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GAR players practice on Wednesday to prep for tonight’s PIAA Class 2A tournament game against District 11 champion Northern Lehigh. Kickoff is 7 p.m. at J. Birney Crum Stadium in Allentown.
Don Carey/The Times Leader
Think GAR football and one thing quickly comes to mind – big plays by quarterback Darrell Crawford and tailback Kurtis Thomas.
Those two and other speedy athletes have allowed the Grenadiers to score 43 offensive touchdowns and post an 11-1 record through 12 games.
That makes the defense an afterthought at times, but the unit has done its best to get noticed in the postseason.
The biggest and toughest test, though, comes at 7 p.m. today at J. Birney Crum Stadium in Allentown. District 2 champion GAR’s defense will have a tough task at hand when the Grenadiers play District 11 champion Northern Lehigh in a PIAA Class 2A first-round game.
Tonight’s winner will play within its district next weekend against District 12 champion Philadelphia West Catholic (10-2), which has a bye this week. West Catholic defeat Bok Tech 34-6 last Friday in the District 1-12 championship game.
“The defense has really been stepping up,” GAR coach Paul Wiedlich Jr. said. “They’ve been stepping up all year long as a matter of fact. You take away the cheap score (Lakeland) got with like three seconds to go and the cheap score Lehman got in the same situation, and we’re only giving up like 29 points in two games.”
Actually, the total is 20 if those two late scores are eliminated. Still, the defense will need to be even stingier tonight.
Northern Lehigh (12-0) brings into the game an offense that’s not only averaging 42.7 points, but capable of dismantling excellent defenses.
Last Saturday night’s 25-23 victory over North Schuylkill in the D11 title game was a prime example. North Schuylkill entered the game with seven shutouts (eight if a forfeit over Freedom Village is counted). Yet, Northern Lehigh opened the game by scoring on its first two possessions.
Then after North Schuylkill cut the deficit to 12-7, Northern Lehigh’s Cody Remaley returned the ensuing kickoff for a touchdown.
North Schuylkill got within 18-15, but Remaley scored again. A touchdown and two-point conversion with 12 seconds left by North Schuylkill to make the final score look closer than it was.
Remaley will be GAR’s main concern. Remaley is the Colonial League’s all-time leading rusher and third on District 11’s all-time list with over 6,200 career yards. He has rushed for 1,993 yards and 31 touchdowns this season.
The 5-foot-10, 185-pound senior has a running style similar to Hanover Area 2,300-yard rusher Andrew Forgatch. Remaley accelerates quickly to the hole, can cut with precision and knock over tacklers.
“You can kind of say that,” Wiedlich said. “I think Andrew is a little bit bigger, but (Remaley) is a workhorse. He works for his yards and he gets a lot of them.”
Senior Jake Kern is another weapon. Listed as a quarterback, Kern will line up there when the Bulldogs run a wildcat offense. He has run for 793 yards and 13 scores. He also leads the team with 19 catches for 313 yards and five TDs.
Northern Lehigh quarterback Dylan Hoffman hasn’t thrown much, but he has been successful. He has connected on 41-of-58 passes (71 percent) for eight touchdowns and only two interceptions.
“They’re a mirror image of us,” Wiedlich said. “It’s quite scary.”
So GAR’s defense has its work ready for it. Fortunately, the unit has played very well during the regular season and cranked it up a few notches in the District 2 playoffs.
After allowing Lake-Lehman a quick touchdown, GAR shut down the Black Knights on the way to a 42-15 semifinal victory. Lehman crossed midway only two more times, both on their last drives with GAR leading 42-7.
The one late Lehman drive ended on an interception by cornerback Pat Smith, one of six interceptions GAR has recorded in the postseason. Crawford has three, including two which he returned for touchdowns.
Safety Dwayne Wright picked off two passes in last Friday’s 40-21 win over Lakeland in the title game.
Lakeland led 13-7 at halftime, but GAR started the second half by forcing four consecutive turnovers.
IF YOU’RE GOING …
WEEK 13 SCHEDULE
… to the PIAA Class 2A playoff game between GAR and Northern Lehigh at 7 p.m. today at J. Birney Crum Stadium in Allentown, take the Pennsylvania Turnpike Northeast Extension (Interstate 476) South to the Lehigh Valley exit. Get on Route 22 East to the 15th Street exit.
•Keep right on the fork on the ramp and merge onto 15th Street. Go about 1.5 miles past Trexler Middle School on the left and the Armory on the right. You will go past the intersections with Crew Street and Turner Street. (If you go past the intersection with Hamilton Street, you have gone a block too far.)
•Turn right onto Linden Street and go past Allentown Allen High School. J. Birney Crum Stadium is on the right at the bottom of the hill.
•There are no stadium lots, so park where you can.
GAR
(11-1)
vs.
Northern Lehigh (12-0)
When: 7 p.m. today
Where: J. Birney Crum Stadium, Allentown
Admission: $6 at the gate
What’s at stake: The game is a PIAA Class 2A first-round contest. The winner plays District 12 champion West Philadelphia Catholic (10-2) next weekend in the state quarterfinals.