By Tom Robinson, NEPASportsNation.com
The Delaware Valley football team received surprising, almost-too-good-to-be-true news after Friday night’s District 2 Class 6A championship game win over Hazleton Area.
It turns out the news, that Delaware Valley would get to host a state playoff game, was indeed too good to be true.
When the official brackets were released by the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association Sunday morning, Delaware Valley and State College were placed at Hazleton Area’s Harman-Geist Stadium as a neutral site Friday night at 7.
The PIAA is using home fields in some cases this year, including Old Forge getting a home game and Lackawanna Trail having to play on Northern Lehigh’s home field Friday in other state games.
The home fields, which are for a team’s first game in the state bracket only, however, are not being allowed when an eastern team is playing a western team unless the districts are contiguous.
State College defeated Williamsport, 17-14, Friday in the District 4-6 Class 6A Subregional championship game.
If Williamsport had won, Delaware Valley would have been at home because the Millionaires are from District 4, an eastern district. State College is from District 6, which is in the western half of the state.
Delaware Valley was incorrectly informed Friday night that it would be home.
There was confusion in advance communication from the PIAA to district offices regarding the new rule. The site selection was made in time for Sunday morning, based on the original interpretation.
Old Forge is hosting Williams Valley.
