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Payin' the Bills Return to TedSilary.com Home Page Bill Wettstein, who has
done some writing for community papers in the Northwest Philly area, has become an
important member of our website crew. We appreciate his efforts. |
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Payin' the Bills Return to TedSilary.com Home Page Bill Wettstein, who has
done some writing for community papers in the Northwest Philly area, has become an
important member of our website crew. We appreciate his efforts. |
NOV. 24
THANKSGIVING DAY RIVALRY
Roman 33, Roxborough 6
“We’re going
to get it back today,” said Cahillite Head Coach Jim Murphy before the 34th annual Thanksgiving Day classic and that’s
exactly what they did. In stunning fashion,
they rebounded from a crushing Catholic League playoff loss to win this one with an aerial
attack that wouldn’t have been stopped without a game clock. Another strong holiday crowd, which seems to be
building more into the free outskirts, was treated to a breakout performance by former
Public League favorite, sr. WR and solid D1 prospect, Rockeed McCarter. On his way to a
career high four catches for 156 yards and three
touchdowns, he demonstrated precise fundamental “glide” in route running,
created sufficient space between the defender by knowing how to angle his path, excellent
hand positioning and the intangible run after the catch.
Although another tough season for Roxborough concluded with
disappointment, they had chances to keep this game close early but unlike their formidable
opponents, failed to execute when it mattered most. On
the opening kickoff, Roxborough attempted to catch Roman off guard with an onside kick,
but came away a few feet from the recovery. The
Indians defense, a mainstay for 2005, stepped up on Roman’s first offensive play to
produce a three-yard loss. A toss left to
McCarter for five yards, Indian offside penalty and three-yard counter by sr. RB Sean
Woods, behind solid blocks from so. RG John
Mazzola and sr. C Jude Martin then gave the Cahillites an initial first down. On the first play of the next series, McCarter was
sent on a simple take off route and impressive so. QB Chris Johnson delivered a near perfect lob pass that glanced off McCarter’s
outstretched fingertips. Just two plays later
though, they tried the same pattern again and connected for a 52-yard catch-and-run
touchdown and 6-0 lead. Roxborough
managed just two net yards on their opening series, due to the swarming pursuit of sr. DT Rich
Brandt and jr. DB Dom Joseph and were forced to punt.
Quick reaction by jr. LB Calden Pierce on a third down pass play thwarted the next Cahillite series
to return possession Indian offense, but a pair of catchable intermediate passes from sr.
QB Mark Ames went off the hands of the receivers,
forcing another punt. With momentum and possession, a nine-yard run by jr. RB Ricky
Nau moved the Cahillites into Indian territory and
16-yard bootleg from Chris Johnson set up a sideline fade to McCarter, who caught the
tipped pass, jumped over the fallen defender and sped off for his second touchdown. One thing that’s remained constant during the
Thanksgiving games between these two squads has been Coach Murphy’s response to trick
plays. At some point he’ll return the
favor and this one was delivered on the subsequent kickoff when sr. K Ben Paranzino booted a laser shot that glanced off one the Roxborough up-man’s
outstretched hand and jr. DB John Clark recovered
for Roman. When a pair of incompletions,
fumbled snap and fourth down penalty seemed stall the promising drive, Roman defied
down-and-distance to increase their lead. Johnson
patiently dropped a pass into the hands of streaking sr. WR Dan Jordan, who demonstrated excellent concentration to haul in a 46-yard
catch-and-run touchdown for a 20-0 advantage with the Johnson conversion. The Indian offense then came to life for
their only touchdown of the game. Sr. RB Dionte
Wade followed a 23-yard kick return with a 59-yard run
designed to go right, but when he saw the defense closing, he cut back against the pursuit
and raced into the secondary until Joseph caught him from behind. On the next play however, Ames popped a touchdown
pass to wide open sr. WR Joe Ball from six yards
out as the first quarter came to a close. Content
with the effectiveness of the passing game, Roman used their next drive to test the
Roxborough run defense and the hard running of Woods, Nau, sr. RB Mike Miles and sr. RB Ryan McAdams
churned out 50 yards on nine carries that put them inside the 10-yard line. Combination pursuit of sr. LB Aaron “A-Trane”
Washington, jr. DT Markel Wright and pressure from sr. DE Jeremy Travis halted Roman’s 11-play drive without extending the lead. Against their goal line, the Indians responded
with a 12-yard pass from Ames to Ball and an 11-yarder to so. WR Stephen “T.O.”
Tucker that turned into 41-yard gain courtesy of
consecutive Roman personal foul penalties (during the play/dead ball). Despite great field position, so. DT Jewhan
Edwards and jr.
LB Chuck Cohen stuffed the second down play for
a two-yard loss, Edwards blew through again to sack the quarterback and Joseph broke up a
fourth down pass to end further Indian scoring chances before halftime. After a short punt with 1:44 left though, Roman
went to a hurry-up offense to add more points and Johnson quickly hooked up with McCarter
for 46 yards, then for 22 yards as he out-jumped the defender and snatched the wind-blown
pass to extend the lead to 26-6. Another
missed third down completion began Roxborough’s opening second half series, but Roman
experienced similar problems following a 17-yard direct snap completion from Nau to Cohen. Tackles for losses by Edwards, McCarter and Cohen
led to an interception for Joseph on Roxborough’s ensuing “three-and-out”. A penalty, sack by Indian sr. DE Sean
Murphy and pass defense from team interception leader,
jr. DB Robert McGrier, forced just the third
Cahillite punt of the game. Late in the
third quarter, McCarter, Brandt and jr. LB Matt Marcinek assisted on losses that led to a blocked punt by Edwards,
which was recovered by last season’s tackle leader, sr. DT Joe Mulhern. Sr. DB Melvin
Barnes responded by grabbing his first interception of the season near the goal
line to halt the ensuing Cahillite scoring chance. Personal
foul penalties on both sides marred portions of the fourth quarter and when order was
finally restored (?), a stellar play ended all scoring.
‘Payin the Bill’s’ Play of the Game: Fittingly, special teams play rounds out the final installment
for the 2005 season. With 4:55 left and Roman
holding a comfortable 26-6 lead, sophomore standout Jewhan Edwards blasted through the line for the second time and blocked a
second straight punt. After sr. DB Jim
Ewing recovered for the touchdown, Edwards turned to the
Roman bench held out his arms and gestured as if to say, "Anything else I can do
today?" Nope—game over, bills paid.
Footnotes: Although the final record failed to
show much difference, the Roxborough Indians have turned some corners. Unlike previous seasons, this team found a way to
shake off devastating close losses, remained competitive in every game, established a
sense of unity and initiated the beginnings of sound fundamental football techniques that
should improve this team in the coming seasons.
Those responsible include even-tempered head coach Mike Stanley, Jody Stanley, whose approach to offense delivered
a consistent passing game to complement the running game and Bob Stowman, who showed what proper blocking and
tackling can do for a team with limited playmakers. They,
along with bench coach Terrell Burnett and the
always-dedicated “Fast” Eddie Peters,
did everything in their power to put the players in the best possible position to succeed. A final shout goes out to commend the dedication
of Nidira Ransom, who battled through the tough
weather conditions at times to become the first Roxborough bench manager in recent memory
to assist the team for an entire season.
The Tackle Leaders:
Roman
Chuck Cohen —9 (2
TFL)
Rockeed McCarter—6 (1 solo,
3 TFL, 1 sack, 1 pass defended)
Ryan McAdams —5 (1 solo, 2
TFL, 1½ sacks)
Jewhan Edwards—5 (2 TFL, 1½
sacks)
Rich Brandt —4 (3 TFL, 1 NG,
½ sack)
Aaron Pryer —4 (1 solo, 1
TFL)
Matt Marcinek—4 (1 NG, ½
sack)
Dom Joseph—3 (1 solo, 1 TFL,
1 pass defended)
Joe Mulhurn—3 (1 NG, 2
fumble recoveries)
Tony Martinez—2
Jim Ewing—1 (1 solo, 1
fumble recovery)
Chris Johnson—1 (special
teams)
Andrew Regan—1 (special
teams)
Aaron Duncan—1 (special
teams)
Buddy Buonviso—1 (special
teams)
Nick Moody—1
Stephen Penko—1
Jordan Lambert—1
Dan O’Conner (1 fumble
recovery)
Ricky Nau (1 fumble recovery)
John Clark (1 fumble recovery)
Special teams leader—Jewhan Edwards (2
blocked punts, one leading to a touchdown)
Roxborough
Aaron Washington—12
(5 solo, 2 TFL)
Calden Pierce—11 (4 solo, 1
pass defended)
Melvin Barnes—9 (5 solo)
Chris Koons—6 (2 solo, 2
TFL, ½ sack)
Ramon Odom—5 (2 solo, 1 TFL,
1 fumble recovery)
Markel Wright—4 (1 solo, 1
TFL)
Sean Murphy—3 (2 solo, 1
sack)
Robert McGrier—3 (1 pass
defended)
Tavio DeShields—3 (1 pass
defended)
Tim Pace—3 (1 solo)
Jeremy Travis—3 (½ sack)
Jeffrey Lites—2 (1 solo)
Nafis Briggs—2
Kevin Hargrove—2
Joe Ball—1 (special teams)
Special teams leader—Dionte Wade (57 kick
return yards)
NOV. 19
PUBLIC LEAGE FINAL
Frankford 14, Northeast 13
Statistics do lie—sometimes. With less than minute to go in one of the most
thrilling Public League Finals in recent memory, Frankford head coach Mike
Capriotti walked towards the sideline and let out a sigh
of relief that spoke volumes. For 47 minutes and 11 seconds, his team was on the verge of
losing a game even the most devoted fan wouldn’t admit they deserved to win had the
outcome been different. A missed Viking field
goal however, erased disparities in total offense (146 vs. 198) and time of possession
(20:50 vs. 27:10) and the triumphant Pioneers celebrated their third championship of the
new millennium. The 22-year hiatus between
titles for Northeast will continue at least another year, but their effort in defeat was
one of determination, heart and hopefully, the beginning of a tradition of winning. Although we’ve become accustomed to an
increase in passing of late, a return to the worn pages of the respective playbooks
determined the outcome of this game. Solid
defense, which has built many a high school program, was on top of the list for both teams
and Frankford was the first to respond. Following
an opening drive quick slant from Viking sr. QB Charles McGinn to jr. TE Sean Evans,
Pioneer sr. DT Chris Cruz punched the ball to sr.
LB Nate “X-factor” Johnson, who caught
the fumble in midair and ran 33 yards for the first Frankford touchdown just two minutes
into the game. Disaster almost struck
the Vikings on the first play following the kickoff when sr. LB Damon Brockington jarred the ball loose with a helmet shot, but sr. TE Derek
Butler came out of the pile with possession. Another third down completion from McGinn to sr. Michael
Small for 15 yards in the left flat gave Northeast a
first down and sr. RB Ste’Shaun Johnson
rattled off 14 more on a belly run. Tackles
for losses though by sr. LB Eric Hairston and
Brockington ended the Viking drive at midfield. Sr.
DT Ulysses Stallings met Frankford’s first
offensive play of the game with a punishing tackle for no gain, but when they came up
inches short on third down sr. WR Alzono Williams
took the punt snap and ran to the corner just outside the first down stick. A quick trap up the middle resulted in 14 yards
for jr. RB Calvin Spires only to have the
series end three plays later due to the pressure from Stallings and sr. DT Walter Maiellano, who forced a hurried third down
pass attempt. Upon possession, Northeast
unleashed sr. RB Lamone Fox behind the stout
left side of sr. LG Seth Shapiro and sr. LT Michael Freiling three straight times for 18 yards
and, when called to go right, Fox demonstrated his fine cut-and-crossover step for 21
yards to the Pioneer 35-yard line. A first
down pitchout gained four, but sr. DB Brandon
Norris, snuffed out a second pitch to erase the previous gain. (Side note:
to the credit of Frankford coaching staff, they seemed to know when the Vikings were
sending the fullback through and designated Norris to shoot the A-gap, which he did with
great success for the remainder of the game). Cruz
and Johnson sacked McGinn to force a punt, which sr. K/P Chris Mountney landed at the 10, leading to the
Vikings' first scoring chance. After a
Frankford three-and-out, a 17 yard punt gave them a short field and they went to the right
side of sr. RG Rob Lucini and sr. RT Michael Lewis four times for 22 yards. McGinn finished off the drive four plays later by
going around a fine block of sr. C Vincent
Meskill, who filled in well at playoff time for the injured Yaroslav Mukha, to tie the game and
Mountney’s PAT gave them a 7-6 lead. The
combination of Butler and sr. DE Chris Craddock clamped down on the
Pioneer quick trap plays, and the coverage of so. DB Nafis Muhammad resulted in another
three-and-out. Penalties stalled
Northeast’s next series and the game clock, giving Frankford another chance on
offense. With 0:40 before halftime though, a pair of sacks on third and fourth down left
0:01 on the clock, which McGinn used to complete a 36-yard pass to Ste’Shaun Johnson,
who fought the defender for the ball only to be downed at the one-yard line. The Viking defense, led by Shapiro and Butler,
stormed out in the second half to stop the Pioneers first and third down plays for losses,
but they countered with stout jr. DT Tyree Dudley
along with an third down incompletion. Frankford
muffed another fine Mountney punt and just as the ball hit the turf, Evans leveled the
return man while Butler recovered the ball. Fox
then used the Lucini/Lewis tandem for nine yards and McGinn used a quick snap count to
bolt around center again from a yard out to give the Vikings a 13-6 lead. Perhaps as an indication of things to come, the
PAT snap was high and the kick was never executed. Despite
a 10-yard scramble by sr. QB Ryan Hardy on the
ensuing drive, a fumbled pitch was followed by second down stop for minimal gain by the
tenacious sr. DE Jesse Joseph and Craddock
knocked down a pass to force a punt. Frankford
quickly swung momentum back aided by a tackle for loss by Brockington along with a leaping
interception by sr. DB Joseph Bohannon and
they embarked on their most time consuming drive of the game. Spires started with a determined 30-yard cut back
scamper around left end. He gave way to Nate
Johnson’s two carries for another 12 yards. The
Pioneers then called on Alonzo Williams for an 18-yard intermediate crossing route and his
diving catch moved them down to the 15, where senior lineman, Angel Gonzalez, Braheem Foy, Randy Warner, Chad Gordon and William Ray took control until they moved
inside the five. From there, the Viking
defense of Fox, Maiellano, Joseph and so. DT
Malcolm Newton held on two successive plays to stall the drive without denting their
lead. What Hardy saw during the fourth down
sack though would have an impact on the entire game moments later. Just two plays into the next series, Fox lost
control of the ball and Pioneer sr. DB Christopher
Wilson came out of the scrum with the recovery. Also
out of the recovery came a personal foul penalty against Northeast that advanced
possession to the 12-yard line. The workhorse
of the playoffs, Calvin Spires, answered every carry and used the third to bolt around
right tackle to tie the game. As Sir Ted
pointed out, Frankford’s decision to punch the conversion for two was indeed gutsy. For the conversion call, Frankford went back to
the same play that resulted in a sack earlier, which failed because Northeast did
everything they were supposed to do shut off the pass and maintain pursuit. This time, the pass coverage was solid again but,
rather than continue to look for a receiver that would’ve never cleared, the most
elusive quarterback in the league patiently waited for the pursuit to clear and he
exploded into the end zone for the conversion and all-important one point lead. All hope seemed lost on Northeast’s
ensuing possession when after a pair of nine-yard completions to Ste’Shaun Johnson
and Small respectively, they were penalized on second-and-one, which was made worse by a
Cruz/Nate Johnson take down for loss and a subsequent third down incompletion that forced
a punt. With 3:23 to go in the game, the
Pioneers appeared set to run out the clock. On
the second play of the series however, Jesse Joseph stripped the ball loose and, as he
fell to the turf, he gave new life to a team that had done everything they could to win.
‘Payin the Bill’s’ Play of the Game: While
Hardy’s conversion will always remain a personal favorite, the final installment for
the 2005 Public League season was delivered by a member of the Frankford defense. Having gained only a single yard after the Joseph
fumble recovery, Pioneer sr. LB Eric Hairston
read the third down handoff, bolted in untouched and stuffed the runner for no gain, which
made the field goal attempt possible and longer than it may have been otherwise—game
over, bill’s paid.
The Tackle Leaders:
Frankford
Damon Brockington—9
(3 solo, 2 TFL, 1 forced fumble)
Nate Johnson—9 (1 solo, 2
TFL, 1 NG, 1 fumble recovery)
Brandon Norris—9 (2 solo, 2
TFL)
Christopher Cruz—7 (1 solo,
2 TFL, ½ sack (2), 1 forced fumble)
Shareef Mintz—7 (1 solo, 1
TFL)
Christopher Wilson—7 (1
solo, 1 TFL, 1 fumble recovery)
Eric Hairston—6 (2 solo, 3
NG)
Alonzo Williams—5 (1 solo, 1
TFL)
Chris Spence—3 (1 solo)
Joseph Bohannon—3
Angel
Gonzalez—3
Special teams leader—Nate Johnson (2 special
teams solo tackles)
Northeast
Derek Butler—8 (2
TFL, 1 NG, ½ sack, 2 fumble recoveries)
Chris Craddock—8 (3 solo, 1
pass defended)
Jesse Joseph—7 (1 solo, 1
NG, ½ sack, 1 forced fumble, 1 fumble recovery)
Chris Zepp—6 (1 solo, 1 NG,
½ sack)
Jordan Strickland—6 (1 NG,
½ sack)
Ulysses Stallings —5 (1
solo, 2 NG, ½ sack)
Walter Maiellano—5 (3 TFL)
Seth Shapiro—4 (1 solo, 1
TFL)
Ste’Shaun Johnson—3 (2
solo)
Nafis Muhammad—3 (1 solo)
Special teams leader—Chris Mountney (32-yard
net average punting & 3 kickoffs inside the 15-yard line)
NOV.
11
PIAA Public League/District XII
“Final Four” Preview
Germantown vs. Frankford
This game will
feature the fastest group of running backs in the Public League. Since these two teams have recently played each
other, familiarity shouldn’t be a problem. Whether
this can be considered good news for the underdog Bears remains to be seen. Despite outgaining the Pioneers by 48 yards in
week nine, the Bears fell 20 points short of victory due to their inability to sustain
enough scoring chances and understand the deception that’s caused from the infamous
“Wing-T” offense Frankford employs. Germantown’s
offensive line, while dominating early in games, has shown a tendency to wear down late. What this eventually produces are log jams along
the point of attack, forcing the likes of fleet and determined sr. RB’s Akeem Johnson, Reginald Lloyd and Rashad “Reds” Williams into predictable
running lanes. While improvisation can
lead to lofty statistics and maybe even keep the game close, constant reliance on this
type of approach becomes much easier to defend near the goal line with double-digit
defenders in the box. To compliment the
running attack, the Bears interchangeable guards and tackles led by sr’s. Omar Zachary, David Henderson-Walker, Isaiah Williams and jr. Antoine Kemp-Smith must continually fire off the ball and make their size
advantage known. If they can give the running
backs early reads, the team will control the ball, keep the potent Frankford offense off
the field and give sr. QB Andre Fisher the
few milliseconds to allow playmakers, sr. TE Antwain
Brown-Barnes and sr. WR Eric Frazier
chances in open space. Sustaining a
disciplined running attack against the Pioneers has been difficult for many teams. Their well-coached defensive front has
consistently created enough disruption so that sr’s. Damon Brockington, Eric Hairston and jr. Nate Johnson can unleash their tenacious downhill
and lateral pursuit. As a result,
Brockington can also use his excellent reaction skills in middle zone pass coverage. The main disrupters for the Frankford D-line have
been sr. DT’s Chris “Kringle” Cruz
and Josh Taylor, who may steal a few tackles
from the outstanding linebacking/cornerback corps. Taylor,
along with so. Niem Toll may turn a few heads
on special teams as well. On offense,
Frankford packs an even formidable challenge. Head
Coach Mike Capriotti and his staff have a firm
grasp of what phase of the game gives them the best chance to win and, despite making some
seemingly unpopular calls at times, they have swung momentum at key points in a game. While the “Wing-T” isn’t the
flashiest offense in the world, it’s extremely effective for the players the Pioneers
have on the roster. None better to start with
than the speed and power combination of sr. Brandon
Norris and jr. Calvin Spires. Regardless of the defensive scheme, Norris will
have an impact, whether through his decisive speed, pass catching ability or exceptional
blocking. Spires, on the other hand, brings
strength and relentless determination to the inside running game. He needs very little room to operate and has been
the catalyst for many time-consuming scoring drives.
If this wasn’t enough to consider, sr. QB Ryan Hardy continues to improve his passing
technique and remains the most elusive quarterback in the league if pressured. At some point in this game, Frankford may call a
weak-side deep pass and at the other end of this play will be the strong hands or sr. WR Alonzo Williams, who possesses the necessary
patience needed in a run dominated playbook and can make the big play. Little of this would happen however, without
the fine offensive line Frankford has featured this season.
Flanked by the unmistakable sr. T Angel
Gonzalez, the Pioneers have perhaps the best group of pulling guards/tackles that
include sr.’s Chad Gordon, Braheem Foy and Grant Jackson.
For the Germantown defense, the task of containing the explosive Pioneers
remains daunting indeed. In order to be
successful in slowing the Pioneer juggernaut, sr’s LB Eric Jenkins, LB Dishorn Hamilton, jr. CB Aaron Nelson, sr. CB Kalib Parham and DT Isaiah Williams,
all of whom are distinguished defensive playmakers, have to ask themselves two questions. When attacking the “Wing-T” scheme, why
are inside linebackers and playside tackles so fullback conscious and why is inside
pressure usually a futile exercise?
X-factors (“hidden” playmakers)
Frankford—Nate Johnson
Germantown—Rashad “Reds” Williams
Northeast vs. Washington
This
rematch of last season’s final may be the best game of the PL playoff season.
Northeast’s week eight loss to Washington should’ve exposed their minor
weaknesses and be all the motivation they need to get back into the final. The Eagles have
shown the ability to improve since the disappointing losses earlier in the year and a win
in this game will give this young team the opportunity to repeat. Standing in the way
however, the experienced and relentless Vikings, who can turn mistakes into an
insurmountable lead as long as the team plays with a common purpose. To that end, they’ll go as far as sr.
RB/LB/DE Lamone Fox can take them. Once hidden from the Public League spotlight, Fox
has emerged as one of the city’s best athletes since Arnold Mullins and has approached every game as if
it were his last. As a running back, he
consistently demonstrates an excellent fundamental cut-and-crossover step that allows him
to then utilize his great field vision, balance and endurance. On defense, he possesses all the versatility a
coach could ask for from one player and, much like Mullins, always seems to be in position
to make a big play. His backfield mate, Harold “Aaron” Miller, “hides” very well in the Vikings
scheme, while complimenting the offense with outstanding versatility and good hands. Those producing the better running lanes for Fox
are sr. T Robert Lucini and G Michael Lewis, both of whom are capable of
maintaining drive blocks for extended periods and are perhaps the crucial pieces to the
Northeast’s chances in this game. Sr. C
Vincent Meskill may have a significant size
advantage against his defensive opponent, but should strive to add options for the Viking
backfield. While running game can go a long
way towards victory, the Viking passing game will need to make more of a presence at some
point along the way. The
“combination” of gritty sr. QB’s Michael
Small and Charles McGinn must find a way to
get the ball to an exceptional group of receivers, led by the incomparable Sean Evans.
His route running, pass catching technique and ability to break free from
multiple tacklers are only preceded by the fact that no single player, as of yet, has been
able to cover him man-to-man. Add
6’2” sr’s. Derek Butler and Chris Craddock and you have a passing attack that
can make an opposing team nervous. The lack
of an aerial attack puts the Washington defense in very familiar territory, which could
result in momentum-shifting plays. Although
used sparingly, sr. DT/OT Demitrius Wilson, who
came up with three big tackles during the first Central drive last week, combines
aggressiveness, poised leadership and an outstanding, three-technique (drive/hook/dive)
blocking style when doing double duty at left tackle on offense. Alongside of him, jr. DT Rubin Lee rarely gets fooled and takes good angles
towards ball carriers. The unsung hero
of the defensive front has to be jr. NG Jay Sloh
who, while undersized, manages to make an impact. Intangibles
on the Eagle defense are sr. DB David Porter,
who has shown marked improvement in run defense and the impressive coverage skills of jr.
DB Cecil Wise.
Although they no longer generate the numbers of a year ago, the Eagle
offense has managed to score enough points for victory.
The lengths to which sr. QB Thomas
Wilmer has gone to make this team successful speaks volumes of the tradition
established at Washington. In addition to
responding under pressure at quarterback, he’s been the stabilizing force that steps
in when underclassmen let emotions get the better of them while becoming one of the better
safeties in the league. Behind Wilmer,
sr.’s Fateen Brown and Akeem Smith bring similar qualities of speed and
toughness. If both can make their first cut
off the line decisive ones and continue to break tackles, longer runs will follow. The receiving corps of Wise and so. Damien Wilmer excel at their route running skills,
possess great hands and capable of making the tough catch.
Leading the way are some of the finest linemen on display this season. Along with the previously mentioned Wilson, jr. C Chris Clanton has revealed the quickest pair of
feet I’ve seen from any lineman and jr. T Aaron
Murray will, at some point, demonstrate how the tackle trap should be executed. In front of them though, a Northeast defense
that ranks right with Frankford in allowing the fewest points this season. Operating at the heart are sr. Ulysses Stallings and jr. Juxhin Jupi, two of the quicker defensive tackles,
who sustain good inside shoulder technique which allows them seal off the inside holes and
pressure opposing quarterbacks into possible mistakes.
This type of pressure, when executed consistently, leaves open gaps for the
best blitzing linebacker in the league, sr. Seth
Shapiro, whose instincts, toughness and sideline-to-sideline pursuit should be felt by
game’s end. Plays bouncing outside will
be met by the sharp and quick decision making of sr. DE’s Jesse Joseph and Derek Butler along with rangy sr. LB’s Chris Zepp and Jordan Strickland, all of whom are well-versed at
run support. Perhaps like no other semi-final
matchup in recent time, this game features great special teams standouts. Northeast’s
sr. Chris Mountney and Washington’s jr. Scott Marano are premier kickers more than
capable of pinning an opposing offense deep in their own territory as well as a little
trickery. On the coverage units, Eagles sr. Brandon
Banks can break a wedge or make multiple tackles.
He’s a true team player willing to do whatever it takes to win. Although possibly unavailable due to injury, the
tireless effort of Viking sr. Yaroslav Mukha
in all three facets of the game, but particularly special teams, deserves our admiration. With the teams evenly matched, mistakes
(personal foul penalties, turnovers, special teams coverage) could very well decide the
winner of this game and the final.
X-factors
Northeast—Harold “Aaron” Miller
Washington—Cecil Wise
NOV. 4
NON-LEAGUE
Roxborough 16, Imhotep Charter 0
The streak list continues for
Roxborough. In addition to winning
their third consecutive game for the first time in four years, they shut out the same
opponent for the second year in a row and pulled off a special teams feat that hasn’t
been accomplished for 17 years. Passing,
to the tune of 47 total attempts, was the name of the game early and often. Following an opening first down run by sr. RB Dionte
Wade, Roxborough’s first of 19 attempts from sr. QB Mark
Ames was completed but met with a nine yard loss by
Panther sr. S Rashad Mims, leading to game’s
first punt. Imhotep’s first of 28
attempts, a 16-yard completion from strong arm so. QB Clinton Sharpe-Granger to Mims, couldn’t prevent a fumble on the next play that
was recovered by jr. DT Markel Wright. A 10-yard
pass from Ames to sr. TE Joe Ball extended the
Indians next offensive series, but a tackle for loss by sr. DE Terron Oates, who dropped the blocker and ball carrier, was sandwiched
between a pair of missed connections. Pressure
of Indian sr. LB Aaron “A-Trane” Washington ended the next Panther drive, but the Indian offense responded
in kind with a three-and-out to end the first quarter that produced just 48 net yards of
total offense from both squads. The second
quarter offered much of the same. Imhotep
failed to gain a first down or positive yardage in four straight series’ due to a
rash of incompletions coupled with TFL’s by jr. CB Ramon Odom, sr. CB Tavio Deshields, jr. DE Chris Koons,
jr. NG Nafis Briggs, jr. LB Calden Pierce along with a sack by Washington. However, the Panther defense, behind the tenacious
hustle of sr. DL Deeian Moore, sr. MLB Daniel
Richardson and so. DT Saladine Walker answered to hold the Roxborough offense to negative yardage
until late in second quarter when, after a good punt return by sr. DB Melvin Barnes, Ames hit Stephen “T.O.” Tucker, who cut back off a quick slant for a 16-yard touchdown and
6-0 lead. Joe Ball ended Imhotep’s last
of 12 first half passing attempts with an interception.
Despite limited success, both teams came out in the second half firing the
rock. The Panthers started to click somewhat
as Sharpe-Granger found sr. WR Kevin
Burwell for seven yards on their first series
only to come up four yards short of a first down. When
the Indians tried to answer, so. DB Justin White
intercepted a third down pass and the Imhotep offense enjoyed most of their passing
success on the ensuing drive. Sharpe-Granger connected with sr. WR Sam Gordon for 10 yards on a middle zone crossing route, found Burwell
again for 12 and went back to Gordon, who nabbed a 26 yarder between his ankles before
Indian jr. DB Robert McGrier snared the first of
his three interceptions two plays later. As
if on cue, McGrier’s 56-yard return set up a moment in Roxborough history for sr.
FB/K Richard “Microwave” Williams. After coming up empty on a third down pass,
Williams turned to the sidelines and pleaded for a chance at a field goal. Head coach Mike
Stanley complied and Williams proceeded to put his sturdy
frame behind the 34-yard kick that sailed just beyond the cross bar for a 9-0 lead. More importantly though, according to the revered
Ted Silary archives, Williams’ field goal was
the first at Roxborough since the infamous Chris Sharp
performed the feat during 1988 season.
"Payin the Bill’s’ Play of
the Game: For this week's gem, we move away from the running game and, as one may
expect, into some passing. After a blocked
punt by Aaron Washington and recovery by Chris Koons put the ball on the Panther 12, the
Indians drove to the one before a pair of penalties moved the ball back. They then went to a play that almost worked
against Gratz earlier in the year as Ames rolled right, eyed a wide open DeShields on a
quick out and put the ball on the numbers for an commanding 16-0 lead with the Williams
kick—game over, bills paid.
Footnotes: What a difference a year makes for the
Imhotep Panthers. They’re much more
competitive and, despite the low completion rate in the passing game, head coach Marc Wilson will continue to improve his capable
young quarterback and receivers, who may just make some noise in the future.
The Tackle Leaders:
Roxborough
Ramon Odom—6 (1
TFL)
Aaron Washington—5 (2 solo,
3 TFL, 2 sacks, 1 blocked punt)
Tavio DeShields—5 (4 solo,
1TFL, 1 pass defended)
Calden Pierce—4 (2 TFL)
Melvin Barnes—4 (1 solo)
Chris Koons—3 (1solo, 1 TFL)
Robert McGrier—3
Markel Wright—2 (2 TFL, 1
fumble recovery)
Nafis Briggs—2 (2 TFL)
Kevin Hargrove—2 (1 solo)
Special teams leader—Richard
“Microwave” Williams (First Roxborough FG since 1988, which happens to be the
year he was born)
Imhotep
Terron Oates—9 (2
solo, 1 TFL, 1 NG)
Daniel Richardson—6 (3 solo,
2 TFL, 1 NG)
Khaleel Evans—6 (2 solo, 1
TFL)
Khalief Evans—6 (1 solo, 1
TFL, 1 NG)
Deeian Moore —5 (2 solo, 2
TFL, 1 sack)
Rashad Mims—3 (1 solo)
Saladine Walker—3 (½ sack,
1 TFL)
Dustin Taylor—3 (1 NG, ½
sack, 1 forced fumble)
Justin White—3
Kevin Scott—2 (1 solo)
Special teams leader—Andreas Roberts (4
punts-20.3 yard average)
OCT. 28
PUBLIC WHITE
Roxborough 28, West Philly 16
Will the Roxborough
streaks ever end? Almost every bounce, tip or
juggle went the Indians way while they totaled 294 yards of offense, scored more points
then the last five games combined and won back-to-back games for the first time in two
years. After holding the Speedboys to a
three-and-out on the opening series, sr. FB Richard “Microwave” Williams kick started the Roxborough offense as he moved through an
open hole up the middle, jumped over an arm tackle and rumbled 23 yards. Just three plays later, sr. QB Mark Ames (11-16-137) hit uncovered sr. WR Joe Ball on a pop pass up the seam and he jogged into the end zone for
a 20-yard touchdown for a rare Indian 7-0 lead with Williams’ first of two conversion
kicks. Staying on the offensive, they
surprised West Philly with an onside kick, which bounced over the head of a kneeling
Speedboy and recovered by jr. TE/DE Chris Koons
just beyond midfield. After a personal foul
penalty moved the ball inside the 30, Roxborough went back to dissecting the middle of the
West Philly defense with Williams for another eight yards and sr. RB Dionte Wade (14-93) for nine more. On
third and three from eight, sr. LT Aaron “A-Trane”
Washington executed a textbook cut block that opened a
passing lane for Ames to find so. WR Stephen “T.O.” Tucker (5-73) for six yards as the first quarter ended. With the second play of the second quarter, Wade
scored the first of three touchdowns on the afternoon to give the Indians a dominating
14-0 lead with the conversion kick. West
Philly bounced back with a well-earned drive that was capped with one of strangest catches
you’ll ever see in a high school game. The
drive started with a short pass from jr. QB Jamal Washington to sr. RB William Blackwell and 15 more yards were added on a roughing the quarterback
penalty. On the next series of downs, the
Speedboys withstood a tackle for loss by Indian sr. DE Sean Murphy to complete a pass from Washington to jr. WR Cornell
Kelly that set up a third and short, but Roxborough gave
them a first down by jumping offside. A new
kid on the block, Indian jr. DT Markel Wright,
shot through the line and brought down the heavier Blackwell for a five-yard loss and
Aaron Washington amazingly pulled back around from his A-gap responsibility to sack the
scrambling quarterback for a loss of seven. Facing
a third and 22, Jamal Washington lofted a pass to an open Kelly for 19 yards and Blackwell
set the stage with a first and goal run. A
first down sack by Koons was answered by a catch that seemed to defy physics. As the floating pass came down in the corner
of end zone, the defender tipped the ball straight up and both players fell to the ground. The ball then came down hit Kelly in the chest,
popped onto to the leg of the defender where it remained motionless for a millisecond. When the defender moved his leg, the ball slowly
tipped over into Kelly’s chest again for a 15-yard touchdown that cut the Roxborough
lead to six with the Blackwell conversion run. If
you hang around this game long enough, you’ll see some amazing things. Ah, but the “tip drills” weren’t
over yet. Each team punted during their
respective series’ and with 1:04 left before halftime Ames completed a
pass to a streaking Wade along the sideline for 27 yards.
Tucker then demonstrated why receivers should continue to run their routes
as a tipped pass hit him on the numbers for 25 yards down to the West Philly one-yard
line. Thinking Tucker had scored though,
Ames left the field. With only 10 players,
Wade hurried under center pulled away too soon and the resulting fumble was recovered by
Speedboy jr. QB/DB Brandon Johnson to end the
first half. Roxborough opened the second half
clicking however with a 13-play 8:47 statement drive that featured a 13-yard pass from
Ames to Ball, 12-yard run by Wade, 11-yard bootleg from Ames and passes of 18 and 12 yards
to Tucker to the Speedboys 17-yard line. Another
pass play to Tucker of 12 yards was capped with a 5-yard touchdown pass to a fortuitous
Wade, who was in the right place for ball that was tipped in the air twice. Despite
another Roxborough penalty to keep the ensuing West Philly drive alive, a combo sack by
jr. NG Nafis Briggs along with Wright was followed
two plays later by a forced fumble from jr. LB Calden Pierce and Koons’ second recovery.
"Payin the Bill’s’ Play of
the Game: Inside midfield after the Koons recovery, the player with perhaps the most
to prove stepped up for the second week in a row in much the same manner. Dionte Wade
backed an eight-yard first down run with a second down gem where he slid through a
Washington/Jackson hole, cut back right in front of two linebackers and bolted 38 yards
untouched for a 28-8 lead—game over, bills paid.
Footnotes:
Although they
fumbled on the first offensive play down 28-8, the Speedboys hung tough and showed some
nice improvisation after they regained possession on a Roxborough fumble. Jamal Washington received a couple of blocks, one
from so. RB Jabril Brown, and scrambled for
45-yards. Later, Brandon Johnson displayed
some shifty moves of his own for 24 yards leading to Blackwell’s two-yard touchdown
to close all scoring.
The Tackle Leaders:
Roxborough
Aaron Washington—7
(2 solo, 2 TFL, 1 sack, 1 forced fumble)
Chris Koons—7 (3 solo, 2
TFL, 2 fumble recoveries, 1 sack)
Markel Wright—6 (3 solo, 4
TFL, ½ sack, 1 fumble recovery)
Calden Pierce—3 (1 TFL, 1
forced fumble)
Jeremy Travis—3 (1TFL)
Joe Ball—3 (2 solo)
Tavio DeShields—3
Malik Sanders—2 (1 solo)
Nafis Briggs—2 (1 TFL, ½
sack)
Special teams leaders—Sean Murphy, Chris
Koons & Richard Williams (center, holder & kicker for 2 PAT kicks—surpassing
the season total for PAT kicks set during the 2000 season).
Williams also completed a direct snap conversion pass to sr. DB Tim Pace to close the Indians scoring.
West Philly
Antoney Denton—7 (2
solo)
Jamal Washington—7 (1 TFL)
Donte Brown—5 (1 solo)
Jabril Brown—4 (3 solo, 1
pass defended)
William Blackwell —4 (2
solo)
Brandon Johnson—3 (3 solo, 1 fumble recovery)
Rasheen Byran—3 (2 solo)
Atland Williams—3 (1 solo, 1
TFL)
Tristten Singleton—3 (1
solo)
Special
teams leader—Brandon
Johnson (2 kickoffs inside the 10-yard line
OCT. 22
PUBLIC WHITE
Roxborough 8, Bartram 6
Nothing
ever comes to one, that is worth having, except as a result of hard work.
--Booker T. Washington, 1901
Another losing
streak bites the “mud”. The
Roxborough Indians’ first win of 2005 and first meaningful division win in four years
revealed that if they rely on teamwork, a respectable finish to a disappointing season can
be accomplished. Both offenses worked the
edges to avoid the shallow lakes that occupied the center of the field that made for
tentative dropbacks and somewhat predicable running lanes.
Bartram received the opening kickoff, but sr. DE Jeremy Travis halted their first series with a third down stop for no gain. The Indians' opening series netted minus one-yard
and a pair of incomplete passes. Second
down pressure by Roxborough sr. MLB Aaron “A-Trane” Washington resulted in a third and nine that jr. CB Ramon Odom and sr. Sean Murphy
stuffed for a one yard gain, forcing the Braves into a second punt. On their second series, Roxborough managed a first
down due to some lake skipping by durable sr. FB Richard “Microwave”
Williams, but Bartram sr. DE Bradley Davis recorded his fourth tackle of the short drive when he came
through unblocked and sacked the quarterback for a 10-yard loss. Back on offense, the Braves put together their
most productive drive of the game. After a
pair of runs from the tough and speedy so. RB Michael Alexander for seven yards, Davis came up big again when he streaked
behind the secondary and hauled in a 33-yard pass from jr. QB Tyrone Cheeseboro that set the Braves up at the Indian 20-yard line. Despite netting just two yards on the ground,
Chesseboro threaded the needle on a quick out to sr. WR Winston Robinson near the pylon for an 18-yard touchdown pass and a 6-0 lead
early in the second quarter. Roxborough
seemed to have the equalizer in hand on the ensuing kickoff as sr. S/QB Tim Pace kept his footing, found some space up the middle and bolted
59-yards before being brought down on a touchdown saving tackle by Alexander, which proved
crucial. Although the Indians managed nine
plays in close, including a pair of passes from sr. QB Mark Ames to sr. WR Joe Ball
and so. WR Stephen “T.O.” Tucker
respectively, the hustle of Bartram’s Alexander, sr. LB Dwayne Martin, jr. RB/DB Tyrell Coleman and an offensive holding penalty, left them 11 yards short of
a tie game just before halftime. During the
break, the disappointment of losing yet another close game had reached a boiling point
with Indian head coach Mike Stanley and he made
his point clear in very exact terms on the team bus (i.e. locker room). The first Indian to respond was Ames, who
bootlegged left on the second play of the third quarter, slid through an opening created
by the “A-Trane” and jr. LT Anthony Jackson and skated 45 yards before being brought down with yet another
touchdown-saving Alexander tackle. Again, the Braves defense stiffened, preventing
Roxborough from gaining a single yard in a first-and-goal drive that jr. DE Colin
Jones ended with a sack.
From the moment the Bartram offense took over, the game seemed to be
slipping away from the Indians. Coleman used
the edges and carried the rock four straight times for 32 yards to move into Indians
territory. From there though, the
tackling of sr. DB Tavio DeShields and pass
defense of sr. DB Melvin Barnes stalled momentum
temporarily. The Braves quickly regained a
chance to put the game away when the ensuing punt was muffed and recovered by Martin at
the Indians 10-yard line. High anxiety and
determination dominated the remainder of this exciting back-and-forth test of will.
‘Payin the Bill’s’ Play’s
of the Game: Still down 6-0, the Roxborough defense, which has proven to be their best
offense at times this season, stepped up big and held Bartram on fourth-and-goal as the
third quarter ended. While the teams changed
ends, light drizzle turned to a steady rain and with it, a new page turned in a difficult
season for sr. RB Dionte Wade. One skill
he’s shown with consistency has been the ability to maintain balance through a low
center of gravity, which was no more apparent than on the first play of the final quarter.
After receiving the handoff, he moved through a left side hole, cutback twice while in two
inches of water, turned the corner and outran the over pursuing secondary for a 91-yard
touchdown run that sent the Indian bench into a frenzy.
In a torrential downpour, Ames slid behind Murphy for the conversion to give
them an 8-6 lead. Full of inspiration, the
defense, behind a combo tackle for loss by Washington and Odom, produced a Braves
three-and-out, but a fourth down Indian fumble, recovered by jr. DB Taron Fripps, gave them possession again at
midfield. For the second time in the game,
Washington brought down a ball carrier with one hand
that resulted in a six-yard loss and Barnes stuck his helmet into a downfield pass to
force a Bartrum punt. With 4:00 to go in the
game, the Braves looked like they were going to hand Roxborough their eighth loss as jr.
QB Kris Brownlee connected with Davis for 18
yards to midfield. As the stressed and frantic coaches repeatedly barked orders their
players, the Indian defense held for three plays, but were flagged on a fourth down pass
interference penalty that gave the Braves and first down at the Indian 35-yard line. Chesseboro found a wide-open Davis for 15-yards
and, with no timeouts left, he spiked the ball. From
the base defense jr. LB Kevin Hargrove faded
back, remained patient, held his zone coverage while an ill-advised pass hit him on the
numbers and as he fell to the mud, Roxborough’s first victory of the season was
sealed—game over, bills paid.
Footnote:
A TS.com shout
goes out to Latiff “Big Game” Holt, a
Bartram frosh volunteer who held the yard markers and ignored the tough weather to talk
some intense pass coverage technique with yours truly.
See ya down the road Latiff.
The Tackle Leaders:
Roxborough
Aaron Washington—7
(2 solo, 2 TFL, 1 sack)
Jeremy Travis—7 (1 solo,
1TFL, 1 NG)
Ramon Odom—7 (1 solo)
Melvin Barnes—6 (1 solo, 2
passes defended)
Tavio DeShields—5 (1 solo)
Sean Murphy—5 (1 TFL)
Kevin Hargrove—4
Calden
Pierce—4 (1 solo)
Markel Wright—3
Special teams leader—Tim Pace (59-yard
kickoff return after Bartrum touchdown)
Bartram
Bradley Davis—5 (1 solo, 1 NG, 1 sack)
Michael Alexander—4 (3 solo,
1 NG)
Dwayne Martin—4 (1 solo)
Brandon Woody—4
Winston Robinson—3 (1 solo)
Kevin Pace—3
Tyrell Coleman—2 (1 solo)
Duane Jones—2 (1 NG)
Special teams leader—Colin Jones (36.7-yard
punting average, including a 49-yarder)
OCT. 21
PUBLIC WHITE
Central 33, King 20
There are no easy games
left for either team—playoff time has begun. The emotions generated by game’s
end should make for an interesting contest should they meet again. Round one and a potential White Division crown,
however, went to the Lancers, who used the sloppy field conditions to compliment their
solid double-wing offense. For the Cougars of
Martin Luther King, this will go down as the game that “slipped” away. They held the lead into the second half, but
failed to make key plays at critical times on a field that wasn’t well suited for
defensive pursuit, which was clear right from the beginning when so. DL David
Bunion scooped up a short opening kickoff and split the
coverage for 54 yards. The touchdown-saving
tackle on the return by so. DB Ray Harris and the
effort of sr. LB Chris "Hit Hard" Pickard
(tackle for six-yard loss) and jr. DT Mark Surma
(sack for 10-yard loss) seemed to be enough to give the Lancers their first offensive
series, but a personal foul penalty during the punt gave possession back to King. With the second chance, so. RB Kendell
Coleman turned the corner on a straight pitch for 11
yards, sr. RB Marcel Rivers went the opposite way
for 16 and the drive ended on a one-yard plunge for touchdown by sr. QB Marquis
Clark and pass to sr. WR Edward Mial for the conversion. So.
RB Donta Clanton then intercepted the first
Central pass of the game and his 55-yard return was followed two plays later with a
Coleman run from three yards out for 14-0 lead. Central
sr. DB Kahree Steplight changed momentum when he
briefly stopped behind the coverage wall, switched gears, turned the corner and received a
jarring pancake block sr. WB James Tyree while he
bolted down the right sideline for a 72-yard touchdown return. Jr. QB John Kennedy cut the deficit to six points with a hard-earned conversion
run. The Lancers answered on defense when
Harris deflected a pass and followed two plays later with a fumble recovery at their
39-yard line. A great individual effort was
turned in by Tyree, who made the most of a broken play and dashed 50 yards as the King
defense, committed to an assumed loss on the play, tried to change direction in the mud. On their heels, Lancer coach Frank Conway outsmarted the Cougar defense and called a delay pass that
Kennedy and sr. WB Michael Lloyd executed to near
perfection for 12 yards which tied the game at 14 early in the second quarter. While the King defense seemed to be losing poise,
their offense still had confidence. They
responded with a 12-play drive that featured an 18-yard run from Rivers, a 12-yard run
from Clark and a stunning 23-yard diving catch on fourth down by Coleman, who had slipped
behind the linebackers on a middle zone crossing route to keep the drive alive. A pair of middle dive runs by jr. RB Keith
Martin for seven yards set up another one-yard touchdown
plunge by Clark to put the Cougars back in front 20-14 going into halftime. Whatever momentum they had though remained
in the locker room as Central dominated the second half. After each team punted on their respective opening
drives, the middle of the Lancers offensive line, jr. LG Ramsey Chew, sr. C Darrell Ray and
sr. RG James Au-Yeung, provided room for sr. RB William
Thomas to churn out some of the toughest yards of the
game. His 21 yards on three carries led to a
run nice run by Kennedy, who left a couple of defenders sliding in the mud for a 25-yard
touchdown that tied the game. Bad went to
worse for King on the ensuing kickoff. The
return man carried the rock down around his knees and paid the price when sr. WR/LB Greg
Riley jarred the ball loose, and sr. LB Josh
Mannings recovered the fumble for Central. From the Cougar 40, Kennedy rolled right for 14
yards while Thomas and Lloyd added 12 tough yards each and Kennedy made easy work of the
final three yards for the Lancers first lead of the game with the sr. K Josh
Fleishman kick. A
42-yard kickoff return by sr. DB George Keys and
30-yard reception by sr. TE Dimetrius Dial late in
the fourth may have made the final score closer but, by that point, the damage had already
been done.
"Payin the Bill’s’ Play of the Game:
There are few things better than watching a play that’s well executed. With 3:20 left, Tyree stepped up on a “C-back
counter left” and, as the King defense slid to the right, he used the resulting hole
off left guard to blast in almost untouched for a 33-20 Central lead—game over, bills
paid.
The Tackle Leaders:
Central
Darrell Ray—11 (4
solo, 2 TFL, 1 NG)
Will Martin—8 (2 solo, 1 NG)
Ray Harris—5 (4 solo, 1 NG,
1 TFL, 1 pass defended, 1 fumble recovery, 1 PAT interception)
Dominic Scovers—5 (2 solo, 1
NG)
Chris Pickard—5 (2 solo)
Josh Mannings—4 (4 solo, 1
fumble recovery)
Kahree Steplight—4 (3 solo)
Randell
Wilson—3 (½ sack)
Special teams leader—# 76 (2 punts, 32.0-yard
net average)
ML King
Keith Martin—9 (4
solo, 1 TFL, 1 NG)
Andrew Powe—8 (3 solo, 1
TFL, 1 NG)
Theodore Williams—5 (1 solo,
1 NG, 1 blocked PAT kick)
Alexander Ringgold—5 (4
solo)
Dimetrius Dial—4 (2 solo, 2
TFL)
Donta Clanton—4 (3 solo)
Jamal Morris—4 (1 solo, 1
TFL)
Beward Franklin—4
Special teams leader—David Bunion (54 yard
opening kickoff return)
OCT. 14
NON-LEAGUE
William Penn 18, Communications Tech 0
The losing streak is
over. A total of 16 defeats in a row are now
distant memories for the triumphant Lions of William Penn.
To accomplish this feat in such adverse conditions seemed to make the win
all the more meaningful for head coach Manor Prewitt and his young team as they controlled this game from the
beginning. Following what turned out to be
one the Phoenix’s most productive drives of the game (10 yards), Penn gained
possession near midfield, but the hard running of sr. RB Justin Berry seemed to be wasted after a penalty and a fumbled snap
resulted in a loss of 15 yards. The previous
recovery by Lion so. RB Dewayne Daughty was
worth the effort and set up a remarkable scoring play when so. QB David Allen rolled to the sloppiest part of the field, kept his footing
long enough and launched a pass to wide open so. WR Darryl McBride, who had moved well behind the secondary and caught the
slick ball for a 45-yard catch-and-run touchdown to give the Lions an early 6-0 lead. Busting with enthusiasm, the Lions used the hustle
of sr. DE James Capers (three tackles on the
drive) to produce another punt and went back to their potent ground game. Already inside Comm Tech territory, Berry rattled
off another seven yards and Daughty added 13 more to move the Lions to the 23, but then
they started heading backwards. A one-yard
loss and five-yard penalty was followed by a fumble, which ended the promising drive. The Lions defense responded with another
three-and-out and the subsequent 48-yard punt return by frosh DB Sheldon Robinson put them a yard away from another score, but a penalty
nullified the return. On this day
however, Penn wasn’t going to be denied. Another
nice off-tackle by Daughty (21 yards) was later followed by a first down run by so, RB Shayne
Barron to the Phoenix 16-yard line. Despite a pair of tackles for losses by sr. DL Sean
Adams (and # 35), Allen bootlegged to his left on fourth
and 20 and went to the house untouched for a commanding 12-0 lead. Turnovers dominated the remainder of the half. First, the Phoenix’s fumbled the ensuing
kickoff, which was recovered by sr. LB Braheem Clanton (forced by sr. DE Jabbar Turner). Then a Lion
fumbled snap was recovered again by Sean Adams and Penn sr. DB Miles Hill ended the half two plays later with an interception. The turnovers continued through much of the second
half as Penn fumbled on their second play, but Comm Tech netted minus eight yards on their
opening drive and were forced to punt. Penn’s
offense responded with a net of minus 14 yards and also punted, however, a muff during the
return gave them possession only to give it back four plays later. When a pass interference penalty offered the
Phoenix’s a final chance at keeping the game close, Sheldon Robinson slammed the door
shut with an interception. Comm Tech sr. DB Leonard
Jackson answered with interception as well, but they
couldn’t mount a challenge and ended the game with a paltry 50 yards of total
offense. One bright spot on defense was the
play of so DL Marcellus Chiles,
who kept his team in the game for most of the first half and was one of the few that
wanted to do the “dirty” work.
"Payin the Bill’s’ Play of the Game: With
less than four minutes to go, the Lions called a wingback reverse for the first time and
jr. WR Ryeheim Magobet left the overpursuing
defenders sliding in the mud for a 27-yard touchdown run—game over, bills paid. Oddly enough, the man who called this play garners
a little city football trivia. Who was the
“other” running back that ran with the incomparable Blair Thomas on that mid-80’s Frankford team? None other than Terry Henderson, who now directs the Penn
offense—nice call Terry.
Footnote:
The spirit of the
Penn cheerleaders, led by their attractive coach Kia
Ireland, deserves credit for ignoring the tough weather and a making an otherwise
dreary afternoon more enjoyable for the team and spectators alike.
The Tackle Leaders:
William Penn
James Capers—8 (5
solo, 2 NG, 1 sack)
Braheem Clanton—6 (2 solo, 2
NG, 1 forced fumble)
Jabbar Turner—4 (2 solo, 1
NG, 1 fumble recovery)
Rhamir Beckett—2 (2 solo)
Dashawn Williams—2 (1 solo)
Ryeheim Magobet—2
Special teams leader— Ryeheim Magobet
(one rocket punt that resulted in a muff and another that was scooped from the mud and
kicked 25 yards)
Communications
Tech
Marcellus Chiles—8
(3 solo, 3 TFL)
Sean Adams —7 (2 solo, 1
TFL, 1 sack, 4 fumble recoveries, 1 forced fumble)
Derrick Mack —7 (4 solo, 3
TFL)
# 35—6 (4 solo, 4 TFL)
Maurice Christian—5 (1 solo)
Karon Stone—3 (1 fumble
recovery)
Kenneth Jenkins —3
Special teams leaders—Akeem Robinson (1 solo
special teams tackle & 25-yard return)
OCT. 7
PUBLIC RED
Washington 22, Dobbins 6
Ready for some smash-mouth football? For the better part of three quarters these two
well-coached, well-prepared teams revealed the intensity required to win in this talented
division. Every play was magnified and every
penalty put the team closer to disaster until the final quarter where the Eagles of George
Washington showed that the will to execute is better than relying on the uncertainty of
fate. Early on though, the Mustangs
looked to be the team that would dominate. On
the first drive of the game, they used an effective array of formations to unleash the
speed and power of sr. RB Terrance Sample, who
rattled off 17-yards on his first two carries. He
followed this with a 56-yard catch-and-run from jr. QB Wesley Brown that moved the team into a first and goal. Regardless of where they ran from that point
however, an Eagle seemed to be standing in the way.
The combination of sr. QB/DB Thomas Wilmer
and jr. DT Rubin Lee stuffed each of the first two
plays and, after another quick slant completion to Sample put Dobbins just one-yard from
the goal, Lee broke into the backfield to take the handoff and end the scoring threat. Against their goal line, Eagle jr. RB Fateen
Brown managed to gain a first down with a couple of
productive runs, but stiff pressure from jr. LB Courtney Roberson, jr. DE Dennis Gaskin
and so. LB Paul Bennett produced the game’s
first big play as unblocked Mustang jr. LB Chris Williams came through to block the subsequent punt, which he
recovered to give Dobbins an early 6-0 lead. Despite
a sack by jr. DE Randell Wilson on the second
play of Washington’s first series, Wilmer threw a pop pass to his brother, so. TE Damien
Wilmer, for a first down and a dive run by sr. Akeem
Smith moved the team near midfield. A 15-yard face mask penalty, sweep run from jr. RB
Brian Carter and well-executed middle zone
connection from the Wilmer duo left the Eagles 15 yards from a potential tie game. Defensive gems by Gaskin and sr. LB James
Lawson however, resulted in 11 yards of losses and gave
possession back to the Mustangs on downs. Despite
some modest gains, the Mustangs were forced to punt on the ensuing drive and the Eagles
appeared to have the equalizer in hand when 17 yards from Brown was followed by an
out-and-up courtesy of the Wilmer brothers for 39 yards.
Sample then added to the Eagles frustration as he stepped in front of a
third down pass with just over a minute before to halftime to halt yet another scoring
chance in close, but the Washington drought would soon be over. During intermission, the Eagle offensive linemen,
led by consummate leader sr. LT Demetrius Wilson,
were convinced they could run up the middle of the Mustang defense and that’s exactly
what they did for most of the second half. After
a 16-yard kickoff return by sr. Ryon
McIlwain to start the third, Fateen Brown
used the blocking of jr. RT Aaron
Murray on one play then Wilson the next to
move into Mustang territory. From there, the
Eagles ran seven straight running plays behind jr. LG Mike Kelly, jr. C Chris Clanton and jr. RG Rubin Lee, which gave
Brown, who slipped three tackles on one play, 43 (six carries) of his 115 yards for the
game. Brown gave way to Akeem Smith for the
final five yards and he went in untouched to tie the game and instantly swung momentum
over to of the Eagles. Dobbins
answered with a toss from Wesley to jr. TE Randall
Wilson and a short crossing route to jr. WR Marcellus
Willoughby, but the pressure of the
Washington defense, aided by LB/NT Jay Sloh,
would leave Dobbins short of midfield in their last productive drive of the game. The offensive line went back to work that started
with a stunning tackle trap executed by Murray, which netted Brown another 25 yards. Wilmer followed two plays later with a 19-yard
pass to jr. TE Brandon Bynum and the running
game never gained less than three yards a carry until Wilmer bulled in from a yard out to
give the Eagles a 14-6 lead with the Wilmer to Bynum conversion. In a final effort to stay close, Wesley completed
a 16 yarder to sr. WR Michael Harris only to
be intercepted by Wilmer, who would later pick off another and almost nabbed a third late
in the fourth quarter. Make no mistake
though, the ability of the Murrell Dobbins Mustangs to improve as the season goes along
has been well documented and one glance at the tackle leaders for this game will give an
impression of what this team can accomplish.
"Payin' the Bill’s’ Play of the Game:
With a 14-6 lead and 4:04 to go, Washington was faced a fourth-and-one at the Dobbins
19-yard line. Debate arose between head coach
Ron Cohen and offensive coordinator Doug Guenther as to the right play for the
situation, forcing them to use a timeout. What
they eventually decided worked to perfection as Akeem Smith used textbook drive blocks
from Aaron Murray and Rubin Lee to skate
untouched into the secondary for the clinching touchdown—game over, bills paid.
The Tackle Leaders:
Washington
Jay Sloh—6 (3 solo, 1 NG)
Brian Carter—5 (2 solo, 1
TFL)
Demetrius Wilson—5
Akeem Smith—5
Joe Devlin—4 (1 solo, 1 TFL)
Thomas
Wilmer—3 (3 solo, 1 pass defended)
Orlando Vest—3
Chris Clanton—3
Oliver
Wallace—2 (1 solo)
Cecil
Wise—2 (1 solo)
Special teams leaders—Scott Marano (PAT pass
completion to close all scoring) & Brandon Banks (2 solo kickoff return tackles)
Dobbins
Terrance Sample—9 (5 solo, 1
pass defended)
Paul Boldin—6 (1 solo, 1
TFL)
Leon Baynard—6 (2 solo)
Michael Harris—5 (2 solo)
Paul Bennett—5 (1 solo, 1
TFL)
Tyree Henson—5 (1 solo, 1
NG)
Randell Wilson—4 (2 solo, 1
TFL)
James Lawson—4 (1 solo, 1
TFL)
Dennis Gaskin—3 (1 solo, 1
TFL)
Michael Young—3 (1 solo)
Darrell Brown—3 (1 solo)
Special teams leader—Dobbins punter
(29.0-yard net punting average)
SEPT. 30
PUBLIC WHITE
Gratz 21, Roxborough 0
You could’ve cut
the pregame tension with a knife. All signs
pointed to a tough matchup and the silent anticipation from both squads signaled the game
might go down to the final seconds before a winner was decided. In the end though, the Bulldogs of Simon Gratz
needed little offense to show that they intend to be part of the division playoff chase. The Indians appeared poised to end their four-year
drought without a division win when they rebounded from an opening 20-yard slant from QB Jerrick
Jenkins to WR Derrick Davis to force a punt that netted 11 yards. The Indians went into high gear with a
quick-strike passing attack that included a six-yard pop from sr. QB Mark Ames to sr. WR Joe Ball and
a nine-yard screen pass to sr. RB Dionte Wade. They followed with some productive inside running
plays and looked to be gaining momentum until they decided to pass again. First, the Bulldogs sent a blitz that resulted in
a sack. On the next play, CB Malik
Palmer read a short passing route and ended the Indians
drive with an interception. Motion penalties
and a stiff opposing defense stalled the Bulldogs next drive and another short punt gave
Roxborough excellent field position to start their next series. The field position was countered however by the
speed of DE Preston Lockwood, who chased down
the Indian quarterback for a six-yard loss and led to the game’s first big play. Facing a third and 16, Ames dropped back and
appeared to be in the process of throwing when DT Nisia Dunaway came in from behind to jar the ball loose. As it was kicked closer to the Indian goal line,
no whistles sounded and Gratz DE Randy Newton
alertly turned the fumble into a 35-yard touchdown return and 7-0 lead with the K Thinh Truong conversion kick. In an attempt to regain momentum, Richard “Microwave” Williams took
advantage of a vacated area in the defensive line and broke into the secondary for a
32-yard gain. The momentum
was short lived though as Gratz LB Rasheed
Bulknight, who hustled down to tackle Williams on the previous play, recovered a
fumble on the next one to halt the Indian scoring chance.
"Payin' the Bills’ Play of the Game:
Although the performance of Gratz DE Randy Newton stands out, this week’s gem was a
little less obvious. With less than 5:00 to
go, a Roxborough screen pass was stuffed for a minimal gain when a Gratz defender wrapped
up the legs of the receiver. As he attempted
to escape, CB Bryant Jackson came in at full
speed and laid a clean hit that reverberated through the stadium. The Indian offense and sidelines told the
story—game over, bills paid.
Footnote:
Often times we read about a player’s so-called big-play ability, but
rarely understand what this involves. In the
case of Jerrick Jenkins, he has the “consistency of movement” required of
successful quarterbacks. This means that a
quarterback must utilize the same grip, footwork and drop back body movements in order to
have success at this position and Jenkins has mastered many of these qualities.
The Tackle Leaders:
Gratz
Rasheed Bulknight
-- 11 (3 solo, 2 NG, 1 fumble recovery)
Preston Lockwood—8 (2 solo,
3 TFL, 2 NG)
Bryant Jackson—7 (2 solo, 1
NG)
Raashid Moore—5 (2 solo, 1
sack)
Donte Antrom—4 (2 solo, 2
TFL 1 forced fumble)
Steffon Monroe—2 (3 passes
defended)
Bradley Martin—2 (2 solo, 1
pass defended)
Nisia
Dunaway—2 (2 solo)
Gourdie Corbin—2 (2 solo)
Roxborough
Aaron Washington—8
(4 solo, 1 TFL, 1 NG)
Sean Murphy—5 (2 TFL, 1 NG)
Calden Pierce—4 (2 TFL)
Melvin Barnes—3 (1 solo)
Joe Ball—3
Ramon Odom—2 (2 solo)
Special teams leaders—Chris Koons (33.0-yard
punting average)
SEPT. 23
NON-LEAGUE
Frankford 43, West Philly 0
The time has come for
the Frankford Pioneers to show if they have the goods to recapture the Public League
championship. If this game was any
indication, they seem to have most of the cylinders clicking heading into the division
matchups. In just a quarter and a half,
Pioneer head coach Mike Capriotti finished
showcasing confident sr. RB Brandon Norris (9-129
and three touchdowns) and had a comfortable lead as the reserves trickled onto the field. Right from the beginning, the Speedboys were
simply overmatched. Behind the tenacious
pursuit of sr. LB’s Eric Harriston and Nate
Johnson, Frankford forced a three-and-out and benefited
from a punt that netted 18 yards. Norris used
an excellent block from the pulling guard, sr. Chad Gordon, on the fourth play of their first drive and dashed 31 yards
for game’s first touchdown. The
Speedboys only managed a single play on their second drive before Johnson forced a fumble,
which was recovered by Harriston. Just 0:43
after their first score, sr. QB Ryan Hardy found
sr. E Alonzo Williams on a corner fade for a 12-0
lead midway through the first quarter. The
Speedboys looked to answer when jr. QB Brandon Johnson opened the next drive with an impressive 50-yard strike to sr.
WR Jamal Washington, but they failed to get any
closer than the Pioneer 19, before turning the ball over on downs. From there, Frankford embarked on a 10-play drive
that featured three carries for 29 yards from Norris, a nice 17 yard pass from Hardy to
Norris and a Norris eight yard run to extend the lead to 19-0 with the Kyle Berry kick, ending the first quarter.
West Philly opened the second quarter with another three-and-out, thanks in
part to sr. DB Nathaniel Polk, who knocked down a
third down pass attempt. From their 38,
Norris (2-23) and Hardy (1-19) gave way to jr. RB Calvin Spires, who needed two carries for the final 20 yards and a resounding
25-0 lead. Spires added his second
touchdown from 5 yards out to close the first half scoring. Alonzo Williams opened the second half with a
determined 22-yard kickoff return to midfield and the reserves didn’t miss a beat. The combination of Nate Johnson and so. FB Christopher
Spence (2-18) led to a 24-yard touchdown by Johnson to
close out the scoring. The Speedboys
had a final chance to avert the shutout when Damon Hamilton picked up a bobbled handoff
(force by Antoney Denton) 40 yards to the Frankford 20-yard line before being brought down
by so. Josh Burnett, but their offense failed to
convert a fourth-and-one to end what would be their final chance. While their offense will get much of the credit
for the win, the Frankford defense (starters and reserves) limited the West Philly offense
to 49 total yards and only allowed them to cross midfield twice. Encouraging signs for the Speedboys were QB
Brandon Johnson, who can throw with any quarterback in the Public League and sr. LB Antoney
Denton, whose 11 tackles were made out of sheer
determination and heart.
Payin the Bills’ Play of the Game: Midway
through the second quarter Frankford had just taken possession at the West Philly 35 after
an interception by sr. DB Dwayne Johnson. On the second play of the drive, Norris dashed off
right tackle, kept his feet while dragging a defender, broke free and ran for a 30-yard
score and a 31-0 lead while a couple of the remaining defenders pulled up and
watched—game over, bills paid.
The Tackle Leaders:
Frankford
Nate Johnson—5 (4
solo, 2 TFL, 1 forced fumble ½ sack)
Steven Ortega—5 (2 solo, 1
TFL, 1 sack)
Eric Harriston—3 (1 solo, 2
TFL, 1 fumble recovery, 1 sack)
Anthony Towns—2 (1 TFL)
Damon Brockington—2
Chris Spence—2 (½ sack)
Niem Toll—2
Josh
Taylor—2
Special teams leaders— Niem Toll & Josh
Taylor (2 special teams tackles apiece)
West Philly
Antoney Denton—11
(6 solo, 1 TFL)
25 Johnson—6 (2 solo, 1 TFL)
Lawrence Brown—4 (2 solo, 2
TFL)
Jamal Washington—4 (1 solo)
50 Singleton—4 (1 solo)
William Blackwell —3 (1
solo)
Atland Williams—3
Special teams leaders—Cornell Kelly (4-54 on
kick returns, which was more yardage than the entire West Philly offense for the game)
SEPT. 16
NON-LEAGUE
Overbrook 46, Freire Charter 18
Can we interest you in some sloppy football? For most of the first half, this game was an
example of how one team can play down to the level of an opponent. Before breaking loose in the second half,
the Overbrook Panthers gave the scrappy Dragons of Freire Charter every reason to believe
they could win. Those who think Panther head
coach Ken Strum has mellowed after a surprise
playoff appearance last season, guess again. He
was so disgusted with the way the team performed that he actually marched them into the
end zone after winning by 28 points for a hard round of calisthenics. As for the scrappy Dragons, they’re one of
the few second-year programs I’ve seen (mostly freshmen and sophomores) that has more
success passing than running. An
Overbrook rout seemed decisive when, on the first play from scrimmage, the Dragons fumbled
the center snap, which led to four-yard touchdown run and conversion by sr. RB Richard Cooper.
Freire lost 16 yards on their second possession and made matters worse with
a punt that netted just four yards. In
business at the Dragon 26, the Panthers abandoned the running game but three pass
attempts, including one on fourth down that was dropped, left them empty. A tackle for loss by sr. E Naftalie Ellis led to another Freire
three-and-out, but a Panther touched the subsequent punt and RB/CB Domar Bussey was on the spot to pounce on the free
ball near midfield. Following a 10-yard
run by QB Brandon Clark, the Dragon passing
game came to life as Clark hit WR Pierre Lewis
in stride for a 34-yard touchdown, but they missed a chance to tie when the conversion
failed. A 35-yard kickoff return by so. RB Joseph Gaines gave Overbrook great field position
and the ground game led to a 24-yard run by sr. FB Eikeem
Barron, who broke three tackles on his way to 14-6 lead. Panther sr. DE Robert Sheed created enough havoc on the Dragons
next drive and pressured the quarterback into a fourth down incompletion to stall a
promising equalizer only to see a fumble return control two plays into their next series. Despite a pair of solo tackles for losses by sr.
LB Rahim Frazier, some nifty plays by Clark
were enough to run out the clock and limit the Panthers to 16 offensive plays
in the first half. In the second half
however, the points came in buckets. Barron’s
30 yards on three carries started the Panther blitz that was capped with a 10-yard
touchdown pass from sr. QB Sylvester Broxton
to Ellis and Barron conversion run. Just
three plays into their opening drive in the second half, Freire fumbled and Overbrook sr.
LB Oluwaseun Afuwafe recovered. After a Broxton 31-yard connection to a wide open
Gaines, they hooked up again on the next play for 14 yards to extend the lead to 30-6 with
the Broxton to sr. RB Raheem Davis conversion. Penalties and sacks plagued the Dragons ensuing
drive that was made worse when Afuwafe steeped in front of a punt attempt that Barron ran
in from eight yards to give the Panthers a commanding 38-6 lead, with an Broxton to Ellis
conversion, late in the third quarter. The
Dragons needed just two plays to cut the lead as backup quarterback Clinton Taylor found a wide open WR Donte Blow and he raced 44 yards for the
touchdown. On the ensuing drive, the
Panthers seemed to answer right back with a beautiful 58-yard post route for touchdown
from Broxton to sr. WR Khalile Frazier, but the
play was nullified for holding. In an attempt
to get a final touchdown, Friere tried an array of trick plays that moved them down to the
three-yard line. The combination of Frazier
and Ellis however, batted away their final chances at a touchdown.
"Payin' the Bills’ Play of the Game:" With
just over 10 minutes remaining, Freire had just cut into the Overbrook lead with
interception return by Pierre Lewis for touchdown. On the ensuing kickoff, so. DB Darius Johnson bumped into a teammate to grab the
ball then sliced through the middle of the Freire special teams for a 70-yard touchdown
run —game over, bills paid.
The Tackle Leaders:
Overbrook
Rahim Frazier—8 (2 solo, 3
TFL, 2 NG, 2 sacks)
Eikeem Barron—7 (3 solo, 1
TFL, 1 NG, 1 fumble recovery)
Robert Sheed—6 (2 solo)
Oluwaseun Afuwafe—5 (1solo,
2 TFL, 1 fumble recovery)
Richard Cooper—5 (3 solo, 1
pass defended)
Eric Kemp—5 (1 solo)
Johnny Mack—4 (3 solo)
Giovanni
Guess—4 (3 solo, 1 TFL, 1 NG)
Charles
Owens—3 (2 NG, 1 fumble recovery)
Special teams leader— Oluwaseun Afuwafe &
Eikeem Barron (tandum that blocked Friere punt and scored a touchdown)
Freire Charter
Darrelle Jones—5 (3 solo, 1
TFL)
Stacey Hill—5 (2 solo, 1
fumble recovery)
Damar Bussey—4 (1 solo, 1
pass defended, 1 fumble recovery)
Balil Brown—4 (2 solo, 1
TFL)
Clinton Taylor—4
Brandon Clark—3 (2 solo, 1
TFL)
Akeem Melvin —2 (1 TFL)
Special teams leaders—Brandon Clark (spoiled
PAT with sack of quarterback)
SEPT.
15
NON-LEAGUE
Germantown 16, Roxborough 14 (OT)
The
undefeated Germantown Bears against the winless Roxborough Indians—one for the ages? Well, this emotional “across-the-'hood”
rivalry had just about everything—key fourth down stops, mishandled punts, big plays
and enough action to completely dry an otherwise muddy field by games end. In the end however, the will of speedy sr. TB Akeem Johnson was enough to keep the Bears record
untarnished, but not their weaknesses. To the
Indians' credit, this wasn’t the team of the previous two games. They kept Germantown off the scoreboard for 47
minutes and produced the brand of Mike Stanley
football that gave Central all it could handle in the thrilling playoff game of two years
ago. Early on, though, all signs pointed to a
predictable Bears rout and record setting day for Johnson.
On the game’s opening drive, he sliced through gaping holes created by
the offensive line of senior G David
Henderson-Walker, T Omar Zachary, T Isaiah Williams T Antoine Kemp-Smith and C Cory Kittrel to the tune of 50-yards on just four
carries. Once in close, the Roxborough
defense, behind the tireless effort of sr. LB Aaron
“A-Trane” Washington and sr. DT Jeremy
Travis, held the Bears on fourth-and-one five yards from the end zone. Roxborough
sr. RB Dionte Wade showed more quickness than
previous games and opened with 21-yards before Bears sr. DB Kasib Parham answered an Indians fourth down
gamble with an interception to set them up for a potential score. Remarkably, the Indians limited the Bears to just
three yards and forced a punt from the Indians 40, which was returned for 10-yards by sr.
DB Melvin Barnes. From their own 25, the Roxborough offense and the
hot weather began to wear down the Bears in a time- consuming, 12-play drive that featured
the power running of sr. FB Richard “Microwave” Williams and a
well-executed 20-yard screen pass from sr. QB Mark
Ames to Wade. Inside the 20, Williams and Wade used timely
blocks by the “A-Trane” to pound out six-seven yards a pop, which set up Ames
for an easy two-yard bootleg and a 6-0 lead. Back
on their heels somewhat, the Bears went three-and-out on the ensuing drive due to the
inspired play of sr. CB Joe Ball and jr. LB Kevin Hargrove, both of whom recorded solo tackles
for losses. Equal to the task, sr. DT Isaiah Williams and LB Eric Jenkins stuffed a second down play that
forced the Indians to punt back to the Bears. In
an impressive display of playing “downhill”, Washington shot through the line
and greeted the Bears first play for no gain, which seemed to create enough anxiety for
three straight G-town false start penalties and set up Roxborough’s biggest play of
the season thus far. Backed against their
goal line, the Bears punt snap from center sailed high and, after being tipped, began to
roll around the end zone. When the punter
picked up the ball, Washington was there to knock him off balance and Travis finished him
off for a safety, an 8-0 lead and all the momentum going to halftime. Undoubtedly inspired by one of head coach Mike Hawkins “quiet” halftime speeches,
the Bears came out in the third quarter to restore some order. A crucial third down stop by Isaiah Williams gave
the Bears possession and they began to play determined football in an attempt to tie the
game and swing momentum. The combination of
Johnson’s 28-yards on three carries and sr. QB Andre
Fisher’s quick pass to sr. TE Antwain
Brown-Barnes put the Bears 24-yards from a potential tie. From
there however, the Roxborough defense held on fourth-and-three with 4:25 to go in the
third quarter. When Ames completed another
screen pass to Wade, this time for 16-yards, the Indians looked to be on their way to an
upset victory heading into the final quarter. When
the drive stalled early in the fourth, Germantown pounced on their biggest break of the
game as a punt snap sailed 27-yards from scrimmage and came to rest on Indian 23-yard
line. Again, the Bears came up a few yards
short on fourth down as Roxborough sideline exploded with enthusiasm. With 4:29 remaining in the game and both teams
wearing down from the heat, the Bears mounted a final chance from midfield. On second down and when his team needed him the
most, Johnson left almost the entire Roxborough defense standing still with an incredible
cutback run for 23 yards. Jenkins followed
with a quick bolt up the middle for 11 and Johnson added another eight to move them as
close as they had been all afternoon. A fine
tackle by Hargrove for a loss left the Bears with a fourth-and-three from the eight. After timeouts by each side, Fisher escaped
immense pressure and bootlegged off the left side for the Bears only touchdown in
regulation. Another round of timeouts
preceded the all-important conversion, as both coaches looked for an edge. Once again, Johnson stepped up when he had to and
stretched the field as far as he could before finally crossing the goal line, sending the
game into overtime. Down but not out, the
Indians used all four plays to get the “Microwave” over from a yard out. As he dug in for the conversion he pleaded,
“please guys, just once”. Despite
a valiant and inspired effort, he and the Indians will have to try another day.
"Payin' the Bills’ " Play of the Game: Down
14-8 in overtime, the Bears used their first play to complete a nice touch pass from Andre
Fisher to Antwain Brown-Barnes in the corner of the end zone for the tying touchdown. With another overtime staring them in the face, a
hampered Akeem Johnson used everything left in the tank to sneak around the right side,
dove in for the winning conversion, calmly handed the ball to the referee and erupted into
a victory stampede—game over, bills paid.
Footnote:
The
play of Aaron
“A-Trane” Washington, as offensive guard and middle linebacker, has been
impressive and worthy of consideration at the college level. His unrelenting pursuit, intelligence and
leadership have shown that he’s one of the great players in the Public
League—and he hasn’t touched the ball yet.
The Tackle Leaders:
Germantown
Isaiah Williams—9 (1 solo, 4
TFL, 1 NG)
Eric Jenkins—8 (1 solo, 4
TFL)
Aaron Nelson—8 (2 solo)
Dishorn Hamilton—7 (3 solo)
Alan Steele—5 (1 solo, 1
TFL)
Kasib Parham—4 (2 solo, 1
TFL)
Michael Thompson—4 (2 solo)
Special teams leader—Markief Moore (tackled
Roxborough punter after 27-yard loss to put Germantown in scoring position)
Roxborough
Aaron Washington—12 (4 solo,
2 TFL, 3 NG)
Melvin Barnes—8 (3 solo)
Jeremy Travis—7 (1 solo, 2
TFL)
Ramon Odom—6 (3 solo)
Joe Ball—4 (2 solo, 1 TFL)
Tavio DeShields —4 (1 solo,
1 TFL)
Sean Murphy—3 (1 TFL, 1 NG)
Kevin Hargrove—3 (1 solo, 1
TFL)
Special teams leaders—Jeremy Travis &
Aaron Washington (tackled Germantown punter in end zone for safety)
SEPT.
10
NON-LEAGUE
St. Joseph's Prep 28, St. Ignatius 14
As
uncertain as non-league games are sometimes, this one was the crème de la crème—a
recruiter’s dream game. The awesome
display of talent even brought the Puckster out for a quick cameo appearance. In a game they never trailed, the Hawks of
St. Joseph’s proved to have a few more big plays than the formidable Wildcats from
Ohio. A pair of opposite yet equally
efficient pro-set offenses wasted little time showing the “fundamentals” of
scoring points. Faced with a third and five
on game’s first drive, patient Hawk sr. QB Chris
Whitney (9-10-141) found 6’3” sr.
WR Bill Edger (4-54) on an effective delay
route for 18 yards. On the next play,
sr. RB John Shaw (21-200) used a key block from
sr. WR Brian Brickman to roll off another 20
yards. Whitney called his number two plays
later for a 13-yard bootleg to complete a seven-play 2:50 drive that could be inserted
into the Philadelphia Eagles playbook. Edger
nailed the first of four conversion kicks on the day for a 7-0 lead. St. Ignatius however, came back firing. From mostly a shotgun formation, sr. QB Rudy Kurbis (6’4” 220) started the
aerial show with a quick out to committed D-1 prospect, sr. WR Robby Parris (6’4” 190) for 13 yards. He came right back to him on a sharp crossing en
route to the Hawks 25-yard line. In
convincing fashion, Kurbis (19-36-231) ran three times for nine yards and tied the game
with a tracer to Parris (5-77) from five yards out. Wildcat
jr. DT Jim Masterson snuffed out a Hawk third
down screen pass on the next drive and forced a punt.
Despite various formations, the pass covering ability of St. Joe’s sr.
LB Ryan Malarick and sr. CB Andy Shalbrack stalled the Wildcat passing machine
near midfield. Starting the next drive
from their own 20, Whitney showed off his arm and hit sr. TE Matt Leddy in stride for a 30-yard gain and Shaw
rushed four times for 36-yards to put the Hawks three yards away from the lead. A stingy Wildcat goal line defense held for two
plays, but couldn’t stop Whitney’s sneak for touchdown on the third. After another nice Kirbus/Parris crossing
route for 18-yards on the ensuing drive, Hawk sr. DB Dave Mendez stopped another committed D-1
prospect, sr. TE John Ryan, for no gain and
Shalbrack broke up a third down pass to force another punt, which went for a touchback. Shaw then woke up a picnic-atmosphere crowd with
an apparent 80-yard touchdown run, but the play was nullified for holding. Neither team could muster a first down until the
Hawks gained control with just over two minutes to go in half. From their own 20, Shaw gained 31 yards on
two carries, Whitney and Edger doubled the yardage and sr. G James Dunn pitched in with a seven yard run off an
advanced fumble. Despite a sack and 12-yard
loss, the Hawks regrouped and executed a Whitney to Shaw screen pass for a 21-7 cushion. Key on the touchdown play were the quick feet of
Dunn and sr. T Jim McKenzie, who were well out
in front to lead the way. Shalbrack ended a
Wildcat scoring chance with an interception and 30-yard return as the half expired. St. Ignatius opened the third with a 10-play drive
only to be turned back on fourth-and-one by sr. DB Dave
Clement. Each team allowed only a single
first down for the remainder of a hard-hitting defensive third quarter. The Hawks looked to be putting the game away
early in the fourth behind the running of Shaw (15 yards) and two Whitney to Leddy
connections that resulted in 30 more. Once
down close though, excellent tackling by Wildcat sr. LB Robert McConville and sr. DT Marty Kern led to an eventual Hawks fourth-and-one
that ended in a sack. In what turned out to
be the Wildcats last chance to stay close was foiled by sr. CB Tim Lutz, who intercepted a patented Kurbis
tracer. Kurbis later hit sr. RB Scott Biehl on a nice touch pass to end the
scoring.
“Payin' the Bills' Play of the Game: With a
little over four minutes remaining and the Hawks leading 21-7, Shaw showed just how
dangerous a cutback runner he can be. On the
first play of the drive, he slid off left guard, hit on another lightning cut-back, turned
on the after burners and went 70 yards untouched—game over, bills paid. Thanks to ts.com cohort Jon
“Duck” Gray for making the “Play of the Week."
The Tackle Leaders:
St. Joseph's
Josh Howley—10 (6 solo, 1 TFL, 1 sack)
Dave Clement—8 (4 solo, 3
passes defended, 1 forced fumble)
Chris Whitney—6 (2 solo)
Dave Mendez—6 (4 solo, 1 NG)
Neil Doogan—5 (3 solo, 1
TFL, 1 sack)
Colin Wixted—5 (2 solo, 1
TFL, 1 NG)
Andy Shalbrack—4 (4 solo, 4
passes defended)
Charlie
Noonan—4 (1 solo)
Ryan
Malarick—3 (1 solo, 1 pass defended)
Special teams leaders—Josh Howley (2 tackles,
1 solo) & Bill Edger (4 extra points and an onside kick recovery)
St. Ignatius
Rob McConville —10 (2 solo, 1 sack)
Nick Taege —9 (4 solo)
Dan Dowd—7 (2 TFL, ½ sack)
Ben Jurevicius—7 (3 solo, ½
sack)
Marty Kern—6 (1 solo, 2 TFL)
Brian Neff—5 (2 solo, 1 NG,
1 sack)
Phil Yuhas—4 (3 solo, 1 NG)
Special teams leader—(St. Ignatius
punter 5-145)
SEPT.
2
NON-LEAGUE
Edison 8, Roxborough 6
All signs pointed to one of those easy momentum-building season
openers for the Roxborough Indians. When
the dust settled though, the Owls of Edison High pulled off the upset victory in a game
they had firm control of from the beginning to end.
For new Indians head coach Mike
Stanley this little nightmare had to be doubly disappointing considering his last trip
to Edison High, as the King head coach, wasn’t much better than this one. As with the
previous visit, a simple conversion proved to be the difference. A 19-yard opening kickoff return by jr. DB Robert Serrano set up the Owls near midfield. Despite an errant pitchout and seven-yard loss on
their first play of 2005, the Owls quickly regrouped and dazzled the Indians defense with
an array of inside running plays and short passes to which they had no answer. Facing a fourth-and-three at the Indians 36, Jr.
RB Kory Marshall kept Edison’s opening
drive alive with a six-yard run while Indian defenders continued to stumble over each
other. Sr. QB Johnathan Baez lofted a pass down the right
sideline two plays later and excellent concentration by jr. WB Armondo Martinez resulted in a 27-yard gain, which
gave the Owls a first and goal. On
second-and-goal, the Indians outside linebacker missed an assignment and Baez found jr. RB
Joshua Alicea wide open for a 10-yard touchdown
pass to give the Owls the early lead. A
confused Indians defense failed to regroup after the touchdown and gave up the
all-important conversion to Alicia. The
Edison 13-play drive all but ended the first quarter and served notice that they
weren’t going to be pushed around. Roxborough
responded in their opening drive with the some inside power running from sr. RB’s Dionte Wade and Richard “Microwave” Williams. The Indians used up just four minutes and came
within two points of a tie when Sr. QB Mark Ames used
a block from sr. OG Jeremy Travis, rolled
around right end and scored from 25-yards out. Run stuffers Kory Marshall and sr. NG Jed Beldor came up big and stopped Ames on the
conversion attempt. Unfazed by the Indian
touchdown, Edison embarked on another long drive (10 plays) that featured a 34-yard pass
play from Baez to so. WR Edward Correa off a
blown coverage and an 18-yard run by Marshall off a broken play. Just 12-yards from a commanding lead, sr. LB Aaron Washington, one of the few Roxborough
players who showed up for this game, delivered consecutive sacks and jr. DB Robert McGrier intercepted a fourth down
desperation pass to end the first half. The
Indians opened the second half with a couple of productive pass plays, but Correa forced a
fumble on the third play that was recovered by Owl jr. DE Carlos Flores.
In business at the Roxborough 40, Baez juked a defender out of his shoes on
a third-and-nine play and the running of Marshall and Alicea, behind a stout offensive
line, moved the Owls inside the red zone. A
costly holding penalty gave the Indians some momentum and jr. DE Chris Koons and Richard Williams stepped up with
sacks to end the once promising drive. Their chances dwindling, Roxborough embarked on
their most productive drive of game. Ames
completed a 14-yard screen pass to Wade and the combination of Wade and Williams found
little resistance as they rattled off four to five yards a carry resulting in a first-and
goal. As Wade bulled to the four-yard line,
the weary Owls reached for their last ounce of energy, held on second and third down to
set up fourth-and-goal for all the marbles. With
2:58 left in the game, jr. DT Manylee Lugo,
who had been a ball hawk the entire game, had enough left in the tank to chase down the
slow developing fourth down play to end Roxborough’s final chance at victory.
Payin the Bills' Play of the Game: Following the
disappointing on fourth down stop, Roxborough held and had one last ditch effort with 11
seconds left. While Edison set up in punt
formation, the Indians stayed in their base defense as if Edison was going to run a play. While the Indians scurried to get players in
position, Jonathan Baez let loose with a booming punt.
When the Roxborough return man finally caught up with ball, Robert Serrano
was there to tackle him on the spot—game over.
The Tackle Leaders:
Edison
Manylee Lugo—10 (1
TFL, 1 sack)
Robert Serrano—9 (1 solo, 1
NG)
Joshua Alicea—8 (1 solo)
Johnathan Baez—6 (1 solo, 1
TFL, 1 pass defended)
Kory Marshall—5 (1 sack)
Robert Kennedy—4
Edward Correa—4 (1 forced
fumble)
Armondo
Martinez—4 (1 NG)
Special teams leader—Johnathan Baez (52-yard
punt) and subsequent tackle by Robert Serrano to end the game.
Roxborough
Aaron Washington—16
(6 solo, 2 TFL, 2 sacks)
Tavio DeShields—9 (2 solo)
Robert McGrier—7 (2 solo, 1
TFL)
Richard Williams—4 (3 solo,
1 sack)
Chris Koons—3 (1 solo, 1
sack)
Kevin Hargrove—3 (1 solo, 1
NG)
Tim Pace—3
Ramon Odom—3
Special teams leader—Dionte Wade (19 return
yards)