Week 1 doesn’t make or break a high school football season.
Teams and players might flash their potential under the bright Friday night lights for the first time, but the reality is they’re learning on the fly. Most are still finding their way, especially given the fact that they were practicing in pads for only a week and a half tops ahead of their openers.
Back in the day, teams went through two-plus weeks of grueling two-a-days and were tested in two preseason scrimmages. Now, there’s a week of heat acclimatization workouts with no pads and no tackling, one week of legitimate double sessions and only one scrimmage, before teams already are in game week mode for their season openers.
Not only are teams and players challenged physically, but the current setup also can be taxing mentally. How will they react in certain situations? They won’t know until the stadium lights are turned on, the band is playing, the stands are filled with family members and friends and the games count.
Take Hazleton Area, which held a second-half lead exactly once during a rebuilding 2025 season. When the Cougars jumped ahead of West Scranton early in the third quarter on Friday, they were in uncharted territory. They wound up losing, 38-17, in a game that was much closer than the final score indicated.
A couple defensive breakdowns here, a few missed tackles there and a sputtering offense over the rest of the second half cost them, as they undoubtedly learned in film sessions over the previous few days.
“We were right there,” second-year had coach Scott Sacco said. “But then again it’s Week 1. It’s the first time on the field, in a game. …We knew it was going to be sloppy.”
The Cougars’ cause certainly wasn’t helped when starting quarterback JJ Lantigua left the game with an injury and taken to the hospital toward the end of the second quarter. Still, backup Jayson Arroyo came on and led the third-quarter scoring drive that gave his team its only lead and its final hurrah.
West Scranton then put the ball in the hands of its dynamite freshman quarterback and his experienced corps of playmakers. In the end, the Invaders had too many of them to spoil Hazleton Area’s opener.
“It was a back-and-forth game,” Sacco said. “We were making some plays (and) they were making some plays. …JJ was having a heck of a game… but we couldn’t get into our pass game after he went down. After his injury happened, it sucked the wind out of us.”
To their credit, the Cougars came out of the locker room on fire. Sophomore linebacker Alex Fedorko’s interception jump-started the scoring drive that put them ahead. Xavier Heck’s strong running and a fired-up offensive line sparked the surge.
Their momentum, however, didn’t last.
“I was happy with how we responded at the start of the second half.. and were able to punch the ball in,” Sacco said. “We just need to step up better on defense. It fell apart for us. We thought if we got one more stop ad scored again, the game was ours.”
Unfortunately for Sacco’s team, that didn’t happen. Now, another emotional challenge looms.
If the Cougars can learn from their second-half mistakes, Week 1 can be a valuable tool as they forge ahead starting with this Friday’s trip to Williamsport led by another ace quarterback in Tevin Williams.
“In Week 1, games are going to be ugly,” Sacco conceded. “With the different rules in place, it’s hard to be able actual teach physical tackling until you have to do it come game time.”
Sacco has a point – offenses have the upper hand in early season games.
In other season openers involving local teams, Palmerton rallied to beat Marian, 34-33; Lehighton outscored Tamaqua, 44-20; Panther Valley outlasted Mahanoy Area, 34-25; and Jersey Shore won a 49-34 shootout over North Schuylkill.
That’s a lot of points.
But not for Week 1.
At least nowadays.
Lantigua update
Following a lengthy delay, Lantigua was taken off the field on a stretcher after getting hit on his second-quarter scramble. He eventually raised his arm to indicate he was OK as his teammates rushed to his side, including Arroyo, who was the last Cougar to offer well wishes.
Sacco arrived at Lehigh Valley Hospital-Hazleton soon after the game, only to learn Lantigua was about ready to be released.
Sunday, Sacco said Lantigua would be evaluated further during the week.
Dazzling debuts
Hat’s off to Panther Valley’s Cy Maynard and North Schuylkill’s Brock Holmes for their sensational debuts as varsity signal callers.
Maynard rushed for 137 yards and three touchdowns and completed 9 of 12 passes for 93 yards in the Panthers’ win over Mahanoy Area. Holmes carried a whopping 26 times for 88 yards and five scores and was 9 of 13 passing for 83 yards in the Spartans’ loss at Jersey Shore.
Their performances certainly ease the transition from Brody Breiner at PV and Caden Mengel at North Schuylkill. Both were multiple-year starters at their respective schools.
Griguoli’s game to remember
Marian’s Rocco Griguoli had himself a game in the Colts’ loss to Palmerton.
He was on the receiving end of five Gregory Tirpak passes for 172 yards and two TDs, not one as reported in Sunday’s edition. On defense, he recorded a quarterback sack and deflected two passes.
The Colts will try to break into the win column against Panther Valley this Friday.
They know full well a Week 1 loss won’t define them.
Nor should it.
DAVE SEAMON has been the Standard-Speaker sports editor since 2008. He has covered local high school sports since 1983. Contact him at dseamon@standardspeaker.com.