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Here are some Thanksgiving morsels on the eve of PIAA state semifinal games involving Dallas and Wyoming Area.

Dallas plays Jersey Shore at 7 p.m. Friday at Danville High School for a spot in the Class 4A championship game. Wyoming Area gets Tamaqua at 7 p.m. at Wyoming Valley West’s Spartan Stadium for a place in the Class 3A title game.

1. No word on whether the Wyoming Valley Conference coaches plan on meeting to select all-stars. They haven’t for the past few years, leaving the job to the media instead.

Any postseason honors go a long way to getting consideration for all-state teams. When voters see a nominated player hasn’t made a coaches all-star team it has to raise red flags.

2. Wyoming Area is 4-5 against District 11 teams in the postseason.

The Warriors have wins over Bangor (2004), Bethlehem Catholic (1996), Mount Carmel (1984) and Pottsville (1980). They have lost to Bethlehem Catholic (2004), Mount Carmel (1998), Pine Grove (2010), Pottsville (2005) and Pen Argyl (2012).

The 29-27 victory over Pottsville in the 1980 Eastern Conference championship game was historical as Wyoming Area finished 12-0, the only time in the program’s history the Warriors finished undefeated. State playoffs started in 1988 and District 2 playoffs began in 1992.

3. Dallas is 3-1 against District 4 teams in the postseason.

The Mountaineers defeated Bloomsburg (1987), Danville (1988) and North Penn/Mansfield (2000). Their only loss was to Selinsgrove in 2012.

4. Wyoming Area and Tamaqua have never played, but share a common history in 2012. Both had their seasons ended by Pen Argyl. Wyoming Area lost in the Class 3A state playoffs to the Green Knights. Tamaqua lost in the District 11 playoffs.

5. Tamaqua’s journey to the Class 3A semifinals is similar Dallas’ trek to the Class 4A semifinals.

Like Dallas, Tamaqua is a senior-oriented team and many of those players saw action as freshmen. The Blue Raiders climbed the ladder of success as well, going from a five-win team in 2016 to a 12-win team thus far. Dallas won two games in 2016 and is 14-0.

6. The 1993 Dallas team also won 14 games on the way to the Class 3A state championship. However, the Mountaineers lost one game, 14-7 to Tunkhannock during the regular season.

7. A huge factor in Dallas’ 43-36 victory over Imhotep was limiting the Panthers’ explosive plays.

Imhotep, which advanced to four consecutive state title games, had only five plays of 32 or more yards in their 46 plays. That’s not a lot considering the speed and breakaway threats on that team.

8. Imhotep Charter is part of the School District of Philadelphia and is considered a public charter school. Its sports teams play in the Philadelphia Public League.

Imhotep, though, leans closer to a private school in a few ways. There’s an application process and students can come from anywhere in the city. However, there is no tuition fee to attend.

9. Three former WVC coaches have their teams in state semifinals.

Jersey Shore is coached by Tom Gravish, who coached Williamsport from 2008-2011. He’s been running the show at Jersey Shore since 2012.

Gateway’s Don Holl coached Tunkhannock from 1995-1998. He’s in his fourth year at District 7-5A champion Gateway, which played for the PIAA 5A state championship in 2017.

Lackawanna Trail’s Steve Jervis is also a former Tunkhannock coach. He ran the Tigers program from 2002-2007 and took over at Trail in 2009. He had the Lions in the PIAA Class A state championship game last year.

10. There are only two state title game rematches possible. Farrell and Lackawanna Trail play in Class A semifinals, while Southern Columbia and Wilmington plays Class 2A semifinals. In Class 6A, only champion St. Joseph’s Prep is alive.

The Class 3A, 4A and 5A state championship games will have new participants from 2018.

11. Lehighton High School’s stadium — the site of last Friday’s Dallas vs. Imhotep game — isn’t the stadium where Pittston Area played Lehighton in 2000.

The current stadium has been around for about 10 years and underwent a complete facelift in 2016. It’s on the site of the former Carbon County fairgrounds. The old stadium is about 1,000 yards away and still used by the junior high program.

12. A couple guys in the pressbox at Lehighton were eating gravy and filling prior to the game. It was actually gravy and stuffing, but as the one fella explained stuffing is called filling in “Dutch country.”

Dallas’ Luke DelGaudio intercepts an Imhotep Charter pass at the 10-yard line in last Friday’s PIAA Class 4A quarterfinal game at Lehighton High School.
https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/web1_Dallas-Imhotep-HS-ftbl-3-1.jpg.optimal.jpgDallas’ Luke DelGaudio intercepts an Imhotep Charter pass at the 10-yard line in last Friday’s PIAA Class 4A quarterfinal game at Lehighton High School. Tony Callaio file photo | For Times Leader

By John Erzar

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