NFL Week 11 Recap

Michael Janora and Alex Walinski
Staff Writers

The week 11 Recap for the NFL was business as usual for some teams as they continued their winning streaks through week 11. The steelers Still remain at the top of the league at 9-0 after they walked through the Jaguars winning 27-3 in a landslide victory. Divisional opponent Bengals had a rough week as Rookie/LSU superstar went down with a gruesome knee injury as he was carted off the field. The injury was later described to be season-ending and will require major surgery.  The Bengals ended up losing that game 20-9 following Antonio Gibsons 98 yard run play for the score. The Cardinals- Seahawks went head to head in a big divisional game both going into it with the same records. The Cardinals couldn’t quite edge it out as they fell 28-21. A Carlos Dunlap game-ending sack and a Carlos Hyde touchdown proved to be the two key plays Seattle needed to solidify the victory. As the tight NFC West battle continues the Rams ended up pulling out the win against the Buccaneers as Tom Brady threw a late-game Interception to close the game. Jared Goff had three touchdown passes and Robert Woods and Cooper Kupp each had 100-plus receiving yards in the win. Rams are battling their hard schedule upcoming to end the regular season. Turning things to the NFC East the dog fight continues as the Giants, Eagles, Cowboys, and The Football team all have similar records despite their losing records. The divisional leader eagles couldn’t pull out the win as the Browns discovered holes in the Eagles run defense causing Nick Chubb to rush for Over 100 yards on the ground. The Birds struggled to find running room with second-year back Miles Sanders as he only gained 66 yards on the ground. QB Carson Wentz continues to find himself in deep waters as his performance has yet to impress coach Doug Peterson so far this season. Divisional rival Cowboys rose to victory over the Vikings as QB Andy Dalton lead the team with 3 touchdown passes and RB Ezekial Elliot Ran for 103 yards on the ground. The Cowboys gain ground with this victory moving to 3-7 in the losing NFC East. A surprising win took place as the Packers fell to the Colts in overtime as the Colts were down 14 points at the half but surged back to win the game in overtime by a Blankenship field goal to win the game. The Colts and Packers both Improve to 7-3 going into week 12. An NFC South Matchup between the New Orleans Saints and the Atlanta Falcons took place with a new look at quarterback for the saints as Tyson Hill got granted the start following the injury of veteran Drew Brees. Hill Had a great stat line against a weak Atlanta defense as he ran for 2 touchdowns and threw for 233 yards. Atlanta struggled to put up any points as they put up a low 9 points falling 24-9. In the AFC West, the Cheifs faced off with the Raiders in a divisional showdown between 2 rivals. Patrick Mahomes led the Chiefs to a win on a game-winning touchdown drive that saw him throw the game-winning touchdown pass to Travis Kelce in the final seconds against the Raiders. Mahomes and the Cheifs got their revenge to stay at one loss on the season. The Panthers shut out the Lions 20-0 in a blowout win moving Carolina to 4-7. P.J. Walker was 24-for-34 with 258 passing yards and a touchdown pass filling in for Teddy Bridgewater in the Panther’s win. Lastly, the Chargers just carried out the victory against the losing jets as New York becomes the first team to be eliminated from playoff contention. Rookie QB Justin Herbert threw 3 TD passes securing the 34-28 win.

The Eagles open the year under a dark cloud

Charlie Honer
Staff Writer

The Eagles season so far has been less than ideal. Starting off the season 1-4-1 is not the best beginning for a fairly recent Super Bowl winner. The Eagles have been hit with a dark cloud of injuries the last couple of years including this one. Multiple positions are down to backups and for some, they have even taken people off the practice squad.
  They started the year with a 27-17 loss to the Washington football team. Carson Wentz came out and threw for 270 yards, 2 touchdown passes, and 2 interceptions. They had no running game and Washington won in a 17-0 comeback. In week 2, they played the Rams and lost that one 37-19. They would tie against the Bengals the next week with a score of 23-23.
  They would get their first win in week 4 against the 49ers with a score of 25-20. Carson Wentz only threw for 193 yards, 1 touchdown, 1 interception. There was virtually no running game, and this game was won by the defense. They would go on to lose the next two weeks to the Steelers (38-29) and the Ravens (30-28).
Over the course of the next two weeks the Eagles would play two different divisional games against the Giants and the Cowboys, in the NFC East it's anyone's game. Week 7 they played the Giants where they just barely got away with a win, winning 22-21. The next week they played the Cowboys. This game was a battle for the top spot in the NFC East, except it wasn’t much of a battle. The Eagles had their share of mishaps but pulled away to win 23-9.
  The first half of the season isn't going too well. Even though the Eagles are at the top of the NFC East that title won’t help them in the playoffs playing better teams. We can only hope that they get it together over the next couple of weeks.

Lions Football Hopes to Make Huge Statement Week 1 against Upper Moreland

Will Albano and Christopher Kolen

Staff Writers

One year ago, the New Hope-Solebury Lions football team took the field against Upper Moreland for the first time. They had hopes and aspirations of being nothing short of spectacular with an abundant amount of starters returning on both sides of the ball. One of the most important starters and best players on the field was New Hope Quarterback Philip Weinseimer. Philip’s accolades his sophomore year were the stepping stones to an even greater junior year. His stats were 2,109 total yards and 27 total touchdowns He was unanimously named BAL MVP. As NFL legend Barry Sanders said though: “Football has a weird way of humbling you. Just as you think you're on top you get brought back down.”

In Philip’s first game last season he tragically broke his ankle in the first quarter. Unfortunately, the injury woes didn't stop there. Star Defensive End and Center Connor Fitzgerald also went down in the same game with an ankle injury that kept him sidelined most of the season. With their two best players out, the Lions found it tough to piece together wins with their most heartbreaking loss to Upper Moreland losing 21 to 0.

One year later, Philip Weinseimer is back and better than ever, proof being a 4.6 - 40 in the Lions combine. He also has some nice players around him this year starting with senior running back Joe Capriotti. A first team BAL running back last year, Capriotti will look to build off a strong junior season. Most important to Phil and Joe's success this year is the offensive line, and it all starts with Charlie Honer A.K.A “The Bodyguard.” Charlie's 6’3, 260 pound frame matched with his quickness makes him one of the best tackles in the Suburban One League. He will be paired with senior guard Tanner Richmond. Tanner has been consistent in proving he can compete with any player that matches up in front of him.

One the defensive side, the Lions want to be quick and fly over the field this year and it starts with their secondary. Dylan Hildebrandt was thrown into the fire his sophomore year and, although challenging, he quickly grew as a player. The linebackers are led by middle linebacker Jude Hutkin. Jude’s instincts of a ball hawk and while laying phenomenal hits have been on display for years and hopefully does it again this year.

When talking to Lions players, the common theme is that they are hungry and very anxious to return to the field. When asked how much this first game means to him senior guard Dan Flavin said, “It means a lot to us, last year we played these guys (Upper Moreland) to start off the season and they got the best of us. I promise you we are not going to let that happen this year.”

After watching a few practices during preseason, their intensity as a team is evident. Even in practice reps players have been giving every play their best, and they definitely want the season to start off with a win. Senior guard Tanner Richmond had this to say about how important a Week One win is, “It's very important, especially with a shortened season because every game matters for playoffs. And a Week One win builds confidence and sets the tone for the rest of the season.”

The NH/S Lions vs. Upper Moreland will be held without fans on Friday Night at 7 p.m. All games will be live streamed on NFHS network and teams will have individual recorder’s filming. Best of luck to the Lions. Seize the Day!!

The baseball season we lost

Adam Aquaro
Staff Writer

Going into this year many on the team thought this was the year where the team was going to have the most fun. A trip to Florida and a very well bonded team had the players and coaches excited. But, on March 13, “Picture Day,” the team heard the announcement. After school activities would be suspended for two weeks. The reaction from the team varied by player. Some thought that it would really only be two weeks, others thought a little more, and few speculated the season would be gone.
  Now, the talent of the baseball team definitely wasn’t at its highest point after losing seven senior starters last year, but the bond of the players was as close as it’s ever been. Most people looked forward to the 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. workouts on Monday and Wednesday nights because hanging out with the team was fun even with the time of the practice. This bond really showed some of the players how fun Florida was going to be. The last trip for the seniors to spend with their team while playing the game they love, messing around in the hotel, and the beach with other players and coaches. Giving the chance for upperclassmen to mess with underclassmen in a friendly and funny way. These experiences were all thrown out the window on March 15 when the trip was officially canceled.
  The team feels for the seniors and will miss them on the field next year. Cam Mertz was shooting for the stars this year to really show his talent. By just missing BAL 1st team and batting just below .500 last season, the whole team believed that he would surpass both. Justin Horak was going to start at 3rd base and aim for his best season yet going out in his senior year. Cole Davis would start at 1st base for the second year in a row and look to be a leader on the team and would aim for at least 2nd team all BAL. Deven Smith has already proven what his talent is and was looking to polish it off with a great season this year. Ben Koeppen joined the team this year, looking to play the sport he grew up playing in his last year of high school. Ben was embraced as soon as he joined the team and everyone was happy to have him around. Tom Vieridias was looking to get on the mound for his final year as a high school player. The team misses the season, and they will miss their seniors next year.

Major League Baseball plans shortened season due to COVID-19 crisis

Garett Hoffmann and Jake Saxton
Staff Writer

Due to COVID-19, the sports world has been wondering whether the NBA and NHL playoffs will happen. There is a lot of speculation about how the NFL’s season will look and if it will start in September. However, one sport that seems to be flying under the radar is baseball.
  Many experts inside the Major League Baseball are predicting that they will be cutting the season in half, from 162 games to 82. The league may also create schedules that prevent teams from traveling all over the country and Canada to play the Toronto Blue Jays. Instead they will have divisional restraints to keep teams in certain regions to prevent outbreaks of COVID-19.
  Many readers may be asking how will this new schedule be created? The answer is simple. Henry and Holly Stephenson, who have been creating MLB schedules since 1984 and 2004, respectively, explained that computers, with the right algorithms, will be able to do it in about five minutes. The teams will stay in their divisions. For example, the teams in the NL West consist of the Dodgers, Giants, Diamondbacks, Rockies and Padres. Three out of the five teams are from California whereas the Diamondbacks are from Arizona and the Rockies from Colorado. Even though the Colorado club is the farthest away, they will still play their division rivals. As of right now the closest sport that will be ready to get back on the ball during this crisis is Major League Baseball.

Boom of Bust? The Eagles make two questionable draft picks

Mike Borys and Connor Fitzgerald
Staff Writers

In previous years Eagles fans have been disappointed with the wide receiver position. Fans were certain that Alshon Jeffery, a previous Chicago Bear star would help out Carson Wentz. Jeffery has had mediocre seasons with the team. In the beginning of the season, Desean Jackson was looking great. Jackson ended up suffering a season-ending injury in just the second game. The Eagles selected wide receiver J.J. Arcega-Whiteside last year with the fifty-seventh overall pick. There were high hopes for the young player out of Stanford. Arcega-Whiteside did not perform nearly as well as fans wished. The young receiver only racked up ten receptions, 169 yards, and one touchdown. In this year’s draft, the receiver position was loaded with talent.
  The Eagles selected wide-receiver Jalen Reagor with the twenty-first pick. The ex-TCU star receiver was very excited to become an Eagle. Reagor has been known for his speed, being the 2nd fastest receiver in the draft. Reagor can either outrun defenders on a streak route, or out-jump defenders on a corner fade route. Many fans criticized the Eagles organization for this pick because some felt there were more talented receivers still available. At Texas Christian University, Reagor reeled in 148 receptions, 2248 yards, and 22 touchdowns. Hopefully, Carson Wentz and his new speedy receiver can hook up on many touchdowns this upcoming year.
  The Eagles second pick of the 2020 NFL draft was arguably the most controversial pick of the entire draft. For the 53rd pick in the draft they selected Jalen Hurts from The University of Oklahoma. The Eagles are in need of many players to fill starting roles and there is no doubt from current starting QB, Carson Wentz, that he will put on a show each game he plays. This left many people scratching their heads not understanding why the Eagles would pick a QB in the second round when they already have Wentz. Many believe that the Eagles will be running a double QB package similar to what the Saints use with Taysom Hill. There is also concern for the health of Carson Wentz after he suffered a serious concussion early in the 2019 playoff game. Wentz is young and has time to get healthy. The two quarterbacks will make a great package together.

NFL team facilities reopening with a 2020 season in sight

Parker Cane and Lear Asplundh
Staff Writers

Due to the coronavirus, the NFL season is up in the air. Like all sports, the coronavirus has put a halt to any further events and team activities. However, NFL team facilities are permitted to begin reopening starting as soon as this past Tuesday provided they meet certain criteria.
  NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said team facilities are allowed to reopen provided that they do so under “governing state and local regulations, are in compliance with additional public health requirements in their jurisdiction, and have implemented the protocols that were developed by Dr. Sills and distributed to all clubs on May 6.” Goodell added that teams that do not meet those requirements by Tuesday “may reopen their facilities on the earliest date thereafter on which they are able to meet the criteria.”
  In the first phase of reopening, teams are not allowed to have more than 50 percent of staff in the facility, and the number cannot exceed 75 people. That total is for all club locations combined. No members of the coaching staff are permitted to return to the facility in order to “ensure equity among all 32 clubs.
  With facilities opening up for certain teams, hopefully the season can stay on track and open Sept. 10, 2020 with or without fans.