September 2017 (and earlier)
October, 2017
November, 2017

SEPT. 30
TEDBIT
  In the 2015 season, five guys threw passes for Malvern Prep. One of those guys was Drew Gunther and he uncorked just three. All resulted in completions, however, and he was just getting started, folks. Friday night vs. Peddie (NJ), just one week after claiming Malvern's school record for passing yards in one game with 386 vs. Berks Catholic, Gunther passed for 156 and that effort lifted his career total to 4,049. He's the fourth Inter-Ac guy to reach 4,000 career yards and his total ranks fourth on the second of the two lists below (all 3,000-yard guys). This year's top targets have been Ryan Iacone (21-339-2) and Lonnie White (15-243-2) and seven guys have caught TD passes. Malvern's previous career record-holder, Alex Hornibrook, is now in his third season as Wisconsin's QB.

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SEPT. 29
TEDBIT
  St. Joseph's Prep now owns a 52-36 edge, with five ties, against La Salle thanks to last night's 49-12 success. That computes to a .590 winning percentage for the Hawks. But when it comes to visits to Outburstville, the Prep is much more dominant. Through the years, the teams have racked up at least 35 points 20 times. The Hawks have posted 15 of those efforts, including the top eight, and that figures to 75 percent. Only once has a losing team reached 35. That was La Salle in a 63-35 setback in 2016. D'Andre Swift, now starring for Georgia, paced that romp by scoring seven TDs, six on rushes (275 yards) and one on a reception.
  RS: Regular Season.
  P: Playoff.
  TG: Thanksgiving.

SEPT. 28
SOUTH JERSEY FOOTBALL
Eastern Regional 40, Paul VI 7
  I'm thinking Eastern owns a world record (smile). One week after racking up 399 passing yards vs. Washington Township, the Vikings started this tilt by running the ball on 14 of their first 15 plays. Gotta love it. Gotta respect it, too, because the coaches knew all too well that a decent ground game will be needed against tougher opponents and that there's no time like the present to build confidence. The two primary rushers, sr. TJ Franden and jr. Mike Suarez, wound up producing 344 yards and four TDs, and even sr. QB Drew Heck had some scampering moments en route to a 6-51 performance. Meanwhile, Franden turned 25 totes into 180 yards and three scores while Suarez notched 164 yards and one TD on 17 rushes. Eastern did not have the ball to start the game, but a switcheroo did not take long. Sr. DB Jordan Casseus jumped a first-play route and recorded what would have been a 54-yard pick six if not for a downfield hold. That series did not yield a TD, but the second one did. Paul VI tried a 40-yard field goal and sr. Joe Del Palazzo broke through the line to get a partial hand on the ball. Sr. franchise do-everythinger Dante Kiett picked up the ball on the 5 and returned it 61 yards to the Eagles' 34. Suarez ran four yards for the TD on play No. 6 and sr. John Fulleylove drilled the PAT. The second quarter was the Kiett Show. He scored twice on tosses from Heck -- a 20-yard fade to the right corner and a 24-yard, right-to-middle post pattern. Both plays were beautiful from delivery to snag and the latter occurred just 10.2 seconds prior to halftime. The Vikings had the ball to start the third session and, boy, they did not fart around. They ran 10 plays (all runs) in 3 minutes, 10 seconds, and Franden fought like crazy, multiple times, to score from the 14. TD No. 5 was scored with 1:38 left in the third quarter as Franden rumbled to the left side for eight yards. Eastern then forced a turnover (recovery to sr. Nick Rizzo), but Heck fired an interception and Paul VI took over at its 17. Onto the field came the backup QB, Joe Gledhill. He uncorked a perfectly thrown bomb down the left sideline and jr. WR Drew Williams turned the play into an 83-yard TD. Impressive stuff, guys, especially since no one's morale could have been too high at that juncture. Eastern scored shortly into the fourth quarter on Franden's four-yard run. One more TD could have been added down the stretch but coach John Doherty and OC Nick Strom, to their credit, went the vanilla route with subs and completely used up the play clock before each snap. The game ended with a kneel-down on a play started at the Eagles' 4. Doherty formerly coached at Paul VI and he mingled with many coaches before the game began. The Eagles are going through some tough times, witness that the JV and freshman teams' seasons have been halted and that the varsity numbers only about 35 players. Jr. RB Alfred Woods did some hard, low-to-the-ground running and sr. Henry Westermann lofted some booming punts. Midway through the fourth quarter, Eastern dropped a scrambling, zig-zagging Gledhill for a 16-yard loss, thus setting up fourth-and-forever (43, actually) from the 1. Eastern was called for roughing on the ensuing punt and Paul VI kept the ball. Crowd was decent, but not as large (nor as involved) as last Friday night's. In the lunchroom one day a week (or more), here's hoping the backs and ends are paying for the meals of the linemen. These guys are doing a great job. The Vikings have averaged 50.7 points over their last three games. Oh, by the way, Heck finished 14-for-26 for 189 yards and the two scores to Kiett. He is already over 1,000 yards for the season in just four games.
  ***NOTE: This game completed the most prolific three-game run in school history. The Vikings scored 152 points (52, 50, 42), topping 151 in the first three games of 2013 (63 vs. Washingtown Township, 50 vs. Timber Creek and 38 vs. Cherry Hill East). . . Other three-game outbursts of note: 143 in 1981 (62 vs. Cherry Hill West, 40 vs. Glassboro and 41 vs. Clearview) and 141 in 1999 (56 vs. Cherry Hill East, 49 vs. Cherokee and 36 vs. Lenape).***

SEPT. 28
TEDBIT
   It would be a reach to say Penn Charter sr. RB Edward Saydee is on the doorstep of TWO major accomplishments. That's certainly true for one, though, and he's at least on the sidewalk for the other. Saydee, who played in 2015 at Prep Charter, and is in his third season with Penn Charter, needs 30 rushing yards to reach 3,000 for his career. And then there's this: The Quakers' school record for rushing yards belongs to 2013 grad Eric Neefe, who totaled 2,830 yards over three seasons (and played for two beforehand at St. Joseph's Prep). Saydee's Penn Charter total stands at 2,647, so he needs 184 to reach 2,831. The Quakers will host Blair Academy (NJ) tomorrow at 2 o'clock. Last week Edward rushed for a career high of 226 yards vs. Upper Dublin and the Quaker part of his career has included three other outbursts of at least 184. We'll see where this goes . . .
  UPDATE: Edward reached both goals. In a 45-21 win against Blair, he rushed 12 times for 189 yards and three TDs while adding a fourth score on a 92-yard kickoff return. His second rushing TD covered 90 yards. He ran 23 and 55 yards for No. 1 and No. 3, respectively. The grunts were soph C Ryan Wreath, Junior LG Gavin Zavorski, soph LT Ty Needham, Soph RG Rocco Palazzo, and junior RT Jameson Ford. The TE was sr. Ryan Maloney. Thanks to assistant Fran Costello for those names/positions.

SEPT. 27
TEDBIT
  As noticed by West Catholic statman/website stalwart Ed "Huck" Palmer, WC coach Brian Fluck took another step up a special ladder last weekend when his Burrs topped Lansdale Catholic, 28-7, in a Catholic Blue contest. The win was No. 171 in Brian's 20 seasons (4-1 in 2018) and it enabled him to pass Neumann's Paul "Bart" Bartolomeo for the No. 6 spot in city history. Through his first 19 seasons, Brian averaged 8.8 wins, the same number posted by Frankford's Al Angelo during his 21-year stint. Brian is one of four Catholic League coaches to claim as many as 14 AND 13 wins in a season. Former coaches Drew Gordon (La Salle) and Steve Devlin (Wood) also did so, as did still-around Gabe Infante of St. Joseph's Prep.

SEPT. 26
TEDBIT
  Under coach Matt Dence, Germantown Academy is off to a 4-0 start for the second time in four seasons and that breakdown tops the list below. This is the seventh 4-0 start for the Patriots since 1989. The 2015 squad roared to a 7-0 start and a 5-0 start had not been achieved since 1996. Rusher Trae Vance, passer Jordan Longino and receiver Jerry Griffen-Batchler are this year's headliners. Just as in 2015 (Kyle McCloskey), the QB is also a basketball star. Love it! Check out Longino's numbers. So far, he has completed 71 percent of his passes. Many guys don't even do that in warmups, let alone games (smile).

SEPT. 25
TEDBIT
  Just five games into this season, Conwell-Egan sr. Terome Mitchell has already scored SIX versions of touchdowns -- rush, catch and four returns (kickoff, punt, interception, fumble). Now, that is amazing and Mitchell now owns eight return TDs in his C-E career. That's twice as many as any Eagle during the 2000s (Kyree Bronson had four from 2014-16) and he could score a few more, especially if his squad makes postseason noise. Below are all return TDs by C-E players in the 2000s. Terome owns 17 percent of 'em. . . . One name not on the list: ex-NFLer Steve Slaton. The '05 grad scored 72 TDs, 70 on rushes and two on receptions.

SEPT. 24
TEDBIT
  This is season No. 52 for Archbishop Ryan football, counting an independent campaign in 1967, and a first has just been achieved . . . The Raiders have scored at least 40 points in four consecutive games! Coach Frank "5" McArdle's Raiders started the feat with 41 against Frankford and Interboro, then followed with 45 against Chester and SCH Academy. They had 38 vs. Bartram in their opener. In the most recent win, Tyreek Chappell, normally a receiver, was moved to running back due to the absence of the injured Julian Jones. Yes, he provided a Chappell Show, rushing for 219 yards and four TDs. Meanwhile, the list below shows all four-game, at-least-40 streaks over the last 10 seasons. Wood owns seven and three times the Vikings pulled off the feat in the same season. Check out 2011. They had two separate streaks of six games. In between, they posted 38 vs. O'Hara.

SEPT. 23
TEDBIT
  One week after surrendering 58 points to La Salle, which entered the game with an 0-3 record, Haverford School exploded for 69 of its own in yesterday's non-league game with Chester. This was just the third time in this century that an Inter-Ac League team scored as many as 60. The list below includes all outbursts by I-A and Catholic League teams. In 2008, West Catholic's 'Enjoy the Show" squad racked up at least 60 five times and did so in three consecutive games. Carroll twice surpassed 70 in 2000.

SEPT. 22
TEDBIT
  What are the chances? In back-to-back weeks, two of the Top 15 passing yardage performances by Catholic/Inter-Ac quarterbacks have been posted. Last week, SJ Prep's Kyle McCord racked up 369 yards vs. Our Lady of Good Counsel (MD). Then came last night. As confirmed late last night by Ed "Huck" Palmer, who watched the tape, Malvern's Drew Gunther fired fir 386 yards in a 42-32 win over Berks Catholic. Drew's main snaggers were Ryan Iacone (6-111), Ryan Maguire (4-126, two TDs) and Lonnie White (4-106, one TD).

SEPT. 21
SOUTH JERSEY FOOTBALL
Eastern Regional 60, Washington Township 28
  Despite the kid's last name, HELLUVA performance is the only acceptable way to describe what happened tonight. As the Vikings, before a large crowd and two great bands, rolled and then roared to what became an easy victory, sr. QB Drew Heck (click here) enjoyed an all-time outing. You had to figure something good was in the offing when he completed his first seven passes and notched two touchdowns. He was just getting started, folks. In 39 minutes -- he threw no passes thereafter -- Heck bagged 19 completions in 26 attempts for 399 yards and five scores. According to South Jersey historian Chuck Langerman, that performance ranks No. 2 all-time in Eastern history behind Tom Flacco's 443-yarder in 2012. He hit six receivers and aside from showing hands, those guys often displayed nifty moves and/or breakaway speed to get the job done. The headliner was sr. WR Dante Kiett, who turned seven snags into 217 yards and two TDs. He also had a conversion catch. Soph handyman Jordan Diaz was right behind with six receptions and one score, though his yardage total was 39. Also scoring via passes were sr. Chase Stafford, the backup QB, and sr. WR Jalen Egan. Those distances were 27 and 45, respectively. Offensive coordinator Nick Strom realized early that the Vikes could benefit from deep balls AND quick hitters and, at times, the game almost had a 7-on-7 feel when Eastern had the ball. Oh, and before you get the wrong impression that this was strictly an aerial circus, be advised . . . Eastern also rushed for 216 yards and three TDs, raising the total offense number to 615 yards! Jr. Mike Suarez carried 22 times for 162 yards and two scores while sr. TJ Franden went 7-55-1. Remember what we're talking about here. Up and down the complete field three total times with 15 more yards for good measure. Early, the game was looking like both teams had a shot at scoring, say, in the 40s or even 50s. Back, forth, back, forth . . . Thanks to hard (and even decent footwork) running by jr. RB Andrew Nocille and tremendous ballhandling by sr. QB Roger Baldacci, the Minutemen also had little difficulty moving the ball through a 21-28 first half. But Eastern stood tall on defense in the third quarter and a 22-0 edge made it 50-21 through three quarters. Early, thanks to some vintage rock-'em, sock-'em pops, Egan (at E) was Eastern's most impressive defender. As the game went on, Franden often imposed his will as a linebacker. He finished with three TFLs and two more stops at the line of scrimmage. Sr. Kevin Lynch and soph Kyaire Segers paced the secondary by making interceptions. Lynch made his at the end of the first half and it was one of those perfect, step-in-at-exactly-the-right-time pilfers. Plus, it kept WT from heading into halftime with momentum. Eastern's record for points in one game is 63, achieved against WT in 2013. That total was posted in the opener and was followed by 50 points vs. Timber Creek. Last week featured a 52-point effort vs. Cherry Hill East. So, 113 points in those consecutive 2013 games and 112 in these two. Sr. John Fulleylove contributed 10 points in this one, thanks to perfection (7-for-7) on PAT and a late, 22-yard field goal. Had a great time interacting with the Inquirer's Marc Narducci, the very definition of work ethic, and former Daily News sports writer Ryan Lawrence, who is now working for assorted weeklies in South Jersey. Just this week he wrote a story about Andrew Heck's amazing field hockey sisters, Kara and Ryleigh. Something tells me he'll soon be profiling Andrew in the good, ol' Voorhees Sun.

SEPT. 20
TEDBIT
  As long-time, even medium-time, followers of Catholic League football know, most league games were played on Sundays. These are details for the "last" Sunday games played by the CL's current 14 members and the three that closed in 2010. Sunday at 3 p.m., West Catholic is scheduled to host Lansdale Catholic on Maguire Field at Drexel's Vidas Complex. 43rd and Powelton Avenue. So details for those two schools will be updated. Among the current schools, La Salle has gone the longest without playing on a Sunday. On Oct. 8, 2006 vs O'Hara, the Explorers' last TD was scored by Joe Perese. The school's then-baseball coach and long-time AD particularly enjoyed it. His name? Joe Parisi. No one scored for Roman, Neumann-Goretti and Dougherty in last Sunday games. So last TDs come from earlier Sunday tilts.
  UPDATE: The info in gray comes from the Sunday game played Sept. 23. The info in black is no longer relevant.

SEPT. 19
TEDBIT
  Roughly half a lifetime has passed for the guys on the list below. Further confirmation: nothing flies faster than time. Who are these guys? They were prominent receivers in the Catholic/Inter-Ac leagues in this website's first season, 2000, and shown are all game performances of at least 100 yards. Thirty-six of 'em. Not bad, right? Germantown Academy's Chris Jordan racked up two of the top three with 219 and 184. Two guys advanced to the NFL, Carroll's Maurice Stovall and Roman's Scott Paxson. Scott's teammate, Joe McCourt, who's also on the list, wound up serving as Roman's coach for seven seasons (2008-14).

SEPT. 18
TEDBIT
  If you're a fan of quality receiving performances, this is your season. On the left below are all 100-yard outings in 2017. That number was 30. Through just four weeks in 2018, that number has been reached 18 times. Let the aerial circus continue!

SEPT. 17
TEDBIT
  **Click here for video highlights of Tysheem Johnson's six-TD performance.**
  In a Catholic Blue opener Saturday night, which also happened to be his team's first game in 2018 due to a Week One bye followed by two cancellations, Neumann-Goretti's Tysheem Johnson, only a soph, became the ninth player in Catholic League history to score as many as six TDs in one game.
  Johnson is the first soph to accomplish the feat. Raheem "Speedy" Blackshear, Kyle Ambrogi and Rocco Trivarelli were juniors. The others were seniors.
  Below are some details for all nine performances . . .
SEVEN TDs
  D'Andre Swift, SJ Prep (63) vs. La Salle (35), on Saturday, Oct. 22, 2016 -- six TDs on rushes (19-275), one on a reception (3-21).
  Raheem "Speedy" Blackshear, Wood (54) vs. Carroll (0), on Friday, Oct. 30, 2015 -- three TDs on rushes (4-12), three on receptions (3-49), one on an interception return (92 yards).
SIX TDs
  Tysheem Johnson, Neumann-Goretti (54) vs. Bonner-Prendiue (14), on Saturday, Sept. 15, 2018 -- one TD on a rush (3-6), three on receptions (5-154, long of city record 99 yards; caught ball at N-G's 39 on a right-sideline streak), one on a kickoff return (90 yards) and one on an interception return (52 yards).
  Kyree Bronson, Conwell-Egan (42) vs. KIPP DuBois (18), on Saturday, Nov. 12, 2016, in a District 1-12 subregional playoff -- four TDs on rushes (13-96, long of 35), one on a reception (1-27), one on a kickoff return (83 yards).
  Billy Canady, Neumann (64) vs. Dougherty (0), on Saturday, Oct. 11, 2003 -- four TDs on rushes (9-181), one on a reception (seven yards), one on a punt return; also had a two-point reception for 38 total points.
  Dominic Rock, Dougherty (40) vs. Morrisville (18), on Friday, Aug. 29, 2003 -- six TDs on rushes (18-267).
  Kyle Ambrogi, SJ Prep (55) vs. North Penn (26), on Friday, Sept. 1, 2000 -- six TDs on rushes (26-207).
  Rocco Trivarelli, Roman (42) vs. West Catholic (17), on Saturday, Nov. 2, 1996 -- six TDs on rushes (46-329).
  Anthony Sheridan, Neumann (69) vs. Southern (12), on Thursday, Nov. 25, 1993 -- five TDs on rushes (13-155), one on a reception (26 yards); also had a two-point run for 38 total points.

SEPT. 16
TEDBIT
  Somewhere out there, Frank Costa is breathing a big sigh of relief. Reason: He still owns SJ Prep's school record for passing yards in one game . . . barely. On the final day of the Catholic League regular season in 1989, Costa passed 27-for-43 for 370 yards and three TDs as the Hawks surprised O'Hara, 25-15. That game was played at Garthwaite Field, in Conshohocken. Friday might at Widener University, the Prep staged a terrific late rally to top Our Lady of Good Counsel (MD), 34-27, and soph QB Kyle McCord was the major reason. As determined by statman Ed "Huck" Palmer, who broke down the tape, the 6-3, 190-pound McCord finished 26-for-38 for 369 yards and three TDs. Three receivers collected at least 100 yards (compared to two in Costa's performance) and one was soph Marvin Harrison, son of the NFL Hall of Famer. The breakdown for both efforts is below. When he graduated, Costa owned numerous season/career city records. He played in college at the University of Miami, passing for 4,256 yards and 22 TDs from '91 through '94. He finished the '89 Prep season with 2,547 yards along with 4,660 for his career.

SEPT. 15
SOUTH JERSEY FOOTBALL
Eastern Regional 52, Cherry Hill East 6
  This report will start with one weird fact and offer another right on its heels. Ready? Here we go . . . In modern-era football, how often does a team score eight TDs exclusively on rushes? Your mighty Vikings did so today. (In the fourth quarter, a 39-yard punt return TD by sr. Dominic Harris was nixed by a holding call at the 13.) And then there's this: On its scoring drive in the second quarter, CHE began the possession on its 35 yard line. So, it needed to gain 65 yards, correct? Not even close. The Cougars needed to gain only 15 because Eastern's defense was hit with six penalties for 50 yards. The score came on a 9-yard pass to sr. handyman Isaac Jean-Baptiste. That TD drew the Cougars within 7-6 with 0:44 remaining in the first quarter and no one would have slighted you for thinking, "OK, this could be a ballgame." Alas, CHE did almost nothing thereafter and Eastern did almost everything and the mercy rule wound up coming into play with 5:02 remaining in the third quarter. Despite that fact, this tilt, which kickoff at 11 a.m., lasted a ridiculous 2 hours, 39 minutes. Aside from flags and injuries, the start of the second half was delayed because the regular scoreboard stopped working (well, the clock part of it, anyway) and a mini-scoreboard had to be brought out/set up to replace it. No need for play-by-play, so we'll stick with some factoids. Jr. Mike Suarez (four) and sr. TJ Franden (two) combined to rush for six TDs and their respective numbers for carries-yards were 12-77 and 15-142. Since sr. QB Drew Heck, who scored on an 11-yard keeper, did not pass for any scores, you might think his passing stats were anemic. Hardly. He connected on 17 of 27 tosses for 222 yards and found EIGHT different guys. The leaders were sr. WRs Dante Kiett (4-50) and Jalen Egan (3-67). Between sacks and TFLs, 14 CHE plays lost a total of 50 yards. Prominent among the guys wreaking havoc on defense was Franden (2 1/2 BTLs, fumble recovery). Jr. S Korre Kerrin also recovered a fumble while jr. LB Michael Wall racked up the biggest loss (seven yards) while adding a stop for minus-four. Franden and soph Kyaire Segers combined for a six-yarder. Hardest hit? That honor probably goes to sub soph Tavion Corbett-Collier. He truly ka-powed some guy on a kickoff return. Fifty-two points are the most scored by the Vikes since they hit that same amount vs. Winslow Township in game eight of the 2013 season. Sr. John Fulleylove hammered most of his kickoffs to at least the 5. CHE has a gigantic, quality band. One thing, though. More tuba! (smile).

SEPT. 15
TEDBIT
  In yesterday's 35-6 win at Central, sr. RB Edward Saydee became the seventh Penn Charter player to score at least four touchdowns in one game over the last 40 seasons. He's the third guy to twice accomplish the feat and the first to show major versatility . . . as in, he scored three varieties of TDs. He hit paydirt twice on rushes and once apiece on returns of a punt and interception. He mixed in a TD catch when he notched four TDs in a 2016 game. Four of the outbursts on the list below were posted in games vs. archrival Germantown Academy and two of the rushing yardage totals were outrageous -- Brandon Shepherdson had 344 in 1993 and James Berry answered with 346 in 1998. Then, in 2002, Tony McDevitt checked in with 328.

SEPT. 14
TEDBIT
  Three recent Ryan teams have combined to walk alone. Actually, to run alone. This is season No. 51 for the Raiders as a Catholic League member and 10 times a 3-0 start has been achieved. The 2013 (132 points), 2016 (115) and 2018 teams (120) own the most points. Details for the starts are below. And since a certain guy has played a prominent role, we're gonna tag this year's offense as . . . The Chappell Show (smile). John Zeglinski was Ryan's QB in 1973. His son, Joe, is now the Eaiders' basketball coach. '88 star Frank Wycheck played in the NFL. Jim and Ken Pawloski are twins. Bob and Bobby Romano are father/son.

SEPT. 13
TEDBIT
  Six times in the 13 seasons from 1975 through 1987, Cardinal O'Hara posted shutouts in Catholic League games while scoring no more than seven points. Oddly, five of those wins were recorded against archrival Monsignor Bonner. And just one TD was scored. Here are the details . . .
1975
  O'Hara 2, Bonner 0: One play after O'Hara's Steve Andrien was stopped at the 1 by Lou Tomasetti, Robert Evans broked through the line and tackled Bonner QB Dan Haley for a safety with 1:51 remaining. This game was part of a Monday night tripleheader at Veterans Stadium. After rain wiped out the Sunday games, the tripleheader was arranged in quick fashion by Carroll coach/AD Joe McNichol, also the moderator for CL football.
1978
  O'Hara 3, Bonner 0: Bill Mitchell hammered a 33-yard field goal on the game's final play after Jim Myers intercepted a pass at Bonner's 35, ran five yards to the 30 and watched in glee as the refs called a personal foul that moved the ball to the 15.
1979
  O'Hara 2, Bonner 0: In wicked mud at Upper Darby, wingback Craig Cusick tried a wingback sweep on a play from Bonner's 3. Jim Hewitt made the first hit four yards into the end zone and Mike Crowley finished the play.
1985
  O'Hara 7, Bonner 0: Bryan Dempsey ran 10 yards for a first quarter TD and Dan D'Orazio hit the PAT.
1987
  O'Hara 6, Bonner 0: The points came on field goals. Dan D'Orazio crushed a 48-yarder with 1:58 left in the first half, then added a 23-yarder in the third quarter.

SEPT. 12
TEDBIT
  Over the last 37 seasons, four Ryan quarterbacks have thrown for as many as 250 yards and three have notched as many as four TD flings. As you'll see on the lists below, one guy has accomplished both feats and he did so this past weekend. In a 41-14 win over Interboro, senior Jahlil Sanders passed 15-for-25 for 263 yards and FIVE scores. That second number is strongly believed to be a school record, but if you know of anyone else, well, that's why e-mail exists (smile). Jahlil's top receivers were Kyron Long (7-126) and Tyreek Chappell (4-108), who scored two TDs apiece. Justin Collier had the other. Meanwhile, Jahlil was hardly a one-trick pony. He also turned 15 carries into 172 yards, which means he produced 435 yards. So, he averaged 10.9 yards per play! He suffered losses on three plays (for 12 yards total) and threw one interception, according to stats guru Ed "Huck" Palmer. His blockers -- thanks to coach Frank "5" McArdle for providing the names -- were C Chris Brown, Gs Tom Loughlin and Kyle Davis, Ts John O'Brien and Taleeq Robbins and TE Colin Boyd. One other amazing Ryan passing performance occurred in 1978. Ed Hughes, a senior and also a star pitcher, passed 55 times in a 34-23 loss to Cardinal Dougherty. He completed 25 for 298 yards and two TDs while never getting sacked and throwing no INTs. Ryan's grunts in that game were C Tom Sutton, Gs Mark O'Neill and Mike Connolly and Ts Paul Beisser and Ray Smith.
  UPDATE: Received an email from Ed Hughes on Sept. 13. He reminded me of a fact I'd mentioned in a story back then. Ed was not sacked all SEASON. He added that Jack Senske and Don Bradley, who filled in for brief stints at QB that season, also were not sacked. Absolutely amazing. Thanks for making contact, Ed. And to your younger brother, Ken, also a Ryan QB, for suggesting that you do so. All the best!

SEPT. 11
TEDBIT (Mostly a HUCKBIT, actually)
  Long-time website headliner Ed "Huck" Palmer is a teacher in Philadelphia and since school was closed yesterday, well, he needed to find a way to kill time. Mindful that Wood, a long-time power, is off to an 0-2 start and has scored just 14 total points -- 16-7 loss to McDonogh (MD), 21-7 loss to Bergen Catholic (NJ) -- he decided to nail down some facts.
  Here they are . . .
  In 202 games over 15 seasons from 2003 through 2017, Wood scored fewer than 10 points just six times. Once apiece in 2017 (7 vs. SJ Prep), 2013 (7 vs. Ryan), 2009 (0 vs. Selinsgrove)), 2008 (7 vs. Thomas Jefferson), 2007 (7 vs. West Catholic) and 2005 (0 vs. O'Hara). The Vikings have not been blanked since that '05 game vs. O'Hara.
Wood had not suffered back-to-back losses within the same season since 2009. They lost the opener to O'Hara, 35-14, then fell to Chestnut Hill, 29-23, in overtime.
  Wood had not scored fewer than 20 total points over back-to-back games since 2008. In the last two games of that season, the Vikes beat Selinsgrove, 13-7, then fell to Thomas Jefferson, 34-7.
  These days, Huck watches game tapes to compile individual/team stats for Catholic League teams.
  "Wood definitely faced worthy opponents in these first two games," he said. "Lots of times Wood succeeds because it's much stronger along the line of scrimmage. These teams were also very strong on the lines."

SEPT. 9
TEDBIT
  Thanks to yesterday's 41-14 success at Penn Charter, Conwell-Egan is off to a 3-0 start. The Eagles are in season No. 55 as a Catholic League member and they've won their first three games just seven times. They did so thrice in their first six seasons, then had to wait 20, 14 and 10 years, respectively, for the next three visits to Triple W Land. This latest gap was only six years. The 2002 streak was powered by future NFLer Steve Slaton.
  UPDATE: Egan also won its first three games in 1966. Those details have been added. Thanks to Egan grad Joe Nawrocki ('73) for speaking up.

SEPT. 8
SOUTH JERSEY FOOTBALL
Holy Spirit (Absecon) 30, Eastern Regional 22
  In a game that's still in doubt, a team always prefers to have the final possession. Today that team was Eastern, but the problem was this: The Vikings were beginning the possession at their 21, only 1:15 remained and HS had just broken a 22-22 tie with a rushing TD and a passing conversion. A miracle would not be in the offing. Eastern gained some yardage with some dink-and-dunks toward the sideline, but the possession died out at the Eastern 41 and everyone headed home after a kneeldown. This game was scheduled for Friday night, but plenty of lightning got in the way. Today's starting time was noon and the stands were not exactly overflowing. In part due to occasional rain -- mostly light, sometimes medium -- the atmosphere was drab and the absence of the band/cheerleaders due to previous commitments didn't help. Hopefully, excitement will make an appearance for the Friday night games. (Next Saturday morning at Cherry Hill East will provide another challenge.) Eastern's primary problem today was jr. RB Elijah Gray. He's a tough nut with a low center of gravity and the Spartans called upon him again and again and again and . . . you get the idea. He finished with an outrageous 36 carries for 229 yards and two TDs and a sloppy mud surface would have been a better fit than turf for this old-school performance. Sr. QB Ryan Yost (6-4, 190) was also impressive, thanks largely to jr. TE Isaiah "Gronk" Gerena (5-94). I doubt that's his nickname, but it should be. Gerena sets up wide to make his catches and it's tough to defend him. He turned a curl into a 20-yard gain on the winning drive, putting the ball at the 2 after he bulled for about eight yards after the catch. Sr. DL Matt Chaves broke through to record a clutch 3-yard loss, but the Vikings then went offsides and Gray went up the middle almost untouched for a 2-yard TD. Yost passed to frosh Jahqir Haley for the conversion. Eastern's headliner was sr. QB Drew Heck. Operating out of a one-back (even no-back) set, he experienced direct involvement in 48 of Eastern's 66 plays. He passed 17-for-34 for 207 yards and two TDs and rushed 14-48 for one score. That came on a 10-yarder right up the middle, moments after he appeared ready to be dumped for a loss. Good footwork/vision made the rescue happen. Heck's top targets were sr. WRs Dante Kiett (5-99, TD) and Stevie Benson (5-38, TD) and soph handyman Jordan Diaz (4-41). Junior RB Mike Suarez uncorked a 44-yard run and sr. TJ Franden had a 12-yarder. Keitt and Diaz made interceptions and the former's was especially impressive as he stepped away from his primary duty, covering another guy, and popped up out of nowhere to make the snag at the 2. Jr. Michael Wall and jr. Jalen Egan combined for a nine-yard sack. Sr. Joe Del Palzazzo had a three-yard TFL. Egan and sr. Ryan Lombardi teamed for a six-yard sack. Jr. DL Teddy Osei-Kyei had a two-yard TFL. Also, Egan was the lead guy on a five-yard sack. Spent the first half in the press box. Second half on the sideline. Shooting pics proved to be frustrating due to the rain. Plus, the battery died and, of course, Keitt caught his TD pass on the very next play before a new battery could be pumped into the camera. That has happened many times through the years. Very weird.

SEPT. 8
TEDBIT
  This is season No. 13 for SCH Academy (nee Chestnut Hill Academy) as a back-in-the-fold Inter-Ac League football member and the Blue Devils have racked up at least 42 points 15 times. They're 2-for-2 this season with 56 last week against Judge and 45 yesterday vs. Central. We'll add yesterday's high scorer after stats are obtained. The Campbell brothers, Rashad and Ibraheim, led the point parade four times apiece. Rashad had a 36-point outburst. Ibraheim's best was 24.

SEPT. 7
TEDBIT
  Think about the chances of scoring the same amount of points in six consecutive games. Zero after zero after zero . . . Definitely. In fact, Edison once failed to score in 27 consecutive games from 1978 to '82. But a "regular" number? Much less likely, right? Well, in 1973, McDevitt scored 14 points in six consecutives games. Those details are below. The Lancers played nine games that season and came very close to scoring two TDs in EVERY game. They scored 13 in their opener vs. Wood, then 14 six times, then 13 again vs. Ryan and seven in the finale vs. Interboro. They were stopped inside the 5 in the second quarter of that game and lost a fumble at the 30 with 3:10 remaining. Charlie Heiland rushed for the four TDs vs. Wood/Ryan and Terry Foley scored vs. Interboro on a reception. His brother, Ed, was the long-time coach of the nationally famous Little Quakers youth squad and is currently the assistant AD at Penn Charter. Matt and Tom Welsh are brothers. Erv Antoni's dad, also Erv, was the long-time basketball coach at Pennsylvania School for the Deaf.

SEPT. 6
TEDBIT
  Sometimes you start some research and then come to realize, "Whoa, this needs to be expanded." Russel Minor-Shaw passed for three TDs in each of Carroll's first two games this season and the usual thought kicked in. How many times have Carroll QBs accomplished that feat? Barely 10 seconds were needed to find another time. Just last year, Kamal Gray passed for four in game No. 2 and three in No. 3. OK, this could take a while. . . Um, no. Going back through 1979, no other Carroll guy has thrown for at least three TDs in back-to-back games. In fact, three TDs have been racked up just five other times, total. It never happened in the 20 seasons from '79 through '98. Kevin Waterman did it twice in '99, in games No. 4 and 8. Meanwhile, a look at one number on the list below will no doubt cause your eyebrows to raise. Yes, in the game last year vs. Bensalem, Gray passed for three TDs . . . and only 23 yards. Dahmir Ruffin made all three scoring snags, just as he'd made all four the week before vs. Conwell-Egan. In Derek Zambino's performance, the Patriots waffled West Catholic, 74-7.

SEPT. 5
TEDBIT
  Father Judge handyman Katob Joseph is having all kinds of fun through two weeks of his senior season. The 5-10, 161-pounder has produced an outrageous 495 scrimmage yards and seven TDs. Last Friday, in the first game on Judge's field across the street from the school, he totaled 241 yards on the ground and 115 through the air in the Crusaders' 56-46 loss to SCH Academy. Plus, he scored five touchdowns -- two rushing, three receiving. Thanks to stats breakdown going back to 1982, I can report this: Katob is just the fifth Crusader to rack up at least 100 receiving yards in back-to-back games. The feat has been accomplished six times over these 37 seasons; Carl Peterson did it twice. No one owns three in a row. The chance to accomplish that feat will come Friday night when Judge visits Northeast. Joseph's QB, Shane Dooley, has already fired for 418 yards and six TDs.

SEPT. 4
TEDBIT
  Highly unusual football occurrences make my world go 'round. Many can be found on the page that includes city records . . . There was the time in 1986 when McDevitt's Brian Rodgers (son of Jim Rodgers, of Temple sports medicine fame) scored consecutive TDs vs. Judge on interceptions. First a 29-yarder. Then, three plays later, on a 42-yarder. The Lancers won that game to give coach Pat Manzi career victory No. 100 . . . There was the time in 2010 when Prep Charter's Mark McLean, playing against Mastbaum, made interceptions eight seconds apart. He lost a fumble after the first one . . . There was the time in 2013 when Gratz, playing against Mastery North, posted interception TDs on consecutive plays. Jaylem Sanders for 21 yards, then Skylar Wilkerson for 29 yards. Elapsed time: 17 seconds . . . And then there's this: Back in 1962, a year before both schools joined the Catholic League, Egan mauled McDevitt, 68-6. It's possible Egan scored long TDs on three consecutive touches. According to a story by Tom Juno in the Bucks County Courier-Times, Al Pezzola ran 61 yards for a TD with 6:32 left in the first half. Juno then wrote that Egan added two more long TDs via interceptions before halftime. Chris Kule scored both and the reported distances were 78 and 74 yards. So, the combined distance for those three scores was 213 yards. One problem: The story was not specific about whether Egan spent some time on offense before that third TD was scored. Amazing sequence either way.

SEPT. 3
TEDBIT
  Junior Kyle Jones made his first start as Penn Charter's quarterback in the season opener vs. Lansdale Catholic and all went rather well. He passed for 159 yards (and one TD) and that total ranks No. 3 among PC QBs in 21st century openers. Atlanta Falcons QB Matt Ryan made starts from 2000 through '02 and his best outing was 93. His brother, John, holds the No. 5 spot at 124 and their cousin, John Loughery, is No. 1 at 247. Pat McCain, another cousin, is also on the list.

SEPT. 2
TEDBIT
  No school on Tuesday for Inter-Ac football players! Just kidding. But, hey, that kind of reward would make sense, right? For the third time in four years, and sixth time since Chestnut Hill Academy (now SCH Academy) resumed playing I-A football in 2006, the I-A schools have stormed through a 6-0 weekend. The details for all five sweeps are below. This year's points scored total (208) ranks second. And the points allowed total (114) is first. SCH yielded 46 to Judge and that total is more than all six teams allowed in 2008 and 2007. No sweat. The Blue Devils dropped a 56-point bomb. That number ranks first among the 30 games.

SEPT. 1
TEDBIT
  Football has been around "forever" so there's little doubt such a sequence had happened before. But there's no way you'll see it very often in your lifetime. Maybe never, in fact. In a non-league game yesterday at O'Hara, West Catholic trailed Paramus Catholic (NJ) by 16-14 roughly halfway through the fourth quarter. Then the Burrs wound up winning, 18-16, and there's only ONE way that can happen. Yes, indeed. Back-to-back safeties. How often, if ever, has a game been won thanks to consecutive, late-game safeties? Long-time website stalwart Ed "Huck" Palmer was in attendance because he's West's statistician and the info for  this breakdown comes from him. PC faced fourth-and-20 from its 9 set up to punt. WC's Damen Studstill steamed across the line of scrimmage and blocked the punt, sending the ball through the end zone with 6:06 left. PC went with a free-kick kickoff and West took over at its 44. On fourth down from its 49, West's Tre Johnson hammered a darn near perfect punt. (He was kicking toward the "near" end zone, so to speak; the one closest to the stadium entrance.) The ball trickled out of bounds inside the 1 and, as Huck stated, "The back of the ball was almost touching the goal line" when PC's series started. The first play produced a 2-yard gain on a rush. The quarterback then set up in shotgun formation. The snap was low, within inches of ground level, and controlling the ball proved to be quite the challenge. Johnson, an outside linebacker, shot through a gap and made the tackle for safety No. 2. The clock showed 3:58. Two game-deciding safeties within 2 minutes, 8 seconds. Quite amazing. Congrats to the Burrs and thanks to Huck for the breakdown.

AUGUST 31
TEDBIT
  Frankford today has a chance to accomplish a feat for just the second time in school history: Win a non-playoff game against a Catholic League opponent not named North Catholic. As many of you know, Frankford and NC met 82 times from 1928 through 2009 and all but the first two contests took place on Thanksgiving (or close to it in the event of bad weather). Otherwise, the Pioneers, who today (1:30) will host Archbishop Ryan, are 1-7 against CL teams. The lone win occurred in 1927 and the score vs St. Joseph's Prep was 15-6. The Pioneers' most noteworthy touchdown was scored by Bill Dietrich, who wound up pitching for 16 years in the majors, going 108-128 with a 4.48 ERA. He scored on a 95-yard punt return and the Inquirer reported he did so by side-stepping, strong-arming, outrunning, dodging and storming through the entire St. Joe team. The Pioneers did win a 2007 meeting with now-closed Cardinal Dougherty, but was then forced to forfeit for using an ineligible player. In City Titles, Frankford has gone 2-11-1. Its record vs. North was 35-43-4. And its overall mark against Catholic League teams is 38-61-5.

AUGUST 30
TEDBIT
  The date was Nov. 23, 1923, and I'm thinking a world football record was set, and that it has never been threatened, let alone broken. In the final game of the Public League regular season, which decided the championship back then unless there was a tie for first place, Germantown won the crown (at 5-0) by defeating Frankford, 26-0. Now here's the amazing fact: Germantown posted NO first downs, as in none. The field was incredibly muddy, according to an Inquirer story, and one of the descriptions was presented like this: On a field that resembled a swamp and was so full of puddles that rubber boots were in vogue among the spectators . . . The fact that G-town collected no first downs (Frankford had five) was mentioned at the very beginning of the story. Bad punts, blocked punts and lost fumbles dominated the game. Joe O'Kane scored the first TD by recovering a blocked punt in the end zone. Just a couple plays later, Frankford lost another fumble. Milner (first name not listed) picked up the ball and rumbled 25 yards for a score. In the second quarter, O'Kane recovered the ball on Frankford's 8 after another blocked punt. The scoring "drive" required two plays and Johnny Gillespie tallied the six-pointer. The last TD was racked up in the third quarter when G-town blocked ANOTHER punt and O'Kane flopped on the ball in the end zone. Four touchdowns. Twenty-six total points. NO first downs. Truly amazing circumstances and maybe (definitely?) unmatched in football history.

AUGUST 29
TEDBIT
  Kyle Detweiler made his coaching debut for Carroll last weekend and fared very well, thank you. The Patriots stormed to a 42-8 win over Olney and that offensive point debut total ranks No. 2 for Catholic League coaches in the 2000s. Neumann-Goretti's Albie Crosby steered his team to 54 points just last year. Just two coaches on the list -- N-G's Dan Concannon in 2015, Conwell-Egan's Kevin Kelly in 2002 -- racked up shutouts. Roman's Joe McCourt was the lone boss to incur a loss (34-28 to West Catholic in 2008).

AUGUST 28
TEDBIT
  The name of Roman Catholic's new quarterback, soph Rhyme Robinson, has a nice ring to it, right? Well, based on his debut, it appears Rhyme will be pretty productive at ringing up yardage. Against Conwell-Egan, he passed 10-for-21 for 227 yards and two TDs and that performance ranks No. 5 among RC guys in openers since 1982. The No. 1 spot belongs to Jim McGeehan, who passed for 288 yards vs. Wissahickon in 1988. You might have heard of his No. 1 receiver in that tilt. It was Marvin Harrison, who's now in the NFL Hall of Fame. He made six catches for 131 yards and two TDs in that game. Marvin was a soph and that game was his first as a varsity player.

AUGUST 27
TEDBIT
  Playing the same position in the same sport as your much heralded older brother isn't easy, and Shane Dooley could undoubtedly tell us some interesting stories about the assorted pressures. Know what? Shane, the senior quarterback at Father Judge, is doing a nice job of creating his OWN waves. In the Crusaders' 2018 opener, he passed 10-for-218 for 235 yards in a 35-21 win over Ridley. So he now owns a second spot on the brothers' Top 10 list and here's guessing there will be more to come. Paul did his flinging at SCH Academy and is now a redshirt junior at West Chester University. His best performance at SCH came in his junior year vs. Malvern and you could make the argument that he outdid ALL passers in NFL history. The NFL record is 554 yards by Norm Van Brocklin, who was then (in 1951) with the Los Angeles Rams. Paul passed for 498. NFL games are 60 minutes. High school games are 48. His rounded-off yardage total over 60 minutes would be 623. His No. 2 total, senior year vs. Malvern, was 422. That would figure to 528, one yard better than the No. 2 NFL total. Not bad, eh?

AUGUST 26
TEDBIT
  Patrick Garwo certainly enjoyed Conwell-Egan's 2018 opener. Last night, in a 38-20 win over Roman, the 5-9, 210-pound senior rushed 15 times for 178 yards and two touchdowns. That performance enabled the Boston College commit to blow by nine other guys on the list of top career rushers in Catholic/Inter-Ac history. As you'll see, his name appears twice on the list. Who knows how high he'll soar? One note: Curtis "Boonah" Brinkley played one year at Roxborough before transferring to West Catholic. Even without the 885 'Boro yards, his total (6,528) ranks first in overall city history. Actual total: 7,413.

AUGUST 25
TEDBIT
  Over the last 37 seasons, Ryan has scored as many as 25 points in opening games six times. That total has been reached three times in the last six seasons and the most recent time was . . . last night. The Raiders beat Bartram, 38-30, at the South Philly Super Site and 38 checks in at No. 2. QB Jahlil Sanders was the yardage leader with 119 yards through the air. He hit Tyreek Chappell for a TD and scored one of his own while adding 31 rushing yards. Chappell also contributed a score on a 95-yard kickoff return. (In its early years, Ryan thrice scored at least 25 points in openers -- 28 vs. North Catholic in 1976 and St. James in 1973, and 27 vs. Carroll in 1974.)

AUGUST 24
TEDBIT
  Throughout the Catholic League this week, coaches have been saying to their players, "In this first game, we have to give EVERYTHING we've got!! This game will set the tone for the entire season. If we lose -- and worse yet, get thumped -- we run the risk of going off the deep end." Soooooo . . . Are such words of motivation correct? Are teams that lose openers looking at a long season? Over the previous 40 seasons, via assorted formats, the CL crowned 67 champions. Forty-three indeed won overall openers. Twenty-four did not. The breakdown is below. Four teams did not lose again. The most amazing nugget involves Archbishop Ryan. When the Raiders won four consecutive all-one-league titles from 1990 through '93, they lost openers in three of those seasons. Their overall record was 45-5-3, so 60 percent of the setbacks were suffered in Week One. Somehow, they found a way to bounce back. Do take note, however: From 2013 through 2017, only one champ lost its opener.

MAY 1
TEDBIT
  In the spring of 2012, all fans of city football were wondering, "What the heck is going on? Why has Philly become such a wasteland?" Those thoughts were powered by the fact that, for the fourth consecutive year, no Public/Catholic/Inter-Ac grads were selected in the NFL draft. Well, folks, we have bounced back, big time. Four more guys were selected this year and that brought the total over the last six years to 17. Just under three per year. The details are listed below, in the round-by-round order. Meanwhile, basketball is now a mess. No "Our Guys" grads have been selected in the NBA draft since 2011. That year, Prep Charter's Morris twins were picked back-to-back in the first round -- Markieff by Phoenix at 13, Marcus by Houston at 14. Since then, two guys who spent time in our schools and then transferred have been tabbed -- Rakeem Christmas (North Catholic, Academy of the New Church) by Minnesota in 2015 and Ben Bentil (Haverford School, St. Andrew's School in Middletown, DE) by Boston in 2016. Bentil played three games for Dallas in 2017. Christmas played one game for Indiana in 2016 and 29 more for that team in 2017. Carroll grad Derrick Jones made it into the NBA as a free agent.