About two weeks ago, Jason Myrtetus received a phone call from the Flyers.
The team was figuring out its plans for the annual Hockey Fights Cancer night and wanted to know if the Flyers broadcaster and host of the “Flyers Daily” podcast would be interested in dropping the ceremonial puck.
“I said, ‘Let me think about it. Yes,’” said Myrtetus without much pause. “So, yeah, my reaction was pretty humbling.
“As somebody who grew up here, and the love of the game and the love of the team, and what it’s meant in my life, and to be asked to do that is a huge honor. I think of my dad when I hear that, if he were still here, what would his reaction be?” added Myrtetus, whose father died of lung cancer in 2016.
“My dad had season tickets at the Spectrum in Section R, Row 7, back in the day, and what would his reaction be to me dropping the ceremonial puck? All the early morning car rides to rinks all over the Northeast, going to games with me, that hits you a little bit.”
The call from the Flyers came around the same time the 53-year-old Myrtetus, who grew up in West Chester, learned his recent scans and tests showed no evidence of the Stage 3 colorectal cancer he was diagnosed with just before Christmas 2024.
Working with Penn Medicine and his oncologist, Dr. Daniel Altman, Heather Levinsky, CRNP; and his surgeon, Dr. Erica Pettke, Myrtetus underwent an aggressive treatment plan that included eight chemotherapy infusions over 16 weeks, followed by 28 oral chemo and radiation treatments. The members of his care team will drop the puck alongside him before the Flyers host the St. Louis Blues on Thursday (7 p.m., NBCSP).
Founded in 1998 by the NHL and the NHLPA, Hockey Fights Cancer has raised more than $44 million since its inception and more than $12 million in the past two seasons.
Before the game, Layton Kovol will read the starting lineup. The 15-year-old goalie was the top fundraiser in Pennsylvania for the 2025 October Saves campaign, raising over $6,000 for cancer research. Alongside him will be his mother, Jamie, who has faced a long-term battle with brain cancer.
“My brother went through a form of cancer, he beat it, so it means a lot,” said coach Rick Tocchet of his brother Dan, when asked what tonight means to him. “You forget about that, right? You’re in the day-to-day [as a] hockey coach, and you forget about what’s really more important in life, and the awareness and all that stuff really kind of clues you in a little bit.”
Several of the Flyers players worked with local kids who are cancer survivors to design custom equipment for Hockey Fights Cancer night.
Several Flyers will also wear custom SkateSkinsand goalie helmets in warmups. The items were designed by players in partnership with children, ages 8-19, battling cancer. The rest of the team will wear generic Hockey Fights Cancer SkateSkins, which allow them to write who they fight for.
“It’s honestly just awesome to always meet those kids. They’re always the happiest guys and girls in the room, so, just taking it from their perspective, they always have the best attitudes you’ll ever see, and just enjoying every moment,” said defenseman Jamie Drysdale, one of nine players who worked with the children.
“I had a blast. I know all the guys had a blast. Some pretty cool skins we made, and one of the kids gave me this bracelet, and I’ve been wearing it since. Really cool experience for us to be a part of it. We’re the lucky ones to be able to design with them, so it was awesome.”
The orange bracelet Drysdale sports on his right wrist says “Aiden Strong” and “Leukemia Awareness.” Aiden, 8, was first diagnosed with leukemia at age 5 and rang the bell to finish his treatments in March. He started playing hockey last year and is now a Junior Blue Hen.
Aiden worked with Dan Vladař, who will start on Thursday, to design the mask the Czech goalie will wear during warmups. Sam Ersson will also wear a mask he created with 11-year-old Brayden, a two-time cancer survivor who plays for Team Philadelphia 12U in West Chester. Langhorne’s Franny Drummond of Paint Zoo Studios, who is the artist behind Vladař’s game mask, brought their designs to life.
Noah Cates, Travis Konecny, Travis Sanheim, Trevor Zegras, Garnet Hathaway, and captain Sean Couturier will each wear the specialty skins they helped create.
“He did a nice job,” said Couturier of 14-year-old Emile, who was diagnosed with craniopharyngioma and hails from Quebec. “He drew a lot of stuff about the Flyers, hockey, and stuff like that. But I told him to draw something about himself, and he likes nature, likes climbing, fishing. So he put a fishing [rod and reel].”
Konecny said ideas bounced around on what to put on the skates but 11-year-old Frankie, who was diagnosed at 10 with Ewing sarcoma, “was the one doing it all.” Drysdale is a fan of how the design came out and is looking forward to sporting the skates as all the kids who designed the skins watch warmups from the bench.
“We’re fortunate that we get to do things like this and be around those kids because they’re troopers. They’re awesome. Their attitudes. Perspective is the biggest thing,” said Drysdale, who worked with 10-year-old Chase.
“Obviously, they’ve battled much harder than any of us. So, yeah, just puts things in perspective. It’s really cool that we get the opportunity to work with them.”
Trevor Zegras and Juliette, 19, pose with their designs for Trevor’s Hockey Fights Cancer SkateSkins. Juliette is currently battling brain cancer.
A grand jury decided not to charge a police officer in Burlington County for fatally shooting a 57-year-old man who was firing a rifle during a confrontation a year ago, the New Jersey Attorney General’s Office said Thursday.
Marvin Taylor was shot by Pemberton Township Officer Kyle McQueen on Oct. 19, 2024, in a wooded area behind a residence on Woodland Avenue in the township’s Browns Mills section.
“Marvin, we are here to help you! Put the gun down now!” McQueen can be heard on bodycam video yelling at Taylor.
McQueen again orders Taylor two more times to drop his weapon. Then a single gunshot can be heard, and McQueen yells to his fellow officers, “Shots fired! Shots fired!” McQueen then fires four times at Taylor.
McQueen and other officers approach the fallen Taylor and McQueen is seen in the bodycam video picking up a rifle lying on the ground next to Taylor.
“Gun secured, suspect down,” McQueen announces.
Earlier that afternoon, volunteer firefighters and police responded to a 911 call reporting smoke coming from the residence.
A firefighter went to the backyard and encountered Taylor, who pointed a rifle at him, according to the attorney general’s statement. Responding firefighters retreated as police arrived, and a single gunshot was heard coming from the backyard.
Police used a loudspeaker to attempt to speak with Taylor, but he did not respond and officers lost sight of him, the statement said.
Pemberton Township police waited for the arrival of a crisis negotiator and tactical specialists from the New Jersey State Police. McQueen and another township officer positioned themselves in the wooded area behind the residence. Taylor was seen behind the residence armed with a rifle, the statement said.
After Taylor was shot, he was taken to Cooper University Hospital in Camden, where he was pronounced dead early that evening.
A black bolt-action rifle was found next to Taylor’s body, as well as two spent shell casings that were fired from the rifle.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and state authorities investigated the initial fire and concluded that it was started after gasoline was ignited at various locations inside the residence.
Former Central Bucks School District Superintendent Steven Yanni and former Jamison Elementary School principal David Heineman have appealed their terminations by the school board over their handling of abuse allegations in an autistic support classroom.
The Central Bucks school board voted to terminate the duo last month, nearly a year after a classroom aide reported the alleged abuse.
Yanni, who has accepted a position as the CEO of Northwood Academy charter school in Philadelphia, filed his appeal Monday in Bucks County Court.
The filing rehashes the arguments Yanni made during the August hearing, including that he did not make an immediate report to ChildLine, Pennsylvania’s reporting system for child abuse or neglect, because he relied on the assessment of district officials during aninternal investigation.
Yanni’s appeal alsosays he did not remove the accused teacher and educational assistant from the classroom because the members of his leadership team closest to the investigation told him there was no reason to suspect abuse.
The 139-page court filing attacks the termination hearing process and calls the school board biased. It notes that board member Jim Pepper‘s son was one of the alleged victims of abuse.
Pepper recused himself from the hearing and other votes related to the investigation, but the appeal alleges that“he actively participated in the Board’s investigation and disciplinary actions and made public allegations.”
Pepper declined to comment.
“For almost a year now, there has been inaccurate and defamatory information shared about me,” Yanni said in a statement. “My appeal corrects the record and clearly articulates the truth around the Jamison situation.”
The Central Bucks School District said it would not comment on the case because it is active litigation.
Heineman,meanwhile, challenged his termination Oct. 29 by filing a petitionthrough the Pennsylvania Department of Education’s tenure appeal process, according to a copy of his appeal obtained by The Inquirer. That process, unlike Yanni’s appeal in court, is private.
The former principal accuses the board of terminating him after 26 years as a district employee over a series of “unproven allegations” that were made at his termination hearing.
These include the notion that as principal he created a “chilling effect” that deterred staff from making reports to ChildLine, and that he threatened to fire the classroom aide for making the allegations.
Heineman‘s petition notes that in the days after the allegations of abuse were made, the district’s leadership “unanimously agreed that there was no abuse, and no need to make a ChildLine report.”
Heineman also says that there is no basis to the way he was characterized during the termination hearings.
“CBSD’s allegation that Mr. Heineman ‘does not care about children’ carries no support in the record, and appears to be, once more, inflammatory rhetoric made more for the public than for purposes of meeting CBSD’s burden to terminate Mr. Heineman,” the petition says.
Central Bucks also declined to comment on Heineman’s appeal. The attorney representing Heineman did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The school district responded to the petitionthis week, according to a copy of the filing obtained by The Inquirer that denies most of Heineman’s claims and stands by the termination decision.
As for the allegation that the top leadership of the school concluded that there was no abuse before making a ChildLine report, Central Bucks says, “regrettably admitted.”
MILWAUKEE — Joel Embiid will miss his sixth consecutive game when the 76ers face the Milwaukee Bucks on Thursday night at Fiserv Forum.
Meanwhile, Tyrese Maxey is listed as probable with a right quadriceps contusion. But Paul George will return after missing Wednesday’s 121-112 loss to the Toronto Raptors.
Thursday’s contest will mark the fifth straight game Embiid has missed with right knee injury management. He also missed the Sixers’ 111-108 home loss to the Detroit Pistons on Nov. 9 because he doesn’t play on back-to-back nights to rest his left knee.
Embiid, who has no structural damage to his right knee, has been listed as day-to-day. The 7-foot-2, 280-pounder has already missed eight of the Sixers’ 14 games because of his knee ailments. He is averaging 19.7 points, 5.5 rebounds, 3.3 assists, and 1.5 blocks in 23.3 minutes.
Tyrese Maxey scored 24 points in the Sixers’ loss to the Raptors on Wednesday.
Maxey is dealing with a quad injury after finishing with 24 points, nine assists, and three steals in Wednesday’s loss. George had the night off due to not playing in back-to-backs. The forward (left knee injury management) made his season debut in Monday’s 110-108 home victory over the Los Angeles Clippers.
Adem Bona (sprained right ankle), Kelly Oubre Jr. (sprained left knee), and Hunter Silas (G League two-way assignment) will also miss Thursday’s game.
The Bucks will be without Giannis Antetokounmpo (left adductor strain), Kevin Porter Jr. (meniscus surgery in right knee), Taurean Prince (neck surgery), and Alex Antetokounmpo (G League two-way assignment). Gary Harris (illness) is listed as questionable.
When DeSean Jackson and his Delaware State program came to Lincoln Financial Field three weeks ago, he brought a team that was 5-3 and fresh off its first Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference win of the season against North Carolina Central.
After defeating Michael Vick’s Norfolk State in a battle between former Eagles teammates on Oct. 30, the Hornets beat Morgan State and Howard over the last two weeks, extending their winning streak to five.
At 8-3, Delaware State not only has its most wins in a season since 2007, but it also has a chance to win the MEAC for the first time in 18 years and just the seventh time in school history.
A win on Saturday against South Carolina State (1 p.m., ESPN+) also would send the program to its first Celebration Bowl on Dec. 13 in Atlanta. The Celebration Bowl is the HBCU championship game between the winners of the MEAC and Southwestern Athletic Conference, and this year will be the 10th edition of the game.
Getting there will be a challenge, though. South Carolina State has won the MEAC in two of the last four years, including last season under first-year coach Chennis Berry. The Bulldogs won the upset Jackson State to win the 2021 Celebration Bowl, beating a team led by Deion Sanders and his son and current Cleveland Browns quarterback Shedeur Sanders.
This season, Delaware State is 4-0 at home, and averages 42.3 points and 363 rushing yards in those wins. Overall, the Hornets are the top rushing team (277.5) and No. 22 scoring offense in the FCS (33.6).
Delaware State running back James Jones is second on the team in rushing yards with 847.
South Carolina State’s defense ranks 16th in rushing yards allowed per game (113.5) but ranks 72nd out of 126 FCS schools in scoring defense (27.18 points per game).
In the MEAC preseason poll, Delaware State was picked to finish last, which Jackson doesn’t let people forget, while South Carolina State was picked to win the conference for the second straight year.
Eastern University quarterback Brett Nabb (center) was named the Middle Atlantic Conference’s Offensive Player of the Year for the 2025 season.
Eastern continues to soar
Another week of great news to deliver about the area’s little Division III program that could, as the Eagles of Eastern University wrapped up a nine-win regular season (9-1) last Saturday by winning the Middle Atlantic Conference.
This week, the school received more conference accolades as quarterback Brett Nabb picked up Offensive Player of the Year, linebacker Jason Bateman won Defensive Player of the Year, and Billy Crocker was named the conference’s Coach of the Year.
Next up for the Eagles? A first-round bye in the NCAA playoffs, which start Saturday. Eastern will open the postseason on the road against Franklin & Marshall on Nov. 29 (noon, watch live).
Projecting Villanova’s FCS playoff spot
Villanova won its final game in the Coastal Athletic Association in thrilling fashion last weekend and currently is second (8-2, 7-1 CAA) in the conference standings behind Rhode Island (9-2, 7-0).
To earn at least a share of the CAA title, Villanova needs Rhode Island to lose its conference finale against Hampton. Also in the mix for a piece of the title is Monmouth (9-2, 6-1), which faces Albany, although Villanova would win any tiebreaking scenario and the automatic FCS playoff berth that comes with it against Rhode Island and Monmouth. Hampton and Albany are winless in conference play.
Wildcats wide receiver Luke Colella (1) scores a touchdown against Stony Brook.
A CAA title seems unlikely for Villanova, but it will set its sights on a third straight FCS playoff berth and fourth appearance over the last five seasons. The Wildcats likely will receive an at-large bid to the 24-team playoff, with their last regular-season hurdle coming in the form of Sacred Heart (8-3), which will join the CAA next year as Villanova exits for the Patriot League (1 p.m., FloCollege).
Many outlets project Villanova earning a top 16 seed as a first-round playoff host. Opta Analysis projects Villanova as the No. 11 seed and hosting Youngstown State, while Hero Sports and Sports Illustrated have Villanova as the No. 16 seed and also hosting Youngstown State in the first round.
The Wildcats know Youngstown State well. Villanova beat the Penguins, 24-17, to open the 2024 season and won a 2023 playoff matchup, 45-28. The schools also had three memorable playoff matchups in the ’90s, all won by Youngstown State.
Villanova has advanced past the first round of the FCS playoffs in its last four appearances. We’ll see if Mark Ferrante’s squad can solidify its playoff standing Saturday at Villanova Stadium, where the Wildcats are 5-0.
Penn wide receiver Jared Richardson is chasing more records.
Record chasers
With one game left in Penn’s football season, against Princeton on Saturday (1 p.m., NBCSP+), wide receiver Jared Richardson needs three more receiving touchdowns to set a single-season record. Richardson, the team’s leading receiver, has caught 12 touchdowns this season. The previous school record was set in 2017 by Justin Watson, who caught 14 before embarking on an NFL career that continues with the Houston Texans this year.
Two weeks ago, we told you about Richardson’s pursuit of the program’s single-season receiving yards record. After combining for 123 yards over the last two games, Richardson needs 178 more yards to surpass Watson’s mark (1,115) set in 2016.
Penn is out of the race to win the Ivy League with a 3-3 conference record. But Richardson, who in 2023 set a school record with 17 receptions in a game, also can reach the top three in school history in career receiving yards and receiving touchdowns. He is tied with Dan Castles for the second-most receiving touchdowns in a career (27) and needs 35 yards to surpass Castles (2,444) for the third-most receiving yards in program history. Richardson currently sits at 2,410 receiving yards.
Meanwhile, Penn State running back Kaytron Allen needs 139 yards over the last two games to become the Nittany Lions’ all-time leading rusher. Penn State, which hosts Nebraska on Saturday (7 p.m., NBC10) still is chasing a bowl game berth, and likely will lean on Allen to get there.
Penn State running back Kaytron Allen (13) celebrates after a touchdown with Nicholas Singleton.
Allen sits third all-time on Penn State’s rushing yards in a career list with 3,794 yards, and trails Saquon Barkley (3,843) by 49 yards. Evan Royster has the all-time mark with 3,932 yards. Allen already surpassed Royster’s mark for most rushing attempts in a Penn State career.
Fellow running back Nick Singleton is close to breaking two Penn State records. Singleton trails Barkley (43 rushing touchdowns) by two and is one touchdown away from tying Barkley’s total touchdowns from scrimmage (51 for Barkley, 50 for Singleton).
Former Penn State head coach James Franklin was named the new head coach at Virginia Tech on Wednesday.
Game of the week
No. 13 Miami at Virginia Tech (noon, ESPN)
All eyes will be on the sidelines of the Hokies, who welcome the Hurricanes as 17.5-point underdogs at home. The question will be if new coach James Franklin will stand alongside interim coach Philip Montgomery or evaluate what he has in the 3-7 Hokies from elsewhere in the stadium. Miami should win easily, but the intrigue is just how soon Franklin gets his feet wet.
Recap: Philly school board hears concerns over the principal’s union contract negotiations, potential school closings, the district’s wellness policy, and more
The Philadelphia School Board held its monthly action meeting at 4 p.m. Thursday. It lasted a little over three hours.
Here are a few takeaways:
Principals showed up to the meeting in full force, urging the board to give them a fair contract after working without one for three months. Principal’s union president Robin Cooper spoke early in the meeting, asking the board: “What about the administrators?”
Many parents and members of advocacy group Lift Every Voice Philly spoke to the board about its wellness policy, emphasizing the need for guaranteed bathroom breaks, lunch time, access to recess, and more. Some took issue with Superintendent Tony Watlington’s comments at a meeting earlier in November that some parents could be making claims without evidence.
The facilities planning process was also a hot-button issue. Many urged the board not toclose schools. The school board and superintendent asked the public to take their survey by Dec. 11 to share their concerns.
// Timestamp 11/20/25 7:22pm
Board approves its final item and adjourns the meeting
And the board approved the Intermediate Unit action item unanimously. The IU item included contracts with various vendors for a school safety grant for non-public schools, worth $1.5 million.
And now the meeting really is over! The next board meeting will be held in two weeks, on Dec. 4.
// Timestamp 11/20/25 7:20pm
Board approves all the items on its agenda
The board zips through its consent agenda, adopting all items unanimously.
The board meeting is over — but not really! In a Philly-only quirk, the board is also the board for the Philadelphia Intermediate Unit, which handles some special education matters.
// Timestamp 11/20/25 7:18pm
Streater tells the public: ‘We are chronically underfunded’
Board president Reginald Streater wraps up public comment by reminding the public that “we are chronically underfunded” and said that everything folks asked for “has a cost.”
But he says the board is listening, even if they don’t say anything.
// Timestamp 11/20/25 7:17pm
Retired district staffer speaks out about charter schools
Lynda Rubin, a retired district staffer and a member of the Alliance for Philadelphia Public Schools, decries charter schools.
// Timestamp 11/20/25 7:13pm
Retired Philadelphia teacher urges board not to close schools
Deborah Grill, a retired Philadelphia teacher and member of the Alliance for Philadelphia Public Schools: “public education is not a business. It is a civic obligation,” she said. “The school district is not a business to be rightsized.”
“The facilities planning process has been a disaster from the start,” Grill said. A “last-minute” survey will not fix it, she said.
“No community wants their neighborhood school closed,” she said.
“You’re failing as a business to give the customer what they want, so my question is: What community are you catering to, because it’s not your school communities?” Grill said.
// Timestamp 11/20/25 7:11pm
Community member tells the board the district is ‘dooming these children to slavery’
Leah Clouden, daughter of Mama Gail and Horace Clouden, tells the board: “K-8 in our urban area do not work.”
“We need the basics put back in school — phonics and cursive writing,” Clouden said. Without the basics, the district is “dooming these children to slavery.”
// Timestamp 11/20/25 7:07pm
Mama Gail Clouden, a regular speaker at school board meetings, calls ‘on the ancestors to fix this’
Mama Gail Clouden is “calling on the ancestors to fix this” — issues in the district.
“We have been better, and we’re going to be better with or without you,” Mama Gail says to Watlington. Talking about the district’s accolades is great, but “when the children in my neighborhood aren’t doing well, that’s a problem.”
// Timestamp 11/20/25 7:03pm
Retired district building engineer urges board to consider a junior high model
Horace Clouden, a retired district building engineer, is again emphasizing his belief that restoring a junior high model will improve the entire district.
Students aren’t prepared for high school coming from a K-8 setting, Clouden said.
// Timestamp 11/20/25 7:02pm
Retired district teacher speaks to the board about Ada Lewis
Barbara Dowdall, a retired district teacher and member of the Alliance for Philadelphia Public Schools, is talking about Ada Lewis, namesake of a now-closed school and a teacher who authored the report that helped integrate Philadelphia schools.
// Timestamp 11/20/25 6:56pm
Parent and Lift Every Voice member asks Watlington not to question their group’s honesty as they fight for students’ bathroom rights
LaTi Spence, a parent of two students at Houston Elementary, stresses that there are no guarantees for student bathroom breaks, and no guidance to teachers on how to make this happen.
“The superintendent has publicly called parents’ concerns unsubstantiated, said he has never seen a child in a diaper,” Spence said. “Lift Every Voice would never question the superintendent’s honesty. We expect the same good faith in return.”
“Bathroom accidents are humiliating — ask any child,” Spence said. Parents send girls to school in Depends because they’re not always able to change sanitary pads when they have their periods. “This is a lived experience — this is not a rumor.”
Parents won’t scapegoat teachers, she said. Watlington has said he knows some children need to use the bathroom multiple times a day. “Right now, the child that needs to use the bathroom seven times a day has no guaranteed right to use it even once,” Spence said.
// Timestamp 11/20/25 6:55pm
District parent draws attention to 88 schools with poor/unsatisfactory building scores
Emily Pugliese, a district parent and staffer at a climate nonprofit, is drawing attention to the 88 schools that received poor/unsatisfactory building scores in the district’s assessment.
“I hope that you will pause this process even further,” and work with the community to prioritize safety and comfort, and building upgrades.
“We know the current administration and school board isn’t responsible” for the poor condition of many district schools. But it has a host of organizations and community members ready to help, Pugliese said.
// Timestamp 11/20/25 6:52pm
District climate manager asks the board for a fair contract
Shawn Viera, a district climate manager, tells the board: “Climate managers and other members of CASA deserve a fair contract.”
// Timestamp 11/20/25 6:49pm
Lift Every Voice board member and Philly graduate questions Watlington over wellness issues
Inella Ray, a community member, is questioning Watlington’s assertion from a previous meeting that he never heard a report of a student wearing diapers because they couldn’t use the bathroom.
Parents from Lift Every Voice have been reporting this issue for years, she said.
“Girls wear Depends because they cannot always change their pads, and we must believe them,” Ray said.
Ray was suspended at age 12 because she asked to use the bathroom and was ignored, and when “I took care of my basic needs, my humanity was dismissed,” Ray said.
// Timestamp 11/20/25 6:47pm
Olney High principal says district is ‘experimenting’ with charters at the expense of traditional public schools
Michael Roth, principal of Olney High, said he is not against charters — he used to work for one. But the district is “experimenting” with charters, Roth said, at the expense of traditional public schools.
The board just approved a dual enrollment school to serve schools in Olney’s zip code, even though Olney offers dual enrollment.
“Let’s support all students,” Roth said. He tells the board: Get our house in order before authorizing new schools.
// Timestamp 11/20/25 6:45pm
Volunteer with the Friends of Bache-Martin shares the value of school libraries
Barbara O’Connell, a volunteer with the Friends of Bache-Martin, talks about her group’s efforts to run the school library, and how beneficial it’s been to students.
“The library is creating kids who not only can read, but also will satisfy their curiosity, and that will transport them, and stay with them throughout their lives,” O’Connell said. She urges the board to provide school libraries for all students.
// Timestamp 11/20/25 6:41pm
School psychologist tells the board: ‘We need to keep our schools open’
School psychologist Paul Brown said the facilities planning process overemphasizes efficiency and under-values sustainability.
“The demographics of my high school is a direct result of the closing of Germantown High School in 2013,” said Brown, who works at Roxborough. There’s “unsustainable stress on our public school system. We need to keep our schools open. The goals of efficiency should not come at the expense of our most vulnerable.”
// Timestamp 11/20/25 6:40pm
Lift Every Voice member advocates for guaranteed bathroom and lunch breaks
Sarah Burgess, a parent at Lea Elementary and a Lift Every Voice member, is advocating for guaranteed bathroom breaks and time to eat lunch.
“Parents aren’t looking for scapegoats. We’re asking for a system-wide policy,” Burgess said. “I know implementation is easier said than done. I know there can be staffing challenges, and I know there are competing priorities,” but this is an issue we all agree on, she said.
// Timestamp 11/20/25 6:35pm
‘When is things going to change?’ community member asks the board
Jason Grisby, a community member, said the same issues have plagued city schools for years. “When is things going to change?” Grisby said.
He also shared concerns about the security of schools. He walked into a city school without being questioned as an outsider, Grisby said. Superintendent Watlington tells Grisby that a security official will speak to him, and no one should be able to walk into a school.
// Timestamp 11/20/25 6:33pm
Community members speak to the board about using data to support schools and the importance of family engagement
Donna Fields, a mother of three former district students and community researcher, urges the board to consider data to support schools.
Quibila Divine, another community member, said 98% of parents in a North Philadelphia survey felt unwelcome in their child’s school. Meaningful family engagement leads to better student outcomes, Divine said, but teachers are often not trained on how to do this.
// Timestamp 11/20/25 6:27pm
Legislative aide for Councilmember Thomas speaks on his behalf in favor of joy campaign
Zach McGrath, a legislative aide for Councilmember Isaiah Thomas, is reading a statement on behalf of Thomas. He supports Lift Every Voice’s joy campaign and its call for explicit promises for bathroom and water breaks for students.
“We maintain our support for their five wellness policy recommendations,” Thomas wrote. District-wide solutions are needed for these matters.
// Timestamp 11/20/25 6:24pm
Activist tells the board: ‘We don’t need another survey. We don’t need another meeting.’
Lisa Haver, of the Alliance for Philadelphia Public Schools, criticizes City Council’s recent district hearing. The questions were “insipid,” Haver said.
“We don’t need another survey. We don’t need another meeting,” Haver said of the facilities planning process.
She asks the crowd: Does anyone want their school closed?
“NO,” the crowd yells.
// Timestamp 11/20/25 6:23pm
Community member speaks on student access to year-round swimming
Gloria Presley, of Philly Aquatics, is also calling for indoor, year-round swimming opportunities for all students.
“We cannot afford to wait any longer,” Presley said. “We cannot afford to turn our backs on Philly youth.”
// Timestamp 11/20/25 6:19pm
Roxborough High teacher urges the board not to close schools
Daniel Reyes, a teacher at Roxborough High and member of Stand Up for Philly Schools, tells the board: “I’m here to advocate against closing schools,” Reyes said.
Closing schools destabilizes neighborhoods, Reyes said, asking: Why is the process downsizing the district without addressing the effect of charters on the district?
“We need stable, K-12 systems in all neighborhoods that meet the needs of all students,” Reyes said.
// Timestamp 11/20/25 6:17pm
Speakers address the board about student experiences, wellness, school facilities planning, and more
Jasmine Pearson, a parent of a student at Mastery Simon Gratz High School, tells the board the school is readying her child to graduate.
Parent Julie Krug urged the board to update its wellness policy to ensure students have access to recess, bathroom breaks, and time to eat their lunch.
Community member Ryan Pfleger came to the board with a request: Don’t close any schools. He urged the board to reconsider closing buildings and instead invest in communities with underutilized buildings.
Carrera Wilson-Allure spoke to the board about joy.
// Timestamp 11/20/25 6:06pm
CASA chief steward Deana Ramsey says their union is the ‘backbone of district leadership’
Deana Ramsey, a district principal and CASA’s chief steward, speaks on behalf of the principals.
The union “is the backbone of district leadership,” Ramsey said. The union represents principals, assistant principals, climate managers, and safety supervisors.
Dozens of principals in attendance stood up to chant and hold up signs after Ramsey’s comments.
Board president Streater said the board cannot comment on negotiations, but said he looks forward to a contract. “We’re a family, and sometimes family has disagreements,” he said.
// Timestamp 11/20/25 5:58pm
Parents speak in support of Mastery Wister and Mastery Clymer
Johncarlos Quiles, a parent at Mastery Wister, is saying the school has changed his perspective on charters.
“When I was in school, the communication was nonexistent between parents and the teachers,” Quiles said. Wister has changed that because families are very involved, he said.
Wister has helped his son develop into a “super, super kid,” Quiles said. “We’re looking for that [charter] renewal.”
Ahlizee Wright, a parent at Mastery Clymer, said her son’s school is a “special place.” Her son’s previous school neglected his learning and safety, Wright said.
// Timestamp 11/20/25 5:56pm
Head of Philly Aquatics advocates for year-round swimming opportunities
Charisma Presley, head of Philly Aquatics, is advocating for year-round swimming opportunities for city schools. Marcus Foster and Pickett Pools are the group’s priorities.
// Timestamp 11/20/25 5:49pm
Principals turn out in force to the school board meeting, as union president asks: ‘What about the administrators?’
Philadelphia principals are out in force tonight. Before Robin Cooper, president of the principals’ union, speaks, a chant breaks out. “Who are we? TEAMSTERS? What do we want? A CONTRACT! NOW!”
Principals in the district have been working without a contract for three months.
Robin Cooper, president of CASA, the principals’ union, speaks to the Philadelphia school board at a meeting on Nov. 20, 2025.
“I stand here in a situation that I’ve never experienced as the president- the proud president of Teamsters Local 502,” Cooper said. “I find myself not advocating for our students, not advocating for public education, not advocating for unconstitutional funding formulas, but rather advocating … to pay leaders their worth.”
Principals have done everything they were asked for, Cooper said: boosted attendance, improve academics, market schools, advocate for their schools.
Cooper said the district has asked for professional development funding and more. She suggests the district is not bargaining in good faith.
“The partnership is often one-sided,” Cooper said. Board meeting after board meeting, the district gives out contracts to outside providers, but refuses to arrive at a contract for its nearly 1,000 administrators, she said.
Cooper said that CASA is “fighting our own district.” Watlington often asks “what about the children?” CASA is now asking “what about the administrators?” Cooper said.
“We fight, we partner, we lead, and we have been doing so with no support,” Cooper said. “I have but one ask — if we have been a good partner to the school district of Philadelphia.
CASA and the district spent 12 hours at the table, Cooper said. They submitted multiple counterproposals, and the district came back with the same proposal. “We have given our blood, our sweat and our tears,” Cooper said.
“I am expecting a win-win, and I hope that you are too,” Cooper said.
Superintendent Watlington thanks Cooper and responds: “You are valued, and we’re going to get this done.”
Principals turned out in force at the Philadelphia school board meeting on Nov. 20, 2025, asking the district for a contract. They have been working without a contract for three months.
// Timestamp 11/20/25 5:41pm
Public comment set to begin
Now we’re onto public comment. Thirty speakers have signed up to testify; there are four speakers on the waiting list.
// Timestamp 11/20/25 5:38pm
Streater urges community members to take the survey
Streater said he completed the survey with his parent hat on — Streater has two children in a neighborhood K-8 school — and said it was easy to complete, finished in about five minutes.
Board member applauds the district’s good financial news
Board member Joan Stern notes the good financial news.
“We are very proud of continuing to receive upgrades in our credit rating,” Stern said. The state budget — newly passed — is a help, but the district must be “constantly vigilant about our finances.”
The survey is the public’s last chance to weigh in on facilities planning, board member says
Board member Wanda Novales reminds the public that this is their last chance to weigh in on school facilities planning before decisions are made, and urges principals to push the surveys out to families.
She also asks Superintendent Watlington to talk about how this survey is different. He says it’s more open-ended, not ranked.
“We’re going to consider every bit of the feedback,” Watlington said.
Board member Cheryl Harper calls for a round of applause for principals, assistant superintendents, and staff for increases in student and teacher attendance.
// Timestamp 11/20/25 5:25pm
District is beginning to receive community feedback from survey
The current survey, Watlington said, will be open until Dec. 11. The district’s data analysts “may get some external support” to process all the information received in the survey.
The four themes emerging from feedback to far, Watlington said:
1. Reinvest in neighborhood high schools.
2. Expand access to schools with a 5-12 grade span.
3. Reduce the number of school transitions (from 13 to about 6.)
Watlington says they are committed to getting the facilities planning process right
“We’re committed to not fumbling the football on the two-yard line,” Watlington said.
The district wants to get facilities planning process correct and will take “just a little bit more time” to finalize the plan, which will include school closings, officials have said.
The purpose of the facilities planning process, Watlington said, is to improve education for students citywide — to maximize offerings, to offer 21st-century learning.
“We do not want to prepare our students for minimum-wage jobs,” the superintendent said.
“Exciting news” on the district’s financial outlook, Watlington said: The district got a credit rating upgrade, its third in three years. It’s now Baa1 rated by Moody’s.
// Timestamp 11/20/25 5:17pm
Fewer students have dropped out this year compared to this time last year, Watlington says
On dropouts:
In October this year, 384 students dropped out.
It was 707 students in October of 2024, Watlington said.
// Timestamp 11/20/25 5:15pm
Student and teacher attendance is on the rise, Watlington shares with the board
Good news on student attendance, Watlington said: 79% regular attendance in October — a 3 percentage point increase compared to last year.
For teachers, 84% of teachers attended 90% or more. That’s up from 79% regular attendance in October of 2024.
// Timestamp 11/20/25 5:09pm
Board returns from recess with a poem
And we’re back. Board president Streater allowed Frantzceska Dorvilien, the Mastery Simon Gratz High School student, to read a poem she wrote about how Gratz helped her on her journey.
Now we’re on to Superintendent Tony B. Watlington Sr.’s presentation.
// Timestamp 11/20/25 4:49pm
Board takes a brief recess
That’s the end of the student speakers list. The board is taking a five-minute recess because it’s dealing with technical difficulties.
// Timestamp 11/20/25 4:45pm
Students from KHSA, home of a student-built library, urge the board to invest in school libraries
Dayniyah Little, a student at Kensington Health Sciences Academy, is asking for more access to school libraries and librarians.
KHSA students banded together to open their own library, DreamEscape Library, but they staff it themselves. There are just a handful of certified school librarians in city schools.
Isabella Le, another Kensington Health Sciences Academy student, says “libraries are a privilege to have in Philadelphia schools.” She’s proud of the DreamEscape library, Isabella said, which helps address the literacy crisis.
Of libraries, Isabella said: “The absence of them in our schools hinders the possibility to expand literacy at all.”
“We understand the budget is tight, but withholding libraries is not the answer,” Isabella tells the board.
The brand-new DreamEscape Library at Kensington Health Sciences Academy.
// Timestamp 11/20/25 4:42pm
Philly student shares his experience learning to swim and row at Philly Aquatics
Whitman Dougherty, a Philadelphia student, entertains the crowd with tales of learning to swim and row. He’s a member of Philly Aquatics, a group advocating for year-round swim opportunities for all.
“Opportunity doesn’t depend on luck. It depends on access,” Whitman says.
// Timestamp 11/20/25 4:37pm
Two students speak about their experiences at Simon Gratz High School
Student speakers are on now.
The first is Devon Choice, a senior at Mastery Simon Gratz High School. Devon says he’s been challenged and encouraged at Gratz, which offers students myriad opportunities.
Frantzceska Dorvilien, another Gratz High School student, is testifying in Spanish through an interpreter. Frantzceska has lived in the U.S. for three years, and it hasn’t been easy, she said, but school is a bright spot — her teachers have pushed her to be the best, and supported her, regardless of challenges.
// Timestamp 11/20/25 4:29pm
Roll call: All members present but one
Roll call: All board members are present for today’s meeting except Crystal Cubbage.
// Timestamp 11/20/25 4:28pm
Updates from the board’s executive session
The board met in executive session to discuss several matters, including “property disposition” and confidential charter and investigation matters.
// Timestamp 11/20/25 4:24pm
This year’s state budget ‘moves us in the right direction,’ Streater says
On the state budget, the board president says “this year’s budget moves us in the right direction,” but says the state must move forward more quickly to meet the educational adequacy gap identified by experts.
“We have made meaningful progress, but Pennsylvania must keep moving toward adequacy so every student in every neighborhood has the resources they need to learn, grow and thrive,” Streater said.
// Timestamp 11/20/25 4:22pm
No applications for new charter schools
Streater says the school board has not received any applications for new charter schools.
// Timestamp 11/20/25 4:19pm
Board honors students and teacher of the month
One of the seniors of the month is Mario Rodriguez of Thomas A. Edison High School, who came to Philadelphia from El Salvador. Streater says he is a strong student with scholarship offers in hand already.
The other senior of the month is Kateryna Sobolevska. A George Washington High School student who came to the U.S. from Ukraine, she’s an International Baccalaureate student who was chosen for a prestigious Princeton University journalism program.
Teacher of the month is Takia McClendon of Bethune Elementary.
Board president Reginald Streater is detailing board visits this month: including to MYA (Middle Years Alternative), and spending time at the Council of Great City Schools‘ national conference, held this year in Philadelphia.
// Timestamp 11/20/25 4:00pm
Philly school board to host its monthly action meeting
The Philadelphia School Board is set to host its monthly action meeting on Thursday at 4 p.m.
There are a variety of issues expected to come up, including concerns over the school closing process and anger from principals who have been working for three months without a contract.
Coming off two straight prime-time wins over NFC North teams, the 8-2 Eagles travel to Arlington, Texas, for Sunday’s rematch with the Dallas Cowboys (4:25 p.m., Fox29). A lot has changed for both teams since their Week 1 matchup kicked off the NFL season. While it has been a relatively smooth season for Philadelphia — at least in terms of wins and losses — Dallas (4-5-1) has been hindered by its defense, allowing the second most points per game (29.3).
But recent head-to-head history favors the Cowboys, as they have won five of their last six home matchups against the Birds. Dallas will look for that trend to continue in order to shrink the Eagles’ 3½-game lead in the NFC East, the largest of any division leader in the NFL.
Here is a look at the updated odds and some player prop bets for Fox’s game of the week …
Updated Eagles vs. Cowboys game odds
The Eagles opened the week as 4.5-point road favorites over Dallas. Following the Cowboys’ dominant win Monday night over the Las Vegas Raiders, the line shifted in their favor.
Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott, left, and Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts talk after the Birds’ Week 1 win at the Linc. The rematch is set for Sunday in Arlington, Texas.
Passing yards props
Jalen Hurts has thrown for under 200 yards in three consecutive weeks. While the Eagles’ offense has struggled the past two weeks, they have also generally not been a pass-heavy team. Hurts ranks 23rd among all quarterbacks in passing attempts.
Dak Prescott, on the other hand, is coming off a strong 268-yard, four-touchdown performance against the Raiders, although his two previous outings were much less impressive. The 10th-year signal caller ranks fifth leaguewide in passing yards (258.7 per game).
Hurts has thrown for just one touchdown in the Eagles’ last two games, although he threw for seven combined touchdowns in the two games prior. Prescott has thrown five touchdowns in his last two games, four of the scores occurring last week. Both sportsbooks have the quarterbacks’ over/under set at 1.5 passing touchdowns for Sunday.
Running back Saquon Barkley carried the ball 18 times for 60 yards and a touchdown in the Eagles’ Week 1 win over Dallas.
Rushing yards
Saquon Barkley has rushed for under 70 yards in three of his last four games, although he recorded 150 rushing yards in the one outlier. This season, Barkley is rushing for two fewer yards per carry compared to last year, when the Penn State graduate was named offensive player of the year, and is on pace for 1,125 yards, down from 2,005.
On the other hand, Cowboys running back Javonte Williams has rushed for over 70 yards in three of his last four games, including a 116-yard performance against Washington.
Both A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith have put up quiet performances over the last two weeks. Against Detroit on Sunday, Smith only caught one pass for eight yards, and against Green Bay, Brown caught two passes for 13 yards. During each of the Eagles primary receivers’ better week, they notched 69 and 49 yards, respectively.
For the Cowboys, CeeDee Lamb has posted over 65 yards in each of his last four games, and ranks sixth in yards per game across the NFL. His teammate, George Pickens, ranks third, and is coming off a 144-yard performance.
Hurts scored the Eagles’ lone touchdown Sunday night against Detroit.
Touchdown scorers
Against Detroit, Hurts was the lone touchdown scorer for the Eagles. For Dallas, Lamb, Pickens, and Jake Ferguson all caught touchdowns, along with receiver Ryan Flournoy.
It’s Dallas Week — and there’s plenty of drama. But it all seems to be focused on the 8-2 Eagles, not their sub-.500 opponents on Sunday, the Cowboys.
Despite a four-game winning streak and a 3.5-game lead over the Cowboys for first place in the NFC East, most of the discourse surrounding the defending Super Bowl champions has come off the field.
From the fallout following a report that there have been internal frustrations with Jalen Hurts to A.J. Brown’s continued disappointment with his contributions on offense, here’s what they’re saying about the Birds ahead of their upcoming game against the Cowboys …
‘So disrespectful to Jalen Hurts’
During Sunday’s postgame show with former Eagles linebacker Seth Joyner, longtime Eagles reporter Derrick Gunn said “there’s a lot of people in that organization that are frustrated with the quarterback situation right now.”
When Hurts was asked to respond to the comments, he held himself accountable and said the frustrations haven’t been brought to him directly. Although Hurts didn’t voice his own frustrations with the report, ESPN’s Dan Orlovsky called it “disrespectful” toward the QB.
“What’s going on with Hurts is so disingenuous and disrespectful to Jalen Hurts,” Orlovsky said on ESPN’s Get Up. “And I’m not the biggest Jalen Hurts fan. All this dude does is literally, everything that everybody begged every other quarterback to do — or knocks them for not doing.
“All he does is win. All he does is be obsessed with football and winning and doing what’s best for the team. And we’re just finding ways to knock him and take shots at him or report this about him or that about him. We heard this stuff last year about him being disliked in the locker room and he never wavered. He never flinches. And it’s this constant attack.”
Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts and wide receiver A.J. Brown late in Sunday night’s win over the Detroit Lions.
Since the 2022 season, Hurts has recorded a 51-15 record, made two Super Bowl appearances, winning one and earning a Super Bowl MVP. Despite his success, the quarterback still seems to face plenty of scrutiny.
“We kill guys — Joe Burrow doesn’t win enough, Dak Prescott doesn’t win enough, Mathew Stafford didn’t win enough in Detroit, Josh Allen doesn’t win enough, he can’t win the big game — and all Hurts does is everything we beg those quarterbacks to do,” Orlovsky said. “And all we want to do is kill him because it doesn’t look the same way, or the way that we want it. And I’ve done it [criticized him] before in the past as well.
“I don’t understand why we are obsessed with trying to knock Jalen Hurts right now when he does the only thing that people actually care about.”
"What's going on with Hurts is so disingenuous and disrespectful to Jalen Hurts. … All he does is win. All he does is be obsessed with football."@danorlovsky7 shares his thoughts on Jalen Hurts following his comments over the locker room frustrations 👀 pic.twitter.com/mP8v6Gfc9Y
Orlovsky isn’t the only one upset hearing about the drama that’s reportedly taking place within the Eagles. Former center Jason Kelce responded to the Gunn report on 94 WIP and shared some insight about what it’s like inside an NFL locker room and the emotions at play.
“I think that there are frustrations within a team that build up, continually,” Kelce said. “And I think Jalen gets a lot of the highlighting of that, again, because he’s the quarterback. … Lane [Johnson] and I didn’t talk for an entire offseason. Lane is like one of my best friends. Like, I love that guy. And this is part of being on a team. There are so many ups and downs. I’ve gotten into yelling matches with Jeff Stoutland, a guy that I consider like a second, almost like a father.
“This thing brings out emotions and sides of people because you all want to win so badly. I hate seeing this, and the only way out of this, and I mean this fully, you talk to people. You be accountable, you try and work this out. I mean, it’s not that much different than what you do in your marriage, right? You try to be accountable to what you’re doing wrong, what you’re failing in. You try to take accountability to alleviate the burden off of other people. These are the ways you maintain relationships and maintain a team functionality.”
Jason Kelce gets emotional when reacting to the report about internal frustration with Jalen Hurts, as Kelce reveals a story about how he did not speak to one of his best friends in Lane Johnson for a full offseason.
“You can tell when the interest ain’t there, it ain’t there,” said Jackson on the House of Action podcast with Clinton Portis. “It’s something else going on. And I got a great relationship with [Brown]. I respect him. I can’t say it. But I know it’s something else going on. It’s not all about football, it’s not all about X’s and O’s. I’ve been there. I’ve had situationships with QBs that I didn’t necessarily like. I’m just going to be honest. And when it ain’t there, it sticks out like a sore thumb. That’s all I’m going to say.”
DeSean Jackson on AJ Brown: “As you can tell, it’s something else going on. And I got a great relationship with him. I respect him. I can’t say it. But I know it’s something else going on. It’s not all about football, it’s not all about X’s and O’s. I’ve had situationships with… pic.twitter.com/fFmraGcApk
On ESPN’s First Take, former quarterback Cam Newton discussed what he perceives to be massive problems hidden behind the team’s winning record.
“You don’t get reports like this from thin air, they’re coming from somewhere,” Newton said. “When you’re not getting opportunities to make plays, the frustration then comes to say like ‘Yo, we’re an offense that is well capable of producing way more. Are we winning the football games? Yes. Is it becoming a distraction that I’m voicing my opinion because I want to hold my team accountable and there’s an expectation here to dominate? Yes.’
“The Philadelphia Eagles have been able to mask a lot of their deficiencies because they have been winning. Take away winning and it’s a muck down there.”
"You don't get reports like this from thin air. They're coming from somewhere."@CameronNewton says despite winning, there are higher expectations for the Eagles' offense 📈 pic.twitter.com/Slgck8h1Bg
The rest of the country may know gobblers as Thanksgiving leftover sandwiches, but here in Philly, they’re far more than that. Philly restaurants start serving gobblers long before Thanksgiving leftovers are on the horizon. The sandwiches are both a form of sculptural art — some of them defying gravity — as well as a month-long (or even two-month-long) Thanksgiving tailgate. Here are some places to explore Philly’s devotion to the sandwich.
Mercifully lighter than one might expect from the king of sandwiches, Porco’s Turketta Sammie, aka their riff on a gobbler, has its abundant fillings stuffed into a soft, slim brioche bun. It’s layered with slices of herbaceous smoked turkey breast, savory bread pudding (a fluffy take on stuffing), a thick slice of heirloom tomato, and a touch of green lettuce. It’s painted with a thin lacquer of cranberry mostarda and gently sauced with turkey gravy. Add Cooper Sharp and one of their aiolis (I love the roasted garlic aioli in the sandwich) for even more flavor. Pickup or delivery is available from their Washington Avenue window. The $16 gobbler is on the menu all November long; add-ons are $1 extra each.
Small Oven Pastry Shop & Porco’s Porchetteria, 2204 Washington Ave., 215-545-2939, smallovenpastryshop.com
Liberty Kitchen may be located in Fishtown (and Chestnut Hill and University City), but their LK Gobbler ($23) tastes so very South Philly. It’s served on a crusty foot-long seeded hoagie roll and comes with a side of turkey gravy for dipping. It’s filled with sliced deli turkey and a sage stuffing speckled with spicy — but not too spicy — long hots and fried shallots. Instead of cranberry sauce, Liberty Kitchen’s version relies on a sour cherry spread for citrusy sparkle and dijonnaise for creaminess. It’s the perfect marriage of Thanksgiving dinner and a hoagie. I appreciate that it’s not piled too high — I’m never a fan of an unwieldy sandwich — and that its crusty roll squishes down nicely upon each bite.
The vegan turkey gobbler sandwich from Triangle Tavern.
Triangle Tavern’s gobbler ($17.50) truly tastes as if I had gone to my mother-in-law Phyllis’ for Thanksgiving dinner, fallen asleep, then woken up and made myself a sandwich with all the leftovers, including mashed potatoes. The Baker Street hoagie roll (barely) contains those potatoes, plus cranberry sauce, stuffing, and either vegan seitan turkey or actual roasted turkey. It is sealed in a generous layer of thick mushroom gravy and served with a pickle spear.
The Gobble Til’ You Wobble Hoagie ($17) — made up of smoked turkey, cranberry mayo, sweet potato casserole, roasted Brussels sprouts, turkey gravy, crispy shallots, and balsamic reduction — is one of my absolute favorites on this list and more than any other, really makes me long for it to be Thanksgiving. Also the work of Porco’s owner Chad Durkin,who opened Breezy’s last year, the sandwich was piping hot and heavy when I picked it up. The sweet potato bound everything together beautifully, the sprouts are roasted until they’re wilted. The hoagie is creamy, hot, well-balanced, and you can really discern the different layers between the crusty seeded roll. There are some choices here: Select a 10-inch seeded long roll or a 4-inch wrap (regular or gluten-free); you can also add various meats, from roast beef to mortadella, as well as an array of cheeses.
Breezy’s Deli and Market, 2235 Washington Ave., 215-305-4090, breezysdeli.com
Dreamworld’s savory croissant riff on a gobbler, the I Should Call Her ($9) is a whole pastry stuffed with turkey, dashi gravy, cranberry sauce, and crowned with a handful of pancetta-flecked stuffing. It’s impossibly flaky and buttery on the outside, with the best bites of Thanksgiving dinner woven together inside.
This gobbler ($18) is the most classic of gobblers, and really one for the stuffing lovers. It’s basic and straightforward and very, very hefty but done well, with large, succulent chunks of roasted turkey on a hoagie roll with cornbread sausage stuffing and cranberry aioli, plus a creamy gravy for dipping both sandwich and the accompanying fries.
McCrossen’s Tavern, 529 N. 20th St., 215-854-0923, mccrossens.com
Other gobblers recommended by gobbler scholars
It was no small feat, running around Philadelphia collecting gobblers. Admittedly, some gobblers eluded me. Middle Child Clubhouse only serves its Turkey Dip during the day (though it’s available at both locations). There are several others that I did not try firsthand, but came recommended by other gobbler scholars.
Deli-style gobbler sandwich from Dolores’ 2Street.
Inquirer reporter Tommy Rowan said that Dolores’ 2Street “hits every major food group, and then it hits the spot.” Theirs is a deli-style sandwich, served mostly cold, with thick slices of roasted turkey and cheddar cheese.
“The little bit of warmth (and crunch) comes from the house-made stuffing, carefully crafted by owner Peter Miglino’s mother, Maria. It’s coupled with a nice tang from cranberry mayo and complemented by rings of raw white onion, a confetti of lettuce, and small slices of tomato on a Sarcone’s roll,” Rowan writes.
The Finksgiving hoagie from Fink’s Hoagies in Tacony.
Two years ago, Inquirer columnist Stephanie Farr sampled seven Philly-area Thanksgiving hoagies and sandwiches in a single day in the name of journalism. “I felt like a stuffed turkey afterward but I did waddle away with two favorites: the ‘Finksgiving’ from Fink’s Hoagies in Tacony and ‘The Bobbie’ from Capriotti’s, a Wilmington-based hoagie chain with locations in the Philly suburbs. Both hoagies had shredded turkey, tasty rolls that held up in the face of impossible odds, and the perfect ratio of turkey, cranberry sauce, and stuffing. The Finksgiving hoagie more fully intertwined the turkey and stuffing, whereas ‘The Bobbie’ layered them as separate ingredients.”
Philly-based food influencer Amanda Barr recently went on her own gobbler crawl and was entranced by Zig Zag BBQ’sGooblerr ($16), made of the “same smoked turkey that Zig Zag has year-round. It’s moist and delicious and a massive portion. It comes on a sesame-seeded burger bun with a base of sweet potato that contrasts with cranberry and savory turkey without making it sweet.” Barr also reports that the sandwich is cohesive, rather than unwieldy, and “you would definitely get everything in one bite.”
The Eagles may end up only being down one starting offensive lineman when they travel to Dallas to play the Cowboys this weekend.
Center Cam Jurgens, who left Sunday’s game and missed Wednesday’s practice with a concussion, returned to the practice field on Thursday as a limited participant. He was still sporting a brace on his right knee.
Jurgens returning to the field means he is progressing through the NFL’s return-to-participation protocol, a five-step process players must progress through before being cleared to return to the field for a game.
A right knee injury knocked Jurgens out of the Eagles’ Week 7 game in Minnesota. He returned to Sunday’s 16-9 victory over the Detroit Lions but was injured and left the game in the fourth quarter. Brett Toth, who filled in during Jurgens’ absence, finished the game Sunday.
They will face a Dallas front that has improved with the addition of defensive tackle Quinnen Williams, whom the Cowboys acquired from the New York Jets before the trade deadline. Williams, who plays next to the talented Kenny Clark in the interior, tallied a season-high five pressures in his Cowboys debut Monday night on 28 pass rushes, according to Next Gen Stats. Williams was credited with 1½ sacks. Williams was doubled on half of those 28 pass rushes.
The Eagles will likely need to focus extra attention on Williams, regardless of whether a banged-up Jurgens returns or Toth gets the nod.
Toth said he sees a lot of Kansas City defensive tackle Chris Jones and former Eagles tackle Fletcher Cox in Williams.
“He’s a great player and he’s a force,” Toth said. “He’s a game-wrecker if you give him a chance. They’re a unit that’s been looked at a certain way, but it’s the NFL. Every given week you have to go out there and prove yourself.”
The Dallas Cowboys acquired defensive tackle Quinnen Williams at the trade deadline, and he made an immediate impact with a sack and a half against the Las Vegas Raiders.
Williams has also been stout against the run. He leads all interior defensive linemen in run stops (26), according to Pro Football Focus. In his debut Monday, the Cowboys did not allow a single rushing yard before contact, according to Next Gen, with all 27 Las Vegas Raiders rushing yards gained after contact.
Toth said Dallas could be similar to the Eagles of 2024. They were a team that didn’t have an identity heading into their bye week. Dallas retooled at the deadline, then had its bye week, then emerged from the bye with a dominant win over a lesser opponent.
“You got to try to piece together, are they giving different schemes because of the personnel or was it something that was always packaged together as well?” Toth said. “You have to be able to adjust on the fly.”
Right guard Tyler Steen said schematically he is seeing a lot of the same stuff on film that he saw before Week 1. That week, the Eagles entered with a relatively healthy offensive line, though left guard Landon Dickerson left the game early with an injury. This time, Steen could be sandwiched between two backups. With the amount of time Jurgens and Lane Johnson have missed, that has been a constant in Steen’s first year as a starter.
“I don’t think it’s impacted me too much,” he said. “Obviously, Cam and Lane are extremely good players. Brett and Fred are also pretty good players as well. It all goes back to making sure everyone is on the same page.”
This week, with an improved Dallas front, that will be key. Jurgens could clear protocol in time to face one of his toughest challenges yet.
Eagles practice report
Jurgens was the only Eagles player listed as limited on Thursday’s practice report. Lane Johnson (foot) did not participate. He has not yet been placed on injured reserve, a move that is expected.
Edge rusher Jaelan Phillips, who was listed as limited Wednesday with a shoulder injury, was upgraded to a full participant.
