Originally published Nov. 25 in the print edition of The Mercury

If I was asked once I was asked close to 50 times … all within two or so hours on one of the warmest Thanksgiving mornings in recent memory.

The question (to paraphrase the many posed) was, “Why do we have to give up Thanksgiving Day football?”

The truth is, no one has to.

Yes, the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association is expected to approve the proposed “shorter season” during the third and final reading next month (according to just about every source imaginable in this great state of Pennsylvania, bet your house those fellas will, too). But nothing in that proposal will prevent anyone from playing football on Thanksgiving. Summer practice will kick off in mid-August, like it always has. But the regular season will end a week earlier, on the final weekend of October.

And that’s the problem … the big, big problem for the Thanksgiving Day football diehards.

Finding an opponent or opponents to fill in or cut into what will be a three week or more layoff between the end of the regular season and Thanksgiving will be difficult. A couple of athletic directors, even a few coaches, said it may be impossible. They aren’t fibbing, either.

Most if not all programs in District 1 will likely to line up (or cram) their respective future schedules into the new 11-week window. They’ll go with one of two scenarios – 1-and-10 or 2-and-9. That’s one week of practice capped off with a scrimmage, then 10 games; or the customary two weeks of practices and scrimmages, followed by nine games.

For the larger leagues, like the 10-team Pioneer Athletic Conference alignment, that means it’ll make the most sense to go with the 1-and-10 – a week of practice and scrimmage, then one non-league game followed by nine league games. It makes the most sense, that is, for those who put the postseason playoffs high on the priority list, or second only to winning the PAC-10 championship. However, others can still schedule those one or two non-league games, play eight league games, and finish up on Thanksgiving morning. But again, the problem will be filling that gaping hole in the schedule – or finding an opponent to play – on that first weekend of November.

While it may sound easy enough to do, it won’t be. Most if not all programs, even those that haven’t even come close to qualifying for the playoffs in the twentysome years they’ve been in existence, are going to shut down, pack up the gear and call it a season before flipping the calendar over to November.

One very interesting twist to all of this, though, is that the PAC-10 is split right down the middle with five Class AAAA schools and five Class AAA schools. Since 1988, when St. Pius X became the league’s first team to play in the postseason, through an antiquated qualifying process thrown in the trash a long, long time ago, only four schools – Boyertown (twice), Owen J. Roberts (once), Perkiomen Valley (once) and Spring-Ford (once) – have qualified for the AAAA playoffs. Methacton, the other quad-A representative, made back-to-back appearances in the AAA bracket back in 1994-95. For any of those five to have a legitimate chance of advancing into the postseason, using the current playoff points format, they’re going to have to defeat a Class AAAA non-league opponent and run the table in the PAC-10. One loss may not block that path, but two likely (if not assuredly) will, because so many other teams pick up big points week in and week out competing in leagues full of AAAA opponents.

The PAC-10’s remaining five schools in the AAA bracket – Phoenixville, Pope John Paul II, Pottsgrove, Pottstown and Upper Perkiomen – won’t mind the new “shorter season.” They shouldn’t, either. It benefits each and every one of them.

Former members Great Valley and Lansdale Catholic, which won a few district and sub-regional titles as well as a state championship, were often busy in the postseason. Phoenixville made three previous appearances before this season and will be lining up Saturday in the district final against Pottsgrove, which is in its eighth playoff run (all since 2000). Pottstown and Upper Perkiomen have made one and six playoff appearances, respectively.

And while there have only been four instances in which PAC-10 teams have had to juggle the schedule to accommodate one or two teams’ postseason games – like this week with Phoenixville moving its traditional Thanksgiving Day game against Spring-Ford up to Wednesday night – those four instances have created more than enough scheduling commotion and concern for players’ health and well-being … enough for most of those involved to say “enough already with Thanksgiving Day football.”

As hard as that is for diehards like myself to digest, it does carry considerable weight.

But there are still some area school officials – and some may be a stretch – who have actually said (or hinted as much) that they’d like to see their Thanksgiving Day games continue. Others have made it clear they have absolutely no interest in maintaining the tradition that, locally, has spanned four generations.

No one wants high school football players sitting around for nearly a month between games. That’s unfair to them, as well as to just about everyone else affiliated with the programs. Then again, except for the other diehards – those who want the regular season to end the final weekend of October to allow the “few” here and around the state to compete in the postseason – no one can quite comprehend the thought of no football in November, let alone no football on Thanksgiving.

Stay tuned. Or, as one area athletic director said this week, “it’s going to be at least another few months before anything is set in stone” for most of the PAC-10 football programs.

Thanksgiving Leftovers: No one anywhere around these parts enjoyed Thursday’s games more than members of Pottstown’s undefeated 1961 team. The grown-up youngsters, along with now grown-up assistant coach Bill Kerr, were treated to refreshments before the game in the Pottstown Middle School and recognized prior to the game, then walked together to midfield to serve as the Pottstown’s honorary captains for the coin flip. Then they watched the Trojans nearly duplicate their own 58-0 romp from 50 years ago with a 49-6 win over Owen J. Roberts. … OJR’s head coach for that game back in 1961, the legendary Henry “Hank” Bernat, also took in the game (from the opposing stands, of course). … Former Pottstown head coach Bill Rogers, who just completed his 53rd year of coaching the game – guiding the Trojans’ middle school program again this past season – was also in attendance. … Pottstown athletic director Pat Connors earned some props for his organization of Thursday’s special events. Great job by the second-year A.D., as well as by former A.D. John Armato. … Also, a rousing round of applause for the Owen J. Roberts and Pottstown marching bands, still two of the best around (and dare we say another important part of the Thanksgiving Day tradition).

Looking Ahead: Check out Saturday’s edition of The Mercury for an in-depth preview of the District 1-Class AAA final between Phoenixville and Pottsgrove, which kicks off later that afternoon (4:00) at Plymouth-Whitemarsh High School. … Also, check out Sunday’s edition for the district championship game story and more, and also for a look at the complete listing of the now-completed 2011 Pioneer Athletic Conference (only) team and individual leaders.