Shamokin Still Searching for First Win of the Season Against Shikellamy

In Week 8, there was little hope in the central PA high school football universe the Coach Cove's first win at the helm of Shamokin would come against Southern Columbia. However, the Indian came out of the game with a lot more positives than normally come out of 56-0 score.

The Indians held the Southern rushing attack under 300 yards with the longest run being 24 yards.  This was after the Shamokin gave up big runs to Lewisburg and Milton.  The Indians also held Adam Feudale under 50 yards for the game.  Southern could have easily had the 300-yard game had they chose to leave in their starters.  What builds and continues the program for the past three decades is getting the 2nd team and JV's significant quality playing time.

Shamokin came up with the acronym called "medS" to build upon their program.  In order to be successful the Indians will have to build upon these four letters going forward.  The "m" stands for mental and includes knowing your part of the game to taking dumb penalties.  "E" stands for experience, not just years playing football, but the natural reaction to plays.  "D" stands for depth.  It is having athletes available to replace two-way players without missing a beat.  "S" and there is a reason it is capitalized.  It stands for strength.  Growing strength in the weight room will help over come deficiencies in the other three letters.

If a microcosm of Shamokin's season was in their first drive, keeping the ball for over 6 minutes then having to punt from their own 35, Shikellamy could be on the same boat.  The Braves were expected to battle Danville for a possible HAC-1 title the previous week.  After a 45-7 loss, one has to wonder what team will show up on Friday. It seems like ages ago where Shikellamy's victory over Selinsgrove in Week 3 and Shamokin's pounding by the Seals the following week feel like ancient history.

Shamokin vs. Shilkellamy Part 2

"It was the best of times, it was the worst of times," says the opening line of the Dickens' novel Tale of Two Cities. You are never as good as you are on your best day and never as bad as you are on your worst day.

Shamokin will travel to Sunbury to take on Shikellamy for the second time in three weeks.  Two weeks earlier the Indians lost to the Braves 44-0. The loss marked a two-game stretch for Shamokin where they gave up 99 points and scored 7.

This highlights an huge offensive drought for Shamokin.  After scoring 21 points in the first half against Montourville in a game the Indians held on to win, 21-17, the starting offense has just scored 7 points in the last 14 quarters.

The good thing about playing Shikellamy is that you seen their offense and speed.  The bad thing is that they put 44 points up rather easily and had 28 on the board before the end of the first quarter.

In the battle for the Coal Bucket last Friday against Mount Carmel, the defense came alive but was on the field too long.  The defensive backs improved in the tackling department.

This game is simple, offense moves the ball, Shamokin has a chance.

All I Want for Christmas is Jim Roth!!!!

In a letter to the editor published in the Daily-Item on December 17th, the writer wants Shikellamy to return to the Braves pre-1984. Here is the letter:

Waiting patiently

Once a upon a time, great teams froms schools like Carlisle, Governor Mifflin, Hazleton, Berwick Pottsville and Mount Carmel would come into our area to play an SHS team with a bruising running game and slick quarterbacks who had the Wing-T offense down to a science. More often than not, the games were played before crowds that were packed 10 deep in the end zone. SHS was victorious or at least competitive against all of them. Believe it or not, the SHS was not Selinsgrove.
Suddenly in 1984, a curse descended upon the Shikellamy football program. For over two decades now, Friday nights during football season have become 48 minutes of anguish and dashed hopes for the players and fans alike. Every season begins with guarded optimism only to culminate on a November night with tears of frustration and longing for that breakout season, which never comes.
There are many talented and eager young men in the Shikellamy football program who do have the desire and dedication to win. Please, Jim Roth, return home to your alma mater and start these young men on that magic carpet ride that Southern Columbia has enjoyed for so many seasons. Shikellamy players and fans have been waiting patiently for a very long time.

Robert Sowers,
Sunbury

Joe Klebon

Look for Joe Klebon to get his 500th win as a basketball coach for an additional Christmas present during the annual Shamokin K of C tournament.

Villanova gets credit for Eagles' win

Philadelphia coach Andy Reid credited Michael Westbrook's stop at the goal line on Sunday as a credit to his "Villanova Education". My wife and Father Peter Donahue will like the reference.

Bush loves Breaker Boys

I know what your thinking but author Dave Fleming has received a hand-written note from the White House. Read the Republican's account below.

‘Breaker Boys’ author surprised by hand-written note from White House
BY STEPHEN J. PYTAKSTAFF WRITERspytak@republicanherald.com
12/19/2007

President Bush called David Fleming’s book on the 1925 Pottsville Maroons “illuminating” in a surprise hand-written letter to the author dated Dec. 12 and delivered Tuesday.

“I just finished ‘Breaker Boys.’ You were correct. I did enjoy the book. You are a fine writer. And your history of the Maroons was illuminating,” Bush said in the letter sent to Fleming’s Davidson, N.C., home.

After opening it Tuesday morning, the author said he found the “rather thoughtful” letter in blue pen on White House letterhead.“The way this book has gone so far, nothing surprises me anymore,” said Fleming, a writer for ESPN: The Magazine who was greeted by long lines and signed thousands of copies of “Breaker Boys: The NFL’s Greatest Team and the Stolen 1925 Championship,” while promoting the book in Pottsville in October and earlier this month.

Fleming started an online petition Oct. 16 to encourage the NFL owners to return the 1925 championship to the legendary team. It’s received a total of 10,275 signatures as of 11 p.m. Tuesday.

He said the president’s comments will become “more ammunition for supporters. If people run across a skeptic, or somebody who just wants to say ‘it’s 82 years ago, let’s let it go,’ it’s pretty nice to say to the commissioner of the NFL ‘the president of the United States begs to differ.”

The president’s letter impressed Mayor John D.W. Reiley.

“How about that. It shows that the book’s getting around, from the streets of little ol’ Pottsville all the way up to the White House. And I think the president’s comments are pretty consistent with what other people are saying about the book. All the comments are favorable,” Reiley said.

Alex Conant, a White House spokesman, said Bush is a “voracious reader.”“He reads a lot of books. And typically the White House doesn’t do book and movie reviews, but I will check out to see if I can find out anything more about this letter,” Conant said.

No further comment was made by late Tuesday.

“Somebody from the White House had contacted ESPN looking for my address. So I felt something was going on, but I was expecting like a stamped photo, not expecting a hand-written note that he had actually read it and enjoyed it,” Fleming said.

Fleming said he isn’t sure how the president received a copy of the book, but believes it was sent by someone who attended a book signing in Pottsville.“I remember the first time I was in Pottsville, somebody in one of the long lines had me sign a copy for him. And they explained that either they worked in D.C. or knew somebody who worked in D.C., I don’t remember exactly who it was. But my guess is that’s how it got to him,” Fleming said.

Reiley said he does not know who sent the book to the president, though City Administrator Thomas A. Palamar thought it could be U.S. District Judge John E. Jones III, a Pottsville native.

But when contacted in Harrisburg Tuesday, Jones said it wasn’t him.

The president ended his letter to Fleming stating: “I appreciate having an inscribed copy of the book. With best wishes, George Bush.”

Mount Carmel Running It Up?

In today's News-Item's editorial page, a writer from Northumberland calls for the end of the Mount Carmel-Shikellamy series. He also goes on to say that ties should be severed in all sports. Here is the editorial.


It sounds like he is taking his case to the Shikellamy School Board. This would be the same school board (although the members have changed) that ruined the program in the early 80's. I just wonder if the writer opined about Selinsgrove winning 62-0.