Back for its fourth season, the popular Intelligencer/Courier Times ‘Let’s Talk Football’ features high school football beat writers Kevin Cooney and Dan Dunkin. Cooney, the Phillies beat writer, covers schools in the Intelligencer area while Dan Dunkin – who has been covering sports at the high school and professional level for 25 years - covers teams in the Courier Times area. Both share their perspective on the teams in their coverage area. To stay on top of the high school football news in the area, visit the web site http://www.phillyburbs.com/sports/high_school/
SuburbanOneSports.com: After watching from the sidelines for several weeks, what are your thoughts about the Continental Conference?
Kevin Cooney: “It’s funny because I think you look overall at the depth of the conference, and it’s just not there. You look at Pennridge, and you’d think it’s a team that when you get to November will be a factor. Central Bucks South is a playoff team probably. Maybe not a serious contender, but they’re definitely on the radar and not just for the 16-team field but maybe to get to the second round. And then you’ve got a lot of question marks.
“You look at CB West that has had these good starts before. Brian Hensel said last week on the (WNPV 1440 AM) radio show that they’ve gone through these stretches in the past and then have had bottom fall out. I think when you look at it that way and you look at Quakertown – it’s tremendous that they’re off to a 3-1 start, but are you worried about them once they get into league play. Do they have the depth to survive? That’s something I just don’t know at that point.
“And North Penn – I guess I’m burying the lead here, but when you’re North Penn, you’re at a point where you almost can’t afford a slip. You may get in (districts) at 6-4 if Pennridge runs the table and that’s your only loss, but you have to beat West and you have to beat Quakertown. We’re at the midway point of the season, and what also works against North Penn is you look at the National Conference and they’re three deep and maybe four, depending what you feel about CR North. You look at that conference, and you have Abington, Neshaminy and Pennsbury, and you assume all three of them are not just playoff teams, but they are teams that can do some serious damage when you get into November. They’re all capable of winning a district title. I don’t sense in the Continental, with the exception of Pennridge, there’s anybody like that, and that’s with all due respect to CB South and CB West and North Penn and Quakertown.
“Again, I’m removed because I haven’t been watching it live, but you see the district, and it’s not real strong, but you don’t get the sense the Continental is strong either, and that’s something that may get glossed over when you start playing each other. I think your initial reaction out of those three or four weeks is probably the right one, and the right one to me is the Continental is down this year.
“You might have more teams from the Continental that are legitimately in the hunt for the playoffs, but if they can’t do something when they get there, there’s a problem. The National Conference may only send three, but all three teams are pretty damn good. If Neshaminy isn’t favored to win the district and Coatesville is favored, Neshaminy is like 1A. They’re right there with the way they’re playing defense, so that’s where we’re at as a group, and the Continental has to understand they have to tighten up a little better. All those years we had North Penn, I think we got a little spoiled. It’s not that easy. I think now we’re seeing that a little bit.”
SuburbanOneSports.com: Speaking of North Penn, what is your take on that situation?
Kevin Cooney: “I think a lot of it’s cyclical. Everybody will talk about the numbers they get, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that numbers are good numbers. What I mean by that is – just because you have a lot of bodies doesn’t mean they’re D-1s or can play football at a high level. There are times when it just doesn’t happen and things don’t come together.
“Also, let’s be fair. North Penn has played the toughest non-league schedule in the district with those three Catholic League teams. Everyone wants to throw dirt on their grave, but I don’t see anyone else stepping up and trying to play three bazookas like that right off the bat. For them, the question is – where do they go? What I mean by that is simply do they try and ride this out? Do they have the confidence still that they can get this done? When they fall behind in a game – let’s say they fall behind to Pennridge or CB South, do they say, ‘You know what. This is the loss that will knock us out of the playoffs again.’ Do they pack it up? I can’t see (Dick) Beck letting them do that. I just can’t. I don’t think it’s in his DNA, so yes, everybody is saying, ‘What’s wrong with North Penn?’ It’s just the simple fact that they’ve played a really tough schedule, and they’re going to pay a little bit of a price for the second straight year, and that’s tough. They’re going to get a lot of power points from those other team’s wins, but it’s going to be tough to be a 5-5 team and get in, so you have to knock off either Pennridge or CB South to make it worthwhile and win the games you’re supposed to win.”
SuburbanOneSports.com: Were there any surprises in the Continental Conference the first week of the league season?
Kevin Cooney: “I think Pennridge going on the road to Academy Park is a pretty good win. CB South struggled for a half against Hatboro, but Josh Adams didn’t play the first half because of his ankle.
“I don’t think there were surprises, but I think there were telling points. The fact that South is a different team when it gets Adams back tells you something. I think that when you look at North Penn struggling for a half against CB East and then turning it on, I think it says something about North Penn. It says that it’s taken a little while for that offense to get going, and maybe they’ve found a formula that works for them in the second half. Can they carry it down the road? That’s going to be the big question.
“Pennridge has other pieces to the puzzle, but it’s Mike Class, and when Class has big nights, you’re not going to beat them. It’s pretty simple.
“I don’t think we learned anything extraordinarily new, but I think what we’ve learned is that the way things broke down last week is the way it’s going to be most likely for the rest of the season.
“By the way, I still hate the fact that Pennridge and Quakertown both played non-league games. Just get rid of Thanksgiving or play each other twice. I don’t care, but this idea that you have to play that game on Thanksgiving – I don’t know what the new league numbers will show, but if they’re in the same division, there’s no way they should hold that game back until Thanksgiving.”
SuburbanOneSports.com: Looking at the upcoming week, what are your thoughts about the Central Bucks West-Pennridge game?
Kevin Cooney: “I think you’re talking about a telling point here – if West is going to hang in there this whole year and be a contender, maybe you don’t have to beat Pennridge, but you have to play close, you have to be in the neighborhood. If West gets blitzed by 28 or 34 or mercy ruled, I think it will be easy for those of us who are a little skeptical about West to kind of rule them out of a run. If they find a way to get the job done, then you’re talking a whole different story. If they find a way to play close with Pennridge or can take them to the final minutes or win the game, they will have something to build off of the rest of the season. You hate talking about moral victories. I’m not saying they can’t win the game – I think they have a shot if they shut down Class, but you have to play them close if you’re them to certify yourself as in the hunt for the rest of the year.”
SuburbanOneSports.com: Bensalem downed Council Rock South in one of last week’s interesting games. Your thoughts about that game.
Dan Dunkin: “It was a very entertaining game, and frankly, I needed one because I have been covering nothing but blowouts. Both teams showed a lot of guts. Bensalem coming back from a 20-7 deficit, having a turnover inside the Rock North 10 in the first quarter and then another unsuccessful possession in the red zone – it looked like things weren’t going their way. But rather than get demoralized – they gave up a couple of big plays, and they were down 13 points, but I was really impressed with how they came out immediately in the third quarter and just took over the game with a dominant offense, mainly running game. Their quarterback, George Pegram, made some good throws. Ian Pisarchuk and Alex Archangeli are really a terrific tandem of physical running backs. They’re the bedrock of that program as Kevin Kelly starts to rebuild it. Their offensive line moved South out and dominated the third quarter.
“I think that win is something Bensalem can build on emotionally the rest of the season. They got some confidence – they put up 42 points, and they made big plays later when they had to stave off a Rock South rally. They made big first downs. Their backs are really gutty kids, and I think they can build on that. I think it’s going to help them the rest of the conference season.
“For Rock South, that can be a demoralizing lost. For the first time, they were close. CB South they played reasonably close, but then they got their bell rung pretty good the next two games by really good opponents. To have a lead in that game and lose it, it’s going to be interesting to see how they regroup this week. They’re 0-4, and that was a win they thought they had. They just got outplayed in the third quarter. To their credit, they came back, but the punches Bensalem had delivered in the third quarter turned out to be enough.
It’s going to be a tall order playing Pennsbury. I want to see if Rock South can sustain some offense and keep that game close with their running game. They’re going to have to find a way to control the ball. They do have big-play kids. Greg Paprocki has done a good job when they’ve passed the ball, but they need to really establish the line of scrimmage and keep the ball away from Pennsbury because, frankly, that’s the only chance their going to have. Their defense has not been playing well enough. They can’t get in a shootout. They have to chew up the clock, get some long possessions and keep it a low-scoring game and make Pennsbury drive the ball.”
SuburbanOneSports.com: Abington earned an impressive win over Council Rock North. Your comments about that game.
Dan Dunkin: “It was a wake-up call to the third power because it was a contrast for North so soon after crushing overmatched Hatboro-Horsham. It was like, ‘Wow, this is a good Abington team.’ At the line of scrimmage, they couldn’t contain Craig Reynolds. I think that could serve North well soon if they react appropriately. They weren’t as good as their 3-0 record. Don’t take it all away from them. Haverford had some athletes, and they ground out a close win over Northeast and hammered Hatboro-Horsham. I know they’re trying to build some success there, and you don’t want to have to play three real power teams at the beginning. They weren’t getting ahead of themselves coming into that game, but they looked shell-shocked the way they played in the first half, and I think Abington was just at a different speed.
“Listen, I’m not writing off Council Rock North. Brandon McIlwain is such a good player, and he can make the other kids better. The Dejuan Martin kid is really good. They just need to tighten up on defense, and they need to get some kind of running game. They’re using their short passing game as their running game, and it works to an extent, but you can’t live off that the whole game or the whole season, so the physical part of the game, they have to work on.
“Abington is better than I thought. I knew they were good. I always give Tim Sorber and his staff credit. Pennsbury and Neshaminy are in for battles with that team. Those are going to be big-time games. Abington will smack you. They’re fast, they've got a big line, and their running back, Craig Reynolds – to that kid’s credit, he was good last year, he could have rested on that and had a good senior year and just had an average offseason. He had an offseason where he worked himself hard, and it shows. He is faster, he breaks more tackles. Not enough people talk about this Reynolds kid, but he is for real.”
SuburbanOneSports.com: Pennsbury earned a big win over Truman, but Truman kept it close for a half. Talk about that game.
Dan Dunkin: “Truman had the good first half, shocked Pennsbury by being in a 7-7 tie at halftime. For a program like Truman that is starting to build something, they can build on that first half and learn from that second half. They couldn’t have played Pennsbury close for a half a year ago. Next year it’s going to be more about winning for Truman when they’re in another conference, but for now, like I’ve said and maintain, they’re going to win three conference games at least this year. Look out.
“Truman has Neshaminy’s respect. That Truman offense can be hard to deal with. They have five running backs including the fullbacks they use, and they can really pound you if they get in a rhythm. Neshaminy is very improved defensively and they’re going to have to be on their toes, and I expect they will. A big part of their success is their mindset. They’re bringing it every day, they’re ready and they want to be a great team.”
SuburbanOneSports.com: Upper Dublin looks to be for real after a 45-28 win over Wissahickon. What are your thoughts on the Flying Cardinals?
Scott Huff: “Upper Dublin head coach Bret Stover entered the season with a very inexperienced team, starting five sophomores on both offense and defense. Those sophomores have gained valuable experience in games against SOL opponents Central Bucks West and Truman. Although neither CB West or Truman will contend for conference titles, the wins over both were impressive. Sophomore running back Kalief Lee scored four touchdowns in the huge neighborhood rivalry over Wissahickon, and junior running back John Lee rushed for a game-high 125 yards and a touchdown. Senior quarterback John Derr had nice numbers both as a runner and a passer with 114 yards on the ground and seven completions for another 95 yards against the Trojans. It is hard to imagine that the Cardinals would have too much trouble beating a winless Norristown team next week.”
SuburbanOneSports.com: Plymouth Whitemarsh looks like they have rebounded from a slow start. Can the Colonials defend their American Conference title?
Scott Huff: “Plymouth Whitemarsh looked very much like a team that was determined to defend its title when the Colonials marched to a 48-28 win over Upper Moreland. And PW accomplished its winning goal with a punishing ground attack that churned out an astounding 480 rushing yards against an overmatched Golden Bear defense. In fact, the Colonial offensive line opened up gaping holes that allowed three rushers to eclipse the 100-yard mark. Running back Brian Afflick rushed for 190 yards and 2 touchdowns, running back Jose Vega rushed for 180 yards and three touchdowns, and quarterback Connor Hanlan collected 106 yards and a single touchdown. Step two in the SOL American Conference could be an easy one as the Colonials travel to Cheltenham.”
SuburbanOneSports.com: After Upper Dublin and PW, are there any other teams that could contend for a title?
Scott Huff: “The longer shots would be in order: Wissahickon, Cheltenham, Upper Merion, Springfield, Upper Moreland, and Norristown. Wissahickon will have to beat PW later in the season after the Trojans suffered their opening conference loss to Upper Dublin. Cheltenham has a huge game this week against PW if the Panthers want to be in the championship/playoff conversation. Upper Merion would be one of the biggest turnarounds in conference history since the Vikings were a 1-6 team in conference last year. Upper Moreland is a long shot as the Golden Bears feature Tyler Whitmore, Charlie Hooker, and Tom Robinson as skill players, but little else at this point. Norristown won one game last year – and may not win that many this year.
SuburbanOneSports.com Evaluate the SOL American Conference schedule this week.
Scott Huff: The strength of the SOL American Conference may not overwhelm the followers of scholastic football, but three of the four conference games this week should be very competitive. Plymouth Whitemarsh (2-2, 1-0) should be able to defeat host Cheltenham (2-2, 1-0), but don’t be shocked if the Panthers come up with a couple of big plays to make this game competitive. The huge task for head coach Joe Gro and Cheltenham will be coming up with a game plan that can limit the explosiveness of head coach Dan Chang’s PW running attack. Wissahickon (1-3, 0-1) should be able to defeat host Springfield (2-1, 0-1), but don’t be too surprised if the Class AA Spartans give the Quad-A Trojans a competitive battle. The key to the game may be how much damage Wissahickon running back Dave Stellato inflicts on the Springfield defense. Toss a coin, in my opinion, to determine the winner of the Upper Merion (3-1, 1-0) at Upper Moreland (1-3, 0-1) contest. Both teams feature marquee running backs in the Vikings Dequan Mitchell and the Golden Bears Tyler Whitmore. This could be a real track meet. The surest of bets would be the Upper Dublin-Norristown game with the unbeaten host Cardinals (4-0, 1-0) a huge favorite against the winless Eagles (0-4, 0-1). Hopes are that this one doesn’t get ugly.”
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