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Now in its second season, the Intelligencer/Courier Times ‘Let’s Talk Football,’ features high school football beat writers Kevin Cooney and Dan Dunkin. Cooney, who also is the Phillies beat writer, continues to cover 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: Council Rock North defeated Neshaminy in a major upset last week. Comment on that game.
Dan Dunkin: It's a feel-good story and one of the better games I've seen in a long time. Neshaminy made a businesslike long scoring drive to start the game, and you figure, 'Okay, they're going to win pretty decisively,' but what North showed from that point on was amazing in terms of resiliency and toughness and character. When you put it in the context of everything they've been through - and I'm sure their fans are tired of hearing about it - the injuries they've had the last two seasons, all the losses, the 1-9 season last year, not much depth. They got off to a little better start this year, but the subtlety was - even when they lost to Hatboro-Horsham in a low-scoring game - their coaching staff noted that their defense was improving, and that was essential because they lost Cal Parker and their offense was really compromised, so it was going to be essential that their defense keep them in games, and they did.
Even against Abington, they got shut out but gave up under 30 points, and all things being relative, they were pretty pleased with how they played defensively. They did say that helped their confidence even more. The Abington coach gave coach Adam Collachi praise for how that program has come along, but still, with all that, I was shocked with what they did to Neshaminy. To win that game and to keep them out of the end zone for the most part, they played rock 'em, sock 'em defense, pursued sideline to sideline, were tough between the tackles. Neshaminy had a tough time sustaining anything with its running game.
North - without any running game at all - did it with defense and did it with an improved passing game. Their quarterback Trevor Guzy played a terrific game. He was 15-of-22. They rolled him out, and he found openings. Bill McAlister had a great game, topped by the two big catches at the end - the 25-yarder and then the 47-yard touchdown on slant routes. To win it at the end was surprising against a Neshaminy defense that has some inexperience but has a lot of seasoned players, too. That night, North was the better team and opened a lot of people's eyes. Give Collachi, his staff and the kids a lot of credit for the way they regrouped.
As for Neshaminy, I thought the loss to Abington would make them better. I was wrong. I think this game could be that catalyst because it was such an upset. They went to work this week - I expect them to play a lot better and more consistently the rest of the year.
SuburbanOneSports.com: Your thoughts about that game from the Neshaminy perspective.
Dan Dunkin: Neshaminy's quarterback Joe Bianchini made some strides. He was absolutely brilliant at the end. On their next to last series he was 4-for-4, drove them down the field, and found Bobby Marterella - who had a big game - for the go-ahead touchdown with 1:01 left. That was a clutch drive. On the last play, he rolled right - he's a lefty, and he bought time, he brought the defense in, and he found Marterella open in the end zone. That was a great play. Then they drove down again in the last half minute aided by an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty against North for a late hit, and they had a shot at a tying field goal. Their really strong-legged kicker Nick Tucci just missed it short. Their passing game - which I have been talking about as an 'X' factor for them - really did show progress in that game. The flip side is that their usually bread and butter ground game wasn't consistent. Rock North was able to hold Sean Ulmer for the most part in check. They really got beat on the line of scrimmage. Their offensive line got beat by North's defensive line, for the most part. Neshaminy has good players on both lines, but they just got beat. Now they have to adjust, they have to crank it up a notch. When they get it all going offensively, they're going to be a force.
SuburbanOneSports.com: Moving forward, what did that win mean to Council Rock North?
Dan Dunkin: It's important for Rock North against Truman - that's a game they should win obviously. They're riding high coming off that win, and you don't want to suffer a letdown. The Truman kids will play hard, they'll hit you, and if you're not careful, especially if you don't have a ton of offense, which North doesn't, you could be in a fight for four quarters. They're going to have to attack that game and realize they have a lot to play for. That Neshaminy game can change their season if they take care of business the rest of the way.
SuburbanOneSports.com: Neshaminy will be traveling to Council Rock South on Friday. Your thoughts about that game?
Dan Dunkin: That's a great game. South rebounded well last week against a really competitive Bensalem team after coming off a loss to Pennsbury the week before. I don't think you hear a lot about their defense, but they have been holding people down. You hear a lot about their option running game. That's going to be a test for Neshaminy to stand up to that pounding, and for their linebackers in particular because this is a different kind of offense where the quarterback or two or three running backs could get the ball, so it can stretch you out. Their linebackers have been learning on the job this year, and this is a big test for them.
In a game like this, all things being even, I give the team with the more balanced offense the edge, and that's Neshaminy with the passing game, but they're going to have to establish their running game a little better against South than they did against Council Rock North.
These are two very well-coached teams, and they both have a lot to play for this week. South lost to Pennsbury, and when you're talking about a conference championship or high seeding for the districts, you losing against another contender is tough. For Neshaminy, that was a costly loss against a team no one thought would be a contender, and they also lost to Abington, so they have even more incentive to win this game. They don't want to have three conference losses. I give Neshaminy an edge from an incentive standpoint and what they're coming off - they should be really, really angry. Anger works in football. Another incentive for Neshaminy - South beat them last year in a pivotal game. That was the marquee win for Vince Bedesem's program. Don't think Neshaminy has forgotten that.
SuburbanOneSports.com: Pennsbury travels to Abington for a battle of the SOL National Conference’s lone undefeated squads. Comment on that game.
Dan Dunkin: That's a perfect matchup. The way Pennsbury's defense is playing and the way Abington's offense is playing - it's a great clash in strengths. I was up to talk to Pennsbury's kids and their coaches last week. This team loves to hit, they love to run to the ball - this is just that kind of game. Abington's in for a fight. They have been averaging well over 30 points a game. Pennsbury's front seven in particular have been playing very tough, and I think they'll give Abington a handful with their strength and their quickness. They're not a big defense, but they're quick and they're very tough, so I wouldn't be shocked if Pennsbury beat them. It would have to be a low-scoring game, but I'll be interested to see too if Abington can withstand their running game pounding at them for four quarters.
Pennsbury has a secondary that can deal with Abington's passing game, so I could see this being close all the way. I'm actually going to pick Pennsbury to win this game. They're fired-up. Abington is the most talented and fastest offense in the league, but Pennsbury has a shot.
SuburbanOneSports.com: Bensalem will be facing William Tennent on Friday after a tough stretch. What are your thoughts about the Owls?
Dan Dunkin: Bensalem got through a gauntlet of Pennsbury, Neshaminy and Council Rock South right in a row. Even though the combined score differential was 70-14, that’s really misleading. Through the first half, they were in all three of those games. They moved the ball in spots. They were really hurt by penalties and turnovers. They got 11 receptions from their excellent receiver Davonte Newkirk in their last game – they added more of their passing game in that game, plus they run the ball well. I think Bensalem, after getting through the tough part of their schedule, could win the rest of their games. It’s unfortunate for those kids – you’d like to have a win against one of those three power teams as a reward, but they’ve been very competitive. They’re on the upswing, and they compete every week.
In the Council Rock South game, Bensalem lost 23-7, but they gave South all they wanted in that game. They had opportunities. They’ll learn over time, and they’ll get more consistent.
SuburbanOneSports.com: North Penn had a big 40-14 win over Central Bucks West last week. What are your thoughts about the Knights at this point in the season?
Kevin Cooney: This week is an interesting game against Quakertown, but you would think they would win that game. They’re at the point in the schedule where CB South, CB West and CB East are already off their schedule. They have Hatboro, Souderton and Pennridge. There’s not really a spellbinding matchup in the group, and that’s good and bad. It’s good because they should be able to run the table and get a pretty good seed heading into the tournament despite where they were seeded coming into last week when they were 22nd.
Remember, North Penn has two non-league losses and they have the Lansdale Catholic win, which right now is only 70 points because LC is a AA team. Yes, they’ll run the table and should make the playoffs as the eighth or ninth seed. They need to beat Quakertown and have Quakertown get on a run. They’re at a point where they could use some help if they want to insure at least a home game. I don’t think they’re in danger of missing the tournament.
In terms of district seeding, you’re punished if you play good non-league teams because you start behind everyone. What incentive is there for a team like North Penn to schedule two good non-league teams when it bites you in the rear end at the end of the year because you took two losses instead of two guaranteed wins like some schools have done.
There are very few ultra powers in the Suburban One League. You have a good Abington team, a good PW team, Council Rock South and Pennsbury are pretty good, and North Penn is pretty good, but then you have the Neshaminys of the world, and you don’t know right now what you’re gong to get.
SuburbanOneSports.com: CB South earned a convincing win over Quakertown last week. What are your thoughts about South and Quakertown?
Kevin Cooney: CB South is doing it with different weapons. Dan Brown has been outstanding for them so far, Matt Johns is an outstanding quarterback, and they’ve done it with an improving defense. Their defense has been a big part of this resurgence. When I saw them opening night against Council Rock South, I had some concerns about that defense, but they’re playing really well here down the stretch. They’re going to have to keep that up if they want to make a district run, but there are some signs of hope.
Now Quakertown is getting into the teeth of its schedule with North Penn on Friday night. They have a Souderton game coming up, and they end up with Pennridge on Thanksgiving. They need to avoid getting into a big, big losing streak the next couple of weeks because again – the magic number is four. You really cannot get to four losses because if you get to four losses, I don’t think you’re getting in the playoffs at this point, but we’ll see.
SuburbanOneSports.com: Souderton needed overtime to beat Hatboro-Horsham last week. Comment about a Big Red squad that you and many others penciled in as the conference’s second best team.
Kevin Cooney: It’s tough being away like I was (covering the Phillies), but you have to figure there was a natural disappointment factor and a shock factor after losing to Pennridge a week earlier and the realization that the playoffs are probably out of their realm. With that happening, it’s a tough mental hurdle for them. I think that’s what happened to Souderton. We talked about this earlier with North Penn, but if Souderton goes and schedules two cupcakes instead of Neshaminy and Abington, odds are they’re probably on a playoff run even if they’re not playing well. Should they have beaten Pennridge? Yes, they should have, but this is the major flaw in the playoff system.
SuburbanOneSports.com: Souderton faces CB South on Friday night in a game that could well determine second place in the conference. What are your thoughts about that game?
Kevin Cooney: For Souderton, this is probably an elimination game. With North Penn coming up next week, they can’t afford to get their fourth loss if they want to have any hope of the postseason. If you’re South, you just want to keep the momentum going. You have things going pretty well right now, and you don’t want to stop. They’re going up against a Souderton team that a lot of people would have said before the season was number two in the conference. This is CB South’s chance to prove itself.
SuburbanOneSports.com: Central Bucks West and Central Bucks East face each other this weekend. Your thoughts about those two programs this season.
Kevin Cooney: They weren’t expected to do a lot, and they’ve lived up to the expectations. West had a major rebuilding year. They had the 2-0 start but have lost four in a row. It’s important for that program to at least finish strong. There’s no reason they can’t go 5-5 and feel a little bit better about themselves. You don’t want to see a 2-8 pop up there by the end of the year.
SuburbanOneSports: The big story last week was Council Rock North’s upset of Neshaminy. Comment on that game as well as state of the district in general.
Kevin Cooney: Rock North has played very well, especially defensively. We all said this was going to be a pretty fluid year. We weren’t sure what everybody had, so now everybody is in shock and awe that the fluid year we all predicted has come to be. It’s baffling that people are surprised at this point. This is what we expected. We expected a year where a little bit of chaos reigned.
This week’s biggest game is going to be Pennsbury at Abington, and frankly, the winner of that is in terrific shape. If Abington wins, you’re pretty much saying that they’re going to run the table. This is not exactly what we’re used to. We’re not used to the fact that these super teams – the North Penns, the Neshaminys and the Pennsburys – are very flawed. It’s part of a continuing trend in District One. District One football this year – for lack of a better term – is awful. It’s brutal. It’s not just the Suburban One National, it’s not just the Suburban One Continental – it’s everywhere. When people understand that – and I don’t mean to sound like a lecturer, but when people understand that, the hysteria over individual games will kind of fade away.
SuburbanOneSports: The Phillies season ended much sooner than everyone expected, and as the Phillies beat writer, what are your thoughts about their early exit from the playoffs this year? Do you think their window of opportunity to win a World Series is closing?
Kevin Cooney: The window is not completely closed, but with every year that passes, you realize the window is closing a bit. It’s easy for everybody to sit here and start nitpicking. I heard a lot of comparison to (the collapse of) ’64, and quite honestly, it’s apples and oranges. When you get in a best-of-five series, a best-of-five series can go either way. In that series, it was clear the turning point was game two and the Phillies not holding onto a lead, and even though they came back and won game three, that was the difference. St. Louis really controlled play from that moment on for the entire series. That was the moment.
The Phillies really have to look at their approach offensively. Reuben Amaro today was talking about the fact that he wants his players to work more counts, he wants to see guys take pitches because they weren’t the same power team they were in 2008. It’s a tough thing to teach an old dog new tricks, and I’m jaded enough to think that if they’re going to do that they’re going to have to do it with different personnel. I think Jimmy Rollins is 50-50 to come back. I think Ryan Madson is 50-50 to come back. The Phillies need to get a new leftfielder, and they need to look at a new third baseman. You’re talking about a lot of different moving parts. This is what happens when teams get older. The window is closing a bit, but it’s not down yet. Their pitching is good enough to win, and Reuben Amaro has made moves to put them in the spot to win. I’m not ready to bury them just yet. They have about two more years.