SELINSGROVE — As rival football teams gear up for the District 4 championship game tonight, Mark and Kathy Wolfberg, of Selinsgrove, say they will secretly root for Shikellamy.
That’s their alma mater, but they will also be cheering for Selinsgrove, where two of their children are students at the high school and involved in the soccer and track teams.
“Football game time is always interesting,” Mark said. “My kids ask me, ‘Who are you rooting for?’ And I tell them it depends on who’s winning.”
Wolfberg said his father had served on the Shikellamy school board for 30 years, and his mother was a teacher in the district. For the past 28 years, he has lived in Selinsgrove, where he serves as a police officer. His oldest child recently graduated from Selinsgrove Area High School.
While attending Shikellamy, Wolfberg said he went to all the football games. He, his siblings and his wife, he said, were “always, definitely, Shikellamy fans.”
“I think quietly we sit there and say, ‘Come on Shik,’ but at the same time, we’re rooting for Selinsgrove because this is our home,” Wolfberg said. “It’s a win-win for us either way.”
He and his wife wear neutral colors when the teams play one another, he said.
For others, blood is no doubt thicker than alumni allegiance, and they aren’t ashamed to show it.
Tricia Shipman, of Sunbury, graduated from Selinsgrove and now has a son, Jacob Shipman, who is playing his first year on the varsity football team for Shikellamy.
While a student at Selinsgrove, she had been a big supporter of the football team.
But now, “I am definitely rooting for Shikellamy,” she said. “My son plays for them, so I have to.”
Though she still roots for the Selinsgrove field hockey team because her niece is a member of the team, she said, “As far as football goes, definitely Shikellamy.”
“You can’t show partiality,” said her father, Dick Norman, of Selinsgrove. “You got to cheer for both.”
His four children graduated from Selinsgrove, and two of his grandchildren attend the high school.
“My heart is really there,” he said. “But I have a grandson who plays on the Shikellamy football team, so I’m going to root for him. I’ll have to.”
Wolfberg thinks today’s game could be a test for the Selinsgrove team. “I think Selinsgrove cannot become overconfident,” he said.
Selinsgrove beat Shikellamy 55-0 on Oct. 23.
“Shikellamy has got to avenge themselves, and I think they’re going to be playing hard,” he said. “In theory, it should be a good game on both sides. We’re looking forward to it.”
Shipman directed her comments toward the Shikellamy team, saying: “Whether you win or lose, you should be proud of yourselves. You had a great year, and you should all hold your heads high. The community is proud of you, and we look forward to next year.”
“Go Shikellamy!” she said.
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