Duck Tales, Football 2006

NOV. 23
THANKSGIVING RIVALRY

Martin Luther King 21, Germantown 12

What a football game this one was!!!!! The Cougars captured their second Turkey Bowl title in three years in dramatic fashion. The Cougars had a great team effort but two performers were extremely prominent - Kendell Coleman and Richard Dixon. Coleman, a k a "the best little back in the Pub," got the Cougars on board first with a 4-yard touchdown run. During the second quarter the Bears got a boast from their top runner, Tramelle McKie, answered with an arm-tackle-breaking, 26-yard scoring gallop. After halftime, the Bears scored again with a long drive punctuated by Khalid Purnell's 3-yard scoring run. On the ever important conversion run, Dixon made the loudest tackle of the year stuffing a G-Town run up the middle. The Cougars survived a scare when Coleman, only two yards short of 1,000, had to miss several plays after an injury when he made a tackle near the Germantown sideline. Coleman would return and he went over the 1,000 yard mark on a majestic 37-yard run. The Cougars would take the lead on an Aleem Marshall pass to Darrell Archer. Clearly, the Bears had begun to self destruct and the Cougars, who only had 28 players in uniform, seemed to become inspired. The Bears, backed against the wall on their five yard line with only 1:00 minute remaining, attempted to drive with the score 14-12, King. The first down pass was intercepted by Marshall and taken 20 yards to the house. Archer, a freshman, kicked the extra point. Germantown nearly added a score when backup quarterback Kyle Payne hurled a perfect pass to a wide open receiver and the ball was dropped. Coleman finished the day with 21 carries for 154 yards. It has been fun watching this little guy run. Dixon, only a junior, was a true beast with 6 tackles, 2.5 sacks, 2 fumble recoveries and 2 fumbles forced. King Linebacker Michael Dortch had 6 tackles.

Sidenotes- As always the post game comments were memorable. Two Germantown players had an interesting exchange. "Next year," one said. "What do you mean, next year?" said another. "I'm a senior, I'm gonna have to hear about [losing] this game for the rest of my life!!!!!!!!" . . . An interesting comment came from the King contingent, "How can they underestimate us. We're the Kings." As usual, there was a huge crowd and good halftime shows.

NOV. 2
NON-LEAGUE

Imhotep 38, West Philadelphia 13

This was the tale of two totally different programs. The Panthers of Imhotep seem to be on the rise while the Speedboys of West Philadelphia are seemingly stuck in neutral. The Panthers got a big performance from halfback Gerald Bowman, who scored two touchdowns and rushed for 103 yards on only 14 carries. Bowman who also excels as a defensive back is a really good prospect. Currently he is a fourth year junior, but in all likelihood he will be granted a fifth year. The Evans twins were solid again, Khalief Evans bailed his brother out on the Panthers' second score. Khaleel ran four yards and fumbled but his twin was there to scoop the football up and run it in from 33 yards out. Big quarterback Julius Legg (6'4 274; yeah, right, more like 6'5 300 -- smile) tossed two touchdowns. Speaking of Legg, he must have the biggest hands in the Public League, the football literally looks like a small toy in his hands. Legg does needs to work on his speed and progression (also, he might have to lose a significant amount of weight) but it is fun to see this big kid throw the ball around. One of his receivers, sophomore Saladeem Major is really developing into a superb pass catcher. In the near future as this Imhotep team matures it will be interesting to see Major's development. Another top Panther is receiver Jamaal Stone, a senior who made two great touchdown catches. What is truly scary about Imhotep is that most of their skill players are underclassmen, so the future appears bright at 21st and Godfrey. West Philadelphia could be in for some improvement in the years to come but they largely looked overmatched in this one. Quarterback Courtney Waiters, a junior, has potential and he has a group of capable receivers but for some reason, West Philly refused to throw the ball early in the game. The two Speedboy scores came when swift kick returner Kevin Weaver returned a kickoff 80 yards and Waiters plunged in on a two yard run. On the drive before Waiters' run he went 7-8 on the drive and threaded the needle a couple of times. One impressive Speedboy is sophomore athlete Dominic Peterson (6'1 185), Peterson caught 4 balls for 30 yards, added 4 stops on defense and an interception. It will be interesting to see how he develops because the talent is clearly there. The majority of the Speedboys are underclassmen so we would love to see them improve if not heads should roll.

Sidenotes- This is too cold for me... West Philly's coaches were slow coming out of halftime and the half began without them. West Philly has two VERY promising young defensive linemen one is freshman Jerome Evans a 6'2 250 pound end and there other is mammoth tackle Darius Knight who goes 6'5 350 and is only a sophomore.

OCT. 27
PUBLIC WHITE

Overbrook 18, Mastbaum 12

Well, this game was not that good. Mastbaum committed a whole lot of errors. They began with a bang as Hason Franklin returned the opening kickoff for a touchdown. The Hilltoppers/Panthers took control from there, excellent running from junior tailbacks Darius Johnson (7 carries for 117 yards) and Leonard Mitchell ( 2 touchdown runs) turned this one into a black and orange Panther day. This was my first look at Brook's sophomore quarterback Markeyse Carter and I see a lot of potential. Carter seems to be a more "natural" quarterback than the other two Brook signal callers. Also, he has a nice smooth throwing motion, it also helps that he has a dynamite young receiver in sophomore Johnny Melvin. Melvin goes and gets the ball, he does not just catch the ball, he goes up and claims it, which is the signature trait of a good receiver. Also, the Panthers have a hell of a young linebacker in sophomore Brandon Pouncey. Pouncey did his share of rockin' on the defensive end. The Panthers could be special come next season if young defensive linemen Giba Goba and Rahmeil Bryce continue to improve both are monster sized. 6'6 300 and 6'5 295 respectively. Mastbaum which as I said before struggled has more than a few noble warriors, Hector Marrero, a two way end (supersized) is a prospect. Athlete Richard Stratton who played quarterback but probably projects as a receiver in college is underrated as well. Junior back Rasheen Tookes bulled his way for 53 yards on 15 carries.

Sidenotes- The Overbrook Marching Band is spectacular. Remember I saw the Howard University Marching Band and Brook is not far from them. (Ocourse this is a high school marching band so no Ooh LA LA Girls). But trust me, if you have a chance go watch this marching band they're worth the price of admission.

OCT. 20
PUBLIC BLUE

Lincoln 28, University City 20

File this one under a Public League classic. It started off with U-City throwing the pigskin, with 6'6 and mobile quarterback Kenny Moore connecting with his top receiver Khayri Young for a 20-yard touchdown reception on a 4th down play. The Railsplitters responded with an extremely long clock-burning drive all the way to the Jaguars one yard line but then they fumbled as the first quarter horn sounded. The first quarter each team had exactly one possession each. On to the second quarter and that is when Lincoln's awesome two-some took over. On the line: senior Tyrone Bolden (6'4 220) was superb on both lines and Courey Burrell was without any other phrase THE MAN. Burrell scored his first touchdown in the second quarter when he took a pass from Lincoln Quarterback Charles Boyd and turned it into a 34-yard touchdown. Then as the third quarter began, Burrell took control of this game with a 84 yard kickoff return. The Jaguars offense stalled and where forced to punt and Burrell then took it 62 yards to the house. The punt return was easily the most impressive of Burrell's four scores. Courey ran through about 5 tackles after bobbling the ball and then just burst through another tackler to the end zone. The Jaguars were not done, Moore found sophomore Neville Hill-Brown open on a five yard out and the relentless Hill-Brown took the football fifty yards down the sideline for the score. The Jaguars attempted an onsides kick but the adrenaline must have been running too high for the kicker as he kicked it way too far and into the clutches of the dangerous Burrell. 70 yards later and Burrell scored his fourth touchdown and the victory seemed assured. The Jaguars again marched downfield led by Moore and Hill-Brown. On a key play, Moore pulled a Randall Cunningham impersonation with a long-striding run through tacklers all the way to the Lincoln 1 yard line. Moore would score the touchdown two plays later. After a conversion run, the Jaguars are within eight points. The Jaguars again attempt the onsides kick and this time, they recover it. Moore connects on two consecutive pass plays and the Jaguars are in business at the 10 yard line with a first down and only 1:33 remaining. On third down Hill-Brown turns a run inside and is seemingly stopped but plows through tacklers all the way to the eight yard line, then Lincoln's number 83- Deryk Barnes strips him of the football as Hill-Brown was pushing a pile of Lincoln defenders towards the end zone. Lincoln wins and the always entertaining Public Blue just got more interesting. Southern defeated Olney and I think that clouds the playoff picture a little because Olney has to beat their rival Edison on the road next week to make the playoffs. If the Trojans lose then it is your guess as good as mine who goes to the playoffs.

Sidenotes -- Nice football game. The legendary referee Phil Harding, who I call "NFL," was on hand. I call him that because he has the mannerisms of an NFL ref. Also, he showed up 3:00pm for a 6:00pm kickoff . . . Burrell and Bolden deserve Division I attention . . . How good could Kenny Moore be?

OCT. 14
PUBLIC RED
Germantown 16, Gratz 16 (tie, 3 OTs)
Before I get to the details, this is a difficult report to write. A draw just does not seem right in Pub football. It kinda defeats the purpose, right? Well, Gratz scored early in this superb defensive football game. Stud tailback Nisia Dunaway caught an out pattern from super smooth quarterback Jerrick Jenkins and turned it into a 40-yard touchdown play. Jenkins is a dandy passer. He has a strong arm and throws a really pretty ball. And one thing Gratz likes to do is let Jenkins throw the ball. Jenkins and Dunaway are likely Division I prospects. Dunaway is a load, he must be about 6'2 215 and he is explosive. Yes, he had a couple of fumbles, but do not get ready to call him "Faye" Dunaway as he rushed 22 times for 114 yards and had a few man-against-boys plays, when he either ran over somebody or he pushed piles of tacklers backwards. Defensive end Dominic Marrow tallied 8 tackles. The Bulldogs are talented but they are not deep; they only had 32 players in uniform and it appeared that nine players played both ways. The Bears were really solid on defense, they bent but they did not break on more than one occasion. The defense was led by defensive tackle Chris Oliver and linebacker Eric "Neckbone" Williams. Junior defensive back Khalil Lainey and sophomore linebacker Rahmel Hamilton had moments. The offense sputtered for most of the game, but did force overtime when reserve quarterback Kyle Payne, a lanky junior, crossed the goal line with 4 minutes and 10 seconds remaining. Payne then hit Matthew Lee in the corner of the end zone for a two- point conversion. This game was destined for overtime and the first period Germantown had the ball first and failed to score, then the Bulldogs failed to score. The 2nd overtime was more eventful, the Bulldogs had the ball first but sputtered. The Bears were able to get off a field goal attempt, which missed woefully. The third overtime, the Bulldogs scored on a Jenkins' 8 yard keeper. Then Dunaway ran into the side of the end zone for the conversion. The Bears responded in kind with a great 4-yard touchdown run from Tramelle McKie. Then fullback Tyree Clemons scored and this game looked like it will be going on forever. The referees called it a draw and I would never have known that it was a rule.
Sidenotes -- Gratz defensive lineman Julius Kane had some seriously loud tackles . . . This game tipped off at 2:15 p.m. and was not over until 5:26 . . . Really good middle school game beforehand.

OCT. 6
PUBLIC RED
Northeast 21, Germantown 6
This one was very cleanly played. (Not too many penalties.) Germantown got on the board first when junior defensive back Tramelle McKie intercepted a pass a ran 52 yards for a score. The ensuing kickoff was huge as Northeast star Nafis Muhammad returned it 71 yards and set up fellow star Andrew Vu for a 14 yard touchdown run. IMPRESSIVE sophomore kicker Tim Freiling kicked the first of his three extra-points. And Northeast had a 7-6 lead and were one their way in this one. Vu was very solid he carried 16 times for 101 yards and 2 touchdowns. The other Northeast touchdown was scored by fellow back Mike Small. The three Northeast quick backs - Muhammad, Small and Vu are all tough, talented and quick. Northeast, the largest school in the district, has plenty of athletes, but they have a young quarterback in freshman Malik Stokes (3 interceptions). Despite Stokes' youth, I really would love to see this team diversify their conservative game plan and use the air attack more. Here is my rationale: Stokes may be young, but he has a 6'6 (maybe 6'7) receiver in 1-A prospect, Sean Evans, who should be borderline unstoppable playing against any team in the city. Only Frankford's J.C. Montgomery (a friend of Sean's) probably could match up with Evans in a man to man situation. What better way to develop the quarterback than with a receiver like that? And Northeast won't likely have a target like that to throw to again after this season. I know I may sound crazy, but mistakes happen (3 interceptions) but it could really be to this team's benefit if they throw caution to the wind and let the quarterback grow into a threat while he has weapon to throw to. Anyway, for G-Town which had their best showing of the season, the question is can someone catch the football? On the game's opening drive, quarterback Khalid Purnell looked sharp and the Bears drove right to the Northeast 9 yard line and Purnell threw an absolute rope to a receiver who dropped a sure touchdown in the back of the end zone. Four more dropped balls plagued the Bears, and then Purnell got erratic or frustrated (really both.) Germantown does have a helluva a defensive lineman in Chris Oliver. I really am impressed with this kid. On one run, he clearly got tangled up near the line of scrimmage, Vu broke about 25 yards downfield and guess who tackled him? Yup, that same Chris Oliver. Oliver was able to busy himself with 7 tackles. Defensive back Paul Bennett had 2 interceptions. Also, middle linebacker Maurice Young and offensive lineman Antoine Kemp-Smith had some positive moments.
Sidenotes- Plenty of people in the stands and good food at the concession stand.

OCT 6
PUBLIC WHITE

SEPT. 29
PUBLIC WHITE
Bartram 32, Martin Luther King 18
This one was a track meet early as both teams have some serious speed demons on their teams. The Cougars, who played this one without Head Coach John Sheroda (suspended for a game by his good buddy Tom McClain), have Kendell Coleman, the fastest man in the city (if you have somebody faster, then sign him up for the Olympics). He opened this one with a breathtaking 21-yard touchdown run. The Braves came right back and scored thanks to one of their stars; tailback John "Fudgie" Pratt responded with a 44-yard touchdown run. All this transpired within the first minute and three seconds of action. The Cougars responded with another score from Coleman, as this time the small back caught a 13-yard pass from senior quarterback Aleem Marshall. The Braves coolly responded in the second quarter with Pratt providing the honors with a 3 yard run. Despite a solid all-round effort from the Cougars, the Braves pretty much dominated the rest of the game. This team could be special. They have a swagger that is reminiscent of the recent George Washington Eagles. Their line play is improving and they have some serious players up front in Maurice Jessup, Tristan Lockridge and Thristan Thornton. Junior mulitpurpose back Michael Alexander is probably the second fastest guy in the Pub besides Coleman. Alexander was superb today as well but Pratt was the true standout in this one with 18 carries for 196 yards and 3 touchdowns. Senior quarterback Kris Brownlee is a talented one. He throws a damn good ball and is one of the those guys that seems to get better by the millisecond. Once Brownlee fills out and gets some meat on his bones, he could be a really good quarterback. Also, the Braves have a very talented wideout in 6'4 200lb prospect Bobby Byrd, I have to say that the Braves could be in for a "Smashing" year. For King, Coleman was superb with three touchdowns. This little guy is so durable and solid. Check this: He gets the football on average of 29 times a game and he is 5'6 155 pounds. Senior quarterback Aleem Marshall and mulitpurpose player Donta Clanton deserve props as well.
Sidenotes- Nice crowd turnout. I must say that the Public White seems to be very special this year -- lots of good athletes and I foresee some memorable games in the weeks to come.

SEPT. 29
PUBLIC LEAGUE AAA
Imhotep 21 William Penn 0
This was a genuine cat fight between the Panthers of Imhotep and the Lions of William Penn. The Panthers were not at their best but a lot of credit must go to the team from Broad and Master. The Panthers were led by solid all-round performance of Gerald Bowman. Bowman, opened the scoring in the second quarter with a wonderful pass on a reverse option that hit wide receiver Jamaal Stone in the numbers. Also, anytime the Lions threatened, Bowman came up big; he had two interceptions. The second one came with the score 7-0, Imhotep, with only 4:08 remaining and Penn driving, Bowman returned it 59 yards for the second score. Bowman added a touchdown run in the waning minutes. Another star performer for the Panthers was quarterback Julius Legg, a BIG kid with a very decent arm. Legg has to be roughly 6'5 265. (The Imhotep roster does not have height and weights). As usual the Evans twins, Khaleel and Khalief, did some serious rocking. Khaleel had a memorable tackle near the sideline during a special-team play that could be heard deep into Montgomery County. Imhotep has a really nice defensive scheme. Penn, though not mightier than a sword, was far from a bore. They were led by two hard-hitting junior linebackers, Kente Wiggins (5'9 180) and Brandon Moore (6'0 202). Also, defensive back Dewayne Daughty showed some quality as well. The Lions executed much better than in years past and Coach Terry Henderson, a former Frankford star, has obviously emphasized fundamentals. Tailback Jerome Buckner rushed 20 times for 69 yards and fullback Justin Berry 9 times for 44 yards. However, the quarterback situation has to improve for the Lions to reach their potential.
Sidenotes- Halftime attendance on Penn's side of the field - 23 people. Imhotep's side of the field - 67. Imhotep's side filled up considerably during the second half. The Penn side got a little larger as well.

SEPT. 22
NON-LEAGUE
Bartram 46, Germantown 8
Last year the match-up between and Bartram & Germantown produced a classic Public League contest as the Bears rallied from a twenty point deficit to win, 42-26. This game once again the Braves went ahead, 20-0, but this time they completed a superb all-around effort with a thorough butt kicking of the Bears. The Braves, are flying under the radar and I know that coach Damond "Smash" Warren probably likes it that way but this team has tons of speed and they could be making a jump to the top of the "Pub" in a hurry. Senior tailback John "Fudgie" Pratt carried 13 times for 131 yards and two touchdowns. Pratt has the classic Pub running back look, a little smallish but gifted with good feet and determination. Pratt is probably a I-AA prospect. Much improved quarterback Kris Brownlee was impressive not so much in the stat department, but he threw tight spirals on the money, made quick reads and had three key scrambles for first down. Brownlee�s incredible improvement could make this a special Bartram team. Also, playing a starring role was super speedy junior multipurpose star Michael Alexander. This kid is so fast and he hardly ever dances or runs from contact; he has made a big impression. Alexander had a major kickoff return in the second quarter. These three skill position players (Pratt, Brownlee and Alexander) are probably as good as any in the league. And the lines are not bad, as a I-A prospect Maurice Jessup anchors the offensive line and the defensive line was led by Dante Harmon (6�3, 220, with a good frame to add weight). Now the bad news: The Bears have very little team speed and the quarterback situation must be improved, but most discouraging only a few players supplied game-long juice and energy. Senior two-way lineman Chris Oliver (6�4 250) and sophomore linebacker Maurice Young were two obvious examples.
Sidenotes- Much props are in order to the School District for bringing the Howard University Showtime Marching Band. The pregame performance was extra nice. Not only did they march through my neighborhood, they played with the School District All-City band and that was amazing. The other two shows were also dynamite. And finally the Ooh La La Girls were AMAZING. I believe Howard University got a huge increase in the number of male undergraduate applicants from Philadelphia on Friday night. In fact, I might apply and I already went to college. All of the Ooh La La Girls are perfect tens. I hope that this becomes a tradition of bringing marching bands from colleges to Pub games. It was nice to see all those fraternities and sororities come out in full force for this game.

SEPT. 21
NON-LEAGUE
Imhotep 18, Overbrook 12 (OT)
You want talk about strange games. This one takes the cake. Penalties, fumbles and poor overall football dominated most of this contest but when it got good, oh my, it got good!!!!!!!!! The Panthers of 'Brook got the lead in the second quarter on a four-yard run by senior Allen Hamilton. The Hilltop Panthers held control of the game for a long time, but the �Hotep Panthers showed a whole lot of HEART and never let doubt set in. Reserve quarterback Gerald Bowman hooked up with wideout Andreas Roberts on a quick slant play that the speedy Roberts turned into an 86-yard touchdown play. Overbrook misplayed the next series and set up Imhotep and that was not wise as the Northwest gang has a cadre of athletes. The most impressive player for Imhotep, senior Khalief Evans, scored the go-ahead touchdown on a four-yard run. After an impressive defensive series highlighted by the play of the Imhotep defensive line, Imhotep decides not to run the clock out and it comes back to burn them on one of the greatest plays in recent Pub football history. Let's set the scene: 3rd down and four from the Imhotep 47 yard line with only 11 seconds remaining on the fateful clock. Overbrook quarterback Brandon "BJ" Johnson hoists a perfect spiral towards the back of the end zone where sophomore wideout Johnny Melvin makes a spectacular catch with only 6.5 seconds remaining!!! Miraculous!!!!!!!!! After a great defensive stop on the point-after run attempt, this one is destined for overtime. Overbrook would have the ball first, but thanks to a solid defensive series keyed by a fourth down tackle from the impressive Bowman, the ball turns over to the red and black. The Panthers, using safe play calling, wind up with a 4th and goal. Bowman sneaks up the gut and initially is stopped, but a great push from running back Khaleel Evans gets Bowman into the end zone and Imhotep wins its second successive overtime thriller. Legendary!!!!!!!
Sidenotes- Two years ago, Overbrook trounced Imhotep, 60-8. That win coupled with a Bartram triumph over Franklin propelled Overbrook to the playoffs for the first time in their history. Imhotep and Overbrook have the making of a nice inter-neighborhood rivalry because this meeting, only the second, as a classic . . . Allen Hamilton is a stud. When he hits someone, it makes a hard sound... Classic sound bites from the stands: After Khalief Evans laid a hard hit on a 'Brook player, someone shouted, "Number 5, you hit like my grandmother." Then another replied, "Your grandmother must be Lawrence Taylor," and some laughter broke out . . . Imhotep has some very talented skill position players: Bowman and both Evans boys. They just have to get the Quarterback situation resolved and they can be dynamite. Overbrook will get better as the year goes on and do not be surprised if Brandon Johnson is a big reason why. He is a hell of an athlete with a rocket arm.

SEPT. 15
PUBLIC BLUE
Edison 21, Southern 6
What a day in the Public League Blue(s) Division, a nice matchup between Edison and Southern was on tap and a high school football game was played. The Owls came from behind to win this and they did so deservedly, as the Rams committed too many errors that negated a solid effort from two-way end Jahmel Bashir (6'4 235) amongst others. The Rams got on the board first thanks to an awesome play in the second quarter. Jr. Mike Russo tossed a 73-yard touchdown to talented wideout Eric Whitaker on a wonderful halfback option. The Owls coolly responded before halftime, led by stud tailback Kory Marshall and cool-as-ice quarterback Ernesto Medina. Medina hit Marshall in the numbers for a touchdown. Marshall would continue his dominant play in the second half. Marshall added two touchdowns and he had a couple of back-breaking runs on which he broke several tackles and took the life out of the Rams. Marshall carried 19 times for 174 yards. Another star for the Owls was defensive back Robert Serrano, who twice made big interceptions for the Owls. (One was a thing of beauty as he jumped in the air and took the ball away from Whitaker.) The Rams have a hell of player in Bashir who had 6 tackles and three receptions. I see him being a 1-AA performer. The Rams struggled with fundamentals -- jumping offsides, mental errors. Frosh Quarterback Shaquille Monroe was victimized by 3 interrceptions, but he could be a good one in the long run.
Sidenotes - The Owls have a female on the roster, Christiana Morales, who wears number 73. I watched closely all game, hoping that she got in, but she did not.

SEPT. 9
NON-LEAGUE
Chestnut Hill Academy 40, Dobbins 14
It seems like every game I go to this year, I wind up seeing a really good junior tailback. That was the case once again in this one. Chestnut Hill has a really good tailback in Rashad Campbell. (Remember the name, he is a player!!) On more than one occasion today he made a move or a run that REALLY got my attention. Campbell amassed 165 yards on the ground with five touchdowns on only 15 carries. Campbell's most impressive run was 47-yard touchdown that broke this game wide open and summarily broke the heart of the opposition. Campbell made no less than four Mustangs miss and made another fall with a swivel move. Four of his scores came on runs from scrimmage, but he added a crowd-pleasing, 76-yard touchdown on a punt return. Campbell has an excellent backfield partner in fullback Tyler Ahrenhold, who made several key blocks. Also contributing to the cause: placekicker-wide receiver Alex Logue, who hammered home five of six extra points; running back Sean Fitzpatrick, who tallied 99 yards on 8 carries; and steady quarterback Mike Mattei. The Blue Devil lines were led by senior captain Don Houck. CHA could make their return season in the Inter-Ac a very memorable one if they iron out some mistakes and remain healthy. As for the Mustangs, they got off to a horrid start but got things going when they decided to air things out a little bit. Senior Quarterback Wesley Brown had a very strange performance. He did throw two nice touchdown passes and had moments of brilliance, but he also threw two interceptions and when things got down for Dobbins, he had his head down. (Not a good thing from a QB). W. Brown is very talented, though, and should rebound well. Senior receiver Darrell "Butta" Brown snatched in a touchdown and had some moments as well, as did the third Brown boy, Kevin "Peanut", who caught a late 77-yard touchdown. (The Browns I believe are not related.)

SEPT. 1
NON-LEAGUE
Franklin 22, University City 0
What a way to start a season off with the worst weather imaginable for Labor Day weekend,. The Electrons and the Jaguars are both very young, but the Electrons appear to be further along and they took control on the opening kickoff. Electron standout Versean Dawkins stripped the Jaguars' kick returner, and rumbled 25 yards for the opening score. Dawkins would add another touchdown (rushing) and two conversion runs. The talented junior is only 5'8 160 lbs but he sure is a player, and definitely a player to watch over the season. His backfield mate, fellow junior Christopher Wood, is a bruising fullback and has decent size at 5'9 185. The third touchdown was a 14-yard run by fleet junior quarterback Tajidin McGough (who added a nice interception on defense). The Electrons' defense was led by Duane "Bam" Burrell, who totaled two sacks of U-City star Kenny Moore. The Jaguars, who did not have a scrimmage (more on this later), struggled throughout the first half but looked a shade better in the second half and will get better over the season. The Electrons and the Jaguars have rosters dominated with underclassmen, and both have very inexperienced offensive lines. The Jaguars do have a promising running back in sophomore Neville Hill-Brown and Moore, a 6'6 signal caller, has talent, but does he have receivers?
Sidenotes: Let me propose a new "Pub" rule -- no games for teams that do not schedule scrimmages, I know that seems harsh but let's not have any more seasons start off like this.... Moore had a nice play while scrambling as he lowered his shoulder and gained a first down. A spectator on the UCity sideline said, "Go out of bounds! You are the quarterback!" Moore turned to the sideline and nodded his head and said "No." Legendary U-City offensive coordinator Joe "Xavier/X" Bradley, one of the most prominent weight football coaches in town, commented beforehand, "Some of our kids are still working their summer jobs and we won't have them back until the school year starts." That put a damper on X's playbook or should we say playbooks. Franklin's third score was set up nicely by a 25-yard passing play in the rain from McGough to sophomore receiver Jamel Haggins.