OCT. 31
NON-LEAGUE
Germantown 16, Imhotep 8
  Northwest Philadelphia football was in the building in this one. This was the first-ever meeting of the Bears and the Panthers and this one was a dandy. Capitalizing on a fumble, Robert Fitzhugh scampered 14 fourteen yards for an early score for the Bears. The conversion was a Ramadan Abdullah pass to Linear Ruffin.  The Bears scored again in the second quarter on a drive set up by a botched fake punt. Senior fullback-linebacker Shahid Bundy went through the middle of the Panthers defense for a 9 yard touchdown run. The Panthers would threaten a couple of times but could not get into the end zone. A couple of  possessions Germantown threatened to score again, and once they got to the 6. Imhotep would get on the board with a late defensive touchdown when Dasir White picked up a fumble on the 2 and walked into the end zone. The fumble was a candidate for football follies: the ball kept going backwards and backwards on a play that began on the 32 yard line. After a Leland Smith conversion run, the chess match was on. Coach Marc Wilson of Imhotep decided to play it straight and kick off with only four minutes remaining. That worked and the Panthers got a big three and out. The Panthers would try to equalize with sophomore quarterback Chris Lewis at the helm and Smith moved out to wideout. They would get to the Bears 27 and then false start back to the 32. From there in the waning moments, senior defensive back Jeffrey Best would snag an interception and they would hold on from there. What a great atmosphere, it was crazy to see almost every weight football coach in Northwest Phila at a football game. Both teams somewhat are disappointing. They have the talent to contend for Pub honors, and beyond, but they are both already out of the Pub playoffs. Hopefully, that can change in the years to come because my stomach tells me that the Pub’s best hope for long-term success could be in Northwest Philadelphia. The Panthers received a great performance for senior Richard Kirven, who tallied 8 tackles. Junior defensive back Kendrick Lewis snagged an interception. Also senior defensive lineman George Gaines was a force in the middle. Two underclassmen showed well in the late stages of the game -- sophomore linebacker Jerimiah Kendrick and junior safety Anwar Raines.  They played this one without the services of senior superstar Daniel Jones. The Bears on the other hand were led on defense by the awesome linebacking duo of  Rahmel Hamilton and Bundy . Both players were all over the field on the defensive end. Hamilton was in on 13 stops. Abdullah was 9-15 for 100 yards, the Bears were to make an impression with a nice short passing game. Receiver Linear Ruffin was able to snag four passes for forty-five yards.  Two juniors showed well in the late stages of the game;  linebacker Taylor Bailey and offensive lineman Tamir Young (6’4 240).
  Sidenotes-What a great day for football!!!!!!! Halloween and the day of the big parade on Broad Street. That parade had the entire city in a standstill. It was crazy just trying to navigate downtown earlier in the day. By the way , you think if a Pub team won a state football title would there a huge parade downtown. Isn’t that what Emperor Palpatine (Paul Vallas) envisioned? (Nobody can grind an axe like me.)

OCT. 25
PUBLIC AA SEMIFINAL
Ben Franklin 22, Imhotep Charter 6
  I was here for the regular season match-up between these two schools and guess what, this was a better game!!! With a decent sized crowd on hand for this semifinal tilt, the Panthers struck first when sophomore quarterback Christopher Lewis went up top to junior wide receiver Kendrick Lewis for a 63-yard touchdown. The Electrons were having some trouble moving the ball but eventually, senior quarterback Anthony Stones found Jamel “Redz” Haggins for a 31-yard TD. Following Haggins’ score the Electrons took the lead with a successful conversion from Robert Ingram. Imhotep’s kick returner Anwar Raines returned the ball 40 yards and nearly took it to the house but Haggins dragged him down. The next play for Imhotep would spell disaster as Lewis, bobbling the center snap and attempting to run, fumbles. Haggins recovered and rumbled 15 yards to set up another Electron drive. In a span of seconds, Haggins caught a touchdown, prevented a touchdown with tackle on a kickoff return and then recovered a fumble. Not bad for a day’s work but Redz contributed much more than that sequence. In regards to Haggins, his performance was stellar and this sequence was an example of what a marquee player must do for his team to win. After some running from junior tailback Marquis White led to a first down, Redz hauled in a 16-yard reception from Stones to get the ball to the 2 in the waning moments of the first half. From there Ingram would plow in from the 1 with eight seconds remaining in the half. The second half was strange; Imhotep threatened twice but they committed four turnovers, with three of them coming on interceptions. The Electrons were able to score again late fourth quarter when Ingram ran up the middle from 29 yards out. That run sealed a Public League Championship game (not really; but a 2A PL championship) appearance for Franklin against arch-nemesis Edward Bok Tech.  In that game it will be interesting to gauge White’s effectiveness, he left in the second half after rushing 20 times for 112 yards. White appeared to have hurt his knee making a tackle in the latter stages of the game.
  Sidenotes- A big hand to the Franklin cheerleaders. They were here early and were loud all day, especially noteworthy because the weather was horrible . . . Franklin versus Bok again, and the winner gets either West Catholic or McDevitt/Carroll.

OCT. 24
NON-LEAGUE
Simon Gratz 30, Thomas Edison 22
  This used to be a Thanksgiving Day match-up, so I was more than interested in watching the “Battle of Hunting Park” take place. Edison started out on fire, junior quarterback Terrell Lee was terrific all through the game but in the first half he was especially superb. The Owls got the game’s first three scores, all on touchdown passes from Lee to receivers Terrance Gary, Craig Gay and Leroy Harris.  Gay’s grab was sensational as he went up in between two defenders, and outjumped both to snare a score. The Owls appeared to be letting out some frustration on the Bulldogs in the first half, and Gay registered a hit-of-the-year nominee on a kickoff return when he leveled a Bulldog. Furthermore, junior linemen Joe Perez and Chris Faggins were giving out some vicious blocks . Perez especially is one to watch. He showed some serious hard-hitting tendencies early before an injury diminished his impact on the game. With 42 seconds remaining in the second quarter, Aaron Rice  took a short pass from Montrell Stewart, broke six tackles and rumbled into the end zone from 47 yards out.  That was the turning point. The Bulldogs took control in the second half behind the running of Rice and his fellow junior running back, Jason Martin. J. Martin would finish with 137 yards on 15 carries. Both he and Rice would score second-half rushing touchdowns. Rice would put the Bulldogs on top with six-yard run in the late stages of the 3rd quarter. The Owls would threaten twice but fell short, Gratz was aided on the defensive side of the ball by three underclassmen; defensive lineman Tameric Richardson (6’1 225), junior linebacker Micheal Mobley (a huge late interception) and tiny linebacker Raheem Hall. Hall was a game-long force for the Bulldogs. So the Battle of Hunting Park was a good one.
  Sidenotes -- Game started late. Only two officials at the very beginning. White Hat was Gary Butler, who did fine but his crew is weak. Three plays in, another referee trots into the game. Middle fourth quarter, there was a fourth striper on the game. Wow!

OCT. 23
NON-LEAGUE
Dobbins 39, King 0
  This one was good in the first half but then the Mustangs took over and won this game easily in the second half. The running attack was highlighted by Karon James, who carried 7 times for 102 yards. The defense was led by Derek Clark. In the second half, James and his backfield partner Ralston Thomas were subbed for deep reserves. If not, both talented rushers could have put up staggering numbers. For King, which fumbled four times (three in the second half, after trailing only 13-0), Kyeem Coleman ran 15 times for 57 yards. James Colbourne was the top Cougar today; he had 5 tackles and snagged an interception.
  Sidenotes -- Not any. It was not a good game.

OCT. 18
PUBLIC A
Delaware Valley 44, School of the Future 6
  This one was over early. The Warriors got on the board early when quarterback Jibri Monk lofted a perfect pass to Jeremiah Mitchell. Following a conversion run by senior back Ronald McBeth they led 8-0. School of the Future (please name the school after somebody already; that name is too long) came back and scored with a 4-yard run from sophomore quarterback Amir Martin. Early second quarter the score is 8-6, Delaware Valley, and this game looks like a goodie. The Warriors were not having any parts of a close game. Monk got hot and the talented quarterback found Brad Wilson open for a 41 yard touchdown. Then Monk found speedy sophomore receiver Rashaan Walker for a crowd-pleasing 29 yard TD in the late stages of the second quarter; R. Walker stretched out to catch the ball. Then the Warriors went to work on the ground, thanks to the speedy duo of Neil Warren (12-121) and Markeese Walker ( 18-103).  Both Warren and M. Walker would add second half touchdown runs. Monk threw for four touchdowns and his back-up, Sean Williams, tossed a scoring pass to Wilson as well. When have you heard of a Public League team throwing five touchdown passes?  And they still had two 100-yard rushers! The Warriors' defense was led by junior linebacker Ameer Selden. A prospect at 6’2 230, he had some seriously loud hits. Selden and 6’6 320 lb two way tackle Fred Ruff are juniors. The Warriors have a chance to be a factor deep in the playoffs this year at Class A and the prospectus for the future is bright as well. SOTF had their moments. They have some good young athletes highlighted by Martin, sophomore linebacker Shaquille Johnson, and junior receiver Sterling Taylor.
  Sidenotes- Delaware Valley has the best mascot in the Pub. The thing looks real and whoever is inside that thing can dance . . . The Del-Val PA announcer gave me and the entire Northwest Philadelphia community a headache when he kept saying, “First Down Warriors!!!!!!!!” He used a voice that was reminiscent of the Count from Sesame Street meeting one of the WWE announcers . . . One of the Delaware Valley parents/teachers is the loudest fan in the city. Mad props to her.

OCT. 17
PUBLIC WHITE
Germantown 12, Olney 6 (OT)
  What a crazy football day for me. This game was a defensive war that in reality will be remembered for the performance of  a player on the losing team. Germantown was able to pull out this hard-earned victory over a hard luck Olney squad. Olney scored first with 7:44 remaining in the 4th quarter. (Yes, a Public League game went scoreless for over twenty-eight minutes. ) The Trojans scored when wingback Marc Grier took a run outside and burst 23 yards into the end zone. The extra point was a kick by Osse Emmanuel. The kick went awry (from my angle it looked good, but I must admit I had a bad angle). Germantown was able to march downfield and get a tying score on a 4th and 2 when quarterback Ramadan Abdullah tossed to Jarell McClennan in the end zone. On the conversion play, Antwoin Allen batted down a pass intended for a Germantown receiver. More on Mr. Allen, his stat line: 16 tackles, 3.5 sacks, 2 hurries, 1 fumble recovery , pass defended on the conversion. In addition to the stats he had the entire G-Town offensive line jumping offsides on several occasions in anticipation of his next move.  To quote, Dick Vitale; “He was scintillating and sensational." Allen put in the most dominating defensive performance I have seen since the likes of Omar McDonnaugh (Germantown) and Cornelius Bunch (Central). Back to the game. After a Germantown kickoff Olney has one last chance. Super dangerous multipurpose player Stefon Broughton has an opening up field, Broughton erred on the exciting run instead of running inside where the opportunity seemed for a long run to possible pay turf, Broughton ran down the sideline and was met by defenders. Overtime!!!!!!! (The second extra session of the day for me.) Olney has it first from the 10 and here goes their sequence : Eric Barrow for four yards up the gut,  Barrow again up the middle for two yards, Grier then went around the corner for two yards. This sets up fourth and goal on the 1. Olney decides to sneak it with quarterback Tyrell Smith and he's stopped an inch from the goal line. Germantown goes with Chris Cherry. He runs seven yards on first down then on second down Cherry runs for no gain. Third down: Using a cutback move he gets into the end zone.  Oh, my! Some think that Allen was held on the touchdown play. Maybe, but Cherry did make a good move to avoid Olney’s superstar on the run. What a game!!!!!! Two of these close ones make up for all the blowouts I saw earlier in this season. Germantown gets into the playoffs. They received a huge effort from linebacker Shahid Bundy and defensive lineman Johnny Richardson. Bundy tallied 8 tackles and blocked a field goal. Richardson notched 7 tackles and was huge in the overtime by securing the tackle of Smith on the sneak. Olney does not make the playoffs and for the second week in the row, have outplayed teams without getting the win. In a fairer world maybe they would be in the playoffs. Olney has a bunch of good athletes that stepped up in this one in addition to Allen;  Grier, Broughton, defensive lineman Emmanuel Stotts and Jaron “Snoop” Turner have nothing to hang their heads about.
  Sidenotes- This was Germantown’s senior night and they had a really nice halftime presentation where the parents came out with the players/managers. Also, they had a nice program with personal information. One of the kids is a Nas fan, so we all know that kid is going places. Good taste in music leads to things.  A brief skirmish occurred in the stands. A school police officer jumped over six rows and grabbed a kid who was causing trouble. Also in no less than four seconds he got from one set of stands to the end zone. Besides Antwoin Allen and Shahid Bundy, he was the best athlete on the stadium. This was the second crazy fan celebration of the day, with people yelling and screaming in the stands. Strangely unlike the first game it was the parents screaming and yelling and having fun.

OCT. 17
PUBLIC AAA
Penn 20, Dobbins 14 (OT)
  Wow!!!!!!! What a classic war of wills in this one. Both coaches are well-respected and have good staffs assisting them. And in this one the upstart Lions have truly arrived on the Public League football scene. Dobbins scored first capitalizing on a fumbled punt return with a 14-yard touchdown run for Ralston Thomas. The Lions did not flinch because, in a blink of an eye, running back Kenny White ran downfield for a 68-yard TD. The Lions did not score on the conversion run. So Dobbins led 7-6 in the middle of  first quarter, Penn got on the board again with a Braheim Dixon pass into coverage and senior standout Emmanuel Pittman grabbed the ball in the end zone for a 41-yard touchdown play. B. Dixon would throw the ball 32 times. It was an intelligent use of the pass to control the ball. The Mustangs tied the score with a Jamil Williams touchdown reception from Terrell “Mouse” Barringer. The score would remain knotted and went into overtime. First the Lions went and after running the ball the firt two downs with no success, they would score on fourth down with a Braheim Dixon to Micheal Dixon (silly me forgot to ask if they are related) touchdown. Dobbins would get close on three runs and on the fourth down play, Barringer rolled right and saw Williams open and although it appeared that Mouse could run it in he tried a throw that hit the ground underneath Williams. The Penn faithful ran onto the field, some jumped out of the stands and the celebration was the true sign that the Lions have arrived on the PL football scene.
   Sidenotes- The Public AAA has been so much fun this year, I think it is the classification with the best chance of respectability/triumph in the city title series. Only thing is that the teams are going to beat the mess out of each other to get there. Dobbins cheerleaders and Penn cheerleaders were both inspired in this North Philly battle. The Dobbins cheerleaders conversed with some bench players from Penn at times and, guess what, the trash talk was legendary. Penn linebacker Malcolm Stephens was in on 8 tackles and forced a fumble. Derek Clark is a beast for Dobbins; easily one of the better linebackers in the area.

OCT. 11
PUBLIC AAAA WHITE
Lincoln 12 Olney 0
  This one was a defensive war staged at Charlie Martin Memorial Stadium. Lincoln received a solid rushing effort from Amin Shabazz, who scored both touchdowns and carried 25 times for 79 yards.  Shabazz is a senior and there are a couple of other seniors who figure prominently for the very young Railsplitters. Quarterback Joe McCausland showed a lot of poise and has some tools. It will be interesting to see how he progresses. (The class of 2010 in the Public League has a bunch of quality quarterback prospects).  McCausland pretty much ended this game when he scrambled for a 13-yard gain late in the fourth quarter to put the Trojans at bay. Olney played well despite struggles with penalties (some of them were a little dicey), and the progress is clearly evident. Senior defensive end Antoine Allen was a terror. Allen often faced a double team but nonetheless went for 8 tackles, 2 sacks and two hurries. More importantly, Allen seemed to be a leader on the field and sideline for his team which is something that has greatly improved. The Trojans struggled on offense as the passing game was generally off-target and the ground game was pretty much slowed down behind a solid effort from Lincoln led by Rasaan Hanner and Chris Williams. Another intriguing prospect for Lincoln is junior receiver-linebacker Omar Black. Black has good size at 6’2 185.  The Trojans also received solid efforts from Emmanuel Stotts (6 tackles) on the defensive line and Steffon Broughton (solid play at defensive back and generally a dangerous player on offense.)
  Sidenotes- There was a decent crowd on hand and they even made some noise . . . Lincoln, the visiting team sold pretzels but did not have any mustard. Come on now, who eats pretzels without mustard? . . . No comment on the stripes. (You have to see it to believe right now, so I suggest you come watch this stuff.)

OCT. 10
PUBLIC AAAA BLUE
University City 40, Samuel Fels 28
  This was a CLASSIC!!!!!! In what is becoming a truly memorable season this was a game that brought the best out from both teams. The score is just a slight indication of the high-paced action. In the early stages it appeared that the Jaguars were going to run away with this one. On their first series, super talented quarterback Michael Adens was able to find Mike Gilliam behind the Panther secondary for a 37-yard score. After the conversion play, the Jaguars were able to add another score when junior superstar Tyriuq “Pop Tart” Gordon tallied on a five-yard run.  The Jaguars held a 16-0 lead, but before you could say “Malik Jackson” the lead had evaporated. First, Fels sophomore quarterback  Deric Ware aired it out to Jackson ,who grabbed the ball over a small U-City Jaguar and then outraced a cadre of defensive backs for a highlight reel touchdown. On the following kickoff the ball bounced off of the Jaguar kick-returner, and was recovered by Alonzo Moran, who ran the ball into the end zone. Hold on, the officials correctly rule that you cannot advance a muff. The Panthers did not waste any time, marching down the field and scoring on a 15-yard pass play from Ware to Jackson. Jackson showed his true class on this play, Jackson caught the ball no more than six inches from the ground and made  a move past the U-City defensive back and into the end zone. “Action” Jackson was not done. (Sorry, I had to use that nickname you kids don’t know but Action Jackson is the second worst movie I’ve ever seen . Vanilla Ice’s Cool As Ice is easily the worst movie ever made.)  In the late stages of the second quarter Ware again found Jackson in a one on one coverage and he turned a basic play into a 38 yard touchdown score. Jackson’s “hat trick” of touchdowns had the entire Stadium enthralled. The Panthers were holing a 22-16 lead late in the second quarter and were looking for more in the waning moments of the 1st Half. Ware is flushed out of the pocket and fumbles the ball is picked up U-City defensive star Shanadore Scott, who rumbled 63 yards to the Fels 4 yard line before being stopped as the clock runs out. One thing during Scott’s fumble recovery jaunt: a Jaguar committed a hold.  Fels declines the play and the half ends with Fels surprisingly on top 22-16. The Panthers increased their lead behind the solid between the tackles running of brothers John and Tyrone Counts. Tyrone plowed in from the one yard line to make it 28-22 early fourth quarter. U-City answered early fourth quarter with Gordon (26 carries for 159) scoring on a 12-yard run. The Jaguars seemingly were thwarted in an attempt for another score when an Adens pass fell incomplete but a controversial roughing the passer penalty is called and the ball remains in the Jaguars possession. Adens found Robert McDaniel open for a 36-yard touchdown play and the Jaguars seized control and followed that up with another score from Gordon, this time 19 yards around the corner.  University City appears headed to the playoffs, Lou Williams was doused with Gatorade.
  Sidenotes- Marcus Holland came in from the U-City bench and held Jackson to one second half catch and grabbed a key interception on a fourth down pass headed to Jackson. Nyair Washington was a monster on the defensive line. .. Moran, Tyrone Counts and Charles Vinson anchored the Fels defense… Spotted the oldest camcorder known to man. Property of Larry Oliver, Edison’s coach. The thing probably took pictures of the Jurassic period.

OCT. 4
CATHOLIC AA
Bishop McDevitt 34 Cardinal Dougherty 7
  With all the changes that have gone on in Catholic League football, this rivalry has been intact since the old days of the North-South Division, through the Blue Division days and into the current enrollment-based classifications. This was Dougherty’s homecoming so there was a medium-sized crowd at Springfield Montco High. The Lancers took control early, using the running of senior halfback Justin Schley to highlight two early scoring drives. The undermanned Cardinals were able to answer with a one-yard scoring run from resilient junior quarterback Tarik Morris. The Lancers never really were challenged on a consistent basis in this game, but Dougherty did play with a lot of heart. A lot of their players play both ways, including Morris and RB/DB Terance Johns. Dougherty’s roster is filled with underclassmen, so with some development they could be better down the line. McDevitt’s seniors were impressive. Quarterback Luke Sawick was steady as usual and connected with Steve Harris for a sweet touchdown late in the 1st half. Schley rushed 15 times for 111 yards. Senior athlete Rodney Ellis is one to watch. He has great size for a defensive back (6’1 175) and he packs a wallop when he hits. The Lancer underclassmen are not too shabby as well. Gary Postell rushed 14-69, he has to work on his speed around the corner but he has some good feet and is only a sophomore. Matt Conroy is a stud at defensive back and more than capable to provide and alternative to Schley. Also, the progress of Matt McGroty, Joe Polansky and Wallace “Wawa” Weaver also  bears watching.
  Sidenotes- Sorry for the delay I was busy this week... Deuce Colbert, number 53 was the homecoming king and he played really well for Dougherty in this one. Great job doing double duty.

OCT. 3
PUBLIC A
Communications Tech 21 Delaware Valley 6
  This one had a deplorable end, so lets start with the beginning. The Phoenix got out to a lead behind the play of a precocious freshman halfback. Rolando Ransom darted for a 63 yard touchdown run.  The Warriors responded with an 82-yard kickoff return from sophomore Rashaan Walker. The Phoenix would then respond with a one-yard run from Ransom. The Phoenix started to take control on the defensive end and they received some inspired play from Ackeeno Jolly and Stacy Hill. Then the dumb stuff started. In the third quarter, on a punt directed towards Communications Tech, the ball bounced then bounced and bounced some more. With nobody from either team making an attempt to down the ball, a C-Tech player, hearing no whistle, hit a Delaware Valley player looking over the ball. The Delaware Valley players took exception to that and there was some pushing/pulling with kids from both teams moving off of the sideline and it got ugly. DV coach Barry Thomas and two of his players were ejected. The Warriors were assessed 45 penalty yards and the Phoenix started their possession at the Del-Val 25. From there, with more solid play from Hill, Jolly and occasional quarterback Adefumi Garrett, the Phoenix would add another score with Hill doing the honors with a one-yard run. The game was pretty much done. The atmosphere began to get pretty much sour from there. There were more than a couple instances of stare-downs between players and some taunting that went uncalled and players taking cheap shots. (The stripes should forfeit their game checks for this one. They do not deserve the money. Yes, I said it. Will honest referees hold that against me? Yeah. But if they do, they are not honest refs.) Finally, a taunting penalty was given to a Comm. Tech player, and then on the next play after a tackle near the DV sideline, a CT player and some DV players start tussling. Some DV kid in the press box yells "Wrong sideline!” That was it. The game was called with 3:16 on the clock. Deplorable (good SAT. word). What is the deal with these two small schools? Aren’t they supposed to have more discipline? Honestly, you expect these things from large “hood” schools.
  Sidenotes- Delaware Valley and Comm. Tech will likely meet again. Please don’t embarrass your schoolmates, principals and teachers with this kind of conduct - you must do better. As for the stripes, get the old geezers who are stealing money out of my sight. Grab some 18-year-old kids that have nothing else to do and train them. Get these limping, half-blind, money stealers and tell them to give it up. Have a fitness exam before the season to see if these guys can keep up. Most of them complain about not working the CL anyway, so they don’t respect the Pub. Get them the ___ out of here. They are becoming a bad example to kids. The example is you can be horrible, don't care, don’t try to get better and get paid. Is that what you want kids to learn. If you think this crew really got under my skin, you are correct.

OCT. 3
PUBLIC WHITE
Bartram 14, Germantown 6
  Good one!!!!!!!! After three consecutive 36-0 scores, I got to see a tactical football war. Bartram prevailed in this close affair and let me tell you I’m not a fan of smash-mouth football as much as I like to see plays downfield, but this was nice. The Braves scored when quarterback Laquan Williams found Antwain Byrd for a 29-yard touchdown. Williams scored a run on the conversion. Second half and Germantown High quarterback Ramadan Abdullah hits wide receiver Linear Ruffin for a 19-yard score. Abdullah looks for Ruffin again and finds him. He catches the ball and tries to get his foot down inside the back of the end zone. He does not. The Braves turn the ball over to wide-load Tyron Cheeseboro and he carries them through a few key possessions. Cheeseboro is a nice-sized, between-the-tackles runner. He carried 21 times for 112 yards. His backfield mate, Ira Sample, carried 5 times for 40. The Braves had the better of the ground game. On defense Cheesboro, Sample, Byrd and Derek King were the standouts. The mid- to late stages of the 4th quarter included two key moments. Cheeseboro is tackled by a Germantown defender and a helmet to helmet is called and following that the second key moment occurs with Williams scoring on a one-yard run. After Germantown stopped the Braves on the conversion, they struggled to get a first down. They returned to defense and it appeared that stud linebacker Rahmel Hamilton had stripped Cheeseboro. (He did, but the whistle had blown the play dead before the play was over.) Following, that, coach Damond "Smash" Warren chose to have kneeldowns to end it. Both teams can raise their heads, but they both need to let their quarterbacks throw more. Especially G-Town. Ramadan has MAJOR upside and he is starting to mature (although he needs to continue to mature). The Bears will be helped with the return of tailback Brent West from injury. Hamilton had 12 tackles!!!!! He was rocking folks. He has good size at 6’1 200. Bartram is a testament to gang tackling. Always two or three defenders near the ball. The punter, Archie Sesay, was solid as well. He uncorked a 43 yarder and placed a 30 yard punt to the one yard line.
  Sidenotes- Nice crowd turnout. Great atmosphere. Lots of people came to this one after Saalen Jones’ funeral. This has been a sad period for a lot of people in Northwest Philadelphia.

SEPT. 26
PUBLIC AA
Imhotep 36, Furness  0
   I’m pretty sure for Imhotep fans this one was for number 61. Former lineman Saladine Walker, who died earlier this week and was laid to rest on the day of this game, wore number 61 and the Imhotep players yelled "six-one" as they walked off the field. The game before that moment was not that good. Honestly, it was horrible. Imhotep has a very good young ballclub. They like to throw the ball and they have a steady quarterback in junior signal-caller Leland Smith. Smith has a bunch of targets to throw to. The most intriguing is senior tight end Saladeem Major, who goes 6’4, 215.  Former defensive tackle Daniel Jones is now at fullback and at 6’2 235 he is a load. Sophomore back Dasir White, who had a late touchdown, has some potential. The Falcons were not very good but they have an extremely promising freshman in Sharif Smith. Smith snagged two interceptions and rushed 12 times for 49 yards. The Falcons also got some good play out of junior linebacker Victor Pastore.
  Sidenotes- Not much. I just don’t like rainy football days.

SEPT. 26
PUBLIC AAAA BLUE

SEPT. 19
PUBLIC AAA
William Penn 32 Simon Gratz 13
  Friday Night Football in the Pub is fantastic. This was a major match-up of North Philadelphia Football schools and it was worth the nippy weather in a tee-shirt. (I need to pay attention to weather reports.) The Lions took control of this one early with a touchdown from senior Emmanuel Pittman. The score was made possible by a 35-yard scamper by tailback Malcolm Stephens. Stephens fumbled the ball into the end zone and the ever-lively Pittman pounced on it to give the Lions the lead. The Bulldogs managed to get back into the game with a one yard touchdown run by Jason Martin. The Bulldogs forged ahead with an extra point by Darrian Gordon. The Lions showed their mettle on their next series by responding with a cool and calculated drive that ended in a three-yard scoring run for Stephens. The Lions unveiled a varied rushing attack today highlighted by Stephens and speed back Kenny White. On defense they displayed a distinctively Vince Trombretta-like defensive scheme. The Bulldogs have the athletes to cause trouble but they have a young line and sometimes against hard-hitting teams that value the line of scrimmage they will struggle. However after many attempts at retaking the lead, the Bulldogs took the lead with a 17-yard run from junior back Aaron Rice who ran for that score off a lateral in which he absorbed plenty of contact. After the missed extra point, Penn again showed their true grit. Kick returner Braheim Dixon took off on an 85-yard dart up the middle of the of Gratz defense and into the end zone. Dixon, who also serves William Penn at the quarterback position, is 6’3 185 but he was really motoring. It would be nice to know officially how fast the kid is. This all took place during the  fourth quarter.   The Bulldogs would crumble from there on.  The Gratz offense stalled and the game’s key occurrence ensued on a punt play. Gratz punted and the ball bounced backwards towards the 11. Stephens picked the ball up and ran towards the end zone, one problem, he dropped the ball before getting into the end zone and the ball bounced into the end zone. Guess who recovers the ball in end zone. Stephens!!!!!! Finally the game is wrapped up when Pittman snagged an interception and ran into the end zone for a score. This is easily the biggest victory for the Lions since the program was resurrected a few years back.    Playing a big part were some hard hitting defenders in Malik Harrison (9 tackles), Kamal Rhodes (8 tackles) and Micheal Singleton (7 tackles). Pittman provided a steady influence in the defensive backfield. For Gratz star receiver Tyree Frierson caught 4 passes for 75 yards. Junior defensive end   Khalil Brown notched 8 tackles including 2 sacks. Another solid defensive performer for the Bulldogs was senior linebacker William Wood. 
  Sidenotes- This was a wonderful football atmosphere just like the first game. These two schools were competitive with each other. First and foremost besides the football both schools' cheerleaders were competing non-stop and they really helped make the game’s atmosphere even better. An interesting cheer emerged during the early stages of the fourth quarter - “Bring back Coach Poole!!! Bring him back!!!!" . . . Penn‘s linemen played well in particular - Safir Berger-Dixon,  Monte Rogers, Saquan Scarborough, Keon Jordan and Richard Underwood.  This was the first win for Penn's new coach, Bok product James Ockimey.

SEPT. 12
NON-LEAGUE
McDevitt 30, Neumann-Goretti 0 
  This was a nice change of pace. Rarely do I get the opportunity to see the Catholic League and it was fun to watch this game. The Lancers are a competitive and fundamentally sound bunch and they took this one by 30. They got on the board when athletic WR-DB Rodney Ellis blocked a punt outside of the end zone. Later Ellis hauled in a 29 yard score on a pass from Luke Sawick. Sawick is an intelligent player and I like the fact that he is an efficient game manager as well. Furthermore, the Lancers are so well-coached (they have 18 assistant coaches) that they make a whole lot of adjustments in a matter of seconds. Also, the Lancers received good running from sophomore backs Matt Conroy and Gary Postell (12-58). (Yes, Duck’s habit of watching blowouts extends into the Catholic League.) The Saints are not that bad, actually they just seemed to play the big moments of the game lackadaisically. They have a penchant for penalties at the most inopportune time. (For those of you that are saying what time are penalties opportune, please understand the word momentum. ) The Saints had two electric touchdown plays call back. One was a “Friday Night Frenzy” special when talented wide receiver Frank Coleman took a short pass from quarterback Anthony Mastrando and took off 89 yards for a score. The play was reduced to a 38-yard pass play because of an unneeded block in the back. The other score was when Mastrando scampered 60 yards for a score. That was brought back by a  holding call.
  Sidenotes- It will be interesting to see the Pub and CL teams square off in the City Series at the end of the year.

SEPT. 5
NON-LEAGUE
Simon Gratz 20, University City 18
  A whole lot of athletes were on the field in this one. On the opening kickoff, U-City’s Richard Benson went to the house from 90  yards out. The Bulldogs responded with a rushing attack led by junior Jason Martin. Martin was able to get the Bulldogs on the board  with a 1-yard run with 9:22 remaining in the first half. Martin was not done; he added two more short touchdown runs and an interception. Gratz has two other solid running backs in Daveer Fincher and Aaron Rice. All three Gratz backs are smallish but they are tough and speedy. On defense, the Bulldogs were led by junior defensive lineman Tameric Richardson, who registered 7 tackles. The Jaguars were able to mount a late comeback behind the legs of junior tailback Tyriuq “Pop Tart” Gordon, who was able to tally 148 yards on 26 carries. The Jaguars trailed 20-6 from the middle of the third quarter, but the pesky Jaguars did not go away. Gordon scored on a four-yard run early fourth quarter to get the Jaguar within a score and two-point conversion away from tying this affair. The Jaguars were able to score again with 1:53 remaining when Gordon willed himself into the end zone on an eight-yard run. The conversion play would be huge. U-City turned to Gordon, who ran to the left and was met by two Gratz defensive backs in Faaruq Butler and Malik Joe. The Jaguars amazingly got the ball back and hard luck quarterback Michael Adens was able to air one out to receiver Mike Gilliam, which resulted in a pass interference call with .7 seconds left. Adens aired it out again and the ball fell harmlessly through the hands of a Jaguar receiver. Adens is a solid quarterback; he throws a beautiful deep ball and tight spirals. But with the transfer of the Jaguars’ top receiver, Adens is without a reliable receiver to throw the ball to. Adens only completed one pass out of the 17 he threw. (However one beautiful pass and reception occurred on a touchdown that was called back on a penalty.)  After the game, Lou Williams let his receivers hear about it. On the defensive end, Barry Cook notched a pick, and linebacker Sam Bracy was a game-long force. Linemen Shanadore Scott (6’2 260) and Donte Johnson played well also.
  Sidenotes- Gratz has an extremely intriguing prospect in senior wide receiver-defensive back Tyree Frierson (6’2 205). Frierson had a 39-yard run on a reverse, and although Gratz does not throw the ball well yet, he has the look of a quality receiver prospect. …At times today, I had a headache. The stripes sure blew the whistle a lot. Sometimes during both games (although I must admit the Mastbaum-Central crew seemed to get better as the game went on) I scratched the little bit of hair of my head wondering what they were watching. Can we get instant replay in the Pub? Gordon is a transfer from Overbrook.

AUG. 31
NON-LEAGUE
Mastbaum 20, Overbrook 18 (Overtime) 

AUG. 29
NON-LEAGUE
Emmaus 52, Germantown 0
  This one was a little strange. Yes, Emmaus is the real deal and they dominated on the way to a 52-0 victory. It goes without saying that Germantown has a whole lot of work to do  if they want to be a factor in the Public League. But, guess what, they could have a really good season. The Green Hornets (what a cool nickname) took control early behind their sensational running back, C.J. Billera, and super two-way end Ryan Foltz, roaring to a  35-0 halftime lead and coasting from there. The Bears showed flashes on more than a few occasions. Ramadan Abdullah, G-Town’s junior quarterback, showed well early. Ramadan mixed strong armed pinpoint passing and smart scrambles through heavy traffic to lead to five first-half first downs. Senior defensive back Jeffrey Best mixed 5 tackles, 2 pass defended and 1 fumble recovery. Junior defensive end John Ellis showed well with some good hits. Three members of the Germantown line played decently. They have to work on some things techniquewise, but they were not punked in any way and that is a great starting point. Their names are Johnny Richardson (6’1 295), Brandon McCollum (5’10 230) and Rondell Johnson (6’2 320). Germantown continues its early season super test series against Catholic League power Cardinal O’Hara.
  Sidenotes- I commend Germantown for taking a lead in playing top teams like this. For one thing, I think it shows kids what they need to do in getting  better at their sport. So in the long run, it could help improve the amount of “serious” football players. … Germantown was without three key players, linebacker Shahid Bundy, defensive back Khaleel Linsey and tailback Brent West. The Emmaus people were really nice and organized. They have an awesome marching band.