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August 31, 2012 TweetFollow @achiappazziIt's another season of high school football in Pennsylvania, and Friday night marks the first set of games in the Keystone State. From Philadelphia to Pittsburgh, Erie to Scranton, and all places in between - not to mention overseas - Friday marks the start of a 16-week push to Hershey. Each week, PaPreps will highlight some of the more intriguing match-ups of the weekend, from interesting locations (such as Father Judge in Ireland this weekend) to milestone moments to premium contenders going at it, we'll try and grab the best potential games of the weekend. Later Friday night and again on Saturday, we'll post scores from around the state as they come across the Associated Press wire.
Week 1 Games of the Week
Father Judge vs. Notre Dame Prep (AZ) in Ireland
Buzz: This game isn't about the competition but about the unique setting. Father Judge is part of a multi-team event throughout Ireland, featuring over a half-dozen teams in multiple venues across the Emerald Isle. Kickoff is 7:30 local time, 2:30 p.m. on the east coast, and for those hankering for high school football from across the pond, you can watch the game live here - http://www.gift2012.com/watch-live/
Pennsbury at Easton
Buzz: This will be a war in the trenches, quite the demanding task in Week 1. Both teams love to run the football, though Easton purportedly might try to air it out a little bit more in 2012, and both teams love to stick their noses in piles on defense. The only thing that would make this more of an old-school battle would be if it was played in a mud bath. Oh, and these two are legit playoff contenders, too. Talk about jumping right into things.
Whitehall at Spring-Ford
Buzz: The two defensive coordinators might want to bring along a few extra tubs of antacids for this one. Between Whitehall QB Nick Shafnisky and Spring-Ford's duo of QB Hank Coyne and RB Jerred Jones, the defenses' tongues will be dragging. Time will tell where these two end up in the playoff picture, but odds are this game puts up one of the highest combined scores of the night.
La Salle at North Penn
Buzz: It's become a recent tradition of sorts for these two to play early in the season and then play each other in the state semifinals. Both teams have work to do for that to happen again, though La Salle has an excellent foundation along the lines and North Penn has the impressive athleticism of Kyle Mayfield.
Central Dauphin at Manheim Township
Buzz: The defending state champs and prohibitive favorites to repeat in 2012 open up on the road against a team that's no slouch itself. Behind QB Brennan Scott and a new head coach, Manheim Township would love to kick its season off by upsetting the champs
Bethlehem Liberty at State College
Buzz: A little off the beaten path, as both teams have significant questions entering the 2012 season. But with DuBois Ross officially eligible for Liberty, this will be the debut of perhaps the most explosive and talented receiver combo in the state. Ross, a transfer from Pius X, will team up 2014 prospect K.J. Williams to give secondaries fits in 2012.
Blackhawk at West Allegheny
Buzz: With the addition of Chartiers Valley to the Parkway Conference, the heavy-hitting WPIAL league has to launch into league play immediately, with this as one of the marquee match-ups of the night. Blackhawk QB Chandler Kincade is healthy and more experienced, while West A should have a tough defense.
Woodland Hills at Upper St. Clair
Buzz: Another early league game because of WPIAL realignment, this doesn't have the marquee names that fans might be used to, as both teams are reloading. But in the next nine weeks, it could have a significant impact on a potential playoff spot and home game in the WPIAL playoffs.
Clairton at Chartiers-Houston
Buzz: At some point, Clairton will lose a game. They won't keep winning forever, though it's hard to imagine this Bears team losing prior to the WPIAL playoffs. Clairton is on a 47-game winning streak, longest in the nation, and they can take the state record held by Central Bucks West if they make the WPIAL final undefeated. Their journey begins tonight.
Mentor (OH) at Erie McDowell
Buzz: McDowell begins its nomadic schedule by hosting a Mentor team ranked No. 2 in its class by Rivals.com site OhioPreps.com. Both teams have several Division I players, which should make this one very interesting to watch. It'll be tough to gauge McDowell each week, but it helps to go against D-I competition.
St. Joseph's Prep at Cocoa (FL)
Buzz: Cocoa has spent time in the RivalsHigh100 in the past, so this is a nice marquee game for Prep. St. Joe's is lucky this game is still on, as Hurricane Isaac went for Louisiana and the gulf coast rather than much of Florida. Cocoa has a couple of Division I caliber backs and receivers, which will be a great test for heralded Prep DB John Reid.
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