Kenny Woseley doesn’t run away from it. Neither do his teammates. Woseley, Imhotep Charter’s sterling 5-11, 170-pound cornerback who is committed to Penn State, put it bluntly at the District 12 media day last Friday: “It’s mandatory that we win the state championship this year. Coming up short it seems like every year, people have a right across the state to think what they want. We are back hungrier and with more experience than last year. We’re going out to get the state title, and whoever is in our way, we’re going to move them out of our way.”
The reality of it is that the Imhotep Charter Panthers are far from chokers. The program under head coach Devon Johnson is a perennial PIAA Class 5A state championship contender. Imhotep has been to the state finals seven times (2013, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2021, and 2022), and in 2015, the Panthers made history by becoming the first Philadelphia public school to win a state championship in football by taking the Class 5A title.
The problem is, as Woseley, Mikal Davis, Jahsear Whittington, and David Johnson point out, the number ‘1’ in the left column always gets erased by the ‘6’ in the right column.
Davis, the Panthers’ three-year starting quarterback, knows everything is about winning in December. It’s about the only thing the Panthers haven’t done.
“I know we’ve only won one state title and I know the feeling of losing in the state championship because it wipes out all of the good you do during the season, it’s like you haven’t done anything,” Davis said. “I feel as though we have something to prove this year. We’re ready. The rest of the state does look at us like we’re chokers, but that comes a lot from players and teams across the state who haven’t been there before, and who don’t know what the atmosphere is like. We do. We’ve been there and I’m telling everyone right now, we’re going to get the job done.”
Whittington, the Panthers’ 6-2, 280-pound defensive tackle headed to Pitt, says he hears the label—and a lot of that comes from the Philadelphia area.
“We don’t get too much love from the city, because we are the best,” he said. “Everyone is out to get us. We’re okay with that. When you work hard and put the time in like we do, that goes towards being the best. We always get it from guys in the city, ‘You make it every year, just to lose in the state championship.’ There’s nothing I can say to defend that, because it is true, because the coaching staff, we’re putting in the time, and everything is about finishing, finishing runs, finishing plays, and when we’re thudding up, we do it with that mentality to finish.”
La Salle’s sophomore quarterback Gavin Sidwar is going to be trouble for opposing defenses
Gavin Sidwar, La Salle’s sophomore 6-foot-3 quarterback, grew an inch and gained about 30 pounds since last year. He broke his left collarbone and missed five games last season.
“I did a lot of learning last year and not to take anything for granted,” said Sidwar, who already has offers from Virginia Tech and Maryland in limited play as a freshman. “I learned how to face adversity and have a short memory. I can’t wait for this year. We have big expectations as a team and have great leaders.”
Starting with Explorers’ head coach John Steinmetz.
“Gavin is a very good player, and I’m looking for a big year from him this year,” Steinmetz said. “His maturity and leadership have gotten incrementally better since last year. We’re going to have a solid, and fast team, a fast team for us, one of the fastest teams we’ve had here. Gavin knows the offense as well as anyone. He knows where is and I’m looking forward to this year. We have a chance to have a nice, little team.”
Overbrook enters 2023 looking for history
If there is a team that can threaten Imhotep in the Philadelphia Public League, it could be Lincoln. It’s been a while since the Railsplitters last won a Philadelphia Public League championship. How about way back in 1981?
Coach Akeem Cooper has done amazing work in five years with the program, going 9-3 in 2019, 9-2 in 2020, 6-1 (COVID-19) in 2021, and 9-4 in 2022, losing to Northeast in the PIAA District 12 Class 6A championship. Senior tight end/linebacker Quron Anderson leads a young team, which also returns junior stalwarts Ziyyon Bredell, a wide receiver/defensive back, linebacker Andre Gordon and offensive lineman Yeremi Duran.
“We lost a lot, but we do return a lot,” Cooper said. “We’ve brought a new culture that makes us believe that we can compete with any team in the state. We can compete because it’s more than football with our guys. I feel good about the whole team overall. I’ll call the defense, and I love what we have offensively and defensively. The guys are really excited. They have a sense of urgency, especially with the bad taste that they have from last year.”
Lincoln was up 14-0, against Northeast and lost, 19-14.
“We’re aware of the long history we have,” Gordon said. “We know it’s been since 1981 since we last won a city title. The goal is to get a state chip, but first, we have to start first with the city title. I know the date, 9/22, a Friday when we play Imhotep. I’ve memorized the date.”
Tiny Vaux is making big strides
Vaux finally got a blocking sled this year. Normal practices are held on a dirt lot. The Cougars do not play home games. This season will mark the first time the program returns more than 10 players from the previous year. The school has converted a classroom into its first weight room. Vaux was 3-5 last season with two games canceled and reached the PIAA District 12 Class 3A championship, where the Cougars lost to KIPP DuBois Academy, 22-16.
The program will be entering its fourth season. The money they received from an Eagles’ Game of the Week they used to buy equipment. There will be over 30 kids on the team this year.
“We managed to get to the championship last year and we’re growing, and this is (head coach Robert) Marsden’s baby with all the time and commitment he puts in,” Vaux assistant coach Sam Czarkowski said. “We have a lot of guys back and I try to explain it like this, we have super athletic kids who are learning. We’re excited about where the program is going.”
Joseph Santoliquito is an award-winning sportswriter who has been covering high school football since 1992 and is the president of the Boxing Writers Association of America. He can be followed on Twitter @JSantoliquito. Follow EasternPAFootball.com on Twitter @EPAFootball.
