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Frog's Corner Mark "Frog" Carfagno is yet another of our trusty statisticians/observers. He's fun to be around and very thorough. He's also loyal to the schools in South and Southwest Philly, but if you're from someplace else and can play, he'll admit it. |
NOV. 27
THANKSGIVING RIVALRY
Neumann 41, Southern 8
Early in the first quarter Southern's Lamone
Fox tackled Neumann's Richard
McMickens at the Southern 43 yard line. The
ball came loose and was scooped up
by the Rams' Ryan Williams. Williams ran all
the way to the Pirate 20 yard line
before being brought down. This gave Southern the chance to get
on the board
first. On first down Fox, 14-52 gained 5 yards. On second down
Fox was grabbed
in the backfield by Michael Evans for a two
yard loss. A penalty against the
Rams and another run by Fox of minus 1 yard forced a fourth and
thirteen at
the Pirate 23. Jr QB/DB Jalil Harris',
8-19-117, pass into the end zone was
incomplete. The Pirates took over from there and marched down
to the Ram 27. The
drive featured rushes of 9 and 13 yards for McMickens and 12
and 11 for Darryl
Gillard. On second down, Neumann's QB Jonathan
Brady, 3-9-29, had his pass
picked off by Amir Ryan at the 23 after a
strong rush by the Rams' Shamir Kase.
Once again South Phila. couldn't capitalize. They moved the
ball to the 43 ,
but were forced to punt on fourth down. The possession though
featured the game's
most exciting play. After picking up 12 yards on two carries,
both by Fox,
Southern had the ball on their own 35. On a first down play Fox
ran to the left
sideline and seemed to be stopped by two Neumann players at
about the 31 yard
line. The talented Sophmore broke free and retreated even
further back to the
22. This time he was surrounded by four or five Pirates with
nowhere to go.
Amazingly he escaped before he was brought down at his own 40.
In total he must
have zigzagged 50 yards for a 5 yard gain. From that point on
it was all
Neumann as they would go on to score 34 unanswered points.
McMickens led the way,
21-140-3 TD, for the Bucs, who totalled 381 rushing yards on 50
attempts for a
very good 7.6 average. Nine players ran the ball for Neumann
with Gillard 8-94
TD, and So Bruce Holloman 6-81 registering
anything significant. Holloman was
a fan favorite as they roared "Brrrruuuce" everytime
he touched the ball.
Evans 18, and Frank Baldino 5 yards, also ran
in for PirateTD's. Neumann had 23
first downs. Jr DT/OG Marques Slocum, 6
tackles -2 for losses paced the Pirate
defense. Mike Matteo 5, and Gillard, John
Grimes and Baldino 4 helped out.
Gillard, Grimes, Baldino and Evans made TFL's. McMickens had an
interception while
So DB Daniel Chavis had two picks. For
Southern Steven Rudd 4-54, Kase 1-13,
Fox 1-5 and Amir Ryan 2-45 (16 TD) grabbed Ram passes. South
Phila. averaged
14.6 per catch. Gerald Terry, Kase, and Michael McClain
each had 6 tackles. Ryan
, Fox and Harris made 5. Dan Fields made 4. Kase, Ryan,
Fox, Fields and Nick
Moody (2) made TFL's. Ryan and Terry, along with Williams,
recovered fumbles.
Notes:
Southern was penalized 13 times (95 yards). Two were for delay of game and
another ridiculously called because Ram coach Bill
Edger didn't get off the
field quick enought for Referee Tom Young
after a timeout. Boy, I guess Bubby's
rage did have an impact. Neumann was called for just two 5 yard
penalties, both
coming late in the fourth quarter...When the Saints Go Marchin'
In. That's
what the band will be playing next year when the team takes the
field, as this
was the last official S.J.N. "Pirate" football game
for the South Phila Catholic
School. In the future, after the merger with St. Maria Goretti,
the schools
nickname will be the "Saints."
NOV. 20
NON-LEAGUE
West Phila. 14, Gratz 6
The Bulldogs had 2 passes intercepted, fumbled the
ball nine times (lost 4),
and were penalized 7 times (65 yds), yet somehow managed to
stay in the game.
The outcome wasn't decided until West Philly's Sheldon
Ford tackled Gratz'
Vondell Parson after Parson grabbed a pass
from Kyle Whiting at the West 40 yard
line. Sheldons' hit jarred the ball loose and George
Davis recovered for the
Speedboys with 18 seconds remaining. Seventy-five seconds
earlier West Philly's
Omar McLaurin saved the day day for West with
a TD saving tackle on Robert
Littlepage's punt return. Littlepage took the
punt on his own 18 and was past
all the defenders when McLaurin dove and tripped him up at the
Gratz 40. Gratz
got on the board first when Parson, 8-138-TD, went right off
tackle for a 99
yard TD. The Bulldogs were pinned down deep in their own
territory after a 31
yard punt by West Philly's Keith Goldwire.
Goldwire punted seven times for a
30.6 average. After Parson's mid-second quarter score the 'Boys
knotted the game
on a 10 yard screen pass by Gerald Dove to
McLaurin with 23 seconds left in
the half. McLaurin set up W.P.'s final TD when he absolutely
CRUSHED Whiting,
who was forced to run from punt formation after a bad snap from
center. Whiting
was hit so hard that the ball popped forward ten yards in the
air. That ball
also was recovered by Davis at the Gratz 18. Three plays later
Dove found
Shelton Myrie all alone in the end zone for an
18 yard TD. Dove ran in for the two
point conversion to close out the scoring. Dove passed 3-13-38
and rushed
11-53. Five dropped balls hurt his numbers. McLaurin rushed
8-24 and had 7 tackles
on defense. Myrie, just back from an injury, also made 7
tackles. Ford and
Davis each had 5. Goldwire had a TFL and Charles
Henryhand forced a fumble.
Aaron Mayers recovered 2 fumbles for the Speedboys. For Gratz,
Whiting passed
3-13-2-32, and rushed 4-29. Stanley Sims (8
yds), Anthony Wallace (14) and Parson
(10) made the receptions. The Bulldogs had 7 returns for 111
yards with Kamaal
Dutton, 2-35, and Eugene Wright
2-20 leading the way. Dutton also had 6
passes defended. Brian Simpkins 6, Gerald
Patterson 4, Antoine Hall 3 with sack,
Stanley Sims 3-TFL and Lamont-Lee-Edgefield
TFL paced the Gratz defense.
Notes:
Near the end of the second quarter the officials needed the
scoreboard clock
to be reset from 3.2 seconds to 32 seconds. After the
timekeeper tried several
times with no luck, the officials decided that the clock would
be kept on the
field for the final 32 ticks. At this time, Gratz Student
Manager Ciana Brown
volunteered her services and rectified the problem. Brown is
the scoreboard
operator at Gratz basketball games... Ernie Boston,
5'6" - 340 lbs was put in
at noseguard by the Gratz staff after West had some success
with simple runs up
the middle...After Brown's entrance the next six rushes
registered 1, 2, 0,
1, 2 and minus 2 yards.
NOV. 14
PUBLIC LEAGUE QUARTERFINAL
Washington 21, Bok 6
On the final play of the first quarter, Washington Sr
LB Zimier McCloud
stopped Bok Sr QB Allen Major on fourth and
six from the Washington 31. Major, who
was successful on several bootlegs, was nailed by McCloud for a
four yard
loss. Major rushed 15 times for 78 yards with 5 bootlegs, each
racking up at least
11 yards. This time McCloud read the play perfectly while on
his way to a
hugh game. He finished with 12 tackles (9 solo, 2 for a loss).
The second quarter
began with Washington taking over at its own 35 yard line. On
the first play
Eagle speedster Jr RB Jerry Butler 13-132-2 TD
took it 65 yards for a TD. Sr
QB/PK Richard McFillin added the first of his
three PAT's, giving the Eagles a
7-0 lead. The boys from the far Northeast took advantage of a
Bok personal
foul after Butler scooted 18 yards, giving them possession at
the Bok 28. Six
plays later McFillin went in from the one with 1:34 remaining
in the half and a
14-0 advantage at the break. Bok Sr T/NG Aaron Hayes
(7 - 1 loss) came up with
the games hardest hit while stopping Butler deep in Bok
territory midway
through the third period. The hit caused Butler to fumble and
Bok's Hakim Leach
recovered at the Bok 4. Unable to move the ball, the Wildcats
were forced to punt
into the fierce wind. Cedric Green's punt
traveled only 10 yards, giving the
Eagles excellent field postiion at the Bok 21. Butler
took the next handoff
around the left side for his second TD. Trailing 21-0 Bok
finally got on the
board when Sr RB/DE-LB Cedric Green 10-41 scored from the 4
with 3:51 remaining
in the contest. Leach recovered Bok's onside kick, but the
'Cats couldn't
capitalize as Leach was unable to snag any of Majors' two long
passes while being
double covered both times by Brandon Sanders
and Courtney Williams. Major was
0 for 7 with two interceptions. Sanders and Ricardo
Rivera had the picks.
Rivera made 6 solo tackles and also defended 2 passes. McFillin
threw just two
passes, both incomplete.
Notes:
Bok had the ball for 55 plays, while Washington had 36...The Eagles
accummulated 214 yards on 34 rushes...The 'Cats had 159 on 48
tries...Cedric Green
punted 4 times, once with the wind for 21 yards and three
against, traveling 10,
2, and 10 respectively...Greens' four punts averaged 10.7
yards...Kenny Major
had 9 tackles, but only managed 40 yards on 23 rushes...Marcelluas
Barnes made
4 tackles with a TFL...Stefan Ruff 8-2
TFL's and Dominque Curry 5 with a sack
contributed on "D" for the Eagles...Washington never
punted. Two of
McFillins' kickoffs went into the end zone...Bok won the first
down battle 11-8...On
some situations when Bok was working against the wind, GW put
10 men in the box.
Final Thought: Overall Bok put on a fine performance against a
tough
Division A opponent, considering the competition this
year in Division "D" was not
as good as in the past.
NOV. 13
NON-LEAGUE
Northeast 27, Overbrook 0
Overbrook committed five turnovers (4 fumbles, 1
interception) with two
leading to two Northeast TD's. After Jr RB Chris Banks
8-56-2 TD's raced in from
29 yards to give the Vikings a quick 6-0 lead, Sr DB
Ben Franklin put a big
hurt on the 'Brooks Martinique Anderson to
force a fumble moments later. The ball
was recovered by Derrick Stinson at the
Overbrook 33 yard line. Three plays
later Sr RB/DB Akeem Smith 4-41-2 TD's, took a
quick pitch from the right side
and went the distance from the 33. The Vikings fourth TD
resulted from another
Anderson fumble which Jr QB/DB Cordia Mosley
recovered at the Panther 35.
Once again, three plays later, Banks went in for a second time
from the 16. On
the previous play Sr QB Marcellus Sammons
3-5-27 passed 13 yards to So WR/LB
Rockeed McCarter 2-28 for 13 yards to set the
table for Banks. Overbrook
struggled all day with their running game and in fact produced
minus 14 yards on the
ground on 22 attempts. In addition to their 4 lost fumbles they
were fortunate
to register 3 ROF's (Recovered own Fumble). Impressive Jr QB Jarrett
Johnson
4-10-1-69, out since an early season injury, made his first
appearance in the
third quarter and should help the 'Brook in the future. Sr T/DT
Daine Coombs, a
6'3" 295 pounder from Jamaica, was a pleasure to watch for
the Panthers.
Several times on offense he not only blocked, but knocked to
the ground 2 or 3
Viking defenders on the same play. On defense, 8 tackles with a
forced fumble and
a fumble recovery, he showed good footwork and knowledge of
where the play
would transpire. Not bad for playing just his second year of
football. He might
be able to help a Division 3 program at the next level with
further
instruction on his technique.
Notes:
For Northeast Rockeed McCarter 2, and Paul Franklin, Ben Franklin, Solomon
Isom, Teddy Joseph all 1, made tackles for losses...Dwayne Gay
had a sack with 4
tackles to lead the Viking defense...Paul Franklin and Jamel
Evans also
recovered fumbles...Odell Cooper had an interception...For the
'Brook, Devon Starks
2-40, and Nyeem Grogen 2-29 were the recipients of Johnson's
passes...Eikeem
Barron added 7 tackles with a forced fumble. He also recovered
a fumble...
Christopher White and Zaire Henderson had TFL's...Martinique Anderson had 4
returns for 47 yards...There was only one penalty the entire
game. It came on the
games third play from scrimmage (5 yards against 'Brook)...The
game was
completed in one hour and 29 minutes...The entire first quarter
was played without
chains or down markers. At the suggestion of Head Linesman Tom
McClain, the
chains were substituted with two students standing 10 yards
apart holding Pom-Poms
borrowed from the Overbrook cheerleaders. The down marker had
another student
holding a crutch. You gotta love it!!!...In a twist of irony
Overbrook Head
Coach Ken Strum is a 1969 graduate of Northeast and a member of
the 1968 Public
League Championship Team, while Northeast Head Coach Mel Hinton
graduated from
Overbrook in 1971 while starring in Football and Track.
NOV. 7
PUBLIC LEAGUE
University City 16, Southern 0
(Jaguars snap 20-game losing streak)
Midway through the first quarter Southern's Reggie
White's 8 yard TD
scamper was nullified due to a penalty. The Rams would get no
closer than the UC 35
the rest of the day, after a sack by William Gray
on fourth down ended
Southern's early hopes at the the Jaguars' 21. UC Sr Washchonne
Savoy led the
defense with 7 tackles, including 2 sacks and a tackle for a
loss. Savoy also was
very economical on offense, rushing just 5 times, but for 88
yards. So. Sterling
Johnson 12-67 TD, Sr QB Kayon Walton
8-32 and Jr Anthony Williams 5-32 TD,
all contributed towards the 233 rushing yards for UC. The Jags
rushed a total of
33 times for a very good 7.06 average. There were some big
holes all
afternoon created by the offensive line. The primary blockers
were Center Donald Brown
, Guards Steve Coleman and Tyron Ragan,
Tackles Steve Thompson and William
Gray and Ends Jeff Andrepoint and
Brandon Shorts. So. Lamone Fox paced the Ram
offense with 96 yards on 14 carries. He also had 41 yards on
three returns.
Talented South Phila. QB Jalil Harris had
difficulty all afternoon, completing
just 2 of 9 passes for 5 yards. He appeared to have a problem
on several snap
exchanges with his new Center Dan Fields. Jr
DB Michael McClain stood out on
defense with 6 unassisted tackles for the Rams.
Notes:
Kajon Walton passed just 1 for 3 for 2 yards.
The combined totals for the QB's 3-12-7.....Unbelievable???
The tackle leaders for UC along with Savoy were Anthony
Williams 6, Earnest
Dixon and Sterling Johnson 5.
Jamar Goss forced a fumble while Dane
Adams and Brandon Shorts recovered
fumbles.
For Southern, Ricky Nguyen recovered a fumble
and Ryan Williams blocked a
punt, giving the Rams their good early field position.
OCT. 30
PUBLIC LEAGUE
Bok 36, Univ. City 0
The Wildcats clinched the Division D title with the
victory. They registered
their third consecutive shutout and have not been scored upon
since West
Philly scored 15 quarters ago. The streak was almost broken
when U.C. had a first
and goal at the Bok 5 with 5 minutes to go in the game. The
Jaguars got there
on a 39 yard halfback pass from Washchonne Savoy to Chris
Westcott. After Savoy
(11-46) gained three yards on the first two downs,
Bok's defense, consisting mostly of second and third teamers,
held on as
Raheim Beasley and Soph Cortez
McLaughlin made tackles in the U.C. backfield
against Arnold Malloy and Savoy respectively.
Bok QB Allen Major did not throw a
pass all afternoon. His only attempt resulted into a sack for
Savoy who had 7
tackles. The Wildcats ran the ball 55 times for 348 yards. Kenny
Major, who had
an interception, ran 15 for 103 and a TD. Cedric Green,
who deflected a punt
and forced a fumble, carried 12-76 - 2 TD's. Juniors Cory
Moultrie 4-64-TD,
Nafis Edwards 5-32 TD, and Cossim
Turner 5-33 contributed. Bok coach Tom DeFelice
started subbing late in the second quarter with his team up 22-0. Seniors
Aaron Archie 4-1 loss, Marcelluas
Barnes 4-sack and Green led the defense early
on. A Rutgers University assistant was in the stands checking
out Barnes. U.C.
QB Kayon Walton completed 4 passes on 9
attempts for 32 yards. The Jaguars
totalled 145 yards offensively (74 rush, 71 pass) but had 88
return yards on 6
chances for a 14.6 average. Earnest Dixon 7, Arnold
Malloy 5-1, and Austin
Wright 4-1 helped out Savoy on defense.
OCT. 25
CATHOLIC BLUE
Carroll 48, Neumann 22
It took Carroll just six plays to go 65 yards on the
games first drive. The
big play was a 31 yard TD pass from Jr Greg Kobilka
to Sr SE Albert Wankmiller.
Neumann answered right back, with a 62 yard 14 play drive of
their own. The
TD came on a 5 yard Jonathan Brady pass to Sr
RB/DB Billy Canady.The Patriots
next series took them into the next quarter where Sr HB Richard
Wood ran in
from 5 yards out. John George's second PAT
gave Carroll a 14-7 lead. The Pirates
fumbled the ensuing kickoff and Bryan Maguire
recovered on Neumann's 31.
Kobilka's next pass went to Sr SE Matt Reilly
for 24 yards. The QB then raced in
from the seven for a two TD advantage. The first half scoring
would end as Brady
and Canady would team up once again for a 10 yard TD strike.
The 21-14
defecit would be the closest the Pirates would get the rest of
the afternoon. Brady's
first pass on the second play of the second half was
picked off by Jr DB
Dave Puliti. Puliti then
returned the interception 55 yards giving the Pats possession at
the Pirate 13. Three plays later Wood rushed in from the ten. Sr FB/LB Ryan
Harford benefited from his hit on Neumann's Sr
HB Richard McMickens which
resulted into a fumble recovery for Jr G/DT Tom
Rowinski. Eleven plays later Harford
would score from the 8, putting the Pats on top 34-14 with just
three seconds
left in the third quarter. Puliti would then come back and
haunt Neumann once
again. This time zig-zagging 97 yards with his second
interception and a
Carroll TD. The TD gave him 152 yards worth of picks. Neumann
closed the scoring
on a 35 yard pass from Brady to Jr WR Antoine Stout.
Harford finished the route
walking in from 5 yards with 6:27 remaining.
Notes:
There was not one punt attempted by either team all
day... Carroll
replacement kicker John George was 6 for 7 on PAT's, one was blocked...
Final Thoughts:
I wish I had a dime for every time I
heard "Get outside, Get outside" from a
coach, player or spectator when a player was running the ball.
I guess Neumann
doesn't subscribe to that theory. I've never seen running backs
stay within
the box area as much as the Pirates. Their cutback moves reveal
their
confidence and effectiveness in the offensive line. I've
noticed this the last two
year. I guess the fastest route from Point 'A' to Point 'B' is
indeed a straight
line.
OCT. 24
PUBLIC LEAGUE
Bok 10, Bartram 0
The two teams went into the contest undefeated in
division "D" with 2-0
records. The winner usually takes the title and is awarded home
field in the first
round of the playoffs. The game time line was Bok (-7). Hey,
this is South
Philly where there's a line on everything. I liked Bok to
cover, but it wasn't
looking good at the end of the first half with the score
knotted at zero. The
Braves dominated the first half, running 28 offensive plays to
the Wildcats 11.
Remarkably, Sr RB/DB Mustafa Crumpton (26-93),
ran the ball 22 times for 84
yards in the first half. The Bartram defense stopped Bok from
scoring on first
and goal from the seven yard line late in the first quarter.
Bok Sr QB Allen
Major was unsuccessful on a sneak from the one
yard line on fourth down. The
Braves offense registered eight first downs in the first 24
minutes, while the
Wildcats had just three. So after witnessing the first half I
was somewhat
surprised at what took place. I've watched both these teams
several times and I
figured Bok to come out on top, maybe 3-1 or 4-1. I know, I
know, "this is not
baseball you idiot, that can't possibly be the score" you
must be thinking.
However, this is the "Pub", where PAT's are
adventurous and unpredictable, so I
equate the number to TD's. The second half began with Bok
receiving, and going
three and out. On fourth down Bartram Sr return man Seku
Kamara (2-24) couldn't
handle Cedric Green's punt and Bok's Joe
DeSalis recovered on the Brave 34,
setting up the games first score. The Wildcats reeled off 9
plays with Green
(15-77) going in from the one. Hakim Leach
added the PAT putting the Wildcats on
top 8-0 with 4:12 remaining in the third quarter. Action moved
into the
fourth period as the teams exchanged punts. The Braves were
pinned with a first and
ten at their own six with just over nine minutes to play. After
gaining two
yards on the next two plays, Bartram was forced with a third
and eight. Sr
QB/DB Gary Carter (3-8-1 12) was then sacked
in the end zone by Sr SE/DE
Marcelluas Barnes for a safety and a 10-0 Bok
advantage. Bok Jr DB/RB Cory Moultrie
shattered any of Bartram's chances with an interception in Bok
territory with
just under four minutes to play.
Notes:
Bok Assistant Coach Lloyd Jenkins mentioned
to me that this was the third
game that opponents moved the ball rather easily in the first
half (Germantown
and West Philly the others) against the Wildcat defense. Then
after making the
neccessary adjustments, they basically shut down the
opposition.... Kenny Major
rushed 14 for 64 for Bok. Barnes had 8 tackles, 1 sack, 1 loss
and a forced
fumble. Sr DE/G Tommy Williams 7-2... Green
made 6 tackles. Raheim Beasley
recovered a fumble... Sr DE/OG Isiah Cheeseboro,
7-1, paced the Bartram defense...
Sr DE/C Marcus Macklin 6 and Gary
Carter 5 contributed... Stanley Thigpen
had 2 tackles for losses with Kennis Jones and
Jeremy Welzcher adding one
apiece... Joel Ermilus recovered a fumble...In
the second half Bok ran 27 plays to
Bartram's 12 and limited the Braves to a single first down.
OCT. 18
PUBLIC LEAGUE
Bok 22, Southern 0
Bok took advantage of two Southern mishaps in the first
quarter to jump out
to a quick 16-0 lead. The Wildcats Andrew Daniels
partially deflected South
Phila's Nick Moody's punt, allowing it to
travel only 9 yards. Starting the drive
from the Rams 39, Bok ran the ball nine straight times.They got
on the board
on Sr QB Allen Major's one yard sneak. Sr
SE/DB Hakim Leach added the
conversion run on a reverse. Southerns' Jr transfer QB Jalil
Harris (4-10-2 49)
fumbled on the Rams next possession giving the Wildcats the
ball on the Ram 36. On
the next play, Major completed his only pass of the day to
Leach for a TD. Sr
FB/LB Cedric Green, who recovered the fumble,
added the PAT run. Green later
scored on a 24 yard jaunt up the middle midway through the
third quarter to end
the days scoring. Green ran the ball eight times for 49 yards.
He also led the
Wildcats with 5 tackles, including one for a loss. The Bok
defense was stingy
all day, allowing Southern just 13 yards rushing on 19
attempts, in addition
to Harris's 49 passing yards. Frustrated the most was savvy So
RB/LB Lamone
Fox (9-16) who was unable to get outside and
utilize his speed. Rams Sr LB/RB
Gerald Terry dominated on defense with 14
tackles. Sr LB/RB Shamir Kase made 7
tackles.
Notes:
Southern Sr OL/DL Dan Fields (5
tackles) had a respectable game considering
he played the game just several days after the death of his
father. Michael
McClain had an interception for the Rams. Ryan
Williams 19 yards, Steve Rudd 17,
Kase and Fox 10 each caught passes for South Phila... Allen
Major ran 8-73,
his twin brother Kenny 12-59, along with Corey
Moultrie 6-47 pitched in....
Tyreef Henry displayed good footwork, staying
in bounds on an interception.
Moultrie also had a pick for the Wildcats.
OCT. 17
PUBLIC LEAGUE
Gratz 12, Roxborough 8
Confused!!!! That is what the players, coaches,
spectators and officials were
near the conclusion of this game. Let's back up just a bit.
Trailing by the
score of 8-6, Gratz had the ball first and ten at the
Roxborough 11 yard line,
(Note: a first down could be made at the one yard line), with
2:40 remaining
in the game. After three runs by Vondell Parson
totaling 9 yards, the Bulldogs
were faced with fourth and one from the two yard line with 59
seconds left. On
the next play, Randall Scott appeared to be in
the end zone for the go-ahead
TD. Mysteriously, the ball was spotted on the one yard line. At
this time the
Roxborough players were celebrating, jumping up and down
thinking they had
held on to regain possession at their own one yard line,
forgetting about the
first down possibility. After the officials huddled for several
minutes they gave
Gratz a first down with NO measurement. I think it was a
compromise, and the
Roxborough sideline personnel agreed that Scott should have
been awarded a TD.
I don't think the refs would have granted a measurement if
requested by the
Indians, fearing that if it came up short it would have cost
Gratz the game.
Now looking at a first and goal from the one, Kyle
Whiting's QB sneak resulted
into no gain. At this point Gratz called timeout with 30
seconds remaining. On
second down, Parson ran to his right, he appeared to be tackled
by a host of
Indians in the backfield, but broke free and now was being
chased and about to
be run out of bounds by Jamal Womack near the
15 yard line. Suddenly, Parson
fired the ball towards the end zone where he found Elliot
Padgett all alone for
a game winning TD with 21 seconds remaining. Immediately after
Padgett's
grab, the entire Roxborough staff ran onto the field looking
for an illegal
lineman downfield penalty. No TD signal was given by the
officials and the
scoreboard still read 8-6. Once again, the officials gathered,
this time for a good
five minutes. After their conference they decided there was indeed a penalty
against Gratz. The infraction was 15 yards for unsportsmanlike
conduct. (Illegal
celebration after the TD). Still no TD signal by the officials.
Thinking they
had escaped again, the players, coaches and spectators
celebrated as the ball
was placed on the 18 yard line. Gratz lined up again, but this
time only a few
folks knew that it was for the 2 point conversion. After the
PAT Pass failed,
the teams lined up for the kickoff. It was at this time that
Score and
Timekeeper Bill Hall, along with everyone else, realized that a
touchdown had been
scored. Roxborough had one last play, but QB Karon
Hill's pass was intercepted
at the Gratz 20 by Eugene Wright to end the
game.
Notes:
Gratz's Vondell Parson rushed 22 times for 122
yards. Eugene Wright went 63
yards on a punt return for the Bulldogs first score. Robert
Littlepage and
Randall Scott each registered 6 tackles with 2 for losses.
Lamont Lee-Edgefield
had 4 and 2. Gerald Peterson, Lewis Foster and
Kamaal Dutton all had tackles for
losses. Stanley Sims recovered a fumble. For Roxborough
southpaw QB Karon Hill
threw 3 for 7 with one interception for 64 yards. Keenan
Hite caught one for
40 yards and Jamal Womack two for 24 yards. Dante
Bryant rushed 21 for 73
yards. Clinton Taylor made 6 tackles, Kevin
Gaskins 4-1 loss, and Chris Mitchell
and Vince Jones had tackles for a loss.
OCT. 16
PUBLIC LEAGUE
Bartram 8, Univ. City 0
On the game's first play from scrimmage, U.C.'s Sr QB Kayon Walton
(5-11-2
99 yards), found Jr SE Brandon Shorts, 3-75,
all alone at the Bartram 28 yard
line before he was chased down by Adrian Jackson
at the 4. The 63 yard strike
gave the Jaguars first and goal, but they were unable to find
the end zone. On
the next two plays Bartrams' Sr DE/C Marcus Macklin
made stops, including a
sack, which put the Jags at the 14 yard line. Following a gain
of two yards by
Sterling Johnson, Walton's fourth down pass
was picked off by Sr QB/DB Gary
Carter on the six yard line and returned to
the Brave 45. University City
provided highlights of its own as they stopped the Braves on
fourth and goal from the
one. On the games next play Coach Lou Williams
called for a QB sneak to give
U.C. more room to operate. After Walton pushed his 6'5"
225 lb frame up to the
7 yard line, Macklin took the ball from him and bulldozed to
the goal line
for the game's only TD. Carter's conversion run ended the
scoring. The TD came
with no time remaining in the first quarter. The Jaguars
threatened again near
the end of the half, but the Brave defense held on by halting
the drive at the
ten yard line. Jackson again denied the end zone with two big
stops on first
and fourth downs. Jackson was a factor all day. His numbers
included 8 tackles,
3 for losses, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery. He also
rushed 6 times
for 26 yards. U.C. would get no closer than the 34 yard line of
Bartram the
rest of the way. Jackson and Macklin were helped on defense by
Sr DE Isiah
Cheeseboro 6-2 TFL's, Sr LB Khalif
Jackson 5-1, and Sr DT Kennis Jones 4-2. Jr Joel
Ermilus had an interception on the game's
final play. Sr RB Mustafa Crumpton,
14-73, carried most of the offensive load after Sr RB George
Morse, 6-32, went
down with an injury in the first half. The Jag's defense was
led by Sr Anthony
Williams, 10-1, Sr Washchonne Savoy,
8, and So Sterling Johnson, 5-2. So Amir
Mohammad had an interception.
Notes:
The Bartram defense limited U.C. to 31 yards rushing on 25
attempts. Coach
Roscoe Natale used two QB's, Sr Gary Carter,
1-4-1 31 yards, and Sr Terrance
Murray, 3-6-0 11, yards.
OCT. 10
PUBLIC LEAGUE
Bok 14, West Phila. 6
The game was a tale of two halves. West Philly held
Bok to 18 total yards on
offense in the first half and zero first downs. In the second
half the
Wildcats limited the Speedboys to 52 yards and two first downs.
West Philly started
the scoring with a 70 yard ten play drive after the opening
kickoff. The two
big plays were pass plays by Sr QB Gerald Dove
7-14-2 90 yds to Sr WR/DB Sheldon
Ford for 31 yards, 2 for 35 for the day. The
other to Sr RB/S Isaiah Benjamin
for 20 yards and a TD. Benjamin caught another pass for 12
yards in the
second half. Bok's defense and 12 penalties against West Philly
totaling 112 yards
hindered any scoring chances the rest of the way. Bok came
alive in the second
half with an eight play 63 yard drive topped off by Sr HB/DB Kenny
Major's
15-73, 28 yard run for a TD with 4:34 remaining in the third
quarter to tie the
score at 6-6. After holding West Philly on its next possession
late in the
third period, the Wildcats took control at their own 30 yard
line. On second and
seven from Bok's 33, Sr SE/DB Tyreef Henry was
wide open at the Speedboys 28
yard line, with no opponent within 25 yards. However, Henry
dropped Sr QB Allen
Major's (1-4 38 yards) pass. With plenty of
disgruntled people on the Bok
sideline, Henry left the field in tears. QB Major sprinted left
on third down and
appeared to lose his balance several times, but somehow managed
11 yards and
the first down. He closed out the drive on a QB sneak from 2
yards with 8:33
remaining in the game. Sr FB/LB Cedric Green
15-62, added the conversion run.
West Philly had one more chance, but a penalty and sack by Sr
DE/G Andrew
Daniels, 6 tackles, killed any Speedboy hopes.
Notes:
Bok's Sr SE/LB Marcelluas Barnes was limited
to one play due to a sprained
ankle...Cedric Green playing on a bum leg made 10 tackles with
one for a
loss...Jr Safety Cory Moultrie had two
interceptions for Bok...Kenny Major recovered
a fumble...Jr DE Charles Henryhand made 10
tackles for West Philly... Sr G/LB
Aikeem Bradshaw, 6 tackles, along with Sr Keith
Goldwire had sacks for West
Philly... Goldwire also forced a fumble and Seniors Aaron
Myers and Elwood
Braswell recovered fumbles.
OCT. 2
NON-LEAGUE
Lincoln 18, King 12 (3 OTs)
SR RB Bernard Franklin's TD runs in the second
and third overtimes were
the difference as Lincoln held on in triple overtime. After Franklins'
second score from 1 yard out, his other a 3 yarder, King had one more
chance. However, an offensive pass interference penalty against the
Cougar's Jared Williams on second down killed any chances for M.L.K.
With the loss of down infraction King was faced with a third and
twenty-five. They closed out the day with a pass in the flat to Williams
that was snuffed out by JR D.E. Joe DiGrazio for a 15 yard loss and a
"Hail Mary" from the 40 that was picked off by Daniel Tucker at
the 4.
DiGrazio came alive in the second half, making seven of his eight
tackles, with two for losses, coming after the break. He had plenty of
help on defense. Franklin, who rushed 15 times for 80 yards, made 8
tackles at his safety position. JR DB Terrell Denson, 8-1 loss, JR DL
Jeffrey Zeriche, 7-2 losses, SR DL Otis Young, 7-1 loss, and SR DB
Theodore Johnson 5-2 losses and a sack, all pitched in. JR DL Ron
Williams also had a sack. Franklin had an interception on the first ploy
of the second quarter. The real star on defense played on the "Purple
Delaware" team. That's what a gentleman on the sideline said the Cougars
looked like. SR MLB Eric Pierce was dominating with 16 tackles, 3 for
losses, 2 forced fumbles and one fumble recovery. Pierce, who said he
fills in at fullback, was ineligible for that role because he was number
52, kept coming to the sideline chatting, "How many do I have now?" It
seemed like he could do anything he wanted. Wreak havoc inside, rush the
QB or defend against the pass. SR DE Quinn Peterson had 9 tackles with a
sack. The King offense was led by two Junior backs. Jared Williams
21-132, and Tirrell Dekeyser 20-124-TD. SR QB James Ryan
7-14-65 threw
four times to Franklin for 46 yards for Lincoln. JR WR/CB Sammy Tranks
was way off on his 26 yard field goal attempt for King.