District 3’s equivalent of the “Purple People Eaters” (82-11 overall since the start of the 2004 season) was rolling along and pillaging the opposition until those pesky Wyomissing Spartans pulled a shocking 21-14 upset on the Crusaders in the District 3 AA semifinals.
The 2011 season will be Lancaster Catholic’s last in AA for at least the next two years (2012 & 2013), as the Crusaders will make the jump to AAA and to Section 1 of the Lancaster-Lebanon League – a section which lays claim to representatives like Wilson-West Lawn, McCaskey, Manheim Township, and Penn Manor. So LC’s got to make this last season as a AA team count. And they’ve got quite a few talented pieces returning to do just that.
It starts with Adam DePietro, a senior offensive lineman who issued a pre-season declaration to Northwestern. DePietro, who plays tackle at LC, is ranked as the #11 offensive guard prospect in the nation by Scout.com and has a four-star rating. Impressive stuff. He was part of an offensive line which paved the way for a unit which averaged 398.6 yards and 39.9 points per game. The only other returning Crusader lineman is two-way presence Anthony Juliano.
Also joining the fold are returning 1,000-yard rushers Roman Clay (1,544 yards) and Brandon Hollister (1,015 yards). The duo scored a comined 38 rushing touchdowns. Receivers Sean Titus, Charles Sweigert, Hollister and Robert DePietro combined to snag 55 passes for 916 yards and 11 touchdowns last season, and will provide a series of veteran presences for whomever emerges from a three-man race for the starting quarterback race. The Crusaders’ 2010 field general John Roda threw for 1,837 yards and 23 touchdowns.
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Taking a risk and saying West Catholic is number 1. lol.