Visit the Photo Gallery to view action photos of the Bucks County Lions All-Star Football Classic.
By Scott Huff
There they were – all wearing the same uniform – at last.
The uniform was dark blue and represented the North in the 34th annual Bucks County Lions All-Star Football Classic, but for the 20 senior players from the CentralBucksSchool District, it was the first time they all played together at the scholastic level.
“I was just born too late,” said Central Bucks West senior linebacker Matt McMurdo. “I grew up in this town, had season tickets to all the West games, and wanted to be a part of that winning tradition.
“The players from East, South, and West that were on this team talked about what it would have been like if all the Central Bucks schools played together,” added McMurdo. “We really feel that we wouldn’t lose a game.”
“It is something that we always think about,” said Central Bucks East senior defensive back Greg Kogut. “We would have had a super team, and we would have loved to play a team like North Penn and see who was better.”
“There is no question that would be a powerful team,” agreed Central Bucks South wide receiver Mike Doty. “It would have been a dominant team that would have been a real force to play against.”
McMurdo, Kogut, and Doty all played important roles in the North’s 16-7 victory over the South last Saturday night.
McMurdo – one of the four captains for the team – made a terrific defensive play in the second period. The fiery 6-foot, 1-inch, 220-pound middle linebacker slanted into the South backfield and tackled the ball carrier in the end zone for a safety.
“I always seem to play well against a Wing-T offense,” said McMurdo who will attend Salisbury University in the fall. “I didn’t really have a read, I just found the ball carrier and made the tackle.”
Kogut – who did not play football either his sophomore or junior years at East – also came up with a huge defensive play. The diminutive 5-foot, 9-inch, 165-pound DB came up with a marvelous interception in the North end zone to protect a 9-7 North lead.
“It was a lot of fun to play with the elite players in the area,” said Kogut who will attend the University of Pittsburgh in the fall. “And to make a play to help the team win was special.”
Doty – another of the four captains for the North squad – made his biggest contributions to the victory on the offensive side of the ball. The gifted 6-foot, 4-inch, 205-pound wide out hauled in 11 sensational catches for a staggering 210 yards and a pair of touchdowns.
“I try and jump as high as I can and catch the football,” understated Doty who will attend the University of Maine next fall. “I just want to be on the field and have a lot of fun.”
Ironically, the coach who had the opportunity to coach the CB boys of summer was Archbishop Wood head coach Steve Devlin.
“Matt is such a great kid,” said Devlin. “He was always happy to be at practice and always had a smile on his face. He has that smash-mouth style of play.
“Greg made some plays in practice during the two weeks that earned him the start,” added Devlin. “There wasn’t a player that worked any harder than he did.
“And Mike was a real pleasure to coach,” continued Devlin. “He is a stud. It was pretty obvious why he was first team all-league on both offense and defense.”
Of course, McMurdo, Kogut, and Doty were not the only senior players from the CBSD to play in the all star classic.
The honor roll list from CB West includes Ted Conrad and Phil Dutter.
The honor roll list from CB East includes Devon Passman, Nick Miller, Warren Bixler, Jeff Shoolbraid, Chris Urban, Scott Schneider, Joe Hoy, and Chris Harmon.
The honor roll list from CB South includes Tom Johns, Dave Giusti, Andy Kenderline, Aaron Meyers, Nick Mortimer, Chris Beach, and Steve McDermott.
“It was really important that I didn’t lose my last game at War Memorial Field,” said McMurdo. “This is a special place and a special time.”
And it was just as important for Kogut, Doty and the remainder of the Central Bucks football family.
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