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Amauro's Football
Weekend Amauro "Amar" Austin is
a headliner among our trusty observers. He is not to be confused with Ruben Amaro,
the Phillies' general manager. Like "Huck" Palmer,
Amauro is a West Catholic graduate. He will make reports on games he sees. |
OCT. 28
PUBLIC AND CATHOLIC LEAGUES
Gratz 14, Bartram 0
Judge 42, Ryan 14
These games can always be tricky as you never know who has packed it in or who's motivated with nothing truly being on the line. The Bulldogs just needed to stay sharp and healthy here while Bartram is winless while having its worst season maybe ever. Well just as I suspected, Gratz did sleep walk for the most part, but did just enough to get the W while the Braves competed to the best of their abilities which made for a decent game. First and foremost, the head Bulldog here and beyond has emerged to be Jr. two-way end Fulani Freeman (6-4 195). He scored both TDs, one on each side of the ball. While also wreaking major havoc on the D-Line (4 sacks, 2 half/2 full) among his 10 total stops). This kid is Long & Wiry right now, but I envision him down the line and the sight is downright scary. "Free" is easily one of the city's BEST juniors. The first TD was scored on a 38-yard fumble return dash to the end zone. The 2nd off a 13-yard end around. Both were in the 4th quarter. Sr. Bruiser RB-LB Khilil Farrell (6-1 210) was next in line with a solid outing on both ends: 12-52 rushing, a catch for 12 & a pick on D. The Braves were without by far and away their best offensive player in Sr. RB Brandon Jones and that alone made for an uphill battle. Case in point: 20 rushes here for 0 yards. On D though Jr. DB Rondell Calloway made 2 picks. Jr. LB Totey Boley made another. Jr. DE Thomas Powell also gave a decent effort with 3 TFLs worth 7 yards.
RAUUUUUUL! No not Phillies left fielder Raul Ibanez. Yes, Father Judge RB-LB Raul Quinones. This kid has been the Crusaders' heart and soul for the last 2 seasons and now he's the star. Against the Northeast rival, the strong/quick back rushed for 210 yards (19 carries) and 5 TDs (49, 1, 2, 1 & 15). He ran with both power & speed and you could see that he was healthy. The Judge guys report he's been bothered by some nagging injuries all through the season. His backfield partner Sr. Matt Smalley (20-111-1TD) also made his mark. Together on the season the two have rushed for 22 scores! On D, the Crusaders were led by Quinones and sr. DB Conner Donohoe with picks while srs DT Eric "Captain" Condron & DE Anthony Walker (2 sacks) controlled the D-Line. Ryan was hoping to slip into the playoffs with a W, but it just wasn't to be. Sr. RB Dylan Rowan (13-90-TD) was effective while extra attention was paid to Sr. Tandem Mike (Anusky) & Mike (Palmer). Sr. DE Chris McMonagle (6-4 235) was a stud along the D-Line with 8 total stops.
AAsNOTES: It was weird before I got to Gratz today, I was brainstorming who I would recommend for different awards and to different scouts and Freeman's name came to mind. I told the Gratz coaches that if he hits the weights hard in the postseason, showing some muscle gain, and then hits the camp/combine circuit hard this Spring, he'd rack up college offers... The Braves are now 0-9, but I foresee better days going forward. It's just been one of those years... You'd think that Judge-Ryan would be more of a bitter rivalry, but from the feel here it was more of a friendly one. With all the imminent changes coming in the CL, one rumor has Ryan becoming an all-girls school with Judge getting most of Ryan's boys. Now, wouldn't THAT be interesting... Judge looks to be peaking at the right time -- playoff time. Now can they pull off the tall order of upsetting La Salle? Should be interesting going forward... As always you cab follow me on Twitter @AA215 for a softer side of things, except when the Eagles are playing of course --- smile.
PUBLIC AND CATHOLIC LEAGUES
Gratz 14, Bartram 0
Judge 42, Ryan 14
These games can always be tricky as you never know who has packed it in or who's motivated with nothing truly being on the line. The Bulldogs just needed to stay sharp and healthy here while Bartram is winless while having its worst season maybe ever. Well just as I suspected, Gratz did sleep walk for the most part, but did just enough to get the W while the Braves competed to the best of their abilities which made for a decent game. First and foremost, the head Bulldog here and beyond has emerged to be Jr. two-way end Fulani Freeman (6-4 195). He scored both TDs, one on each side of the ball. While also wreaking major havoc on the D-Line (4 sacks, 2 half/2 full) among his 10 total stops). This kid is Long & Wiry right now, but I envision him down the line and the sight is downright scary. "Free" is easily one of the city's BEST juniors. The first TD was scored on a 38-yard fumble return dash to the end zone. The 2nd off a 13-yard end around. Both were in the 4th quarter. Sr. Bruiser RB-LB Khilil Farrell (6-1 210) was next in line with a solid outing on both ends: 12-52 rushing, a catch for 12 & a pick on D. The Braves were without by far and away their best offensive player in Sr. RB Brandon Jones and that alone made for an uphill battle. Case in point: 20 rushes here for 0 yards. On D though Jr. DB Rondell Calloway made 2 picks. Jr. LB Totey Boley made another. Jr. DE Thomas Powell also gave a decent effort with 3 TFLs worth 7 yards.
RAUUUUUUL! No not Phillies left fielder Raul Ibanez. Yes, Father Judge RB-LB Raul Quinones. This kid has been the Crusaders' heart and soul for the last 2 seasons and now he's the star. Against the Northeast rival, the strong/quick back rushed for 210 yards (19 carries) and 5 TDs (49, 1, 2, 1 & 15). He ran with both power & speed and you could see that he was healthy. The Judge guys report he's been bothered by some nagging injuries all through the season. His backfield partner Sr. Matt Smalley (20-111-1TD) also made his mark. Together on the season the two have rushed for 22 scores! On D, the Crusaders were led by Quinones and sr. DB Conner Donohoe with picks while srs DT Eric "Captain" Condron & DE Anthony Walker (2 sacks) controlled the D-Line. Ryan was hoping to slip into the playoffs with a W, but it just wasn't to be. Sr. RB Dylan Rowan (13-90-TD) was effective while extra attention was paid to Sr. Tandem Mike (Anusky) & Mike (Palmer). Sr. DE Chris McMonagle (6-4 235) was a stud along the D-Line with 8 total stops.
AAsNOTES: It was weird before I got to Gratz today, I was brainstorming who I would recommend for different awards and to different scouts and Freeman's name came to mind. I told the Gratz coaches that if he hits the weights hard in the postseason, showing some muscle gain, and then hits the camp/combine circuit hard this Spring, he'd rack up college offers... The Braves are now 0-9, but I foresee better days going forward. It's just been one of those years... You'd think that Judge-Ryan would be more of a bitter rivalry, but from the feel here it was more of a friendly one. With all the imminent changes coming in the CL, one rumor has Ryan becoming an all-girls school with Judge getting most of Ryan's boys. Now, wouldn't THAT be interesting... Judge looks to be peaking at the right time -- playoff time. Now can they pull off the tall order of upsetting La Salle? Should be interesting going forward... As always you cab follow me on Twitter @AA215 for a softer side of things, except when the Eagles are playing of course --- smile.
OCT. 21
PUBLIC LEAGUE
West Philadelphia 26, Boys Latin 6
Fels 36, Overbrook 30
I was rather excited going into this double dip
because I hadn't seen 3 of the 4 teams this season. Plus I expected
2 competitive games. The first of which was that way for a half. The
Speedboys took over in the 3rd Quarter and well the 4th was a bit of
a Slop Fest, but we'll give the 'Boys in Orange & Blue a pass this
go-round. With the influx of charters city wide, there are more and
more budding neighborhood rivalries and this is one of them as these
two clubs pretty much don't like each other and in my opinion,
that's needed in high school sports. BL really played with an edge
in the first half and showed the undefeated Speedboys that they
wouldn't just lay down. They even struck first late in the first
quarter off of a 24-yard pitch and catch from impressive jr. QB
Erik Lark (6-3 170) to jr. WR Tahir Perlote
causing its fans to erupt and juicing the team even more. And juiced
they were as on the next Speedboy possession jr. RB Desmond
Sams coughed one up and sr. DL Brian Solomon
recovered giving BL a chance to take early control. The Speedboys
proved to be game though as Sams made a play to get it back as he
S,S & R-ed (Sacked, Striped & Recovered) Lark. Then three plays
later sr. handyman Anthony Johnson, a Roman
transfer, plunged in from 1-yard out. Then came the 3rd Quarter and
West started it off with a signature drive (9 plays, 60 yards)
ending in a Sams 9 yard TD run. On the very next play from scrimmage
Lark tossed a Pick-6 to Johnson for 13 yards and BOOM, the Speedboys
led 20-6. A late 20-yard fumble return TD by Sams closed the show.
The Speedboy D did an excellent job holding down franchise jr. RB
Ben Coulibaly (just 15-30). Jr. DB Julius Hester
made a late game pick, his 4th of the season. For BL: Lark passed
13-for-27, 141 yards. Jr. WR David Peterson (5/48) was his top
target. The D was led by sr. CB Douglas Osbourne,
who made his 6th pick of the season and also in my opinion clearly
won his personal battle with star Speedboy WR Eric "T.O."
Leslie. Sr. LB Samuel Drummond was in on
11 total stops including 3 TFLs, including a sack all worth 22
yards. Frosh. DB Edington Wright also made a pick.
After weaving through and around traffic all up
and down Hunting Park Ave, I made my night assignment just as
kickoff started and was treated to a good old fashioned shootout. It
sure didn't start out that way because the Panthers were the only
ones with live bullets for much of the first 24 minutes jumping out
to a 22-0 lead before the other Panthers (Fels) scored on a 3 yard
plunge with 2:10 left by jr. handyman Jamiel Hines. The
Orange & Black Panthers from the Hilltop could almost do no wrong
for a half scoring on its first 3 possessions ending with a 1 yard
run by jr. RB Marice Tillman, a 21-yard sprint by
jr. speedster Antonio "Tony" Mitchell and a
38-yard pitch and catch from jr. QB Michael Shenoster
to sr. WR Greg Johnson. Judging by what you see at
the top of this report, the 2nd half must have went differently
right? Why of course and that's why we all LOVE high school sports.
Fels scored on its first play from scrimmage in the 2nd half, a
70-yard burst down the sideline by Jeremiah Mathis. On the
very next possession soph. WR Jylil Reeder caught a
33-yard score from jr. QB Messiah Mitchell in which
a beautiful fake allowed him to be ALL ALONE! And now we have a
game, 22-22 going into the 4th. Brook struck first with another
Shenoster to Johnson pitch and catch, this time for 35 yards on 4th
& Long. Tillman ran in for the conversion. Fels struck immediately,
4 plays/70 yards ending with a 4 yard run by Mitchell set up by a
46-yard burst by White. 30-30 was the score after the conversion
run. Now it was the Hilltoppers turn and DB Keenan
Whitaker wanted none of it making a pick to set up the game
winning drive. And 7 plays later a Mitchell fade pass to the back
corner of the end zone to stud sr. WR Nijay Kelly
(5/76) for 5 yards with a defender draped all over him did the trick
with 1:43 left. The O&B Panthers had one last chance, but that was
stopped by a Hines INT with :29 left.
AA's NOTES:
Not a bad day at the office! It was good to see the Speedboys have
so much support and that's what winning will do. But being frank,
the sideline was a MESS! There must have been, by my count, 25
people who had absolutely no business over there and surely it was a
MAJOR distraction to the kids who need to be totally focused on
what's going on on the field...THIS MUST CHANGE going forward as it
is now crunch time... The Speedboys are VERY dangerous as they have
3 legit play makers in Johnson, Sams & Leslie and that can take you
a long way at this level... In time, I could see BL becoming a well
respected Program. All the ingredients are there. BL is an all-boys
Charter school housed in the old Transfiguration of our Lord
building at 55th & Cedar in West Philly, the school that yours truly
attended from K to 8. Those were the days! HaHa... I watched this
one with long time colleague Keith Hines and tried to bring
him into the 21st Century, but to no avail because his cell phone is
ANCIENT, smile... Brook is now being run by good guy Rendell
Ivory, who's young & energetic. He's been a fixture since
the Panther resurgence began and will right this ship in time. He's
got a great staff too so it's only a matter of time... Fels' Kelly
may well be the top receiver in the League (City?) and it showed
here. He truly knows how to play the position. At 6-4 200-lbs with a
basketball background, he just knows how to get smaller defenders in
spots where they just have no chance by posting them up and walling
them off. It was boxing out at its best... Hines ran in 3 conversion
runs which also happened to be the difference in the score... Again
I can be followed on twitter @AA215 for random thoughts, laughs,
advice & all kinds of other good stuff -- smile...
OCT. 14
PUBLIC & CATHOLIC LEAGUES
Lincoln 12, Furness 10
Roman 28, Ryan 26
Two pretty good ones this week for my weekly Friday
double dip with the former taking place at Lincoln, a place I always
enjoy catching a game for some reason. I guess its the scene that its
field sets or maybe something cool always happens when I'm there.
Whatever the case, this was a goodie between squads fighting for their
playoff lives in the Pub's 2nd tier division behind the undefeated
Central Lancers. It was highly likely that simply the winner of this
game would be in and the loser out so of course both teams fought hard
for 48 minutes. Furness looked to be in control early as they had the
game's trump card in versatile D-I prospect QB-RB-LB-S-PR Sharif
Smith (6-0 195). And the trump card came into play early as
Smith took a direct snap 78-yards to TDs-ville to start the scoring in
the first quarter. Lincoln got in the game on the very next possession
as sr. RB Josh McClam (14-54) burst around the left
side and dove to the pile-on to make the score 8-6. McClam again did
damage in the 3rd quarter this time from 3 yards out to give the
Railsplitters the lead at 12-8 and they would never lose that lead as a
late safety by Furness made things interesting, but the Panthers could
never convert. McClam's partner in crime was sr. FB Marquise
"Marty" McFarland (13-58) who also played a strong game at LB
on D in on 12 stops total. Jr. QB Miguel Sanchez did a
good job managing the game while also being razor sharp throughout even
though he only completed 7-of-13 for 74 yards. He had three (maybe 4) in
the hands catches dropped by his receivers. Jr, DB Giovanni
Johnson made a huge pick late. Smith only rushed for 173 yards
on 21 carries, but looked to wear down by the end of the 3rd. No doubt
he's had to endure plenty of responsibility for this young squad this
year. He played a STRONG game on D as well mostly from the safety spot
with a team high 9 tackles. He got the most help from sr. WR
Malakiah Hunter (3/57) on offense & sr. DB Dante
Barkley on D.
Game 2 of the double-header was my first look at
Roman. Most in Football circles feel that the Cahillites are the most
talented team in the CL outside of Wood so this was my first look and I
came away in agreement in the talent department. They weren't at their
sharpest here though (especially mentally) and Ryan came in prepared for
an upset. Gotta start right here ------> I just LOVE everything about
Raider sr. WR-KR Mike Palmer, yes all 5-9 145-lbs of
him. This guy could play on my team any day as despite all of the Purple
talent, this guy was THE TOUGHEST, GRITTIEST competitor on the field. I
loved how he challenged Roman's DBs all game long on every pass play and
how he even dove when balls were out of reach. He's just one of these
guys that's a nightmare to try to cover. I'd bet he idolizes New England
Patriot WR Wes Welker, the NFLs version of Palmer
(Smile). Anyway, Mike started the show with a 90-yard kickoff return
which I don't even remember him being touched all the way home. Then 2
series later, his partner in crime, very athletic sr. QB Mike
Anusky followed up with a 37 yard textbook option run in which
he wasn't touched either for a score. 14-0 UNDERDOGS and I was starting
to get the feeling, uh oh this could be one of those off nights for
Roman. They snapped out of it though on the very next drive a 6-play/58
yarder highlighted by 2 big plays from jr. QB Michael Keir
(6-3 210)to jr. WR William Fuller (6-2 160). The first
a 39-yarder over the middle and the second a 23-yard slant for a TD. On
the very next Cahillite possession, sr. speedster WR Taishan
Tucker, who'd earlier dropped 2 sure TDs on the same
possession, caught a 58-yard bomb from Keir for a score. Ryan would not
go away though as on their very next possession, they drove 8 plays and
65 yards started by a 39-yard pitch and catch from Mike (Anusky) to Mike
(Palmer) and ended with a 2-yard power by jr. RB Dylan Rowan.
The 2nd half Roman pretty much controlled as sr. RB Marcus Kelly
took over starting with a 50-yard TD run in first minute of the 3rd.Then
Tucker, who had on the previous drive fumbled a 3rd sure TD at the 2
yard line after a 55-yard catch (recovered by Ryan in the end zone), ran
one in from 6-yards out to make it 28-20 Roman. The Cahillites help the
Raiders at bay for pretty much the entire 4th and looked poised to put
them away on 4th and Goal from the 5. a 22-yarder would have been a chip
shot for soph. K Phil Isaac, but after Ryan called for
time to ice the youngster Coach Joe McCourt sent the
offense back out there and a Keir passes was dropped in the end zone. So
with 1:41 remaining, Ryan took over at its own 5, game over right? Uh
NO! Mike (Anusky) hit Mike (Palmer) again over the middle for a 20 yard
slant and there was nothing but daylight ahead. Palmer out ran 3 of the
faster defenders in Purple all the way to the end zone 95 yards later,
VERY IMPRESSIVE! The 2-point chance failed and the Cahillites survived,
but not without needed blood-pressure meds. Here are some stats: Roman's
Marcus Kelly rushed 22 times for 188-yards. Keir passed 11-for-25,
208-yards and 2 scores. He was victimized by my count of 5 sure-catch
drops. Tucker caught 4 balls for 124 yards. Fuller 4 for 64. Ryan's Mike
Anusky went 7-for-18 for 225 while the other Mike (Palmer) caught 4 of
those balls for 190 yards (280 all-purpose yards). Both M. Kelly & sr.
LB Brett Pelliocciotti made picks.
AAsNOTES:
In between games I stopped on Frankford Ave. to one of my favorite
hoagie shops in the city: PRIMOS and it was indeed PREMIUM eating
(smile)... Much respect goes to Furness' Sharif Smith. He's truly a
leader and a winner in my book for what he's done in terms of sacrifice
for his team this season... Lincoln has enough athletes/playmakers to
give even one of the better Pub teams a problem in the playoffs.
Remember they did clip a decent Germantown team earlier this season at
G'Town... The 4th Quarter started with a wild rain after a bright sun
shined for 2 quarters then shown again while it drizzled and of course
ended with a rainbow... Roman no doubt was mentally off due to the
absence of head coach Joe McCourt in last week's practice due to the
birth of his daughter, CONGRATZ JOE! Mine is now 10 and half months and
I will never be the same. I LOVE you Saige Elize Austin
even though you won't let me write this report in peace. (smile)... On a
serious note though, some of the Cahillites really needed an attitude
adjustment. I'm not gonna name names this time, but there need to be
some apologies made to teammates and coaches (If they haven't already
been made) by quite a few key members of the team... What more can I say
about Ryan's Mike (Anusky) & Mike (Palmer) as even in a loss this is a
night that both will forever remember... BTW I apologize all for my own
reporting inconsistency. My own life has been a bit inconsistent for the
past 2 months but that's no excuse. I'm still alive and well and fully
committed to giving you the reading public what it wants and needs.
Please bear with me going forward and continue reading... Also you can
follow me on Twitter @AA215 for more
fun random thoughts and even serious lessons . . .
SEPT 23-24
PUBLIC LEAGUE
Central 42, Mastbaum 14
Frankford 20, Northeast 19
I'm BACK! After 2 few weeks to tend to personal matters, the Football
Weekend is back an in full effect. And what a Friday it was as I saw the
high flying Central Lancers take down the young, athletic Panthers from
Mastbaum. Then finally, the Pub game of the weekend as two heavy hitters in
Frankford and Northeast collided. Let's get down to the business.
I had a feeling that Central would have some fun this year with its
nice mix of returnees and an influx of youth. And the way things look, the
Lancers are in the driver's seat to win the Pub's 4A Silver Division. The
headliner here is Sr. WR-LB Richard Drayton (6-1 210), a 4-year
starter and son of the coach, also Rich. The young Drayton has made
gradual improvement each year and now looks to be a mid level D-1 prospect
(Perfect fit in the Patriot League). He may well be the League's most
complete receiver as he's got GREAT hands and the build/physicality to be a
great blocker also. He could make a living going across the middle. Here he
caught 4 balls for 46 yards including 2 TDs, the second of which was a
one-handed grab away from his body. The other Lancer star was where the
youth comes in in soph. Speedster Walt Pegues. Every time this kid touches
the ball something big can happen and here that happened twice as 2 of his 4
touches went to the end zone. The second on a 56-yarder that may have
covered 80 yards where he zigged and zagged and danced his way across and
down the field. He also had a pick six that covered 57 yards. The QB Sr.
Ryan Dydak was sharp in passing 8-for-11 for 154 yards and 4 scores. Jr.
RB Hakeem Ellis (6-1 185), another good looking prospect, ran hard
for 166 yards on 14 totes and a score. The Lancer D is led by tough Sr. LB
Joe Kasztelan (10+ tackles). He's been one of the better LBs that
I've seen to date. Also keep an eye out for soph. DL Samuel Reid (6-1
230). He's extremely strong and has major down the road possibilities. The
Panther attack is pretty much two-fold in sophs WR Frank Quiles (2
catches for 143 yards both for TDs -- 65 & 77) & QB Joseph Walker
(6-2 170) who tossed both TDs but looked even better on defense at free
safety, making many plays including a pick. These two guys should experience
plenty of fun in the coming years.
Fkd-NE was the biggest game to date in the Pub and honestly for 3
quarters, it looked like the Pioneers were superior. Ahh folks, but Football
is a 4 quarter game and not only did NE come back from 2 scores down, but
had a chance to win in the end. Let's set the stage: The Vikings down 20-6
scored with 7:16 left on a 2-yard plunge by Jr. RB Marquis Edwards. A
Howard Lynn kick made it 20-13. At 3:49 on the next possession, Jr.
CB Shimeek Carter, who's Mr. Energy himself, made a pick and returned
it 19 yards to the Pioneer 10. A hold on 1st down moved it back to the 20
and 2 plays later back-up QB Daquan Bohannan threw a pick to Fkd Sr.
CB Brandon Strong with 2:34 to go. Fast forward to 3rd down from the
Fkd 12 and impressive Jr. QB Tim DiGiorgio fumbled on a keeper. It
was picked up by NE Sr. LB Michael Brown who returned it to the 1
before being stopped. The Vikes scored on the next play with 1:06 left on a
keeper by Bohannan. Now the million dollar question, 1 or 2? Coach Chris
Riley, right or wrong, firmly yelled, "We are going for 2!" Bohannan
rolled to the right and threw into traffic where the ball was batted down by
a leaping Johnny Leach. Game Over! The game's star was the Pioneers'
own Mike Brown, a muiltpurpose guy (starting wing back, punter, back-up QB
and part time DB) who touched the ball 5 times (3 rushes for 50 yards & 2
catches for 16 yards). All three of Brown's carries came on a newly
implemented gadget play where Sr. RB Kelly Johnson takes the handoff
and Brown comes around on a reverse. Twice it went for scores (23 & 10) and
the other time a 17-yarder on 2nd and long that made it 3rd and 1. DiGiorgio
passed 10-for-22 for 198 yards and a score of 65 yards to Sr. WR Marquan
Scott. Sr. WR Savoy Martin caught 4 balls for 74 yards. The
Vikings, who have shown to have a big play, quick strike offense, were
pretty much controlled here. I never understood why Jr. QB Harold
Alexander was benched going into the 4th. He had passed 5-for-7 for 61
yards and hadn't been bad at all. Though Bohannan brought lots of energy
when inserted. It's a rather nice problem to have. Carter rushed for an
early 8-yard TD. Jr. SS David Pullium (6-3 205) made plenty of plays
on D.
AA's NOTES: It's always good when Central is good. Don't know how
good, but good enough to get through the Silver... Central's young Pegues
simply put has Fred Astaire's feet... Love the way Mastbaum's Quiles
plays the game: for keeps... NEs Pullium could see major D-1 attention
before long. He's got what colleges coaches are looking for from the safety
position... Impressively Fkd played this one pretty much without Sr. Stud TE
Aaron Allison (6-3 240) whose been banged up all season and went down
on the game's second play with a high ankle sprain. He could be down a few
weeks... Again for more info on sports and life in general follow me on
Twitter @AA215...
SEPT. 2-3
NON-LEAGUE
Washington 26, Chestnut Hill 7
Father Judge 45, Northeast 19
Fels 26, Franklin 6
This year I'm trying something new as my schedule gets
busier and busier. This gives me the chance to condense everything I saw
over the weekend into one report. I hope everyone enjoys!
The first game of the season I saw Fels pretty much
handle the Electrons from Ben Franklin. Last season, the Panthers burst onto
the scene with a fun-and-gun, no-huddle offense and here they didn't skip a
beat. I don't know what the future holds for the Panthers as they have
stepped up to play with the big boys in the main division but, man, Coach Bill
Harrigan's club is fun to watch as they can score from anywhere at
any time against most teams they'll be playing against. The featured Panther
is 6-3 200-lb sr. WR Nijay Kelly, a D-I Prospect who's
being eyed hard by Syracuse. He may well be the Pub's best at his position.
He started the scoring here with an easy-as-pie over the shoulder fade route
TD of 48-yards from jr. QB Isaiah Brinkley (11-for-15, 205
2TDs). Brinkley was extra impressive in his debut as he looks to make people
forget about Pub POY Tyree Rucker. Jr. Athlete
Jamiel Hines looks to do the same as he replaces his brother,
Jared Hines. This Hines is bigger and more sturdy
while also being even more athletic. He scored twice here. Once on a rush of
1-yard and then again on a 100-yard (actually 102) pick 6 (aka INT
return). He also racked up 85 yards on 3 catches. Picks were also made by
soph. LB Tariq Glover and Kelly while playing CB. Franklin
could be decent in time due to STRONG line play on both side of the ball.
Their top 2 players/prospects are srs. G-DT Demetrius Town
(6-2 310) & DT Rasalic Mackey (Listed 5-10, but actually
6-5 at least 310). Town is not only BIG, but he plays with serious attitude
and can run for days. He made plays up and down the field. No joking, but
I'd bet at this level he could even play FB or TE! Mackey is still more of a
project, but could be good in time. His best position down the road could be
Right Tackle.
On paper Judge-Northeast looked to be the game of the
Friday schedule, but it was probably over after the first quarter as simply
Judge was ready to play at a high level whereas NE probably wont be geared
up for another few weeks. I'm actually not worried, though, as this team has
plenty of talent. This year Judge has something they did not have last year
to go along with its spit and grit style and that's a serious home run
hitter in sr. RB-CB-Returner Matt Smalley (5-10 180).
Smalley also doubles as a star on the track and here it showed as he opened
the scoring with a 92-yard kickoff return to hit the Vikings in the mouth.
Roughly 3 minutes later, sr. DB Conner Donohoe took a pick
63 yards to the crib (as the kids say -- smile). Now it's Judge 14-0 just
like that with just under 9 minutes left in the 1st. The Vikings scored on
their very next possession on a 4-yard run by jr. Marquis Edwards.
Judge shut them down though on their next possession capped by a 26-yard run
by Smalley set up by a 23-yard run the play before. Smalley was hard to
control and could cause fits all year. He almost returned a punt in the 3rd
but was shoe stringed by punter Howard Lynn at the 25 after
going 54-yards. Judge features one of my favorite players in the city in sr.
RB-LB (Projected SS) Raul Quinones (19-89-2TDs). This guy
just plays Football the right way, never cheats at anything he does on the
field. Jr. QB Rob Daniels (6-3 175) has won the job over
last year's starter Brian Hennessy and did a nice job
passing for a 32-yard score to Quinones on a screen. The Vikings boast
plenty of speed and athleticism. No one has more than jr. WR-DB
LaQuille "Dice" Nesbitt. Coach Chris Riley, who
was his ever-animated self, calls "Dice" the fastest kid in the city! He may
well be right as I don't see him losing too many foot races. Here he had 3
LONG TDs (2 were called back by phantom penalties). The one that counted was
a 80-yarder from jr. QB Harold Alexander where he turned a
10-yard slant over the middle into a zig-zag-zoom score. The two called back
were both in the 2nd quarter and could have changed the game's complexion
from powder blue to black as the first was an 83-yard kick-off return that
would have made the score 21-14 (drive stalled by a pick) and the other was
with :22 left on a 79-yard punt return that would have put the Vikes down 2
scores going into the half with them getting the ball after halftime. The
next best Viking here was Alexander who came off the bench here as the
Vikings wanted to try some different guys at QB. He passed 4-7, 137 and 2
scores. The other on a 29-yarder to spunky jr. two-way back Shimeek
Carter (also 8-68 rushing). NE, too has 3 good O-Lineman. The BEST
being 6-3 305-lb sr. force Joshua Wallace, who's now
playing left tackle after playing his projected position left guard last
season. He's one powerful dude and his frame is somewhat lean for a guy that
big, so I could see recruiters coming in as the season progresses.
Finally I saw GW-CHA and I was eager to see this year's
version of the Eagles as many around the Pub seemed ready to throw dirt on
the "G-Dub" Program after 2 admittedly BAD scrimmages against quality
opposition. Well, not so fast, folks, as the Eagles were dominant here
against a decent CHA squad from beginning to end. They probably could have
scored even more if they kept the foot on the gas. Back is sr. RB
Hakeem Sillman (5-8 190) who I feel that when he puts his mind to
it is the City's BEST back. Here he bowling-balled his way to 120 yards and
2 TDs on 14 carries, but still didn't quite have that burst that he WILL
have in a few weeks. That's scary! His compliment in jr. scat-back
Donald Smith (7-69-TD) also did a nice job. Jr. QB David
Gavrilov (4-6, 99 yards TD) looks to be the QB going forward. He
was poised and made some nice throws. It helps having renowned QB coach
John McAneney back in the fold. His TD, a 21-yarder went to
a leaping jr. WR Rene Villafane, who also doubles as
the kicker. His top target (top prospect) is jr. Kendale Truitt
(6-3 185), a BIG TIME athlete with unlimited potential if he works hard.
Budding Jr. Mega-Prospect DE Justin Moody (6-3 265) is now
also playing TE and on the game's first play from scrimmage took a 32 pass
from Gavrilov, NICE! Also liked the play of jr. LB Melvin "Macho"
Gonzales, a football nut who lives to smack ball carriers & also
sr. DL (tackle or end take your pick college coaches) Larheim Brown
(6-4 275) could generate serious interest in time especially if uses the
game film from today's trench warfare. He was throwing guys in white jerseys
all over the field. The Hillers have 3 main players in jr. QB
Michael Hayes (6-16, 110 also a 3-yard TD run), sr. RB
Cedric Madden (20-118) & jr. TE Bobby Keyes
(3/55). All should have plenty of fun in the Inter-Ac.
AAs NOTES: I really like the way Harrigan coaches
his club. He knows when to ream and when to hug while NEVER pouring sugar on
while not being afraid to throw a little salt. That's the key to coaching
IMO... As I walked onto the field I see David Carter (Def
Coordinator) wearing Franklin coaching garb. He then immediately yelled over
to me, "There's no place like home!" while moving his feet in the motion of
Dorothy from the Wizard of Oz... Judge IMO is a serious wild card in CL 4A.
The Crusader wild-card is soph. K Conner Foley who may have
the city's best right foot. Let's see how they fare against LaSalle,
Prep and Roman... NE boss Chris Riley went on a late game
rant against himself, yelling, "Me and that DAMN AD are gonna have it out
for scheduling these guys this early in the season!" Chris IS the AD
(Smile)... GWs motivation seems to be that everyone is doubting them. They
were all business here with still room for improvement. Former GW Eagle and
current Baltimore Raven starting MLB Jameel McClain was on
the sideline for the entire 2nd half interacting with the players and
coaches, very cool site to see... Everyone: for more sports from me and life
lessons of mostly what not to do (Smile) follow me on twitter @AA215...