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Behind the Mike
Football 2006
Mike Tos, long-time Conwell-Egan statistician
and supporter beyond belief of the program, has volunteered to offer weekly
thoughts on the season. He has a Sahara-dry sense of humor, and he's also a
champion cube-buster, so keep that in mind as you read his comments. He
especially enjoys Steve Slaton-Curtis Brinkley debates with Huck (smile).
Mike has missed just TWO games in C-E/Egan's FB history.
He may be reached at
banthepit@yahoo.com. |
FEB. 14
VALENTINE CHATTER
To get in the spirit of the day we go to the
Broadway musical "The King and I," which features 2 numbers "Hello Young
Lovers" and "Shall We Dance." Since dancing is not an option for me, my
gift is Valentine Chatter Football Trivia. Here we go . . .
1] Who was the 1st Red Division Champion?
2] Team in PCL who has yet to play a game on Thanksgiving.
3] Between 1963 and 1993, the football title was decided by a
North-South game. Which division won more games?
4] QB of Egan's last win over McDevitt @Henry C. Morgan Stadium.
5] What is the highest number of points scored by a team in a PCL
game?
6] Name the school that has more football wins than basketball wins
in CL play.
7] The 1st Southern Division school with back to back championships.
8] Significance of Judge-Wood 1979 Northern Division title game.
9] What 2 schools played 3 straight years for the title?
10] Name Steve Slaton's jersey numbers @ CEC?
Answers later . . .
Are you lifting?/ 6 MONTHS UNTIL PRACTICE!!
One final question -- Why is PCL football better than Valentine's
Day??
1] Roman
2] McDevitt
3] Northern Division, 22-9
4] Bob Zupcic
5] 77 by Carroll
6] Egan FB 159, BB 148 [THRU 2007 --BB
7] O'Hara
8] It was decided by yardage
9] Egan -West 1965-1967
10] He wore 3, 22 and 32
Extra question: Because girls can't BLOCK.
JAN. 25
OFF-SEASON CHATTER
What is January 25? 11 months until Christmas -- Good answer .
. . 26 years since the Eagles lost Super Bowl XV to the Oakland Raiders 27-10 --
Good football answer. But the REAL answer is it is 200 days until football
practice begins. Are you getting ready? Are you lifting ? Are you lifting as a
team? Yes you win games on the field, but the groundwork is produced in the
weight room. It's the 1st team concept of the season -- you see the TRUE team
leaders; the guys who work hard and won't miss under any circumstances. 2
Outstanding teams in the 80's were 1982 Bishop McDevitt - Pat Manzi brought
toughness and spirit to Wyncote, the 1st step was making the playoffs for the
1st time their 10-0 upset of Judge in the playoffs brings up great memories . .
. 1986 was a lifting crusade at Egan, coming off 2-9 and 2-8 seasons, the
seniors willed it to be different. Led by Hank Grezlak, who demanded your
presence (no lifting was not tolerated plus no holiday-blocked lifting [Memorial
Day, July 4th they lifted] they designed tee shirts for their opener -their
reward was the 1986 Division Title. Every day was a treat to be in their
presence . . . Who looks HOT for 2007?? St. Joe's Prep, La Salle and oh,
yes, Huck Catholic -- can this be another year for the Hype? Ryan, Judge -- are
they all the way back? Will O'Hara rebound into the mix? . . . We'll leave you
with this exclusive -- A failure to repeat by West Catholic will drive Ed "Huck"
Palmer into a Trappist monastery, never to be heard from again . . . Put two
more plates on the bar, gentlemen, and Get it UP ... Remember defense wins
games, offense keeps stat people busy . . . Attention # 10 -Levittown awaits the
Heisman.
JAN. 2
BOWL CHATTER
As we know New Year's Day is a football holiday -- in a real-world
sense it is 32 weeks until practice. We will take a look back at some of the
postseason events and comment on the future . . . Get well wishes to North AD
Fran Dougherty, who is recovering from breaking a bone in his hand [Initial
rumors had the Puck involved, however further information has him
fighting over the check with the two gentlemen he was with] . . . Not much noise
yet from league schools on their chances in 2007, with the exception of West
Catholic and their mouthpiece, Ed "Huck" Palmer, who has been peppering
the phone lines to Las Vegas trying to find the Burrs' odds on winning Super
Bowl XLII [Last I heard, still behind the Texans and Browns] . . .
Congratulations to all Catholic League players voted to an ALL STATE team . . .
Time is getting short, gentlemen: start lifting for 2007!!! . . .
Congratulations to STEVE SLATON, 1st team ALL-AMERICAN Running Back.
. .
Congratulations also to Bob Knight,
who set the win mark yesterday at 880. Love him or hate him , the man
can teach the game --one question remains: could he beat Bill Koch, the
wildly successful JV coach at Judge???
DEC. 4
WEEK 14 CHATTER
Congratulations to the West Catholic Burrs,
the 2006 PCL Blue Division Champions, who defeated Archbishop Wood,
20-12, to capture their 1st Blue crown. The win validated their regular
season 1-point win over the Vikings. After 4 years as the bridesmaid,
Brian Fluck became the center of attention by winning his 1st title. Be
careful that people don't take the Family trademark too literally . . .
2006 Review of Teams, Games, Players: TEAMS of Note -- North Catholic,
St. Joe's Prep, La Salle, West Catholic, Wood, Neumann-Goretti,
Dougherty, Las Vegas High [see screwup in playoff program]. GAMES that
were worth their weight in hype -- O'Hara-North, La Salle-St. Joe's
Prep, Wood-West, Neumann-Goretti/West, La Salle-Roman, C-E/McDevitt,
North-Roman, Ryan-Wood, Carroll- Wood. PLAYERS who left a mark -- Daryl
Robinson, Chris Whitney, Chris Lorditch, Jack Forster, Wiley Flowers,
Kevin Schafer, Dennis Shaw . . . POINTS: RED 1,885 Offense, 1,784
Defense -- BLUE [YES, THAT'S BLUE, PUCK] 1,783 Offense, 1,982 Defense .
. . Dates to Remember: Sept. 21-23 2007. That's when the games start to
COUNT . . . Note to the Burrs: I've heard rumors about your 2007
preseason schedule. If what I heard about week 2 is TRUE, look to the
right, here come the Redskins . . . Slaton-Brinkley: Boonah's
season is completed. Steve scored 2 TDs in West Virginia's 41-39 triple
OT win over Rutgers. The Mountaineers will play Georgia Tech in the 2007
Gator Bowl January 1, 1 p.m. on CBS . . . Question of the Week: Will
Steve be invited to the Heisman ceremony?? Will Puck, just for the
entertainment value? . . . 36 Weeks until Practice BEGINS !!!! 270 days
UNTIL kickoff.
NOV. 27
WEEK 13 CHATTER
Congratulations to the La Salle Explorers,
2006 Red Division Champions, on your dismantling of The Machine, a k a
St. Joe's Prep, 14-7 . . . Outside of upsetting Egan in 1967, this is
Coach Drew Gordon's finest moment [just kidding, NOTHING replaces
winning a championship] . . . A 96-yard fumble return for a TD. Unreal .
. . Note to Coach Gil Brooks: quit playing La Salle on November 24.
You're 0-2. I'm sure you'll be back and God help your opening Red
Division opponent!! . . . PCL sweep on Thanksgiving day. Nice job. The
HYPE'S win over Frankford was HUGE, as was Ryan's win over Washington.
Wins by West, N-G, C-E, Judge and Roman completed the feast. My
season-long boast of a great PCL year bore fruit . . . The loss by
Bonner on Wednesday night should not discourage the Friars. Things are
cyclical. WORK HARD in the offseason and you'll be back . . . Falcon 2007 season tickets: Look for
athletic director Fran
Dougherty to keep the El ticket booth until X-MAS. His ticket
manager, Monica Young, asked for only one thing: HEAT!! Fran
just shrugged and smiled. All fans who buy before December 15
will be eligible for a drawing for a special treat "LUNCH with
the Puck." . . . Yeah, 2006 will be known as the year
offense ruled,
but the weekend of the blocked extra point was huge. The games
were tight and every week had an eye opener . . . Make plans to
attend the BLUE Division Championship on Saturday. Make a day of
it and see Frankford tackle Liberty at 1 . . . To the
seniors: If you never play again, remember the unique feeling
of football . . . Slaton-Brinkley: both suffered defeat. Syracuse
lost to Rutgers, 38-7, while West Virginia dropped one to South
Florida, 24-19. West Virginia plays host to Rutgers Saturday 7:45
ESPN . . . GOOD LUCK to West and Wood.
NOV. 20
WEEK 12 CHATTER
In August, 16 teams vie for the right to play for the Philadelphia
Catholic League Championship. Four remain. For two its Round 4 of their
championship series . . . Wood beat Neumann-Goretti, 16-6. Welcome back, Matt
Little. The Vikings earned the right to defend their title. Little, who
missed 3 games, scored the opening TD. His replacement, Pat Devlin,
returned to receiver and caught a 63-yard TD pass. Wood will play in the
title game for the 5th time in 6 years. Neumann-Goretti really came
alive this year; their size plus their backs made them a fun team to
watch, but tough to play. West Catholic beat Conwell-Egan, 42-7, to avenge
their regular season loss to the Eagles. The score looks lopsided, but the
game was decided on 3 plays. The Eagles were stopped on a 4-1 from
midfield midway in the 1st quarter and the Burrs took over and scored. The
2nd big play was the Burrs' next series. Faced with a 3-18 from their 9,
West's Dennis Shaw was stopped, leaped over the line and went for 22 yards.
West took it from there -- 13 plays, 93 yards, 14-0 after stopping CE's next
series. West's Rob Holloman went 72 yards on a punt return for a TD.
Five
title shots in 5 years. Super, but no title. That's motivation for the
Burrs . . . The semifinal loss was the 4th in 5 years for the Eagles, but
as disappointing as that was, it's light years better than a 14-win
1990s decade. Football is exciting in Levittown again -- yeah, from the
headliners to the last scrub, the kids care and work hard to
WIN . . . The Red Division brings two arch rivals in the final -- St. Joe's
Prep vs. La Salle. La Salle will be making its 1st finals appearance
since 1999. St. Joe's is in its 7th straight final. Coach Gil Brooks
has produced a program that can be mentioned with the greats in PCL
history -- Egan in the 60s, O'Hara in the late 70s, Ryan in the early
90s and La Salle in the mid 90s are the only programs I'd put in that
class. Other schools have had outstanding teams, but none sustained
excellence like these . . . Could you imagine a computer series between
them? Wow! Egan '66 vs. Prep '02. Who would win?? . . . The Prep beat
North, 36-0, after a week off. The machine rolled North. What a story.
You
still have Frankford on Thursday. End it with a W . . . La Salle, behind
4 TD passes by John Harrison, beat Roman, 28-7. Do they want to play twice
in 9 days? I say they should! People look forward to T-DAY. You owe it to your fans, plus the tradition of Thanksgiving
football. But either way, the Red Division Title game will be a
classic . . . ALL-CATHOLICS. Congratulations to all who made the teams. Today is November 20.
A 2-story anniversary. 1983. Read my all-team. The loss?? to Judge hurts to this day [and the question marks will
never be erased]. 1960 -- Yes this is the day Chuck Bednarik KO'D
Frank Gifford. What a Hit!!! . . . Best Wishes to # 5 Donovan McNabb. Yes, you have the mantle of Mr. Eagle. Good Luck in your surgery and
rehab . . . Another legendary coach passed away -- Bo Schembechler, Mr. Michigan,
whose inspirational team talks were played over the weekend. He and
Woody Hayes brought the game to a new level . . . Slaton-Brinkley: Boonah
scored 2 TDs in Syracuse's 20-14 win over Connecticut. Steve racked in
the numbers: 6 catches for 130 yards, plus 22-215 yards rushing and he
scored 4 TDs in West Virginia's 45-27 win over Pitt. This week's games:
Syracuse travels to Rutgers and West Virginia plays host to South
Florida. Both games are on Saturday. Follow the PCL's most prolific
rushers.
***Steve's game is on ESPN2, Boonah's game is on ESPNU
Both games start at noon.***
WEEK 11 CHATTER
Nov. 13
LET THE GAMES BEGIN!!! It's Playoff Football
time, a new season, run the table, nothing else matters . . . Sometimes
the games don't live up to the hype. That wasn't the case this year. The
hype -- make that HYPE -- was justified. Friday night brought 2 one-
pointers. Neumann-Goretti 13, Carroll 12. The Saints' Mark McPherson hid
behind the offensive wall and raced 45 yards for the winning score.
Defense stiffened and held off the Patriots. 1983 was Neumann's last
championship game . . . La Salle 39 O'Hara 38 [OT). The Explorers showed
guts going for 2 after their OT score. It would be classified as kill or
be killed [or maybe tipping off their strategy in future Roman OT
games]. QB John Harrison hit Joe Migliarese for the 2-pointer. Looking
at the box, it went back and forth all night. It is no surprise. The
division is balanced. A 6 beating a 3 would not have shocked. The fact
it was a 77-point game staggers the mind. O'Hara is not in the semis for
the 1st time since 1999. Count on their working hard in the offseason to
erase that memory . . . La Salle-Roman. Is the OT on the way? Hopefully
it will be in regulation. Another outstanding game rated C for Collision
. . . North 30, Judge 27. Daryl Robinson led the way with 3 TDs and 2
picks to lead the Falcons to the semis. But back in the limelight was
TO. No, not the disgruntled receiver from SF, Philly and now Dallas,
but Terrell Oglesby, who added a TD and a pick. Yes, North won and I'm
sure AD Fran Dougherty is setting up a ticket booth outside the El to
handle ticket sales. Rumor has Monica Young running it. Judge, the
Crusaders restored pride and interest in the program. Yeah, the revival
of North, Ryan and Judge has been exciting, and the future is bright and
spirited . . .
Conwell-Egan 27, McDevitt 7. Holy
Turnover. CE and McDevitt opened their game with 5 turnovers in
the 1st 4 minutes of the game. Time to settle down. Balls were
being thrown anywhere but to the man. After starting 1-6-1,
Kevin Schafer caught fire to hit 14 of 19 to finish with 284
yards and 2 TDs to Jim Domzalski and the "acrobatic'"?? David
Kuebler. The Kuebler catch reminded me of Scott Haws' TD catch
in last minute of the 1988 playoff win over La Salle. Bryan
Hanratty did some heavy lobbying for the All Egan Team with 2 FG
and 3 extra points. But let's talk about the Defense. To stop
the Lancers, they put up heavy pressure on the passer. Sacks by
John Chapman [2], Craig Williams, Joe Snydmann. Good grunt work
by Justin Bainbridge and Brendan Foley helped contain the Lancer
rushing attack. Jason Golderer, only a junior, wow, you'll be
unreal if you put the work in to better yourself. McDevitt is
not easy to beat and they pride themselves with smash-mouth
defense. They will be back in '07 with a vengeance . . . The
semis offer 4 matchups that are open for debate. The Hype vs.
The Machine-2. YES, North you have a chance to stamp yourself as
a team for the AGES. Step 1, beat Judge, 30-27. Step 2, and
believe me a win Friday will ensure an all time spot in my
Catholic League believe it or not UPSETS. But the machine which
is St. Joe's Prep usually squashes hype, to watch them execute
is a joy. Give credit to Coach Gil Brooks and his staff. But as
we know, the players are committed. Head coaches are consumed
with their teams. I read a piece where a N-G player was amazed
how emotional their coach was after the Carroll WIN. Football is
THAT important. Talk to ex-players and coaches. The bond
is contagious . . . West Catholic-Conwell-Egan. The Burrs
feature outstanding offense and defense and are looking for
their 5th straight year in the finals. The Eagles are looking
to get to the final for the 1st time in 36 years. They have
given West their only league loss and must stop them again.
Friday night at PW is the place to be . . . While the Friday
games are super, Saturday's take no back seat. There is a
chance you heard that Roman and La Salle don't like to play
regulation; they live in OT only. Attention Drew Gordon: this
isn't Egan where you were saved by a faulty clock. Win or good
luck vs. The Prep on Turkey Day. Roman has quietly snuck up on
everybody, but has measured up and made their mark. The
game depends on who stops who. . . Wood-Neumann-Goretti. You
can't play a game without seeing their staffs scouting. There
are no secrets. They know one thing: whoever executes will win.
Wood, stung by their West loss, is trying for 4 in a row.
They've plugged in Pat Devlin for Matt Little and haven't missed
a beat. N-G has size and speed plus Hunger . . . This week's
games -- Friday: North-St, Joe's Prep @ Northeast and
Conwell-Egan/West @ Plymouth-Whitemarsh; both games at 7 p.m.
Saturday: La Salle-Roman @ Germantown, 6 p.m., and N-G/Wood @
Northeast, 7:30.
SLATON-BRINKLEY: West
Virginia beat Cincinnati 42-24. Steve 12 carries, 148
yards, 2 TDs. Syracuse lost to South Florida 27-10
Boonah was 11-33. This week Syracuse is host to
Connecticut at Saturday noon while West Virginia travels
to Pitt on Thursday 7:30 ESPN Follow the PCL's most
prolific runners . . . Congratulations to RU, you beat
Louisville BUT can you beat THE SLATON??[DEC. 2] PLAYOFF
pet peeve: Attention PCL Program Organizer. The world
existed before the RED and BLUE Divisions. One of the
treats of the playoff program was to read the history of
the Catholic League Playoffs. It was a book you looked
forward to all year. OVER 60 years of history DROPPED.
Are you planning a record book? NEVER DROP MATERIAL,
ALWAYS ADD!!!! Attention #56 [CEC] Keep working hard. I
might get a McClue about your name.
WEEK 10 CHATTER
Nov. 6
The weekend produced some memorable games,
and some were a tuneup for the playoffs. Three games meant a difference.
1) Judge 20 Ryan 3: The win put the Crusaders in the playoffs and
eliminated the Raiders. Ryan in the #7 position shows the tremendous
talent and depth of the Red Division. 2) Roman 27, La Salle 21 [2OT].
Please someone tell these 2 teams, the game is 48 minutes. For the 2nd
straight year they battled into OT. A lot was at stake: the 2nd bye in
the Red playoffs. Give Roman credit. They were handled by the Prep,
40-0, in the opener, yet bounced back to get the bye. For La Salle, yes,
you were back in the limelight. The only question is, are you running
out of gas? 3) West 13, Wood 12. When I first read the score, I thought
it was a misprint. It caused a complete reevaluation of the Blue
playoffs. The win by the Burrs gave them a SHARE of the Blue division
regular season crown plus the # 1 seed in the playoffs. Do I consider
them the team to beat in the playoffs? NO. Can they win it? YES. Will
they? Time will tell . . . My immediate thoughts of the regular season
just completed. The league was competitive and entertaining. The other
and it is important: As much time is being taken to developing offenses,
defenses have taken a back seat. I like 6-0 and 7-6 games when you stop
a force and get credit. Start going to clinics and STOP people.
Yes it's nice to read about 300-yard rushers and passing for over 200
yards, but the stats I want to read about are shutouts, sacks, fumble
recoveries and interceptions . . . Do I think the Catholic League can
compete in the PIAA? The answer is, will they have the lines to play
defense? Some great Catholic League defensive teams I've seen over the
years Egan in the 60's [especially in '66 and '67], St. James 1972,
Judge 1981, McDevitt in the mid 80's, Ryan in the early '90s and
recently St. Joe's Prep . . . HOT teams: St. Joe's Prep, Wood. HUNGRY
teams: North, Roman, Neumann-Goretti, La Salle. Teams with something to
prove West, Conwell-Egan, McDevitt . . . Playoff Evaluation: Red - If
the final does not have St. Joe's Prep in it, I'll be shocked. Clearly
the favorite unless O'Hara upsets La Salle on Friday look for the Prep to play Roman or La Salle. If O'Hara beats La Salle, then North or Judge could be a finalist [while we are on Judge, congratulations to Frank Cahill for being appointed the head
basketball coach. ONE word of advice. STAY clear of
Rite-Aids] . . . Blue Division: Any one of the six can win. Wood
is still the favorite. Can they rebound? That's the question. West is still a question mark.
They have talent BUT they don't
always play to their best. Teams that could be there are
Neumann-Goretti, unless they get their offense stopped;
Conwell-Egan, if they stop people. They can be there with the
most creative and diversified offense in the division; McDevitt
-- the Lancers are due, they are becoming tough to beat. Their game
with Conwell-Egan is a stomach churner. That game and North-Judge are
the ones to see. Carroll has the best chance of a 6 over
3 upset. Both Saturday games are tossups. North-Judge should be a
big crowd with two good rivals . . . PEOPLE ON THE HOT SEAT: # 56
[CEC] the only stats I know 4-6 and 282.. Time to make me notice
the stats I want 8-6 and # 6. Gil Brooks. Can you be
mentioned in the same regard as Dick Bedesem? Brian Fluck. Is this the year when will you be the bride?
. . .
SLATON-BRINKLEY: Syracuse had a bye. They get back in action
when they play South Florida on Saturday at noon. Louisville 44,
West Virginia 34. Steve Slaton had 156 yards and 1 TD. The loss
damages the Mountaineers' hope for a National Championship. They
play host to Cincinnati on Saturday noon ESPN2.
WEEK NINE CHATTER
Oct. 30
Norfolk State Band -- this time last week if
you had told me they would lead off the Chatter, I would not have
believed it. Homecoming at K-K is a treat. Student floats and a parade
to the stadium from the school. This year, the Norfolk State Band
performed its show before the game. The only negatives were the weather
and the game starting 40 minutes late. The C-E Eagles scored in 3 plays
and dominated the game, winning 42-0.The shutout was their 1st in league
play since 2001. QB Kevin Schafer tied the school mark for wins by a QB,
he shares it with Pancho Micir who won 21 games in 1965-66 . . . You
have to wonder what Wood coach Joe Powel has to look forward to -- maybe
a 300-yard game from Pat Devlin, who again rushed for 200-plus yards
(vs. Dougherty). 2 games almost 500 yards . . . One question: how did
you bribe Tennent into using the field? Vikings clinched a share of
regular season Blue crown . . . The Machine blanks the Hype. The Hawks
of SJP left no doubt in their 28-0 win over North. Chris Whitney led the
attack with 3 TDs as St. Joe's clinched the bye and # 1 seed in the Red
playoffs. Coach Gil Brooks survived a rough week of character
assassination on a certain statewide website's message boards. That the
Puck said he was Brooks is a compliment that may be lost in its humor .
. .
Ryan 14, La Salle 12. Kudos to Nick Ferdinand,
who scored on 2 pass interceptions to bring Ryan back into the
playoff mix. Only Bonner is eliminated in the Red . . . Hot
teams: St. Joe's Prep, Wood, West. Improved teams: Judge, North,
N-G . . . Games this week: Blue -- K-K/McDevitt, Dougherty/N-G,
C-E/Carroll, Wood-West. Red -- Bonner-North, Ryan-Judge,
Roman-La Salle, O'Hara-St. Joe's Prep. Get out and see some
late-season action . . . Games of note: Roman-La Salle, winner
gets a bye. Last year Roman won in OT, Both teams took their
lumps from the Prep. Ryan-Judge, great tradition, improved
teams, BOTH need the win for the playoffs . . . West-Wood,
winner has the # 1 seed in the Blue playoffs. Wood is the
favorite. West needs the momentum for the playoffs, plus Wood
has won late in the year when the game meant something . . .
Congratulations to West RB Dennis Shaw for going over 3,000 yard
mark in his career . . . How tough are the Conwell-Egan
cheerleaders? A little rain and wind and you miss your 1st game?
Your talents and enthusiasm is admired and appreciated, BUT when
the Eagles play don't be missing in action. Grrrrrrrrr . . .
SLATON-BRINKLEY: Syracuse lost to Cincinnati, 17-3, while W.
Va. had a bye. This week Syracuse is idle. The big game is
Thursday night when # 3 West Virginia travels to Louisville
(ESPN 7:30) The winner could play in the BCS Championship Game.
Attention Jack Rutter, McDevitt basketball coach. If West
Virginia is in the game, your chances of playing CEC that night
are slim and NONE . . . Wonder if any of the 4 non-playoff teams
will pick up any additional games. Rumor I heard is
Dougherty-Norristown . . . Neumann-Goretti/McDevitt: The Saints
score in the 4th to edge the Lancers. No one has an easy night
with McDevitt . . . Playoff picture. Red: St. Joe's # 1 seed and
a bye, Roman-La Salle winner is # 2 seed and gets a bye. If Ryan
and O'Hara win, the ball is in Pat Manzi's hands. He would rule
on the tiebreaker. Of course O'Hara would have to beat the Prep.
North appears to be # 4 with a win over Bonner . . . Blue: Wood
has a bye. The 6 teams are set, only the seeds need to be fixed.
If West beats Wood they are the # 1 seed. A loss could be
disastrous. If Dougherty beats NG then CE would be 2 with a win
over Carroll . . . A moment of reflection: Congratulations to
the Temple Owls for their win over Bowling Green. Since he's
taken over, Al Golden and his staff are always in contact with
the local high school coaches, something not evident in the past
and on the Main Line now . . . Late Saturday night I heard the
news of the death of Red Auerbach. Yes, the Red Auerbach who was
the arch enemy of Philly basketball. I was sad as much as I
wanted to beat him, I admired and respected him. To me he made
Boston THE GREEN MACHINE Farewell Red. Boston is DEAD!!
THE KENRICK/K-K -- EGAN/C-E SERIES
Oct. 25
They have met in a series that had its 1st meeting in the 50s and from
1963-88 when Kenrick was part of the Northern Division. In the 60s, the
Eagles had their own way winning often and big. In 1965, they clinched
the North with a 40-19 win over the Knights. 1971 was the turnaround
year for Kenrick, as they came to Levittown and beat the Eagles, 7-0, on a 43-yard run by Fran Picarello. The win was the only loss the Eagles
suffered in the division in 3 years, but it cost them the title as
Kenrick won the North. Kenrick repeated in 1972, and they blanked Egan, 20-0 They were thwarted on their bid for the PCL title by Carroll in
1971 and St. James in 1972. 1973: The Eagles rallied to win, 14-8, on a
last-minute TD catch by soph Jerry Riley. 1974-76: Kenrick wins
16-13, 13-12, and 27-7. The 1975 win clinched their spot in the
North playoffs where they lost a memorable game to Judge when their game-ending FG, which would have tied the game, was disallowed due to a penalty. From 1977-83, the Eagles prevailed. the 1983 game was a spirited
battle. With the score tied, 14-14, in the 4th, Chris Rooney and Jeff Ditzler scored late
TDs to win it, 27-14. In 1984, Kenrick won, 14-0. Egan won 3 out of the last
4 -- 1985, 34-0; 1986, 30-0; lost in 1987, 35-8; and in '88, won 19-14. The
'85 and
'88 games produced 2 special teams plays by Egan that I've never seen
before or since. In 85, Egan lineman Joe Mossbrook picked up a punt that Kenrick players had walked away from, but did not
down. He went 67 yards untouched and unchased. The refs huddled and
ruled it a touchdown because of no downing the ball and no whistle. As
amazing as the 1985 play was, the 1988 game produced the Miracle in Norristown.
Yes, it could rival the Eagles 2 in the Meadowlands. Egan
needed the win to make the playoffs while Kenrick had an outside chance; the
teams had up and down seasons. Kenrick led 14-0 at the half. Egan had
sputtered most of the half and was frustrated when the half ended with
the ball on the Kenrick 1. Sensing the season slipping away, Egan coach
Chuck Knowles delivered a blistering halftime talk. It WORKED. The Eagles
scored on their 1st possession as Chuck Coleman hit Matt Savoy with a 5 yard
TD pass; missed the extra point. It was 14-6 going into the 4th. Kenrick
punted to open the quarter, the punt hit the protector and flew
backwards, Egan's John Kiernan caught it in the end zone!! Went for 2 and
failed, 14-12. The Eagles threatened twice but failed. Kenrick took over
on its 17 with under 4 minutes to go. A penalty and a sack made it 3rd
and 23
from their 4 with less than 2 minutes to go. They completed a 25-yard pass.
1st down run for 2, time out BE. 2-8 a run, time out BE. 3-7, a sack again,
time out. Kenrick is faced with a punt from their 15 with 20 seconds to
go. During the timeout they switch punters and the new one is left-footed.
The Eagles are going for the block. Scott Brandt noticed this and
switched sides on the center. He comes up the middle and blocks it. Lineman Kevin Szczyrbak scooped it up and ran 5 yards for the
TD. Needless to say our sideline went NUTS. We won, 19-14. Kids to this day
people come up to Chuck Knowles and say, "If you sell out and don't quit, good
things will happen." The Norristown Times Herald did a story on Roosevelt
Field and voted the game the 2nd greatest ever played there. Kenrick
left the PCL from 1988-92 in football and achieved some success in the PIAA
playoffs; some under present Wood head coach Joe Powel. When they came
back in the league in 1993 as Kennedy-Kenrick, they achieved some
success, winning the Southern Division in 1993 and 1995. CE and K-K
resumed their series in 1999 with Blue Division play. The Eagles have
won all 8 meetings. In 2002, they won a 13-10 OT playoff game.
WEEK EIGHT CHATTER
Oct. 22
42-14. Both St. Joe's Prep and Wood won by that score. St. Joe's
rallied from a 7-0 deficit to beat La Salle and win its 46th straight
Red Division game. Junior running back Jamir Livingston rushed for
250 yds and 2 TDs to put the Hawks in the lead for a bye for the
playoffs. The Explorers' John Harrison shook off an injury and threw for 296
yards. These teams will meet again on Thanksgiving. Time will tell if a
3rd meeting will take place . . . ATTENTION Matt Little. Do you know the
story of Wally Pipp and Lou Gehrig? Yes, you were missed but with Pat
Devlin, the Vikings did not skip a beat. He set a Wood game
rushing mark with 281 yards, and scored 4 TDs. Credit the O-line of Wood
for getting it done. The Eagles moved the ball all night, but couldn't
finish their drives. Game was in doubt in 4th quarter but down 28-14 CE
recovered an onside kick drove to the Wood 6 but was denied. The
win clinched a bye for Wood, which is trying to win a 4th straight
crown . . . While Wood has a bye the race for the 2nd one took another
turn with West Catholic beating Neumann-Goretti, 28-27, in overtime. The
Burrs went for 2 and ended it when Curtis Drake ran in the 2 pointer. If
they'd gone to a 2nd OT, BOTH West and N-G would have been losers if the
Burrs had won. More on that next week. If the Burrs win out they can
eliminate all speculation . . . Judge 10, Roman 7: Yes, in the Red Division,
anything can and will happen. It hurt the Cahillites' goal of finishing
2nd, and avoiding the Prep until the finals. The win by Judge takes them
temporarily off the bubble making their game with Ryan almost an
elimination game . . . North 31, Ryan 15: Well, Cinderella, it's time
for the acid test, St. Joe's Prep. A news report doubted the Red Division
because of the Falcons' success. Well, they can compete with anyone of the
chosen 16 and be in the mix or the semis. Daryl Robinson spearheaded the
Falcon attack with 3 TDs and 2 picks on defense. North-Prep don't miss it. The Machine vs. The Hype.
A win by the Hype will close down the El and
make venerable North Athletic Director Fran Dougherty dust off his
Football Red Book to study the tiebreakers . . . Dougherty wins!!
Congratulations to the Cardinals for beating K-K. The win ended a long
drought in the Blue Division for them . . . There is an EMERGENCY meeting
of the West Catholic Academic Council to review the status of the
diploma of Ed "Huck" Palmer. Why, you ask? Perhaps he owes a homework or
three. Nah, he picked against West and got proven wrong. Maybe next week
we'll have exclusive minutes of the meeting. Note the Judge position on
the Puck was to buy him out after one year . . . HOT teams: St. Joe's Prep, Wood, North,
La Salle. Improved teams: Dougherty, Judge . . . Games this week -- BLUE: Wood-Dougherty, CE-KK, West-Carroll, McDevitt-N-G. RED: Judge-Bonner, Ryan-La Salle, North-St.Joe's
Prep, O'Hara-Roman. Don't be a couch potato. Get out and see high school
football this weekend . . . SLATON-BRINKLEY: West Virginia continued its
winning ways by beating Connecticut, 37-11. Steve Slaton 19-128 and 1
TD. The
touchdown was his 100th combining high school and college -- 72
at Conwell-Egan and 28 at West Virginia. He went over 1,000 yards for the 5th straight year. Syracuse lost to Louisville, 28-12 ,Curtis Brinkley was
10-35. This week Syracuse travels to Cincinnati while West Virginia has
a bye . . . Well, it's time for 6 to score -- 1) Name the school with the
least amount of head coaches in the last 40 years. 2) Name the coach of
O'Hara's 1st football championship team. 3) Name the year no TDs were
scored in the PCL Title Game. 4) Name the only team to win the Catholic
League in its 1st year of membership. 5)- What year did the Catholic
League adopt overtime for its playoffs? 6) How many Catholic League
schools have had players set rushing marks for 1 game vs. Egan that
still stand? Extra Point) What PCL team does Ted Silary visibly support
each game? Go for Two) Coaches scout games, I scout reporters, Huck and
Puck pick winners. When you scout Ted Silary, what is his tendency to
let you know who he thinks will win the game?
ANSWERS . . .
1) La Salle-3. 2) Chappy Moore, 1973. 3) 1988. 4) Bishop Egan,
1963. 5) 1995. 6) 3 Mike Sherlock, Bonner, 1976, 305 yards; Lawrence Reid,
Dougherty, 1975, 379; Pat Devlin, Wood, 2006, 281. Extra
Point) he wears an Eagle on his hat so we go with Conwell-Egan and, yes,
that's a reach. Go for 2) He had a habit of standing on their side in
the 2nd half. He has changed since he's become Mr. Camera and needs the
sun behind him.
WOOD-EGAN SERIES
Oct. 19
Every school has an arch rival whom they
loathe, will do everything and anything to beat, be it football,
basketball, softball, wrestling or any other. For long-time Eagle
followers, the theme from Astro Boy evokes one thought -- Wood. For
every big win there is a tale of a bitter defeat -- unruly crowds and/or
perceived injustices, real or imagined. The 2 teams have met every year
since 1966 and the Vikings lead the series, 27-14-2. In the beginning,
the Eagles dominated, winning the 1st 5 games by big scores. The closest
was 36-20 in 1969 and the legendary kicking shoe of Tim Koch of Egan in
1970, 21-0. However after the 1970 season, coach Dick Bedesem left Egan
to go to Wood. He made the Wood program, giving them spirit through
winning and hard work. 1971: 22-22 tie game, played at Hatboro-Horsham.
Egan rallied to tie. The teams had scrimmaged in the summer and Egan had
the better of it. 1972: Wood wins, 14-8. Game played on a Monday night
drew a big crowd. Wood tied for the division with Kenrick, but lost the
playoff game, 26-18. 1973: Skip Duffy was the coach at Wood (Dick
Bedesem went to Temple) and Bob Wagner was the new man at Egan. Eagles
won, 14-0, and had a young team primed to return to glory. 1974: Sept.
28, one of the 3 worst rain games I experienced [the other 2: Oct. 23,
1983 at Judge, and last year's game with Wood]. Wood wins, 21-12, on a
99-yard run by wishbone QB John Rankin. The Eagles came into the game
3-0 and scoring 30 points a game. Wood went on to win the Catholic
League & City Title. 1975: Buoyed by their success of 1974, Wood becomes
a power and beats Egan, 26-0. 1976: More of the same. Wood dominated,
48-7. 1977: Wood rallies from 7-2 deficit to win, 28-7. Scored 2 TDs in
last 49 seconds of the 1st half to lead, 15-7. Joe Karpa scored the TD
for Egan. 1978: Wood, 33-13. Up 13-7 in the 4th and use a big catch by
Bill Black to get rolling. 1979: Probably the 2nd toughest loss I
experienced. Up 18-7 at the half, BE trails, 20-18, with 4 minutes to
go. Bill Petraitis catches a TD pass with 2:15 left. Wood converts 2 big
3rd downs and scores with 22 seconds left to win, 27-24. 1980: Welcome
to Super Sunday, Nov. 16. Egan 7-0 at home vs. Wood 7-0 only 1 would go
to the playoffs. Eagles score on 3rd play of game when Tom Seger goes 53
yards on the Vikings. 2nd play, they fumble and lose the ball on their
8. They hold, drive and get a 1st down and punt. Seger scores again from
the 15 and it's 14-0. Wood scores with 14 seconds in the half to make
it 14-7. They take 2nd half KO and score but miss the point, 14-13. Egan
gets 2 1st downs, but is forced to punt. They stop Wood but after an
exchange of punts Wood has the ball on their 6 yard line they get a 1st
down and on 3rd and 5 throw a 79 yard TD pass to lead, 19-14. Although
Egan threatens twice in the 4th Wood wins. 1 LOSS all year and no
playoffs. The game drew about 13,000 fans to Levittown. 1981: Welcome to
William Tennent. Wood 9-0, Eagles 6-3.One MAIN injury for Wood. QB Steve
Kettelberger, probably their all time best at the position, did not
play. Hurt the week before at La Salle. The game had severe wind and in
the 2nd half hail and heavy rain but the Eagles prevailed, 6-0, on a TD
by Keith Armstrong and held Wood on a 4th quarter goal line stand from
the 4. 1982: Egan wins 3-0 on a FG by Ted Blucas. 1983: Eagles win ND
regular season, 25-15. Bob Zupcic had a big day and Jim Hvizda led the
receiving corps. 1984: Eagles win, 19-14, as both teams suffer a down
year. 1985-1989 Wood prevailed beating the Eagles twice in 1986; 15-6 to
give them their only division loss and 13-0 in the playoffs. Win the
next 3 years upset them, 14-6, in 1988 and 9-0 in a Monday afternoon
Tennent special in 1989. 1990: Wood rallies to gain a 20-20 tie; Eagles
finish 0-9-1. 1991: easy 36-0 win for Wood. 1992: big win for Wood as
the Eagles go winless. 1993: Jeff Perry kicks a 28 yard FG as Egan
wins, 9-7, stopping Wood 5 times inside the 20. 1994-95: Eagles win both games in Levittown. 25-0
in 94.The legendary John Paul Adamson ran 2 yards with fumble,
then
tripped in the open field a mere 45 yards from the end zone.
Matt Leisse scored to pace Eagles' 7-0 win -- strange year for Wood
with
homecoming at McDevitt and senior night at Egan (the woes of Tennent). 1996: Eagles return opening kickoff, but Wood rolls,
38-6. 1997-2000: ood wins all 4 by a comfortable number.
2001: Wood wins, 23-12. Up by 23-0, they were introduced to Steve
Slaton in the 2nd half. Had he played in the 1st half the result may
have been a different winner. 2002: Eagles win, 19-10. Slaton goes nuts, running for 235 yards and scoring 2
TDs. Matt Fischer kicks 2 FGs
for the Eagles. 2003: Vikings win, 27-0, and hold Slaton to a career
low. 2004: Vikings win twice, 23-13 in the regular season and
40-20 in the playoffs as they capture their 2nd straight crown.
2005: Vikings win 35-0 and 43-0 in the playoff semis. The 1st
game was at the Northampton Civic Center in a driving rain. The
site was inadequate to host a varsity high school game
-- unequal locker room facilities, it still invokes anger in me
when I think of it. Wood dominated the playoff game and
repeated as champions.
WEEK SEVEN CHATTER
Oct. 16
Well, the weekend became crunch time -- 2
one-point games, a track meet in Levittown, a survival in Germantown, 2
bad injuries, 2 l-o-n-g runs. Some people are calling
this a down year, one of parity. I call it come to play because every
week could be a loss . . . Ryan-O'Hara and Roman-North were both
14-13 games decided by blocked extra points. Mike Moody of Roman and Joe
Colleluori of O'Hara did the deeds. The win by O'Hara keeps their
playoff hopes alive [but remember one probably won't get you in] . . .
There have been charges filed against the Neumann-Goretti offensive line
for assault and concealing a deadly weapon in their game vs.
Conwell-Egan. They manhandled the CE defense and those deadly weapons
were their running backs: 371 rushing yards, 2 runners over 100 yards.
Mark McPherson went for 236 yards and scored 3 TDs. As good as the N-G
offense was, they were outgained by CE, 432-429, as the game went back
and forth all night. Congratulations to the Saints . . . Pat Manzi came
to Wyncote in 1982 and has created a tough night for any team they have
lined up against. Losing to Wood by 10-0 is a great example of this.
Held them to no offensive touchdowns. No one wants to play McDevitt.
They hit and give you fits . . . We must tip our hat to Wood's Chris
Lorditch, who accounted for all of Wood's points. When you think of the
2000's, the name Lorditch can be mentioned with Stovall, Brinkley and
Slaton . . . Injuries - Matt Little of Wood and John Harrison of La
Salle . . . This week's games Blue: Dougherty/K-K, West/N-G; Carroll-McDevitt,
Wood/C-E. Red: Roman-Judge, North-Ryan, O'Hara-Bonner and St. Joe's
Prep-La Salle. Get out this weekend and see some games . . .
Prep-LaSalle: The Prep comes in trying to avenge last year's 14-13
Thanksgiving day loss. Yeah, they won the title, but I'm sure the split
is a sore point with them . . . Egan-Wood: Always treat whether it's for
a title or just a game. Rumor has it that Mary Harkins, principal of
Wood, has vowed to fly Matt Little to Lourdes if it will help. Look for
points and an energized crowd . . . Hot teams: St. Joe's Prep, La Salle,
Wood and North. Improved teams: Dougherty, Judge . . . Halfway
Assessment Red: Prep looks to close out another 7-0 season, but La Salle
won't be an easy afternoon. North is in rare air, a contender for the
title. Picking the Falcons in preseason is like picking the Detroit
Tigers to be in the World Series . . . Blue: Wood is the door you have
to open if you want to claim the crown. However, the division is vastly
improved. On a given day they could lose to 4 or 5 of their rivals.
There are 15 combinations for the title game rather than 2 or 3 . . .
Awards midseason look: MVP Red, Chris Whitney SJP or Daryl Robinson
North. Blue: Chris Lorditch of WOOD; it's his to lose . . . Heisman:
Troy Smith of Ohio State is the current media choice. Look for Steve
Slaton to turn up the heat and go after it hard. The pick: SLATON . . .
Closing word to the Puck: start getting more glib with your comments or
get a new ghost writer. Last week's grade: D- . . . Slaton-Brinkley head to head battle: West Virginia
41 Syracuse 17. Boonah's stats: 10-30, 37 yard kickoff return. Steve's stats:
20-163, 1TD. West Virginia plays at Connecticut on Friday night
7:30 ESPN Syracuse hosts Louisville noon on Saturday . . . Some
trivia questions: 1). Name the only Catholic League team not to have lost 100
division games? 2) Only school to win a division in both divisions [North and South]. 3) Name the only Catholic League
player to win the Heisman and his school. 4) What honor is
uniquely Steve Slaton's in Catholic League history? 5) Name the
only PCL school Egan has never played in a football game?
6) Who is #3 behind Brinkley and Slaton in Catholic League
rushing? EXTRA POINT: Site of Egan-Wood game in 1972? Go for
TWO: Lowest seed to win a Catholic League football title?
Answers . . .
1). Carroll. 2). Kenrick, North 1971-1972; South as K-K, 1993,1995.
3). John Capelletti, Bonner, Penn State. 4). 4-year 1st team
All-Catholic selection. 5.) O'Hara. 6). Kevin Jones, O'Hara.
XP). Neshaminy. Go for 2). Judge, 1981, 1983 (4th both times.).
WEEK SIX CHATTER
Oct. 10
DEDICATION - A moment of silent reflection for Ed "Huck"
Palmer, who had a weekend to forget. On Friday night his beloved Burrs were
beaten by Conwell-Egan, 26-12, and then to compound his woes the man was BURIED
by the Puck and is now in his familiar position of looking up at his idol. In
addition, a national publication has dropped him as one of the top
prognosticators of High School Football. An excerpt from the blurb for their
decision: the game has passed him by . . . Now on to the chatter: O'HARA
DOMINATES, continues unbeaten. Wait, is this some kind of joke? The O'Hara we're
talking about is Ray O'Hara, the solid RB-LB of Conwell-Egan. He smashed
his way for 154 yards rushing and 1 TD, and on defense he contributed an
interception and a sack in CE's 26-12 win over West Catholic . . . The North
Catholic rushing record lasted about 675 hours as once again it was Daryl
Robinson who raised it to 220 yards in the Falcons' 34-14 win over Judge.
Wood's Chris Lorditch set a PCL record for career TD receptions with 23,
breaking the record of Carroll's Kevin Mullen. How high will he set it?
How long will it last? . . . Can someone explain why the clock operators can't
compute down and distance? Where's the ball? We need to know more than time and
score. Slaton-Brinkley: West Virginia continued its winning ways, 42-14, over
Mississippi State. Steve Slaton's numbers 26-185 yards and 1 TD.
Syracuse's 3-game win streak was ended by Pitt, 31-11. Curtis Brinkley
was 11-27 yards. This weekend Syracuse travels to West Virginia Saturday at
noon. Follow the PCL's two most prolific rushers on channel 6 . . . Hot teams: Conwell-Egan,
St. Joe's, North, Wood, La Salle. Improved teams: Dougherty, Neumann-Goretti.
Teams tough to figure: O'Hara, West . . . This week's hot games: Red --
Bonner-La Salle, Judge-St.Joe's. Blue -- Wood-McDevitt, West/K-K,
Carroll-Dougherty, Neumann-Goretti/Conwell-Egan. A sweep this weekend by the 4
unbeaten teams would set up a super Saturday on October 21. La Salle-St. Joe's
at Wissahickon at 1 and Wood/Conwell-Egan at 7 [Truman]. I'm sure 1or more of
their opponents can or will spoil it . . . How critical a weekend is this for
O'Hara with Ryan? Lose and you'll probably need all 3 remaining games to make
the playoffs!
LOOKING BACK . . .
Oct. 5
The Egan-West Series
The teams played 3 years in a row for the Catholic League
Title. 1965: West stops the Eagles, 28-13, using ball control and tough defense.
John Small broke it open with kickoff TD return late after BE closed it to
16-13. 1966: Dick Bedesem's best team routed the Burrs, 39-6, setting a mark for
points scored in a title game; team scored 438 points and gave up only 50. 1967:
Eagles took rubber match, 27-8, as future Eagle Larry Marshall ran wild and Gary
Gray led the defense . . . 1972: Egan wins, 8-6, on Thanksgiving [game set up
after summer scrimmage] . . . 1998: This game has been dubbed by many as the
0-For Bowl as both teams came in with losing streaks of 20 or more games.
Despite being outgained, 431 to 87, West wins in OT, 12-6 . . . The Burrs have
dominated the Blue Division games, 6-1, winning most by 2 or more touchdowns
capped by a 53-0 win in 2005. The Eagles' only win was in 2002, 13-6 in OT. . .
Based on last year's numbers, West would appear to be the favorite. But based on
history, any time the EAGLES lose by 40 or more they win the game next year.
1965: Neshaminy 41,Egan 0. The score was reversed in 1966. 1975: Judge 49, Egan
7. 1976: Egan 7, Judge 6. 1978: Judge 40, Egan 0. 1979: Egan 15, Judge 8.
UPDATE . . .
Huck sent Mike this note and forwarded it to Ted. They have fun
busting on each other . . .
"With that INACCURATE stat on C-E's 40-point losses and winning the
following year. It took me all of 42 seconds to put a chink in that armor.
In 2000, C-E got swamped by Carroll 49-0, then lost the following
year 40-0, and the next year 28-21. Last time I checked when one team scores
40 or more and the other scores zero, then there is a REAL GOOD CHANCE that
there is a 40-point deficit. So, that is two instances right there.
Sloppy!!! That is why most people head on over to West Philly for reliable
stats!
Your long-term memory appears to be working on all cylinders, but
your short-term recollections can be summed up in one word -- WEAK!!!"
--
Huck
WEEK FIVE CHATTER
Oct. 2
Biggest surprise of the 2006 season is not the turnaround of
North Catholic, BUT the question of whether O'Hara will make the Red Division
playoffs. 0-2 is not the end of the world, however in the next 5 games they'll
be the clear cut choice just once. If they finish 1-6, get in line and BUY
tickets . . . The McDevitt-CE game was a nail-biter, with the last 3 minutes an
emotional rollercoaster. Yeah CE won, but the effort by McDevitt was there all
night . . . A tip of the hat to Pat Manzi, PCL Football Moderator, McDevitt AD
and coach, for the use of the Germantown Super Site. Another quality step for
the PCL. With Germantown, Northeast, Truman and Wissahickon, look for the turf
wars to continue in the playoffs . . . This week's games RED: Ryan-Roman,
Judge-North, Bonner-St. Joe's and La Salle-O'Hara; BLUE:
Wood-Neumann-Goretti ,West-CE, McDevitt-Dougherty and Carroll-Kennedy Kenrick.
Get out and see the games in the best league in the area . . . Hot teams: La
Salle, St. Joe's, Neumann-Goretti, Wood and North. Improved teams: West, Ryan,
Dougherty and Judge. Teams tough to figure: Carroll, McDevitt . . . Missing in
Action: Sideline helper Mr. Jumbo Shrimp himself Matt O'Hara, who was playing a
CYO football game. Matt claims he's going to make me forget Steve Slaton. I'm
still rolling my eyes on that one . . . SLATON-BRINKLEY : Steve was idle as West
Virginia had a bye. Boonah was victorious as Syracuse outlasted Wyoming, 40-34,
in double OT. This week West Virginia travels to Mississippi State while
Syracuse hosts Pitt . . . ATTENTION: Bishop Joe McFadden, please make plans to
attend the PCL Football Championships. Toss the coin before each game. Outside
of the Cardinal, no one would be more welcome . . . ATTENTION: Jeffrey Lurie,
you claim the Eagles are the Gold standard of the NFL. Well, show me. Open up
Lincoln Financial Field and HOST the Public and Catholic League Championships.
Other NFL teams do. Don't fumble the ball. Get it done!!
MORE CHATTER
Sept. 28
See the story on Steve Slaton on page 62 of the 10-2-06
issue of Sports Illustrated.
LOOKING BACK . . .
Sept. 26
The Egan-McDevitt Series
1962: Played the year before entering the league. Egan won, 68-6, a
school record for points. DB Chris Kule returned 2 interceptions in the 1st half
for TDs . . . 1963: Eagles win, 50-0, for 1st PCL win at home. 1964: With most
fans' mind on the Phillies, the Lancers won, 22-8. Phils win, 10-0, but St.
Louis beat the Mets and won the NL crown. 1967: Royal Lancers spoil Egan's
perfect season, 27-25, behind Drew Gordon. Eagles have 3 TDs lost to penalties.
Clock runs out early and fans spill out onto the field with Egan ahead, 25-20.
It takes over 5 minutes to restore order and Lancers score with 43 seconds left
to record GIANT upset . . . 1970: After going 8-0 in the division in 1969, open
with the Lancers and play to 12-12 tie. Eagles go 7-0-1 to win the division 6
out of 8 years . . . 1972: Up 20-14 under 2 minutes left, Egan coach Bernie
Farrell gambles 4th and 1 on his 26. Lancers hold and score with under 30
seconds left to win, 21-20. The curse continues . . . 1974: McDevitt uses 4 long
kick returns to win, 28-24 . . . 1977: Eagles give coach Bill Travers a win on
his birthday, 54-0 . . . 1978: Despite a 272-154 deficit in yardage, Eagles win,
34-16 . . . 1979: McDevitt enters the game having scored only 13 points in their
first 7 games. Lead 21-13 in the 4th quarter. Sparked by an 82-yard TD run by
Keith Armstrong, Egan scores 28 in the 4th to win, 41-21 . . . 1982: Pat Manzi's
1st year at McDevitt sparks life into the program and a playoff spot is earned
for the 1st time. Ahead by 14-6 in the 4th, the Lancers gamble on a 4th-1 on the
Egan 46. The Eagles hold. Buoyed by a 34-yard toss reverse pass from Ricky Burns
to Tony Ciotti, Egan rallies to gain a 14-14 tie . . . 1983: Eagles eke out a
14-13 win the last time they have beaten the Lancers at the Henry C Morgan
Stadium . . . 1986: Lancers, on their way to 1st PCL Title win 28-7 -- however,
due to an inadvertent use of an ineligible player had to forfeit the Egan and
Judge games (McDevitt goes unbeaten on the field) . . . 1988: With back-to-back
crowns., the Lancers are favored for a 3rd. Open with Egan. Sparked by an 8 sack
performance by the defense, Egan wins, 17-7 . . . 1989: Lancers avenge loss with
a 35-7 win. Defense scores 3 TDs (2 by McDevitt, one by Egan) . . . 1990s:
McDevitt goes 10-0 (only tight game was in 1994, when they won, 28-14. This was
the key to their making the playoffs. Lancers finish 3-2-2 and Egan 4-3-0; only
time in league history team with more wins did not make the playoffs (league
goes to overtime the next year to alleviate the problem). The last weekend
produced a unique situation. Tthe standings: Ryan 6-0, La Salle 4-2 Judge 4-2
Egan 4-2, McDevitt 3-2-1. Judge played McDevitt Friday night. Winner was in,
loser was out. Egan was in no matter who won. However, in case of a tie, Egan
would need a win or tie vs. Ryan the next night. McDevitt leads, 21-7, in the
4th. Judge rallies and ties it in last minute. Egan-Ryan 0-0 at the half. Ryan
scores in last minute of the 3rd. Egan throws last-minute interception from
their 5 and lose, 14-0 . . . 2002: Eagles record 1st win over the Lancers since
1988, 21-10. Defense produced 8 turnovers. Dan Quinn led the way with 3
interceptions . . . 2003: Lancers blank Eagles, 6-0, stopping them late in the
game from the 2. Loss prevents the eagles from making the playoffs . . . 2004:
Eagles produce back to back shutouts -- 19-0 in the regular season and 3-0 in
the playoffs. Ryan Terry kicked the FG. Lancers fail to score from the one in
the 4th quarter. Steve Slaton blocked an earlier FG attempt . . . 2005: Teams
played two tough games. A turf problem caused a shift in site from Truman to
behind C-E. Eagles rally to win, 27-20. In the playoffs, down by 21-7 in the
3rd, Eagles rally to force OT win, 27-21, on a QB sneak and a fumble recovery
in the end zone.
WEEK FOUR CHATTER
Sept. 25
Opening week. Forget the pre-season. These games COUNT . . . Friday
brought two memorable games. Wood 26, Carroll 25. Vikings rally from a 0-25
hole. To the people who thought the Blue would be a Wood cakewalk, there are 3-4
teams that can give them a loss on any given night. There was a continuation of
a trend that is becoming apparent in 2006: the revival of quality football in
Northeast Philly. Judge 35, O'Hara 28. Yes, look for the Crusaders to push teams
to the limit. With marked improvement for Ryan, Dougherty and North, the trip up
I-95 could be dangerous to your psyche and record . . . Scoring is up this year.
Why is that?? Could it be no one teaches defense? I doubt that part of it is the
7-on-7 passing, non-contact competition held at various locations in the summer.
Teams work on offensive skills with their lifting. Football is exciting. There
is no Legion or AAU for football. Just hard team work. I like 6-0, 7-6 games
(easy to do offensive stats), but track meets with 70-80 points are fun also . .
. Teams are kicking this year. Which brings the return back to excite the fans
-- Dougherty, Prep and North are among the dangerous teams. The squib kick is
fine, but you might as well kick out of bounds and give them the ball on the
ball on the 35 . . . This week's games in the Red: La Salle-Judge, O'Hara-
North, St. Joe's-Ryan, Roman-Bonner; Blue: Kennedy-Kenrick/Wood, Neumann-Goretti/Carroll,
West-Dougherty, Conwell-Egan/McDevitt . . . Hot teams: La Salle, St. Joe's, Ryan
. . . Improved teams: Judge, North, Dougherty, Neumann-Goretti . . . Teams tough
to figure: West, Carroll, Roman . . . Slaton-Brinkley update: Both were
victorious over the weekend. West Virginia beat East Carolina, 27-10, while
Syracuse beat Miami of Ohio, 34-14. Steve Slaton rushed 24-80 yards [had a 23
yard TD called back]. Curtis Brinkley was 15-108 yards and scored 1 TD. This
week West Virginia has a bye while Syracuse hosts Wyoming . . . SCORE of the
weekend in Monday's Daily News: Interboro 50, Interboro 16. What gives, Ted????
Did you send Huck out to do that game?? . . . Huck's lead has reached 3 games.
It will be short-lived. Part of Puck's Silky Sullivan plan. Gve him the lead and
run him DOWN!!
LOOKING BACK . . .
Sept. 20
The Egan-Dougherty Series
These two teams have involved in some memorable games . . . 1963:
Eagles win their inaugural game in the PCL, 14-0 . . . 1965,1967: Eagles win
N.D. title both years and beat the Cardinals by 1 point both times 13-12, 20-19
. . . 1968: CD's greatest team comes up to Levittown and beats Egan, 36-26,
erasing a 20-8 deficit. I consider Dougherty's '68 team to be one of the 3 best
teams I've ever seen (the other two -- Egan '66 and St. James '72) . . . 1969:
Eagles rally from 18-7 3rd quarter hole to clinch ND title at Temple Stadium,
27-18, Lou Seisser's TD interception sparked the eagles . . . 1970:
Overflow Monday night crowd sees Egan win the north, 18-6. Estimated 12,000 jam
Henry C. Morgan Stadium . . . 1972: The curse of Ed Finnegan. Egan wins,
19-6. Ed, a manager turned kicker in the summer by coach Bernie Farrell,
was 0-for-3 in opening win over Neshaminy, then 1-for-3 vs. CD. Banished back
to manager. Lost next week to La Salle, 33-6, and things haven't been the same
at Fairless Hills . . . 1974-1976: Teams played 3 straight ties -- 14-14, 41-41
and 22-22. The 1975 game was a classic as CD's Lawrence Reid rushed for
379 yards for a city record that stood for 28 years. Egan's Jerry Riley
tied it with a TD catch and a 2-point reception . . . 1979: Egan rallies to win,
29-28, on a late 2-pt. catch by Rick Coyne among 3 Dougherty defenders .
. . 1980: Egan QB Tony Russo throws for 4 TDs [still a school record] as
Egan wins, 28-9 . . . 1981: After losing, 19-0, in the regular season, Egan
wins, 13-7, in the playoffs. Chris Powell scores both TDs and Egan gets
out of 3rd and goal from the half yard line . . . 1982: After rallying to win,
17-14, in the regular season, CD wins playoff, 38-7, behind Keith Rieser's
200 yard game . . . 2001: Sept.29, frosh Steve Slaton, in his 1st start,
rushes for school record 296 yards in Egan's 46-27 win . . . 2002: Slaton
injures his ankle in 1st quarter; had gained 179 yards in 7 carries in 9:47 . .
. 2004: In his final home game, Slaton scores 5 TDs in first half and is taken
out.
WEEK THREE CHATTER
Sept. 19
Rain, rain, rain -- 4 seasons come to mind 1963, 1974, 1989 and
2002 where rain was about early and often . . . Two thoughts crossed my mind on
Friday morning. What year would Tennent allow Wood to play Ryan this week and
would Wood AD Joe Sette try to sell the virtues of playing at the
Northampton Civic Center to Ryan AD George Todt. Just say NO, George . .
. Game Pet Peeves: Alphabetical team rosters -- useless for spotters, time
consuming for reporters and fans; The National Anthem and the Prayer AFTER the
toss of the coin. What a momentum breaker!!! . . . Horace Greeley said go
west young man. O'Hara and St.Joe's Prep traveled to Ohio to participate in the
Ohio vs. USA football challenge. It was 2 days and matched 9 teams from Ohio
against teams across the USA the USA won, 5 games to 4. The scores: Colerain 28,
O'Hara 0; Hilliard Davidson 17, St. Joe's Prep 14; Byrnes (SC) 21, Moeller 20;
Lakeland (Fla)25, St. Xavier 22 in OT; Texas High 44, Findlay 21; St. Edward 49,
Springdale (Ark) 3; Don Bosco (NJ) 21, Centerville 0; Washington 35, Hamilton
(Ark) 26; De La Salle 56, Elder 38. De La Salle of Concord, Calif., has the
nation's longest winning streak at 151 games, which is about many weeks as
Huck said he would own The Puck. (But he was WRONG). Rumor has it the
trip wasn't a complete loss for O'Hara coach Danny Algeo. Six Air Algeo
camps were reportedly booked for the midwest . . . Good reviews have been
published for the movie "Invincible" -- the only downer is the lack of a
speaking role for veteran official and man about town Tommy McClain . . .
Slaton-Brinkley report: Both were winners last weekend. Boonah rushed
18-69 yards in Syracuse's 31-21 win over Illinois. Steve's numbers were 21-195
and 2 TDs in West Virginia's 45-24 victory over Maryland. This week Syracuse is
host to Miami of Ohio while West Virginia travels to East Carolina. West
Virginia-Syracuse is Saturday October 14 . . . Opening weekend: This weekend
league play begins. Red games: North-LaSalle, Judge-O'Hara, Ryan-Bonner and
Roman-St. Joe's Prep. Blue games: Wood-Carroll, Neumann-Goretti/Kennedy-Kenrick,
West-McDevitt, Conwell-Egan/Cardinal Dougherty. I'm not here to pick the
winners. That's for Huck and Puck . . . Hot teams: La Salle, Roman, Wood . . .
Improved teams: Dougherty, North, Judge, Ryan . . . Teams tough to figure:
Conwell-Egan, West, Bonner . . . Games to watch this weekend: Pick 1 or more of
the 8 and enjoy yourself . . . Puck Reverse Whammy: He picks King to win, 13-12,
and comments, "Why I pick 13? Do they have a kicker?" King loses, 13-12, and
tried 1 kick. It was blocked . . . A certain local sportswriter (in Bucks
County) tried to play up to Mr. Heisman after downing him for years. Nice try.
The jury is still mulling over the case . . . One final word to Mr. Heisman: Get
a NEW barber!!!
WEEK TWO CHATTER
Sept. 12
Kudos to North Catholic RB Daryl Robinson for breaking
the school rushing game record vs. C-E . . . Through 2 weeks, the PCL Red
Division continues to be THE league in the Delaware Valley . . . Hopefully, next
year Don Bosco will venture down to Pennsylvania to play SJ Prep . . . If you
mix it in with Roman-Milton Hershey, you would have a SWEET doubleheader . . .
First to offer an opinion in the city rankings is Huck and after viewing them, i
must say it is more or WEST the truth . . . Hot teams: SJ Prep Wood, La Salle,
O'Hara . . . Improved teams: Dougherty, Roman, Ryan, Judge . . . Teams tough to
figure: North, C-E, West Catholic, McDevitt . . . Slaton-Brinkley:
Congrats to "Boonah" for going over 100 yards for the season . . . Was C-E's
Kevin Kelly coaching the Mountaineers last week when Slaton played only 2
series? (Those were Kevin's words -- ha ha) . . . Watch Maryland-West Virginia
Thursday night 7:30 on ESPN . . . Games to watch this weekend: SJ Prep-Hilliard
Davidson, O'Hara-Colerain, La Salle-West, North-McDevitt and Carroll-North Penn
. . . Next weekend, the league starts, and C-E/Dougherty and Carroll-Wood are
games that bear watching . . . Last thought: If North Penn loses to Carroll,
maybe the PIAA should think about joining the Catholic League.