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2018 Year In Review

2018 Year In Review

This was an interesting year. In 2014, I saw 127 games during the high school football season. Which was 27 more than I had ever seen in a single season. Since then, my goal has been seeing games in new places, rather than just going for the most I could see. Last year saw new trips to South Dakota and Minnesota. This year, the plan included a few new places. In addition to games at Ball State and Tennessee Tech, I happened to find state title games in North Carolina. Continue reading “2018 Year In Review”

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2018 Week 17 (North Carolina)

2018 Week 17 (North Carolina)

A little late getting these last two out. North Carolina and Texas were part of the same trip. Originally, I was planning to take the weekend off and just head to Texas like I do every season.

But, as has happened the past few years, the hurricane season interferred with football season. Pushing back both North Carolina and South Carolina’s season. This pushed North Carolina’s state championships back into the open week between the Pennsylvania and Texas finals. Continue reading “2018 Week 17 (North Carolina)”

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2018 Week 16 (Pennsylvania)

2018 Week 16 (Pennsylvania)

Once again, the season starts winding down with Pennsylvania’s PIAA Championships in Hershey. Pennsylvania is in the third year of the Six Classes experiment. The championship schedule is a much simpler two-games-a-day. Thursday and Friday hosting games at 1pm and 7pm, and Saturday starting an hour earlier. For the 21st year, the championships were held at Hersheypark Stadium in Hershey. A company town just east of the state capital. The stadium holds 14,000–if ever needed–and enough parking for everyone to take two cars. Continue reading “2018 Week 16 (Pennsylvania)”

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2018 Week 14 (New York)

2018 Week 14 (New York)

New York has a patchwork of high school football. The largest, and most notable association, is the New York State Public High School Athletic Association. Consisting of 11 Sections across the state, it covers almost all of the public high schools in the Empire State. The lone holdouts are the New York City schools, who are members of the Public School Athletic League (PSAL). Formerly, the Buffalo City Schools were also independent, playing for the “Harvard Cup”. But have joined in the past decade or so. Continue reading “2018 Week 14 (New York)”

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2018 Week 12 (Iowa)

2018 Week 12 (Iowa)

This update will be a little more slimmed down than previously. A lack of time and twelve games make a full recap a bit cumbersome. This would be my third trip to Cedar Falls, Iowa for games. The second for the state semi-finals.

Iowa, like Minnesota, play all semifinals at one predetermined location. The only dome in the state, the UNI-Dome, located on the campus of Northern Iowa in Cedar Falls, does an excellent job hosting them. The following week, the UNI-Dome does it all again for the six state championships. Continue reading “2018 Week 12 (Iowa)”

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2018 Week 10 (New York & Pennsylvania)

2018 Week 10 (New York & Pennsylvania)

New York has a rather intriguing post-season structure. After a seven-game regular season, a three round playoff starts. For most classes. Class AA and D only play a two-round playoff, because of how few teams are in each. So, they get an extra regular season game. Then, those that don’t qualify can play in the “Funke Bowl”, which is a two-round playoff in each class. Again, except for Class D, since there’s only four teams.

However, teams that don’t qualify for the playoffs, or lose in the Funke Bowl, can play consolation games. Some only play one additional game. However, they can play up to three. One of those, is Springville Griffith. Who plays Tonawanda in the first post season week. And then plays East Aurora/Holland in the second week. Both games on a Wednesday. And one more week, next week, on a Tuesday at Alden. Finishing at 0-7, they’re desperate to get their first victory. Last week, losing, 14-7 to the Tonawanda Warriors. Continue reading “2018 Week 10 (New York & Pennsylvania)”