DEC. 6
END OF THE SEASON SPECTACULAR
   Well folks, the football season has finally come to a close.  The Public League has provided countless followers with a ton of excitement.  To start, let’s look all the way back to my intro column, and my predictions for what would happen by the end of the football season:

-When will we see the first McNabb-Owens hook up? Week 1? 2? 7???
-What will the Phillies do in the off-season?
-Will there be an NHL season this year?
-Will PrimeTime make a comeback?
-Will the Olympics really come to Philly?
And most importantly…
-Who will claim the Public League (or the more politically correct: PIAA District XII Championship)?
And my answers…
-Week 1 (correctamundo! 1 for 1)
-Absolutely Nothing (No, wait they did sign Kenny Lofton… wait, I think that counts as nothing… 2 for 2)
-Yes (Ouch.  Why in the world did I think there would be… too much false hope.  Hockey will never be the same again. 2 for 3)
-No way (Yet another tough break.  He made a comeback and a half. 2 for 4)
-Sadly, No (Still unsure about this one…)
-???????? (C’mon you didn’t really think I’d make a prediction yet) (I guess that counts against me too… 2 for 5; not too good)
   As we all know by now, it was the George Washington Eagles, who defeated the Northeast Vikings in the championship game 30-12.  The league provided all fans with a great year.  The following is basically a recap on every team, along with team MVP’s and some individual awards.  Enjoy!

TEAM RECAPS:
Public League North
   George Washington: What more can I say about the Eagles from George Washington.  They did the Pub a great service by making the game against Easton so close.  The Eagles finished with a record of 12-1, and were truly the powerhouse of the league.  During the course of the regular season, the Eagles even beaten non-Pub opponents like La Salle, and GA.   Coach Ron Cohen did an amazing job (as always) with this group of young men.
Offensive Grade: Scored the most points in the league (452).  ‘Nuff said: A+
Defensive Grade: Quick, fast, powerful. A+
Overall Grade: The Eagles were by far the most impressive team this year, and did the Pub proud.  A+

   Northeast: The Vikings had a tough end to their season with losses in both the Championship, and Thanksgiving Day game.  However, that should not be the only focus on their season, in which they defeated all their regular season opponents handily (except GW) and finished 9-3 on the year.  Northeast is full of young players as well, so look for them to be a very strong team next year.
Offensive Grade: Pitt, Banks, and Mosley did a great job this year, moving the ball up and down the field en route to nine victories. A
Defensive Grade: Only let up 162 points all year.  Solid at the corners, and line. A-
Overall Grade: Northeast did a very good job competing in a tough division that contained one of the best teams the Pub has seen in a while.  It was a tough end to the year, but next year looks promising for the Vikes.   A

   Frankford: This was not the same Pioneers team that beat GW in two straight championship games.  And rightfully so; Frankford only returned one starter this year.  That makes things look great for next season, and Coach Mike Capriotti’s squad.  The Pioneers had trouble with the other two powerhouses in the North, losing to Washington twice.   Both times in a very ugly fashion.  Frankford still managed to salvage a winning season, and finish with a mark of 6-4.
Offensive Grade: Lamont Brown did a stellar job at Quarterback, while Walker and Jubilee did amazingly on the ground.  B+
Defensive Grade: Some trouble came against the big boys, and led to some tough losses through the defense. B
Overall Grade: Frankford had a transition year this year, to a new coach and scheme.   With the youth on this team, the Pioneers should be very, very good next season.  B+

   King: The Cougars were a very strong team this year, though it may not show.  The move from C to A (North) did not seem to be overwhelmingly hard for them, as they finished with a record of 8-4.  Once again, those powerhouses from the North did MLK in, and a late loss to Edison blemished their record a bit, but a Thanksgiving win against Germantown made everything just peachy.
Offensive Grade: 212 points is nothing to sneeze at.   Williams and Campbell led the way for the Cougar attack. B-
Defensive Grade: Aside from GW and Northeast the defense never let up more than 20 points against any opponent.  Eleven picks helps a lot too. B+
Overall Grade: MLK did a very nice job, as they do most years, and that should be no different in the seasons to come.  Maybe some twist of fate will let them win league games, and showcase their skills in the playoffs. B

   Lincoln: The Railsplitters opened a lot of eyes this year, and rightfully so.  Usually hanging out with the bottom feeders of the North (A) Division, Lincoln showed they could compete, and compete well.  The Railsplitters finished the year with a record of 7-5.  Unfortunately, all five losses came as league losses, where the power three proved too much for this squad.  Nevertheless, this team has a lot to be proud of, and to look forward to in season to come.
Offensive Grade: Lincoln posted 259 points, as Denson ran all over many opposing defenses.  Dennis did a great job under center as well. B-
Defensive Grade: Lincoln provided a very stiff defense this year, allowing only 174 points (43 of which game against GW).  B-
Overall Grade: Lincoln has seemingly established itself as a “better not look this game over” team on the schedule, and that can only be a good thing for this league. B-

   Mastbaum: Mastbaum had a bit of a rough season, mainly due to the use of an ineligible player, causing them to have two forfeit losses charged to their record, which was 2-8 overall.  Playing in the North division proved to be too much for this team, however there was one extremely bright spot… Markies Tavares.  The QB sensation finished his record setting year with 1408 passing yards and 14 TD’s.
Offensive Grade: Mustered 145 points, most from the passing attack, but never really showed a big spark until the last few weeks of the year. B-
Defensive Grade: The defense had a tough time of it this year playing against high powered North offenses.  Nine picks doesn’t look too bad though. C-
Overall Grade: Youth, and the use of an ineligible player really did Mastbaum in, as well as playing in a very competitive division.  C

   Olney: Ouch.  This was a very tough season for the Trojans.  It seems like the team could be very talented, but a lack of discipline and scattered coaching leaves Olney in the gutter.  The team finished with a record of 1-10, no player scored more than 1 TD, and the only player who gained over 200 yards was Raheem Fitch.  Needless to say, the North division did not treat the Trojans very well.
Offensive Grade: Not much offense to talk about.  Only 44 points all year. F
Defensive Grade: Not much defense either.  Allowed 408 points. F
Overall Grade: It hurts to give a team this bad of a grade, because I’m sure they try just a hard as any other team, but for some reason, it’s not working at Olney for the football program. Basketball is a whole other story. F

Public League Mid-City
   Central: The Lancers salvaged what could have been a very sour taste in their mouths, by beating Northeast on Thanksgiving.  One of the best Central squads in years finished with a mark of 9-2, and had a ton of playmakers on both sides of the ball.  Despite their dreams for more, the Lancers should be proud of the caliber season they had.
Offensive Grade: 361 points score. Five games with 40+ points. A+
Defensive Grade: Very stingy defense as well.  Recorded two shutouts, only allowed over 20 points two times. Eighteen interceptions. A
Overall Grade: Not much matters to Lancers faithful other than Homecoming, but regardless, Central had a very solid year. A

   Dobbins: The Mustangs are the turnaround team of the year!  After an 0-4 start, Dobbins was able to turn it around and finished 7-5, not to mention a trip to the semifinals.  One can only wonder what would have happened if Rashad Williams played the entire year.  He rushed for over 1,000 yards in only eight games.  Regardless, the Mustangs still made a great comeback, and a very good run in the postseason.
Offensive Grade: Williams and Sydnor provided most of the punch.  Thank the huge offensive line for a lot of the help as well. B+
Defensive Grade: The defense was pretty stingy all year, and didn’t get overpowered in many games late in the season.  Very solid linebacking core led the way. B+
Overall Grade: Dobbins is the Red Sox of Pub Football.  One missed extra point kept them from the championship; maybe the Pub will pay a little more attention to the kickers now. B+

   Germantown: The Bears were a tricky team to figure out.  Seemingly very undisciplined at times, they had burst of offense (both passing and rushing) rather than any sustained drives, still they managed to make it to the playoffs, and that is an honor in and of itself (despite the fact that they had to face Washington).  The Bears wrapped up the season with a mark of 5-6, ending with four straight losses.
Offensive Grade: Cuff and Johnson did a nice job for G-Town, whose offense, though sketchy at times, still managed to put up 139 points.  C+
Defensive Grade: Defense, on the other hand, is another story.  The Bears had a tough time stopping teams from scoring, and that’s never a good thing. C-
Overall Grade: Germantown is just one of those teams where you don’t know what they’ll bring, regardless, they still had a very solid year. C

   Simon Gratz: It’s a shame that this team was not allowed to compete in the playoffs.  Donald King is a stellar back, and still has one more year to go.  Gratz’ line was particularly impressive, and gave many Mid-City teams trouble during the season.  The Bulldogs finished with a record of 6-4, but, as I mentioned, got denied a playoff spot due to tiebreaking rules.
Offensive Grade: Gratz didn’t score that many points, but the offense found ways to win.  Still, some hard times when looking at the passing game. B-
Defensive Grade: Gratz played a very tough defense all year, often holding teams to 6 points.  The Bulldogs only allowed 101 points on the season. B+
Overall Grade: In my opinion, Gratz deserved the spot more than G-Town, but that’s why they play the games. B

   Roxborough: This team is one that can be underrated at times, especially given the fact that they hung with Roman for quite some time on Thanksgiving.  Despite the 4-7 record, Chris Mitchell finished with over 1,100 yards rushing, and Carl Scott laid out a solid passing game.  The Pub in general has seen a big increase in passing over the past few years.
Offensive Grade: Some big plays over the course of the year. Mitchell did great. C
Defensive Grade: This is where the problem lies for many of the lower division teams.  Roxborough’s defense was just not getting it done. D+
Overall Grade: The game against Roman really impressed me, but their league record does not. C-

   Thomas Edison: The Owls had a very small roster this year, and were not a very deep team.  Their home field is pretty nice, but the team didn’t seem to click all season long.  Their 2-7 record is not too good, but one of those wins did come against a very strong MLK team.  Dontae Williams seemed to carry the Electrons all season long.
Offensive Grade: Not much offense to speak of.   A small line doesn’t help either. D
Defensive Grade: This defense got run over, to put it simply. F
Overall Grade: The Owls just didn’t have it this year.  It’s a shame that they have no Thanksgiving game too… Gratz maybe? D-

   William Penn: The Lions had a very rough first year in the league, but that’s exactly what it was, a first year in the league, so they have a bit of an excuse (not Olney).  Penn’s only win came against Edison, but it was by forfeit.  Their 1-10 record leaves something to be desired, but maybe time can help the Lions lick the wounds.
Offensive Grade: Only 34 points all year, no backs over 100 yards. ‘Nuff said. F
Defensive Grade: 316 points were given up… way too much. F
Overall Grade: It was not a stellar debut for this William Penn team, but give them credit for never giving up no matter what happened, hopefully the program will improve (it can only go up from here). F

Public League South
   Bok: Bok became the first ever team to represent PIAA District XII football in the state AAA playoffs, and even though they lost, a huge amount of people were proud of their accomplishments.  Cory Moultrie carried the rushing game, and helped Bok to a 7-3 record, while the finished 6-0 in league play.
Offensive Grade: Bok only scored 170 points, but their defense was there to keep opponents from scoring that much.  B-
Defensive Grade: Only let up 111 points, had a nice secondary. B+
Overall Grade: Bok made history this year, and that’s always a good thing, they are definitely the powerhouse of the South. B

   Bartram: The Maroon Wave made the playoffs this year on the shoulders of John Pratt.  He has been a workhorse all year, in a team that is very similar to Bok.  The ended up “winning the division” because Bok was preparing for the state playoffs, which allowed Bartram, who finished with an 8-4 record, to become the one seed, and a certain other team (below) to become #2.
Offensive Grade: Not a spectacular scoring threat, but put the point up when needed. B
Defensive Grade: A little bit of a problem stopping the run, not enough turnovers. C
Overall Grade: The Maroon Wave had a very respectable year, and can definitely be happy about their win over U-City on Turkey Day. B-

   Overbrook: That certain other team is ‘Brook.  Not only did they snap a thirteen game losing streak, but was the first time ever that they made the playoffs.  77 years, and this was the year.  Brownlee rushed for just over 1,000 yards, but the story of this team was their defense.  Overbrook finished with a record of 9-3.
Offensive Grade: The offense put up points pretty well, especially against Imhotep (smile).  Somewhat of a passing game could be seen too. B-
Defensive Grade: That defense, that recorded eight, count ‘em, eight shutouts, and allowed only 102 points on the year. A-
Overall Grade: What a great year for this program.  Hopefully it wasn’t a fluke, and we can continue to see competition in the South divisions. B

   Ben Franklin: The Electrons are a “Germantown-like” team, in that, they are hard to figure out.  Their star, Dantzler was a workhorse all year, and some extra support came from QB Frank Anderson.  They still had a respectable season, despite dropping their final four games to finish with a mark of 3-9.
Offensive Grade: Only mustered 130 points in a division where defense is a formality. C-
Defensive Grade: Defense was a formality. D+
Overall Grade: The Electrons are a big team, and should have some returnees that can get them back to the top of the South next year. C-

   University City: The Jaguars improved a bit from last season, and finished the season with a mark of 2-10.  Sterling Johnson was a bright spot, as was a 34-0 win against Olney, which was their widest margin of victory since the 1996 season.  U-City is another young team, and they might be able to pull an “Overbook-like” year in the near future.
Offensive Grade: 100 points can not get the job done. D-
Defensive Grade: Still let up way too many points in a weaker South division. F
Overall Grade: Despite a big win over Olney, the Jags still left something to be desired this year. D-

   West Philadelphia: The Speedboys grabbed a few good wins this year, to close with a mark of 4-6.  Their most impressive win was a 6-0 nail-bitter against Gratz.  Pleasant and Johnson led the way for West, who showed signs of real teamwork, especially late in the season.
Offensive Grade: The offense only managed 92 points, not quite Olney bad, but still pretty bad. D-
Defensive Grade: The corners were solid, grabbing eight picks, just not much else. D-
Overall Grade: Even though the Speedboys had a very respectable record, they were 1-5 in divisional play, and that’s where it counts. D

   Southern: The Rams had a very nice year, which culminated with a huge win over Neuman-Goretti.  Lamone Fox ran wild for the Ram offense, which posted 238 points this year.  A winning record of 6-5, gave Southern its best season in a long time.  Harris’ eight passing TD’s were no hindrance either.
Offensive Grade: They posted the most points in the South.  Thank Fox. B
Defensive Grade: Had a bit of trouble at linebacker, but still pretty okay. C-
Overall Grade: Southern had a nice year in football, and finished on a strong note with a win against a Catholic League opponent. C+

TEAM MVP’s: (*Disclaimer- It is extremely hard to choose only one MVP per team, so please bear with my choices, and feel free to complain if you disagree):
Public League North
George Washington: Jerry Butler
Northeast: Jeremiah Pitt
Frankford: Malik Walker
Lincoln: Terrell Denson
King: Sammy Tranks
Mastbaum: Markies Tavares
Olney: Jamie Ross
Public League Mid-City
Central: Devon Johnson
Dobbins: Rashad Williams
Germantown: Aaron Terrell
Simon Gratz: Donald King
Roxborough: Chris Mitchell
Thomas Edison: Carlos Maldonado
William Penn: Terrell Mitchell
Public League South
Bok: Cory Moultrie
Bartram: John Pratt
Overbrook: William Brownlee
Ben Franklin: Maurice Dantzler
University City: Sterling Johnson
West Philadelphia: Buckner Fox
Southern: Lamone Fox

END OF THE YEAR AWARDS
Most Valuable Player(s)
League MVP: Jerry Butler (and his offensive line)
North: Jeremiah Pitt
Mid-City: Rashad Williams
South: William Brownlee
Best Offensive Player: Jerry Butler
Best Defensive Player: Cornelius Bunch
Best Two-Way Player: Chuck Hughes
Underclassman of the Year: Donald King
Coach of the Year: Coach Ron Cohen
Biggest Surprise (Team): Overbrook
Biggest Surprise (Player): Chris Banks
The Good Hands Award: Dominique Curry
The Tough-Guy (Ironman) of the Year: Amos Leak
The Big-Man (Lineman) of the Year: David Gonser
The Big Heart Award: Joe DiGrazio
The Primetime Award: Collin Singletary
The Ol’ Reliable Award: John Pratt
The Music City Miracle Award: Northeast (v. Central 11/05/04)
The Workhorse Award: Rufus Skipworth
The Peyton Manning Award: (most TD passes) Joe Marshall/Chuck Hughes
The Brett Favre Award: (most passing yards) Markies Tavares
The Kevin Turner Award: (for best FB): Frank Jubilee
The David Akers Award: (best kicker): Chris Mountney
The Quote of the Year Award: Zach Marks
The Best Chain Gang Award: Edison
The No Real Champion Award: Inter-Ac (Zing!)
The I Block Punts and Return Then for Touchdowns Award: Cornelius Bunch
The Behind the Scenes Award: All Managers
The Marvin Harrison Award: (most receiving yards) Sherrod Evers
The TO Award: (most receiving TD’s) Rodney Sykes/ Sherrod Evers
The LT Award: (most rushing yards): Jerry Butler
The Best Catch by a Lineman Award: Mike Thompson
The Best E-Mails Award: Josina Blocker
The Stadium of the Year Award: Charles Martin Memorial
The Worst Stadium of the Year Award: Central
The Best Fans Award: Central (duh!)
The Worst Fans Award: Simon Gratz
The Best Mascot Award: University City
The Best Cheerleaders Award: Dobbins
The Best Band Award: St. Joe’s Prep (they were that good! smile)
    *Let the switch to basketball season begin!  Thanks very much for all of the support and reading for the duration of the football season, and special thanks to Ted for dealing with my multiple questions, calls and e-mails. J Enjoy the rest of the High School sports year!

NOV. 29
Nick’s Public League Top Ten (Final Edition)
  1) Washington (12-1): The Eagles finished a spectacular season with a spectacular game against Easton.  They couldn’t have made their contest in the AAAA State Semifinal any closer.  Maybe that game was the first step towards a little more recognition for The Pub.
  2) Central (9-2): Finished the season on a high note in an emotional win against archrival Northeast on Thanksgiving.  Maybe their quarterfinal loss will spark some interest in changing the playoff format in years to come.
  3) Northeast (9-3): Had a tough end to the season, losing in both the Championship and Thanksgiving.  The Vikings have nothing to be ashamed of, however, as they were one of the most competitive teams in the league all year.
  4) Dobbins (7-5): Started 0-4, finished 7-5, advancing to the semifinal round of the playoffs.  ‘Nuff said.
  5) Frankford (6-4): Didn’t have the spark of Frankford teams past.  Having only one starter return didn’t help much, and considering that fact, the Pioneers did a very good job.
  6) Lincoln (7-5): Lost by one point to Judge in a Thanksgiving heartbreaker.  This Lincoln team was one of the best in years, and has no reason to look down upon the season, especially playing in the Public North.
  7) Bok (7-3): Was the first team in history to represent The Pub in the AAA State playoffs.  Hopefully, Bok will continually improve, and become good enough to give other AAA teams a run for their money.
  8) Overbrook (9-3): What a history making squad this was.  Just go to their team page to see a huge list of school records broken… most important, perhaps, was Overbrook’s first trip to the playoffs in 77 years.
  9) MLK (8-4): Albeit with two forfeit wins this year, the Cougars finished with a great record in the Public North, and won on Thanksgiving for the first time in twelve years.
10) Bartram (8-4): The Maroon Wave finished the season strong, and played well in the Public South Division.

NOV. 25
THANKSGIVING RIVALRY
Central 20, Northeast 6
          Revenge, Alumni, Turkey, Winning (Not necessarily in that order).  Those were the things on the minds of the Central Lancers as they took on the Northeast Vikings in the annual Thanksgiving Classic.  The elements played tricks on the crowd all day.  It was a beautiful morning for football, then a horrible cloudy rainy morning for football, then a beautiful morning, then rainy once again.  It just added to that character of the already vibrant game.   Over 4,000 excited fans were on hand to watch football, and they were treated to a decent game, not as good, however (by football standards… not Central standards) as the Quarterfinal match-up on Friday night.   I’ll tell you right now though, there’s nothing better than Thanksgiving Football.
          The Lancers for the tenth time this year started the game by kicking off.  Defense was the story of what ended up being a very sloppy first quarter.  The ball ended up on the turf three times in the first twelve minutes alone.   The Vikings went four and out on their first drive, and Central gave the ball right back on their second play from scrimmage.   The Vikings went four and out once again, and Central followed suit on their next possession.  Northeast managed two first downs on their next drive, but that was quickly squandered as they fumbled, and Central’s LB James Tyree (3 tackles, 1 assist, 1 FR, 1.5 sacks) fell on the ball.  After a nice pass completion, Central coughed the ball up once again, and DE Khaliyl Willis (2 tackles, 1 assist, 1 FR) recovered for Northeast as he picked the ball up and ran it fifty-two yards down the sideline.  That spelled the end of the first quarter, much to the delight of both coaches I’m sure.  The Vikings had many blown opportunities in that quarter, as Central committed three turnovers.  Nevertheless, it was on to the second quarter.
         Northeast began the quarter with a great punt by K Chris Mountney (The star of both the Quarterfinal, and Semifinal games) which pinned Central inside their five yard line.  Then it began: “The Drive.”  Sixteen plays, ninety-five yards, one touchdown.  QB Joe Marshall (6-11, 110 yards, 1 TD, 16 rushes, 54 yards) and FB (for the day) Devon Johnson (7 rushes, 68 yards, 2 TD’s, 1 catch, 17 yards) were the primary players who led the drive.  Marshall rushed for thirty-four yards, and passed for nineteen more, while Johnson rushed for forty yards, one of which was a twenty-four yard score.  The drive took up 7:49 worth of clock, and got the Lancers fans in a frenzy.  Perhaps the most excited roar from the crowd came on the point after, as K Andrew Thompson nailed the ball through the uprights from just about the same spot where two field-goals were missed in the Quarterfinal game.  If that extra point wasn’t a powerful statement, I don’t know what is (actually one did come a little later, but you’ll just have to read on).  Northeast had the ball for the rest of the quarter, but did have to punt once.  The punt, however, was muffed by WR Rodney Sykes (4 catches, 82 yards, 1 TD), and Northeast recovered.  That muffed punt had no bearing on the great game Sykes played, as he made key catches, blocks, and returns, on special teams.  That’s how the half ended: Central 7, Northeast 0.  The rain, came, and went, and came again during the half, and the third quarter began.
          Central started off with a bang, as DB Collin Singletary (4 tackles, 8 assists) took the opening kickoff forty-eight yards.   It appeared as though Coach Conway had the first few plays of the quarter scripted (mainly because I heard him telling them to Marshall), but regardless, the Lancers only needed two to put the ball in the endzone.  The first play from scrimmage of the second half was a long bomb to Sykes, but Marshall got hit during the delivery, and the pass was almost picked off.  The next was a play-action pass back to Sykes.  This time he was wide open, and trotted in for a fifty-four yard score.  It’s pretty unusual for Pub teams go deep downfield twice in a row, which is why play action on the second play made so much sense.  The run attempt after the score failed.  The score was Central 13, Northeast 0.  The rest of the third quarter was very similar to the first, except void of fumbles, with both defenses stepping up, and lots of three-and-outs.  The play of the third quarter came at the very end of it, when a pass attempt by Marshall was tipped at the line, and Central’s Mike Thompson caught the pass and carried it about three feet, and there was much rejoicing.  After that, both sidelines put up the fours, and for many players, it was the last quarter of football that they would be playing.
          In the fourth, Northeast finally got a good drive going, as Central’s run defense had been very solid all day, and the corners were doing a great job as well.  QB Cordia Mosley (7-16, 60 yards, 7 rushes, -22 yards) found his favorite target WR Sean Evans (4 catches, 45 yards) twice on the drive for twenty-two yards, while senior star RB Jeremiah Pitt (18 rushes, 49 yards, 1 TD) carried the ball five times for twenty-one yards, and capped the drive with a touchdown run from one yard out.  This got the Northeast fans back in the game, but next came that “other moment” I was talking about above.  On the extra point attempt, as if saying revenge is ours, the Lancers Mike Llyod blocked the point after, keeping the score at 13-6.   The Central side went nuts.  They would have even more reason to go nuts on the next drive, as it took the Lancers only three plays, and the aid of a personal foul penalty, to score again.  That score was the sweetest touchdown of the year for this Lancers team, I can assure you of that.  Devon Johnson made good on his promise to the school of getting revenge, as he took the ball in from thirty-one yards out to secure the Central victory.    It was at that moment when I think the Central sideline realized it was worth it, despite the loss, that the season had meant something, after turning around and seeing all of the students, alumni, and parents in the stands.  Thompson made the kick after, and the score was at 20-6 Lancers.  Northeast made a valiant effort at the end of the game, as Mosley showed off his arm on a few nice passes, but the Central defense was just too much, and the last play of that Northeast drive was a sack, recorded by Tyree and DL Marc Diana (1 tackle, 1 assist).  Central got the ball back, took a knee, and the fans counted down the final seconds.
          Congratulations to all of the seniors who played in the game.  Whether or not you move on to play in college, hopefully your last high school season was an enjoyable one.  As with all my games, I have stats available for the Turkey Day Classic…
With this being the last week of game by game awards, I’m pulling out all the stops.
   Play of the Game: I’m real tempted to put Mike Thompson’s reception off the tip, but I’m going to go with Johnson’s 31 yard run to seal the deal.  Almost exactly like his first run (except a little longer), Johnson took the handoff from Marshall, broke through a hole on the right side, and raced down the sideline into the end zone.
   Player of the Game: Following suit with the play of the game, this has to go to Johnson as well.  He scored the first and last touchdown of the game, both extremely important, and both powerful messages about Central’s attitude toward the game.
   Dark Horse of the Game: The Dark Horse looks like a split between James Tyree and Seth Shapiro.  Both played extremely important roles on their teams’ defense.  Tyree recorded three solo tackles, one assist, 1.5 sacks, and a fumble recovery.   On the other side of the ball, Shapiro recorded five solo tackles, three assists, and a forced fumble.
   Turkey Leg Award: Collin Singletary earned his turkey in this one.  He finished the day with four solo tackles, and eight assists, constantly coming up big to stop the run, and defend the pass.  Collin led the team in interceptions on the year as well, grabbing six.
   Extra Stuffing Award: Give some extra stuffing to Cornelius Bunch who always plays hard, but was hitting especially hard in this one.  He finished the day with four solo tackles, and two assists.
Up-Down Drill:
   Up- Joe Marshall- Had a great game, both on the ground and through the air.
   Down- Mother Nature- The elements were just plain wacky… ‘nuff said.
   Up-  Brandon Romeo- Came up big after a rough game against Lincoln.  Finished with two solos and six assists.
   Down- Northeast’s Marching Band- They didn’t play much at all, and were drowned out by the Central Pep-Band which has a total of thirteen people.
   Up- Gregory Boler- Played a very solid game against a high-powered Lancers offense.  Finished with three solo tackles, and six assists.
  Down- Surprisingly: Jeremiah Pitt- He only amassed 49 yards on the ground, as the Lancers defense kept him in check all day.
  Up- Chris Banks- Gathered 65 yards on the ground, and has played a solid role behind Pitt for the entire year.
*Interesting Points:
--- Charles Martin Memorial Stadium was packed, and rockin’.  I love Thanksgiving Football.
--- Every Alum’ in the book was back for both schools… once again, I love Thanksgiving Football.
--- Special thanks to Joe Arleth, student at Holy Ghost Prep, and self-proclaimed Regional Football Expert, who took some great shots of the game.
--- One of Northeast’s players, Ryan McGreevy, was a Central student for two years, and was welcomed with many boos from the Central faithful. 
--- Not sure if it’s just when I’m there, but it seems like there’s been a lot of fumbles on the Northeast turf.
--- There were some extra children on the sideline, and they started to catch the extra point attempts… needless to say, Central manager Mia Settles was not too happy.
--- After the game, the teams exchanged handshakes as always, and the only had good things to say.  That’s one of the best parts of HS football.
--- Stay tuned for a MVP List/Season Awards, as well as a season wrap-up.

NOV. 24
Thanksgiving Football Preview
           Alas, Thanksgiving Eve is upon us.  Tomorrow is one of the best days in sports period.  Thanksgiving, in general, is a severely underrated holiday.  Christmas has gotten earlier and earlier year after year, and is taking over the spotlight of this fine turkey holiday.  Thanksgiving should not be spent figuring out what to shop for on Black Friday.  Honestly, who wouldn’t want to (in this order): Watch football, eat, watch more football, eat, eat dessert, and watch more football, or replays of football you missed while eating.  Being that it is the second best holiday, it is only fitting to let its city football games get their own preview.  Thanksgiving football is something very near and dear to many people’s hearts, and brings out deep emotions as alumni, teacher, students, and parents all come back to their respective schools to cheer on their team.  It is always an exciting game where emotions are running high, and it’s usually the last game for many seniors on the team.  Speaking as a senior, this will be my last Thanksgiving Day game as a student, and my excitement/expectation level is through the roof.  I can only assume that countless others feel the same way.
            No matter where your heart lies in terms of Turkey Day rivalries, I’m sure that there is someone, some play, some crazy fan (Or crazy players: aka- Ron Artest), you will see that brightens your holiday.  So without further talk about how great the holiday is, it’s onto the games (I’ve taken the liberty of dividing the games into categories of my own):
Not quite Thanksgiving Day games:
   Ryan at Washington: GW is ready for the state playoffs, and it seems like this rivalry has taken a back seat to Easton:
21-13 GW
   Bonner vs. Malvern: Real tough choice in this one.  From all accounts, this promises to be a good game.  Look for Carl Graham to step up big:
13-7 Bonner
The Triumvirate:
   Central at Northeast: The oldest Thanksgiving rivalry in the country just got a whole lot better.  Northeast 17, Central 14, in overtime.  Need I say more?  In a game which will bring more spectators than all of Temple’s home games combine:
20-17 Central
   North Catholic at Frankford: Another biggie.  This rivalry gets very intense, especially since both schools are so close to one another.  Frankford is not the powerhouse they have been, but they should still have enough to win over North:
21-14 Frankford
   Judge at Lincoln: This years match-up looks to be one of the closest in years, as Lincoln has gotten a lot better, and Judge has gotten a little worse.  Look for the Railsplitters to work magic on Turkey Day:
34-28 Lincoln
Now We’re Talkin’:
   La Salle vs. St. Joe's Prep: This is under “Now we’re talkin’” not so much for the game play, because SJP will most likely dominate, but for the fan base, and the renewal of a rivalry lost to last year's crazy events:
35-10 SJP
   King at Germantown: Much of the same logic here, as above.  However, this will turn out to be a much closer game.  This is a very intense Turkey Day rivalry, out on top, however, comes King:
20-18 MLK
Maybe Not High Scoring, but Great Games:
   Neumann at Southern: You may be looking at me funny (well, not looking at me, but looking at why this game is listed here) but trust me. This will be a very good one, both teams are evenly matched.  Don’t you wish we still had the days where teams like Southern, and West Philly were very good, along with all the “North” teams:
24-19 Southern
   Franklin at Dobbins: The Mustangs have nothing to be ashamed of this year, as injuries mounted up, they still overcame and made the Semi’s.  They’ll try to cap an amazing year against Ben Franklin:
27-22 Dobbins
   Overbrook at West Philadelphia: This will also be an okay game.  I think ‘Brook has proven a whole lot to the city this season, and won’t feel as if they completed the job without taking the Speedboys down:
25-12 Overbrook
I’d Rather be Eating:
   Dougherty at Kennedy-Kenrick: Unfortunately for Dougherty, this will not be a Thanksgiving to remember:
38-6 Kennedy Kenrick
   Univ. City at Bartram: The Maroon Wave are just too talented for the Jags this year.  U. City has shown improvement, but not enough to down Bartram:
37-6 Bartram
   Roman at Roxborough: Roman got a tough break with the first round loss against Bonner.  They will have regrouped by now, and be eating their pumpkin pie by the midway point of the second quarter:
49-12 Roman
Damn Suburban Schools:
   Carroll at Shanahan: Carroll played a severely underrated season, and should get the credit they deserve against Shanahan:
26-14 Carroll
   Conwell-Egan at Truman: Don’t really know much about Truman… Do know much about Slaton.  Egan takes it:
35-13 Conwell Egan
   West Catholic at Penn Wood: West Catholic is West Catholic… ‘nuff said:
28-12 West Catholic

NOV. 15
NON-LEAGUE
Lincoln 21, Central 18
   Monday afternoon football.  Kinda goes well with the “Nick at Mid-Afternoon” tagline, huh?  But anyway, on a day when the Eagles would play a Monday Night game, and completely destroy the Cowboys, this game was much, much closer.  For Lincoln, it was a matter of securing a winning season, and for Central it was all about regaining some pride and momentum before Thanksgiving.  It was a beautiful day for a game (as it was in the semi’s, making my entire preview basically null and void) and just an overall nice atmosphere for football.  The main comment that I will make is simply that Lincoln was very pumped, and excited to play, while Central was still hurting over the playoff loss.  It was still a very entertaining game, however, here’s how it went down…
            Surprise, surprise, the Lancers once again kicked the ball away to start the game.  Lincoln managed to move the ball a bit, but two false start penalties really killed their opening drive.  On Central’s possession, they also committed two false start fouls, and on top of that, QB Joe Marshall (6-10, 57 yards, 1 TD, 1 int, 13 rushes, 60 yards, 1 TD) was shaken up on a second down play.  Back-up quarterback, and stand-out slot back Devon Johnson (10 rushes, 77 yards, 1 TD, 1 catch, 7 yards, 1 TD, 0-1, 1 int.) came in for one play only.  Unfortunately, that play was a pass to the left side which was slightly under thrown, and DB Justin King (2 tackles, 1 int.) pulled down the interception and returned it for about twenty-eight yards.  However, lady luck would have it in for Lincoln, because on the very next play after the interception, the Railsplitters fumbled the ball, and Central’s DE Cornelius Bunch (2 rushes, 10 yards, 1 catch, 15 yards, 4 tackles, 9 assists, 1 FR) recovered.  Central continued to capitalize on turnovers, as they have all season long, and the Lancers took the ball sixty-four yards for a touchdown.  The drive was capped with a seven yard touchdown pass from Marshall to Johnson.  The extra point attempt was blocked.   The score was 6-0 in favor of Central after one.
            It didn’t take Lincoln long to answer, because on the very first play of the second quarter, QB Kareem Dennis (4-10, 121 yards, 1 TD, 2 rushes, 2 yards) hit Rory Stallworth (8 rushes, 84 yards, 1 TD, 1 catch, 75 yards 1 TD) on a five yard slant pass, and Stallworth did the rest, as he took the ball seventy-five yards for the score.  Charles Whittington made the point after, giving Lincoln a 7-6 lead.  Not to be outdone, Central mounted a scoring drive that span seventy yards.  The drive was capped when Johnson carried the ball in from thirteen yards out, getting his second touchdown on the afternoon.  The two-point conversion attempt failed, and so Central led 12-7.  After a three-and-out by Lincoln, Central got the ball back, and started to move the ball, but a slightly under thrown pass by Marshall gave Lincoln their second pick of the day.  This time, Joe Franklin (2 tackles, 3 assists, 1 int.) was the Railsplitter who came down with the ball.  That interception would prove to be huge, as Dennis’ strong arm came out to play with less than two minutes left in the first half.  Dennis completed three passes to three different receivers for forty-six yards on the drive, and RB Terrell Denson (16 rushes, 102 yards, 1 TD) finished the drive with a nine yard touchdown run.  Central blocked the extra point, and the score at halftime was Lincoln 13, Central 12.
            Central received the ball to start the second half, but failed to do much with it.  This gave way to Lincoln’s third scoring drive of the day.  This time, the touchdown play was one of the weirdest I’ve ever seen.  Stallworth took a carry towards the middle of the field and both teams probably had eight players around Stallworth.  It seemed as though he was stopped by forward progress, and the play would be blown dead, but all of a sudden, number 21 broke out of the pile, and took the ball thirty-four yards for the score.  The Railsplitters also converted their two point conversion, as Dennis passed to WR Khaleef Ings (1 catch, 24 yards, 2-pt conv.) to raise the Lincoln lead to 21-12.  Both teams traded short drives, and then Central got the ball on their own eight yard line.   This was the very beginning of what would be a ninety-two yard drive.   The Lancers ran eighteen plays on the drive, which ran into the forth quarter.
            In the fourth, Marshall ran the ball in from one yard out to cap the marathon drive, and cut the Lincoln lead to 21-18.  The run attempt for two points after the touchdown failed.  Missing on all three point after attempts really came back to hurt the Lancers in this one.  Lincoln played the clock control game very well in the fourth quarter, as they held the ball for ten plays, until finally turning it over on downs with 0:57 seconds left.  Central started to mount a nice drive, but the clock was against them, and they had no time-outs.   A midfield tackle of Marshall with fifteen seconds left really hurt the Lancers drive, and the game ended on a pass play similar to the one when WR Rodney Sykes (2 catches, 29 yards) gained forty eight yards against Gratz right before the half.
            Lincoln came prepared for this game.  They seemed very focused and intense the entire time, while Central seemed lethargic for most of the game.  Lincoln secured their winning season, while Central suffered their second loss of the year.   Both the Lancers and the Railsplitters will be very ready to play their respective Turkey Day matches against Northeast and Father Judge.
  Play of the Game: This is a pretty easy choice.  Stallworth’s touchdown run from thirty-four yards out was amazing.  How did he not get tackled!?!
  Player of the Game: This has to go to Terrell Denson.  He constantly gained nice chunks of yardage and added a score to help the Railsplitters to the victory.
  Dark Horse of the Game: This award goes to Joe DiGrazio (1 rush, (-2) yards, 1 catch, 10 yards, 7 tackles, 3 assists).  I didn’t realize what a difference on player could make, even though he doesn’t constantly touch the ball.  DiGrazio is very “Bunch-ish,” and played well at fullback, kick return, and MLB.
The “Up-Down” Drill:
  Up - Devon Johnson: Scored twice, and had a very solid game.
  Down - The Central Fans: Not many people showed up for this one, it could have had a little to do with the outcome of the game
  Up - Joe DiGrazio: The stats don’t look overpowering, but he has been one of the best, and most consistent players for Lincoln all year.
  Down - Central Run Defense: Way too many yards let up on the ground by the Lancers D.  This will need to change if they want to stop Pitt & the Vikings.
  Up - Kareem Dennis: Threw for 121 yards and a touchdown, also has one of the strongest arms I’ve seen in the Pub to date.
  Up - Cornelius Bunch: Not sure how much “up” Bunch can go, but he once again played great on defense, recording fourteen tackles, and a forced fumble.
  Up - Terrell Denson: Very impressive, good moves, good speed to the outside, some nice blocks too.
  Down - Michael Thompson: Had three false start penalties called against him on Central’s line… that’s way too much in anybody’s book.
Up - Mike Lloyd: Had some nice carries, especially on the counter.  Will be a very solid runner for next year's Lancer team.
*Interesting Points:
--- The crowd was sparse, but I can guarantee it won’t be that way on Thanksgiving.
--- Looks like Marc Diana owes DiGrazio the five bucks he bet that Lincoln would win the game.  The two are best friends.  Check out their picture after the game, under special photos.
--- Mike Llyod has been dubbed Bunch’s son.  After one of Lloyd’s eleven carries, Ed DeBrady and Bunch were joking around saying he’s got moves just like you, hence, him being Bunch’s son (smile).
--- Coach Conway did not seem happy after the game, and vowed to make the Lancers run all day at practice… wonder if the promise held true…
--- This was the last game on Central’s field for the year, and the last ever game there for the seniors.  Hopefully it was a memorable one.
--- Hopefully you can make it to the championship this Saturday.  Should be a good one.  Look for a preview of that game to be out soon, as well as a Turkey Day Extravaganza!

NOV. 16
Nick’s Public League Top Ten
  1) Washington (10-0): GW faces Northeast in the Championship!  If they win there, it’s onto the state playoffs!!
  2) Northeast (9-1): The Vikings Chris Mountney must be a God by now.  The Vikes go head to head with GW on Saturday.
  3) Central (8-2): Even with the loss, I still think they could beat any of the teams below them on any given day.  Plenty of time to prep for Turkey Day.
  4) Lincoln (7-4): Huge upset win over Central.  Railsplitters secured a winning season, and look to make it 8-4 after a battle with Father Judge.
  5) Frankford (5-4): Got humiliated again by Washington again, I guess this just wasn’t their year.
  6) Dobbins (6-5): Hung tough with Northeast, it’s a shame most teams in the Mid-City and Southern Divisions don’t have a kicking game, or we could be talking Dobbins in the chip right about now.
  7) Bok (7-3): Came up short against Great Valley, but are such a great story, no one really cares about the score.
  8) Overbrook (7-3): Still flying high despite the playoff loss.  First postseason action in 77 years, man!
  9) Bartram (7-4): Played well coming off the loss to Dobbins.
10) MLK (7-4): Tough loss to Edison.  Maybe a “Central-Like” occurrence, where they just weren’t up for the game.
Under Consideration: Gratz (6-4), Germantown (5-5).

NOV 12
Public League Semi-Final Preview
         And then there were four.  In NCAA basketball, these games would be watched by everyone, but the reality is Saturday will most likely be rainy, and not filled with 22,000 screaming fans with their faces painted.  What can be a guarantee with these final four is a pretty good game.  As for me, however, I’d take Pub football any day of the week (which I will have to do this coming Monday… the Central v. Lincoln game scheduled for the 12th, has been moved to the 15th).   This will also be the first test for Northeast’s new drainage system.  After walking on the turf, it seems as though it could be a little slippery when wet.  Hopefully the drainage system will help that out a bit, and players won’t slide all over the field.  In terms of the football aspect of these games however, they should find their roots, and show the city what Pub football is all about.  (Once again, I’ll make a few predictions imitating Huck and Puck along the way.)
Game 1:
Northeast Vikings vs. Dobbins Mustangs
   The first semi-final features the number two teams from both the North and Mid-City divisions.  Northeast should still be on an emotional high from their tight overtime victory over Central while Dobbins continues to live the comeback dream.  The Mustangs face a much tougher opponent this week than Bartram, however, as the Vikings are playing well lately.  I see this as a game between the Ravens and 49ers in the NFL.  Both of those teams have solid QB’s, but not outstands, running backs who carry the offensive load, and strong defenses.  Especially if it’s raining, the running game, and field position battle will become ten times more important.  Last week, Northeast a huge win over undefeated Central, winning an overtime thriller 17-14.  Jeremiah Pitt carried the ball twenty times for 167 yards.  He also carried for a touchdown.  Chris Banks recorded the other rushing TD for the Vikings, while he amassed 36 yards on nine carries.  As for Dobbins, they defeated the Maroon Wave thanks in large part to Rashad Williams who ran the ball seventeen times for 173 yards and four touchdowns.   Quarterback Steve Sydnor did his best Michael Vick impersonation, gaining 139 yards on the ground, and adding a touchdown with a two point conversion to boot.  I see this game being a very close, very hard-nosed football type of contest.  In the end, however, the Pub’s best imitation of the Red Sox will not reach the World Series.
Vikings Victorious: 28-18 (Dobbins not that good.  Northeast pretty hot… too bad they gotta play Washington next)
Game 2:
Frankford Pioneers vs. Washington Eagles
   Washington wants revenge… plain and simple.  I don’t think the Eagles are content with the regular season victory over their rivals.  This is their chance to set two years of losses in the championship in the right direction.  As for Frankford, why not get a third championship?? The GW team standing in their way this year, however, appears to be much more talented and work together well for the game.  Last week, the Eagles stuck it to a Germantown team that played pretty flat.  Jerry Butler amassed 216 yards on the ground on only nine carries, reports are surfacing that he is only half human, other half… football God.  He also scored four touchdowns, while the Eagles also scored two through the air.  Washington is simply clicking on all cylinders with Chuck Hughes at the helm and hopefully Courtney Williams will be healthy and ready to go.  As for Frankford, their two-year championship streak is on the line, as well as their pride.  I can assure you the Pioneers will want to play a ton better than they did three weeks ago against the Eagles.  Last week, Frankford had no trouble with Overbrook, as Frank Jubilee and Malik Walker both rushed for 233 yards and two touchdowns.  Lamont Brown added two rushing touchdowns as well.  As was mentioned in “Payin’ the Bills” playoff preview, wind will be a factor, but even more than that, the rain.  I see this game being very physical as well, and the lines will really need to step up their game play regardless of who they have running behind them.  From what I understand, that will be even harder when having to dig down on the wet NE turf.  I still see the Eagles performing much better than Philadelphia’s did in Steel Town.
Washington Wallops: 38-7 (Eagles real good, bring on PIAA District XII playoff)
Be sure to refer to the following list of fun things to do in the rain if things get out of hand early, or there are any long stoppages (ie- halftime)
1) Three Words: Slip and Slide
2) Singin’ in the rain?
3) If there are puddles, make sure they are thoroughly jumped in.
4) Look for rainbows.
5) Watch from a dry place!
Enjoy the Semis everybody!!

NOV. 9
Nick’s Public League Top Ten
1) Washington (9-0): Didn’t blink while beating Germantown.  They will face their arch-rival, Frankford on Saturday in the Pub Semifinal.
2) Northeast (8-1): Beat Central in a first round test.  They will face Dobbins this week in the other Pub Semifinal.
3) Central (8-1): Had a rough end to their undefeated streak with an overtime loss to Northeast.  You can bet the Lancers are crossing off the days until Homecoming.
4) Frankford (5-3): Scored a dominating victory over Overbrook in the quarterfinals. They will look to continue playoff excellence over GW on Saturday.
5) Bok (7-2): Bok is gearing up for the state playoffs.  Hopefully they will represent the Pub well.  Everyone wishes them luck.
6) Dobbins (6-4): Got a big win over Bartram in the first round of the playoffs.  They’ll look to continue their winning ways as they face Northeast on Saturday.
7) Overbrook (7-3): Their dream season ended in a loss to Frankford, but that should not take away from what this group did for the name of Overbrook football.
8) Bartram (6-4): Suffered a tough loss to a streaking Dobbins team, but showed a lot of heart for the entire season.
9) MLK (7-3): Have a very good record, especially for competing in the Public League North Division.
10) Lincoln (6-4): Have a chance to finish with a winning record for the first time in a while.  They face Central on Friday.
   Under Consideration: Gratz (5-4), Germantown (7-3).

NOV. 5
PUBLIC LEAGUE QUARTERFINAL
Northeast 17, Central 14 (OT)
“The true test of a champion is perseverance, never giving up and confidence in one's self and abilities.” –Anonymous
          One of the oldest rivalries in High School Football just added another chapter to its long and intense history.  Friday, November 5, 7:00 PM at Northeast High School’s brand new field has now become an “I was there” game for everyone who… was there.  And everyone who was there was a ton of people.  An almost Thanksgiving-Day-Like crowd was on hand, and I’d say well over 3,000 people packed Charles Martin Memorial Stadium.  You knew the moment that you pulled up to the field and saw the glimmer of the lights on the helmets that this was going to be a classic, and boy was it ever.  My report for this game will probably end up being somewhat long-winded, but I feel it’s necessary to show what a great game this really was.
         The game began in the way in which all but one Central game has this year, and that is with Central kicking off.  Northeast only ran two plays, when Central’s LB Brandon Romeo (3 tackles, 3 assists, 1 FF) recovered a fumble on the 44 yard line.  The ball, however, must have been extra slippery at the start of the game because Central only ran three plays before they fumbles, and DB Derek Butler (3 tackles, 2 assists) recovered.  Butler also made a very important play later in the game. Coming in, it felt like the game would feature many punts, because, as good as both offenses were, the defenses were that much better, and featured many different looks.  That is basically how the rest of the first quarter went, and each team got one more possession and had to kick the ball away.  The highlight of the quarter was probably the twenty two yard run by WR Rodney Sykes (2 catches, 42 yards, 1 assist) on an end around.  The first quarter also featured plenty of Northeast’s most potent weapon, RB Jeremiah Pitt (20 carries, 167 yards, 1 TD).  At times, the Lancers defense showed some problems containing him, and that is one of the main reasons Northeast wound up on top.
         In the second quarter, Northeast recorded the first points of the game.  Pitt set up a one yard touchdown run by RB Chris Banks (9 carries, 36 yards, 1 TD) as he gained forty four yards on the previous play.  Central took the punch, and fought right back because on the very next drive, it only took four plays to cover seventy four yards.  The short drive was capped off by a twenty four yard touchdown run by QB Joe Marshall (4-9, 93 yards, 1 int, 12 rushes, 63 yards, 1 TD) who had his best game on the ground all year.  Northeast had a short drive but was forced to punt the ball to Central with 3:24 left in the half.  Two big pass plays by Marshall, and a solid dose of runs got the Lancers to Northeast’s four yard line with 0:53 left in the half.  In what was considered by many to be a controversial call, Central threw a fade pattern to the corner of the end zone, and the pass was picked off by DB Kyle Sample (3 rushes, 20 yards, 2 tackles, 1 assist, 1 int).  The half ended with the teams deadlocked at seven.
         Central received the ball at the beginning of the third quarter, and got a decent return from DB/KR Mike Lloyd (1 return, 38 yards).  However, Central fumbled the ball and Northeast took advantage.  On a drive that used up most of the third quarter clock, a steady dose of Pitt and Banks, as well as a twenty-three yard pass play from QB Cordia Mosley (5-12, 35 yards) to WR Rockeed McCarter (2 catches, 28 yards), led the Vikings to their second score of the night.  It came from Pitt who scampered in from four yards out.  The quarter ended with Central possessing the ball, and driving.
          As the forth quarter began, Marshall hooked up with Sykes for a 25 yard pass play which got the Lancers fired up.  FB Mike Wilson (20 rushes, 80 yards), who had been the power-horse all game, got the drive started with after a few nice runs.  One Lancer was particularly fired up was RB Devon Johnson (8 rushes, 63 yards, 1 TD) who broke out a twenty-five yard touchdown run to tie the game.  Northeast got the ball back and drove to the Lancers twenty-six yard line.  A third down pass by Mosley sailed incomplete, and it was forth and four from the twenty-six.  In what felt like a game saving tackle for Central, Romeo came to the line and stopped a rush attempt by Sample to give the Lancers the ball on downs.   The Vikings knew they needed to play good defense to stop the Lancers from winning the game, but Central’s offense came out fired-up.  After gaining forty-one yards on six plays, LB Christen Gerrick (2 tackles, 1 sack) came up with a huge sack, as he downed Marshall at the forty-three yard line.  Central faced a fourth and sixteen.  It looked as though it would be ten yards shy of an exact comparison to the Eagles-Green Bay game.  In an extremely gutsy play call, Marshall threw a pass to LB/DB Cornelius Bunch (3 rushes, 19 yards, 2 catches, 51 yards, 4 tackles, 3 assists) for about seven yards, in one of the most athletic plays by Bunch this year (and he’s had many) he ran thirty more yards until he was pushed out of bounds by Butler in what will go down as one of the most important tackles of the year for the Vikings.  It was Central’s ball on the six yard line.  Central tried two runs, but gained no yardage.  The clock ran down to seven seconds and Marshall spiked the ball.  It was fourth down, and the field goal unit trotted out onto the field.  K Andrew “KG” Thompson who has been all but perfect on extra points all year, and missed his one and only field goal attempt, was set to kick.  As Central lined up, the crowd on the Lancers side got silent, people were covering their eyes, holding their ears, and praying.  The kick attempt went wide left, but a mere 2 feet, but… a penalty was called on the Vikings for roughing the kicker.  Central had another chance.  With 0:00 showing on the new scoreboard (which is now at the opposite end on the stadium), the kick went up as fast as it went down because Northeast was able to penetrate the line, and block the field goal attempt.  We were going to overtime kids…
          In the overtime, for those unfamiliar with the rules, it’s run similar to college with each team getting a chance to score, however, in high school, the ball is placed on the ten yard line and teams have four downs to produce points.   Northeast won the toss and deferred to Central.  The Lancers gained six yards on the first two downs.  On third down, Marshall took the ball three yards but a crowd gathered right at the goal line, and just before the ball crossed the plane, a Viking knocked the ball out, and Northeast stopped the Lancers from scoring on their overtime possession.  It was now Northeast’s turn from the ten.  Central’s defense came out hungry and held Northeast to three yards on three running plays.  It was now time for the hero of the game to make his entrance.  Northeast kicker Chris Mountney trotted onto the field with his special teams unit to try and win the game.  The 22-yard attempt by Mountney sailed through the uprights out of the well lit turf field, and towards the street.  Northeast had one the game, and the right to play another day.  Extreme happiness on one side of the stadium, shock on the other.   What an amazing ending to a game where each player left everything they had right on that brand new turf field at Charles Martin Memorial Stadium.
   Play of the Game: This one seems to be a pretty easy choice, but it’s not.  Not only was Mountney’s field goal clutch, but Bunch’s fourth down catch, the forced fumble by Northeast in overtime, the blocked field goal at the end of regulation, the interception before the half, Johnson’s game tying run, or Pitts’ run to set up a Northeast touchdown.  I think the play of the game, however, has to be Mountney’s 22-yard field goal to win it for the Vikings in overtime.
  Player of the Game: I’m going to cheat and select a player of the game for both teams.  For Northeast, Jeremiah Pitt ran very well, and seemed to be a weapon which the Lancers had trouble controlling.  As for Central, it’s a very close call.  I think it has to go to Bunch, who played one of his best games of the year, but DB Collin Singletary (6 tackles, 3 assists) played extremely well getting six solo tackles, and three assists, many of which prevented Pitt from breaking out for a score.  Bunch always produces numbers on offense and defense, but the intensity with which he made his plays in this game was outstanding, as were all of the players’ intensity levels.  Nothing like Pub playoffs!
   Dark Horse of the Game: DB William Thomas (6 tackles, 1 assist) from Central, made many game saving tackles in the secondary, as well as playing great on special teams coverage.  Thomas, who doesn’t get to start much at DB, stepped up in the second half, and made some key tackles to keep Central in the game.
* Interesting Points:
--- Special teams was a huge part of this game.  Both teams did extremely well in terms of special teams play, but in the end, Northeast came out on top.  A special mention goes out to Michael Small who holds kicks for Central.  All season long he has done a great job of taking the snap, and getting it down in time, even when the snap is a little off.  The same goes for Northeast’s kicking “battery” (to use a baseball term) who looked very good on their kicks all night.
--- Defense, defense, and more defense.  What a great battle it was for both of these teams on the defensive side of the ball.  Both played extremely well.
--- The atmosphere at this game was simply amazing.  It just goes to show you that it shouldn’t be a quarterfinal game, because it surely felt more like a championship bout.  There was well over 3,000 people on hand, and students and adults alike were treated to a great game made even better due to the new turf, and starry night.
--- Speaking of the turf, it seemed like play went flawlessly.  Players looked just like they were running on grass, but from what I understand, it hurts a lot less to fall on this stuff.
--- Going back to the playoff scheduling, both of these teams deserved to play further than the first round.  That’s all I’ll say, hopefully something will be done so that good teams don’t get the short end of the stick in the future.
--- At the beginning of the year, Saadiq Stewart e-mailed me complaining about how the Lancers were ranked ahead of Northeast in my weekly Top 10.  He said that if the Vikings played the Lancers, they would win for sure… guess what kind of an e-mail I got yesterday (smile).
--- It was also a battle in the band department as Northeast had a full fledged marching band, and Central provided a Pep-Band.  I’m probably biased, but I think the Pep-Band won the battle of the bands…
--- If anyone wants defensive and team stats, as well as drive charts on the game, I’d be more than happy to send them to ya.
--- A quick congrats goes to Central's Junior Varsity team who finished a 7-0 perfect season, and recorded six shut-outs in the process.  They also won every game by more than twenty points.  Things are looking good for the future of the Lancers.
--- The Thanksgiving Day game between these two will be the place to be on the 25th. Without a doubt, if your looking for a good football game before you sit down for some turkey and pumpkin pie, come to Northeast, because there is no doubt these two teams will bring it!
--- Next week Central plays Lincoln in their last home game of the season, while Northeast meets Dobbins in the Semifinal round of the playoffs.

NOV. 4
Public League Playoff Preview
          All of the dust has settled from yesterday’s election and after many months of tedious campaigning, our country has elected a president.  Good or bad, we have a champion.  If I started to talk politics I would never get past my semi-clever election/playoffs similarity intro, so I’ll get right to it.  We are coming upon the final weeks of “campaigning” for the Public League Championship, and eight candidates have emerged from a field of twenty-one to take a shot at the coveted title of Public League District XII PIAA Champions.  However, the playoff schedule is proving to be slightly more difficult to understand than the Electoral College system. The following, while attempting to be somewhat insightful, will provide an entertaining look at what this year's battle of the best has in store for all of Philadelphia’s Phaithful High School sports nuts (Notice I took a page out of the Phillies book and used “Ph” instead of an “F,” kinda clever eh?).
          Four games within about a 27-hour time span… what more could you ask for?  Like I said above, eight teams have emerged as the best of the Pub, and will participate in playoff games this Friday and Saturday at Northeast High School.  The games are as follows:
         11/5- Frankford Pioneers vs. Overbrook Panthers, 4 PM
          11/5- Northeast Vikings vs. Central Lancers, 7 PM
          11/6- Dobbins Mustangs vs. Bartram Braves, 4 PM
          11/6- Germantown Bears vs. Washington Eagles, 7 PM

Game 1:
Frankford Pioneers vs. Overbrook Panthers
   Frankford: The Pioneers bring a wealth of playoff experience to the table, against a team that will be making its first playoff appearance since… ever!   Frank Jubilee and Malik Walker lead Frankford’s attack out of the backfield, while Lamont Brown is head of the passing game.  The Panthers send William Brownlee and Marquice Freeman into the attack plan, and they line-up behind quarterback Jarrett Johnson.  For Frankford, this is the first step to a chance for a Public League “Three-Peat,” and the timeless honor of being compared to the Los Angles Lakers of 2000-2003.  Frankford also has motivation from their intense rivalry with Washington, which just became even more interesting after the result of this years’ game.   Overbrook need to come out in full force to support their team.  This is the first time in 77 years that the Hilltoppers are in the playoffs, and it really is a special thing.  Hopefully this team can open some eyes, and the South division can become more competitive.  As for the winner of this game, I’m going to do my best Huck/Puck impersonation and say:
Pioneers Pummel: 35-12 (Overbrook good, but Frankford just too much.)

Game 2:
Northeast Vikings vs. Central Lancers
   Doesn’t get any better than this folks!  The longest and most heated rivalry in public High School football will be carried out yet again under the lights of Charles Martin Memorial Stadium.  Northeast actually ends up playing a harder opponent than Frankford, even though the Vikings beat them to gain second place in the North.  You can be assured that the Vikings will be ready for this one… not only will it be their first home game, on the new playing surface, but it will be under the lights against their arch-rival.  As for Central, they finish the season 8-0, and are tested right out of the gate in the Quarterfinal match.  The Vikings are commanded by Chris Banks and Jeremiah Pitt at running back, while Cordia Mosley handles the quarterbacking duties.  For Central, Devon Johnson and Mike Wilson solidify the backfield, while Joe Marshall is at quarterback.  You can be assured that this will be a good match-up.
Lancers Leap: 21-17 (Real good game. Shame one of these team must lose. Both real good)

Game 3:
Dobbins Mustangs vs. Bartram Braves
   Dobbins has something to prove coming into this game.  Not necessarily to Bartram, but to the league.  Everyone basically counted them out (except Ted of course, who wrote an article after they were 0-4, about how they could still make the playoffs) after four early losses, but they came back.  Dobbins locked up the second spot in the Mid-City division, and completed what I like to call a “Red-Sox-Like” comeback in order to play on.  The Braves will look to get past the Quarterfinals for the first time in a long time.  The Mustangs offensive attack features Rashad Williams who rushed for over 700 yards in only five games, and Steve Sydnor. Bartram brings John "Fudgie" Pratt and Kris Brownlee to the table as the offensive stars.  This should be a very well played game, and most likely end up with a very close score.
Mustangs Massacre: 20-13 (Bartram okay, I still picking Dobbins though. They on a roll)

Game 4:
Germantown Bears vs. Washington Eagles
   Germantown managed to oust Gratz in a battle for third place in the Mid-City Division, while Washington completed an 8-0 undefeated season in the North Division.   It’s pretty apparent that the Eagles are hungry for a championship, and would like nothing more than to knock off Frankford in the next round.  They will, however, have to get past a gritty Bears team first.  The Bears are headed by Brandon Cuff and Akeem Johnson.   Washington is led by some guy named Jerry Butler, along with Chuck Hughes.  The Eagles are ranked fourth in the state, and will look to uphold that ranking on Saturday night.  As much as the Bears have progressed over the course of the season, the Eagles may just be too much for them.
Eagles Eliminate: 42-6 (Washington real good this year, I think they ready for PIAA.)

          All of the games will be played on the much talked-about (angelic trumpet sound) new artificial turf playing surface!  Hopefully it won’t affect game play too much, and the players will be used to it.  That turf is definitely the hot topic of the league, as there are so many people awaiting the first game on the new surface.  For those of you who need something to do (and by something to do, I mean something to eat) before the game while you’re in the Northeast Jim’s Prince of Steaks rivals anything Geno’s or Pat’s can throw at it.  The Dining Car (right down the street from Judge and Lincoln actually) provides a slightly more upscale fair, and for all of you adults, Whisky-Tango is a hot hang out spot for any kind of football talk.  Hopefully you can get out to the Northeast to take in some of these great match-ups in the Public League Quarterfinals.

NOV 1
Nick’s Public League Top Ten
  1) Washington (8-0): The Eagles are flying high after an undefeated season in the Public League North.  They will play against Germantown Saturday night on Northeast’s Brand Spankin’ New turf.
  2) Central (8-0): The Lancers join GW as the only other undefeated team in the city, and still hold the lead for most points in the city.  They will face a tough Northeast squad Friday night under the lights.
  3) Northeast (7-1): The Vikings are coming off a huge win over Frankford, and will get to play their first home game of the year on their new surface against Central for Philadelphia’s version of “Friday Night Lights.”
  4) Frankford (4-3): Maybe losing to Northeast was a blessing in disguise, as the Pioneers will face Overbrook at 4 PM Friday.
  5) Bok (6-2): Even though Bok is not in the Public League playoffs, they will be going to state in AAA.  We wish them the best of luck.
  6) Dobbins (5-4): What a comeback!  After starting 0-4, the Mustangs roared back, and ended up finishing second in the Mid-City Division.  They will face Bartram on Saturday afternoon.
  7) Germantown (5-3): The Bears have their work cut out for them as they face one of the top ranked teams in Pennsylvania on Saturday night.  Even with the loss to Dobbins, they still managed to oust Gratz, and earn a trip to the post-season.
  8) Overbrook (7-2): ‘Brook destroyed Imhotep Charter by scoring the most points in team history.  Not only was that a school record, but they made the playoffs for the first time in their 77 year history.  They’ll show Frankford what they have on Friday at 4.
  9) Bartram (6-3): Bartram finished the season as the #1 seed in the South, and will go up against a hot Dobbins team in the Quarterfinal round of the playoffs.
  10) Gratz (4-4): Even though the Bulldogs were denied a playoff spot, they played a tough season, and have a promising future, spear-headed by Donald King.  Their game against Central was one of their beat all year, even though it resulted in a loss.  Gratz will face Mastbaum in a non-league game this week.
Under Consideration: Lincoln (5-4), MLK (6-3).

OCT. 29
PUBLIC MID-CITY
Central 28, Gratz 6
          “The spirit, the will to win, and the will to excel are the things that endure. These qualities are so much more important than the events that occur.” –Vince Lombardi
          The will to win was stirring in both teams at the beginning of the game, as everyone was excited about this contest.  Aside from a match-up against Dobbins earlier this year, the most media either team had covering the game all year was on hand.  And rightfully so, it was a game which determined the playoff positioning of both teams.  Ultimately, Gratz would not draw the luck card, as a Saturday game between Dobbins and Germantown knocked the Bulldogs out of the playoffs, but make no mistake, Gratz is a solid team.  This was by far the best played “football” game by both teams all year, but eventually, Gratz’ season long crutch of not being able to score when inside the red-zone caught up with them.
          Central kicked to Gratz to start the game, and the Donald King (27 rushes, 136 yards, 1 TD) show began immediately.  King, who is only a junior, was breaking off runs for huge chunks of yardage all day, but couldn’t lead the Bulldogs anywhere on the first drive, and they were forced to punt.  Central then took over at their own 41 yard line, and mounted a very methodical drive.  The drive span thirteen plays and was finished off by a touchdown pass from QB Joe Marshall (7-12, 92 yards, 3 TD’s, 1 int, 5 rushes, 18 yards) to WR Rodney Sykes (2 catches, 52 yards, 1 TD) from four yards out.  FB Mike Wilson (17 rushes, 130 yards, 1 TD) was the work horse for Central all day as he gained fifty-two yards on the first drive alone.  The first quarter ended with Central ahead 7-0.
          Gratz started with the ball in the second quarter, but Central quickly got it back as DB Collin Singletary (1 tackle, 6 assists, 1 int.) grabbed another interception; his sixth of the year.   Central scored quickly after the interception as Marshall complete a nine yard pass to LB/RB Cornelius Bunch (2 rushes, 13 yards, 2 catches, 32 yards, 1 TD, 4 tackles, 3 assists, 2 sacks) for the touchdown.  K Andrew Thompson was perfect on the day, making all four extra points he attempted.  Gratz took over and drove down to the Lancer ten yard line.  However, as I mentioned before, Gratz’ inability to punch it in from inside the red-zone came back to haunt them.  Bunch recorded two sacks for a loss of 22 yards to stop the Bulldogs threat.  Central ended the half by executing a screen pass play to perfection as Sykes took the ball 48 yards downfield and almost scored.  The half ended with Central leading by a score of 14-0.  By far the smallest margin the Lancers were leading by at the half all year.
          Mike Wilson started the third quarter off with a bang, as, after a 24 yard kick off return by Singletary, he rumbled downfield for a 50 yard gain.  Wilson got the next three carries on the drive too, and left last one was a seven yard touchdown scamper.  That gave him eight rushing TD’s on the season.  Central was ahead 21-0, but Gratz was not finished by any means.  On the ensuing drive, Gratz , behind the solid rushing of King, took the ball down to the inch yard-line.  Two rushes and an incomplete pass later, it was fourth and goal from the three.  Could Gratz be denied another touchdown while in the red zone?   Not this time, as King scored for three yards out to put the Bulldogs on the board.  The pass attempt on the 2-point conversion failed, and Central led 21-6.  At the very end of the third quarter, LB James Tyree (3 tackles, 1 assist, 1 FF) put a huge hit on Gratz QB Kevin Lane (3-11, 28 yards, 1 int, 7 rushes, (-15) yards) forcing a fumble recovered by Central’s Kyle George (4 assists, 1 FR) on the 45.
          The fourth quarter began with the tradition “fooouuuur” chant, and Central was driving once again, flying high after the fumble recovery.   The Lancers brought the ball to the five yard line, but an intentional grounding penalty drove them back to the twenty.  This was a bad sign, as on the next play, Marshall threw a pass intended for Sykes that was picked off by DB Frank Adams (2 tackles, 1 assist, 1 int.) in the end zone.  On Gratz’ drive after the turnover, they failed to get much going on offense, and failed to convert a fourth and two from their own forty-four.  Central took over, and scored their last touchdown of the day.   The key play was a twenty-two yard pass from Marshall to Bunch which set up a four yard touchdown pass from Marshall to WR/DB Vaughn Webb (1 catch, 4 yards, 1 TD).  Central was able to fight off a last effort by Gratz, and Marshall took a knee on the final two plays to end the ball game.  Central completed an undefeated season, and won the Public League Mid-City Championship.
          On the defensive side of the ball, Central forced two turnovers, while Gratz had one.  The tackle leader for Central was LB Brandon Romeo, who recorded one solo tackle and nine assists.  Seven players on Central’s team had over five tackles.  For Gratz, LB Derek Smoke led the defense with three tackles and six assists.  On special teams, LB/DB Damean Antrom gained thirty two yards while Collin Singletary led Central with twenty six yards.
          The Lancers were filled with joy afterwards as they had just completed an undefeated season, and won the Mid-City Division for the second year in a row.  IT will be right back to work, however, as the Lancers have a first round “Friday Night Light’s” match-up against Northeast.
          Unfortunately, Gratz did not get any help from the rest of the league, and ended up being eliminated from the playoffs.  The Bulldogs played a very tough and clean game, which was the best I’ve been to all year in the Pub.   They have a lot to look forward to next year, however, as their team is very young, and they still have one more year with King leading the backfield.
          At the end of the regular season Gratz’ rushing leader was Donald King who complied 1054 yards on 190 carries and six touchdowns.  Kevin Lane led the Bulldogs in passing with 308 yards and two touchdowns, while WR Richard Sheppard finished the year with 12 catches for 121 yards.  For Central, RB Devon Johnson led the Lancers with 462 yards on 51 carries and scored six touchdowns (as well as threw for four in the place of Marshall).  The Lancers finished the season with six players over 100 yards rushing.  Passing, Joe Marshall finished with 576 yards, and thirteen touchdowns.  356 of those yards were to Rodney Sykes as he caught sixteen passes and seven touchdowns in the regular season.
   Play of the Game: This is a bit of an unusual decision, but late in the third quarter, James Tyree put a disgusting hit on Lane causing him to fumble the ball, which Central recovered.  This play seemed to re-awaken the entire sideline, and Central knew that the game was theirs to win after Tyree made that big hit.
   Player of the Game: Joe Marshall (who wore #86, instead of his usual #15) had one of his best games of the year when his team really needed it.  Marshall had great numbers and showed the ability to rush out of the pocket, as well as stay in and become a pocket passer.  Marshall has really become a very good quarterback in his past six games, and Central hopes he can continue into the playoffs.
   Dark Horse of the Game: The dark horse of this game is Collin Singletary.  Not only did he record his sixth pick of the year, but finished the game 1 tackle and 6 assists.  Most of them were big stops when King broke past the first line of Lancers, and Singletary made sure he didn’t get any further.
*Interesting Points:
--- In typical Pub fashion, Central was almost without transportation to the game, but eventually a desperation bus was sent, and all of the players crammed into one bus, and made the game on time.
--- For the second week in a row, Central coaches had a gripe with officials.  This time, they would not grant the Lancers the right to a measurement.  No one is sure why.
--- Zach Marks finds his way into these reports more than anyone I know.  This time, he was called upon to work on the chain gang, and chatted with the ref for the entire game.  Apparently he was on the box because he was the “most capable” guy out there.  I must say the chain gang was a bit lack-luster, and often times very crooked.
--- Congratulations to the Lancers & their managers for an undefeated season.  A special shout-out goes to Mia Settles, who valiantly catches extra points after every touchdown scored in the games.
--- The amount of media on hand for this game was huge… I counted three TV cameras, at least six or seven photographers, and three stat persons.  Pretty cool.
--- Anyone who would like season stats for the Lancers in terms of team stats, or defensive stats, feel free to e-mail me.
--- The Lancers will play a night playoff game this Friday (11/5) as they take on the 7-1 Vikings at Northeast at 7:30 PM.
--- Look for a “Nick at Mid-Afternoon” playoff preview to be out sometime this week.

OCT. 25
Nick’s Public League Top Ten
  1) Washington (7-0): Many predicted the Eagles to get revenge over the Pioneers, but I don’t think anyone expected it to come with that many points (except Washington that is).  The Eagles will try and complete a perfect season this week against Lincoln.
  2) Central (7-0): The Lancers had no problem with Edison, and continue to light up the score board.  They will also go for a perfect season this week as they play Gratz for the division title.
  3) Northeast (6-1): Looked solid against King.  HUGE game this week as they play at Frankford for second place in the Public North division.  The winner of that game plays the team above in the quarterfinal round.
  4) Frankford (4-2): I guess the bye week wasn’t enough to get ready for what Washington had planned.  They’ll need to look past the loss, and come together against a strong Northeast team if they want to finish second in the North.
  5) Bok (5-2): Bok is getting ready for the State playoffs, while all of the other Pub teams are focused on the Pub playoffs.  It’ll be interesting to see how the race in the South turns out, and if Overbrook can make history.
  6) Gratz (4-3): Well, the Mid-City division just became all sorts of crazy.  With Gratz’ loss to G-Town, there could be a need to dust off the rule books and look at tiebreakers as there could be a 3-way tie for second at the end of this week.  The Bulldogs face Central in a game which could win them first place.
  7) Germantown (5-2): The Bears host Dobbins this Saturday. If they win, there will be no need for crazy tie-breaking rules… if they don’t, it will be interesting.
  8) Lincoln (5-2): Eeked out a victory against Mastbaum last week.  They’ll see if they can provide the shocker of the season as they finish with Washington at home.
  9) Dobbins (4-4): Can Dobbins pull off a “Red-Sox” like comeback and grab a playoff spot in the Mid-City division.  Will need to beat G-Town on the road to have a shot.
  10) King (5-3): Did a very respectable job competing in a much tougher division this year.  Lost to Northeast, but gave a valiant effort.

OCT. 22
PUBLIC MID-CITY
Central 41, Edison 0
    The Lancers kept rolling with a win over Edison which was very similar to the 41-0 victory over William Penn.  The starters posted 35 points in the first half, which made the second half fly by, as Central won their seventh game of the year in convincing fashion.  Edison dropped their record to 1-6 with the loss in what was their last regular season game of the year because they are idle next week.  The Lancers are averaging an astonishing 40.1 points per game this year, while yielding an average of only 7.5 points every game.
           Central did something this game which they have not done in any game so far this year… receive the opening kick off.  And what a way to do it, RB/DB Mike Lloyd (5 carries, 17 yards, 3 tackles, 3 assists) took the ball 58 yards on a return which gave the Lancers the ball at the 26 yard line to begin the game.  In usually Lancer fashion, it didn’t take long to score as RB/LB Jamil Styles (7 carries, 32 yards, 1 TD, 2 tackles, 1 assist) ran it in from five yards out.  K Andrew “KG” Thompson (1 assist) made the point after.  His streak of successfully converted extra points ended at a very respectable sixteen in a row, before the failed to convert on the last attempt of today’s game.  On the very next play from scrimmage, Edison’s QB Jonathan Baez (3-14, 40 yards, 2 int’s, 7 carries, -27 yards) was hit from behind and the ball flew in the air just long enough for Centrals’ Cornelius “Full Color Page in the DN” Bunch (3 carries, 36 yards, 3 tackles, 1 assist, 1.5 sacks) to grab the ball and run it in for the score.  With only two minutes and fifty seconds of time run off the clock, the score was already 14-0 in favor of Central.  For Bunch, it was his third  defensive touchdown of the year.  The two teams traded a pair of four-and-outs before Central started mounting a drive at the end of the first quarter.  A thirteen yard pass from QB Joe “Jo-Jo” Marshall (2-8, 83 yards, 1 TD, 5 rushes, 16 yards, 1 TD) to WR Rodney “Cool Helmet Visor” Sykes (1 catch, 13 yards) set the Lancers up on the 3 yard line to start the second quarter.
           The first play of the second quarter was a three yard touchdown scamper by RB/LB Kyle “Jerome Bettis Numbers” George (5 rushes, 24 yards, 1 TD).  Edison failed to do much on offense the next drive, and when Central got the ball back, they continued to show off their high powered offense.  The drive was capped by an amazing seventeen yard touchdown run by Marshall in which he came less than centimeters away from stepping out of bounds, but stayed in to get the score.  The Lancers would score one more time before the half ended as Coach “Knows how to call them” Conway saw a play he’d been waiting to try all day open up.  Marshall and RB Devon “Huge Chunks of Yardage” Johnson (3 rushes, 39 yards, 1 catch, 70 yards, 1 TD) were on the same page as they completed the 70 yard pass play for Central’s fifth touchdown in the first half.  On the ensuing kick, the Owls had quite an interesting return.  RB/LB Carlos Maldonado (4 rushes, 78 yards) picked up the kick on the fifteen and ran the ball twenty yards, he then fumbled the ball, and everyone and their brother was trying to jump on it.  Eventually, the ball squirted out to Maldonado who took the ball 25 more yards to give the Owls good field position.  Unfortunately, they could not turn that into points, and the half ended on a sack by WR/LB Greg Riley (1 tackle, 2 assists, 1.5 sacks).
            Let’s pause for a short rant break: 35-0 at the half!  As much as I like to see a team win, and sometimes win big, this (along with the playoff format changes) is one of my major gripes with the pub.  I understand there is not much money at all, but going to games that are 41-0 and 56-6 are not nearly as entertaining as a 21-20 game of even a 7-0 match-up.  And, unfortunately, there are only a handful of teams in the Pub that can match-up and give the fans a close well played football game.  Nevertheless, I still live & die with Pub football, but I just thought I’d get that off my chest… now back to the game.
            The third and fourth quarters flew by due to the Public League mercy rule which states that if a team is up by 35 points or more at the half, the clock runs continuously.  Central kicked off to begin the third quarter, and Edison managed to drive for two first downs.  The momentum quickly shifted towards Central’s side, however, as Baez had a pass attempt picked off by WR/DB Christian “Vamanos” Chaves (1 tackle, 3 assists, 2 int’s).  Central, once again took advantage of turning turnovers into points.  With the second string offense playing, Central still managed to drive 38 yards.  The drive was finished off by a one yard touchdown burst by RB/DB William Thomas (2 rushes, 9 yards, 1 TD).  That was the end of the scoring for the rest of the game, but things did get heated in the fourth quarter.  The refs weren’t calling many cheap shots taken by Edison towards the end of the game.  This made Central players and coaches very upset, and they wanted to make sure they preserved the shutout.  Therefore, the put the first defense back into the game which allowed Chaves to grab his second interception on the afternoon, and his third this year.  Central’s defense has captured an astounding 17 interceptions this year, which ties West Catholic for the city lead in interceptions.
On the defensive side of the ball, Central recorded its second shut-out of the year, and put forth a very solid effort.  The leading tackler for Central was Mike Lloyd, who recorded 3 tackles and 3 assists.  For Edison, Anthony Coltrane led the charge with 4 tackles and 5 assists.   Central also recorded 4 sacks and 4 turnovers.  On special teams, Edison’s Carlos Maldonado gained 72 yards, while Central’s Collin Singletary led the Lancers with 74 return yards.  The real difference in this one was in the teams offensive lines, however.  It seemed as though Edison’s line was unsure of the blocking assignment on every play which led to many Central sacks and TFL’s.  Even though Edison attempted 14 passes, they only managed to complete 3 of them due to the huge amount of pressure Central defensive line was getting.  In comparison, the O-line for Central did a much better job, letting their backs run for 188 yards on the afternoon.
  Play of the Game: As tempting as it is to make Bunch’s fumble return for a touchdown the play of the game, I think the opening kick-off return by Mike Lloyd really set the tone of the game.  Llyod carried the ball 58 yards before being taken down at the Edison 26 yard line.  Central scored two touchdowns within the next minute and forty-eight seconds.
  Player of the Game: Even though Central managed to post 41 points on the board, the player of the game is from the Lancer defense.  Christian Chaves grabbed two interceptions to ensure the victory for the visitors.
  Dark Horse of the Game: The dark horse award this week goes to WR/DB Vaughn Webb ().  He recorded three tackles and one assist with the defense and special teams in the second half.  His hits were often times in the open field, and they were hard.
*Interesting Points:
--- Edison has a very nice field, and I nice track surrounding it… it was an overall good day for football, even though it got a little cold towards the end.
--- After blowing a call, Coach Glatthorn yelled at the official about what had occurred.  The ref simply turned to him and said, “You might be right.” And nothing more.  Needless to say, Coach was a little perturbed with the refs attitude.
--- Apparently after a pass interference penalty on the offense, not only does the defense gain 15 yards in their favor, but also gets the ball.  This is what happened when Central had offensive pass interference called on them, were pushed back fifteen yards, and did not get to repeat fourth  down, but rather had to put their defense on the field because the officials awarded Edison the ball.
--- Edison’s Owl mascot was hilarious… there’s a great pick of the Owl with the Edison cheerleaders in special photos.
--- After the game Chaves was soft spoken about his two interceptions, but did say that “We gotta do what we gotta do, and it always feels good to get back in there.”  The entire Lancers defense seems to be seeing the ball more than the offense this year!
--- How did Joe Marshall not run out of bounds on his touchdown run?  Only the football Gods will know…
--- I would rant about the playoff schedule and pairings this year, but I would just be stating the obvious… Instead, it involves the day of the playoff game.  Many players on Central’s team have paid for and scheduled the SAT I or SAT II for November 6, and now there is a game on that day.  This mean the players will either: A) Miss the SAT, take it later, and not get their money back, B) Take the SAT, miss some of the game, or be “brain dead” for it after the three and a half hour long test or, C) End up missing both because of freaky traffic patterns.  Well not so much C, but still I’m sure this is a problem which affects many players on many teams.  Maybe the league just didn’t take this into consideration, since, well you know, football players don’t need to worry about grades to get into college, right?  I’m probably overreacting, but I just think that it’s a scheduling flaw (even with the game being at 2:00) that should be corrected.  Plus, does the league really think moving the game to a Saturday as opposed to a Friday afternoon will really draw more of a crowd.  Yeah, I’m sure it’s a lot easier for kids to come back to school in the middle of their weekend as opposed to walking a half of a block after school.
--- Onto happier thoughts, I wonder what Washington felt getting a taste of revenge (albeit in blowout fashion) against arch-rival Frankford.

OCT 20
A Light Jog Towards the Playoffs Rambling…
      As I sit here watching the Red Sox beat the snot out of the Yankees in what will hopefully turn out to be the best sports comeback in the history of sports, I couldn’t help but think of some other playoffs that were coming up… that’s right, the Public League Playoffs.  With only two weeks left in the regular season, teams fighting for a playoff spot will need to lay it all on the line in an all out war for positioning, and the right to play another day.  Once the playoff teams are a lock I’ll do a playoff preview, which isn’t really what this is, but enjoy regardless…
            In the Northern Division, it looks as though the Eagles are a force to be reckoned with.  They will face Frankford and Lincoln in their final two weeks, both of which are away games.  Washington has clinched a playoff berth because even if they were to lose their next two games, they beat King (who would have to win their next two) in the tiebreaker.  As for the other two spots, Northeast and Frankford will slug it out for positioning.  The big game for both teams comes in the final week when the Vikings will visit the Pioneers.  The “North/A” division is always very competitive, and it should be interesting to see how these final two weeks play out.  It’d be interesting to see if any of these teams opt to enter the state playoffs.  Consensus is that many want to see the Eagles compete with the likes of North Penn & Neshaminy.
            As for the Mid-City, it looks like the Lancers are better than Kordell Stewart in 1999.  They have no trouble putting points on the board, but their main criticism comes in the fact that “they have yet to be truly tested.”  Central has also clinched a playoff spot because they hold the tiebreaker over Dobbins.  As for the other Mid-City teams, it should be quite an entertaining race.  Gratz, Germantown, and Dobbins (yes, I said Dobbins) all have a chance to grab a spot.  This weeks’ big game comes when Gratz hosts Germantown for a major positioning battle.  Dobbins needs to win at Roxborough, and home against Germantown, along with a little help from Gratz this week to get into the playoffs.  Gratz defeated Dobbins earlier, so the Mustangs do not hold the tie-breaker there, but if they can finish with the same record as Germantown, they will get the spot.  This would be quite the turnaround given the fact that they started the year 0-4.
       In the South, Bok is entering the PIAA State Playoffs, which means they will not be one of the two delegates from the Southern Division in the PL playoffs.  That basically leaves Bartram and Overbrook as the south 1 and 2 seeds.  If a minor miracle occurs, Franklin could make it, but this seems highly unlikely.

            For a quick refresher, the playoff format is as follows. (It’s also under the link titled “Public League Master Schedule”)

 Well I hope that managed to waste at least five minutes of your time, unless you’re a very fast reader.  Check back in a bit to see the actual playoff preview… just thought it’d be fun to do a two week rundown.

Interesting Points:
--- I stopped by the Central JV game against Germantown today. (Central won 22-0), but I met up with Bill “Payin’ the Bills” Wettstein.  He was there hoping to see the “big boys” practice, but they were relegated to the blacktop since JV had a game.
--- The Red Sox = Simply Amazing… ‘nuff said.
--- Garcia vs. Owens match-up this week should be more than entertaining.
--- What has pro football come to when Jerry Rice, quite possibly the best receiver in the history of the game, get traded to the Seattle Seahawks for a seventh round draft pick… That’s either a sign that he’s too old, or… well basically he’s too old.
--- In the PCL St. Joe’s Prep plays Cardinal O’Hara.  This promises to be a great game on all levels… I just wish Springfield-Delco wasn’t so freakin’ far away.

OCT. 18
Nick’s Public League Top Ten
  1) Washington (6-0): Met their toughest test of the season and came out with a convincing victory, holding the Vikings to only 11 yards of total offense.   They face Frankford this week for the division, and then Lincoln to close out the regular season.
  2) Central (6-0): The Lancers have the most points of any team in the Public, Catholic, or Inter-Ac League.  Travel to Edison this week before a tough game at Gratz which will decide the division.
  3) Northeast (5-1): Had a rough game this week against Washington.  The Vikings can’t lose focus, however, as they still have King and a huge game with Frankford in the final two weeks of the season.
  4) Frankford (4-1): The Pioneers had a bye week, and plenty of time to get ready for their match-up with the mighty Eagles.  If Frankford wins, they grab the top spot in the North.
  5) Gratz (5-1): The Bulldogs will have a chance to take the division lead in the last week of the season when they host Central.  For now, they can’t look past Germantown.
  6) Lincoln (4-3): Even though the Railsplitters beat Gratz this season, the loss to MLK really hurts.  I just hope everything is okay at Lincoln with all the violence that has hit the school in recent weeks.
  7) Dobbins (3-4): Showed what kind of team they can be with a win over Bok.   Might still have a slim chance in the division barring a G-Town collapse, and two more wins.
  8) Bok (4-2):Will be the first team to represent the PIAA District XII in the state playoffs.  Had a close game against Dobbins. Enter a huge game against Bartram this week.
  9) King (5-2): Scored a big victory over Lincoln acting as a big spoiler.   The Cougars would be ranked higher, but two of their wins came by forfeit.
  10) Germantown (4-2): Did not look sharp against Central, but can still grab a playoff spot if they defeat Gratz this week.

OCT. 15
PUBLIC MID-CITY
Central 49, Germantown 12
    What an intense game this turned out to be.  The threat of rain was looming overhead right until the start, and from the first quarter on the rain turned off and on all the time.  I never realized how fierce the rivalry between these two teams was, unless, given the rain and the cold tempers flared and the game became very aggressive.  Overall, the game was very entertaining, and very wet.
    For the sixth straight week, the Lancers kicked off, and the defense held the opposing offense from gaining a first down.  This time the main factor was RB/LB Cornelius Bunch (6 rushes, 48 yards, 1 catch, 62 yards, 1 TD, 4 tackles, 1 assist, 2 sacks) who recorded 2 sacks on that drive setting the bears back 15 yards.  On Central’s possession after the punt, they drove 73 yards for the score.  QB Joe Marshall (2-4, 82 yards, 2 TD’s, 9 rushes, 15 yards) threw a 20 yard touchdown strike to his favorite target WR/DB Rodney Sykes (1 catch, 20 yards, 1 TD) and K Andrew Thompson converted the extra point.  This was Thompson’s best week by far, as the made the kick after every one of Central’s seven scores.  The Bear’s had the ball for the rest of the first quarter on a drive what span only 17 yards but which took 4:22 off clock.
           In the second, Central took over and wasted no time as RB Devon Johnson (5 rushes, 146 yards, 1 TD) took the ball for a nice long ride as he ran for a 79 yard touchdown untouched.  Johnson had a great game on the ground as he was able to rack up over 100 yards on his first two carries alone.  The Bears didn’t do much on their next possession, as Central got the ball back once again.  The rain was letting up just a bit at this point, but the elements didn’t seem to affect either team much in this one.  FB/LB Mike Wilson (23 rushes, 91 yards, 3 TD’s) continued to punish opposing defenses with his strong, power-running style.  Marshall, Wilson, and Johnson ran the ball 9 times for 77 yards on a drive which deflated the Bears going into the half.  Wilson’s 4 yard run was his fifth of the season, and he would add two more on the afternoon raising his season total to seven.  Central went into half time holding a comfortable 21-0 lead.
            And so begins the second half at which point it started to pour.  This quarter was more rapid fire than the Eagles offense under Ray Rhodes (zing!).  But in all seriousness, the game play seemed to pick-up ten fold in the second half.  Central received to start the second half but was forced to punt the ball away.  However, on the second play of Germantown’s ensuing drive Bears QB Brandon Cuff (4-12, 74 yards, 1 TD, 2 int’s, 9 rushes, 19 yards) threw an interception right into the hands of the “each game improves greatly” Mike Lloyd (4 tackles, 2 assists, 1 int, 1 TD) who ran it in for a 22 yard score.  On the play, many fell as though Lloyd pushed off of the Bears' receiver, and Coach M.W. Hawkins was into it hot & heavy with the officials for about a good 5 minutes.  No call was made however, but the Bears proved their point on the next drive.  Cuff started the 3-play Bears drive by breaking out of the pocket for a thirty yard gain.  The next two carries were by RB/DB Akeem Johnson (17 rushes, 73 yards, 1 TD), who was a work-horse for Germantown all day.  His touchdown run went for 29 yards, but the 2-point conversion run failed.  The Lancers answered right back as Wilson and Bunch ran right down the throat of the Bears defense, as Wilson took the ball in from 2 yards out getting his second score of the day.  The wildness of the third ended with Central up 35-6.
       In the fourth Germantown showed it was not going to quit.  Cuff hit RB/DB Chris Hines (2 catches, 69 yards, 1 TD) in stride for a 53-yard score.  The conversion pass failed.  The score was now 35-12, and the Bears were mounting another scoring threat if their defense could get a stop.  A pass call Coach Conway (0 rushes, 0 yards, 1 angry yell to opposing sideline) had been waiting to call all day opened up and Marshall hit Bunch for a 62-yard pass play.  The bears were a little deflated on the next drive, and Cuff made a bad decision on a pass headed for the end zone.  Central DB Collin Singletary (3 tackles, 1 int) hauled in his fifth interception of the year, and had his fourth consecutive game in which he had an interception.  Central capitalized once again off of a turnover as Wilson ran in for his third score of the day.  This time from seven yards out.  The game ended with a few failed Bear passing attempts.
           On the defensive side of the ball, things were down & dirty.  For Central, LB/RB Jamil Styles finished the day with 6 tackles and 8 assists along with a lot of pressure all day.  Styles was making his first start back in two weeks, and looked as though he didn’t miss a beat.  The tackle leader for Germantown was LB/RB Korey Carter who grabbed 5 solo tackles and 6 assists along with a half sack (shared with DT Deeian Moore).  Many of the hits were punishing in this one, and it looked as though things could have gotten out of hand.  Thankfully they didn’t, and no one came out of the game with any serious injuries.
            Overall I think I expected a better game from Germantown, but was impressed with the way the Lancers came out.  Central played Penn the pervious week, and could have easily gotten bored.
   Play of the Game: Another tough choice, but I think it goes to Mike Lloyd’s 22 yard interception return.  It completely changed the attitude on both sidelines, which in turn changed the rest of the way the game was played.
   Player of the Game: Another tough choice, but I think it goes to a defensive player this week.  Jamil Styles was coming off of two weeks suffering through the pain of an injury, but played extremely well.  When Styles is back there on defense along with Romeo, Bunch, and Randall Wilson on the line, they become very fast, and very good.  Styles finished the day leading both clubs in tackles, and kept the emotion of the Lancers at a high.
   Dark Horse of the Game: I wouldn’t really call him a dark horse, but Mike Wilson carried the Lancers offensive attack with a steady dose of power rushing.  This was truly a game in which Wilson displayed his abilities as a full back, and boy were they impressive.  I have a feeling the Bears didn’t prepare to handle such a huge dent to their defensive attach from Wilson.
*Interesting Points:
--- Amauro was also in attendance when he came over from the Lincoln v. MLK game, which was postponed.  It was great seeing him, and seeing the Central managers joke with him for the entire game.
--- Also in attendance were Jordan Anderson (Now playing at Richmond), Quindel “Milky” Ladson (Now playing at Lafayette), Duane Williams, and Mike Yieter.  Seems like this was the game for all of the Central 263 players to be at.
--- Yet again Central fans were out in full force and braved the elements.  They were even more rowdy and excited for this one, which added a great atmosphere to the game.
--- The Pep-Band, Pep-Squad, and Cheerleaders were also out supporting the Lancers, and the fans were very involved with what they were doing as well.
--- Before the game, I talked to a few Germantown JV players, who were asking all sorts of questions.
--- When I was talking to Amauro before the game, he said that Central’s field could be built up to include “real” bleachers, lights, and a nice playing surface.  This would be amazing.  Only problem is that I’m sure it would cost as much, if not more than Central’s brand new multi-million dollar library.
--- I was asked to hold the chains during the second half with Zach Marks who was injured in last week’s game.  I agreed thinking that it wouldn’t be too bad, but I failed to realize I had a clip-board & pen to use as well.  We did, however, get to run out on the field for a measurement.  After the refs started telling the Coach Hawkins that there was no need for a measurement (which there wasn’t), when the sticks went out, the ref held his hands about two and a half feet apart and yelled “Oh sorry coach, it was short by this much.”  Those tricky, sarcastic referees.
--- Due to the extreme play in the game, it was being debated as to whether or not the teams should shake hands at the end.  Honchos from both schools were talking over the issue, and the handshake went off without a hitch.
--- Next week Central travels to face Edison (1-5) while Germantown looks to get back on track as they play a big game against Gratz (4-2).

OCT. 11
Nick’s Public League Top Ten
  1) Washington (5-0): The Eagles are looking very good right now, but have their three toughest divisional games ahead of them.  This week against Northeast being the biggest of them all.
  2) Central (5-0): Had no problem against Penn.  The Lancers play their final regular season home game this week against Germantown.
  3) Northeast (5-0): Face Washington in a battle of the unbeatens which could most likely be the game that decides the North Division’s top seed.  Just hope the game against Olney did make them forget about the level of competition they will face this week.
  4) Frankford (4-1): Gained a nice win over Mastbaum this week.  The Pioneers have a bye week to get ready for a huge showdown with the Eagles.
  5) Lincoln (4-2): Gained a shut-out victory over a tough Gratz team.  Both losses came to two of the three Northern division powers: Frankford & Northeast.  They have Washington the last week of the season.
  6) Gratz (4-1): The Bulldogs seem to be getting better every week.  Even though they lost to Lincoln, they are still tied for first in the division.  Their big game comes last on the schedule as they play Central.
  7) Germantown (4-1): Hanging right up there with Central and Gratz for the Mid-City lead.  Their test comes this week when they face the Lancers away.
  8) Bok (4-1): Most impressive team in the South by far.  They’ll play a Dobbins team which has been somewhat disappointing this week in a non-league match-up.
  9) King (3-3): Playing in the toughest division in the Pub, and doing fairly well.  They are showing they can’t be pushed around as easily as everyone thought.
  10) Dobbins (2-4): Despite the record, the Mustangs still strike me as a very powerful team.  The suburban team start must have rattled them a bit, but things are coming back together nicely now.  They have a big test at Bok this week.

OCT. 9
CATHOLIC RED
SJ Prep 28, Ryan 10
   Nick at a Catholic League Game?!? Can’t be.  Well yes, and I had quite a good time (almost as fun as referring to myself in the third person), as everyone in attendance was treated to a pretty darn good football game.  The game was played at Washington’s field, and yet it seemed like more Hawks fans were in attendance than Ryan fans, which is odd given that Ryan is very nearby.  Still, the atmosphere was lively on both sides as Prep improved their mark to 4-2, while Ryan dropped to 1-4.
           St. Joe’s started off the game on offense, and traded drives with Ryan.  Both teams didn’t get much going until Prep took advantage of a fumble by Ryan’s offense.  FB/LB Andrew Spross recovered the ball on the Ryan 20 yard line.  It only took one play for the Hawks to cash in, as sophomore sensation QB/DB Chris Whitney (5-11, 63 yards, 2 TD’s, 2 rushes, 13 yards, 3 int’s on defense) fired a twenty yard strike to WR/DB Tom Elliott (1 catch, 20 yards, 1 TD).  This was Elliott’s first reception of the season and his first TD reception as a Hawk.  K Michael Cavanaugh converted the point after.  Ryan also took advantage of a turnover in the first half, as a Prep fumble gave the Raiders the ball on the 28 yard line.  The Hawks defense kept Ryan out of the end zone, but K Anthony Perrone made a 23 yard field goal, making the score at the end of the first quarter 7-3 St. Joe’s.
     The second quarter was full of more picks than Don King’s hair.  Ironically enough, neither team scored off of any of the turnovers in the second quarter.  The first was from #13 to #13.  Ryan QB Anthony Carter (1-8, 5 yards, 2 int’s, 3 rushes, -3 yards) lobbed a deep ball that was caught in Andrew-Jones-Like fashion by Whitney.  For those keeping score that’s #1 for Whitney.  The Hawks were forced to punt the ball away, but Ryan gave it right back.  This time, QB Charles McGinn, a left handed quarterback (3-9, 17 yards, 1 int, 7 rushes, 4 yards), was at the helm, but once again Whitney managed to sniff the ball out, and grab the interception.  For those keeping score, that’s #2.  The next interception was the strangest of the day.  McGinn was once again passing, and hit his receiver in stride on a slant route, but before the receiver could take a step, a Prep defender laid a nasty hit on him, the ball popped out, and right into the hands of WR/LB Steve Quinn (2 catches, 15 yards, 1 rush, 8 yards).  The last interception came at the very end of the second half.  Prep had put QB Jim McCormick (5-10, 55 yards, 1 TD, 1 rush, -4 yards, 1 int) back into the game and attempted a flurry of passes to the end zone before the half ended.  On the very last play, Ryan’s RB/DB Joe Zeglinski (13 rushes, 86 yards, 1 TD, 2 catches, 4 yards) pulled in the interception.
    The third quarter had the best start Ryan could have asked for.  After a great return by WR/DB Mike Pinto, who accumulated 51 return yards on the day, along with a ton of tackles, Ryan took the lead.  Zeglinski, playing for the first time in two weeks took an off-tackle run 53 yards to the house.  The Ryan sideline went nuts.  Perrone nailed the point after, and it looked as though Ryan might be able to pull off a gigantic upset as they led 10-7.  This would not be the case, however, as Prep answered back, and fast.  They put together a drive which spanned 65 yards.  The drive was capped by a 24 yard pass from Whitney to TE/DE Matt Leddy (3 catches, 59 yards, 1 TD).  Cavanaugh converted the point after, and Prep regained the lead 14-10.  On Ryan’s next drive, they began to mount a threat gaining 18 yards on 5 plays, but Whitney was haunting their dreams again as he pulled down his third pick of the afternoon.  This gave way to a Prep drive spanning 79 yards.  The drive was capped by a 6 yard touchdown pass from McCormick to FB/LB Ryan Bradley (1 catch, 6 yards, 1 TD).  Cavanaugh made the extra point.  Both teams traded possessions until Prep put the nail in the coffin.  RB John Shaw (24 carries, 104 yards, 1 TD) who had been steadily wearing down Ryan’s defense took the ball for a 26 yard score on the first play of the drive.  Shaw continued to be an anchor for the Prep offense, getting the yardage they needed, when they needed it.  He rushed for over 1000 yards last year, and should run for that many and more, especially since there’s no Dan Jones to steal his yards (smile).  Once again Cavanaugh converted the kick after.  The Hawks defense shut Ryan’s last stand down and St. Joe’s took the game 28-10.
   This was a pretty good game, but at times both teams looked a bit sloppy.  It looked as if both QB’s for both teams were waiting too long to release the ball, and threw behind their receivers a lot of times.  Both #20’s (Zeglinski and Shaw) are vital parts of their teams, as they got the bulk of the carries out of the backfield.  Zeglinski also returns punts for the Raiders.  St. Joe’s matches up against Roman Catholic next week, while Ryan goes up against a tough Cardinal O’Hara squad.
  Like with all the games I cover, if anyone would like Team Stats and Drive charts for the match-up, I’d be glad to send them to you.
Play of the Game: I think this has to be Zeglinski’s run.  It changed the tide of the game, and it actually felt as though St. Joe’s might be deflated after the 53 yard sprint.  Of course the Hawks were not, but it was still a play which changed the feel of the game.
Player of the Game: Chris Whitney… without a doubt.  He not only engineered pivotal Prep scoring drives at quarterback, but hauled down 3 interceptions (almost 4) in what was an amazing day for this promising sophomore.
Dark Horse of the Game: The dark horse in this one was Matt Leddy.  Not only did he have a very athletic touchdown catch, but he blocked three Ryan passes, recorded a sack, and played extremely well at defensive end.  A close second to Leddy was FB/DT Charlie Noonan (1 rush, 2 yards, 2 sacks) who had 2 key sacks, and many important tackles.
*Interesting Points:
--- First, many thanks to Holy Ghost Prep student Joe Arleth for taking many pictures of the game.  You can check out the best shots under special photos.
--- If anyone happened to catch the special on SJP on Comcast Sports Net, Coach Gil Brooks’ yelling was not toned down at all for that segment.  He does yell quite a bit, but I think the players are all disciplined enough to understand why he’s yelling, and to understand what they need to do.
--- I was talking with one of the Prep coaches before the game about many things, one of which was the family ties between teams.  Each team had a coach whose son played for the opponent.  Just adds a little bit of excitement to the game… family bragging rights and all.
--- We were also talking a bit of Pub football before the game, and Jerry Butler’s name came up.  The coach then jokingly replied “The only Jerry Butler I know is from Motown.”  I’m not exactly sure whether there is a Jerry Butler from Mo-Town, but hopefully (smile).
--- In the third quarter, McCormick completed a 20 yard pass to Leddy.  Leddy had to come back a bit, and slid forward to catch the ball.  At that point, about 5 players on the Prep sideline yelled “Wow, that’s a Chad Lewis Catch.”
--- The Prep student rooters were there in full force, along with the Hawk mascot.  The Hawk has to do push-up points after every score, and once the Hawks made it 28-10, the mascot must have gotten overly excited because he just kept going, up to about 32 I think.  Everyone had to yell at him to stop.  I just feel bad when Prep scores 50+…
--- It came as a shock to me when the coaches didn’t have any extra rosters with them when I asked.  I quickly found out, however that this was because Ryan supplied a 152 page program to fans with all of the teams rosters in it, along with team and individual pictures, as well as over 200 ads.  Toto, I don’t think I’m in the Pub anymore.
--- Ryan’s marching band was in attendance and preformed a very unique half-time show, while SJP brought their Pep-Band along, which played extremely catchy tunes.  In the battle of the bands, I think this one goes to the Prep.

OCT. 8
PUBLIC MID-CITY
Central 41, William Penn 0
    This one got out of hand a bit too early for many in attendance.  William Penn has returned to varsity football after an undefeated JV season last year, and was pretty optimistic at the start of the game.  Central was playing without many key players, but still managed to run up the score against the Lions.
            Central kicked once again, making this the fifth week in a row that they kicked to their opponent.  Penn, in what would set the tone for the rest of the game, fumbled the ball on the first play from scrimmage and Central LB Brandon Romeo (2 tackles, 7 assists, 1FF, 1FR) recovered the ball on the Penn 24 yard line.  Central turned that turnover into a quick score as QB Joe Marshall (4-8, 56 yards, 2 TD’s, 2 int’s, 3 rushes, 54 yards) ran for a nice 20 yard gain, and FB Kyle George (10 carries, 33 yards, 2 TD’s) ran for a 4 yard score.  K Andrew “KG” Thompson converted the point after.  Thompson kick a touchback on the ensuing kickoff (his first of the season) and Penn started their drive on the 20 yard line.  Just as quickly as the Lions started, however, they ended, as RB/DB William Thomas (1 rush, 2 yards, 1 tackles, 4 assists, 2 int’s) picked off a pass from Penn QB Felek McCrae (0-6, 0 yards, 3 int’s, 4 rushes, -18 yards).  Not wasting any opportunities, Central took the ball 35 yards for their second score of the game, which was capped off by a five yard touchdown run by RB Devon Johnson (2 rushes, 21 yards, 1 TD).  Thompson missed the point after.  Before the first quarter ended, Penn did manage to get their first interception of the year, and it was also Marshall’s first interception of the year.  RB/DB Anthony McCloud (2 rushes, 2 yards, 3 tackles, 2 assists, 1 int).  Penn failed to do much with that possession, mainly due to the cancellation of a 30 yard pass play because of an illegal motion penalty.  The first quarter ended with Central leading 13-0.
Something that I found very interesting was the fact that Penn declined to punt in situations when a punt was the only option.  They finished the day 0-4 on fourth down conversions, and by not kicking the ball away, gave Central amazing field position in the game.  The first drive of the second quarter was not wasted by Central as they drove 60 yards in a drive finished by a 9 yard touchdown run by RB/DB Michael Llyod (7 rushes, 74 yards, 1 TD, 1 tackle, 1 assist).  On the next possession by Penn, things didn’t get any better as they had four plays for -3 yards.  On one play, RB/LB Zach Marks (4 rushes, 67 yards, 1 tackle, 2 assists, ½ sack) took the show off of RB Terrell Mitchell (10 rushes, 12 yards, 3 tackles, 4 assists) and just held it there for a while... funny if you saw it I guess, not so funny when put it to words.  Anyway, it only took the Lancers one play to score again as Marshall hooked up with WR/DB Rodney Sykes (3 catches, 55 yards, 1 TD) for a 33 yard pass play.  Thompson split the uprights for the point after.  Penn’s offense just never got things going as McCrae threw his second interception of the day, this time it was hauled in by RB/DB Collin Singletary (2 rushes, 17 yards, 1 catch, 1 yard, 1 TD, 1 tackle, 2 assists, 1 int).  Once again, the Lancers capitalized on a turnover by William Penn as Collin scored on a one yard touchdown pass from Marshall.  Thompson converted the point after.  The half ended with Penn completing its longest drive of the game, but eventually giving the ball back to Central.  That was when Marshall threw his second interception of the day, but there were only 38 seconds left in the quarter.  Penn’s QB McCrae got sacked to send the teams into the locker room.
            With the score being 34-0, the Central starters were done for the afternoon, and the second team played the second half.  To add insult to injury, Central received the ball to start the half, but Penn’s defense toughened up, and forced Central to attempt a field goal.  The 22 yarded was wide left by Thompson.  When Penn took over, they threw another interception as Thomas came down with his second pick of the afternoon.  This was yet another time when Central made good on a turnover by Penn as Kyle George ran for his second score of the day, this time from 1 yard out.  That made the score 41-0 Central.  The clock was now running non-stop due to the mercy rule and so the rest of the third and fourth quarter flew by.  In the fourth Penn still couldn’t get things going, as McCrae fumbled, and WR/LB Greg Riley (1 FR) recovered the fumble.  Central ran out the clock from then on out, and added one more exciting play to the mix as Marks turned away from his blockers and ran for a 51 yard gain.  The Lancers improved to 5-0 with the victory, while William Penn dropped to 0-5.
            I must say that I didn’t expect the contest to be this lopsided, especially when Central’s second team entered the game, but even the Lancers gave Penn trouble.  The Lions are a very young team, and with some aging and experience in the league, can only improve.
     On defense, Central was excellent, and the line did a wonderful job.  Three stand-outs on the line for Central were Mark Diana (0 tackles, 6 assists, ½ sack), Ed DeBrady (1 tackle, 4 assists), and Randall Wilson (1 tackle, 5 assists, 1 sack).  The leading tacklers for Central were Brandon Romeo (2 tackles, 7 assists) and James Tyree (3 tackles, 6 assists, ½ sack), while Anthony McCloud (3 tackles, 2 assists, 1 int) led Penn in tackles.
           After the game, William Thomas commented on his team’s play, “I have a lot of confidence in this team, and I think we can go pretty far.  When I had my picks, I was just going out to play tough D, and I was lucky enough to shut down the wide-outs and grab the ball… twice.”  The entire Lancers team seemed extremely happy after the victory, but they realize that the games will only get harder from here on out.  Penn will look to improve by simply playing the game, and might match-up well against Olney, in which could be the first win of the season for the winner of that contest.
   Play of the Game: This goes to the 33 yard pass play from Marshall to Sykes.  Perfect route, perfect pass, perfect blocking, 27-0… ‘nuff said.
   Player of the Game: This is a really tough choice, so I think I’ll cheat.  I’ll do an offensive & defensive player of the week.  On offense, the award goes to Kyle George who had 10 carries for 33 yards and 2 TD’s.  He gained tons of important first downs for Central with runs right up the gut.  On defense, I’ll give it to William Thomas.  Can’t argue when a guy has two picks on the afternoon.
   Dark Horse of the Game: Mike Lloyd gets this award for the second time this year, but this time, it’s for his offensive performance.  He played the entire second half with a great intensity, and finished the day with 7 carries for 74 yards and a touchdown.
*Interesting Points:
--- Once again Central’s crowd was more than respectable… keep it up!
--- There was a bit of a previous rivalry coming into this one as Penn’s JV team was talking tons of trash about when they played Central’s JV team last year.  Central got their revenge in a big way.  On one play after a Penn player delivered a big blow on a kick-off, he looked at the Central sideline and yelled “Is this your JV?”  Mind you the second offense was in, but not yet on the field, and the score was 41-0.  All the Central sideline could do was laugh a little, and then look very confused.
--- Once again, a Central coach called an interception by Singletary and Coach Jackson told him to “play center field” and sure enough, he came down with the pick.
--- After looking at his stats, Kyle George commented that his numbers were “Jerome Bettis-Like.”  Nothing wrong with that.
--- Penn has one of the most dedicated “water men” ever, as he made sure every player got their choice of water, Gatorade, or water mixed with Gatorade, along with killing bees, refilling coolers, and giving tons of pointers throughout the game.
--- While I was interviewing Thomas after the game, Marquis English was sitting next to him, trying the feed him good sound bytes for the site… He caught it from the other players, however, as they kept reminding him his knee still wasn’t ready to go, and he didn’t play in the game.  Next week he should be back however, so he can show everybody what they’ve been missing.
--- On Zach Marks’ 51 yard run, everyone though he was going to go the distance, but he just didn’t have enough speed.  However coming out of the locker room, Joe Marshall looked at Marks and said “Who knew Zach had moves… Who knew?”

OCT. 5
Nick’s Public League Top-Ten
  1) George Washington (4-0)- Went to GA and achieved a solid victory.  Still look like the best in the Pub.  All the tough divisional games are to come however.
  2) Central (4-0)- Looked a little shaky against a gritty Bartram squad, but still managed to score 36 points.  Should have an easy week with Penn at home.
  3) Frankford (3-1)- A much closer game against MLK, then was expected.  Big games against Washington and Northeast coming up.
  4) Northeast (4-0)- Handled Mastbaum pretty well.  Still have three tough divisional games coming up in King, GW and Frankford.  Should be a great race in the North.
  5) Gratz (3-1)- This team gets better every week.  Because Central played a non-league game, Gratz actually has the number one spot in the Mid-City.  Games against Central and G-Town are huge.
  6) Germantown (3-1)- Another team that looks very strong in the Mid-City.  The bears also still have to play the Lancers & the Bulldogs.
  7)  Bok (3-1)- Bok is doing a great job in the South division, the real test comes against Dobbins in two weeks.
  8)  MLK (3-2)- Played a tough game against Frankford.  Will need to win out in order to grab a playoff spot.
  9)  Overbrook (4-1)- Got handled by Bok, giving up their first 7 points of the season, and 33 more.  Need to get it together this week against a gritty Bartram team.
  10) Bartram (2-3)- Lost to the Lancers, but contained the Central offense pretty well.  Look like a lock for one of the South playoff spots.

OCT. 1
NONLEAGUE
Central 36, Bartram 2
          The Phillies are out with another manager fired, the Eagles are on a roll, and the Flyers, oh wait, never mind that part about the Flyers… must be October.  And it felt like October in this contest between the Braves and Lancers.  You have to give Bartram credit in this game.  The score is somewhat misleading, as they hung with the high-powered Lancers offense until late in the third quarter.  Central’s defense was really the story in this one.
          For the fourth week in a row, Central kicked off.  The game had an ominous start for Bartram, as two false start penalties brought them from the fifteen all the way back to the five.  They went 3 and out, and Central took over on the Braves 46 yard line.  It only took Central two plays until RB Devon Johnson (6 rushes, 64 yards, 1 TD) ran for a 39 yard score.   K Andrew Thompson, who was perfect on extra points for the afternoon, made the point after.  On Bartram’s second possession they managed to chalk-up some yards, but a fumble by QB Kris Brownlee (0-4, 0 yards, 1 int, 3 rushes, -14 yards) was recovered by Central LB Brandon Romeo (2 tackles, 8 assists, 1 sack, 1 FR) who looked very good after returning from an injury.
         In the second quarter, Bartram had the ball for more than 8 minutes, and the Lancer defense was the story.  The only points the Braves managed to score in the second quarter despite owning the Lancers in time of possession was when Central had the ball.  After a sack by C/LB Monir Anderson (1 tackle, 1 assist, 1 sack) which put the ball on the Central 1 yard line, QB Joe Marshall (3-6, 90 yards, 2 TD’s, 5 rushes, 0 yards) was forced out of the back of the end zone which gave Bartram 2 points, their only points of the game.  Central’s defense recorded 2 sacks, a fumble recovery, and an interception return for a touchdown by LB/WR James Tyree (1 tackle, 2 assists, 1 1/2 sacks, 1 FR,1 int, 1 TD), and held Bartram to only 41 total yards on 14 plays.  RB Mike Wilson (13 rushes, 53 yards, 1 TD) ran for a two point conversion after Tyree’s touchdown.  The half ended with Central ahead 15-2.
         It was pretty apparent at the half that Bartram was very gritty squad.  Central had some periods where they would allow big gains, or be stopped for short yardage.  Neither team really had a sustained drive until the fourth quarter.   It was a very strange day.  The Braves showed that they can compete at a higher level, and, quite frankly, impressed me more than I thought.  Okay, enough of my opinions, back to the game.
          The third quarter is really where Central broke this game open.   Bartram started the third quarter off well by recovering a Lancers fumble on the kick.  They failed to do much, however, as Central’s DB Colin Singletary (1 tackle, 8 assists, 2 ints.) hauled in his first interception of the day.  His return was very amazing, as he must have cut across the field 3 times before taking the ball 48 yards to the Bartram 38 yard line. The Lancers turned that into a very quick score when Marshall passed to RB/LB Cornelius Bunch (7 rushes, 41 yards, 2 catches, 58 yards, 4 tackles, 3 assists, 2 sacks) for a 36 yard strike.  It was a quick slant route across the middle which Bartram could not stop.  That’s why, on their very next possession, the Lancers did it again, this time Bunch caught the pass from Marshall for 22 yards.  Central was running away with the game, but both of those scoring drives were caused by a turnover and bad punt, and lasted only 2 plays each.  A fake punt try by Bartram gave Central the ball once again, and a drive compiled of five runs for 30 yards was capped of by a Mike Wilson touchdown.   The game was secured when Central recorded a sack by Tyree, and on the very next play, Singletary made a great interception on the 2 yard line.  Central then made the fourth quarter their own as they used 11 plays, gained 74 yards, and used 10:38 seconds of clock.  This was the only sustained drive of the game for either team, but it came at a perfect time, as Central was able to ‘keep on matriculating the ball down the field’ and secure their fourth victory of the year.
          On the defensive side of the ball, Central dominated completely.  They recorded 5 sacks, 3 interceptions, 2 fumble recoveries, and seven tackles for losses.  The tackle leader for Central was DB Michael Llyod, who had 6 solo tackles and 6 assists.  Next were LB Brandon Romeo and Colin Singletary.  Romeo had 2 solo tackles and 8 assists, while Singletary had 1 solo tackle and eight assists.    Bunch also played a huge role on Central defense, recording 2 sacks, and a huge amount of pressure on the QB.  For Bartram, the leading tackler was DE Kevin Pace.
          Central did a great job of containing Bartram’s star running back, John Pratt (15 rushes, 45 yards) and containing Bartram’s offense in general.  One player who looked impressive for the Braves offense was RB/FS Cameo Ali (10 rushes, 71 yards).  He showed an explosive quality, and hit the open holes fast.   He had 4 rushes in which he gained over 10 yards.  Bartram’s passing game needs some work however.  The work was split between Kris Brownlee and QB Andre Goddard (0-4, 2 ints, 4 rushes, -6 yards).  Neither one completed a pass, and though it looked as if they had strong arms, they could never click with their wide-outs.  For Central, they played down to the level of Bartram in this one, but still got a win in a tough gritty game.  The Lancers seem to have one side of the ball working very for them each week, but haven’t yet got both sides firing on all cylinders.  Look for the Lancers to come out strong in their next game to prove they can be strong all the time.
         After the game nobody had much to say, but the feel around Central is a good one.  The feel on the Bartram sideline was also a good one.  Yes the Braves lost, but it was a non-league game, and many expect Bartram to grab the number one spot in the Public South division, which may mean these two will meet again in postseason action.  I for one have never seen the Central stands as full in the four years I’ve been at Central.  This can only lead to good things, as fan support is essential for any team to feed off of.
   Play of the Game: Finally, for the first time in the history of ‘Play of the Game’ the play is not punt related.  This time the award goes to Colin Singletary for his first of two interceptions on the day.  This one came early in the third quarter, just after Central had fumbled a kickoff from Bartram.  Not only did Colin make a great pick, but he returned it for 48 yards, and put the momentum right back into Central’s hands.  The Lancers scored two plays later.
   Player of the Game: This has to go to Cornelius Bunch, he played amazing on both sides of the ball.  On offense, he carried the ball 7 times for 41 yards, and had 2 catches for 58 yards and two touchdowns.   On the defensive side of the ball, he recorded 4 tackles, 4 assists, 2 sacks, and tons of hurries.
   Dark Horse of the Week: This one goes to James Tyree, not only did he change the feel of the game with a 46 yard interception return for a touchdown, but he also recovered a fumble, had one tackle and two assists, and had one and a half sacks.
Interesting Points:
--- Central’s stands seem to be getting progressively worse, as there was caution tape from the stands at the 30 down to the 10.  Not looking so good.
--- Before Singletary’s first interception, Coach Conway yelled out to the field “Colin, wake up out there, keep your eyes open!”  About six seconds later, Singletary was running with the ball towards Bartram’s end zone.
--- It seems as though the passing game for all of the teams in the Pub has opened up quite a bit.  In past years it seems Bartram would have never attempted nine passes in one game.
--- Check out the pictures of the new turf at NE, if you haven’t already.  That should be a nice place to play.  And easy for the stat keepers… with every yard being marked off and such :).
--- The Lancers go up against Penn next week, while Bartram faces Overbrook (who was just handed their first loss of the year, in a quite dramatic fashion).

SEPT. 27
Nick’s Public League Top-Ten
1) George Washington (3-0)- The Eagles beat up on Olney 60-6 this past week.   Look for the score to be a little closer when they travel to GA.
2) Central (3-0)- The Lancers were a little shaky against Roxborough at times, but still managed to put up 40 points.  The defense is improving every week.
3) Frankford (2-1)- With their win over Lincoln, Frankford made a huge bid to secure themselves a playoff spot come late October.
4) Northeast (3-0)- Had plenty of time to rest before this week's game versus an underrated Mastbaum team.
5) Mastbaum (2-2)- With a win over Northeast, this team might be able to make a run for the third playoff spot.
6) MLK (3-1)- Still a solid team, but with a 1-1 divisional record, it will take some key victories for them to make the playoffs.  A win over Frankford this week would be huge.
7) Overbrook (4-0)- Still riding the shut-out streak Overbrook mounted another impressive win.  They face Bok in a huge divisional match-up this week.
8) Lincoln (2-2)- Sitting at 0-2 in the Public-North division is never a good thing.  It only gets tougher for the Railsplitters from here on out.   Should have no problems with Olney.
9) Gratz (2-1)- Gratz has a chance to make waves in the Mid-City division, and build off of their win against a struggling Dobbins team.
10) Bok (2-1)- Should be a lock in for one of the South playoff spots.

SEPT. 24
PUBLIC MID-CITY
Central 40, Roxborough 6
          The stands were packed for this one at Broad & Summerville.  In what was the Lancers' first home game of the year, the Central fan base came out in full force to support their team, and they were not disappointed.   The Lancers won the game over a Roxborough team that looks as if it has declined rapidly from seasons past. The game started without much action on either side as the ball stayed at the 35 yard line for quite some time.  On Roxborough’s second possession, LB Brennan Shapiro (2 tackles, 8 assists, 1 int) picked off a pass from QB/RB Chris Mitchell (1 for 5, 14 yards, 1 int, 14 rushes for 74 yards) at the 25 yard line.  A sack by Roxborough’s DL Jeff Banks (2 tackles, 4 assists, 1 sack, 1 FF) forced a Central fumble on the 10.  Roxborough was forced to punt by the stingy Lancers defense, and it’s pretty clear that something good always happens for the Lancers when an opponent punts the ball.  Almost like a flashback to the Dobbins game last week, RB/LB Cornelius Bunch (6 rushes, 24 yards, 1 TD, 3 tackles, 1 sack, 1 PR TD) penetrated the line, blocked the punt towards the sideline, then scooped the ball up and took it into the end zone.  For the second week in a row, Bunch scored on a blocked punt return.  K Andrew Thompson aka: “KG” converted the point after.   This gave the home team life, because on the ensuing kickoff, the ball was mishandled by Mitchell, and RB/LB Zach Marks (1 rush, 2 yards, 3 tackles, 1 assist, 1 FF, 1 fumble rec.) jumped on it.  Central wasted no time, as QB Joe Marshall (7-12, 162 yards, 3 TD’s, 6 rushes, 16 yards, 1 TD) making his first start since he suffered an ankle injury against Franklin, looked more than “Dante Hall-ish” as he ran for a 25 yard score.  It looked as if Joe’s ankle was fine for the entire game, or he did an extremely good job of playing through the pain.  Thompson missed the extra point off the crossbar.  Roxborough started to mount a drive at the end of the first quarter which carried over into the second, but sacks by Bunch and DL Randall Wilson (2 tackles, 2 assists, 1 ½ sacks) prevented Roxborough from scoring from inside Central’s 20.  When Central got the ball back, it only took two passes to drive the ball 84 yards.  One was a pass to WR/DB Rodney Sykes (4 catches, 78 yards, 2 TD’s), who was playing with a sore ankle, for 19 yards, and the other was a pass from Marshall to RB/DB Devon Johnson (7 rushes, 48 yards, 1 catch, 65 yards, 1TD) for 65 yards.  Thompson nailed the extra point.  Roxborough had good field position for their next drive, but it only lasted one play as Marks delivered a punishing hit to the quarterback (now QB Carl Scott) and Bunch recovered the fumble on Roxborough’s 20 yard line.  Marshall to Sykes for 20 yards.  Thompson kick.   I have a feeling the Public League will be hearing that phrase lots of times this year.  Roxborough played well to close out the half by mounting a long drive and stopping the Centrals “1 Minute Drill.” The half ended with LB Luca Collela (1 sack) sacking Marshall for a loss of 9 yards.  The half ended with Central holding on to a commanding 27-0 lead.
         Central received the ball to start the half, and showed what their offense is capable of by driving the ball 70 yards.  The drive was capped with Sykes’ second touchdown catch, this time for 10 yards.  The run attempt failed.  That drive was the first time RB/LB Mike Wilson had a carry.  He finished the game with 8 carries for 56 yards.  Central’s DB Colin Singletary (3 tackles) grabbed an interception on Roxborough’s next drive, but Central gave the ball right back as Johnson fumbled after a 20 yard run.  This led to Roxborough’s only score of the game, a 42 yard pass from Scott to WR/DB Donte Sullivan (1 catch, 42 yards, 1 TD).  The run by Mitchell was no good.  The Lancers ran out the clock from there on out, and added one more touchdown: a 4 yard run by Bunch.   The final was 40-6 in favor of Central.
         It was a tough day for Roxborough, as they expected the game to be much closer.  The team was basically reliant upon the running skills of Chris Mitchell, who started the game at quarterback, but was replaced midway through the second quarter by Carl Scott.  Scott did not have a good day, as he went 1-9 for 42 yards, and 2 interceptions.  One aspect of Roxborough’s team that did play well was their defensive line.  Central’s line was not very strong at all, especially in the first quarter, as Marshall was often scrambling around the field after the pocket collapsed.
         The tackle leader for Roxborough was DL Jeff Banks (2 tackles, 4 assists, 1 sack, 1 FF) while LB Brennan Shapiro (2 tackles, 8 assists, 1 int) led Central in tackles.  Roxborough had 3 sacks, while the Lancers had 2.  Central’s leading tackler LB Brandon Romeo sat out the game, and RB/LB Jamil Styles went down with a foot injury early in the second quarter.  You can be sure Coach Conway will be watching these injuries, as well as many others, closely in the following weeks.  Central proved they can beat worthy opponents without all of their starters, but it would be nice if everyone could be healthy.
          After the game, Rodney Sykes talked about how the Lancers were doing: “I think we’re playing great right now, I just hope we keep it up.  Both Joe and I were playing with lower leg injuries; my left and his right, and I hope we can keep it up.  When [Joe and I] get to be 100% you can expect a lot more of what you saw today.  Today was just a preview.”  Coach Conway was pleased that he was able to work on his passing game he’d been planning all summer.  The return of Marshall allows this team to access so many more weapons by putting the back-up quarterback, Devon Johnson, into the backfield, where he is even more dangerous.  One player who stepped up big time, getting his first start on defense was Zach Marks.  He forced a fumble, recovered a fumble, made three huge open field hits, and was in the quarterback’s face all day.  Following the game, Marks said, "I wanted to make an impact, since I knew a little ahead of time I’d be starting on defense.  I’m surprised I was able to be so affective, it seemed like I had a nose for the ball, and I’ve gotta be happy about that.”  Another player who is consistently good is OL/DL Mark Diana.   At 5’9” he’s smaller than most linemen.  Teammates say “the only way to stop him is to fall on him.”  But most opponents don’t figure that out until the third quarter.
*Play of the Game: For the 4^th week in a row, the play of the game is punt related.  Cornelius Bunch did it again, this time blocking the punt, picking it up on the 10 yard line, and taking it to the house.
*Player of the Game: This is one of the hardest choices ever.  I’m going to have to choose Joe Marshall who looked very crisp his first week back, throwing for 162 yards and 3 touchdowns, while rushing for another.  A close second to Marshall was Roxborough’s Chris Mitchell, who basically accounted for all the team's offensive and special teams yardage.
*Dark Horse of the Game: Brennan Shapiro, a sophomore, led the Lancers in tackles and grabbed an interception. I don’t think anyone expected him to play as well as he did.  Expect for him of course.  He was everywhere on defense, and did a great job filling in for Romeo.
          Just like the previous weeks, e-mail me if you’d like complete defensive and team stats for this game.
Interesting Points:
--- The fans were happy for almost the entire game for Central, except when Roxborough scored.  They started to boo, and a few even threw things onto the track.  Either they have very high expectations for this year, or they were being ridiculous.   I’d like to think it is the former, but it was still a very disturbing moment.
--- The Cheerleaders, Pep-Squad, and Pep-Band made their season debut for Central.  I’ve been to other pub games, and ones that have entertainment always make for a better time.  The Lancers have 3 more home games in a row, so all those groups will certainly have their work cut out for them.
--- It was an absolutely beautiful day for football.   ‘Nuff said.
--- After Rodney Sykes caught his second touchdown, one of the fans yelled “Wow, he looks better than Todd Pinkston.”  This is the second week in a row someone has compared Rodney to Pinkston… interesting…
--- Looks like we found our LaDanian Tomlinson on the Pub: Chris Mitchell.  He played extremely well, under a lack-luster offense.
--- Roxborough used to play Central a lot tougher in the past.  I’m not sure what’s wrong with the team, but their past two losses have been less than stellar.  Hopefully they can turn it around, or at least get some young guys playing to build for the future.  Mitchell’s talent is too much to waste.
--- Last week, Marks skipped some services on Rosh Hashanah to be at the Dobbins game.   This week, he had services after the game.   This was his comment: “If there was a more uncommon transition than the one I experienced today - from the gritty, grimy, "knock him on his a**" world of a Public League football game to the peaceful serenity of a synagogue where the closest most attendants get to football is buying shares in the companies that own the stadiums in which NFL teams play- then I’ve never seen it.”
-- And finally, not only is there a giant wall of ivy/weeds on the last (fourth) row of Central bleachers, but the wood is rotting, and many stairs are missing.  This isn’t the way many fans want to view the game.  Many Central parents and fans are trying to get together to possibly buy materials and re-build the Central bleachers.  This seems like a very “do-able” idea.  Feel free to e-mail me if you have any opinions on this topic.

SEPT. 21
Nick’s Public League Top-Ten
1) George Washington (2-0)- A stingy defense, excellent line, Jerry Butler, and a great coach have the Eagles looking really good right now.
2) Central (2-0)- Looked very impressive in both wins, playing without starting QB Joe Marshall.   The Lancers have the most points in the Pub thus far.
3) Frankford (1-1)- Their winning streak ended, but they still have one of the best QB’s and defenses in the league.
4) Northeast (3-0)- Idle this week, plenty of time to get ready for the big divisional games against Washington and Frankford.
5) MLK (3-0)- Looking very competitive in the North Division.  Should give the “regulars” a run for their money.
6) Lincoln (2-1)- Very impressive in the early going.  The loss to Northeast hurts a lot, but they can still make some noise.
7) Dobbins (0-3)- It doesn’t make sense why this team hasn’t clicked yet.  They should have played much better against Central.  They better turn things around soon.
8) Overbrook (3-0)- This team pulled a 180 from last year's season.  The defense has yet to allow any points.
9) Germantown (2-1)- With Dobbins’ early loss to Central, the Bears might have a way to sneak into that third playoff spot.
10) Southern (1-1)- The Rams look to be a solid Southern division competitor who aren't afraid to pass.

SEPT. 17
PUBLIC MID-CITY
Central 40, Dobbins 21
          In a game which many considered to be the match-up for the number one spot in this years Mid-City division, the Central Lancers showed they were more than ready to claim that title for the second year in a row.  Many suspected that this would be a close game given that the past two meeting between these two were decided by 14 points (Central won last year 20-7, and 2 years ago 7-6 when Jordan Anderson ran back a punt in the pouring rain).  This was not the case in this one however, as it turns out option two of Huck’s picks was true.  While Dobbins did get great competition by playing two suburban schools toughly, they seemed to have been tired of losing when the third quarter rolled by, and looked as though they lost a little spark in their game play.
         Sr. RB/DB Devon Johnson (5-10, 127 yds. 1 TD passing, 14 rushes, 27 yds. 1 TD) once again got the call at Quarterback, as Sr. QB/DB Joe Marshall was still out with an ankle injury.  And, once again he did a stellar job filling in.  Sr. RB/LB Mike Wilson (13 rushes, 66 yards, 3 TD’s) played great for Central, along with Sr. WR/DB Rodney Sykes (2 catches for 47 yards, 3 Interceptions), and the entire line.  Dobbins’ stand outs were Sr. QB/DB Steven Sydnor (5-12, 65 yds. passing, 9 rushes, 21 yds, 2 TD’s), Jr. RB/LB Terrance Sample (13 rushes, 25 yds. 1 KR TD), and Sr. FB/LB Jon Rawl (12 tackles).
         The game began with Dobbins receiving, but they went four and out, and a sketchy punt gave Central great field position.  On the very next drive, Central took the ball 34 yards for the score, capped off by a 23 yard throw from Johnson to Sr. RB/LB Cornelius Bunch.  The highlight of the first quarter was probably Sr. WR/DB Christian Chaves’ interception in the end-zone to stop a Mustangs scoring threat from the 14 yard-line.  In the second quarter, Dobbins came right back when Sydnor ran in for an 11 yard touchdown, and then nailed the point after (Just a note… It looked as though Sydnor has one of the best legs in the pub, as he was nailing long FG’s in practice, and booted 2 touchbacks on Dobbins kicks).   Not to be outdone, Central drove the ball 80 yards and took up 6:22 seconds of clock on their ensuing possession.  Mike Wilson made had his first carry on this drive, and was also carrying Dobbins players at certain times.  He ran incredibly well.  He capped the drive with a score from 1 yard out.  On the extra-point try, a bad snap led to another possible decapitation of Sr. K/P Andrew Thompson (Known as KG to, well, everybody) as he tried to pick the ball up and hurl it to a Central player.  In the process he got crushed, but roughing the kicker was called, and Central tried a two-point conversion this time which was successful.  Dobbins couldn’t seem to hang on to the ball, as Sydnor threw another pick to Sykes, who almost took it to the house, but was tackled at about the 20 yard line.  It only took the Lancers four plays to score another touchdown, a 1 yard run by Wilson.  The kick failed.   The score at half-time was Central 21, Dobbins 7.
         Central received in the second half, but a bad pitch-out by Johnson to Jr. RB/DB William Thomas, led to a fumble and gave Dobbins the ball on Centrals 17 yard-line.  Dobbins wasted no time as Sydnor took it in for his second score of the day.  The kick failed.   Now things got interesting.  After a sack by Mike Williams, Dobbins was set to punt.  As Sydnor kicked, however, one of his blocker backed-up too far and the kick went right off his back.  The ball shot 15 yards in the air, and as if he timed it perfectly, Cornelius Bunch caught the pass and “backed” into the end zone.  It was an awesome play, but the taunting penalty didn’t make Coach Conway too happy, and might have made the team too confident, or shell shocked, because on the kick, Sample took the ball 65 yards delivering punishing blows to whoever got in his way, and got Dobbins right back in the game.   It was at this point when an ore of silence fell over the Lancer fans, and Dobbins faithful were going crazy.  The fourth 4^th quarter belonged to Central, however, as the Lancers were out for blood.  After Sykes got his second interception of the day, Central didn’t do much with the ball, and turned it over on downs.  Dobbins had new life… for one play.  On the second play of the drive, Rodney pulled down his third interception, and Central only used 4 plays before Wilson ran for his third touchdown on the day from 16 yards out.  Thompson converted on the extra-point.  This is where it seemed as though Dobbins lost interest.  On the next drive they were hit with penalties, and Sydnor got injured.  From then on, Central ran out the clock, but Devon decided there was still time for one more score.   In one of the coolest draw plays I’ve ever seen, Johnson took the snap and faked hand offs to both backs.  As Dobbins players down left and right to try and tackle them, Johnson just stood there with the ball for around 3 seconds.  Then, after a gap opened up in the middle, he took off into the end zone for 22 yards.  That was the nail in the coffin as Central took the game 40-21.  After the game, Devon said that the Lancers “Never gave up, and kept playing hard.”
          The tackle leader for Dobbins was Jon Rawl (12 tackles), while Sr. LB Brandon Romeo led Central with 10 tackles.
          If anybody wants complete defensive stats, and team stats for this game, just send me an e-mail and I’ll be happy to send them to you.
*Play of the Game: This is a very tough choice this week, but once again, I’m gonna have to go with a punt-related play.  Bunch’s catch and return on the “blocked” punt was simply amazing.
Interesting Points:
--- Everyone and their brother was at this game including 4 reporters from the site (Ted, Amauro, Bill, and Yours Truly).  I also counted 7 West Philly players, 4 Gratz players, 3 Germantown players, 2 Roxborough players, 1 Lincoln player, and 1 Penn player.  The crowd was pretty good, but that’s probably because the Public School had the day off for Rosh Hashanah.
--- A coach from Mastbaum was shooting video next to me in the stands, and after the game he said “We play tomorrow who you guys will lose to in the championship.”   Always nice to have someone who files their prediction early.
--- Surprisingly, the rain held off.  At certain point everyone was sure it was going to ran, but the possible mud-bowl never got going.
--- I think Dobbins can be a good team when their line plays to their full potential.  Also, they need to run the ball a little more, but they are a very young team (27 underclassmen, 19 sophomores) and should get better as the season progresses.
--- After Mike Wilson ran for one of his touchdowns, Sr. DL Marquis English ran onto the field and chest bumped him.  The next thing everybody saw was English liming around, holding his knee.  Some way to get hurt.  That’s almost as bad as the Bill Gramatica incident.
--- The “Uh-Oh” chant made its return to the Lancer sideline, and was louder than ever in the 3^rd and 4^th quarters.  Sr. OL/DL Ed DeBrady was leading the charge.
--- Props to Sr. RB/DB Zach Marks who played in the game for Central even though he was missing the New Year celebration.  His parents were there as well, so he must not have been in too much trouble ;).
--- In the stands, after one of Rodney’s 3 picks, one of the fans said “Damn, he’s better than Todd Stinkston!”  Not exactly sure how to interpret that one…
--- Sr. C Dan Buyag got 1 Pancake and 1 Waffle.
--- It was quite a day for Central Mgr. Rachel Marcelies as one play ran right into her, and another pass was thrown right off her arm.  Some really didn’t want her to work the chain I guess.

SEPT. 10
NON-LEAGUE
Central 34, Franklin 12
   If anyone would have asked me which player on Central’s team would have completed 3 out of 4 passes for 92 yards, I would not have answered Devon Johnson.  But that was the case as the Central Lancers handed the Ben Franklin Electrons their second loss of the year.  The game started with Franklin receiving, and taking the ball 43 yards until a failed fourth down conversion gave Central the ball.  On the Lancers first drive of the game, as if fate had it in for Central QB’s over the past two years, Joe Marshall took a nasty hit on a sack by Michael Hooper, and injured his ankle.  Joe had to sit out the rest of the game, and Devon Johnson, who had planned on lining up in the backfield all day, was now under center.  The first quarter ended with Franklin failing to convert a Central fumble into points, and a 44 yard punt by Ian Hough which was run back for a touchdown by Rodney Sykes.  Unfortunately, the referees called an illegal block in the back, and Central had to start the second quarter on their own 10.  Central used that penalty to fuel their offense, as they drove down the field on a 12 play scoring drive, capped off on a 16 yard run by William Thomas.  The point after almost got kicker Andrew Thompson killed as he picked up a bad snap and got sandwiched by two Franklin linemen.  On Franklin’s next drive, they were forced to punt, but Brandon Romeo penetrated the line and blocked the kick.  Central recovered the ball on the 20, and it only took two plays (and one penalty) until Johnson threw a 32 yard strike to Vaughn Webb, and Thompson punched home the kick.  Another four and out by Franklin gave way to a two play drive topped off by Johnson hitting Rodney Sykes (2 catches, 59 yards) for a 39 yard touchdown.  The half ended with Central leading 20-0.  After their first drive, it seemed as though Franklin was frustrated, as Central was dominating by playing hard-nosed football.  After an abnormally long half-time, Central came out with a quick scoring drive in which Cornelius Bunch ran for a 21 yard touchdown.  Devon Johnson ran for the conversion, making Central’s lead 28-0.  Franklin showed they still had some fight left in them, however, as the RB duo of Maurice Dantzler (13 runs, 41 yards) and Barton French (6 runs, 62 yards) led the Electrons on a 12 play 66 yard scoring drive where Dantzler took it to the promised land.  Central continued applying pressure, however, as Johnson threw his third touchdown of the day (second to Sykes) on a 20 yard pass play.  Determined to make it exciting for the remaining Franklin fans, QB Frank Anderson (who finished 5 of 7 for 83 yards) hit his favorite target, Chris Thornton (3 catches, 73 yards) on a 50 yard pass play.  Dantzler took the ball in from 5 yards out for his second score of the afternoon.  The 2-point conversion attempt failed, but on the play, Frank Anderson was injured badly and unfortunately and ambulance did not show up (breaking PIAA rules) until after the game.  It was a tough game for the Electrons as their new coach, Ken Geiser, could not get enough production out of their O-Line, or stop the Lancer offense.  Anderson was sacked 3 times by Central (twice by Bunch) for a total of 44 yards lost.  The tackle leader from Franklin was Michael Hooper (4 solo, 3 assist) while Brandon Romeo led the Lancers with in tackles (4 solo, 4 assist).  After the game, Coach Conway praised Johnson for being able to set up as Quarterback, and Devon simply needed to “Thank the Line.”  As well he should have, because they did a wonderful job of protecting the passer and blocking.  That was really the difference as Franklin’s line was pushed around all day.
*Play of the Game: I’m gonna have to say the blocked punt, Romeo was all over the field for Central, and it paid off on that play.
Interesting Points:
--- Also in attendance was the famous Puck, who helped me out with some of the stat keeping, and kept me (as well as most of the fans) entertained throughout the entire game.  That was a great way to kick off the 2004 season in the stands.  There was a bit of controversy of course, as Puck told Coach Glatthorn that he would be taking me over to the Franklin side (because it’s the side the stands are on) to which the Coach replied “No way, he stays with us, he can’t go over there!”  After this, Puck just walked me back across the field.
--- A very interesting thing occurred on the Franklin sideline in the third quarter as #30 refused to enter the game.  Without missing a beat, the coach told him to take off his jersey, took his helmet off for him, and threw it across the field.  The now ex-Franklin player watched the rest of the game with his friends in the stands.
--- Franklin looked good at times, and was really clicking, but I think they lost a bit of their sense of a team once Central started to score a lot.  If they can keep their composure, they will have a good shot at turning this season around.
--- Channel 3, 6, 10 and 17 were all in attendance, but all managed to show up about two seconds before the half.
--- If this was an NFL game, it would have been between the Chargers and Bears, and Ben Franklin has the lightning Bolt on their helmet, and Central has a yellow C exactly like that of the bears.
--- On a slightly related note, Eagles football returns on Sunday.  Hopefully it won’t be another season of disappointment.
--- Also, on that same kind of note, the Phillies might actually prove my Intro. Column predictions wrong, as they are a strong challenger for that Wild Card spot.
--- And last, but not least, I promised 3 pancakes to OL Rashid Collins for his performance in Friday’s game.

SEPT. 4
PL PREVIEW
Public League: Northern Division:

Frankford: Looked lack-luster in the scrimmage today (smile), but new coach Mike Capriotti will look to make Frankford a “Laker-Like” team by going for a 3-peat.  With only 1 full-time starter returning, however (Lamont Brown), this might be hard.   Star running back Brandon Norris moved, and none of the line is returning, but Frankford should still be a very strong team, riding a 20 game winning streak coming into the season.  (Working up to SJ Prep caliber).
Martin Luther King: King undergoes a complete change in division in which they will now have much stiffer competition.  This shouldn’t worry them too much however, as they have strong returning seniors in almost every position.  After finishing 5-5 last year in Division C, competition may be stiff, but they will certainly be up for the challenge.
Lincoln: Lincoln had a rough year last year, and they stayed with their same group of formidable foes.  If they want to make the playoffs, Sr. QB Kareem Dennis really needs to step things up.
Mastbaum: Mastbaum is fresh off of their Division C title last year, but now (along with MLK) moves into a much tougher division.  A new head coach, Al Coleman, will take over for John Murphy.  If Mastbaum’s defense can play as well as they did last year, they should make a run at that third spot.
Northeast: There’s a team called Northeast?  The only Vikings I know play in Minnesota.
Olney: Olney had it tough last year, playing in Division A, and scoring only 50 points.  Hopefully the Trojans will be able to tough this season out, and use a strong passing tandem of Sean Sawyer and Jamie Ross to launch their offense.
George Washington: Anchored by the Priest Holmes of high school football, Jerry Butler, Washington looks to take back their title of two years past.  They have made appearances in the last 4 Pub title games, and are hungry for another.   Their QB, Charles Hughes is physically and mentally prepared for the season which should be a very good one for the Eagles.

Public League: Mid-City Division:

Central: After losing the big three (Anderson, Ladson, Quarterman), the Lancers hope to return to the type of team that came in second for points scored last season (370).  Hoping to form the McNabb and T.O. of the high school world, Joe Marshall and Rodney Sykes should hook up many times this year.  Devon Johnson leads the rushing attack behind a brand new offensive line featuring Sr. C Dan Buyag, Sr. G Cornell Pitt and Sr. T David Parillo.  On defense, Cornelius Bunch will try to lead the team in tackles once again, while Kyle George and Jamil Styles cap a strong line-backing core.  Kicker Andrew Thompson has worked on his leg strength for the entire off season, and hopefully it will pay off.   Resident football expert Joe Arleth saw the Lancers in action, and agrees they will have a high powered offense, along with a punishing defense.  The schedule treats the Lancers well, even with the always tough Mid-City games, and this team will settle at nothing less than a championship.
Dobbins: The Mustangs are always a strong team who will most definitely compete for one of the three top spots.  They are known throughout the former Division B for their stingy defense.
Edison: Edison joins a very evenly matched division, and will most likely be an underdog in the early going.  They are not a big team, but can be very quick at times, which might mean trouble for some opposing defenses.
Germantown: The Bears are another one of those teams that is always strong in “Division B.” They are a younger team this year, but that shouldn’t stop their drive for a playoff spot.
Simon Gratz: Gratz lost some key players, but gained a three pronged coaching staff attack in Rich Kozlowski, Gus Felder, and Eric Zipay.   The Bulldogs are a high powered offensive team, but it looks like a lot of teams in this division are like that.
William Penn: A brand new team to varsity Pub football this year, they will try to build on a 6-0 JV season last year.  It might be hard at first for the Lions to succeed in this league, but they will sure carry over the same spirit from last years undefeated JV mark.
Roxborough: Roxborough returns a lot of the same players, including both lines.  This will definitely be beneficial for a team who has always been solid in this division.

Public League: Southern Division:

John Bartram: New coach Damond Warren will try to lead the Braves to another playoff berth, but the mountain will be hard to climb, as Bartram only returns two starters.
Bok: Bok’s defense was as fierce as a Wildcat last year, and if the Wildcats keep that up, they should look good in the Southern Division.
Ben Franklin: The Electrons will look to Ken Geiser who takes over as head coach for a team which did very well last year.
Overbrook: After snapping their 13 game losing streak in their first game this year, Overbrook will look to find some more wins, and more than 12 points in what looks to be an easier southern division.
Southern: Southern has a lot of returnees and looks to gain a win this year, after going 0-10 last season.
University City: The Jaguars always bring spirit to the games, and hopefully it will lead them to a place where more than 34 points a season are scored.
West Philadelphia: The Speedboys are just that once again, but inexperience at QB may once again give them trouble this year.

Interesting Thoughts:
If there was a Fantasy Football for High School players, would you join?
How much will the Divisional change affect the league?
Can William Penn shock the Mid-City Division?
Will Overbrook continue their winning ways?
   And anyone who can name the NFL player who said this “That's why I play the game. I play to give hope to someone who's watching. Let them know what I believe in. When my fans see me -- I'm a man who walks on substance, stability. This is the table that He's prepared in the presence of all of my enemies. All of them, whoever they may be. And I'm not even looking to have any (enemies), because I love everybody.” wins a prize!!

SEPT. 3
Frankford vs. Central (Scrimmage)
   Today was my first real workout as a reporter on the high school football scene: A scrimmage between Frankford and Central.  And from the looks of things Frankford did not bring their "A game" at all.  They looked as if they weren’t into the game, and that’s because, well… they weren’t!  Supposedly the buses that were supposed to bring Frankford to the turf at Broad & Sommerville never showed up, thus leaving Frankford players stuck at school, and Central players forced to scrimmage each other. (Much to the dismay of the fans in attendance, mostly parents, but there were fans nonetheless).   So my day went from practicing scoring on a re-match of last two years' Pub semi-finals to watching Central play Central, which wasn’t a bad thing at all.   Sr. QB Joe Marshall showed complete control of the offense, and already has some respect from the league after completing 9 out of 13 passes for 191 yards and 2 touchdowns in place of star quarterback Marcel Quarterman (Now at Lafayette College playing CB) in last years Semi vs. Frankford.  Joe went 4-7 for 81 yards and 1 interception.  He also rushed 2 times for 24 yards, and got “sacked” twice.   (Sacked is in quotes because the QB wasn’t being hit since he was sporting the blue pinny).  The completely revamped offensive line, which lost all of last year's starters, was solid.   Coach Frank Conway was impressed, but said that there were still too many mistakes, and a lack of experience which can only get better with time.   Central backs also rushed 7 times for 43 yards behind that O-line.   Things got even more interesting when Central coaches yelled for the punt team to get onto the field.  The ball was snapped and punter, Joe Marshall fired a 29 yard strike downfield for the first down.  Talking to Sr. T David Parillo after the game, he said “I listened for the thud, but there was no thud.  Then I knew something was up.”  After the game, before I talked to Coach Conway, I heard that assistant Coach Bruce Glatthorn thought I was a scout for another team keep tab on Central’s plays.  He said he was ready to send someone up to tell me to stop, but after players informed him “It was only Nick,” he happily laid back, and said it would be no problem for me to do that for other teams.
*Play of the “Game”: Pretty easy choice here, that fake punt was awesome!

SEPT. 2
INTRODUCTORY COLUMN
          As is tradition in the beginning of the fine month of September, the sports world is taken aback with many important inquires, unsolved mysteries, and flat out puzzlers:
-When will we see the first McNabb-Owens hook up? Week 1? 2? 7???
-What will the Phillies do in the off-season?
-Will there be an NHL season this year?
-Will PrimeTime make a comeback?
-Will the Olympics really come to Philly?
And most importantly…
-Who will claim the Public League (or the more politically correct: PIAA District XII Championship)?
          This year, the Public League will take on a new look by moving to a three division format (North, Mid-City, and South) with seven teams in each division (*Hint- For all you Northeast fans, that’s 21 teams).  The newcomer to the league is William Penn, who were able to get a varsity team after a very impressive 6-0 JV season last year.  The entire Mid-City division is always one of the most competitive, but we’ll save that talk for when I write the previews.
          Aside from the blatant cheap-shot at Central’s arch-nemesis Northeast above, I’ll try to be unbiased and informative in my reports, along with slightly humorous and somewhat entertaining.  I will, for the most part, be attending Central games, but whenever I get the chance to see another team in action, I will do my best.  While it’s very hard to be more exciting that the RNC, the Public League is always a hot topic from September thru December.  This season promises to be no disappointment.
          Thus concludes the intro.  Soon to come is a preview of the Lancers, along with a brief rundown of the Public League, and some predictions.  Oh, as for those flat out puzzlers from above, this reporters answers:
-Week 1
-Absolutely Nothing
-Yes
-No way
-Sadly, No
-???????? (C’mon you didn’t really think I’d make a prediction yet)
PS- I heard Hugh gave Andy Torrence Small’s number yesterday at camp.
PSS- Anyone who has anything on their mind, feel free to e-mail me.