FRANKLIN TOWNSHIP, Pa. -- Southern Columbia is dominating at such a historic rate this season, that this question has been posed by many: Are the 2019 Tigers the best high school football team this area has ever seen?
"The level of play. The excellence of play is something to see," said Jim Doyle, a local radio sports announcer.
But is this year's Southern Columbia squad better than the 1992 Berwick Bulldogs led by the late, great George Curry, a six-time state champion?
Southern is now a nine-time state champ and it's left many comparing these two storied programs.
"Southern is where we were back in '80s and '90s and that's where they are now. Hats off to Jim Roth. He's done, in this day and age, a phenomenal job," said Bo Orlando, Berwick Athletic Director.
In 1992, Berwick was led by arguably the top high school football recruit in the country quarterback Ron Powlus, who went on to break records at Notre Dame.
That year, Berwick went 15-0, won a Class AAA State Championship, was named the National Champion by USA Today and punctuated that historic season by visiting President Bill Clinton at the White House.
"The perfection that that 1992 Berwick team had was something to see. They were only challenged once. It was the first year of the Hazleton Area jointure and that was a close game. Everything else was a rout," said Doyle.
But every Southern Columbia game this season has been a rout as well.
The Tigers have outscored their opponents by an astounding 491-20.
They have several players going on to play major division one football and are led by Julian Fleming, the number one recruit in the country, according to ESPN.
"2019 Southern Columbia is the best football team I've ever seen. They have no weaknesses," said Jake Berkheiser, Coal Township
"92 Berwick was the national champions that year, so they have accomplished that already. Southern has not done that. So I'm going to go with Berwick," said Bob Better, Berwick.
"They're both historical teams. Not to throw in my team, which in Berwick in 1983, we were the first mythical national champions, USA today, number one in the nation," said Orlando.
Right now, Southern Columbia has the edge.
You can also leave a comment as to what team you think is the best.