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Back for a fourth season is the popular Intelligencer/Courier Times ‘Let’s Talk Football,’ featuring 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 - will cover 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: What are your thoughts about the National Conference heading into the 2013 season?
Dan Dunkin: “I see it being like it’s often been since the last realignment, and I think it’s Neshaminy and Pennsbury. I think Neshaminy has a chance to be really good. Pennsbury is relatively young but good. They had a good preseason, and I think they’re going to mature rapidly. Neshaminy has a great amount of depth, a lot of really good seniors who played a lot and played well as juniors. I would have to favor Neshaminy to win that conference. I think there are some unknowns about the other squads. Abington will have a good amount of team speed. The one team that I would watch as a possible surprise is Bensalem.
“Council Rock North’s Brandon McIlwain is everything advertised. He’s a terrific quarterback, he’s a D-1 prospect, and he’s a nice kid. He’s very mature and handles the spotlight as well as a kid could at that age. I’ve got concerns about CR North though. They lost a lot on defense, they lost some skill players, and their numbers aren’t great in terms of their roster. It’s going to be a real challenge for them.
“I was surprised how far Council Rock South fell off last year after the big year where they went to the district finals. Granted, they lost so many seniors from that team, and no one expected them to get back near that point, but this is a big year for them in terms of re-establishing themselves. I’ve got to see them play defense. Whatever happens with their offense, their defense has to be a lot better this year. They have to get back to the physical, attacking type defense they were in prior years. Eric Gallo is a terrific player and is going to be a really good college player as well.
“There will be a new energy at William Tennent with a new coach and a new philosophy. Their roster numbers are better, but it’s going to take them awhile to get traction. Again, next year is going to help them when they’re in a conference that is more tailored to their size. It’s been tough for Tennent these past few years. I thought Biz Keeny did as much as he could do with what he had. He’s a really good offensive coach, and Neshaminy got a good one there in him to coach their quarterbacks. We’ll have to see with Tennent what happens in the next couple of years if they get more kids out. They lost a lot of valuable skill players from last year.
“I always think Abington will be in the hunt because (Tim) Sorber does a really good job. They’ve got the team speed, and that’s a big plus.
“Looking how the conference will shake out – next year it will really be fascinating. It’s something we can talk about all year. You’re going to have probably the best big school conference in Pennsylvania with North Penn, Neshaminy, Pennsbury, Souderton, CB South. It’s really going to be incredibly competitive. The middle tier conference – the Continental Conference, I think it’s going to really help some schools like the Council Rocks, Truman and Tennent. It’s going to level the playing field somewhat in terms of roster numbers, and it’s going to be interesting to see how these schools take advantage of that and how much better they are. There will be a lot of dynamics to it.”
SuburbanOneSports.com: In addition to Council Rock North’s Brandon McIlwain, who are some players to watch in the National Conference?”
Dan Dunkin: “Neshaminy has several. Denny Lord and Luke Carrezola are two of the best two-way players in the entire area – Lord at inside linebacker and fullback and Carrezola at defensive end and tight end. Cole Creighton is like an outside linebacker-strong safety hybrid and a wide receiver. Those three kids are terrific players and competitors. They’re senior leaders and are really key to what Neshaminy does this year. Neshaminy is also expecting big things out of D’Andre Pollard, who’s going to be their number one running back. Nate Hall gave them so much last year – about 1,800 yards rushing - and Neshaminy has so much depth at running back, but they’d like to see Pollard really take off and take some of the load off the other guys. Lord will be playing fullback a lot, and he’s going to be so valuable on both sides of the ball.
“For Pennsbury, Breon Clark is an ‘X’ factor. Pennsbury hasn’t had a kid like him at quarterback in a while. He’s a really good thrower, he’s athletic and a runner, and he’s well suited to run their wing t, and he really adds a wrinkle because they can throw it more this year. It really adds a dimension they haven’t had. He’s the kind of guy that can make everybody better on that offense.
“Bensalem has two running backs – Alex Archangeli and Ian Pisarchuk, and they’re going to be really dependent on both of those guys as running backs. They’re also very good linebackers. They’re physical players, they’re good players, and they symbolize what Kevin Kelly is trying to establish at Bensalem with good, solid, hard-working, physical football players.
“Craig Reynolds at Abington could be one of the best running backs in the state. He really emerged last year, so he’ll be a big factor as well.”
SuburbanOneSports.com: Talk about some of this week’s games that you think are significant for National Conference teams.
Dan Dunkin: “I think the Easton game is big for Pennsbury. Galen Snyder has scheduled them very tough by design in the preconference. His schedule is one of the toughest in District One. Easton has beaten them pretty decisively three years in a row, and Easton is a perennial power. Last year, Shane Simpson ran for 289 yards on the Falcons, and it was just a really tough start of the season for Pennsbury. Their defense really righted itself and was the best defense in the National Conference. A lot of that defense is gone, but they have a lot of good athletes that are underclassmen. I look for this defense to be quick and mature rapidly. I’m picking Pennsbury in this game and not just because they’re at home – they’ve been beaten at home by Easton, but I think they’re going to score points in this game. Easton’s secondary is suspect, and I think Breon Clark is going to be a big factor in this game. I think their defense is going to be able to hold them better than last year. They’ve looked at the film of last year’s game ad nauseum, and they’re going to be ready. They’re committed to making a statement at home in their first game, and again, I think Clark will be a big factor in that game.
“Council Rock South at Central Bucks South is a huge game for CR South. It’s a chance to make a statement about being competitive. They’re running into one of the most innovative offenses in the area, and Josh Adams is one of the best running backs in the state. I want to see if CR South can contain them better and make this a close or even winnable game. I don’t think CB South will be as good as last year, but still, they’re a handful at home. You have to favor CB South in this game, but I want to see if CR South can come out and neutralize Josh Adams.”
SuburbanOneSports.com: What’s your read on the Continental Conference heading into the 2013 season?
Kevin Cooney: “It’s an interesting year because I’m not sure there’s a true ‘team to beat’ anymore. The dominant storyline is going to be the two running backs in Josh Adams and Mike Class at CB South and Pennridge, but obviously, both of them have concerns as a team. They’re both replacing a lot of players. North Penn got better as the year went along last year. It should be interesting to see how they break out of the gate, especially this opening stretch of La Salle, (Archbishop) Wood and St. Joe’s Prep. That’s a tough road. La Salle in week one – I think it’s not a good matchup right away. You look beyond that, and I think St. Joe’s Prep is a good team, but after a couple of weeks, I think a you will have a more cohesive North Penn group at that point. Wood is still going up in class when they play that game. We’ll see. They have to avoid getting buried. That’s what happened to them last year. They can’t go 1-2 or 0-3.
“When you look at North Penn, there’s not one or two guys you point at and say, ‘Those guys are all-state caliber.’ They don’t have that guy that jumps out this year, but I think they are quite honestly a testament to what Dick Beck has in the program. He doesn’t need that star caliber player. They were the best team at the end of the year last year. They just didn’t make the playoffs.
“I think when you look at the Continental Conference, it’s pretty wide open between Pennridge, CB South and North Penn. What you have to see is who kind of emerges as far as the team that has the most maturity and grows up the quickest and who pretty much has the ability to stay healthy. If Pennridge stays healthy, I think Pennridge is pretty good, but they have to stay healthy. They don’t have a lot of depth.”
SuburbanOneSports.com: After you get past Josh Adams and Mike Class, do CB South and Pennridge have supporting casts to take them where they want to go?
Kevin Cooney: “Both teams have complimentary players around them, but let’s be honest – if Class or Adams gets hurt, the whole complexion of those teams changes. I think CB South has more of a shot surviving an injury, but that’s still a long shot I’d say.”
SuburbanOneSports.com: What are your thoughts about Jeff Hollenbach returning to take over the reins at Pennridge this season?
Kevin Cooney: “Jeff Hollenbach brings stability. He’s somebody who’s connected to the program. He’s well liked in the community. He knows how to utilize talent. I think Jeff will bring a lot of confidence to that group this year, and that’s not a slap at Randy Cuthbert, but Randy’s team often played like the ‘little engine that could.’ Jeff’s group will probably play with more confidence that they can get stuff done.”
SuburbanOneSports.com: Pennridge faces Emmaus and former coach Randy Cuthbert in Friday’s opener. What are your thoughts about that game?
Kevin Cooney: “It’s obviously an emotional situation, and it’s going to be interesting to see how both sides respond. It will almost be a playoff atmosphere right out of the gate, and that’s pretty good for them. I think it’s a good thing for Pennridge right out of the gate.”
SuburbanOneSports.com: What about the remaining teams in the SOL Continental Conference? Can Souderton make a run this year?
Kevin Cooney: “Without Rick Young (injury), that’s obviously going to be a difficult situation. Ed usually coaches his guys up pretty well, but at a certain point, I think they’re definitely behind a level. You look at CB West, and I think West is probably in the next group. Outside of the main three teams, I just don’t’ see competition coming from the other five.”