Scott Huff previews Upper Dublin’s PIAA 5A semifinal game against Manheim Central and highlights UD’s coaching staff. CJ Stehli, a program player, is also featured.
CJ Stehli the definition of a program player
Long after the final horn had sounded on their team’s 35-28 win over West Chester Rustin in last Friday’s District One 5A title game, Upper Dublin’s players – ignoring the bitterly cold temperatures – celebrated their program’s District One 5A title win in Cardinal Stadium surrounded by a throng of ecstatic fans that have embraced this squad.
In the midst of the jubilant celebration, a special group of fans sought out No. 50. For members of this 125-pound Upper Dublin Youth Football squad, senior CJ Stehli is a player they call coach.
“They were all giving me high fives and were so happy,” the Cardinals’ standout lineman said. “It’s pretty cool from my standpoint and then to look at the community behind us.”
Stehli, despite a rigorous football schedule of his own, found time this fall to coach for a UD Youth Football program that is near and dear to his heart.
“Back when I used to play, we would go to the games every Friday night, and you think all the kids that play are superstars,” he said. “I always liked seeing them, and if they ever came to our practice, it was so cool.
“I thought I’d have some time my senior year to do this. I got involved with it, and it was great because I think the kids like seeing someone from the high school. Every practice I come back, and they would always say, ‘We saw you in the game.’ It was a pretty cool experience.”
The UD Youth Football season began in July with skills and drills, and that was followed by summer camp in early August. Each summer during two-a-days, the Flying Cardinals hold a clinic for their community youth teams, whose season ended three weeks ago.
Stehli began the season coaching a 90-pound team, but when a 125-pound squad split into two teams, they needed help coaching, and Stehli answered the call.
“The cool part was – this is my first time coaching kids, and when they’re a little younger, it’s easier to teach them stuff because they’re newer to the game,” Stehli said. “When I was coaching the older kids, we’re only six or seven years apart. I was thinking – how will this go and will they be responsive or not because I’m a younger kid and not an adult.
“I thought it was really cool how they responded to what I was saying. They executed stuff, they didn’t just blow me off.”
The experience gave Stehli a taste of coaching that pretty much convinced the lineman that he’d like to do it again in the future.
“Next year I’ll go to college, and I won’t be able to do it, but after that, if I was able to start coaching a youth team or middle school team or a high school team, I think that would be a real cool experience to share my knowledge,” Stehli said.
Stehli grew up playing in the Upper Dublin Youth Football program, which competes in the Keystone League.
“It was great,” he said. “Most of the team this year – all the seniors and some of the younger kids – I played with and we won two championships,” he said. “It was my first taste of football.
“As we got older, the kids above me played on the 2015 (Upper Dublin) team (that won the District One 4A championship), and you saw how far they got, so it was like, ‘Why can’t we?’ As we grew older and older and saw them do all this stuff, it was like ‘It’s our shot now.’ Now we’re here. Last week, I looked in the stands and there we so many people. It’s ridiculously cool.”
Stehli – a second team All-SOL American Conference offensive lineman who earned third team honors on defense – credits Upper Dublin Youth Football for laying a foundation that is paying dividends today.
“You think when kids are younger they don’t learn much,” he said. “It’s more simplistic, but a lot of the basic fundamentals that I use and execute now I learned when I was in youth football.”
For Stehli, it’s an experience that has gone full circle. The senior lineman was coached by his father and other parents at Upper Dublin Youth Football. One of those other parents – Dave Sowers – is the defensive coordinator for his UD football team, and Stehli is now occupying a spot that his mentors filled as a youth coach.
“CJ is the definition of a program player,” coach Bret Stover said. “He and his family have grown up in our program from youth football to senior two-way starter for UDHS.
“His father was a coach, mom volunteered in the snack bar. CJ is a remarkable young man. He is such a hard-working player, the first to arrive last to leave mentality, but as hard as he works on the field, he works even harder off of it. He donates his time as a volunteer coach for our youth football program. He and his parents volunteer to cook and sell food at the Big 33 football Classic in Hershey. They’re a football family who do so much for the program and the team.”
–By Mary Jane Souder
SOL Notebook/Preview
By Scott Huff
And the beat goes on…
Upper Dublin head coach Bret Stover and his players have enjoyed the media spotlight afforded to a District One champion.
Along with Coach Stover, team captains Mike Slivka, Selvin Haynes, Lucas Roselli, and Quinton Derr have often interviewed by the media after huge Flying Cardinal victories – Dylan Zlotnikoff and Mason Novak have also enjoyed the media ride.
But a huge part of the Upper Dublin success comes not only from the head coach – and the key players with numbers on the backs of their respective uniforms – but also from the invaluable assistant coaches as well.
The Flying Cardinal coaching staff has been often praised by Coach Stover for their contributions to the tremendous success of the program, but few fans and followers of the 2018 UD football team may know the names of all of those important coaches.
That respected lineup includes:
- Dave Sowers – 8 years with the program; Defensive Coordinator/wide receiver coach/linebacker coach.
- Dr. Paul Winters – 5 years with the program; quarterback coach/defensive back coach
- Steve Roberts – 16 years with the program; offensive line/linebacker coach.
- Ed Wall – 13 years with the program; running back coach/defensive back coach/ special teams
- Erik Schada – 6 years with the program; running back coach/defensive back coach.
- Eric Taylor – 15 years with the program; offensive line/linebackers/special teams.
“My staff is so much fun to be around,” said Stover. “ We genuinely enjoy working together and love the challenge of putting the pieces of the puzzle together each week to prepare our players for Friday nights.
“I'd really like to thank my wife and family and the wives and families of my staff who allow us all to do what we do,” continued Stover. “Football is a family sport, and I'm fortunate that our football family allows my staff to be all in, especially when you get to the playoffs where we put in even more hours of film and meetings.
“Each week we try to win the game Sunday through Thursday in preparing our players,” added Stover. “And this wouldn't be possible without the commitment from everyone in the village.”
Stover and his ‘gang of five’ have a huge task this week as the District One champion Flying Cardinals prepare to advance to the PIAA 5-A title game next week against powerful District 3 champion Manheim Central.
“Manheim Central will be the best team we have faced so far this season, which is no surprise when you get to the final four,” Stover said. “You don't get this far without being a strong program. They are a perennial power from District 3 and from what we have seen on film so far, they are continuing the tradition of that program.
“This team does so many things offensively and can hurt you in many ways. They are enormous up front and they fly to the football on film getting many hats to the ball. They have a lot of team speed and are well coached in all three facets of the game. We will have our toughest challenge of the year this Friday night, but our players will be ready to take on the challenge.
“The key to winning the game will be ball security, ball control and finishing each play in all three phases of the game.”
D-1 Champion Upper Dublin Cardinals (12-1) vs. D-3 Champion Manheim Central (13-0) at Wissahickon High School 7 p.m.
Playoff Resume:
Upper Dublin advanced to the PIAA 5-A State semifinals with a 35-28 victory over West Chester Rustin. Quarterback Mike Slivka had a marvelous outing passing for 231 yards and a touchdown. Slivka also rushed for a pair of scores for the Cardinals, while Lucas Roselli and Mason Novak each scored a rushing touchdown.
The Flying Cardinals advanced to the PIAA 5-A District One finals with a stunning 40-7 win over defending 5-A champion – and No. 11 seed Unionville. Roselli led the Cardinal rushing attack with 145 yards and a pair of touchdowns and also caught a 60-yard touchdown pass from Slivka. Mason Novak and Slivka also scored rushing touchdowns for the winners. UD also scored a special teams touchdown on a blocked punt.
Upper Dublin advanced to the PIAA 5-A District One semifinal with a convincing 27-0 quarterfinal victory over No. 7 Cheltenham. The Flying Cardinals had a superlative defensive effort to shut down the explosive Panther offense. Upper Dublin featured the talents of quarterback Mike Slivka plus running backs Mason Novak and Lucas Roselli. Slivka rushed for 96 yards to lead the attack, while Novak added 83 yards and a score, and Roselli rushed for 71 yards and a touchdown.
The Flying Cardinals scored 41 straight points at the outset of the game and flew to a 41-12 victory over No. 15 Phoenixville in the first round of the playoffs. Cardinal running back Lucas Roselli scored 4 touchdowns for the winners, while UD quarterback Mike Slivka threw a pair of TD passes.
Manheim Central advanced to the PIAA 5-A State semi-finals with a 48-14 victory over Cocalico. Quarterback Evan Simon had a spectacular night passing for 373 yards and five touchdowns. Colby Wagner caught 3 touchdown passes for the Barons, while brother Ben Wagner also caught a touchdown pass.
The Barons advanced to the District Three finals with a 42-20 victory over Cedar Cliff.
Season Resume:
Upper Dublin finished the regular season as the champion of the SOL American Conference.
Manheim Central finished the regular season as the champion of the Lancaster-Lebanon League.
Signature Regular Season Wins:
Upper Dublin registered signature wins over Hatboro-Horsham (34-7), Cheltenham (20-7), and Quakertown (14-13).
Manheim Central registered signature wins over Hempfield (28-7), Warwick (27-20), and Wilson (20-10).
Losses:
Upper Dublin lost its only game of the year to Penn Charter (42-17).
Manheim Central is undefeated.
Players To Watch:
Upper Dublin
Mike Slivka, QB – 109-172, 1704 yards, 18 TD, 4 INT; 81 carries, 356 yards, 7 TD.
Lucas Roselli, RB – 123 carries, 765 yards, 14 TD; 28 receptions, 472 yards, 4 TD.
Matt Novak, RB – 138 carries, 594 yards, 10 TD.
Selvin Haynes, WR – 23 receptions, 320 yards, 5 TD.
Dylan Zlotnikoff, WR – 19 receptions, 303 yards, 2 TD.
Manheim Central
Evan Simon, QB – 109-198, 2264 yards, 24 TD, 5 INT; 97 carries, 531 yards, 11 TD.
Tyler Frick, RB – 243 carries, 1650 yards, 9 TD.
Chris Shaw, RB – 49 carries, 314 yards, 3 TD.
Colby Wagner, WR 13 receptions, 743 yards, 11 TD.
Will Rivers, WR – 25 receptions, 532 yards, 5 TD.
Isaac Perron, WR – 24 receptions, 369 yards, 3 TD.
Suburban One Sports.com
Top Ten
Rank Team Record Ranking Last Week
1. North Penn Knights 13-1 1
2. Upper Dublin Cardinals 12-1 2.
3. Truman Tigers 10-2 3.
4. Neshaminy Redskins 8-4 4.
5. Quakertown Panthers 9-4 5.
6. Cheltenham Panthers 8-4 6.
7. CR South Golden Hawks 6-5 7.
8. CB East Patriots 6-5 8.
9. Hatboro-Horsham Hatters 6-4 10.
10. Pennridge Rams 5-6 NR
Pennsbury Falcons 5-6 9.
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