- Log in to post comments
Back for its sixth season, the popular Intelligencer/Courier Times ‘Let’s Talk Football’ features Kevin Cooney and Drew Markol. Cooney, the Phillies beat writer, will handle the Bucks County Courier Times coverage area and also is part of a panel each Friday night on the WNPV/Intelligencer Scoreboard Show. Markol is the football beat writer for the Intelligencer area. Both are regular contributors on the weekly Game On show, and to view this week’s show, click on the following link: http://www.theintell.com/videos/hsgameon/ 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/
.jpg)
SuburbanOneSports.com: The biggest game of the season features a pair of SOL teams when Upper Dublin takes on North Penn in Saturday’s District One Quad-A title game. Your thoughts?
Kevin Cooney: “In my view, these are the two best teams in the district, and it kind of proved itself over time. When you look at North Penn and you look at what they’ve been able to do really since game three of the season when they lost that Downingtown East game, how they’ve been able to surge and grow and build momentum – they’re now just rolling over teams. They took Neshaminy apart pretty well, and they took Downingtown East apart pretty well in the playoffs.
“I’m fascinated to see how Upper Dublin reacts to this. Upper Dublin answered a lot of questions last week. They were able to match Pennsbury physically, and they were able to take Pennsbury out of its game. Pennsbury was forced to throw the ball a lot more trying to keep up with what Upper Dublin does with Ryan Stover. That being said, the biggest area of concern I would have if I were an Upper Dublin fan right now – we’ve talked about the gauntlet all along. When you go through the National Conference, you go through the gauntlet of Neshaminy, then North Penn and then Pennsbury, and it’s so tough to do. That’s why you see teams like the Abingtons have trouble doing it. Now you’re talking about a team that doesn’t have the numerical resources that those National Conference teams have. They’re not super deep as far as the actual number of players they have, and they have to do it in back-to-back weeks. That’s a very, very difficult situation for them, and I think that’s a big, big concern I would have – if the physical toll of playing a game like they played last week takes its toll this week when they play North Penn.
“North Penn, quite honestly, has so many more weapons than Pennsbury. North Penn can beat you with the pass, North Penn can beat you with the run. North Penn can beat you defensively. Their line has gotten better. It’s all there, and North Penn is used to this. Experience does play a role when you get to this set of circumstances and this type of games when everyone is watching. There’s so much more during the week of kids walking through the hallways and being told how great they are. There’s a confidence, but there’s also a distraction that goes on. For North Penn, it’s part of almost a yearly schedule, and for Upper Dublin, it’s new, and I’m going to be fascinated to see how they handle it.
“I like North Penn 31-21. I think they wear Upper Dublin down late. I think Upper Dublin can win the game, but I just worry about the numbers differential and the size differential. I wonder if that’s going to be too much late in the game.
“Also, we saw this with Archbishop Wood last year – it’s tough to go undefeated. It’s really tough to go undefeated. To go undefeated in this district would be something. The one thing that works for Upper Dublin strangely – North Penn’s history on Saturday games is brutal. They do not play well on Saturdays. I just think it sometimes gets teams out of rhythm, and maybe that’s what it is, but that’s the one ‘X’ factor against North Penn right now.”
Drew Markol: “I’ve been on the Upper Dublin bandwagon all year, but I’m jumping off because after watching North Penn – they really have a nice balance. It’s really something. They’ve been winning without balance, and now that they have it with quarterback Reece Udinski – that kid can play, and it’s not just Ricky Johns that he can throw to. There are other guys he can throw to who can catch the ball. Sophomore Justis Henley made a couple of tremendous catches in the win over Neshaminy. They do so many things well. Their defense had a huge stop – Neshaminy had first-and-goal on the five, and they don’t get in. Would that have changed things? Probably not, but you never know. 
“Upper Dublin’s passing game can rival anybody’s with Ryan Stover. What also is kind of forgotten about him is that he can also run the ball. That kid is just smart. He knows how to play, he knows how to manage a game. They go and beat Pennsbury to avenge their loss in that semifinal round last year. North Penn is going to see the best passing game they’ve seen since their La Salle game, which they lost in the season opener. It looks like the weather is going to cooperate for Upper Dublin. We’re talking early December, but it might be 50 degrees and sunny, which is a plus for them. It’s not just Stover – they have some good running backs, they have some guys that can catch the ball. There’s a difference between guys who can catch the ball and guys that are used to it – they’re used to it. They’re used to getting passes, and Stover spreads it around. On defense, they’re active. They’re a little banged up injury-wise. A couple of their starters didn’t play against Pennsbury. It’s rare to have a shootout against North Penn because of the North Penn defense. I could see this being a bit of a high-scoring 31-25 kind of game, but I just think Dick Beck has North Penn rolling.
“Both teams can throw the ball, both teams can run the ball, but you have to have that. If you’re a one-trick pony, people catch up to you. I think Dick Beck is great at taking away the opponent’s best weapon, but if that opponent can do two or three other things, that makes you tough to beat. You need balance, and you need a good defense to beat a North Penn team, regardless of what year it is. Upper Dublin has balance and a good defense, but I don’t think they have quite enough.
“Is there a psychological advantage because of North Penn’s success and the name they’ve built? Maybe, but I just think they’re a little bit better now.”
Scott Huff: “These are the two teams that I felt would make the trip to the championship game. I was glad to see when the brackets were put out that both # 3 Upper Dublin and # 9 North Penn were on opposite sides of the bracket because I felt that both were the most deserving teams to have the chance to win a title.
“Upper Dublin has never been to a district title game – North Penn has been there nine times since 1999 – winning six of those championship games. 
“The Knights won in 2011 (34-14 over Council Rock South); in 2010 (42-6 over Neshaminy); in 2008 (28-0 over Neshaminy); in 2005 (55-20 over Downingtown East); in 2003 (43-28 over Interboro); and 2002 (26-14 over Interboro). The North Penn losses came in 2013 (42-7 against Neshaminy); 2009 (19-10 against Ridley); 2004 (51-34 against Neshaminy); and 1999 (21-0 against Central Bucks West).
“North Penn won the PIAA Quad-A State title in 2003. History would clearly seem to be on North Penn’s side – but that might be all.
“This game features the best that District One has to offer in every aspect of the game. Both the Knights and the Cardinals showcase an explosive offense with game breaking players – a tenacious defense - and superior coaching.
“Upper Dublin might have the best overall player in its huddle in senior quarterback Ryan Stover. Stover is not only a passing threat (2050 yards & 25 touchdowns) but is also a rushing threat (916 yards & 11 touchdowns). Plus he has shown the ability to change plays at the line of scrimmage to get the best possible outcome for the Cardinals.
“North Penn might not have the very best quarterback – but Reece Udinski has been wonderful this year in directing the Knight offense. Udinski is much more of a passing threat (2288 yards & 17 touchdowns), but that is because the North Penn backfield can more than carry the weight in the running game. He has given the Knights a dimension that had been missing in recent years for North Penn.
“The North Penn backfield features the area’s most explosive running back in senior Nyfease West. West – who missed time early in the season due to injury – still managed to rush for 1243 yards and 15 touchdowns. The Knights backfield also boasts excellent players in Justin Ostopowicz (631 yards & 7 touchdowns) and Nick Isabella (677 yards and 15 touchdowns).
“Upper Dublin does not quite match the explosiveness of North Penn in the backfield – but the Cardinals are loaded with talented backs. Kaleif Lee has battled through injuries and has 989 yards and 19 touchdowns – Stover is a threat at 919 yards and 11 touchdowns – and Stacey Gardner is back from injury and has rushed for 451 yards and 11 touchdowns.
“North Penn has a huge threat in the receiving game in Ricky Johns. Johns has been the ‘go-to’ receiver for Udinski with 44 receptions for 909 yards and 8 touchdowns. Ostopowicz (26-304-1) and Jake Hubler (20-360-1) are also nice targets.
“Upper Dublin with Stover calling the shots spreads the ball out to more receivers. The most targeted foursome includes Jack Rapine, Danny Boggs, Cole Swiger, and Michael Sowers. Collectively, this quartet has caught 15 touchdown passes.
“North Penn showcases some excellent talent on the defensive end with Keith Earle, Dante Watson, Isabella, Dontae Stewart, Dan Drop, and Dan Liberio. Upper Dublin counters with an equally talented group that includes Isaiah Henrich, Kane O’Connor, Gary Fields, Sowers, Rapine, and Gardner.
“There are many that feel that Upper Dublin head coach Bret Stover should be ‘Coach of the Year’ for what he has done this season with the Cardinals. And if he isn’t ‘Coach of the Year’ – North Penn head coach Dick Beck is.
“When it is all said and done – there will be no losers in this game – and no upsets. It should be a tremendous district championship game. Prediction: North Penn 21 – Upper Dublin 17.”
SuburbanOneSports.com: La Salle and Parkland will meet in a state quarterfinal game. Your thoughts.
Kevin Cooney: “I’m going to pick La Salle. I think it will be closer than anyone thinks. La Salle is on a pretty good roll right now. If you beat Prep and you’re La Salle, you feel like you have the world on a string, but I think we’re heading for a La Salle/North Penn rematch.”
Drew Markol: “For Parkland, this game is always a stumbling block. This is their third straight District 11 Quad-A championship. They’ve been crushing teams – they crushed Easton, they crushed Wyoming Valley West last week in the first round of states. Parkland is always good. It’s a giant school enrollment-wise in the Lehigh Valley.
“You look at La Salle, and they’re always good. They needed a miracle catch to beat St. Joe’s Prep. This is a really good game. I think the Catholic League – either Prep or La Salle – just seems to have Parkland’s number in this game, and I’ve got to give a slight edge to La Salle, but that should be a good one.”
SuburbanOneSports.com: Tim Sorber is stepping down as the coach at Abington. Your thoughts.
Kevin Cooney: “It’s funny – I remember covering Timmy when he was a coordinator for Marshall Roberts. That situation then was not good. The program did not have a home field. It did not have a lot of confidence. There were a couple of winless or one-win years in there. Then Timmy took over, and Timmy put an attitude in with that program that it could win. They got the stadium, which I think everyone would say is – if not the best – it is right there with Pennridge’s facility in the SOL. They had a really good run. This year was tough. I think losing (defensive coordinator) Kevin Conlin hurt, but I think if Timmy wants to go somewhere else to coach, I think he will do a great job.
“It will be interesting to see who gets Abington because Abington is a challenging program. They’re in the middle of that La Salle vortex, and you’re still going to face the big boys with Pennsbury and all that. Look, they’ve got a pretty good sports program going, and I think Timmy has been a huge part of that.”
Drew Markol: “It’s funny – when they hired Tim, it was all about, ‘We’re going to have a national search,’ and he was hired as an interim coach because Marshall Roberts stepped down before the start of the season, and they were kind of scrambling. Tim is an Abington guy – he’s an Abington grad. They hired him on an interim basis, and 16 years later, I guess it worked out because he did a great job. They had some very good teams in the late 80s and early 90s, but then they hit the skids a bit in the later 90s, but he brought them back. He made them a perennial district playoff team. He’ll be missed. He was good for that job because he’s an Abington guy, but 16 years is a long time. He was in a spot you have private schools all around him taking his kids. They would just recruit his kids away from him, and that really hurts. You have St. Joe’s Prep, La Salle and Wood taking your kids – and even Germantown Academy, and that makes it very hard.”