a minute left but a two-point conversion was batted down by the Baron defense.

While this exciting game was going on in Lancaster, the 2010 Shamokin Indian did their best to bring back the 2009 version of the Indians.  The 42-13 loss to Southern was marred by turnovers, sloppy tackling, blown coverages and penalties.   The Indians managed to have Jared Montgomery and Jared Haddock go over 100 yards on the night, but it was the Tiger defense that took center stage from the middle of the first period to the half.

"If there is a better single-A team in PA, I would like to see them," said Shamokin Area head coach Dan Foor.  Last Friday, Southern was better team.

What will give in Week 4 between Selinsgrove and Shamokin?   Here are a couple of key things for one to look   Shamokin's running game has been pretty solid with the exception of the second quarter against Southern.  Will that trend continue?

Selinsgrove went to sprint out action against Manheim Central last week.  The Seals had used sprint out action under head coach Bill Scott.  The Indian defense did not get much pressure on Jake Townsend last week.   Will it be more difficult with the Seal's sprint out?  

Some of the intangibles that are going into this game is first things first.  The Seals are home.  Selinsgrove has only lost twice at home since 2004 and one loss included opening day this season to Mount Carmel.  Like it or not Selinsgrove has games with Berwick and Shikellamy in the next two weeks.  Back in August this was penciled as win.

Shamokin on the other hand will be tested on how it rebounds.  Last season the Seals put a hurting on the Indians scoring 55 points.  The game was shorten due to the lights going out.  Will the 2010 team or the 2009 team make the trip across the Susquehanna River???

Dan Foor Talks About the Selinsgrove Seals

A Prayer for Seth

Seth Lauver who scored the winning touchdown for Selinsgrove in the state title game against Manheim Central was injured in a car accident and is listed in critical condition according to the Daily-Item.

A passenger in the vehicle, Alexandra Mullen, remains in critical condition also.

Please keep both families in your prayers at this difficult time.

Here is a video of Lauver carrying the Seals to immortality.

Left No Doubt!!!!

"You win a championship game with championship people," said Pennsylvania's all-time winning coach George Curry after a playoff victory over Shamokin in the early 1990's. That quote was oh so true as the Selinsgrove Seals claimed their first PIAA crown and the first for District IV above the AA level ever.

With starting backfield Kyle Reinard and Matt Wenrich out with injuries in the second half and quarterback Cory Briggs suffering from illness, the Seals supporting cast dug deep and mined PIAA gold for the Seals. Stepping in for the backfield was Cameron Benner and Seth Lauver. Spencer Myers and Kyle Schuck switched in order to get helmet on Manheim Central's Dakota Royer.

What can you say about Ryan Keiser? Keiser didn't have a big stat night, but what a second half he had. Keiser recovered a fumble when it looked like Central would increase their lead in the 3rd quarter. He had a the key interception to set up the state championship drive and made a third down reception to keep the drive alive.

Bryant Troutman nearly in double-digit tackles and key sack late in the game.

Standing on the sideline on Friday night there are a few observations with the ebb and flow of the game. Despite scoring over 40 points in 10 of 15 games, there wasn't a sense of pressing by the Selinsgrove players or staff. That seemed evident when the Seals opted for the 21-yard field goal by Spencer Hotaling instead of trying to go for it in a fourth-and-three situation. Down at that point 7-3 with a whole quarter left, most of the Seals thought they would see the redzone at least one more time.

Most revealing moment for me was early in the first half, Manheim Central QB Justin Gorman rolled right toward his bench and looked to have plenty of running room evident by the sudden roar of the Baron fans. Out of nowhere, Cameron Benner came up stopped Gorman in his tracks for a minimal gain. The Baron faithful had to think they were in a long night.

Was it the 3-5 defense giving the Baron's fits? In an observation made by Dylan Elliot quoted by Harold Raker in the Daily-Item,

“The quarterback usually gave away what he was going to do. He peaked around at his receivers when he was going to throw, he did have that flaw.

He also crouched a little lower when he was going to run. You have to pick up on things like that when you have a good defense like Selinsgrove,” he said.

The other thing for everyone was the noise!!! Hersheypark Stadium was rocking. Hard to believe there were only 8155 there, but more on that later.

Sowing the seeds.

When you look at the official program of the PIAA finals, the past 21 years are filled with teams of great traditions making appearances in eastern or western finals, state finals and state championships. With the Seals you will only see the 2008 appearance in eastern final, but the seeds for this championship were sown in 1996 when the Seal added Mount Carmel to the schedule who picked up AA state titles in '96, '98 and 2000.

Although early success against the Red Tornadoes was minimal, the Seals now lead the series 9-5. In 1999, put the District IV on a notice with OT loss opening day to eventual district champion Danville and a shootout loss to a very good Blue Mountain team. 2000 and '01 were marked by state playoff losses to Manheim Central. 2005 and 2006 featured losses to Franklin Regional and Thomas Jefferson, as the Seals were shoved to the Western bracket while Pottsville represented the East. Although there were upset at the time, the Seals knew they would still have to improve. In 2008, the Seals broke through and made it to the Eastern Final which set the stage for this season.

One of the great thing about high school sports is watching players over the years mold and mesh together for a common goal. For the most part, the are no free agent signings and young men try their best to represent their school and community. This team recognized early on that they could be special only if they worked hard. You could see that commitment in other sports like in Spencer Myers or in the classroom with Corey Briggs.

The 2009 season for the Seals reminds me of quote from the late Philadelphia Flyer coach Fred Shero wrote on the blackboard for Game 6 of the 1974 Stanley Cup clincher, "Win together today, and we walk together forever." The 2009 Selinsgrove Seals will be together forever.

PIAA Attendance

The announced attendance for Friday's game was 8155. Hersheypark Stadium has 33 seats in a row and 30 rows per sections. There are 8 sections on each side and both sides I had a solid 6 sections full. Central and Selinsgrove both had fans spill over in the final two sections. If you look at 990 people for each of the 12 sections were full and subtract about 100 from each section for clothing your still looking at over 10000 with spill over into four other sections.

Mount Carmel Board Problems

Chuck Souders once again points out the "Constititutional Crisis" in today's News-Item. We could only hope Mr. Belfanti doesn't seek higher office.

Berwick Beware!!!

Selinsgrove is Coming!!!

Selinsgrove Seals inside the numbers against Shamokin

A closer look at the at the stats of Selinsgrove against Shamokin looks good on the surface. The Seals scored 41 points, rushed for 41 times for 325 yards and threw for 117.

If you look at the rushing yards and subtract the following:

Lauver - 94 yard run.
Briggs - 45 and 22 yard scrambles
Keiser - 53 yard run
Benner - 30 yard run

That is 244 yards. So take away those five plays. The Seals average per rush on 36 carries is a mere 2.25/rush attempt. Keep in mind the Seals were 13-19 through the air.

Here is where the Seals did their damage. Selinsgrove was 5 of 8 on third down and three for three on fourth downconversions. The defense also had three interceptions.

Look for the game on Friday with Southern to be a defensive battle and scoring should be a premium. I don't believe Southern's "D" will give up five big plays to the Seals. The game may hinge on the arm of Corey Briggs which has shown alot of improvement since week 1 against Mount Carmel.

If Southern has to go to the air, we will be able to measure the strides Jeremy Campbell has made.

Missed It

After sitting through 53 minutes of Susquehanna University falling behind to the Merchant Marine Academy 35-21, my son and decided to leave.

This is what we missed.

Shamokin Interview for Selinsgrove

There is no interview for this week with Selinsgrove. Coach Zielinskie politely declined to be recorded. Here is Coach Z.'s address at last year pre-camp cook out.

"We are getting better," said Coach Zielinskie off camera.





Half of the season is in the books for area teams and there are a few surprises. I will run them down here and let me know what you think.


Mount Carmel had many seniors but there defense halfway through has surpassed expectations.

Southern Area got through a rough early stretch and look to week#9 showdown with Mount Carmel for the Heartland Division II Championship. Many expected Southern to be aroun 7-3. Barring major injuries they could find themselves in Hershey. Like Tigers teams past, you look up at the scoreboard in the 4th quarter and find yourself losing 35-0 and Southern just put up 400 rushing yards and their defense doesn't yield too many points.

Shamokin Area has won back-to-back games for the first time in close to four seasons. The Indians were probably hit most by injuries on and off the field and lost player games in between. Even with all their players there and healthy like projected in mid-summer, the Indians are still no better than 3-2 at this point. Shamokin looks like a favorite against Warrior Run, Loyalsock and Mifflinburg in the second half of the season and underdogs against Selinsgrove and Montoursville. 5-5 would put the Indians in the hunt for the playoffs. Could it be the second meeting with Mount Carmel in the same season? Look for the Indians to play Montoursville tough, they always do and should have won last year's game.

AROUND THE AREA

North Schuylkill - came out of the gate 3-0 after a bad four year run.

Central Columbia - possible playoffs after 3 wins in the past three seasons.

Lewisburg - Long time since the Green Dragon's started 5-0. They won the West Branch with 11-0 in 1981.

Danville - The surprise is only two wins and not improving.

Good luck to all teams in the second half of the season.

Weekend High School Wrap

Discussing Lock Haven Homecoming?

Well, if you look at my Friday analysis of the Southern-Shamokin game, I predicted a two score win for Southern but not as high. I didn't count on the humidity. Both team sputtered around for three quarters and Southern came through with a big fourth quarter for the win.

Southern - The Good

Like a good old Southern team when you looked after the final whistle, the offensive put up 400 yards on the ground and 35 points on the board. Defensive front seven looked as tough as in previous years and the freshman Schetroma did a nice job on the defensive front. Kicking game was outstanding.

The Bad

Passing game needs to improve to move past week 11. Campbell made some nice throws, but pass protection was subpar. Receivers need some experience, but may have held up here with a game next week at Montoursville.

Shamokin - The Good

Defensively, the Indians were one score down with a full quarter to go. Last season, Shamokin went there first five games without forcing a turnover. On Saturday night they forced 4 and were +3 in TO ratio.

The Bad

Running game was non-existant. It is always the quarterback's best friend. The defense could have used a friend also. The scheme in general had the quarterback and fullback in a spread formation and Southern playing man. Passes were designed to go deep and the running were too slow developing usually with 7 defenders in the box.

The Ugly

Shamokin had a defensive back ejected. Counting the one that was removed in the preseason, Coach Z's son, and possibly Dirienzo could have helped if healthy. Your down 4 players headed into week number with Mount Carmel and Polish Attack (Wasilewski, Pellowski, and Kovaleski) coming to town.

Deliverance for the Northern Tier in District IV A

Lourdes Regional Boys and Girls ventured to Montgomery to play Northeast Bradford girls and North Penn/Blossburg for the boys. The girls really never got on track losing 46-39.

The boys lost a lead late and the game went to OT. North Penn outscored the Red Raiders 8-0 to start the overtime and hung on to a 48-46 win. The reason for the picture of the clock. Note the time. In a physical game that is when the first foul was called on North Penn. What did the Red Raiders in was poor foul shooting in the fourth quarter. They survived on Wednesday against Millville, but could overcome it today.

"Banjo music"?

First foul on North Penn

10th seeded girls getting the runner-up medal

Boys action

Chapman gets set for the press

Happy 60th!!!!

Pregame optimism

Where's our Joey?

"The Barrister, Morgoon, and the Commish"

Shamokin Girls Come Up Short

The Shamokin Lady Indians spotted the Selinsgrove Area Seals a 24-6 lead, went on a 17-0 run, but couldn't complete the comeback losing 36-31. Shamokin outscored the Seals 25-12. The Seal held a huge advantage on the fouline shooting 31 for the game and compared to 6 for the Indians. In the first have the Selinsgrove had 20 attempts compared to 0 for Shamokin.

20 FT attempts to 0 in the first half

Crusaders #1 Seed

The Susquehanna University men's basketball team secured the number one seed and home court advantage for the first ever Landmark Conference playoffs which begin Wednesday on February 27th. Joel Patch electrified the crowd with three monster dunks. The Crusaders came went on a 20-8 run to beat Juniata 60-55. More than likely, Juniata will be back Wednesday for the first round.

For Crusader Head Coach Frank Marcinek of Shamokin, the win came without came without Landmark leading scorer Josh Robinson who is out for the season with an ACL.

For the "CoalRegionVoice", this was the end of four games in three counties in 11 hours. We hope we covered for you.