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Back for its eighth season, the popular Intelligencer/Courier Times ‘Let’s Talk Football’ features Drew Markol, Todd Thorpe and Jen Wielgus. Markol is the football beat writer for the Intelligencer area while Thorpe is the Courier’s football beat writer. Wielgus is a video sports reporter for the Intelligencer and Courier. Markol and Wielgus are contributors on the weekly Game On show. To view this week’s show, click on the following link: http://www.theintell.com/videos/hsgameon/ To stay on top of the high school football news in the area, visit the Intelligencer (http://www.theintell.com/sports/high-school/) and Courier Times (http://www.buckscountycouriertimes.com/sports/high-school/) web sites.
Check out the picks by our panel of experts: http://www.suburbanonesports.com/football-forecaster
SuburbanOneSports.com: Pennridge lost to Garnet Valley 28-20. Your thoughts about that game.
Drew Markol: “When you look at Pennridge, they had to play Garnet Valley, which runs that option attack where they just run and run and run. Pennridge had to play without star linebacker Nick Tarburton because of a school suspension. Without him in the lineup, Garnet Valley just pounded the ball up the middle where – if you’ve ever seen Pennridge play - Tarburton just makes tackle after tackle. Without him in the lineup, they had to turn to a freshman linebacker, and you're asking a 14-year-old to, in some cases, tackle an 18-year-old. 
That's very hard to do. Pennridge not having Tarburton - that really cost them. If he had played, that would have greatly enhanced their chances of winning.
"It will be interesting to see how he comes back from that. As for playing on Thursday, coach Jeff Hollenbach said he would, but it was apparently a three-day school suspension, which meant his last day of suspension would have been Tuesday, Nov. 21. Pennridge did not have school on Wednesday. Will he be allowed to play based on the suspension? I don't know. Could further sanctions be put against him by the coaching staff? I guess that's yet to be seen, but coach Hollenbach said that as of Monday he was going to play on Thursday. We'll see. They're obviously a much better team on both sides of the ball when he plays. He's the first and only Pennridge kid who's been recruited and offered a scholarship to play at Penn State, and he's good enough to play at that level. Again, with him in the lineup, Pennridge is a different team.
“You take a Division One player out of your lineup, and it hurts. If they had won against Garnet Valley, Pennridge would have probably played its jayvee against Quakertown on Thursday because they'd be playing in the District One 6A final against Coatesville either Friday or Saturday. The fallout - and who knows if there's anymore fallout to come - is interesting."
Todd Thorpe: “Give Pennridge credit for a half playing with a team that rushes the ball that much. When you have a team that shows you three options out of their running game and you have to be aware of every one of them on every play when you don’t have your Division I linebacker player, it’s tough. Drew Markol was at the game, and he said Garnet Valley ran right into the middle of Pennridge’s defense the whole second half, and that’s tough. Pennridge certainly wanted to make the district final and get a chance at Coatesville. It didn’t, but the fortunate thing for them is that they get to play on Thanksgiving.”
Jen Wielgus: “This game is supposed to be about the communities and community spirit. Having been at the Quakertown/Pennridge playoff game, arriving early and listening to the things that the Pennridge kids were yelling at the Quakertown kids that were warming up and listening to the Quakertown parents across the stadium yelling at the Pennridge kids, I know this rivalry is not friendly and all that stuff. I know the rivalry has ugly parts to it, but the Thanksgiving game is supposed to be about the communities respecting each other.
“I don’t know – there’s a cloud hanging over it as far as I’m concerned. There’s nothing you can say, but Pennridge brings negativity on themselves if they’re going to allow a suspended player to come back and play.”
SuburbanOneSports.com: Coach Jeff Hollenbach announced that Thursday’s game against Quakertown would be his final game. Your thoughts.
Drew Markol: "Coach Hollenbach has had some very good teams. He came back after Randy Cuthbert left a few years ago, and his kids seem to like him. The other coaches in the league know that he's a good coach, and they'll tell you that. In the years when he doesn't have a ton of talent, he can still mold a team and get wins out of them that a lot of coaches couldn't. He's good at what he does. I know him on more of a professional level, and he's always been very friendly. Any questions I've had, he's been very helpful. I don't know who's going to replace him, but he had a very nice and successful career with Pennridge."
Todd Thorpe: Jeff Hollenbach resigned the first time after his younger son graduated, and I remember sitting up there at Quakertown’s Alumni Field after they lost. The loss came about four days after they lost to North Penn in the district semifinals. Then they went and got upset by Quakertown on a miserable day. Coach 
Hollenbach said, ‘It’s sad because I think the kids care more about the district playoffs than they do this game, and it shouldn’t be that way.’ He, as a coach, really embodied what it means to appreciate that tradition. I think Quakertown has another one up there in George Banas, a guy who’s from the community who really appreciates that tradition. It’s a neat game that way. I think potentially it could be a close game because you don’t know what Pennridge is going to have left in the tank. Quakertown has had three weeks to stew over that first loss to Pennridge, so you don’t know. It looks like the weather is going to be okay. It’s going to be interesting.
“Jeff Hollenbach’s last game as a high school senior also was against Quakertown. There’s a story that goes around Pennridge circles that he was quoted in a newspaper somewhere saying, ‘If we lose to Quakertown, they can all come over to my house for Thanksgiving dinner.’ They lost, and 30 Quakertown kids showed up in the Hollenbach driveway two hours later. I guess Mrs. Hollenbach was a good sport and gave them pie and everything. He remembers that and I’m sure he tells the story better than I do, but this is a game I’m sure means a lot to him being his last game as a coach.
“He’s given so much to that program and that school as an educator and head of the math department. He’s just mean so much to that school, and his family’s meant so much to that school. It would be a shame almost if they couldn’t send him out with a win. He’s going to do it the way he’s always done it, and that’s in a classy manner. You hope that it’s a clean game and everyone has fun, and it’s worthy of this rivalry because this is a special rivalry. There are people in the communities that really care about it. I look forward to it. It’s almost a shame they played three weeks earlier, but that’s the world we live in.
“I was just writing about Bristol and Morrisville. Those are two teams that are playing for the 87th time this week. Those are teams that aren’t worried about state championships. They go out, they try to have good years. Bristol has been a playoff team in the lower classifications through the years, but that game is the game. That’s the pinnacle of their season – the biggest crowds, the most attention. You’re talking small communities in Lower Bucks County, and that’s it. It’s kind of a throwback. There are traditional games all around, and you’re losing them every year. It’s nice to see Pennridge and Quakertown still holding up. There’s only two in Bucks County now, which is kind of weird when you consider where you were 30 years ago. I certainly think that has the potential to be a good game. It’s always a fun game.”
Jen Wielgus: “It’s funny because I was going to Pennridge on Monday to talk to Jeff Hollenbach pre-arranged because I’m going to visit my sister in Boston for Thanksgiving, and I needed something for next Monday. He told me then and there that he had just told the players that he wasn’t coaching anymore, so the news broke officially that he had resigned.
“Really, the only thing I would like to say about that is – honestly, I feel as though coaching anymore is not 
just coaching, and I don’t know if it ever has been. Being the head coach of a high school football program is really like being an administrator or an organizer of a gigantic human project, and it is extremely difficult – you can ask anybody who’s in that position, I don’t care who they are. There are so many moving parts, and you are going to have issues, whether it’s discipline, whether it’s parents that are unhappy, whether it’s wins and losses. The coaches wish they could just coach football, but there are so many things they have to deal with.
“Jeff Hollenbach, like many other coaches, is a good man. He has put himself in a position to take a lot of crap from people for many years. Whatever you want to say about his performance, about his team’s performance, I want to tip my hat because he’s always been a gentleman to me. He’s always treated the media very respectfully. I can’t speak to how he treated parents or players or anything like that, but he’s always been a great gentleman to me and he put himself in a very tough position. I think anybody nowadays who is going to assume the position of being a head coach of a football program has to really take on a lot of responsibility and maybe take some unfair criticism and take the fall when things go bad when it’s not your fault. I respect his position and thank him for his service.”
SuburbanOneSports: Pennsbury saw its season come to an end at the hands of Coatesville in a 42-2 loss, and in Class 5A, Upper Dublin fell to top-seeded Springfield-Delco. Your comments.
Todd Thorpe: “Coatesville showed why they’re the best team in the district, really manhandling Pennsbury. I give Pennsbury some credit – early in the first half, they did make a lot of adjustments, and they tried to do things to stop Coatesville’s offense, but there was no doing that. They never had any luck, and they didn’t have any luck on offense. They went four possessions without getting a first down to start the game. When you’re giving up points on big plays like Coatesville was getting, it just was a recipe for disaster. A touchdown on an interception late in the first half really put the nail in the coffin, and we were mercy ruled pretty early in the second half.
“I wouldn’t have predicted that. I thought Pennsbury was a pretty good team, but somebody I was talking to while the game was going on said that the (district) final was that quarterfinal game between Coatesville and Downingtown East. I hope Garnet Valley puts up a fight and has a chance to compete in the district title game. They’re kind of a nice story if they do, but it’s a Garnet Valley team that has been hanging on by its teeth the last couple of weeks. I don’t see Coatesville being stopped there. Obviously, they’re looking at possibly a showdown with St. Joe’s Prep or Parkland, maybe the two best teams in the state right now.
“This is Coatesville’s year. They have a great quarterback (Ricky Ortega) and a lot of good athletes, so I think they’re going to be tough to beat. No shame for Pennsbury losing, but I was very shocked they lost the way they did though.”
Drew Markol: "You look at the Pennsbury/Coatesville game. Pennsbury is coming off a real big high after beating Neshaminy the week before. They needed to get some breaks against Coatesville and have everything go their way. That rarely happens, and when you're playing a team of Coatesville's ability, it makes it that much harder. Coatesville is a very good team. I think they'll beat Garnet Valley. The quarterback, Ricky Ortega, is a sophomore. He's the coach's son, and he's just getting better and better. That would have been a tough spot for anybody, and I think it will be for Garnet Valley. Coatesville just seems to be a notch or two above everybody else this year in the district.
"I'm sure Upper Dublin is disappointed they didn't win the American Conference title, but they bounced back and won a couple of games in the district tournament. That shows you something that they're able to do that. A lot of teams - you lose that game at the end of the season where you could have had a share of the title, and that deflates a lot of teams, but it didn't deflate them. They won two games and put on a really good showing against a Springfield team that is probably going to win the 5A title. We've said it week after week - Upper Dublin is a legit program. I know they're 5A, and people look at 5A teams and say, 'What would happen if they competed on 6A?' That doesn't cross my mind. They're just a good team."
Jen Wielgus: “Coatesville – I literally don’t understand how they lost any games this year because they completely tore the doors off of Pennsbury.
“Garnet Valley has completely dismantled the Suburban One League in the playoffs with wins over Central Bucks West, North Penn and Pennridge, and they really have established themselves as a program that comes to play in the playoffs and that is always a force to be reckoned with.
“Hats off to Upper Dublin for lasting as long as they did because that’s a big deal.”
SuburbanOneSports.com: Upper Moreland is hosting Hatboro-Horsham in another Thanksgiving ay game. Your comments.
Drew Markol: "Upper Moreland's kids said their goal was to make Hatboro-Horsham practice and then not be able to play the game because they'd still be alive in the district playoffs. That was their goal. That didn't happen. Kids now have grown up with the district playoffs. That's what they know. I'm a dinosaur, but that's what these kids know so what can you do, so the Thanksgiving Day games go away.
Todd Thorpe: “That was a great game the first time they played (a 41-40 Upper Moreland win). Hatboro-Horsham scored late, there was an extra point missed, both teams scored in the 40s. I think that’s a game that through the years has had its ebbs and flows. There was a time when Hatboro-Horsham beat Upper Moreland so badly every year that Upper Moreland wanted to cancel the game and play Lower Moreland on Thanksgiving. Now you’re full circle, and you’re talking about games in the 70s and 80s that were close. In the 90s and early 2000s, Hatboro-Horsham was winning, and now Upper Moreland is the better program the last few years. How fun would that be if they score in the 40s again and have another shootout. That would be good for that game. I give them a lot of credit for playing that game as well. I know Upper Moreland had a lot of ambition to go deep this year, and they got tripped up by a pretty good team in districts. That’s going to happen, but I’m glad they’re still playing this game. If Upper Moreland had been playing in the district final this week, I’m not sure they would have been playing that game. I’m happy they’re playing it for that sake.
Jen Wielgus: “Oh my goodness – the way that the first game between these two teams went. We talked about the cloud hanging over Pennridge/Quakertown, but Hatboro-Horsham/Upper Moreland is why Thanksgiving football should still be a thing in Pennsylvania. What I’m thankful on Thanksgiving is that Hatboro-Horsham and Upper Moreland are still playing a Thanksgiving Day game because all these other programs that have, for whatever reason, stopped playing on Thanksgiving, Hatboro-Horsham and Upper Moreland are still going. That’s going to be a great game. They’re going to do the Suburban One League proud on Thanksgiving morning.”
SuburbanOneSports.com: There are fewer and fewer Thanksgiving games. Your thoughts.
Drew Markol: "George Banas said an interesting thing- the PIAA is taking away contingency games. He said that next year his season ends on Oct. 19 because they have Springfield on Oct. 27, but they won't play Quakertown. If they don't make the playoffs, they have to go from Oct. 19 to Nov. 25.
"I love the Thanksgiving games. I think they're great for the communities, and I've been to most of them in the area. A lot of them have gone away. The Philadelphia schools and over in South Jersey, they still play them, and over in South Jersey, the NJIAA builds in Thanksgiving games. That's how important they are to them. That's when I first fell in love with those games when I worked over there.
"My thing is - this is the last football game for 99.9 percent of the kids playing in those games. Are you better served losing to a team you've never heard of (in the playoffs) or playing your archival in front of alumni and a packed house, maybe beating them and having a memory for the next 30 years. That's the way I look at it. I always think to myself - if Pennridge didn't have the Thanksgiving game against Quakertown on Thursday and the seniors end with a loss to Garnet Valley - at the Pennridge 40th reunion for this class, they're going to say, 'What was the name of the team that ended your season? Garnet what?' This way you can say, 'Hey, you guys beat Quakertown or lost to Quakertown' because everybody knows.
"I just like the sense of community and all the things tied in with Thanksgiving games, but again, the PIAA is doing its darndest to get rid of them. One reason is the state playoffs are sacred to the PIAA and the other reason is they don't make any money on the Thanksgiving games. To think that's not a factor would be foolish. Even on the high school level, it's always about the money. It's a shame that they're trying their best to take away the contingency games and everything to try and kill off Thanksgiving games. I wish my high school had done a Thanksgiving game. I think it's a wonderful thing.
"This generation has grown up with the district playoffs. Before, you didn't have that. That's why you had CB East playing West, you had Pennridge playing Quakertown and Hatboro playing Upper Moreland, and that was it. Maybe you won your league title, your conference title, but then you have a chance to salvage your season by winning on Thanksgiving, but now, for these kids, the be-all, end-all is making the district playoffs. Being a Nesahminy grad, I wish Neshaminy played Pennsbury every Thanksgiving. Hopefully, Pennsbury will take their memory from this season as beating Neshaminy in the quarterfinals, not losing to Coatesville 42-2 two-and-a-half hours away from home. I just think more people win with Thanksgiving games. Win or lose, there's a chance to see old friends, and there's a sense of community. Unless you win a district title, what happened in your last game? Well, you lost in some outpost somewhere. I don't know. You look at who's going to win state titles if that's the ultimate goal. Well, St. Joe's Prep is going to win 6A again, Wood is going to win 5A again, Aliquippa is going to win 2A or 1A again. It's the same teams every year, so you're basically having district and state playoffs so the same teams can fight for a state title. I don't know. The PIAA doesn't ask me.”
Todd Thorpe: Drew is much more of a Thanksgiving Day sentimentalist than I am, but there is something cool about it. You can’t deny that. I always look forward to these games, look forward to reading about them, reading all the previews. It’s cool. It’s a good way to end the season. The Suburban One teams had good years. A lot of teams made deep runs into the playoffs. You’re kind of in a spot now where you get one or two public schools through and a lot of private schools through. The whole football season is kind of thrown out of whack for the 48 teams still playing. Basically, Thanksgiving (games) have kind of been sacrificed for that. They play two games before Labor Day and the season is over by Halloween. They really have done a lot to end these games. I can’t kill Pennsyvlania either because they don’t play these games all over the state. This is strictly Southeastern Pennsylvania game. Go into Harrisburg or Wyoming Valley or Pittsburgh, they don’t play Thanksgiving games out there. It’s just this one part of Pennsylvania that does. I just hope that in another 10 years we’re not saying ‘did,’ and that there still are teams playing these games because it does mean something. You go into Jersey, you go into the city – these are games with tons and tons of tradition, and it’s a good tradition. I look forward to these games, and hopefully, there’ll be a couple of good ones on Thursday.”