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  • Meet the couple that claims to have the best lit Christmas tree in all of Pennsylvania

    Meet the couple that claims to have the best lit Christmas tree in all of Pennsylvania

    Greg and Becky Wimmer believe their Christmas tree is the best lit tree in the state.

    The confidence, the couple from York, Pa., said over Zoom, comes from Greg spending almost all his life perfecting the art.

    He grew up in Lancaster in a single-parent household with his mother, Judy Wimmer, and a sister who was 10 years older. Judy was the executive housekeeper at the historic Yorktowne Hotel, which was founded in 1925 and provided a lot of unique opportunities for the young Greg.

    Like the time in 1992 when he played hooky and met Hillary and Bill Clinton with Tipper and Al Gore, on their first stop on a 1,000-mile campaign bus trip from New York to St. Louis after the Democratic National Convention. But most importantly, this is where he learned to light a Christmas tree.

    “She was the matriarch of tree decorating,” Greg said of Judy, who died last year. “Leading up to the Christmas season, she would use the basement of the hotel as her staging area, and would put up three 12-foot trees and five eight-foot trees around the property.”

    Judy Wimmer atop a ladder decorating a 12-foot Christmas tree at the Yorktowne Hotel in the late 1990s, where she was the executive housekeeper.

    Greg and his sister would go up to the hotel on the Saturday after Thanksgiving every year and help their mother decorate. First, they’d take on the 12-foot lobby tree before moving on to the other rooms. They’d work late into the night, stay over, and spend Sunday decorating.

    “I became so accustomed to knowing everything, she had me instruct adults by the time I was a teenager,” Greg said.

    Becky, 42, who teaches first grade, appeared on Zoom wearing a festive red sweater, weeks before Christmas. (Greg, 45, who teaches social studies to high schoolers, wore a plaid shirt, and their dog Jingle barked in the background.)

    “I always loved Christmas,” she said. “I love to have a Hallmark house and feel cozy and comfy. But I was very intimidated by Greg’s mom and her decorating when I became a part of the family.”

    Greg and Becky Wimmer were among the Pensylvannia social media creators invited to Gov. Josh Shapiro’s reception.

    The two, both public schoolteachers, met at Elizabethtown College studying for their teaching degrees, and run an Instagram account called the Class Couple. Here, they share content about, of course, holiday decorating but also more serious stuff like voter engagement and clips from them attending a “No Kings” march, anti-ICE protests, and a Kamala Harris rally. Recently, the couple were invited to attend a holiday reception for content creators hosted by Gov. Josh Shapiro.

    “We spent quite a few years sharing teaching things, and then COVID hit. We as teachers had to go back to work before the vaccine was out, and because we didn’t get that choice, our kids didn’t, either,” Becky said.

    After their oldest son, Grayson, became deaf in his left ear from COVID, “our ‘why’ for sharing online quickly changed,” she said.

    They started posting content on health and safety, and sharing Grayson’s journey from hearing loss to cochlear implant to attending a school for deaf students on the campus of Gallaudet University in Washington, D.C.

    “We had always been passionate about those types of things, but we felt the need to speak on that a little bit more, especially since it had impacted us directly in such a big way,” Becky said.

    Grayson Wimmer was born on Christmas Eve in 2009. He is one big reason behind the family’s knack for going big on Christmas celebrations.

    Grayson, who was born on Christmas Eve and is turning 16 this year, is one big reason behind the family’s knack for going big on Christmas celebrations. The family’s first tree goes up on Halloween.

    “Only the first one. It’s usually a skinny accent tree,” Greg said.

    “Halloween is like the gateway to get us to Christmas. We host Thanksgiving, but by then it’s like a Christmas wonderland,” Becky said. “We have a lot of skinny trees throughout the house.” One of those, she said, belonged to her mother, who is now in hospice with dementia.

    “Then there’s the main family tree, two taller skinny trees, and three smaller 3½-foot ones, and a small one in our bedroom.”

    Their younger son, Urban, 13, also has one in his room.

    But the Wimmers are not hoarders, Greg insists. “My goal is to always fit everything under the stairs in the basement,” he said.

    The family uses plastic trees — Grayson is allergic to real ones — and has been using the same ones for more than five years. Although it’s hard to find plastic trees that are not pre-lit, they are happy to take the trouble of finding those. The couple’s go-to stores are always the local home and garden shops.

    Lighting the tree is a bit of an Olympic sport for the household and it falls squarely on Greg’s able shoulders. He uses 1,700 lights (17 strands of 100 lights) and buys them months before Christmas. The claim to having the best lit tree in the state is only half in jest, bolstered by social media comments and a new title bestowed upon Greg by the internet: Christmas Lights Man.

    A 2020 photo of the family dog, Huck, inf ront of the family’s Christmas tree in York, Pa.

    Every year, Grayson and Urban pick and choose which ornaments to put up.

    “That’s the key to Christmas,” said Greg. “How do you make it special for you? For me it’s putting 1,700 lights. But whatever your tradition is, lean into it and embrace what the season is about.”

    Here are the Wimmers’ best tips so you can lay claim to having the second-best lit tree(s) in all of Pennsylvania.

    Measure your space

    “Most importantly, get a tree that fits in your space, don’t overpower your room,” Becky said.

    Start at the top

    Judy used a ladder; Greg uses a stepladder. “The branches are so close together [on top] that it’s the easiest to go up and over each branch,” Greg said.

    Don’t wrap, loop

    “Build depth by looping the wire around the individual branches and then work your way out from the base of the branch,” Greg said. “This way, I can control the cord more. Going around the tree. … I don’t see how people do it, because I think that you’re then just dancing around.”

    Work in sections

    “My mom did this,” Greg said of working in sections and his reasoning behind using 17 strands of 100 lights. “So if a strand went out on the main lobby tree, she could just take the ornaments and lights down in one section and replace the lights, instead of taking everything apart.”

    No LED lights

    Greg uses “the older incandescent lights because I feel like LEDs just don’t give the same glow.”

    Always backlight

    Greg puts lights on the back end of the tree because “I don’t want a dark corner. It ends up giving off a really neat glow when the other lights are off in the room.”

    Check your extension cords

    “They can’t all be on one. Use multiple cords and be aware of your breakers’ capabilities, especially with live trees,” Greg said.

    It’s going to take time, that’s OK

    Greg said he takes about 90 minutes to light the main family tree, which is seven feet tall.

  • With roots stretching back 170 years, the Jewish Family and Children’s Service strives ‘to make the world a better place’ | Philly Gives

    With roots stretching back 170 years, the Jewish Family and Children’s Service strives ‘to make the world a better place’ | Philly Gives

    By the time more than 700 people had found coats at the Jewish Family and Children’s Service of Greater Philadelphia’s annual coat drive last month, JFCS volunteer manager Brianna Torres should have been exhausted.

    Instead, she was exhilarated.

    “Honestly, this is one of our most favorite days of the year,” she said, taking a break from shepherding the 60 volunteers helping hundreds of folks choose free winter jackets and coats for themselves and their children at Congregation Rodeph Shalom.

    Sometimes the line stretched around the historic synagogue on North Broad Street.

    “It’s all hands on deck,” Torres said, with a smile. “We feel good — giving and receiving.”

    JFCS’s roots date to 1855, when philanthropist and Jewish educator Rebecca Gratz founded the Jewish Foster Home, and to 1869, when United Hebrew Charities was organized.

    These days, JFCS’s client base has grown beyond the Jewish population it once primarily served. It offers a multitude of services, including help with basic needs, mental health and wellness, support for Holocaust survivors, older adults and their families, help for children and families, and for people living with disabilities, as well as an LGBTQ initiative.

    “We’re an organization that is very focused on the equal value of every human being,” said Robin Brandies, JFCS’s new president and chief executive.

    When the giveaway ended, 900 of those human beings had chosen 1,200 coats out of 1,600 donated.

    “It is our responsibility to make the world a better place,” Torres said. “Our main forefront is dignity.”

    That’s why, she explained, the coat drive, while massive, didn’t resemble a rummage sale. “We’re trying to create a boutique type of atmosphere.”

    People look for coats during the winter coat drive at Rodeph Shalom synagogue last month.

    Volunteers hung coats neatly on racks by size, not piled in heaps. While many people were served, only 35 at a time were allowed in to “shop” in the synagogue’s huge community room. They could look at and try on coats at leisure without jostling for room.

    Volunteers helped them choose their coats while other friendly volunteers packed their coats into bags along with flyers describing more of JFCS’s services.

    Leftover coats wind up in JFCS’s mobile pop-up, “Our Closet in Your Neighborhood.” The agency brings a truck loaded with all kinds of clothing, from shoes to coats, and sets up mini boutiques in synagogues, churches, and community centers around the region. Fresh produce is also often available.

    Last month’s coat drive was Brandies’ first as JFCS’s new president and chief executive. She replaces JFCS’s longtime executive Paula Goldstein, who retired Sept. 1 after more than 40 years of service.

    “I’m blown away,” Brandies said. She walked into the synagogue’s community room and almost immediately ended up helping little King James, 3, get zipped into his new jacket.

    His mother, Jessel Huggins, of Strawberry Mansion, brought five of her 13 children to the coat drive.

    As they waited to choose, three of the boys, Shar, 6, Boaz, 7, and Prince Jedidiah, 8, said they hoped for winter jackets themed with Sonic the Hedgehog characters — Sonic and Tails, the fox.

    Sadly, they weren’t available, but at least Boaz and Prince Jedidiah got blue coats — the same color as the hedgehog. Shar landed a gray camouflage one. Their older sister, Shaly, 13, managed to snag her dream coat, a jacket with fur around the hood.

    “This is my first time coming,” Huggins said. “Buying coats for 13 kids is a lot.”

    LaToya Adams, of West Philly, stood in line, hoping she’d find a coat for herself, her daughter, 20, and her son, 7. “We can’t afford coats with food stamps being cut off — and right at Thanksgiving.”

    People wait in line to get into the winter coat drive at Rodeph Shalom synagogue last month.

    “The money I do make has to go to the bills,” she said. “I’m just trying to find a good-paying job. It’s a burden. It feels like you have a weight on your shoulders and you can’t get out of it. We’re trying to survive, and them giving a coat today helps.”

    Brandies came to JFCS after serving as the leader of Abramson Senior Care. The two organizations joined on Oct. 1 to provide more seamless care for older adults and their families in a program now known as Abramson Senior Care of JFCS.

    Abramson had offered more health-based care with JFCS, providing other types of services to seniors, including help with housing and food. “A family can make one phone call” on a 24-hour hotline to access services, Brandies said.

    Sometimes there are emergencies, like a person calling late at night after noticing an elderly neighbor had tried to cook herself a meal and ended up having a minor fire. Usually, though, Brandies said, the calls are from people seeking advice on how to care for an aging relative.

    Brandies, who had earlier careers in law and fundraising, said she became a fierce advocate for older adults in the 10 years she spent at Abramson.

    “People don’t like to think about aging,” she said. “It’s possibly the most universal and least sexy of causes. It’s not as sexy in fundraising circles as donating” to programs for children.

    “Everybody ages and needs help at some point,” she said. “But we’re not educated [as a society] as to the best way to be there.

    “As the percentage of the population that’s aging increases, we have fewer people going into senior care professions,” and there are fewer resources available to help the elderly. Many are aging alone, with no families nearby to help.

    “Seniors don’t want to be infantilized,” she said. “They want to continue to live their lives with as much dignity as possible.”

    This article is part of a series about Philly Gives — a community fund to support nonprofits through end-of-year giving. To learn more about Philly Gives, including how to donate, visit phillygives.org.

    For more information about Philly Gives, including how to donate, visit phillygives.org.

    Jewish Family and Children’s Service of Greater Philadelphia

    Mission: Jewish Family and Children’s Service (JFCS) of Greater Philadelphia strengthens families and individuals across generations and cultures to achieve stability, independence, and community.

    People served: Over 30,000 annually

    Annual spending: $14,899,000 for 2024-2025

    Point of pride: The recent merger of JFCS and Abramson Senior Care (now Abramson Senior Care of JFCS) expands access to comprehensive social and healthcare services for older adults and their caregivers across Greater Philadelphia.

    You can help: We invite individuals, families, groups, corporations, and more to contribute their time and skills to a variety of community-based volunteer opportunities.

    Support: phillygives.org

    What your JFCS donation can do

    • $25 buys a warm winter coat for a child.
    • $50 purchases a grocery store gift card for a family.
    • $100 pays the heating bill for an individual with a disability.
    • $360 subsidizes the cost of therapy for an individual experiencing a mental health crisis.
    • $500 covers medical bills for an older adult.
    • $1,000 helps a family of four pay their rent.
    • $2,500 installs a chair lift in the home of a Holocaust survivor.
  • Atlantic City is ending the year in crisis. Its mayor is on trial, New York casinos are coming, Peanut World caught fire. There are more worries.

    Atlantic City is ending the year in crisis. Its mayor is on trial, New York casinos are coming, Peanut World caught fire. There are more worries.

    ATLANTIC CITY — The journey through Atlantic City is bumpy these days, and not only because Atlantic Avenue is desperately in need of paving.

    Ducktown Tavern owner John “Johnny X” Exadaktilos has one wish for Atlantic City that has nothing to do with the gut-jarring avenue that runs in front of his bar.

    “Just normal,” says Exadaktilos. “I just want things to be normal.”

    Atlantic City, a place of historic mayoral misdeeds, multimillionaire overreach, and chronic unwanted attention, has managed in this waning year, even as its workers string up holiday decorations, to come up with a new plot twist: Its newly reelected Democratic Mayor Marty Small Sr. is on trial for alleged physical abuse of his teenage daughter.

    The trial has left Small untethered from his cell phone as new casinos have been green lit in New York City, and the state moves to tighten its authority over the town. Another trial, of Small’s wife, La’Quetta Small, who is the superintendent of schools, is set for Jan. 12.

    With Small reporting to an Atlantic County courthouse each day to face his daughter, who spent seven hours testifying against him on Tuesday, a bit of a hush has fallen on the city as it awaits the outcome, which could come this week.

    The sentiment in City Hall, where many employees owe their jobs to Small, leaned toward the assumption that Small would beat this charge like he’s beaten two previous indictments on voter fraud charges.

    But will the city emerge unscathed?

    “Every day, people who live in Atlantic City want to know what those of us are elected are doing to make their lives better and respond to their issues and concerns,” said council member Kaleem Shabazz, who was going from a planning board meeting to a mayor-less City Hall last week. “Whatever will happen will happen. The city still has to function. People have to be responsible.”

    On Dec. 1, as Small readied for jury selection in Mays Landing, New York City approved three casinos, two for Queens and one for the Bronx, a development long feared in Atlantic City.

    On Dec. 5, with the jury picked, the iconic Peanut World on the Boardwalk erupted in flames. On Dec. 9, with the mayor listening to his daughter, legislators in Trenton were proposing more state oversight of A.C. including a surprise provision that would give the state the power to pick developers for major projects.

    The biggest threat may come from the New York casinos, which some in the industry estimate could threaten as much as 30% of A.C.’s business and lead to the shuttering of one casino, if not more.

    Small, meanwhile, took the stand took the stand in his own defense on Friday, testifying that his daughter was his “best friend,” until becoming involved with a boy the family disapproved of, and denied he had abused her. The same day, community group El Pueblo Unido Of Atlantic City posted photos of ICE agents making car stops in city neighborhoods.

    Small could face jail time and be forced to step down as mayor under New Jersey law, if convicted. He and his wife, who has been attending her husband’s trial, taking notes in the back, have resisted calls to relinquish their powerful roles as mayor and superintendent.

    “It’s not ideal obviously,” said Shabazz. “If you had to pick a multiple choice question what would you want to be happening in your public schools, that wouldn’t be something you would pick, if you’re a parent or a taxpayer.”

    Atlantic City Mayor Marty Small and his wife, Superintendent of Schools La’Quetta Small, chat before the start of arraignment on Oct. 10, 2024. Mayor Small stood trial last week in Mays Landing. Cameras were barred from the courtroom during the trial.

    ‘A wake-up call’

    Early one morning last week, having just come from a planning board meeting, Shabazz said the city was going about its business. “I’m not at the trial, I’m on my way to City Hall,” he said. “The work of government has to go on.”

    Shabazz, who’s been focused for years, even decades, on some of the same intractable problems of the resort, remains optimistic. It’s a city where it can be hard to read the scorecard: progress seems to be there, but not there, at the same time.

    The city’s only full-size supermarket, the beleaguered Save A Lot is under new management, and the adjacent nuisance liquor store is expected to close. High-profile developers like Jared Kushner and K. Hovnanian appear to be going forward with residential projects in the city’s Inlet section. There are new restaurants, like the Byrdcage in Chelsea and Simpson’s, relocating next month to Atlantic Avenue.

    Shabazz is hoping the state will return zoning authority back to the city after years of the Casino Reinvestment Control Authority overseeing planning and zoning in the city’s tourism district.

    Kaleem Shabazz, president of the local chapter of the NAACP in Atlantic City, and Maryam Sarhan, a community organizer, stand in front of mural honoring civil rights leaders. “The city still has to function,” he said, while its mayor is on trial for alleged child abuse. “People have to be responsible.”

    But last week, as the mayor listened to his daughter testifying that he struck her in the head with a broom, after she threw detergent at him and refused to go to a community march, the state went in the opposite direction: a bill to renew the state’s takeover of Atlantic City for another six years that would allow the state to pick a “master developer” to oversee big projects, the Press of Atlantic City reported.

    “We have to be competitive,” Shabazz said. “We have to let people know that we’re open for business and we’re safe and secure. Crime is down significantly.”

    Like others interviewed, he believes Atlantic City can sell itself as a safe and affordable seaside destination. “We still have a free beach,” he said. “We have to let people know what we have.”

    Atlantic City Mayor Marty Small arriving for his arraignment before Judge Bernard DeLury at the Atlantic County Criminal Courthouse in Mays Landing on Oct. 10, 2024. Small testified in his own defense Friday during his trial. Cameras were barred from the courtroom.

    What the city has, chronically, is mayors under indictment. Small is the fifth mayor since 1981 to face indictment, following in the dubious footsteps of Michael Matthews (taking bribes), James Usry (accepting bribes, a charge later dropped), Bob Levy (defrauding the Veterans Administration), and Frank Gilliam (wire fraud).

    Small has defended himself by describing this latest situation as a private family problem, not related to his job performance. He has called the prosecution politically motivated and an overreaction. A jury will now weigh in.

    John Boyd Jr., a principal in the Boyd Co., which advises companies on where to locate, said many developers (and homeowners) continue to balk at Atlantic City, despite the upward pressure on Jersey Shore real estate that has left the city as arguably the last affordable seashore town in the entire Northeast.

    He called the three New York City casino licenses “a wake-up call” for New Jersey, and advocates a plan where the state allows casinos at the Meadowlands and/or Monmouth Park but shares the revenue with Atlantic City.

    “If you ask national developers their opinion of Atlantic City, it wouldn’t be a very positive one for a myriad of reasons,” he said.

    “Good governance is fundamental to economic development success. Companies want to minimize risk. It’s more than the mayor being on trial. It’s the uncertainty.”

    Meanwhile at the slots

    Inside Hard Rock casino during a blustery stretch last week, people were three deep at the holiday-branded Mistletoe Bar in the lobby, and nine guitars had become a menorah in the atrium.

    Gamblers were locked in as names were called for a random spin-the-wheel drawing every half hour. A convention of real estate agents brought lines to the check-in desk. The trial was off in the distance, invisible to most.

    “I do love coming to Atlantic City,” said Adam Druck, 33, a Realtor from York, Pa. “I hope the trial doesn’t make too much difference to what’s going on here.”

    Asked about New York casinos, Joe Pendle, 71, a retired police officer from North Jersey, said he was comfortable with his routines at Hard Rock, where free rooms and meals anchored his pleasant stays. (Hard Rock itself has one of the three licenses in New York City, an $8.1 billion project near Citi Field in Queens, which it projects will result in $1 billion a year in tax revenue.)

    “I have a three-room suite upstairs,” noted Pendle. “I like the beach.”

    Arthur Austin, 70, of Old Bridge, said he had worked for decades on Wall Street and had no desire to travel to New York for a casino weekend.

    “I worked in the city for 20 years,” he said. “I only go into the city if I have to.”

    Adam Druck, 33, of York, Pa., and Eric Moeller, 36, of Reading, inside Hard Rock casino on Dec. 9, where they were staying as part of Triple Play Realtor Convention and Trade Expo in Atlantic City.

    Out-of-towners like Austin hadn’t heard about Small’s trial, but the local gamblers at Hard Rock sure had.

    “Atlantic City is a crooked place, and it’s always gonna be crooked because of what everybody’s into,” said a 57-year-old woman who lives locally and was playing the slots. She did not want her name used so that she could speak her mind in a small town.

    “People want their guy to stay in there,” said the woman. “He gives everybody a job. You could flourish, but only if you are with the right people.”

    “I don’t think that it hurts Atlantic City,” said Seng Bethia, 40, of Atlantic City, who was at the slots. “His daughter is such a sweet girl. It was bad, just the whole thing.”

    ‘Are you kidding me right now?’

    Exadaktilos, the Ducktown Tavern owner who is Small’s loudest detractor, said he had taken things down a notch of late, putting aside his popular weekly Facebook live rants that he said had started consuming him.

    Still, last week, as the prosecution wound up its case, the city sent out a contractor to do some temporary filling in of cracks on Atlantic Avenue in advance of the city’s holiday parade, and Exadaktilos found himself back on Facebook live.

    “Are you kidding me right now?” he said over footage of the roadway. “What happened to Atlantic Avenue is going to be paved? Horrible.”

    Boyd, the location consultant, points to bright spots. The national developers are a vote of confidence, as is the September opening of the SeaHaus boutique hotel on the Boardwalk, a Marriott property. Showboat and the Sheraton near the Convention Center are converting rooms to residences.

    Boyd sees potential for Atlantic City to follow the likes of Coney Island, which has seen a renaissance, to attract film business, to market itself as a live-work-play destination.

    Outgoing council member George Tibbitt looks at the Kushner plan, a 180-unit apartment complex, as another missed opportunity. “No vision there,” he said. “That’s desperate development.”

    The property is on the inlet near Gardner’s Basin and at one point was viewed as a potential spot for an ambitious mixed-use development similar to the Inner Harbor in Baltimore.

    “New York City definitely makes me afraid,” said Tibbitt. “There’s only so many gambling dollars to go around. Adding more casinos is going to be devastating. We have to clean the city up. We have to get the neighborhoods filled back up.”

    One industry the city bet heavily on was cannabis: Its midtown quickly filled with 16 dispensaries. But after complaints from the cannabis entrepreneurs themselves, city council capped the number at 16, leaving many that have been approved but have yet to open (including one that necessitated the demolishing of a historic church) in limbo.

    Atlantic City is a place where things can seem to be finally coming together, while simultaneously unraveling. Big plans vaporize, like the highly touted gym and nightclub outside Showboat, where last summer, the owner set up couches, DJ booths, and exercise machines, got stalled by permitting issues, and quietly dismantled them.

    Miguel Lugo, general manager at AC Leef, which held out for a strategic spot on Albany Avenue, said his cannabis business has been good. He looks forward to the dispensary running financial literacy classes for the community, and getting its cultivation license.

    “On this side of the town, everything’s been phenomenal,” Lugo said. “I’m super focused on AC Leef. I don’t know what’s going on with the mayor.”

  • Letters to the Editor | Dec. 14, 2025

    Letters to the Editor | Dec. 14, 2025

    Divisive language

    Mayor Cherelle L. Parker spent last weekend arguing that amendments to her H.O.M.E. initiative are “trying to pit the ‘have-nots’ against those who have just a little bit.” But what is divisive about making sure those who are the least well off are prioritized? According to the National Low-Income Housing Coalition and National Alliance to End Homelessness, extremely low-income households (households making 30% of the region’s annual median income or less) are facing the brunt of the housing crisis. City Council’s amendments propose reallocating 90% of the funding for certain programs to residents making 60% of the annual median income or less, as opposed to going to residents who make up to 100% of the annual median income. So her argument that this is a “subtraction” carries no weight. What is being subtracted? Moreover, if she really wanted to address the housing crisis, why would she not allocate assistance to those who, according to experts, need it the most? The amendments simply call for a reallocation of funds to those who need it the most. Nothing about that should be divisive; it is simply good policy, but Mayor Parker’s language about it certainly is. Mayor Parker is dividing Philadelphians, not progressives in City Council.

    Jeff Wasch, Philadelphia

    $100K visas

    There’s no question that many American-born medical professionals would rather work in urban areas where they and their families can enjoy the amenities that large cities offer and their children can choose from a wide range of schools to attend. For years, foreign-born medical professionals have been filling positions in undesirable locales across rural America. President Donald Trump just levied a $100,000 H-1B visa application fee on foreign-born medical professionals, among others. If Nephrology Associates of the Carolinas closes because it cannot hire enough doctors, its dialysis patients will need to travel one hour each way to Charlotte, N.C., three times a week. I wonder if these dialysis patients in a city where residents overwhelmingly voted for President Trump now regret their 2024 vote.

    Paul L. Newman, Merion Station

    Balance of powers

    According to analysts, the oral arguments heard recently by the U.S. Supreme Court in Trump v. Slaughter give clear indication that the majority intends to gut/overturn the governing precedent (the Humphrey’s Executor v. United States decision) that restrains executive authority over independent agency heads. This will solidify the “unitary executive.” The reins will be removed, and Donald Trump will consider there to be no remaining limits. He will remove any Fed governor, Securities and Exchange Commission commissioner, or, for that matter, even common civil servants as he sees fit, without repercussions. Historians should note Dec. 8, 2025, as the date that marks the end of our system of government as we have till this point understood it. Justice Samuel Alito acknowledged as much in a sarcastically phrased question. The salient question for America’s future is whether his sarcasm was because he does not believe there will be harm, even given the breadth of this decision, or was the sarcasm because he simply doesn’t care? Political ideology currently seems to trump considerations of justice or tradition. The court clearly seemed to indicate it is going to eliminate the balance of powers insofar as it restrains the executive. I suppose it is somewhat understandable that the Founding Fathers did not explicitly spell everything out in detail. There seemed to be some presumption that honor and gentlemanly decorum would prevent outcomes such as we see today. And as quaint and naive as that may have been even then, how could the intervening generations have been so naive as not to have foreseen this downside potential, and responded appropriately with more explicit legislative restrictions? Even in my lifetime, since Kent State, Richard Nixon, and Iran-Contra, how could we have continued forward with such naivete, having never explicitly delineated the constitutional limits of executive power? How could we have been so stupid?

    W.B. Yeats certainly saw this coming: “Things fall apart; the centre cannot hold … The best lack all conviction, while the worst are full of passionate intensity.”

    Michael Cahill, Phoenixville

    Grand old flag

    So the city’s Department of Public Property “aims to replace each flag twice a year,” and “shift crews perform a weekly check”? I must be driving the wrong Parkway. The flags I’m seeing look like they were the originals hung during the Bicentennial in 1976. Some look like they fail to reflect decades-old regime changes. The folks at public property need to check their maps, adjust their GPS systems, and reverse their binoculars. Some of the Parkway flags are looking mighty sad.

    Mike Egan, Plymouth Meeting

    Join the conversation: Send letters to letters@inquirer.com. Limit length to 150 words and include home address and day and evening phone number. Letters run in The Inquirer six days a week on the editorial pages and online.

  • Horoscopes: Sunday, Dec. 14, 2025

    ARIES (March 21-April 19). It’s fine to daydream, but it’s even better when the dream has feet. There’s one little step you can take today to start bringing the vision to reality. Just do that, and you’ll be on your way.

    TAURUS (April 20-May 20). Some mistakes happen because you’re pushing into new territory, and that’s a good thing! Don’t waste time regretting what you can learn from. Pay attention, adjust and you’ll get better fast. An earth sign (Taurus, Virgo, Capricorn) wants to mentor you.

    GEMINI (May 21-June 21). You’re coming to the final moments of a project or phase, and it’s something worth savoring. Don’t rush the ending; let it unfold in its own sweetness. Sometimes the last page holds the best line.

    CANCER (June 22-July 22). You may find yourself wishing you were like the main character in an adventure drama, organizing your life around a quest. While such a thing seems impractical, isn’t there some version of the quest that would be the right fit for your life?

    LEO (July 23-Aug. 22). You can connect with your inner world anywhere, but the right setting makes it easier. A beautiful space is calling to you today, possibly a park, a cozy corner or a room that feels sacred. Reflection inspires a shift in you.

    VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22). Not only have you survived enormously stressful circumstances, but sometimes you’ve chosen them on purpose. It was out of duty, or to answer a calling — but now it’s because the hard things have taught you that you can do anything.

    LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23). You’ll grow faster because you’ve stopped worrying what will happen if you make a mistake. To wobble, fumble and fall is all just part of learning. Every misstep is data. Every slip hones your skill. Every recovery proves your resilience.

    SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 21). Like browsing Zillow for fun, window shopping or hanging out with someone attractive without trying to make it something, you will let yourself want things without forcing yourself to act — pleasure without the pressure.

    SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21). Your body may register fear with a quick pulse and electric flutter. But your spirit knows better. It recognizes the moment as destiny, not danger. This is the courage that rises as you step into something thrilling and meant for you.

    CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19). You can’t control how others react to you, but at least you care enough to try to create an enjoyable, interesting experience for them. Many don’t think past their own wants, so any selfless effort at all lends you an advantage.

    AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18). The obstacle isn’t always a big, scary force pushing against you. More often, it’s something gentle and enjoyable that quietly steals your focus. Pay attention to the things that feel good now but keep you from what you really want.

    PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20). Yes, you’ve been hurt. But you keep the love flowing anyway. You love openly, bravely, sometimes recklessly. Why? Because you know love is worth the risk. Something magical and meaningful will happen to prove you right.

    TODAY’S BIRTHDAY (Dec. 14). Welcome to your Year of Delicious Momentum on key projects. Some of your moves are intuitive, others strategic, and all brilliant. Your bank account reflects the follow-through on intention. More highlights: You’ll find yourself saying yes to invitations that once intimidated you, and each one opens another door. A spontaneous trip becomes legendary. Romance makes you laugh at your own skepticism. Sagittarius and Gemini adore you. Your lucky numbers are: 4, 17, 29, 33 and 42.

  • Dear Abby | Effort to be a good grandpa doesn’t go as planned

    DEAR ABBY: Ten years ago, I connected with “Christi,” a daughter I fathered with a woman I was in a relationship with for a short time decades ago. We split before Christi was born. My ex-girlfriend didn’t tell me about her until after she was born. By that time, she was married to a man Christi knew as her dad. However, she no longer acknowledges him as her father.

    Christi and I developed our relationship, and it would be impossible for me to love her more than I do. When I retired five years ago, she asked me to move closer to her and my 11-year-old granddaughter. She said she would appreciate help with things like driving her to school and activities. Since relocating, though, I have been given very little access to either of them. Christi’s family has poisoned my granddaughter against me. Whenever I see them, it’s always in a group of 10 or more, so we haven’t developed any of the closeness I was hoping for.

    This situation is making me miserable to the point of affecting my mental health. I get the feeling that if I address this with Christi, I’ll be cast out of her life completely. I don’t think I could handle that. Must I accept the limited role I have been given in their lives or risk our relationship by telling her how I feel?

    — LET DOWN IN FLORIDA

    DEAR LET DOWN: The time has come to revisit those conversations you had with Christi in which she asked you to move closer. Tell her you agreed because you thought it would be an opportunity to spend time with her and get to know your granddaughter. However, the result has been that you feel more like a free chauffeur service than a grandparent. Ask why this has happened.

    If the situation is fixable, talk with a licensed psychotherapist about how to accomplish it. However, if there are no changes, return to the community from which you came before you suffer further emotional damage.

    ** ** **

    DEAR ABBY: Where and how do you draw the line between being kind and being a people pleaser? Furthermore, how do you know when you’re doing something that you don’t particularly want to do, but don’t mind doing, either out of kindness or an inability to say no?

    Sometimes, I regret committing to something only when I’m actually in the middle of it or just beforehand. Other times, I realize I’ve taken on too many responsibilities, which makes me feel frustrated and stressed, even though I still enjoy being helpful whenever possible. How do I recognize and avoid these unpleasant feelings and experiences?

    — CARRYING THE WEIGHT

    DEAR CARRYING: You are a good person. Now start being as nice to yourself as you try to be to others. Because keeping the promises you make to these people is causing you to feel stressed or resentful, you must find the courage to say no. Start practicing now, before the milk of human kindness begins to curdle in your breast.

    ** ** **

    TO MY READERS: The eight days of the Jewish holiday of Hanukkah begin at sundown. Happy Hanukkah, everyone, and a joyous Festival of Lights to all of us.

    — LOVE, ABBY

  • Flyers give up early lead, suffer first shootout loss of the season to Carolina Hurricanes

    Flyers give up early lead, suffer first shootout loss of the season to Carolina Hurricanes

    Bobby Brink was blunt about the Flyers’ 4-3 shootout loss to Carolina.

    “We were pretty bad,” Brink said of the second period that saw the Flyers’ 2-0 lead evaporate Saturday night at the Xfinity Mobile Arena. “We just lost battles, didn’t support each other. Stopped taking it to them. Let them take it to us.”

    The Flyers jumped out to an early lead in the first period. Brink scored the first goal of the game with a snipe off a Trevor Zegras zone entry, and Zegras capped off his excellent first period with a goal of his own, burying a feed from Konecny behind the net.

    The Canes’ man-on-man coverage system is notoriously suffocating defensively, and the Flyers felt it in the second period, struggling to break the puck up the ice and generate any consistent offensive zone time.

    Flyers center Christian Dvorak leaps over teammate right wing Bobby Brink’s first period goal past Carolina Hurricanes goaltender Pyotr Kochetkov on Saturday.

    Ty Murchison, playing his third game in place of the injured Cam York, turned the puck over on a breakout to former Flyer Shayne Gostisbehere. He fired one quick pass to Nikolaj Ehlers, who sniped the puck over Samuel Ersson’s shoulder to put Carolina on the board. With just over five minutes to go in the period, Canes defenseman Alexander Nikishin tied it with a huge slap shot from the blue line.

    “Carolina is a pressure team,” said Flyers coach Rick Tocchet. “You’ve got to go at them with pressure. I think we backed off. We started to stop skating. We need some wall play. If we made a couple wall plays, we would have had two or three three-on-ones, but Carolina puts a lot of pressure. I think they’re the worst team when it comes to odd-man rushes. So that’s when you really need to dig in.”

    The Flyers improved a bit in the third period, but still struggled to get on the board.

    “It was better than the second, but I don’t know, we’ve got to have a better effort than that,” Brink said.

    Flyers winger Carl Grundström brings ‘a lot of energy’ to the ice, and it’s paying off

    Late in the third, Seth Jarvis snuck past the Flyers’ defense and easily tucked the puck in one-on-one against Ersson. That might’ve been just the kick the Flyers needed, because just 23 seconds later, Carl Grundström took advantage of a two-on-one opportunity and beat Pyotr Kochetkov to tie the game at three on just the Flyers’ second shot of the period.

    Grundström was called up on Dec. 2 in place of the injured Tyson Foerster, and is on a three-game point streak, including the game-winner in San Jose and the game-tying goal against Carolina.

    “He can skate, and he’s not afraid to get inside,” Tocchet said. “When you’re a player in the NHL and you can skate and you’re an inside player, you can pay the mortgage, that’s how you do it. I think that he wants to stay here. You can tell. What a couple of big goals for us so far.”

    Forcing overtime on Saturday wasn’t enough for the Flyers, who fell in the shootout for the first time this season after five wins.

    The Flyers’ three-on-three struggles continued, with their best chance coming off a two-on-one opportunity from Zegras and Konecny, but Zegras flubbed the pass, allowing Kochetkov to make an easy save, and Ersson made a strong save on Jordan Staal with just seconds to play.

    Zegras had his first shootout miss of the year. Brink, Konecny, and Michkov also missed, and Jackson Blake won it for Carolina in the fourth round.

    The Flyers won’t have much time to marinate in what went wrong, with another matchup against Carolina in Raleigh on the docket for Sunday night. They hope they can get another period like the first, and to avoid a repeat of the second.

    “They were doing a good job of coming down on our wingers on the wall,” Zegras said. I thought in the D-zone, some faceoff stuff we’ve probably got to clean up. I think just build off that first period, because I thought we were doing some good stuff.”

    Up next

    The Flyers will play Carolina at the Lenovo Center in Raleigh on Sunday at 5 p.m. ET. The game will air on NBC Sports Philadelphia.

  • ‘Such a superstar’: Beloved Philly flight attendant remembered after his puzzling South Philadelphia death

    ‘Such a superstar’: Beloved Philly flight attendant remembered after his puzzling South Philadelphia death

    Amadou Thiam lived the American dream — and then some.

    The immigrant from Côte d’Ivoire worked his way up at a major airline as a flight attendant, purchased a home in South Philadelphia, and traveled to exotic locations when his schedule allowed it.

    He danced with friends at Philly’s nightclubs, even crafted a stage name for a yearly drag performance he gave at Voyeur — “Ama-Diva,” a play on his name that Thiam’s loved ones say reflected the 50-year-old’s playfulness and unapologetic charm.

    That dream was cut tragically short last month.

    A quiet neighborhood of rowhouses was rattled Nov. 10 when neighbors found Thiam lying naked on the pavement behind his home on the 2400 block of Federal Street suffering severe injuries to his face, neck, and body.

    He was rushed to a nearby hospital and died from his injuries.

    The medical examiner’s office has yet to release the cause and manner of Thiam’s death. But homicide detectives are investigating, and police believe Thiam either fell — or was thrown — out of his third-floor window. They have identified two men they believe may have been involved.

    Amadou Thiam’s partner Barry Rucks displays a photo of Amadou before a memorial service at Voyeur Nightclub on Saturday, Dec. 13, 2025 in Philadelphia.

    It was jarring news for those who knew Thiam, a beloved member of Philadelphia’s flight attendant community who had worked for American Airlines since 2011.

    A group of his loved ones gathered at Voyeur on Saturday to memorialize their friend, sipping drinks and sharing stories beneath the shimmering glow of a disco ball. A DJ played soulful dance music. Some of Thiam’s acquaintances, his “chosen family,” donned dresses, high heels, and flashy jewelry.

    In the face of tragedy, they were celebrating in style — the way Thiam would have wanted them to.

    “He was just a happy person, and he took advantage of his environment and did the best with it,” said Barry Rucks, Thiam’s partner of five years. “You and me take things for granted — he didn’t take anything for granted.”

    Rucks said Thiam started at American Airlines as a baggage claims worker but quickly rose to become one of their “number one” flight attendants.

    A native French speaker, Thiam worked on international flights to Paris and Zurich, posting photos to social media of the luxury hotels and historic monuments he visited along the way.

    It was a life he could have hardly imagined in western Africa, Rucks said, where he was raised alongside nine brothers and sisters.

    After getting his American citizenship, Thiam was proud to vote in elections and serve on jury duty, Rucks said. He marveled at the economic opportunity here, and developed an affinity for purchasing lavish clothing items on Amazon when he wasn’t helping siblings out with money.

    “He would never say no to anyone, because he knew how hard it was to be an American,” Rucks said.

    Voyeur was a fitting setting for Thiam’s memorial.

    The Center City nightclub is where Thiam and a friend once dressed as Glinda and Elphaba from Wicked and performed during an annual drag benefit for flight attendants who had fallen on hard times.

    Amadou Thiam’s partner Barry Rucks speaks to guests during a memorial service at Voyeur Nightclub on Saturday, Dec. 13, 2025 in Philadelphia.

    “He was just such a shining star in this community,” said Aurore Dussh, one of Thiam’s friends. She said Thiam performed at Voyeur on numerous occasions, balancing his diva reputation with an undeniable sweetness in his relationships.

    He was “such a superstar,” Dussh said. “Yet he made everyone else feel seen.”

    Police continue to investigate Thiam’s death

    In the weeks since Thiam’s death, police have sought two men they believe are connected to the unusual circumstances surrounding his death.

    Sources familiar with the investigation say investigators have evidence that suggests Thiam was assaulted that night.

    That evidence includes video footage showing the men outside Thiam’s home around the time his body was found. The two, an older and younger man, appear to be carrying clothing from Thiam’s home, according to those sources.

    Neighbors, too, recalled seeing the men leaving Thiam’s home.

    This image, taken Nov. 16, 2025, shows the third-story window (second from left) from which neighbors say Amadou Thiam fell on Nov. 10.

    Finding Thiam’s door cracked open, the neighbors entered to find blood smeared across his kitchen and third-floor bedroom. Back outside, they noticed a stream of blood that led them to Thiam’s body on the pavement.

    Rucks, Thiam’s partner, said he has been in touch with investigators and that none of Thiam’s friends and acquaintances recognized the two men in the video.

    Rucks, who lives in Montgomery County, lived separately from Thiam, who prized his independence, he said.

    He recalled Thiam was nothing but happy the Sunday morning he left his house to return to Philadelphia, a day before his death.

    It was the last time Rucks saw his partner alive.

    “I can’t speculate and I’m refusing to,” Rucks said. “We will find out what happened.”

  • Flyers winger Carl Grundström brings ‘a lot of energy’ to the ice, and it’s paying off

    Flyers winger Carl Grundström brings ‘a lot of energy’ to the ice, and it’s paying off

    There’s been a lot of talk recently about the fourth line’s struggles and lack of contributions in the goal column on the scoresheet.

    Enter Carl Grundström.

    Recalled on Dec. 2, after Tyson Foerster went down with an upper-body injury the night before against the Pittsburgh Penguins — he will be out for 2-3 months — the Swede sat patiently waiting for his turn to enter the lineup. It came on Dec. 9, and he made his case known with a sweet deflection goal — the game-winner — against the team the Flyers acquired him from, the San Jose Sharks.

    Two nights later, against the visiting Vegas Golden Knights, he put pressure on defenseman Brayden McNabb, creating a turnover along the boards in the offensive zone. Seconds later, the puck was in the back of the net off a one-timer by defenseman Noah Juulsen to tie the game, 2-2, in the Flyers’ 3-2 overtime loss.

    “I bring a lot of energy,” Grundström said on Saturday morning after the Flyers’ morning skate. “Feel like, try to play hard. Be direct.

    “I think I’m bringing the game I want to bring. Obviously, I can probably do better, but it’s getting better and better, I feel like.”

    In Voorhees, Grundström was back on the fourth line with Garnet Hathaway and Rodrigo Ābols. He’s started every game that way, but on Thursday, he was moved up to the third line with Noah Cates and Bobby Brink.

    And his minutes have been inching up. He played 10 minutes, 17 seconds in his Flyers debut against the Ottawa Senators on Nov. 8. That climbed to 12:41 on Thursday.

    Flyers coach Rick Tocchet was frustrated after an OT loss to Vegas. Was it warranted?

    “Well, I think he’s an NHL player, so, honestly, a lot of credit to Danny getting him here, because he’s a guy that’s a depth guy,” coach Rick Tocchet said of the forward who was acquired in the deal that sent the Ryan Ellis contract west. “I think there’s some stuff he does that I really like, and you can tell he wants more. I like that. So, how we use him, there’s a lot of options for me.”

    And how will Tocchet use the forward he saw play a bunch when the former was the head coach of the Vancouver Canucks and the latter was a member of the Los Angeles Kings across six seasons and the Sharks?

    “He’s a smart guy. He’s reliable. He can penalty kill,” said Tocchet of Grundström, who played on the penalty kill for 39 seconds against the Sharks and has 56 total seconds this season.

    “When you have a guy, whether he plays fourth line or third line, whatever he plays, it’s good to have that guy who can penalty kill. You can get some minutes out of him. It’s not just top-heavy penalty killers and stuff. So I think we’re giving him a little bit more and more PK.”

    Flyers right wing Carl Grundström (center) reaches after the puck against the Vegas Golden Knights on Dec. 11.

    At even strength, Grundström brings a similar element to the fourth line as Nikita Grebenkin, 22, who was elevated to the third line when Foerster went down, but flip-flopped with him on Thursday. They both play tough on the wall and like to put pressure on the defense, although the 28-year-old Grundström has more NHL experience.

    While it’s only been 9:24 of ice time, according to Natural Stat Trick, when the fourth line is on the ice with him, the Flyers have 54.55% of the Corsi For — with either Nic Deslauriers or Grebenkin it is below 50%. They also have 50% of the shots, 100% of the scoring chances (1-0) and, of course, the goal.

    “Intangibles, a little confidence, too. Scoring, getting a goal, and then bringing the other attributes,” Hathaway said when asked about adding Grundström to the left wing.

    “He’s relentless. I think you’ve seen on every shift. He helped create Jules’ goal the other night, with just battling inside the blue line, making a 50-50 puck ours, and staying on and holding on to pucks longer. I think that’s attributed to more [offensive]-zone time for us and getting chances after that.”

    Breakaways

    Defensemen Rasmus Ristolainen and Cam York will be on the four-game road trip that begins Sunday against the Hurricanes in Carolina (5 p.m., NBCSP). According to Tocchet, Ristolainen “is close to playing” and York is ready, adding, “whether he plays tomorrow or the next game, he’s close.” … Goalie Sam Ersson will start on Saturday in the first game of a home-and-home with the Hurricanes. Therefore, it is expected that Dan Vladař will play on Sunday. … The Flyers will have the same lineup, which means defenseman Ty Murchison will play his third NHL game.

    Flyers defensemen Cam York and Rasmus Ristolainen inching closer to returning from injury
  • Villanova upsets Tarleton State and advances to FCS semifinals with comeback win

    Villanova upsets Tarleton State and advances to FCS semifinals with comeback win

    Villanova advanced to the FCS semifinals for the first time since 2010 with a 26-21 comeback victory over Tarleton State on Saturday in Stephenville, Texas.

    The visiting Wildcats played from behind throughout the first three quarters before taking down the fourth-seeded Texans, who entered Saturday’s contest boasting the No. 1 scoring offense in the FCS, averaging 44.1 points per game.

    Villanova graduate quarterback Pat McQuaide passed for 180 yards and one touchdown, while freshman wide receiver Braden Reed was integral to the victory in multiple ways, including throwing a touchdown pass on a second-quarter trick play and catching the game-winning score on an 11-yard pass early in the fourth quarter. Sophomore running back Ja’briel Mace led the ground attack, rushing for 151 yards and one touchdown on a team-high 18 carries.

    Villanova quarterback Pat McQuaide throws the ball on Saturday.

    With the win, 12th-seeded Villanova (12-2) claimed its second straight upset and extended its playoff run, which already saw defeats of Harvard and No. 5 seed Lehigh in previous rounds. The Wildcats now ride an 11-game win streak into the semifinals in their most successful season since winning the 2009 national championship. They’ll host Illinois State (11-1) next Saturday night (7:30 p.m.).

    “They’ve been doing it all year, so [I’m] really proud of this team,” coach Mark Ferrante said during a postgame interview on ESPN. “We probably had some teams in past years with a little more talent across the board, but these guys have been as together as I’ve ever seen. The locker room is tight, they break down [huddles] on ‘Family’ all the time, and they believe it. So, I’m real excited about these guys.”

    Tarleton takes over early

    Villanova found itself down early after a pair of costly turnovers. Tarleton (12-2) took full advantage and raced to a 14-0 lead on back-to-back drives.

    A promising opening drive took a turn for the worst when McQuaide threw an interception in the end zone on first-and-goal from the 7-yard line. On the first play of Tarleton’s possession, Texans senior quarterback Victor Gabalis hit Peyton Kramer with a deep pass that went for an 80-yard touchdown.

    On the ensuing possession, the Wildcats went three-and-out, before Tarleton blocked their punt, took over at the Villanova 12-yard line, and found itself back in the end zone six plays later.

    Villanova gets creative

    In the second quarter, Villanova began to respond to Tarleton’s early burst.

    Graduate kicker Jack Barnum hit a 31-yard field goal, putting Villanova on the board to open the quarter.

    On the first play of Tarleton’s next drive, Wildcats redshirt defensive back Anthony Hawkins picked off Gabalis and returned the ball to the Texans’ 45-yard line, setting up another scoring opportunity for Villanova, which wasted little time.

    Two plays later, McQuaide handed the ball off to Reed, who launched it to graduate wide receiver Lucas Kopecky in the end zone for a 27-yard TD. The trick play was Reed’s first-ever pass in a game.

    After the touchdown, Villanova trailed, 14-9 — thanks to a blocked extra-point attempt — with 11:20 left until halftime.

    Villanova’s defense kept Tarleton out of the end zone throughout the second quarter and limited the Texans to 125 yards of total offense across the half. And before the break, the Wildcats were able to tack on a 41-yard field goal from Barnum to cut further into Tarleton’s lead.

    Reed for the lead

    The Texans opened the second half extending their advantage to 21-12 on a 15-yard touchdown pass from Gabalis to Trevon West.

    After the Wildcats were limited to just 65 rushing yards in the first half, their ground game picked up in the third quarter. Mace started Villanova’s first drive of the half with a 21-yard run. On the next play, McQuaide again handed it off again to Mace, who sprinted 47 yards to the end zone.

    The Wildcats took their first lead early in the fourth quarter on a 12-play, 78-yard drive. Mace again helped Villanova advance downfield with six carries on the drive, including a 26-yard run. McQuaide then found Reed in the end zone from 11 yards out to set the final score, 26-21.

    It was Reed’s second game-winner of the playoffs, after he also caught the final touchdown against Lehigh last Saturday.

    The Wildcats made key stops down the stretch, surviving several late-game scares. On Tarleton’s final drive, Villanova was charged with holding and unsportsmanlike conduct on the same play, advancing the Texans 25 yards downfield to Villanova’s 27-yard line. Tarleton got inside the red zone, with a first-and 10 from the 15, but Ferrante’s defense held strong.

    On fourth-and-6 from the 11, following the two-minute warning, Gabalis appeared to have a running lane to pick up a first down, but instead found West in the left side of the end zone for what initially appeared to be the go-ahead score. But after review, officials concluded that West’s right foot landed just out of bounds, while his trailing left foot never touched down in bounds.

    Villanova ran out the clock from there.

    “Well, you know, because you asked me earlier, the whole ‘Tap The Rock’ mentality,” Ferrante said on the field after the game, before getting emotional. “You know, be resilient, persevere no matter what’s happening, and our guys do that. I’m really proud of this group.”

    Off to the semis

    Villanova faces Illinois State, who beat No. 8 seed University of California Davis, 42-31, on Saturday night.

    The Wildcats will have another home game at Villanova Stadium in the semifinal round next weekend.

    Villanova celebrates with its fans after defeating Tarleton State, 26-21, on Saturday.