FB
Players of the Week
Return to Home Page
Every Wednesday, we will name six Players of the
Week in this space -- two apiece from Catholic, Public and Inter-Ac schools (one offense,
one defense). We will take nominations through Tuesday night.
We have a lot of fun on this site in other areas, but here
it'll be all business. Goofy nominations won't be posted.
We encourage coaches to make nominations, especially to
make sure we are aware of special line play ("anonymous" is fine). Players can
win just once through the regular season; everyone will again be eligible in the playoffs.
Send nominations, with the reason you're
nominating the player to silaryt@phillynews.com.
As always, thanks for your interest/help. Also, thanks to
Kevin Laukaitis for the suggestion.
As you can imagine, maintaining this site requires large chunks of time. For that reason, we will NOT post e-mails after the fact concerning the Player of the Week choices, positive or negative. Of course, we will accept nominations each week. Once the results are posted, the nomination e-mails will be deleted. Performances by players in competitive games, and/or those considered upsets, will generally carry more weight. Thank you, Ted.
TITLE WEEK!
(Leagues are combined)
Offense
James "Warning: Wide Load" Roderick, Carroll, sr., RB
The 260-pound FB carried 25 times for a career high 148 yards
and two TDs as the Patriots chopped Wood, 28-7, for Catholic Blue honors. (Also was sturdy
at DT.)
Defense
Ryan Gore, Washington, sr., LB
Made eight tackles, with three going for 12 yards in losses,
and posted a game-clinching, 46-yard interception TD as the Eagles bested Northeast, 20-9,
for Public League honors.
THANKSGIVING
CATHOLIC LEAGUE HONOREES
Offense
Sean McGovern, Dougherty, sr., QB
Concluded a frustrating season by surpassing 4,000 career
passing yards and leading the Cardinals past Olney, 21-7.
Defense
Mike "Pio" Piotrowicz, North Catholic,
sr., LB
Made 16 tackles as the Falcons,
0-7 in Catholic Red, bested Frankford, the PL's third-best team, 20-9.
PUBLIC LEAGUE HONOREES
Offense
Munir Nuriddin, Central, sr., RB-WR
Had TD receptions of 76 and 74 yards as the Lancers stunned
unbeaten Northeast, 27-17.
Defense
Marvin Schuler, Dobbins, sr., DB
Posted five tackles, an interception and a fumble recovery as the
Mustangs dumped Franklin, 22-6.
WEEKEND No. 12 (Nov. 15-17)
CATHOLIC LEAGUE HONOREES
Offense
Vince Gallagher, SJ Prep, sr., QB
Passed 11-for-12 for 180 yards and two TDs as Hawklets downed
O'Hara, 35-6, in a Red semifinal.
Defense
Antonio Troisi, Wood, sr., LB
Recovered a late fumble to seal
the victory as the Vikings beat McDevitt, 10-7, in a Blue semifinal, thus earning a trip
to a championship game for the first time since 1980. (Also had a 49-yard run to set up
the winning TD.)
PUBLIC LEAGUE HONOREES
Offense
Chris Poindexter, Northeast, sr., RB
Rushed for 184 yards and two TDs as Vikings dumped Mastbaum,
24-7, in a semifinal.
Defense
Maurice Bennett, Washington, sr., LB
Made eight tackles, had a late
interception and recovered a fumble to set up the game's first TD as Eagles won a
semifinal over Bartram, 22-0.
WEEKEND No. 11 (Nov. 8-10)
CATHOLIC LEAGUE HONOREES
Offense
Tom "Screech" Convery, O'Hara, sr., WR
Became the FIRST player in CL postseason history to make
three TD catches in a game as the Lions downed La Salle, 21-6. Had eight catches for 106
yards.
Defense
Paul Roken, Judge, jr., DB
Made one of the all-time hard hits on WR Kyle Gallagher
to typify the Crusaders' defensive effort in a 10-0 win over Ryan. It was the Crusaders'
first shutout in a playoff game since 1984.
PUBLIC LEAGUE HONOREES
Offense
Larry Turner, Olney, sr., RB
Rushed 14 times for two TDs and
204 yards, most by a Trojan in at least 20 years (and perhaps a school record), in a 24-22
win over University City.
Defense
Chris DeShields, Mastbaum, sr., LB
Made 14 tackles, with five going for losses, and blocked
an OT field goal attempt as the Panthers topped Bok, 12-6, in double OT, in a
quarterfinal. (Also rushed for 97 yards and both Mastbaum TDs).
INTER-AC LEAGUE HONOREES
Offense
Gerry Sasse, Penn Charter, sr., TE
Made three catches for 42 yards and his first career TD, went
5-for-5 on PAT and delivered several key downfield blocks as the Quakers bested Germantown
Academy, 35-0.
Defense
Chris Whitehead, Penn Charter, sr., DB
Had an interception and raced far downfield in the
fourth quarter to make a tackle and force a fumble, thus preventing a 74-yard TD catch and
preserving the shutout, in the Quakers' 35-0 win over Germantown Academy.
(NOTE: PC's Aaron Greenfield won the Geis Trophy as the game MVP. He
was a weekly winner earlier this year.)
WEEKEND No. 10 (Nov. 1-4)
CATHOLIC LEAGUE HONOREES
Offense
Tom Maisch, Roman, sr., RB
Carried 23 times for 161 yards and two TDs as the Cahillites
avoided going winless in Catholic Red by beating North, 28-20, in OT.
Defense
Joe Lamina, Conwell-Egan, sr., LB
Made seven tackles and two interceptions as the Eagles,
already assured of a playoff spot, beat Neumann, 17-0, to barge in through the front door
-- fourth place by one point on tiebreakers. (Also rushed for a TD).
PUBLIC LEAGUE HONOREES
Offense
Ryan Gore, Washington, sr., RB
Ran 24 times for 130 yards and a TD as the Eagles beat
Frankford, 12-6, in a do-or-die game for the playoffs.
Defense
Lance Burnett, King, sr., LB
Raced 87 yards for an interception TD with 0:28 left to lift
the Cougars past Franklin, 8-0, and into the playoffs.
INTER-AC LEAGUE HONOREES
Offense
Michael Treston, Malvern, sr., RB
Had his third consecutive big game (136 yards, two TDs) in a
44-7 pasting of Gtn. Academy, giving the Friars the Inter-Ac title.
Defense
Michael Meehan, Malvern, jr., DT
Played a dominant game (one sack, two TFLs; also kicked butt
on the offensive line) as the Friars defeated GA, 44-7.
WEEKEND No. 9 (Oct. 25-28)
CATHOLIC LEAGUE HONOREES
Offense
Sean Miller, La Salle, sr., RB
Helped the Explorers snap a four-game league losing streak by
rushing for 79 yards and three TDs in a 34-0 win over Roman. (How he has sacrificed for
the team all season is too complicated to get into here. Please take our word for it. This
kid deserves recognition.)
Defense
Kevin LeSage, Bonner, sr., DB
Continued a string of strong performances by making two
interceptions in a 38-14 win over Judge. (Also caught a 58-yard TD pass on the Friars'
first play.)
PUBLIC LEAGUE HONOREES
Offense
Marcus Waddy, Frankford, sr., RB
Rushed 13 times for 151 yards and three TDs in a 40-6 win
over Lincoln. Also turned his one reception into a 24-yard score.
Defense
Eric Clark, Northeast, jr., DB
Had an interception and a fumble recovery as the Vikings beat
Washington, 8-0, completing a shutout sweep of Washington and Frankford for the first
time.
INTER-AC LEAGUE HONOREES
Offense
Garrett Wilson, Episcopal, jr., QB
Switching from Rec. to QB because of a teammate's injury, he
ran for one score, passed for another and accounted for 147 yards total offense in a 14-11
win over Gtn. Academy.
Defense
Andrew Stuper, Episcopal, soph, DT-DE
Had a sack among eight tackles and applied constant QB
pressure in a 14-11 win over Gtn. Academy.
WEEKEND No. 8 (Oct. 18-21)
CATHOLIC LEAGUE HONOREES
Offense
Kyle Ambrogi, SJ Prep, RB, sr.
Scored four TDs (two apiece
rushing and receiving) and surpassed 3,000 career rushing yards in a 42-21 win over
Bonner. (Also recovered a fumble on defense.)
Defense
Keary Packer, Wood, DT, sr.
Had three tackles for losses among
nine tackles total in a 24-15 win over West Catholic. Also had two sacks and caused a
fumble.
PUBLIC LEAGUE HONOREES
Offense
Chris DeShields, Mastbaum, RB, sr.
Rushed 38 times for 230 yards and two TDs in a 19-8 win over
Roxborough. Ran the ball on 17 of Mastbaum's 19 second half plays.
Defense
Boe Davis, Franklin, DT, sr.
Mixed two sacks among eight
tackles and his fourth quarter hurry caused the decisive interception as the Electrons
beat Overbrook, 22-14.
INTER-AC LEAGUE HONOREES
Offense
Tony McDevitt, Penn Charter, RB, jr.
Posted three TDs and 154 yards of rushing and receiving in a
41-0 win over Haverford School. It was his first extended offensive duty since suffering
an injury on his first carry of the season.
Defense
David Zuk, Germantown Academy, LB, soph.
Blocked a PAT and a field goal attempt to help swing a tight
game in the Patriots' favor; they beat Shanahan, 14-12.
WEEKEND No. 7 (Oct. 11-14)
CATHOLIC LEAGUE HONOREES
Offense
Justin O'Brien, Judge, RB-KR-K, sr.
Rushed for 136 yards and four TDs
in a 34-6 win over North Catholic. Also scored on a punt return. Also kicked the first
three PAT to finish a scoring streak of 68 consecutive points. In all, he scored 74
consecutive points surrounding a wrist injury.
John DiCamillo, McDevitt, DE, sr.
Made six tackles for
losses, blocked a punt (teammate Michael Johnson returned it for a TD) and forced a fumble
close to the goal line (when his team was still pitching a shutout) as the Lancers numbed
Neumann, 27-7.
PUBLIC LEAGUE HONOREES
Offense
Ahmed Powell, Overbrook, RB, sr.
Ran for 135 yards and two TDs
(plus two conversions) as the Panthers topped Edison, ending a 14-game losing streak.
Defense
Jeffrey "J.T." King, Germantown, DB, sr.
Made seven tackles and recovered a
fumble for the game's lone TD as the Bears posted a 6-0 road victory over a quality team,
Dobbins. (Also ran for 81 yards).
INTER-AC LEAGUE HONOREES
Offense
David Moore, Malvern, QB, jr.
With starter Matt Skellan
(shoulder woes) unavailable, he passed 10-for-13 for 114 yards in a 24-0 win over Penn
Charter.
Defense
Eddie Fields, Haverford School, DB, sr.
The poster boy for perseverance.
Benched early in the season after struggling, he was used as an early substitute vs.
Germantown Academy. The result: three interceptions, a broken-up pass and five tackles as
the Fords won, 43-14, in their biggest Inter-Ac win, marginwise, since 1978.
WEEKEND No. 6 (Oct. 4-7)
CATHOLIC LEAGUE HONOREES
Offense
Chris Scott-Peters, Neumann, RB, sr.
In his fourth game as a running back, he produced 215 yards
and five TDs on 31 carries in a 35-17 win over West Catholic.
Defense
Bryan Navin, Neumann, DB, sr.
Had two interceptions and blocked a punt in the Pirates'
35-17 win over West Catholic. His blocked punt and first interception came 90 seconds
apart and set up TDs, wiping out an early 6-0 deficit.
PUBLIC LEAGUE HONOREES
Offense
Vondell Parson, Gratz, RB, soph
Rushed 23 times for 191 yards and a TD as the Bulldogs
whipped Roxborough, 26-6.
Defense
Londale Walden, Northeast, NG, sr.
Made four tackles in the first seven plays, setting an early
tone, and finished with eight (including two along the sideline), as the Vikings handed
Frankford just its third shutout home loss against PL opposition in the last 33 seasons.
INTER-AC LEAGUE HONOREES
Offense
Zack Zeglinski, Penn Charter, RB, fresh.
Rushed 26 times for 157 yards and
two TDs in a 33-14 win over Moorestown, N.J.
Defense
Aaron Greenfield, Penn Charter, DE, sr.
Three of his eight tackles went
for losses in a 33-14 win over Moorestown, N.J. (Also ran for three TDs.)
WEEKEND No. 5 (Sept. 27-30)
CATHOLIC LEAGUE HONOREES
Offense
Steve Slaton, Conwell-Egan, RB, fresh.
Rushed for a school record 290 yards, on 22 carries, in
only his second varsity game as Eagles thumped Dougherty, 46-27. Scored four TDs on
rushes and one on a pass reception.
Defense
Bill Hartley, Wood, DB, sr.
Two of his five tackles went for losses and his pass
coverage helped to limit the opposing QB to one completion as the Vikings beat McDevitt,
6-0, in OT.
PUBLIC LEAGUE HONOREES
Offense
Khalif Boldin, Dobbins, RB-K-P, jr.
Rushed for 124 yards and the decisive TD, in OT, as the
Mustangs beat Mastbaum. Kicked a PAT and a 28-yard field goal. Also did the punting and
played well at DB.
Defense
Maurice Kelley, Bartram, DT/DE, sr.
Had a sack and TFL among 11 tackles as the Maroon Wave downed
Lincoln, 7-0. Had to miss roughly the last 18 minutes due to severe leg cramps.
INTER-AC LEAGUE HONOREES
Offense
John Tsafos, Episcopal, QB, sr.
Contributed 200 yards total
offense and two TDs in a 24-17 win over Hill School. Rushed 12 times for 86 yards and two
scores. Passed 5-for-12 for 114 yards.
Defense
Kevin Barr, Malvern, DB, sr.
Made one interception, raced
across the field to make a TD-preventing tackle and fared well in pass coverage as the
Friars dumped West Chester East, 41-9. Also caught a scoring pass.
WEEKEND No. 4 (Sept. 20-23)
CATHOLIC LEAGUE HONOREES
Offense
John Barrett, La Salle, FB, jr.
Picked up the slack big-time in a
14-7 win over North Catholic, a game in which the Explorers' leading rusher, Sean Miller,
was limited to one half of action due to heat miseries. Ran 22 times for 94 yards and a
TD. Caught six passes for 77 yards. Eleven times had gains that produced first downs.
Defense
Jim McAteer, Judge, DB, sr.
Made eight tackles and forced a late
fumble (recovery by Drew Bilotta) to preserve a 21-14 win over O'Hara. Also uncorked a
50-yard quick kick that was vital to the late-game, field-position battle.
INTER-AC LEAGUE HONOREES
Offense
Mike Vail, Haverford School, QB/Rec., sr.
In a 22-20 loss to Chestnut Hill,
he spent the first half at receiver (3 catches, 56 yards). Due to an injury, he then moved
to QB and passed 8-for-15 for 102 yards and a TD. (Also had two interceptions.)
Defense
Joe Rosati, Episcopal, LB, freshman
Made nine tackles and blocked a punt to
set up the winning TD in a 20-12 win over Penn Wood.
PUBLIC LEAGUE HONOREES
Offense
Kaloma Cardwell, Central, QB, sr.
In his first QB start since ninth
grade, when he was on the JV, he rushed for 114 yards and four TDs (along with two
conversions) in a 30-24 victory over Franklin. His fourth TD run, a 30-yarder, came on
fourth-and-11 with 0:49 left and erased a 24-22 deficit.
Defense
Gary Dunlap, King, DT, sr.
Had three sacks among seven
tackles in an 8-6 win over Roxborough.
WEEKEND No. 3 (Sept. 14-15)
CATHOLIC LEAGUE HONOREES
Offense
Billy Canady, St. John Neumann, WB/Rec., soph.
Moments after racing far downfield to make a
TD-saving tackle, and then contributing another big stop during the ensuing goal-line
stand, he turned his first varsity reception into a 94-yard TD to lift the Pirates over
Roman, 27-26.
Defense
Dom Armideo, Monsignor Bonner, LB, sr.
Made 11 tackles -- included was a
sack -- and forced a key fumble as the Friars blanked Carroll, 3-0. The Patriots had
averaged 42.9 ppg. in their previous 15 games.
INTER-AC LEAGUE HONOREES
No selections this week. Only three teams played.
PUBLIC LEAGUE HONOREES
Offense
Marcus Kennedy, Washington, QB, jr.
Passed 8-for-16 for 136 yards and
two TDs in 19-0 win over Franklin.
Defense
Ian Greaves, Bartram, LB, sr.
Made three tackles for losses
(worth 15 yards) and recovered a fumble as the Maroon Wave beat King, 24-18, in two
overtimes.
WEEKEND No. 2 (Sept. 7-9)
CATHOLIC LEAGUE HONOREES
Offense
Jamar Little, North Catholic, RB, sr.
Ran for 104 yards and two TDs and scored another
on an 88-yard kickoff return as Falcons beat West Catholic, 19-18, overcoming a 12-0
deficit.
Defense
Mark Finley, Bishop McDevitt, DB, sr.
Returned an interception 59
yards for the game's only TD as the Lancers, of the Blue, beat La Salle, of the Red, 9-0.
INTER-AC HONOREES
Offense
D.J. Driscoll, Malvern, WR, sr.
Caught a 62-yard TD pass to
give the Friars an early spark in a 21-10 win over SJ Prep. Was also fearless returning
punts (and had an interception/several deflections on defense.)
T.J. Cascio, Malvern, DE, sr.
Recorded four sacks in win
over SJ Prep.
PUBLIC LEAGUE HONOREES
Teams not yet in action.