In the 13th weekly edition of the Intelligencer/Courier Times ‘Let’s Talk Football,’ high school football beat writers Kevin Cooney and Dom Cosentino take a close look at last week’s second round of the District One Class AAAA Tournament. They also offer their opinions on this week’s huge semifinal games which featured three SOL squads.Cooney and Cosentino – who boast a combined 23 years covering high school football – are two of the area’s most respected and knowledgeable football writers. To stay on top of all the latest high school football news in the area, visit the web site http://www.phillyburbs.com/news/local/sports_now.html
SuburbanOneSports.com: What are your thoughts after the second round of the tournament, especially after some of the high-scoring games last weekend?
Kevin Cooney: That’s been the MO of this tournament. You’re looking at defenses on a holiday. It’s pretty obvious – none of the teams in this tournament have really awe-inspiring defenses at this point. Neshaminy probably has the best defense of the four teams left, and North Penn has improved, but CR South seems to have forgotten what defense is about. I say that jokingly, and Vince Bedesem is downplaying it, but for them to have a shot, they’re going to have to get better. They cannot allow 350-400 yards of offense. Anybody who thinks they can win this way forever is dreaming.
I pointed it out in my column last Saturday that if you look at CR South’s defensive yield numbers – in the first eight weeks they were yielding around 150 yards a game, and if you look at it now, it’s at 350. They have allowed more points and more yards in four games than they’ve allowed in eight. This isn’t a one-time blip. It’s a trend, and they haven’t faced an offense that is the same caliber as North Penn. Central Bucks West has a good offense, but it’s not a great offense, and it’s not North Penn. Abington is a good offense, but it’s not North Penn.
They’re going to have to shape up this weekend, and the one thing I said on the radio the other night, and I believe this – CR South’s best defense is going to be their offense. They’re going to have to drive, and they’re going to have to have a play advantage of 20-30 plays. If they don’t, look – they’re either going to win a close game or they’re going to get blown off the field. There’s very little in between. That may not be the politically correct thing to say. I could give you the false hype on this game and say I believe this is going to be real close and either team can win. In a way, I guess I’m copping out, but either they’re going to win a close game or they’re going to get blown out. CR South is not going to lose 24-21.
This is the nature of the 2010 playoffs. Defense has taken a holiday. No one has an idea right now on how to stop anybody. This is also a reason why I think the District One champion is not the favorite to win the state championship. You have to believe that defense will be the main thing to watch against a La Salle. It will have to be the team that clamps down, and there’s no defense in this tournament that seems up to that task at this point.
SuburbanOneSports.com: Comment on the offensive performances of CR South and CB West.
Kevin Cooney: Billy Fleming is the best option quarterback I have ever seen. The way he is able to hide the ball and kind of sit behind the line – you don’t see that at the high school level. You don’t even see it done that well at the college level. Mark Damirgian is a good threat, and PJ Gallo as a blocking tight end is good – he had a catch this week for a touchdown. The best thing for their offensive system is it’s not something people see every week, so it works out very well. It’s so unique that you can’t really plan for it. You look at West – West played Souderton who plays the wing-t, but that’s not the same. You see a Quakertown, which is a little bit of an option team, but it’s not the same thing. Fleming is a good enough quarterback, and you have to guard against Fleming as a threat. You have to cut the pass off and you have to stop the run, and it’s tough to do both.
CR South got the ball with a minute left in the first half and the score tied, and they scored a touchdown. That’s a game changer right there. The key on that drive was the kickoff coming all the way back to the 40. You saw that a little bit in the New York Jets game this weekend. The Jets were able to get to the 40 and then kind of plan their way on that (TD) drive. They had no timeouts, and they got to midfield with 35-40 seconds left, and then it was almost like they could go. That’s what I thought happened for South too. Once they got towards midfield – game on.
How many times do you see a team score 28 points in a quarter like West did and not only lose but trail at the half? What we saw the week before against Coatesville was as good as West can play, and they played well, but they had kind of reached their limit, especially defensively. Brian Hensel even said after Friday night’s game – he felt if they make a stop they have a shot in that game, but they never got the stop they needed. That’s probably a sign that his team had run out of gas. They were dragging at the end of that game, and that’s strange given how that game had a track meet feel to it. You figured with West having Rashaad Williams and Ward Udinski, who’s kind of a quick guy, and Bell is quick – you figured they would win a track meet like that.
You translate that game into a North Penn situation, and that’s how North Penn scores. That’s what makes it so important for CR South to go on those long drives. I wonder if they know what they’re getting into. There’s an old saying, ‘You’re stepping up to the varsity.’ When you play the Yankees, you step up to the varsity. The varsity is arriving at CR North on Friday night.
I would love to sit here and say I have real high hopes that this is going to be a good game, but for some reason – maybe I’m a North Penn homer, but I just don’t see it. In Vegas, they call it the trend line. You see the trend line, and you see how one team is going and how another is going. The defensive problems right now for South are just too pronounced for me, and I’m definitely leaning toward North Penn.
Dom Cosentino: The number of points scored in that game is something no one could have anticipated. Rashaad Williams is obviously a 2,000-yard running back, so you kind of thought he might have a big game, but Rock South you figured was going to control the ball and not hit for as many big plays as they did. That is the thing that jumped out to me in terms of what maybe you didn’t expect, but I think that was a game that could have gone either way.
CR South scored eight out of nine times when they had the football – I don’t care who you’re playing. That’s impressive.
SuburbanOneSports.com: Comment on West’s remarkable turnaround under Brian Hensel this year.
Kevin Cooney: Brian Hensel revived hope in the program. There’s nothing else that needs to be said. We have talked so much about where they have come from. You’re talking about one of the former Rolls Royces that has been downgraded to a Yugo. Now it may be a Cadillac again.
It’s a good thing for the Suburban One League that they’re back. The test is going to be – where are they next year or the year after that? They might have a hiccup next year and slip back, but like I said on WNPV last week, the days of being a one or two-win team are over. They should expect more than five wins too – maybe not nine, but maybe seven or eight. I think that’s realistic. I believe they’re going to have a little bit of a step back next year (with the loss of their big-name players), but they’re in a position where they’re going to have to find someone else coming up through the program. Everybody can win with talent. This is where we’re going to see if the talent gets developed.
SuburbanOneSports.com: Dom, you’ve covered CR South this season. What are your thoughts about South heading into its game against North Penn?
Dom Cosentino: Rock South is still searching for respect in some quarters despite what they’ve accomplished. Someone said when I was on WNPV last week that they figured Friday’s game against North Penn could be a wipeout for Rock South. I’m not convinced of that just because of the kind of offense that Rock South has. We've talked about it week-in and week-out: With Billy Fleming’s ability to fake and the different options they have in that triple option wishbone offense, they have the potential to control the ball and keep North Penn’s offense off the field. Would I be surprised if Rock South won? Not really, even though I do think North Penn is North Penn, but I’m not convinced this is going to be a blowout.
I also would not be surprised if Rock South won. Remember, this team did win a share of the National Conference title. North Penn has earned the kind of respect they get around the district and even the state. Let’s not sugarcoat that or try to cover that up. North Penn has been a dominant District One team for 10 years now. Rock South is kind of new to the party, so I think that’s where at least some of this impression that Rock South can't hang is coming from. It’s not a dig at those kids or the kind of team Rock South has. It’s simply the reputation North Penn has developed which is something Rock South has yet to create for itself.
Something came up after the Rock South-Neshaminy game and while they may not express it all that often in interviews, the Rock South kids play with a bit of a chip on their shoulders – ‘No one is giving us respect until we win a game like the Neshaminy game or advance to the district semifinals’ – that kind of thing. They have won two playoff games. That is not something to overlook. Ridley is gone. There are some other good teams that are not playing in the tournament, but Council Rock South is here because they deserve to be. They’ve had a tremendous season, and it’s not over yet.
SuburbanOneSports.com: The rematch between Abington and Neshaminy – even though Neshaminy won for a second time – was a lot different this time around. What are your thoughts about that game?
Dom Cosentino: Abington’s offense has evolved since that first meeting. Ray Schreiner is healthy, and they got some other guys involved. This was just a much more competitive game, which is probably what a lot of us expected, but Neshaminy’s offense with its different weapons – Charlie Marterella at quarterback, Anthony Woodroofe, Sean Ulmer and their two receivers, Dwight Williams and Justin Andrews – really gave them an edge. Tim Sorber had said earlier last week that, with the quarterback play, this might be as good an offense as Neshaminy has had since Sorber has been at Abington. That's no small feat.
Neshaminy jumped on Abington early. Abington came back and took the lead, but the second half pretty much belonged to Neshaminy and its defense. They took away the deep passing threat that Abington had added to its offense in recent weeks, and that really was the difference in the game.
I do think Neshaminy has become a better team overall. Corey Majors is healthy, which makes a big difference, since he's really the fulcrum of that defense, but they sort of have just matured. Now Neshaminy gets another home game and could very well be in the district final.
SuburbanOneSports.com: Would you have predicted that Neshaminy could have this kind of year before the season started?
Dom Cosentino: When I first talked to Mark Schmidt before the season, he seemed to have a lot of reservations about how good this team might be. There was still a feeling if these guys could get it together, they could have a pretty good season. I don’t know that it was necessarily anticipated that they would be 11-1 with a home game heading into the district semifinals, but here they are.
SuburbanOneSports.com: You mentioned some of their big name offensive players, but are there other players who have stood out as you watched Neshaminy?
Dom Cosentino: Kiser Terry is a defensive end who’s really become a real strength for that defense game in and game out as a run stopper and pass rusher. He’s really developing into a very good high school defensive end, and colleges are beginning to notice that too. He has a lot of size – 6-3, 220, and he’s another guy on that defense that is playing well.
Their defensive backs had a big game because Abington can now throw the ball downfield. Dylan Donnelly at corner and Bobby Marterella and Dwight Williams – they all had a very good game in the defensive backfield for Neshaminy, not allowing Abington to complete that deep ball that they like to play off their running game.
The way Neshaminy finished off the season since they lost to Council Rock South is proof that the Redskins are very good. Can they win a state title? I’m not so sure about that, but they’re going to be a tough out in the district playoffs. Ridley losing changed the whole dynamic.
SuburbanOneSports.com: What are your thoughts about the Neshaminy-Rustin game?
Dom Cosentino: Rustin's got a lot of size, and plenty of skill. They have a receiver who's 6-5 and has more than 40 catches. Their defense hasn't allowed more than 20 points since losing to Bishop Shanahan 40-37. But there's this: They're in their first year in AAAA, and they played in the American Division of the Ches-Mont League, which includes three AAA schools. They're on the same side of the bracket as Ridley, so they benefited from Henderson's upset of Ridley, then went out and beat Henderson for the second time this season. That said, Mike St. Clair, their coach, said he didn't think they played a team of Neshaminy's caliber all year. It's a long ride from West Chester to Heartbreak Ridge. I just don't see this team beating Neshaminy there.
Kevin Cooney: This is why all those preseason district tournament picks are so worthless because you look at the road Neshaminy has – you figured they would have Abington, Ridley and then have to go through North Penn or Rock South.
Now North Penn or Rock South look like they have a tougher road than Neshaminy has. Neshaminy is the team that everybody feels is riding an emotional crest. They’re getting better every week. They’ve played a tough schedule, they’ve been playoff tested, and they’re playing in the most impressive home field advantage setting that there is right now in the game. It’s kind of tough to go against them. Schmidt doesn’t lose a game like this.
SuburbanOneSports.com: What are your thoughts about the North Penn-Downingtown East game?
Dom Cosentino: I haven’t seen North Penn this year, but they came into this season with such expectations, given the way last season ended after having such a good year – not only losing to Ridley the way they did in the district championship game but getting beaten up physically. I don’t think a lot of people anticipated it would be something like that, so they’re riding that into this season, and they come out and lose early to La Salle, and suddenly, there are questions.
Last week, Downingtown East was an opponent that could have given them trouble, but North Penn blew them out of the building. Last year in the semifinals, they faced an Avon Grove team that was really rolling, but North Penn had them buried by halftime.
North Penn has a lot of weapons on offense and a very good defense. On both sides of the ball, Dom Taggart is one of the best players in the area. I don’t think there’s any question about that. North Penn has won a lot of games by three touchdowns, but the expectation is they have to execute perfectly on every play, or else there’s going to be something on the order of a tsunami in Towamencin. That’s a credit to the kind of program they are in. It puts some pressure on these kids, who aren’t the same team as 2003 or 2005 or even 2008. North Penn has created this aura where there is an expectation in some quarters that they be perfect all the time, and that’s a difficult thing to live down as I’m sure Dick Beck will tell anyone. They bumble to some people but still win by three or four touchdowns. Not many teams can say that.
Kevin Cooney: North Penn played well and then defensively got a little sloppy, and perhaps people will take that as a sign that maybe they’ve gotten content. North Penn is doing enough right now to win games. That’s obvious when you look at the numbers.
In talking to Dick Beck last week, he said that everybody thought they played poorly against Penn Wood, but he thought they played pretty good. Again, I think this is the first week in a long time where North Penn will feel like they’re in a game. Last week against Downingtown East was the answer game. You saw them lay the throttle down early. They answered the call. Good job.
This week we’ll see if they can do it again. If they do it again this week and put up a big number and blow South out, they’ll probably be the favorite the following week, and the conversation that kind of died down after the La Salle game comes back, and they’ll be viewed as one of the co-favorites.
SuburbanOneSports: What, in your opinion, will the North Penn-Rock South game come down to?
Dom Cosentino: One of the things will be turnovers. That’s been a big thing with Rock South. In the first eight weeks of the season, they had one turnover, and then they had a few more recently. It cost them the Abington game and created some drama in the Souderton game, and it accounted for the only time they couldn’t find the end zone last week. That’s one of the things.
Ball control is going to be key. North Penn has more of a big play threat, given the way they’re structured, but if Rock South can control the ball with their ground attack and eat up the clock in bunches – the best defense they can play is to keep North Penn’s offense off the field. Their defense has been so good for most of the season, but they’ve given up a lot of points in recent weeks – a 180 from where they were a couple of weeks ago, but they can create turnovers and make things happen as well.
SuburbanOneSports.com: Any thoughts as you look around the state?
Dom Cosentino: The only surprise was out in the Pittsburgh area where Central Catholic – my alma mater -- lost to North Allegheny. They were kind of the favorite coming out of the west.
In the Quad-A bracket, La Salle has got to be the favorite, but overall, the Quad A bracket is fairly wide open across the state. One of the teams left in the Pittsburgh championship this weekend – Woodland Hills – has three losses.
Kevin Cooney: LaSalle is going to get the winner of Easton/Whitehall. On paper, we would say Easton is the favorite to win that game, but there are a couple of factors. One, Easton is going to play on Thanksgiving and then again on Saturday because you have that setup on Thanksgiving and playing two days later. Two, Whitehall beat Nazareth, and Nazareth had beaten Easton earlier in the year, so there’s a common thread here. Easton is the better team and should win, but how much will they have in the tank for La Salle? I think La Salle will be waiting at the end of the rainbow, and if you’re North Penn, you have to send a message that we’re the team that can step up and beat La Salle because right now that’s the state title game.
You take Pittsburgh Central Catholic out of the loop, and Harrisburg is now gone in District 3 – it’s whoever wins the North Penn/Neshaminy versus La Salle game that is going to win the state. That’s my opinion. I throw Neshaminy in there because I think Neshaminy has been overlooked too much at times this season. Again, this time of year – if you’re the team playing with a lot of emotion, you have a big advantage, and with everything that’s gone on with Neshaminy this year, something is at play there. It’s tough to put a finger on it.
SuburbanOneSports.com: Your picks for this week’s playoff games?
Dom Cosentino: North Penn and Neshaminy. Here we go again.
Kevin Cooney: North Penn and Neshaminy
*The opinions expressed are not necessarily those of SuburbanOneSports.com. Check back every week for more football talk with Kevin Cooney and Dom Cosentino. To offer comments or ask questions, write to Cooney at KCooney@phillyburbs.com and Cosentino at DCosentino@phillyburbs.com.
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