Payin' the Bills Football 2006 Return to TedSilary.com Home Page   Bill Wettstein, who has done some writing for community papers in the Northwest Philly area, has become a valued member of our website crew. We appreciate his efforts.    Bill may be reached at wwettstein@yahoo.com

NOV. 10
Public League Semifinals Preview
  Final invoices have been sent out—it’s time to pay the bills.  Without question, the best four teams the Public League had to offer this season will square off to determine who hoists the coveted Public League trophy and gets another chance to be the first city team to defeat a district powerhouse in the PIAA playoffs.   Unlike last season however, Frankford and George Washington have distinguished themselves as the dominant teams.  Make no mistake though, Northeast and Dobbins Tech have overcome many obstacles to get to this point, including tough quarterfinal games, and they bring elements to the table that could keep their games close enough to pull off the upset, should November rain start a turnover fest.  How we arrived at this point seems to have relevancy in the semifinals this season, so let’s consider a few points.  Frankford and Washington defeated Northeast and Dobbins in the regular season.  An examination the points for and against in the nine games against each other reveals why Frankford and Washington are favored.  The Pioneers have scored the most in those games (86) and given up the second least (38) while the Eagles has given up the least (35) and scored the second most (60).  Northeast and Dobbins have surrendered 45 and 80 points respectively, but neither has broken the 40-point mark in those games.  So, does defense really win championships?
Frankford vs. Dobbins
   Don’t expect the Mustangs to dazzle you with textbook technique or a 500-page playbook.  What they’ve accomplished this season has been derived from an unpredictable freewheeling game plan executed by versatile playmakers that attempts to frustrate teams for four quarters.   As first year head coach Lou Zambino stated after the stunning quarterfinal win against Central, “We wanted to make some noise and we did.”  As with that game, there’s little pressure on this team to succeed, which makes them dangerous if underestimated.  Perhaps no player exemplifies this attitude better than sr. QB Wesley Brown.  His performance against Central showed that he can throw with velocity and accuracy whether on the run or in the pocket, which wasn’t as apparent just a week prior.  Credit for the shortened learning curve goes to the outstanding pass protection he’s received from jr. RT Randolph Latimore, sr. RG Sharif Eaddy, C Byron Blount, soph. LG Derek Clark and sr. LT Bryant Bentley.  At times, they’ve given Brown four to five seconds to find the likes of quick sr. WR Darrell “Butta” Brown, who has emerged as the primary threat during the resurgence and possesses a clear understanding of the focus/importance needed to make every catch possible.  Sr. WR Marcellus Willoughby and stout sr. TE Randall Wilson compliment him, both of whom are capable of clutch catches at any point in a game.   Although the ground game has been less important for the Mustangs this season, they’re nevertheless capable of keeping the opposing defense off balance with jr. RB’s Melvin Smith (also a special teams ace), sr. Sebrean Riser and sr. Rannell Plummer, all of whom can make their own yards when necessary.  The unsung hero of the Dobbins offense has to be FB Eric Wiley, who never seems to complain, blocks with any fullback in the league and capable of breaking a long run. If this team can ring up a few early pass plays for scores, we could see quite a game.  In order to pull off this miracle though, they’ll have to figure out a way to crack the most physical defense in the Public League.  The first part of this daunting task will be to block sr. DT Tyree Dudley.  At 6-4, 305, he’s the strongest defensive player in the league with above average speed, capable of shaking a block in less than a second and a solid three-technique DT at the next level.  Failure to double-team him will result in a near useless A-gap and lead to intense pressure on the quarterback.  After you complete that task, the quickest defensive player in the league, sr. DT/DE Brandon Allen, will need to be addressed.  Although slightly lighter than Dudley, he combines fast feet and outstanding lateral movement with a great nose for the ball that makes him nearly impossible to shut down.  Sr. DT George Ferrell, who’s fast when he wants to be, can also be a force in this game and the final.  Despite some episodes of over pursuit, the speed of, sr. DE/LB Steven Ortega, revealed his great sideline to sideline tenacity all season and, as one of the better tacklers, he’s capable of be disrupting or shutting down outside running plays and screen passes.  Well, if you also get beyond the speed, intensity and savy of jr. LB Chris Spence, you’ll have to contend with the secondary of so. DB Kalif Walker, jr. Markel Jefferson and nickel-back Ervin Goodson, who appear untested of late based on the strong play of the interior, but capable of big plays.  Doesn’t leave many openings does it?  Should anyone managed to get offensive momentum, they better be prepared to score more points because head coach Mike Capriotti’s Wing-T offense has never looked sharper.  He’s instilled an up tempo approach that can put 14 points on the board before you know what hits you.  This approach has improved a running game led by sr. RB’s Calvin Spires and Nate Johnson, both of whom possess the physical and mental toughness required for the position, which allows them to trade blocking duties for the other without concern for post game statistics.  With above average speed and constant feet churning, they’re difficult to bring down with a single tackler.  The Pioneer running game, like most Wing-T offenses, is predicated on point-of-attack blocking and they have developed an exceptionally quick and determined offensive of sr. LT William Ray, jr. LG James Quilles, C Alexander Ortiz, jr. RG William Mount and sr. RT William Austin.   Quilles and Mount are one of the fastest duos of pulling guards in the league, which makes the trap plays much more effective this season.  Austin and Ray are very active.  To give an example of how tenacious this group can be; on one play during the Olney quarterfinal game, Quilles and Ortiz ran over a defender 30 yards downfield until the whistle blew.  There’s an added feature to the Pioneer offense to contend with though—a well rehearsed passing game.  This element wouldn’t be as successful without the dedication of sr. QB Andreas Hudson and patience of the Pioneer coaching staff, which have set up multiple reads on most passing plays and Hudson has responded with a excellent sense of the oncoming pass rush and accuracy on his throws.  The beneficiary of the newfound attack has been sr. E JC Montgomery, who has demonstrated great speed, soft hands, an ability to get open and compile yards after the catch.  To counter, Dobbins must hope mostly two-way players, in addition to standout sr. DT Malaquan Butler, sr. LB Dennis Gaskins and sr. DE Malik Marrow can withstand the potent Frankford offense to keep the game close.
X-factors (the “hidden” playmakers)
Frankford—Kadeem Steplight
Dobbins—Sebrean Riser

Northeast vs. Washington
   Legendary coach Woody Hayes once coined the phrase; “three things can happen when you pass and two of them are bad.” but these are the percentages head coach Mel Hinton and the Viking coaching staff must balance going into this difficult game.  All things considered frosh. QB Malik Stokes has performed admirably and better days are ahead for him, but this serves as little comfort for the most athletic receiver in the league, incomparable sr. 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.  These two will need to have breakout performances in order to stay close against the formidable Eagles.  Should they succeed, the Viking defense has shown to be capable of keeping the scoring down regardless.  This underrated unit has a firm grasp of the varying defensive formations used to create havoc for opposing running games.  Led by one of the better blitz artists and tacklers, sr. ILB Brennan Shaprio, he’s flanked on the defensive end with the support of ball-hawking Evans and the consistent pursuit of powerful sr. DE Kennard Martin.  Within the Viking interior, jr. DT Lamar Wilson, has accepted the physical challenge needed for success at the position and has taken on players with significant height advantages to stuff inside running.  Sr. Michael Small jr. Nafis Muhammad and sr. Darryl Dawson pace a strong secondary that has a flare for the big play (nine interceptions in 2006) and hits with authority.  They’ll need to bring their A-game to the table against a Washington offense that appears to be slamming the accelerator down at the right time.  Perhaps no team has a better trio than the thunder and lighting mix of sr. RB’s Fateen Brown, Jay Sloh and Brian Carter.  Each brings a different element, which will become more obvious on the turf.  Brown, who has developed a meaner approach of late, demonstrates an excellent fundamental cut-and-crossover step can and can accelerate, Sloh (recall he was a DT last season) can run through arm tackles or smaller tacklers and Carter can outrun anyone in the league whether as a receiver or back.  After subtle adjustments throughout the regular season, the Eagles appear to have settled on an all-senior offensive line of LT Kevin Marano, LG Aaron “Pancake” Murrey, C Chris “Fastest Feet in the League” Clanton, RG Mike Kelly and RT Alex Salgado.  Although situational substitutes have always been part of the Eagles game, this group was definitely on the same page during the quarterfinal game.  Outstanding straight-ahead drive blocks by Marano, Salgado Clanton and Murrey limited Bartram’s lineman, playside and backside linebackers.  Along with the punctuated kick out block by pulling guard Kelly on the end completed John McAneney’s patented belly play to pop the fullback off tackle without much resistance most of the evening.  What’s even more revealing was the consistency of my favorite play in HS football—the tackle trap.  Be assured this play doesn’t materialize overnight and when performed correctly, it should take about a second or two to see the tailback 15 yards downfield.  So, pay attention.  The biggest change in the Eagle offense of late has been the emergence of jr. QB Clinton “Juice” Granger.  Throughout the season, he’s resorted to throwing rocket balls all over the field, which were either inaccurate or uncatchable.  By taking just a little “juice” off his throws, as clearly demonstrated in the quarterfinal game, has resulted in more completions.   He already has the toughness and above average form for the position.  If he can leave the rocket balls behind, the Washington offense should be less deliberate and will relieve the defense of the pressure of having to score to win.  One player who has calmly waited out this process may turn out to be the biggest recipient.  Sr. TE Damien Wilmer has shown that he’s capable of catching anything close at any point in a game while still being able to block a defensive end when needed.  Anyone who saw his stunning turn-around fingertip touchdown snag late in the quarterfinal game on a beautiful throw by Granger, should’ve answered any questions.  Again, plays like that don’t come overnight.   If the offense clicks, a rested Eagle defense will be tough to bend much less break.  This unit, which includes the league’s fastest linebacker, sr. Aaron Hampton, flanked by sr. DE/LB Fatal Lawal and jr. LB Brett Sommerer, is supported by a league leading secondary of Carter, extraordinary tacklers sr. Oliver Wallace, jr. Devon Wallace, and sr. Rich McPhil.
X-factors (the “hidden” playmakers)
Northeast— James Rosseau
Washington—Jeff "Milky" Jones