On the Trail With Ted
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    Some observations, notes, etc., on the 64 games I saw during the 2000 season . . .

DEC. 2
CATHOLIC BLUE FINAL
Carroll 42, McDevitt 10
    More than a few folks in attendance must have entertained this thought when McDevitt jumped to a 10-0 lead: Are we looking at another Prep-O'Hara? Uh, no. Not even close. Yes, McDevitt came out with energy. Yes, the Lancers scored on the second play, just as O'Hara had done the night before. Yes, a very long play was involved: a 62-yard pass set up O'Hara's score, a 60-yard run by sr. QB Dave Melcher accounted for McDevitt's score. But after sr. K-P Sean Hughes added a 36-yard FG with 5:32 left in the first quarter, Carroll went to work. It scored on three of its next four possessions and mixed in a 39-yard interception return for a score by sr. RB-LB Brian Mattaway. Three of the TDs came in a period of 3 minutes, 29 seconds. The blowout was on. Sr. DE Jeff Vanak was in on four sacks. Jr. DT Pat Kelly was in on three. At one point, PA announcer Barry Kirsch noted that sr. RB Silas Moore had carried for McDevitt. A Carroll sub blurted, "What's that kid's name? Silence?" Late in the game, numerous Carroll fans were on the sideline, ready to storm the field. I've thought this for a long time and thought it again last night: Carroll players usually have the prettiest moms in the Catholic League. Am I allowed to say that? I guess so. It's my website.

DEC. 1
CATHOLIC RED FINAL
O'Hara 35, SJ Prep 10
   Well, well . . . Someone gummed up the Prep-Carroll works. Many someones, actually. Kevin Jones, the leading rusher in CL history, waved bye-bye with four TDs in three manners -- two on rushes, one on an 86-yard kickoff return, one on a leaping Hail Mary reception. He was brilliant, but Prep's fans were mistaken when they chanted, after Jones's fourth TD, "One-man team! One-man team!" Sr. QB Mike Lomas was on the money with clutch throws. Sr. DB B.J. "Butch" Hogan was around the ball all night. Sr. LB Pat Murphy helped to see to it that Prep jr. Kyle Ambrogi would not run wild. Down linemen Ryan Cannon,
Lamar Woodland and Mike Terenick (all seniors) were sturdy. The tone was set extra early as Lomas hit jr. WR Tom Convery for a 62-yard gain on the game's first scrimmage play. Privately, I told buddies that Prep had been living a little too dangerously, allowing Bonner to hang around into the fourth quarter and then falling behind La Salle on T-giving, 14-0. Yes, the Hawklets won both games, but the warning signs were there.

NOV. 9
NON-LEAGUE
Germantown 14, West Phila. 13
    I LOVE offense, but the highlight in this one was seeing seven consecutive rushing plays produce results from minus-1 yard to 1 yard. The first four came in a goal-line stand by G-town as soph L Paul Johnson made shared tackles on three of them. Then, West sr. L Terrell Roper made three consecutive solo tackles to force a punt. If that sequence happened in a Super Bowl, people would talk about it for years! G-town sr. RB Atiba Kenyatta again showed bursts and hole-finding ability. Jr. WB-WR-CB Jeffrey "J.T." King did a little bit of everything. As I walked onto the field, sr. RB Gary Jenkins said, "Hey, Mr. Ted, I want some ink today." I told him, "So does everybody else." For West, sr. WR Lamar Jones made a spectacular on-the-ground catch after G-town soph DB Taurean Fillmore tipped the ball. If this kid played for a passing Catholic League team, you would have heard of him. While working the chains, injured fresh FB David Fitzgerald saw Daily News photographer George Miller walking past. "Hey, hey, take my picture," Fitzgerald said, striking a pose with the down marker. Click! "Did you take it?" Fitzgerald said. "Yeah, " Miller said, "but it's not going in the paper." Fitzgerald said, "Oh, well. I got three more years . . . Wait, tell him to come back on Thanksgiving. I'll be playing then." Soph William Ortiz, a left-footer, was wearing sneakers when he kicked a PAT. And when he slipped and fell on his butt on the sideline, practicing punting.

NOV. 5
CATHOLIC BLUE
Wood 26, West Catholic 7
    The Burrs are still kickin' themselves over what happened on the game's first play. Star RB Abdul Sesay split wide, beat his man by three zip codes on a crossing pattern and .... dropped the pass from sr. QB Mike D'Elia. Oh, brother. D'Elia later went out with a hip pointer. Sr. L sBill "Pizza Bill" Barats yielded to knee miseries. Another guy was throwing up, almost on my sneakers. Even a West grad had problems. Head linesman Mike Hoban injured his left hamstring trying to keep up with Wood jr. WR Dave Lorditch on a 44-yard TD reception; he had to leave the game. Wood jr. QB John Spinosa has reason to be cocky. He's VERY good. Sr. HB Bill Hartley also has multiple skills. Jr. L Keary Packer, a large, thick, quick lad, was used in a full-house formation several times. He gained 15 yards on one carry. We might see more of that. West sr. TE-LB Michael Bazemore trucked some guys on two screen passes, one a middle screen. When he's running WITH the ball, he looks even bigger than his listed dimensions (6-3, 230). Penn Wood's Kerr Field is decent. I applaud the Burrs' move there. The turf is good to excellent. Soph QB Matt Rodia had to replace D'Elia. Coach Brian Fluck was hesitant to ask for much out of him, but Rodia went 4-for-4 for 43 yards. Every other guy standing along the sideline was his brother/other relation. I loved it. The Rodias have helped keep West afloat for years. Good people. Ed "Huck" Palmer was strangely absent. Some of his Boyz were present.          

NOV. 4
CATHOLIC BLUE
Dougherty 34, Conwell-Egan 13
    The Cardinals ran 80 plays -- yes, 80 -- in this showdown for a playoff spot and collected 492 yards total offense. Jr. QB Sean McGovern surpassed 2,000 yards for the season and got much of his help from sr. WR Leonard Hodges (11-148, two TDs). Sr. RB-LB Tim LeBold was a star on both sides of the ball with 92 yards and most of his team's hard hits. Sr. WR-DB-P Mickey King made the play of the night, scooping up a groundball snap in punt formation and running 40 yards for a score. After sr. handyman Eliezer Garcia capped a 15-play drive with a 10-yard scoring run, sr. lineman Matt Gregory came to the sideline and said, "I must have had eight pancake blocks on that drive." He later said, "After three years of starting, it's about time I got some." Sr. Bryan Cole, heretofore strictly the kicker, saw late-game, two-way duty at RB and CB. His two carries netted minus-4 yards. OK, so he won't lead the city in rushing. He's still a good kid. C-E's highlight was a halftime baton-twirling performance by future student Jamie Holland. She's ranked in the top 10 nationally in the elite category and has won over 500 awards. She dropped the baton once. Nobody booed. Sr. RB-LB Chris Papandrea was strong both ways. Sr. Mike Burghardt, a left-footer, punted six times for a 33-yard average and caught a late, 66-yard TD pass from sr. QB Mark Pawlowski. Jr. TE-DE Vince Salvatore and jr. LB Joe Lamina were aggressive. There are two underclass linemen with size and potential -- jr. Brad Becker (6-3, 235) and soph Matt Brazil (6-4, 230).

NOV. 4
CATHOLIC BLUE
Carroll 34, Neumann 6
    With 3:29 left in the third quarter, sr. HB Mike Larkin took a sweep right 26 yards for a TD and lifted the Patriots' season point total to 462, best in city-leagues history. Frankford had 457 in 1997. Carroll will likely play three more games (two playoffs plus Malvern on Thanksgiving). Larkin had one other TD (33-yard run) and could have had a third on a 52-yard run, but holding negated it. Sr. K Marty Higgins kicked four PAT, lifting his career point total to 152, best in city-leagues annals. O'Hara's Dan D'Orazio had 149 from 1984-87. Jr. WR Maurice Stovall made a great catch and run on a 52-yard score from sr. QB Derek Zambino. Good work ethic: Carroll rarely has to punt, but sr. Charlie Conwell constantly practices his long-snapping along the sideline. I've been having a friendly e-mail battle with sr. backup lineman Andrew Fabry over SJ Prep's aggressiveness, shall we say, at getting players. At halftime, I told assistant Lou Zambino that I was going to introduce myself to Fabry, just to say hello. Zambino then called out, "Andrew Fabry!" The kid came over. He was excited. He thought he was going in. Nah, he was just meeting me. It doesn't get much more disappointing than that. Neumann actually had much to be pleased about. Without sr. RB Pasquale "Pat" Narducci (illness), the Pirates had all kinds of trouble moving the ball. But they were tough on defense in the second half; admittedly, Carroll was largely conservative. Sr. LB Roy Pomarico made four tackles for losses in the second half alone and blocked a punt. Neumann's TD came with 4:29 left -- yes, against the first team D -- on a 14-yard pass from sr. Pat McLaughlin to sr. TE Owen McGuire. A screen pass for 19 yards to sr. scatback Devont Allen set it up.

NOV. 3
INTER-AC LEAGUE
Malvern 20, Penn Charter 19
    I don't know what the chart says, but when PC opted to kick a PAT with an 18-10 lead and 8:43 left, I thought, "That sets up the chance for a 20-19 loss." If you take one point, you do make it a two-score game. But if you make two, you assure that two scores won't beat you. Oh, well. There are arguments on both sides. The player of the game had to Malvern jr. QB Matt Skellan, who was making his FIRST varsity start in the absence of sr. Bill Corbett (broken wrist). Yes, he was nervous. But he wound up doing the job, leading his field into scoring position three times in the fourth quarter. The Friars could have had three scores, but jr. K-P Brendan Carney missed a 43-yard field goal. PC soph QB Matt Ryan was largely impressive, but his last three passes resulted in picks. As it turned out, PC's highlight was the halftime ceremony to dedicate the refurbished field/new track in honor of 1929 graduate William M. Weaver. In a short speech, Weaver mentioned that he was the only member of his class on hand. He said, "I don't know where the other people are, but I have a good idea." After receiving a PC track jersey with WEAVER on the back, he said, "This will come in handy in case I forget my name." The crowd loved him.   

NOV. 2
PUBLIC LEAGUE
Bok 20, Bartram 0
    The best competition was the booty-shakin' between the schools' cheerleaders. Bok appeared to get the best of that, too. Much starch was removed in the first six minutes as Bok scored twice on a blocked-punt return by sr. WR-RB-DB Ed Brumskill and a pass from jr. QB Kareem Jeffreys to sr. WR/DE Ramon Mills. Bartram went mostly backward on offense (or only slightly forward). It got whipped on the line and jr. QB Phillip Evans was hobbling on a bad ankle. Not a good combination. Sr. LB Nick DiPietro was as active as always. Jr. DT Tyrique Johnson made two tackles for losses. Sr. CB-RB Rodney McCarter made a vicious, heard-for-blocks hit on soph RB-KR Chironn "Goober" Davis. Mills (who else?) made the catch of the day -- leaping while double-covered and looking directly into the sun. Fellow statman Mark "Froggy" Carfagno, hanging out on Bartram's sideline (the Bok people MIGHT forgive him), exclaimed, "He didn't catch that, did he?!?!" But of course. Over time, Bartram's defense did a respectable job. Sr. L Barry Brown and jr. LB Ian Greaves were the most productive Maroon Wavers.          

OCT. 29
CATHOLIC RED
O'Hara 48, Judge 0
    My story in the Daily News was about La Salle-Bonner, but this was the game I saw. Hey, it happens sometimes. On a day when superstar sr. RB Kevin Jones gained just 48 yards, the Lions still rang up 48 points. Sr. QB Mike Lomas was confident and effective while throwing mostly to sr. WR Ryan Barksdale and jr. WR Tom Convery. Jones and sr. RB Greg Watson did excellent jobs pass-blocking. Lomas wasn't touched. The more I see Barksdale, the more I like him. He has quick feet, speed and brass. Jones, meanwhile, is now doubling as a full-time safety. He didn't get much activity, but I'm sure the Lions love knowing he's back there. Who's going to outrun him? In the second half, one of O'Hara's linemen came out of the game with a thumb injury. As the doctor treated him, the kid kept yelling, "Ow! Oooh! This hurts!" I was thinking, "What a baby!" Even after the thumb was fixed, the kid was still complaining. Even his teammates were giving him cube-busting looks and/or kidding him. I went over and said to the kid with a smile, "C'mon. It can't hurt that bad." He quickly showed me the thumb. "It's ripped from here to here. Look." There was a gash maybe a half-inch in length. It looked gross. Maybe it did hurt. O'Hara had Homecoming ceremonies. A raffle was held -- 25 cents per ticket, proceeds to the Community Service Corps -- to win field-level seats. And we do mean field-level. The winners got to sit in a sofa that was perched on the track near an end zone. Three to five girls, depending, sat in the sofa during the game. Jr. RB Pat Gallagher perhaps made the slowest long run in history, a 65-yard gain to the 1. Near the end he appeared to have a piano on his back. Immediately, Lomas ran to the sideline and said, "Just let me give it to him again, coach." Gallagher then scored and when he came to the sideline, his buddies rode him but good. "I ran out of gas," he said in the understatement of the year. For Judge, it was a rough one. Jr. QB Greg Hennigar, jr. WR Derek Talley and sr. K-P Eric Schneiderreit all were out with injuries. Jr. RB Justin O'Brien punted nine times and made six returns.     

OCT. 28
CATHOLIC RED
SJ Prep 29, Roman 13
    It was midway through the fourth quarter and The Prep was reeling. Roman led, 13-9, and sr. QB Mike McGann had just looked bad on two consecutive plays (dropping the ball on one, allowing himself to be sacked on the next). Coach Gil Brooks went onto the field for a timeout huddle and spent almost all of it giving McGann a very hard time. Then, bingo! McGann, who was into his third week of struggling with location, fired a perfect strike to jr. WR Jim Lachman and the 30-yard TD put Prep ahead. The Hawklets added two more quick scores on a 4-yard run by jr. Kyle Ambrogi (185 yards) and a 36-yard interception return by sr. DB F.J. Wesner and the end result was very deceiving. In fairness to McGann, in the second quarter he threw a beautiful bomb that was dropped by jr. WR Pete Chromiak; it should have resulted in a 77-yard score. One strange penalty killed Roman. With the deficit at 16-13, sr. TE Scott Paxson was called for being illegally downfield on a third down play; he'd been "covered" on the line of scrimmage by a wideout. Because Paxson caught the ball, the penalty was 15 yards (actually half the distance) and loss of down. Sr. QB Nick Montanez then threw an incompletion on fourth down and Prep had to drive only 11 yards to make it 22-13. Wesner's score came on Roman's next play from scrimmage. Interesting development: Prep jr. G John Connors saw some time at DT and looked good. For Roman, sr. RB-OLB-K-KR Joe McCourt was simply outstanding. He rushed for 208 yards, caught a pass for 18, had three returns for 36 and, coming from behind, made a strip on Lachman that enabled jr. DB Ryan Dopkin to make a fumble recovery. Two plays later, McCourt raced 64 yards for a TD. Keeping step was Paxson (6-4, 240), who's Penn State bound. Normally a DE, he played some MLB. More than once, he showed hard-to-believe lateral quickness to make solo tackles on Ambrogi. Ex-Roman coach Danny Algeo was on hand, as were several members of the '99 title squad. Who left the freezer open? It was COLD.            

OCT. 28
CATHOLIC BLUE
Carroll 27, McDevitt 0
    Most people were thinking going in, If anybody can give Carroll a game, it's McDevitt. Uh, no. The Lancers did not get blitzed, but neither did they present a serious challenge. They were held to minus-28 yards rushing and 16 total and their only good play was a 35-yard completion from sr. QB David Melcher to jr. Rec. Mark Finley. Sr. DE Jeff Vanak, sr. DT Mario Troia and sr. LBs Brian Mattaway and Drew Shaw helped Carroll notch 14 tackles for losses (counting sacks) and five more for no gain. Because the Patriots were not able to run roughshod, sr. QB Derek Zambino, a lefty, had to do more than hand off. I was impressed. Despite a very strong wind, Zambino often was on target and could have had a banner day if not for some drops. Jr. WR Maurice Stovall twice made reach-high, all-hands catches in traffic. This guy can PLAY. Among the observers was Temple assistant Blair Thomas, the former Frankford all-timer. An example of Carroll's depth: sr. HB Mike Larkin briefly departed because of a cramp. Sr. Bob Reed went in and immediately ripped off a 20-yard gain. For McDevitt, sr. LB Donny Watkins was poppin' all game. At TE, he also had the difficult assignment of trying to block Vanak.        

OCT. 27
PUBLIC LEAGUE
Northeast 14, Washington 6
    Northeast won, but lost. To make the playoffs, barring some unexpected help next week (if there is a next week), the Vikings needed to win by 11 points. Sr. K Steve Josephson has the leg to make a 38-yard field goal, but coach Brew Schumer, concerned about snap and hold problems, decided to go for it on fourth-and-inches in the last minute. Jr. RB Darien Hardy was stopped short. Referee Tom McClain refused to allow a measurement -- it was definitely short -- and was berated by the NE fans. After the game, McClain turned to them, smiled and waved sarcastically. Earlier, some NE fans had cursed out Schumer for ordering three straight passes; they obviously didn't know the gotta-win-by-11 situation. The best performance was turned in by jr. NG Londale Walden. He made tackles literally sideline to sideline. Sr. LB Tony Fardella also was strong and sr. DE Noel Nation several times made tackles for losses. NE's offense never got started, though Nation, the QB, did run 12 yards for a TD on a play where he masterfully faked a pitchout to sr. RB Brent Grimes. For Washington, soph Marcus Kennedy got his first start at QB. He showed decent feet and a good presence; expect more option plays as time goes on. Sr. K Roger Price hammered two FGs, and his 37-yarder would have been good from much, much longer. Sr. LB Terrance Young made six tackles at or behind the line. NE sr. T Cameron Murphy (6-3, 310) did not stop talking and encouraging while watching his team play defense. I mean, NON-STOP! This kid is either wacko or the all-time team player. I'll go for the latter.     

OCT. 26
PUBLIC LEAGUE
Dobbins 20, Gratz 0
    Maybe it was because the scent of a strike was in the air. Maybe it was because not much was happening. Maybe I was just tired. Whatever the reason, my mind was drifting big-time during this tilt and that almost never happens. The offenses did very little. The hitting wasn't too crips. It's frustrating to watch a talented QB not get enough blocking and/or have balls dropped on him. So it was for Dobbins sr. QB Michael Baldwin. He still had some good moments, thanks to jr. WR Barren Grier. Soph RB-LB Lateef Ferguson is becoming more and more of a factor. The Mustangs received defensive TDs from jr. DE Alfort DeJesus (strip and recovery in end zone) and sr. LB Cameron Jones (fumble return). For Gratz, sr. Wallace Johnson was aggressive at strong-side LB and punted well, too. Sr. QB-DB-KR Rakiem Smith had a rough day. He lost the fumbles that resulted in the defensive TDs and he lost a 77-yard kickoff return TD to a holding call. After Baldwin threw a TD pass, a fan bellowed, "Get that man in the newspapers!" With 0:55 left, Dobbins was penalized five yards on offense because DeJesus, a tackle, was not wearing a number between 50 and 79. No kidding. He's worn No. 90 all season. Note to refs: Work on those powers of observation. Gratz's helmets have white face masks. Some of the players have used red tape to make fancy designs. It's GREAT to see that Marcus Foster Memorial Stadium remains graffiti-free.

OCT. 21
CATHOLIC RED
Ryan 33, Judge 13
    Ryan has had many down moments this season, but the Raiders looked fine to me. They were aggressive and smart and coach Glen Galeone even threw in some offensive tricks -- a hook-and-lateral that went for a TD (with sr. Keith Roemhild on the back end) and a pass by Roemhild to sr. QB Nick Pinto, who made the game's best catch (sprawling forward). Ryan has two large linemen. Sr. T Ken Fallon is 6-8, 285. Jr. DL Dave Quaintance is 6-5, 250. Both are respectable. Both need to put a tiger in their tanks. Sr. WR-DB-P Joe Dumas was outstanding. He made an interception by leaping high to tip the ball, and then he controlled it one-handed and gathered it into his belly. Dumas also blocked a punt and soph DL Dan Diehl recovered for a TD. For Judge, jr. QB Greg Hennigar was unavailable with a bum shoulder and sr. WR Mike Gimpel went out early with a pelvis injury. Soph QB Mike Eaton did a respectable job, especially on short patterns. Sr. WR Derek Talley was quite sure-handed, but his lack of speed prevented what could have been some long gains. Dr. DT Mark Dickson (neck injury vs. Bonner) was back in action. Ex-Judge coach Whitey Sullivan was among the observers. He has been battling health miseries.

OCT. 21
PUBLIC LEAGUE
Lincoln 30, Overbrook 0
    Ah, nothing like a Pub morning game between two teams with no emotional attachment. Right before the start, PA man John Constantine welcomed "this magnificent crowd." There were 23 people in the stands. The attendance later swelled to maybe 200. Sr. QB Andre Coles (6-4, 185; he looks taller) threw many nice balls. He's raw, but not bad. Sr. WR's James Sealy and Derrick Williams had their moments. Sr. Shahfin Timmons did not get many carries, so he delivered licks at CB. Sr. C Rajene Colson is 6-3, 255, with very long arms. He can run, too. When I asked him why he doesn't play both ways, he said, "I get winded too easy." My advice: Do something about that. You have potential. Jr. T-DT Christian Lippolos (6-4, 320) is savvy and strong. My advice for him: Buy a jump rope. He needs to improve his footwork. When Lincoln's offense was on the field, the cheerleaders chanted, "Shut 'em out, Lincoln, shut 'em out." Back from an injury, two-way sr. L Mike Panarello was very motivated. He kept slapping himself in the helmet. Best nickname of the season: Lincoln sr. DE Yuman "You the Man" Jones. Sub RB Hector Cosme (5-7, 145) is popular with his teammates. They loved his late 26-yard run. Overbrook's best player was fr. RB Anthony Moorehead, who ran hard. On a would-be punt, up-man Nafis Washington took the snap and absolutely trucked a Lincoln defender. 'Brook coach Ken Sturm said the players met at school at 7:45 to get ready for the 10 o'clock game.

OCT. 20
PUBLIC LEAGUE
Dobbins 27, Central 26
    Dobbins is still very young, but rapid progress is being made. Soph RB-K Khalif Boldin is very promising (he even shows ability as a K-P), as is soph T Ronald Blue (6-4, 300). Sr. FB-LB Cameron Jones, a bruiser, looks even larger than his listed 6-1, 235. Sr. QB-S Michael Baldwin had an off day on defense, twice failing to make tackles that could have prevented TDs. On offense, he was victimized by a few drops, but did have success on straight-ahead passes to jr. Rec. Kevin Hinton, who was continually left unguarded. Jr. DE-LB Jason Woodson made some enthusiastic stops. Central was often out of sync. Guys kept slipping, dropping the ball, going down to single tacklers. It was strange, considering what was at stake. Jr. RB Munir Nuriddin was impressive on a 50-yard TD run, starting to his right and then scoring in the left corner of the end zone. Central's field is already largely devoid of grass in the middle. Coach Frank Conway Jr. said his varsity and JV practice on one half while field hockey practices on the other. Also, there are many youth games on weekends.       

OCT. 19
PUBLIC LEAGUE
Bok 41, West Phila. 6
    Not much of a contest, folks. Bok scored early and often. I knew coach Tom DeFelice would find a way to get the ball to franchise sr. WR Ramon Mills more often after he had no touches against Central last week until late in the fourth quarter. Boom! Right away, Mills carried twice for big gains on wingback reverses. He'll do more receiving nexct week when jr. QB Kareem Jeffreys returns from the DL (high blood pressure). Mills frolicked at DE, though twice he was knocked to the ground by West jr. E Elijah Cosby-James (how strong must that kid be). Bok received good line play while sr. Rodney McCarter and jr. Kevin Cheely ran hard. A word about sr. QB-WR-DB Ed Brumskill: He has legs like a bird, but what heart and aggressiveness! I love watching him play. Jr. L-LB Shawn Jeter kicked a PAT against the wind and got an interception off a tipped ball. Bok sr. E Ron Kenney, an outstanding catcher in baseball, like the Mets in six in the World Series. "Because they beat up on my Cardinals," he said. Jeffreys helped out by the working the down marker. Late, when Bok lost yardage on two successive plays, he said, "I thought I was supposed to go forward with this thing." For West, aside from Cosby-James, good efforts were turned in by sr. RB Rahkeem Styer-James (what's with the hyphenated names ending in James?) and sr. WR-DE Lamar Jones. Jones wears No. 84 and did some chirping, apparently, because the Bok players were derisively calling Randy Moss. When I asked West coach John R. Lay what had happened to one of the promising members of last year's team, he said, "He became a menace to society. He's in jail now."

OCT. 15
CATHOLIC RED
SJ Prep 40, O'Hara 27
    Why do good games have to end? Why can't there be a fifth quarter, or even a sixth? I had nowhere to go. Why didn't  they just keep playing? This was a classic. Overflow crowd. Great performances. Lots of energy. Prep jr. RB Kyle Ambrogi upstaged O'Hara all-timer Kevin Jones with 322 yards and four TDs and even threw for a score. He gave maximum effort on every carry. Many of his best runs came on draws. Jones had much less operating room, but was also impressive. He especially dazzled on a 62-yard TD with a screen pass. Prep sr. QB Mike McGann struggled with location for the second game in a row. Sr. DB Paris Farrell did an excellent lock-on job on O'Hara sr. WR Ryan Barksdale. O'Hara's best performance belonged to soph DB Craig Haywood. He flies to the ball, has good hands (two interceptions) and can run. He's listed as a QB on the roster; maybe we'll see him there next year. The Prep's wacky students were out in force. They had their own pregame pep rally on a field behind the stands, then made a grand entrance. This time they ALL watched the game. (They were upset that I pointed out last week how many didn't pay the greatest attention during the Judge game) Prep AD Jim Murray said he asked O'Hara officials to move the game to a larger stadium, so more could watch in comfort, but the O'Hara folks flat-out declined. O'Hara's 1980 CL champs were honored at halftime. Kudos to then-assistant Mike "Stump" Coyne, Bonner's coach. He had the brass to wear a Bonner hat, and he tipped it when he was introduced.      

OCT. 14
CATHOLIC BLUE
McDevitt 16, Wood 13 (OT)
    Kickers are loopy. I say that with fondness as a former K-P. Before OT started, McDevitt sr. K-P Sean Hughes, sensing a FG might be necessary, said with a smile, "If this goes through, I wanna be in the paper ... I'm just kidding." After Wood failed on its possession, McDevitt faced fourth-and-goal at the 6. Hughes trotted on, walked to a spot 20 yards behind McDevitt's huddle, crouched down like a catcher, removed his helmet, blessed himself, rejoined his teammates and calmly hammered a 23-yarder to end it. The Lancers hadn't scored since the first quarter. Except for sr. DB David Melcher and soph DE Brandon Edwards, McDevitt had no headliners. Melcher, also a part-time QB, and Edwards flashed to the ball sideline to sideline. First Edwards (on the second-half kickoff) and then Melcher (on a reception a few minutes later) absolutely BLASTED Wood sr. Bill Hartley. Sr. RB Silas Moore, out since the La Salle game with a high ankle sprain, saw limited duty; he still has a noticeable limp. For Wood, sr. DT Keary Packer was very good throughout and sometimes great. Jr. DE Brian Gallagher, sr. LB Keith Phillips and jr. CB Dave Lorditch also had some positive moments. The Vikings used sr. Matt Leahy and jr. John Spinosa at QB. People have been telling me great things about Spinosa. He was injured in the opener and has been used part-time at QB since his return. He appears to have the goods.

OCT. 14
INTER-AC LEAGUE
Malvern 31, Episcopal 7
It was Homecoming at Malvern and the seniors were honored. The ceremony lasted maybe, oh, 50 seconds. The Friars have just four -- QB Bill Corbett, RB-DB Pat Clary and sub linemen Nick Orman and Joe Gentile. Corbett had an effective day, passing for three scores and running for one. Jr. RB Michael Treston had a number of second-effort runs. On one pass play, jr. Rec. Chris Emper was so open so early he yelled "Bill!!" in Corbett's direction to make sure he wouldn't go unnoticed. The connection went for 21 yards. Jr. K-P Brendan Carney (6-4, 185) plastered a 40-yard field goal. The goalposts appeared to be 30 feet high. The ball was about 27 feet high as it zipped through. His PAT kicks went to the back of the track. At halftime, it was nice to see two guys I covered -- QB Pat Van Horn ('79) and Rec.-DB Barkley Sample ('81), son of ex-Jet Johnny Sample -- inducted into the school's Athletic Hall of Fame. Celebrity spotting: Lisa Thomas-Laury. Her son, Leland Laury, is a freshman SE-DB for Episcopal. Said trainer John Smith: "By the time he's a junior, maybe we'll be on Action News every night." Very late, when backups galore were on the field, Malvern jr. DE Andrew Kossuth hurried jr. QB Brian Shanahan, forcing an interception. "You don't know how much I'm going to hear about THAT tonight," said Episcopal assistant Tom Kossuth, Andrew's dad. Early, Episcopal's Person brothers, sr. Fran (6-7, 220) and jr. Joe (6-4, 205), did well as bookend DE's. But Fran had to sit down due to illness. Churchmen franchise Mike McGillian, a sr. FB-DB, could not get untracked rushing, but did he ever smack people on defense. A true player.

OCT. 13
PUBLIC LEAGUE
Central 22, Bok 14
    Beautiful weather usually means lots of offense and only mild hitting. Not this time. The popping lasted from beginning to end and it was intense. For Central, the hardest hitters were sr. LB Ronnie Allen and sr. NG Tyreek Cunningham (he has some impressive upper arms). For Bok, sr. Ramon Mills, normally a DB, was often lining up on the line of scrimmage. Like always, he was crushing people, literally picking 'em up and throwing 'em down. Jr. Shawn Jeter also played for keeps. Central's option offense is clicking better and better as the season goes on, thanks to the skill of sr. QB Teddy Lipford, a three-year starter, and the blocking/running of sr. Everett Lee. I also liked the aggressiveness of sr. linemen Andrew Furtak and Chuck Wenger. Bok was missing jr. QB Kareem Jeffreys, who has been battling high blood pressure. His absence meant sr. WR Ed Brumskill again had to play QB (for the third time in five games) and that limited Bok's possibilities. Mills, the city's most dangerous receiver, did not get the ball in his hands until the waning moments. As much as I liked this game, some of the enjoyment was removed by having to listen to Bok's coaches complain, at high volume, about almost every single call. Head referee Nick Raimo twice had to stop the action and attempt to calm down coach Tom DeFelice and aides. A flag would have done the trick nicely. Yes, the officiating was sometimes questionable. But the nonstop bitching got old and it had to detract from the focus the coaches were able to put to actual X's and O's. Bok's coaches know I respect them. They also know this: They went overboard in this one. At one point, all four Bok coaches were yelling about a facemask penalty that wasn't called against Central. A small Central kid working the chains muttered under his breath, "I guess it's a shame there's no instant replay, huh?" Good thing nobody heard him. Nobody from Bok, anyway. PL games routinely feature many fewer plays than CL games (for several reasons). But in this one, the fourth quarter included 34 scrimmage plays.      

OCT. 12
PUBLIC LEAGUE
Bartram 40, Univ. City 8
    It took much too long to coach Frank "Roscoe" Natale's way of thinking (he muttered throughout a lackluster first half, "This is a disgrace. I can't believe this"), but the Maroon Wave eventually rolled. Sr. RBs Antoine King and Shannon Booker each topped 100 yards and jr. QB Phillip Evans was consistent while completing most of his passes. Bartram showed some interesting formations. A few times, King lined up as a single back, then went in motion, leaving Evans back there by himself. Another time, Davis was close to Evans and wound up taking a slow, high snap. "That wasn't supposed to happen," said assistant Chris DeFelice. Impossible, but it happened: UC was called for roughing the passer on a running play (Evans was crunched after making a pitchout on an option). Bartram had about 15 cheerleaders and the crowd was decent. AD Dennis Sheedy said students paid $1 for tickets and were excused at 2 o'clock, so they could walk the eight blocks to the field and be settled in by gametime. "Hopefully, the principal will let us do this again. It went well," Sheedy said. As a whistle sounded to end the first half, a Bartram player said, "Is that halftime? Good. I gotta take a pi--." For UC, sr. WR Quinton Singletary made a great catch of a deflected pass from sr. Troy Berry and went 40 more yards for a 69-yard TD. Later, sr. WR William Parker (UC MUST get this kid the ball more often) made an even better catch off a deflection. Jr. Rodney Williamson (5-10, 300) made some tough stops at DT.        

OCT. 7
CATHOLIC RED
SJ Prep 29, Judge 0
    This won't be the week to be a Hawklet. Coach Gil Brooks will be kickin' butt in practice after a largely lackluster effort. Not even the students were interested. Most stood on the track and talked and did not pay attention to the game. The Prep did not break through until 1:35 remained in the half, when jr. RB-KR Kyle Ambrogi raced 83 yards on a punt return. Sr. QB Mike McGann struggled all night, finishing 1-for-12. He did run 60 yards on a keeper, though, until being dumped by hustling jr. DB Dan Graf. Sr. OLB Sean Heenan paced the defense with 11 tackles, an interception and the hit of the night on crossing-the-middle jr. RB Justin O'Brien. He also punted well (mostly). Tiny WR Andrew Chaiken, a jr., provided some late-game excitement on reverses and one went for a 12-yard TD. Also, soph RB Patrick Kaiser, also the K, zoomed 83 yards for a score. Judge, which has maybe four players who would start for The Prep, was gritty. On The Prep's first series, there were three consecutive plays that resulted in losses -- sr. DL Joe Montanye was responsible for two of them. Sr. DL Joe Keepsey also was outstanding. Practicing his punting into one of those kicking contraptions, sr. Eric Schneiderreit thumped the football into the top bar and the whole thing collapsed in a heap. Assistant Chris "Scooter" Ellis thought about putting it back together, then said, "He did it. I'll wait until he gets back here." PA announcer Joe Henigan likes to slightly more than hum along when the band plays the school song. He goes, "Da, da, da, DA, da, da, DA, da ... " Hard to be off key.       

OCT. 7
NON-LEAGUE
Germantown Academy 26, Trinity 7
    The original plan was to go from Germantown/Roxborough (report below) to Ryan-Bonner. But there's no fast way from G-town's field to Washington, Ryan's occasional home field, and I didn't want to miss part of the game. So, GA it was. Trinity, from the Harrisburg area, was well-coached, but GA had more players. Sr. RB Alex Smith, who still has a tender knee, rushed hard. After he got caught from behind on a 51-yard gain, I asked him, "Are you 100 percent yet?" He said, "Until that run, I thought I was. I couldn't accelerate." Sr. WR Chris Jordan had an interesting game. Usually VERY surehanded, he dropped two passes. But he also had some nice catches and did a 360 to free himself for yardage tight to the sideline. Also, he chased down a Trinity ballcarrier and made a quick swipe at the ball, knocking it loose at about the 8. Another Shamrock recovered in the end zone for a TD. Look what I found: sr. LB Brendan Kelly rumbled 39 yards for a TD when Trinity botched a reverse and the ball popped into Kelly's arms. Jr. Ryan Winters had a big-time hit on kickoff coverage. Sr. Brad Morgan kicked two FG's and sent a coffin corner kick out at the 4. Sr. Ryan Belmont (6-4, 220) had some moments at T-DE. Sr. DT Steve Sarnocinski and sr. LB Vaughn Downes were the most physical defenders. Freshman Joe Matteo, listed as a RB-LB, is the hardest worker on the sidelines. He charts every play for the offense and defense.

OCT. 7
PUBLIC LEAGUE
Germantown 60, Roxborough 20
    Is it possible for a team to quietly score 60 points? The answer is yes. It seemed as though the Bears rang up 40, not 60. They posted 453 yards total offense and 44 more on returns for 497. Sr. RB Atiba Kenyatta is becoming dangerous. He had speed and moves. Now he also appears to have confidence. Sr. RB Nasir Sadat, who looks much heavier than his listed 215, did some bruising, especially after Roxborough decided it no longer had an interest in tackling. Sr. QB Paul Thomas gunned a perfect bomb to sr. Jarad Dillard for a 50-yard score. Sr. T Julius Grant, listed at 360, is gradually getting into better shape. He and sr. T Juan Rodriguez (285 pounds) moved people at will.  For Roxborough, soph RB-KR Curtis Brinkley was The Truth. Spectacular moves, speed and balance. His first appearance, he gave a defender a classic shoulder-dip fake and sped 65 yards from scrimmage. He later added kickoff return TDs of 80 and 87 yards. Can you tell I'm foaming at the mouth over this kid? From what I'm told, he tore up various youth leagues. Before Roxborough white-flagged it on defense, sr. LB Floyd Coley and sr. DB Jeremiah Harrison made most of the tackles. In time, jr. linemen Kyle Rider (6-5, 265) and Richard Cheek (6-3, 260) and soph lineman Carlton Taft (6-3, 250) might become players.

OCT. 6
PUBLIC LEAGUE
Washington 17, Frankford 0
    I expected a good game, but very early, I could see that Washington's players and coaches were extremely excited and feared the Pioneers not at all. Coach Ron Cohen added to that tone early in the second quarter when he decided to go for it on fourth-and-inches at the Washington 19. A procedure penalty prevented the daring attempt from occurring. Still, the thought was there. Some of the Eagles' best players are juniors -- RB-DB Ryan Gore, TE-DB Kyle Bell, RB-LB Maurice Bennett. I also liked soph DT Jameel McClain. He could become a franchise. Sr. Roger Price did some booming on punts and kicks. Tough moment: sr. C Dennis Wright dislocated his left ankle; as in his foot was basically dangling. PA man Andy Folino announced that a car was partially blocking the gate and would have to be moved so the rescue vehicle could enter the field. Frankford assistant Rasheed Muhammad went running out of the stadium. He later said sheepishly, "You know whose car that was, right?" Frankford QB Lacey Lancaster throws lefthanded, but punts rightfooted. Frankford rotated three guys at nose guard -- 355-pound Job Lawson, 165-pound Adam Hartman and 145-pound Stephen Skinner. Many of Frankford's fans departed with half the fourth quarter remaining.

OCT. 5
PUBLIC LEAGUE
Franklin 13, King 6
    It was very strange to attend a game at 29th and Chalmers and not see the rickety, unsafe stands on EITHER side. In time, a beautiful facility will be there. Now it's just the field. Franklin received some hard running from RB Jermaine "Beanie" Smith and jr. QB Aleem Medley threw a perfect pass to sr. RB Maurice Samuels for a score. Soph DE Bryant Jennings was in on two sacks. Roly-poly sr. T-DT Tyrone Coffey surprisingly moved pretty well and was a fan favorite. Sr. CB Chris Paulin had two good pops. Franklin coach Allen Rushing said he wants to have a nickname. Noting that King's coach is Damond "Smash" Warren, Rushing said, "Make me 'Crash.'" New chains and a down marker were on hand. No more marking the ball with a crutch. Late, Franklin had three straight procedure penalties. On the third, jr. C Kevin Dodson was the only Electron NOT to move. He didn't snap the ball, either. King, having troubles at RB, ran flanker reverses to sr. Saladin Ebo five times. Sr. MG Dennis Goslee and sr. DL Tariq Trice, formerly a LB, were the most physical Cougars. Warren was often WAY out on the field while coaching. Any second, I thought he was going to play safety.

OCT. 1
CATHOLIC RED
Bonner 33, Judge 0
    There's no rooting in sportswriting, but I must admit I felt happy to see Bonner coach Stump Coyne experience some joy after 13 consecutive losses. I was even happier to see the vast amount of class shown by Coyne and his entire staff after Judge DT Mark Dickson suffered a neck injury (see story in Daily News). Game stuff: Jr. WR Kevin LeSage made at least three highly impressive catches and sr. QB John Port was on the money all day. Late, jr. RB Paul Kollhoff had a few nice scampers. For Judge, jr. QB Greg Hennigar was subpar. High, low, outside, inside. He was all over the place. The Crusaders' MVP was sr. P Eric Schneiderreit, who hit some boomers.   

SEPT. 30
CATHOLIC RED
SJ Prep 23, La Salle 0
    You gotta love atmosphere and this one had it. The Prep and La Salle are natural (hated?) private school rivals with big followings among students/alumni. There was an overflow crowd at Plymouth-Whitemarsh and The Prep kids, especially, put on quite a show (no shirts, painted faces, clever chants, etc.). The game? Disappointing. La Salle was held to minus-3 yards in the first half and never got rolling. Sr. QB Gabe Marabella was sacked eight times and sr. LB Sean Heenan, in particular, made his life miserable by flying across the line of scrimmage pretty much unimpeded. Sr. LB Adam Hepp and jr. DT Tim Giangiulio also were sack-happy. Jr. WR Pete Chromiak was totally focused while making catches for two long gains on fade patterns and the passes from sr. QB Mike McGann had perfect arc/touch. On a couple of short patterns, though, McGann's rocket throws gave his receivers trouble. Chromiak juggled on a 17-yard TD, but stayed with the ball and made the catch lefthanded an inch from the grass. Jr. RB Kyle Ambrogi was his ever-tough self. For La Salle, sr. DT Nate Moss and jr. LB's Mike Graham and Ed Sabia had some success, sr. RB Ryan Parfitt displayed some second half slipperyness and, and, and ... Sorry folks, that was it for the 'Splorers. Oh, sr. E-DB Tom Gorman did show high velocity on his long snaps, but he had to leave the game after his shoulder popped out of place, twice. La Salle wore blue pants. Coach Joe Colistra said it's a return to the mid-1960s. "We wore blue pants," he said. "For the new century, we figured we'd go back to them." Here's hoping they don't bring Phillies blue-hat luck. Best chant from The Prep kids, when the score hit 23-0: "We're not Russian! We're not Russian!"

SEPT. 29
NON-LEAGUE
Neumann 27, West Catholic 0
    You know it's West-Neumann when before the game a Neumann assistant is tongue-lashing an injured West player for some perceived transgression that occurs during warmups. Also, you know you're using a city facility when no one shows up to open the gates and the neighbors cut holes in the fence to get in (it might have been the people associated with a grade-school game; it started earlier). With the locker rooms and bathrooms unavailable, the phrase of the day was, "Be careful where you walk." The referees had to change into their uniforms standing next to their cars. Umpire Terry Moore said, "You've got to put this in the paper." Hey, what about the website? Surprisingly, Neumann dominated. Its defense was active and well-positioned. West star sr. RB Abdul Sesay had nowhere to go and sr. QB Mike D'Elia almost got maimed by a series of blind-side sacks -- sr. DL Tom Nardini (5-6, 190), jr. DL Chris Scott-Peters and sr. LB Ed Jeffery mostly did the honors. QB Pat McLaughlin had a nice game for the Buccos, passing for three TDs and running for one. Jr. WB-Rec. Michael Moody caught two TD passes. On one he had to reach high in the exact middle of the field, completely exposing his body. No alligator arms here, folks. Moody made a wonderful catch. West at times looked disorganized on offense, with people running onto and off the field at the last moment. There was no cohesion. A Notre Dame assistant was at West Friday to check up on sr. TE-LB Michael Bazemore.        

SEPT. 29
NON-LEAGUE
Olney 26, Edison 16
    It never fails. You go to see Olney, ask for a roster and coach Hugh MacDonough never, ever has one. Plus, he always acts amazed that anyone would want one. The assistants promised to have one ready by next week. I have faith, sorta. Olney is still using an everybody-tight, double-wing offense in which almost every run is a counter or inside reverse. Very strange to watch. Sr. David Williams had early success, turning his first two carries into TDs of 38 and 30 yards. Soph RB Larry Turner could become a star. The best non-ballcarrier appeared to be T-LB Marques Coney; seriously put together and could run a little. Sr. DB Zedic Nickerson controlled the back line. Olney's groundskeeper, in trying to do something nice, put numbers on the field at 10-yard intervals. But somehow he wound up with "40" at the 40 and "40" again at the 35. In the first half, Olney's cheerleaders worked from the stands to the accompaniment of a four-piece drum-and-no-bugle corps. It looked like a scene from "The Longest Yard." Olney's new principal, Johnny Vann, almost made the NFL and is very FB friendly. He's also no nonsense. He had police eject two kids for cursing. For Edison, franchise sr. RB-LB Timothy King absorbed and dished punishment all game long. He made a clothesline/shoulder-smash tackle on sr. RB-QB Eric Winters that had EVERYBODY in attendance going nuts. Sr. WR Jose Pagan showed superb concentration on a fly-pattern catch that netted a 75-yard gain.

SEPT. 28
NON-LEAGUE
Frankford 33, King 0
    From the middle of the second quarter on, Frankford cruised against a team that came in with high hopes and a 2-0 mark. Sr. Shawn Williams (250 lbs.) and jr. Marcus Waddy (140 lbs.) are alternating at FB. I can't imagine there are too many places in the country where a change at a position results in a 110-pound gain or loss. Skyscraper/widebody Job Lawson (6-11, 355) is now being used at NG. He had some good moments and his teammates are now starting to believe in him and provide encouragement. Another giant, 6-5, 325-pound jr. Tracy Williams, was sturdy at OT-DT. Name to remember: Michael Humbert, a 6-5, 240-pound soph. I liked what I saw in his brief DE appearance. After sr. RB Gil McCloud high-stepped the last 5 yards on a 14-yard TD run, he was confronted by coach Tom Mullineaux. "No dancing," he said. "You do that again, you'll be here with me." Sr. G Michael Dolbow made a perfect downfield block on a TD run by sr. RB Taron Freeman. Will Bromley kicked a 27-yard FG that was negated by a penalty. King could have fashioned a much different outcome if WR Saladin Ebo's 62-yard TD run on a reverse had not been nullified by a penalty. The Cougars were only down, 7-0, at the time. Hustle Award: With King down, 33-0, sr. Chris Smith made a headlong dive in an attempt to block a PAT. Also, on Frankford's final play, sr. MG Dennis Goslee used his quick hands to reach across and slap the ball away from Frankford's backup center an instant after the snap. He then recovered. Ex-King coach Bob Ferber was in attendance along with ex-Bartram coach Tom Bazis. Bazis is a master woodcarver and makes chairs/tables for some of the world's richest people. He also tells great stories. Ferber occasionally raises his eyebrows, but mostly believes his good buddy.    

SEPT. 24
CATHOLIC RED
O'Hara 62, North Catholic 0
    Is the carnage complete? Can I uncover my eyes? O'Hara did almost everything right. North, playing without four two-way starters (disciplinary reasons), was outmanned and awful. The Lions could have scored 100, as they could have in their opener with Springfield Delco. Sr. RB Kevin Jones, back from injury (ankle) and illness, was still slightly tentative in the first half. But in the second half, on a 1-yard TD run, he delivered a good pop on a would-be tackler and screamed as he returned to the sideline, "I'm back!!" On his second TD run, he straight-armed a guy to the turf at about the 10 and then leaned slightly to the right, when he didn't have to, to crunch a guy at the goal line. I would not want to try to tackle him next weekend. Sr. QB Mike Lomas, given lots of time, made on-target deliveries. Sr. WR-KR Ryan Barksdale showed concentration and good moves. On defense, soph Craig Haywood is now starting at safety. All he did was flash to the ball again and again in the fashion of sr. DB B.J. "Butch" Hogan and return an interception 97 yards for a score. He also made a leaping deflection to keep Hogan from getting an interception. In the middle of the fourth quarter, I saw freshman RB Anthony Heygood walking up and down the sideline with a football tucked under his arm. "I'm going in. I have to be ready," he said. Thanks to the running clock, he never did get to carry the ball. When jr. G Pat Sweeney pulled up and drew a procedure penalty, coach George Stratts yelled out, "Sweeney! Shame on you!" Players and assistants alike tried to stifle laughter. As the game began, there were 19 people in North's stands. Trainer Jimmy Ditro had just emptied the Gatorade jug because maybe 50 bees were attached to it. Things went downhill from there.     

SEPT. 23
CATHOLIC BLUE
McDevitt 35, Dougherty 12
    I planned all week on seeing the West/Conwell-Egan game, but changed my mind late Saturday afternoon. Something was drawing me to Northeast for McDevitt-Dougherty. The game itself was lopsided, but Dougherty jr. QB Sean McGovern put on a show, passing for a CL record 379 yards. Sr. WR's Leonard Hodges (11-192) and Mickey King (5-116) also were impressive. Both made high-concentration catches on sideline patterns. Hodges thrived on middle screens and crossing patterns. Like the last time I saw Dougherty, sr. LB Tim LeBold and jr. DE James Jefferson (I can't imagine anyone is quicker going after the passer) were special. They got a little help this time from jr. DE Albert Davis; he had a few serious pops. McDevitt stuck almost exclusively with the run, as seniors Donny Watkins, Pat Tuffy and Ben Monroe and jr. Chris Smith had all kinds of fun. The line featured C Tony Colletti, G's Luke Erb and Dave Parks, T's Brian O'Meara and Adam Gullotti and TE's Mark Finley and Jeff Beach. The first three are seniors. The others are juniors. Sr. K-P Sean Hughes told me he stinks at punting. Not quite. He averaged 43 yards. Three weeks into its season, McDevitt is still using two QB's, sr. David Melcher and jr. Bill Holden. It's a tough call because both have good moments. Holden is the better passer. In succession on Dougherty's sideline, I saw McGovern, sr. K Bryan Cole and sr. L Matt Gregory remove their helmets. All have red hair. Said Cole: "If they'd let me play wideout, we'd have The Redheaded Connection." Before calling out the winning 50-50 number, the PA announcer said, "I don't know how much is in the envelope, but it feels pretty heavy."

SEPT. 23
CATHOLIC BLUE
Wood 24, Neumann 12
    The Vikings also have a QB situation; not quite a controversy. Jr. John Spinosa, who's highly touted, played defense and made brief appearances at QB in returning from an injury. But sr. Matt Leahy did look competent. I especially liked his touch on short passes and ability to lob the ball just over the hands of defenders to receivers (mostly Bill Hartley) coming out of the backfield. He's also a decent runner. (I'll try to add more about Wood after checking some facts. There were no rosters available). For Neumann, sr. RB Pasquale "Pat" Narducci showed good bob-and-weave ability and always ran hard. I dug the bright orange batting gloves worn by sr. WR Steve Schiavo, who's all of 5-6, 115 lbs. He took some hard hits and bounced right up, though at one point I heard him mutter, "See that ambulance over there? I'll be in it soon." The most energetic, productive defender was sr. OLB Roy Pomarico. Jr. QB Pat McLaughlin left with a shoulder ding. Jr. Ed Lego replaced him.   

SEPT. 22
NON-LEAGUE
Bok 35, Germantown 22
    The Wildcats mostly had their way in the rematch of the '99 PL title game. Sr. RB Rodney McCarter showed speed on sweeps and his blockers got him to, and around, the corner with very few touches, let alone legitimate attempts at tackles. McCarter also had a big-time hit on a kick returner. Jr. QB Kareem Jeffreys, back from a medical problem, was efficient while being asked to do little. Lineman Shawn Jeter nailed a PAT. DB Ed Brumskill packed numerous wallops. This was my first look at G-town sr. QB Paul Thomas (6-4, 180). There's much to like. He has a good arm and ballhandling skills. Early, he overthrew some short passes and his receivers looked slightly disinterested in going after the ball . Then again, they were occasionally looking dead into the sun. Later, sr. Jarad Dillard and jr. Christian Sales made tough, athletic catches (though Sales' was negated by a penalty). Thomas has a good arm and touch (on long passes) and G-town's huge line, headed by sr. Julius Grant (6-2, 360) and sr. Juan Rodriguez (6-3, 285) gave him ALL kinds of time. Sales also had some positive moments locking onto Bok sr. WR Ramon Mills. Later, he locked onto a second-team WR and yelled at the kid, "Show me something!" In garbage time? While his team was running out the clock? If you're going to be feisty, do it vs. first-teamers. Sr. Nasir Sadat did some rockin' at LB. Coach Mike Hawkins wants to send his best to former defensive coordinator Charlie Sarelakos, who recently had heart bypass surgery. At 260 lbs., sr. Linwood Tillery got a few carries for the Bears and even scored a TD. When advised of Tillery's weight, burly Bok assistant Lloyd Jenkins exclaimed, "See, that kid's living my dream! They never let ME run in high school."       

SEPT. 21
NON-LEAGUE
Gratz 40, Southern 12
    Admittedly, he wasn't facing the Steel Curtain or Fearsome Foursome, but jr. RB Willie Woods showed some marketable skills while rushing for four TDs. He wasn't afraid to dip his shoulder and pound would-be tacklers, and he didn't do so in a way that made him automatically wind up on the ground. I liked two-way jr. lineman Vincent Turner and sr. T-LB Steve Eley (he's about 6-3). Also, sr. Gene Faust blocked well out of the backfield and sr. QB Rakiem Smith displayed excellent ballhandling skills. Sr. LB Eric Schubert made the play of the day, tipping the ball to himself on an interception. Southern was largely dreadful. First-year coach Bill Edger, the former Judge assistant, is highly knowledgeable, but this is a tough situation. Two would-be cornerstones are unavailable because of grades and close to half of the 30-odd players are very small and/or inexperienced. There is no JV program. Just two players looked to have talent and high levels of heart: sr. RB-LB Ernest Smith and sr. WB-LB Angel Delgado. Smith was everywhere on defense; Delgado was almost everywhere. On Smith's 93-yard run, sr. WR Ronald Bullard made a clean, hard block that was far behind the play. A scuffle broke out. At the end of his 68-yard kickoff return, Gratz's Robbie Spivey, with no one nearby, held out the ball and did a swan dive into the end zone. The TD stood, but he was penalized for unsportsmanlike conduct. At one point, a Southern player badly missed a tackle and stayed on the ground for a while after the play. "Coach, he's hurt," a Southern sub said. "No, he's not. He's embarrassed," Edger said. Sure enough, the kid eventually stood up and dragged his butt back to the defensive huddle. Gratz's Wallace Johnson kicked a 35-yard PAT after a penalty.       

SEPT. 17
NON-LEAGUE
Carroll 45, Bonner 0
    In effect, this one was over seconds into the game as sr. Charlie Hurley returned the opening kickoff 86 yards for a TD. At least for the moment, Bonner is a b-a-d ballclub. I loved watching Carroll's wing-T offense. The timing and blocking were excellent, especially on plays where sr. HB Mike Larkin would go in motion quickly and then take a handoff from sr. QB Derek Zambino an instant after the snap. On plays where he didn't get the ball, Larkin did a great job making the Friars believe he had. Sr. LB Drew Shaw uncorked a hit on sr. Sal Romano that sent him out with an ankle injury. Bonner's Bill Rowe helped carry off Romano, then ran back on the field to punt. Above and beyond, sir. Fine hustle. Jr. WR-DB Maurice Stovall (6-5, 195) is someone to keep an eye on. Makings of a player. He beat a DB by 7 to 8 yards on a TD catch. Marty Higgins, who kicked a 40-yard field goal moments after eating a soft pretzel: "I was hungry. My stomach was killing me." So was mine. The pregame hotdog did not agree with me. Higgins is an early leader in the Catholic League's Best Sideburns competition. Carroll DB's were locking onto Bonner's WR's right at the line. Almost face to face, literally. Sixers president Pat Croce was among the spectators. He's friendly with the father of one of Bonner's players. I didn't hear him yell out, "I feel great!!" Bonner coach Stump Coyne said jr. QB Mike Stauffer should be able to start practicing this week after receiving medical clearance. Heart miseries were feared. All-time Carroll fan Joe Cassidy, the Rowan University basketball coach, stayed only for a half. "I'm going home to watch the Eagles," he said. He should have gone to the Vet to catch the Phillies' game. It had more scoring. Bonner all-timer Ed Monaghan, a three-time, first team All-City player at three different positions from 1982 to '84, was on hand to encourage his nephew Tom McHugh, a 6-4, 280-pound guard receiving widespread Division I attention. "Wisconsin really loves him," Ed said.

SEPT. 16
NON-LEAGUE
SJ Prep 28, Holy Cross (N.J.) 24
    Can you spell c-l-a-s-s-i-c? As I arrived at the field, I told Prep coach Gil Brooks, "I think this is going to be one of the best games I've ever seen." It was. Great individual efforts and super enthusiasm by The Prep's fans made for a memory-maker. HC had first-and-goal at SJP's 3 in the last minute, but jr. DE Mike Mailey made a tackle for a 3-yard loss, sr. LB Sean Heenan recorded a sack for 11 yards and Mailey followed with a fingertip interception of a screen pass. As the clock melted to 0:00, The Prep's fans stormed the field. (It is only mid-September, right? Actually, I had no problem with the display. The game and finish were THAT good.) Sr. QB Mike McGann (6-6, 190) showed big-time velocity on outs. He was under heavy pressure most of the night and several times held the ball too long. I was surprised The Prep did not go to a shotgun formation. McGann was victimized by several drops. Jr. RB Kyle Ambrogi was sensational, blending strength, "zipability" -- as in, zip, he was through the line and into the secondary -- and instincts; he seemed to make cuts at exactly the right moment. Before the game, some Prep kids climbed a high dirt pile, made noise and then dashed to take spots in the stands as one guy waved an oversized school flag. Great entertainment. They did so again at halftime. HC's Wali Lundy, a transfer last week from Florence, is a blur. I'd pay to see him race O'Hara's Kevin Jones or the Indianapolis Colts' Marvin Harrison (Roman). He made four catches for 166 yards and had a 75-yard TD run on a reverse. CN8 was on hand to televise the game. Lucky them.

SEPT. 16
NON-LEAGUE
Pius (Bangor, Pa.) 27, Bok 20
    He isn't juiced for every play, but when he is, sr. WR-DB Ramon Mills shows an unmatched fury. He packs twice the wallop of most guys. He twice buried guys in this one, once on a block and once on a tackle. Darn near maimed them. Sr. Rodney McCarter, a DB last year, is now a RB as well. He did some tough, hard running, but declined to make moves to get around guys. Jr. QB Kareem Jeffreys was unavailable (still sorting out a medical issue) so sr. DB-WR Ed Brumskill had to play QB. He struggled as a passer, not surprisingly. He did "pass" for two late TDs as soph RB William McCall went 80 yards on a screen (he made a great move to free himself early) and Mills went 65 on a hitch. McCall also had a big hit to force a fumble. Pius, from upstate, brought two buses and something else that looked like a mobile home. The fans tailgated before the game next to the oversized vehicle.

SEPT. 16
NON-LEAGUE
Frankford 12, Penn Charter 6
    Frankford has some GIGANTIC kids. The biggest is Sr. Job Lawson, listed at 6-11, 350. I don't doubt it. He was on the team two years ago and was 6-9 then. Jr. RB Marcus Waddy shows big-yardage skills. He has quick feet and speed and appears to know when to cut. Sr. Shawn Williams, a star LB last year, is now a RB as well. He's 6-foot, 250 and can move. He was involved in the collision of the game with PC's Kenny Devenney, who, quite impressively, managed to knock him backward ever so slightly. Jeff Nagle was sturdy at DE and jr. Stacey Walker had some athletic moments at CB. The Pioneers used two QBs, sr. Lacey Lancaster and soph Darryl Turner. Lancaster did some respectable running, but a few times was set-upon quickly and dumped for losses. There's a lot to like about PC QB Matt Ryan, a soph. He's tall with a good arm. In my humble opinion, he needs to shorten his release a hair and learn to move his eyes around instead of locking onto intended receivers from the time the ball is snapped. Phil Elbaum kicked two FG's and sent a 29-yarder over the wall and out onto Dyre Street. Billy McKinney made a borderline sensational catch when he stopped short, reached for a high pass and brought it down one-handed. There was a VERY scary moment when sr. RB-LB Aaron Greenfield wound up flat on the turf with his head at a weird angle. He didn't move for 15 seconds, 20 seconds, 25 seconds, maybe more. His father even trotted onto the field. Outcome: He'd been knocked out cold. Quite groggy, he was eventually helped to the sideline. Handling waterboy duties was player Jerome Wright, a 5-4, 105-pound freshman. He was wearing No. 78. "A mixup in the numbers," he said. When I asked him if he'd do that number justice and go in and play tackle, if necessary, he gave me a you-gotta-be-crazy smile.              

SEPT. 15
EXHIBITION
La Salle 30, Moscow Patriots 6
    I stayed on the Patriots' sideline just so I could hear some Russian and see how the players interacted with the coaches. I had no clue what anyone was saying. The Patriots hadn't played since Aug. 5 and it showed. Very sloppy early. La Salle received strong efforts from sr. QB Gabe Marabella and sr. RB Ryan Parfitt. On a 65-yard TD reception, Parfitt made a cute move to elude an initial defender and then ran 44 more yards. Jr. LB Ed Sabia, whose family hosted two MP cheerleaders, blocked a punt and ran in for a TD. The Patriots received some fan support from McDevitt and Springfield Montco players. It wasn't that they like Russians. It was that they dislike the Explorers. NFL Films was on hand to shoot footage for a segment that will air on a show sent to numerous foreign countries. The field at Plymouth-Whitemarsh is a disaster waiting to happen. They're working on the track, and flimsy fencing is no more than 5 yards from the sidelines. Beyond that are trenches and even a pile of cinder blocks. Dirt areas are covered with straw mixed with very thin plastic netting. The chain gang had all kinds of fun getting tangled in that junk all night.

SEPT. 15
NON-LEAGUE
Edison 28, University City 6
    We already have a strong candidate for strangest TD of the season. On the UC 7, Edison sr. QB Antwine Robinson threw a pass to sr. WR Jose Pagan. UC jr. Troy Berry intercepted 7 yards deep in the end zone and for some reason tried to return the ball. He got to the 3, was hit and fumbled. The ball rolled a yard deep into the end zone where Pagan recovered for a TD. There was another classic Pub moment: On a punt, Edison soph. Keith Powell raced forward. The ball clanked off his foot and UC jr. Robert Gladden recovered 15 yards upfield. Edison sr. RB Timothy King is about 15 pounds overweight. He's got a gut to rival mine. He promises to lose it soon. I don't. Also, King took some ribbing from his teammates after he fell to the turf with cramps in both legs and began yelling like a 3-year-old. "It HURT!" he explained. King still ran hard, however. He can really bowl over defenders and lean forward for extra yards. Sr. DE Jonathan Lindsay kept firing into the backfield and racking up sacks. He also recovered a fumble. Soph Joshua Reyes made two tackles for losses and begged to get his name in the paper. Will he settle for the website? For UC, QB Berry did some excellent scrambling and had an impressive hookup with jr. WR William Parker. Parker, at OLB, was UC's hardest hitter on defense.      

SEPT. 14
NON-LEAGUE
Bartram 18, Mastbaum 6
    Often, Pub FB resembles touch FB because there are so few quality linemen. But Bartram appears to have a decent line with size and quickness. The members are C Chris Darby, G's Maurice Kelley and Jordan Harris, T's Barry Brown and Rich Mink (6-5, 265, soph) and TE's Joe Smith and Ian Greaves. On defense, Kelley and Justin McDaniel (6-5, 230) showed live bodies while chasing down Mastbaum QB Mark Hansberry. Back Chironn "Goober" Davis should emerge as one of the city's top sophs. Speedy and tricky. He had a 96-yard TD run on a counter. His brother, James "Muggsy" Gaymon, was a franchise player (and solid citizen) at University City. Jr. QB Phillip Evans is built like a FB and displayed a semistrong arm in warmups. His father, Phil, was a starting LB for Bartram's '76 PL champs. He was videotaping from the stands. Mastbaum is very small, especially heightwise. Almost no one is over 6 foot. Hard to believe. Sr. LB Chris DeShields was the defensive leader (he got help from hard-hitting sr. LB Joseph Johnson) but was unable to succeed at rushing because Mastbaum's line struggled. Thus, DeShields wound up splitting wide to catch passes. Bartram coach Frank "Roscoe" Natale handed me a roster with this across the top -- "1997 Football Squad List." He said, "I WISH it was '97. Then I'd have (all-time RB) Paul Northern back." On a kickoff, a pop by Mastbaum's Chris O'Neal knocked the helmet right off the head of Bartram's Nafis Mainor, who said, "He hardly hit me. It just came off." On another kickoff, Bartram's Aaron Cooley did the all-time clothesline job on Mastbaum returner Tony Dyches. He brushed the facemask and drew a penalty. Among the sideline visitors: Henry "Hank the Tank" Goldey. An ex-Bartram player, he finished second last year in WIP's Wing Bowl. "Ask him how he got jobbed by Eric Gregg," said Bartram aide Chris DeFelice. I did. "I got jobbed," Tank said. Also on hand was Bobby Toomer, former Southern rec. and uncle of La Salle University basketball star Rasual Butler. He's also Phillip Evans's uncle. He was snapping pictures.
    Also today, Tom "Hockey Puck" McKenna went to cover the West Phila.-Lincoln game. When he came into the office, I said to him, "Puck, did you get their rosters?" His response, "Yeah. Except West's . . . I wrote down all the names and numbers, though." I looked at his stat sheet. There was no name next to No. 17. I said, "Who's No. 17?" He said, "Some real little guy. Put down Coleman." I said, "Is that his name?" He said, "No. Just put that, though. We'll get his real name later."
One question: How have I remained sane all these years?

SEPT. 10
NON-LEAGUE
La Salle 14, McDevitt 9
    Can we find a way to air-condition FB fields? This one was Sweat City. Good game, though. I enjoyed it. The most impressive performance was turned in by La Salle sr. DT Nate Moss (6-3, 235), who took up residence in McDevitt's backfield. Loads of potential. Good quickness with a big frame. Could be a monster someday. Sr. RB Ryan Parfitt made the play of the day, scampering 59 yards for a TD on a well-timed pitchout from sr. QB Gabe Marabella. I don't know how he wasn't knocked out of bounds. Marabella showed nice poise and decision-making abilities all game. He has truly blossomed as a leader. Don't faint, but La Salle is actually running some option plays. That's because Parfitt has such good feet and elusiveness. I'd been told McDevitt was average. Not so. The Lancers have a quick, aggressive defense headed by sr. LB Donny Watkins, sr. DB Silas Moore and jr. L Brian O'Meara. Also, soph DB Brandon Edwards showed several flashes of big-time quickness. Jr. Rec. Fred Beach made a spectacular catch, leaping between two defenders and holding on despite absorbing two hard hits simultaneously. Sr. David Melcher and jr. Bill Holden split time at QB. Holden threw a perfect pass to jr. Chris Smith for an 85-yard TD. McDevitt had three guys knocked out of the game with leg/knee injuries. Hope they weren't serious. The Lancers had no student managers on hand. During timeouts, subs Robert Henderson and Lawrence Wooten took water out to the troops. Good hustle, guys.     

SEPT. 9
NON-LEAGUE
Holy Cross (N.J.) 47, Dougherty 28
This one lasted 2 hours, 53 minutes, and seemed to last twice that long. The Lancers are perennial NJ powers and they were stoked in their first home game under new lights. They rolled to a 47-7 lead before easing up. Believe it or not, Dougherty had some shining moments. Sr. LB Tim LeBold played hard all game long, recording some of the night's hardest hits and twice making correct reads on flanker middle screens to stop the receiver for no gain. Jr. DE James Jefferson was a blur coming on the passer's blind side. An ABSOLUTE blur. Sr. OL Matt Gregory told me Jefferson wins the team's sprints. I believe him. Sr. WR Mickey King had a 74-yard TD reception while sr. WR Vernard Abrams settled for a 73-yarder. King punted seven times for a 30.6-yard average. I like jr. QB Sean McGovern. When given time, which wasn't often, he showed poise and good arm strength. He has a certain swagger and appears to be sturdy. Jr. DT Leo Tavares (6-6, 305) saw some occasional time. He is extremely raw, but he can get down in a normal-looking stance. After making penetration one time, he came to the sideline and asked defensive coordinator Brian Carey, "Am I supposed to end up in their backfield?" Sr. K Bryan Cole hammered all four of his PAT.

SEPT. 9
NON-LEAGUE
O'Hara 38, Malvern 35
    With sr. RB Kevin Jones (tender ankle) limping slightly and never really appearing comfortable, sr. RB Greg Watson got a chance to experience franchise status. He did not disappoint. Running hard carry after carry and once dragging a collection of tacklers 8 to 10 yards, Watson finished with 249 yards. Jones finished 22-69. He ran sweeps just two times and Malvern dropped him for losses four times. Malvern's coaches were thrilled with their team's effort and results, for good reason. The Friars have only four seniors starting, and the coaches feared being stomped. Jr. QB Bill Corbett wasn't eye-popping, but effective. I liked the skills and concentration of jr. WR Kevin Barr (5-141, two TDs), the gritty, shoulder-popping play of undersized jr. LB Tim Murray (5-8, 165) and the hustle shown by jr. DB Matt Skellan, who chased down sr. WR Ryan Barksdale to prevent a 69-yard TD reception. Also, jr. K-P Brendan Carney was boomin' 'em all day. With no wind visible, he twice sent kickoffs 5 yards deep into the end zone. Both coaching staffs have all kinds of good guys; the pregame chats are always good whenever I see either team play.

SEPT. 9
NON-LEAGUE
Sun Valley 27, Haverford School 14
    Half a game is better than none. I left at halftime to fight that traffic disgrace called Lancaster Avenue; as it turned out, O'Hara's buses were delayed getting to Malvern and the game started 15 minutes late. I mostly wanted to get a look at sr. RB-DB Paul McKinney, of Haverford. He appears to be stronger, but he had trouble with his wind in the heat and several times had to ask for a play or two off. On offense, he showed a true knack for being able to bounce outside when there was nowhere to go (the Fords' line is undersized, especially when it comes to girth). On defense, I didn't get to see him flash to the ball too much; I remembered him being pretty adept at that last season. Sr. Rec. Whitney Hartman displayed good concentration on outs, but I wanted to see him better keep his balance after the catch and get more yardage. Coach Ron Algeo showed good discipline: When a Ford was flagged for 15 yards for a forearm rap to an opponent's head, Algeo bellowed immediately, "Get him out!" You knew this had to happen sooner or later: As the game began, a man on the chain gang was talking on a mobile phone. He said quickly, "I gotta get off now. I'm doing the chains." The Fords' roster lists players by "form" instead of class. Seniors are VI. Juniors are V. And so on. Form? Gimme a break. No wonder people think the Inter-Ac is snooty. (That's coming from a Penn Charter grad.) Just before halftime, I noticed that all kinds of drums belonging to SV's band members were sitting somewhat tight to the sideline. In a cube-busting spirit, I said out loud, "That's a lawsuit waiting to happen." I looked over there a few seconds later and a lady was busily moving everything further back. Glad to save lives. I enjoyed seeing John Lohn, of the Delaware County Daily Times. He's a sharp kid, and dedicated. Bright future. 

SEPT. 8
NON-LEAGUE
Gtn. Academy 15, Roman 6
    The Patriots are still rueing the loss of All-City QB Jim Slattery, now in prep school, but sr. Steve Holmes is an even better FB athlete. Not as strong and not yet as savvy at the position, but great feet and elusiveness. Even during an uneven performance, his talents sparkled. He is being eyed by Virginia, where he would likely play WR or safety. The most attractive sight was watching Holmes being chased on rollouts/sprintouts by Roman's 250-pound TE-DE Scott Paxson, who's bound for Penn State. Twice, Paxson ran down Holmes from behind -- an incredible feat. Paxson also blocked a field goal and several times lined up at WR and then made catches. For GA, sr. TB Alex Smith gained some tough yards up the middle, sr. LB Troy Holiday several times flashed into the backfield for sacks and jr. DB Chris Jordan zipped across the field to catch sr. HB-WR-KR Joe McCourt and prevent what could have been a 99-yard TD run. McCourt, as always, was impressive. He spent much of the game split wide, apparently a concession by Roman coach Jim Murphy that his young line could not move aside the stronger Patriots at the point of attack. John Hoban, an expert on Roman FB for more than 40 years, feels McCourt might be the best Cahillite he's seen in that span for overall skills and brass. GA sr. K Brad Morgan is listed at 150 lbs. He said he's really 120. Jr. L Bill Speier, not in uniform with an injury, entertained his teammates by calling out encouragement in the deepest possible, this-is-macho voice. Roman sr. DL Bill McCafferty chugged 11 yards on an interception return. GA coach Bill Caum seemed genuinely impressed with the X's and O's of Roman's first-year coach, Jim Murphy. He heaped praise on Murphy to reporters after the game.

SEPT. 2
NON-LEAGUE
Neumann 14, North Catholic 0
        Ah, the Beach Bowl. FB in Wildwood. Gotta love it. After driving down from the O'Hara game, there was no time to hit the boardwalk. Oh, well. No additions to the giant-stuffed-animal collection this year. The game was largely boring for a half, then got moving somewhat. The Buccos broke through when sr. LB Matt Marini blocked a punt and jr. DB Bryan Navin added a 29-yard return. Marini later added a fumble recovery. Sr. RB Pasquale "Pat" Narducci packed 68 of his 120 rushing yards into the fourth quarter. For North, sr. LB Dan Szychulski made some punishing hits and sr. DL Kevin McLaughlin (6-4, 250) showed impressive mobility when he came from the back side and dumped sr. RB Christian Wright for a 2-yard loss on a screen. Coach Rich Betts said McLaughlin and sr. TE Ted Murphy (6-2, 205) are among the top students in the school. My girlfriend, who does not exactly live and breathe football, stayed outside in the car. She passed the time reading supermarket tabloids hidden inside the Daily News.  When I came back to the car, she said, "At least it didn't go extra innings." Then it was off to Cape May for dinner. Cheeseburger well done. Like 99 percent of my dinners. (It was a long day for my girlfriend. She also attended the game you'll read about next. She's a strong candidate for Trooperette of the Year.)        

SEPT. 2
NON-LEAGUE
O'Hara 49, Springfield Delco 0
The Lions could have scored 100. It was 28-0 after a quarter. Per PIAA rules once the spread reaches 35 points, the entire second half was played with a running clock. Megastar sr. RB Kevin Jones had an easy-as-pie 54-yard TD run, but was limited to five carries when he suffered a mild muscle strain in his lower left leg. His backfield partner, sr. Greg Watson, went over 100 yards, and might be the Catholic League's second-best rusher. Remember this name: Anthony Heygood. He's a 6-1, 180-pound Fr. RB with The Look. Sr. WR Ryan Barksdale made a highlight-reel stutter-step move while turning a short reception into a 31-yard TD. Assistant Sean Sullivan, an all-time WR during his Lion playing days, bellowed, "That was great! Way to get yardage after the catch!" Sr. DB B.J. "Butch" Hogan was around pretty much every Springfield pass; he's the definition of ballhawk. Question: Is Springfield's field the bee capital of the world? Every time I go there early in the season, it's nonstop swatting. Some elderly gents were working the chains and kept complaining about O'Hara's coaches and players being too close to the sideline. One of them pushed an O'Hara assistant. Everybody laughed. Late in the game, one of O'Hara's players was giving off SERIOUS body odor. I made sure to get upwind. Girlfriend report: She passed time sitting at a picnic bench near the cafeteria, reading the Daily News with nothing tucked inside. She LOVES the 35-point, get-it-over rule. I don't. I'd imagine the subs share my feeling.

SEPT. 1
NON-LEAGUE
Neshaminy 35, Judge 6
    The Crusaders wound up getting pounded, but did have some nice moments. Jr. QB Greg Hennigar threw some nice, sharp passes and was victimized by at least three drops. His two best gains came on wideout middle screens to sr. WR Mike Gimpel. Sr. DT Mark Dickson and sr. LB Brian Pulley delivered some good pops. Great hustle was shown by jr. RB Justin O'Brien, who fumbled and then, at great personal peril,  groundhogged about 3 yards to make the recovery as opponents dove at him and ON him. Jr. DB Dan Graf made a textbook, open-field, around-the-lower-legs tackle. At least for the moment, Judge shows no team speed. Coach Tommy Coyle's staff includes three guys who were members of Penn Charter's staff at various times -- Rich "Birch" Maley, John Fenningham and Ed Gallagher. The new defensive coordinator is Tony Leneghan, an assistant under previous coach John "Whitey" Sullivan.