Amauro's Corner Football 2005 Return to TedSilary.com Home Page     Amauro "Amar" Austin is a headliner among our trusty observers. He is not to be confused with Ruben Amaro, the Phillies' assistant general manager. Like "Huck" Palmer, Amauro is a West Catholic graduate. He will make reports on games he sees.     You may e-mail him at Thurlbough@hotmail.com.

NOV. 24
TURKEY BOWL RIVALRY
Franklin 14, Dobbins 12
    What a great atmosphere! I know I'm a week late with this one and I apologize, but its been a  pretty busy time for me. Anyway, Franklin put the finishing touches on a darn good season. Sr. RB Maurice Dantzler finished a stellar season and career with 106 yards and a score on 25 carries. Sr QB Frank Anderson also ran for a score while sr. slot-back Rodreen "Chief" Howell dashed for 52 yards on 4 carries. Those 3 were also the stars on D as Dantzler had a sack (12) & another TFL (6) worth 18 total yards, Anderson had a team high 9 tackles with a TFL & 2 broken-up passes and Howell broke up 4 passes. Jr. QB Wesley Brown was the pride of the Mustangs as he led a great offense. He passed 17-of-31 for 161 yards and a TD. He was an iron man in the 4th as he was directly involved in all 20 (18 passes, 2 runs) of the Mustang plays from scrimmage. His 2nd run was for a TD (dove over the top with :22 seconds remaining) and the conversion run could have tied the score, but it went for naught as Anderson made the stop. This was a great performance for Brown to build on for next season. His main target: sr. WR Michael Harris (6-2 190) was also VERY impressive. He's got sure-handed possession receiver at the next level written all over him. In this one, he caught 9 balls for 90 yards and a score. Sr. multi-purpose guy Terrance Sample also had a nice showing catching 3 balls for 37 yards including the diving catch that set up the second score. The Dobbins D was led by jr. DE "Big" Randall Wilson (6-4 240) with his best game of the year of 11 total tackles with 2 for losses. Sample also had a TFL among his 6 tackles and sr. DB Clayton Wright caught a pick.
AA's Notes: I've been working hard on putting together my Pub top juniors list and my senior prospect list that I plan to post on the site and send to some college coaches. Hopefully it will be done my the middle of next week... The atmosphere here was awesome. Some of North Philly's finest were out for this one and although I'll always be a West/Southwest Philly guy to the end, I always have and will appreciate the North side. I guess you just had to be there... Over 500 Non-Football players stood along Franklin's sideline in the 2nd half of the game and there was no hint of trouble. I hope the district here's that. We need to start making our events prime time. Most people just want to come out and enjoy a good game while supporting the kids...

NOV. 12
PUBLIC LEAGUE SEMI-FINAL
Frankford 13, Germantown 12
    What a difference two weeks makes. Last I saw G-Town and Frankford on the field against each other, the Pioneers were stomping the Bears into the ground on their home field. This time things were different as G-Town's D may have played their best game of the season in sending a major scare into Coach Cap's Gang. The Pioneers jumped on the Bears early as they scored on both of their first two drives making the score 13-0 to end the first. Sr. QB Ryan Hardy ran 1 yard for a score than jr. RB Calvin Spires ran one in from 3 yards out. However, G-Town probably won quarters 2 through 4 behind the brass of jr. LB Eric "Neck-Bone" Williams (10 total tackles including a sack and another TFL worth 9 yards total, plus 2 forced fumbles one of which was a strip) & sr. LBs Eric Jenkins (9 total stops) & Andre Fisher (in on 6 stops and a blocked XP). Williams was the most impressive. He's played hurt all year long and hasn't missed a beat. He has the rock-hard approach that every LB must have. His progress bares watching. The Pioneers owned the ground as Spires led with 14 carries for 71 yards. Sr. RB Brandon Norris ran 16-52 & Hardy ran 6-59. Sr. MLB Damon Brockington led the D with 16 total tackles (2 for losses) & 2 fumble recoveries. His LB partner sr. Eric Hairston was also impressive with 10 total tackles and the other LB jr. Nate Johnson had a sack worth 7 yards along with 3 TFLs worth 8 more yards. He also forced a fumble and batted down a pass. DBs sr. Chris Wilson (4 key stops & 2 defended passes) & ultra-fast jr. Shareef Mintz (3 of both tackles & PDs) were both very active. The Pioneer Line-backing core is probably the best in the Pub although Northeast may have something to say about that. It should be a great battle. Their first match-up was the best game I saw all year. G-Town's sr. RB Akeem Johnson ran for a score en route to 77 yards on 17 totes while battling cramps. His super-fast partner sr. RB Rashad "Reds" Williams (14-48 & 2 catches for 27 yards) also battled minor scrapes throughout. Sr. WR Erik Frazier caught a TD from 6 yards out. It was of the leaping variety while being blanketed.
AA's Notes: I can't wait until next Saturday. As I stated a few lines ago, the first meeting between Frankford and NE was the best game I saw all year and of course it was played at the best field in the city which resides at Frankford. I wish it could be played there again... I was very impressed with G-Town's preparation. The Pioneers waxed them a few weeks ago and they were the better team for large parts of this one. That just goes to show that playing a team the second time around is never easy... Hope to see you next week...    

NOV. 10
NON-LEAGUE
King 27, Overbrook 20
    I know this report is in way late, but that story's for another day. I won't say much here. First off the head official of this game needs to have his White Cap taken away from him. He would rather see a kid get hurt than stop the clock with a penalty because all he wanted to do was get out of there. What a disgrace! His negligence caused injuries, small skirmishes and a near riot. I'm sure he wouldn't have acted in this manner on the other side of City or Cheltenham Ave... Second, 'Brook came out a bit disoriented and this was the result. They were probably looking forward to Turkey Day and/or still reeling from taking Frankford to the limit... Third tiny soph. scat-back Kendall Coleman (5-5, 125 legit) is going to be a serious problem in next few years. He's the fastest football player in the city and he knows how to run and also cut going full throttle. He dashed 16 times for 253 yards with TD runs of 57 & 68. One thing is for certain though and that is he must add some weight if he wants to stay healthy (alive) playing with the big boys. So I suggest he eat his pancakes (or French Toast as Ted would recommend - smile) for breakfast everyday and have his steak 3 times a week for dinner. He also needs have his potatoes for all three meals (home fries for breakfast, French fries for lunch & a basked potato for dinner). Oh yeah and throw in a lot of ice cream (sundaes, shakes, ect.) and the little guy should add 20-lbs over the next year. Maybe he'll grow a few inches as well... Next week I'll have my annual Pub Underclassmen list and I'll also unleash a pub senior prospects list in which I'll try to send out to some coaches. There will be sections for I-A, I-AA, II, III & Junior College...

NOV. 5
PUBLIC LEAGUE QUARTER-FINAL
Germantown 18, Dobbins Tech 12
    The Bears survived a scare from the game Mustangs by pulling out a victory and advancing to a semi-final date with Frankford. G-Town's sr. RB Akeem Johnson led the way with 119 rushing yards on 24 carries with a 9-yard score early on. Johnson is small, but very compact and surprisingly knows how to get those tough yards. He now owns G-Town's single season rushing mark with close to 1400 yards on the season with at least 2 games remaining. Sr. FB Eric Jenkins was a nice complement with 6 totes for 52 yards and sr. QB Andre Fisher rushed for a TD as well. The decisive play however, was made by sr. WR Erik Frazier. He took the second half opening kickoff 84 yards for a score. On the other side of the ball, Jenkins was a man. The sr. LB made 7 total tackles, forced 2 fumbles & defended a pass. Sr. DB Kasib Parham was also tough. He made a late pick while also defending two other passes. He also made some good hits from his FS perch. Frazier recovered 2 fumbles. The Mustangs were led by jr. QB Wesley Brown (10-for-17, 106). Brown did a great job here. He threw one TD, a 4-yarder, to sr. RB Terrance Sample (13-64, 5 catches for only 4 yards). Jr. FB Leon Baynard bulled in for the other score. The top Mustang here was sr. WR Michael Harris (6-2 195). He made three huge catches for 61 yards. The first two set up the scores. On D, I can remember him making two TD saving tackles and also defending 2 passes. I really like his potential. If you remember, last year in this round of the playoffs Harris was the second of two kids on consecutive plays for the Mustangs to have serious/ugly leg/ankle injuries. I love the fact that he came back bigger, faster and stronger... That's called perseverance folks. He is also said to be a straight A student which is even more impressive. Colleges aught to give him a long look even some levels of D-I. Maybe even an academic prep school like Hill or Peddie would be good. On D, jr. DE Randall Wilson (6-4 240) was more than manly. Of his 10 tackles, 3 were sacks worth 27 yards and three others were TFLs worth 7 more yards. "Big Randy" showed why many feel he's one of the better prospects in the league. It'll be interesting to watch his progress over the next year. LBs sr. Paul Boldin & so. Paul Bennett evenly split 10 tackles. Bennett made a pick with a long return. Baynard and impressive jr. CB Darrell Brown also made picks. G-Town lives another week despite 13 penalties for 97 yards (OUCH!!!!) and well Dobbins looks toward the future which looks pretty bright with multiple starters on both sides of the ball returning. The Bears will have to clean up some huge deficiencies if they hope to pull off the upset of the Pioneers, but Overbrook proved that anything is possible with hard work in the FB classroom, the practice field.
AA's Notes: The funny of the day came in the first quarter when Boldin made a hard hit on Johnson. One Dobbins kid on the sideline asked, "Man who hit him!" Another answered with, "Paul hit him. That looked like a cat accident." These Pub playoffs have been great. Everyone has been prepared and its showed during the play of the games. They have been highly exciting and I'm glad to have been a part of the experience. You can truly see that the Pub is moving in the right direction. Case in point: 4-5 teams (Overbrook, Dobbins, Washington, Gratz, ect.) got substantially better from week to week. That means that something is going right at most of the places...

NOV. 4
PUBLIC LEAGUE QUARTER-FINAL
Washington 21, Central 14
    This was a weird one as the Eagles totally controlled the first half while the Lancers had total lockdown on the second. The surging Eagles held on for victory after storming to a 21-0 lead midway through the 3rd quarter. The Eagles got this one done behind the hard running of backs sr. Akeem Smith (10-83, TD), jr. Cecil Wise (13-85) & jr. Fateen Brown (21-66, TD). Sr. QB Thomas Wilmer was again impressive spreading the ball to 5 different receivers including a 20-yard TD pass to Wise. The Eagles racked up 18 first downs. Wise, who I anointed the Eagle in the Early season has battle through injury and other issues this season, but I still feel he's the most impressive Eagle. His teammates feed off of him and he is always there to give them reason to. Today he made 6 total stops with one going for a loss while also making a pick as he rotated from FS to CB. Sr. Team-leader NG Demetrius Wilson was in on 8 tackles with 3 going for losses. The Lancers got another big performance from jr. QB John Kennedy (13-131 & 56 passing yards). He's the real deal. He runs the crap out of the option and doesn't throw a bad ball. Once he gets bigger and stronger, Watch out! He already has the speed of a receiver and the mentality of a running back to go along with the sense/poise of a QB. Sr. WB Michael Lloyd scored both TDs 7 & 9 while rushing for 63 yards on 10 totes. His partner sr. wing James Tyree (6-1 210) made 2 catches for 58 yards. Sr. LB Darrell Ray led the D with 7 total stops with one going for an L. Sr. DE Josh Manning made 2 TFLs. The Lancers had one last shot late in the game, but made some uncanny mistakes for smart guys. First sr. WR Greg Riley fielded a punt on the 1-yard line that was on its way into the end zone for a touch-back. He was smashed and the lancers took over on their own half yard line. Then on second down from the 5 they were called for a procedure penalty that moved the ball back to the 2. They had a big play directly after that when Kennedy hit Tyree for 36 yards, but kind of fizzled thereafter.
AA's Notes: Its amazing how the Eagles have truly improved from week to week this year. They are playing better FB than anyone right now. After beginning the year at 2-3, they have won 5 straight and are now 7-3 and could be poised for an amazing repeat of last year. It should be interesting... The Wideners and Del Vals of the world should be all over Wilson. He could star at one of those places. I think he may even be quick enough to be a LB at the next level though NG is probably where he's projected. He and Ray are very similar except Ray's 3-inches taller... A date with NE looms for the Eagles which should make for a huge crowd next Saturday night at Charlie Martin Memorial... The Lancers gave a gallant effort. One thing that'll probably change for them will be that they'll probably schedule a tough game early on instead of taking 2 byes. It'll only help them in the long run... Next year the scheme of the White division changes with Gratz & West moving out & Overbrook & Mastbaum moving in...

NOV. 3
NON-LEAGUE
Franklin 32, Olney  8
    The Electrons came out for this one a little flat. No doubt they still had last week's heartbreaking loss to Bok on their minds, but quickly they regrouped and handled a game bunch of Olney Trojans. Franklin still has a very slim chance of making the 4-Team D-I/XII Sub-Regional playoff because of the points system, but for now they are in 6th place. We'll see how things shake out this weekend as all 4 suburban teams ahead of them have tough games. Maybe a miracle will happen. Stay tuned... As for the game, it was another day at the office for stud sr. RB Maurice Dantzler. He went for 155 yards and 2 scores on 23 totes. he showed class late by not crying for more carries when the subs were ready to go in to start the 4th. He even lobbied for a few of them. He's a fine young man with a bright future ahead. Whoever the new guy is a mile up the road on Broad St. should give him a shot. Like Ted always says: "If Temple is going to lose, I'd rather see them do it with guys that we know." And you know what, a kid like "Moe" could help push them in the right direction. He was also a beast on D with 7 tackles including 1 for a loss. His rushing total for the season now stands at 1477 and he has 20 rushing TDs on 160 carries. He also has 13 conversion runs. 2000 is not totally out of reach, but let's say its a pretty lofty goal. Sr. wing/slot-Back Rodreen "Chief" Howell ran for a score of his own and sr. WR Bobby Jenkins (3/56) caught at 18-yarder at the hands of sr. QB Frank Anderson (5-of-6, 91 yards). Sr. LB Josh "Batman" McKnight led the D with 3 TFLs worth 11 yards. Jr. DE Brian Lilly (6-4 210) had a TFL of his own along with a fumble recovery. Olney couldn't muster much offense after their first drive. On that drive, they easily went 7 plays for 55 yards and a 2 yard TD run by sr. QB Giovanni Romero. For the rest of the game, they only had 67 yards total. The D was led by the senior trio of MLB Isaiah Mills (6-2 250), DE Anthony Lomax & NG Mike Payne. All three were in on 7 tackles with each recording a TFL.
AA's Notes: Not much to say here. This was kind of a dreary game although the Electrons did show some spirit during the middle quarters and their cheerleaders shouted throughout. One thing that I will say is that the clock guy at 29th St. Stadium was horrible. He wouldn't have stopped it if he didn't have to and didn't sometimes when he was supposed to. For God's sake, the games already are now starting at 2:30. There's no rush buddy, no need to cheat the kids...

OCT. 29
PUBLIC RED
Frankford 41, Germantown 22
    The Pioneers came out all business in this one and looked poised to make a strong run at the PIAA state playoffs. I knew G-Town was in for trouble when jr. FB Nate Johnson rumbled 54 yards for a score on the game's second play from scrimmage. Then less that 3 minutes later sr. TE Alonzo Williams caught a 10-yard TD from the hands of sr. QB Ryan Hardy. Finally three minutes after that, sr. WB Nate Polk scored from 12 yards out. And the frolicking was on. The score: 20-0 with 5:32 remaining in the 1st quarter. Johnson was hard to control throughout. He ran 12 times for 143 yards and had another 2-yard run for a score. Williams caught 3 balls for 45 yards and caught another TD for 22 yards. The defensive leaders were sr. LB Eric "Sarge" Hairston & so. DB Josh Burnett. Both had multiple TFLs and a fumble recovery apiece. Sr. DB Eddie Wilson & jr. DT Tyree Dudley (6-4 290) also had recoveries. Sr. RB Akeem Johnson led the Bears with 19 carries for 189 yards and a 70-yard TD run, but it was an uneven performance because he fumbled 3 times. You gotta love his passion. He's one tough cookie and you can see he takes pride in being a leader. Sr. RB Rashad "Reds" Williams made his season debut and he could prove to be a key in the next few weeks. He ran for two scores here in the late going against reserves (65 & 5) and had 98 yards total rushing on 6 touches. many times he lined up in the slot or on the wing. He has such great speed and gives the Bears such a weapon. Also he is willing to lay the wood on D which may be even more important to the Bears. Many may remember the great 8-week stretch "Reds" had last season after missing the first 4 games of the season while playing at Dobbins. He only ran for 1056 yards and 16 TDs while also catching 7 passes for 227 yards and 4 more TDs. This guy is the epitome of explosive. Sr. LBs Andre Fisher and Eric Jenkins led the Defense.
AA's Notes: Next week will be interesting as Reds will take on his former team in Dobbins. This should be very interesting. The G-Town gang is as dangerous as they come now days with weapons like Johnson, "Reds", sr. TE Antwain Brown Barnes & sr. WR Erik Frazier. I also saw another speedster sr. RB Reggie Lloyd walking around without the cast on his foot. He went down in week one with a broken ankle and could be available before season's end. They could be hard to prep for... The Pioneers are division champs because of NE's upset loss to GW and will take on Overbrook, the Blue Champ, at 4 pm on Friday at G-Town... One important Pioneer point was the fact that jr. K Kyle Berry nailed 5-of-6 XPs. That could prove key this playoffs and would have been really important last week against NE. He would have been 6-for-6 if the one attempt wasn't blocked... 

OCT. 28
PUBLIC RED
Washington 14, Northeast 7
    What a game! Friday night lights were in full effect here and this one proved to be a shocker as the Eagles handed the unbeaten Vikings their first blemish of the season. The Eagles hung and hung and hung some more and seemed to be the fresher team in the 4th quarter and kind of stole this W. Here's the 4th quarter sequence: The Eagles marched down the field 46 yards and scored at the 6:31 mark to tie the game at 7 after sr. QB Thomas Wilmer's 2-yard scamper into the end zone. The Vikings took the ball and drove down the field. Sr. RB Lamone Fox (20-115) started the drive with runs of 17 & 9. Then sr. WB Ste'shaun Johnson ran for 1 yard and a first down. Then sr. RB Harold "Aaron" Miller ran for 5 and 6 yards for another first down. Then this happened: Fox ran two yards and was hot by jr. DT Lee Rubin, who came in helmet first. His helmet hit ball out of Fox's hands and sr. DE Frank Ross recovered on the Eagle 37 with just over 2 minutes remaining. The Eagles then marched 8 plays and 63 yards ending with a Wilmer to jr. RB Fateen Brown screen pass for 3 yards that left :07 on the clock and the huge Viking crowd in a state of shock. The 2 biggest plays on the drive though were hook-ups from Wilmer to his so. brother Damien Wilmer for gains of 13 (moved from the 36 to the 23) and 14 yards (moved from the 18 to the 4). D. Wilmer caught 6 balls on the day for 74 yards. Brown rushed for 64 yards. T. Wilmer passed 11-for-21, for 117 yards. T. Wilmer was also tough on D with 7 stops and a pass defended. Emerging jr. DE Chris Clanton (6-2 215) was very impressive with 6 including a TFL. GW's D set the tone with some extra physical tactics early on especially on Fox. He seemed to be out of it during some stretches. He did take over during the scoring drive as he accounted for the whole thing. First he made a pick and returned it 59 yards all the way to the Eagle 18 only to be tracked down by surprisingly quick/agile lineman Demetrius Wilson. Then he had runs of 12 and 5 which took the ball to the 1-yard line. He finished things off with a 1-yard screen catch from jr. QB Michael Small with :25 left. This was a big time drive to say the least as it gave the Vikes a score right before the half. Sr. LBs Seth Shapiro & Derek Butler led the D with 9 stops apiece. Sr. DE Jesse Joseph was in on 6 including a sack. He also recovered a fumble.
AA's Notes: This created a huge shake-up for playoff purposes as now NE who was in the driver's seat to take the division is now in 3rd place because of the points system. They will have a rematch with the emerging Simon Gratz team that they barely got by in week one...The Eagles will take on Central who took an L at the hands of the Bulldogs last week for the White division crown... Even in defeat, you had to be impressed with 2nd option RB Harold "Aaron" Miller. He'd be most teams first option and deserves some college interest... The funny of the day goes to Viking assistant Chris Riley who is always animated. When Butler missed his assignment on D. Wilmer allowing him to make a 14-yard catch, Riley did a run around in a circle down and yelled angrily to the other coaches, "YO, this is Butler! He did a loop-d-loop." 

OCT. 28
PUBLIC RED
Dobbins 29, Mastbaum 6
    This was my first look at the Panthers and I can truly say that even though they are winless for the season, things may look up for the future with 25 underclassmen on the roster (13 jrs, 10 sophs & 2 frosh). Also the team was pretty spirited even in defeat and seemed to be having fun. In fact, if not for a 7-minute stretch in the 3rd quarter where the Mustangs scored 29-points this game may have went in Mastbaum's favor. Sr. FB Paul Boldin started the scoring with a 1-yard run at the 8:04 mark. Then sr. WR/TE Michael Harris caught a 22-yard pass in stride for a score from jr. QB Wesley Brown at the 5:33 mark. Jr. CB Darrell Brown struck next with a 46-yard INT return at the 3:47 mark and finally so. LB Eric Wiley recovered a fumble in the end zone at the :47 mark which sent Dobbins to a 29-0 lead. Boldin and so. RB Paul Bennett both rushed for 65-yards. On D, the leaders were intriguing sr. DE Malik Marrow (6-5 240) with 10 total tackles & Leon Baynard with 11. Wiley was in on 9 with 2 TFLs and a sack and a half. Jr. DE Dennis Gaskin was had 2 sacks worth 21 yards and another TFL. Harris controlled the defensive backfield with 3 passes defended while D. Brown made 2. Boldin and sr. DB Tyree Henson also had picks. You gotta give Panther sr. QB Chris Bennett credit for his toughness. He was sacked here 6 times. He must take a beating every week like this and he still comes back for more. Sr. FB Maurice Upshur bulled his way for a late score. Jr. S Dwayne Jones led the D with 10 total tackles with 3 TFLs and 2 sacks among them totaling 31 yards in losses. He also recovered a fumble. Sr. DE James Dowden, who is the Panther's best player, was also strong with 8 tackles and a blocked extra point. Both sr. LB Michael Parker and impressive so. LB Hal Chambliss has picks.
AA's Notes: This game was for the final playoff spot and both teams played with some sense of urgency. Dobbins gets a first round game with G-Town though they probably should be the 8th seed and be playing Frankford right... The Mustangs played without their top player sr. two-way back Terrance Sample & their top prospect jr. two-way end Randall Wilson (6-4 240). Both should be uniform for the playoffs. Sample is Mr. Everything for them. This was an important game for the 'Stangs as it proved that other guys could step up...

OCT. 21
PUBLIC RED
Northeast 13, Frankford 12
    What a bullet (and it was a 45" caliber) the Vikings dodged en route to going 8-0. The Pioneers outplayed the Vikes for three quarters, but they failed to capitalize on opportunities throughout while also being penalized 14 times for 108 yards. Otherwise the total yardage disparity was 391 to 183 in favor of Frankford. Its amazing that the Vikes won this one. It may have been a lot of luck on their sides. That and the fact that they have superstar sr. RB Lamone Fox and Frankford doesn't. This may have been Mr. Fox's best performance yet. He truly kept the Vikings in the game when things looked to be in doubt. He rushed 29 times for 122 yards with 5, yes 5 first down runs on 3rd down plays & a 7-yard score with 4:10 remaining in the 3rd quarter to take the lead for good at 7-6. Then he put the game away to start the 4th with a 31-yard strike to streaking jr. WR Sean Evans (6-6 205) out of a half-back pass on 4th & 6. This was NE's first receiving TD on the season and it came at the hands of Fox. If that wasn't enough, he stopped impressive jr. RB Calvin Spires (11-115, TD) dead in his tracks on 4th down at the 3-yard line with just under 2 minutes remaining. It was an amazing performance. Defensively, Srs LB Chris Zepp and DE Derek Butler led the way with 11 tackles apiece. Sr. LB Seth Shapiro was in on 9 tackles. He also recovered a fumble and made a key stop on a Pioneer conversion play. Fox was in on 7 with a TFL. The Pioneers can only blame themselves for this loss. They got down to the Red zone four times in this one and did not capitalize. Spires started off fast when on the game's second play from scrimmage, he went off the left tackle for 84 yards untouched. He battled cramps the rest of the way through. However, on the next three Frankford possessions there was great opportunity for them to score with nothing doing. First, the Pioneers took over on the NE 13 after the combo of sr. LBs Alonzo Williams & Damon Brockington turned a fumble 36 yards. The Pioneers got to the 8 before they fumbled and turned it back over to the Vikes. On the next possession, the Pioneers got all the way to the Viking 1-yard line and had three plays there only for sr. QB Ryan Hardy (6-4 180) to be stuffed all three times. Then they got all the way to the Viking 4, but two penalties and a sack pushed them all the way back to the 25. Mind boggling, right? Otherwise, Hardy did a great job running the offense. He passed 7-of-10, for 178 yards and a 63 yard strike to sr. WR Maurice Bellinger directly after the Fox toss to Evans. Bellinger caught another long pass earlier that was reduced from over 40 yards to 2 yards by a penalty. Sr. TE Alonzo Williams caught 4 balls for 68 yards. Jr. FB Nate Johnson bulled his way to 66 yards on 13 carries. On D, sr. DT Danny Berdell (a sack & 2 other TFLs), sr. LB Eric Hairston (in on 11 stops including a TFL) & hard-hitting sr. CB Chris "Boobie" Wilson (8 solo tackles).
AA's Notes: The outcome of this one will be interesting if these two squads were to meet again. The Pioneers were again without their star sr. RB Brandon Norris (knee) and I don't see them making these kinds of mistakes again. They are too good for that... It was good to see Evans become a star here being that he only lives a short walk from Pioneer stadium. Plus he was heckled all game long from the stands by some of his Frankford friends... The Vikes have some good looking O-Linemen in srs. G-T Michael Lewis (6-2 290) & studly sr. C Yaroslov Mukha (6-5 275). I'd have to imagine both have drawn some looks, especially Mukha... Not that it matters now, but it kind of bothers me to not see sr. WR-LB-DB Rockeed McCarter not experiencing the joy that the rest of his former Viking teammates have had thus far this season. Rock' probably could have put this team over the top and not to take anything away from or say anything bad about Roman, but I bet he's still a Viking at heart. He was only a 3-year starter in 2 sports there before leaving for greener (purpler -smile) pastures? Oh well I guess its water under the bridge now... 

OCT. 21
PUBLIC BLUE
Overbrook 9, Lincoln 6
    The Castle on the Hill has done it again! After a 77-year drought, it looks as if the Hilltoppers will make a second straight appearance to the Pub playoffs. This year they left no doubt as a 23-yard field goal by Elbana Mohamaad with 6:32 remaining sealed the deal. 'Brook totally controlled this one in the second half. On their first drive, they tied the score at 6 when sr. QB Sylvester "Lefty" Broxton lofted a 8-yard pass over the middle to star sr. TE Naftalie "Talie" Ellis (6-5 260) for a TD. That was set up by a LONG return by so. Leonard Mitchell (67 yards). Sr. FB Eikeem Barron toughed out 43 yards on 10 totes. Sr. WR Courtney Munroe had 2 great returns as well for 107 yards (51 & 56) in the first half. They never cashed in on them though. The Panther D deserves most of the credit here. Coach Carter's group played with a great sense of urgency. The biggest star was sr. LB Rahim Frazier (6-3 240). Frazier was in on 13 tackles including a half sack worth 16 yards. He also batted down a pass and recovered a fumble. He was a man possessed from the start and had tears of joy in his eyes in the end. Good work young man! Barron was in on 7 tackles including a sack for a loss of 12. Sr. DE Robert Sheed (6-4 225), another good-looking prospect, was also in on 7 stops including a sack and a half worth 23 yards and another TFL worth 5. Jr. DT Charles Owens, who once again I can only recall playing in the second half, was a bear with 8 tackles including 2 TFLs. So. DB Eric Kemp had a late pick. The Railsplitters just couldn't muster enough offense to win this struggle. Sr. RBs Justin King (14-68, TD) & Antone Hampton (16-47) couldn't get enough going in the key stretches. Srs. LB Courey Burrell & DE Robert "Bobby" Keels both had 2 TFLs. Both kids have a hard-hitting, for keeps style. Jr. FS Darryl Dawson led the secondary with 5 tackles, a pick and 2 other defended passes.
AA's Notes: One other prospect to note for Lincoln is sr. two-way tackle Carlin Edwards (6-3 285). He is the epitome of strong and has a motor... The Panthers dedicated this game to one of their fallen teammates sr. WR-DB Michael Yancy, a 3-sport guy (Football, Wrestling & Track) at 'Brook was paralyzed last year during wrestling practice. He probably would have been a two-way starter for them this year. He was on the sideline in a wheelchair cheering his 'mates on throughout and was given the game ball afterwards. It was a GREAT moment... Finally, last week I spoke on the great job coach David Carter has done at Brook, but now its D-Line coach Will Nesmith that I must praise. A few weeks ago I spoke of how every team needed a coach like Frankford's one and only Rasheed Mahamed, well 'Brook has their own in "Big Willie." The Big Fella is the ultimate hype guy. He'll make you give him everything that you got and that's the primary goal as a coach folks. Plus he's one of the funniest guys on the planet, no lie. Twice he made website worthy comments. Like to hear 'em, hear they go: First when Owens made consecutive big plays, Will turned to me and politicked, "You like #66 don't you. Remember the name, CHARLES OWENS! He's been in my dog house most of the season. I just took the chain off 3-weeks ago." Then just seconds later when another DL said, "Coach Will I'm ready to go back in." Will replied with, "Don't know if your ready. I don't smell no funk behind me." The kid exclaimed, "I'm ready coach." Will then said, "Well come on then your in next play." You gotta love it...

OCT. 20
PUBLIC AAA
Franklin 36, Freire Charter 16
    I'll keep this one short. Franklin star rusher Maurice Dantzler ran twice for 99 yards and 2 scores of 45 & 54. As you can see, he was never stopped nor was any other Electron in the first three quarters. That's right the Dragons had NO defensive tackles until the 4th quarter when the Franklin had its 2nd and 3rd teamers in. Even more amazing, Franklin only ran 5 plays from scrimmage in the first 3 quarters (4 went for TDs). Here they go: Dantzler ran 45 yards for a score, then "Moe" ran 54 yards for a score, then sr. WB Rodreen "Chief" Howell ran 60 yards for a score, sr. QB Frank Anderson ran 18 yards for a score, then jr. back-up QB Matt Woods fumbled a snap. The Electrons ran no plays from scrimmage in the 3rd. They had an INT return for a 52-yard score by sr. DB Bobby Jenkins and a fumble on a kickoff... Freire has a long ways to go as a FB program, but coach Allen Shears III does have some bright spots. Many of his guys are said to be freshman and sophs and some have speed/athleticism. The 2 standouts today were sophs. QB Brandon "Bullet" Clark & RB Damar Bussey. Bussey ran 14 times for 127 yards with a 70-yard score off a fake punt. He owns serious speed and he plays hard all game long. Clark is the team's top talent. He's probably playing out of position right now at QB. He ran for a 1-yarder and made both conversion runs. He could be heard from down the road in the Pub...

OCT. 17
Berean Institute 13, Widener JV 0
    Well, well you ask what was I doing here? Well I'm gonna tell you. Many of the Berean kids are ex-Pub legends who have been begging for ink and so I was sent to give it to them. I had a great time too. If many of these guys keep their heads on straight, they could move on to the D-IIIs and state schools. Let's first start with the Berean O-Line. They average 6-2.5 315-lbs and look like this: So. C Donte "House" Mathews (6-2 330, Gratz), Gs fr. Marcus Coney (6-1 280) & fr. Kyle Hatch (6-2 285, Gratz) & Ts so. Vincent "School Shirt" Turner (6-4 350 - so he says... (smile), Gratz) & so. Jamal Gilliard (6-4 330). So. TE Caleb Rhodan (Germantown) goes 6-3 250 and he's a good blocker too. Also former Gratz star so. Robbie "Beano" Spivey (6-2 220) also played some TE. He's more of the pass catcher. All of these lineman deserve state school level interest. They controlled the line of scrimmage here with ease. If I'm a place like Cheyney, I'm camped out here, hint-hint coach Felder... The most impressive Bear was fr. RB Chris Sales (Germantown). I don't remember him playing there, but he's surely playing now. He ran 19 times for 176 yards and a 68 yard score. Folks, this kid has the goods! He could be a star even at the next level. He's got good size (5-10 195), good leg strength, serious moves and even better bursts. It seemed like once he got away from the line of scrimmage, he could have been gone at any time. His progress bares watching... So. RB Rakim Smith (Gratz) ran for the other score, an 11-yarder. Defensively, Smith caught a pick as did team leader so. FS Darrell Fincher (Franklin) & fr. DB Jason Gonzolez (Mastbaum). Smith also had a TFL amongst his 5 tackles. So. DT Dominic Bland (Gratz), so. LB Voncell Harrigan (Gratz) & fr. DT Brandon Stewart all recorded sacks.
AA's Notes: Boy was this fun seeing all of these legends that I've covered over the last few years doing something positive. I hope that they all make the most of it... Playing the Widener and Del Val JVs is a great showcase for most of these guys as they are playing in front of the coaches of the Varsity as well. Both of these programs are local schools that are also national powerhouses on the D-III level and have great facilities. I'd advise any of these guys to consider them if they come calling... Lastly, this was a fun experience. I got a chance to tease Widener Freshman Jamie Ross Jr. (Olney). His father was a head-liner at Frankford in basketball during the Warley-era in the late 80s. Son is a wide-out on the JV. He has a dinged up ankle so he was on the chain crew for this one. He's expected to be moved up to varsity next year as a few seniors will move on...

OCT. 15
PUBLIC BLUE
Overbrook 18. University City 12
    This was as entertaining a game as you'll see. There was atmosphere, drama and suspense. Not to mention that both of these former West Philly pitfall programs are on the rise. The Hilltoppers held on to win the battle of the West Philly Cats with an INT by sr. CB Johnny Mack with 1:55 remaining as the Jags were driving trying to tie the score or take the lead. The Panthers had run on tough times in the 2nd half as sr. QB Sylvester "Lefty" Broxton was unavailable due to a knee tweaking just before halftime. And on top of that, admittedly running the ball isn't the Panthers strong suit. What is their strong suit you ask? Well its fact that 'Brook may have the top WR and TE in the league in seniors Courtney Munroe (6-2 195) & Naftalie "Talie" Ellis (6-5 265, one of the Pub's TRUE stud prospects). Ellis was pretty much held in check here as he seemed to be covered well throughout, (sometimes double and triple covered) but Munroe showed his stuff to the tune of 3 catches for 108 yards and a 50-yard TD catch. Back to Ellis, you had to like how though he wasn't the main man that he didn't cry and just blocked like a madman throughout. He seems like a great teammate, a teammate who never points the finger unless its at himself. That is a great quality that can take you a long way in this every day struggle we know as life let alone sports. So. RB Darius Johnson caught a 4-yarder. Both TDs were tossed in the first half by the lefthander. Sr. RB Richard Cooper also rushed for a score. On D, so. DB Leonard Mitchell made a pick and defended two other passes. Sr. LB Rahim Frazier (6-3 240) was in on 7 stops including a TFL and a sack worth 10 yards. Sr. LB Eikeem Barron (6-0 210) is a teeth-rattler. He was also in on 7 stops. Jr. DT Charles Owens made two TFLs in the 4th quarter worth 11 yards in losses. The Jags played good enough to win, but as you know in sports especially high school sports, that it doesn't always go that way. Sr. RB Sterling Johnson had his strongest game of the year with 17 touches for 97 yards. Sr. WB/CB Aaron Stephens again played the role of playmaker with 3 carries for 90 yards, a fumble recovery in the end zone, a catch for 5 yards, an interception & 2 TFLs for 6 yards. Phew! That sounds like a busy day. As I said before, Stephens is one of the tougher kids on the field every week against whoever. He lives to make plays and is kind of the pulse of this squad. So. WB Neville Hill-Brown, a Stephens play-alike, ran for a 12-yard score. The defensive leaders were sr. DE Richard Faison (6-0 250) who played his best game with 10 total stops including 2 total sacks worth 11 yards and another TFL. Johnson also made 7 stops from his LB spot including 2 TFLs.
AA's Notes: Who Run the WEST-SIDE? Well right now its Overbrook as they've one 5 straight after dropping their first two. Next week is their all-important date with Lincoln for the division title and the right to the lone playoff spot from the Blue division. Much credit has to go to defensive coordinator David Carter (Franklin, West Virginia). He has joined forces with Coach Ken Sturm and putting a winning attitude into this program. His lead chants of: Who got my back?, Who the Best in the West? & Who run the West-Side? could be heard all over Mt. Airy and his Panthers feed off of it... Speaking of Mt. Airy, Brook is a stronghold on 59th and Lancaster while U-City has been at 36th & Filbert since the mid-70s. Somebody please tell me how/why this game was played on the other side of Lincoln Drive? There's been talk of super-sites here and there, but we must get one in the West Philly area. The Big 4 of Bartram, Overbrook, West & U-City could all make good use of it as could West Catholic... Finally is there a cooler Public neighborhood high school in the country than Overbrook? Wilt, The Prince, McCarter, Drummond, ect. How many influential people have come out of 59th and Lancaster, "the Castle on the Hill." When its teams are good, there is a magical feeling that you get when at their games. Today the Panther band and dance team were in full effect and plenty of parents/fans graced their stands. It was a great experience... To sum up how much I think of Overbrook as a place, I'll say this: Overbrook high school also known as the Castle on the Hill is West Philly's #1 Landmark...

OCT. 14
PUBLIC RED
Washington 45, Germantown 12
    What a shocker! I just knew coming in that this would be a competitive, evenly matched game. However, the Eagles had other ideas as they spanked the G'Town game from beginning to end. The big reason was jr. RB Fateen Brown who ran for 179 yards and 3 scores (4, 28 & 30) on 24 carries. He also caught a TD pass for 26 yards (2/21 total). He also had 3 returns for 44 yards which gives him a total of ching-ching, 244 mulit-purpose yards (29 touches, 4 TDs). It doesn't get any better than that. This was huge for Brown as he's been kept out of the end-zone since week one. It should be a nice boost for the remainder of the season and the looming playoffs. Sr. FB Akeem Smith (35), impressive jr. RB Brian Carter (58) & jr. RB Tyrek Hatton (4) also all ran for scores. The Eagles only punted once and that punt by jr. Scott Marano was a BEAUTY to say the least. His foot could take him places. You have to know what your doing to boot one like that in these type of conditions. The Eagles line deserves credit. They did open enough holes for the rushers to rush for a whopping 370 yards. They are: jr. C Chris Clanton (6-2 215, also prospect at DE), jr. rotating Gs Mike Kelly, Lee Rubin & Kevin Marano & Ts jr. Aaron Murray (6-1 275) & sr. stronghold Demetrius Wilson (5-10 250). The stars on D were Wilson from DT (2 TFLs), Carter from FS (a pick) & Smith from LB (team-leading 7 tackles). For the Bears, there weren't many bright spots. Sr. RB Akeem Johnson toughed out 63 yards and a TD on 17 carries. Sr. QB Andre Fisher returned. He also ran for a score while passing 7-of-9 for 114 yards. Sr. TE Antwain Brown-Barnes was his main target with 5 catches for 68 yards. Sr. WR-DB Erik Frazier had a night he'd like to forget. Three times he missed TD saving tackles and the Eagles keyed him on O. He did make a catch for 15 yards. He WILL have better days. On D, the main men were sr. LB Eric Jenkins & jr. DB Michael Thompson. Both were in on 10 stops. Many of the hard variety.
AA's Notes: The Eagles had the special teams player of the game in so. skill-guy Devon Wallace. He made three s/t tackles and recovered a fumble. He laid the wood on all three and he's only listed at 5-5 135... Coach Mac is back! He's also in full effect as he was juiced all game long and it seems that he's injected new life into the Eagles this year. He's amazing for a 72 year-old man. I hope he coaches forever... It gets no easier for the G-Town gang as next week looms and all-important tilt with Dobbins. The winner will probably get out of a first round playoff date with NE or Frankford...

OCT. 9
CATHOLIC BLUE
Wood 28, Neumann-Goretti 7
    The Saints let many-a-opportunity go to waste early in this one and the ever-efficient Vikings made good on their and that was basically the ball game. Coach Steve Smith summed it up with, "These guys probably didn't get enough sleep! They probably hung out all night." I know I didn't. This game had an 11 am Sunday start. Anyway Wood has the goods to be right there in the end again in the CL Blue. They are not overly talented, but they are GREAT in the discipline and execution departments. Sr. RB Bryan McCartney is one of the more talented Vikes. He rushed here for 102 yards on 21 touches with 2 TDs (2 & 4). This kid is a winner and is probably the best back in school history. He's one of those guys that beats you more with his will than with his skill. The MOST talented Vike is jr. WR Chris Lordich (6-3 175). He does a bit of everything (punts, kicks, chief return man and chief pass catcher) and should be on the D-I radar. Here he caught 3 balls for 55 yards and had a 38-yard run out of a fake punt that set up McCartney's 2nd TD. I really like his possibilities. He just has that look about him, but he's not one of these guys that just gets by on the look as he has game to go with it. Sr. QB Joe Kosich had a solid outing passing 6-of-11 for 97 yards. Jr. RB Matt Little (9) & so. FB Robert DeLucas (1) also ran for scores. The defensive leaders were jr. LB Pat McAfee and sr. DE Sean Forsythe (6-3 210). Forsythe has the look of an intriguing prospect as he could easily hold 240-250 without losing much. Jr. DB Jim Daley caught a pick. For the Saints, there wasn't much to talk about. They looked pretty sluggish throughout. Jr. FB-LB Mark McPherson, a G-Town transfer, was a bright light. He rushed for the lone TD (8) and was the tackling leader. Sr. MP-back Hiram Bowman caught 3 passes for 64 yards. Sr. DE Ryan Howlett and sr. DT Barry Canady also had string showings on D.
AA's Notes: Many-a-Pub team could learn a lot watching Wood. They just don't make many mistakes and that's the name of the game in FB. I don't know if they'll have enough to take down the mighty Burrs for 3rd straight time, but one thing's for certain and that's that they will have a say in the end... I like what Coach Smith is doing in South Philly. He's the right man for this job. He has that balanced temperament that every FB coach needs to have. Like some coaches are a bit TOO serious and some are way too nonchalant. He has the best of both worlds. The next three years should tell the story. We'll see by then if they can compete with the West's and Wood's of the world... Its always good to see my man Ernie Gallagher with the White hat. You know you are going have a good time when he's in the place...

OCT. 8
PUBLIC WHITE
Bartram 21, West 0
    This one wasn't as bad as I thought at least from the muddy standpoint. I have been eager to check out the Braves as they were expected to quite possibly win their division and up to this point they stood at 0-5. They still have a shot at the division title and this game may be what turns their season around. They've played all tough games and that could pay serious dividends in the long run. Injuries have also been a problem and that's why star jr. RB John "Fudgie" Pratt had limited duty in this one. He's been hampered by a shoulder injury. Speedy so. scat-back Michael Alexander filled in admirably with 8 touches for 111 yard and a score. Sr. TE Bradley Davis caught a 28-yard TD pass from sr. QB Andre Goddard. Jr. QB Kris Brownlee ran one in from 2 yards out. The D was led by hard-hitting sr. LB Kevin Pace with 6 stops, 1 loss, a fumble recovery & Davis at DE with 5 (1L). Alexander & sr. CB Julius Carter led the defensive backfield. The Speedboys had all kinds of problems and never really threatened. Sr. FB William "Baby Bear" Blackwell (5-9 270) is a load to tackle. He was the one bright spot with 9 carries for 67 yards. He also caught a pass for 19 yards. The defensive leader was sr. DB Jamal Washington with a game high 7 tackles.
AA's Notes: This game didn't have many occurrences. It was mostly played cleanly... I feel bad for the West coaches. You can see that they work hard and that they care deeply, but I'm positive that their kids don't want it the same as they do even some of the so-called headliners. Its almost painful to watch. Coach John R. Lay is back and he screamed all game long, "Where's the effort! Where's your pride! Sense of urgency!" His young son/ball-water boy/assistant coach could be heard screaming the same. Everyone laughed when he even claimed, "I sound just like my dad don't I." You sure do kid... To sum this one up there was a point in the 4th quarter where for 2 straight plays the Speedboys only had 10 guys on the field. The head official then yelled to the sideline, "West you are allowed to use 11!.."

OCT. 7
PUBLIC WHITE
Central 14, Roxborough 0
    The Lancers once again took a game opponent as this week the Indians of Roxborough came to play. The Indians were tough on D and they had their passing game working. Central moved to 4-0 behind the leadership of jr. QB John Kennedy. He didn't have gaudy numbers, but boy is he what you want in a QB. The Lancers actually did all that they needed to do in the 1st quarter scoring both of their TDs then. Sr WBs James Tyree (27) & Michael Lloyd (16) ran for the scores. Kennedy passed 5-of-7 for 85 yards. Tyree caught 2 passes for 22 yards. Sr. WR Greg Riley made 3 catches for 63 yards. Riley twice snatched the ball from the hands of his defender. He blends muscle with speed & looks to be a kind of underrated prospect. He also made a pick on D. Sr. DT Darrell Ray & sr. LB Dominic Scovers both were in on a team-leading 6 tackles. Sr. DE Chris "Hit Hard" Pickard made 1.5 sacks. Roxy was led by their solid pass game in which sr. QB Mark Ames passed 11-of-20 for 152 yards. His main targets were sr. WR Joe Ball (5/66) & very impressive so. TE Stephen "T.O" Tucker (4/53). On D, sr. LB Aaron "A-Trane" Washington (6-1 220) was in on 11 tackles including 4 TFLs & a half sack worth all of 12 yards. He was straight smacking guys. 1-AAs should be all over this sleeper. He and U-City's Jamal Thompson are the best two LBs I've seen in the Pub. Sr. DT Jeremy Travis (6-2 260) had 3 TFLs of his own. Jr. DE Chris Koons (6-4 205) was also impressive. He made a TFL and recovered a fumble.
AA's Notes: Its always fun at Central with the cheerleaders, pep band, pep squad, managers, ect. It lets you know that some people in the Pub do get it... Sr. manager Mia Settles was again at it catching extra points. She was 1-for-2 today... Roxy's Tucker got the nickname T.O because one he is facially the spitting image of his namesake and two well he wears his number. One thing's for the certain and that's that this sophomore has VAST potential. He's not scared to go over the middle and catch the ball. Then what's even more impressive is that he doesn't go down after getting hit... Roxborough aide and brother of Head coach Mike Stanley, Jody Stanley had the funny of the day when the Indians drew the Lancers offside on 4th down. Jody yelled, "Good job guys! Way to outsmart the smart guys."

SEPT. 30
PUBLIC RED
Frankford 28, Washington 6
    This was the premier contest in the Pub this weekend and I was glad to be a part of the experience. The Pioneers made a huge statement with this kind of performance as they totally dominated the Eagles for a half. You see the first half was even. The Eagles down, 14-6 had a chance to draw closer as they were all the way at the one yard line with about 14 tics showing in the 2nd quarter. They held two timeouts and didn't use either and let the clock run all the way down. Sr. QB Thomas Wilmer fired a pass to his younger brother and favorite target so. TE Damien (5/70, 17-yard TD catch) who caught it, but out of bounds with no time left. The second half was a wash for the Eagles. The Pioneers were led by the rushing tandem of sr. RB Brandon Norris (11-111, TD & 1/9 TD) & jr. FB Calvin Spires (19-141 2TDs). Norris was pretty much held in check except for the vintage Brandon 65-yard TD in which he totally out-ran the left corner and free safety in the open field. He had several others that were saved by great stops. He still may not be in top shape, but he is as a dangerous a player that there is in the Pub. It looks to me that the Pioneer coaching staff isn't trying to wear him out looking to bring him along kind of slow in order to save him for the stretch run. Spires (6-0 195) was a pleasant surprise. He runs VERY hard and with a purpose. He also has serious vision. You could sense that he works his tail off too. His progress bares watching... Sr. QB Ryan Hardy (6-4 185) is long and rangy. He's probably the best QB prospect in the Pub. He went 3-for-6 for 45 yards and a score to Norris. Sr. TE Alonzo Williams (6-1 195) made two great/difficult catches for 36 yards. As you can see, the Pioneers have plenty of playmakers on O. On D, the stars were jr. DE Nate Johnson (7 stops, 2 for Ls, 1 sack worth 13 yards), jr. DT Tyree Dudley (6-4 290, 3 TFLs worth 10 yards total), sr. OLB Eric Harriston (6-3 180, 5 stops & two broken-up passes) & sr. MLB Damon Brockington (6-2 215, 10 total stops & the INT to ice the game). Harriston has the look of a nice prospect. He's rangy, quick and a sure tackler. He has the look of a pretty good strong safety at the next level. Brockington was impressive himself as he called the D and was active all night long. Dudley may have been the best overall prospect on the field. He's simply a big, agile lineman and that's always a need at EVERY level. This bunch of Pioneers is talented and hungry. The Eagles were led on O by the arm of T. Wilmer. He passed 8-for-16, 110 yards and a score. The tackling leaders were Ryan transfer sr. MLB Joe Devlin and jr. FS Cecil Wise. Both were in on 7 stops. Sr. LB Akeem Smith made 2 TFLs.
AA's NOTES: Early in the game the prophetic Pioneer aide Rasheed Mahamed turned to me and made the brassy statement, "you know we winnin' this game." EVERY staff needs a Rash'. He's the kind of coach that not necessarily starts the engine, but he puts the peddle to the floor... I loved how the Northeast kids came and watched the game. They sat on both sides of the field scouting their opponent. Their game at Frankford in 3 weeks will establish a clear cut favorite going into the playoffs... Don't count out the Eagles. They are a junior laden squad who'll continue to improve as the year goes on and be a dangerous out come November...

SEPT. 30
PUBLIC BLUE
University City 20, Olney 6
    UC won the battle of the Pub feel-goods with its tough defense and big play ability. The Jaguars scored two defensive TDs as sr. LB Sterling Johnson (75 yards) & sr. CB Aaron Stephens (20 yards after sr. DE Antoine White ran the first 17 and either pitched it to him or fumbled, couldn't really tell which) both returned fumbles for TDs. Sr. FB/LB Jamal Thompson (5-11 250) was the star on both sides of the ball. He carried 9 times for 52 yards and a score then was in on 11 stops with one going for a 4-yard loss. That was also the play that forced the fumble return for Stephens. He literally punched the ball out of the hands of Trojan sr. QB Giovanni Romero. Thompson is rock-strong (strongest kid I've seen yet this season, no lie) and he has that classic FB look. The New Orleans native is said to have been an All-Metro linebacker last year and has drawn interest from some SEC schools. I can see why. He's got speed and athleticism at the LB position. He breaks to the ball and he packs a smack and a half once he gets there which is normally sooner than later if you get my drift. Special mention must go to Stephens as well. He's one of the tougher kids on the field every time he steps on it and it shows. He's a first-year FB player and he's not afraid to make plays be it on O, D or ST. He plays the same way in the winter on the hardwood. Olney's problem lied in their 5 lost fumbles. The Trojans have a good-looking group of backs all very similar, small to average build with quickness and shiftiness. The best today was sr. Alando Brown (10-50). Sr. WR George Nixon made a GREAT 30-yard catch on the Olney scoring drive setting up Romero's 3-yard plunge. On D, the star was sr. FB-MLB Isaiah Mills (6-2 250, 5 stops one a 5-yard loss) who is absolutely a man and a prospect to have the least at either the 1-AA or D-II level. The one time he collided with Thompson, I thought I felt the field move. So. CB Mike Reyes caught a pick as did Nixon. Nixon's was of the leaping variety. He went down hard hitting the back of his head. He went to the sideline and starting vomiting. The ambulance had to come and take him off the field. The early prognosis is a concussion. We hope Nix' has a speedy recovery as he's one of the Pub's true playmakers.
AA's NOTES: After Reyes made his pick in the end-zone he yelled, "I know they didn't think they were gonna throw on my side!.." The Jags have plenty of guys who make plays and should be thought of as dangerous. Their clash next week with Lincoln is huge in the division standings... Coach Lou Williams, one of the busier men in the school district (both head FB and BB coach plus the disciplinarian at the school) at UC spent most of the first half drinking a non-athletic beverage, a Pepsi. If he could have had it his way, he would have had the bag of chips he requested with it...

SEPT. 29
PUBLIC AAA
Franklin 54, Penn 12
    As you can see, this wasn't much of a game and in the 3A Division it will be like this for much of the year. I'm going to go out on a limb and say that both Franklin and Bok are on a collision course and that both will come into their game on October 28 will be a battle of unbeatens. Its unlikely, but if both Franklin and Bok accumulate enough points both teams could be eligible for the state playoffs. It should be interesting to watch. Franklin has 8 ball carries today 34 times for 252 yards and 7 TDs. Sr. RB Maurice Dantzler carried 6 times for 107 yards and 3 scores. He also caught  a ball for 17 yards. 'Reece admittedly says he has bad hands (smile) so that was a good sign. He has been on a tear and I don't think that tear will end soon. TDs were also scored by sr. WB Rodreen "Chief" Howell, sr. QB Frank Anderson, so. FB Chris Woods and so. RB Ramik Love. Howell was also the star on D, with 2 picks. Penn has a bright light in so. QB David Allen (5-of-14, 125 yards 2 TDs & 2 INTs). He has a very strong arm and he's pretty athletic and instinctive. His TDs went to sr. WR Charles Corley (19 yards) & jr. WR Rhyheim Magobet (60 yards). On Defense sr. MLB Braheem Clanton & sr. DE Jason Simpkins (6-5 215) were the rocks. Simpkins looks like a prospect. With added strength and FB knowledge, he could be pretty good. He's a surefire diamond in the rough.
AA's Notes: As Ted always says, when Franklin is good they are a cool bunch to be around. I trult had fun although it seemed like this one just passed me by. It started at 2:53 and end at 4:28. Phew... The referee with the roaring voice was in full effect once again. Mr. Get off my ball, get off my pile was back in action. He seemed to have a lot of fun here... A great scene was when Freshman FS Robert Ingram missed the tackle on Magobet's 60-yarder. He came to the sideline in tears because he missed the play. Everyone on the sideline had to console him, but that was a good sign. This kid is serious about FB and I'm willing to bet that it'll never happen again... The funny of the day goes to another official. When the Franklin cheerleaders shouted a cheer, he started swiveling hips. He had some rhythm too for a white guy. Boy was this classic...   

SEPT. 23
NON-LEAGUE
Central 30, Dobbins 20
    Since I've been around the Pub, I've noticed that some things (good and bad) never change and one of those things that is always good and is always the same is Central FB. No matter who the personnel is, the players are always disciplined on both sides of the ball and they always execute. The Lancers and their perfectly-executed Wing-T are always fun to watch. This particular team unlike the others in the last few years has no one star, but does things kind of collectively. They could become rather dangerous come late October. This particular game was decided on two long, draining second half Lancer drives that led to scores. The first came at the start of the 3rd quarter as the Lancers received the ball and held it for all of 8:27 (14 plays, 60 yards). It ended with a 4-yard TD run by sr. RB Williams Thomas (25 totes, 77 yards). That made the score 23-8 Lancers after a conversion run by ultra-poised jr. QB John Kennedy (very impressive, 3-of-3 for 55 yards + 36 yards and 2 TDs on the ground). The Mustangs looked to be done, but that when's THE playmaker himself sr. RB-CB Terrance Sample zigged and zagged his way for an 82-yard return on the ensuing kick-off. The 'Stangs missed the conversion, but had life with the score 23-14. The Lancers fumbled on the first play of their next drive, but the Mustangs couldn't convert as they were stopped short on 4th & 6th. The Lancers then marched down the field 12 plays & 72 yards (6:13 total) to begin the 4th with Kennedy running it in from 7-yards out. This made the score 30-14 and kind of put things out of reach. The Lancers also got good contributions from sr. WB Michael Lloyd (7 carries for 48 yards and a score) & sr. WB James "Big Play" Tyree (6-1 210). Tyree is Mr. clutch. He didn't score, but 5 of his seven touches (5 carries/35 yards & 2 catches for 37 yards) were first downs. It just seemed that every time a big play was needed, he made it. I would imagine that 1-AAs have to be intrigued by him because of his great build, size, versatility and athleticism. He could play many different positions at the next level. On D, sr. LB Dominic Scovers was the leader with 11 total stops. His partner in crime, jr. LB was in on 5 along with a TFL and a fumble recovery. Strong sr. DB Greg Riley made a pick. For Dobbins, Sample was again the man. He scored all 20 of their points and looked very Westbrookish out there. His days efforts produced 275 multi-purpose yards (13-127 rushing TD, 1 catch for 17 yards TD & 3 returns for 131 TD) and 3 TDs on just 17 touches. He also had another 82-yard return for a score called back. It was the first return of the game. This guy is a threat to score every time he touches the ball. I-AAs should be on the case to at least give him a look. He has great clock speed to go along with serious brass. Jr. QB Wesley Brown passed 9-for-14 for 83 yards. His security blanket seems to be sr. WR/TE Michael Harris (6-2 195, another solid prospect). Harris caught 3 balls (all for first downs) for 27 yards. Harris is said to be a straight A student. On D, sr. LB Paul Boldin was the overall leader with 10 tackles. Jr. LB Chris Williams was in on 8 (a sack and a TFL).
AA's Notes: I liked what I saw from Dobbins in defeat. They'll be much better down the road as well. They rotated about 19 defensive players in and out all game long. They also have some large lineman who'll surely be better once the heat gives way to the Fall... Sample has accounted for all 7 Mustang TDs (4 rushing, 2 receiving & 1 return) on the 4-game season. He also has two 2-point runs. That's all but 2 of Dobbins' total points... Central's Kennedy is the mirror image of the last 4 Lancer QBs. He's super athletic, throws a nice ball, is a great ball-handler and sells the you know what out of fakes. His future looks bright... The Lancers have a Lineman to watch for all 1-AAs and probably even the 1-As in 6-5 270-lb jr. T Mike Thompson. He's very long and lean. On top of that he's pretty athletic in an FB uniform. His best Fb is surely ahead of him... The funny comment of the day came from Dobbins jr. DE Dennis Gaskin. After Sample made a nice run he yelled, "take a Sample of that right there!" Gotta love the sideline action...  

SEPT. 15
NON-LEAGUE
Imhotep Charter 8, Southern 6
    This had to be the WACKIEST Pub Game I've ever been to in any sport and I've been around the Pub for the 13 years now! I don't know where to start. Well first off the amount of turnovers and the score were the same. Imhotep had 8 of both TOs and points while Southern had 6 of both TOs and points... Here's the breakdown: Imhotep tossed 4 INTs and lost 4 fumbles. Southern lost 3 fumbles and tossed 3 picks... The funny thing was that there actually was some clean hard-hitting action, but it just got taken over by constant wackiness... Southern had 11 penalties for 93 yards to Imhotep's 6 for 40... Southern jr. QB Kareem Williams carried 10 times for 60 yards in losses. He was only sacked 4 times. Four other times he made bad pitches. Southern has a conversion run and a TD pass called back by penalties which probably made the difference... Imhotep jr. RB Gerald Bowman fumbled on the first play of both of the Panthers first two drives of the 3rd quarter. Then jr. RB Khaleel "Twin" Evans fumbled on the 2nd play of the next... Southern has two of its better players hurt in the early stages and then its top player sr. two-way tackles Demetrius Tillman (6-3 275) was booted for two late-hit personal fouls... The teams had a little skirmish to end the first half and to begin the 4th quarter both teams lined up on the wrong side of the ball... This could have been on one of those blooper tapes and sold a million copies. It was classic to say the least... I could go on with more, but I won't. As for the game I won't mention any offensive player because frankly, it just would not be deserved well except for Evans who had the game winning score on a 6-yard run with 1:31 remaining. This came directly after Ram very athletic sr. Punter Jason Sabb (6-3 190) took an intentional safety and then kicked off to jr. return-specialist Anthony Bright who took the ball from the Imhotep 35 to the Southern 35. Six plays later, well you know... The Panther defensive stars were sr. DB Aaron Johnson with 3 picks including the final one with just over minute remaining. Jr. LB Khalief "Twin" Evans with 10 total stops including a TFL and a sack and a half. Impressive sr. DE Terron Oates (6-4 240) played in his season's first game made 6 total stops including a sack worth 8 yards and a TFL for 7. His mirror image jr. DL Tyreese Johnson (6-5 240 -- and every bit of it) had a sack worth 7 as well. He was his disruptive self throughout. With hard work this off-season, he could be recruited very highly come this time next year. He passes the look test and has the time to put the work in plus he has that Ever-last battery in him that every good football player must have. The Ram D stars were jr. CB Eric Whitaker with 2 picks. His first produced the 80 yard TD return to start the scoring. Sabb also had a pick as well as sr. DB Kerry "two picks (well one pick this week)" Dunbar. Dunbar was also in on 7 tackles. Soph. LB Tyrell Cooper made 2 TFLs worth 9 yards. Phew, a lot of things happened here. In truth words can't describe this one. You just had to be there.
AA's Notes: Sabb deserves to be commended for his job punting especially after normal long-snapper sr. Rickey Nguyen was hurt early on. He took some wild snaps and still got all of his punts off with a 27-yard average. Then on top of that, he had his TD catch called back by a foolish block in the back. However, he must learn to keep his emotions in order in he wants to keep going in sports. Many times he was out of line and his kind of behavior can cause a charged environment... Imhotep I think will be good in time. They seem to have dedicated coaches (I saw 6 or 7 of them) and the kids are into it. They have some guys who can/will play at the next level in their fold as it is... Jr. QB Clinton "Juice" Sharpe-Granger (6-3 220) resembles NFL star QB Daunte Culpepper in both body and face. "D.C" must have been his mirror image in his high school days... After Cooper stuck 'Leel Evans for a loss he screamed, "Stop playin' wit' me! Gonna kill him next time! They gone have to get a medic in here!.." Then when soph. G-DT Bryon "Country" Lee was called for duty with his shirt out of his pants coach Bill Edger yelled, "Tuck in your shirt "Country!" You look like a bum out there!.." Then my favorite funny came from sr. WR/DB Rashad Mims. During the 4th quarter rally Mims kept repeating to himself, "I'm trying to get on Ted (meaning TS.com I presume)." Then when the final buzzer went off, he jumped for joy. He then ran over to me and poked me in the chest yelling, "Tell Ted about this!.." Imhotep is quickly becoming one of my new favorite schools. The kids are cool. The parents and fans always come out and the coaches are deeply involved/dedicated in every sport that I've seen them participate in. They are alright with me. AD Andre Noble deserves a pat on the back for his vision...

SEPT. 15
NON-LEAGUE
Northeast 38, West Phila. 6
    This was a total mismatch from the start. NE could have easily scored 2-3 more times, but they graciously called off the dogs mid-way through the 3rd quarter. The Speedboys only score stemmed from of their mishaps. LARGE sr. FB William "Baby Bear" Blackwell (5-9 260) rumbled his way for 4 yards before being stripped. WR Duwine Shaird was there to pick it up and dashed 66 yards for the score. Other than that, NE was pretty business-like while the Speedboys were mostly out of sinc. Super sr. RB Lamone Fox was merely mortal with 12 touches for 73 yards. He did have his average of two TDs (10 & 3) and he did have a catch for 22 yards. Sr. WB Ste'shaun Johnson raced for a 42-yard score and jr. back-up QB Michael Small raced for a 33-yarder. Sr. K Chris Mountney booted another 27-yarder and was very strong kicking his 5 XPs.The defensive leaders were sr. LB Derek Butler and sr. DE Jesse Joseph. Butler (6-2 205) made 7 total stops with 3 being TFLs and one being a sack. The total yardage loss was 18 yards. The ever-active Joseph (6-4 180) was in on 12 tackles (2 TFLs & 1 sack). Not much was good for the Speedboys. Coach John R. Lay is still out after surgery and a coach quit earlier this week. Plus there have been new guys filtering in and out. One bright spot was sr. QB Jamaal Washington. He showed loads of toughness.
AA's Notes: After sr. K Chris Mountney booted an extra point across Locust st. and into a door, one of the West chain crew said, "He rung the doorbell on that one..." After Lamone Fox got tangled up with West jr. NG Tristian "T.J" Singleton and both of their helmets some ended up in the others arms under the pile, a West assistant said, "Fox meet T.J. T.J meet Fox. T.J you need to meet him more often..." Then finally after Speedboy jr. LB Antoney Denton on a Viking rusher and stayed down hurt for a while before popping up, West assistant coach Ed Wright said, "See he's up. He only goes down for the 8-count..." Now for the serious. Both of West's recruitable lineman had a tough time here. Seniors Lawrence "Juice/Chunks" Brown (6-2 340) and Darren Watson (6-5 320) were fighting the heat. Both will be better as the climate cools. "Juice" once again blew chunks. Darren made a few good blocks on O... Lastly, I hope that the Speedboy multi-purpose ace jr. Brandon "B.J" Johnson (6-2 185) gets it together. He was thrown out of last week's game which made him unavailable today. He walked around for the entire first half with no shirt on. He has an adonnis' body and he's said to not dabble in the weights much. If only he did, PHEW! He's battling maturity issues. Sky's the limit with a wake-up call...

SEPT. 10
NON-LEAGUE
Germantown 20, Gratz 13
    This is obviously one of the stops on the trail that I truly look forward to each and every year. This is my 5th year in a row covering the G-Town-Gratz rivalry and I have yet to be disappointed. It must be dejavu as EVERY single year the Bulldogs jumped out with a lead on the Bears only to lose it late in the 4th quarter, AMAZING! The Bears won this one behind the HUGE heart of their pint-sized sr. RB Akeem Johnson (5-6 160). 'AJ" scored both of the Bear second half Tds including the game winner on 4th and 12 from the Gratz 15 with 4:09 to go. It was a broken play as sr. QB Andre Fisher scrambled to his left being chased hard by ULTRA athletic jr. DL Nisia Dunaway (more on him later) only to find Johnson wide open for the score. Johnson also finished with 20 totes for 132 yards and a 10 yard score to start the 3rd quarter. Sr. FB Eric Jenkins accounted for the other score on a 3-yard run. The "G's" D was led by Jenkins with 6 total stops including a TFL. Both jr. LB Eric "Neck-Bone" Williams & sr. LB Dishorn Hamilton were in on 8 total stops. Hamilton made a sack worth 8 yards. The Bulldogs were led by their usual force sr. RB Donald "Shug" King (27 carries for 166 yards and a score). I know G-Town coach Mike Hawkins may have had a bad dream about King running behind LT Terrance Frazier, a transfer from Williamsport who I don't have a grade year on, but I do believe he's the Bulldogs best lineman. Jr. QB Jerrick Jenkins again showed great form and arm strength. He passed for a 28-yard strike to sr. WR Randy Newton. Overall the Gratz D was led by versatile sr. Donta Antrom who played NG here. He was in on 8 total stops. He could probably play anywhere on defense and seems a bit under-appreciated. I say that because he wasn't even listed on the roster I got off the Gratz site and he's definitely one of their more valuable guys. It seems to me that every year the Bulldogs are more talented, but the Bears somehow pull it out. That's probably because the Bulldogs have so many guys going both ways and it tires them out. Maybe that'll change with E&S guys being now able to play at Gratz.
AA's NOTES: Former coach Rich Kozlowski came up to me after the game and said, "that this must have been the first time in Gratz history that an Asian kid scored for Gratz, at least since 83' when I first came around." He's probably right. That kid is jr. OL-K Thinh Trong and he attends E&S. He kicks extra points and field goals now for the Bulldogs. The Bulldogs are said to have about 5 kids from E&S at the moment and they expect to get a few more. The Bears have a kid from Hope Charter. Hopefully, these club teams will bring up FB numbers in the Pub... G-Town has some large line-man. Colleges could do themselves a service checking out 6-3 330-lb tackle Omar Zachary... Is G-town the capital of kids with 2 last names? Every year they have a few. This year the number is 4 on the roster. They are Antwain Brown-Barnes, Eidryce Wilder-Marks, David Henderson-Walker & Antoine Kemp-Smith... Finally, I'm getting back to Dunaway and I hope he gets the message. Dunaway is the most talented prospect on the Bulldog team. He is said to run a sub 4.5/40 and has the looks of a physical specimen, but he isn't seeming to get the most out of his ability because of attitude and lack of pride/drive. Many kids may think they are already there, but it takes so much especially in this sport to make it. This isn't the sport for a loafer. You have to be serious to be a Fb player. I saw this kid for 2 weeks straight after hearing so much about him and I'm still waiting for the results. I hope next time around is different and that his attitude changes for the better. I hope he meets the challenge. He has some things that you can't teach (size, speed & strength) and in Football those gifts can go a long way...  

SEPT. 9
NON-LEAGUE
LaSalle 35, Washington 6
    What a difference a year makes. The Eagles received pay back from the Explorers in the same fashion after the thrashing they dished out this time last season. The young Eagles have nothing to hang their heads about as they just ran into a much more experienced ball club who is flat out better at this point in the season and for the most part they did fight. The Explorers are a tough bunch and should cause some problems in the CL Red which just may be the top division in the state of PA! They run a spread offense with many quick outs, underneath passes and curls. They also have 7 or more sure-handed guys to go to and they are like a machine in that they just keep going lock clockwork. Their game breaker is jr. RB Chris Ashley (13 carries, 65 yards). He's one of those guys that lives in the end zone. He beats people because he's faster than you may think, he's tougher than he appears and he's very shifty. He scored in three different ways here: a 1-yard run, a 65-yard punt return & a 17-yard reception in between two defenders. He's very fun to watch as its hard not to like his approach. Eight different receivers caught passes from the arm of soph. QB John Harrison (14-of-16, 130 yards, 3 TDs). Sr. LB George Hudson (6-1 210) was the defensive leader with 8 total stops including a TFL. Jr. DE Scott Waters had 7 total stops including a TFL worth 10 yards & jr. LB Greg Frantz had 6 total stops and 2 broken-up passes. The Eagles were led by the hard-running of jr. RB Fateen Brown (20-88). He did dance a bit too much, but he ran hard for the most part. He also caught 3 passes out of the backfield. Sr. LB Joe Devlin made 2 TFLs to key the defense.
AA's NOTES: The Eagles suffered a big blow when their top player jr. FB-FS Cecil Wise suffered a hamstring injury on their first offensive series. He had just made 4 tackles on defense. I really felt for him as you could see that he really wanted to play. He's their heart and soul so I knew it would be a struggle without him... The Explorers made an impressive showing and that's the 2nd one in a row as they out-gunned PW last week. As I said earlier, they are a definite threat in the CL-Red...

SEPT. 9
NON-LEAGUE
King 18, Imhotep 6
    I figured going in that this one would be a little competitive with King losing a lot from just an average team including 3 transfers to Imhotep. Then factor in this being a great neighborhood rivalry. I knew the kids would play hard and that's what I got. Neither of these teams will set the world on fire this year because of a lack of offense, but both teams play solid defense and that will keep them in some games in their respective divisions. What could get the Golden Cougars over is their speed and their strong special teams which was the exact reason for victory here. Two of their 3 TDs were scored on returns as very fast sr. DB Marcel Rivers picked off a ball and took it 85 yards for a score. Then even faster jr. WB Kendall Coleman took a punt 50 yards for a score. Coleman was listed at 6-0 200 in the DN Preview. Uh, he only really goes about 5-5 135! Sr. QB Marquis Clark (6-2 210), the team's top prospect probably at SS or OLB, ran the other score in from 8 yards out. Sr. MLB Jeff Davis is the defensive leader and led the team in tackles. Jr. DB Dante Clanton had a pick as well. The Panthers had some impressive prospects for future purposes. They have one of the better front fours that I've seen so far and three of them are juniors. Their prized prospect is 6-5 240-lb (AND EVERY BIT OF BOTH) jr. DE Tyreese Johnson. This kid was in on 21/2 sacks plus another TFL. He was juiced all game long while be totally blew up TEs and tackles non-stop. He has a VERY bright future and that might be an understatement! Jr. DT Ahmad Rasheed also has a nice FB frame (6-4 220). He and Johnson are like bookends. Sr. MLB Daniel Richardson was the defensive leader. He plays with the classic MLB approach. He really got to many-a-Cougar with hard hitting and intimidation. I bet most of them remember #52.
AA's NOTES: Here's a good one. I don't have all the stats because I must have lost my play-by-play notes up at the GW-LaSalle game. I'm not mad though because the offense in this game was nothing to write home about. Though I could see Imhotep becoming respectable in the near future on both sides. In fact, they should get a few Ws this year... There was a great crowd on hand at Cougar-land with most of the fence around the field being filled with fans. These schools are only a half mile or so apart and many former Cougars now attend Imhotep. This game should be played every year because of that... The funny of the day came from Davis' mother as Davis lunged on a run and was hit by Richardson. She yelled, "#52 if hit by son like that again, it going to be me and you!" Gotta love the Pub...

SEPT. 2
NON-LEAGUE
Northeast 16, Gratz 6
    The name of this game and the difference between these two teams was simply numbers. Gratz came in with under thirty guys dressed while NE came with just over 50 guys dressed and it showed as this game went on as the Bulldogs just weren't as fresh as the Vikes down the stretch with many of their top guys having to go both ways. Then there was the Fox factor... You see star sr. RB-LB Lamone Fox (5-11 205) did not play in the whole first half for a violation of team rules and that was probably the reason for the 0-0 tie at the half. The Southern transfer is widely considered the Pub's top player/prospect and his presence was felt heavily once he returned. Last year, Fox rushed for 1280 yards and caught 21 balls for 243 more last season. He also amassed 20 TDs with not the greatest line. Even bigger things are expected this year. I hope he learned his lesson. He was very business-like during his second half performance while turning an evenly matched game into a Viking W. You could see that his teammates fed off of him. He only rushed 9 times for 62 yards, but he had scores on 16 and 12 both in the 4th quarter. He also blocked well and served as a decoy. On D, he had a sack worth 5 yards and two other tackles. The other defensive stars were very athletic sr. DE Jordan Strickland (5-11 190) with a sack and another TFL for a combined 9 yards, sr. LB Derek Butler (6-2 205) with 5 solos including 2 TFLs and sr. DE Chris Craddock with a team high 6 stops including a TFL. Ryan transfer sr. QB-S Charles McGinn had a pick and really deserves to be commended for his toughness as he was sacked 7 times. Four of those times was by Gratz' star of the game sr. DE Randy Newton. Newton also had 2 other TFLs among his 8 tackles. His yardage loss total was 31 yards. Great work young man! Ever-steady sr. RB Donald "Shug" King was himself with 18 carries for 109 yards. Jr. QB Jerrick Jenkins (6-2 175) also looked good. Don't be fooled by his 4-of-21, 72 yards. Often times, guys just flat out dropped his passes or didn't make the best effort. The kid is VERY athletic and he has a rocket for an arm. He threw a 12-yard strike to jr. WR Brad Martin in the latter stages. They could become a deadly combo. Gratz sr. DE/LB Bryant Jackson also played tough. He recovered a fumble and also had a sack and a TFL worth a total of 10 yards. Gratz will be a force in the White Division. They are expected to be in a 3-horse race with Bartram and Central for two playoff spots.
AA's NOTES: You gotta love what the Gratz coaches are doing with their program. They'll soon have a nice super site and that will be a huge upgrade. Every year their problem seems to be quality numbers, but that could soon change... There's much to like about King. He's always moving forward and he always has the same numbers at the end of the game. That's why is has already garnered heavy 1-AA interest and even has some offers... Sr. kicker Chris Mountney could be the X-factor. He booted a 27-yarder to start the scoring in the 3rd quarter... NE has a fine WR-DE prospect in 6-6 205-lb jr. Sean Evans. He may have to pick up most of the slack from his buddy star WR/LB Rockeed McCarter (who IS one of the better players in the city) transfering to Roman which still kind of upsets me a bit, but don't get me started on that...

SEPT. 2
NON-LEAGUE
Washington 35, Dougherty 14
    This was a pretty good first outing to check out as the Eagles have only one starter back from its magical 2004 run and coach Ernie Covington had high praise for his team this year at CD. One thing that's for certain is that we need not shed a tear for the Eagles. They have plenty of young, hungry talent. None today were hungrier than the junior back tandem of Fateen Brown (12 totes for 135 yards with TDs of 63 & 17) and Cecil Wise (6 for 67 with TDs of 15 & 14 -- also caught a conversion pass). Brown, who also caught 2 passes for 37 yards, has many of the attributes as last year's star Jerry Butler. He's obviously not at that level just yet, but he looks almost like Jerry did as a sophomore which ain't bad at all. Wise was the top Eagle for my money. He just may have a STUDLY future! He goes about 5-11 185 and has a non-stop motor. He plays a pretty mean safety. He made countless plays from there including being in on 7 stops and picking off an INT with a 30-yard return. The Eagles rang up 352 yards of total offense which was pretty impressive. Sr. QB Thomas Wilmer, who was a strong late season contributor during last year's run was sharp on both sides of the ball as well. He passed 5-of-10 for 82 yards and threw a score to his good-looking soph. brother TE-LB Damien Wilmer (5-11 200) for 8 yards. Damien had a 53-yarder called back due to a block in the back as well. On D. the Eagles were led by undersized (5-5 160), yet double tough sr. LB Akeem Smith with 9 solo tackles including a 4 yard sack. The only returning starter strong sr. two-way tackle Demetrius Wilson (5-10 245) was in on 6 tackles and also batted a ball at the line. Also strong sr. DE Brandon Banks was in on 8 stops with a TFL and a fumble recovery. The Cards fought hard and do look to be somewhat improved. They have more kids with brass and I thought that they had more overall team speed than the Eagles. The fastest player on the field was jr. RB-DB Brian Williams. He zipped down the field for an 83-yard kick-off return and seemed dangerous every time he touched the rock. Jr. RB Sean R. Williams is short, stocky and hard to bring down. Sophomore QB Phillip Baxter (6-1 155) is VERY brassy and he a nice arm. He has a pretty bright future. Soph. TE-LB Quinte White (6-3 180) is also promising. He's effective on both sides of the ball. Also probably their top skill position player sr. RB-DB Derrick Israel was not available for this one. On top of that, the Cardinal lines are huge being led by possible D-I prospect (at OG) sr. two-way lineman Kellen Kemp (6-3 290). There is a lot to like about this group of Cards especially for down the road purposes.
AA's NOTES: I like what I'm seeing from CD. There are over 50 names on their roster with about 45 being dressed today and there's pretty good overall enthusiasm... Does GW just reload or what. There is plenty to like about them. I've now seen them & NE and I've heard Frankford made a good showing in defeat against the #5 team in the area Strath Haven. That leads me to believe that this could be an evenly matched year. Those 3 games could be good ones with all three teams having a good chance to win any of them... Ah yes, and now for the funny of the day, when promising GW soph. DT Shahid Paulhill (6-4 230) got stood up on consecutive plays, coach Ron Cohen barked, "Shahid, you can't get stood up like that! I know your only 14 years old, but..." Assistant coach Calvin Jones, who also coaches him in basketball chimed in with, "Well he needs to start playing like he's 15..."