Back for its 16th season, the popular Intelligencer/Bucks County Courier Times ‘Let’s Talk Football’ features football beat writer Drew Markol. To stay on top of the high school football news in the area, visit the Intelligencer (http://www.theintell.com/sports/high-school/) and Courier Times (http://www.buckscountycouriertimes.com/sports/high-school/) web sites.
SuburbanOneSports.com: Let’s talk about teams that you think will be making noise in the Suburban One League, beginning with the SOL Continental.
Drew Markol: “Let’s start in the Continental. I think that's going to be the most interesting of the three. It's been the Upper Dublin, Souderton, Quakertown trifecta the past couple of years, and I expect those three teams will be really good again. Over at Upper Dublin, coach Bret Stover has got a bunch of seniors coming back. I think it's in the 20s, which is a number he hasn't had in a long time. At the same time, Quakertown's got an all-league quarterback with senior Brady Martin returning. It’s always nice to have your quarterback back.
“Then you look at Souderton with first team all-league quarterback Ben Walsh going into his third year as a starter. You rarely, if ever, get a three-year starting quarterback and one who can play like that. But then you can add into the mix – a team like Bensalem is a sleeper team. I had several coaches when I was going around doing my little visits tell me that Aidan Mayfield is far and away the best running back in the SOL, not in the SOL Continental, but in the SOL.
“Then you look at Council Rock South – they were 4-6 last year. Their quarterback – Marley Emerson - is back. He looks like he can play, and there are pieces in place there. You look at Nate Szydlik, the all-state linebacker – they’re going to have him on offense, too. I mean, he is a load. You give him the ball 20 times a game. I could see that, but I still think there's separation between Upper Dublin, Quakertown and Souderton from Bensalem and Council Rock South, but it's not much. And I think Souderton is probably the best of the bunch If you asked me and my life depended on it, but those are five teams that really could make things interesting, and I think they could beat each other up and break up this Quakertown, Upper Dublin, Souderton thing we've had. So, I think the Continental, to me, will be the most interesting, by a long shot.”
SuburbanOneSports.com: Who are some players on Souderton that gives them the edge?
Drew Markol: “Hunter Smeltz is a really good receiver, and Tim Meehan will be a three-year starter in the secondary, and he’ll be playing some offense too. Smeltz had over 10 touchdowns and close to 1,000 yards receiving last year. That kid catches everything, and Walsh is so good. They also got Jared Higgenbotham, who transferred from Cheltenham. He’s a running back, and he’s a difference maker.”
SuburbanOneSports.com: Which teams stand out in the SOL National Conference?
Drew Markol: “When you look at the National, I think there are the usual suspects. You can't look past Central Bucks South. You can't look past Central Bucks West. I think Neshaminy will be much improved. The new coach over there at Neshaminy – Nick Felus, and Pensbury, too. North Penn got to the district final last year. They have a three-year returning starter at quarterback, in Matt Bucksar, who is really, really good. Their running back, Matt Pownall, who's going to Navy. He was a first-team National Conference running back and a first-team defensive back. They also have wide receiver Mason Franek back, and he gives them a nice weapon there. North Penn’s offensive line is always good.
I think North Penn is the team to beat not only in the National, but in the district. They got to the district final last year, and there were some good seniors. Aiden Eves was on that team, but there were a lot of juniors, and now they're all back. That team, to me, is really good.
There are very few seniors on any of the Central Bucks teams, which is odd. That usually just happens to one school, but all three don't really have that core senior group back, and that hurts because North Penn does. And Neshaminy does too with Michael Eckart at quarterback for a second year. Carter Clee, the running back, only played seven games last year because he had bumps and bruises. He's back, and Owen Swartz is good two-way lineman. Nick Sassano plays in the secondary and will probably play some receiver, I'm sure. There are pieces at Neshaminy, too, that will have them right in the mix. Pennsbury with Jordan Brensinger in the backfield - it may be more of a North Penn, Neshaminy, Pennsbury instead of a North Penn, CB South, CB West that we've sort of gotten used to in recent times.
But again, I don't think it's as good as the Continental as far as a five-team race or as close because you have a clear-cut team in North Penn that I think is the cream of the National Conference. And then after that, it does kind of filter down into tiers, but it should also be pretty good.”
“At CB East, Mike Price is back for his junior year, and Tim Fuhrmeister is a nice lineman. You look at West. (Photographer) Michelle Haddon and I did a bunch of West games, and she's like ‘Every photo I have is Ryan Clemens.’ Yeah - he's the kicker, he's the running back, he plays defense, and I'm like, ‘Wait till he leaves.’ Well, he left. The Louie Cipollo kid who was pretty good in the secondary last year is going to be the quarterback, but I just don't know how much help he has around him. At South, Tom Hetrick’s starting a freshman lineman at left tackle, and he has the Braylen Cape kid, the running back”
SuburbanOneSports.com: Your thoughts about the SOL American Conference.
Drew Markol: “I don’t cover a lot of them. But you look at it - it's Plymouth Whitemarsh. Dan Chang's been their head coach forever. He just has that program swimming right along. They do move up to the SOL Continental next year, which is going to make the Continental that much tougher and that much better. At Upper Moreland, Larry Hughes, the tight end, is a tremendous player. The kicker, Luke Sword, is going to Temple. We don't get many kickers and punters that are that good, but that's a weapon that Adam Beach will use, but in that conference, until you beat Plymouth Whitemarsh - and I don't think anybody's doing that, they rule the roost.”
Drew’s Picks (Winners in bold)
Conrad Weiser at Abington
Upper Darby at Bensalem
Ridley at CB East.
Archbishop Wood at CB South
CB West at Easton
Cheltenham at Wilson West Lawn
Council Rock North at Upper Moreland
Frankford at Council Rock South
Haverford at Harry S. Truman
Hatboro-Horsham at Marple Newtown
Lower Moreland at Vaux
Neshaminy at Emmaus
New Hope-Solebury at Academy at Palumbo
North Penn at Downingtown East
Pennridge at Liberty
Northampton at Pennsbury.
Plymouth Whitemarsh at West Chester Henderson.
Quakertown at Southern Lehigh
Souderton at Spring-Ford
Wissahickon at Upper Dublin
Archbishop Carroll at William Tennant.
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