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Amauro's Corner Amauro "Amar" Austin is
a headliner among 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 reports on games he sees. |
NOV. 2
PUBLIC LEAGUE 1/4 ROUND
Overbrook 20,
Dobbins 19
I know, its been a few weeks since I've posted a report.
I'll talk about that more in depth in a notes column later this week as
obviously some things have changed and I owe everyone who reads my stuff an
explanation to exactly what. Anyway, this was a GREAT game to watch. 'Brook
dominated in every facet of the game except the score and in fact almost lost in
that department as Dobbins took a 19-13 lead on an Eric Wiley 7 yard run
with 6:58 to go in the game. But that's when the persevere started and
when Carter happened, not assistant coach David Carter, who was one of
the best players to come through the Pub in recent years. No this was
Markeyse Carter, Brook's jr. QB. He came out on the next Panther drive
barking instructions and 36 seconds later (4 plays, 72 yards) the rest is
history... It all ended with a 4 yard diving run by Carter himself. In all, it
was a pretty productive day for Carter who was rather sharp all game long though
many of passes were dropped. He did make some huge completions en route to
4-for-14, 129 yards including two to ace John Melvin (standout jr. WR)
including a 27-yard leaping score. Sr. RBs Darius Johnson (21-96-TD) &
Joe Gaines (16-79) were both stalwarts too and both played like true seniors
who would have no parts of losing. The D was led by sr. DT Ramille
Brice, who ate some Mustang for dinner. Jr. LB Allen Sipes made the game
clinching pick and jr. DB Yusuf Bangura was in on plenty of plays
himself. Dobbins, as I thought, went down swinging and that's a testament to
coach Lou Zambino and how he always has his team prepared for big games.
It made for a great game...
AA's Notes: Great game, great atmosphere. I think its safe to say
that the Panther FB program has come a LONG way. Who would have ever thought
that Brook would be in the semi finals of the Pub playoffs??? GW is up next and
that will be a tall order for anyone right now, but Brook playing mistake free
FB could make things interesting...
OCT. 5
PUBLIC LEAGUE WHITE
Overbrook 13,
Gratz 6
This one will probably decide who wins the division
(although 'Brook faces Bartram next Saturday night for the title...) and it was
a great FB game. Not great in the conventional sense, but just awesome
atmosphere, great crowd (estimated at just under 1200 people) and plenty of
excitement throughout. This is what Friday nights on Hunting Park Ave. are all
about! Being honest, Brook made most of the big plays here and that's why they
won. Plus, they never folded when adversity came their way and that's the only
way to win a close football game because at some point, its always going to
come. Anyway, the Hill-toppers scored first on a 1-yard sneak by jr. QB
Markeyse Carter and extra point kick by sr. Darius Johnson, then held onto a
1-point lead after Gratz failed to convert on a conversion run after quick jr.
Daveer Fincher's dazzling 51-yard punt return. Then finally, 'Brook
scored again off of sr. DB Leonard Mitchell's 51-yard fumble return which
was caused by a big hit by jr. DB Yusuf "The Fireman" Bangura (Probably
the game's overall hero...). 'Sef leveled ball carrier sr. RB Hal Chambliss
(who himself single handedly kept Gratz in it, don't have my stats in front of
me, but 31 carriers, for 142 yards, I believe) and the ball skirted right to the
trailing Mitchell who then went the other way untouched to pay-dirt. Earlier in
the quarter, 'Sef caused another big fumble with a huge hit and later made a
pick that sealed the deal. Strong sr. FB Joseph Gaines was a load all
night carrying the ball setting up plenty for the Panther offense and acrobatic
jr. WR John Melvin brought in 2 more catches. Chambliss was the One-Trick
Bulldog here and he couldn't do it all although he's probably the League's best
natural half-back.
AA's Notes: What a night! There were so many sidebars to this one
that I couldn't begin to give you all of them. One blessing did come from this
and that was that a full-scale riot didn't break out in the hand shake line as
both teams nearly went at it. There's an old gentleman's rule in thee Pub where
the losing team gives the winner a game ball when both teams meet at the 50 for
handshakes. In this case, Gratz coach Erik Zipay refused to give 'Brook
the game-ball causing the 'Brook coaches and players to go nuts and then the
Gratz players to do the same and a shouting match started between both teams
coaches and players. It never escalated, thank God, but the teams never shook
hands. 'Brook and its fans went into a wild celebration thereafter at the West
End-zone. Coach Zipay is young and new to the Pub still, so we won't totally
hold it against him, but this could have gotten ugly and if it did, he would
have had to take a look in the mirror as two sets of kids from equally rough
environments would have been at each other... We hope Johnson is ok as he
suffered a concussion in the 4th and was up, but very woozy/delirious and even
had to be pleaded with to go with an ambulance. He's a very vital cog for 'Brook
so let's hope he's ok... Finally, a great friendly battle was waged with both
teams' cheerleaders at half time to the wildly popular song, "Soldier Boy."
Every kid in America is doing this new battle dance and the girls and crowd had
some serious fun. Great to watch...
SEPT. 29
PUBLIC LEAGUE WHITE
Overbrook 33,
Olney 6
This was a good, dominant win for the Hill-toppers
against a previously undefeated club. Sure 'Brook left some points on the field
and made a mistake here and there, but in the end they saw open road and stepped
on the gas on their way to an easy victory. It was a nice effort spread between
the rushing of sr. RB Darius Johnson (10-84) & sr. FB Joseph Gaines
(9-61, a TD). Both are very strong kids (two of Brook's strongest... Gaines
classifies as powerful) & the passing of jr. QB Markeyse Carter
(8-for-11, 138 yards & 4 TD passes), a lefty with good field sense. The TD
strikes went to Johnson (11), sr. TE Saleem Wilson (19) & 2 to sr. TE
Leonard Mitchell (6 & 5). The D wasn't bad either led by SS Mitchell (2 TFL
& an INT), jr. LB Brandon Pouncy (TFL, forced fumble, recovery & two
defended passes) & jr. LB Julius Faison (a sack and another TFL worth 11
yards in losses). Olney's top player by far is sr. QB-FS Mike Reyes
(scored the only Trojan TD on a 10-yard scamper, also had a pick on D plus some
hard hits) who plays with much heart and determination. He knows what it takes
to win, but this year, I don't think some of his mates is on the same page as he
is. He's still a winner in my book though. Sr. two-way tackle Tyree Green
must be watched as a prospect. He's listed at 6-6 260 (still looks like he's
growing) and is probably every bit of it. I LOVE his possibilities because he's
very lean and looks to just be starting to get mean. He could be a nice find for
a state school as this late bloomer's best days are ahead.
AA's Notes: The Panthers are probably the best bet to win the
White division with their blend of skill, speed & size (the 3 Ss, I like that --
smile)... Panther defensive coordinator David Carter (with an assist from
an all-timer in the one-liner department defensive line coach Will Nesmith)
had the line of the day when sr. TE Durrell Randle muffed a kickoff.
After reaming out Randle himself, Carter demanded, "Take him off of kickoff! He
couldn't catch a cold if he were butt-naked in Alaska." Nesmith chimed in with,
"Holding Rita's Water Ices in both hands..." Finally, Olney jr. two-way end
Antwoin Allen (6-4 185) has the look of a talented young prospect. He's
tall, athletic & lean with a great frame for adding weight/strength without
loosing what he has naturally, but guess what, he couldn't play for me right
now. Why? His attitude was the pits. Every time he did something remotely decent
he let everyone know about it, he downed his teammates when they didn't make
plays and worst of all yelled to the stands at his buddies after making a play
on D late in the 4th quarter against subs, "I'm the whole team! I'm the only one
out here ballin. These guys (his teammates) ain't nothing." Whoa jack! Who do
you think you are, the second coming of "T.O." or something? That attitude will
get you nowhere son except on an island by yourself and that's no where to go in
this life where interacting with others is essential. I'll be watching you
closely kiddo and I hope you improve before its too late...
SEPT. 29
PUBLIC LEAGUE WHITE
Gratz 12, Bartram 6
(OT)
This was was a large disappointment mostly due to sloppy
play and penalties. It made an already uneasy football day worse since I thought
that this might be the Pub's top game of the weekend. Well anyway, Gratz won
(better term is probably outlasted) Bartram in OT behind a flip in the corner on
4th and goal from the 4-yard line from gimpy sr. QB Dominic Marrow to
spirited sr. WR Muhammad "Kassan" Dudley. It was great to see Dudley have
success as he's probably the heart and soul of this Gratz team playing every
play as if it were his last and he'll tell you about it too -- smile. Marrow
played a tough ball game as he could barely walk let alone run by game's end and
at times looked like he shouldn't even have suited up, but he toughed it out and
even scored Gratz' first TD on a 2-yard sneak. Sr. RB Hal Chambliss again
had a nice game with 28 carries for 130-yards. As always, he runs hard and with
purpose which will make him a very good college player at some level (probably
D-II). The Gratz D did a great job of bottling up Bartram's one true weapon sr.
RB-WR (Slot man, multi-purpose guy, ect.) Michael Alexander whose as
dangerous as it gets in the open field. He did score the Brave TD on a 12-yard
reception, but was held to 82 yards combined rushing and receiving which was
still good for all but 5 yards of the Maroon offense (which goes to show how
important he is). The Bulldog D was led by sleeping giant sr. DT Earl Watford
(6-4 278), who has notably struggled through the last few games. Big #70 did not
here as he went for 8 total stops with 1.5 being sacks and 2 other TFL going for
17 yards in losses while also recovering a fumble. I'd recommend the tape of
this game be sent out for Big Earl as he was rather dominant out there. Dudley
had 2 sacks worth 13 yards from his Weak-side DE spot. DBs sr. CB Alphonso
Walcott & jr. SS Tyree Frierson (6-3 190 -- probably one of the Pub's
top juniors) both made picks. Bartram will go as Alexander goes against any of
the better teams and well he had a below average day for him, but also the
Braves were penalized 10 times for 81 yards and many times on key plays which
just can't happen. On back to back plays in the 3rd quarter Alexander broke big
gains (23 & 49), but both were called back by holding penalties which made for
losses of 25 yards. That's a 97-yard swing folks and it probably cost the braves
the game. That's Football my friends. One drive can cost you heavily in a close
game. The D was solid though led by jr. LB Tyron Cheeseboro (12 total tackles, a
TFL & an INT -- both soph. LB Derek King & sr. CB Eric Mason also
made picks) & sr. DE/T Troy Griffiths (2 sacks and another TFL).
AA's Notes: Can we please replay this game. I guarantee there
would be fireworks as this one was a dud to say the least. I guess Gratz played
a little better (smarter) so they won, but you'd think with two of the League's
more organized programs that this would have been a better game, Oh well that's
why the trail moves on...
SEPT. 28
PUBLIC LEAGUE AAA
Penn 38,
Freire Charter 22
This actually was a fun game to watch, but two
occurrences have me so upset to the point that I don't have much to report on
the game. To sum things up, Penn spotted FC 22 points and then scored 38
unanswered on their own to end the game. The scores were in this order: Sr.
QB-RB Antoine "Blueberry" Singleton with a 45-yard run (Run failed), RB
Curtis Wright with a 93 yard score (FB Marcus Rothmiller run),
Singleton with a 75-yard run (Donte Johnson pass from Singleton). That
made ht e score 22-0, FC. Then it was Penn's Dwayne Daughty with a
29-yard run (Daughty run, 22-8), Daughty 30-yard run (Daughty run, 22-16),
Daughty 16-yard run (Daughty run, 22-24), FB Michael "Hollywood" Singleton
34-yard run (Daughty run, 22-32) and finally Daughty 20-yard run (Run failed,
22-38). What upset me were two things, one before the game and another towards
then end. Let's start at the end. Penn took over on downs on the FC 47-yard line
with 4:07 remaining and a 32-22 lead and in came the back-ups and rightfully so.
Its always good to get your lesser lights some run in the latter stages with the
game already in hand, Classy move Coach Henderson! Two different
substitute backs carried the Lions all the way to the 20-yard line and then #21
is inserted back into the backfield and he runs for a 20-yard score with 1:14 to
play. Wait a minute, #21 is Dwayne Daughty who is the starting tailback and as
you can see had already rushed for 3 scores and converted 4 two-pointers. What
in the heck was he doing back in the game?, Class-less move Coach Henderson! Did
you not trust your back-ups? Were you running up the score in what was already a
very emotional game that your kids persevered to where they already were? Why
rub it in those other kids' faces? Daughty was already easily the star of the
game. To me this lessens his accomplishment because of the lack of sportsmanship
it showed. As for the other thing that you know what-ed me off. Uh FC, its week
5, why can't I have a roster? AD Lawrence Threadgill, why is it that some
kid has to write down names with uniform numbers on a piece of loose leaf paper
every time I see your team play? Your staff is working hard and much better than
when the program first started. Please reward them for that. From now on, if
this happens I'm just not going to mention your kids in my report as if they
don't exist because that's basically what your saying...
SEPT. 22
CATHOLIC LEAGUE RED
Roman Catholic 31,
North Catholic 0
So much for a great game between two undefeated
teams. It looked as if it would be a punting fest up until 2:22 of the second
quarter as the game was tied at 0. That's when Roman exploded to score 2 TDs
before halftime both on long passes. The first was a beauty over the shoulder in
stride 63-yarder from sr. QB Chris Johnson to fleet (also great hands)
sr. WR Albert Desiderio. The second came at the 1:05 mark after North
went 3-and-out on a goofy play. This one was a 37-yarder from Johnson to jr. WR
Marty Bernard. This one was tipped by a North defender, but Bernard
stayed with it and after it was tipped pushed the Falcon defender out of the way
with one and hand caught the ball with the other. There was nothing but daylight
ahead of him. It didn't stop there as on the second half kickoff, North fumbled
and the Cahillites recovered. Four plays later sr. K Chris Fioravanti
booted home a 37-yard field goal. And finally at the 7:51 mark Johnson tossed a
13-yard strike the Desiderio. That's 24 points in a 6:31 span and that was
basically the ball-game folks. Oh yeah. I forgot to mention one thing. The
city's leading rusher (by far...) sr. RB Balial Lewis-Sloan-El got off
once again to the tune of 28 carries for 188 yards. He had the game's final
score on an 8-yarder early in the 4th. He's got all the goods for a top flight
back at this level including the most important, his mentality. There are no
tricks to his trade, all business and that's what makes for a good back. The
Cahillitte D was led by Florida State bound sr. SS/LB Nick Moody (6-2
219), who's widely considered the area's top prospect. Well folks he's no
pretender and indeed a player. In no way is he just all look and no game. He got
serious game and here that equated to 3 hard TFLs. Johnson, who also doubles at
FS, had a TFL and 2 defended passes. He's also a D-I prospect because of his
athleticism and size (6-2 200) on probably either side of the ball. Sr. DT
Jewhan Edwards (listed 6-2 330) is another prospect. Don't be fooled by his
size as the big boy can move! He swallowed a few ball carriers (a TFL & half
sack) and is said to be able to easily dunk a basketball. WOW! I also liked what
I saw out of jr. DB Kasseim Everett (TFL, PD & Fumble recovery). He has
that perfect DB mentality and really loves to hit people. He's one to watch for
the future. North's only offense came for sr. RB Terrell "T.O." Oglesby
(17-127) and all but 6 of those yards came before halftime. "T.O" is quite fast
though and is indeed a threat to break one on any given play and of course never
lacks effort. Jr. QB Dennis Logue had a rough outing to say the least. He
might still be soaking in the tub at this time. (Its now 10:22 PM) He took some
serious shots... The North D was led by tough guy seniors LB Chris James
(11 total tackles), DE Eric French (6 stops with a sack and another TFL)
& S Pete Sellecchia (8 stops, a PD & a forced fumble).
AA's Notes: This game was televised live on CN8. It must have been
cool to see the legendary Frankford Stadium on the tube. What a great place...
Roman coach Jim Murphy is my kind of coach! He's always encouraging and
cheering his players. He's the consummate player's coach. As the kicker
Fioravanti made two straight plays on the second team defense at DB, Murph
yelled, "Yeah, kicker can play Football!" An invalid could play for this guy
(smile)... Roman's Desiderio is an extremely valuable player and its not going
unnoticed here. Sure caught two TD passes, but that's the easy part. The little
things mean a lot and I'm more impressed with the fact that he fair caught 5
North punts assuring that Roman get good field position. Sellecchia serves North
is a very similar yet different way. Its those little things and that team
attitude that make the good teams great... This was a weird weather day. It went
from pitter-patter rain when I first arrived to clouds/gloom at the opening
kickoff to blazing sun mid-way through the third quarter, prompting me to ask,
"Who turned the heat on?.." Finally, the Pub guys BETTER step their games up if
they hope to compete at this level. Forget about excuses. The time is now and if
a coach isn't going to be committed to doing this 12 months out of the year,
then they need to step to the side and let someone do the job that will be
committed...
SEPT. 21
NON-LEAGUE
Northeast 32,
Roxborough 0
Well this one was probably decided a week ago when
Indian sr. QB Stephen Tucker dinged his ankle. Roxy's only back-up QB is
a Freshman and being honest he wasn't ready here in this environment. The first
three Indian possessions ended in turnovers (6 total for the game) with two
fumbles and an INT. NE was responsible for holding the Rox O to -2 yards total
for the entire game! The Vikings looked like a team hungry for a W after playing
an extremely tough Non-League slate. They still left points on the field
themselves and that'll have to be worked out soon as Red Division play kicks off
next week against arch-rival, Central. NE has some decent skill position guys
with the best being jr. WR Je'Ron Stokes, a transfer from Penn Charter.
Stokes caught three balls for 46 yards including 2 TD snags (7 & 25) from his
brother soph. Malik (7-for-9, 105 3 TDs -- more on him in a sec...). I
wanted to catch Je'Ron as many Recruiting Publications have him listed as one of
the top wide-outs in his class Nationally. He did do some subtle "Good Receiver"
things here like the catch and head fake to get yourself extra yardage and
perfect route running. We'll be watching him closely over the course of the
year. As for Malik: he's much improved from what we saw as a Freshman. He's
bigger, stronger and more confident with still much room to grow. The Indian
banner was carried once again by sr. LB Amir Boler, who was forced into
emergency QB duty in the second half. He was his staunch self on defense with 16
total tackles (9 solos, 2 sacks & 2 other TFL, forced fumble & a blocked extra
point). He's indeed one of the city's better performers week in and week out
even in defeat/adversity. Keep up the good work kid...
SEPT. 20
NON-LEAGUE
Chestnut Hill 17,
Washington 0
This was my first look at both teams and, well, the
better team probably won as CHA just flat out had more offense. The defenses
were probably even, but CHA has some serious weapons on O including sr. QB
Mike Mattei and sr. WR Mike Lonergan, but both of them had off nights
(Lonergan wore a heavier-than-the-CHA-line cast -- smile). The main culprit as
usual for the Blue Devils was sr. RB Rashad Campbell (30-195-2TDs). Is
'Shad fast? YES! Is he tough/durable? YES, he "only" carried 30 times against a
physical Eagle D. Is he smart? YES again! He has eyes like a hawk, always runs
forward and always runs through his assignment. This all equates to Campbell
being arguably the City's best back... Anyway, he was a terror to try to defend
for the Eagle D and prompted one popular official to say, "Who's that waterbug
running all over the field?" Mattei had an off night, but still did a great job
managing the field. He did throw a pick, but it was a long one and on third down
so it served as a punt. Otherwise, went very smoothly. This was huge because
this was what caused GW's demise as there were astronomical problems between
center and QB which just can't happen against a good club. Sr. DE Juan
Gaskins (also T on offense), who got the ink, recovered one of the fumbles
which caused a rumble --smile (well, not really, but there was a big scruff for
the ball). GW sr. QB Clinton "Juice" Granger (6-3 240) has indeed
improved in the footwork department, but still rushes a bit on his throws. He's
got all the physical attributes to be a good QB so let's see how the season
progresses. One nice development, was when the Eagles put him in at DE. He made
some nice plays, one a strong take down of Cambell behind the line of scrimmage
in which he slung him to the ground with one-hand while being blocked. Legendary
offensive coordinator John McAneney repeatedly yelled, "What a great
play, Juice!!" Anyway, Granger looked like a natural on that end and this could
indeed be where he plays in college (DE/SLB). The Blue Devil D was headed by sr.
DB Alex Logue (3 of each tackles and defended passes) & sr. LB Sean
Goldstein (6 total stops, one for a loss & a fumble recovery). GW's offense
featured 8 different ball carriers with no one carting more than 4 times,
Amazing! Even in Granger's 5 completions, all were to different receivers.
Meaning somebody MUST step to the plate! Sr. LB Brett Sommerer (in on 10
tackles) is a GREAT leader on defense. I also like jr. LB James "J.J."
Johnson (8 tackles). He might be the best option as a feature back. He
surely looks the part.
AA's Notes: A top notch crew was on the case for this
one as normal referees Tom McClain, Gary Butler & Ernie Gallagher
were all on the game. Butler and Gallagher yielded to the so-called "senior
citizen" McClain. Fun was had by all. McClain talked beforehand about how great
the Edison Hoops team of '69 was and all of its stars. Its all documented in the
"Basketball Bible", also known as Ted's Basketball history book. . . GW
will have better days. They always do and that's why they are one of the City's
better programs because they consistently have better days . . . Shouts go out
to the Northeast FB players, who gave me a hard way to go as I ate beforehand in
the Burger King on Cottman Ave. They all want ink and wonder when we'll be out
to cover them. Sooner than you think, my friends, sooner than you think . . .
SEPT. 20
NON-LEAGUE
Central 34,
Mastbaum 0
Not much of a game here so not much will be said.
Except for the fact that one of my new heroes is Central's sr. return guru and
back-up wing back Matt McHugh. Matty goes 5-4, 130 and is quick as
lightning, but constantly gives his body up. He's one of the "tuffest" kids in
the city and deserves some love. Keep up the good work Matty. Otherwise, the
Lancers looked much better this go-'round with over 400 yards in total offense.
Now let's see what they do in the tough Red division where they'll be tested
weekly...
SEPT. 15
PUBLIC LEAGUE AAA
Imhotep 12,
Comm. Tech 6
This was a rather competitive game. No it wasn't the best
game, but it was easily one of the more hard fought games I've seen to date.
Imhotep won this one for one reason only and that's because the Panthers have
sr. RB Gerald Bowman. He powered, finessed & danced his was to 206 yards
on 22 totes and the game winning score with :25 left in the 3rd to break a 6-6
tie. It was a great performance in a high-pressure situation. And don't worry
"G", you'll get your ink. We see you. (Smile) Jr. scat-back Fatin Trice
(9-78) is a nice change of pace. 'Hotep's best defender was once again jr. DL
Daniel Jones (3 TFL and a strip) as he wreaked havoc along the line. Sr. LB
Isaiah King was right behind him with a team leading 8 stops and an
11-yard fumble return for a score. Both jr. DBs Ryan Barren & Derrick
Butts caught picks. CT's jr. RB Kyle Tubbs, a Bok transfer and one of
the better Phoenix players, was unavailable so the offense was turned over to
jr. RB Stacey Hill, a speedster who has been battling ankle woes. He
toughed out 59 yards on 20 carries while also making 5 tackles on D at FS. The
TD was a perfect 8-yard strike from jr. QB Adefumi Garrett to jr. WR
Armon Jones. No other offense was able to be mustered. The D was again led
by jr. LB/DE Ackeeno Jolly (2 TFL and a blocked punt). The "Jolly Man"
plays with a serious fire which will one day be rewarded. Sr. LB Philip
Hansford led the tackling with 10 stops.
AA's Notes: The game was basically over with 1:48 remaining when Hill
muffed a punt on the CT 6-yard line that was recovered by sr. DT Saladine
Walker. He must have been dead tired as there weren't may plays where he
came off of the field, Great effort young man!.. Jolly, whose listed on the
roster at 6-3 200 (more like 165 -- smile) is one tough SOB and he'll make for a
seriously good special teams guy and actually is one now. He ranks among the
league's better punters, he lives to block punts and he would also thrive a
great gunner (the hit man on the special teams unit). His best tackles of the
day came once after he kicked off he hustled all the way down field to smash
stumbling, fumbling return man soph. Kendrick Lewis on the 2-yard line.
Then he made a touchdown saver after punting to Bowman and taking him down after
he gained 24-yards. If he keeps up the good work, some one will take notice as
special teams in obviously a huge part of the game... Next year and for future
reference, the Panthers will compete in AA instead of AAA. I'm sure a few others
will do the same... And now folks, your boy is worn out. This was the 5th game
that I saw this weekend and 12th so far this month (well 2 on Aug. 31). This
must be a record!!!
SEPT. 15
PUBLIC LEAGUE BLUE
University City 22,
Fels 16
Year in and year it seems that the Jaguars of UC start
off slow and then find a way to be respectable as the year goes on and this will
be no different as the Jags have some decent athletes and coach Lou Williams
will if nothing else scare them into playing hard and with "Jag Pride." (Smile)
His best bet here and so far this season has been sr. RB Samir Artist who
had a career game with 18 carries for 135 yards along with 2 catches for 105
yards (both for scores off screen passes, 64 & 41). The Artist has a very low
center of gravity and has strong legs & quick feet. As good a RB as he is, he
still has yet to smell the end-zone off of a rushing play. His 3 scores have
come off of 2 receptions and and a punt return. Both TD passes came from the arm
of jr. QB-RB Neville Hill-Brown. Hill-Brown tossed another 9-yarder in
the corner of end zone to leaping frosh. WR Joseph Claybone (6-4 170, a
good-looking young prospect). I liked what I saw from Fels. Coach Cliff Hubbard
has a collection of speedy backs and a decent FB to go with them. The best of
the bunch was jr. RB Antonio Neal (8-56-2TDs). He's VERY slippery. Jr. QB
Isaiah Staton & jr. WR Malik Jackson (6-1 195)also made for a
good-looking combo. They connected twice for 62 yards on deep routes. Jackson
has that look. His frame is absolutely chiseled and he's really athletic. He
could be a combine star this off season...
AA's Notes: Claybone is a very intriguing prospect for the
Jaguars. The UC coaching staff feel that he could be the next two-sport star at
the school. His TD catch was the game winner and even more impressive was that
it was the kind the big boys making, leaping high in the air while being smacked
and coming down with it... Fels could thrive in the years to come. A new
building is being built around the corner from the old site and is set to open
in September of 2009...
SEPT. 14
NON-LEAGUE
Neshaminy 49,
Germantown 6
Kudos got out to Mike Hawkins and his staff for
scheduling the best. One of these years he'll have a team like the one he had in
his first season as G'Town's boss that can compete with an even take down one of
these local (STATE) powers. For now his kids get good experience for down the
road purposes and nothing ahead should surprise them. Anyway, we'll see the
G'Town gang down the road on a better day and then sing their kids praises. BTW
- The Redskins of Nesham' are very good. Their offensive execution was as good
as it gets and their D doesn't miss many assignments. Good luck boys during the
rest of your season.
SEPT. 14
PUBLIC LEAGUE BLUE
Southern 24,
King 0
Another week and another strong showing for the Rams as
they've posted 2 straight shut-out wins. SP probably poses the biggest threat in
Blue division play to the very good Lincoln club that I saw on Wednesday. Its
leader is sr. RB-LB-P Tyrell Cooper and he's one of the better three-way
players (also a decent punter and return man) in the Pub. Here he opened the
scoring by shredding the Cougar D by going 71-yards untouched for a score on the
game's third play en route to a 19 carry, 135-yard game. He also posted another
score from 8-yards out to begin the second quarter set up by a 36-yard halfback
pass from Cooper to jr. WB Dante Winn. The Rams scored again right away
in the 1st quarter after King fumbled the kickoff. This time it was a 24-yard
strike from jr. QB Mike Henry to jr. end Kenyatta Simmons at the
7:13. That was all she wrote folks as King never really threatened thereafter.
Hence the final score. The Cougars had two good looking players in sr. RB-DB
Alpha "Omega" Johnson & a lineman to watch in sr. two-way tackle Brandon
Lee (6-3 265, very strong, lean, athletic base). He deserves some
interest...
AA's Notes: There are some rough times going on on Stenton Ave.
This is the smallest King team in recent memory. There are only three big un's
on this squad and the best of the three has been out, but is expected to be back
next week in sr. two-way tackle Richard Dixon (6-2 260). He and Lee
should make for a strong combo especially with Dixon's strong leadership
skills... King's Johnson is one of two players on its roster that attend Hope
Charter (a Charter school right around the corner set up for at-risk students).
Hope also has 2 kids that play for Germantown. I guess it depends on where you
live for what school you can play for when attending Hope... Southern has a
strong-looking lineman of its own in jr. two-way tackle Eric "Florida" LeBron
(6-3 295). The big fella hails from Orlando, Fla and is quite charismatic. He
played with a smile on his face even after one of his pant legs ripped all the
way up his leg... (Smile) Overall, I really liked the way the Rams played the
game. Everybody's a suspect around Ram defenders as they were one of the harder
hitting teams I've seen to date... Finally, Southern jr. NG Anthony Buffalo
only goes 5-7 170, but boy did he wallop King ball carriers to the tune of 3.5
sacks and 3 other TFL worth a whopping 49-yards. He also added a forced fumble
and a recovery for good measure! Great job young man! Every time Buff' made a
play, a Southern aide would yell, "That looks like a Buffalo sandwich!.."
SEPT. 12
NON-LEAGUE
Lincoln 32,
Central 21
I knew this was going to be a wild day when I walked onto
Central's field and heard, "Yo! Amarw! Yo Boy! You guessed it. For some strange
reason Puck was filming this game from up in Central's bird-nest and when I
questioned him why, he yelled back, "Don't worry about why I'm filming this one.
Just have the stats for me afterwards." The world must be coming to an end as
Tom "Hockey Puck" McKenna, aka the man of many nicknames, is now my boss.
(Smile) Anyway this one was like de-ja-vu as last year this time I walked onto
Central's field and the Lancers were flat and were surprised by a game bunch of
Electrons from Franklin. This one was no different folks as Coach Gene Kelly
got his boys fired up with his pre-game speech that focused on revenge and the
next thing I knew was that the Rail-splitters were up 18-0 with 5:42 left in the
2nd quarter. The main culprit was sr. RB Kevin Chilton as he rushed for
all three of those scores during that stretch on his way to a career day with
237 yards on 33 totes and 4 total scores. This kid is very unassuming, but very
effective. He runs with patience and precision and seems to always get exactly
where he wants to go while always looking and moving forward. Though he's no
speed burner, he's not exactly slow either and he has that all important wiggle
in his hips. He's a pleasure to watch. The other score was by sr. WR Rubens
Codio on a perfect 11-yard strike from sr. QB Charles Boyd (possible
college player at the D-III level). This score was important as it came with :40
left in the half and only 1:11 after Central's first sscore taking away loads of
momentum from the home team. The Lancers top offensive weapons are their two
wing/slot backs sr. Ray Harris (6/106, 27-yard rushing TD) & explosive
jr. Corey Barkers. I can see Coach Frank Conway, jr. finding ways
to get them the ball more often. It shouldn't be hard as sr. QB Kyle Yeiter
(7-for-19, 119 -- victimized by some drops here) is more of a thrower than a
runner. The Lincoln D was led by jr. DB Clarence Fisher (an INT plus 4
tackles) and both Chilton & so. DE Hakeem Cooper with fumble recoveries.
The Lancer D was led by the jr. LB tandem of Marcus Volcy (3 TFLs among 7
tackles) & Otheni Thompson (2 TFLs among his 6).
AA's Notes: Lincoln could be an interesting story this season as I
see no reason why they should be undefeated all the way through October which
means they could go into their first playoff appearance in years undefeated at
9-0. Wow!.. Chilton is for real baby! He carried 22 times for 143 in the first
half alone. Let's hope he holds up as he has scored 48 out of Lincoln's 58
points thus far this season... Central will be fine in time. Harris is one of
the League's better sr. prospects as he is quite speedy and has now added powere
to his arsenal as he's probably 15-20-lbs heavier than he was last season...
SEPT. 8
NON-LEAGUE
Episcopal 35, Overbrook 0
Well folks this was the culmination to a very, VERY God
awful weekend of Football for me folks which was compounded by the sweltering
92-degree heat this Saturday afternoon, Brutal folks, brutal... My mother said
that there would be days like this. Smile... Anyway, it looked to me like 'Brook
suffered mightily from the sweltering heat while EA was on cruise control. EA
provided no roster so I won't mention anyone and 'Brook really deserves no
mention. There will be better days as they have a great staff who always seems
to get its team better as the year goes on and as for the Churchmen, a threat to
the Inter-Ac title is on the horizon.
SEPT. 7
NON-LEAGUE
Glen Mills 40, Gratz 8
Boy did the Bulldogs fail this test with flying colors.
They deserve a big, red F after this clunker of a
performance against a VERY quality Glen Mills squad (80 Ball players in
uniform). The good part about it is that its only week 2 and there is much more
FB to be played so its no final verdict by any means. The Bulldog stars BETTER
get their heads out of their you-know-whats because much success could be had
for them, if they do. Let's just write this one off as an off night...
SEPT. 7
NON LEAGUE
Franklin 6, Roxborough 0
(OT)
You don't have to ask where's the D after this one as
defense dominated this one game-long. I don't have any of my stats in front of
me, but the Indians may not even have gained positive yardage as a team for the
game! We won't go in depth except to say that sr. RB Chris Sturgis scored
the game winner on 4th down from 3 yards out in OT and the 'Boro died on 3rd
down of their ensuing possession after a sack/forced fumble by jr. LB Jamel "Redz"
Haggins (6-3 225 - got future SAM LB to take a quote from the Eagles written
all over him) and recovery by sr. NG Marvin Watson. The Electrons are really
banged up right now, but could have huge success by year's end because of its
blend of experience, size, speed & skill. It'll be interesting, but they are
truly a player in the area AAA picture. The Indians best player is sr. LB
Amir Boler (5 TFLs, yes 5!) whose an extremely hard stopper from his LB post. He should be a
scholarship athlete next year.
SEPT. 6
PUBLIC LEAGUE AAA
Freire 20, Fitzsimons 0
Another rough week for the young bucks from Fitzsimons as
they go through the growing pains of having a new program. The same growing
pains that 3rd year Program Freire Charter is finally seeming to sift through as
they move to 2-0 on the young season. The Dragon franchise is a true headliner
in every sense in sr. All-purpose guy Antoine "Blueberry" Singleton. He
can line up at any of the skill spots on offense except TE and on defense can
play anywhere in the secondary or at LB. Here he went for 208 yards rushing and
2 scores on 18 carries while making many Blue Jerseys miss what looked to be
sure tackles. He also made 2 TFLs on defense. If Singleton were at a glamour
school, he would still be one be one of the headliners meaning he surely
deserves college interest. He's got plenty of attributes to LOVE in a player. FB
Marcus Rothmiller (11-41, TD) is the perfect complement as he's a big
strong bruiser (probably 6-1 220) who only goes forward and also an excellent
blocker. The defensive leaders were LB/DEs Akeem Melvin & Justin
Ramsey as they combined for 2 sacks worth 16 yards in losses while both had
another TFL apiece of their own. I also liked jr. two-way end Isaac Yoro
(6-4 215). He may be the team's top college prospect. Fitz' top players were on
defense in LBs Sam Polk (10 total stops & a Fumble recovery) & Carl
Jordan (8 total stops, a TFL & an INT). Both are true-grit ball players who
give everything they have for the cause.
AA's Notes: FC could cause some trouble in the AAA this year and
Singleton is the main reason. He's one of very few two-sport stars these days as
he just may be a scholarship type athlete in both football and Basketball. He's
a joy to watch for me as I love guys that excel in multiple sports and feel
there should be more of them... If the Fitz coaches keep doing what they are
doing, they will be fine in time. It takes time/patience plus dedication and it
seems like they have it... Finally, the funny of the day goes to the Dragon
coaching staff as it seems that no one knows the name of #1 Kendall Shields.
In fact his new nickname should be #1 as that's what everyone calls him. "#1
will you run forward and not sideways!" "#1 Get your head in the game!" "#1 You
gotta make that play!" I'm still wondering if #1 is on Kendall's birth
certificate...
SEPT. 1
NON-LEAGUE
Dobbins 7, U-City 6
Although the Mustangs got the win here, this was a great
showing for UC as they go into their respective divisions. So much so that it
could catapult them into a strong shot at the Blue Division Title. The Jags
actually controlled this one throughout and led all the way deep into the
3rd quarter while even having chances to regain the lead thereafter. The Mustang
score came behind a 9-yard bootleg run by first-year starting sr. QB Terez
Sydnor and then an extra point by big man sr. Toyre Fredricks with
1:17 left in the 3rd. This was the only truly successful Mustang drive. UC did a
great job of holding them off all game long. The'Stangs were led by the solid
running of jr. RB Ralston Thomas, who looks to have won himself a regular
spot behind his 91 yards on 12 totes & 1 reception for 13 yards (also a 17-yard
return). He was the only reliable playmaker here for his squad as it seemed that
every time they needed a big play, Rals' made it. The Mustang D was stingy as
usual led by jr. LB Derek Clark (3 sacks among his 7 tackles
totaling 19 yards & also a fumble recovery) and his fraternal twin, Sr. LB Darryl Clark
(also a had a fumble recovery) while sr. DB Robert Colllins
made a pick. The Jags lone score came on a 56-yard fumble return by sr. DB Samir
Artist. The offensive workload will be carried by jr. QB-RB-WR (Let's just say
multi-purpose guy - smile) Neville Hill-Brown (16-84). The D was led by
small, but tough LB Telmez "Muscle" Irons (12 total stops) & jr. DT
Shanandore Scott with a sack and another TFL worth 10 yards in losses.
AA's Notes: UC's #91 is jr. DL Donte Johnson and he's nicknamed DVD/DVR/VCR
for reasons unbeknownst to me. (Smile) One player on the bench said, "they should take
DVD out. Coach press the fast forward button on that guy..." Dobbins had a funny
of their own when an assistant coach told the head official laughingly, "Come on
man. What do you think we have 3 or 4 balls. This is the Public League. If that
ball gets a hole in it, where done..." This Dobbins team has its share of
beef, but its the least amount of beef on a Dobbins team that I can remember in
recent memory. The Mustangs are known for having some of the League's largest
lineman... I look for Sydnor to become a major factor as the year goes on.
He has that certain something and coach Lou Zambino is surely one to
instill unlimited confidence in his QBs...
AUG. 31
NON-LEAGUE
Gratz 40, Lower Moreland
6
This was flat out domination of a team that the Bulldogs
were beaten by last year and also a team that was a major player in AA even
statewide. Both teams lost its franchise players, but the Bulldogs strangely
enough are a much better unit than they were last year and even a wildcard type
player in the race for the Pub Title. They played a smart, hard, disciplined
brand of Football and its not to go unnoticed. Coach Erik Zipay deserves
to be commended. This year's franchise is sr. RB Hal Chambliss who only
carried 22 times for 173 yards and 5 scores (13, 7, 8, 11 & 2). He ran all over
these guys and really looked good doing so. I must get a few more looks at Hal,
but he's got a chiseled frame at 6-0 185 and great instincts/decent speed. I
would have to think the I-AAs will take a look at him before long. The other
score came on a 30-yard pass from good-looking sr. QB Dominic Marrow
(5-for-7, 104) to sr. TE Elijah Akbar (another strong-looking prospect
probably projected as an OLB, but a DE for now at 6-2 201). The Bulldog that
bares the most watching is sr. two-way tackle Earl Watford (6-4 278). He not only just looks physically imposing because he backs it up with his
play. He flat out punked the boys from LM every chance he got on both lines.
What's great about Big "E" is that he is very lean and can really run for a
big'un which will go a long way in his recruitment... There was a great crowd on
hand that will only get greater if the Bulldogs keep winning. Its great to see
the neighborhood involved with its teams, nothing like it actually. A date with
Glen Mills next Friday night intrigues me. That will show the true mettle of the
Bulldogs and where they stand in this year's wide open Public League...
AUG. 31
PUBLIC LEAGUE AAA
Penn 22, Fitzsimons 0
Come on guys please bring me a roster. This one gave me a
headache for so many reasons that I really don't want to relive the moments.
Anyway since, Penn head coach Terry Henderson was nice enough to email me
one and his team should do fine this year in the AAA Division. He has a few
prospects too in athletic QB David Allen, RB Wallace Padgett
(22-113) & WR/TE Jaycee Mason (2/27, 19-yard TD catch from Allen). Fitz'
has a long way to go, but they have one thing in their favor so far and that's
commitment which can take you a long way folks. They have a fine coaching staff
of guys who truly seem to care and more often than not that's all it takes. I'd
bet they'll get their first win sooner than one would think...