On Thursday, April 14, 2023, Upper Moreland seniors Hassan Johnson, John Baker, Stephen Broderick, Aidan Casey & Tyler Darrows were recognized for committing to play collegiate football. (Photos provided courtesy of Upper Moreland HS)
John Baker – Delaware Valley University (Football)
Major: Business
Reasons for choosing Del Val: “They win a lot of games, and I want to win.”
What was the progression that led you to competing in football at the collegiate level? “A couple years ago, I really started to enjoy it, and I wanted to keep playing.”
Coach Adam Beach says: “John Baker is a pure Upper Moreland/Willow Grove football player. He’s that old school kid. He just works hard, he hits the weights, he’s an intense kid, he’s a passionate kid. He just loves the game of football, and he does everything he needs to do to be good at football. He very rarely misses a lift. He would stay and run. He worked really hard. He just loved everything about football, including training that got him ready to play. For us, he was offensive line and defensive end. I believe at Del Val he’s going to be a fullback.”
About John:
Favorite food: Steak
Favorite TV show: Lego Ninjago
Favorite artist: Lonely Island
Stephen Broderick – West Chester University (Football)
Major: Undecided
Final list of colleges: West Chester, Muhlenberg, Endicott
Reasons for choosing West Chester: “When I went there, I really loved the campus, and the coaches – the way they talked to me, it made me feel like I was at home. When I was meeting the players – everything about it felt like a family system. The way everyone got along together. I just liked the vibe, just everything about it.”
What was the progression that led you to competing in football at the collegiate level? “I have always played football since I was little, but when I was younger – up until eighth grade, I was like ‘I’m not going to play in high school, I’m just going to be done playing.’ Summer going into ninth grade, I actually didn’t play my freshman year. I was just working out, and then I ended up playing my sophomore year. Ever since then, I was saying I wasn’t playing in college because I didn’t really want to. In about December of this year, once I started talking to coaches from other colleges, I was like, ‘Okay, maybe I will,’ and as time went on, the possibility became stronger and stronger until I visited the schools, and it was – ‘I’m going to end up playing.’”
Coach Adam Beach says: “The biggest compliment I can give Stephen Broderick – he never played running back until this year, but he just embraced it, understood what his role was and really was a student of the game. He spent hours learning the offense, learning the blocking schemes, learning what we were trying to do, and a lot of that he did on his own because he really wanted it. Talking to the guys at West Chester, they’re really excited to have him. They liken him to that slot receiver that they feel can do all these things. They’re really excited for him. They think he’s going to contribute early for them. I’m really happy for Stephen. He worked hard, and he deserves it.”
About Stephen:
Favorite food: Sushi
Favorite movie: Scarface
Favorite artist: Morgan Wallen
Aidan Casey – Widener University (Football)
Major: Criminal Justice
Final list of colleges: Widener, Delaware Valley, Temple, West Chester
Reasons for choosing Widener: “Just everything – the campus life, the specifics for my major and just everything that worked the best for me.”
What was the progression that led you to competing in football at the collegiate level? “I always had an interest in playing in college. It just depended how I felt the end of my senior year, and after missing a lot of my senior year due to injury, I still have that desire to play, so I thought this would be the perfect opportunity.”
Coach Adam Beach says: “Aidan Casey is probably one of the strongest kids ever to come through the program. Unfortunately, he hurt his back before the season, which really hurt him offensively for us. Defensively, he was able to do some things. Talking to the coach at Widener, he’s kind of what they’re looking for. They’re looking for an I-type fullback who can catch the ball and run the ball. They didn’t really look at him until I called them because a lot of his tape was him on defense. We talked to them about how well he ran the ball, and we sent them a couple of clips when he did run. The coach was very excited about what he was doing when he did get a chance to run the ball, especially in our playoff game, which is when he was finally healthy. That helped get him set up to go to Widener where I think they want him playing another fullback type position.”
About Aidan:
Favorite food: Chicken & Rice
Favorite TV show: Peaky Blinders
Favorite artist: Eminem
Tyler Darrows – Delaware Valley University (Football)
Major: Criminal Justice
Final list of colleges: Del Val, Widener, Utica, Eastern
Reasons for choosing Del Val: “I know they’re a championship winning team. They have – from what I saw – the most family aspect. Everyone felt as if they were together, and it was a tight community, so I really liked that.”
What was the progression that led you to competing in football at the collegiate level? “I thought about playing in college when I was in sixth grade. It’s always been a goal of mine to get to the next level after high school. I really thought it could be a possibility in 10thgrade. Ever since then, I’ve been working really hard at it and took the steps to get to the next level, and here I am.”
Coach Adam Beach says: “Tyler Darrows has size, which is something you can’t coach. He’s very big, and he’s athletic for a big man. He can punt a football, he can kick a football, he’s very athletic, and a D3 school can’t pass on a kid like that. It’s rare that a kid his size with athletic ability falls to the Division 3 level, so they were ecstatic to get him. He was looking at some Division 2s, but he wasn’t as polished as he needed to be. He wasn’t sure if he wanted to stretch for D2 or go to a D3 where he felt he could be more impactful. He likes staying local. He went to a couple of games, and he liked their offense, and he really liked the coaching staff. We’re happy for him to go play.”
About Tyler:
Favorite food: Pizza
Favorite TV show: Trailer Park Boys
Favorite music: Rap
Hassan Johnson – Delaware Valley University (Football)
Major: Undecided but possibly Criminal Justice or Sports Management
Final list of colleges: Del Val, St. Francis, Kutztown, Millersville, West Chester
Reasons for choosing Del Val: “I picked Del Val because I have friends and family that go there. I went on a visit, and it felt like home.”
What was the progression that led you to competing in football at the collegiate level? “Since my freshman year, I always wanted to play college football. It was a dream, and since my brother goes to Del Val, we get to share the field again.”
Coach Adam Beach says: “Hassan’s brother is at Del Val, and I think that helped him go there. Hassan was getting looks from a lot of different places, but I think it was the familiarity there. We do send a lot of kids to Del Val, and a lot of our kids who go to Del Val do very well. The coaching staff likes him. Nick Brady played for me, he coached with me – he was our defensive coordinator. Roger Wright coached with me, and he’s their D-back coach, so there’s a lot of familiarity there. They know what they get when they get an Upper Moreland kid, and they like those kids. They know how to get the most out of those kids. Hassan is a very explosive, athletic and impactful big man. He can hit. He played running back and linebacker for us. For Del Val, he may play linebacker, and if he gets big enough, he may move to the D-line because I know what they want to do defensively. They definitely like him on the defensive side of the ball.”
About Hassan:
Favorite food: Chicken Alfredo
Favorite movie: The Creed movies
Favorite music/artist: Rap/Drake
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