NOV. 25
THANKSGIVING RIVALRY
Washington 20, Ryan 7
  Back after a two year “playoff” hiatus, this long-standing rivalry featured an interesting twist.  Although many of the players had yet to experience a traditional Thanksgiving game, they were surrounded by a great turnout of loyal alums (including honored members of 1989 Washington squad), family and friends that had.  Ryan came in without the memory of a season lost, knew every Washington weakness and was prepared to turn a Thanksgiving victory into a successful season. Washington, on the other hand, entered in a temporary state of turmoil. Head coach Ron Cohen’s decision to cut players based on their conduct after the championship loss to Northeast, coupled with the lingering disappointment, almost gave the Raiders enough opportunities for the upset.   In fact, once sr. WR Tim Kane turned a potential fourth down punt into a first down run Ryan appeared energized.  Sr. QB Dillon Cave then completed a pair of passes to sr. RB Anthony Victor for 24 yards but, as they approached an early lead, the Washington defense forced a fumble that soph. LB Justin Moody recovered.  Against a steady snowfall that had started before kickoff and continued for the entire first half, Eagle sr. QB Tony Smith opened with a stunning 51-yard strike to sr. WR Daquan Cooper.  On the next play, he hit sr. WR Albert Gaye for an 18-yard gain and, on the next, sr. WR Donavan Morris used a sweet double move to get open and he made a one-handed snag in the corner of end zone.   Three plays, 81 yards in 1:13—7-0 Eagles with the sr. K Zach Wright conversion kick.   For the second straight time, the Raiders came to the line a few yards short on fourth down and attempted a fake out of punt formation.  This time however, Gaye put the Eagle offense back on the field when he broke up the promising pass.  Following a seven yard pass play from Smith to Cooper, the Eagles went “wildcat” and produced a pair of 25-yard runs by sr. QB Jamear Seals 25-yard and sr. QB Eugene Moten, who completed another three play drive in 0:57 and gave the Eagles a 14-0 lead with the Wright conversion.  The hustle of Seals and sr. LB Michael Moronese forced a Ryan punt and a 43-yard Cooper return seemed to signal another three play touchdown drive.  A second down sack and six yard loss by Raider sr. LB Conner Reilly was compounded by another in a long line of Eagle personal foul penalties.  The ensuing Ryan drive though encountered similar problems as Morris’ one-handed sack was followed by a pair of five-yard penalties to stall the drive, albeit for about 40 seconds.  With 8:15 remaining in the first half, sr. LB Kurt Payne recovered a fumble on the Eagles second play from scrimmage.  From their own 30, Ryan overcame two sacks, benefited from three personal foul penalties, used sr. RB Marcus Allen and great blocking from sr. LG Hank Glenn, jr. C Chris McMonagle and jr. RG Alvin Allen to complete a 16-play drive.  Allen’s six-yard touchdown run and conversion kick by soph. Miguel Rendon trimmed the Eagle lead to 14-7 and ended a snowy first half.  The Eagles seemed determined to regain the advantage to open the third quarter.  On two separate occasions, Smith showed off his scrambling ability and turned the corner for runs of 23 and 24 yards.  Slushy conditions, a steady rain and good Raider coverage held the Eagles on downs and to within a touchdown.   They rattled off an easy 37 yards in four plays and received another 15 yards after a play that was stopped for no gain.  At the Eagle 30 though, the combination Moronese and Moody’s fourth down sack ended the Raiders last chance to stay close.
  Payin the Bill’s Play of the Game: With all the passing they had attempted in this game, Washington finally went medieval.  The offensive line of soph. LG Justin Moody, sr. LG Brandon Chudnoff, sr. C Mike McGlashen, soph. RG Melvin Gonzalez and jr. RT Malvin McLead gave sr. RB Ryan Kitchenman the game of his life.  He made the most of seven carries and totaled a career high 38 yards that helped put the Eagles inside the Raider 20 yard line.  Three plays later and with a defense looking run, Smith uncorked a bullet to Cooper on a slant and he bounced off a tackle and into the end zone—season’s over, bill’s paid.
  Field Notes:  Sincere thanks to photographer Wendy Badman for her historical insight into the Washington-Ryan rivalry.

 Washington Defensive Statistics:

 Ryan Defensive Statistics:

NOV. 13
PUBLIC AAA FINAL
Dobbins 13, Roxborough 12
  This one was what championship games are supposed to be.  Every play and mistake magnified, a relentless “underdog” that came to play, a key momentum swing, a moment or two of slow motion and the emergence of an underclassman that carried his battered teammates to victory.  All signs during the game’s opening drive pointed to an easy Mustang touchdown out of a simple and, in the case of the game, defiant base offense.  The always intense sr. FB/LB Aaron Walker rumbled through a sr. RG Ernest White hole for 16 yards on the game’s second play.  Soph. RB  Daquan “Day Day” Brown then used a great block by sr. RB Terrence Stafford to gain the corner for another nine and then Stafford added 15 on three tough inside carries to put Dobbins inside the Indian 20-yard line.  Wisely, head coach Lou Zambino sent Walker in to convert a fourth-and-three but, Roxborough sr. DE Rasheed Bailey and jr. DT Anthony Ebo bent for two yards but, wouldn’t give up the third.  The key to Dobbins’ success lies in their defense and they made short work of the Indians opening drive with a first down White tackle for no gain, 11-yard Walker sack and eventual fourth down punt.  At this stage, both teams showed the nervousness that goes with championship games.   In business at the Indian 44, the Mustangs promising drive ended with mishandled a third down exchange and Roxborough jr. LB/CB Adrian Johnson-Pope broke up a fourth down pass.  On the flip side, the Indians were dealt another three-and-out that almost turned tragic as a one-hop punt snap was fielded but, left the Dobbins offense with an even a shorter field.  As the first quarter came to a close however, perhaps the toughest linebacking corps Roxborough has ever produced began to take no prisoners. The combination of chiseled jr. OLB Josh Anderson and sr. OLB Jeremiah Kendrick stopped the first two plays of the Mustang next drive for losses. Despite giving up a sweet Stafford 26-yard run off a screen pass, sr. MLB Bernard Avery introduced himself with a punishing tackle and four yard loss.  Momentum turned to the Indians when a Bailey sack on third-and-goal led to a rushed pass attempt on fourth.  Sr. QB Nick Butts followed immediately with a pass to Bailey who outran all possible defenders for a 64-yard gain.  A pair of carries from jr. WB Dre’von Williams put Roxborough inches from pay dirt but, consecutive five yard penalties and good Mustang secondary coverage turned out to be a crucial missed opportunity.   With 4:27 left in the first half, Dobbins embarked on another scoring chance that turned ugly when the intense Roxborough pressure created an errant pitch resulting in a 17-yard loss.  With momentum still on their side, the Indians offense opened the second half with authority.  On the third play of the drive, Kendrick sealed the only linebacker with chance to bring down impressive jr. FB Tymere Blue who flew through the open hole for 50 yards.  Kendrick followed with 15 more and Blue then put Roxborough up 6-0 when he spun off sr. RT Tyler Renninger from a yard out.  A chance to double the lead fell into their lap when the ensuing kick return was dropped and recovered by frosh. CB Sharif Harper.  Stafford then came up huge for the Mustangs.   As the Indians drove, courtesy of a 22-yard Blue run, to the 10 he complimented a tackle for loss with a diving interception to keep Dobbins to within a touchdown.  The relentless Roxborough defensive presence answered though with their first three-and-out of the game.  A 30-yard Dre’von Williams punt return started the Indians next drive on the Mustang 35 where an 11-yard screen pass closed the third quarter and set the stage for a stunning finish.  Faced with a third-and-15, Bailey jumped off the line untouched and Butts lofted a perfect pass down the seam to extend the lead to 12-0.  Whether by intuition or desperation, Dobbins ordered a re-kick when the ensuing kickoff went out-of-bounds and it paid off in a 42 yard Brown return that ignited the Mustangs.  On second down, sr. QB Kevin Butler heaved the ball into the end zone and, in an instant, sr. SE Jamil Williams turned the momentum with a perfectly timed leap between two defenders to haul in the touchdown catch.  Perhaps lost in the excitement was the crucial conversion kick by sr. K Kevin Gransby which pulled the Mustangs to within six points and, more importantly, relieved the offense of converting anything more than just a single touchdown.  With 8:27 remaining in the game, the Dobbins defense responded by holding the next two Indian drives to three-and-outs and the clutch underclassman that set up the first score put them in position to snatch the victory.
 Payin the Bill’s Play of the Game:  In a game, and perhaps a season, where too many punts have been left unreturned, soph. HB Daquan “Day-Day” Brown’s second return of 31 yards left the offense with just 22 yards to go for their second championship.  Butler connected on a seven yard inside screen to Walker and Gransby’s alert recovery of a fumble a play later revealed that the Mustangs would not be denied.  Indeed, a tough Stafford run to the one, a penalty to within six inches and Butler leaned on the back of jr. C Clarence Murphy for the winner as the Mustang bench went berserk—game over, bill’s paid. 

Dobbins Defensive Statistics:

 Roxborough Defensive Statistics:

NOV. 6
PUBLIC AAA SEMIFINAL
Dobbins 28, King 0
  “We’ve got unfinished business.”   To what extent those poignant words by Dobbins head coach Lou Zambino are realized will depend, like with all championship contenders, on the teams’ execution and ability to avoid mistakes.  Granted, while they handled the spirited Cougars with relative ease and, at times, demonstrated near perfection, some shortcomings were clear.  Right out of the gate, the King offense ran for 14 yards on the game’s first play.  Overcome with nervousness and the pressure of intense sr. LB Aaron Walker, the Cougars suffered a sack on third down and punted.   The motor of the Dobbins offense, sr. RB Terrance Stafford, answered with a 19-yard run on their first play, helped wipe out a penalty with 13 yards on the next but, King soph. CB Khaleel Stewart broke through the protection and sacked the quarterback for a loss that was too much to overcome.    Workhorse sr. RB J. Michael Wilson picked up where he left off on the previous King drive and rattled off another 20 yards on the first play.  A mishandled snap recovered by Mustang sr. LB Malik Flacks, seemed to set the tone for the remainder of the game.  With the turnover, Stafford countered with 31 of his own to the Cougar 18 and the triple threat of Walker, soph. HB Daquan “Day-Day” Brown and finally Stafford put the Mustangs up 7-0 with the first of four straight sr. K Kevin Gransby conversion kicks.  King tried to hang tough with yet another big gain on their first play but, their eight play drive failed on downs.  From the King 33, the triple threat went back to work and contributed 35 yards.  Sr. QB Kevin Butler then stunned the defense with a roll out and completion to wide open sr. SE Jamil Williams for 25 yards which led to an easy two yard plunge for touchdown by Walker.  Despite the first of two troubling kickoff returns (41 & 33 yards) by Cougar sr. WR Randy Siler, the Dobbins defense began to clamp down with a near pick on one play, nine yard loss (Walker & jr. DT Clarence Murphy) and a batted down pass to force a punt.  A stalemate for each team put the King punt unit back on the field and a low snap gave the Mustangs possession at the King 37-yard line.  Faced with a third-and-eight, Butler dropped back and threw a pass to the end zone and the ball glanced off one receiver, one defender and into the hands of Williams for a 34-yard gain.  Stafford followed sr. LG Justin Smallwood to paydirt and 21-0 halftime lead.  Determined to double his first half running total (smile), Stafford’s 51 yards on just two carries put Dobbins on the doorstep of putting this game away only to have an intended receiver slip in the end zone which left King sr. S Curtis Witherspoon wide open for the game’s lone interception.  A combination fourth down tackle for no gain by Flacks and sr. LB Ernest White gave possession to the Mustang offense but, jr. DE Seth Fields did the same to stall a 16-play drive that ended the third quarter.  The Cougars were again turned back on fourth down and that’s all the Dobbins offense needed to seal the deal.
  Payin the Bill’s Play of the Game:  With 7:58 to go in the game, all signs pointed to the Mustang’s being content to run out as much clock as possible.  Losing two yards on two plays however was more than made up for on a third-and-12 play that was, well what can I say, perfect.  Although they enjoyed only moderate success during the previous tries, Zambino unleashed the “criss-cross counter” once again. Soph. SE Aaron James and soph. RT Kareem Jefferson pulled on cue, caught the defenders square with blocks, created a hole big enough to drive a truck through and soph. HB Daquan “Day-Day” Brown exploded for 47 yards to set up an easy Butler plunge from a yard out —game over, bill’s paid. 

Dobbins Defensive Statistics:

King Defensive Statistics:

NOV. 5
NON-LEAGUE
Overbrook 34, Southern 0
  Yeah, the disappointment of playing on Friday instead of Saturday was still on the faces of the Overbrook staff and players but, when the game started they took the frustration out on the Rams—big time.  Sr. RB Charles Faust scooped up the opening kickoff, slipped around a thumping pancake block from soph. LB Maurice Tillman and raced 98 yards down the sideline for the game’s first touchdown.    The Panther defense followed suit.  Tackles for losses on the first three Ram plays by sr. DE Christopher Dorn, jr. LB Eric Peterson and frosh. Erron Peterson forced the first of four first half Southern punts.  A 28-yard run by outstanding sr. RB Siahnimah Kofa from midfield set up a textbook soph. QB James Johnson to soph. WR Gregory Johnson nine-yard slant pattern for a 14-0 lead with the “Maxwell Award hopeful” sr. RB David McCants conversion run.  The Overbrook staff employed a marvelous gap scheme on defense and the players limited the Ram offense to a paltry 12-yard net for the game and, as you would expect, a quick three-and-out on their second possession.  Overbrook jumped right back in gear with a sweet 28-yard skinny post from Johnson to sr. WR Matthew Gregory but, the drive stalled at the Ram 13 due some dropped passes.  Midway through the second quarter, Southern finally finished a drive with positive yardage and stud LB sr. Henry Anhalt, who also stuffed two Panther conversion runs, responded for the defense with two straight tackles for losses.   The Overbrook defense answered to start the third quarter with four straight plays that resulted in 15 yards in losses, partly due to a fumbled Southern punt attempt.  With just eight yards to go, James Johnson polished off a three play drive with a nice quarterback draw to up the lead to 20-0.  The Rams best chance to score came after they gained possession off a poorly executed Panther pitch and subsequent fumble.  Ram sr. P William Patterson ran out of punt formation, slipped through at least five arm tackles for 18 yards.  Two plays later however, ‘Brook sr. DL Eric King pounced on a fumble to end the promising drive and the offense, behind a 11-yard Kofa run and 22-yard McCants run gave Johnson all the play action time he needed to connect with Faust for a 29-yard touchdown pass.  McCants' smooth catch on the conversion pass from Johnson made the score 28-0.  The icing on this one though, was soon to come.
  Payin the Bill’s Play of the Game:  As the paid attendance of 25 (thanks to official Dan Solis-Cohen for keeping such studious count), looked on, Overbrook jr. DE Khalil Havens recovered a fumble. Despite a holding penalty that negated a great run by McCants, sr. RB Siahnimah Kofa cradled a draw play, went through the gaping hole created by sr. RG Derrick King, sr. C Eric King, and soph. RG Allan McDonald, cut back against a tired defense and skated 55-yards to paydirt —game over, bill’s paid. 

Overbrook Defensive Statistics:

 Southern Defensive Statistics:

OCT. 29
PUBLIC AAAA (First Round Playoff)
Samuel Fels 50, Bartram 8
  In his pregame speech to his players, Fels offensive coordinator Bill Harrigan said, “Belief in the absence of proof is faith.”  Poignant words at a crucial time.  On paper, there was no proof whatsoever to suggest that out of this group of feisty Panthers would come a more improbable outcome.  The faith and subsequent belief came from the capable right arm and legs of sr. QB Tyree “Bam” Rucker, who orchestrated one of the greatest upset victories in Public League history.  His five-touchdown performance vaulted Fels into its first semifinal appearance in school history and his six completions in ten attempts for 238 yards (39.7 avg.) shattered a 28 year city playoff record for most passing yards per attempt.  Everything that could’ve gone right did.  Even when things didn’t, something good seemed to happen.  Right from the game’s opening series, faced with a third and 8, Rucker’s pinpoint accuracy connected with sr. WR Chris Miller for 48 yards.  He dropped back again on the next play, avoided a stiff pass rush and a myriad of arm tackles, bolted up field for 29 yards and then followed soph. OL Dezhuante White into the end zone from a yard out.  Equally as impressive was the Panther defense as the combination of sr. LB Dontae Bacon and jr. DB Stephane Smith held the first Bartram series to a quick three-and-out.  Rucker then diced the defense for 19 yards and, despite an illegal block penalty on that play, made up the yardage on his way to a 40-yard touchdown run.  The Braves benefited from the only shortcoming of the Panther attack (short kickoffs) and started their second series near midfield.   Sr. RB Hashad Byfield ran for 22 yards but, the scoring chance evaporated when Dezhaunte White hustled down an option play for a loss and soph. DB Jamiel Hines made an outstanding interception on a tipped ball in the end zone.  Four plays into their next series (three of which resulted in first downs), Rucker laid a perfect pass into the hands of sr. RB Jared Hines and he high stepped the defender for a 56 yard touchdown and 20-0 lead with the Rucker to jr. WR Nijay Kelly conversion catch.  A Bacon sack on fourth down gave the Panthers possession and Rucker went back to work on the stunned Brave defense.  He hit Miller again on another fly route for 28 yards and, two plays later, Kelly’s great concentration instilled the “belief” as he readjusted to a pass thrown against the wind to give sr. RB Terry Brown an easy one-yard touchdown for a 28-0 lead with the Rucker to Hines conversion.  Amazingly, a short line drive kickoff hit a Brave, Fels recovered and Rucker extended the lead to 36-0 with a 47 yard strike to Miller down the sideline and his conversion run.  Mishandled snaps forced a Bartram punt from within their own end zone and even though Jamiel Hines muffed the return, he managed to recover the ball.  From the Brave 34, Rucker responded to a third-and-9 with yet another accurate toss, this time to sr. WR Kevin Burton, and—44-0 with another Rucker to Hines conversion pass.   With faith and belief firmly intact, sr. LB Jamal Barksdale stuffed the first play of the next Bartram series for a one-yard loss and the combination of Stephane Smith and Chris Miller added another eight yards in losses with a nice second down stop.   The best however, was moments away.
  Payin the Bill’s Play of the Game: When the ensuing Bartram punt snap was dropped, the Panthers started in great field position.  Rucker converted a fourth-and two inside the Bartram 20 but, also sustained an injury and needed a play off.  Nothing could stop the incredible Panthers on this day.   On the very next play, backup quarterback Stephane Smith lofted a pass to Nijay Kelly who reached over the defender to pull in the touchdown.  In one half of football, the Samuel Fels Panthers scored on seven straight offensive possessions, scored the most points in any single game in school history, won their first playoff game, set a playoff record and they did it together.  What more proof do you need?—game over, bill’s paid.
  Field Notes:   Bartram averted the shutout with a touchdown pass from sr. QB Adrese Perkins to sr. TE Russell Calloway and Perkins conversion run to close all scoring.

Fels Defensive Statistics:

 Bartram Defensive Statistics:

OCT. 23
PUBLIC AAA
West Philadelphia 36, Ben Franklin 28 (2 OT’s)
  Few could’ve imagined the eventual outcome in this one.  Everything that could’ve happened in a single high school football game did--24 penalties for 157 yards, six turnovers, two blocked punts, numerous errant snaps from center and enough pressure for 20 games.   The underlying subplot to this incredible game however, was whether the ever changing Electron roster would grasp the complex offensive playbook, play defense and, at the same time, respond to a coaching staff determined to turn almost every officiating call made against them into tragic miscarriages of justice.  For the feisty Speedboys, while they will end up a division win short of a playoff berth, an entire season may just be considered a success based on this one game.  The credit for this goes to the poise and patience of sr. QB Larry Richardson.  While he may not possess the polished mechanics of his city counterparts, he does possess the ability to throw passes at a catchable velocity and the courage to stand in the pocket long enough to deliver them with accuracy which you will not find on many of the teams in this league.  Much like the week before, the Electrons faced a simple offensive scheme and, in the early going failed miserably.  The game’s first touchdown came via the timely blocking from West Philly sr. OL’s David Brown and Frank Williams that produced a 36-yard run by jr. RB Desmond Sams, 10-yard run by sr. RB Robert Andrews and easy one-yard sneak by Richardson.  Jr. DE Jesse Thomas fed off Franklin’s inability to account for him during their next offensive series and recovered Sams blocked punt in the end zone to give the Speedboys a 12-0 lead.  After the teams exchanged possessions, Franklin made quick work of a short punt. They used two of the 27 carries by impressive soph. RB Crusito Cruz to rattle off 35 of the 40 yards needed and then sr. QB Anwar Mathis “snuck in” from five yards out to close the gap to just six with the sr. Emmanual “Bang” Eubanks conversion.  That lead was short lived.  Two plays into the ensuing series, Richardson dropped back, used some great protection and saw his second read, soph WR Eric Leslie, beyond the secondary.  He lofted a sweet soft spiral over the head of the nearest defender and, 67 yards later, 20-8 Speedboys with the Richardson to sr. WR Christian Southern conversion pass.  Penalties, a sack by sr. DT David Brown and fumble recovery by jr. DB David Southern ended any chance for the Electrons to score before halftime.   Right out of the gate in the third quarter though, Franklin sr. LB Charlie Mills snatched a short kickoff and cut through the West Philly special teams for a 60-yard return.  Despite two plays for losses, Cruz made up all the yardage and scored from four yards out.     Interceptions by Franklin jr. CB Jonathan “Jack Rabbit” Parker and then by West Philly sr. FS Yusef Jackson held the score to 20-14.  On the next drive, Electron sr. DL Richard Underwood came up with a huge third down sack and immediately proceeded to block and recover the ensuing punt.  Franklin advanced to within five yards of the tying score only to fall victim to 20 yards in penalties and a fourth down pick from West Philly sr. DB Joshua Southern in the end zone.  With 4:52 remaining in the game, jr. DT Demetrius Town jarred the ball loose at the West Philly five-yard line and sr. LB Jerry Singleton recovered two yards from the goal line.  One Mathis run later—tie game.  Mills’ fumble recovery off an errant center snap gave the Electrons a golden opportunity to take the game in regulation but, a combination tackle from Brown and sr. DE Malik Miles stuffed the drive a yard short of a first down.  On to overtime.   In the first frame, Cruz followed a great block from Underwood and scored from six yards out—28-20 Electrons with the Mathis conversion run.  The Speedboys countered with a beautiful touch pass over the pass rush from Richardson to Andrews and Richardson to David Smith conversion pass—tie game, again.  Following a brief disagreement by the Franklin coaching staff and officials over the switch of opening possession in the second overtime, Richardson promptly connected on a pinpoint 8-yard slant to Leslie followed by a two-yard touchdown run from Andrews.  An outstanding grab by jr. WR Khalil Summers for the conversion put the Speedboys ahead 36-28.  The last of the 24 penalties of the game proved costly for the Electrons as a false start moved them from the seven to the 12 and then, the Speedboy defense seized control. 
  Payin the Bill’s Play of the Game:   With the West Philly sideline going berserk with anticipation, jr. LB Leander Berry cut through the line and dragged down the Electron runner for no gain on second and goal.  In a stunning ending, jr. DB Joseph Southern read the quarterback, dropped off into coverage, timed his leap perfectly and made a one-handed interception to give West Philly a well deserved victory—game over, bill’s paid. 
  Field Notes:  A note of consideration with all due respect and discretion to the Franklin coaching staff--you may want to consider simplifying the playbook.  With a little room for error, you’ll find that these players can do remarkable things.  With respect to officials, the squeaky wheel usually doesn’t get the grease.   

West Philly Defensive Statistics: