Intelligencer/Courier Times 'Let's Talk Football' (Wk4)

Back for a third season is the popular Intelligencer/Courier Times ‘Let’s Talk Football,’ featuring high school football beat writers Kevin Cooney and Dan Dunkin.  Cooney, the Phillies beat writer, covers schools in the Intelligencer area while Dan Dunkin – who has been covering sports at the high school and professional level for 25 years - will cover teams in the Courier Times area. Both share their perspective on the teams in their coverage area. To stay on top of the high school football news in the area, visit the web site http://www.phillyburbs.com/sports/high_school/

SuburbanOneSports.com:  After covering the Pennsbury/Downingtown East game, what are your thoughts about Pennsbury?

Dan Dunkin:  “Pennsbury is very interesting, whether to look at the glass as half full or half empty, because they did play a brutal pre-conference schedule. Pennsbury played the second toughest schedule in District One. I stand corrected – North Penn did play the toughest schedule. They were right in the game with Downingtown East really all the way through the first 40 minutes of the game into the early fourth quarter. There’s a lot to be said for that. Like a lot of teams, they had a difficult time stopping that no-huddle, spread offense. They did a good job at times but still got tagged for 42 points.

“I agree with Galen Snyder. They have improved a good bit since the opening week loss at Easton. You can safely say that Easton and Downingtown East are in the top 15 Class AAAA teams in the state. They played two of the best teams and showed a lot of improvement against Downingtown East. It’s going to be interesting going into the conference season with them.

“I like Pennsbury. I’m tending to think the glass is half full. Daquan Mack is getting healthy. Meanwhile, they have developed another good fullback in Sykeem Steward. Their running game looks really strong. Shawn Pepper has been excellent as an all-around player. He had a great game against Downingtown East, over  300 total yards. I like Pennsbury heading into the conference season. I do think the schedule is going to benefit them down the road for having played those tough teams.”

SuburbanOneSports.com:  Neshaminy struggled in its loss to Souderton. What are your comments about that game?

Dan Dunkin:  “We knew it was going to be Neshaminy’s toughest task by far in the pre-conference, and their defense clearly failed. Souderton has a terrific, creative offensive attack, primarily running, and they come at you in different ways. But Neshaminy has a very promising defense. I think they’re going to be very good, especially next year because they have 10 juniors who are playing a lot this year.  It was 18-7, which is not that bad scoreboard-wise, but they gave up over 300 yards rushing. I think they will use that to their benefit and go back to the drawing board and look at assignments and where they broke down in execution. To me, Neshaminy is too skilled and well coached to have that many breakdowns again in a game this year. That was one of those games where they just got beat, and sometimes with kids with varying degrees of experience, a game like that will happen and you’re really going to grow from it. I think that will be the case with Neshaminy. They have a lot of ability on the defensive side of the ball.

“Offensively, they’ve got to get settled in at quarterback. They have some weapons they need to use more extensively on offense, especially Hamid Pack, Devon Brown and Justin Andrews.  I think they’re still trying to find their way with the run-pass balance also.

“It’s going to be interesting to see if their offense can hit its stride. They did what they were supposed to do against Hatboro-Horsham, and Northeast has talent, and they shut them down. They played a good team, a bad team and then they played a real good team in their third game. I will say it was an awakening for some of Neshaminy’s players. Souderton year in and year out is a pretty tough customer. I think they’ll come out with a vengeance against Tennent. I wouldn’t want to be William Tennent this week.

SuburbanOneSports:  Truman came up with a dramatic win over Fels. Talk about that win and what it means to the Tigers.

Dan Dunkin:  "Jordan Livingston is a really good running back. He’s off to one of the best starts in the area, and the fact that Truman could win a close game late with an interception and a field goal – it’s neat to see that they’re finding a way to win a close game like that. It’s baby steps for this program. Ed Cubbage and his group are building it, and they’re starting to believe a little bit. I look for Truman to surprise a couple of teams in the conference season. Whether that means a win or a near-miss that scares the heck out of somebody, I think it’s going to happen. You will not be wise to take Truman lightly this year. They’ve improved in the weight room, they’re more physical, and it’s starting to be more of a cool thing for kids to play football there again.”

SuburbanOneSports.com:  Tennent notched a big win over Upper Merion. What does that win mean to the program?

Dan Dunkin:  “The thing about Tennent is they do have some wild card weapons like Jeff Ledford, who has been terrific running a lot of counter plays as a flanker. He’s got over 280 yards rushing already, and he’s primarily a receiver. He’s one of the most versatile guys on both sides of the ball in the area, a really good player.

“You look at Tennent’s scores, and they give up a lot of points. They gave up a lot of points to Upper Merion, but they put up over 40. I think they have some confidence offensively, but I don’t know if they can stop anybody on a consistent basis. They can make some games interesting, and that’s what they’re going to have to do. They went to more of an option this year. They’re trying to get more out of their skill people and keep them healthy. The Neshaminy game will be a great barometer for them – an angry Neshaminy team against a Tennent team that is trying to take some steps this year. They’ve got experience at the running back position and quarterback. They’re capable of making that game interesting, but I think Neshaminy’s defense will be in a rage and a controlled one, and they’re going to be on top of their assignments.”

SuburbanOneSports.com:  Council Rock South lost to Pennridge while Bensalem lost to Archbishop Ryan last week. What are your thoughts about the game pitting those two squads?

Dan Dunkin:  “Council Rock South is clearly down. Bensalem is at a point where, in the second-year of a coaching regime, they want to start making some strides. This is a game for them to show that. Council Rock South looks very vulnerable. They’ve given up over a thousand yards rushing.

“Bensalem let a game get away on Friday night. It was a close game at halftime, and then they collapsed in the second half against Archbishop Ryan, so that’s not a good sign, but the game is at Bensalem. It’s the first conference game. Bensalem's passing game can give teams trouble. I’m looking for a mild upset here. CR South is 0-3, but they are the defending champions. It’s been a while since Bensalem has beaten them, but I think Bensalem will win a close game. I still look for South to bounce back a little bit this season at some point."

SuburbanOneSports.com:  Abington, which is 2-1, will face Council Rock North in a key National Conference game. Your thoughts about those two teams.

Dan Dunkin:  “Brandon McIlwain is really drawing attention as a freshman quarterback for Council Rock North. He clearly has a lot of talent to be in that position and starting. He’s their leading rusher, averaging over five yards a carry, and he’s throwing it a lot, not at a 50 percent completion rate, but they’re really letting him unleash his athleticism.

“This is the kind of game against Abington where we’ll see where Council Rock North stands because this isn’t the Abington team of last year, yet it’s still a pretty good team with really solid line play. Council Rock North, after their really bad beginning, got a needed win against an injured team in Hatboro-Horsham. This is a game to start off the conference season, and they need to show something. You would think on paper it’s a winnable game and certainly a competitive game for them. Abington’s skill positions aren’t as problematic to defend as they were last season, and we’ll see if the North offense can make some strides. I think they’re incorporating this kid McIlwain, who knows how to play. It could be fun to watch him the next four years.”

Dan Dunkin:  “Just looking at the conference race as a whole, I don’t think there’s any clear favorite. I think Abington is starting to get some confidence on offense with their new skills guys. I think they’re going to be a contender, based mainly on their lines.

“Going into the conference season, I give Pennsbury a slight edge over everybody. Neshaminy is right behind them, and Abington is probably right there behind Neshaminy close, and then there’s a drop-off. The three teams are Pennsbury, Neshaminy and Abington, but there are really a lot of unknowns about them. Is Pennsbury really better than their record? Is Neshaminy’s defense as good as it let on the first two games? Can Neshaminy’s offense be as explosive as it looks to be in different places on paper? Is Abington’s line play strong enough to carry them while their skills positions sort themselves out?

“I think those are the three real contenders for the league race. I won’t say anybody could beat anybody, but it’s a year where Truman could get a couple of wins, Tennent could make things interesting with their offense, South could catch a little fire. They do have kids that played last year, and they’ve got to be awfully angry about being 0-3. Their conference season may not be as difficult at times as their pre-conference schedule, so they may not be as bad as their record.

“I think Pennsbury could be pretty good. They’re physical – they didn’t play any cream puffs in the pre-conference.”

SuburbanOneSports.com:  You covered the North Penn/St. Joe’s Prep game on Friday night. Share your thoughts about that game.

Kevin Cooney:  “There are games when you’re not in it, and you literally say, ‘We were never in it.’ This was one of those games where North Penn was never in it. Mentally, they seemed flat. Maybe that’s part of having a schedule like they had. Maybe that’s part of the deal – when you try and get up for three big games the first three weeks of the season, maybe it does wear you down. North Penn sure looked like a worn down team. Does that mean anything long term? I don’t know. You like to think Dick Beck will have it under control, and you give him and his staff the benefit of the doubt because they’ve done it before. They were 1-2 last year, and they were able to get through it, but yes, there are some alarming signs. The offense probably isn’t as crisp as everyone thought it would be – the line has been blown off the ball, frankly.

“North Penn is one strip away from being 0-3, and then you’re talking big trouble. I think Beck realizes it. When you look at it, the Continental Conference may not be as soft as we thought, and that’s something that I’m sure has Beck a little concerned even though he won’t say it that way. I think they really miss Ralph Reeves. They miss Corey Ernst because right now the quarterback play has not been what it had been.

“This is the week last year when they turned things around. They played that game against Central Bucks South, and everything went well after that. They’re in a little bit of the same spot here. They’re in a little bit of disarray. Last year, they had some injuries, they had some illness, and their leadership also was called into question, so maybe it’s a good parallel, but right now they certainly don’t look like the team we expected.”

SuburbanOneSports.com:  Souderton earned an 18-7 win over Neshaminy. What are your thoughts about that game?

Kevin Cooney:  “On the WNPV Scoreboard Show last week, Ed Gallagher came on and said, ‘We’ve lost a lot of week three games, and it’s nice to go into the league with some momentum.’ They needed a game like this. They needed a powerhouse win on their resume. You start to think that – all right, 2-1 for Souderton is a lot better than 1-2. That’s an obvious statement, but if you consider the way the division is set up right now, you have CB South, North Penn and Pennridge out there and CB West who can traditionally sneak up and give somebody issues. That’s a pretty interesting little grouping. I think somebody from that group is going to make the playoffs. If you get three league losses and you’re 1-2, you’re done. If you get two or three league losses, and you’re 2-1, you still have a shot. Souderton also will get a ton of points from that Neshaminy win down the road. Again, they really needed to get that win. It was a good, convincing win. It wasn’t a squeaker, it wasn’t fluky – they dominated.

“I’m sure Mark Schmidt is not happy about it, but Mark will have that team bounce back. I don’t think that conference is very good. It’s Neshaminy and Pennsbury at this point, and we go from there. Council Rock South is down, Council Rock North is inconsistent, and Bensalem is probably not there yet. Abington struggled last week against CB East. East has played better football, but it’s not a good sign if you’re Abington when you’ve gotten blown out by PW and struggled against East.”

SuburbanOneSports.com:  Central Bucks South enters conference play with a 3-0 mark. Your thoughts about South?

Kevin Cooney:  “CB South has a world of confidence going behind them. Obviously, Josh Adams has given them an offensive dynamic at running back that you didn’t expect coming into the year because he’s a sophomore. More impressive to me has been their defense. Their defense has played extremely well against teams that right now are struggling a little bit when you look at Council Rock South, Council Rock North and Norristown, and you do put a little moderation on it because of that fact, but still, I think things have gone just about as good as they could for CB South to this point. They will start to get pushed, they will start to get tested, and we’ll see how they handle it.”

SuburbanOneSports.com:  Central Bucks West - after losing a tough overtime game to Wissahickon - travels to Souderton. Your comments about that game.

Kevin Cooney:  “For CB West, this is a game you hope you catch Souderton a little flat off its Neshaminy win. West really needs to bounce back. They’re at a point right now where you look at South, West and East all in the same boat heading into last week, and CB South has emerged the better of the three schools. West needs to get itself in the position Souderton has. West needs to get that statement win if they want to vault back up.  The CB South program did it last year by making the playoffs. West made the playoffs a couple of years ago, but I think they still need that defining moment. Going up to Souderton will be it. Meanwhile for Souderton, this is a critical can’t-look-past game because if you do, then you’re inviting trouble, especially with the big three still ahead.

SuburbanOneSports.com:  Any other games on the schedule that look interesting?

Kevin Cooney:  “The Wissahickon-Upper Dublin matchup should be an interesting game. That’s got a little meat on the bone. Wissahickon is playing decent, and Upper Dublin kind of looked flat.”

SuburbanOneSports.com:  As the Phillies beat writer, what are your thoughts about the team coming down the home stretch?

Kevin Cooney:  “I think they’ll probably win 84-85 games and probably finish a game off.  They have 12 games left, and they can probably only afford two more losses.

“I think part of the problem is that what happened in Houston is the result of a team – when you have to rally back like they have because they’ve dug such a big hole, at some point, you do take your foot off the pedal and try to catch your breath and you’re in bigger trouble. That’s what happened to this team.

“No matter what happens the rest of the way, they are seriously flawed. They need another right-handed power bat, they need a third baseman, they need to solve the second base issue, and they need at least one, probably two outfielders. They need a set-up guy in the bullpen. You look, and there have been signs that maybe some of the young arms are going to be okay, but I wouldn’t even put it beyond reason to think they might need a starting pitcher next year with Vance Worley and Kyle Kendrick being inconsistent, and you may have to move Cliff Lee to fill the other holes. There’s a lot on their plate as we wrap up and go towards the postseason.

“I don’t think the era is completely done, but I also think they have to start thinking about when the right time is to gracefully get out. I would think at the end of next year is probably more likely because of Chase Utley’s contract, Carolos Ruiz’s contract, and Charlie Manuel’s contract. I don’t think you extend any of them. I think you let it play out. If they show something next year, you can always come back, but I wouldn’t think about doing anything pre-emptive with that. What they are is what they are. They’re a .500 baseball team right now completely on merit. When you see some of the other dreck teams that they face, you realize they’re not as bad as the Mets and the Marlins. There’s still a good culture there for winning, but by the same token, you also have to realize their age is catching up with them. Teams that ignore that tend to take big falls. I think that’s a word of warning to this group.

“You have to remember - next year you’re going to also have the manager’s situation, which will play out because it’s the final year of Charlie’s contract. You have Ryne Sandberg, and you presume Sandberg will get called up if he’s still in the organization next year to some kind of coaching job. Is he the successor in waiting? You have all these issues hanging over this team at the end of next year.”