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: Pennridge is traveling to North Penn for the National Conference opener. Your thoughts about those two teams.
Drew Markol: “For North Penn, this will be a tougher league season. With the teams they had to play, it kind of mirrored last season where they were 0-3. Now they’re 1-2, but they have to go into the new-fangled National Conference, and it would help them to win it all or just lose one, but now you have to beat a very good Pennsbury team, you have to beat a very good CB South team, you have to worry about Abington, and we don’t know if Neshaminy has figured things out, so it looks like a little tougher conference road. If they get to 6-4, will that be enough to get in, or do they need 7-3. If they need 7-3, that means they have to go 6-1 in the conference, and that could be hard.
“I look at the games I’ve seen North Penn play against La Salle and Wood. La Salle is the number one team in Quad A, and Wood is the number one team in 3A. They still have four of the five starters back on the offensive line that was pretty good last year. It hasn’t been that good this year because the teams they’re playing against apply a lot of pressure, but that offensive line last year in conference play was awfully good and helped them win 10 games in a row. I think a true barometer comes Friday when they play Pennridge. I think that’s just being fair because teams like La Salle and Wood will expose any wart you might have.
“You flip over to a Pennridge team that’s off to a great start. If they’re able to beat North Penn, are they in essence putting a stake into North Penn if Pennridge keeps it going with its great start to the season. It’s funny – Pennridge couldn’t get by North Penn for a long time, but now, you’d call that game a toss-up with the way Pennridge is playing. It will be a good one to watch
“I haven’t had a chance to see Joe Unangst, but Pennridge’s offensive line is playing well, and he’s taking advantage of it. Mike Class was a once-every-10-years kind of player, but Pennridge had some good backs before Mike Class, and they’ll have some good ones after him.”
SuburbanOneSports.com: Central Bucks East is travelling to Council Rock North for its league opener. Your thoughts about the Patriots heading into that game.
Drew Markol: “East is facing one of the best quarterbacks in the state in Brandon McIlwain, who’s only a junior, but it’s his third year starting. He’s not going to be like any quarterback they’re going to see because he can move, he keeps plays alive, and he’s just getting better. There’s a kid that’s being recruited by everybody. This is not Villanova or Rhode Island. We’re talking Florida and Auburn and Alabama. He’s that good, and he’s only a junior. East is spending the week, I’m sure, trying to figure out a way to stop him. They will score. When Rock North played Pennsbury last week, McIlwain was running for his life, but he still managed to put up good numbers and score some points against one of the best teams in the district.
“For East, you want to kick off your new conference season on a high note, but they’re going to have to be ready for a unique player.”
SuburbanOneSports.com: William Tennent will face Quakertown in the Panthers home opener on the newly installed turf in Alumni Field. Your thoughts about that game.
Drew Markol: “With the way Quakertown is going and the confidence they have being 3-0, this is going to be their first game in their refurbished stadium. They haven’t played at home yet. They were supposed to play Upper Perk at home in the opening week, but they ended up playing at Souderton because the field wasn’t ready. The fact that they’re playing at home and they have a ton of confidence – I favor Quakertown in that one.”
SuburbanOneSports.com: Abington will play at Neshaminy in its National Conference opener. What are your thoughts about the Ghosts?
Drew Markol: “Abington is 3-0, they’ve had some tight ones, but good teams win the tight ones. Maybe Neshaminy righted things a little bit last week, beating Council Rock South after losing their first two.
“It’s hard to get a gauge on Neshaminy. Neshaminy played that Gonzaga team that is nationally ranked, and they played Downingtown West, which is a district title contender. Neshaminy doesn’t look like a district title contender this year, but they manage every year to be pretty good.
“These two teams know each other. They were part of the old conference. They play each other a lot. I think you have to give an edge to Abington, but I’m anxious to see that one. That’s one of the better games of the week, for sure. I’d call this one a toss-up.”
SuburbanOneSports.com: Upper Moreland travels to Hatboro-Horsham for the first of two meetings this season. Your comments about that game.
Drew Markol: “These two teams are going to play again on Thanksgiving, but this is the one that counts as far as the American Conference is concerned since Hatboro went down to the American Conference, and Norristown went down to the Continental. This is a conference game that’s going to count in the conference standings. Hatboro at 0-3 and Upper Moreland at 3-0 and riding high with Tyler Whitmore, their running back – if this were Thanksgiving, it might be different because those games can swing either way, but for right now where both teams are, I think Upper Moreland will win. I’m not going to say they’ll win handily, but I think they’re going to win.”
SuburbanOneSports.com: Central Bucks West will travel to Norristown for its opener in the newly aligned Continental Conference. Your comments about that game.
Drew Markol: “I’m actually going to that game. In years past, 10 or 15 years ago, you always had those good CB West-Norristown matchups back in the day. West, in that conference, can’t afford any slipups. They need to go there and take care of business because they’ll have tougher games ahead, and they can’t afford to let Norristown trip them up.”
SuburbanOneSports: Neshaminy will host Abington on Friday night. Your thoughts about that game.
Dan Dunkin: “This is a fascinating matchup. Right now Abington is really rolling with a lot of confidence. They’re 3-0 and have found ways to win each game in different ways. They haven’t played perfect by any means, but the sign of a good team is they can turn a so-so night or a bad night or a night with some turnovers into a good night.
“To win from behind a couple times like they have breeds confidence. They do very well on special teams, their quarterback, David Kretschman, is making plays, Jordan Neely is a really exciting, breakout player who can make big plays in a lot of ways, and the way they’re coached shows up every year in the record. Tim Sorber has had a really good system and philosophy in place there for over a decade. They consistently have been in the hunt, and I again think this is a team flying under the radar a little bit in a new SOL National. Everybody expects Abington to be one of the players in that conference, but I think they’re a contender to win the thing. A darkhorse maybe, but they’re a contender.
“In this game, I think Abington matches up much better than Neshaminy does simply because of their overall team speed. They have a workhorse running back in Juawine Sowell, and I think it will be difficult for Neshaminy’s inconsistent defense to stop him. I do think again Neshaminy is overly reliant on D’Andre Pollard. As great as he is, they’re going to need more from their passing game. Mason Jones and his receivers are certainly capable of supplying that. It’s a good group, and I’m high on Mason. I think he’s going to be a terrific high school quarterback, but Neshaminy has to be concerned about their lines on both sides of the ball in this game.
“The game is at Neshaminy, and they’re going to be all revved up. It’s a big game. I expect them to be in it for a while, but I think Abington will stay in control of this game and win it.”
SuburbanOneSports.com: Truman came up with a hard-fought win over Cardinal O’Hara and now faces Council Rock South. Your thoughts?
Dan Dunkin: “That was a huge win for Truman. It showed me a lot that they could come back a week after a really frustrating loss to an Upper Dublin team they were using as a barometer to see where they were at. They lost in similar fashion to them the year before – too many mistakes in a game they could have won, but then they bounced back mentally and beat Cardinal O’Hara and I think surprised a lot of people. It’s annually a very solid team from a very tough Philadelphia Catholic League. To turn it around and win that and get ready for the league season says a lot for them.
“I’ve had this Truman team circled and underlined since the season started. I just don’t like this matchup for Council Rock South. Truman has a lot of team speed. South does not, and I think right there is going to be the ballgame. I think it’s going to be really tough for South to mount much on a consistent basis against that defense, which is real experienced and real aggressive and getting better.
“What’s interesting about Truman also is their quarterback, Mark Lopez-Shefcyk. They’ve really stepped up their passing game, which they haven’t had a lot of in recent years. Along with their depth at running back, it just makes them tougher to defend.
“Going forward, I like Truman as a real shot to win the Continental Conference in the first year of realignment, and this is a game I expect them to win.”
SuburbanOneSports.com: William Tennent will travel to Quakertown to face the 3-0 Panthers. Your thoughts about Tennent going into that game.
Dan Dunkin: “I really like what Bob Rosenberger has done there. He’s quickly established a program. He knew last year would be a tough growing pains year in his first year there. They were 2-8, and they’ve already won two games out of three. Their main strength is their offensive line, which reflects the offseason commitment they’ve made under Rosenberger. It’s a big, strong, tough offensive line. They’ve got a good offensive backfield. Their quarterback is Nik Banks. I was out at Tennent yesterday and talked to him and some of the players and coach Rosenberger. Nik is a leader – you could tell this season really means a lot to him. He’s really dedicated himself as a team leader. He’s a good athlete and can run with the ball, and this year the main thing they’re asking of him was to improve as a passer, and he’s shown that already. He’s thrown to John Ryan for four touchdown passes so their offense is more balanced, and I think they’re playing with confidence now.
“It’s better for Tennent, Truman and both Rocks that they’re in this mid-level enrollment league. It’s a more level playing field. I think Tennent comes into it with a good amount of momentum, and they are really cranked up to be on the road in what’s going to be a huge night in Quakertown because they’re opening a new stadium and they’re 3-0. I look for Tennent, while they’ll be the underdog in this game – I think they’re going to rise up, play a little tougher and use this as a show-me kind of game. They need to go on the road and prove it, and I think they will.”
SuburbanOneSports.com: Pennsbury was impressive in its win over Council Rock North. Talk about those two teams.
Dan Dunkin: “That game went according to my form. Pennsbury is just too big, too strong, too powerful and too fast for North’s smallish defense to cover for four quarters. One thing that game pointed out is how good Brandon McIlwain is though. That kid – he made several ‘wow’ plays on the run, improvising, throwing on the run, making runs. We’re talking in three weeks he has over a thousand yards of total offense, about 80 percent of their offense. He’s fearless, he’s talented, and you can see why he’s a Division One prospect. He came in very good, but I’ve seen him take a step from his sophomore to junior year. He’s a little more polished as a passer. His decision making is a little better, and he just looks like a college player right now. In that game, he really stood out. It was 14-8, and then it goes to 36-14. Another thing that game showed is just how deep Pennsbury’s defense is. From front to back, they just play sideline to sideline. They rarely let you get outside – they contain everything. McIlwain threw three scores, but it was 57-20.
“Charles Snorweah, to me, is the best running back in the area. Not by much. It’s a tough call, but I think he is – just all-around and his explosiveness. Pennsbury also has Raheem Thompson and Victor Delgado, who’s also a terrific defensive player, and on and on and on. (Quarterback) Mike Alley threw a TD pass and looks terrific throwing the ball on the run and makes them more dynamic. Pennsbury, again, it would be easy for them in a couple of these games to go through the motions and know they’re going to win, but they don’t. They use every game as a chance to improve, and they are. They’re hitting the ground running heading into Souderton. This is one good football team. They’re ranked number four in the state legitimately. They’re one of the top four or five teams, no question.
SuburbanOneSports: Upper Moreland was the lone SOL American Conference team to go through the non-league unbeaten. How good are the Bears?
Scott Huff: “Very good. Very, very good. Upper Moreland has the complete package on the offensive side of the football. Tyler Whitmore is a game-breaker and senior quarterback Josh Abrams has done a terrific job running the offense. Plus, the offensive line is both big and strong – a nice combination. Look for the Bears to contend for the title.”
Suburban One Sports: Upper Dublin lost its first game of the season with a 27-20 loss to Abington. How much time will it take for the Cardinals to rebound?
Scott Huff: “As little time as possible. Upper Dublin had its chances to win the game against the unbeaten Ghosts. Quarterback Ryan Stover drew rave reviews from Abington head coach Tim Sorber - the overflow fans in attendance at Schwartzman Stadium – and from me as a sportswriter who covered the game for SuburbanOneSports. The PIAA District One Quad-A playoffs should be in the Cardinals future this 2014 season.”
Suburban One Sports: Plymouth Whitemarsh is the defending SOL American champion. Will the Colonials repeat after going 1-2 in the non-league season?
Scott Huff: “Don’t bet on it – and don’t bet against it. Last year PW was 1-2 – swept through the conference schedule unbeaten – and finished 8-3. Head coach Dan Chang challenges his team and PW suffered tough non-league losses to SOL National Conference opponents Souderton and Abington and surely those defeats were not shocking setbacks. PW routed rival Norristown last week 35-6 and had three runners rush for over 100 yards. The Colonials will feature that ‘ground and pound’ in the SOL American Conference.”
Suburban One Sports: Wissahickon has put up some impressive offensive numbers despite a 1-2 non-league record. What are the prospects for the Trojans this year?
Scott Huff: “The two losses were to Souderton and Norristown – and really the Trojans could have – would have – should have won both of those games. Josh Smith is going to be one of the elite offensive weapons in the conference this year. If Wissahickon learns how to finish games – the Trojans could be contenders.”
Suburban One Sports: Springfield lost its first game of the season with a 23-20 loss to Penn Charter. The Spartans are a AA school competing in a conference with five Quad-A teams (Upper Dublin, Plymouth Whitemarsh, Wissahickon, Cheltenham, and Hatboro-Horsham) and two AAA teams (Upper Moreland and Upper Merion). Is the enrollment gap too hard to overcome for Springfield to be competitive?
Scott Huff: “The short answer for the 2014 season is – NO. Springfield has Chris Stone back from injury and the talented quarterback will keep the Spartans in most of the conference games that they play this year. Plus, head coach Chris Shelly led the Spartans to a 3-4 conference record without Stone last year. Springfield finished the season at 5-5.”
Suburban One Sports: Cheltenham begins the ‘regular’ season with a 1-2 record. Can the Panthers contend?
Scott Huff: “Cheltenham always has athletes and veteran coach Joe Gro is an outstanding head coach. Right now it looks like the upper tier of the conference has Upper Dublin, Upper Moreland, and Plymouth Whitemarsh – and you can fit the Panthers in that second tier with Wissahickon and Springfield.”
Suburban One Sports: Both Hatboro-Horsham and Upper Merion were winless in the non-league – surprised?
Scott Huff: “In the case of Hatboro Horsham – yes. I thought the shift from the SOL Continental Conference to the SOL American Conference would make the Hatters a challenger for a conference title. But H-H hasn’t played like that yet – the 28-13 loss to winless Lansdale Catholic was a surprise.
“In the case of Upper Merion – not really. I thought the Vikings had a shot to beat both Norristown and Octorara – but UM was not really the favorite in either of those games.”
Suburban One Sports: Who wins the SOL American Conference openers this week?
Scott Huff: “How about – [Plymouth Whitemarsh 38/Upper Merion 7]; [Upper Moreland 34/Hatboro-Horsham 20]; [Upper Dublin 35/ Cheltenham 14]; and [Wissahickon 24/Springfield 21]?”
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