GOTW-2

Welcome to the Game of the week 2 Category. Here you’ll find featured game of the week coverage.

  • Team # 6 Lewisburg (4) 0-0

    Head coach Todd Tilford has breathed some fire into the Green Dragons’ program, and the results have shown, with two consecutive seasons of 10+ wins and a District 4 AA championship last season, the first in Lewisburg’s history. The run didn’t stop there, as Lewisburg finished 14-1 and gave eventual PIAA AA champion West Catholic a run for its money in the state semifinals..

    While several quality pieces return from last year’s edition, one notable two-way threat, junior tight end/linebacker Brandon Smith, will not be among them. Unfortunately, a source familiar with Lewisburg reports Smith had offseason back surgery and will be lost for the entire season. Smith had recorded 188 tackles and six sacks on defense and caught 10 passes for 285 yards and two touchdowns on offense as a sophomore. With the return of quarterback Camden Cassels (77-of-132, 1,162 yds, 11 TD), fullback Merle Moscarello (174 rush, 1,390 yds, 10 TD) and offensive linemen Nick Cozza, Austin Steen and Josie Hendricks, Lewisburg should provide a nice nucleus to build around.

    Defensively, key returnees include Jared Laino (55 tackles, 4 INT, 16 PD); Mark Hall (47 tackles, 2 INT, 6 PD); Cozza (108 tackles, 4 PD, 4 FF); Pat Ostrowsky (69 tackles, 2 FR); Hendricks (37 tackles); and Steen (16 tackles, sack) from a unit which allowed an average of 12.8 points per game, holding nine of 15 opponents to 14 points or less, with two shutouts.

     

    2011 Schedule

     

     

     

     

  • Team # 7 Pius X (11) 0-0

    Traditionally, the Royals have always given teams fits with their spread offensive attack.  That proved to be the case last year as Pius X ripped off eight consecutive victories and reached the District 11 A championship game opposite Schuylkill Haven with a unit that averaged 397.5 yards (237.7 pass, 159.8 rush) and 41 points per game, scoring 65 total offensive touchdowns (37 rushing, 28 passing).

    One of the headliners, is rising sophomore field general A.J. Long, who has already generated interest from programs like Oklahoma, Alabama, Florida, Oregon, TCU, Pitt, West Virginia, Maryland, Miami (FL) and Nebraska, among others.  Long threw for 2,852 yards and 28 touchdowns as a freshman, and both totals are believed to be state records for a 9th-grader at the varsity level.  Long’s four top returning targets, DuBois Ross, Matt Camilleti (the top career receiver at Pius X), Joey Dalessandro and Anthony Martino, combined for 114 receptions, 1,648 yards and 16 touchdowns.  Ross and Camilleti are potential Division-1 prospects.

    Pius X’ ground game, featuring its four top returning rushers, Long, Ross, Dashon Russell and Nick DeRea, combined for 287 rushes, 1,690 yards and 33 touchdowns, so it’s not like the Royals will only be a passing team in 2011.  Helping to pave the way for this high-flying attack are five returning starters: Zeke Cinelli, Steve Juarbe, Nico Goffredo, Matt Gist and Kyle Kokawski.

    Defensively, Pius did give up its share of points last year (320, 26.7 points per game), but players like Ross, Russell, Dalessandro, DeRea, Goffredo, Pat Douglas, Shaquone Williams and Sam Bacon all made notable impacts on that side of the ball for the Royals last year.

     

    2011 Schedule

  • Team # 8 Trinity (3) 0-0

    Trinity enjoyed one of its most successful seasons in school history last season, winning its second District 3 AA championship and boasting a new-look spread offense which yielded more than 5,400 yards, including a 2,300-yard passer and two 1,000-yard rushers.

    Quarterback Patrick Dill returns after throwing for 2,315 yards and 24 touchdowns, and backs Adam Geiger and Jack Miller ran for 1,419 and 1,087 yards, respectively, combining for 37 rushing touchdowns.  Dill, who has thrown for 3,098 yards in the last two seasons, has plenty of targets to throw to in Chris Lenz (34 rec., 675 yds, 11 TD); Danny Jackson (23, 443, 5); Geiger (21, 316, 1); and Miller (16, 270, 3).  But will that offensive skill, which helped to light up scoreboards for the bulk of Trinity’s 73 total offensive touchdowns last season, have any time to work with?  Only one starter on the Shamrock line – Vikram Shenoy – returns from a line which paved the way for that productive offensive unit of a year ago.

    Defensively, Miller, Geiger, Nick Slonac (potential collegiate prospect w/ an offer from Eastern Illinois) and Vincent Spinelli return, but, like the Trinity offensive line, the rest of the Shamrock unit will be a little “green” in terms of experience.

     

    2011 Schedules

  • Team # 9 Northern Lehigh (11) 0-0

    Northern Lehigh was very dominant on offense last year, running and running and running and running some more on the way to more than 4,300 yards on the ground and the school’s third District 11 AA championship since 1999. The focus of what was quite a productive offense shifts following the losses of a combined 3,326 yards and 55 touchdowns between backs Cody Remaly and Jake Kern to a defensive unit, including reserves, which allowed an average of 16.7 points per game, with three shutouts.

    The presence on defense of Kirk Bender (139 tackles, 2 sacks); Kyle Schomp (92 tackles, 7 sacks); Kyle Greenawald (65 tackles, 6 sacks); Caleb Johnson (55 tackles, 2 sacks); David Getz (49 tackles, 6 INT); Trevor Yashur (44 tackles, 3 INT); Dalton Johnson (26 tackles); Jake Moser (22 tackles); and Dylan Hoffman (22 tackles) should bolster NL in 2011.

    Offensively, despite the loss of Remaly and Kern, the Bulldogs will still have some key pieces.  Hoffman returns at quarterback after amassing 1,064 yards of offense (721 pass, 343 rush) and 14 total touchdowns.  Bender and Yashur will move to the halfback positions and Schomp will replace departed battering ram Matt Gill (291 yds, 4 TD) at fullback.  Johnson, a 6’4, 210-pound junior with interest from Patriot and Ivy League programs, moves to tight end.

     

    2011 Schedule

  • Team # 10 Wilkes-Barre GAR (2) 0-0

    The defending District 2 AA champion Grenadiers return eight on offensive and six on defensive from last season.  The loss of Kurtis Thomas (1,359 rush yds, 19 TD) and sack artist Dane Dudick (103 tackles, 15 sacks) smarts a bit, but the cupboard is not bare.

    Dual-threat field general Darrell Crawford (1,370 yds, 14 TD; 43-of-110, 675 yds, 6 TD) will be back at the helm of GAR’s offense and will be joined in the backfield by Dwayne Wright (41 rush, 282 yds, 5 TD) and Mykel Dempsey (45, 232).  Wide receivers Shaliek Powell (20 rec., 318 yds, 4 TD) and Lucas Benton (13, 288, 1) are both back as well.  They rushed as a team for 3,467 yards, 42 rushing touchdowns, 675 passing yards and six touchdowns.

    Defensively, Wright, Crawford (52 tackles, 2 int.), Powell (54 tackles, 5 int), Joe Olejar, Shakir Soto (99 tackles, 8 sacks), and Andres Jones all return for the Grenadiers.  On defense they had 29 team sacks, 14-team interception, 14 caused fumbles and 16 fumble recoveries. Will all of that returning talent be enough to offset the losses of Thomas and Dudick? We will find out this season!

    Returning starters on offense: 8

    Returning starters on defense: 6

     

    2011 Schedule

  • Q & A with Pius X’s Phil Stambaugh

    This is the fifth installment in our series of coaches’ interviews.  Today we sat down with head coach Phil Stambaugh of Pius X and asked him some questions about himself and his career coaching football.

    Q. Why did you decide to coach High School Football?

    A. I have had sports surrounding me my whole life and that was a natural path for me. My dad was a coach and my uncle was a coach. I always enjoyed being around athletics and playing at a couple of levels. I just thought it was what I wanted to pursue and it takes everything I have learned in my experiences.

     

    Q. How many years have you coached at your school?

    A. I have been there since 2000. The first couple of years I was still playing ball so I was a volunteer assistant. Then I took over as offensive coordinator in 2003 and I became the head coach last year.

     

    Q. Do you have any interest in coaching at a higher level?

    A. I have entertained it in the past. Where I am at in my life right now and coaching at the high school level allows me freedom to do the things that I need to do with my family and business. But I would still entertain going up to a higher level. I still want to pursue that, but it has to be when the time is right. For right now I am very happy at Pius and for the short future I’m not going anywhere.

     

    Q. Growing up was there an athlete or coach you particularly admired and patterned yourself after?

    A. I follow different athletes. I played football, baseball and wrestling my whole life. Professional athletes that I admire were Joe Montana, Nolan Ryan and Dave Winfield. Those were the top three athletes I follow and looked up to.

     

    Q. What do you feel is the most important thing or things that you can teach your athletes?

    A. I want to teach them to be accountable for what they are doing. What we are doing with our program this year is bigger then them individually. They are playing for themselves certainly, but they are playing for their family, school, program, alumni and it’s a lot bigger than them. That’s what I’m trying to get out of them, to realize it’s more than about them.

     

    Q. How important is strength training and nutrition in your program?

    A. We talk about strength training and nutrition a lot. Unfortunately being such a small school, guys do strength training all different times of the year and some of them are in between sports.  Right now I think its more important for them to play more sports and get that experience.

     

    Q. What kind of offense and defense do you like to run?

    A. We’re a spread offense. We pass the ball to setup the run. For as much as people think we are just a passing team, in our best years we are very balanced. Last year was our best year since I have been calling the plays. It was our best balanced year and numbers.  We had just under 5,000 all-purpose yards from last year. It was a huge year for us.

    Defensively we play a 3-4. We are talking about a 4-3 defense too. I like the 3-4 because of our personnel. We don’t have the biggest kids in the world, but we are quick and athletic.

     

    Q. Who is the best football player you ever coached against?

    A. Hynoski, when we played him, he was a sophomore. But in that game he was a beast. Dan Latorre that year was a good and Drew Letcavage from Mount Carmel. We played against Knowledge Timmons from York. PJ Hill of Poly Prep was one of the best kids I coached against.

     

    Q. Who is the best team you ever coached against?

    A. Southern. It’s just the way they do things. When you show up and play them, they step on the field and it’s all business. They step on the field and expect to win the football game. There is no doubt in their minds that they will come out a winner. I looked at their program as something I want to model my program after. You watch them on the sideline and every kid looks like a football player.

     

    Q. Do you want your athletes to play other sports?

    A. Yes I want them to play other sports. There are some coaches that want kids to play one sport. I couldn’t do that since I played three sports. I think the kids to gain a lot playing other sports.

     

    Q. Do you think 16 games is too much for high school teams?

    A. I don’t think so. I hope we get the opportunity to play 16 games. I wish Pennsylvania would put in spring football. I hope it comes in a couple of years like Texas, California and Florida have. But then it might weaken a sport like baseball? I don’t mind playing 16 games, matter of fact we are jacked up about playing 16 games.

     

    Q. What type of a game schedule would you most like to see? Do you like a tougher schedule to prepare you for the playoffs?

    A. What we are playing for every year is a district championship. I feel we need a competitive schedule so we get tested throughout the year so when we make the playoffs we are ready to go.

     

    Q. What are your goals/challenges for the 2011 season and what do you have coming back as a team?

    A. We want to win our league (All-American) and win a district championship. We played the last two years in a district championship and came up short. It’s been a dagger in my side and in the kid’s side. What we talk about, its what we preach about and it’s what we want to get. We want to win a district championship. Because we know what comes next, the big time. We want to play for a state championship.

     

    Q. How special is AJ Long to your program?

    A. There are some kids that have a lot of talent and there are kids that let that talent get wasted.   AJ doesn’t waste any of his talent. AJ is constantly going to camps. He plays AAU basketball or makes himself better in football. That kid doesn’t take many breaks. He works hard in the weight room during the off-season. He’s built up his body and his arm has gotten stronger. His leadership has gotten tremendously better. Last year as a freshman he was asked to lead kids that were two or three years older than him and he did an excellent job.

    The main key for AJ is his leadership. He has all the physical tools. He can run and throw the ball. He doesn’t waste that talent and he studies and he wants to be good. He has the drive.

     

    Q. Do you have a pre-game ritual?

    A. We always say our prayers before we go out to the field. My pre-game ritual is, I try and do what ever I did the game before. If it was successful, I try and do the same things. I’m very superstitious. I don’t step on any lines on the field. I do the same things I did the week before. I even eat the same amount of donuts before the game.

     

    Q. Final Question. How do you define a successful season?

    A. For us it is winning the district championship. That’s our ultimate goal. Making the state playoffs. That would be a successful season.

  • Q & A with Southern Columbia’s Jim Roth

     

    Q. Why did you decide to coach High School Football?

    A. Because I was involved so much in athletics, when I was younger in high school and college. Sports were always prominent in my life and football was one of my favorite sports, but when I started out here I was coaching three sports here in the early years, football, baseball and wrestling.

     

    Q. How many years have you coached at your school?

    A. I will be starting my 28th year as the head coach. This will be my 32nd year total; I was an assistant for four years.

     

    Q. Do you have any interest in coaching at a higher level?

    A. I did early in my career.

     

    Q. What do you feel is the most important thing or things that you can teach your athletes?

    A. The most valuable thing without question is to teach them as much as I can about developing positive character traits; that is an extremely important goal. I think if any athletic program was run correctly that’s what it does, it should help in character development of young people, which is needed today more than ever, and yet we have people running around claiming we shouldn’t fund high school athletics. The second part of the answer is to teach young people what it takes to be successful, and that’s extremely important.

     

    Q. How important is strength training and nutrition in your program?

    A. They are both very important. The nutrition part; I do not have as much control in the nutrition part versus the strength aspect. We can run a strength program and have direct control over the kids on what they are doing when they are here. The nutritional part I can educate but you are not going to have as many hands on control over the way the deal with nutrition. They both are extremely important, and that has been important over the success of over the years.

     

    Q. What kind of offense and defense do you like to run?

    A. We have run the Delaware wing-T since 1988. We have been successful running this offense for many years. Some people look at it as a heavy run offense or a one-dimensional offense. But with the nature of changing things up with formation and personnel, you can easily adapt to the type of talent you have. We have adapted and been able to do things with the passing game in certain years when we had the talent to make us more successful with the pass. I think it’s a great offense and a good fit for high school. You don’t necessary need any type of talent like a lot of people today that wants to spread things out and run the spread offense. If you don’t have certain skill people year in and year out that can be difficult.

    On the defensive side we have always been a 4-4 team. We always felt the eight-man front was the best fit for high school. We have had to become a little more creative here the last few years because of the popularity of the spread offensives and how much teams throw the ball. It require us at times to break out of the eight-man front look and go to four defensive backs and change things up a bit.  The game hasn’t changed in the basic philosophy.  If you can’t stop teams from running the ball you won’t win the game.

     

    Q. Who is the best football player you ever coached against?

    A. Phil Stambaugh of Pius X who played at Lehigh and in the NFL for a little bit, Jon Veach of Mount Carmel comes to mind. Selinsgrove recently with Ryan Keiser and Myers kids are two of the better kids. At the state level Elijah Fields from Duquesne was a great athlete and Rochester had a lot of them. They had a lot of great players over the years.

     

    Q. Who is the best team you ever coached against?

    A. I would say programs, because it’s hard to pick out specific years. It would be Mount Carmel Area, Rochester and Farrell. We played Farrell twice in the mid-90s in state championship games and when we played them they were extremely talented as a team, especially as a class A team.  Those three teams jump out and along with Pius X. The other one locally, which may sound a little odd especially if people heard it around here is Central Columbia. Their program has been down lately but the first 20-years of my career we probably had more tough games and probably lost more games to Central Columbia than any other team. They have been a quality program for a long time.

     

    Q. Do you want your athletes to play other sports?

    A. Yes, we never had an issue with that. Most of your great athletes are kids who play multiple sports.

     

    Q. Do you think 16 games is too much for high school teams?

    A. Not really, I think 16 games year in and year out on a regular basis would be too much. There are only eight teams in the state playing 16 games and we did it. Some of the years we played were only 15 games. We played six of seven times and I never thought it was an issue. We played long seasons for a number of years and we adapted to it.

    But regardless of what I think I know it is going to change for next year, it’s going to get cut to 15 games.  They weren’t real successful on how about getting it there, none the less it’s going to happen. I think they are worried about how the 16 game seasons will end a week before Christmas and will cut into the winter sports.  But again it’s only eight teams. Now we are looking at a situation next year where you are going to have to go with a nine game schedule or the teams I think are going to be givien permission from the PIAA or they can play the first game where the second scrimmage is. That would eliminate the second scrimmage and with out moving the practice date back I don’t know if that is a great idea playing a varsity football game after only two weeks of practices.

    There is no easy answer on this. They looked at a 5 or 6 classification idea and one of these options will happen.

     

    Q. What type of a game schedule would you most like to see?

    A. We had a tough schedule last year where eight teams where playoff teams. That schedule is going to occur for us again. When you play the competition it’s going to help you get better not just this year, but next year to.

     

    Q. What’s your goals/challenges for the 2011 season and what do you have coming back as a team?

    A. Well our goal every year is to win a state championship. We have a group coming back with a strong senior class and a nucleus of returning starters that should enable us to have an opportunity to make a run to get back at a level where we can contain for a state championship again. But again that remains to be seen and I think a lot has to do with how the chemistry develops. We are going to be a senior dominated team. This is the year for us where we have to try and make some noise.

     

    Q. Do you have a pre-game ritual?

    A. No I don’t have anything right before the game. The players have a team dinner every Thursday night.

     

    Q. Final Question. How do you define a successful season?

    A. Getting the most out of are players is one of the keys.

     

  • Prep Nation Radio Launches New Website

    Today PrepNationRadio.com launched their brand new website. A new design from the ground up making it easier to share news, information and connect with fans through social media. Take a look at what they have to offer. Prep Nation Radio is the official home of The 12th Man Show, Fridays 1030pm to 1am.

    Some of the new features are as follows:

    • Playbook Blog – Read our stories from numerous writers throughout the season
    • Search box to find older articles and information posted to the blog
    • Better menu to navigate throughout the site and find what you need fast
    • RSS Feed to always be notified when a new story is added to the site
    • Feedback tab on the right hand side of the website to submit comments or suggestions
    • Ad space for additional businesses looking to increase exposure
    • Each story allows fans to make comments and share via email, facebook or twitter
    • 12th Man Archive Player – Listen to past shows right on the site. (also download on iTunes)
    • Brand new HD Widescreen Webcam will now show a clearer, sharper 12th Man Show
    • Cover It Live chat is back with some new features for our fans to communicate during shows
    • All chats will be archived for future reading

    Note: Please update your links or favorites for your browser to this new website. The old website had a very long web address for some of you. Please update to http://www.prepnationradio.com

  • 2011 Pre-Season Big School Team

    OFFENSIVE

    QB – Sr. Brendan Nosovitch – Allentown Central Catholic 6-3 190

    QB – Sr. Skyler Mornhinweg – St. Joseph Prep – 6-3 215

    QB – Sr. Matt Johns – Central Bucks South – 6-5 200

     

    RB – Sr. Drew Harris – Downingtown East 6-0 205

    RB – Sr. Desomond Peoples – Archbishop Wood 5-8 170

    RB – Sr. Jalen Randolph – Ridley 6-1 210

    RB – Sr. Javon White Souderton 5-10 185

     

    FB – Sr. Rob Dvoracek – Parkland 6-2 215

     

    WR – Sr. Kevin Gulyas – Allentown Central Catholic 6-1 185

    WR – Sr. Kyle Kerrick – Coatesville – 6-3 185

    WR – Sr. Anthony Nash – Bayard Rustin 6-5 180

    WR – Jr. Brian Lemelle – Bishop McDevitt 5-11 175

    WR – Sr. Ronnie Gillespie – Upper Perkiomen 5-9 160

    WR – Sr. Damiere Shaw – Cardinal O’Hara 5-10 170

     

    TE – Sr. Colin Thompson – Archbishop Wood 6-6 255

     

    OL – Sr. JJ Denman – Pennsbury 6-6 310

    OL – Sr. Frank Taylor – Archbishop Wood 6-4 280

    OL – Sr. Chris Muller – Boyertown 6-6 295

    OL – Sr. Michael Mooney Malvern Prep 6-5 265

    OL – Sr. Tad McNeely – Allentown Central Catholic 6-4 255

    OL – Sr. Brandon Arcidiacono Archbishop Wood 6-5 250

     

    ATH – Sr. Eugene Lewis – Wyoming Valley West 6-3 190

     

    DEFENSIVE

    DT – Sr. Averee Robinson – Susquehanna Township 6-2 255

    DT – Sr. Connor Mahoney – Malvern Prep 6-4 270

    DT – Kavon Johnson – Plymouth-Whitemarsh 6-2 270

    DT – Sr. Harold Brantley – Hershey 6-3 280

     

    DE – Sr. Noah Spence – Bishop McDevitt 6-4 240

    DE – Sr. PJ Gallo – Council Rock South 6-4 230

    DE –  Sr. Jake O’Donnell Central Bucks East 6-6 235

    DE – Sr. Kiser Terry – Neshaminy – 6-3 225

     

    LB – Sr. Bryan Barr – Mechanicsburg Area 6-1 220

    LB – Sr. Nyeem Wartman – Valley View 6-2 210

    LB – Sr. Brock Dean – Bishop McDevitt 6-2 215

    LB – Sr. Jon Hicks – Palmyra Area 6-3 235

     

    DB – Sr. Nate Smith – Archbishop Wood – 6-0 185

    DB – Sr. Noah Robb – Allentown Central Catholic – 6-3 195

    DB – Sr. Okezie Alozie – Bethlehem Freedom 6-0 200

    DB – Sr. Willaim Parks – Germantown 6-2 180

    DB – Sr. Brandon Shippen – Norristown 5-10 170

     

    ATH – Sr. Julian Kaminoff – New Hope-Solebury 5-11 175

     

  • MVPMemories.com

     

    Here at MVPmemories.com, we create products that capture and preserve your greatest sports milestones. Simply upload your favorite action shots to create custom wall graphics, posters, and art on canvas. We offer a variety of sports themed templates that can be customized with your athlete’s name, picture, jersey number, and team colors. Be sure to check back often as we will be updating the site frequently.

  • Averee Robinson of Susquehanna Township issues an oral declaration to Temple

    The 6-1, 285, pound defensive tackle chose Temple over offers from Nebraska, Penn State and Pittsburgh last Tuesday.

    As a junior, Robinson had 50 total tackles. two fumble recoveries and eight sacks.

    Robinson’s brother Adrian plays defensive end for Temple. Robinson is a star wrestler and is the reigning PIAA Class AAA 285-pound state champion.

    Stats provided by MaxPreps

     

  • Allentown Central Catholic QB Brendan Nosovitch issues oral declaration to South Carolina

    The ringleader of Allentown Central Catholic’s wickedly efficient and effective spread offensive attack is taking his talents to the Southeastern Conference to continue his collegiate football career.

    Brendan Nosovitch, a 6’2, 200-pound dual-threat field general for Allentown Central Catholic High School, issued an oral declaration to South Carolina Tuesday, according to national recruiting service Scout.com.

    The Gamecocks were one of eight programs to verbally offer the Viking quarterback a scholarship, according to Scout and Rivals.com.  Clemson, Eastern Michigan, Georgia Tech, Maryland, Ohio, Temple and Virginia also offered, and schools like Boston College, Michigan State, Northwestern, Penn State, Pitt, Rutgers, Vanderbilt and West Virginia had expressed interest but not offered a scholarship.

    Scout.com rates Nosovitch as the #39 quarterback in the 2012 recruiting class and a three-star prospect.  At one point, Nosovitch had fallen from the mid-30s to the #41-ranked quarterback in the nation in the 2012 class in Scout’s position-by-position rankings.  Rivals rated Nosovitch as a three-star prospect but did not rank the ACC senior-to-be at his position.

    Nosovitch’s declaration makes him the fifth Keystone State field general in this 2012 class to make a pre-season choice of a Division-1 college, joining Perry Hills (Pittsburgh Central Catholic, Maryland), Matt Johns (Central Bucks South, Virigina), Blake Rankin (Bloomsburg, Rutgers) and Manny Stocker (Coatesville Area, North Carolina State).

    Nosovitch had an incredible junior season, connecting on 186-of-317 passes for 3,112 yards and 43 touchdowns against 11 interceptions and adding 1,647 rushing yards and 25 touchdowns on 212 carries.  He completed 58.7 percent of his passes and averaged 7.7 yards per carry, throwing for 200+ yards six times and rushing for 100+ yards nine times.  He finished 12 of ACC’s 16 games with multiple touchdown passes, including a trio of 5-touchdown pass performances in the playoffs.  He also scored multiple rushing touchdowns in eight games, including four playoff games.

    For his career, Nosovitch has thrown for 5,440 yards and 67 touchdowns and run for 2,665 yards and 45 touchdowns, and holds a chance to join former Jeannette field general Terrelle Pryor as the only other Pennsylvania field general with both 4,000 career rushing and passing yards in a career.  He boasts a career won-loss record of 28-2 over the last two seasons for the Vikings, leading the team to consecutive District 11 AAA championships and PIAA AAA playoff berths.

    Allentown Central Catholic finished the 2010 season 16-0, winning the program’s third PIAA AAA championship and first since 1998.  ACC became the 11th program (12th overall team) to finish a season with a perfect 16-0 record since 2004.

  • P.J. Gallo of Council Rock South issues an oral declaration to Maryland

    The 6-4 235, pound tight end and defensive end chose Maryland over offers from Buffalo, Cincinnati, Connecticut, North Carolina, North Carolina State, Northwestern, Pittsburgh, Syracuse, Temple, Virginia and West Virginia.

    As a junior, Gallo had 12 receptions for 246 yards and two scores. On defense he had 93 total tackles and five sacks.

     

  • Parkland’s FB Rob Dvoracek issues an oral declaration to Temple

    The 6-1, 215 pound fullback was recruited by the Owls, which offered him a scholarship a few weeks ago. Buffalo, Connecticut, Rutgers, Pittsburgh and Boston College expressed interested in him.

    In 2010 he rushed for 674 yards and nine touchdowns. Parkland finished 4-7 overall and 4-5 in the Lehigh Valley Conference.

    He becomes the first Lehigh Valley player to commit to a college.

     

  • Exeter Township TE Christian Menet issues oral declaration to Eastern Michigan

    The Exeter Township Eagles landed on the recruiting scene a season ago with placekicker Taylor Bertolet, who committed to Texas A&M.  For the second consecutive year, the blue and white can lay claim to a Division-1 football prospect.

    Christian Menet, a 6’5, 238-pound tight end for the Eagles, issued an oral declaration to Eastern Michigan Tuesday, according to national recruiting service Scout.com and a report published by the Reading Eagle.  EMU was the only program to extend a scholarship offer to Menet during his recruiting process.

    Utilized as both a blocker and a receiver in Exeter’s offensive attack last season, Menet hauled in six passes for 190 yards, averaging 31.7 yards per reception, and scored four total touchdowns.  He also helped to pave the way for an Exeter Township offense which averaged 252.3 yards (144.9 rush, 107.4 pass) and 21.8 points per game, producing a 970-yard rusher and a 1,000+-yard passer.  Offensively, Exeter Township scored 30 total touchdowns (20 rushing, 10 passing).

    The Eagles, who compete in the Berks Inter-County League Division 1, finished 4-6 last year.

  • Blue Mountain OT Jason Emerich issues oral declaration to Syracuse

    A Big East program has received a declaration from an offensive lineman from District 11 in its 2012 recruiting class.

    Jason Emerich, a 6’4, 275-pound offensive tackle from Blue Mountain High School, issued an oral declaration to Syracuse Tuesday, according to national recruiting service Scout.com.  The Orange were one of seven programs to offer the Eagles’ senior-to-be, including Akron, Buffalo, Central Florida, Connecticut, Delaware and Temple had all verbally offered, and Rutgers was showing interest, but had not offered.

    In a weekend conversation with Blue Mountain head coach Mike Brennan, it was revealed Emerich’s decision was coming down to either Syracuse or Central Florida.  Brennan said Emerich had really enjoyed a recent visit to UCF.

    Emerich is rated by Scout.com as a two-star prospect at offensive tackle and is one of two Schuylkill County prospects with such a rating, joining fellow District 11 offensive lineman Jon Green (North Schuylkill).  He is the ninth Keystone State prospect on the offensive line to issue a pre-season college declaration

    Blue Mountain enjoyed a 7-4 season and a 6-1 conference mark last season, reaching the District 11 AAA semifinals opposite eventual PIAA AAA champion Allentown Central Catholic.  Emerich helped to pave the way for an Eagle offensive unit that averaged 360 yards (231.1 rushing, 128.9 passing) and 35.5 points per game, producing four backs with between 240 and 900 rushing yards and a 1,400-yard passer.  The Eagles scored 54 total offensive touchdowns (33 rushing, 21 passing) last season.

    Emerich was selected as a 2nd-team offensive lineman on the Associated Press’ 2010 Class AAA all-state team.

  • Bishop McDevitt LB Brock Dean issues oral declaration to Maryland

    One of the Bishop McDevitt Crusaders’ top returning defensive players has issued his pre-season declaration to a Division-1 program in the Atlantic Coast Conference.

    Brock Dean, a 6’1, 220-pound linebacker for Bishop McDevitt High School, issued an oral declaration to Maryland Friday during a ceremony at the Manada Golf Course in Grantville, according to national recruiting service Scout.com. The Terrapins were one of four programs to offer the Crusaders’ top returning linebacker, including Arkansas, Pitt and Temple, and other programs like Cincinnati, Connecticut, Iowa, Northwestern, Penn State, Rutgers, South Florida and Virginia exressed interest, but did not offer Dean.

    #24 had quite a solid junior season for McDevitt, helping the program win its eighth District 3 football championship (third in Class AAA) and reach the PIAA AAA championship game opposite Allentown Central Catholic.

    Dean was the Crusaders’ second-leading tackler, amassing 93 total tackles (47 solo), four sacks, an interception (returned for a touchdown), four deflected passes and three forced fumbles. He averaged 5.8 tackles per game, posting a season-high 13 tackles in McDevitt’s 17-7 loss to Central Dauphin in Week 2. Dean finished four other games with at least seven tackles and was part of a Crusaders’ defensive unit (including reserves) that held 11 of 16 opponents to 17 points or less, with two shutouts, and allowed an average of 14 points per game.

    Bishop McDevitt finished 13-3 overall in 2010.

     

  • Coatesville Area WR Kyle Kerrick issues oral declaration to Michigan State

    A three-star wide receiver from Chester County will continue his football career in the Big Ten Conference.

    Kyle Kerrick, a 6’3, 185-pound wide receiver for the Red Raiders of Coatesville Area High School, issued an oral declaration to the Michigan State Spartans Tuesday evening, according to national recruiting service Scout.com.

    Including the Spartans, Kerrick held a total of eight offers from Akron, Cincinnati, Illinois, Pitt, Syracuse Temple and West Virginia, according to Scout, and received interest from programs like Boston College, Georgia, Nebraska, Penn State, Rutgers, Virginia and Wisconsin, according to national Rivals.com. Division-1 FCS representative James Madison has also shown interest in the Red Raiders’ featured receiving target.

    Scout.com rated Kerrick as a three-star prospect and ranked him as the #72 receiver in the 2012 recruiting class.  Kerrick is joined in Scout’s wide receiver position rankings by fellow Keystone State prospects Eugene Lewis (Wyoming Valley West, #7), Corey Jones (Penn Hills, #49) and Mike Burke (Columbia, #99).

    The 2010 season was a good one for Kerrick, who snagged 30 passes for 510 yards and 11 touchdowns, averaging exactly 17 yards per catch.  He was part of a Red Raider offensive attack that averaged 26.6 points per game, topping the 30-point mark in four games.

    Coatesville Area finished 8-3 last season, falling in the opening round of the District 1 AAAA playoffs to Central Bucks West, 42-28. The Red Raiders’ program is experiencing a resurgence under head coach Matt Ortega, the former head coach at William Penn High School in York.

  • Big 33. More than a game!

    Hershey, PA – The Big 33 game has meant so much to both the states of Ohio and Pennsylvania in so many ways. It’s not just a football game pitting the best that both states have to offer in high school football talent. The game gives many an opportunity to be a part of this spectacle and show the support that is given to those who are less fortunate or are battling circumstances that are out of their control. First and foremost the recognition given to those who are part of our armed forces are part of what this game stands for.

    In addition, the support that is shown to children that have physically debilitating diseases and the way these star athletes become their buddies puts a smile on their faces and makes both the parents of the physically disabled and the players very proud of their kids. The endearing support that some of the best high school cheerleaders in both states give to those disabled girls who took part in the cheerleading was very heartwarming as well. And finally, a toast is given to those “host families” that welcome these kids who travel from great distances so they can be welcomed into their homes.

    The Big 33 is more than a game. It stands for the recognition for achievement during one’s playing career and the opportunity to move on to the next level of competition and education. It also gives recognition to those who have an appreciation for and assistance to those who need it the most. The amount of people positively affected by this experience will last a lifetime.

    This experience goes far beyond the numbers on the scoreboard at the end of the game. For all these facts alone it is without question that the Big 33 does it right.

    Finally, here are some intriguing (and heartwarming) things that this reporter experienced while roaming the sidelines:

    • As Lafayette Pitts (Woodland Hills/University of Pittsburgh) greets his buddy before the game, he hugs the parent, taps his buddy on the chest, gives him thumbs up sign and puts a medal over his head. This kid lit up like a Christmas tree.
    • The amazing job done on the National Anthem by a Bishop McDevitt cheerleader.
    • The helicopter making the turns around the stadium.
    • The amazing cut back ability of Ohio MVP, RB, Akise Teague (Youngstown Ursaline/Univ of Cincinnati)
    • The pair of Teague and Jameel Poteat going to Cincinnati
    • The size of Shawn Oakman (Penn Wood/Penn State)
    • The nonstop motor of Fairview/Penn State lineman Jordan Kerner
    • The amazing speed, agility, leaping ability and hands of Ohio WR Devin Smith (Massillon/Ohio State)
    • The ground and pound running of PA MVP Sean Barowski (McDevitt/Rutgers)
    • One of the disabled PA cheerleaders doing a routine
    • The fan support for Jalen Fitzpatrick
    • The number of Ohio players who will play at the University of Toledo
    • Desimon Green rushing from the edge on the defense
    • The rocket arm of Matt Johnson (McDevitt/Bowling Green)

  • Johns commits to Virginia

    As a junior, QB Matt Johns of Central Bucks South threw for 1,701 yards and 16 touchdowns.

    His team finished 4-6 last season.

    More details will follow later…..

     

  • Quarterback – Class of 2011-2012

    Who are some of the top quarterbacks going into the 2011 season? Here’s our list of the top three quarterbacks in Eastern PA. Who do you think makes the top five list?

    1) Brendan Nosovitch – Allentown Central Catholic 6-2 195

    As a junior, Nosovitch passed for 3,112 yards and 43 touchdowns. He rushed for 1,647 yards and 25 touchdowns. His sophomore year he passed for 2,085 yards and 20 touchdowns. He rushed for 1,007 yards and 19 touchdowns.

    Video  – Bethlehem Freedom

    Video  – Whitehall

    Video  – Abington Heights

    Video – Archbishop Wood

    Video – Bishop McDevitt

     

    2) Skyler Mornhinweg – St. Joesph’s Prep 6-3 190

    As a sophomore, Mornhiweg passed for 1,543 yards and 18 touchdowns. He rushed for 364 yards and five scores. His junior year he passed for 1,546 yards and 13 touchdowns.

    Video – George Washington

    3) Blake Rankin – Bloomsburg Area 6-4 195

    As a junior, Rankin passed for 1,580 yards and 16 touchdowns. He rushed for 981 yards and 17 touchdowns.

    Video – 2010 Season

    4) ?

    5) ?

     

  • 2011 National Signing Day

    National Signing Day is the most important day in college football recruiting as it is the day most recruits make their college choices known. Many recruiting fans go so far as to call this day a holiday. What school will be the big winner in PA, Pitt or Penn State? With National Signing Day quickly approaching on Feb. 2, 2011 let’s talk about where players might be heading?

  • Persa-verance: ’06 Henry Winner One of College Football’s Best

    Note: Originally appeared in the Maxwell Football Club’s program for the 26th Jim Henry Banquet held January 13, 2011

    By Don Leypoldt

    Remember the story of Daniel in the Lions’ Den?

    Daniel Vaughn (Dan) Persa, the 2006 Jim Henry Award winner, former Pennsylvania 4A Prep Player of the Year and current dual-threat, stand out Northwestern quarterback, has stood in that (Nittany) Lion’s Den.

    And the Gopher’s Den. And the Hoosier’s Den.

    And certainly in his own home Wildcat’s Den of Ryan Stadium. More often than not the Bethlehem Liberty High School product, like the Biblical Daniel, emerges victorious.

    No game better demonstrated this than NU’s dramatic upset over #13th-ranked Iowa on November 13th. Dan threw for 318 yards, ran for 50 more and accounted for all three of NU’s touchdowns. It earned him Walter Camp and Big 10 Offensive Player of the Week honors.

    The game capped a year where he completed 74% of his passes for 2,581 yards and 15 touchdowns while ranking 12th in the nation in passer efficiency.  Persa also ran for over 500 yards and nine scores. “It all begins with your preparation in the preseason.  The spread offense really comes down to how the quarterback plays,” Persa commented.

    “Everyone is so spread out that someone is usually going to be open.  The trick is just finding them.  At the same time, if no one is open you can always run too,” he observed.

    Persa unfortunately suffered a season-ending injury on the final drive of the Iowa game.  The Communications major now faces the Lion of rehabbing the ruptured tendon, although happily the first team All-Big 10 QB is “ahead of schedule” and should be 100% in 2011.

    Persa is no stranger to facing Lions.  Despite a crushing loss in the Pennsylvania 4A state title game his senior year, Persa rebounded to have a splendid Big 33 game. He rushed or threw for three scores, earning MVP honors.

    “Talent,” he replied when asked what he learned from those deep playoff runs.  “The talent on a team is really overrated.  We may not have been the most talented team but we were so close and knew each other so well that we played hard for each other.  I think that is what led us to the state championship both times.”  Liberty was the state runner-up during Persa’s junior year too.

    The reward for his exceptional prep career, where he threw for nearly 5,800 yards, ran for over 2,500 yards and accounted for 91 touchdowns through the air or on the ground?

    Another Lion.  Sitting.  First as a redshirt.  Yet Persa benefited. “Obviously I wasn’t ready to play when I first got there,” Persa admitted, “and I think the biggest thing is that I kept improving every year, taking steps to develop as a quarterback.  When I got a chance to play my sophomore year I took advantage of it.”

    Then Persa found himself behind Mike Kafka, now a Philadelphia Eagle, on the depth chart.  It also proved to be educational.  “I learned a lot from Mike,” said Kafka’s understudy, “The way he prepared.  The way he stayed focused during a game, never getting too high or too low,”

    When given the chance to be top of the food chain in 2010, Persa seized it. In his first start, he threw more touchdowns (three) than incompletions (two) as NU beat Vanderbilt 23-21 on the road. Persa led the Wildcats to a 7-3 mark and a bowl berth.

    “The year that Danny’s had has been absolutely spectacular. He’s a warrior,” remarked Northwestern coach Pat Fitzgerald, himself a two-time Bednarik Award winner.  “In my opinion he’s had an MVP-type year. He ranks first, second or third in every major statistical category in the Big Ten. He closes his season with the single-season best (completion percentage) in Big Ten history and I think that speaks for itself.”

    To quote NU’s website, “Perhaps (Persa’s) biggest strengths are his leadership skills and winning mentality.  He is a member of NU’s 10-player Leadership Council and is the first player to be named to the council three times.”

    “The biggest part of being a leader is just being yourself,” Persa believes.  “Leadership is so important because…a lot of people are good especially at this level, but it is who can get their team to play the best on that certain play, series or game.

    “I think leadership plays a big part in motivating your teammates and showing that you really care about what’s going on and you really care about them.  In turn, they’re going to care and play hard for you,” he concluded.

    Persa was a National Honor Society student and an Academic All-Big 10 selection last year. Like other Henry winners, he is laying the foundation for success in life.

    While success may or may not include an NFL career, Persa will have plenty of opportunities next year to audition in front of scouts.  Daniel spending Sundays in a Lion’s Den…or a Panther’s Den…or an Eagles’ Nest in South Philly…is an entirely plausible scenario.

  • 2010 All-EasternPAFootball.com Small School Team…

    2010 All-EasternPAFootball.com Small School Team (Class AA-Class A)

    1st TEAM OFFENSE:

    Tight end – Sr. Mike Stutzcavage, Mount Carmel, 6-5, 215

    Wide receivers – Jr. Mike Burke IV, Columbia, 6-1, 190; Sr. Jaelen Strong-Rankin, West Catholic 6-4, 190; Sr. Mikeal Owens-Wright, Danville, 6-3, 215; Sr. Tanner Troutman, Tri-Valley, 5-11, 170

    Offensive lineman – Sr. Paul Gaughan, Dunmore, 6-6, 280; Sr. Tyler Laudeman, North Schuylkill, 6-2, 215; Sr. Sean Charest, Lewisburg, 6-2, 205; Sr. Carl Sahlberg, Northern Lehigh, 6-2, 290; Jr. Eric Wyant, West Catholic, 6-2, 220; Sr. Garrett McNally, Trinity, 6-6, 305; Jr. Adam DePietro, Lancaster Catholic, 6-5, 250; Jr. Pat Ostrowsky, Lewisburg, 6-0, 195

    Quarterback – Sr. Corey Talerico, Riverside, 5-11, 180

    Running backs – Sr. Brandon Hollomon, West Catholic, 5-11, 165; Sr. Cody Remaley, Northern Lehigh, 5-10, 185; Sr. Andrew Forgatch, Hanover Area, 6-1, 185

    Specialist – Sr. Jake Kern, Northern Lehigh, 5-10, 175

    Kicker – Sr. Sam Dell, Boiling Springs, 6-1, 185

    1st TEAM DEFENSE:

    Defensive Lineman – Sr. Alex Pucilowski, Riverside, 6-1, 235; Sr. Ben Ancheff, Williams Valley, 6-2, 320; Sr. Heleaince Gates, Delaware Valley Charter, 6-4, 220; Sr. Jim Lynch, West Catholic, 6-4, 225; Sr. Dane Dudick, Wilkes-Barre GAR, 6-2, 285

    Linebackers – Sr. Nick Rossi, Riverside, 6-1, 235; So. Brandon Smith, Lewisburg, 6-1, 210; Jr. Mike Shinkus, North Schuylkill, 6-1, 215; Jr. Mike Kinney, Loyalsock, 6-3, 220

    Defensive Backs – Sr. Brian Murphy, Schuylkill Haven, 5-11, 185; Sr. Freddy Caruso, Holy Name, 5-10, 185; Sr. Matt Conroy, Bishop McDevitt (12), 6-1, 185; Jr. Larry Zimmerman, Pine Grove, 5-10, 165; Jr. Darrell Crawford, Wilkes-Barre GAR, 5-9, 165

    Specialist – Sr. Cody Butler, Hughesville, 6-1, 200

    Punter – Sr. Ryan Dinger, North Penn (4), 5-11, 185

    Honorable Mention OFFENSE:

    Tight end- Sr. Skyler Lavage, Riverside, 6-0, 200; Jr. Brock Mitchell, Panther Valley, 6-5, 245; Sr. Garrett Llewellyn, Danville, 5-9, 185; Sr. Jason Okken, Saucon Valley, 6-3, 215; Jr. Matt Camilletti, Pius X, 6-1, 205

    Wide Receivers – Sr. Steve Heffner, Kutztown, 6-2, 185; Sr. Seth Wren, Littlestown, 6-2 165; Sr. Quran Kent, West Catholic, 5-9, 165; Jr. Rijad Sabanovich, Muncy, 6-0, 170; Sr. Cameron Kriner, Montgomery, 6-7, 170; Jr. Tyler Schmitt, Pequea Valley, 6-3, 200

    Offensive Lineman – Jr. Alex Karlovich, Line Mountain, 6-3, 285; Jr. Dustin Jones, Schuylkill Haven, 6-2, 225; Sr. Cain Lamper, Muncy, 6-4, 270; Sr. Mark Willchock, Susquehanna Community, 6-3, 255; Sr. Sean Charest, Lewisburg, 5-10, 205; Sr. Zach Place, Towanda, 6-3, 250; Jr. Jonathan Green, North Schuylkill, 6-3, 301; Sr. Tyler Mangold, Jim Thorpe, 6-0, 230; Sr. Dan Neubert, Holy Name, 6-1, 225

    Quarterback – Sr. John Loughery, William Penn Charter, 6-5, 225; Jr. Patrick Dill, Trinity, 6-2, 200; Fr. AJ Long, Pius X, 5-10, 160; Sr. Austin Reynolds, Littlestown, 6-2, 195; Sr. Tyler Bogaczyk, Loyalsock Township, 6-5, 170; Jr. Andrew Andreychik, Danville, 5-10, 150

    Running Backs – Sr. Clayton McNair, Steelton-Highspire, 5-5, 170; Sr. Joey Rys, Reading Central Catholic, 5-11, 185; Jr. Tyrell Thomas, Southern Columbia, 6-0, 185; Sr. Gary Postell, Bishop McDevitt (12), 5-9, 170; Jr. Merle Moscaello, Lewisburg, 5-10, 210; So. David Williams, West Catholic, 5-11, 180

    Specialist – Jr. Andrew Andreychik, Danville, 5-10, 165; Sr. Joey Hukill, Line Mountain, 5-10, 185; Sr. Ian Richardson, Calvary Christian Academy, 5-6, 155; Sr. Ben Myers, Pequea Valley, 6-2, 175; Sr. Cody Miller, Towanda, 6-1, 145

    Kicker – Sr. Taylor Skerpon, Sayre, 6-1, 190; Jr. Mason Jones, Troy, 5-11, 170; Jr. Christian Clark, Montoursville, 5-9, 175; Sr. Brett Moore, York Catholic, 6-0, 215; So. Alex Cramer, Trinity, 6-0, 150

    Honorable Mention DEFENSE:

    Defensive Lineman – Sr. Kyle High, Canton, 6-1, 195; Jr. Laquan Jackson, Riverside, 5-7, 210; Jr. Nick Slonac, Trinity, 6-2, 210; Sr. Ed Pavalko, North Schuylkill, 6-0, 235; Sr. Scott Yagielniskie, North Schuylkill, 6-2, 230; Sr. Julian Campenni, Wyoming Area, 6-1, 285; Sr. Matt Boyarsky, Lakeland, 6-3, 280; Sr. Cameron Lipnicky, Trinity, 6-3, 220; Sr. Mike Buresh, Northern Lehigh, 6-3, 250; Sr. Tyler Unger, Boiling Springs, 6-3, 275; Sr. Jerry Hubshman, Dunmore, 6-3, 255; Jr. Jon Figura, Holy Name, 6-3, 200; Sr. Adam Conner, York Catholic, 6-3, 270

    Linebackers –Sr. Dan Christian, Holy Name, 5-10, 185; Sr. Joe McCallion, Haverford School, 5-10, 180; Sr. Nathaniel Brown, Lewisburg, 5-11, 195; Sr. Garth Lakitsky, Tamaqua, 6-3, 220; Sr. Ian Gimbar, Saucon Valley, 5-11, 205; Sr. Matt Gill, Northern Lehigh, 6-1, 215

    Defensive Backs – Jr. Alex Filarsky, Lakeland, 6-0, 160; Sr. Kody Flail, North Schuylkill, 5-8, 185; Sr. Mike Zaleski, Lewisburg, 6-0, 160; Sr. David Sherman, West Catholic, 6-0, 185; Jr. Dylan Evans, Pen Argyl, 6-2, 190; Jr. Kyle Troutman, Line Mountain, 5-11, 180; Sr. George Dalessandro, Pius X, 5-10, 155

    Specialist – Jr. Trinity, Jack Miller, 5-9, 175; Sr. Shane Doughty-Trusty, Calvary Christian Academy, 5-9, 145; Sr. Tyler Naus, Schuylkill Haven, 6-0, 200

    Punter – Jr. Marty Beninsky, Line Mountain, 6-1, 200

    Player of the Year – Corey Talerico, Riverside

    Co-Coach of the Year – Todd Tilford, Lewsiburg

    Co-Coach of the Year – Brian Fluck, West Catholic

  • Funkster’s Fab 40 Statewide Rankings – FINAL 2010 POLL

    The final 2010 installment of Funkster’s Fab 40 statewide rankings include the team, geographic district, and final 2010 season record. Teams listed as honorable mentions are arranged in numerical order by geographic district.

    AAAA:

    1. North Allegheny (7, 15-1)

    2. La Salle College High School (12, 13-2)

    3. North Penn (1, 13-2)

    4. Pittsburgh Central Catholic (7, 11-1)

    5. Woodland Hills (7, 9-4)

    6. Cumberland Valley (3, 12-3)

    7. Neshaminy (1, 12-2)

    8. North Hills (7, 10-2)

    9. Easton Area (11, 12-3)

    10. Council Rock South (1, 11-2)

    HONORABLE MENTION: Abington (1), Bayard Rustin (1), Boyertown (1), Central Bucks West (1), Downingtown East (1), Ridley (1), West Chester Henderson (1), Central Dauphin (3), Dallastown (3), Daniel Boone (3), Governor Mifflin (3), Harrisburg (3), Red Lion (3), Wilson-West Lawn (3), Erie McDowell (7), McKeesport Area (7), Mt. Lebanon (7), Upper St. Clair (7), Perry Traditional Academy (8), Nazareth (11), Whitehall (11)

    AAA:

    1. Allentown Central Catholic (11, 16-0)

    2. Bishop McDevitt (3, 13-3)

    3. Archbishop Wood (12, 13-1)

    4. Erie Cathedral Prep (10, 9-5)

    5. Strath Haven (1, 12-2)

    6. Central Valley (7, 10-4)

    7. Cardinal O’Hara (12, 9-2)

    8. Montour (7, 12-1)

    9. Clearfield Area (9, 13-1)

    10. Abington Heights (2, 12-1)

    HONORABLE MENTION: Pottsgrove (1), Springfield-Delco (1), Upper Moreland (1), Dallas (2), West Scranton (2), Cocalico (3), Conrad Weiser (3), Greencastle-Antrim (3), Lampeter-Strasburg (3), Manheim Central (3), Shippensburg (3), Susquehanna Township (3), Shikellamy (4), Greater Johnstown (6), Greensburg-Salem (7), Indiana Area (7), Knoch (7), Mars (7), Ringgold (7), Thomas Jefferson (7), Punxsutawney (9), Corry Area (10), Grove City (10), Oil City (10), Pottsville (11), Southern Lehigh (11), Dobbins Vo-Tech (12)

    AA:

    1. West Catholic (12, 13-2)

    2. Lewisburg (4, 14-1)

    3. South Fayette (7, 15-1)

    4. Aliquippa (7, 12-1)

    5. Danville (4, 12-1)

    6. Forest Hills (6, 13-2)

    7. Northern Lehigh (11, 13-1)

    8. Brockway (9, 12-1)

    9. Camp Hill Trinity (3, 12-2)

    10. Sharon Area (10, 11-3)

    HONORABLE MENTION: Springfield-Montco (1), GAR Memorial (2), Lakeland (2), Susquehanna Community (2), Delone Catholic (3), Lancaster Catholic (3), Littlestown (3), Wyomissing (3), Bloomsburg (4), Mount Carmel Area (4), Towanda (4), Chestnut Ridge (5), Ligonier Valley (6), Tyrone (6), Beaver Falls (7), Ford City (7), Greensburg Central Catholic (7), Keystone Oaks (7), Seton-LaSalle (7), Brookville Area (9), General McLane (10), Hickory (10), North East (10), North Schuylkill (11), Pen Argyl (11), Bok Vo-Tech (12)

    A:

    1. Clairton (7, 16-0)

    2. Riverside (2, 14-2)

    3. Rochester (7, 12-1)

    4. Bishop Carroll (6, 11-3)

    5. Farrell (10, 13-2)

    6. Curwensville (9, 11-2)

    7. Mercyhurst Prep (10, 12-1)

    8. Reading Holy Name (3, 11-2)

    9. Schuylkill Haven (11, 11-3)

    10. Southern Columbia (4, 10-3)

    HONORABLE MENTION: Calvary Christian Academy (1), Old Forge (2), Millersburg (3), York Catholic (3), Line Mountain (4), Southern Columbia (4), Berlin-Brothersvalley (5), North Star (5), Northern Bedford County (5), Bellwood-Antis (6), Bishop McCort (6), Juniata Valley (6), Penns Manor (6), Portage (6), Avonworth (7), Bishop Canevin (7), Chartiers-Houston (7), Springdale (7), Cameron County (9), Elk County Catholic (9), Port Allegany (9), Saegertown (10), Sharpsville (10), Pius X (11), Williams Valley (11)

  • Jarrett commits to Virginia Tech

    East Stroudsburg South senior cornerback Kyshoen Jarrett verbally committed to Virginia Tech on Monday night after de-committing from the University of Pittsburgh.

    Jarrett is a four-year starter for the Cavaliers who rushed for 1,027 yards and 11 touchdowns. He caught 33 passes for 591 yards and two scores. On defense he had 39 total tackles.

    Source for stats: Maxpreps.com

  • LaSalle Over North Penn In a Classic

    Plymouth Meeting, Pa., Joe Nagi’s tip of a Corey Ernst screen pass and Ryan Geiger’s interception with under two minutes remaining on the LaSalle Explorers 43 yard line, stunted a potential game winning drive by District 1champ North Penn giving the District 12 champs a thrilling victory, the AAAA eastern championship and a date next week in Hershey vs. North Allegheny for the state title.

    This game featured seven lead changes and offensive explosions, both passing and running by some great skill players that made this game, one for the ages.

    The Knights took eight plays in their first possession and scored on a Dominic Taggart one yard touchdown run. The North Penn offensive line appeared to have some control up front. LaSalle answered immediately with their own seven play drive including two Explorer quarterback Matt Magarity completions for 62 yards and was culminated with a Jamal Abdur-Rahman two yard TD burst and a tie at seven. Two plays later Ernst hit TE Ralph Reeves for a 55 yard touchdown and a 14-7 lead for North Penn.

    As the second quarter started the defending state champs then went on a long, extended drive eclipsing almost five minutes and some nifty running and passing by Magarity (4-6, 42 yards in the drive) and ending with a Magarity to Tim Wade two yard touchdown pass and a tie at 14. North Penn’s Brandon Mercer then fumbled the ensuing kickoff and LaSalle recovered at the Knight 24. The Explorers could only get to the seven yard line and had to settle for a Ryan Winslow 24 yard field goal and a LaSalle 17-14 lead.

    The Knights then buckled down and executed a 10 play, 82 yard drive with Taggart doing the majority of the running and he took it in again from the one and now a Knight 21-17 lead that they took into the locker room at halftime.

    LaSalle came into the game dominating in about every second half of games they have played, but North Penn has had their success in this area as well. LaSalle retook the lead in only two plays and Rahman scored from the two. North Penn immediately answered yet again on their next drive. They pounded Taggart behind their huge line, anchored by center T.J. Smink. Six runs from Taggart mixed in with a Ernst to Reeves 37 yard completion got the ball down to the seven yard line. Taggart then scored his third TD of the afternoon on the next play and another lead change.

    Down 35-31 with just over four minutes to play, LaSalle did what they have done all season in tight games; go with the big gun, Rahman. The Villanova recruit compiled 33 yards in their final possession. Then Magarity hit sophomore standout receiver Sean Coleman with a great pitch and catch and a 25 yard touchdown putting the Explorers up 38-35.

    In the Knights final possession they executed a critical fourth down conversion on a30 yard pass completion from Ernst to a wide open Gerard Wendowski. With a little over a minute remaining and the ball on the LaSalle 43, Nagi and Geiger performed their magic on North Penn’s next play.

    LaSalle coach Drew Gordon was awed by the Knights effort.”Was this a great game or what? This is what championship high school football should be all about. This team took us out of our game constantly. I am so proud of our guys for finding a way to win this game” Gordon was equally impressed with Magarity who finished the day 10 of 19 passing for 182 yards. “We haven’t given Matt a lot of chances to throw this year and he really came through today when we needed it. He handled the pressure well”

    Rahman ran for 140 yards on 21 carries, three touchdowns and played an outstanding game in the defensive backfield as well as kick and punt returns. Coleman, who excels as a star lacrosse player made some big time grabs in traffic. For North Penn, (with feature back Ted Needhammer playing very little due to an ankle issue), Taggart carried the load scoring four touchdowns and running for 140 yards.

  • 12th Man Show Week 14 Preview

    And then there were eight. With nearly 150 schools to start in each classification, we have made it to the elite eight. Who’s one win away from punching their ticket to chocolatetown? We find out after this weekends games.

    Tom Reisenweber of the Erie Times returns for the final time this season as he recaps Cathedral Prep & Central Valley. Chris Kucharski of northeasternpafootball.com stops by to give us his take on Riverside and Schuylkill Haven. Making his debut on the 12th Man Show is Bucks County Courier Times writer Kevin Cooney as we get a rundown of North Penn and Neshaminy. Hugh Conrad of the Tribune-Democrat talks about Bishop Carroll and Reading Holy Name.

    We are just warming up as we bring back The Godfather to give us a preview of Easton & LaSalle. Brian Carroll of havenfootball.net is back with his thoughts on Strath Haven and Archbishop Wood. District 12 guru Huck Palmer settles in to recap West Catholic & Northern Lehigh.

    If that isn’t enough we bring back The Varsity, Eric Epler of the Patriot News to review Bishop McDevitt and Cocalico. We also get some previews of the Saturday doubleheader at HersheyPark Stadium between Cumberland Valley/Red Lion & Trinity/Lewisburg. We also have Josh Yohe of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review to give us his take on Clairton and North Star. The Funkster, Josh Funk will stop by as well. All your scores, messages, phone calls, live blog playoff chat and much much more on Week #14 of The 12th Man Show.

    When: LIVE 10:30pm Friday, December 3, 2010

    Where: http://www.prepnationradio.com or on your iPhone/Android and now Windows Phone mobile devices.

    Contact Information

    Phone – 570.972.2988

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  • Easton Area wins back-to-back District titles

    EASTON – Justin Pacchioli threw for one touchdown and ran for a two-yard touchdown late in the fourth quarter to lead the Red Rovers come back win over Whitehall 13-10 at Cottingham Stadium Saturday night.

    After a tough loss two days ago to Phillipsburg NJ on Thanksgiving Day, Easton Area (12-2) bounced backed to win back-to-back District 11 4A titles and earn a shot next week at the defending state champs LaSalle College High School.

    Pacchioli talked about winning another title, “It’s an amazing feeling. Especially coming out as a senior winning your last one at Cottingham and showing the younger guys what it is all about and it feels good and it erases the Phillipsburg lost.”

    The Red Rovers drove 54 yards on seven plays to take an early lead in the second quarter. Pacchioli threw a perfect pass to Jonathan Bisci for a seven-yard touchdown. Bisci caught the ball in the back of the end zone and managed to get one foot in for an amazing catch. The kick failed and the Red Rovers led 6-0.

    The Zephyrs answered their scoring drive with one of their own. Josh Cirocco’s     32-yard field goal with 5:19 remaining in the first half cut the Red Rovers lead in half 6-3.

    The Red Rovers were on the move again late in the third quarter. The Zephyrs defense came up with a big sack and two plays later Michael Williams intercepted the pass and took it deep inside Red Rover territory.

    With 50 seconds left in the third quarter, Eric Fiore plowed his way in for the three-yard touchdown run. The Zephyrs led 10-6.

    Early in the fourth quarter, Whitehall Quarterback Chris Polony injured his leg keeping him out of the rest of the game. Nicholas Shafnisky came into the game.

    The biggest momentum change in the game happened next. Shafnisky avoided the sack and found Tyler Artim who broke free for the 41-yard completion. He was off to the races, but Pacchioli trailed behind him and caught up to him. He ripped the football out and Ian Hayden fell on it to give Easton the ball with 10:17 remaining in the game. The Red Rovers took over on their 26.

    Pacchioli talked about the turnover, “We got that huge turnover at the end and we kinda said this is it and if we were going to go we have to go now. We put are heads together and drove right down the field and scored.”

    Pacchioli converted big third downs and a fourth down play during the drive and had big runs. The Red Rovers drove 74 yards on 12-plays as Pacchioli called his own play and went straight up the middle for the two-yard score. The Red Rovers comeback put them up 13-10 with 4:24 left in the game.

    Quarterback Justin Pacchioli talked about the game winning drive, “It was a drive we put together and we were talking about it the whole second half. All it was going to take is one drive and drive us down the field and win the football game for us.”

    Pacchioli finished the game passing for 82 yards and he rushed for 83 yards.

    The Zephyrs offense wasn’t in sync after that.  They had bad snap after bad snap that hurt them late in the game. Their last two drives ended with a punt and they turned it over on downs.

    The Red Rovers defense held Chris Polony to 33 yards passing and Eric Fiore to 56-yard rushing and one score. They out rushed Whitehall 207 to 68 yards.

    David Caldwell Jr. talked about Easton’s defense, “Our defense carried us in the game today. We played good all season and we don’t get down on each other. We come together when we need to.”

  • Rustin beats Henderson 35-20, Neshaminy Up Next

    When West Chester Henderson defeated Downingtown East in week 10, it shook up the District One AAAA football seedings.

    So much so that when the 16th seeded Warriors upset top seeded and previously undefeated Ridley in the first round of the playoffs, it set up a rematch with sister school Bayard Rustin.

    “I told Joe (Henderson Coach Walsh) last week I wish we were playing anybody else but them this week,” said Rustin Coach Mike St. Clair after his Golden Knights used a 21 point fourth quarter in a 35-20 come from behind victory over Henderson in the District One AAAA Football Quarterfinals Saturday afternoon at Rustin Stadium.

    Trailing 20-14 entering the fourth quarter Anthony Nash (five receptions 59 yards) caught a 12 yard touchdown pass from Andrew Fithian (7-13 passing 106 yards 1 interception) with 9:40 left in the game that capped a 80 yard 10 play drive. Will Mau’s first extra point gave the Golden Knights a 21-20 lead. Nash had four of his receptions for 49 yards in the drive.

    Following a fumble recovery by Chris Amicone on the Warrrior eight yard line, Rustin (11-1 overall) drove the remaining yards as Conor Burke scored from three yards out with 2:15 remaining as the lead was increased to 28-20.

    Rustin then added the final nail as Mau intercepted a Strafford Foster pass and returned it 20 yards on the first play following the kickoff for the final margin.

    “It’s tough,” said Walsh. “This was the second time in five weeks against them we had a lead in the fourth quarter and we couldn’t hold it,” he added.

    Henderson, which finished their season 8-4 took a 20-14 lead with 1:14 left in the third quarter as Joe Dingfelder caught a 27 yard pass from Foster that capped a 58 yard nine play drive. Anthony D’Ambrosio blocked Kyle Morton’s extra point attempt.

    “With Henderson, it’s always a war,” said St. Clair. “But our kids responded. Having been in playoff games before helped us,” he added.

    Henderson took a 7-0 lead as T.J. White picked off a Fithian pass and returned it 76 yards just 3:33 into the game. It was the first interception Fithian has thrown this year.

    Rustin then countered as Nick Simmler caught a 35 yard touchdown pass from Fithian as Rustin cut the lead to 7-6.

    Henderson increased their lead to 14-6 as Phillip Mitten caught a 12 yard pass from Foster with 5:48 left before halftime. Rustin then answered when Frankie O’Donnell (18 carries 96 yards) scored from 30 yards out. Burke added the two point run that knotted the game at 14-14.

    “O’Donnell’s having a great year,” said St. Clair. “He didn’t play defense today because he’s still having trouble with his shoulder. He’s one of the toughest kid’s I’ve ever coached and I’ve been coaching over 20 years,” he added.

    With the win Rustin now plays Neshaminy next Friday night at Neshaminy in the semi-finals. North Penn plays at Council Rock South in the other semifinal.

    “They’re big and they’re powerful,” St.Clair said of Neshaminy. “We’re just happy to be playing another week.”

  • Needhammer and Taggart Tag Team Dismantles Downingtown East

    Lansdale, Pa. – Behind a blistering running attack, the North Penn Knights outmuscled the Downingtown East Cougars 49-33.  Seniors Craig Needhammer and Dominic Taggart let the Knights in the District 1 AAAA playoff game last night at North Penn’s James Crawford stadium.

    The Knights took control immediately on their first series with a seven play, 70-yard drive with quarterback Corey Ernst scampering in for the TD from seven yards out. The Cougars then went on their own nine play drive but had to settle for a Tyler Mayes 24 yard field goal after their drive stalled on the Knights eight yard line.

    On their next play from scrimmage the Knight’s offensive line led by center TJ Smink opened a hole a mile wide for Needhammer to run through and sprinted 70 yards for a TD and a 14-3 lead. On Downingtown’s next drive a lost fumble led to another quick score, this one a 39 yard strike from Ernst to Taggart for a 21-3 lead.

    Following another Needhammer touchdown run (this one from 24 yards out) things went from bad to worse for the Cougars when Quarterback Trey Lauletta was intercepted by Gerard Wendowski, who turned it into a 55 yard touchdown and a North Penn 35-3 lead.

    Downingtown East began to build some momentum of their own scoring on their next two possessions (a two yard and 14 yard TD by Junior Drew Harris). Both teams then traded touchdowns (a 17 yarder by the Knights Taggart and a Cougar 29 yard pass from Lauletta to Jeff Whitaker). The Cougars then recovered an onside kick and drove to the North Penn12 yard line. Lauletta scored on a 12 yard run apparently putting the Cougars to within 10 points but the play was called back due to a holding call. Lauletta was then sacked on the next play and lost a fumble killing whatever momentum Downingtown East had. The Knights put an exclamation point on the game with a nine play drive ending with Taggart’s 2 yard touchdown.

    Needhammer ran for 200 yards and two TD’s while Taggart toted for 170 yards and three scores. The offensive line for North Penn was dominant throughout.  Smink, Marcus McGraw, Willie Kye, Cliff Kim and Matt Donovan were very effective in controlling the Downingtown East defensive front.

    North Penn (11-1) advances to the D1 Semifinals taking on Council Rock South next week. Downingtown East, with a prolific offense that averaged 35 points per game finished their season at 9-3.

  • Statewide Playoff Chat Thursday 7pm

    Join staff members of EasternPAFootball.com, WesternPAFootball.net & PrepNationRadio.com for a LIVE Statewide Playoff chat Thursday, November 18th at 7pm.

    Break down the brackets with us as we march closer to Chocolate Town.

    Click here: Cover It Live Playoff Chat

  • Funkster’s Fab 40 Statewide Rankings – Week 9

    Week 9 rankings include the team, geographic district, season record and last week’s result. Teams listed as honorable mentions are arranged in numerical order by geographic district.

    AAAA:

    1. Pittsburgh Central Catholic (7, 9-0), def. Fox Chapel 49-0

    2. Ridley (1, 9-0), def. Garnet Valley 38-0

    3. LaSalle College (12, 8-1), def. St. Joseph’s Prep 31-7

    4. North Penn (1, 8-1), def. Hatboro-Horsham 34-7

    5. Wilson-West Lawn (3, 9-0), def. Penn Manor 44-0

    6. Mt. Lebanon (7, 9-0), def. Upper St. Clair 14-10

    7. Downingtown East (1, 8-1), def. West Chester East 47-7

    8. North Hills (7, 8-1), def. North Allegheny 21-16

    9. Harrisburg (3, 8-1), def. Cumberland Valley 28-21

    10. North Allegheny (7, 8-1), lost to North Hills 21-16

    HONORABLE MENTION: Abington (1), Bayard Rustin (1), Boyertown (1), Central Bucks West (1), Council Rock South (1), Neshaminy (1), Penn Wood (1), Central Dauphin (3), Cumberland Valley (3), Dallastown (3), Daniel Boone (3), Governor Mifflin (3), Harrisburg (3), Red Lion (3), Williamsport (4), Erie McDowell (7), McKeesport Area (7), Upper St. Clair (7), Woodland Hills (7), Perry Traditional Academy (8), Easton Area (11), Nazareth (11), Whitehall (11), George Washington (12)

    AAA:

    1. Archbishop Wood (12, 9-0), def. Cardinal O’Hara 48-34

    2. Allentown Central Catholic (11, 9-0), def. Allentown Allen 55-0

    3. Montour (7, 9-0), def. Moon Township 42-6

    4. Cardinal O’Hara (12, 8-1), lost to Archbishop Wood 48-34

    5. Abington Heights (2, 9-0), def. North Pocono 28-14

    6. Lampeter-Strasburg (3, 9-0), def. Elizabethtown 28-6

    7. Thomas Jefferson (7, 8-1), def. West Mifflin 31-12

    8. Grove City (10, 9-0), def. DuBois Area 45-7

    9. Dallas (2, 9-0), def. Tunkhannock 21-7

    10. Strath Haven (1, 8-1), def. Penncrest 35-7

    HONORABLE MENTION: Academy Park (1), Bishop Shanahan (1), Pottsgrove (1), Upper Moreland (1), West Scranton (2), Bishop McDevitt (3), Conrad Weiser (3), Greencastle-Antrim (3), Shippensburg (3), Susquehanna Township (3), West York Area (3), Greater Johnstown (6), Indian Valley (6), Franklin Regional (7), Greensburg-Salem (7), Knoch (7), Mars (7), Ringgold (7), West Allegheny (7), Clearfield Area (9), Punxsutawney (9), Warren Area (10), Bangor Area (11), Blue Mountain (11), Pottsville (11)

    AA:

    1. Aliquippa (7, 9-0), def. East Allegheny 28-13

    2. Lancaster Catholic (3, 9-0), def. Annville-Cleona 55-7

    3. South Fayette (7, 9-0), def. Quaker Valley 48-13

    4. Greensburg Central Catholic (7, 9-0), def. Jeannette 21-9

    5. Tyrone (6, 9-0), def. Penns Valley 42-0

    6. North Schuylkill (11, 9-0), def. Panther Valley 54-0

    7. Lewisburg (4, 9-0), def. Loyalsock Township 45-7

    8. Forest Hills (6, 9-0), def. Bishop McCort 44-10

    9. Northern Lehigh (11, 9-0), def. Catasauqua 49-7

    T-10. West Catholic (12, 7-2), def. Lansdale Catholic 45-13

    T-10. Brockway (9, 9-0), def. Kane Area 21-7

    HONORABLE MENTION: Springfield-Montco (1), GAR Memorial (2), Lakeland (2), Susquehanna Community (2), Boiling Springs (3), Camp Hill Trinity (3), Delone Catholic (3), Littlestown (3), Wyomissing (3), Bloomsburg (4), Danville (4), Hughesville (4), Mount Carmel Area (4), North Penn-Blossburg (4), Towanda (4), Chestnut Ridge (5), Ligonier Valley (6), Beaver Area (7), Beaver Falls (7), Ford City (7), Jeannette (7), Seton-LaSalle (7), Steel Valley (7), Brookville Area (9), General McLane (10), Hickory (10), North East (10), Sharon Area (10), Pen Argyl (11), Pine Grove (11), Bok Vo-Tech (12)

    A:

    1. Clairton (7, 9-0), def. Serra Catholic 60-0

    2. Rochester (7, 9-0), def. South Side Beaver 49-13

    3. Riverside (2, 8-1), lost to Lakeland 21-20

    4. Southern Columbia (4, 7-2), def. Mount Carmel Area 17-14

    5. Line Mountain (4, 8-1), def. East Juniata 48-6

    6. Farrell (10, 8-1), lost to Lakeview 20-0

    7. Sharpsville (10, 8-1), def. Conneaut Lake 62-0

    8. Penns Manor (6, 8-0), def. Northern Cambria 47-0

    9. Curwensville (9, 8-1), def. Johnsonburg 42-22

    10. Mercyhurst Prep (10, 9-0), def. Union City Area 40-16

    HONORABLE MENTION: Calvary Christian Academy (1), Dunmore (2), Old Forge (2), Millersburg (3), Reading Holy Name (3), Steelton-Highspire (3), Muncy (4), Berlin-Brothersvalley (5), Northern Bedford County (5), Bishop Carroll (6), Bellwood-Antis (6), Juniata Valley (6), Portage (6), United (6), Avonworth (7), Bishop Canevin (7), Chartiers-Houston (7), Cornell (7), Monesson (7), Springdale (7), Sto-Rox (7), Cameron County (9), Elk County Catholic (9), Saegertown (10), Schuylkill Haven (11), Williams Valley (11)

  • Peoples and Peoples Show Propel Wood over OHara

    Springfield, Pa. Anyone expecting to see an exciting game with lots of action was not disappointed after the show that Desmon Peoples and his cousin Brandon Peoples put on yesterday during Archbishop Wood’s 48-34 victory over conference rival Cardinal O’Hara yesterday afternoon at O’Hara’s new field in Delaware County.

    Wood (8-0, 2-0) and O’Hara (8-0, 2-0) came into yesterday’s highly anticipated matchup as the class of both the AAA Philadelphia Catholic League and state rankings. Both teams pride themselves with stingy defenses and potent offenses coming in. Something was about to give.

    The fireworks started almost immediately during the Vikings first drive when Brandon Peoples ran thru the middle of the Lions defense for a 54 yard touchdown run. Not to be outdone by Peoples, the Lions Jay Watkins took the ensuing kickoff and scored on an electrifying 75 yard TD.

    On Wood’s second possession, the Vikings generated a nine play, five minute drive culminating with Quarterback Joey Monahan’s one yard touchdown. Monahan then continued his good fortune when he intercepted a Ryan Laughlin pass on O’Hara’s next drive. On Wood’s very next play, Brandon Peoples scooted for another 58 yard touchdown and a 20-6 Wood lead.

    O’Hara only ran five offensive plays (to Wood’s 16) by the end of the first Quarter. O’Hara began to pick up the pace in the second stanza with their own quick score offense going 68 yards in only four plays with three Laughlin completions and ending with beautiful strike to Senior WR Tyler Gallen and a 42 yard touchdown. Two series later Laughlin again connected with Gallen for a 15 yard TD pass and a tie at 20. Not to be outdone by the two Laughlin TD passes, Brandon Peoples cousin, Desmon decided to join in the fun on Wood’s next drive with his own 68 yard run then a 12 yard burst and a score giving the Vikings a 27-20 halftime lead.

    O’Hara hurt themselves with two costly turnovers both before and right after the half. Wood recovered a Lions fumble in Vikings territory just before the half and fumbled again to start the second half on their own 27 yard line which ultimately led to another Wood score. Three plays after the Lions second fumble, Monahan’s 29 yard touchdown run through the middle of the Lion defense gave them a 34-20 lead. But O’Hara answered again going 58 yards in seven plays with the running of both Adam Dempsey and a 14 yard TD run by Watkins.

    Any thoughts of a Lions comeback were immediately thwarted when Desmon Peoples took the kickoff and did his own circus imitation and a 95 yard touchdown and a Vikings 41-27 lead.

    With Dempsey beginning to bear down on his own running game, he generated 50 yards in the next drive ending with Laughlin’s one yard plunge to bring O’Hara back to within a touchdown.

    After a missed Wood field goal, the Vikings held off O’Hara next drive to try to knot the score and took advantage of an O’Hara bad snap on a punt formation that enabled them to have great field position on O”Hara’s 23 yard line. Five plays later, Brandon Peoples put an exclamation point on the game with an eight yard TD run.

    Laughlin was pressured throughout and was sacked five times. The Lions also played without the services of RB’s Brendan McLaughlin (high ankle sprain) and Damiere Shaw (concussion).

    For the Vikings, Desmon Peoples (11-175 rushing, one rushing TD, 95 kick return TD) and his cousin Brandon (9-170, 2 TD’s) as well as their offensive drive blocking, provided the difference in victory. Monahan (2 rushing TD’s, one interception, and a fumble recovery) also made a serious impact.

    Both these teams figure to see each other a second time in two weeks when the PCL AAA league championship takes place. Wood plays Archbishop Carroll next week in their semifinal matchup while O’Hara will take on Monsignor Bonner.

  • Dibilio leads Nazareth over Whitehall

    WHITEHALL – Nazareth (7-2) overcame a 14-0 first quarter deficit to hold off Whitehall for a 42-35 win Friday night.

    Whitehall jumped out to an early 14-0 lead. Quarterback Chris Polony hit Tyler Artim for a 64-yard strike and Eric Fiore scored on an 11-yard run.

    Polony would finish the night passing for 197 yards and one touchdown.

    The Blue Eagles answered Whitehall’s scoring drive with one of their own. It took two plays and 40 second off the clock as Dibilio burst through the line and went 42 yards for the score.

    In the second quarter the offensive fire works would continue. Dibilio scored on runs of 1 and 10 yards. Whitehall’s Fiore added a one-yard touchdown run.

    With the first half winding down and the game tied at 21, Whitehall drove to the Nazareth’s 10-yard line to set up a first and goal.

    Nazareth defensive back Kris Kent (who is playing with a cast on his broken right hand), picked off a Polony pass and ran it back to midfield.

    Dibilio talked about the interception, “I don’t know how he does it. It’s his first year playing football since his freshman year. He has one arm. He’s just a natural athlete.”

    The Blue Eagles scored on a beautiful pass from Daniel Harding to Adam Bridgeforth with 7.2 seconds renaming in the half. Nazareth went into half time leading 28-21.

    In the second half every time Whitehall scored Nazareth had an answer. Fiore scored on a one-yard run to tie the game up at 28. But Dibilio would get his fourth score of the night on a six-yard run with 4:23 remaining in the third quarter. The Blue Eagles led 35-28.

    With 7:22 remaining in the game, Matt Bonshak of Whitehall scored on a four-yard run and Josh Cirocco’s extra point tied the game up at 35.

    Adam Bridgeforth scored on a four-yard touchdown run to give the Blue Eagles the lead with 5:36 remaining.

    On a night when the offense was the star it would be the Blue Eagle defense that came up with the big play in the end. Whitehall reached the 44 with 2 minutes remaining. But the Blue Eagles defense stopped the Zephyrs on four straight plays and took over on downs.  Two big runs by Chuck Dibilio gave the Blue Eagles a first down and the win.

    Dibilio finished the night rushing for 225 yards and four touchdowns. Bridgeforth added seven catches for 113 yards and one score. On defense Kris Kent had two interceptions for the second consecutive week.

    Whitehall’s running back Eric Fiore led the way running for 110 yards and three scores. Tyler Artim caught nine passes for 147 yards and a score.

  • 12th Man Show Week 9 Preview

    Headlining the 12th Man Show Halloween Special is legendary Forest Hills bossman Don Bailey. We find out the DNA of Ranger nation. Another coach speak segment this week as we talk live with Old Forge Blue Devils general Mike Schuback.

    A couple of new guests this week as we welcome Ed Thomas who gives us his southeastern PA weekly top 10 report. Mr. Thomas does a great job and we give him some dap. In the early 90’s one of the ways to the state championship was through the Eastern Conference. We speak with district 11 statistician John Smith as he breaks down how teams can still get in the playoffs if they miss districts. The Godfather, Armand Vanore returns with a monster preview on Archbishop Wood & Cardinal O’Hara. Williamsport Sun Gazette writer Mitch Rupert returns to talk some district 4 football and give us some playoff projections.

    Switching gears to the western part of the state we welcome Tom Reisenweber of the Erie Times News. Tom will recap the region title game between Cathedral Prep & Warren, which will determine the top seed in district 10 class AAA. Back again is Pittsburgh Tribune Reviews Josh Yohe as he talks some WPIAL football and talks about next weeks possible playoff matchups. The Funkster will be live in studio this week as we celebrate Halloween on the show. All your scores, messages, phone calls, live blog playoff chat and much much more on Week #9 of The 12th Man Show. Join us for a spooktacular time.

    When: LIVE 10:30pm Friday, October 29, 2010

    Where: http://www.prepnationradio.com or on your iPhone/Android mobile devices.

    Contact Information

    Phone – 570.972.2988

    Social – Facebook / Twitter / YouTube

    Text – AIM/Yahoo (pnrlive), Skype (epafootball), Email (live@prepnationradio.com)

    Mobile – Ustream viewer app on iPhone/iPod Touch/iPad & Android Devices

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  • Abington Heights Clobbers Invaders

    SCRANTON, PA – Abington Heights (8-0) sits atop the Lackawanna Football Conference Division 1 all alone after their, 62-14, rout of West Scranton. The Comets have now outscored West Scranton, 158-34, over the course of their last three meetings.

    Abington Heights’ rushing attack of James Fruehan and Paul Gallagher accounted for six touchdowns. Fruehan rushed for 180 yards on 13 carries (3 TDs) and Gallagher compiled 76 stripes on 13 attempts (3 TDs). Joe Repshis’ crew totaled 471 yards of offense tonight. The Comets now have North Pocono (5-3) in their sights for next Saturday’s tilt.

    West Scranton (6-2) has won their previous six games since losing their season opener to Riverside, 32-19. Invaders quarterback Tyler Hughes passed for 152 yards on 13 of 29. Hughes also ran for close to 100 yards. Next week, West Scranton travels to Valley View to take on the Cougars (5-2) on Friday. Valley View has a short week as they will be in action tomorrow when they take on Scranton Prep at 1:30 p.m.

  • 12th Man Show Week 8 Preview

    This week we give you a double dose of coach speak. First we have Owen J. Roberts front man Tom Barr. The Wildcats are led by running back Ryan Brumfield. Next up we speak with Lancaster Catholics Bruce Harbach. The defending AA state champ Crusaders are looking at a possible repeat this season.

    A trio of epic proportions as we invite three of the best writers in the state back to the show. First up, Rod Frisco gives us his take on the season so far and looks ahead to the playoffs. Second, Steve Bennett of the Citizens Voice recaps Wilkes-Barre GAR and Wyoming Area. Lastly, Joby Fawcett of the Scranton Times Tribune talks about Abington Heights and West Scranton. Both district 2 matchups have playoff implications.

    Switching gears to the western part of the state we welcome Don Rebel of the MSA Sports Network. Don will give us WPIAL playoff possibilities with only 1 more week to play. Back again is district 6 guru Doug Keklak. We get an update from the middle of the state. Finally, the Godfather, Armand Vanore returns again to recap St. Joe’s Prep and Roman Catholic. All your scores, messages, phone calls, live blog chat and much much more on Week #8 of The 12th Man Show.

    When: LIVE 10:30pm Friday, October 22, 2010

    Where: http://www.prepnationradio.com or on your iPhone/Android mobile devices.

    Contact Information

    Phone – 570.972.2988

    Social – Facebook / Twitter / YouTube

    Text – AIM/Yahoo (pnrlive), Skype (epafootball), Email (live@prepnationradio.com)

    Mobile – Ustream viewer app on iPhone/iPod Touch/iPad & Android Devices

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  • North Schuylkill shuts out Mount Carmel


    FOUNTAIN SPRINGS – The Spartans defense put up their fifth shutout of the season and their offense ran all over Mount Carmel 34-0 Friday night at Spartan Stadium.

    North Schuylkill head coach Rick Geist could tell before the game his team was focused. Geist said, “We were ready. They couldn’t wait to play.”

    They were led on defense by linebacker Mike Shinkus who had 19 tackles and two sacks in the game and defensive end Ed Pavalko who had nine tackles, two sacks and a fumble recovery.

    Geist talked about Mike Shinkus, “Mike is a division one linebacker. He can run and he tackles people. He’s a machine.”

    The opening drive the Spartans held Mount Carmel to a three-and-out and forced a punt. But the Spartans fumbled the punt and the Tornadoes couldn’t do anything and turned the ball over on downs.

    North Schuylkill would fumble away the ball again on their next possession. As quick as they were to give the ball away the defense would bail them out.

    Mount Carmel head coach Carmen DeFrancesco said, “We didn’t capitalize there in the first quarter. We never got into a rhythm.”

    The Spartans offense finally got going with 1:21 remaining in the first quarter. Ed Pavalko 69-yard run put them up 7-0.

    The Spartans would add two more scores right before halftime. Ethan Motsney;s 76-yard punt return gave the Spartans a 13-0 lead.

    Another short punt by the Red Tornadoes set up the next score. Scott Houser took a draw, cut back and went 57-yards for the score. They led 19-0 at halftime.

    After a quiet third quarter the Spartans added two more scores in the fourth quarter.

    The first scoring drive in the fourth quarter went seven plays for 46 yards. It was capped off by a one-yard score by Pavalko.

    Henning’s four-yard score with 2:14 remaining made it 34-0 Spartans. This win marked the second straight win over Mount Carmel. The last time that  happened was in the 1986-87 season.

    Ed Pavalko led the way with 138 yards rushing and Scott Houser added 82 yards.

  • Zephyrs’ perfect season derailed by Vikings

    ALLENTOWN, Pa. – Whitehall placekicker Joshua Cirocco’s cleats were pretty distinctive – a bright shade of blue on a sideline decked in maroon and gold.  Cirocco explained he had played in a soccer game earlier Saturday and didn’t have time to get a different pair of cleats.

    By the time the game clock at J. Birney Crum Stadium hit triple zeros, Allentown Central Catholic left Whitehall feeling rather blue. A completely different sort of blue.

    The Vikings (6-0) harassed and pressured Villanova recruit Chris Polony all evening and chewed up 455 yards of offense en route to a 21-14 victory over the Zephyrs (5-1) Saturday evening in Allentown.

    With the victory, Allentown Central Catholic put itself in the drivers seat to the Lehigh Valley Conference championship.

    “They’re a very good football team,” Whitehall head coach Tony Trisciani said of ACC. “We gave ‘em everything we had. I didn’t talk to the kids about losing tonight – I talked to them about learning.”

    Whitehall had a chance late to knot things at 21-all. The Zephyrs drove from their own 12 to the ACC 46 yard line with :28 left, but Polony’s third down pass was intercepted with 19 ticks left to seal the victory.

    Polony started 2-of-2 for 77 yards, including a 66-yard scoring pass to Nate Hoenl for a 7-0 lead, but the Viking defense harassed #12 the rest of the game.  He finished 11-of-31 for 143 yards and two interceptions.

    “We relied on some pressure up front,” said Viking head coach Harold Fairclough.

    But bringing pressure is a risk/reward type of strategy, and Whitehall beat the pressure to answer a 21-point run by the Vikings when Eric Fiore (15 rush, 114 yards, TD) scampered 65 yards down the home sideline to make it a 21-14 game.

    “They caught us on a blitz there,” Fairclough said of the long scoring run. “And the first score (the long pass) was a blown coverage.”

    Central Catholic junior quarterback Brendan Nosovitch said the first Zephyr touchdown woke the green and gold up.

    “We kind of came out flat,” Nosovitch said.

    But poked between the eyes, Central Catholic’s spread offense fired to life and revved its engines, primarily the engines of #2 (Colin McDermott), #4 (Kevin Gulyas) and #5 (Nosovitch).

    Nosovitch had a hand in all three Viking touchdowns, helping ACC build a 21-7 lead with 3:54 left in the third quarter.  He scored on runs of 2 and 3 yards and connected with Gulyas (12 rec., 168 yards, TD) on an 11-yard pass.

    In all, Nosovitch ran for 81 yards on 25 carries and completed 20-of-28 passes for 230 yards.

    And McDermott became the focal point of the Vikings’ offense in the second half.  With only seven rushes for 28 yards to his credit at halftime, #2 finished the Saturday night tussle with 144 yards on 23 carries.

    “They’re spread’s good,” Trisciani said of ACC.  “And they have good players.

    “Sometimes we got them and sometimes we didn’t,” Trisciani continued, “but we got them enough times to still have a chance to win the game.”

    Tyler Artim finished with six catches for 57 yards for Whitehall, who finished with 264 yards of offense and 15 first downs.

    But ACC was simply firing on all cylinders.  The Vikes rushed for 225 yards and threw for 230 – finishing with 455 yards and 23 first downs.  For the 2010 season thus far, ACC has been a model of near-perfect balance – throwing for 1,119 yards and running for 1,118.

  • Cumberland Valley’s defense leads the way


    HARRISBURG – Friday night’s Mid-Penn Commonwealth showdown at Landis Field was all about big plays. The Cumberland Valley defense came up with big stops to lead them over Central Dauphin 30-17.

    The Eagles came up with huge defensive stops when Central Dauphin went for fourth-down conversions. They came up with two interceptions and a tackle for a loss each time.

    Cumberland Valley head coach Tim Rimpfel said about his defense, “Our defense played pretty well. They really came up big.”

    In the first quarter Cumberland Valley’s Jeremy DiPietro had a six-yard score that made it 7-0. Central Dauphin countered with a 27-yard field goal from Evan Bandes to cut the lead 7-3.

    Central Dauphin would take their only lead of the night on a Zayd Issah touchdown run in the second quarter. The Eagles responded quickly. Lance Geesey kicked a 47-yard field goal to tie the game up at 10.

    The Eagles would strike right before halftime. Kyle Brubaker’s interception setup a six-yard touchdown run by quarterback Eric Sawyer and the Eagles led 17-10 at halftime.

    The Eagles broke the game wide-open in the fourth quarter on two big runs. Jeremy DiPietro carried the ball just three times in the second half but two of them went for big runs. With 8:22 remaining in the game DiPietro went 50-yards for a touchdown putting the Eagles up 24-10.

    DiPeitro put the nail on the coffin as he broke free for the 67-yard score. The extra point was missed and the Eagles led 30-10. He finished the night rushing for 143 yards on eight carries.

    DiPeitro talked about his touchdown runs, “It was the exact same play. First time it was wide open. The second time I saw a seam and had to cut back.”

    The Rams added a late touchdown when Brandon LaVaia hit Brian Morris for the four-yard score with 1:03 remaining.

    Central Dauphin outgained the Eagles 407-331 total yards of offense and they ran more plays.

    Eric Sawyer completed 8 of 12 passes for 93 yards for the Eagles. The Rams were led by Zayd Issah 173 yards on 32 carries.

    Cumberland Valley plays at Central Dauphin East. Central Dauphin hosts Harrisburg.

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  • Whitehall rallies for the win


    EASTON – Easton Area built a 14-0 lead to watch it slip away as Whitehall (5-0) rallied to defeat the Red Rovers 17-14 at Cottingham Stadium.

    Whitehall won the battle of unbeatens in a Lehigh Valley Conference game by scoring 17 unanswered points. With the win the Zephyrs setup a battle of unbeatens next Saturday night against Allentown Central Catholic (5-0).

    The Red Rovers (4-1) scored on two of its first three possessions of the night. The first score came when Justin Pacchioli hit Conor Mulrine for the five-yard touchdown pass.

    They went up 14-0 in the second quarter on a one-yard score by Zach Rohrback.

    The Red Rovers seemed to be rolling early in the game.

    The Zephyrs would cut the lead in half on a beautiful throw by quarterback Chris Polony to Tyler Artim for the 42-yard score.

    Easton led 14-7 halftime.

    Whitehall’s defense forced two fumbles and sacked Pacchioli six times.

    Easton Area head coach Steve Shiffert said, “We kind of handed it to them with the turnovers. I don’t want to take anything away from Whitehall, but we had too many turnovers to beat a good football team.”

    The biggest play of the night went to Whitehall. Polony hit Artim for a short gain, but Artim flipped the ball to Eric Flore for the hook-and-ladder play. Flore took the ball and went right down the sideline leaping into the end zone for the game tying 34-yard score.

    Artim said, “We’ve been practicing it all week. I just scooped it to him and Eric made a great move and scored.”

    On the next drive Whitehall’s defense held Easton and Pacchioli couldn’t get off a fourth down pass.

    The Zephyrs drove down to setup up the field goal attempt by Joshua Ciorcco. Ciorcco’s 27-yard field goal was the deciding factor in the game. Whitehall led 17-14 with 3:58 left in the third quarter.

    There would be no score in the final quarter, as the Zephyrs would hold on for the win.

    Chris Polony finish the game completing 13 of 20 passes for 184 yards and two scores. Tyler Artim caught eight passes for 99 yards.

    Easton’s Justin Pacchioli finished with 171 yards passing on 17 of 25 completions.

  • East Football Pulls Away from H-H

    For the September 30th Bucks County Herald

    Football, really, is a pretty simple game.

    Folks can talk B gaps, three-techniques and zone read options.  But if a team outmuscles their opponent, like the C.B. East Patriots (2-2, 1-0) did in their Friday home 42-20 win over the Hatboro-Horsham Hatters (2-2, 0-1), that team will usually win.

    After they take their mulligan.

    East fumbled and lost the ball on the game’s first play.  H-H fullback Dom DeFazio plowed in for an 8-yard touchdown run four plays later.

    But East tied it at 7 with a 10 play scoring drive of their own.  Quarterback Josh Bernard crossed the goal line on a five yard bootleg.  The drive was keyed by the junior signal caller hitting senior WR Scott Shields for a 17 yard pass on third and long.

    “I think we ran the same exact play (to open the second drive) just to show them,” noted Bernard.   “We got back into what we needed to do and drove the ball down the field.”

    Echoed senior linebacker and wide receiver Eric Brink, “We buckled down, we wanted to focus on what we were doing and get at them again.  That (first play) wasn’t our game plan.”

    After forcing a Hatter three-and-out, East senior RB Sean Reilly gave the Patriots the lead for good with a two-yard touchdown plunge on fourth and goal.  Bernard, who had a stellar game by completing five-of-six pass attempts for 121 yards, set up the score on a 39 yard pass to Brink.

    “He did a really nice job tonight,” East coach John Donnelly commended his quarterback.  “Guys made great catches.  We threw when we needed to but we really wanted to establish the run game.”

    Senior tailback Connor Bednarzyk, who led East with 72 yards rushing, added a 19 yard touchdown run three plays later after it was H-H’s turn to lose a fumbled snap.

    The Hatters answered with a 63 yard scoring drive; senior Nick Dovidio raced 25 yards to the end zone on a counter one play after senior quarterback Matt Hollenback converted a fourth-and-one on a sneak.

    Counterpart Bernard showed explosiveness with his arm in the first half; it was now time to show it with his feet.  Halfway through the third, he raced 60 yards on a beautiful quarterback option keeper.

    “That was a new play for this week,” Bernard described.  “We had a great week in practice.  We repped it over and over.  The line blocked perfectly like they were supposed to.  They opened it up and there was wide open space.  I just took it.”

    “We’ve been asking all year ‘Where is that 4.5 speed?’,” Donnelly commented.  “He showed it tonight.”

    H-H answered the bell, with a Hollenback touchdown plunge capping a nine play drive late in the third quarter.  The missed PAT gave East a 28-20 lead.

    Now it was the Patriots’ turn to answer the bell, which Reilly did with his second two-yard touchdown run of the night.  After East senior Ryan Pater intercepted a pass, Bernard connected with Brandon Sparks on a 35 yard bomb.  Bednarzyk burrowed in for a two-yard touchdown run, and the game’s final score, three plays later.

    The Hatters were coming off of a short week and emotional win- a double overtime game at Council Rock North that was postponed to Monday due to lightning.

    “We got to see them live on Monday which was good,” Donnelly noted.  “Nothing beats that for scouting.  That was advantageous for sure.”

    The Hatters’ wing-T relies on misdirection.  While Dovidio and running back Casey Saverio both went over 75 yards, the East defense yielded just 61 yards on H-H’s 16 pass attempts.

    “We had a couple of new adjustments and a couple of new line ups on defense,” offered Brink.  “Offensively, we added some new running plays but we basically did our normal game plan.”

    “We’ve got a lot of guys who compliment each other pretty well.  We’re moving some guys around to different positions,” Donnelly offered.  “(RB Sean) Trymbiski is a guy who can make plays in space.  He is a pretty dynamic runner.  Sean Reilly is a downhill runner.  Connor has a nice wiggle.  Josh obviously showed he can run.  We can spread it around.”

    Bednarzyk leads the team with 194 yards on the ground; Reilly debuted at running back against powerhouse Neshaminy last week and averaged a respectable 4.5 yards on 16 carries.

    East won their opener 13-7 on the road in overtime, when Bernard hit Shields on a 10 yard touchdown pass.  The Patriots held a favored Abington squad to just seven first downs and 145 total yards.

    They then ran into a buzzsaw of C.R. South and Neshaminy, both of whom are undefeated and have won their game by an average margin of three touchdowns.  But the Patriots played tough, trailing just 16-7 at Neshaminy late in the 3rd quarter.

    “I don’t think the score indicated that last week but we really made some strides and it carried over to this week,” Donnelly observed.  Donnelly is in his first year at East after seven seasons at Quakertown.

    That change is evident in an improving East program that went 3-7 in 2009.  “It’s completely different from last year.  Coach Donnelly has come in and really turned the whole program around,” said Bernard.  “We couldn’t ask for a better coach.

    “Our guys have been working since January to pick the offense up and they’ve done a great job of it.  We’re starting to execute now.”

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  • Susquehanna Township “bedeviled” by Greencastle-Antrim

    SUSQUEHANNA TOWNSHIP, Pa. – As Susquehanna Township sophomore speedster Colby Grant awaited the second half kickoff, one of his teammates shouted out, “Take it to the crib!”

    The crib?

    “Yeah, the crib,” the player said.

    Greencastle-Antrim, however, did more than just take it to the crib.  They took it right to Susquehanna Township using a physical, battering and opportunistic Wing-T offense and stingy defense.

    The Blue Devils (3-0) ran for more than 200 yards and overcame a 13-0 first half deficit to defeat the Indians (2-1) 24-16 from Roscoe Warner Field Friday evening.

    The story of this night was turnovers – Susquehanna Township committed three to Greencastle’s one.  Penalties also bit Susquehanna to the tune of eight flags for 51 yards, including a pair of costly pass interference penalties that set up Blue Devil touchdowns.

    And when the Indians started the second half with great field position following a 56-yard kickoff return by Grant, the red and black turned it over on downs after six plays.

    “In big games like this, turnovers are going to hurt you,” said ST head coach Joe Headon. “We were our own worst enemy tonight.”

    Yet early on, it appeared that Greencastle-Antrim’s 40-minute drive up Interstate-81 was going to be for naught.

    Susquehanna Township blew right out of the gates, operating out of a single back formation for much of the first half.  In the Indians’ first nine carries, they tallied 67 yards, and proved to be much quicker than the Blue Devils.

    And G-A had no answer for Leroy McClain, a 5’9, 166-pound junior for the Indians.

    McClain got the scoring started with a 35-yard reception from junior Anthony Gelbaugh, and pushed the Indian margin to 13-0 with an 81-yard reception just 55 seconds into the second quarter.  But after that juncture, McClain caught just one more pass this night.

    “We made an adjustment on him,” G-A head coach Chuck Tinninis said. “We slid our safety over on him (and that’s how we got a pick later in the ball game).”

    Then, Greencastle started chipping away.  Slowly but surely and methodically, the Blue Devils moved down the field, answering the 81-yard ST pass with a nine-play, 59-yard drive that chewed over four minutes of game clock.  Chad Miller got G-A on the board with a 12-yard scoring run.

    Susquehanna Township allowed G-A to go into half down 13-10 thanks to an interception thrown by Gelbaugh with 3:05 left in the quarter.  With the Devils in business at their own 27, they moved all the way to the Indian 13 before Luke Bittner drilled a 30-yard field goal with 16 seconds left.

    The Indians pushed their lead to 16-10 with 2:00 left in the third quarter thanks to a 25-yard field goal, but squandered great field position after a Grant 30-yard punt return to the G-A 26 yard line.

    “The defense stood up when it had to,” Tinninis said.

    Big, rugged senior fullback Tyler Szaflarski gave Greencastle its first lead of the game, 17-16, with 11:19 left in the game after a one-yard scoring run, and after forcing a second Gelbaugh interception with 8:40 left in the game, senior quarterback Devin Schaeffer (converted to QB from RB last season), scored on a 16-yard run with 4:55 left.

    “We got down early but we never gave up,” sad Szaflarski, who finished with a game-high 81 yards on 21 carries.

    Susquehanna Township still had one last gasp left, but G-A recovered an errant snap with 2:47 left on the clock, and six straight Szaflarski runs sealed the victory and 3-0 start for the boys from Franklin County.

    “That’s a good football team,” Headon said. “But I know we can play better than that. We will play better than that.”

    Beyond Szaflarski, G-A’s ground attack was paced by Denver Cordell (17 rush, 54 yards), Miller (6 rush, 35 yards, TD) and Schaeffer (8 rush, 34 yards, TD).  In all, the Blue Devils finished with 302 yards of offense (202 rushing on 52 carries) and 18 first downs.

    Gelbaugh threw for 201 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions for Susquehanna Township, and McClain had three receptions for 138 yards.  Senior Brandon Baltimore finished with 36 yards on nine totes for the Indians, who ran for 100 yards and finished with 301 yards of offense.

    Tinninis might have summed it up best.

    “In tight games, turnovers are a factor, aren’t they?” he asked, almost rhetorically.

    This rhetorical question, however, has an answer: a loud, resounding yes.

  • Central Catholic routs Freedom

    ALLENTOWN – Central Catholic’s junior quarterback Brendan Nosovitch set the tone Saturday night with two long touchdown runs in the second quarter en route to a 42-7 win over Bethlehem Freedom at J. Birney Crum Stadium.

    Nosovitch led the way rushing for 156 yards while throwing for 135 yards and two scores. His plays out weighed his three turnovers last night.

    The Vikings Colin McDermott made the first big play of the night. He blocked a Freedom punt, picked it up and scored a 29-yard touchdown.

    McDermott rushed for 60 yards on nine carries.

    The Patriots tied the game up in the first quarter on a Lukas Giovarelli one-yard touchdown run with 3:29 left.

    The Vikings would dominate the second quarter and take control of the game. Nosovitch scored on runs of 39 and 48 yards.

    After Nosovitch threw his second interception of the night, the Vikings recovered a Freedom fumble. Three plays later he found Kevin McKellick for an eight-yard strike giving the Vikings a 28-7 lead.

    The second half Nosovitch threw his second touchdown of the night hitting Kevin Gulyas for the 19-yard score.

    The mercy rule went into effect when McDermott scored on the 23-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter.

    Brendan Nosovitch said, “Freedom’s definitely a good team. We just came out and made a lot of big plays.”

    The Viking defense held the Patriots to174 yards of total offense.

  • Kid-Knepp-ed: Pennridge Runs Past Owls

    For the September 15th Bucks County Herald

    On host Pennridge’s fourth play from scrimmage- their first play after Ram senior fullback Brandon Cope ran 34 yards for a touchdown- Bensalem stopped senior tailback Jesse Knepp for a one yard loss.

    Hope Bensalem enjoyed it while it lasted.

    Knepp would run for 231 yards on his next 24 carries- including three scoring dashes of his own- as Pennridge (2-0) edged Bensalem (0-2) 34-24.

    The 200 pound Cope- playing “Mr. Inside” to Knepp’s “Mr. Outside” also broke the century mark, finishing with 140 yards on 17 carries.  Cope is a standout linebacker but with nearly 400 yards on the ground, the Rams’ defensive star and Knepp comprise a potent running back tandem.

    “It was something (Brandon) was always joking about last year, asking when he was going to play fullback,” recalled Knepp.  We finally got him in there and he is doing a great job both tonight and all summer too.  He is a really hard runner.”

    After Cope’s score put Pennridge up 7-0 with barely a minute gone by, it looked like Friday’s game would resemble Bensalem’s opener: an ugly, miscue-laden 26-7 loss to lightly regarded Overbrook.

    Give the Owls credit.  Despite Dan Caya’s booming kickoffs- the Owls started 8 of their 11 drives at their own 30 or worse- Coach Dan McShane’s no-huddle offense ate up yards and moved chains.

    Bensalem senior quarterback Anthony Prisco completed 22 of 37 passes, mostly on hitches in the flat, for 253 yards.  Junior wide outs Davonte Newkirk (10 catches, 116 yards) and Terrence Snetter (6 catches, 94 yards) were mostly contained- but still could break one.

    Pennridge’s defense was able to keep Bensalem out of the end zone until Newkirk finally took a pass 65 yards for a touchdown midway through the second quarter.

    The TD was sandwiched however between Knepp’s 10 yard toss sweep touchdown, a nifty 35-yard jitterbug for a second Knepp touchdown run and a seven yard Knepp sprint to paydirt with just 44 seconds left in the first half.

    Pennridge took a comfortable 27-8 lead into the break.  Senior DB Kyle McCabe picked off a Bensalem pass with 1:15 left in the second and Knepp’s third touchdown came just four plays later.

    “They were driving on us and we had to do something.  We did Cover Two.  I saw what was coming, jumped up and got it,” McCabe described.

    The Owls had other ideas in the third quarter.  Prisco’s two yard keeper capped an eight play scoring drive and Snetter’s 49 yard catch and run set up Christian Fernandez’s (16 carries, 67 yards) touchdown plunge.  After converting the two point tries, Pennridge’s end of quarter lead shrunk to 27-24.

    “At halftime, we made some checks to stop them,” observed McCabe, who had several bone jarring hits and a forced fumble in addition to his pick.  “On defense we tried different checks to keep them contained.  We expected some of it (short passing game), but not as much as they showed.”

    Front seven standouts like Cope and sophomore end John Dubyk made key tackles and pressured Prisco.  It finally paid off midway through the fourth; sophomore linebacker McKenzie Crawford intercepted a rare Prisco mistake and returned it for a touchdown.

    The Rams have now won four straight dating back to last season.  In those four wins, they have tallied 146 points as co-captain Knepp has averaged 162 yards rushing per game.

    “I want to give the praise to my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.  He is the one who gave us the abilities to come out here,” Knepp said humbly.  Knepp’s father Doug pastors a church in West Rockhill and currently serves as a chaplain in Fort Indiantown Gap with the National Guard.

    Jesse continued, “Our offensive line did a great job opening the holes.  I give a lot of credit to Stefan Krause.  He is my pulling guard and he did a real good job tonight.  Two of my touchdowns, he pushed the guy away so I could jump in.”

    In Pennridge’s opening night win against Haverford School, coach Randy Cuthbert went to the air as senior quarterback Kyle Peters tossed four touchdown strikes.  Tonight’s run-based game plan would have made Woody Hayes beam.

    “Last week, the front they were playing and how tight they were playing their safeties, we had to throw.  Tonight, we felt we had a little bit of a size advantage,” Cuthbert noted.  “We’re also a little bigger this year up front so the plan was to pound it this week.  The line and backs responded.”

    This is a veteran Pennridge team who returned nine starters on offense and six on defense.

    “Training camp was a lot easier.  We had basically the whole offense and defense in in just five days.  We’ve never been able to do that before,” replied Cuthbert.  “We got to camp and we didn’t need to really install anything- just start working techniques.

    “And we have a great group of kids this year.  The seniors are really helping the underclassmen along and I think it’s a much tighter team then we’ve had in the past couple of years.”

    Does winning lead to chemistry or vice versa is a chicken-and-egg argument.  An argument that, thanks to their high octane offense, the Rams may have the luxury of debating for a while.

  • Trojans Host Bulldogs in a Week Two Showdown

    Week 2: September 10, 2010 at 7 p.m.

    Berwick (1-0) at North Pocono (1-0)

    The Bulldogs will make the trek up I-81 North to I-84 East this Friday to face the North Pocono Trojans. Both schools enjoyed week one success and now will attempt to secure a 2-0 start. These two programs have met five times in the post-season. This will mark the first meeting since 2001 though when the Trojans handed Berwick a week two defeat, 21-15.

    Last year, Berwick was knocked out of the post-season by a school which North Pocono beat in the regular season, as well as, the Trojans were ousted in the playoffs by a school that the Dawgs knocked off in the 2009 season. Berwick was handed a 53-19 loss by Abington Heights on November 14. That same Abington team was defeated by the Trojans on October 9, 29-21. Same goes for North Pocono, Jason Sepkowski’s club was dealt a crushing defeat on November 14 by Dallas, 21-14. The Mountaineers were edged by Berwick, 14-13, the day before Halloween.

    North Pocono enters their battle with Berwick coming off of a, 10-8, victory over Dunmore. Senior 300-pound kicker slash lineman Peter Calderone booted through the up rights a game-winning 25-yard field goal to seal the deal with just a tad bit over one minute left to go in the contest. The meeting marked the first time since September 2, 2005 that the Trojans met the Bucks.

    Junior quarterback Jared Pierce led a second half comeback against Crestwood which saw the Dawgs score 26 unanswered points to win their first contest on turf at Crispin Field, 32-14. Pierce threw for 202 yards and four touchdowns (also had one rushing). His main target was 6’5 receiver Eric Schleich, who caught a game-high 123 yards and two scores.

    This marks a top ten matchup according to WNEP’s (Channel 16) Super 16 Countdown. Berwick is the number one team in the area as North Pocono is #7 this week.

    Series History

    8th Meeting

    Berwick Leads, 5-2

    Last Meeting: 9/7/01 – North Pocono, 21-15

  • McDevitt shuts out WPIAL power

    HARRISBURG –Bishop McDevitt’s defense shined as they held Gateway’s offense to 96 total yards as the Crusaders cruised to the 23-0 win at McDevitt Field.

    McDevitt’s opening possession went 15-plays, capped by a 32-yard field goal by Connor Maloney.

    After a couple of drives that stalled, quarterback Matt Johnson would get the first touchdown of the day.

    Midway through the second quarter it was Johnson who made the big plays, converting a couple of long third down plays.

    Facing a fourth-and-13 at Gateway’s 33, Johnson hit wideout Brian Lemelle for a 23-yard gain. One play later, Johnson scrambled around the left corner for a 10-0 lead.

    After McDevitt recovered a pooch kickoff. Maloney would add to their lead hitting a 22-yard field goal with 16 seconds to go in the half. McDevitt led 13-0.

    Maloney got the hat trick, kicking his third field goal of the day. The 33-yard field goal made it 16-0 with 8:51 remaining in the third quarter.

    Jameel Poteat would finish with 91 yards rushing on 27 carries. He would get the last score of the game, a three-yard run. Johnson would finish the game completing 10 of 19 passes for 126 yards.

    Gateway’s sophomore QB Thomas Woodson completed only three passes for 60 yards and one interception.

    Gateway has a young team and it showed through out the game.

    Head football coach Terry Smith said, “They dominated the line of scrimmage. Offensively, we never got going. Our defense was on the field almost 80 plays. They fought and they battled, but it just wore us down.”

  • Team #1 West Catholic (12) 0-0

    The Burrs are loaded.  The term “loaded” is not one to just be casually tossed around, but West Catholic certainly fits the bill.  For starters, the Burrs’ quarterback situation was solved when Anthony Reid (former North Catholic field general) came to West after NC was shuttered.  Reid threw for 1,098 yards and 9 TD.  West’s two leading rushers, Brandon Hollomon (1,428 yards) and Joshua Mathis (911 yards) return, as do WRs Quran Kent, Jaelen Strong-Rankin and NC transfer David Sherman and TE Jim Lynch.  The Burrs offensive line, of seniors Rodney Linder, Pharon Young and Acie Frames and juniors Dom DiGalbo and Mike Makor averages 264 pounds per man, and is believed to be the second-largest OL unit in the AA classification, behind only Greensburg Central Catholic (278 lbs./man).  Defensively, Lynch, Anthony McDonnaugh, Kevin Malone and Lamont Davis, among others, return.  West Catholic has reached the PIAA semifinals the last two years, and has posted an overall record of 67-15 since 2004.

  • Team #2 Dunmore (2) 0-0

    The Bucks, who went 12-1 last season and claimed yet another District 2 football championship (its 5th district crown in school history) lose career 6,600-yard rusher Michael Perry and QB Dave Olivetti (1,008 yards of offense, 11 total TD), but Dunmore is loaded up front.  Senior OL/DLs Jerry Hubshman, Jim Sabia and Paul Gaughan are all potential Division-1 prospects, and Gaughan has amassed more than a dozen scholarship offers.  In the backfield, junior QB Jordan Dempsey (2-of-2, 41 yards, TD) returns, as do a trio of junior running backs, Franco Senofonte (36 rush, 244 yards, 5 TD); Tom Lapinski (22, 136, 2) and Chris Yurechko (16, 131, 1).  Senior WR/DBs Josh Burton (8 rec., 131 yards, TD; 1 INT) and Morgan Holmes (17 tackles, 8 INT) also are valuable athletes.  The Bucks are 47-7 since the start of the 2006 season, and reached the PIAA finals in 2007.

  • Team #3 Southern Columbia (4) 0-0

    After a “down” year of 9-5 and yet another District 4 Class A championship, here are the Tigers, poised to jump back up on top in the state’s smallest classification.  The 5-loss season for Southern was the first since the late 1980s.  Southern returns a plethora of athletes from its 2009 team which was eliminated in the PIAA quarterfinals by a senior-laden Tri-Valley team.  Senior QB Jake Townsend (1,019 pass yards, 12 TD) and other seniors Tim Benner (RB/DB), Jake Morton (RB/LB), Alex Fidler (SE/LB) and Ethan Snyder (TE/LB) join juniors Tyrell Thomas (RB/LB), Matt Moore (TE/LB), Tom Schetroma (T/DT) and Keith Day (DB) to form a very solid nucleus.  2009 was also just the third time in the Jim Roth era that Southern failed to win 10 games or more in a season.

  • Team #4 Lancaster Catholic (3) 0-0

    The Crusaders are coming off of their best season in school history – 15-1 overall record, PIAA AA champions, a school-record 618 points scored.  Even though graduation reared its ugly head and claimed QB Kyle Smith (Central Michigan), WRs Quinn Houser, Tyler Purvis and Kevin Cotchen and TE Andrew Millay, the Crusaders are not running on empty.  ATH Rhys McCall (91 rush yds., 305 rec. yds., 266 KO ret. yds, 5 total TD) returns, as does junior QB Sean Gibbons (12-of-27, 134 yards) and athlete Trevor St. Clair (100+ rushing and receiving yards each).  OL Michael Meck, Caleb Rudy and Andrew DiPietro return, and FS Greg Kirchner returns in the defensive backfield.  Considering all their losses, Catholic could be in worse shape, but look for Bruce Harbach and his “purple people eaters” (71-10 overall since 2004 with three District 3 titles to its credit in that span) to continue winning and winning and winning.

  • Team #5 North Schuylkill (11) 0-0

    The defending District 11 AA champion Spartans had quite the season in 2009 – running off 13 consecutive wins and winning their first district crown since 1996.  NS returns seven starters on both offense and defense from last year’s team, including senior RBs Scott Houser (175 rush, 950 yards, 12 TD), Ed Pavalko (152, 837, 17) and Kody Flail (52, 412, 6; 3 INT on defense).  North Schuylkill averaged over 197 rushing yards per game last season.  The Spartans must contend with losing QB Tom Ferrari (981 pass yards, 12 TD) and two-way threats Steve Ennis (12 rec., 195 yds., 3 TD; 3 INT); Zach Hogan (8, 175, 2; 7 INT); Derek Hughes (9, 222, 1; 3 INT); and Zach Parnell (12, 295, 3; 3 INT).

  • Team #6 Loyalsock Township (4) 0-0

    In the last three seasons, the Lancers have posted an overall record of 30-11 and have claimed some type of hardware each year.  Loyalsock Township won District 4 AA titles in 2007 and 2009 and claimed the 2008 Eastern Conference AA title.  Yet it seems like the maroon and white are somewhat still flying under the radar.  Well, no longer.  The Lancers have lost the services of QB Stephen Stopper (920 pass yards, 1,483 rush yards, 24 total TD) to graduation, but senior Tyler Bogaczyk (389 yards, 4 TD) saw some time as a reserve.  Junior Mike Kinney (774 rush yards, 10 TD; 147 tackles, 2 sacks, 2 interceptions) is a key two-way threat.  Senior OL/DL Eric Vogel (54 tackles, 2 sacks), Brice Goodell (58 tackles, 2 sacks) and Derek Mandresh (71 tackles, 5 sacks) provide valuable experience up front, and senior K Jackson Person (51 KO, 4 touchbacks; 33 PATs, 1 FG) returns on special teams.

  • Team #7 Northern Lehigh (11) 0-0

    The Bulldogs finished 10-3 a season ago, falling in the District 11 AA championship game to North Schuylkill.  The purple and white have some nice components from that district runner-up team from a year ago, including a key off-season acquisition in assistant coach Jim Tkach, who is back wearing the Bulldog team colors after leading the program to two District crowns in 1999 and 2003 and a PIAA runner-up finish in 2003 and winning a PIAA title in 2008 as an assistant at Bethlehem Liberty.  Senior RB Cody Remaley ran for more than 2,000 yards last year, and returns as the team’s feature tailback.  He’s already surpassed 4,000 rushing yards for his career, and another 2,000-yard season could make him just the third District 11 running back to surpass 6,000 career rushing yards (Zach Barket and James Mungro are the others).  Senior TE/DE Mike Buresh (52 tackles, 3 sacks), FB/LB Matt Gill (10 rush TD; 126 tackles, 3 INT), ATH Jake Kern (9 TD scored; 8 INT) are two-way contributors and junior ILB Kirk Bender (81 tackles, 2 INT) will also be a force this year.  Be sure to keep an eye on this Colonial League representative, as another 10-win season could be in the offing.

  • Team #8 Steelton-Highspire (3) 0-0

    The Rollers lived up to their nickname (in full, it is “Steamrollers”) in 2007 and 2008 with RB Jeremiah Young and an offensive line that simply flattened people en route to consecutive PIAA championships.  Now, the Rollers are going back to their roots – simply shooting past people with a high octane spread offense.  In an eight-win season a year ago, Steel-High scored more than 380 points and averaged more than 34 points per game, and two of the main catalysts from that team – junior QB Max Ward and senior RB Clayton McNair – are back.  Ward lit up his stat sheet for 2,088 passing yards and 28 touchdowns in his sophomore year, and already claims a verbal scholarship offer from Akron.  Ward is on pace to throw for more than 6,300 yards and 84 touchdown passes (3rd-highest total in District 3 history) for his career McNair ran for 1,150 yards and 10 touchdowns on 169 carries.  The Rollers’ line will be young, but could gel into a ferocious unit later in the season.  Questions do lie on defense, but if the offense can score 35+ points per game consistently, Steel-High will win its share of ball games.

  • Team #9 Lewisburg (4) 0-0

    Loyalsock Township blitzed the Green Dragons in the District 4 AA title game, but Lewisburg has a very nice nucleus returning from its 11-win football team a season ago. Lewisburg has a solid offensive nucleus returning from its 2009 unit that averaged 27.5 points and 218 rushing yards per game. Junior QB Camden Cassels (49-of-85, 759 yards, 7 TD) returns, as does junior RB Merle Moscarello (157 rush, 1,030 yards, 5 TD), senior RB Nate Brown (111 rush, 687 yards, 10 TD), senior RB Nickolas Kifolo (57 rush, 391 yards, 2 TD) and senior WR Ryan Lopes (12 rec, 200 yards). Lewisburg did not submit individual defensive statistics to Maxpreps.com, but the Green Dragons are coming off of a season in which they allowed an average of 10.6 points per game, holding eight of 13 opponents to seven points or less in a game, with five shutouts. Only Bloomsburg Area and Loyalsock Township scored more than 20 points in a game against the Lewisburg defense.

  • Team #10 Wyomissing (3) 0-0

    The Spartans could be a sleeper team in the District 3 AA championship hunt this year, as 13 starters return from a 7-4 football team that finished 5-1 in Section 2 of the Berks Inter-County League to Reading Holy Name. The Reading Eagle’s Mike Drago reported Wyomissing has won seven of the last nine IC-2 titles, so who really could question tabbing the Spartans as the #10 team in this poll? Among the key returning players for Wyomissing is junior QB Grayson Helm (1,127 passing yards, 16 TD), FB Tyler Rank (658 rush yards, 9.27 yds./rush, 12 TD) and WR Joe Cacchione (6 rec., 168 yds., 5 TD). Head coach Bob Wolfrum is a 200-game winner for his career.

  • 2010 Internet Streams Schedules

    EasternPAFootball.com is again compiling a list of radio/tv schedules of all games being streamed online. All the schedules will be on one convenient page for future reference. Please email your radio/tv stream schedule for the upcoming season to jeremy@easternpafootball.com. We appreciate all your help with this project. The following list below are networks who have submitted schedules in the past. If you do not see your name listed please forward that information as well. Thank you.

    Wiggle 100 (Troy)
    WMSS 91.1FM (Middletown)
    1070 WKOK (Sunbury)
    1380 WMLP (Sunbury)
    930 WHLM (Bloomsburg)
    1360am WPPA (Pottsville)
    T-102 (Pottsville)
    Variety 99.9/97.7 (Williamsport)
    Bill 95FM (Williamsport)
    WBCB 1490am (Levittown)
    MSA Sports Network
    Black Diamond Sports Network
    The Zone 1550am WTTC (Troy)
    Champs Sports Network
    Panther Broadcast Network (Havenfootball.net)
    WEEU 830 (Reading)
    WNPV 1440 (Lansdale)
    ESPN 1240 (Selinsgrove)
    Dunmore Bucks Broadcast Network
    Service Electric (Lehigh Valley)
    The Bridge WTTC 95.3 (Towanda)
    FSN Pittsburgh
    Red Zone Media
    1370 WPAZ (Pottstown)
    PCN Game Of The Week
    Fox Sports The Game (Scranton)
    Blue Ridge Communications 13 (Lehighton)
    Brandywine Radio (Chester County)
    Comcast
    Cougar Sports Network (Valley View)
    WILK 103.1 FM
    RCN (Lehigh Valley)
    WHLM-FM 103.5 (Bloomsburg)
    WYLN 35 (Hazleton)
    93.5 SBG (Stroudsburg)
    The Ticket 1460am (Harrisburg)
    KJ Broadcasting
    ESPN 1050am/104.1FM (Williamsport)
    1490 WNBT (Wellsboro)
    Eagle 107 (Selinsgrove)
    WCHE 1520am (Chester County)
    100.9 The Valley (Lewisburg)

  • Bishop McDevitt QB Matt Johnson verbally commits to Bowling Green

    Bishop McDevitt’s talented field general Matt Johnson has verbally committed to Bowling Green today (June 25), according to reports published by Andy Shay of the Harrisburg Patriot-News.

    Johnson is the second Keystone State prospect in the recruiting class of 2011 to commit to a Mid American Conference program this week – George Washington’s TE/OLB Brandon Chudnoff committed to Temple Wednesday.

    According to recruiting services Scout.com and Rivals.com, Johnson had two additional scholarship offers besides Bowling Green – Miami (OH) and Temple. Johnson also had received interest, but no scholarship offers, from schools like Boston College, Colorado, Duke, Iowa, Pitt, Rutgers and Virginia, according to Scout.

    Johnson is easily the best returning quarterback to District 3. He threw for 2,010 yards and 22 touchdowns as a sophomore, leading McDevitt to a 10-3 record. Johnson lit up the stat sheets in his junior season, throwing for 2,731 yards and 33 touchdowns against only seven interceptions (stats according to Maxpreps.com).

    Johnson’s 4,741 passing yards and 55 touchdowns are both tops among all returning District 3 quarterbacks in 2010.

    McDevitt finished the 2009 season with a 12-1 overall record, amassing averages of 413.7 yards and 43.3 points per game, finishing as the runners-up in the District 3 “AAAA” championship game to Cumberland Valley in a 34-27 double overtime thriller in Hershey.

  • George Washington TE/OLB Brandon Chudnoff…

    George Washington TE/OLB Brandon Chudnoff verbally commits to Temple

    Philadelphia Public League representative George Washington has turned out its fair share of Division-1 recruits, most notably Sharrif Floyd, who will continue his collegiate football career at Florida.

    Wednesday, the Eagles’ first prospect in their 2011 class gave his verbal commitment, and he’s sticking around the City of Brotherly Love.

    Brandon Chudnoff, a 6’2, 230-pound tight end and outside linebacker for GW, verbally committed to Temple Wednesday, according to reports published on Scout.com. Chudnoff is Temple’s first Keystone State prospect landed in the Owls’ 2011 recruiting class.

    Temple was the only Division-1 program to offer Chudnoff a scholarship. He also had an offer from FCS representative Villanova and interest from schools like Boston College, Buffalo, Minnesota, North Carolina and Penn State.

    Chudnoff caught 11 passes for 119 yards and three touchdowns as a junior, and added 10 sacks on defense. Chudnoff was part of an Eagle defense that allowed an average of 10.1 points per game that held five consecutive opponents to six points or less.

    George Washington finished 8-3 last season, advancing to the District 12 “AAAA” city championship game, falling to LaSalle College, 31-20. In reaching the city championship game, GW defeated Southern, Bartram and Northeast by a combined score of 116-6.

  • Keystone Sports Talk is now FREE!!

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  • “REPLACEMENTS” TAKE FIELD AND VICTORY OVER WEST

    ALTOONA – Keanu Reeves would have been proud. This night in Altoonas’ Mansion Park a team of replacements proved they weren’t just the second choice, they showed they should have been the first choice when it comes to picking all stars. Led by defensive linemen Mike Tucker of Downingtown East and Josh Coulter of Downingtown West, the East “replacements” dominated the division 1 heavy team of the West 33-7 with a heavy dose of defense to the tune of a 354 – 64 yardage mismatch. The West was held to negative yardage until late in the 4th quarter.

    “All week long the west team was talkin smack about us because of all their division 1 recruits. We wanted to “represent” for the east and we did” was what East coach Mike Milano of Downingtown West HS had to say about his team. “Like 15 of the 34 players and a couple coaches are not from the original roster so the kids just started calling themselves the replacements and it stuck all week”.

    The East Defense started the scoring when Coulter hit Selinsgrove qb Cory Briggs in the enzone jarring the ball loose and Bishop McDevitts Ryan Kuntz recovered for the first score of the game. “We just wanted to show them we were faster and stronger” said Coulter.

    The lone highlight for the West came on their next defensive stand as Colgate bound Dan Cason juggled a pass from Downingtown West qb Brett Gillespie and Jesse Della Valle of Shaler took the ball away scrambling 75 yards for the score. The pat made the score 7-7 with 2:53 left in the first quarter.

    The Replacements took over from there and in the second quarter got a couple touchdown passes from Cason to make up for his error in the opening quarter. The first a 59 yard score from Gillespie and second an 8 yarder from Kyle Smith of Lancaster Catholic. At the half the Eastern Replacements held a 27-7 advantage in scoring following an 8 yard run from Darius Webb of Freedom High School. “I give all the credit to the offensive line. Without them guys like me wouldn’t do anything” said Webb, whose father Vince rented a bus and brought 85 of his closest friends dressed in matching t-shirts that sported a picture of Darius in previous game action with the saying “they call it, I haul it, they move em and I groove em” to watch his son play in the game. “We had a great tailgate and time here today, I’m just proud of D Webb” said father Vince. Webb also scored the games last td on a 25 yard scamper in the 3rd quarter.

    “This was a fun week, a LOT of fun said East running back Joe Difebo of Wallenpaupack HS. “It was strange at first, the first meeting nobody knew each other then 5 minutes later it was like we were all best friends. We gelled instantly”.

    Mike Tucker, who had 4 sacks and nearly 2 more, said “the host families were incredible and all the sponsors treated them very well. It was fun playing on a team with players from our district rival teams.”

    Cory Briggs of the West team would “like to have seen a different outcome, however, the whole experience was incredible. It was a little weird being from Selinsgrove and playing with kids mostly from western PA but it worked out. I made a lot of friends this week”.

    STATS

    scoring

    West  7 0 0 0 – 7

    East   7 20 6 0 – 33

    First quarter

    E-Kuntz recovered fumble in end zone (Webster kick), 7:39.

    W-Della Valle 75 interception return (MacZura kick), 2:53.

    Second quarter

    E-Cason 59 pass from Gillespie (Webster kick), 11:05.

    E-Cason 8 pass from Smith (kick failed), 7:02.

    E-Webb 19 run (Webster kick), 3:08.

    Third quarter

    E-Webb 25 run (kick failed), :55.

    INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS

    RUSHING: West-Howard 8-30, Lewis 1-17, Bey 6-14, Hagan 2-4, Ifill 2-(-10), Bliss 6-(-15), Briggs 13-(-23). East-R. White 7-82, Webb 5-70, DeFebo 10-44, Gruber 1-2, Brewer 1-2, K. White 1-2, Gillespie 1-(-2), Smith 5-(-8).

    PASSING: West-Briggs 1-10-0-11, Bliss 1-5-0-36. East-Gillespie 2-9-2-56, Smith 5-10-1-85, Brewer 1-1-0-3.

    RECEIVING: West-Bey 1-36, Simmen 1-11. East-Gruber 3-45, Cason 2-61, Brewer 1-39, Smith 1-3, Webb 1-(-3).

    INTERCEPTIONS: West-Della Valle 2-75, Bey 1-0.

    TOTAL YARDAGE: 64  354

  • East/West All-Star – Game Cover it Live

    Join Jeff Reinhart from LancSports.com LIVE from Mansion Park Stadium, Altoona PA for the East/West All-Star game. Click the link below.

    Cover it Live

  • Council Rock North ATH Brandon Cottom verbally commits to Purdue

    Council Rock North athlete Brandon Cottom has made a decision where he will continue playing college football.

    Cottom, a 6’2, 225-pound senior-to-be, verbally committed to Purdue Monday, according to Scout.com. Cottom is Pennsylvania’s seventh player to make a verbal commitment from the 2011 recruiting class, and the second of which to commit to the Boilermakers. North Allegheny TE Rob Kugler committed to Purdue nearly a month ago.

    The versatile Cottom possessed many other scholarship offers in addition to Purdue – 10 total offers, to be exact – from schools like Cincinnati, Minnesota, Rutgers, Syracuse and Temple, to name a few. Michigan, Notre Dame, Penn State and Stanford expressed interest in Cottom, but did not extend a scholarship offer.

    As a junior, Cottom ran for more than 1,000 yards, caught 19 passes for 291 yards, returned 17 kickoffs for 616 yards and registered 16 tackles. Cottom scored 17 total touchdowns – 12 rushing – and averaged over 15 yards per reception and 36 yards per kick return.

    Council Rock North finished 5-5 overall last season, averaging 23.4 points per game.

  • Singlar leads South to big win

    DOYLESTOWN – The North all-stars led 10-0 early in the 35th annual Bob Sands Memorial/Bucks County Lions Football Classic Saturday night.

    The rest of the game belonged to the South All-Stars. Scoring five times, Conwell-Egan quarterback Anthony Singlar threw a pair of touchdown passes and Pennsbury’s Dante Devin scored three times on the way to the 34-10 win.

    Singlar led the offense completing 9 of 18 passes for 187 yards. He rushed for 63 yards and his team amassed 427 total yards.

    South’s head coach Kevin Kelly ran the same offense that Singlar ran during his career.

    Singlar said, “I played in it the last four years, so I’m used to it. It actually made it easier playing the game because I knew what to expect.”

    The North all-stars jumped out to an early lead on a 13-yard touchdown run by Tyler Hamlet of William Tennent. Kicker Sean Banner added a 37-yard field goal on the first play of the second quarter to give the North All-Stars a 10-0 lead.

    The South’s defense would spark a comeback by recovering a North fumble near midfield. On the drive Singlar found Council Rock North’s Drew Petersen for the 16-yard touchdown.

    Trailing 10-7 at halftime the South took the lead for good when Bristol’s Woodrow Vorters went right up the middle for the 46-yard touchdown.

    Late in the third quarter Devine scored on a three-yard touchdown with 1:58 remaining in the quarter.

    Leading 20-10 at the start of the fourth quarter, the South All-Stars struck again. Devine caught a pass from Singlar and went 81 yards for the score with 5:41 left in the game.

    Devine would finish off the scoring on a 51-yard run with 1:58 left in the game.

    Devine said, “I followed Steve Stemme to the outside and just got around the corner.”

    Anthony Singlar was named the South MVP. The North MVP was Quakertown’s Tony Latronica who rushed for 55 yards.

  • Kind leads South All-Stars


    FRANCONIA – The South had big plays on offense, but it was their defense that came up with the biggest play late in the fourth quarter.

    The South’s defense came up with a big stop on third and four to force a field goal attempt. The kick went wide and the South added a late score to seal the victory over the North squad 27-17 at Souderton Area High School.

    The South MVP was Abington quarterback Sam Kind who threw for 225 yards and two scores.

    Sam Kind said, “It is really great to go out with a win. We ran a simplified version of the offense that we ran at Abington and we were comfortable running it.”

    The South got on the scoreboard first. Kind hit Giuliano Presta of Abington for an eight-yard score. Chris Smallwood of Upper Moreland had two big runs for 38 yards during the drive.

    After a North turnover, LaSalle place kicker Mike Bennett added to their lead by nailing a 35-yard field goal. The South led 10-0.

    The North would add a field goal by Matt Kirkpatrick of Upper Perkiomen.

    The South responded quickly as Kind threw a 68-yard laser to Warren Gillis of Academy of the New Church for a score. Todd Smolinsky, quarterback for the North of North Penn hit Cole Parkinson of St. Pius X for a 20-yard score.

    The South had a 17-10 lead at halftime.

    In the third quarter Bennett would add to the South’s lead kicking his second field goal of the night. This time he connected on a 37-yard field goal.

    The North pulled within a field goal late in the third quarter. Smolinsky found Parkinson again for the 16-yard score. South led 20-17.

    The North was driving late in the game for a potential go-ahead score. On third down Smolinsky was stopped for a one-yard gain.

    James Brennan of Upper Merion said, “We played fast and intense and we swarmed to the ball.”

    North’s Placekicker Matt Kirkpatrick’s kick went wide right from 32 yards out with 4:03 remaining in the game.

    Kind took the South right down the field on five plays for 80-yards. Smallwood’s one-yard touchdown secured the win.

    Kind threw a couple of clutch throws during the drive including a beautiful 47-yard pass to Ronye Dennis of Upper Moreland.

    Smolinsky was named MVP for the North team throwing for 78 yards and two scores. He rushed for 81 yards to lead his team.

    Video Highlights

  • Dallastown Area WR/LB Ben Kline verbally…

    Dallastown Area WR/LB Ben Kline verbally commits to Pitt

    The Pitt Panthers have landed their second verbal commitment from the Keystone State – and both have come from south central Pennsylvania.

    Ben Kline, a WR/LB for Dallastown High School, verbally committed to Pitt today, according to Rivals.com. Kline’s profile on Rivals listed nine other scholarship offers in addition to Pitt – Boston College, UCONN, Duke, Illinois, Maryland, Michigan, Rutgers, Vanderbilt and West Virginia.

    Penn State and Tennessee had also shown interest in Kline during his recruiting process, but neither extended a scholarship offer to the 6’2, 220-pound senior-to-be.

    Pitt’s other verbal commitment from south central Pennsylvania came courtesy of Central Dauphin OL Artie Rowell, in mid-May.

    Kline finished the season as the Wildcats’ leading tackler, posting 118 tackles (68 solo), a half a sack, a safety, and a fumble recovery on defense. He averaged 11.8 tackles per game, finishing eight games with 10+ tackles, including a season-high 22 tackles in a 33-29 loss to an improved Kennard-Dale team. Kline finished two other games (South Western & Red Lion) with 12 tackles and four other games (York Suburban, West York Area, York-William Penn & Central York) with 11 tackles.

    Offensively, Kline ran for 156 yards and four touchdowns, averaging over 12 yards per carry. He added 26 receptions for 399 yards (15.35 avg./rec.) and scored four more touchdowns. Kline did most of his receiving damage in three games – West York Area (8 rec., 102 yds.); Kennard-Dale (6 rec., 93 yds., 2 TD); and Red Lion (3 rec., 131 yds., 2 TD).

    Dallastown finished the 2009 season with a 6-5 record, winning four of its last five games after a 2-4 start to its season. The Wildcats allowed an average of 20.9 points per game, holding four opponents to seven points or less, with one shutout.

    Verbal commitments are non-binding until the player signs a letter of intent in February.

  • Monteiro leads West over East, 34-19

    READING – Daniel Boone’s Jon Monteiro threw for 155 yards in the first half to pace the West all-stars to a 34-19 win over the East all-stars in the 12 the annual Voices Berks Senior Football Classic Sunday at Albright’s Shirk Stadium.

    In the first half the East all-stars led 19-14 behind a pair of touchdowns by Reading High’s Yamil Echavarria. The East defense shut down the West running game and forced them to pass. The West managed negative rushing yards in the first half and just 19 total yards rushing for the game. West
    head coach Alan Moyer said, ”We had to change things, we had to throw it around a little bit.”

    Monteiro’s big first half helped keep the West close in the first half. He would end up being the West MVP, completing 8 of 13 for 197 yards passing. Monteiro gave the West all-stars the lead in the second quarter when he found Wilson’s Johnny Morgan for a 58-yard touchdown. West led 12-7. Monteiro talked about staying in the pocket, “I’ve taken hits all my career, it didn’t bother me.”

    The West took advantage of some East mistakes. In the second half a bad snapped to the punter Butz went for a 34-yard loss. The West took over at the 21. Wilson’s Kriss Brown went in for the one-yard score to give the West a 20-9 lead. The big play of the drive was a Montero’s 16-yard strike to Wilson’s Calvin Panghulan. On the East’s next possession, Governor Mifflin’s Dave Gurtkowski sacked West’s Estock and forced a fumble. Patrick Walker of Hamburg recovered the ball on the East 22 yard line. Governor Mifflin’s Eric Wertz scored on a fourth and goal from the seven-yard line to give the West a commanding 26-19 lead.

    Turnovers by the East all-stars gave the West short playing field in the second half. They took over in East territory all five times in the half that lead to three scores inside the 30. East coach Jeff Chillot of Schuylkill Valley said, “When you fumble a punt snap and give them the ball and the quarterback fumbles, they’re gonna take advantage of it.” Hershey Walton of Reading High was named the East’s Most Valuable Player. The West All-Stars lead the series 9-2-1.

  • West in a rout, 39-13

    BERWYN – Brett Gillespie of Downingtown West led the West All-Stars
    with 397 total yards of offense as the West All-Stars won over the East
    All-Stars 39-13 at Teamer Field, Conestoga High School.

    Gillespie established a new passing record, early in the second half. The
    Temple-bound quarterback completed 15 of 26 passes for 323 yards and four
    touchdowns. The old record was 217 yards passing. He also led the West team
    with 74 yards rushing. l

    Gillespie’s two favorite targets were Jordan Harris of Avon Grove and Pat
    Brewer of Coatesville.

    Brewer said, “I love it. Brett was unbelievable”.

    Brewer caught six passes for 142 yards. Harris hauled in five passes for
    134 yards and two touchdowns.

    West head coach Jim Donato said, “We expected Brett to have a good game and
    boy did he catch fire.”

    The West All-Stars dominated on both sides of the football. They had 446
    total yards of offense and held the East All-Stars to 216 total yards.

    The East All-Stars had all kinds of trouble in the game. Their starting
    quarterback Bryce Manning of Conestoga was knocked out the game late in the
    first quarter on the center to quarterback exchange.

    The East All-Stars biggest play of the night came from Bayard Rustin’s
    Rondell White who weaved his way for a 56-yard run. But on the next play
    the East team turned it over after their seventh mishandled snap of the
    game.

    East head coach Mike St. Clair said, “We had a good plan and then we shoot
    ourselves in the foot.”

    The West All-Stars made it 17-0 on a four-yard touchdown run by Kessan
    Christopher of Downingtown West.

    The West All-Stars followed up with a field goal by Brian Muchow of
    Octorara before halftime.

    Gillespie then tossed three touchdowns in the second half including an
    86-yard touchdown pass to Brewer. They led 39-0.

    The East All-Stars finally got on the scoreboard when Rondell White scored
    on a nine-yard run with 6:39 remaining. His brother Rahmeir White added the
    final score on a one-yard run.

    Rondell led the East All-Stars with 104 yards rushing.

    Video Highlights

    All-Star Game Photo Highlights

  • North stifles South in Tri-County All-Star Game

    MANHEIM, Pa. – It had been a while since the North last tasted victory in the Manheim Touchdown Club’s Tri-County All-Star Game. After running off four consecutive victories in the first four years of the series, the North watched the South claim the following four games, evening the series at four wins apiece.

    Saturday night at Elden Rettew Field, the North stood up and said, “Enough!”

    Behind a workmanlike 138 yards rushing and a timely 19-yard Gary Gristick-to-Nick Pastrana completion on 3rd-and-15 from its own 5 yard line, the North battered the South in a physical 14-7 victory to take a 5-4 series lead.

    North head coach Jack Beidler (formerly of Northern Lebanon) really liked the play of Pastrana on the final series. Not only did Pastrana (Lebanon) make the key reception that started the North’s methodical 7:27 drive to kill the clock and end the game, he also made a key block within a three-play span of the catch.

    “Here’s a first-year football player, and within three plays he made ‘the block’ and ‘the catch,’” Beidler said.

    South head coach Jeff Polites (Donegal) thought that catch was the turning point of the game.

    “We had them down deep and they converted,” Polites said. “You bet that’s the turning point (of the game).”

    After Pastrana’s catch, Gristlick (Cedar Crest) and running back Charles Kyeremeh (Cedar Crest) took turns toting the rock, and Gristick attempted two more passes – completions of eight yards to Dan Trafford (Manheim Central) and 11 yards to Tyler Purvis (Lancaster Catholic).

    The pass to Purvis, which earned the North its 18th first down of the night, served as the final nail in the South’s coffin. The North’s defense took care of the remainder of the nails.

    Set up by a Laron Lee (Penn Manor) 46-yard kickoff return to open the game, the South moved to the North 30 yard line, but Kevin Kelly (Conestoga Valley) was stuffed on 4th-and-1, and the North took over on downs.

    The South’s best drive came on its second possession. Led by PJ Rehm (Penn Manor), the South moved 72 yards in just six plays, and Stefon Sensenig ­­(Conestoga Valley) hauled in a 14-yard Rehm pass to tie the game at 7.

    At that juncture, with 11:45 left in the first half, the South had amassed 95 yards of offense and four first downs. The South finished the game with only 138 yards of offense and seven first downs.

    Polites said that he knew his South team had a good defense because the offense struggled at times against it in practice. But, on certain occasions, Gristick and John Yuko (Manheim Township) made moving the ball against the South look like child’s play.

    Yuko (9-of-13, 118 yards) led the North’s initial scoring drive of the night, a 12-play, 69-yard, 5:35 drive capped by a two-yard scoring run by Dan Trafford. Joe Gruber (Manheim Central) highlighted the drive with a 32-yard reception on the opening play. Gruber, a 1,500-yard rusher in Central’s run to the PIAA finals, finished with 18 rushing yards and 53 receiving yards on this night.

    Gristick, who ran the spread-option last year at Cedar Crest, made plays both through the air and on the ground. Introduced to the mid-line (Beidler ran the Veer offense while at Northern Lebanon), Gristick looked like he’d run the system his entire career.

    “It was good to run it tonight,” Gristick said. He finished with 13 carries for 62 yards, which keyed the North’s ground attack. Gristick also completed 8-of-16 passes for 93 yards.

    Gristick also threw what ultimately proved to be the winning touchdown pass. That connection, a 17-yard strike to Trafford (5 rec., 38 yds., TD) came with 1:38 left in the first half. That score capped a 10-play, 50-yard, 4:04 drive.

    The score could have been much worse than 14-7. Taylor Groff (Manheim Central) missed field goal attempts of 39 and 41 yards in the first half. The North also had two touchdowns wiped off the board in the first quarter – a 17-yard run by Kyeremeh was called back due to holding and Lance Kopp (Ephrata) dropped a sure 32-yard touchdown pass – but the North prevailed anyway, in spite of itself.

    Before the North players broke their postgame huddle, one of the team’s assistant coaches made the comment, “The North will rise again.”

    This night, the North definitely rose to the occasion.

    STATISITCAL LEADERS:

    Rushing, North (Carries, yards, TDs): Gary Gristick, 13-62-0; Charles Kyeremeh, 10-34-0; Joe Gruber, 6-18-0; Brian Sourber, 4-19-0; Dan Trafford, 1-2-1; John Yuko, 4-1-0; TOTALS: 38-137-1.

    Passing, North (Completions, attempts, yards, TD, INT): John Yuko, 9-13-118-0-0; Gary Gristick, 8-16-93-1-0; TOTALS: 17-29-211-1-0.

    Receiving, North (Receptions, yards, TDs): Dan Trafford, 5-38-1; Tyler Purvis, 3-79-0; Joe Gruber, 3-53-0; Nick Pastrana, 2-25-0; Mitch Weidman, 2-1-0; Lance Kopp, 1-9-0; Brian Sourber, 1-5-0; TOTALS: 17-211-1.

    Rushing, South: (Carries, yards, TDs): Kevin Kelly, 9-36-0; PJ Rehm, 5-33-0; Chris Schaeffer, 2-19-0; Matt Carty, 5-3-0; Laron Lee, 1-minus-4-0; Adrian Westbrooke, 1-minus-9-0; TOTALS: 21-68-0.

    Passing, South (Completions, attempts, yards, TD, INT): PJ Rehm, 5-7-70-1-0; Matt Carty, 0-5-0-0-0; Adrian Westbrooke, 0-1-0-0-0; TOTALS: 5-13-70-1-0.

    Receiving, South (Receptions, yards, TD): Mike Rice, 2-10-0; Laron Lee, 1-37-0; Stefon Sensenig, 1-14-1; BJ Enck, 1-9-0; TOTALS: 5-70-1.

    Multimedia:

    Video Highlights

    Photo Gallery

  • Huff Leads Non-Public over Public League team

    PHILADELPHIA – The 36th Eagles City High School All-Star Classic made its debut at Lincoln Financial Field last night as the Non-Public squad held on to defeat the Public League 16-15 in front of 5,000 fans.

    Non-Public team now leads in the series 20-15-1.

    This game had a Pro atmosphere last night, not only they played in the Linc, the players were on the big screen and Merrill Reese called the game on WIP last night.

    Will Huff of Neumann-Goretti’s kicked three field goals to lead the Non-Public team. West Catholic’s Jarred Evans added a 17-yard touchdown pass to St. Joseph’s Prep Pete Hurley for the other score.

    Huff extra point was the difference in the game and he earned the Non-Public’s offensive player of the game honors.

    Huff said, “It will definitely bring back some memories”.

    North Catholic’s David Williams had six tackles, including two for a loss. He was named Non-Public defensive player of the game.

    Williams said, “It was an unbelievable experience. I never thought I’d be playing here”

    Public League’s Northeast Malik Stokes came in the second quarter and hit Germantown’s Ramadan Abdullah with a 77-yard touchdown pass in the second quarter.

    The Big screen televised the game and helped Abdullah’s 77-yard touchdown. Abdullah said, “That’s how I broke a tackle. I looked at the scoreboard and saw somebody behind me. As soon as he dove, I picked my feet up”

    The other score for the Public squad game after Bartram’s Al-Hajj Shabazz downed a punt at the Non-Public’s one-yard line. Roxborough’s Kwame Bell recovered a fumbled snap at the Non-Public’s one-yard line. University City Tyriuq Gordon plowed his way in for the one-yard score.

    Zaire Anderson, of Frankford, was the Public’s defensive player of the game.

  • 2010 HS Football Schedules

    2010 team schedules are out on EasternPAFootball.com!

    HS Football Schedules

    We still need some schedules to complete our list. You can email your schedule to dave@easternpafootball.com. We will update the list as we get schedules.

    Schedules needed – Updated on 5/01/10

    District 1

    Calvary Christian Academy

    Chester

    Glen Mills

    Jenkintown

    Lower Merion

    Lower Moreland

    New Hope-Solebury

    North Penn

    Pottsgrove

    Ridley

    Souderton

    Springfield-Montco

    Wissahickon

    District 2

    Holy Cross

    Lake-Lehman

    Mid-Valley

    Nanticoke

    Old Forge

    Wilkes-Barre Meyers

    District 3

    Complete

    District 4

    Complete

    District 11

    Complete

    District 12

    Coming Soon!

  • Hazleton Area hires Marranca

    Thusday night Hazleton Area School Board made it official , voting to hire former Wyoming Area coach Paul Marranca as the new varsity football coach.

    Marranca was hired by a unanimous 8-0 vote, with one board member absent. He replaces Rocco Petrone who resigned Dec. 10.

    Marranca compiled a 233-100-2 record and won seven Wyoming Valley Conference divisional titles, three District 2 championships and two Eastern Conference titles.

  • Nanticoke hires Ron Bruza

    Wednesday night the Nanticoke board unanimously selected Ron Bruza to take over the program.

    Bruza, a 2000 Nanticoke Area grad, replaces Lou Cella who was the head coach the last two seasons. Cella did not coach the team in 2009 because of health reasons and resigned on the final night of the regular season. Bruza had been an assistant with the football program the past two seasons.

  • Northern Lebanon names Roy Wall head football coach

    Tuesday night Northern Lebanon School Board approved the hiring, Wall was named head football coach.

    In nine seasons at Millersburg Wall had a record of 57-47. The Indians reached the District 3-A title game three times. The Indians finished with a 10-4 record.

    Wall is replacing Jack Beidler, who stepped down in November after 11 seasons at Northern Lebanon.

  • Wilkes-Barre Meyers and GAR hire new coaches

    The Wilkes-Barre Area School Board filled two varsity football-coaching openings Monday night.

    Wilkes-Barre GAR hired Paul Wiedlich Jr. and Wilkes-Barre Meyers hired Dwayne Downing. Both were hired by an 8-0 vote.

    Wiedlich is a 1991 Wilkes-Barre GAR graduate and former player. He was a GAR assistant coach for 16 years.

    Downing coached at Bishop Hoban from 2002-2006. He was a assistant coach at King’s College the past three years.

  • DeFrancesco named Mt Carmel Area head coach

    Carm DeFrancesco was hired to become head football coach at Mount Carmel Area Thursday night. The Board of Directors voted 7-2 Thursday night to hire DeFrancesco.

    DeFrancesco coached Upper Dauphin to a 10-2 record last season. He was a assistant at Mount Carmel 17 years ago and a former player.

    He coached at Cardinal Brennan, Danville, Shamokin and Upper Dauphin. His hiring comes after the board voted not to bring Bob Chesney back after a 7-5 record.

  • Central Bucks East hires Donnelly as Head Football Coach

    Tuesday night Central Bucks East school board approved John Donnelly as head football coach.

    Donnelly coached six seasons at Quakertown where he went 33-39. His Panthers did make the playoffs in 2008 and 2009.

    He had previously coached at Southern Lehigh.

    The Central Bucks East job opened up when Tim Michael resigned on Sept. 18th, 2009. He was just three-games into his season. His assistants coached the remaining season.

  • Biglerville names Alex Ramos new head football coach

    Tuesday night Alex Ramos was named head football coach. Ramos has spent the last few seasons as an assistant for Chambersburg High football team.

    Ramos played at New Oxford until he was injured in his senior season in 1999. He went to Shippensburg but was forced to retire from football because of injuries.

    Ramos took up coaching at New Oxford. He worked with the junior high program before becoming the varsity assistant offensive coordinator.

  • Lake-Lehman hires Gilsky as head football coach

    Monday night the Lake-Lehman school board voted 9-0 to appoint Jerry Gilsky head football coach. He replaces Carl Kern who resigned in late December. Kern’s record in four years was 15-26.

    This was the second time Jerry Gilsky applied for the head-coaching job at Lake-Lehman. He applied the last time the job was open but lost it to Kern.

    Gilsky spent 10 of his 11 years coaching football, basketball and track at Crestwood High School. One season he was an assistant line coach for George Curry at Wyoming Valley West.

    Gilsky was head junior high coach at Crestwood. He won two conference titles and his team had a 24-game winning streak.

    Last season he coached Tight ends and Linebackers at Crestwood.

  • Former Central Bucks West coach joins Archbishop Wood staff


    The former Central Bucks West coach Mike Carey will take over as the Vikings’ defensive coordinator and offensive line coach for head coach Steve Devlin.

    Carey spent most of his career coaching as an assistant to Mike Pettine at Central Bucks West. Carey took over as head coach at West in 2000. He guided the Bucks to the state’s Class 4A title game before losing to Erie Cathedral Prep in overtime.

    Carey resigned after that season. He coached at West for 24 years as the right hand man to Pettine.

    Wood’s defensive coordinator job opened when Jim Manion resigned after the season.

    The last three years Wood’s record was 32-9. They reached the state finals in 2008 and the semifinals in 2009. Carey will bring his experience and knowledge to the Vikings.

  • Palisades High School hires Jim Brady as head football coach

    Jim Brady was an assistant coach for nine years at Wilson Area High School. He was the Warriors’ defensive coordinator the past three seasons.

    Brady replaces Brian Gilbert, who resigned after nine seasons at Palisades. 43675543423071485770414141746e45.gif

    Brady is a seventh grade teacher at Philip Lauer Middle School in Wilson Borough.

  • 2009 All-EasternPAFootball.com Big School Team

    Presented by EasternPAFootball.com
    2009 All-EasternPAFootball.com Big School Team (Class AAAA-Class AAA)

    1st TEAM OFFENSE:

    Tight end –Sr. Tyler Beck, Wilson (3), 6-3, 200

    Wide receivers –Sr. Ryan Keiser, Selinsgrove, 6-2, 195; Sr. Dan Cason, East Stroudsburg South, 6-3, 180; Sr. Sam Feleccia, LaSalle College HS, 6-3, 225

    Offensive lineman –Sr. Sal Conaboy, Abington Heights, 6-5,255; Sr. Seth Betancourt, St Josephs Prep, 6-6,295; Sr. Steve Szostak, LaSalle College HS, 6-3, 265; Jr. Rob LaPorte, Manheim Central, 6-4, 310; Sr. Jon Trego, Selinsgrove, 6-0,230

    Quarterback –Sr. Tyler Smith, Wilson Area, 6-5, 195

    Running backs –Jr. Ryan Brumfield, Owen J. Roberts, 5-10, 177; Sr. Corey Brown, Cardinal O’Hara, 5-11, 175;

    Specialist –Sr. Ben Dupree, Susquehanna Township, 5-9, 185

    Kicker –Sr. Taylor Groff, Manheim Central, 6-1, 172

    1st TEAM DEFENSE:

    Defensive Lineman –Sharrif Floyd, George Washington, 6-2, 311; Kyle Baublitz, Central York, 6-4,255; Sr. Dakota Royer, Manheim Central, 6-3, 220; Sr. Spencer Myers, Selinsgrove, 6-3, 230

    Linebackers –Sr. Preston Hamlette, Pottsgrove, 5-10, 215; Sr. Ryan Saraceni, LaSalle College HS, 5-10, 205; Sr. Travis Friend, Cumberland Valley, 6-2, 235; Arron Achey, ELCO, 6-2, 210

    Defensive Backs –Sr. Dylan Anderson, Southern Lehigh, 6-1, 170; Sr. Jon Duckett, Bishop McDevitt (3), 6-1, 205; Sr. Trevor Harman, Cumberland Valley, 6-1, 180; Sr. Casey Ebersole, Manheim Central, 6-0, 165

    Specialist –Sr. Rondell White, Bayard Rustin, 5-10, 185

    Punter –Sr. Tucker Sanderock, Saucon Valley, 6-2, 175

    2nd TEAM OFFENSE:

    Tight end-Sr. Cody Plesnar, Dallas, 6-1, 210

    Wide Receivers –Jr. Kowan Scott, Wilson Area, 6-4, 170; Sr. Marcus Simpson, Central Dauphin, 5-10, 162; Sr. Salath Williams, Bishop McDevitt, 6-4, 186

    Offensive Lineman –Sr. Matt Williams, Cardinal O’Hara, 6-4, 275; Sr. Arthur Doakes, Lebanon, 6-6, 350; Sr. Tyler Fairchild, Shippensburg, 6-0, 270; Sr. Derek Schartz, Council Rock South, 6-3, 260; Sr. JD Dzurko, North Penn (1), 6-2, 270

    Quarterback –Sr. Drew Lougherty, LaSalle College HS, 6-1, 198

    Running Backs –So. Drew Harris, Downingtown East, 6-2, 195; Jr. Jameel Poteat, Bishop McDevitt, 5-11, 195

    Specialist –Eric Williams, Pennsbury, 6-3, 205;

    Kicker –Sr. Sean Fakete, Central Dauphin, 5-10, 155

    2nd TEAM DEFENSE:

    Defensive Lineman –Sr. Evan Craig, Abington Heights, 6-1, 285; Sr. Steve Sinnott, LaSalle College HS, 6-4, 230; Sr. Stefan Belle, Bishop McDevitt (3), 6-1, 262; Jr. Shawn Oakman, Penn Wood, 6-8,240

    Linebackers –Sr. Darien Bundy, West York, 6-1, 210; Sr. Mike Huf, Cardinal O’Hara, 6-3, 232; Sr. Bryant Trautman, Selinsgrove, 5-11, 214; Sr. Wess Shoap, Avon Grove, 6-2, 215

    Defensive Backs – Sr. Angelo Berry, Pottsgrove, 5-9, 155; Sr. Anthony Robey, Norristown, 6-0, 175; Sr. Tyler Hamilton, Council Rock North, 6-1, 190; Sr. Kabongo Bukasa, Academy Park, 6-1, 190

    Specialist –Sr. Lonnie Richardson, Strath Haven, 5-11, 185

    Punter –Jr. Keith Stambaugh, Spring Grove, 5-8, 150

    Honorable Mention:
    OFFENSE:

    Tight end-Sr. Greg Kessel, East Stroudsburg South, 6-0, 215; Sr. Kyle Schuck, Selinsgrove, 6-1, 220; Sr. Ralph Reeves, North Penn, 6-3, 230; Sr. Steve Jones, LaSalle College HS, 6-3, 215

    Wide Receivers –Sr. Jarrod West, Bethlehem Liberty, 6-2, 193; Sr. Jeremy Cornelius, Bishop McDevitt, 6-3, 180; Sr. Connor Hoffman, LaSalle College HS, 6-2, 200; Sr. Omar Black, Abraham Lincoln, 6-2, 200

    Offensive Lineman –Sr. AJ McGovern, Wyoming Valley West, 6-2, 270; Sr. Taj Alexander, Downingtown East, 6-6, 280; Sr. Bryan Cosgrove, Wallenpaupack, 6-5, 260; Jr. Alex Vigilante, Manheim Township, 6-0, 235; Sr. Cory Salmon, Cumberland Valley, 6-0, 245; Sr. Tauheed Smith, Frankford, 6-5, 350; Sr. Matt Lippincott, Wilson Area, 6-3, 280; Sr. Nate Hess, Berwick Area, 5-11, 255; Sr. Benjamin Gorgonzola, Twin Valley, 5-9, 215; So. Jeremiah Lowery, Academy Park, 6-3, 235; Sr. Eli Tohme, Wilkes-Barre Coughlin, 6-2, 240; Jr. Mark Sangil, Shikellamy, 5-10, 225; Jr. Brad McKeone, Pottsville, 6-4, 305; Sr. Giles Campbell, Bethlehem Liberty, 6-1, 260; Sr. Brad Wagner, Delaware Valley, 6-3, 260

    Quarterback –Sr. Robbie Moyer, East Stroudsburg South, 5-8, 170; Jr. Matt Johnson, Bishop McDevitt, 6-2, 187; Jr. Zach Zweizig, Wilson (3), 6-4, 190; Sr. Justin Gorman, Manheim Central, 6-1, 183; Sr. Cory Briggs, Selinsgrove, 6-2, 210; Brian Reese, Chambersburg, 6-2, 220; So. Brendan Nosovitch, Allentown Central Catholic, 6-2, 185

    Running Backs –Kevin Kelly, Conestoga Valley, 5-7, 150; Sr. Joe DeFebo, Wallenpaupack, 5-7, 190; Jr. Paul Gallagher, Abington Heights, 5-10, 190; Sr. Charles Anderson, Central York, 6-2, 180; Jr. Jamal Abdur-Rahman, LaSalle College HS, 5-10, 175; Sr. Andre Williams, Parkland, 5-11, 200; Jr. Craig Needhammer, North Penn, 5-7, 170; Jr. Matt Craig, Springfield-Delco, 5-9, 180; Sr. Cory Harris, West York, 5-9, 175; Jr. Maika Polamalu, Pottsgrove, 6-1, 205; Sr. Codie Butler, Conrad Weiser, 5-10, 210; Sr. Darius Webb, Bethlehem Freedom, 5-8, 170; Sr. Chase Fleming, Upper Perkiomen, 6-0, 210

    Specialist –Sr. Bret Gillespie, Downingtown West, 6-2, 195; Jr. Terrell Chestnut, Pottsgrove, 5-11, 173; Sr. Bryan Dean, Neshaminy, 5-7, 165; So. Paul Brace, Dallas Area, 6-0, 180; Sr. Colin Masterson, Ridely, 6-1, 170; Sr. Anthony Gonzalez, Bethlehem Liberty, 6-2, 195; So. Desmon Peoples, St. Joesph’s Prep, 5-7, 160

    Kicker –Sr. Shane Witmyer, Wilson (3), 6-3, 175; Sr. Chris Rodrigues, Wilson Area, 5-10, 150; Sr. Tom Bongiorno, Ridley, 6-1, 165; Jr. Tom Weathers, Penncrest, 6-4, 170

    Honorable Mention:
    DEFENSE:

    Defensive Lineman –Sr. Kyle Wallace, Wyoming Valley West, 6-3, 264; Sr. Jeff Melendez, Avon Grove, 6-3, 245; Sr. Tyler Baum, Big Spring, 6-3, 195; Sr. Kyle Kinard, West York, 5-10, 185; Sr. Taray Carey, Whitehall, 6-2, 200; Sr. Justin Oliveri, Pottsgrove, 6-0, 210; Jr. Morgan Craig, Abington Heights, 6-4, 235; Sr. Joshua Mitchell, Pennsbury, 6-1, 290; Jr. Roy Dennis, Berwick Area, 6-2, 220

    Linebackers –Sr. Sam Bergen, East Stroudsburg South, 6-0, 230; Sr. Mike Labor, St. Joesph’s Prep, 6-3, 221; Jr. Corey Majors, Neshaminy, 6-0, 215; Sr. Logan Houtz, Central Mountain, 5-11, 180; Sr. Matt Moyer, Conrad Weiser, 5-10, 175; Sr. John Marcelline, Bensalem, 5-8, 210; Jr. Joe Richburg, Academy Park, 5-8, 180; Jr. Seth Lauver, Selinsgrove, 6-2, 245; Jr. Robert Terrell, Susquehanna Township, 6-0, 230; Sr. Robert Basile, Quakertown, 6-1, 215; Sr. Andrew Tamaccio, Twin Valley, 6-1, 210; Jr. Greg Sporko, North Pocono, 5-11, 200; Jr. Sam Dixon-Dugan, Ridley. 5-10; 180; Sr. Patrick Murphy, Easton Area, 6-0, 215

    Defensive Backs –Jr. Kevin Forster, LaSalle College HS, 6-1, 175; Sr. Tyrell Martin, Frankford, 5-8, 180; Sr. Tommy Woodward, Downingtown West, 5-11, 170; Sr. Ray Mosby, Wilson Area, 5-7, 170; Sr. Ibraheim Campbell, Chestnut Hill Academy, 5-11, 190

    Specialist –Sr. Tony Latonica, Quakertown, 5-8, 185

    Punter –Jr. Quint Miller, Manheim Township, 6-2, 185; Sr. Gary Gristick, Cedar Crest, 6-1, 185; Sr. Cody Webster, Central Dauphin East, 6-4, 180; Sr. Daniel Trafford, Manheim Central, 5-11, 175

    Player of the Year –Ryan Keiser – Selinsgrove

    Coach of the Year –Dave Hess – Selinsgrove

  • Central fought the “Lauv,” and the “Lauv” won; Selinsgrove wins first PIAA title

    HERSHEY, Pa. – In reality, Selinsgrove’s Seth Lauver could play on the offensive line for the Seals.  Lauver is a 6’2, 250-pound junior, and he could probably flatten many an opposing defensive player.

     

    Lauver, though, did some flattening from his fullback position in Friday night’s PIAA “AAA” championship game – flattening Manheim Central’s hopes of a second state championship.

     

    “It’s unbelievable,” Lauver said.  “It’s almost surreal.  I can’t believe it happened.”

     

    Lauver scored the winning six-yard touchdown for Selinsgrove (16-0) with 1:47 left in the game, and Selinsgrove’s defense broke up a Justin Gorman fourth down pass to preserve a narrow 10-7 victory over Manheim Central (15-1) from Hersheypark Stadium.

     

    The win gave Selinsgrove its first-ever PIAA football title.  Manheim finished as AAA’s bridesmaid for the second time in five years.

     

    Barons’ coach Mike Williams was visibly disappointed after the game, and said the game ranked “pretty high” on the disappointment meter.  Then, the 302-game winner caught himself.

     

    “Our team was great all season,” Williams said.  “We had great kids, and I don’t want to say one negative thing about them.  We just didn’t play good enough tonight to beat a good football team.”

     

    It was almost too perfect to be scripted.  Since the PIAA began playing state championship games in 1988, 65 percent of the games had ended with a final score margin of 9 points or greater, including eight mercy-rule games since 2003.

     

    In the battle of two unbeatens, the game truly lived up to the hype.  A crowd into the five-figures for attendance witnessed one of the best “AAA” title games since the famous “Snow Bowl.”

     

    Both teams battled to a scoreless tie through one quarter, and Manheim Central broke the goose eggs with a 36-yard touchdown pass from senior quarterback Justin Gorman to Derek Hart.  At that juncture, 8:27 left in the second quarter, Central led, 7-0.  But it was to be their only score of the night.

     

    Defensively, Central had rendered Selinsgrove’s offense rather ineffective.  Cory Briggs, who will attend Harvard, was only 4-of-13 in the first half for 32 yards.  He also threw an interception.  Central had doubled-up Selinsgrove in terms of total offensive yards (150-73) and held statistical advantages in most categories.

     

    “We knew they were going to be a good defense,” said Selinsgrove head coach Dave Hess, “but we didn’t know they were going to be that good.

     

    “Manheim’s a heck of a football team,” Hess continued.  “I can’t say enough about them.”

     

    But Selinsgrove didn’t panic, even as Casey Ebersole intercepted a second Briggs pass in the third quarter, thwarting a potential Seals’ scoring threat after a long 35-yard completion to Matt Ruby (2 rec., 38 yards).

     

    The Seals broke their goose egg with :52 left in the third quarter when Spencer Hotaling drilled a 21-yard field goal, slicing Manheim’s lead to 7-3.

     

    That was where things began unraveling for Manheim.  Gorman was intercepted by star safety Ryan Keiser, and Selinsgrove, 72 yards away from the end zone, was in business to do business.

     

    The red and blue took 12 plays to score.  But if it wasn’t for a key 15-yard pass interference penalty called against Manheim Central on a 3rd and 6 gave the Seals’ drive new life.  That penalty was killer because Briggs had well overthrown his intended receiver, and Selinsgrove would have been forced to punt.

     

    Lauver only registered 6 carries for 35 yards, but the sixth one was by all means the biggest of the game and his career.

     

    The Seals head back to Snyder County with the golden football, its long, long, long quest achieved.  The Seals first arrived on the PIAA playoff scene in 2000, against, ironically, Manheim Central.  Since 2000, the Seals are 114-21 overall.

     

    “It feels great,” Hess said.  “We have the greatest kids on earth.”

     

    NOTES:  Selinsgrove finished with 680 points on the season, the 7th-best total in state history.  Manheim Central, meanwhile, finished with 616, a tie for 21st in state lore with last year’s Thomas Jefferson juggernaut from the WPIAL.

     

    Cameron Benner led the way with 67 rushing yards for Selinsgrove, who ran for 167 yards as a team and racked up 16 first downs to Manheim Central’s eight.  Manheim had only a single first down after halftime.

     

    Selinsgrove’s defense (both first string and reserves included) finished the season allowing a whopping total of 96 points in 16 games, a flat average of six points per game.

     

    In terms of combined points scored, Friday’s “AAA” final was the third-lowest scoring game in the history of “AAA” state finals (17 combined points).  Only the 1988 and 1998 title tilts (13 and 10 points, respectively).

  • Manheim Central vs Selinsgrove Class AAA Final LIVE Blog

    Join EasternPAFootball.com’s Josh Funk & Jeremy Varner LIVE from HersheyPark Stadium as Manheim Central takes on Selinsgrove in the PIAA Class AAA Championship. Starts Friday at 6:30pm. Click the link below.

    Cover It Live Blog

  • Bishop McCort crushes Millersburg, advances to Eastern Finals

    HERSHEY, Pa. – After a 2-3 start to its season, the Millersburg Indians went on a nice run, an eight-game winning streak, along with the school’s first District 3 football championship.

     

    Speaking of runs, Bishop McCort literally ran over Millersburg.

     

    The Crushers (13-0) pounded the Indians (10-4) into submission, amassing 218 yards rushing in a convincing 33-6 victory in a PIAA “A” state quarterfinal game from a snowy Hersheypark Stadium.

     

    With the victory, McCort will play District 11 representative Tri-Valley, a 35-32 victor over Southern Columbia, next Friday night at State College’s Memorial Stadium, with a 7 p.m. slated kickoff.

     

    Millersburg head coach Roy Wall said McCort was able to do what it wanted throughout the game.

     

    “They came out and executed their game plan,” Wall said.

     

    Make that offensively and defensively.  Really, the only mishaps for McCort were injuries to Josh Seidel (hip) and Dane Domonkos (separated shoulder) and a blocked 42-yard field goal attempt.  Neither player returned to the game, though Seidel could have if the situation warranted it.

     

    McCort set the tone right off the bat, taking the opening kickoff 54 yards in 11 plays.  Chaz Merriman (18 rush, 66 yards) capped the drive with a three-yard run, and the Crushers led, 7-0.

     

    Millersburg went three-and-out, and kicked a punt that traveled minus-1 yard.  McCort capitalized on the next play, as Josh Seidel (9 rush, 64 yards) scored on a 22-yard run, pushing the red and gold’s lead to 14-0.

     

    Dane Domonkos (10 rush, 67 yards) extended the Crushers’ lead early in the second quarter with a 65-yard punt return for a touchdown.  Moments earlier, he had a 42-yard field goal attempt blocked, but Millersburg did nothing with the opportunity.

     

    McCort capped its first half spurt with two field goals – a 37 yarder by Domonkos and a 21 yarder by Andrew Penksa.  The Crusher lead stood at 27-0 at halftime.

     

    Millersburg, meanwhile, could do nothing offensively for much of the game.  The Indians didn’t register a first down until the fourth quarter, and at one point in the final stanza, had only 19 carries for 4 yards, 15 total yards of offense, and 1 first down.

     

    McCort head coach Ken Salem was impressed.

     

    “We said we wanted to get better each week, and I think we did,” Salem said.  “To hold Millersburg to one first down with our (first-string) defense is quite an effort.”

     

    Millersburg finished the game with 86 rushing yards on 26 carries, but its passing attack failed the maroon and white this day.  Between quarterback Justin Roach and Jared Wolfgang, Millersburg went a combined 4-of-18 for 43 yards.  Roach completed all four passes, but also threw three interceptions.

     

    Luke James capped the Crusher scoring early in the third quarter with a one-yard run on a fourth-and-goal.  James finished with 22 yards on four attempts.

     

    Millersburg put a drive together against the McCort reserve defense.  Nolan Allman ripped off a 40-yard run to the Crusher 8, and James Miller (5 rush, 16 yards) scored on an 8-yard run to break the shutout.

     

    Allman led the Indians with 41 rushing yards on just two carries.  Andrew Acker, the Indians’ bruising fullback and 700-yard rusher, added 37 yards on nine carries.

     

    NOTE: This is McCort’s first PIAA semi-finals appearance since 2001, when the Crushers were flattened by WPIAL champion Washington.  The Prexies then won the PIAA title over Pen Argyl one week later.

     

     

  • Easton Area – three games + eight days = Win Win Win


    EASTON – Easton Area was playing their third game in eight days. Would winning three games in eight days be too much for the Red Rovers? The Red Rovers had a 5-0 record against Parkland in the playoffs. Could the Red Rovers pull off this eight-day, HS football tour! The Red Rovers answered with a loud YES!

    Two days ago on Thanksgiving Day the Red Rovers defeated arch rival Phillipsburg 26-10. The Rovers pulled out the hat trick Saturday night defeating Parkland 21-14 for the District 11 4A championship. This was the second time the Red Rovers have won three games in eight days. The other time was in 2004.

    As the Red Rovers gathered around their head coach Steve Shiffert after the game you could see the emotions running high on everyone’s faces. Head Coach Steve Shiffert talked about what this win meant to him, ”Sure we believed we could do it. We know our kids and what they have been through in the last week. They’ve worked hard and we beat some pretty good football teams.”

    Parkland drove early on the Red Rovers. They were facing a fourth-and-one. They went for it and were stuffed by Zach Bambary and company.

    That would set the tone for the entire game.

    The Red Rovers took over the ball on their six. They went 94 yards for the score. Quarterback Justin Pacchioli capped off the 15-play drive with a three-yard touchdown run. Chris Roubik’s extra point was good and the Red Rovers led 7-0.

    After a fumble on the kickoff return the Red Rovers would score 38 seconds later on their next drive. Pacchioli hit Kadeem Pankey for a nine-yard touchdown pass with 1:00 remaining in the first quarter. The Red Rovers led 14-0.

    In the second quarter both teams would trade scores. Parkland’s Josh Rueda scored on a three-yard run. Pacchioli hit Quran Hughes for a 10-yard touchdown pass giving the Red Rovers a 21-7 lead.

    In the fourth quarter Parkland would cut the lead to seven when tailback Andre Williams went in for a five-yard score with 2:38 remaining.

    The Trojans tried an onside kick that was recovered by Eastons’ Justin Souders.

    The Red Rovers failed to get a first down and had to punt. Parkland took over on their 24-yard line with 55 seconds left.

    The Trojans season came down to a fourth-and-nine, Williams was stuffed and the Red Rovers would celebrate a hard fought 21-14 win over Parkland.

    Justin Pacchioli finished the game completing 11 of 15 passes for 136 yards and two touchdowns. He also had a rushing touchdown.

    Pacchioli said, “Nobody thought we could win three times in eight days. We had the motivation in the world to come out and win this game.”

    Easton Area (13-1) plays LaSalle (11-1) in the PIAA 4A quarterfinals game at Bethlehem Area School District Stadium Saturday at 1pm.

  • Hoffman’s Hard Work Pays Off For LaSalle

    WHITEMARSH: While some people spent the whole summer laying out on the beach doing absolutely nothing LaSalle Senior Wide Receiver Connor Hoffman was working hard to prepare for the up coming season. Hoffman’s work out included meeting with Quarterback Drew Loughery, fellow receiver Sam Feleccia, Tight End Steve Jones, and Running Back Jamal Abdur-Rahman at Sparks Field in Upper Dublin three times a week for an hour and half each day to work on throwing. Hoffman’s work didn’t just stop there he also attended the very prestigious Football University camp that was held at Widener University. It was there that Hoffman improved his skills. “ Football University helped me with the little things such as blocking” is what Hoffman would say about his experience at FBU. On Saturday night in front of packed house at Plymouth Whitemarsh High Hoffman put his skills on display as his Explorers rolled to 31-21 victory over Cardinal O’Hara for second time in two weeks this time in Semifinals of the Philadelphia Catholic League AAAA Division.

    Last week the Explorers jump fast right out of the gate and steamrolled to a 21-0 lead over the Lions at the end of the first quarter this time the Lions defense held the high power Explorer attack off the scoreboard for the first 12 minutes of the game. On the first play of the second quarter the Explorers would strike when Loughery and Hoffman showed what throwing all summer long can do for chemistry has they connected for a 19 yard strike giving the Explorers the 7-0 lead.

    The Lions would respond on their ensuing drive driving 72 yards on seven plays including a 25-yard scamper by QB Ryan Laughlin, but it would be the Lions powerful fullback Dan O’Hara who capped the drive by powering his way through the Explorers defense from 14 yards out

    The Explorers would respond on their ensuing drive that went for 65 yards on ten plays before Loughery would make the most of busted play and use his legs to take in from an yard out to make 14-7 Explorers with 3:33 to go in the opening half.

    The Lions would strike back with 59 seconds left in the first half when Laughlin would connect with Corey Brown for the 28 yard touchdown that capped a eight play 79 yard drive that included a 28 yard gallop by Adam Dempsey and an 21 yard bruising run by O’Hara. Brown’s touchdown appeared to give the momentum heading to half.

    Any momentum that the Lions had entering second half quickly went away as on the opening series the Lions went three and out. On their opening, drive of the second half the Explorers went down the field fifty yards on four plays when Abdur-Rahman capped the drive with his two-yard plunge to make 21-14 Explorers.

    After the Explorers defense forced the Lions to another three and out for the second time in a row the Explorers padded their lead when Loughery connected with Hoffman in mid strive on a slant pattern that went for 74 yards to cap a four play 78 yard drive to give the Explorers the 28-14 lead. Hoffman would finish the game with five catches for 121 yards and two touchdowns.

    The Lions would respond behind the legs of O’Hara who would bulldoze his way through the Explorers defense from a yard out to make it 28-21 Explorers. The next two Lions drive would end the same that’s with interceptions by Vince Milgliaresse including one that led to the final nail being put in the Lions coffin in the form of a 31 yard field goal by Mike Bennett to make it 31-21.

    With the win, the Explorers advance to the championship game for the second year in a row and the third time in Head Coach Drew Gordon’s tenure. The Explorers will face a familiar foe in the Championship in the form of Arch rival St Joseph Prep Hawks. “The rivalry is tense it’s the championship game so everyone going to pick up their game.” Is what Loughery would say about-facing the Hawks. Kickoff is set for Friday night 7 pm at Northeast High’s Charlie Martin Memorial Stadium.

  • Selinsgrove shuts out Montoursville, 42-0


    MONTOURSVILLE – What was at stake for the Seals Friday night? A perfect regular season and a seventh consecutive league championship. Selinsgrove scored four touchdowns in the first quarter on their way to a 42-0 win over Montoursville at Memorial Stadium.

    Montoursville played without several starters last night, including standout running back Cody Haupt. The Seals took advantage by scoring on its first five possessions.

    Selinsgrove head coach Dave Hess said, “We were able to do that but we do understand that Montoursville kind of hobbled in the game a little bit so its one of those things.”

    The Warriors tried an onside kick on the opening kickoff but Selinsgrove’s Dan Ryan recovered the ball on the Seals’ 46-yard line.

    Eight plays later quarterback Cory Briggs hit Kyle Reinard for a 25-yard screen pass for a score. Ryan Keiser would catch the next two touchdown passes thrown by Briggs.

    With 18 seconds to go in the first quarter Briggs called his own play and went in for a 7-yard run.

    On their fifth drive Matt Wenrich went in for a three-yard score and the Seals led 35-0 with 6:36 to go in the first half.

    Montoursville’s best chance came on defense. Selinsgrove had a first and goal at the 10-yard line, and Montoursville’s Christian Clark intercepted a pass and returned it 75 yards to the 20-yard line. But Montoursville came up empty in the drive.

    The final score came when Eric Eaton scored on a 23-yard run in the fourth quarter.

    The Seals rolled to a 42-0 win over Montoursville. This was their third undefeated regular season. They claimed their seventh consecutive league title and the last two HAC-1 crowns.

    This was the third straight loss for Montoursville (7-3), but they do qualify for district four playoffs next week. Selinsgrove (10-0) is ranked second in the EasternPAFootball.com Big School rankings and will begin their defense of their District Four Class AAA title next week.

    The Seals defense was outstanding all night. The Seals first team defense didn’t allow any positive yards against Montoursville’s offense. The Seals held Montoursville to negative 17 yards in the first half.

    Cory Briggs finished the game completing 7 of 9 passes for 115 yards and three touchdowns. He also rushed for one score.

    Briggs said, “We had a great week of practice and we knew we were playing good teams. We came out firing on all cylinders.”

    Keiser caught three passes for 68 yards. Four of the six first half drives were in Montoursville territory.

  • Spartans win on fourth quarter comeback win, 12-8


    FOUNTAIN SPRINGS – North Schuylkill was down 8-6 but rallied in the fourth quarter to beat Panther Valley 12-8 at Spartan Stadium. With the win by North Schuylkill they clinch their first Anthracite Football League Championship.

    North Schuylkill scored on a twelve plays and 76 yards drive. Kody Flail took a pitch from Tom Ferrari and darted 34-yards for the score. The Spartans led 6-0.

    In the second quarter the Spartans had an opportunity to go up by two scores but fumbled the ball on the one-yard line.

    Panther Valley finally got on the scoreboard in the third quarter. Quarterback Casey Lawrence hit Ryan Poeldnurk for an 11-yard score. Lawrence’s two-point conversion put Panther Valley up 8-6.

    After a punt by Panther Valley the Spartans took over on the Panther Valley 39 yard line. With 6:51 remaining in the game, Ferrari hit Zach Hogan for the 39-yard score. The Spartans led 12-8.

    North Schuylkill’s defense forced a three-and-out on the Panther ensuing possession.

    Flail came up with a big sack on third down to stop the drive.

    North Schuylkill’s Kody Flail said, “We dug deep. The sack at the end was big.”

    It was just two years ago that North Schuylkill went 0-10. On Friday night the Spartans experienced a new feeling winning a first title.

    Flail finished the game with 92 yards rushing and one score. Scott Houser rushed for 77 yards on 15 carries.

    North Schuylkill (9-0) ends the regular season with Mount Carmel next Friday. Panther Valley (7-2) will try and rebound against Minersville.

  • Ridley Keeps Focus Routs Springfield

    FOLSOM : Friday night was the perfect trap for the Green Raiders not only were the Green Raiders entering Friday night Central League match-up against their rivals Springfield Cougars as the fourth ranked team in AAAA according to PA Football News but it was also homecoming and the Green Raiders were coming off a scare from Penncrest but they also have a showdown with the Garnet Valley coming next week. Thanks to Jalen Randolph, four touchdowns the Green Raiders were able to roll pass the visiting Cougars 40-6 at Phil Merion Field. ”It was a little tough but our coaches did great job always reminding us to do what we got to do every week there’s no give me games.” Is what Randolph would say about the difficulty of keeping the focus.

    The Green Raiders would strike first on their first drive of the game when Shahid Smith would plunge in 8 yards out capping a six-play 60-yard drive

    The Cougars would cut the Green Raider lead to one by capitalizing on Sam Dixon-Dugan by going down the field on the legs of star running back Matt Craig. Craig accounted the 48 yards the Cougars needed to score including his highlight reel touchdown run that cover 43 yards. When it was all set in done Craig finished with 172 yards on 23 carries. That marked the fifth time this season that Craig has gone over 135 yards.

    The Green Raiders would respond on their ensuing drive when they drove 50 yards on four plays before Randolph was able to get to the corner and take it in from 27 yards out.

    On the next Green Raider drive the Green Raiders would add to their lead when Randolph would cap a five play 64-yard drive with his 11-yard plunge. The extra point would be no good giving the Green Raiders the 20-6 lead.

    The Green Raiders would add to their lead before half when Colin Masterson sneaked his way in from a yard out giving the Green Raiders the 26-6 halftime lead.

    The Green Raiders would pick up right where they left off as on the opening drive of the second half the Raiders would drive 60 yards on five plays before Randolph punched it from 6 yards outs.

    On the next Green Raider drive, they would need only four plays to punch it as Masterson connected with Randolph for a 44-yard touchdown. Randolph would finish the game with 9 carries for 85 yards to go with one catch for 44 yards.

    Up next for the unbeaten Green Raiders is a date with Garnet Valley Jaguars.

  • West York remains unbeaten, wins 33-20

    The defending District -3 AAA champs West York (7-0) held off a tough York Suburban team 33-20 on Saturday. With the win West York won its 20th straight Division II contest.

    York Suburban gave West York all they can handle. York Suburban led in the second quarter and was tied in the third quarter before making mistakes as West York’s ground game took over.

    West York jumped out to a 12-0 lead in the first quarter. Corey Harris scored on a 45-yard run and West York led 6-0. Than York Suburban quarterback Jordan Knaub fumbled the ball and West York recovered on the Trojans 11-yard line. That set up a West York two-yard score by Dairion Bundy.

    York Suburban came back and scored the next two scores to take the lead. Cody Waltimyer scored on a 14-yard run to cut the lead 12-6. Waltimyer rushed for his second score of the quarter on a four-yard run. Pavle Badovinac kicked the extra point to give York Suburban a 13-12 lead.

    A personal foul by a York Suburban defender led to West York’s next score. Two plays later Harris scored on a 35-yard run and Bundy’s two-point conversion gave West York a 20-13 lead with 2:13 to go in the half.

    York Suburban tied the game up at 20 on a one-yard score by Jordan Knaub.

    Another miscue by York Suburban in the third quarter set up the go ahead score by West York. A holding call by York Suburban negated a run by Knaub and pinned York Suburban back. After a bad punt that gave West York good field position, Alex George ran for 32 yards to score giving West York a 27-20 lead with 14 seconds to go in the third quarter.

    Harris would seal the deal in the fourth quarter on a 32-yard run for the final score of the game with 5:13 to go.

    West York held off York Suburban 33-20 and remained unbeaten.

    West York had four touchdown runs of 30 yards or more. Corey Harris led the way with 180 yards on 19 carries and three touchdowns.

    But for much of the game York Suburban controlled the game. They had an advantage in time of possession. But four turnovers and eight penalties doomed them. Senior running back Cody Waltimyer led his team with 115 yards rushing on 23 carries and two scores.

    West York travels to Kennard-Dale. York Suburban will try and bounce back against Susquehannock.

  • Masterson Masterful in Double OT Win

    On a night when the opponets and the elements gave Ridley trouble with its vaunted passing game, Quarterback Colin Masterson turned to a weapon just as equally adept. His feet.

    Masterson scored on a 6 yard run in the second overtime as Ridley scored a 27-24 come from behind win to spoil Homecoming at Penncrest Friday Night.

    “My coaches tell me I’m good with my feet”, Masterson said. Masterson finished the game as the leading rusher with 73 yards on 15 carries.

    “He’s a smart kid who is not going to make many mistakes,” said Ridley Head Coach Dennis Decker.

    After a scoreless first quarter, Ridley (7-0 overall, 6-0 league) scored first when Norm Donkin hauled in a 14 yard pass from Masterson on a fourth down and seven that capped a 53 yard nine play drive with 10:20 to play before halftime. Tom Bongiorno kicked his first of three extra points as the Green Raiders went up by a 7-0 score. The drive was set up when Dillon Hayer recovered a Matt Atkinson fumble. Masterson had an 11 yard run and Alex Nicolino hauled in a 22 yard pass from Masterson in the drive.

    Penncrest (4-3 overall, 4-2 Central League with all 3 losses by a combined total of 7 points) then put the next two touchdowns on the board, putting Ridley behind for the first time all season.

    First Atkinson scored on a four yard run as the Lions marched 76 yards in 10 plays with 5:35 left in the second quarter.  Adam Yee had 17 yards in the drive,  and the Lions were helped by a personal foul penalty against Ridley.  Tom Weathers kicked his first of three extra points to knot the game at 7-7.  Penncrest then scored on their first possession in the third quarter as Phil Barbieri caught a 15 yard touchdown pass from Atkinson that ended a 65 yard 10 play drive as they went up 14-7 with 4:46 left in the quarter. Juhwan Young (10 carries 50 yards) had 27 yards in the drive.

    Ridley then scored with 46 seconds left in the third quarter as Jalen Randolph went over from the three. to tie the game once again at 14.

    Penncrest had a chance to win it in regulation with just over a minute to play.

    Faced with a fourth and 14 at the 43, weathers punted the ball away but it was fumbled by Daquan Hill and Yee recovered it on the Green Raider 16. Jerry Boyer gained two yards on first down but that was as close as the Lions would get. Atkinson was sacked by Casey DiPrizio along with a 10 yard holding penalty took Penncrest out of Weathers range.

    “The kids showed me something tonight,” said Decker. “They showed they have a lot of heart,” he added.

    Ridley struck first in the overtime as Shahid Smith scored on a four yard run to put Ridley back in the lead at 21-14.

    Penncrest then tied the game again as Atkinson scored on an 8 yard run and Weathers kicked a 24 yard field on their second overtime possession to take their last lead at 24-21. That set up Masterson’s game winning run.

    Dropping back to pass on third and six, the middle opened right up for him and he took advantage.

    “It was a great game to be apart of,” Masterson said.

    “I would much rather be in a game like this than a 42-0 blowout’ Decker said. “This was a great high school football game”

    With the win, Ridley still sits all alone atop the Central League and plays host to Springfield-Delco who scored 54 on Penncrest last week in a losing effort. The Lions, who now have their work cut out for them to make the District 1 AAAA playoffs will regroup next Saturday afternoon in Ardmore against Lower Merion.

  • Garnet Valley Holds Off Upper Darby

    In week six the Garnet Valley Jaguars traveled to Upper Darby Memorial Stadium to play the Upper Darby Royals. Last week the Jaguars won by 15 points against Springfield-Delco. The Royals suffered a 19 point loss to Penncrest. Even though the Royals’ record coming into this game was 1-4, the Jaguars knew they couldn’t take them lightly. “We knew coming in Upper Darby was not a 1-4 team. I know that was their record, but we had the utmost respect for Upper Darby. We knew they had great athletes” said Mike Ricci, head coach of Garnet Valley.

    On the opening kickoff the Jaguars muffed the kick and the Royals recovered the football on the 30 yard line. It was the start the Royals were hoping for. The Royals didn’t waste any time capitalizing on the turnover. Junior quarterback, Terrance Bridgers, led the Royals down the field. On fourth and six on the 12 yard line, Bridgers gave his team the first score of the night. Just three minutes into the game and the Royals were on the score board first with a 7-0 lead.

    Early on in the game the Jaguars had trouble moving the ball down field offensively. For the whole first quarter the football didn’t leave the Jaguars’ territory. Entering the second quarter the Royals decided to attempt a 32 yard field goal by John Sneh. The football sailed between the post and the Royals led by ten points, 10-0.

    With the first half winding down the Jaguars wanted to put points on the board before halftime. With just over three minutes to go in the first half, the Jaguars needed to go 41 yards to score. After a 15 yard carry by junior Alex Warden and a 16 yard run by senior quarterback Mark McHugh the Jaguars were a few yards away from scoring. On second and goal senior running back Marcellus Irving delivered a three yard touchdown run to cut the Royals’ lead down to only three points going into halftime.

    With the Royals threatening to score, Jaguars’ Ryan Woods intercepted. Again, the Jaguars didn’t miss out on the opportunity that was given to them. Irving scored again with a 39 yard touchdown run down the sidelines to give the Jaguars a four point lead, 14-10.

    This game was all about capitalizing on turnovers. In the fourth quarter the Royals went for a first down on fourth and senior running back Robert Cornish was stuffed as he hit the Jaguars’ defensive wall and again the defense forced a turnover on downs. After McHugh threw a 19 yard pass to senior Ryan Woods he again went to the air, again to Woods. He caught an 8 yard touchdown reception to give the Jaguars a ten point lead. Coach Ricci said “The kids came out determined to execute on offense. We did not do a good job executing on offense in the first half because Upper Darby played well on defense, but I was really proud of our guys the way we came out in the second half and the way we played them.”

    The Royals would not go down without a fight. Bridgers began to convert on third and fourth downs. With his quick speed it looked like the Royals were running a wildcat offense. He could either throw the ball or keep it. With the Royals continuing to try to find a way to win, their school band began to play the song, Don’t Stop Believing. While the band continued to play, the Royals answered their band and scored a touchdown with just over two minutes to go. The Royals were down by just four points and they weren’t going to stop believing.

    Sneh attempted an onside kick but failed. Jaguars’ junior Jake Helms recovered the football as it bounced high into the air. After a turnover on downs by the Jaguars, the Royals had one last drive yet to try and win the game. Bridgers moved the ball down field with not much time left.

    With just ten seconds left and the Royals only 30 yards away from scoring, Bridgers took the snap threw a prayer deep into the middle of the end zone but it was intercepted by Woods and the Jaguars won 20-16 in a wild finish! Woods said “We knew we couldn’t let them get in the end zone; they came out in trips and I was over the top and there was only a couple seconds left and they had to throw it into the end zone and I got the interception.”

    The Garnet Valley Jaguars continue on the road and play Marple-Newtown, which will be the biggest game of the season so far for both teams. Marple-Newtown and Garnet Valley have identical records, 5-1. Upper Darby will travel to play Radnor as they look for their second win of the season.

  • Archbishop Carroll-North Catholic Postponed

    There’s one less football game on the schedule in District 12 this weekend thanks to a Swine Flu scare. Archbishop Carroll’s principal Dave Dickens announce that Saturday’s Afternoon non-league contest has between the Archbishop Carroll Patriots and the North Catholic Falcons has been postponed according to report by Philadelphia Daily News High School Reporter Ted Silary. According to a letter on the ArchbishopCarroll schools website one student has been sicken with H1N1 virus with two possible cases. For the time being all sporting events have been postponed at Archbishop Carroll.

  • Byrd Takes Flight As Falcons Roll Crusaders

    PHILADELPHIA: After rushing for over 1000 yards last season as a junior North Catholic Eugene Byrd wanted to his senior year to be even better, but when Byrd sprained his right ankle in the Falcons 21-13 lost to Chestnut Hill in week 1 his hopes were put on hold. After missing the Falcons next two games, a 17-0 victory over Archbishop Ryan and a 23-6 lost to Cardinal O’Hara Byrd made his return to the Falcon line up in a limited role in last week 22-0 lost to Glen Mills. On Saturday night Byrd was back in full force and made the most of it as he rushed for 176 yards on 22 carries including 119 yards on just 9 carries in the second half as he help the Falcons erase a 12-6 halftime deficit to down the visiting Lansdale Catholic Crusaders at Northeast Charlie Martin Stadium. “I told myself last year that I was definitely going to turn it up this season.” Byrd would add, “ The performance came natural.”

    After Steve Day sacked Falcon’s Quarterback Anthony Reid for a three-yard lost on a fourth and five at the Crusaders 39 yard line the Crusaders drove right down the field on four plays when Devon Barrett powered his way through the Falcons defense for a 36 yard touchdown giving the Crusaders the 6-0 lead with 8:12 left in the first quarter.

    The Crusaders would tack on to their lead on their second play of the second quarter when Andrew Mandato would sneak his way in from a yard out giving the Crusaders the 12-0 lead.

    The Falcons would capitalize Mike Bradley fumble, as on seventh play following the fumble the Falcons would go airborne, as Reid would hook up with Stephan Singleton for a 31 yard touchdown cutting the Crusader lead to 12-6 after the opening twenty-four minutes.

    On the opening drive of the second half the Crusaders again appeared to be poised to take tact on to their lead driving down to the Falcon four yard line before Mandato fumbled the ball and the Falcons came up with the ball at their own 5 yard line. Following a four yard run to start the drive Byrd would find a hole in the Crusader defense and off to the races he went as he raced 91 yards to tie things up at 12. After the game Byrd gave credit to his offensive line made up of Micale Allen,Ray Reusher, Kerry Shields, Mike Makor and Matt Reidy saying “saying it feels good to be behind my line.” When asked about Byrd Falcon Head Coach Chalie Szydlik called Byrd “ the leader of the offense,” he would add that “he (Byrd) can do a lot of things for us, he helps us go that’s a senior out there so he been through the war zone.”

    On the ensuing drive, the Crusaders would again turn the ball when Mandato was intercepted by Stephen Rooney who would return it to the Crusader 17. On the next play, Byrd would give the Falcons the 18-12 lead.

    The Falcons would tact on to their lead with 13-yard touchdown pass from Reid to Julian Huggins. Reid would follow that with up a two-yard run giving the Falcons the 33-12 lead.

    Tyler Smith would bring the Crusaders closer with his one-yard touchdown plunge with less than a minute remaining in the contest.

    Up next for the Falcons 2-3 overall and 1-0 in the Philadelphia Catholic League AAA division is a non-league date with the Patriots of Archbishop Carroll while the Crusaders (0-5,0-1) will look to get in the win column when they host the Conwell Egan Eagles.

  • Selinsgrove @ Berwick GameDay Preview

    Seals Look for Special Effort at Always-Tough Berwick
    By Jack Burns, ESPN AM-1240 Play-by-Play Announcer
    After manhandling four overmatched opponents by a collective 202-12, Selinsgrove (4-0) is looking for a step up in class Friday night when the Seals travel to Crispin Field to take on perennial District 2 Class AAA power Berwick (3-1).
    The two teams are far from strangers with Selinsgrove having beaten the Bulldogs twice a year ago, 28-3 in the regular season, and 14-6 in a dramatic PIAA Class AAA Quarterfinal Game at Wilkes-Barre Memorial Field. With the Seals returning 15 starters from their squad of a year ago, Berwick coach Gary Campbell, Jr. realizes turning the tables on Selinsgrove will be difficult.
    “They have the experience,” said Campbell (4th.-year at Berwick, 27-13, 14th.-year overall, which included 10 years at Wahconah Regional High School in Dalton, Massachusetts, 110-36-1). “They have certainly the goal. I think they stopped short last year. I think they just have that goal in their head that they’re going to be something special. So far, they have been.”
    The Seals surely have not been flying under the radar this season, being recognized by all media outlets as one of the top teams in the region and in the state, including a number two ranking in the state in Class AAA by the Harrisburg Patriot-News, all season long. However, now Selinsgrove has to back up all of their accolades on the field when they take on a Bulldog squad that also was ranked in the top ten in the state in Class AAA before bowing to Wyoming Valley West, 14-7, last week.
    “All the naysayers have been saying that we haven’t played anybody and this and that,” said Seal coach Dave Hess, the 2008 Associated Press Class AAA Coach-of-the-Year. “This is the one that is going to validate whether or not we’re a good football team.”
    The luster of an anticipated battle of unbeatens was tarnished with Berwick’s loss last Friday and Hess attributes the setback to the Dawgs possibly having their sights set on Week 5.
    “I honestly think that Berwick last week got caught looking ahead to Selinsgrove,” explained Hess, whose squad went 13-2 last season and reached the state semifinals for the first time in school history. “They weren’t too much concerned about Wyoming Valley West and given the fact that they lost to Wyoming Valley West, those guys are going to come out like they’ve been trapped in cages. They’re going to come out and they are really going to come after us. We’re going to get their A-plus game this week. I think that’s going to be a great thing for our kids. I think that’s going to be a great thing for anybody that goes there to watch the football game. They’re going to see a whale of a football game.”
    While Campbell dispels that his team was looking past a Wyoming Valley West unit that entered last Friday’s contest with a 1-2 record, he does acknowledge that the Bulldogs’ annual meeting with the Seals is right up there on the Berwick calendar with conference foes, Wyoming Valley West and Hazleton.
    “There is no doubt in this present time, our kids know the quality of teams that Selinsgrove’s had and they know that they have to consider them as that type of rival,” commented Campbell, who had guided Wahconah Regional to a pair of state championships. “It’s building. We re-upped for next year and years further because we think it’s a great match. They’re two quality programs.”
    The Bulldogs, which have six state titles to their credit in 1988, 1992, 1994, 1995, 1996, and 1997, lead the overall series against Selinsgrove, 14-8. However, the Seals have won 3 of the last 4 games against Berwick and have held the Dawgs offense in those 4 games to a total of 28 points. Campbell has often been asked why the Selinsgrove 3-5 defense has been so tough against Berwick in recent years and he quickly explains it’s not the formation that is the problem, but the personnel in the formation.
    “People are making a big deal out of the 3-5,” said Campbell. “I saw Mifflinburg run the 3-5 in the film. I saw Milton run the 3-5 and I saw somebody else (Danville). For some reason, they don’t run it as well as Selinsgrove and that’s because of (Bryant) Trautman, (Seth) Lauver, and all of those boys that they got over there.”
    Selinsgrove Offense vs. Berwick Defense
    Selinsgrove’s ground game by committee continued to churn out big numbers in the Seals’ 62-6 rout of Danville last week. Selinsgrove amassed 294 yards on 33 carries led by junior tailback Kyle Reinard, who rushed the ball 11 times for 96 yards and 2 touchdowns. He also opened the game with an 87-yard kickoff return for a touchdown. For the season, Reinard, a 2008 2nd.-Team Heartland Athletic Conference-Division I All-Star has 281 yards and 4 touchdowns on 34 rushing attempts to top the Seals.
    Reinard led Selinsgrove last season with 1,112 rushing yards, including games of 106 yards (regular season meeting) and 75 yards (state playoff game) against the Bulldogs.
    “What I like about Reinard in watching him, he’s strong,” praised Campbell. “You say, ‘he’s not a very big back’, but he’s a strong physical back. You better wrap him and then obviously you have Trautman and Lauver and (Matt) Wenrich in front of him that’s something else.”
    Wenrich, the starting fullback, is second in rushing with an eye-popping 193 yards and 3 touchdowns on just 11 carries (17.5 yards/rushing attempt). Cameron Benner is next in line, 16 rushes for 151 yards and 4 touchdowns, followed by Lauver (10-114-2) and Trautman (7-50-3). The wealth of running backs is a luxury for Hess to deal with when figuring out who is in the game at a certain time.
    “Number one is we’ll try to keep guys fresh because most of those guys are defensive starters and different guys have different strengths,” explained Hess. “Seth Lauver is a great fullback, a tough inside runner. He’s a more patient runner. He finds the seams, so he’s more of a zone guy. If you’re running inside-outside zone, he’s more of a running back in that respect, where Matt Wenrich is a hard-hitting guy that just reads nothing. He just hits it hard. He’s more of a blast guy. Bryant Trautman is very good in short yardage situations. He finds the seams in short yardage and he’s the guy we stick in, in our red formation when we’re going goal line. The backs, there are times we want to do certain things with Kyle and there are times we want to do certain things with Benner, but on the other hand, they’re both doggone good backs and they’re just keeping each other fresh basically.”
    There is no rotating at quarterback where Cory Briggs has been the man for the last two years. Briggs, a 2nd.-Team HAC-Division I All-Star last season, is 30 of 60 through the air for 401 yards and 6 touchdowns with nary an interception. A season ago, Briggs broke the school’s single season record for touchdown passes with 30 in throwing for 2,248 yards.
    The favorite target for Briggs is normally wide receiver Ryan Keiser. Keiser, a 1st.-Team HAC-Division I All-Star last year when he broke the single season records for receptions (75), receiving yards (1,281) and touchdown receptions (19), has been limited, because of the one-sided games, to just 6 catches this season for 154 yards and a pair of scores. The Seals’ top receiver in 2009 has been tight end Kyle Schuck with 8 receptions for 106 yards and a touchdown. Matt Ruby, the starting flanker, has grabbed another 5 passes for 42 yards and a six-pointer.
    For the first time all season, the Selinsgrove offensive line will remain in tact from the previous week, anchored by center Jon Trego, a 2008 1st.-Team HAC-Division I All-Star.
    The Berwick 4-3 defense needed to rebuild from a year ago as the Dawgs graduated their entire linebacking corps, but you wouldn’t know it by the results thus far. Berwick has yielded just 171.5 yards/game (118 rushing yards and 53.5 passing yards) and 10.3 points a game.
    Gone from last season are Ryan Cordingly, Ryan Sitler, and Eddie Hoffman. Cordingly, a 2008 1st.-Team A.P. Class AAA All-State selection at linebacker, led the Bulldogs with 105 tackles and 13 sacks a year ago and currently leads King’s College, as a freshman, in tackles. Sitler, a 2008 2nd.-Team A.P. Class AAA All-State LB, was second on the squad with 78 tackles and is now at Colgate University.
    “I thought our defense in the first four games is playing very, very well, considering losing 8 starters and especially those 3 linebackers that were so good,” said Campbell. “We switched some guys and it’s just our philosophy here. We took a good offensive lineman, a guard, and made him a linebacker, Tyson Kelly has worked out very well.(Brett) Bodwalk is a good middle linebacker and then our other one, (Caleb) Fetterolf was a sophomore last year, who we thought was very good, but just had a tough crew to break in against. So, he stabilized our linebacking crew.”
    Bodwalk is the top returning tackler from last season, ranking fourth a year ago for Berwick with 43 stops, while defensive ends Roy Dennis (6 sacks in 2008) and Casey Davenport (5 sacks in 2008) compiled the most quarterbacks sacks last season of the returning players. Davenport is a game-time decision for this week.
    “Last year, their real talent was at linebacker and they still have good linebackers,” analyzed Hess. “Boy, I’ll tell you, they’re good, but I think their real strength now is their down men, the shift went from the skilled guys to pretty much the big guys. They’re real strong up front, so it’s going to be a challenge.”
    Berwick Offense vs. Selinsgrove Defense
    The Bulldogs were supposed to have a returning starter at quarterback like Selinsgrove; however, this past summer A.J. Mihaly, who threw for 1,407 yards and 15 touchdowns in 2008, tore his ACL in a legion baseball game and is lost for the year.
    “It set us back, especially in the leadership role,” admitted Campbell. “The kids voted him captain in the spring, so really it was one of those things as a two-year starter what he brings to you in talent and experience, but also the big thing we’re missing is that leadership. He was the leader of that offense. He was a vocal leader. The kids respected him. He’s a state champion in baseball, a good, overall athlete with a good head on his shoulders, so we miss him quite a bit.”
    Taking over the signal-caller’s role is sophomore Jared Pierce. He has completed 24 of 50 aerials for 285 yards and 4 touchdowns with 2 interceptions. Pierce’s top receivers have been Sean Ridall, 7 receptions for 124 yards and 2 touchdowns, and Eric Schleich, 7 receptions for 69 yards and a touchdown.
    What fuels the Berwick offense is their ground game, led by returning starters Lou Hampton, at tailback, and Alec Ladonis, at fullback. Hampton is averaging over eight yards a carry this season, picking up 508 rushing yards and 4 touchdowns on 63 attempts and Ladonis has accumulated 339 yards and 4 touchdowns on 56 rushes.
    Helping the Bulldogs to average 352.5 yards a game (273.8 rushing yards and 78.7 passing yards) in total offense and 29.3 points a game is an offensive line that averages 265 pounds a player. Nate Hess, the lone returning starter in the Berwick interior and no relation to the Seal coach, weighs in at 280 pounds as does David Kitchen andFrank Peters.
    “They run the ball well and their offensive line is gigantic,” said Dave Hess. “If our guys try to play up high with these guys, we’ll get killed. What jumps out is their physical size and mass and their strength when they get on people who try to play up with them. We’ve got to be lower. We’ve got to be quicker. We’ve got to be more athletic. We’ve got to defeat all of that size with technique.”
    The Selinsgrove defense continues to stymie opposing offenses at an unbelievable clip this season. The Seals have allowed but two fourth quarter touchdowns against their reserve unit and have limited teams to an average of 80 total yards of offense a game (35 rushing yards and 45 passing yards).
    A couple of three-year starters buoy the line in Trego and Spencer Myers, a 2008 2nd.-Team A.P. Class AAA All-State DL, who’s heading to the University of Maryland to continue his wrestling career. Making his first start on the D-line last week was Brett Musser, a converted outside linebacker.
    “Our philosophy is to get the best 11 athletes on the field defensively,” explained Hess. “With our 3-5, what we want to do is just keep things so simple, so we can shift a guy in position and put him somewhere where we can get our best 11 on the field every week. Brett is one of those guys whose heart is as big as a stadium. He pays the price. He works hard. He lives Selinsgrove football and he was at a spot where there were just other guys who were going to play. So, we put him down at defensive tackle to give him a chance to get on the field. He pretty much asserted himself there last week.”
    Trautman, a 2nd.-Team HAC-Division I All-Star LB, paces the Seal defense with 27 tackles, followed by Lauver with 19 tackles and Wenrich with 16 stops. A fourth linebacker, Dylan Elliot, made his presence felt last week by picking off a Danville pass and returning it 30 yards for a touchdown.
    Keiser, a 2008 1st.-Team A.P. Class AAA All-State DB, returns at safety this year after intercepting a team-high 9 passes last season.
    “I think defensively, they have the best team speed that I’ve seen on film,” praised Campbell. “Their linebackers, when you’re talking Trautman, Lauver, and Wenrich, they move so, so well and they run so well. They’re phenomenal. Spencer Myers on the ground is excellent and the nose guard is excellent. Then back there you always have to deal with Keiser. I think he’s one of the best athletes around, so defensively, they’re phenomenal.”
    Kickers
    With Kyle Bennar out last Friday due to injury, Spencer Hotaling was called upon to handle all of the Selinsgrove kicking duties and he handled them well on a very busy night. Hotaling was 8 for 8 on PAT attempts to up his season total to 20 of 23 (87%) on conversions on the young season. On his first 10 kickoffs of the season, Hotaling averaged 51.8 yards a boot with a long of 56 yards. Reinard, with two punts last week, now has punted three times on the season with a 35.7-yard average.
    Sophomore Alex Oliver is responsible for all of the Bulldog kicks and Ridall, the wide receiver, doubles up as the Berwick punter.
    Starters
    Selinsgrove Offense
    TE-18 Kyle Schuck (6-1, 220, Sr.)
    LT-77 Spencer Myers (6-4, 230, Sr.)
    LG-73 Logan Hetherington (6-0, 240, Jr.)
    C-55 Jon Trego (6-1, 240, Sr.)
    RG-59 Anthony Hauck (5-11, 200, Sr.)
    RT-71 Brett Amerman (5-10, 230, Jr.)
    SE-5 Ryan Keiser (6-2, 195, Sr.)
    FL-10 Matt Ruby (5-10, 180, Sr.)
    QB-8 Cory Briggs (6-2, 210, Sr.)
    FB-33 Matt Wenrich (6-0, 225, Sr.)
    TB-28 Kyle Reinard (5-9, 177, Jr.)
    Berwick Defense
    DE-93 Austin DiValerio (6-4, 215, Sr.) or 7 Casey Davenport (6-2, 235, Jr.)
    DT-75 Dominic Morell (5-11, 225, Sr.)
    DT-40 Pete Ervin (5-10, 190, Sr.)
    DE-56 Roy Dennis (6-2, 220, Jr.)
    OLB-39 Caleb Fetterolf (6-0, 205, Jr.)
    MLB-44 Brett Bodwalk (6-0, 205, Sr.)
    OLB-62 Tyson Kelly (6-0, 225, Sr.)
    CB-28 Jason Shaffer (5-8, 150, Sr.)
    FS-4 Mike Melchiorre (6-0, 170, Jr.)
    SS-5 David Sanchez (5-11, 180, Jr.)
    CB-21 Brandon Cope (5-8, 160, Sr.)
    Berwick Offense
    TE-93 Austin DiValerio (6-4, 215, Sr.) or 7 Casey Davenport (6-2, 235, Jr.)
    LT-71 Christian Whitebread (6-4, 260, Jr.)
    LG-73 Nate Hess (6-0, 280, Sr.)
    C-55 Jake Jola (5-8, 225, Soph.)
    RG-78 David Kitchen (6-0, 280, Sr.)
    RT-72 Frank Peters (6-2, 280, Sr.)
    WR-1 Sean Ridall (6-0, 170, Jr.)
    WR-11 Eric Schleich (6-4, 185, Jr.)
    QB-2 Jared Pierce (6-0, 180, Soph.)
    FB-80 Alec Ladonis (6-0, 215, Sr.)
    TB-23 Lou Hampton (6-1, 195, Sr.)
    Selinsgrove Defense
    DT-84 Brett Musser (6-1, 210, Sr.)
    NG-55 Jon Trego (6-1, 240, Sr.)
    DT-77 Spencer Myers (6-4, 230, Sr.)
    OLB-33 Matt Wenrich (6-0, 225, Sr.)
    ILB-27 Dakota Wolf (5-10, 210, Jr.)
    MLB-45 Seth Lauver (6-2, 245, Jr.)
    ILB-9 Bryant Trautman (6-0, 214, Sr.)
    OLB-23 Dylan Elliot (6-0, 170, Sr.)
    CB-22 Cameron Benner (5-10, 180, Sr.)
    S-5 Ryan Keiser (6-2, 195, Sr.)
    CB-81 Dan Bausinger (5-9, 155, Jr.)
    Kickers
    Selinsgrove
    PAT/FG’s and Kickoffs-6 Spencer Hotaling (6-2, 150, Jr.)
    P-28 Kyle Reinard (5-9, 177, Jr.)
    Berwick
    PAT/FG’s and Kickoffs-81 Alex Oliver (5-8, 165, Soph.)
    P-1 Sean Ridall (6-0, 170, Jr.)
  • Mornhinweg Does it Again

    WHITEMARSH TWP: When your father is Philadelphia Eagles Offensive Coordinator Marty Mornhinweg one can assume there’s pressure to perform well on the gridiron but don’t tell that to Skyler Mornhinweg because he’ll respond “ Not at all I just go out and try play good football, my dad is real supportive he always helps me so there’s no pressure at all.” Skyler the 6’3 187 pound Sophomore Quarterback for St. Joseph might not had the best start to his fourth career start, but it’s how you finish that matters, and younger Mornhinweg didn’t disappoint as he completed 7 of 19 passes for 99 yards while leading his Hawks back from a 17-12 deflect in the final four minutes to down the defending Philadelphia Catholic League AAAA Division and arch rival LaSalle Explorers 24-17 in front of pack house at Plymouth Whitemarsh High School.

    After Hawks defense forced the Explorers for the second time all game with just a little more than three minutes left in the game Mornhinweg took the field with his team down 5 and orchestrated a five play forty-one yard drive in which he completed a big 22 yard pass on third and nine from the 40 to Pete Hurley after a run for no gain Mornhinweg again took to the air and connected Bobby D’Orazio on a post corner for an 18 yard touchdown giving the Hawks the 18-17 lead. Mornhinweg pass would fall incomplete on the two-point conversion attempt.” I was thinking it was going to be a touchdown” is what D’Orazio would say when asked about what was going through his mind as the ball was in the air.

    The Explorers 3-1 overall and 0 and 1 in the Catholic League would open the scoring on the games first drive thanks in large part to the big arm Sr. QB Drew Loughery. On the games opening drive Loughery’s arm accounted for 66 yards on 5 of 9 passing including a 20 yarded to Sam Feleccia. Feleccia would also haul in the 6-yard touchdown.

    The Hawks (3-1 1-0) would responded with a potent rushing attack led by Desmond Peoples and Garrett Compton accounted for 34 of the 79 yards on the 13 play drive. Mornhinweg and Hurley would account for 34 yards through the air, but it would be Mike Labor that capped the drive with his one yard plunge.

    The Explorers would respond on the ensuing drive driving all the way down to the Hawks 14 before a penalty pushed them back to 21 which is were they would stall forcing Mike Bennett to come on and nail a 32 yard field goal. Tim Wade who was put into action when starter Jamal Abdur-Rahman was forced to sit this game out with an injury led the Explorers on the drive. Wade responded well to this role rushing for 157 yards on 29 carries. After the game Hawks head coach Gil Brooks credited Explorers Head Coach Drew Gordon and his son Offensively Coordinator Brett Gordon saying “They had nice little scheme going and (Brett) that little seem.” He would add “ they (LaSalle) is at their best because you can’t necessary line up against the pass.”

    The Hawks defense would set up the Hawks in final minutes of the first half when Steve O’Hara intercepted Loughery and return forty yards to the Explorers 11. Three plays later Mornhinweg would connect with Peoples for an 11-yard touchdown that took an extra effort from Peoples to get in.

    In the second half the Hawks defense shut down the mighty Explorer offense forcing two turnovers including an interception by Kushmir Miller at Hawks one-yard line. The Hawks would fail to capitalize on the opportunity however the Hawks would capitalize on a fumble on the Explorers second to last possession. Labor would punch it from 10 yards out giving the Hawks the 24-17 lead with 1:02 left in the game.

    The Explorers would have one last chance and drove down to the Hawks 19 before turning it over on downs.

    Up next for the Hawks is the Crusaders of Father Judge while the Explorers will take on the Raiders of Archbishop Ryan.

  • Knights Quick Start Helps Clip Hawks

    WHITEMARSH TWP: The last time Tood Smolinsky and his North Penn Knights faced a top ranked program it was in the first week of the season when the Bethlehem Liberty came to Crawford Stadium and walked away with a 42-10 defeat at the hands of the Knights. Not only did the Knights revenge the lost in the Eastern Final from a year ago but they also learned a lesson. Saturday night in front of a pack house at Plymouth Whitemarsh they implied the lesson and defeated the St Joseph Prep by a score of 28-14. “We have to start fast, first game against Liberty they came out and punched us the mouth and we needed to respond. We wanted to them first.” Is what Smolinsky said about his team’s goal for the game.

    The Knights certainly did by scoring 14 points in their first eight offense plays. The first came after the Hawks drove down the Knights 14 yard line on 14 plays on a drive that ate just about seven minutes off the clock when John Gregitis attempted at 32 yard field goal hit one of his linemen. Matt Donovan picked up and raced 46 yards to Hawks 34 yard line. Four plays later on his third pass of the game the first to falling incomplete Smolinsky connected with T.J Gill for a 33-yard touchdown. When asked about if there was any concern after his first two passes few incomplete Smolinski said “Them first passes were tough I made a mistake of the first and the second pass but I came out on the third one and just done what we did all week in practice and TJ just made a great play.” Knights head coach Dick Beck called the touchdown pass “a total strike it was something I thought would be open and TJ just made a great play.”

    After forcing the Hawks to turn the ball over on downs thanks to sacking Hawks QB Skyler Mornhinweg for a 15 yard lost to Knights the ball at mid-field the Knights needed only fours play before Smolinski used his legs to take in from seven yards out. Giving the Knights the 14-0 lead.

    On the next Knights drive the Knights would find the end zone through the air this time Smolinski would connect with Dom Taggart from 34 yards out giving the Knights the 21-0 lead heading into the locker room at half and that’s despite trailing the Hawks in first downs 9-6.

    The Hawks would strike first in the second half when Garrett Compton would cap a five play drive with his two-yard plunge. Offensively the Hawks were led on the drive by the arm of Mornhinweg whose arm accounted for 35 yards. Mornhinweg would finish the game with 111 yards passing on 10-20 passing.

    The Knights would respond two possessions later when Smolinski connected with Ralphie Reeves from four yards out to give the Knights the 28-7 lead. Smolinski finished the game 142 yards on 12 of 17 passing and added 44 yards on seven carries. When asked about Smolinski performance Beck responded “ Tood done that for us in the first two games so I expected him to do it tonight.”

    From there the Knights turned the game over to their defense and they responded holding the Hawks to 164 yards of total offensive and just negative four yards rushing. Defensive the Knights were led by Mike Culbreath, Reeves, and Corey Ernest. “ We were solid defensive, we were flying to ball”

    The Hawks would pull within 14 points when Paul McGann would connected Pete Hurley who made an outstanding grab after the ball was deflected by Jason Wrigley. Reeves would recover the ensuing onsides kick to halt the Hawks come back effort.

    After the game, Hawks head coach Gil Brooks praised the Knights saying “ North Penn is good team and they just executed better than we did.

    Up next for Hawks is their Catholic League opener against the defending champions and rivals LaSalle Explorers on Saturday night at Plymouth Whitemarsh

  • Coatesville Dumps McCaskey 37-6

    Coatesville amassed 271 yards rushing enroute to dismantling J.P. McCaskey 37-6 in a game played at Coatesville’s Multi-Purpose stadium Friday nite.

    Charles Green scored on runs of 5 and 6 yards as he finished the night with 64 yards. Dominic Wilson added 81 yards on 10 carries including a touchdown run of 5 yards and Kevin Berry led all rushers with 93 yards on 12 carries.

    Sophomore quarterback Manny Stocker, who took over for Green last week threw a 23 yard scoring pass to Maleek Thomspson and Colby Perry added a 30 yard field goal and 3 extra points for the Red Raiders (2-1)

    McCaskey (0-3) opened the scoring when Markieth Willams score on a 62 yard run on the game’s fifth play as he took a lateral from quarterback Adrian Westbrook and McCaskey led 6-0. Williams finshed the nite with 89 yards on 13 carries.

    McCaskey next opens Lancaster-Lebanon League play as the travel to West Lawn to take on the Wison Bulldogs, while Coatesville travels just down Route 30 4 miles to play Downingtown East at kottmeyer Stadium in Downingtown to open Ches-Mont league play.

  • Kyle Smith of Lancaster Catholic

    Due to a ankle injury All-State QB Kyle Smith won’t play tonight against Manheim Central.

  • Coach Danny Algeo: Corey Brown is “explosive”

    In a word, Cardinal O’Hara senior running back Corey Brown is, well, explosive.  That’s not just the impression of this writer – his coach, Danny Algeo, will tell you as much. 

     

    But there’s more to the Lions’ multi-purpose weapon than just his explosiveness.

     

    “He’s very versatile,” Algeo said.  “He’s a good runner.  He’s a good receiver.  He’s a good D-back.”

     

    And, add to that the fact that #15 is a game-changer on special teams, too, making him a true triple-threat athlete, which doesn’t happen too often among schools that compete in Pennsylvania’s “AAAA” classification.

     

    The complete package that Brown possesses will be taken to Big Ten power Ohio State next fall.  Brown verbally committed to Ohio State Sunday, according to various media reports.

     

    The versatile running back prospect also had offers from notable programs like Alabama, Florida, Florida State, and West Virginia, among numerous others.

     

    Brown was easily the top running back prospect in the Philadelphia Catholic League in the 2010 recruiting class, and he was also one of the top running back recruits in the entire country.  Brown was rated as a four-star prospect by Rivals.com, which ranked him 6th at his position, 86th in the nation, and 3rd in the state.

     

    In terms of the most versatile athlete, Algeo said Brown takes the top spot among athletes he’s coached during his career.  In terms of running backs, one other might compare. 

     

    Steve Cook was the Lions’ featured back during their run to the 2004 PCL Red Division championship, finishing the season with 1,149 all-purpose yards (1,078 rushing) and 17 total touchdowns scored.

     

    “But Corey,” Algeo quickly added, “is just exceptional.”

     

    The numbers back Algeo up.  As a sophomore, Brown ran for 1,017 yards and added another 281 yards receiving.  He scored 13 total touchdowns (9 rushing).

     

    Brown was poised to break out big time as a junior, and he, like O’Hara, got off to a very fast start.  But an injury sidelined Brown for the majority of the remainder of the Lions’ season, and O’Hara’s unblemished record didn’t last very long afterward.

     

    At the time of his injury, Brown was on pace for 1,795 all-purpose yards and 29 total touchdowns.  He was showing no mercy.

     

    “He’s a two-way starter, the majority of our special teams,” Algeo said, “he affects field position.  And defensively, you’ve got an eraser back there.  It (his injury) greatly affected us.  You just don’t replace a kid of that caliber.”

     

    This season, though it is merely two games old, Brown is already on pace for yet another impressive stat line.  Potentially, Brown could put up 1,530 all-purpose yards and score 25 touchdowns, that is, assuming he keeps his pace going.

     

    Thus far, Brown has run for 231 yards and added another 75 receiving, scoring five total touchdowns.  As a team, O’Hara is averaging 38 points per game.

     

    But here’s the scary part – things could get even better.

     

    “If we progress the way I think we’re capable of progressing, he could put some pretty big numbers up,” Algeo said.

     

    That is, of course, good news for the red and blue.  But nothing but bad news for everyone else.

     

    O’Hara, in its program history, has won six PCL championships, the most recent the aforementioned 2004 title.  The Lions also won titles in 1973, 1979, 1980, 1985, and 2000.

     

     

  • Barons hold off Wilson

    After being delayed an extra evening due to inclement weather, 2,502 fans still came out to watch some exciting football action at Elden Rettew Field in Manheim, PA.  As the Wilson Bulldogs came to town to take on the Manheim Central Barons.

    The Barons started out with the ball first.  They were able to collect a few first downs on the opening drive, before being stopped and forced to punt the ball away to the Bulldogs.  Wilson would then use up the next six minutes and drive down the field on the Barons defense.  Concluding their drive when Zach Zweizig would find Tyler Beck in the end zone on a 25 yard touchdown pass.  Manheim Central wouldn’t take too long to respond.  As on the ensuing kickoff, Dan Trafford would receive the ball at his own one and return the ball 93 yards to get the Barons started at the Bulldogs 6 yard line.  Quarterback Justin Gorman would get the Barons on the board when he decided to keep the ball and scamper to the left and get into the endzone.  The Barons however were unable to convert the PAT, leaving them trailing 7-6.

    After trading turnovers over the next possessions, the Barons would get the scoring again midway through the second quarter.  As Joe Gruber would take a handoff from Gorman in the shotgun, and burst up through the middle 19 yards to the endzone.  The two point conversion however failed.  But on their next possession, Justin Gorman would connect with Dakota Royer on a 50 yard seam pass down the middle for a touchdown.  Taylor Groff’s PAT would be good, putting the Barons up 19-7 at the half.

    After holding Wilson to a three and out to open up the second half, the Barons decided to turn to their ground game and drive down the field and use up some of the clock.  The drive would conclude, when Justin Gorman would roll to his right and connect with Dan Trafford  for a 13 yard touchdown pass, and Gorman’s second of the game.  With the point after good, Manheim Central now lead 26-7.  The rest of the third quarter consisted of both defenses flexing their muscles momentarily forcing three and outs, as well as  turnovers.

    But the Bulldogs were ready to end the silence.  Shortly into the fourth quarter, Zweizig would find Brad Ohlinger for a 14 yard touchdown pass.  The Bulldog defense would step up once again on their next series, as Josh Iacob would strip the ball from MC’s Joe Gruber and Wilson’s Louis Weaver would recover the fumble.  Minutes later, Nick Greth would bounce out to the left side of his line, and score on a 5 yard touchdown run.  The ensuing PAT would be blocked by the Barons Peter Ireland leaving the Bulldogs still trailing, 26-20.  Once again though, the Bulldog defense would receive another turnover by the Barons.  When Wilson’s Louis Weaver would recover an ackward backward pass by Gorman in the endzone for another Bulldogs’ touchdown.  With Shane Witmer’s PAT good, the Bulldogs were finally ahead again 27-26 with 6:16 remaining in the game..

    The Barons would get things rolling once again on the ensuing drive.  After a few plays of moving the ball down the field, the Barons would settle on a Taylor Groff 26 yard field goal putting the Barons back in the lead at 29-27.

    But Wilson was not ready to let the game end just yet.  As the Bulldogs relied on moving the ball down the field through the air on short curls, and sideline routes.  But with 13 seconds remaining and facing a 4th and 20 at the Baron 25, the Bulldogs elected to bring Shane Witmyer out to attempt a 42 yard field goal to seal the game.  The snap was good, the holder had the ball in place, but the ball sailed just left of the posts.  Justin Gorman and his offense would come back onto the field and kneel down on the ball to conclude the game and giving the Barons a 29-27 victory over the Wilson Bulldogs.

  • Harrisburg @ Bishop McDevitt

    HARRISBURG – Battle of the Burg.  The weather was just right.  Warm, sunny Saturday morning.  Large crowd.  What better way to start the football season.  The Harrisburg Cougars made the short trip up Market Street to take on their city rival Bishop McDevitt.
    The cougars would open up the game receiving the opening kickoff.  But were unable to do anything on their first possession and had to punt the ball away.  Upon attempting to receive the punt, McDevitt muffed the punt as they were calling for a fair catch and Harrisburg recovered.  Unable to move the ball, the cougars turned the ball over on downs.  McDevitt would get the ball on their own 28.  Harrisburg would hold them to a three and out, and force them to punt the ball.  However, Ted Deily bobbled the snap from the center and was tackled at their 1 yard line and turned the ball over on downs to the cougars.  On the next snap, Jawon Chisholm would take the snap and go right up the middle for the quick touchdown to put Harrisburg on the board first 7-0.
    McDevitt wouldn’t take long on their next possession to themselves on the scoreboard.  As Matt Johnson(QB) would keep the ball on a keeper to the left and sprint his way 44 yards into the endzone.  However the PAT was no good, leaving the Crusaders trailing 7-6.
    The Crusaders defense would hold Harrisburg to a three and out on their next possession forcing them to punt the ball.  But Dawon Smith(McD) wasn’t ready to let his offense back on the field as he would return the punt back 68 yards for another McDevitt score.  Putting them ahead 13-7.
    The second quarter would start as a defensive struggle for both sides, as they would trade the next two possessions.  More than half way through the second though, McDevitt would open up the game.  As Jameel Poteat would follow the his line to the left on a counter play, and then cut his way back to the right as he went down the field for a 54 yard touchdown run.  Putting the Crusaders up 20-7.  On their next possession, Matt Johnson would hook up with Salath Williams in the left corner of the end zone for a 27 yard touchdown pass.  27-7 McDevitt.  Harrisburg would add on a field goal to end the first half to put them down 27-10.
    Brian Lemelle would get the Crusaders started in the second half by taking the opening kickoff 51 yards to get them started on the Cougar 47.  A few plays later, Johnson would hook up with Poteat on a little dump pass to the left and Poteat would do the rest of the work for the 21 yard touchdown pass.  Putting McDevitt up 34-10.  The cougars wouldn’t take long to respond on their next possession.  As they would move the ball down the field and Chisholm would cap it off with a 3 yard plunge up the middle for the score.  The extra point was botched, leaving them still trailing 34-16.
    Bishop McDevitt would cap off the scoring early in the 4th quarter, as Johnson would follow his center up the middle for a 1 yard touchdown run.  Putting the Crusaders up 41-16 and capping once again another great rivalry.
  • Lancaster Catholic (3)

    1) Lancaster Catholic (3) 0-0 – The Crusaders are loaded. They return 8 starters on offense and 7 on defense. Led by first team All-EasternPAFootball.com Quarterback Kyle Smith who has thrown for over 5,800 yards the last two seasons, and could potentially smash Pat Devlin’s state career passing yardage record. Jordan Stewart and Quinn Houser return to the backfield, and Tyler Purvis went over 1,000 yards receiving last year. The only question that remains is this: can anyone in District 3 withstand the barrage that these Crusaders are going to bring?

  • West Catholic (12)

    2) West Catholic (12) 0-0 – Six inches separated the Burrs from their goal of a PIAA championship last season. This year, the offensive are not Drake, Maples, or Hollomon, but names like C Jake Zuzek, TE Jim Lynch, and WR Quaran Kent. The talk is that the Burrs return some serious speed to their ’09 team. After their narrow loss to LaSalle, West Catholic did not play a game with a final margin of three scores or less until their loss to Wilmington.

  • Montoursville (4)

    3) Montoursville (4) 0-0 – The load will fall on running back Cody Haupt and quarterback Travis Singer this season as the Warriors appear to field yet another competitive team. If the Warriors have a passing attack to balance their always-tougher-than-nails ground game, things could work out pretty well along the West Branch of the Susquehanna River. How will the Warriors fare defensively?

  • Schuylkill Haven (11)

    4) Schuylkill Haven (11) 0-0 – The Zach Barket show has gone, and now the focus becomes who can replace the over-8,000 yard rusher who led the nation in rushing yardage last season? The 14-1, 670-point season certainly was magical, but now QB Brian Murphy and Co. will have to keep things rolling along. Prior to last season, Haven’s last 10-win season had come in 2005. Other Hurricane players that will need to step up and have big seasons include Evan Fink (RB/DB), Evan Marceau (DL), Tyler Naus (LB), and Zach Faust (DL).

  • Dunmore (2)

    5) Dunmore (2) 0-0 – The Bucks are 35-6 the last three years and have won consecutive District 2 “AA” championships, but from the looks of things, they’ll have to rely more on 4,800-yard rusher Michael Perry than ever until the new quarterback replacing 5,300-yard, 72-touchdown passer Miller Holmes gets comfortable in the offense. Perry ran for over 1,800 yards last year, and could become the latest 6,000-yard rusher in state history. Who else will step up to help shoulder the Bucks’ load?

  • Steelton-Highspire (3)

    6) Steelton-Highspire (3) 0-0 – The two-time defending Class “A” state champs have to be ranked somewhere on this list – they enter the year with a 25-game winning streak and the onus of replacing many, many key players, like Andre Campbell, Jordan Hill, and Jeremiah Young. Head coach Rob Deibler is one win shy of 100 for his career, and word has it that there’s a pretty good quarterback waiting in the wings down in Steelton. Will he propel the winning streak into the 30s?

  • Middletown (3)

    7) Middletown (3) 0-0 – After some thin years in the won-loss column, Middletown came back last season with a vengeance, winning 10 games before falling to powerful Lancaster Catholic in the District 3 “AA” championship game. Running back Rodney Ramsey, who totaled over 1,200 yards last season, will be one of the keys to the Middletown effort this season.

  • Southern Columbia (4)

    8) Southern Columbia (4) 0-0 – Jim Roth is three wins shy of 300. Break out the cake and ice cream. Oh wait – that gets saved for the return trip home from Hershey with a golden football, and it’s been two years since the Tigers hoisted a state title trophy. The Tigers will be strong along the offensive and defensive lines this season, but the skill positions are a little raw. Still, Southern ought to be the prohibitive favorite to at least win District 4….for the 18th time.

  • Williams Valley (11)

    9) Williams Valley (11) 0-0 – The Vikings were picked to have a pretty successful season last year, and they did, if you base it on wins and losses. But they didn’t get to hoist that long-awaited District 11 championship trophy. Can the Vikings get over that hump, and not only overcome Schuylkill Haven, but an emerging Tri-Valley team?

  • Northwest Area (2)

    10) Northwest Area (2) 0-0 – The Rangers have the makings to be a pretty good team, but their regular season schedule might come back and bite them in the playoffs. NW has quite an impressive offensive line, size-wise, in Class A, with the average weight per man checking in around 250 pounds. Along with talent at the skill positions, NW might just make some reservations for the PIAA playoffs.

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  • Liberty Belles Survive Scare From Speed Advance to Conference Championship

    PHILADELPHIA: For the first 56:52 of their First Round Women’s Football Alliance Playoff game it looked has if the Northeast Division Champions Philadelphia Liberty Belles and the Wild Card Champion Indiana Speed were evenly matched but then with one play the momentum shifted from the Speed to the Belles and the end result was the Belles leaving Frankford Charger Field with their perfect record intact and a 19-9 victory.
    Sitting with a 9-7 lead and sustaining a drive down to Belles 13 yard line, the visiting Speed looked poised to put the game out of reach for the Belles but then Erika Johnson fumbled the ball on the Belles 1 yard line. Once the pile was unraveled, Jeanette Hibbs came up with the ball for the Belles. “I didn’t even see the ball come out I turned around and the ball is the air, I drove over a girl to get it” is what Hibbs would say about the fumble recovery. Belles’s Head Coach Bill Sytsma said ” I was thinking that was the game right there I new if we got it we had a shot.”
    On the ensuing Belles’ drive it looked as if the Speed’s tough defense had one final stop in them forcing the Belles’ to a fourth and two from their own 28 with such a critical moment the Belles turned the ball to their playmaker in RB Marirose Roach who found a hole in the Speed’s defense then let hers speed do the rest has she raced 72 yards for the touchdown. The two-point conversion would fail giving the Belles the 13-9 lead.
    On the ensuing drive the Speed made it down to Belles 49 yard when Dana Miller would been intercepted by Marica Stinney who would race 65 yards the other way for the touchdown giving the Belles 19-9 lead.
    Roach would ensure the victory on the ensuing drive when she intercepted Miller, Miller would finish the game with 157 yards on 5 of 17 passing 1 TD and 3 Ints.
    The first fifth teen minutes appeared has if a defensive battle would ensue has both teams traded three and outs. The Speed had the chance to get a lead but Laura Diggle 34 yard field goal attempt fell short.
    The Speed would get board first when Miller connected with Virginia Hicks for the 44-yard touchdown. The extra point would be no good giving the Speed 6-0 lead.
    The Belles would respond behind the running of Danika “D Train” Hopkins and Roach. Roach would show her athleticism has she cut back across the field for a 6-yard touchdown. Hibbs would add the extra point giving the Belles the 7-6 lead. Hopkins would finish the game with 67 yards on 15 carries while Roach would finish with 118 yards.
    The Speed had one more opportunity to take the lead into locker room at half but Diggle’s attempt at a 26-yard field goal would be block by Sheemea Carr preserving the 7-6 halftime lead for the Belles.

    In the third quarter the Belles held offense seen plenty on time on the field has the Speed only ran seven plays. The Belles however would fail to capitalize. Miller would connect with Kiva Thomas for a 56 yard gaining putting the Speed at the Belles 32 yard line. Four plays later Molly McAfee would nail a 37-yard field goal giving the Speed the 9-7 lead.

    Up next for the Liberty Belles is the National Conference Championship against the Western Michigan Mayhem who defeated the Columbus Comets 41-12 Saturday night. The Belles- Mayhem kickoff is schedule for July 25 at 7 pm in Michigan.
  • North Hits South with 26-7 loss

    Lezzer Lumber Classic, Bald Eagle High School – It’s hard to judge just how emotional teams can be when playing an all star game but in the first quarter running back Matt Overdorf from Central Mountain High School, playing for the North team, found out just how emotional this game would be. After a short run from offensive mvp Jarrin Campman a skirmish broke out between Overdorf and a player from the South team. The result was evident on the sideline while Overdorf looked for a new jersey to replace the torn number 1 he was wearing. Luke Yokum, a State College RB who had been hurt during practice and couldn’t play was more that happy to loan his game jersey with one condition, “represent”. And Matt was “more than happy to represent for my new friend.”
    He helped the North squad run all over the South defense as the North held a 220-8 yard advantage in the first half. There was also a 7 point difference at the break. That lone touchdown came in the first quarter from Central Mountain qb Jarrin Campman who had a game high 98 yards rushing.
    North Coach Steve Turchetta said “this is the best defensive line you could want. They’re animals.” when asked how they were able to stuff the South so efficiently.
    The play of the game came in the third quarter when Matt Bower stripped the ball from South Quarterback Zack Crull and Andy Gordon returned it 14 yards to make the score 20-0. This came just minutes after Cody Plank of Bellefonte connected with Overdorf on an 11 yard td pass.
    The South would get on the board for its only points late in the third but it took a monster of backfield anchored by lineman Nicholas Soto of Altoona. His one yard plunge ala “the refrigerator” was also impressive as his lead blockers were OL Matt Murray from Tyrone and OL Adny Sarra from Huntington.
    Despite the loss South squad coach Tom Shearer of Indian Valley said “this week has been great. It’s pure football, no classes. No interuptions, just pure football.”

  • 52ND BIG 33 FOOTBALL CLASSIC PREVIEW

    Keystone Staters will be happy to know, if they weren’t aware already, that Pennsylvania has won the last three Big-33 Football Classics over Ohio, and taken a lead in the series between the two states.

     

    Come Saturday evening, the boys in the blue and gold will look to make it four wins in a row, and add to the 120-68 (40-23 average score) margin they’ve hung on the red and grey the last three meetings.

     

    Pennsylvania meets Ohio at HersheyPark Stadium, with kickoff slated for 7 p.m. (7:06, if you want to be technical about it).

     

    The PA team, which fields an impressive list of names, as always, will be led by head coach Tim Janocko (Clearfield Area).  Janocko will enter his 25th year as a coach this fall fresh off of guiding his Bison to a 10-3 record and a berth in the “AAA” state playoffs against Erie Strong Vincent.  His system at Clearfield has been dubbed the “Air Janocko” offense, and consistently produced gaudy passing statistics, including a quarterback who set the state single-season record for touchdown passes back in 1994.

     

    Janocko will have a pair of quality quarterbacks to run his offense.  Curtis Drake (West Catholic) ran and passed for over 1,000 yards each, directing a Burrs’ team that became the second-most proficient scoring team in state history (775 points) last year.  James Capello (Lebanon) rounds out the other half of the QB equation.  Capello threw for over 5,800 career yards, and is coming off of a stellar senior season, one in which he threw for over 2,900 yards and ran for nearly 900 more.

     

    Running backs Rob Hollomon (West Catholic) and Lyle Marsh (Bethel Park) each surpassed 1,400 rushing yards.  Hollomon set a Philadelphia-area record for touchdowns scored in a single season, and Marsh finished his season with over 20 rushing touchdowns.

     

    The PA roster features four wide receivers, an important element to any spread offensive attack.  Brent Fox (Muhlenberg), Malik Generette (York-William Penn), John Schademan (Bethel Park) and Devin Street (Bethlehem Liberty) each led their respective teams in receiving yardage last season.  Of the quartet, only Schademan surpassed 1,000 receiving yards on the season.  Fox missed that mark by a mere 37 yards – Generette tallied over 800 yards in York’s Veer offense, and Street finished near the 800-yard mark in an offense that produced two 1,000-yard rushers for the third time in four years.

     

    Defensively, Pennsylvania boasts some recognizable names:  Ronnie Akins (North Penn), Dana Brown (McKeesport), A.J. Fenton (Erie McDowell), Jordan Hill (Steelton-Highspire), Chris Houston (Bishop McDevitt), Jack Lippert (Central Dauphin), Dan Mason (Penn Hills), Jordan Smith (Steelton-Highspire) and Rob Stupar (State College Area).

     

    Pennsylvania will be faced with the challenge of corralling an Ohio team led by Cleveland Glenville’s stalwart offensive lineman Marcus Hall, a major Division-1 prospect.  The Tarblooders, an Ohio Senate League powerhouse, feature four athletes on the Big-33 roster.  Two other Ohio athletes attended Cincinnati Elder High School.

    Ohio last won in the series in 2005, 34-28.

     

    Pennsylvania won on the arm (and legs) of Liberty’s Dan Persa in 2007, defeating Ohio 28-10.  Last year, Tino Sunseri (Pittsburgh Central Catholic) helped carve up the Buckeye State defense in a 31-16 triumph.

     

    Pennsylvania won in a shootout, 61-42, in 2006.

  • Doty, McMurdo Shine Brightest in North All-Star Win

     

    Note: Article to run in the June 10th Bucks County Herald

     

    DOYLESTOWN – The 34th annual Bob Sands Lions All-Star Football Classic took place on Saturday night at War Memorial Field in Doylestown.  Among those stars, Mike Doty was the Supernova.

     

    “I’m real excited,” stated Doty- the North’s MVP and Maine recruit- after the game.  “This starts off on a good foot with Maine.  Hopefully I can get to college and do well; do good things in college.”

     

    12 catches for 210 yards and two touchdowns- against Bucks County’s best players- will cause Doting on Doty.  The 6’3” wide receiver from C.B. South caught everything but a head cold.

     

    “I just wanted to come out and have fun with the guys,” said Doty.  “We’ve had fun the last two weeks.  (North) Coach Devlin called the plays and we just ran them.  We have a good receiving corps that got me open.  Everyone did a great job.”

     

    The aerial display sparked the North to a 16-7 win.  The victory stops a run of six South wins in the last seven years and extends the North’s series advantage to 19-12-3.

     

    C.B. East tailback Devon Passman- the North’s leading rusher with 56 yards on nine carries- opened the game with a nifty kickoff return to the North 35.  Driving into South territory, Doty made a circus catch on a tipped bomb pass, giving North the ball at the South 14.

     

    A one handed Doty touchdown catch was called back for a holding penalty four plays later.  No matter.  Archbishop Wood’s Sean McCartney (9 for 12, 128 yards) found Doty in the end zone on a crossing route, giving North a 7-0 lead. 

     

    Pennsbury’s Jacob Allen fielded the ensuing kickoff at the 2, burst through a hole on right side and scampered all the way to the North 30.  But Truman quarterback Terry Walker was stuffed on a subsequent fourth and one, giving North the ball back at the 10.

     

    North launched an impressive drive, moving 74 yards in seven plays.  Pennridge quarterback Brad Herrmann (10 carries for 27 yards) found Doty on a 26 yard pass play.  Council Rock South’s Dave Damirgian killed the drive by coming off of the right edge for consecutive sacks of Herrmann.  It forced a 48 yard field goal try, which fell short.

     

    Three plays into South’s next drive- the most critical of which was a defensive hold that nullified C.B. East’s Chris Urban’s sack, Conwell Egan’s Matt Della-Croce threw a long pass to Pennsbury’s Steve Marck.  Marck, a Miami Ohio signee, caught it at the 18, shed a tackle and burst in for the score to tie it at 7 with 8:48 in the second quarter.

     

    North sputtered on their subsequent drive, a weak three and out.  McCartney then booted a beautiful roll-out punt that Doty downed at the South one.

     

    Enter C.B. West’s Matt McMurdo who was arguably the game’s defensive MVP.  McMurdo may want to major in Safety Engineering when he matriculates at Salisbury State next fall.

     

    Because he engineered a safety when he wrapped up Conwell Egan’s Joe Tretter on the game’s next play.

     

    “We thought it was going to be an inside belly play,” remembered McMurdo, “but then they did that flat motion play.  I stepped out, just read it and got there quick.” 

     

    South threatened late in the first half.  Pennsbury’s Richie Applegate (the South’s MVP with 16 carries for 68 yards) opened the drive with a strong run.  Bensalem quarterback Ron Vogelei’s 15 yard run and subsequent drawing of a late hit penalty brought the ball as deep as the North 13.  Pennridge’s Matt Pattison put a big 10 yard sack on Vogelei; setting the stage for C.B. East undersized cornerback Greg Kogut to come up big. 

     

    Despite ceding seven inches and 75 pounds to Marck, Kogut broke up a Vogelei pass attempt to the big tight end on a corner route, saving a touchdown.  South went right after Kogut on the same route; the Patriot this time picked off the pass.

     

    “The first time, I knocked it down and I knew they were coming at me again,” observed Kogut.  “They tried to pick on me on the same play and I came down with the pass. 

     

    “That pumped me up and got me going for the game.”

     

    Getting the ball back with under a minute, Doty won a jump ball that went for a 39 yard play.  Two more Doty catches put the ball deep in South territory; North’s last second field goal attempt was blocked.

     

    South’s opening drive in the second half resulted in a missed field goal.  Getting the ball back, Passman broke a 15 yard run.  Three plays later, Herrmann hit Doty on a fourth down crossing route that gained 17 yards.

     

    It presaged the vertical route from Herrmann to Doty three players later that resulted in a 24 yard touchdown with 1:04 left in the fourth quarter.

     

    South had time for a last hurrah drive when they got the ball back halfway in the fourth quarter.  Six straight runs gained 24 yards but also bled the clock down to nearly 2:30 minutes.  Forced to pass, South turned it over on downs.

     

    For the 79 seniors, it was a chance to play one more game of prep football.  Some like Passman (East Stroudsburg) and Herrmann (Millersville) will continue at the next level. Others will not. 

     

    One of those bowing out was South head coach Van Smith, who stepped down this season after many years at Harry S Truman.  The North coach- Archbishop Wood’s Steve Devlin- ended a season in which he already had a state championship game feather in his cap.

     

    Win or lose, the game was a chance to unite senior rivals, learn from different coaches and play as a team for once in their career.

     

     “The Bucks County Lions do a nice job bringing all of the teams together,” noted Kogut.  “We had a real nice banquet also.  It’s been a great experience having all of the elite players from Bucks County come together as one unit.”  

     

    McMurdo added, “The only thing that was different was the terminology.  In the All-Star game, you have to have a 5-2 base defense.  You can’t switch it.  The defense was a little restricted but it was a lot of fun. 

     

    “I loved playing with the guys that I’ve played against all year.  It’s been awesome.”

     

    “The plays weren’t hard to learn at all,” echoed Doty.  “(Coach Devlin) did a good job teaching us.  He is a great coach and I’m happy to have had this experience.  I wish I could have learned from him from more than just these two weeks.”

     

    Doty is one who will play on.  It is fitting that tonight C.B. South’s top wideout proved to be the Main(e) attraction…even among the all-stars.

  • 2009 Tri-County All-Star Game Preview

    Playing a name game with the rosters with the 8th edition of the Manheim Touchdown Club’s Tri-County All-Star Game gives the decided advantage to the South team.

     

    The South, which will be led by Columbia head coach Jason Shoff, has such athletes like Eric Resch, Kyle Fisher, Dakotah Lightfoot, Dylan Stopper and Zacc Groff, and those are just the potential running backs.

     

    Meanwhile, looking at Mike Miller’s (Annville-Cleona) North roster, it’s a struggle to find big-number guys, save for Lebanon’s All-State WR Jordan Clentimack and Lancaster Catholic DL Nick Schmalhofer.  Other notables include quarterbacks Jarvis Cummings (Hempfield) and Kyle McNeil (Elizabethtown) and hometown OL/DL Riley Clugston (Manheim Central).

     

    There is one glaring omission from the North roster – Lancaster Catholic WR Travis Jankowski, who went over 1,100 yards receiving last season.  Think maybe his addition to the roster would take a little pressure off Clentimack if the North needs a big catch late in a tight game?

     

    The stats for the five potential running backs on the South squad (names mentioned above) are just eye-popping.  Four of the five surpassed 1,300 rushing yards last season.  All five scored 17 touchdowns or more – and three surpassed 20 scores.  Combined, the quintet totaled 7,134 rushing yards and 105 touchdowns. 

     

    What coach out there wouldn’t love that kind of talent in the backfield?  Heck, teams are lucky if they’ve got three talented running backs, and those teams are rare.  Just ask the 1985 Bishop McDevitt Crusaders or last season’s PIAA runner-up West Catholic Burrs, two such teams that immediately come to mind.

     

    South quarterbacks Steve Huber (Wilson West-Lawn) and Weston Martin (Garden Spot) each had big-number seasons, too.  Huber missed a portion of the season, and still finished with 1,584 passing yards and a 4.7:1 TD/INT ratio.  Martin just missed the 2,000-yard mark passing, chalking up 1,924 yards and 25 touchdowns.

     

    Huber and Martin will have three quality receivers to throw to – Alex Fegley (Wilson-West Lawn), Sean Persch (Pequea Valley), and Tyler Eby (Garden Spot).  Combined, these three pass catchers notched 164 receptions, 2,956 yards, and 29 touchdowns last year.  And Persch, a two-time second team All-State selection in “AA,” went over 1,000 yards receiving for the second straight year in 2008.

     

    The North will try to counter with Clentimack, who recorded over 2,000 receiving yards the last two seasons, and McNeil and Cummings, who combined for 2,636 yards of total offense and 37 total touchdowns last season.

     

    But just from the looks of things, and if you play the name game, the South has this latest edition of the Tri-County game signed, sealed, and delivered.

     

    Hopefully, the North can keep up.

  • Giubilato Ties Passing Yard Record in Rout

    PHILADELPHIA: Throughout its 35 years history the Philadelphia Daily News City All Star game as seen its fair share of great quarterbacks. Among those greats are former NFL MVP Rich Gannon (St. Joseph’s Prep) and reigning NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year Matt Ryan (Penn Charter). However either of them accomplished what St Joseph Prep QB Mark Giubilato did Saturday in front of packed house at Northeast High Charles Martin Memorial Stadium. All Giubilato did was tied the record for most yards passing which set in 2004 by Roman Catholic’s Andre Sloan El to lead the Non Pub to a 40-0 rout over the Public League in the 35th annual All star game that puts the best seniors from the cities high schools against each other. When asked about tying the record Giubilato responded “It’s an awesome and great feeling but there’s no way I could’ve done it without the great catches the receivers had and the blocking of my line”.

    In August before evening making his first varsity start Giubilato accepted an offer from Temple University. In February after Giubilato threw for 1008 yards and 7 touchdowns. Giubilato decided having one more year as a starter would be beneficial for him and after having a conversion with his father Mark Sr. it was decided that Giubilato would spend his prep year at Milford Academy in New York. The decision was a tough one to make especially since Giubilato is close to his dad and brother Christian, “it was a difficult decision but at the same time I know no matter where I am my dad wont miss many games and my brother will be there has much has he can.” After his performance Saturday night Giubilato might want to reconsider his decision to attend Milford Academy.

    On the games opening drive the Non Pub drove down 85 yards on 12 plays on a drive that took 6:42 off the clock before Giubilato hooked up with West Catholic’s Eric Young for a 33 yard touchdown pass.

    On the ensuing kick-off the Public League couldn’t come up with Giubilato’s kick and Cardinal Dougherty’s Terence Johns fell on it at the Pub 24 yard line. Two plays later West Catholic’s Raymond Maples would punch it from 18 yards out.

    On the first play of the second quarter Giubilato went deep for Father Judge’s Tom Ryan who leaped and made a one handed catch for a 42-yard gain putting the Non Pub at the Pub 17. Three plays later West Catholic’s Rob Holloman put it in from 6 yards out.

    On the next Non Pub drive the Non Pub would drive 75 yards on 5 plays including a 44 yard pass from Curtis Drake (West Catholic) to Ryan. Four plays later Drake would dance his way in from nine yards out. Drake would miss the PAT giving the Non Pub the 27-0 lead.

    The Non Pub would extend their lead to 33 when Giubilato found his favorite target Ryan from 15 yards out for the touchdown. The 2point conversion would fail. Ryan would finish the first half with 4 catches for 97 before joining fellow Father Judge/ Non Pub teammates John Lavelle, Adam Nowak, and Ryan Langdom at the Father Judge Sr. Prom.

    West Catholic’s Juan Rozier would capped the scoring with his 8 yard plunge.

    Ryan took the offensive MVP for the Non Pub while North Catholic’s Pete Puchalski (5 tackles) took home defensive MVP for Non Pub. Communications Tech Stacy Hill (12 carries for 46 yards) took home Offensive MVP for the Pub who was out gained 455-120 by the Non Pub. George Washington’s Elijah Douglas (7) took home Defensive MVP for the Pub. Sportsmanship awards went to Cardinal Dougherty’s Deuce Colbert and Washington’s Will McFillin took it home for the Pub.

     

  • 2008 All-EasternPAFootball.com Big School Team

    2008 All-EasternPAFootball.com Big School Team (Class AAA-Class AAAA) 

     

    OFFENSE:

    Tight end –St. Eric Fath, Quakertown, 6-3, 230

    Wide receivers –Sr. Je’Ron Stokes, Northeast, 6-1, 180; Sr. Alex Fegley, Wilson West Lawn, 6-0, 160; Sr. Jordan Clentimack, Lebanon, 5-11, 180

    Offensive lineman –Sr. Mark Arcidiacono, St. Joseph’s Prep, 6-5, 280 ; Jr. Sharif Floyd, George Washington, 6-4, 300; Sr. Brandon Morris, Cumberland Valley, 6-2, 260; Sr. Eric Shive, West Scranton, 6-7, 285; Sr. Adam Citko, Archbishop Wood, 6-5, 320

    Quarterback –Jr. Anthony Gonzalez, Bethlehem Liberty, 6-3, 190

    Running backs –Sr. Brandon Real, West York, 5-8, 175; Sr. Eddie Mateo, Bethlehem Freedom, 5-10, 190

    Specialist – Sr. Ronnie Akins, North Penn, 6-1, 180

    Kicker –Sr. Chad Christen, Red Land, 6-0, 200

    DEFENSE:

    Defensive Lineman –Sr. Levi Brown, Bethlehem Liberty, 6-3, 315; Sr. Rodney Hill, Wilson West Lawn, 6-0, 275; Sr. Dan Shirey, Neshaminy, 6-3, 275; Jr. Dakota Royer, Manheim Central, 6-3, 220

    Linebackers –Sr. Ryan Cordingly, Berwick Area, 5-11, 215; Jr. Kyle Baublitz, Central York, 6-5, 244; Sr. David Alayankian, Strath Haven, 6-0, 234; Jr. Preston Hamlette, Pottsgrove, 5-10, 200

    Defensive Backs –Jr. Ryan Keiser, Selinsgrove, 6-2, 185; Sr. Chris Houston, Bishop McDevitt, 5-10, 177; Jr. Evan Crisman, Berwick Area, 5-9, 165; Jr. Dylan Anderson Southern Lehigh, 6-0, 165

    Specialist – Sr. Kalif Walker, Frankford, 5-8, 165

    Punter –Sr. Todd Maciejewski, Red Land, 6-4, 210

    HONORABLE MENTION:

    OFFENSE: 

    Tight end-Sr. Shane Glacken, Scranton, 6-3, 205

    Wide Receivers –Sr. Malik Generett, William Penn (York), 6-5, 210; Sr. Devin Street, Bethlehem Liberty, 6-4, 180; Sr. Jaleel Clark, Parkland, 6-5, 205; Sr. Zach Keeley, Daniel Boone, 5-8, 180; Sr. Taylor Kreitz, Saucon Valley, 6-2, 190

    Offensive Lineman – Jr. Seth Betancourt, St. Joseph’s Prep, 6-6, 290; Sr. Chris Horner, Delaware Valley, 6-3, 265; Sr. Tim Putman, Garnet Valley, 6-0, 235; Sr. Bobby Panchisin, Malvern Prep, 6-2, 280; Sr. Matt Couch, East Pennsboro, 6-2, 260

    Quarterback – Jr. Tyler Smith, Wilson Area, 6-4, 190; Sr. James Capello, Lebanon, 6-2, 190; Jr. Drew Loughery, LaSalle, 6-1, 195; Sr. Jordan Davis, William Penn (York), 6-0, 170; Sr. Tom Savage, Cardinal O’Hara, 6-5, 225; Jr. Jon Monteiro, Daniel Boone, 6-0, 190

    Running Backs – Jr. Joe Defebo, Wallenpaupack Area, 5-7, 170; Jr. Rondell White, Bayard Rustin, 5-10, 175; Sr. Bernard Pierce, Glen Mills, 6-0, 205; Sr. Mike Frenette, Cumberland Valley, 5-9, 175; So. Ryan Brumfield, Owen J Roberts, 5-10, 165; Sr. Sean Cunningham, Archbishop Wood, 6-2, 225; Jr. Chris Smallwood, Upper Moreland, 6-0, 185; Sr. Franklyn Quiteh, Pocono Mountain West

    Specialist – Jr. Bret Gillespie, Downingtown West, 6-2, 195; Sr. Nate Daniels, Muhlenberg, 6-2, 175

    Kicker – Sr. Brandon McManus, North Penn, 6-3, 196; So. Charlie Armetta, Abington Heights, 5-6, 155

    DEFENSE:

    Defensive Lineman –Sr. Paul Carrezola, Neshaminy, 6-4, 245; Sr. Rick Crane, Academy Park, 6-2, 240;Sr. Akeem Smith, Frankford, 6-4, 285; Sr. Jack Lippert, Central Dauphin, 6-4, 250; Jr. Spencer Myers, Selinsgrove, 6-3, 230; Sr. Tyler Bullock, Mechanicsburg, 6-4, 265; Jr. Evan Craig, Abington Heights, 6-1, 285; Jr. Josh Coulter, Downingtown West, 6-2, 195

    Linebackers – Sr. Ryan Sitler, Berwick Area, 6-2, 220; Sr. Nick Sizemore, Manheim Township, 6-2, 225; Sr. CJ Mooney, Malvern Prep, 6-4, 225; Sr. Steve Marck, Pennsbury, 6-4, 240; Sr. Pat Zerbe, Wilson West Lawn, 6-2, 250; Sr. Teighler Doak, Selinsgrove, 5-10, 205; Sr. Anthony Verderame, Bayard Rustin, 6-3, 215

    Defensive Backs – Sr. Kyle Fisher, Cocalico, 6-0, 170; Sr. Liam McGrath, Haverford Township, 6-0, 155; Sr. Anthony Holmes, Harrisburg, 6-1, 185; Sr. Jake Ziegler, Mechanicsburg, 5-10, 160

    Specialist – Sr. Justin Shirk, Central Dauphin, 6-1, 222; Sr. Billy Conners, Malvern Prep, 5-11, 175; Sr. Yusef Reddick, Bethlehem Freedom, 5-7, 145; So. Scott LaValva, Bangor, 5-9, 190; Jr. Lonnie Richardson, Strath Haven, 5-11, 185

    Punter –Sr. Eli Skinner, Jersey Shore, 6-1, 180; Jr. Cody Webster, Central Dauphin East, 6-4, 180; Sr. Nate Monderwicz, Conrad Weiser, 6-2, 210

    Player of the Year —Anthony Gonzalez of Bethlehem Liberty

    Coach of the Year — Tim Moncman of Bethlehem Liberty

  • Liberty Gets Revenge; Back to Hershey

    Chad Breidinger
    Easternpafootball.com

    Coatesville, Pa: Bethlehem Liberty (14-1) redeemed itself from its only loss of the season in beating North Penn (14-1) 21-14. This win advances the Hurricanes back to the 4A state final next Saturday in Hershey at 7p.m.

    In week one, Liberty lost to North Penn 23-15, which was their only blemish of the season. In that game the Knights stormed out to a 20-0 halftime lead until the Canes came back with 15 points of their own thus keeping the game from a blowout to making it interesting.

    This was not the first time the two teams have met. In 2005, Liberty won a slugfest over North Penn 14-12 also in the Eastern final.

    With this win Liberty rides a 14-game winning streak to face off against Western power Bethel Park who beat Wilson West Lawn in triple overtime 38-35.

    This win puts Liberty in the state finals for the 3rd time in 4-years. The Hurricanes hope that the 3rd time is a charm as they were humbled in 2005 and 2006 by McKeesport Area and Upper Saint Clair respectively.

    This win also makes it 4 in a row and 5 out of 7 for an LVC team (D11) to reach the finals as Parkland split winning in 2002 against Woodland Hills and losing last year to Pittsburgh Central Catholic.

    Liberty received the opening kick off and marched 80-yards on 18 plays while consuming 9:14 of the first quarter. Liberty attacked the heart of North Penn by running their belly option series with a steady diet of FB Daryl Klotz and QB Anthony Gonzalez. Gonzalez finished off the drive with a 1-yard sneak. The extra point was blocked and Liberty led 6-0.

    On the ensuing kick off North Penn drove down the field on a long drive of it’s own covering 64-yards on 12 plays with Ronnie Akins taking it in from 2-yards out. PAT was good, North Penn 7-6.

    After a tip drill INT from Gonzalez to Klotz, Devon Street was the benefactor of a 3-yard TD pass from Gonzalez. The drive, once again time consuming, took 11-plays.

    Liberty went for the 2-point conversion and made it on a shuffle pass to Brandon Brader. Liberty 14-7. That’s how the half would end.

    North Penn received the 2nd half kickoff and went straight to trickery. Akins threw a WR pass to a wide-open Tyler Smith for a gain of 42-yards. Akins capped off the drive with his 2nd touchdown of the game from 4-yards out which tied it at 14 all.

    Once again it was Liberty that responded. On 3rd and 20 Gonzalez hit TE Horvin Latimer for a 32-yard gain. Brader put the Hurricanes ahead with an 18-yard TD run. Liberty 21-14.

    It appeared Liberty would go up by 2 scores but were held on 4th and 1 at the 4-yard line.

    There was 3:20 remaining but Liberty’s Mark Olivo sealed the win with an INT as Liberty then ran out the clock.

  • PURPLE PEOPLE EATERS: Lancaster Catholic rolls Mount Carmel

    HERSHEY, Pa. – Another week, another playoff game, another playoff blowout victory.  That’s been the M.O. for the Lancaster Catholic Crusaders this 2008 season, and, Saturday afternoon, Mount Carmel became the latest victim to fall under the wheels of the purple and gold steamroller.

     

    Lancaster Catholic (13-1) racked up 605 yards of offense en route to a 41-28 victory against the Red Tornadoes (13-1) at Hersheypark Stadium.  It was the 9th straight week Catholic has topped the 40-point mark.

     

    With the win, the Crusaders will take on West Catholic, a 49-21 winner over defending Eastern champion Dunmore Friday night, for the “AA” Eastern Championship next weekend at a District 12 site.  Date and time will be determined later.

     

    The game plan, according to Catholic coach Bruce Harbach, was simple.

     

    “We wanted to establish the line of scrimmage,” the Crusaders’ boss said.

     

    Catholic did that – and did it rather easily.  The Crusaders marched right down the field on their opening possession, taking a 7-0 lead on the legs of sophomore tailback Jordan Stewart’s 10-yard run.  Stewart (27 rush, 144 yards, 3 TD) ran six times on the opening drive for 45 yards.

     

    After forcing a Red Tornado punt, Catholic then showcased its aerial attack – Smith threw two passes on the drive and completed both – the second was a 63-yard scoring strike to tight end Andrew Millay (2 rec., 64 yards), and Catholic quickly led, 14-0.

     

    “They established what they wanted to do,” said Mount Carmel head coach Mike Brennan.  “They spread us out a little bit.  (Simply), we were outplayed.  That’s part of football.”

     

    The red and white responded on its next possession.  Julius Demetrius (12 rush, 156 yards, 2 TD) scored on a 58-yard run to halve the margin to 14-7.

     

    But Catholic reached into its bag of tricks, and it broke the backs of Mount Carmel right before the half.  Smith (16-of-25, 323 yards, 2 TD) fired a bullet to a wide-open Tyler Purvis, who lateraled the ball to a trailing Travis Jankowski.  The hook-and-ladder play covered 52 yards and gave LC a 21-7 lead at the break.

     

    “It’s something we’ve been working on in practice,” Smith, the Crusaders’ junior hurler, said.  It was the first time, Smith said, that Catholic ran the hook-and-ladder this season.

     

    Catholic widened its margin to 28-7 when Stewart scored on a 2-yard run.  Stewart would add a 10-yard run to cap the Crusader scoring in the fourth quarter.  Between those two Stewart scores was a Quinn Houser (4 rush, 70 yards, TD) 41-yard dart to paydirt.

     

    Mount Carmel made things interesting in the second half – totaling 311 yards of offense and scoring 21 points.  Julius Demetrius scored his second touchdown on a 1-yard run and senior quarterback Marcus Wasilewski connected on a pair of touchdown passes.

     

    Wasilewski, a senior, topped the 6,000-yard passing mark for his career on his 53-yard touchdown pass to Justin Pellowski.  #7 completed 16 of his 34 passes for 252 yards, finishing with 6,145 yards in his career.

     

    “Very similar type of players,” Brennan said, comparing #7 to two-time PIAA champion Dave Shinskie, who owns the MCA career passing record with 6,334 yards.  “Dave had a talented supporting cast and a great arm.

     

    “Marcus went through some tough times.  He carried this team on his shoulders, something Dave never had to do.  Maybe he (Marcus) didn’t have the success record-wise, but he put us on his back.  He was the heart and soul of this team.”

     

    In addition to the 323 yards, which is a new school record, Catholic ran for 282 yards on 43 carries, and ran 68 plays in the game to Mount Carmel’s 58.

     

    “It’s a great tribute to our team,” Smith said.  “It’s not just me out there.”

     

    NOTES: Catholic won its first ever PIAA playoff game, improving to 1-1 in school history.  LC lost in the 2005 quarterfinals to Montoursville, 27-21, in Shamokin.  The Crusaders are also 3-0 all-time against Mount Carmel.

     

    With the win, Catholic improved to 56-8 since the start of the 2004 season.  That’s an impressive winning percentage of .875.

     

    Both Lancaster Catholic and Mount Carmel set new school records for points scored in a season.  Catholic, in 14 games, has scored 565 points, breaking the old school record of 545 set in 2005.  Mount Carmel finished the season with 539 points scored, breaking the 1996 team’s 533-point output.

     

     

     

  • Eagles Defense Soars to District XII Title

    PHILADELPHIA: Heading into Saturday’s afternoons PIAA AAAA District XII Championship contest the Philadelphia Public League Champions George Washington Eagles defense they would have a difficult task of stopping the high power 1 attack of the Philadelphia Catholic League Champions LaSalle Explorers. The Eagles defense stepped up and made the big plays to allow the Eagles come away from Northeast’s Charles Martin Stadium with their first City title in schools history by a score of 23-14.

    The Eagles defense would make their first big play on the opening series of the game when Sr. Safety Jamaal Williams intercepted a Drew Loughery pass and return to it to the Explorer 25 yard line. Two plays later Sr. RB Kyle Glenn would put it in the end zone 22 yards out. Will McFillin would add the extra point giving the Eagles the early 7-0 lead.

    On the next Eagle drive the Eagles would take a page out of the Explorers playbook and air it out. It paid off as Aaron Wilmer would hook up with Omar Hunter for 48 yard touchdown. McFillin would add the extra point giving the Eagles 14-0 lead.

    The Explorers would respond on the ensuing drive behind the arm of Loughery. After Loughery hit Connor Hoffman for a 48 yard gain that put the Explorers at the Eagle 3 yard line Loughery would hit Mike Donohoe form 3 yards out. Mike Bennett would add the extra point cutting the lead down to 14-7.

    The Eagles defense would again set up the next touchdown as freshman Nate Smith intercepted Loughery setting up the Eagles at the Explorer 20 yard line. Four plays later Glenn would punch it in from 9 yards out. McFillin would add the extra point giving the Eagles the 21-7 lead. From there the Eagles took over and took the lead into the intermission. The Eagles defense was led all day by Jr. Martin Haynes, Jr. Shariff Floyd and Sr. Lorenzo Adams. “Its all our coaches they preach techniques it all techniques thanks to the coaches, we came together at the beginning of the team we weren’t close but we came together and today we did” is how Haynes would describe his team their defensive effort

    In the third quarter the Explorers showed their big play power as Loughery would throw a bomb to Sam Feleccia who would take it for an 81 yard touchdown. Bennett would add the extra point cutting the lead to 21-14. Loughery would finish the game with 248 yards on 12 completions 2 touchdowns. Feleccia would finish the game with 3 catches for 134 yards.

    The Eagles special teams would putting the icing on the championship when 6 foot 4 300 pound lineman Shariff Floyd got through the Explorer punt protection to block Donohoe’s punt the ball would wind up flying out of the end zone for safety. Giving the Eagles the 23-14 lead. “Coaches stress getting extension, I didn’t getting get down I just got extension made a swim move had my eyes close” is how Floyd would describe the block.

    The Explorers were able to put one final drive together driving down in Eagle territory before Adams intercepted Loughery who was hit on the play by Haynes. The interception was the Eagles third interception of the game and it sealed the victory with 26 seconds left. When asked about the interception Adams responded “It feels great, two weeks ago against Northeast in the Public League Championship I picked the ball in triple overtime to give us the win it feels great. After the game Eagle coach said “The defense came up big “

    Up next for the Eagles is a date with the District 11 champions Bethlehem Liberty at a date and time to be determine at Northeast High School

  • Eagles Defense Soars to District XII Title

    PHILADELPHIA: Heading into Saturday’s afternoons PIAA AAAA District XII Championship contest the Philadelphia Public League Champions George Washington Eagles defense they would have a difficult task of stopping the high power 1 attack of the Philadelphia Catholic League Champions LaSalle Explorers. The Eagles defense stepped up and made the big plays to allow the Eagles come away from Northeast’s Charles Martin Stadium with their first City title in schools history by a score of 23-14.

    The Eagles defense would make their first big play on the opening series of the game when Sr. Safety Jamaal Williams intercepted a Drew Loughery pass and return to it to the Explorer 25 yard line. Two plays later Sr. RB Kyle Glenn would put it in the end zone 22 yards out. Will McFillin would add the extra point giving the Eagles the early 7-0 lead.

    On the next Eagle drive the Eagles would take a page out of the Explorers playbook and air it out. It paid off as Aaron Wilmer would hook up with Omar Hunter for 48 yard touchdown. McFillin would add the extra point giving the Eagles 14-0 lead.

    The Explorers would respond on the ensuing drive behind the arm of Loughery. After Loughery hit Connor Hoffman for a 48 yard gain that put the Explorers at the Eagle 3 yard line Loughery would hit Mike Donohoe form 3 yards out. Mike Bennett would add the extra point cutting the lead down to 14-7.

    The Eagles defense would again set up the next touchdown as freshman Nate Smith intercepted Loughery setting up the Eagles at the Explorer 20 yard line. Four plays later Glenn would punch it in from 9 yards out. McFillin would add the extra point giving the Eagles the 21-7 lead. From there the Eagles took over and took the lead into the intermission.

    In the third quarter the Explorers showed their big play power as Loughery would throw a bomb to Sam Feleccia who would take it for an 81 yard touchdown. Bennett would add the extra point cutting the lead to 21-14. Loughery would finish the game with 248 yards on 12 completions 2 touchdowns. Feleccia would finish the game with 3 catches for 134 yards.

    The Eagles special teams would putting the icing on the championship when 6 foot 4 300 pound lineman Shariff Floyd got through the Explorer punt protection to block Donohoe’s punt the ball would wind up flying out of the end zone for safety. Giving the Eagles the 23-14 lead. “Coaches stress getting extension, I didn’t getting get down I just got extension made a swim move had my eyes close” is how Floyd would describe the block.

    The Explorers were able to put one final drive together driving down in Eagle territory before Lorenzo Adams intercepted Loughery for Eagles third interception of the game sealing the victory with 26 seconds left. When asked about the interception Adams responded “It feels great, two weeks ago against Northeast in the Public League Championship I picked the ball in triple overtime to give us the win it feels great. After the game Eagle coach said “The defense came up big “

    Up next for the Eagles is a date with the District 11 champions Bethlehem Liberty at a date and time to be determine at Northeast High School

  • Cunningham Keeps Football Career Alive

    PHILADELPHIA: As it stands now upon graduation from Archbishop Wood High School in June Sr. Sean Cunningham would not step on the gridiron again as he’s has a half scholarship to play lacrosse at Drexel University where he will play long pole midfielder for Dragons. Cunningham hopes to pursue a career in engineering. With that in mind the 6 foot 200 pound Cunningham still wants to play football and made sure is high school career didn’t come to end as he churned out 109 yards on 15 carries and four touchdowns and broke the schools record must rushing yards in a single season as his Vikings easily cruised pass the Murrell Dobbins Mustangs 56-7 in Saturday’s District XII AAA Championship played at Northeast’s Charles Martin Stadium. Cunningham still hopes to play football in college and is receiving interest from Division 1AA schools such as Richmond, Holy Cross, and Colgate. “I just don’t want to give it up” is what Cunningham said asked about football.

    A fumble by Derek Clark on the games first play from scrimmage would set up the first Vikings touchdown which come compliments of a 24 yard pass to Anthony Narisi from Sean McCartney. James McFadden would add the extra point giving the Vikings the 7-0 lead.

    The Mustangs would respond on the ensuing drive when Terrell Barringer would keep the ball on a option and raced down his sideline for 76 yard touchdown. Anthony Walker would add the extra point to tie things up at 7 with 9:57 left in the first quarter.

    From that point on Cunningham took over on the ensuing Viking drive Cunningham would give the Vikings the lead for good with his 5 yard touchdown run. McFadden would add the extra point giving the Vikings the 14-7 lead. Cunningham’s next two carries would produce touchdowns from two and six yards out to extend the Vikings lead to 28-7 at the end of one quarter play.

    After the Mustangs couldn’t get a punt off that resulted in the Vikings getting possession at the Mustangs one yard line McCartney would sneak his way in from a yard out. McFadden would add the extra point extending the Vikings lead to 35-7. McCartney would finish the game completing 5 of 6 passes for 128 yards and a touchdown through the air to go along with his 13 yards rushing on 4 carries.

    Cunningham would cap the first half scoring with his 19 yard touchdown run that saw him juke a few Mustangs defenders on his way to the score. McFadden would add the extra point evoking the 35 point mercy rule at the half. When asked about the breaking the schools rushing record that was set in 2003 by Bryan McCartney who rushed for 1417 that season. Cunningham responded “The record means a lot I grew up watching Bryan in grade school, I owe all to my line and full back Nick Devine, if it wasn’t for them I wouldn’t even came close to the record.” Bryan just happens to be the older brother of the Vikings current signal caller Sean. When asked about Cunningham Sean McCartney responded saying “He’s a great kid he’s always striding to do his best, always working hard and its well deserve.”
    The Vikings would extend their lead of the opening drive of the second half when Devine would bust through the Mustang defense from 21 yards out. McFadden would add the extra point making it 49-7. Sean Cain would cap the scoring on the day with his 8 yard touchdown run. Cain would add the extra point giving the Vikings the 56-7 victory.

    With the victory the Vikings become the first team in schools history to capture the District title and will keep Cunningham’s career alive for at least two more weeks when they will face the District 1 champion who will either be Upper Moreland or Bayard Rustin . “He’s the heart and soul of the team, if you ever spend sometime with him you’ll see the type of kid he is and the person he’s going to be and the leader he is and he’s a pleasure to coach I hope he never graduates I want to keep him here at Wood forever” is how Viking head coach Steve Devlin described Cunningham

    Archbishop Wood 28 14 7 7 56
    Murrell Dobbins 7 0 0 0 7
    First Quarter
    AW Narisi 24 yard pass from McCartney McFadden Kick 10:23
    Dobb Barringer 76 yard run Walker Kick 9:57
    AW Cunningham 5 yard run McFadden Kick 6:26
    AW Cunningham 2 yard run McFadden Kick 3:55
    AW Cunningham 6 yard run McFadden Kick :30
    Second Quarter
    AW McCartney 1 yard run McFadden Kick 11:31
    AW Cunningham 22 19 yard run McFadden Kick 6;21
    Third Quarter
    AW Devine 21 yard Run McFadden Kick 6:18
    Fourth Quarter
    AW Cain 8 yard Run Cain Kick
    Rushing
    Wood: Cunningham 15-109, Devine 4-53, Adkins 1-10, McCartney 4-13, Monaghan 3-8, Cain 3-3, McGrath 2-49
    Dobbins: James 10-52, Clark 8-34, Barringer 7-78, Walker 3-4, Lesile 1-2
    Passing Completions Attempts, yards TDs Int
    Wood: McCartney 5-6-128-1-0
    Dobbins Barringer 2-5-0-0-0
    Receiving
    Wood: Maxwell 2-56, Furlong 1-41, Narisi 1-24, Devine 1-7
    Dobbins Walker 1-4, Clark 1–4
    AW Dobb
    First Downs 12 4
    Rushes/yards 30-245 29-170
    Completions/yards 5-128 2-0
    Total Yards 373 170
    Punts/ Average 1-37 4-16.75
    Fumbles/Lost 0-2 3-2
    Penalties/ Yards 2-0 1-5

  • Wortham, Judge Runs Pass O’Hara

    PHILADELPHIA PA: I’m sure we all heard of the expression good things come in small packages well that certain can apply to Curtis Wortham and his Father Judge Crusader teammates. Wortham who’s listed as 5’5 155 on the roster used his size and speed top churn out a school record 294 yards on 26 carries to propel the top seeded Crusaders to a 30-14 victory over the 4th seeded Cardinal O’Hara Lions who enter the game with a three game losing streak.

     

    Wortham first carry would go 39 yards to put the Crusaders at the Lions 12 yard line where the Crusaders drive would stall resulting in a 25 yard field goal by Patrick Schultz giving the Crusaders the early 3-0 lead.

     

    The Lions would respond with the legs of Jr. RB Corey Brown who made his return to the Lions line for the first time since week 5 when he sustained a knee injury. Brown would make the most of second carry of the day has he took it 50 yards to the end zone showing that he hadn’t lost a step with his injury. Alex Penza would add the extra point giving the Lions the 7-3 lead.

     

    Wortham and the Crusaders would respond after 14 yard pass from Tony Smith to Tom Ryan put the Crusaders at their own 49 yard line, Wortham would show his speed has he did all night to bust through the Lions defense on his way to a 50 yard touchdown. Schultz would add the extra point to give the Crusaders the 10-7 lead.

     

    After forcing the Lions to a 3 and out Wortham and the Crusaders would only need two plays to add to their lead when Wortham would again get loose in the defensive backfield of the Lions and raced 78 yards for the touchdown. Schultz would add the extra point giving the Crusaders the 17-7 lead at end of the first quarter.

     

    The Crusaders and Wortham would tack on to their lead with a 10 play 80 yard drive that took 4 minutes and 31 seconds off the clock before Wortham would punch it in from an yard out. The big play on the drive was compliment of a 40 yard scamper by Smith on the first play of the drive. Schultz would add the extra point giving the Crusaders the 24-7 lead at the half.

     

    Wortham would only need two plays in the second half to get loose for a 57 yard touchdown. Schultz kick would be blocked by Drew Formica giving the Crusaders the 30-7 lead. After the Wortham gave all the credit to his line which was made of Matt Schule, Jeff Brewer, Anthony Repici, John Lavelle and Joe Gallelli saying “it was just one cut and go” Crusaders head coach Tom Coyle echoed Wortham saying “ Offensive Line Coach Casey Jones does an outstanding technique and motivating those guys, they were a little hungry”

     

    The Lions would cut the Crusader lead down to 30-14 when Sr. QB Tom Savage would hit Anthony McCloskey from 16 yards out Penza would add the extra point cutting the lead down to 30-14. After the game Coyle commented on Savage saying “Savage gave us everything he had we were impress with the throws he was making in the fourth quarter, we impress with his ability to hang in their.”

     

    Up next for Crusaders is the winner of the St Joseph Prep-LaSalle game with the winner taking on the Crusaders next weekend in the Philadelphia Catholic League AAAA Championship with the winner moving on to the district 12 AAAA championship game in two weeks.

  • Spartans secure playoff spot with win over Crusaders

    Valley West downs Coughlin 28-13, will face Bethlehem Freedom
    By Frank Kastreva, WVCD2.com
    WILKES-BARRE- Left for dead after week four, a 1-3 Wyoming Valley West Spartans team looked very far away from any chance of the quad A subregional playoffs and for many seniors on this team that very thought was not sitting well.
    After speaking with Sr. QB Jack Crossin after a week five win against Delaware Valley, who was 3-1 coming in to that game, he expected nothing more, but the members of his football team to rise to the occasion, run the table and make the playoffs at 7-3.
    That all came to a reality Saturday night at Wilkes-Barre Memorial Stadium as the Spartans downed the Coughlin Crusaders 28-13 in a very well played game by both squads.

    Crossin lead the way with three TD’s, all coming by way of the ground game. So. RB George Simms also added a TD on three yard scamper. Simms was a big part of the game as was Ali Muhummad, who played and outstanding game on both sides of the ball.

    Sr. RB Chris Hettes also got in on the rushing attack and the offensive line played a flawless game. In fact, the offensive line which was predicted to be the strength of this Spartans team has been playing up to their potential, which was not the case in the first four weeks.

    The Crusaders would get TD’s from Sr. QB Matt McClosky on a three yard keeper and Sr. RB Justin Koslosky on a nine yard jaunt to the gold zone.

    With the win the Spartans have secured the fifth seed in the AAAA subregional playoffs in which they will face Bethlehem Freedom in the Lehigh Valley either Friday or Saturday. Freedom enters the playoffs 8-2 as the fourth seed.

    As for Coughlin they will travel to Berwick as the three seed in the class AAA district two playoffs. The Dawgs come in as the two seed, a team that beat Coughlin 12-0 in Dawgtown a few weeks back.

     

     

     

     

     

  • Bethlehem Liberty – Bethlehem Freedom preview

    The Game: Bethlehem Liberty (11 AAAA) @ Bethlehem Freedom (11 AAAA)

     

    Date: Saturday, Nov. 1, 2008, from Frank Banko Field @ BASD Stadium, Bethlehem

     

     2008 Record: Bethlehem Liberty (8-1), Bethlehem Freedom (8-1)

     

    About Bethlehem Liberty: After a tough Week 1 loss to a very strong North Penn squad, the Hurricanes have roared to life, winning eight straight games.  The streak began with handing defending Eastern champion Parkland its second straight loss, and embedded along the way were dominant victories over Allentown Central Catholic, Bethlehem Catholic, and Easton.  Liberty is averaging 37 points per game on offense.

     

    Braden Bader (RB), Anthony Gonzales (QB), and Devin Street (WR) are the top threats for the Liberty offense, which has topped the 40-point mark five times in the last seven weeks.

     

    Liberty has gone 55-9 since the start of the 2004 season, and are just two victories away from a fifth straight season of 10 wins or more.  The Hurricanes have won four District 11 titles and 2 eastern championships.

     

    The Canes scored a school record 618 points in 2006, and 522 points the season before that, finishing as the PIAA runner-up in those two seasons.

     

    About Bethlehem Freedom: Don’t automatically discredit the Patriots – the black and gold have won 17 of their past 21 games.  Granted, Freedom has never hoisted a District 11 football championship, nor has the Patriot program ever played a PIAA playoff game, but at the recent rate of the Patriots’ success, one would guess those two goose eggs will soon be no more.

     

    The biggest threats on the Freedom offense are running back Eddie Mateo, wide receiver Yusef Reddick, and quarterback Ryan Tress.

     

     

    Mateo, a transfer from Bethlehem Catholic, ran for over 1,000 yards a season ago.  He’s run for 17 touchdowns on the season.  Reddick has caught five touchdown passes, and also scored touchdowns on a kickoff return, punt return, and a rushing touchdown.  Tress, meanwhile, has thrown 11 touchdown passes and added three more scores on the ground.

     

    The Freedom offense averages 301 yards per game, and has been a model of balance, running for 1,406 yards (156.2 yds./gm) and throwing for 1,302 yards (144.7 yds./gm).

     

    The Patriots average 31.7 points per game while allowing 15.3.

     

  • Thriller in Bangor: Wilson in a shoot out over Bangor

    BANGOR – You had the two top teams in the Colonial League facing off Friday night. On this night it was like Ali vs. Frazier, two great teams throwing everything they had at each other. Wilson Area (9-0) erased a 10-point halftime deficit to capture the Colonial League title with a 50-40 win over Bangor (7-2). This was the second title in three years for the Warriors.

     

    In the first half both teams combined for 56 points as Bangor held a 33-23 lead at halftime. Bangor sophomore Scott LaValva put on a clinic last night in front of a packed crowd on senior night. In the second quarter, LaValva had three touchdown runs for six, 34 and three yards).  He also threw a 70-yard touchdown pass to Brian Smith to give the Slater’s a 10-point lead at halftime. Head Coach Frank Scagliotta said, “LaValva is unbelievable. There aren’t too many sophomores who could do what he did.”

     

    Head Coach Brett Comp of Wilson seemed to settle his team down at halftime.  Comp said, “I told my players at halftime to loosen up …they were too tight in the first half.”

     

    The Warriors got a nice punt return to start the second half. AJ Parker got the running game going by ripping off both a 23-yard and 24-yard run.  Ray Mosby finished the drive with a 9-yard touchdown run. The extra point failed, but the Warriors pulled within 4 points 33-29 with 7:49 left in the quarter.

     

    Shane Yetter of Bangor fumbled away the kickoff and it was recovered by the Warriors at Bangor’s 33 yard line.

     

    All it took was one play for the Warriors to score. Smith faked the handoff and went right up the middle for the 33-yard touchdown run. Chris Rodriguez’s extra point gave the Warriors a 36-33 lead.

     

    The Warriors defense forced a three-and-out on the Slaters’ next possession. The Warriors started their next drive on their 25 yard line. After three straight run plays Smith threw a dart to Kowan Scott for a 41-yard touchdown pass. With the extra point being good the Warriors enjoyed a 10-point lead 43-33.

     

    Comp said, “The running game setup the passing game the second half.”The Slaters would answer back by putting on a nine play 64 yard drive for the score. LaValva hit a wide open Smith for the 22-yard touchdown pass. Monica Weil’s extra point cut into the Warrior’s lead 43-40 with 10:38 left in the game.
     
     The final score of the game came with 4:28 to go in the game. The Warriors drove 80 yards for the score. Two big passes by Smith for 38 and 34 yards helped setup the score. Parker would go in for the one-yard run giving the Warriors a 50-40 lead.
     
    Mosby would end the Slater’s final drive with an interception on a LaValva pass. As time ticked down, the Slate Belt Area witnessed a thrilling game that they will be talking about for years.

     

    Scagliotta said, “We did some things in the first half to get excited about but the third quarter killed us. Turning the ball over too many times hurt.”

    Tyler Smith finished with 380 yards passing and three touchdowns. He also had one touchdown run. Scott LaValva had 209 yards rushing and 225 yards passing to go with his four touchdowns (3 rushing and 1 passing). Both quarterbacks combined for 833 total yards of offense in the game.

  • Jaguar Seniors Come Through On Senior Day

               The Radnor Raiders entered Saturday’s afternoon game at Garnet Valley on a three game losing streak while the Garnet Valley Jaguars were looking to stay undefeated on their homecoming day at Morris DeFrank Field.

                The Radnor Raiders received the ball first and after quickly being stopped the Raiders had to punt the ball away. As the Raiders tried to punt the ball away the football was blocked by senior Ahmed Taha. Brendan Miller easily picked up the ball and trotted into the end zone to open the homecoming game with a bang to put the Jags up 7-0.

    Head coach of Garnet Valley Mike Ricci commented on how well the special teams did to start the game, “It was great, the first play we had senior Ahmed Taha block the punt and senior Brendan Miller picks the ball up and scores, and it’s a great story on senior day, senior parent day, and I was thrilled for those guys that they were able to do that. It set the tone for the game, we have been working hard on our special teams all year and they were able to come through.”

                Following the next couple series after Jaguars senior Jared Bonacquisti ran an 18 yard run down into the red zone; Marcellus Irving rushed for a six yard touchdown run and put the Jaguars up 14-0 after Dan Acchione kicked the extra point at the end of the first quarter. Irving said “I’ve been getting the ball close to the end zone; I just like to power the ball in there.”On Radnor’s next series quarterback Tyler Anderson threw an interception to Pat McGroarty as Radnor was threatening. The Jaguars took advantage of the turnover and senior running back Tim Keyser scored on a 39 yard touchdown run to lengthen the lead 20-0 Jaguars.

                After Radnor continued to have trouble finding the end zone the Jaguars offense continued to pound the ball. After bouncing around defenders and finding running lanes Tim Keyser ran a long 78 yard touchdown run to give the Jaguars a 26-0 lead. Another senior came up big and recovered a fumble on a bobbled handoff from Radnor, Ryan Canzanese landed on the fumble for the Jaguars. The offense once again took advantage after a turnover, and after a big catch by Marcellus Irving down to the one yard line quarterback Mark McHugh scored on a sneak into the end zone. Jaguars lead now by 32 points.

                Then to seal the deal for the Jaguars Mark McHugh scored on a five yard touchdown run. The Jaguars starters came out at the end of the third quarter which gave the young guys some playing time. After a scoreless quarter the game ended with the Jaguars staying undefeated (8-0) after winning 39-0. The Jaguar seniors came up big on Senior Day.

                Next week The Radnor Raiders will try to end their four game losing streak home against Haverford Township. The Jaguars will play Lower Merion at Harriton High School stadium. Coach Mike Ricci of Garnet Valley said “Lower Merion is another great offensive team; last week they had over 300 yards against Strath Haven, and we’re going to need to play better defense and we will work on that this week.”

  • St Joseph Prep- Cardinal O’Hara Preview

    St. Joseph Prep 5-2 overall (2-1) at Cardinal O’Hara 7-0 (3-1)

    Plymouth Whitemarsh High School 6 pm Friday October 17, 2008

    TV. ESPNU

    Head Coaches

    St Joseph Prep Gil Brooks 16th season at Prep 150-50-2

    Cardinal O’Hara Dan Algeo 5th season at O’Hara 29-18-0

    This is a pivotal matchup which will go along ways in deciding seeding for the Philadelphia Catholic League 4A playoffs which are schedule to start November 7th. The Hawks are coming off a 51-23 defeat of Cheltenham while the Lions are coming defeating the Raiders of Archbishop Ryan 28-22 in Overtime.

    Offensively the Hawks are led by Srs. Mike Yeager and Mark Giubilato. Yeager has rushed for 767 yards on 116 carries. Giubilato who’s in his first season as the starter and already is committed to Temple has thrown for 579 on 31 completions and 3 touchdowns. Penn State committee Mark Arcidiacono. Defensive the Hawks are led by LB Mike Pereira. Freshman Skyler Mornhinweg leads the Hawks with three interceptions. Mornhinweg is the son of Philadelphia Eagles Asst. head coach/ offensive coordinator Marty Mornhinweg.

    The Lions come in being led by their SR. QB Tom Savage. Savage who’s committed to Rutgers and has been selected to play in the US Army All American game has thrown for 996 yards on 67 completions and 9 touchdowns this season. Sr. Billy Morgon leads the receiving core for the Lions. Morgon has caught 15 passes for 308 yards and two touchdowns this season. Srs. Evan Higgins, Anthony McCloskey along with Sophomore Adam Dempsey lead the Lions rushing attack that will be without Junior standout Corey Brown who will miss his 3rd straight game with an injury. Brown rushed for 565 yards 56 carries and 8 touchdowns before his injury. Defensively the Lions are led up front by Srs. Dennis Mushrush, Chris Nolan and junior Matt Williams. The trio has been giving opponents fits all season wrong. McCloskey and Sr Nate Oropollo anchor the LB core for the Lions who will to defeat the Hawks for the first time since 2004 when they clipped the Hawks 14-13 in the Red Division Championship

  • Jersey Shore handles Mifflinburg, 31-10

    JERSEY SHORE – Steve Eck has been waiting for his Jersey Shore Bulldogs to make the big plays.

    Finally, with some help from Mifflinburg miscues, his squad got it done.

    Shore’s defense held Mifflinburg to a mere field goal in the second half, and the offense stepped up with big scores in the final 12 minutes as the Bulldogs defeated the Wildcats 31-10 Friday at Thompson Street Stadium.

    Tied at 7-all with eight minutes remaining in the first half, Eck’s kids needed a big play to feed off of.

    Kasey Kemmerer delivered the dessert.

    The Wildcats fumbled deep in their own territory, and Kemmerer – who ended the night with 84 yards rushing – scooped up the pigskin at the 6-yard line to set up the tie-breaking score. English scampered into the end zone from 1 yard out, giving the Bulldogs a seven-point advantage before the half.

    “I was just thinking to pick it up and get it in the end zone. I ended up a little bit short, though,” said Kemmerer, who had eight tackles. “It is just a great feeling overall. It’s great to get the win.”

    The Bulldogs (2-4) kept Wildcat quarterback Barry Tomasetti scrambling in the pocket on numerous occasions, sacking the freshman five times. Jake Heck had two, Logan Shay had one unassisted and combined with Kemmerer for another. Late in the game, Kyle Miller popped the ball loose from Tomasetti’s hands, which led to a Shore field goal.

    “The defense really stepped up,” Eck said. “A couple of times, they stopped them on fourth down. (Mifflinburg) actually changed their option and ran it to the open side almost exclusively last week. This week, they caught us a little bit by running to the tight-end side. They made some yardage there in the first quarter. The coaches made some adjustments and the kids did, too. They did a good job.”

    Mifflinburg (1-5) used the option to move down the field in the first half.

    After Clark Thompson gave the Bulldogs a 7-0 lead on a 1-yard scamper, Tomasetti got the Wildcats down to the Shore 6 to begin the second quarter. Wildcat workhorse Matt Brouse rushed the ball in from 5 yards out for paydirt. Brouse earned 68 yards on 17 carries.

    The second half was paced early by Mifflinburg as the Wildcats got close enough for a 40-yard field goal, pulling within four points.

    “We have a freshman at quarterback that made some great plays, and then some that weren’t so great,” Mifflinburg head coach Mark Reitz said. “The option worked all game. That play relies a lot on the quarterback. To rely on a freshman, he did pretty well. We didn’t take advantage of a couple of things that we should have. That’s the way it goes when you play a freshman quarterback running the option.”

    After getting fired up by a questionable fumble call in the third stanza, the Bulldogs rebounded in the fourth quarter with two consecutive scores.

    A QB keeper by English put Shore at the Mifflinburg 2, and the junior ran it in for paydirt.

    On the Bulldogs’ next series, Kemmerer had a huge rush from the Shore 24 to the Wildcat 30 with 6:30 remaining in the game. A bullet from English to Ian Sander put the Bulldogs at the Wildcat 8-yard line, and on third-and-goal, English caught Jake Potter on the TD strike.

    The QB ended the night 13-for-18 with 194 yards passing, one TD and two rushing scores.

    His main target was Sander, who had four catches for 45 yards. Ian Berry caught three for 51 yards, while Logan Mariano caught two for 34.

    “That was certainly huge,” Eck said of Kemmerer’s fumble recovery. “At 14-10, it was still a tight game. (Mifflinburg) could have won it. That turned things in our favor.

    “This was a big-play game. We had a couple big runs and had a lot of different people catching the ball. We set ourselves up for playing well next week. It’s going to be a challenge for sure, but we’re ready.”

    The Bulldogs will travel to Mount Carmel Area for a showdown with the Red Tornadoes next week.

    PHAC Division I

    JERSEY SHORE 31, MIFFLINBURG 10

    M 0-7-3-0 – 10

    J 7-7-0-17 – 31

    Score By Quarters

    First Quarter

    JS – Clark Thompson 1 run (Eli Skinner kick), 4:39

    Second Quarter

    M – Matt Brouse 5 run (Jon Himes kick), 11:56

    JS – Taylor English 1 run (Skinner kick), 7:01

    M – Himes 40 field goal, 5:38

    Fourth Quarter

    JS – English 2 run (Skinner kick), 9:37

    JS – Jake Potter 5 pass from English (Skinner kick), 6:04

    JS – Skinner 42 field goal, 2:28

    Team Statistics

    JS M

    First Downs 11 14

    Rushes-Yards 25-89 43-168

    Yards Passing 194 95

    C.-A.-I3-18-0 5-11-1

    Fumbles-Lost 2-1 2-1

    Individual Statistics

    Rushing: M, Darren Reynolds 1-3; Barry Tomasetti 11-27; Travis Hartman 3-17; Matt Brouse 17-68; Chad Wolfgang 9-45; Derek Wiand 1-6; Travis Schreck 1-2. J, Jake Potter 10-(-5); Kasey Kemmerer 7-81; Clark Thompson 2-5; Eli Skinner 1-2; Taylor English 3-6; Shawn Ulmer 1-(-1); Logan Enders 1-1.

    Passing: M, Tomasetti 5-11-95-0-1. JS, English 13-18-194-1-0.

    Receiving: M, Reynolds 3-51; Anthony Wagner 1-33; Shawn Hurst 1-11. JS, Ian Sander 4-45; Ian Berry 3-51; Kemmerer 1-18; Logan Mariano 2-34; Skinner 1-19; Chad Wheeler 1-22; Potter 1-5.

  • Balance Offense Propels O’Hara over H.D. Woodson

    CHESTER: Heading into Saturday evenings non league match up the Warriors from H.D Woodson from Washington DC Cardinal O’Hara was among the Catholic League leaders in rushing yards per game. Well the Lions showed a balance attack to propel them to a 31-7 victory at Widener’s University Leslie C. Quick Stadium.

     

    The Lions would strike first following an interception by Corey Brown who would go down with an injury on the play. The Lions would go 46 yards on 3 plays with the big play coming on the first play of the drive when Tom Savage hit Billy Morgon for a 44 yard gain. Two plays later Evan Higgins would power his way through from a yard out. Alex Penza would add the extra point giving the Lions the 7-0 lead.

     

    Woodson would respond despite not being able to come up with the kickoff. A fumble would put an end to the Lion drive.  Six plays the Warriors would capitalize on the turnover when Kayvone Springs would punch it in from 4 yards out. The extra point was good tying the game at 7.

     

    The next O’Hara touchdown would be product complimentary of the defense when Higgins would intercept a Ricardo Young pass and return it 52 yards with help from his  blockers for the touchdown. Penza would add the extra point to give the Lions the 14-7 lead at end of the first quarter. “My defense made a great wall for me and threw nice blocks for

     

    With help from a fumble recovery by Kevin Lalor the Lions would add to their when Savage would sneak his way in from a yard out. Penza would add the extra point giving the Lions the 21-7 lead going into the half. Savage would finish the game with 200 yards passing.

     

    In the second the defense lead by Chris Nolan would come out firing like they did all year. “ He( Nolan) just played a possess man” is how Higgins would describe his teammate’s defensive effort.

     

    Penza would cap the first drive of the second half with his 33 yard field goal. The field goal would be Penza’s first career. Penza is also a star on the Lions golf team.

     

    Sophomore Adam Dempsey would cap the score on the raining evening with his 3 yard touchdown. Penza would add the extra point to give the Lions the 31-7 victory and improve them to 5-0.

     

    Up next for the Lions is the defending Philadelphia Catholic League Red Division Champions Roman Catholic will enter the game with a record 3-1. Kickoff is schedule for 7 pmFriday Night at 10th and Bigler in Philadelphia.

  • Athens pounces on Jersey Shore, 25-15

    JERSEY SHORE – Jack Young and Steve Eck will both admit this one wasn’t pretty.

    Yellows being thrown for unsportsmanlike conduct and personal fouls marred both sides throughout the game. But in the end, that’s not what it came down to.

    Athens just threw the ball more efficiently, and Jersey Shore couldn’t prevent it from happening.

    The Wildcats’ Shane Raupers connected with wide receiver Jarred Gambrell twice, and Athens went on to win 25-15 Friday at Thompson Street Stadium.

    Raupers, who was injured last week against Danville, fought through his injury by completing 14-of-36 passes for 227 yards. His main target, Gambrell, ended the night with 121 yards receiving and two scores – both of which came in the first half.

    “Shane is hurting,” Athens head coach Young said. “We didn’t play him on defense at all, and he’s not going to kick the ball for a few weeks. He’s a gutsy kid, and I believe this was his 40th varsity start, which you don’t see too often. When it does happen, it happens for a reason.

    “We are kind of licking our wounds after last week, and I don’t think we quite showed up to play. I think once we started playing defense, things leveled out a bit. It was an ugly ballgame. But, anytime you can win on the road is a good win. That is what we were looking for – to get back in the ‘W’ column.”

    Things started off bright for Jersey Shore (1-3), which marched down the field on its opening drive. The Bulldogs capped a four-play, 62-yard drive with a 38-yard run by Jake Potter for a quick, 6-0 lead.

    After that, the scores didn’t come near as often for Shore.

    A field goal by Eli Skinner in the second knotted the game at 6, and the orange and black didn’t score again until the beginning of the fourth quarter on a 1-yard quarterback keeper by Taylor English.

    “When we practiced all week, we practiced for the things that we thought they would do, even with (Raupers) in there,” Eck said. “I should have probably anticipated that. We needed to step up, and our offensive line did that in the first series. They just took it to them; then I don’t know what happened.

    “I just told the team, I was embarassed the way we lost our composure. We just gave them all those extra yards. That’s not the way I play football.”

    The Wildcats (3-1) fired back after Shore’s score in the first as Raupers connected with Gambrell for a 30-yard TD strike. Athens went three-and-out on its next drive, giving Shore the ball which eventually led to the Bulldogs 32-yard field goal.

    Then, the Northern Tier school really opened things up.

    Athens drove 80 yards down the field – which included a 40-yard reception by Garrett Morgan to put the Wildcats at the Shore 37. Raupers got his team up to the 20-yard line, and again found Gambrell in the end zone.

    The Wildcats got the ball back quickly for their next two series, as two Shore fumbles gave Athens more opportunities. On the drive after Shore’s first turnover, Raupers threw an interception to Jake Rogers, but it came to no avail as the Bulldogs turned it over again, which led a Morgan 10-yard scamper for paydirt.

    There was some hope for Shore, which started off the fourth quarter with a touchdown. After getting to its own 45-yard line, Shore punted the ball away but Athens fumbled, giving the ball back to the Bulldogs. Two penalities pushed Shore to the Wildcats’ 12-yard line, and English ran it in for paydirt.

    The Shore QB was limited through the air, however, as he completed 11-of-22 passes for only 62 yards.

    “We did a nice job of that,” Young said of his teamás pass protection. “We talked about that all week, just taking care of the little things. We took care of some little things, but it was a real sloppy ball game. As a coach, you don’t want to see that kind of a ballgame. There were too many flags, but a win on a long road trip is a good win.”

    “Now we go and play five league games. We have to take each one at a time. We just wanted to get back in the ‘W’ column, and now we can see what happens in our league.”

    Next week, the Bulldogs will be tested on the road when they travel to Montoursville, which is a PHAC Divison I contest. The Warriors easily defeated Milton 47-7 last night.

    ATHENS 25, JERSEY SHORE 15

    A 6 12 7 0 – 25

    J 6 3 0 6 – 15

    First Quarter

    JS – Jake Potter 38 run (kick failed), 10:00

    A – Jarred Gambrell 30 pass from Shane Raupers (kick failed), 7:25

    Second Quarter

    JS – Eli Skinner 31 field goal, 10:40

    A – Gambrell 20 pass from Raupers (pass failed), 7:20

    A – Garrett Morgan 2 run (pass failed), 3:10

    Third Quarter

    A – Josiah Lesser 8 run (Cody May kick), 8:29

    Fourth Quarter

    JS – Taylor English 1 run (pass failed), 11:56

    TEAM STATISTICS

                         A                    JS

    First Downs 16                   11

    Rushes-Yards 29-121       29-130

    Yards Passing 227             62

    Total Offense 348             192

    C.-A.-T 14-36-1            11-22-1

    Fumbles-Lost 1-2           2-2

    INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS

    Rushing: A, Garrett Morgan 18-76; Josiah Lesser 6-20; Shane Raupers 5-25. J, Jake Potter 16-115; Taylor English 5-(-11); Kasey Kemmerer 2-5; Logan Mariano 6-21.

    Passing: A, Raupers 14-36-227-2-1. J, English 11-22-62-0-1.

    Receiving: Gambrell 7-121; Josh Clark 4-48; Morgan 2-48; Dan Riley 1-10. JS, Eli Skinner 4-26; Jake Potter 1-(-6); Ian Berry 2-16; Logan Welshans 3-20; Ian Sander 1-6.

    Interceptions: A, Dan Riley. J, Jake Rogers.

     

  • North Penn holds on 14-7

       With the rain coming down hard and the field becoming a quagmire, whoever scored first in the much anticipated match-up of #1  St. Joe’s Prep and  #2 North Penn would have a big edge in the game.

       North Penn jumped on the scoreboard first and held on as #2 defeated #1 14-7 at  Crawford Stadium in Lansdale Friday nite.

      North Penn now leads the all time series 3-1 with wins in 2000, 2007 and this year. The Prep’s only win came in 1997.

      Ronnie Akins returned a punt 66 yards with 4:09 to go in the first quarter as the Knights (3-0) went up 7-0.  Akins returned another punt 15 yards and was 1 step from breaking that return for a score as well.  Prep head coach Gil Brooks stated earlier in the week that Akins could be the best athlete that the Hawks could face all season.  Akins has touched the ball 15 times on the season and has 4 touchdowns.

      Tyler Smith then increased the North Penn lead to 14-0 as he went 96 yards for the touchdown with 18 seconds left in the first quarter. Smith ended with 151 yards on 13 carries.  Brendan Mc Manus was perfect on both of his PAT’s  in the game but did miss on a 42 yard field goal.  McManus also came up real big in the punting game with a 33 yard average on 8 punts.

      St. Joe’s, (2-1) tried almost exclusively running between the tackles in the first half, using their size advantage up front. However, it was North Penn’s speed that kept the Hawks off the scoreboard in the first half.

      It finally paid off on their first possession of the third quarter driving 73 yards on 4 plays as Michael Yeager rumbled 60 yards with 3:14 to go cutting the North Penn lead to 14-7. Yeager finished with 123 yards on 14 carries.  North Penn had recieved the opening kickoff of the second half and chewed over 8 minutes off the clock but a number of penalties and a high snap over the head of Quarterback Justin Davey prevented North Penn from scoring.  St. Joe’s ended the game with 167 yards rushing and 28 yards passing, while North Penn had 182 yards in the muddy field and 18 yards in the air.

      The Prep had 1 last chance to tie the game as they got the football on their 5 yard line with over 1 minute to go but was unable to do anything with it.

      “I’m happy with the way we played defensively,” said Knight head coach Dick Beck. “I understand that the ball is wet and field conditions, but we can’t make the mistakes we made in this game and expect to go anywhere,” he added.

      Both teams start play in their respective leagues next week as North Penn is home with Central Bucks South and St. Joe’s Prep begins play in the AAAA Divsion of the Catholic League on the road again at LaSalle.

      “What we’ve done up to now is nothing,” said Beck  “Our season starts next week.”

  • Tunkhannock plays tough, but versitle Berwick pulls away, 42-20.

    Although the Tunkhannock Tigers lost the game to Berwick, 42-20, they proved to everyone that they wouldn’t go down to any team without a fight. Before the game started, you could see from the program that Tunkhannock was at a huge disadvantage. Tunkhannock had a compact list on the back of the program with decent sized font, hosting about 25 names. However, Berwick had a 2 page insert with a list of their roster, filling up a page an a half of names on their varsity squad.

    Berwick also has a great reputation as a powerhouse in the District, while Tunkhannock has been an after thought in the league for quite a few years now. Apparently someone forgot to tell the Tigers that. From opening kickoff the the ending buzzer, Tunkhannock play non-stop, relentless football.

    Early on in the game, it looked as though Berwick would take advantage of this depth-ridden team, as they started off the game with a 21-0 lead. But, towards the end of the half, Tunkhannock put up two impressive drives and scored both time times, making the score 28-12, thanks to great team play on both defense and special teams. After what seemed to be a blowout, it looked as though Tunkhannock was coming back. But, with under a minute left in the half, quarterback AJ Mihaly threw a 70 yard bomb to his receiver, and scored a touchdown with 25 seconds left in the half, putting the Dawgs up 35-12. Then, on the ensuing kickoff, Tunkhannock bobbled the return, and Berwick scooped it up and ran it in for another score, putting them up even more, 40-12, to end the half. After what looked so promising for this young Tiger team, seemed to go all down the drain by the end of the half.

    But, the second half rolls around, and instead of seeing an unmotivated Tiger team, they seem to storm out of the locker room, showing that they are still hungry for more. After starting the game, then being relieved by Tunkhannock’s other QB, quarterback TJ Jenkins came back in the game, and drove the team on a 75 yard drive in his third possession after halftime. The drive included a 60 yard, on the run pass, to his receiver. It’s too bad that this would be Tunkhannock’s final score of the game.

    After looking at the score, 42-20, you would think that Berwick was by far the superior team, but if those two costly mistakes did not happen at the end of the 1st half, the Tigers may have had a shot in this one. With new coach Frank Bernardeli, Tunkhannock looks to be on it’s way to a solid season and solid foundation, and expect big things from them going forward. But, Berwick really looked like a high power offense, and could very well go deep into the playoffs once again this season.

  • Ursuline Catholic wears down Beca in 2nd half. 44-21Final.

    Chad Breidinger/Reporter
    Easternpafootball.com

    Ursuline Catholic of Youngstown, Ohio scores 30-points in the 2nd half to beat Bethlehem Catholic and improve their record to (2-0).

    The game was very competitive in the first half with Ursuline leading 13-7 at the break. Beca was constantly getting penetration into the backfield and racking up tackles for losses. However, the big play is what hurt the Hawks.

    Ursuline was very deep in the skill positions using 5 RB’s and 3 QB’s throughout the game.

    Daryl Mason started off the scoring with a 41-yard TD run. It appeared as if he was stooped but then popped out and ran free. Ursuline 7-0.

    In the second quarter Allen Jones went in from the 1-yard line to make it 13-0. The PAT was missed.

    Beca finally got on the board when Tevrin Brandon returned a punt 39-yards to paydirt cutting the lead to 13-7

    In the first half there were a total of 8 punts between both teams as each played stellar defense.

    The start of the second half is when Ursuline widened the gap. Nico Irizarry ran for 45-yards for an apparent TD but a holding penalty brought back the Touchdown. They continued to run their stable of RB’s with Allen Jones finally taking it in from 10-yards out on that same drive. Ursuline converted the 2pt conversion to extend its lead 21-7.

    Beca was then forced to punt on the next possession. The ball was snapped low and as the punter tried to pick it up he was smashed sending the ball to the turf and eventually in the hands of Matt Krause who ran it in to increase their lead to 28-7.

    After another Ursuline punt it was Tevrin Brandon at it again returning the punt 40-yards to the 20-yard line. A few plays later and Darrius Webb reversed field and scored from 6-yards out. 28-14.

    A combination of a personal foul (facemask), a long pass play, and an 18-yard run by Jones led to Irizarry scoring from 3-yards out. 35-14.

    On the next series Beca QB Brian Morris was called for intentional ground in the endzone resulting in a safety. 37-14.

    Ursuline finished it’s scoring on a Wade Daniels 9-yard run. 44-14.

    Beca scored one last time on a 12-yard shuffle pass by Webb. 44-21.

    Next week Beca hosts Allen.

  • Steelton-Highspire

    An obvious choice at #1 for so many reasons.  Maybe it’s because of Jordan Hill, a wrecking fullback/linebacker who has committed to Rutgers.  Maybe it’s because of the Rollers dual-threat quarterback Andre Campbell.  Maybe it’s because the Rollers are the defending state champions in Class “A.”  Or maybe, just maybe, it could be because of Jeremiah Young, the running back shattering records faster than opera singers shatter glass.  He’s just 2,200 yards shy of James Mungro’s career rushing record, and 2,785 yards from 9,000.  Mind-boggling numbers?  Yeah.  Steel-High is mind-bogglingly good.

  • Round-by-round Results for the Berwick 7-on-7 Scrimmage

    Preliminary results of through 6 rounds of the Berwick 7-on-7 scrimmage:

    Round 1:

    Mount Carmel: 7, Berwick Area: 6
    Delaware Valley: 22, Danville: 15

    Round 2:

    Berwick Area: 29, Manheim Central: 28
    Danville: 15, Central Bucks West: 14

    Round 3:

    Mount Carmel: 22, Manheim Central: 21
    Delaware Valley: 22, Central Bucks West: 21

    Round 4:
    Berwick Area: 25, Danville: 21
    Mount Carmel: 22, Delaware Valley: 21

    Round 5:
    Berwick Area: 14, Central Bucks West: 0
    Danville: 28, Manheim Central: 27

    Round 6:
    Mount Carmel: 21, Central Bucks West: 6
    Manheim Central: 28, Delaware Valley: 7

    PlayoffsQuarterfinals
    #6 Central Bucks West: 14, #3 Delaware Valley: 0
    #5 Manheim Central: 29, #4 Danville: 28

    Semifinals
    #1 Mount Carmel: 21, #5 Manheim Central: 14
    #2 Berwick Area: 14, #6 Central Bucks West: 0

    Championship
    #2 Berwick Area: 21, #1 Mount Carmel: 14

  • Jenson leads Red Team

    NAZARETH – Palisades quarterback Kyle Jensen may have saved his best game for last, as he led the Red Team throwing four touchdown passes to a 27-21 win in the 38th Annual McDonald’s Lehigh Valley Classic at Nazareth’s Andy Leh Stadium.

    Jensen got the scoring going in the first quarter. Jensen hit Wade Williams of Pius X for a 4-yard touchdown pass for the first score. But he wasn’t done in the quarter. Jensen’s second touchdown pass in the quarter went to Jameel Symour of Northampton on a beautiful pass for 19 yards. Ian Heck’s extra point gave the Red Team a 14-0 lead.

    The Gold Team decided to make things interesting in the second quarter. After a nice punt by Tim Picerno of Pocono Mountain East to the Red Teams two-yard line, AJ Safi of Salisbury would get the Gold Team on the scoreboard when he tackled Gary Fish in the end zone for the safety. The Gold Team trailed 14-2. But the big play for the Gold Team came when Jonathan Mangual of Pocono Mountain West hit Shane McEvoy of Lehighton for a 30-yard touchdown pass. The Gold Team trailed 14-8.

    Right before halftime Jenson would get his third touchdown pass of the game as he found Jameel Seymour of Northampton streaking down the sideline for a 64-yard touchdown pass. The Red Team would go into halftime leading 21-8.

    In the second half the Gold Team was able to cut into the Red Team’s lead when Thad Kosciolek of Allentown Central Catholic hit McEvoy a the 22-yard touchdown pass. The Red Team now led 21-15.

    Jenson would answer for the Red Team by throwing his fourth touchdown pass in the game to Matt Siedt of Nazareth hauled in the 19-yard pass. The Red Team now led 27-15.

    The Gold Team made a late run when Mangual went in for a one-yard run. The kick failed and the Gold Team trailed 27-21. McEvoy who already caught two touchdowns made an incredible catch for 37-yards late in the game.

    The Gold team was faced with a 4th down late in the game. Thad Kosciolek’s fourth-down pass attempt was intercepted, ending the Gold Team’s drive. But in the end a pair of interceptions by Kevin Kroboth of Nazareth and Jack Buckley of Phillipsburg helped preserve the win for the Red Team. The Red Team held on for a 27-21 victory.

    This game is all about seniors and on this night one senior stood out. Kyle Jensen threw for 277 yards and four touchdowns as he led his Red Team to a 27-21 victory. Jensen took all the snaps for the Red Team. Jensen said, “This was a lot of fun. It was a team effort.”

    The Gold Team was led by Lehighton’s Shane McEvoy with 171 yards receiving and two touchdowns. Jon Mangual passed for 118 yards and ran for 59 yards.

    Mangual said, “They were a fast defense. I had to keep my head up and look for an opening.”