Amauro's Corner

Amauro "Amar" Austin is another of our trusty observers. He is not to be confused with Ruben Amaro, the Phillies' assistant general manager. Like "Huck" Palmer, Amauro is a West Catholic graduate. He will make occasional reports on games he sees. You may e-mail him at Thurlbough@hotmail.com. Tell him you appreciate his hint of a smile in the new photo.

NOV. 22
THANKSGIVING RIVALRY
West Phila. 13, Overbrook 12
As I said, in my last Report, this one is always special to me. The
crowd is awesome, the people are familar and the records go out the window.
It's Turkey Day Football, anything can happen. At least seven times during the
game, I heard from the crowd, "Yo Mar!" I felt right at home. I was kind of
disappointed that three of West's better skill players sat this one out. Sr.
RB Jerome Johnson had a badly sprained ankle, Sr. WR Anthony Vanderhorst had
a separated shoulder and Sr. Defensive Ace/WWF Star, DeShone "Stink" Cotton
was out just for being the Stink Man. In my opinion, West still had more
talent, but the gap wasn't that big and 'Brook would have competed no matter
what. West had a hard time controlling 'Brook's Jet, Sr. QB Omar Sanders
(16/55 TD rushing; 3-8 69 TD passing). He's just so slithery and elusive and
with his 4.3 speed is almost impossible to catch if he gets out of the
backfield. He got the scoring started early in the second quarter with a
beautiful shakin and bakin 23 yard Run. Boy if that kid were 5 inches
taller, we could have a Big Timer on our hands. The Panthers went into
halftime with a 6-0 lead. Had he not been sacked four times, his totals
would have been very impressive. West answered very early in the second half
with a three play drive ending with a 28 yard TD run by Sr. RB LeBarin
Weaver. West then got the ball back after a Panther punt and drove again
deep into Panther territory poised to take it to the house. Wait-a-minute,
Sr. FB James Little fumbled un the Panther 15 and The Hilltoppers were in
business again. They wouldn't let up this time as Sanders threw a beautiful
7 yard strike to sure-handed Jr. wide-out Omar Clark. This was the third
time I have seen the acrobatic Clark make a super Catch. On this one, he kept
his feet in bounds while extending to catch the ball in the back of the end
zone and being tightly covered. It was a must see. 'Brook was now up 12-7 in
the 4th quarter. West again drove deep into Panther territory. They got all
the way down to the Overbrook 12 before being stopped. It was now Overbrook
ball with 6:18 remaining. An offsides penalty pushed the Panthers back to
the 7 and then a Big time stop for a 4 yard loss by a West JV callup #78
pushed them back to the 3. On the next play, the crafty Sanders lulled The
Speedboys to sleep with a long play call and handed off to Sr. FB Jamal
Ragin who rumbled 27 yards. Overbrook seemed to have this one in hand. The
Panthers held the ball for 4:02 on this drive. The Speedbous had their backs
on the ropes as they only had 2:16 to make something happen. The Speedboys
marched all the way down to the Overbrook 28 yard line. On 3rd down and 7
yards to go it had to happen now and West Sr. QB Elijah Cosby-Jones made it
happen. He made a perfect pass over leaping, DB Tariyk Joseph to his
favorite target today, Sr. WR Brian Greene (6 Rec, 81 yards) who bobbled and
then caught a 28 yard TD pass with 27 seconds to go. This capped a 54 yard
drive and made for a great finish. This was a great game. I may be a fixture
at this one in the years to come. Cosby-Jones' finishing line was 8-17 for
95 yards. He also rushed 15 times for 90 yards. He was the star of this one.
He got alot of help from the Speedy, Weaver who ran 8 times for 78 yards. On
Defnese, the star was that young kid DE #78. He was in on 7 total stops, 3
solos for losses and a sack. Whoever he is, he's going to be a stud. He has
a mean streak. I thought he was a regular. Sr. ILB Terrell Roper was himself
again as he was in on 13 tackles, though he admittedly missed a few as he
tried to wrap up the slinky Sanders. Weaver covered better than I've seen him
cover all season. He made a few big plays. Cosby-Jones seemed to be held on
every play, but still managed 2 sacks. Big, Jr. DT Darryl Watson (6-2 305)
was in on 7 stops of his own, 2 of which were losses and 1/2 a sack. His
partner in crime was Big, Jr. DT Steve Fulton (6-3 275) who had 1 1/2 sacks.
This defense could be promising next season. For 'Brook, I was very
impressed with Clark. He is hard to tackle. On his other catch he went 33
yards by shucking and jiving his way down the field. He is fearless and has
a very good set of hands. On Defense, Sanders was again very good. He could
be a very good DB in college. He made 8 total stops, but seemed to be around
every play. Sr. DB Joshua Keller was also in on 7 stops. Well until next
season, Good-bye.

NOV. 20
AMAR'S SEASON WRAP-UP
   For my final report, I'd like to reflect on the great happenings of my
first football season. This will be my last Football Report besides my final
Game Report (Overbrook @ West). Next week, I will be in Basketball mode, but
I'd like to leave a lasting impression on the 2001 Football season.
   There have been many bright lights to the high school football season
of 2001. I know, the question that everyone wants to ask is, Amar, where
were you on the Catholic League Scene? Well to be honest, I'm not a big fan
of this Red and Blue alignment. I really feel that it destroys the
credibility of the League. This two-Champion stuff is unheard of. I do
regret not seeing many of the CL's best, but I really wish that something
would be done about this. I also wish that the CL and PL teams would play
one another more often in the early season. However, next season I won't
cheat the kids anymore and I'll be on the CL scene with the same gusto as
the Pub no matter what.
   Maybe I'm a little late with this one and maybe I'm not all that
qualified to speak on it, but I want to add something to that situation over
in high-noseville, Radnor, PA. Archbishop Carroll should really take a long,
hard look at themselves after this season. What is the real reason that you
guys threw Sparky off of your bench? Well I don't think they threw him. The
reason was because he told the truth. I'm not a fan of the way things are in
CLville these days, yet and still, I feel that if Carroll wants to be
recognized they should compete against the best. There's no competition for
them in the Blue Division. What do they gain from running up the score
against mediocre competition? Its not fair to the kids. The one tough game
this season that they played, they lost. Why aren't these guys playing
Malvern on Wednesday night? Somebody needs to look in the mirror. As loaded as
they are, I'd like to see them compete against the best. As I said before, it
has a lot to do with the alignment, but there are things The Pats can do to
make their situation better. How about playing Malvern on Turkey Day, The
Prep in the PreSeason and say Glen Mills, who is always tough? That would add
some credibility to their program. Run up the score on one of them.
   Next season, I'm looking forward to seeing the growth of many players
and teams. The one team that I really look forward to seeing are the
Pioneers of Frankford. Coach Mullineaux, who I like to call the Coach
Heimerdinger of Pub Football, will have the Bullseye on his back this time
around. He returns all but 2 of their top players from this season's team.
This is what the electric Coach's great 8 will look like:
Darrell "D.J" Turner 6-5 195 QB
Mikal Jones 5-7 155 RB/DB
Michael Humbert 6-6 250 DE/TE
Adam Hartman 5-10 180 AP-Back/DB
Arnold Mullins 5-9 150 AP-Back/DB Jr.
Jeremy Benson 5-11 190 FB/LB Jr.
Raymond Williams 6-1 310 T/DT Jr.
Henry Smith 6-1 280 T/DT Jr.
   This Team could be special. All of these guys could grow even more. Humbert
is going to be a stud and Turner as well could be very good.
    Here is my list of kids to watch for next season:
    Michael Humbert 6-6 250 Frankford Jr. DE- this kid is Cat quick. He lives in
the opposing backfield. Coaches say that he doesn't even work hard. I
shudder to think if he did. I view him as the City League's Top Jr.
    Darrell Turner 6-5 195 Frankford Jr. QB- he has better physical tools than
probably any returning QB, but it must always be remembered that the QB
position is 75% mental.
    Dion "Flee" Whittington 6-3 195 King Jr. SS/QB- this kid's body screems WR.
I'd love to see him there if Coach Warren can find somebody else who can be
a competent signal caller. He is a hard hitter in the secondary and that is
where I see him playing at the next level. He is spirited. He was The Cougar
emotional leader this year. He's also one of their fastest players.
   Quindel Ladson 5-11 195 Central Soph. LB- I love this kid, he's a hard
worker. I can easily see him putting on the necessary weight, but I really
don't see him growing vertically much more. Nevertheless, he's a menace at
this level.
   Matt Ryan 6-4 215 Penn Charter Jr. QB- I've heard nothing but good things
about this kid for the last 2 years. I'll make an effort to see him early
next season.
   Marquis Slocumb 6-5 303 St John Neumann Fr. T/DT- this kid has a serious
mean streak. He has monster potential. He's agile and athletic. He's
massive.
   Anthony Heygood 5-11 205 Cardinal O'Hara Soph. RB- didn't see him this
season, but from what I hear he may be the best returning back next season.
Are the Lions turning to RBHS?
   Curtis "Boonah" Brinkley 5-9 165 West Catholic Soph./Jr. RB- this kid may
have the sweetest feet around and he has a strong pair of legs. The hearing
this summer on his eligibility will be key.
This Thanksgiving I will be covering a game that has always been
special to me growing up on 56th and Catherine Sts. The Battle of West
Philly, Overbrook @ West. I will run into many old friends at this one and
this game always is capable of going either way. Also in my own selfish way,
I'd like to get a final look at my favorite in the city, DeShone "Stink"
Cotton, West's 6-4 215-lb menace of a DE/OLB/FS. I love his
tackling/wrestling technique and his all-around toughness.
   I want to leave with two things first my 'Chip predictions:
   Public League: GW-Northeast- As I said in my Semi Report, I just don't see
NE beating GW for a second time. That team of Villains has a major League
Chip on their shoulder and they seem poised to get the W this time. I like
the GW 13-9 in a war.
   Catholic League Red: St. Joseph's Prep-Monsignor Bonner- this could be a
classic. I know that the Prep will have dejavu on the mind of Championship
last, but I don't think that this Bonner team has the explosion of last
year's O'Hara. Prep will win, but not in the fashion they took Bonner out in
last time. It'll be more like 21-10 with the Hawklets pulling away Late, Not
EARLY!
   Catholic League Blue: Archbishop Carroll-Archbishop Wood- Not to take
anything away from Wood, but the score of this one will be whatever Carroll
wants it to be. I hope I'm wrong, but I seriously doubt it.
   Lastly, here are my 6-Pack of top quotes from my Fall travels:
   9/20 - Frankford @ West-- DeShone "Stink" Cotton during pregame warmups,
"I'm ready to play, I know you ready to play(to Jerome Johnson), I'm gon'
get some bodies today, I'm gon' kill somebody."
   10/5- Central @ Dobbins Tech-- Two Young Dobbins Players from the bench
looking at the Cheerleaders, #1"She's tough, I love it when she does that
split." #2"That's my girl." #1"No its not, you always lyin'"....
   10/19- King @ Edison-- Maurice "Wall" Williams after I asked him why he
hadn't played in the first half, "Coach says that I'm hurt." Maurice what do
you mean that Coach says that you are hurt, Are you hurt or aren't you?
   10/26- Washington @ Northeast-- Ben "Slim Herc" Franklin, this one isn't
anything special as a matter of fact I didn't even get the end of what he
said, but it was "Slim Herc", I had to put it in. "This is "Slim Herc"
speakin' baby."
   11/1- West Philly @ Northeast-- Londale Walden after the Speedboys didn't
clap after a fallen Viking had gotten up from being shaken up. "Those are
some tough guys, they have no Sportsmanship or Respect." I thought to myself
boy what if Cotton would have played in this one, he would have really seen
tough and disrespect.
   Good luck to everybody in their Rivalries and Championship runs, even
Carroll. Thanks everybody for a great season.

NOV. 17
PUBLIC LEAGUE SEMIFINAL
Washington 22, Bartram 0
The story of this one lied in the fact that GW jumped on the Maroon
Wave early and the Maroon didn't get the wakeup call until it was too late.
I knew this one was in doubt when on the first play of scrimmage Bartram's
hobbled Sr. QB Phil Evans lost a fumble. Washington eventually capitalized
with a 4 yard TD run by Sr. RB Ryan Gore and a two-point pass from Jr. QB
Marcus Kennedy to Sr. TE Micheal Van Allen. Gore would go on to score again
on a 1 yard run in the quarter. He only finshed with 11 carries for 21 yards
though. The depth here just showed through. Bartram only dressed 24 guys and
were missing one of their best players as tough Sr. DE Maurice Kelley was out
with a foot injury. This team could not afford to lose anybody. The Eagles
on the other hand had mammoth, 6-6 350-lb Sr. Lineman Peter Lyde, grandson
of the legendary former Boxing Champ Joe Frazier, one of Philadelphia's
favorite sons, one the bench. I've never seen him even get in for the
Eagles. If you look inside the numbers, you would think that this one was
closer. GW hardly looks dominant. The one thing that did stand out was the
fact that Bartram turned the ball over 4 times. GW only had 1 TO. Kennedy
went 7-for-16 for 68 yards throwing a TD and an INT. Star, Sr. WR Kyle Bell
caught 4 balls for 38 yards. Van Allen caught the TD, a 28 yarder. He has
quickly become one of my favorites. I think that one can argue that he may
not be the best prospect on this team, but he could be the best football
player on this team at this time. He doesn't have the ability of some of his
higher rated teammates, but he gets the most out of what he has right now.
On defense, the star was Sr. LB Maurice Bennett. Mo was in on 8 tackles and
he caught an INT. I was very impressed with Jr. DE Jameel McClain (6-3 230).
He could be the Defensive leader next season for GW. He recorded a sack.
This group of Eagles seems to like the role of the Villain. I always heard
that about GW's teams, but now I have experienced it. This team has a chip
on its shoulder that I'm not sure NE can knock off for a second time. For
the Maroon, I must first mention the fact that Evans was great under the
circumstances. He took a pounding as he was sacked three times and knocked
down on at least 3 other occasions. Yet and still, he managed to go 5-for-12
for 98 yards. He did throw 2 INTs, but he left everything he had on the
field. His favorite target as always was Sr. WR Romar Drake with 2/49. Drake
has shown flashes of being a solid D1 player all season. He's 1-AA all
across the board. I felt sorry for tough little Jr. back Chironn "Goober"
Davis. He had 8 carries for 1 yard. He just has to come back next season
bigger and stronger (15/20-lbs maybe) if he wants to be a factor against the
big boys. On Defense, Sr. do-it-all Ian Greaves played ILB in this one and
was the star. He seemed to be in the backfield a whole lot. Had Kelley
played, he may have been able to complement him. Greaves made 5 total stops.
All three solos were for losses. He also made a sack. If you looked at him
at the end of the game you would have known that he had played a great game
as you couldn't even read the number on the front of his jersey. I don't
remember him even coming out of the game once. I was also impressed with
Large Jr. DT Richard Mink (6-5 265). Mink played what had to be his best
game ever. He was more active than I've ever seen him with 8 total stops. I
can't wait to see how he progresses by next season. He could turn into a
good player. Tough, Sr. OLB Joseph Smith was in on 8 stops. Jr. LB Marvin
Snipes made 7. While Sr. OLB Hakim Groomes was in on 5 tackles and picked
off a pass. Well, next week I'll will do my last football piece of the season
and my season finale on Turkey Day with the Battle of West Philly.

NOV. 15
NON-LEAGUE
Frankford 15, Germantown 12
This was a very good matchup of evenly matched teams. It's funny because
I have said from Day 1 that this Frankford Team has the most talent in the
league from Top to Bottom and most of them are Sophs and Jrs, but this
G-Town Gang is the most spirited. It sounds like a fun matchup and it was.
The visiting G-Town Gang jumped on the Pioneers EARLY! They scored the on
their first two possessions and took a 12-0 lead. Both TDs were on passes.
The first was a 9 yarder from 6-3 Jr. QB Raymond Massey to his favorite
target AP-Back Taurean Fillmore (3-21). The second was on a desperation
screen as Frankford's outstanding Jr. DE Michael Humbert (6-6 250) nailed
Massey, but he got it off to a wide open Jeffrey "JT" King. King broke one
and then two tackles and it was good-bye 52 yards and a score. This was the
first quarter. The second stanza proved to be different as the Pioneers came
to life. They made two nice drives ended with TDs of 6 and 9 for Jr. RB
Mikal Jones (19-112). Jones who has missed a few games showed what teams
will have to prepare for next season. The score now is 15-12 Frankford going
into the half. In the second half defense took over and Frankford seemed to
hold onto the ball longer and made less turnovers. Massey threw 2 INTs in
the 4th quarter, one to Sr. DB Arnold Mullins and the other to Jr.
bronecrushing, DB Adam Hartman. Massey's finishing line was 4-12 119 yards
2TDs 2INTs. Other stars for the Pioneers were Sr. RB Marcus "Dink" Waddy
(17-100) and on defense Michael Humbert was better than I thought when I
looked at the numbers. He only made one tackle, but I recorded him for 3
tipped balls at the line of scrimmage, 6 QB hurries and on 4 of the hurries
he knocked the QB down. The Coaches say that he doesn't even work hard or
lift like he should. I had a hunch about that. Nevertheless, he's a physical
specimen and has Freak of Nature possibilities. He's quick as a cat. He
looks like he could grow a few more inches. I could see him being a monster
by next season and being the best Prospect in the city. He's a menace as it
seems that he's in the backfield on every play. Big, Tracy Williams also was
good as he made 7 total stops. He really became a menace when G-Town's tough
Jr. FB/DB Omar McDonnaugh yelled to the sideline in the 4th Quarter, "Amauro
why y'all rank him so high, he's trash." I would have loved to see Omar get
the ball after he said that, but he just took it out on J.T tackling him
three times. He outweighs King 350 to 150 and has a height advantage of 6-5
to 5-9. The hit of the day goes to Arnold Mullins as he crowned Jr WR Akil
Stokes on what would have been a sure TD if he didn't in the 3rd quarter.
Stokes laid down for a few minutes with the wind knocked out of him. For
G-Town, Aaron "Cheez" Calhoun had success running with 7 carries for 90
yards, but seemed to be banged up late in the first half. Had he played in
the second half, they may have won this one. Frankford couldn't stop him.
The play of the day goes to fast Sr. WR Loren Thomas as he scorched Waddy
deep for 48 yards by making an awesome in stride over-the-shoulder grab. The
bear couldn't cash in though. On Defense, the aforementioned McDonnaugh (5-9
155) was awesome. He made 17 total stops (11 were solos). Sr. FS Sir James
Burke (6-2 165) was also good he was in on 7 tackles. Sr. DE Brent Fisher
made 4 stops and 1 sack and Jeffrey "JT" King made 6 stops. Next week is
Turkey Day and boy I can't wait. Frankford has North Catholic and The G-Town
Gang takes on their hated rival King. Both are great rivalries.

NOV. 9
PUBLIC LEAGUE QUARTERFINAL
Bartram 6, King 0 (OT)
The last time, I covered a Bartram game, Jr. Chironn "Goober" Davis (5-9
170 RIGHT!), The Maroon Wave's emptional leader and top back, was out with a
serious back injury. Bartram overtook U-City and my headlines were, this one
was for "Goober." Well in this spirited defensive struggle of a playoff
game I must say that this one was all about "Goober." Early on "Goober
looked tentative and myself and Philadelphia Tribune High School Sports
Writer, Donald Hunt both agreed in unison, "that he shouldn't be out there."
At the 3:44 mark of the 4th quarter, boy would he prove us wrong. That was
the beginning of Bartram's third drive of the quarter. The first two were
three plays and out. "Goober" carried the ball for 11 straight plays gaining
63 yards. He was a man possessed. The drive wound up being a 10:14 drive
with "Goober" going 14 for 70. The Maroon couldn't get the ball in as they
were stranded on the 3 yard line by the stingy and I mean stingy Cougar
defense. Boy was this a great sign though for things to come as "Goober" had
heard that 11th round Bell and he had awoken. This game could have been
broken open early though as stud Sr. WR/FS Romar Drake bobbled and bobbled
and bobbled a pass in the first quarter from Jr. Backup QB Hanif Long (5-10
165) that would have been 6 with his speed. He bobbled the ball until King
Jr. S/CB Dion "Flee" Whittington snatched it from him for the first of
Bartram's 4 INTs. Whittington made an awesome play as Drake had two steps on
him. Whittington's fast (4.5ish, maybe a bit faster), but I don't know if
anybody in the city can catch Drake in the open field. Drake was a nonfactor
on offense on this day. He never got a chance top make another play.
Hwoever, after that long Bartram drive only 5:33 remained in the 4th and
King took over on their own 3 yard line. There was no way that they could
score from here. They would up going three and out and punting to their 35.
This looked like it would set up the Maroon Wave for a game winner at 2:50.
On the first play of the drive, Long threw an errant pass that was picked
off by King Sr. DB Frank White. The Cougars once again went three and out
and punted. There was 1:00 left for the Maroon on their own 46. Back in
comes wounded Sr. QB Phil Evans. He had played earlier, but really had no
business out there as he couldn't even run. He shortarmed a ball intended
for Drake who once again had his man beat that was picked off by King Sr. S
Donald "DJ" Jefferson. To Overtime, we went. King won the toss and elected
to take the ball first. They went 4 and out. On the 4th play, they tried
what looked like a fake field goal, but could have been a bad snap to no
avail. Now it was Bartram's turn and they could put this one in the books.
Their first play was a 3 yard loss for "Goober." On the next play, "Goober"
had got out into the flat and was thrown a a lob pass over the lines from
long. He caught it around the 6 yard line, made one cut and next thing you
knew everyone ran out of the stands for a wild celebration. "Goober" was the
hero. He gave Bartram one more week to reach their dream. One thing is for
sure and that is without Evans next week, they don't stand a chance. If he
tries to go against one of those teams, he is going to get hit. I hope that
he is ready because then we'll see the Maroon at their best. "Goober"
finished with 20 carries for 67 yards and 2 catches for 14 yards. He also
threw an interception on a TB option. On defense Bartram had many bright
lights. Ian "E-Man" Greaves was in on 7 tackles (3 for L's). He played a
spirited game. Sr. DE Maurice Kelley also was a bear. He was in on 10 stops.
Romar Drake made some 3 big gain saving tackles. Jr. ILB Marvin Snipes and
Sr. OLB Hakim Groomes had 5 stops apiece. Groomes had 2 for losses and a
sack. King was led by the running for Jefferson. DJ ran 21 times for 70
yards. He was nonexistent down the stretch though. Whittington also had his
moments.
Once again Sr. DT Gary Dunlap proved why I feel that he was the best player
on this team. He was an animal. he made 5 total stops and had 2 punishing
sacks. The other Sr. DT Sterling Glynn was also good. He made 5 stops. Sr.
LB Benjamin Greer was also good with 5 solo tackles. I must say that for
some strange reason I love covering Bartram athletics. Whoever said that,
"Bartram is a school with a negative image" is a joke. They are always
spirited and always put on a good show for the crowd. There was also a very
nice gesture for this game as a small clock was used on the field at the
58th st. end. There could be no cheating on time in this one. I also had to
get a quote from one of the Maroon after the game and why not get the glue
to this team, Sr. K/P/TE/OG/LB Ian "E-Man" Greaves, a kid who as I said
before that I've known forever. I asked Greaves what he had to say about the
win. He said, "Nobody thought we would win. We kicked @$$. I'm out. See you
next week." You are right about one thing Ian, I will see you guys next
week.

NOV. 6
MORE SUPERLATIVES . . .
SIGNAL CALLER
   Sean McGovern 6-2 180 Cardinal Dougherty- imagine this kid on a good team.
He'd be murder. He's already tough for opposing defenses as he has a gun and
he has great vision. He could go in the Big East.
BRUISING BACKS
   Chris Poindexter 5-7 180 Northeast- a terror to bring down. he must have the
strongest legs in the city. he just runs so hard. 1-AA schools should be all
over him.
   Ryan Gore 5-11 205 Washington- Gore may project as a DB in college, but at
TB he bruises. He never gets taken down my the first tackler and always gets
productive yardage.
SPEED BURNERS
   Omar Sanders 5-9 175 QB Overbrook- pound for pound he's one of the better
QBs in the city. He has a rocket arm. He's a natural under Center. He's just
5-9. He also runs a 4.3/40 and is a 'Brook track star. D2's should
come-a-knockin.
   Jeffrey "J.T" King 5-9 155 DB Germantown- JT runs a 4.4 and packs a wallop
for a little guy. On O, when he gets in the open field forget about it.
   James Jefferson 6-0 175 RB Cardinal Dougherty- fastest player on a team full
of speed. Probably not a natural football player, but could be the fastest
kid in the city.
PROSPECTS
Upper Classes
   Kyle Bell 6-3 195 DB/WR Washington- he could play either WR or DB at the
next level. I think he's that good. He's probably the best Sr. Prospect in
the League.
   Boe Davis 6-4 290 DT Franklin- the best DL in the city. He looks uninspired
at times, but seems to make big plays whenever needed. He'll play in the Big
East as well.
   Richard Mink 6-5 265 DT Jr. Bartram- saw him once and he looked like a
player. I'll see him again this weekend to make a second evaluation.
Lower Classes
   Raymond Williams 6-0 305 T Soph. Frankford- Big kid, who has some agility
and some skills.
   Jeremy Benson 5-10 175 DB Soph. Frankford- The Pioneers have the best young
talent in the area. This kid starts at LB for them, but looks to be more of
a safety. He hits hard and covers well.
TOUGH MEN
   Darien "Party" Hardy 5-11 185 RB Northeast- "Party" is a consummate
competitor. I don't think I've seen him play healthy all season. He still
manages to give maximum effort and hit holes like a freight train. He's
fearless and should play 1-A ball be it in the Big East, C-USA or the ACC.
   Londale Walden 5-9 210 NG Northeast- Walden is the emotional leader on this
team. he's quick as a cat and seems to make play after play from sideline to
sideline. I see him as a D2 OLB.
   Slaven Simunovic 6-2 225 DE Central- tough guy of all tough guys. He is the
nut that every team needs. He does your dirty work and does it well.
   Michael Van Allen 6-4 180 DB/TE Washington- this kid is the most under-rated
player in the city. He's got suction cup hands and he hit hard on defense.
He is GW's MVP this season and I think he can play 1-AA ball.
HARD HITTERS
   Maurice Bennett 5-10 220 LB Washington- Bennett is a bone collector and the
first player to start at GW for 4 years ever. He's GW's leader by example.
   Terrell Roper 6-0 215 LB West Phila- Roper keeps hitting and coming for a
full game. He is just another one of the hard-hitting Speedboys.
   Brian Greene 5-11 180 DB West Phila- coaches call him their MVP and say that
he actually hits harder than their best player, Cotton. They feel that he's
a 1-AA DB. He played a great game against NE.
   Joseph Smith 6-1 210 LB Bartram- He could easily add 20 to 30-lbs. he could
be a 1-A caliber prospect. Guys walk off the field limping after he hits them.
BLOCKERS OF THE SUN
   Leo Taveras 6-7 350 T Cardinal Dougherty
   Chris Lippolis 6-4 320 T Abraham Lincoln
   Dorian Brewer 6-4 375 DT Germantown

NOV. 2
PUBLIC LEAGUE
King 8, Franklin 0
When playoff implications are swirling, anxiety begins to build. The
lights come on, as I like to say, and the big-time players step to the
forefront. In this one, I began to worry. It seemed that for almost a full
game that nobody wanted this game. This one can be described in two words,
FUMBLE FEST. There were 5 total fumbles, two were for losses. Defense was
also chief as neither team could really move the ball. I guess this was how
a game with so much on the line was supposed to be -- a war, a dog fight. This
one wasn't decided until there were 28 seconds left on the clock. Let me
create a picture for you: Franklin Sr. QB, Aleem Medley (6-1 190) had just
made two completions to get deep in Cougar territory within the game's final
minute. From the 11 yard line on 1st down, Medley was all but sacked on the
20 by Sr. DT Gary Dunlap, who played an outstanding game with 5 tackles, 2
sacks and many other disruptions. He tried to get rid of the ball and out of
no where comes Sr. OLB Lance Burnett and picks the ball off on the 13,
GOODBYE! Burnett raced 87 yards with many of his teammates around him to the
house. Medley stretched out on the field in tears. He laid there for 5
minutes. This was how a game of this magnitude was supposed to end. For the
winner, Jr. QB Dion "Flea" Whittington was good as he ran 9 times for 47
yards. Sr. RB Donald "DJ" Jefferson, a possible 1-AA back, never got rolling.
Fast, Sr. RB/DB Michael Leslie (5-11 185), another 1-AA caliber prospect,
had a nightmare of a game. The other defensive stars were Sr. LB Benjamin
Greer with 7 tackles and a sack and Jr. LB Kevin Snyder (5-9 205) with 12
total stops. He was everywhere. For Franklin, Jr. RB Kareem Moore (5-10 195)
rushed 11 times for 52 yards. On defense, Sr. LB Jaryn Warren made 4
tackles and 2 sacks. Top-notch, Sr. DT Boe Davis (6-4 290) played with a
banged up knee, but still made big plays when needed to as he made 5 stops.
Jr. DE Bryant Jennings (6-2 230) made 9 tackles. Though this one was sloppy,
it was kind of fun as both teams played hard and showed pride. I felt sorry
for Franklin Sr. QB Aleem Medley. He sulked for at least a half hour. As I
went to console him, he cried, "It's my fault, It's my fault." No Aleem it's
not your fault, you played your heart out. This is what makes me love High
School athletics: the pride, the emotion, the love.

NOV. 1
PUBLIC LEAGUE
Northeast 21, West 7
Never sleep on your opponent. That's the mindset that Northeast had to
leave with fter the Speedboys of West Philly outplayed them for a
full half. The Vikings came out with no spirit or emotion. Plus the fact
that their starting backfield of Srs. Darien "Party" Hardy and Chris
Poindexter didn't start due to nagging injuries. Also NG and emotional
leader, Sr. Londale Walden dressed, but did not play because of a knee
injury. The Speedboys jumped on the Vikes early as Sr. QB Elijah Cosby-Jones
(4-for-6 82 yards) threw a screen pass while rolling out and being hurried
by a host of Vikings led by Harry Max and Adam Bostick hitting Sr. RB,
Jerome Johnson (5-11 170) who ran for 63 yards and a score. Northeast was
stunned. The Speedboys finally exposed the Viking Weakness on defense. There
is no way that you can run on these guys. They cover ground faster than a
blizzard and they plug holes like a sewing machine. Their weakness, however
is speed in the passing game. The Viking corners are very good, but not
great and they are small. To make a long story short, they can be beat and a
team with speed, discipline and toughness could do it. On this day, West went
without its best player in Sr. DE/FS/OLB DeShone "Stink" Cotton (6-4 225)
who was out for disciplinary reasons. I get the feeling if he were here the
game would have been that much more interesting because when West had the
Vikes on their heels they just couldn't make anything happen. He is the one
kid that makes plays on this team and has that killer instinct.
After the Speedboy score, Hardy and Poindexter quickly got better and both
turned in very good outputs. Hardy, who noticeably limped, still ran hard on
every play and hit holes with reckless abandon. He got the Vikes on the
scoreboard on their first drive of the second half with a 15 yard score. He
ended up with 20 carries for 121 yards. Poindexter was today's star. He ran
17 times for 119 yards and 2 scores. The Speedboys had all kinds of trouble
bringing him down. That's where Cotton would have come in. He thrives in the
tackling department. As does Sr. LB, Terrell Roper (6-0 215). Roper made 14
total stops and just seemed to be on every play. Sr. CB, Brian Greene (6-0
180) was the other Speedboy defensive star as he made 9 total stops (7 solo,
3 losses). For the winners, Adam Bostic was impressive. He was in the
backfield on many occasions and he made the sack to end West's final drive.
Everyone else came with full blast in a balanced defensive attack. Here's
the telling stat: West only ran 9 total plays in the second half. NE plays
NY Giant type football. It's not the most exciting brand of ball, but you
have to give them their props because they get it done. I had a feeling this
game would be like this. NE was on such a high that they had to be brought
back to life and West is the type of team who doesn't care who you are they
are going to leave their mark. We'll see if this was what the Vikes needed
going into the playoffs or was this a sign of the season weighing on them.
We'll see because it's crunch time.

OCT. 27
PUBLIC LEAGUE
Germantown 26, Gratz 8
This was a Big Time rivalry game. Almost as big as King and The G. The
G-Town Gang coasted in this one Early! and often. They were led by Sr.
speedy RB, Jeffrey "J.T." King with 9 carries for 110 yards and a score. His
partner Sr. RB, Aaron "Cheez" Calhoun has seen better days as he had 8
carries for 3 yards and then went down from a hit to the neck. He was
all right, but in a little pain. Jr. QB, Raymond Massey (6-1 165) was solid. He
went 5-for-11 for 81 yards and a TD. His main guy was Jr. AP-Back, Taurean
Fillmore (5-7 140). Filmore caught 3 balls for 62 yards. On defense, the DT
tandem of Sr. Mahdi Bey (5-10 290) and Jr. Paul Johnson (5-11 280) were very
good. Johnson plays a mean NG, he gives opposing Centers fits. While Bey
made 3 Big tackles, contributed on the lone sack and just wreaked havoc in
the Bulldog backfield. I would like to see more from Big 6-4 370-lb Jr.
two-way lineman, Dorian Brewer. He got in a few plays, but then disappeared.
He reminds me of Gregory "Cheez" Thomas (West Catholic 97') Thomas was
learned to be the biggest lineman in the state in 97' at 6-6 400-lbs. Sr.
LB, Carlton "Cookie" Thomas (5-10 185) seemed to be the toughest player. He hits and
hits and hits. He has the cut your heart out attitude. He made 5 solo
tackles with one for a loss and collaborated with Bey for the sack.
For the Bulldogs, Jr backs Tyree Watson (5-11 165, 18-for-63 TD) and
Voncell Harrigan (5-11 185 11-for-50) were solid. The Dawgs were without
their top runner, speedy Soph. Vondell Parson who is out for the season with
a broken bone in his right foot that he suffered against Dobbins. Parson is
promising. On D, Harrigan was not as active as when I saw him last, but he
still was in on 5 tackles. Jr. OLB, Robbie Spivey (6-1 185) made 6 stops, 2
being for losses. Soph. DE, Quaire Miles (6-1 210) made 5 stops with 2 for
losses and the Big Fella, 6-3 346-lb Sr. DT, Vincent "School Shirt" Turner
was very active with 6 tackles with two being for losses. The big guy is
very nimble and should be looked at by all 1-AA schools. He could blossom
into a nice player.

OCT. 26
PUBLIC LEAGUE
Frankford 40, Lincoln 6
This was the Marcus Waddy show. Frankford's diminutive Sr. feature
back went for 4 TD's(3 runs, 1 rec.) and 175 All-Purpose yards. On runs
Waddy ran 13 times for 151 yards. On this day, he was without his normal
tag-team partner, Jr. back, Mikal Jones who was out sick so it was all his
show. However, Soph. FB, Jeremy Benson (5-10 185) picked up the slack for
Jones with 10 for 67. Waddy had TD runs of 33, 57 and 11 and a beautiful
screen pass from stud Jr. Darrell "DJ" Turner (6-5 195) for 24 yards. Turner
went 3-8 for 95 yards and 2 TD passes. He also ran twice for 12 yards and a
score. This kid has big time potential as he is a natural QB with tools that
you just can't teach. His second TD Pass was a rocket to Jr. AP-Back/Tough
Guy, Adam Hartman for 55 yards. On defense for the Pioneers Hartman was
tough as he made 5 solo tackles. Big, Sr. two-way lineman, Tracy Williams
made 2 TFLs. Star Jr. DE, Michael Humbert (6-6 250), who I feel is the best
Pioneer, was disciplined in the first half and only got in one play. He was a
menace in the second as he seemed to be in the Railspitter backfield on
every play. That kid has the quickness and the body to play at the Highest
level in College. I love the fact that he has one more year so that I get to
watch him more. Lincoln hung tough in the first half, but reality set in the
second. On offense, they were led by soph Mike McIlwain with 26 carries for 110 yards and
the lone TD. On defense, both #22 (not on roster) and Soph. DT, Phil Endicott made 8
tackles. Endicott is a good story because he is a deaf kid. He starts as a
Soph. on Defense and Special Teams. He really gets after it out there. He
seemed to be everywhere. Lincoln has many injuries. The most important
seemed to be to 5-11 185-lb Sr. RB, Shahfin Timmons. Many say that Timmons
is one of the more underrated backs in the city and that if he went to one
of the glamor programs in the Pub, he'd be known by all. Well next week it's
the biggest game of the year probably in the Pub as Frankford heads up to
the deep Northeast to meet Washington. That will determine the final playoff
spot in tough Division A.

OCT. 26
PUBLIC LEAGUE
Northeast 8, Washington 0
     One question I always like to pose to a Student athlete is, "How do you
perform when the lights are on." I love Big game performers more than
anything. When I got to Cottman and Algon at 5:30 on Friday night, the
lights were on and there was a Big Game aura. Northeast head coach, Brew
Schumer made the statement of the season in his Pre Game talk with the Team.
He told his players, "This is the greatest game in the world. Go out and
play hard and leave everything you got on the field. This is business." This
statement will stick with me for the rest of my life because my ideal
athlete plays hard and leaves everything they have on the field of battle.
There were over 3,000 fans in attendance. It had to be around 20 degrees on
the field, but so what, this is football and I wouldn't have had it any
other way. Though at the half I did jokingly ask NE Athletic Director and
Boys B-Ball Coach, Elsa Cohen to turn the heat up out there. Nevertheless,
this was the Big Show at the Big House and I was just happy to be there.
     NE controlled this one early and often. They were led by the running of
their D-1 Back, Sr., Darien "Party" Hardy. The Party animal was wired for
this one. He ran 19 times for 100 yards. He ran harder than a rock and
seemed to break the first tackle every time he ran. He gets game ball #1.
Game ball #2 goes to one of the two defensive stars, Sr. NG, Londale
Walden (5-9 205). Walden was outstanding. He was everywhere on the field. he
made 3 solo tackles and assisted in 2 sacks. He also recovered the game
winning fumble and went 12 yards to the house. That's all NE needed, Viking
gang 8-0 after the conversion, Early! Game ball #3 goes to NE Jr. Punter,
Steven Sandberg. Sandberg made 5 Punts with a 36 yard average, but 4 of the
Punts were conveniently placed inside the Washington 10 yard line. The Final
Game ball goes to the man with the painted face, Sr. DE, Adam Bostic (6-3
210). Bostic looked like a wrestler, but he made the game saving sack/forced
fumble/fumble recovery to end the game with GW making a productive drive. He
made 3 tackles as well. Other stars for NE's stingy D were fiesty Jr. CB,
Eric Clark (6-0 160) with 2 tackles and an interception. Then there was Sr.
DB, Reggie Rittenburg who was in on 6 tackles and made a sack. Lastly, there
was Sr. DE, David Montgomery (6-0 225) with 3 sacks.
     For GW, nobody really got into a rhythm on O. Strong, Sr. RB Ryan
Gore (5-11 205), who is getting solid D1-A attention was below average with 8
carries for 36 yards. Sr. FB, Maurice Bennett (5-10 220) was nonexistent with
1 carry for 2 yards. Jr. QB. Marcus Kennedy went 8-15 for 78 yards and an
INT. Star Sr. WR, Kyle Bell (6-3 195) caught 5 balls for 69 yards. Bell is a
Big Timer. He goes over the middle at will and he has superb hands and body
control. On defense, there were two star Eagles. The first was one of my new
favorites, the under-rated forgotten man in the equation, Sr. TE/S, Michael
Van Allen. On O, Van Allen may have the best hands in the city. On D, he
punishes runners with his hard hits. He was in on 6 tackles. Then there was
Bennett who was in on 5 tackles from his LB position.
    This was a great game with a great atmosphere. I'd like to see how the
Eagles bounce back next week against a tough Frankford squad in an even
bigger game. This one has major league playoff implications and in a way is
a playoff game as it's for the final spot.

Amauro's Football Superlatives
(These are the top guys that I have seen to
date. I will add to these lists about twice more as the season goes on.)
THE SIGNAL CALLERS
   Kareem Jeffreys 6-3 190 Sr. Bok Tech- saw him once and that may have been
the worst game of his career and I still think that he is the best QB
Prospect in the City. Why? He has size, athleticism, a strong arm and speed.
He's today's Prototype.
   Greg Hennigar 6-3 200 Sr. Father Judge- Haven't seen them all, but can't
imagine anyone in the city being more efficient. He spreads the ball around
and he's a winner.
   Phil Evans 6-1 205 Sr. John Bartram- Evans has a rocket. He may have the
strongest arm around and he's as strong as an ox. His deep balls are
beautiful. Has some MEAC Schools looking, 1-AA which I know a whole lot
about after being at Hampton for 2 years. Evans could be very good in that
conference.
   Dion Whittington 6-2+ 195 Jr. Martin Luther King- not sure if he's a true
QB, but he's a menace from under Center. He has to run somewhere between a
4.4 and a 4.5 and he's very strong and sturdy. Next year will be his year.
He could be the City's best by then.
   Darrell "DJ" Turner 6-5 195 Jr. Frankford- probably the best QB Prospect in
the Jr. Class. He's a pocket QB, who is bigger and stronger than his weight
suggests. I'm going to keep watching.
BRUISING BACKS
   Chris DeShields 5-10 195 Sr. Mastbaum Tech- may be the city's best player.
Just feed and feed him and feed him. As I said, I'm not sure he can't go in
the Big East. He would have to wait his turn, but... He punishes tacklers,
4.56 40 speed.
   Donald "DJ" Jefferson 5-11 185 Sr. Martin Luther King- DJ runs hard. He's
Mr. Stiff Arm himself. He gets many carries and always pops up. One of the
City's best.
   Kevin Cheely 5-11 200 Sr. Bok Tech- Mr. Off tackle left abuses tacklers. He
runs hard. He too, uses that Stiff arm well.
   Jamar Little 5-5 160 Sr. North Catholic- this bowling ball is tough to bring
down. He's short, but strong and low. He rarely goes down from the first
tackler.
   Chris Scott-Peters 6-2 220 Sr. St. John Neumann- this big converted
Fullback may have found himself a new full time gig for after high school.
When I saw him, he was a major force.
   Khalif Boldin 5-9 180 Jr. Dobbins Tech- Next year, he'll be in my City Top 5
backs. He's the perfect Combo of Speed and strength. He lays out punishment
as well.
SPEED BURNERS
   Romar Drake 6-2 190 WR/DB John Bartram- this kid has 4.4 speed and a big
time vertical. In the open field, forget it. I think he's a D1-A. He's built
like Chafie Fields(Mastbaum 95', Penn St.) Not saying he's that good, but
they have very similar styles and builds.
   Anthony Vanderhorst 5-10 185 DB/WR West Philly- runs like lightning. One of
the fastest kids in the city at around 4.4. I'd love to watch him play DB in
college, he has the tools to play 1-AA.
   Kaloma Cardwell 5-10 175 QB Central- I don't know where he'll play in
college, but he may have been the fastest kid I've seen all year. With the
ball, he's a blur. I guess he's just an athlete that you have to play
somewhere.
   Marcus Waddy 5-8 150 RB Frankford- this little kid also runs like the wind.
Doesn't get that many reps because of size, but when he does and gets
outside its going to the house.
   Jonathan Jackson 6-0 170 WR/DB Jr. West Catholic- may be the Burrs fastest
player on a team full of Speed. If he puts in the work, he could be an
outstanding wide-out.
BLOCKERS OF THE SUN
Tracy Williams 6-5 350 T Sr. Frankford
Rupert Sylvester 6-8 360 T/G Sr. West Catholic
Vincent Turner 6-3 346 T Sr. Simon Gratz
George Smith 6-2 320 T Sr. Simon Gratz
Ed McDuffie 6-5 310 T Sr. St.John Neumann
Andre Fallen 6-2 329 T Jr. Northeast
Ryan "Goose" Nase 6-3 310 Sr. T Father Judge
John "Fat Ringo" Gaynor 6-1 305 Sr. T Father Judge
Darryl Watson 6-1 305 Jr. T West Philly
JACKS OF ALL TRADES
   Barren Grier 6-3 185 Sr. Dobbins Tech- plays QB these days, but could be
more of a WR or FS with his 4.4/4.5 speed. He as well could be a D1/1-AA.
What doesn't he do. I'm still trying to figure it out.
   Jim McAteer 6-0 175 Sr. Father Judge- another kid who is just an invaluable
untility player. Does a little bit of everything for the 'Saders.
HARD HITTERS
   DeShone "Stink" Cotton 6-3 205 DE/OLB/FS Sr. West Philly- the stink man is
my favorite player in the city. He cleans clocks for a living, sometimes
with his patented wrestling moves. He may be the toughest kid in the city
mentally. He's as slow as molasses, but he can go to war for me all day. He
does whatever you need him to do. You love him when he's on your team and
hate him when he's not.
   Mike "Pio" Piotrowicz 6-1 215 OLB Sr. North Catholic- RB's don't leave the
game feeling too good after playing against this kid. He reminds me of Tommy
Eisenhower(West Catholic 96'). He hits one way for 48 minutes game, game in
and game out, and that's H.A.R.D.
   Marcellaus Barnes 6-3 180 FS Sr. Bok Tech- another kid who will hit you all
day. You can tell that his eyes get big when a receiver comes over the
middle. He's a gamer.
   Charles Tyler 5-11 190 LB Sr. Roxborough- his future is at Safety, but he
hits hard at this level from LB. He is in on every play. Chris Deshields
should know who he is, he tackled him about 11 times.
TOUGH MEN
   Robert Ramsey 5-8 160 AP Back Jr. West Cathlic- he's is fast(probably just
as fast as Jackson), he is versatile(plays everywhere from RB to Slot man to
Return man to CB), but the one thing that I like about this small package is
that pound for pound, he's one of the 5 toughest kids in the city.
   Elijah Cosby-Jones 6-2 210 LB/QB Sr. West Philly- this kid could be a QB in
college, but OLB may be his future. He smacks people. He's like a silent
assasain. On O, he gets hit and just gets up, sometimes limping, but he gets
up.
   Bruce Morris 5-10 220 QB/RB Sr. University City- this kid can play
somewhere. he takes a beating play in and play out and doesn't quit. I would
love to see him on a good team. It would really show how good he is.
   Adam Hartman 5-10 170 RB/FS Jr. Frankford- he's the toughest Pioneer. He
murders people on D. I thin he is also the glue to the Pioneers. He's a
playmaker. a game changer. When the flow of the game is going one way, he
does something to make it go the other.
   Vincent Pisano & Trama DL Srs Bok Tech- these guys are 5-4 and 5-5 180
respectively and they mix it up in the trenches. I have a hunch that they
wouldn't have it any other way. These guys are the Vocal Leaders of the
Wildcats. They are invaluable as every team needs guys like them.
OTHER PROSPECTS
UPPER CLASSES
   Michael Humbert 6-6 250 DE/TE Jr. Frankford- this kid is probably the best
prospect in the city in the Jr. Class. He's even bigger than he's listed. He
has tools that you just can't teach. he's got the body to play at the
highest level.
   William Ortiz 5-6 145 K Sr. West Philly- this kid kicks FG's from 50 with
ease in warmups. Best kicker in the city.
   Tariq Sanders 6-6 285 DT Sr. Central- another big boy, who can stand to put
even more weight on and is probably still growing laterally as he's only 16.
1-A's are probably intrigued becuase of his age, size and the fact that he
probably has grades.
   Kyle Rider 6-6 270 DT Sr. Roxborough- another big boy who could be a very
good prospect. He didn't play when I saw the Indians, but from the looks of
him, he could put on 30 more pounds without being out of shape.
   Richard Cheek 6-3 265 DE Sr. Roxborough- a menace for Tackles as he seems to
always be in the backfield or chasing down runners. He's decptively quick
and very strong.
   Tyrique Johnson 6-3 275 T Sr. Bok Tech- another kid who could be better down
the line. He's an outstanding run blocker. He too could easily add weight
without hurting ability or conditioning. He is one of the more ready lineman
for college around.
LOWER CLASSES
   Curtis "Boonah" Brinkley 5-9 170 RB Soph. West Catholic- he may be the best
youngster in the area. He is one of the top 5 backs in the city right now.
He's not lightnong quick, but runs the 40 in 4.5 and just gets stronger and
faster as he gets down the field.
   Peter Zoltowski 6-3 300 OL Soph. Northeast- backup Center for NE, could be
truely a big-un before he's done there.
   Quindel Ladson 6-0 195 LB/FB Soph. Central- this kid is already an animal.
He is everywhere on the field even places that he's not supposed to be. I
can't wait to see him again.
   Charlie Evans 6-2 170 QB Soph. North Catholic- this youngster is getting
valuable time playing at the highest level for the Falcons.
He will very good next year.
   Vondell Parson 5-9 155 RB/DB Soph. Simon Gratz- he has shake and bake moves
and he is fast. He'll be one of the faster guys around as he grows and gets
older. He's also tough beyond his years.
   Voncell Harrigan 6-0 210 MLB/FB Soph. Simon Gratz- another tough Puppy Dog.
This plays middle linebacker, but you would swear that he were a rover
because he's everywhere. He'll be coming to a backfield near you.
   Frank Pirotta 6-0 210 LB Fr. West Catholic- already physical and tough well
beyond his years. I just hope he hasn't peaked. If not, he will be another
solid prospect for the Burrs. He also already hits to kill.
   Marquis Slocumb 6-5+ 303 T Fr. St. John Neumann- this kid has a major league
mean streak and ain't out of shape for football, nuff said.

OCT. 19
PUBLIC LEAGUE
King 30, Edison 0
There was nothing good to talk about in this one. King played listlessly
throughout and clearly lacked motivation. Edison played hard, but just
didn't have the personnel to compete. Then there was a near tragedy on the
field. Edison's 6-6 190-lb Jr. WR/DE, Byron Dessiso went down at 2:30 of the
2nd Quarter after a pile up. I appeared that he took at hit to the back. He
didn't move for about a half an hour. Finally the Ambulance came, along with
his hysterical mother (and rightfully so). He began to move his arms and
legs, but when he saw his mom so upset, he got upset. It was an ugly
situation. I hope that Dessiso, who is also said to be a promising
basketball player, has a speedy recovery. All you could hear from the Cougar
sideline was Coach Warren yelling at his kids about not respecting the young
Owls. It didn't seem that they respected them because Edison hung tough for
the 1st quarter. But in the 2nd, reality began to set and the Cougars scored
on two straight drives. The first score was a two-yard TD run by star Sr.
runner, Donald "DJ" Jefferson (23C 94Y). Jefferson, who has had much acclaim
in our Random thoughts, ironically had to work for everything against a
mediocre team. However, his partner Sr. AP-Back, Michael Leslie (6-0 185)
picked up the slack to the tune of 7 carries for 87 yards and a score. Jr.
QB Dion Whittington was a menace to catch on his roll out runs. He carried the
ball 11 times for 38 yards and a TD, but lost many yards because he was
sacked 3 times and fumbled two snaps. I'd like to see him throw the ball
more though. He did complete his only pass of the day for 1 yard to
Jefferson. His body and speed (around 4.4/40) scream athletic. He is a
college prospect at wherever you want to put him because of this. Wherever
that is, I don't know. Though it could be WR, CB, KR or S. King totaled 245
yards Rushing and 15 first downs to Edison's -1 and 1. The lone defensive
star for the Cougars was Sr. DT, Gary Dunlap with 4 tackles and 2 sacks. For
the Owls, there are only 2 Seniors. Dessiso, 6-8 220-lb Jr. TE/DE, Maurice
"Wall" Williams and 6-4 270-lb Jr. David Eshun are the frontcourt on the
basketball team. None played much today. As Dessiso got hurt, Eshun
reaggravated a knee injury and Williams only played in 3 plays for a
disciplinary reason. Williams is intriguing. He's every bit of 6-8 and he
ain't bad. He lacks confidence though and seems kind of disinterested. The
Owls best two players were Freshman. On Offense, it was 14-year-old Fr. RB,
Aaron Harper (5-11 170). Harper is already strong. He eats the first hit and
keeps his legs moving. He ran 9 times for 35 yards. On Defense, there were a
few good players. But the freshman again were king. Harper made 5 tackles (2
for losses) and 5-10 200-lb MG, Isaias Woodard made 6 solo tackles (2 for
losses) and 2 sacks. He was everywhere. He could be a very good player. Big
Jr. DT, Julian Tabor was also good. He made 7 tackles with 3 for losses.
Also Jr. LB, Willie Harley (5-10 190), Jr. DB, Keith Powell (5-9 160) and Sr.
LB, Wilfredo Rios (5-11 180) had 7 tackles apiece. That was pretty much it.
With some hard work, this Edison team could be competitive next year. They
will have just about everybody back.

OCT. 18
PUBLIC LEAGUE
Mastbaum 19, Roxborough 8
25 Off Tackle left, 25 off tackle right, 25 power, 25 sweep left. If you
don't get my drift, that's what it seemed like Mastbaum Coach John Murphy
had in his playbook in yesterday's 19-8 victory over Roxborough. Who is #25?
Well none other than Sr. RB Chris DeShields (5-10 195). DeShields is a stud.
He ran a total of 38 times for 230 yards and 2 TDs. During the decisive 3rd
Quarter Drive with Mastbaum down, 8-7, DeShields ran all 6 plays for 83 yards
and a 42 yard score at the 1:57 mark. The Panthers never again were
threatened. They were only in this situation because of a fluke play by the
Indians. Young, promising Soph. QB, Raymon Taft (6-1 165) short-armed a ball
intended for who knows. It was tipped by Sr. LB Rodney Nicholson and then
caught for a 35 yard TD by 5-10 165-lb Jr. RB Brandon Sutton (4 Rec. 45
yards). Then the elusive Taft ran in a two point conversion. What a
sequence. Back to DeShields. He was awesome. He just kept running and
running and running. Out of the 19 Mastbaum offensive plays in the second
half, DeShields ran in 17 of them. He runs harder than anybody I've seen all
year and would be great for a Villanova or a U.Mass or even a Temple (Why
Not?). There were other contributors for the 'Baum. They were Sr. QB Mark
Hansberry (4-7 39 yards) and Speedy, Sr. AP-Back Tony Dyches (2 runs for 32
yards and TD and 3 catches for 39 yards). On Defense, DeShields was once
again the man from his OLB position. He made 6 solo tackles, three were for
losses. Boy did he hit hard. The hardest hit of the game came on the Boro's
first possession. DeShields met Sutton head on and absolutely clobbered him
for a loss of 1. He could definitely play SS for me at the next level. The
other defensive star was Sr. LB Anthony Winder (5-11 180). He as well hit
very hard in making 5 solo tackles. For Taft, there wasn't much more to talk
about on O. Taft, a puppy, went 4-14 for 45 yards with a TD and an INT.
However, on D Sr. Roving LB, Charles Tyler (5-11 180) was all over the place.
As a matter of fact, DeShields should be wearing 65 somewhere on his uniform
as most of the time he was in on the play to bring him down. Tyler recorded
a total of 17 Tackles, 12 solo, and 1 Sack. He's listed as an ILB, but he
was just all over. He's a tough kid who plays for keeps. Roxborough's best
prospect Sr. DE, Richard Cheek (6-3 265) made 6 tackles of his own and
Sutton, who plays FS made 7 tackles. On one play, he was the tackler and the
tacklee as C.D just ran him over. Yet and still, he still played a very good
game. This Roxborough Team wasn't half bad. They played hard and competed.
Especially when you consider that their star Sr. runner, Christopher Smith
only got in 1 play that I can remember for a disciplinary reason and he just
wasn't himself. He fumbled a Punt that could have really blew the game open,
but he recovered. Also another very good Defensive Prospect, Sr. two-way
tackle, Kyle Rider (6-6+ 270) was out with a back/neck injury. He said that
he won't be cleared until Mid-November. I don't know how this Mastbaum team
does it. This has to be one of their smaller teams in recent memory. They
don't have one Big-un. However, they do play very hard, spirited and with a
lot of heart. I guess that's what really matters.

OCT. 12
PUBLIC LEAGUE
King 34, Gratz 20
This was a spirited, hard-hitting, exciting contest with the speedy Cougars
or Martin Luther King high school outlasting the Bulldogs of Simon Gratz,
34-20. The Cougar cause was led by the running speedy, deceptively strong
Sr. back, Donald Jefferson (5-11 185) with 16 rushes for 105 yards and 2 TDs.
On both TD's (35 & 25), Jefferson bullied would-be Bulldog tacklers and then
got a burst of speed and took it to the house. On one play he stiff-armed a
Gratz defender to the ground. On another, he dashed towards the sidelines
and knocked a would-be tackler out of bounds as he went out. He also
recorded 4 tackles on D. King's other back, little quickster, Jr. Kenneth
Barnes (5-6 145) ran 5 times for 82 yards and 2 TDs. He also converted a
two-pointer. If this kid gets to the outside, he's gone. I was impressed
with King's star Jr. QB, Dion Whittington (6-2 190). He didn't have a great
game, but he has a good feel for the game and is very athletic and tough. I
can see him at CB or S in the future. From his strong safety position on
this day, he made three hard stops. He did throw one TD Pass though. It was
a great play. The 'Dogs stacked up the line to play the run and he called a
quick audible and made a short, quick throw over the defense to Sr. WR,
Lance Burnett (6-2 190) for an uncontested 29 yard score. On defense for the
Purple and Gold, the stars were Sr. LB, Benjamin Greer with 5 tackles, Sr. S
Christopher Bolden (5-6 160) with 2 tackles and a sack, forced fumble and
recovery all in one play and Jr. DB, Andre Wooden who picked off a late game
Gratz drive pass to end the game. For the Puppy dogs, I mean Bulldogs, all
was not bad. Their best players are Sophs and Jrs. Their best player in my
estimation was tough, enthusiastic, hard-hitting Soph. MLB, Voncell
Harringan (6-0 210). Harringan recorded 9 tackles. All but two were solo. He
seems to always be in the play or making something happen. On offense he
played Fullback and had much success. He ran the ball 3 times for 22 yards
and a score. He's definitely one to watch. Another tough Bulldog Soph was
speedy TB/CB, Vondell Parson (5-9 155). Parson is tough. he was hit hard
every time he ran and well he gave it out on defense for 3 tackles. He only
ran 15/29, but he did have a 6 yard TD run and an 8 yard catch. It was also
easy to see that he could break one at any given moment. He as well is one
to watch. WR/DB sr. Robbie Spivey also was good for Gratz as he ran back an 80 yard kick
return to start up the Bulldog engine and on defense recorded 6 tackles. I
really liked Jr. weak sideLB, David Williams (6-1 257) He is a prospect as
well. On one sack, he absolutely clobbered Whittington from the blindside.
It looked like the cat chasing the bird. Big SR. two-way tackle, Vincent
"THE SUN BLOCKER" Turner (6-3 346, and every bit of it) had 5 punishing
tackles and Jr. TWL, Dominic Bland (6-0 275) recorded 5 tackles and a sack.
Another very good player for the Bulldogs and maybe the Bulldogs and maybe
their fastest player is Jr. AP-Back, Tyree Watson (5-11 165). Watson almost
broke two kicks in this one. He ran the ball twice for 19 yards, caught a
pass for a two point conversion and many times set up as a slot WR. He
recorded a 2 tackles on D. I'd like to see more of him. He has go to guy
potential. The Bulldog Offensive line is massive. They average 6-2 303-lbs.
They are easily the biggest in the city. A few will make my Blockers of the
Sun Team that will come out next week. Turner is the biggest of them all. He
deserves a look-see. He's big, tough and mean. I'd like to see this Bulldog
Team again by say late November. They gave a very good King team a run for
their money. Here's a shout out to all of the King fans at Ferber Field who
heckled me for the entire second half, "Amauro, write on the Website, Dion
for President!" "What do you mean Rayheem Brown's offense is incomplete."
What fans, what kids. This is only one of the reasons that I love to be a
part of Philadelphia High school Athletics.

OCT. 11
PUBLIC LEAGUE
Bartram 35, University City 6
This one was for "Goober." That is how the kids from the Maroon Wave of
Bartram took yesterday's 35-6 thrashing of University City.
Goober is Bartram's outstanding Jr. RB, Chironn "Goober" Davis. Davis is out
with a serious back injury that could sideline him for the rest of the
season. The one thing about Bartram, be it the Braves or the Maroon Wave,
the guys are always spirited and always put on a good show. The main guy
that stepped up for the wounded Maroon was the generously listed (5-9 165-lb) Sr.
RB Henry Lundy with 9 rushes for 89 yards and a TD. 5-10 195-lb Sr. FB
Hakim Groomes also stepped up to the tune of 6 carries for 41 yards and a
score. Sr. QB Phil Evans (6-1 205) didn't have a great game, but was solid.
He went 4-9 for 104 yards and a TD. He also rushed for a TD. He shows great
mechanics though, is as strong as an ox and has a very strong arm. His
arm-strength showed when he threw a perfect 56-yard strike to the
long-haired, Jr. wide-out, Larry Aikens (6-1 185). Evans is one of the better
QB's in the Pub and a fine athlete. Last but not least, I was left very
impressed with Sr. WR/FS Romar Drake (6-2 195). This kid was the best athlete
on the team. He runs fast, he jumps high, he hits hard, he has good size and
most importantly has outstanding grades. Drake did drop a very catchable
ball and a very catchable INT, but he made up for both at the start of the
second half when he broke the opening kickoff, shucking, jiving and breaking
tackles, for 90 yards and a score. On defense he made three hard stops. His
future could be at receiver or D-back. He's got to be one of the city's
best. Other stars on D for the Wave were Sr. DE Maurice Kelley (6-1 215) with
two sacks, Jr. LB, Marvin Snipes (6-1 205) with 4 tackles and a sack and Sr.
LB Ian Greaves Jr.(6-1 220) with 5 tackles. Greaves is a kid that I've
known forever. I watched him grow up as a youngster and helped toughen him
up. He is a man now. He also handled all of the kicking and punting and was
used as a blocking TE. For UC, the only thing to talk about was the fact
that they scored for the first time this season. Sr. QB/RB Bruce
Morris (5-10 220), the team's best player, rushed 10 times for 78 yards and a
score. The score was a 58-yarder to the outside. he also went 2-5 on passes
for 13 yards. The other Bruce, Bruce Hill, a 5-11 180-lb Jr. DB/RB was a
defensive star with 6 tackles for the Jags. Both of these kids could
probably play somewhere after high school. They were bth tough minded. Once
again the Pub Refs failed. 11 plays in the whole 3rd Quarter, that's a joke!
I wish they would stop cheating these kids, I also wish some of thse
scoreboards would work so they couldn't be cheated. The ironic thing was
that at halftime I was thinking to myself that the refs were very fair on
the time for the first time all season at a Pub game I've been at. Then
there was the 3rd. Boy go figure.

OCT. 5
PUBLIC LEAGUE
Dobbins 6, Central 0
The Story of this one was Turnovers and Penalties. This was an ugly
game. In the first half alone, there were a combined 96 Penalty Yards given
out by the Refs. The Mustangs of Dobbins really dominated this one
throughout. They were led by the hard running of 5-8 175-lb Jr.
RB/DB/KR/K/P Khalif Boldin (17/113, 1 Rec, 30 TD). Boldin does a good job
of getting to the outside and following the lead blocking of Big Patrick
Grant (6-3 260 Sr.), Alfort DeJesus (6-1 245 Sr.) and Cedric McNear (6-0 250
Jr.). Grant made some huge blocks all afternoon. The most key one was the
pulverizing of a Central LB on the screen pass that Boldin scored on. Grant
is a fine football player; a prospect at some level. Boldin could be
special. He also gives out punishment to defenders when he runs. He combines
speed and power. He's one of the better backs I've seen thus far this
season. The 'Stangs QB, Barren Grier, is one of the better athletes in the
city. The 6-3 185-lber is fast (at least a 4.5), elusive and big. I would love
to see him at receiver again. This kid could be a major league sleeper. You
can see that he has great work ethic. He ain't a bad QB either and he's
plays a mean FS. He went 8-for-15 for 82 yards and a TD, 2 INT's. His
favorite receiver was Sr. Kevin Hinton (6-0 175) with 4/26 on all
quick outs. Dobbins' other back, Soph. Jamar Rowley, (5-9 175, RB/LB) also
looks to have some promise. He ran the ball 5 times for 35 yards. On
defense, Rowley recorded 4 tackles and recovered two fumbles. Grier made
some hard hits on D to the tune of 4 tackles. Please come see this kid. He's
a game-changer type, a playmaker. Grant also made a huge sack. He too looks
like he has a very good future somewhere on the football field. This is
ironic because both of these kids are good basketball players as well.
For Central, Jet QB/DB Kaloma Cardwell (5-10 175) was a pest. He ran
the ball 10 times for 39 yards and threw 1-for-5 for 18 yards. That said, he
is a good player. His future looks to be returning kicks and a DB. The only
other guy that I was overly impressed with was Soph. FB/LB Quindel
Ladson (5-11 195). This kid has a promising future if he keeps growing
physically and mentally. He was the Lancers' most mentally tough player. He
ran the ball 6 times for 31 yards and was a load to bring down. On Defense
he was a star with 10 Tackles, an INT and a Fumble recovery. This kid may
have been in on at least 5 more tackles. He's definitely one to watch in the
years to come. He just plays hard. Also on D for the Lancers, Sr. LB Khalil
DuPree (5-10 175) caught an INT and made 3 tackles and Sr. LB John
Mitchell (5-9 190) was in on 6 tackles.
Some other interesting sidebars to the game were that I don't remember
seeing Dobbins' other high quality player, 6-1 215-lb Jr. FB/LB Lateef
Ferguson. Dobbins committed 4 turnovers to Central's 2. The 'Stangs had 74
Penalty yards to Central's 45. That's 119 Total. Central only had 126 Total
yards. About 55 of those came in the last minute of the game. Central made a
furious drive towards the end zone before time ran out on them. Dobbins Jr.
DB Chris Williams (5-10 175) made the game ending sack on Cardwell. This
game lacked excitedment until then. Central had Dobbins on its heels, making
three straight plays before the sack. The funny siting of the
game was the way many of the younger Mustang players couldn't help but turn
their heads to check out the cheerleaders. This is the part of the beauty of
covering high school athletics.

SEPT. 20
NON-LEAGUE
Frankford 26, West Phila. 14
Once again I realized something about covering football. That is heart,
preparation and confidence win over talent and skill level at
times. In this one, the Pioneers of Frankford jumped on a very underrated
bunch of Speedboys from West Philly early and wore them down late. West
wasn't that much worse than Frankford, but in the trenches and the
comparison of that vital artery on the left side of the body that we call
the heart, there was no comparison. Frankford was led by the speedy TB combo
of 5-8 150-lb Sr. Marcus Waddy (12-68 2 TDs) and 5-9 155-lb Jr., Mikal
Jones (12-62, TD). They were able to have so much success by running behind
mammoth lineman 6-5, 350-lb Tracy Williams. This kid blocks out the sun. His
lead blocking in the Red Zone was the key to this game as two of the Pioneer
scores came from inside the 10. Frankford, which I could tell is not the
team that it will be by say mid-October, uses two QBs with mixed success. One
is AP-Back Arnold Mullins (5-9 160); he's the athlete. The other is 6-4
190-lb prototype Darryl Turner. They each played a half. I also liked tough
guy/two-way back 5-10 170-lb jr. Adam Hartman. He ran 3 times for 43 yards.
One of those runs was an unchallenged 38-yard TD. On defense, boy did he
clean a few clocks. He was in on 3 tackles and fielded a sack. I was also
impressed with jr. DE Michael Humbert (6-6, 250). He had 2 sacks. He's
definitely a prospect. For West, tough Sr. QB/DE Elijah Cosby-Jones (6-2,
210) was very solid. He's built like Donovan McNabb. He runs would-be
tacklers over and hits hard on defense. He made the jump from TE to QB this
year and looked good. He went 8-for-17 145 yards and 2 TD's. I like him at
the D2 level at LB. He plays very hard. I wanted to see more of Sr. Glen
Mills transfer RB/CB Jerome Johnson. He noticably limped before the game,
yet he still tried to go. He then injured his shoulder during the game and
missed all but one play in the second half and most of the first. DeShone
Cotton (6-3 200 WR/FS) again was brilliant. He played a mean FS and caught 4
balls for 56 yards and a score. Cosby-Jones normally throws to the big fella
on post routes or over the middle. He just plays hard. Just as my TS.com
collegue "Duck" said last week, this kid is a prospect. He's the heart and
soul of the team. If he were only a few steps quicker. He too wacked a few
guys. West also had another option to throw to in speedy (4.4/40 as the
coaches told me) 5-10 185-lb WR/DB, Anthony Vanderhorst. He caught 3 balls
for 81 yards and a TD. Vanderhorst is a jet and he has good hands. He too is
a prospect at CB as he is strong and fast. The Speedboys demise today lied
in that they got nothing from their running game. They got a total of 7
yards on 24 carries. You can't beat anybody with that let alone Frankford.
Sr. LB Brian Greene was also in on 8 tackles. Lastly, I have to mention
Speedboys kicker William Ortiz. Before the game, Ortiz kicked 50-yard field
goals like it was nothing. Two of them went over the fence and hit the
apartment building across the street. He could have moved back 10 yards and
he still would have had success. He's another prospect for the Speedboys.

SEPT. 15
NON-LEAGUE
Judge 34, West Catholic 10
In this contest the story in my estimation was toughness, physicality and experience. All things that the Crusaders of Father Judge have and that the young, talented Burrs don't at this time. Therefore, Judge beat the you-know-what out of the Burrs in the trenches on both sides of the ball. They were led by their line that has about 4 guys that hover around the 300-lb mark -- one being 6-3, 310-lb sr. T-DT John "Fat Ringo" Gaynor. He was involved in many plays on both sides of the ball. I recorded FR with 4 tackles, but he was in on many more. This one started out fast and furious with Judge's all-purpose back, speedy soph. Tim Wacker, taking an 84-yard yard kick return to the house. West then retaliated on its first play from scrimmage when Jr. QB Matt Rodia threw a 62-yard bomb to a speedy all-purpose guy, Jr. Robert Ramsey, for a score. I've really grown to like Ramsey. Every week, he's one of the tougher guys on the field for either team and he just plays so hard on offense and defense despite his small stature. He brings it. Then Judge had a 3-play drive with Sr. QB Greg Hennigar running a textbook option for 7 yards, then throwing a 7-yard pass
over the middle to sr. WR Derek Talley and then a 50 yard pass to sr. AP-back Jim McAteer. Guess what, only 2:13 had gone off of the clock! McAteer was all over the place. He had the one catch for 50 yards, he had 4 runs for 21 yards, he was 4-5 on
PATs and he had 4 solo tackles from his DB position. He and Hennigar were Judge's MVPs in this one as Hennigar went 12-for-19 for 176 yards and 2 TD's, though he did throw one INT. That interception was a beauty of a play by star soph Curtis "Boonah" Brinkley. Brinkley was held in check on O by the 'Saders as he only went for 18 carries for 55 yards. Brinkley made a great read of the defense as he left his man and roamed around for a beautiful pick and a 20-yard return. I also have to commend the play of West's Johnathan Dowd, a sr. RB. In the latter stages of the game, he still brought it and fought hard. Jonathan Jackson played hard on defense with an injured hand as he recorded 6 tackles and a sack and freshman two-way lineman Frank Pirotta also was in on 5 tackles. This kid could be a good one down the line. One thing is for sure, if you start as a freshman in football you must be very good. That's almost unheard of.
Some other interesting notes:
Total Yards, Judge 342, West 208 (This shouldn't happen considering West's firepower and the fact that Judge was missing Star RB Justin O'Brien; injured wrist.) Judge seemed to have a lot of respect for West's speed because not once did they kick the ball downfield on returns to those speedsters (Brinkley, Jackson & Ramsey). That and the fact that they probably felt that they could beat them on the lines, therefore not worrying about giving the Burrs quality field position. I would also love to see the Burrs set up their tough all-purpose back, Robert Ramsey as a slot receiver and putting a blocking FB, perhaps sr. TE Ameel Johnson, in the backfield with Brinkley full time. First of all it gives Brinkley better blocking and second of all it makes Ramsey that much more dangerous. He could catch short balls and turn them into something or he could burn DBs deep. Also interesting was the fact that Judge had 16 skill players contribute to the cause on Offense in this one (3 QBs, 8 different receivers caught passes). I like Greg Hennigar. He has good size, a good arm and he spreads the ball all over the field. He also is a decent athlete. Last, but not least, West's James McCarrie, a jr. soccer player with a very good leg, kicked a 37-yard field goal in the 4th quarter to end the scoring at 34-10.

SEPT. 8
NON-LEAGUE
North Catholic 19, West Catholic 18
I have decided to file a short report on the North Catholic/West
Catholic game. I know that Huck will have the more in depth report later.
West lost a heart-breaker in this one as they were up 12-0 after the first
and 18-6 in the 2nd quarter. No reason in the world they should have lost
this one. My only estimation here is TOUGHNESS and North had the two toughest
players on the field, not the most talented, but the toughest in the animal
of a hard-hitting (I guess 6-1 210-lb) Weakside LB, Mike "Pio" Piotrowicz. This guy
was on the West runners like white on rice. He had about 9 tackles, but if
you were at this one you would have thought it was more like 15. He was
everywhere and he even kicks field goals, PATs and punts. This kid is a
college prospect. The other tough guy was North's bowling ball runner, Jamar
Little. He went for 23 carries for 99 yards and 2 TDs; he also had an 88-yard
kickoff return for a TD. He is surprisingly quick in the open field and
is very sturdy. QB Charles Evans was solid in the first half (4-for-6, 70 yds)
and 4-10 on passes for 70 yards and an INT. overall. He found his favorite
receiver, Steve Cross, three times for 37 yards. For West, soph. RB Curtis
"Boona" Brinkley was king. This kid is legit. The 5-9, 160-lb kid ran 28 times for
233 yards and three TDs (two game-breakers of 52 and 51). He's not a jet, but once he
gets outside forget it. If he can put on 15 pounds and keep developing,
he'll be recruited very high. He also has moves that the late Aaliyah would
be proud of. The only thing that I'd like to see West do with him more is
throw him some screens out of the backfield. He'd really be dangerous then.
His first run was a 52-yard run to the house that made me tell Huck, "I don't
need to see anymore. This kid could be a big-timer. especially if he gets the
extra year." The other speedy jr. back, Robert Ramsey, had mixed success as he
ran six Times for 22 yards and had a catch for 10 yards on O. On D he fielded
six tackles and had an INT with a 50-yard return, but he fumbled twice; the
latter of the two was on what would have been the game winning drive. The
call was questionable and coach Brian Fluck went nuts on the officials as it
seemed like he was down. The tandem of jr. OB Matt Rodia and jr. speedster
wideout Jonathon Jackson will see better days. Rodia went 4-for-12 for 53 yards
and tossed 2 INTs. He also was sacked twice and fumbled the ball on what
would have been the second game-winning drive. Jackson dropped three very
catchable balls and dropped an INT, but did manage to catch three balls for 43
yards. He has a lot of talent, but needs to catch the ball with his hands and
stop trying to use his body. He could be a very good one with some fine-tuning.