How fanatical?

“Mount Carmel football is what the whole community is about,” quarterback Nick Sebes told the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette in 1998 after the Red Tornadoes claimed their third state title.

Added then-senior lineman Jason Malakoski, “We’re a little town and we don’t have much, but we do have pretty good football. When you’re a little kid, you pretty much just want to be on the Red Tornadoes when you grow up.”

Some of those Coal Region kids from 1998 will be in uniform for the four-time state champions tonight when they meet District Three king Lancaster Catholic at Rossmere Stadium. The Red Tornadoes are ranked third in the state in Class AA by the Harrisburg Patriot-News; the Crusaders fifth.

‘We’re excited,” Catholic coach Bruce Harbach said of this first-ever meeting between the two teams. “It’s going to be a great night.”

Also tonight, Hempfield (1-0) hosts Bishop McDevitt (1-0) in a rematch of last year’s District Three Class AAAA semifinal, won by the Crusaders, 31-30.

Manheim Central (1-0) hosts Gettysburg (1-0) in the first-ever game on the Barons’ new turf field; Garden Spot (1-0) heads to Columbia (1-0); and Penn Manor (1-0) takes on Lampeter-Strasburg (1-0).

Schedule

TONIGHT: Mount Carmel at Lancaster Catholic, 7 p.m. (PCN-TV tape delay, Saturday, 9 p.m.); Bishop McDevitt at Hempfield, 7 p.m.; Lampeter-Strasburg at Penn Manor, 7 p.m.; McCaskey at York, 7 p.m.; Cocalico at Exeter, 7 p.m.; Elizabethtown at Lower Dauphin, 7 p.m.; Solanco at Red Lion, 7 p.m.; Pequea Valley at Hamburg, 7 p.m.; Elco at Pine Grove, 7 p.m.; Lebanon at Steel-High, 7 p.m.; Annville-Cleona at Reading Central Catholic, 7 p.m.; Dallastown at Wilson, 7 p.m.; Pottsville at Reading, 7 p.m.; Gettysburg at Manheim Central, 7:30 p.m. (Blue Ridge Cable); Garden Spot at Columbia, 7:30 p.m.; Eastern York at Donegal, 7:30 p.m.; Susquehanna Township at Ephrata, 7:30 p.m.; Warwick at Conestoga Valley; 7:30 p.m.; Hershey at Cedar Crest, 7:30 p.m.

SATURDAY: Northern Lebanon at Fleetwood, 1 p.m.; Governor Mifflin at Manheim Township, 7 p.m. (SportsFever TV).

WEATHER: Tonight’s high is expected to reach 60 degrees. Chance of rain is 15 percent. Look for partly sunny skies on Saturday, with a daytime high of 84 and nighttime high reaching 60. Chance of rain is 30 percent.

Games To Watch

Mount Carmel (1-0) at Lancaster Catholic (1-0): This could come down to a matchup of the Tornado’s physical offense against the Crusaders’ equally physical defense.

Catholic opened last week with a 27-6 stifling of Trinity, but they’ll be tested by a Tornado ground game led by senior tailback Ryan Kogut, who scored two TDs in last week’s 27-6 win over Biglersville. Junior James Haynes also scored last week and gained 75 yards on 15 carries.

“It’s Coal Region football, they run right at you,” Harbach said, but when sophomore QB Marcus Wasilewski looks to throw, slotback Jonas Pachuski and 6-foot-6, 225-pound tight end Mark Ambrose, who has committed to Virginia, are prime targets.

Catholic counters with the L-L’s top-ranked defense the past two years, fueled by lineman Tom Nardo, linebacker Tyler Kiscaden and safety Nick Downey, seniors all.

Downey headlines the Crusader offense, and he teams with backs Michael Reitmeyer and David Cunningham to fuel the ground game. Tight end Matt Balasavage and wideout Bobby Bushong key the aerial attack.

Ambrose and sophomore ‘backer Julius Demetrius front Mount Carmel’s 5-2 defense.

One concern for Catholic is the short week of practice forced on them by Tropical Storm Ernesto, which pushed last Friday’s game to Sunday.

“Trinity was a pretty physical game,” Harbach said. “Can we recuperate? I hope so.”

Bishop McDevitt (1-0) at Hempfield (1-0): They’ve met in the playoffs the past two years and are meeting in the regular season this year and next.

So are the Crusaders and Black Knights engaged in a budding rivalry?

“We might look at it as more of a rivalry than they do, since they’ve beaten us the past two years,” Hempfield coach Tom Getz said.

How about it, Jeff Weachter?

“I don’t know if it’s a huge rivalry,” the McDevitt boss said. “But it is a little bit of a rivalry.”

Knights senior back Jamerson Lewis ran for 129 yards and one TD in last week’s 28-24 win over Conestoga Valley. He’ll be tested tonight by a defensive line headed by Chris Henderson and Matt Dietz and one that helped the Crusaders cruise past Central Dauphin East, 35-6.

This game features a pair of first-year starters at QB — senior Mark Duke for Hempfield; sophomore Kyle Koncar for McDevitt. What each has in common is a desire to pay homage to the past.

The Knights’ motto this season is “We are the tradition.”

The Crusaders? “Tradition never graduates.”

Said Getz, “We’re a very young team and we have to grow up fast. But I expect us to play well (tonight).”

Players Of The Week

Section One: Lineman — Manheim Township’s Mike Gillespie registered seven tackles, including one for loss, and one QB hurry against Ephrata.

Back — McCaskey WR/FS Damar LaRue had seven receptions for 74 yards and one TD; 100 return yards; eight tackles; forced a fumble and had a fumble recovery against Downingtown East.

Section Two: Lineman — Lebanon’s Tom Houser recorded eight tackles, including five for loss, and a sack against Cedar Crest. He also forced a fumble and had one QB hurry.

Back — Solanco QB Dustin Musselman rushed for 188 yards and one TD, threw for 147 yards and owned a 35.7-yards per punt average against Penn Manor.

Section Three: Lineman — Lampeter-Strasburg OT/DT Billy Dorgan produced five tackles and a high blocking grade against Cocalico.

Back — Columbia RB/DB Damien Seals carried 16 times for 212 yards and four TDs against Eastern York. He also had two interceptions.