Back for its fifth season, the popular Intelligencer/Courier Times ‘Let’s Talk Football’ features high school football beat writers Drew Markol and Dan Dunkin. Markol covers schools in the Intelligencer area while Dan Dunkin covers teams in the Courier Times area. Both share their perspective on the teams in their coverage area. Scott Huff, football writer for SuburbanOneSports.com, shares his thoughts about the American Conference squads. To stay on top of the high school football news in the area, visit the Intelligencer/Courier Times web site http://www.phillyburbs.com/sports/high_school/
SuburbanOneSports.com: Council Rock South defeated Council Rock North in the annual Rock Cup rivalry game. Your thoughts about Rock North heading into the playoffs.
Dan Dunkin: “Council Rock North – like several teams I’ve noticed this year more than in recent years – has had defensive issues, giving up lots of yards. They had their ups and downs defensively this year. They’re not a big team – they don’t have a lot of size collectively and depth, and that hurts you on defense, especially the later you go in the season. They have been largely an offensive team that has gotten great production from their quarterback and playmakers and their undersized offensive line, but the bottom line is – as far as overall performance – they gave up 40 or more points in three of their last four games. They’re just not very good defensively. Until they get more numbers in that program and in the weight room in conjunction with that has continuity, they’re going to face these same issues.
“I saw them play against Council Rock South, and I had seen them play against Quakertown where they blew a 19-point lead and got run all over. CR South ran all over them, led by a terrific running back, Vince Alimenti, who is really one of the better running backs in the whole state. He flew under the radar this year.
“It doesn’t bode well for CR North in the playoffs. You don’t finish the season that weakly. You’re going to face better teams with more balanced offenses. It’s a tough finish for them.”
SuburbanOneSports: Council Rock South finished the second strong. Your comments about that program.
Dan Dunkin: “Hats off to Vince Bedesem and his staff and his kids. They righted the ship this year. They had a good year – they went 6-4 with a resounding final victory over their bitter archrival to win the Rock Cup. They had a better league record than CR North did. They were 5-2 (in the league), and they weren’t that far out of the playoffs. They finished very strong, winning three of their last four. I’m impressed with what they did this year. They had two tough years, winning two games in each of the last two years coming off the great team that went to the district final in 2011. Their numbers were down, they didn’t have the collective depth. They had to kind of regenerate the program, and that happens – you hit cycles, and they have regenerated it. They had to stay the course with their system they believe in, and their kids’ work ethic paid off. It was a tougher group mentally and physically, and it showed. It was a resilient team. Vince Alimenti was terrific, and Brendan Patterson, their junior fullback, really came on gangbusters. Quarterback Shaun Stackhouse did a real good job running the triple option. Their offensive line really came on strong. Defensively, they got nicked here and there, but their program is back on good footing.”
SuburbanOneSports: Truman lost its final league game to Norristown. Your comments about Truman.
Dan Dunkin: “It’s disheartening that they lost a game I really thought they should win. They were so much improved this year, and it’s a shame they didn’t make it to the playoffs. I thought they were very deserving if they could have won this game – they were right on the cusp of getting in. It’s unfortunate. It’s a program that really made strides and learned how to win close games, but this is another example of they’re not quite there consistency-wise yet. They had a good senior group on the heels of another real good senior group last year. They’re 6-4 heading into their Cheltenham game, but the goal was to get to the playoffs this year for the first time in school history. The fact that they didn’t does not diminish the improvement they’ve made this year. Would have, could have, should have, but they were within very close range of going 9-2. They didn’t, and the bottom line is you are what your record is, but this program has turned the corner. It’s two years in a row with at least six wins, two winning seasons in a row. I don’t know when the last time that happened at Truman. They have a terrific coaching staff led by Jon Craig. I look for real bright days ahead for this program. Football is now officially important at Truman.”
SuburbanOneSports.com: Pennsbury defeated Neshaminy in their annual rivalry game that saw Neshaminy playing without some of its key players. Your thoughts.
Dan Dunkin: “It’s the age we live in. There are a lot of things out there that are negative, that are distractions, that are potential problems for kids compared to 30-40 years ago when it was a much simpler world. It’s unfortunate to see what happened at CB West, it’s unfortunate to see what happened at Neshaminy. You can’t control everything, you can’t see everything. You just hope kids will make good choices, and they don’t always do that.
“As for the game, I give Neshaminy a lot of credit for two weeks in a row competing really toe-to-toe with the best team in their league, Pennsbury, and the week before vs. North Penn. They were right in the Pennsbury game until the last few minutes without their starting quarterback, Mason Jones, who was ruled out earlier in the week with a concussion, and obviously without some key pieces in D’Andre Pollard and some other starters. Neshaminy’s defense really played well the last two weeks. Matt Magdelinskas had a great game against Pennsbury. He was kind of an unsung kid who had a good career at Neshaminy. He’s a talented athlete. He did a great job at running back filling in for Pollard the last game.
“The bottom line is for Neshaminy – we knew they weren’t going to be as good this year, they had a new head coach, but their whole staff was intact. They lost a lot of seniors from that great team last year, but if you’re a Neshaminy person and a fan or parent who cares a lot about this team, you want to be careful and not start talking in the terms I just did and say, ‘They competed well the last two weeks.’ That’s BS. It’s about winning at Neshaminy. It’s not about trying hard and coming close and being 4-6. That stinks. It’s unacceptable, and if it starts being acceptable at Neshaminy, that’s a shame because Mark Schmidt spent 19 years turning that program into one of the best in the state and making the best out of his roster every year. I’m not sure Neshaminy has those expectations now. We’ll see going forward.
“As for Pennsbury, they did what they had to do to win that game. A lot of times with this rivalry, the playing field gets leveled. No matter what the record of the respective teams, there’s so much emotion, and that was a classic example. Pennsbury had to take Neshaminy’s best shot for a while and hang in there and wear them down at the end.
“I think Pennsbury is in good shape heading into the district playoffs. They’re healthy for the most part, they have a terrific team, they've got every reason to believe they can win the district championship for the first time in eight years, the second time under Galen Snyder. There’s a long way to go, but they’re going to have to commit a little bit more to that passing game.”
SuburbanOneSports.com: Central Bucks East handed Quakertown its first loss of the season. Your thoughts.
Drew Markol: “I was up at Quakertown earlier today, talking to George Banas and a couple of guys. I’m not sure how much stock I put in that loss to East. I think you had an East team that had their biggest game of the season cancelled and this was their last chance, and you had a Quakertown team coming off the biggest win in a long, long time and they win the conference by beating Council Rock North in a wild game. I just kind of see a bit of a letdown for Quakertown. A good job by East obviously, but if there was going to be a letdown, it was going to come in that game, so I really don’t put too much stock in that loss. I think they’ll bounce back.
“For East, this was their last game at War Memorial Field as the home team, so good for them. Their season didn’t go as they hoped, and they go and beat a team that was 9-0. It may have been a letdown for Quakertown, but they were still 9-0, and all their players played.”
SuburbanOneSports.com: On the heels of its loss to Quakertown, Council Rock North lost to Council Rock South. Your thoughts about the Indians heading into the playoffs against Upper Dublin.
Drew Markol: “CR North loses a game to their rival and they lost the week before against Quakertown that took away their chance for a Continental Conference title. As it turns out, on paper, it looks like it helped them. Upper Dublin is 9-1, but that loss was to Abington. That looks like a winnable game for Council Rock North where if they had beaten Council Rock South – which I’m sure they would have liked to have done – that would have put them somewhere else. In their case, they may have gained by losing their last two games. Nothing against Upper Dublin, but teams from that smaller conference always have to prove themselves, regardless of which team it is. This is a chance for Upper Dublin to prove themselves. On paper, Council Rock North may have helped their own cause a little bit by losing.”
SuburbanOneSports.com: Quakertown faces Pennridge in an opening round district playoff game. Your thoughts about that game.
Drew Markol: “It’s just amazing all the things that had to happen. You have 44 teams from the district playing Quad A football. Quakertown could have played 15 different teams in the playoffs, and for them to drop from two to four, you needed Hatboro to beat Cheltenham. A lot of things had to happen, and sure enough, it did. Usually when you have the playoffs, you’re playing some team from Delaware or Chester County that you never heard of, and there’s not much to it. It’s just rare when you have archrivals playing each other, which is pretty cool. The place will be packed. There will be standing room only. You better get there early, or you’re not going to get in. It will be quite an atmosphere for both communities.
“Quakertown plays pretty good defense, but I’m not sure they’ve seen an offense with the ground game that Pennridge has. They’ve seen it with the passing game with Council Rock North, and they showed they could overcome it. Joe Unangst is very good, and it will absolutely be a test. Pennridge is not a huge team up front, but they’re big enough. When you look at the level of competition the teams have played, obviously, Pennridge has played tougher teams.
“Quakertown has a good ground game with Rob Burns and Nick Bonomo. Alec Vera didn’t really have to throw the ball much during the season because they were able to run the ball, but he can throw it, and they have a couple of good receivers. I think they’re going to throw it more than we’ve seen. I think for the kids this district game is bigger than Thanksgiving. I think for a lot of the older people in the community the Thanksgiving game might be bigger. It’s good stuff. Usually district playoff teams will have a local team going against someone you know very little about, but in this case, you have a game between two teams that know each other very well.
“I just think Quakertown will bounce back. They’ve never won a district playoff game, and this is their chance. It will be close – you’re pretty much flipping a coin here, but I’ll give Quakertown the slightest of edges.”
SuburbanOneSports.com: Central Bucks South – playing without Josh Adams – lost to Souderton. Your thoughts about the Titans heading into their district game against Garnet Valley.
Drew Markol: “Adams is such an enormous part of that offense, and having him in the lineup gives them a chance in any game. When they played Coatesville, he scored all the touchdowns, he had some long runs against a really good defense. He’s just a dynamic, dynamic player. They knew they were in the playoffs, and they took a chance that maybe they could win the game without him and let him rest his ankle. You have a Souderton team that’s getting better, and for Souderton, it’s their last game. They had a lot of losses this season, and they didn’t feel like having another one. They stepped up and played really well.
“It just shows you – the gamble didn’t pay off in that regard, but we’ll see. South figured, ‘Okay, it doesn’t really matter. We’re in the playoffs, we’re going to play somebody good anyway. We’ll get our best player healthy.’ That’s exactly what happened. I guess you could say it backfired, but they’re still in the playoffs, and Adams will have had two weeks to rest his ankle. They have a road game at Garnet Valley, but I don’t think that matters too much. Coaches have said – sometimes they even like the bus ride to talk with the team. I don’t worry about the home field advantage much with high school sports.
“Garnet Valley was the number one seed last year, and they lost to Abington in the second round. This is the Jaguars’ ninth straight trip to playoffs – the longest running streak in District One (Quad A). Whoever South plays be it the first round of districts or the state final, they’re going to have the best player. When you have the best player in high school in a position like running back – and that kid can also catch, in a close game, you can score in 10 seconds, and a lot of teams can’t do that. I know everybody says, ‘Oh, we’ll key on Adams.’ Well, everybody has been keying on Adams, and it’s not working.”
SuburbanOneSports.com: North Penn – coming off a shutout of Abington – will travel to West Chester Henderson on Friday. Your thoughts about the Knights.
Drew Markol: “If you’re Henderson, you’ve got to be thinking, ‘Why us?’ You’re getting a North Penn team that’s primed and ready to go. As always, they’ve gotten better as the season goes along. They beat Pennsbury and they shut out Abington. They’ve been in the district playoffs 12 of the last 13 years, so they’re synonymous with the district playoffs. If anybody in the playoffs has a psychological edge, it’s North Penn and Coatesville over anyone else because those teams are always in it.”
SuburbanOneSports.com: Upper Moreland will travel to Bishop Shanahan for an opening round district game. Your comments.
Drew Markol: “With Tyler Whitmore, the running back, he’s so good, and he kind of gives them the same thing Josh Adams gives to CB South. You have a dynamic player that chances are is the best player on the field again. They’ll ride him with 25-30 carries. You can win doing that, especially in the first round. Is Upper Moreland good enough to win the district title? Probably not, but can they win a game or two? I think they can.”
SuburbanOneSports.com: Souderton and Hatboro-Horsham have had tough seasons, and both closed league play with wins. Your comments.
Drew Markol: “It’s a credit to both coaching staffs – they didn’t lose their teams. You look at a team like Souderton – they’re very young, and they’re getting better. Next year is going to be a pretty good year for them. It’s a credit to the coaching staffs of both teams. They could have rolled over and said the heck with it. Neither one did that.”
SuburbanOneSports.com: Upper Dublin will host a PIAA Quad-A District One playoff game this week against Council Rock North. What are your thoughts?
Scott Huff: “Upper Dublin was 9-1 last year and did not host a playoff game – and the Cardinals lost in the opening round to Abington. This year Upper Dublin was 9-1 again and will host a playoff game – against Council Rock North. The Cardinals upgraded their non-conference schedule this year, and that upgrade both presented them with a home game and should prepare them better for the postseason.
“The game with Rock North will showcase two of the elite quarterbacks in the area in UD’s Ryan Stover and CRN’s Brandon McIlwain. Stover is a terrific passer, and the Cardinals of late have gotten wonderful running from both Khaleif Lee and John Lee. McIlwain is a stud – you don’t become a coveted Division One college prospect by accident. McIlwain is a sensational passer – powerful runner – and an outstanding defensive player.
“McIlwain may indeed be the best player on the field – but I feel that Upper Dublin will be the best team. Look for the Cardinals to be the first SOL American Conference team to advance to the second round of the District One playoffs with a high-scoring win over the Indians.”
SuburbanOneSports.com: Upper Moreland will play Bishop Shanahan Saturday in a PIAA Class AAA quarterfinal playoff game. Thoughts?
Scott Huff: “Talking with coaches and from the info I received should make this game a toss-up. Both Upper Moreland and Shanahan have blue chip running backs and quarterbacks that have had exceptional seasons. Both defenses have been prone to giving up big plays – and the team that generates the most big plays will win this game.
Golden Bear senior running back Tyler Whitmore is going to be the key to victory for both teams. If Upper Moreland can get him into the open field – look out. If the Eagles can contain the electrifying Whitmore – Shanahan will move on to the semifinal round.”
SuburbanOneSports.com: Springfield will host New Hope-Solebury Saturday night in a PIAA Class AA semifinal playoff game. Thoughts?
Scott Huff: “The reward for Springfield playing ‘up’ in the SOL American Conference is that the Spartans usually go into the AA playoffs having played the most competitive schedule of any AA team. However, often the grind of playing in a league with five Quad-A schools and two AAA schools takes a physical toll on the undermanned Spartans.
“In fact, Springfield due to injury will only dress 31 players for its semifinal game against New Hope-Solebury. But as long as quarterback Chris Stone and running back Martin Worgan are among the physically able – the Spartans will be more than competitive against NH-S. Look for Springfield to have a date with Bristol in the PIAA District 1 Class AA final next week.”
SuburbanOneSports.com: Plymouth Whitemarsh finished the season with a 7-3 record and was 6-1 in the SOL American. Why didn’t the Colonials make the Quad-A postseason?
Scott Huff: “Plymouth Whitemarsh collected 1060 points for its seven wins and was ranked #21 in the district. The Colonials had more wins than #11 CR North (6-4, 1230); # 15 Downingtown West (6-4, 1140); # 17 Council Rock South (6-4, 1090); # 18 Unionville (6-4, 1080); and # 19 Abington (5-5, 1080). There were eight teams with seven wins that all ranked above PW – Downingtown East, West Chester Henderson, North Penn, Central Bucks South, Pennridge, Conestoga, Haverford, and Methacton.
“The facts clearly show that the Colonials competing in the SOL American against the four Quad-A, two-AAA, and one AA teams just didn’t add up to a playoff berth. The non-conference loss to Quad-A Souderton (21-14) followed by a second non-conference loss to Quad-A Abington (23-8) in the first two weeks of the season proved to be too much to rebound from considering the strength of schedule in the SOL American.”
SuburbanOneSports.com: Three SOL American Conference teams – Cheltenham, Hatboro-Horsham, and Upper Merion – do not have playoff games this week. However, all three will play non-league contests. What’s on the schedule?
Scott Huff: “Cheltenham (5-5) will put its .500 record on the line against a very good Truman (6-4) team that just missed the playoffs. The Panthers will have its hands more than full against the high-powered Tiger offense. Hatboro-Horsham (3-7) – which still has a game on Thanksgiving morning against rival Upper Moreland (7-3) – will be tested by visiting West Chester East (4-6). And Upper Merion (1-9) might have only one win – but it is one more win than Bensalem (0-10) who will be on the road to face the Vikings.”
SuburbanOneSports.com: Who wins this week in the SOL American Conference?
Scott Huff: “How about [Upper Dublin 42 – Council Rock North 35]; [Upper Moreland 28 – Bishop Shanahan 21]; [Springfield 34 – New Hope 20]; [Truman 38 – Cheltenham 24]; [Hatboro-Horsham 28 – West Chester East 27]; and [Bensalem 27 – Upper Merion 21]?”
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