Sparky's
Corner
Return to Home Page
 |
Kevin
"Sparky" Cooney is one of our brilliant observers (kinda). A Father Judge
graduate, Sparky has bugged Ted for more years than he cares to remember. A scatback
trapped in a nose tackle's body, Sparky mainly works covering sports for The
Intelligencer/Record in Bucks and Montgomery Counties. He's in desperate need of attention, so write him at SparkyRec26@aol.com |
NOV. 22
THANKSGIVING RIVALRY
Ryan 18, Washington 13
One of the better games in a rivalry that has seen its share of
great ones. Ryan coach Glen Galeone came out and pulled no punches. He started the
contest with an onside kick, which the Raiders recovered. Galeone then threw out the old
quick kick, having quarterback Joe DeLeo kick out of a shotgun formation on
3rd-and-9 from deep in the Raiders territory. The punt went for 60 yards, flipping field
position over big time. "How long was my punt?" DeLeo asked on the sideline.
When informed it was 60, he seemed amazed. "Really," he said. "That's
great, because boy I really [stink) at kicking." DeLeo was chatty the whole time.
With three minutes left and the Raiders clinging for dear life to a five point lead, he
came off the field and said "Is this a great game or what?" Both of Galeone's
gambles resulted in Chris "Timeout" Weber field goals. To be honest,
Galeone and his staff (Lee Marvel, Frank McFillin, Frank McArdle,
and company) really deserve a lot of credit with this one, because Ryan played with fire,
poise, and was willing to risk everything for a win. The players won the game, but the
coaching staff gave them the tools. For a team that appeared physically overmatched, it
was a great effort both by the coaches and players.
The Raiders grabbed a 12-0 lead when Chris Smith caught DeLeo's screen
pass and carried it 16 yards for a touchdown. Actually, his foot stepped out at the
two-yard line right in front of myself and two other reporters, but the officials missed
it. Oh well. Washington got back into the game late in the second half on Mike
Van Allen's touchdown catch from Marcus Kennedy. Van Allen caught five passes
on the day for the Eagles for 89 yards. Kyle Bell gave the Eagles a 13-12
lead on the first play of the fourth on an eight-yard score, but the Raiders refused to
quit. On the next possession, DeLeo found a wide open Dave Quaintance for
a 10-yard touchdown pass on what proved to be the game winner. It was the first varsity
touchdown catch for the senior tight end/nose guard, who will head to Maryland next year
with GW alums Bruce Perry and Jafar Williams. Oddity of the day: Everyone
has considered the five teams in the Public League's Division A (NE, Fkd, GW, Lincoln, and
Olney) the strongest grouping of the Pub bunch.On Thanksgiving, they went 0-5. Three of
the four PCL Teams that won in that group (Dougherty, Ryan, and North) all finished with
under .500 records.
NOV. 19
SPARKY'S SPITS
The Holiday Edition
For most of you, Thanksgiving is a time that is spent with the
people you love, figuring out what to get that special someone for Christmas.
A little football. A lot of food. A day of fun.
How does a sportswriter's Thanksgiving go, you may ask? Well, it usually starts way
earlier in the morning that we're used to (the games start at 10 am, those of us without
children don't normally see the early side of noon).
It's always freezing cold. It could be 70 degrees the week before, and it
will be blistering cold that day.
The games last almost double a normal game. There's the bands, the senior
ceremony, the cheerleader senior ceremony, the band senior ceremony (I wonder if they
honor football players during band competitions; just a thought)
Then, it's heading back to the office, defrosting, doing your stuff, having
the TV stations call every two minutes looking for scores you didn't have two minutes ago,
eating cold turkey, then pulling into your house at 8 or 9 a clock just in time to say
goodbye to your family as it heads to the door and away from you until Christmas.
In other words, it's the most wonderful day of the year.
Maybe I'm biased, but Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays of the
year. That's because it's the one time that I can count on year in and year out being at
the same contest.
My first four years ('92-'95), I went to my alma mater's contest, Judge-Lincoln.
The good part about Judge-Lincoln was that I got to see a lot of old friends from
high school that I didn't normally see any other time of the year. It really did feel like
it was homecoming day.
In '94, Thanksgiving coincided with my 21st birthday. I worked Judge-Lincoln,
helped Ted out at 400 N. Broad, and didn't get home until nearly 11 pm. I never had so
much fun at work. Forget drinking. I was swept up in football utopia that gave me more of
a buzz than any amount of beer could ever give.
The bad part was the fact the game was almost never competitive. Think
about it, that Judge hasn't lost to Lincoln since the Snow Bowl back in '89. Really, it
hasn't been close a lot of years, either. Even when Judge was brutal, they usually found a
way to beat the Railsplitters and beat them badly. The only second half drama tended to be
when the drunken people on the hill would end up getting into a fight.
So, Ted was gracious enough to give me an option for another game. And that
game turned out to be Ryan-Washington.
Frankford/North may be the granddaddy of all rivalries around here (sorry
Central-Northeast), but Raiders-Eagles is absolutely the most passionate. The games
usually are pretty good. The place is mobbed. The administrations (Ron Cohen and Barbara
Thumler for GW, Glen Galeone and George Todt for Ryan) take good care of you. It's the
best around, and I didn't go to either school involved.
Which leads me to my point for the week, and there is a point in here. The
Thanksgiving Games are, in many ways, the one high school sporting event that brings us
all together.
The PIAA sort of frowns upon the suburban teams being involved on T-Day,
afraid they may upstage the state playoffs And in a way, they are right. But high school
athletics is more than playoffs. Its about tradition and family
What we have here is truly something wonderful. No matter what the game, the
rivalries are what make it something special.
Doesn't matter if you're in North Philly for Gratz-Edison or Warminster for
Wood-Tennent. If you're a grad and walk in and see two buddies you haven't seen in 5 or 10
years, it's worth the price of admission.
If you just lost touch with a good guy, you can get the joy of a reunion
without the $40 a plate charge. If you hated a guy, you can laugh and see how fat and bald
he got or how big a loser he really is now.
For the seniors, it's a last time together. For the underclassmen, it's a
coming out party.
For all of us who work at keyboards, it's a long afternoon well worth it.
And to all of you, Happy Thanksgiving.
NOV 15
Sparky's Spits
Four games.... 28 hours.. One football field.
Let those numbers sink into the brain for a second, and welcome to the
madness that is Philadelphia City League's Semifinal Weekend.
Sure, the cynic would say that playing almost nine hours of football at a dusty,
grassless field is idiotic. I view it as a chance for the good folks of the rest of the
city to drop a little cash in our fine establishments.
Yes, many of you will spending time in our little hamlet known as Northeast
Philadelphia. It's my home. You may say this is where my cheesesteak is whizzed, but that
would be too crass. And honestly, too close to the truth.
I can guess that some of you that haven't been to this part of the city,
especially our Suburban friends from McDevitt, Wood, O'Hara, and St. Joseph Prep may ask
yourself: Have things changed in the Northeast? Well, hasn't everything in life.
Where a Clover once stood, now there's a JC Penney.
We have fancy new street signs on Cottman Ave.
Now, that's what I call drastic change.
Forget breaking down the X's and O's of the playoffs. Ah, if you haven't figured
these teams out by now, you're not going to. And besides, is there really any drama left
in this season anyway?
With that in mind, it's time to present the first annual....
SPARKY'S GUIDE TO THE NORTHEAST
The idea of this is to help you kill time until the next game gets
underway if you dare to try and watch all four games. And if you do, you either A)
have a website named after you; B) are constantly talking about how great your Carroll
basketball team will be this year; or C) really need some hobbies
As you can tell, I've sampled many of the food choices in the area. (Shaddup with
whatever jokes you may be thinking). Here's just a quick glimpse at the food hangouts and
other things to do to kill time in the NE.
It's half serious, half comical (we hope).
Best Bet To Kill a Few Hours:
On Saturday afternoon, this place would be a good stop for those looking to
watch a little college football, the Turf Club in Roosevelt Mall. The TC just opened
this past August at the site of the old Doral Catering Hall. It's nice (a little expensive
to drink, I paid $2.25 per soda there one day) , but remember that you can't bet on the
high school games there. Although I'm sure there's other places in the neighborhood you
might find a wager or two being offered.. One note: Under 18, forget about placing a bet
or drinking. They are really strict on that stuff.
The Great Cheese Steak Wars
It may not be Geno's or Pat's. But heck, you don't have to drive around the
block 100 times to find a parking spot, either.
No, in these parts, its Jim's Steaks (in Roosevelt Mall) or Steve's
(on St. Vincent and the Bustleton).
Both are outstanding with their steaks, although I would give Steve's the overall
nod because they have great American Cheese Fries. Can't go wrong with either, though. And
it's probably the same price as the fast food joints in the neighborhood, so get a taste
of the area before you leave.
Best Place to Find Anyone Connected with the PCL Playoffs:
Nick's Roast Beef is a bar located near the NE Regional Library on Cottman Ave.
I swear that every time I walk in the joint, I see an official, coach, or former player at
the bar. This place actually has connections with the PCL because former league hoops
official Dennis DeMayo (brother of A-10 ref Joe) is connected with the ownership. Good
Roast Beef sandwiches, but the one must have is the Mini-Taco's appetizer. Good stuff.
It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas: It's not in the Roosevelt
Mall/Northeast High area, but hang a right down Bustleton Ave and go to the Boulevard to
see Frank's Christmas World at the old Gaudio's. That will get you in the spirit of the
season.
While you are there, it may not be a bad idea to pick up one of those masks you put over
your mouth and nose. You may need it for McDevitt/Wood with all that dust around.
Fleas, Everywhere Fleas: There's a flea market that usually goes on in
Roosevelt Mall every Saturday. Head over at your own risk.
Houses Of Worship: I mean, are you really bored? Have a few hours to
kill? Well, you can pay homage to your two favorite regulars on this site. Down Cottman
Ave to Rowland Ave and make a left. First school on your left is Lincoln, home of Tom
McKenna. Mention his name and you'll probably get a million good stories.
Head down Rowland some more until it dead ends, and you're at Father Judge. That's
the home of Kevin Hanlon. Mention his name and you'll probably get stories about his
outside jumper.
While at Judge, you can also mention my name. But all that will probably get you is
dirty looks.
Well, hope that helps ya... .
Oh, you want my picks for the weekend.... here they are
Washington 24, Bartram 7
Northeast 35, Mastbaum 24
Carroll 31, Neumann 0
McDevitt 10, Wood 7
Prep 24, O'Hara 10
Bonner 28, Judge 0 (that pains me to say, BTW)
See ya next Tuesday, for a special pre-Thanksgiving edition of the Spits, with
our year-end award winners and an final farewell to the season.
NOV. 10
CATHOLIC RED FIRST ROUND PLAYOFF
O'Hara 21, La Salle 6
No Anthony Heygood? No problem for the
defending champions, who looked impressive to say the least on both sides of the ball. All
the Lions did on this night was dial up the connection of Colin Smith to Tom
Convery for touchdowns three times (26, five, and 10 yards). And when most of us (OK,
me) thought that O'Hara, playing without Heygood (concussion, should be back by next
week's game against St. Joseph Prep) could be ripe for the taking after two straight
losses, they come out and duplicate their dominance (it was 20-6 the first time around)
over a defense that had done very well against the pass this season. What struck me about
O'Hara was the fact that there was a mixture of Convery and Harry Dougherty on the
passing game, while fullback Pat Gallagher (89 yards) did an admirable job filling
Heygood's shoes. The offensive line was great is giving Smith a world of time. Smith
wasn't sacked once, and the protection that came from the side of Mike
"Tuna" Bucella was incredible all night. The only real bad news on
the night for O'Hara was the continuing bug of injuries which hit them. Junior HB Bob
McAndrews left the game in the first half with an injury. Then a key injury occured in
the fourth quarter when first-team All-Catholic offensive lineman Pat Sweeney went
down with what appeared to be a pretty serious leg injury. He was carried off the field by
his teammates then placed in an ambulance afterwards. We wish him well, but it didn't look
good at all.
You'd like to say that this was just a bad night for the Explorers to have an off-night,
but this was the trend all season long. The defense, led by Ed Sabia and Mike
Graham (scored La Salle's TD on an interception) played fairly well at times.
But they were on the field too long, and that's something which haunted the Explorers all
season long. That being said, there is one kid that every team should have, and that's La
Salle's Sean Miller. He's tough, he has some speed, and he's just a natural
football player.. There are some people I'm sure that think I pick on the Catholic League
too much. I honestly love it, its one of my favorite things to cover. But there are just
times when its too easy to rip them. For the first night of the playoffs, there were no
programs on sale. None. And it's past the point in the season when most teams bring
extra rosters along with them (although it's always a good idea).. Thank Goodness for La
Salle's AD Tony Resch and former AD Joe Parisi, which managed to
dig up old program books with La Salle rosters from their cars to give to a crew of
less-than-thrilled-but appreciative reporters. By the way, this was the best type of a
Saturday night deadline game you could have... I was back at my office by 10:05, and had
my story done by 10:45. Be-Ute-E-Ful.
NOV. 7
SPARKY'S SPITS
The past few weeks, I had the same feeling that a
father has with a carload of kids after making that 14-hour ride to Florida in the middle
of June.
After weeks of hearing "Are we there yet?Are we there yet?Are we
there yet?... We can finally turn around to the back of the care and scream.....
YES..... WE ARE!!!!!
Finally, we've arrived at the post-season party, where the coronations in the
Red and Blue Division appear to be in order.
It seems to these eyes that St. Joseph's Prep and Archbishop Carroll are the
class of their leagues, and it would take a major (and I do mean major) upset to spoil the
party. The better games will come this weekend, where three of the four contests catch my
eye. Only McDevitt-West has the possiblity of getting really ugly.
The Public League is a different matter. There are a few teams still in the
hunt... The one team I'll look for is the winner of that Germantown-Washington matchup.
Boy, that should be a dandy. Winner of that, I think, heads to the finals and a matchup
against Northeast.
TIME FOR THIS WEEK'S PLAYOFF PICKS
As you can tell by scrolling down, I've been pretty bad at this. But here it goes
for the entire post-season.
RED DIVISION
First Round
Judge 21, Ryan 14
O'Hara 17, La Salle 14 (OT) (The Explorers could pull the upset, particularly if Anthony
Heygood is out because of a concussion. If Heygood's out, the pick goes to 14-10, La
Salle).
BLUE DIVISION
McDevitt 24, West 0
Conwell-Egan 10, Neumann 7
PUBLIC LEAGUE
Northeast 24, Dobbins 6
Mastbaum 35, Bok 10
Washington 17, Germantown 14
Bartram 42, King 21
The Other Random Thoughts
- I love PCL people complaining about Northeast's Field. Here's a suggestion: Get a field
of your own if you don't like it. Build it somewhere and be happy.
- Speaking of which: Good sources indicate that Northeast could be undergoing a major
facelift in the next off-season. Maybe it's time to consider NeXTurf because of the amount
of games played on there in a given year. Everyone chips in, shares the cost. It's working
at Wissahickon High in Ambler. It could work there.
- Like to echo Ted's comments on the Pub playoffs: Would it kill someone to have a
Saturday game where Parents could watch their children play? I think not.
- By the same token, could the PCL decide to play three games at the same time? What
happened to two Friday, two Saturday? And Egan-Neumann at Roosevelt Field? Could we pick
somewhere a little more remote for both schools?
- Pulse, where are thou?
- Listened to the O'Hara game on radio Sunday. Actually, I think I heard the game at some
point between the flood of commercials....
- Scary thought: Hoops begin practice next week....
- Scary Thought II: I'm looking forward to it like you wouldn't believe.
Time for me to say goodbye for the week.... Our final radio show for the
season takes place on Friday night, following the Quakertown/Conestoga football game.
We'll have updates from the other PIAA playoff games and from the McDevitt/West Catholic
game at Northeast. That's the WNPV Intelligencer/Record Scoreboard Show with Jeff Nolan,
starting around 10 pm on 1440 WNPV Lansdale or at www.wnpv1440.com
OCT. 30
SPARKY'S SPITS
Trick or Treat!
Here we are, at the finish line of the regular season. Think back to how
different things were all the way back to the weekend before Labor Day, when we started
this journey. Now the fun stuff is ready to begin.
The teams in the post-season have, for the most part, been decided. The entire Red
and Blue Division slate is in, while the Public League has crowned division champions.
Game Of The Week
This one is easy this week, because no game all season has the
do-or-die nature that this one has.
Plain and simple: The winner of Frankford-Washington goes into the playoffs as one
of three teams with a legitimate shot at the crown. The other has two weeks worth of the
garbage non-league contests before Thanksgiving.
If you think about it, the Pioneers and Eagles have been the best in the Pub
over the last decade, and yet the PL insists on eliminating one of the three Division A
power teams every year. It's a shame.
The Pride Game of The Week
Roman-North: Both teams have tough kids. Both are winless in a
Red Division that they are overmatched. It actually could make for a pretty good game.
Son of Random Thoughts
- Thanks to those who have sent e-mails of support this past weekend. It has been
deeply appreciated.
For those of you who have asked what happened after reading Ted's post "On The
Trail", all I will say is that I'm going to echo that everything Theodore said in the
report was accurate. And that I hope the talk that Fran Murphy and I had after the
game is a step towards putting the matter to rest once and for all, especially with the
playoffs coming up. Because, honestly, I don't think it does anyone good.
- Final picks as we head to the playoffs: Carroll in the Blue Division (Nobody is close),
Prep over Bonner in the Red (That final could be interesting, though); and Washington over
Northeast in the Pub Final. (The Vikes have squeaked by both the Pioneers and Eagles, can
that run continue?)
- Can one team's playoff stock drop faster than Father Judge? Last week, they
are playing to set up a showdown for the Red Division title. This week, they are still
playing for the divsion crown, but they don't have their starting quarterback. The
bandwagon has unloaded.
- On this week before election day, its important to remember the power of the people.
The Bucks County Courier Times has an internet poll to see who was the best team in
their coverage area. The winner was... Conwell-Egan? Yep... the 2-7
Eagles had 102 votes (54 % of the vote), which was double the next highest total, that of
9-0 Neshaminy (48 votes, 26 % of the vote). All Neshaminy has done is earn
the first place spot in the Eastern Region for the PIAA playoffs and go undefeated. Go
figure.
- On another Egan note, though: Congrats to the Eagles for making the PCL playoffs for the
first time since 1987. John Quinn is as fine a man as you will ever meet.
And those kids deserve it.
- There are a few coaches whose seasons end will mean tenure end at their current jobs.
Its a matter for another day, but some of the names floating out there will shock you. And
a lot that won't.
- Is there anything more meaningless than the Thursday games that take place during the
playoff weeks in the Pub? How about moving those games to early Sept, and letting these
squads have a few extra weeks when it could help preparation.
- Malvern Prep may be the best team in the state. But the Inter-Ac is still a weak
league.
PICKS OF THE WEEK
Washington 21, Frankford 7
La Salle 7, Ryan 6
SJ Prep 35, Judge 10
Bonner 21, O'Hara 10
McDevitt 21, West 0
The regular season finales will make for great radio on Friday night. So join
Jeff Nolan and myself as we break down the playoff picture a, starting around 10 p.m,
following CB West-Pennridge. We could go to 11, we could go to 11:30. So tune into WNPV,
1440-AM, or www.WNPV1440.com. And maybe one of these weeks, we'll get Ted on the show :)
OCT. 24
SPARKY'S SPITS
After a few weeks of disappointing contest,
this penultimate week of the regular season has some good games on tap, with three PCL
games on tap.
Games Of The Week
Three games interest me big time:
- Prep-O'Hara on Friday night.
Everyone has talked about Prep-Bonner for weeks, but that turned out to be a domination.
This game has the feel of a contest that could be really good. O'Hara has played really
well lately, and Anthony Heygood is the real deal. The Hawklets have to
have revenge on their mind for last season's loss in the Red Title game.
-Washington-Northeast on Friday night
In my mind, this is the preview of the Public League title game. After getting my
first glimpse at Northeast last week, it became clear that the Vikings can run the
football. How they stack up against a tough Washington defense is going to tell the story
of this one. One thing is certain however, there will be a lot of woofing going on between
the two teams.
- McDevitt-Carroll on Saturday night
With apologies to Archbishop Wood, this is a battle between the Blue Bloods of the
Blue Division. McDevitt's defense has been incredible for most of the season, but they are
going to have to force turnovers to hang in this game on Saturday night. But I would'nt
expect the Patriots to have any chance to spread the score out on this one.
Son Of Random Thoughts
- A note of thanks to those who sent e-mails of support for last week's rant about
Archbishop Carroll's actions against Archbishop Wood a few weeks ago. I didn't realize I
would hit a nerve that apparently has been feastering for a while. I thought for sure I'd
get more response from Carroll people, but I didn't get any mail here. The few Carroll
e-mails that Ted had received and posted seemed to indicate that they wondered what they
could do. How about play some reserves and run the football.
- A few weeks ago, I cited Gratz as having the worst uniforms I'd ever seen. Well, I'd
have to give Olney credit, because the Tennessee Titans uniforms that they wear are
beauties. Too bad the team itself isn't that good.
- Got to give credit to Joe Colistra for going for two points against
Father Judge on Sunday with his team down 7-6 with a minute left. The Explorers offense
had not moved the ball a lick during the day. That was his best chance, and even though it
didn't work, it was the right call.
- 16 teams in the PCL basketball playoffs? Say it isn't so.... PLEASE!
- Since I'm doing the radio show on Friday night, I'm going to miss what I think is going
to be the PCL game of the year in O'Hara-Prep. Could someone e-mail me the final whenever
its over at SparkyRec26@aol.com. Would be much appreciated.
Picks Of The Week
Prep 24, O'Hara 17
Judge 14, Bonner 10
Washington 24, Northeast 17
Carroll 24, McDevitt 7
Conwell-Egan 24, K-K 10 (EGAN WILL THEN MAKE THE PLAYOFFS, HATS OFF TO JOHN QUINN AND
CREW)
That does it for me... The weekend sked for me right now looks like
Judge-Bonner and McDevitt-Carroll on Saturday night. (I'm expected a warm welcome in
Radnor). And once again, I'll be on the WNPV Intelligencer-Record Pre-Game, Halftime, and
Post-Game scoreboard shows on Friday night with Jeff Nolan. We start at 7
p.m. before Pennsbury-North Penn, with the post-game show around 10:10 until 11.
OCT. 18
PUBLIC LEAGUE
Northeast 47, Olney 0
The score doesn't actually reflect how truly
lopsided this one was... Olney fumbled the ball away five times, dropped three more that
they recovered on their own, and couldn't get any sort of offensive attack going. On the
first play of the game from scrimmage, after NE kicker Steve Sandberg recorded a
booming touchback to send the ball out at the 20, Trojan TB/QB Andrew Jerry was
tackled for an 18-yard sack by three NE defenders, coughed the ball up, then saw DE Joe
Tizol fall on it for a touchdown to make it 7-0 Vikings at the 11:48 mark of the
first. And that was an Olney highlight. Off this game, it's tough to get a read of whether
or not the Vikings are the real deal. But Darien Hardy sure is. The senior running
back has sweet moves, especially in the open field. At the opposite end is Chris
Poindexter, who at 5-8, 185 resembles more of a bowling ball type back but he's nimble
when needed. At his size, reminds me a little bit of Eddie Gaskins in the
sense that he's got some good athletic skills. On defense, Londale Walden was
around the ball a lot, including on a fumble recovery that he almost took all the way.
Sandberg tried a 51-yard field goal with the wind at his back toward the scoreboard end,
but it fell about four yards short. He also missed a 32-yarder short right before the
half, but that was because the Olney linebackers were right on top of him. As for Olney,
I felt bad for Jerry, who just took an early pounding. The same goes with full-time
QB Maurice Jones, who came in to relieve him. Olney may have the best name in the
Pub (Sorry Benjamin Franklin) in Corvette Harris. Corvette, a
tight-end, was forced to wear #77 instead of 22 because of a uniform mix-up with
center/nose guard Richard Adams. The jersey appeared three sizes too big
on Harris. I really wonder about some of the Olney playcalling. They didn't get a first
down until midway through the third quarter, and that was when they finally tried a
hurry-up offense down 41-0. For that matter, why was Northeast going for two up 47-0 with
their third string on the final play of the third quarter? But in fairness to Brew
Schumer and his staff, they could have won 70-0 if they wanted to. Schumer had a
chance to put an extra score on the board with five minutes left, but he took delay of
game penalties and knees to make sure it didn't get too run-up. Are you listening,
Carroll?
OCT. 17
SPARKY'S SPITS . . .
Final three weeks of the regular season are straight ahead, and
they all have great matchups on the line. But before we get to the regular business that
the notes column normally dishes out, I have an issue I have to spout about.
RANT OF THE WEEK
I'll preface my remarks by saying I wasn't there to see it
because I was doing the radio show, but enough people who were there I respect did see it
and brought it to my attention.
When I heard about the fact that Carroll threw for a fourth quarter
touchdown pass last week when up by 30+ in the fourth quarter against Archbishop Wood it
really caused me to do a slow burn. When I was told later the Patriots went for it on 4th
down up 30 in the fourth, that's really ticked me off.
Don't give me this argument about playoff tie breaks, because that's
just plain bull. This was a case of one team acting obnoxious and smug. Besides, defensive
yield is the main tiebreaker.
Carroll has enough talent to whip any team it wants within the Blue
Division. In fact, I think that they could probably get a bye in the Red Division playoffs
right now if they were in it, even with the power 4 (SJP, MB, FJ, and COH) playing as well
as they have.
But the move to throw for a 12-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter in a game out of reach
when the other team's best player is on the bench because of a suspension reeks of no
class and no sportsmanship.
Sure, football is a tough game, but there's also a code of decency that
should be employed. And embarrassing high school kids should not be one of them.
A few people who know the Carroll program fairly well tell me that its
not head coach Dan Bielli calling the late plays, but offensive
coordinator Fran Murphy who is insisting on throwing.
But Bielli, as head coach, has the right to stop it. Forget the fact
that Murphy is the athletic director. Bielli holds all the cards. If he doesn't like it,
he could take play-calling away from Murphy, he could fire Murphy as o-coordinator if the
infractions were multiple. What's Murph going to do, fire him? A man who is coming off a
title? Can you imagine the outrage that would create?
A few people that know Bielli said he's not that type of a guy to enjoy
rubbing it in. But there's enough of a pattern here, judging by last year's scores (77-0,
74-7, 49-0 twice).
I understand that Carroll is the best team in the Blue. I realize that
some of this stuff really is beyond their control. But the throwing and gross "run it
ups" are within their control.
There were a lot of times in the early 1990's that Ryan or La Salle
could have won 70-0. But Glen Galeone and Joe Colistra
had enough class to call the dogs off and just run the football. For all the moaning and
groaning about St. Joe's Prep, I don't think Gil Brooks
has gone out of his way to "embarrass" teams by throwing late in big wins.
No, this is only Carroll. And there's something wrong about that.
If this keeps up at the end of the year, I think that the league should
deal with the issue. Either bump Carroll up to the Red Division, so they can (pardon the
implication here) try to bully teams that will stand up to them. (It's funny that they
don't play Malvern anymore. Now there's one team they couldn't beat 49-8).
Or the PCL should take disciplinary action against Bielli, Murphy, and
others who are in gross violation of the league's accepted sportsmanship code.
The argument we always get on this website and in journalism whenever
we do something viewed as wrong is "these are only kids, and we don't want to hurt
them or not make it fun. This isn't the pros"
I agree with that. Now its time for a few coaches to realize that as
well.
GAME OF THE WEEK
Geez, this one was too easy. For months on this website, we've heard
all about it. But now, its finally here. Bonner-St. Joe's Prep both begin a stretch
where they play the three top teams in the Red Division (each other, then Judge and
O'Hara). Winner, I think, takes the Division crown. The loser will have to scramble for a
bye.
DUD OF THE WEEK
Because of the rant above, and to set an example for all of us to
follow, the Dud of the Week feature will not been seen until further notice.
JUST IN CASE YOU WERE WONDERING
My top ten didn't get in this week due to my real job. Here's how
it would look
1. Malvern
2. Bonner
3. Prep
4. Judge
5. O'Hara
6. Carroll
7. Washington
8. Northeast
9. Frankford
10. Mastbaum
PICKS OF THE WEEK
Prep 10, Bonner 7
Judge 21, La Salle 0
Washington 35, Lincoln 0
Roman 24, Ryan 0
Carroll ?, Egan 0
OCT. 11
SPARKY'S SPITS . . .
SPARKY'S SUDDEN STUPIDITY
Before we go any further into this report, there is one note of caution
here. This report is being written at 4 am on Wednesday night. Why? Because I can't sleep.
One other thing that should be noted: I think Ted is updating the website at this hour,
which is really frightening.
Anyway, this week's slate of games is better than last week's Kennel
club specials that took place. And what was the deal with that Malvern game, anyway? Or
scrimmage, or whatever it was called.
GAME OF THE WEEKEND
It was going to be Carroll-Wood before John Spinosa
was suspended. It was going to be O'Hara-La Salle, until I saw the Lions last week take
Ryan apart piece by piece.
So that means I'm going with Northeast-Lincoln.
Think about the ramifications of this game. If Northeast wins, they are 2-0 in Division A,
with a win over Frankford and a win over the Railsplitters. Basically, with Olney on the
way, they can start thinking post-season. Chris Poindexter and Darien
Hardy form one of the best 1-2 RB punches in the area. (And you have to love a
Philadelphia Public League team with a guy named Benjamin Franklin. Can't wait to see
Franklin vs. Washington, who has a guy named Gore on the team.)
But Lincoln has not been in this position for a long time. They
actually have a chance thanks to a running game lead by Shahfin Timmons.
It would be nice to see a fourth team in the division step up and challenge. Maybe.
Finally, its Lincoln's time. (But wait for the predictions to find out.)
DUD OF THE WEAK-END
There are a few bad Public League games, but this weekend's nod goes to
that showdown at the bottom of the Blue between Dougherty and Kennedy-Kenrick.
I got yelled at in a few e-mails last week for making fun of the Blue Division. But ask
yourself this: If you had spare time on Friday night, would you want to see this game? I
think not.
RANDOM THOUGHTS
--- Boy, how the mighty have fallen. I had a sinking feeling that Archbishop Ryan
wasn't up to its old standards heading into this season. But watching Sunday's pasting at O'Hara,
the Raiders are worse that I thought. If you want to look at one thing that I noticed
after years of watching them, its this: When they were good, there were 70 to 80
people in uniform and the sidelines were filled with the hangers-on, people who just sort
of stood there and clogged up room to be seen with a winning program. On Sunday, I'd guess
there were 45-to-50 Raiders players, and virtually no supporters other than assistant
coaches. Glen Galeone and company deserve a better fate than that.
--- I haven't seen the Spinosa "fight" or "incident" against Kennedy-Kenrick,
whatever you want to call it. But for a Catholic League official to toss him is a rough
break for the Vikings, who had one high profile win on their platter and were looking for
the division lead. That task is really difficult now By the same token, players have to
know to keep their cool to avoid such a calamity from affecting a whole team.
--- Weird moment on Sunday; Pulling into the parking lot at Springfield (Delco), taking my
CD out of the player, and I had Channel 6 on my radio. I knew it was a bad sign when Peter
Jennings was on. So I missed the first 10 minutes of the game listening to the
President's speech at 1 pm... and I heard about it from a certain Mr. Website owner. Am I
wrong?
--- Funniest moment of the year: The PA Announcer at the Bonner-LaSalle game had to use
officials microphones, you know the tie clip type with the side switch on it. Anyway, the
national anthem performer had to basically sing into this tiny mike, and he accidentally
lost the mike on the "O Say" part of the song... funny as heck. And he didn't
miss a beat.
--- Just a thought: If you play a run-and-shoot, shouldn't you have a defense that can
stop people? And if you don't have a defense that can stop people, shouldn't you try to
keep it off the field as much as possible by running the ball or playing more of a
traditional offensive set? Just a thought.
PICKS OF THE WEEK
Last weekend: 4-1
Judge 21, North 0
O'Hara 17, La Salle 7
Northeast 21, Lincoln 6
Carroll 35, Wood 14
UPSET SPECIAL: Conwell-Egan 21, West 17
Well, that does it for me. My only scheduled City game of the weekend is
going to be O'Hara-La Salle on Sunday.(I'll be at Jenkintown/Minersville on Saturday
afternoon) I'll be on the radio on the WNPV/Intelligencer-Record Post-Game show
with Jeff Nolan on Friday night, with a live report from Carroll/Wood. That's
around 10 pm on WNPV, 1440-AM. (It's also on www.wnpv1440.com). And e-mail us your
questions at IntelPostGame@aol.com
Oct 6
CATHOLIC RED
Bonner 13, La Salle 7
Since my pre-season predicitions and the infamous comment about Bonner
having a season that would be "nothing special", my e-mail box has overflowed
with Friars fans wondering why I dissed their team. Well, after seeing the Friars on
Saturday night, I can safely say this: Bonner is a good football team with a very good
defense. But they were very beatable on Saturday night, as La Salle marched inside the
Friars 25-yard line six times and scored only once. The one case that will haunt
the Explorers was getting the ball on the 6 after a Bonner turnover with 5:40 to play, and
not even really getting a sniff of the end zone. (The first three plays resulted in a
three-yard total loss; the final Bill Donohoe scramble did get La Salle
back to the 2) La Salle has to find the final answers on offense. It moves the ball well
between the 30's, but can't finish the job. The highlight for me on the night for the
Friars is a first look at running back Paul Kollhoff, who showed some
moments outside the tackles. But offense really struggled in this game, as defense ruled. Ed
Sabia for La Salle should get some PCL Red MVP votes, because he is all over the
field. For Bonner, kicker Chris Schrader has a great
leg, and the entire defense is top notch. Still, after playing Ryan this coming week, the
Friars have Prep, followed by road games at Judge and O'Hara. Play like they did Saturday
night on offense, and the results could be not what the Friars want.
OCT. 4
SPARKY'S SPITS
Sorry about the delay, folks.... things around here tend to
get a little bit hectic on some days. And today was one of them.
With the first glance at the schedule, you sort of go "eww". Really, some of the
games are not that appealing, especially in the Blue Division of the PCL. But there are
some gems out there, and we'll start dish them out now.
GAMES OF THE WEEKEND
When you go plural, it's a very good sign. And who would have ever
thought that two Pub games would enter this spot.
First, the surprise game, which is Bok and West Philadelphia on Friday
afternoon. Teddy has become a convert to the Speedboys and that's good enough for me. West
actually gave Frankford a pretty good game in the opening week. A good showing against a
Bok team has always been a consistant power could make believers out of a lot of people.
Now, the expected one, which is Northeast at Frankford on
Saturday morning. Think about the trio in Division A (NE, FKD, and GW), and the
fact that one of them is going to miss the post-season. Traditionally, its been the loser
of this first matchup that always has the uphill fight.
DUDS OF THE WEEK
This time, plural is bad.
We're given our award to the entire Blue Division schedule. Boy, these
matchups are something to behold. Wood/KK? McDevitt/Egan? Neumann/West? And the one
that may be the most lopsided of all, Carroll/Dougherty? Glad they had this in mind when
they broke up the old format. Good seats still available.
CO-DUD OF THE WEEK
While I'm yelling and ranting, how about a rant at myself.
Another great upset special last week there, tubby. The refs must have
been to blame for O'Hara's 41-point romp over Roman. Yeah, right.
RANDOM THOUGHTS
-- OK, it was funny. last week. Now it's just sad. Will the Inter-Ac please play a
league game before Halloween? Instead we have GA going to Harrisburg to play, while
Malvern goes to Gettysburg. At the tuitions these guys are paying, shouldn't they already
know American history and government?
-- How weird is it that the Pub has three Saturday games and only five Friday games?
-- Think of stocks with this: TEAMS TRENDING UP: O'Hara, Dobbins, Wood,
King. TEAMS TRENDING DOWN: Ryan, La Salle, Mastbaum, Neumann
-- Actually heard last week at one game over the PA: "That run places the ball at the
(team name) 52 yard line." Uh, no.
-- Go to any PCL game, and I'll bet that you'll find one official is a Judge guy.
-- One final moan from me: Isn't it time to make the overtime session start at the 25-yard
line instead of the "already in field goal range" 10? That's like determining
the Masters on who lips out the one-footer.
PICKS OF THE WEEK
Bonner 10, La Salle 0
Judge 24, Roman 0
Carroll 52, Dougherty 6
Northeast 10, Frankford 7
Roxborough 24, Gratz 10
NO UPSETS THIS WEEKEND
Hey folks, see ya this week at Northeast/Frankford, La Salle/Bonner (I
think the Friars will have a nice welcoming committee out for me), and Ryan/O'Hara.
Also, I'll see ya on the radio on Friday night, at 7, 8:30, and 10 for
the WNPV Intelligencer-Record pre-game, halftime, and post-game shows. That's on www.WNPV1440.com
SEPT. 29
CATHOLIC BLUE
Wood 6, McDevitt 0 (OT)
Ted always warns me not to use too much hyperbole in my copy
after I cover a game, like the greatest, biggest, the most incredible, etc.... But
this game was among one of the most emotional games I think I've ever witnessed, and
that's because both teams were pretty much on top of their defensive games. And with the
win, Wood now has to be considered in that elite class in the Blue Division, with Carroll
and McDevitt. (Really, it would be the first newcomer to that class since the two charter
members.) The only score of the game came on Bob Prieto's 2-yard
touchdown run on third down in the first overtime. After Prieto (7 carries- 6 yards on the
day) crossed over the end zone (and he made it by about six inches, tops), the Wood
student section stormed the field. McDevitt players sort of stared in a gaze. The score
was set up when McDevitt quarterback Bill Holden was tackled from behind
and stripped of the ball on first down of the Lancers possession in overtime. The Lancers
had a fourth-and-4 inches in the second quarter, but Holden was snuffed on the quarterback
sneak by the entire middle of the Wood defensive unit. (Linebackers, tackles, secondary,
cheerleaders, you name it.) In the third quarter, it was Wood's turn to get snubbed at the
goal line, as John Spinosa's fourth-down option was read
perfectly by the Lancers' line. There were some great performances (Spinosa and Bill Hartley
for Wood immediately stand to mind) in a game for the ages. One injury note to watch:
McDevitt running back Demetrius Oliver left the game in
the third quarter with an ankle injury and didn't return. The preliminary diagonis was a
sprain, but the McDevitt folks felt he would be back this week. Will we see this matchup
again in the post-season? It's hard to imagine we won't.
SEPT. 25
The first month of the season will officially come to an end
on Sunday afternoon with the Roman-O'Hara game.
A lot of good stuff has happened. There's been some sad moments as well
that we all have shared. But it has set a general storyline.
Overall, I'm struck by how deep the Red Division's title contender pool
is (for the first time, four or five teams have a legitimate chance at a crown). The Blue
Division is still Carroll and McDevitt, but Wood and Neumann may be knocking on the door.
Meanwhile, the Public League picture is emerging as Washington,
Northeast, Frankford, and Mastbaum look strong, with Bartram playing well against
Washington and placing itself in the picture. Not too shabby.
GAME OF THE WEEKEND
La Salle vs. St. Joseph Prep
For the Red Division, this is rivalry weekend, with La
Salle/Prep and Judge/Ryan on tap. The Hawklets blitzed the Raiders last week, even with
Kyle Ambrogi sitting on the bench.
The Explorers' defense is outstanding, but they have to find a way to
score more points. They posted almost 300 yards in total offense on Sunday, and scored
just 14 points. The movement is there, but you have to finish the job.
DUD OF THE WEEKEND
Last weekend we beat up on the Public League. This time, it's the Blue
Division's turn, and we allow you to take your pick..
There's the Dougherty-Egan game on Saturday afternoon. And at the same time, its
West/K-K. I think good seats are still available for both.
FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS
Nice to see that the Public League has Lincoln playing a night game at
Northeast. It is, after all, the Pub's field to use at night. They should take advantage
more often, to let parents who work during the day see their sons play.
WHAT WE'VE LEARNED SO FAR IN THE FIRST MONTH
- Judge is a heck of a lot better than we thought it was going to be.
- Bonner has lived up to the hype.
- La Salle needs an offense to go with that defense.
- There are still a number of bad football teams in both leagues.
- Yes, that is my real hair... hard to believe, Harry.
- Pub referees are the best... they can make a 48-minute game finish in two hours. The
secret is simple: keep the clock moving.
- Gratz's uniforms are in serious need of a makeover
- The Inter-Ac season starts around Christmas, I think.
- The National Anthem can still make grown men cry, no matter how cynical they are.
THE OTHER RANDOM THOUGHTS
- Ted's note about field rentals was outrageous. Maybe it's time the Archdiocese looks at
O'Hara's dream plan for a football stadium. It might be cheaper.
- By the way, if P-W is the one charging $2,500 rent, there are teams that have to get
their money back... that field is a disgrace.
- I won't mention any names, but I think you can figure out who I'm talking about:
it's sad when grown men start acting like spoiled children and denying the real
stars of the show, the kids, a chance for a little publicity and fun. The one person in
question (and he knows who he is) should grow up.
PICKS OF THE WEEKEND
(Season record: 4-1 - lost on my upset special...thanks Downingtown).
Judge 24, Ryan 10
St. Joseph's Prep 17, La Salle 7
Bartram 21, Lincoln 10
Franklin 30, Gratz 8
UPSET SPECIAL: Roman 21, O'Hara 14 (OT)
SEPT. 21
NON-LEAGUE
Mastbaum 38, Gratz 6
First Pub games of the season included watching one of my
favorite teams of all. There are some people who don't find John Murphy
teams interesting to watch, but I'm not one of them. They have spunk, they fight like hell
for yardage, and they always have second effort. Sr. RB Chris DeShields would be
the perfect definition of that. DeShields just didn't go down after the first and second
hit on his way to three rushing touchdowns, a receiving TD, and 123 yards on 16 carries.
One surprise was Mark Hansberry, the Mastbaum QB. He rung up 113 yards on
5-of-7 passing. To be perfectly honest, he was the beneficiary of plenty of YAC's (Yards
After Catches) from his wide receivers thanks to Gratz's poor tackling. Hansberry was the
North Catholic ringer, by the way, in the TedSilary.com Fan Basketball Tournament. Gratz
really had trouble tackling, as previously noted. The hitting level, also, didn't seem up
to speed. A few running backs saw Mastbaum white shirts and sort of slinked to the ground.
One guy that didn't was Vondell Parsons, who looks to have some tools to work with.
The Bulldogs have to get some new uniforms. The current ones are red shirts and red pants.
The numbers are outlined in white, but filled in with the same color red as the rest of
the jersey. Just horrid. Quote of the day: From someone on the Gratz sidelines after
seeing a player dancing too much down the line of scrimmage "God, you might as well
give him a G-string with all that dancing."
SEPT. 18
Life begins to return to normal this week, and we're going to
try to get back in the normal swing of the week here with some of our features that we
proposed two weeks ago.
This is among my favorite weekends of the season, because of the fact
the Catholic League gets underway in full swing of the regular season, while the Public
League fine tunes before the season gets going.
GAME OF THE WEEKEND
Cardinal O'Hara vs Father Judge -- Friday at Northeast
Field
Last season, this matchup was a mismatch. Kevin Jones was pretty much
good enough to beat the Crusaders by himself.
This year, the Crusaders look like a bonafide contender. Consider that they were one point
away from unseating the #3 team in the state in Neshaminy, they have set the experts
(yours truly included) on their ear. A win here gets them off to a good start in league
because O'Hara has proved to be a pretty good foe. Should be a barnburner. (Anyone whose
going to that game, e-mail me here and let me know. I'll want to find that score out as
soon as possible on Friday night.)
THE POUNDING WON'T STOP
La Salle running back/linebacker Dan Waters
was hit pretty hard on Saturday night by a member of the Moscow Patriots in what Ted calls
an exhibition game (A game is a game in my eyes, but whatever). He had his bell rung
pretty good.
Well, anyone whose ever been on the La Salle sidelines knows how the
Pep Band plays all game, and how loud that was.. The beat of the drums and the volume
started to bother Waters to the point that he had to get off the bench and walk down the
Springfield (Montco) sidelines to a more serene area.
WHAT?
Our good friend on this site, who insists on going as
anonymous as always, pointed out an excellent point this week to me.
How in the world does the Public League schedule its non-league
contest? Lottery? Some sort of dart board toss?
This week's battles include the riviting Bartram/Washington;
Frankford/West; and my favorite, Northeast/U City. Shouldn't these power schools make a
trip outside the Pub and try to find one team that's a real tester before the Pub season?
(In fairness, Frankford plays Penn Charter, a fair-to-good Inter-Ac team.)
WORST GAME OF THE WEEK
We looked high and low.... but U City/Northeast is the winner
because the Vikings could really make that score UGLY.
MY TOP FIVE PICKS OF THE WEEK (Season record 0-0)
No Public League games in the bunch until next week, once we
have a feel of where teams are at.
Judge 21, O'Hara 17
St. Joseph Prep 35, Ryan 7
Carroll 24, West Catholic 0
Bonner 35, Roman 24
UPSET SPECIAL: Downingtown 24, Malvern Prep 17
RANDOM THOUGHTS
- Bonner people, calm down: The regular season hasn't started yet, and you're
already in full lather. They are good. Very good. But don't have the parade just yet.
- St. Joseph's Prep should be congratulated for playing among the toughest non-league
schedules around. That 0-3 may look bad in September. Check back in November and see how
it looks.
- The tributes this weekend at all the games I were at were moving. But seeing Russian
kids with tears in their eyes during the signing of "God Bless America" at La
Salle/Moscow game is a sight I'll never forget for as long as I live.
THE COONEY POLL
Has been turned in to Ted, Huck, and the boys... so this
feature is now a private matter. Unless you'd really like to know what I thought.
That's it for this weekend. I'll be
on the Radio on Friday night and at La Salle/North Catholic on Sunday. My first
full-fledged game report will be posted Monday morning.
SEPT. 12
To do any of the normal goofing off that we
normally try to attain on this
website each week is not appropriate this week, so let me share a personal
thought with you and tie it into the games we play. The "Games to Watch" and
Cooney poll will return next week.
Watching the images of horror flick across the televison, there was
one
person I knew I had to call.
My grandfather is one of the true heroes in my life. A Scotsman who
came to
this country in the 1920's, he graduated from West Catholic, served as a
medic in World War II (naturalized citizens were not allowed to serve in the
regular military units at the time), became a battalion chief in the fire
department, and raised six kids through the turbulent times of the 1960s.
Since I was 12, we've held a weekly discussion on everything in life
and the
news. And when the World Trade Center's twin towers came tumbling down, and
the television talking heads compared this new American tragedy to Pearl
Harbor, I knew I had to call him.
"Chief," I said. (He hates to be called grandpop or pop-up.)
"What do you
remember about the day the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor?"
"Well son," he spoke wistfully. "We were at a West
Catholic postseason
football game at St. Joe's field out on 54th street when someone told us
about it...."
To me, everything else he said sort of faded into the background. To
me, the
first portion of that comment taught me about the bond that sports has on
most of our lives.
I'll always remember the time I went to the NCAA championship game at
the
Spectrum with my father as a six-year old. I still have the ticket hanging in
my office. March 30, 1981. Indiana over North Carolina.
It's always stuck in my mind as "The night President Reagan was
shot."
I spent my first serious time in Manhattan just two weeks ago when I went up
with two of my buddies to the see the Mets and Phillies at Shea that night.
The four things I'll always remember were Times Square, the Empire State
Building, and seeing the Twin Towers in the night heading on the train back
into North Jersey
To think that now, inside those magnificent towers are the remains of
possibly thousands of people who were killed at the hands of madmen is truly
hard to believe.
Which leads us to the question that most people who would be connected
with
this board have probably on their minds. Should local teams play any football
this weekend?
I think the Public League did the right thing for them in making this
weekend's games scrimmages. Because the Pub had not started its season yet,
and because Tuesday and Wednesday were wiped out because of school closings,
to do anything less would have put the athletes in danger of serious injury.
The Catholic and Inter-Ac League's have it a bit tougher. They have already
played. This weekend is not a league weekend, so there is some flexibility
with the schedule.
But most of these kids only missed one day. There is not the talk of
travel
difficulties that plagued the pro and college sports franchises and leagues,
who should not play this weekend because of the sensitivities involved.
To be perfectly honest, it may be the best thing for everyone who
cares. We
could use three hours of distraction. And that's not to cast a pall over the
grave circumstances in New York and Washington. But for life to return to
normal, we have to start going forward.
These have been an incredible 48 hours, hours I don't think I'll ever
forget.
But for a few hours on Friday and Saturday, we can place our problems to the
side and concentrate on enjoying kids playing a simple game for the sheer
enjoyment of the game.
Tuesday may have been the day of lost innocence for America. But this
weekend
should be the time that we regain some of that brilliance of youth.
SEPT. 5
We're starting a new feature here on the
corner. We'll give a quick glimpse
at the weekend ahead each Wednesday, with our five best picks of the week.
When the season gets going in full, we'll have some other features to add in.
BEST GAME OF THE WEEKEND
ST. JOSEPH'S PREP AT MALVERN PREP
For the Hawks to hang in there against CB West was not
unexpected, but a
welcome sight to see. Most teams faint when they cross into Doylestown's
city limits.
A lot of people are saying that Malvern Prep is the best team in the
area,
but I'll still take SJP as the top team. Gamp will have them ready, but I
like Prep by three.
It's actually the best preseason weekend, with La Salle-McDevitt and
Ryan-Wood
on the docket as well. Geez, wouldn't it be great if those four schools
played in the same league.... oh, they did? Never mind.
WHO THOUGHT OF THIS MATCHUP GAME OF THE WEEK:
PENN WOOD AT FATHER JUDGE
This is not meant as a dis on the Crusaders, who really played
well against a
Neshaminy team that's third in the state in one poll. But if you can tell me
anything about Penn Wood, you're certainly ahead of the game. Just not one of
those matchups that gets the blood boiling.
THE LIVE AWARD: (AKA LIGHTNING CRASHES)
This one is actually to a suburban team. Plymouth-Whitemarsh
played La Salle
to a tie last week, then saw the game called by lightning just as overtime
was beginning. This week, the teachers go on strike and leave coach
Joe Iacovitti with one assistant coach... what else will go wrong?
THE COONEY CITY TEN
1. St. Joseph's Prep
2. Malvern Prep
3. La Salle
4. George Washington
5. Archbishop Carroll
6. Monsignor Bonner
7. Bishop McDevitt
8. Cardinal O'Hara
9. Mastbaum
10. Father Judge (hey, they earned it)
Oh well, see ya in the paper. Or on the radio on Friday night.
AUGUST 25
Geez, I've been on this site for a year and
this is the most response I've ever gotten.
Let me set two things straight here.
1) North Catholic shouldn't be in the Red Division because they don't
get the same football turnout as Carroll, McDevitt, Wood, etc. The Falcons had 38 players
last year. Carroll's band seemed bigger at times. The league has screwed up regarding
this. I'm not saying that North is a horrible school, because it's not. I have some dear
friends at North, and honestly I hope they do well because it would be a great story. But
right now, they are carrying a pea shooter in a league ruled by cannons. The PCL should
step in and move them down, to help the school long-term.
2) With all due respect to Bonner people, answer the following
questions HONESTLY AND WITHOUT BIAS.
A) Are you definitely better than Prep?
B) Are you definitely better than La Salle?
The answer to both is probably no. Since O'Hara is the defending
champ, I don't think you can put yourself ahead of them, either, until you beat them.
There's no insult in being third or fourth in the Red. I said it's going to be an OK, but
nothing special season. In a perfect world, one team in a league has a special season and
wins it all. Of course, it's two in the PCL. But I've been wrong before. So if Bonner wins
it, I'll be wrong again. Life will go on, although Silary and McKenna will bust my
(expletives) if I am too wrong.
Meanwhile . . . . Did you ever think you'd see the day Hanlon defends
me on this website.
T-Minus one week and counting......
AUGUST 22
God, the summer has gone too quick.
Maybe it was all the craziness that took place around here between a
Phillies pennant race, the Sixers' chaos, and the whole Lindros thing being resolved
finally, but I swear that we were just wrapping up baseball season a few weeks ago.
Now, here we are, on the verge of football season.
Next Friday night, the four-month grind begins again in the Catholic
League, with the CB West-St. Joe's Prep contest taking center stage in the area spotlight.
In my mind, the two title races are between two teams in each division.
Boy, changing the league structure really helped make things more competitive, didn't it?
St. Joseph's Prep should be the overwhelming favorite in the Red
Division with the amount of starters they have returning to the fold. Whenever you start
with a unit of Kyle Ambrogi and John Connors, you're in
pretty good shape. Can they beat West next week? I wouldn't count on that, because West
has an extra week of practice and they are going to be emotional playing their first
game for new head coach Randy Cuthbert. But if there's a year to get the
Bucks, its now.
But unless Kevin Jones somehow comes back and runs
roughshod over them, they have to be the favorite to win the PCL Crown.
The contenders in the Red seem to be limited beyond that. La Salle is
the second-best squad in my mind. Ed Sabia may be the best
linebacker in the league. The Explorers have always found a way to patch holes left by
graduation. How they replace Gabe Marabella at QB will
probably determine how their season will go.
The rest of the mix from this spot looks like a mediocre mix, at best.
O'Hara will feature Mike Bucella on the line, but no Jones for him to
block for. Roman and Bonner are both all right, but nothing special. Ryan and Judge have
struggled in the new format. The Crusaders could be decent, however, if Greg
Hennigar steps back into the mix at QB and plays to his capablities. And poor
North Catholic, which shouldn't even be in this division, is going to get beat a lot.
In the Blue, its Carroll's ballgame to lose.
That team last year was one of the all-time greats. The shame of it was
that it will always carry a stigma of being "Blue Division" champions -- aka
tallest midget in the circus.
The defense will be strong again, and Maurice Stovall
is outstanding. If they play to their capabilities, they will win the Blue again. Easily.
In fact, maybe its time to bring them up to the Red and play with the big boys.
The cast of characters below them is the same as ever. McDevitt is
always the top returning contender because of its history. Wood may have the two best
offensive players returning in RB Bill Hartley and John Spinsosa.
Dougherty's Sean McGovern can throw the lights out, but if the Cards
don't get a defense, they won't contend. West Catholic has improved, but they're not ready
yet And everyone else is sort of -- well, how can I say this gently? -- really bad.
Well, that's it. Let the e-mails about how stupid I am begin. I'll
probably agree with that in a month.