That card you see coaches holding on the sidelines? Not plays. A list of clichès at their fingertips in case an overzealous reporter swoops in for an impromptu interview.

Coaches are infamous for spouting off clichès within 15 seconds of being interviewed - you can bank on it.

Here are a few gems.

“We have to take it one game at a time.”

But what if you didn’t? What if you could play two at a time? The season would be cut in half and a new clichè would be born, “We have to take it two at a time.”

“The game was a lot closer than the score indicated.”

In other words, we got creamed.

“We just didn’t score enough points to win today.”

If you don’t score enough you aren’t going to win on any day, let alone today.

“We have great kids, they work hard; our focus just was not where it needed to be.” Code for: Our players were thinking about the Homecoming Dance.

And then there’s my all-time favorite that gets uttered before every rivalry game from Jim Thorpe-Lehighton to Notre Dame-Southern Cal.

“Throw out the records for this one.”

There’s a pile of books stacking up someplace - dating back to Sept. 21, 1899 when Pop Warner’s Carlisle Indian School played rival Gettysburg College - that could fill the No. 9 Mine.

No. 9 - Lehighton

Another classic clichè is “we’ll take small victories at this point.” When you look at the standings in the paper, the small victories category is on the far-right of the ledger in teeny-weeny type.

No. 8 - Panther Valley

Maybe playing on Saturday afternoon (against Pen Argyl) will be a game-changer for the Panthers. The day vs. night baseball argument - something about seeing the ball better and the grass is always greener during daylight.

No. 7 - Marian

After losing to Williams Valley last week, coach Stan Dakosty said, “I don’t know what to say, other than this falls on my shoulders.” Exactly what fell on Stan’s shoulders and will it come out in the wash or should he add Oxiclean?

No. 6 - Tamaqua

The Blue Raiders played hard last week (seriously, they did, no clichè here). Unfortunately, can’t move them up because the team ahead of them played just as hard. But Tamaqua gets a real opportunity to vault up in the rankings with a throw-out-the-records game tonight against Palmerton.

No. 5 - Jim Thorpe

Yep, they played hard in a 57-40 loss to Notre Dame.

No. 4 - Pleasant Valley

It’s over! No, not the season, a stretch that saw the Bears go 0-3 and get outscored 133-14.

No. 3 - Northwestern

Two lost center-quarterback snaps last week drop the Tigers down a spot.

No. 2 - Palmerton

Tamaqua tonight and Northern Lehigh next week. It’s go-time for the Bombers.

No. 1 - Northern Lehigh

If you think the Bulldogs have this No. 1 thing in the bag for the rest of the season, you are sadly mistaken my friends because it’s not over until it’s over, then the fat lady must sing and, finally, coach Joe Tout can say “I’m so proud of these kids.”