Sports

Passing the pigskin one final time

Ethan Schield, Correspondent • November 8, 2024

North Pocono defeated Hamburg 41-0 on Friday, November 1

COVINGTON TWP, Pa., November 8, 2024 – On Friday, November 1st, the football team ended their season at home against Hamburg Area. The Trojans came home with a shutout victory, putting up 41 points. The 41 points put up by the team was the second most this season, only behind their week one victory against Greater Nanticoke Area, when they scored 46. The Trojans started the season off strong before plunging into what became a long cold streak. The Trojans finished the 2024 football season with a 5-6 record after starting 3-0.

Coach Greg Dolhon was very happy with the result of the game, despite the Trojans not necessarily being where they wanted to be. “It’s always great to end your season on a winning note.” The Trojans were 1-6 in the seven games coming into Friday, so the win gave the younger, returning athletes some much needed confidence.

It was a sentimental day for the seniors, who were playing in possibly their last game ever. Senior Aidan Liptai reflected on playing in his final football game, calling it, “a surreal feeling.” Aidan feels that although his North Pocono football career may have concluded, he still has a lot left. “It still feels like I have more football to play,” he said, looking hopeful for the future.

Although the Trojans could not come away with a winning record, they have much to be proud of this season, playing in some close games against quality opponents. “It was 31-26 with about a minute and a half to go against Delaware Valley, and then we were in the game with Prep,” Coach Dolhon mentioned, clearly proud of the effort from his team.

Coach Dolhon still rued some of the losses, knowing that many games were easily winnable stating, “Five or six plays make a game. If we make those five or six plays, we are right there… A lot of those times, we hurt ourselves.” Liptai believed that the Trojans had incredible passion in them this season, saying, “We had five losses this season, but we stayed with it and were able to end the season on a high note. What I’ve personally taken away from the losses is that you can’t let a single down night define your whole season.”

The team has much to look forward to, with much of the team returning for 2025 as well. Although the record may not show, North Pocono fought hard and played competitive football all season long and have reason to keep their heads up this offseason.

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About the Contributor

Ethan Schield, Year 1

Ethan Schield is a senior journalism student. He also has a YouTube channel, FIreLynx, showcasing his works. His channel features both filming and editing videos along with some broadcasting content. Ethan’s love for motorsports, railroading, and commentating has pushed him to be his very best. He works hard to one day pursue a career in broadcasting motor racing, such as NASCAR and IndyCar, and he would like to attend college for sports/broadcast journalism to achieve said dream. Schield has amassed over five-thousand subscribers on YouTube, with nearly two-million lifetime views. He spends hours each day perfecting his stop-motion NASCAR races by filming each race, editing graphics, and adding voiceover to make each race seem like a real broadcast. His train related videos require near perfection, as he only gets one chance to get each shot right. These videos have, at times, surpassed fifty-thousand views. On top of YouTube, Schield is also a long-distance track athlete for the North Pocono Trojans. He has been a part of both the cross country and track teams since his first year of eligibility in seventh grade. Ethan specializes in the 1,600 and 800 meter events.