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By Scott HuffCheltenham senior wide receiver Dan Rouse and Norristown senior corner back Anthony DiNolfi are not huge in stature at 5-foot, 9-inches and 5-foot, 8 inches respectively. But both have enormous heart and desire to play the game of football.
Rouse – who caught a pair of touchdown passes as the South routed the North 38-14 in the Montgomery County All-Star Game sponsored by the Souderton-Telford Rotary Club – has an unclear future in the game.
“I messed up the whole recruiting process,” said Rouse who hopes to walk on at Temple University next year. “I should have tried harder everywhere – the football field – the classroom – everywhere. I spread myself too thin in high school, and I am going to have to work some things out so I can go to college.
“Right now, I am working out every day to get myself ready for a chance to play football at the next level,” added Rouse. “I heard that Temple has a real good music program, and I would like to get into that. I hope things are going to work out.”
“Dan may have gotten some bad advice,” said Cheltenham head coach Joe Gro – who coached the defense for the South. “He is academically strong, and has a lot of talent outside football. He is active in the orchestra – the jazz band – and is just musically talented.“We used him at a lot of different positions, but I would see him as a wide receiver in college,” added Gro. “He is always open and has real strong hands – he never drops a pass. I hope that he gets his chance – whether at Temple or at a junior college.”
Rouse – who was selected by his fellow all stars as one of the team captains – savored the final moments on the field.
“I told the players that this would be the last time that they would perform on a high school field, in front of high school fans, and playing for high school coaches,” said Rouse. “I wanted them to play motivated football, and to remember to have some fun.
“This was great playing with players that you have scouted all season,” added Rouse. “Those players that caused you some nightmares during the season were now your team mates.”
One player that was not a South teammate was the diminutive DiNolfi. Norristown was the lone SOL American Conference school that was part of the North roster.
“DiNolfi and I talked the whole game – he is an excellent defensive back,” said Rouse. “He asks me what I got new for him, and I tell him he can’t stop me. We are both good players, and when we play against each other we make each other even better.”
DiNolfi – who had four deflections in the game and numerous tackles – has a very clear future in the game.
“I pretty much knew that I wanted to play with my brother in college,” said DiNolfi in reference to brother Alex who plays at Kutztown University. “I have met with the coaches there, and I’m all set. I can’t wait.”Alex DiNolfi started all 12 games at safety for KU last fall for the 10-2 Golden Bears. He scored a pair of touchdowns on fumble recoveries (48 yards versus Cheyney and 38 yards versus East Stroudsburg) and had two interceptions. He was named PSAC defensive Player of the Week after a terrific performance against Gannon.
“I used to play on the scout team at Norristown when Alex was a senior and I was a freshman,” remembered DiNolfi. “I used to burn him all the time in practice, and then he would beat me up when I got home. It would be great to play with him in the same game at Kutztown. We train together all the time, and we’ll be ready when the season starts.”
DiNolfi – who will major in criminal justice next fall – loved his final scholastic game. Despite the final score.
“It was fun to see how other coaches coached,” said DiNolfi. “And it was great to meet some of the players from all the other schools.
“I knew almost all the receivers from the other schools like Upper Moreland and Upper Dublin,” added DiNolfi. “And Rouse is one of the best wide receivers around. The rules of the game make you play man-to-man, and I love the competition with players as good as Rouse.”
DiNolfi and Rouse – Rouse and DiNolfi – two of the very best.
NOTES: South led 7-6 at the end of one quarter but extended that lead to 21-6 by halftime. A 17-0 third-quarter explosion by South put the game out of reach. While Rouse had touchdown receptions of 28 and 55 yards, Abington’s D.J. McFadden hauled in a 28-yard TD pass in the third quarter for the South…Cheltenham’s Chris Stevens, who had a pair of interceptions, was named MVP for the South. North Penn’s Craig Needhammer had 35 yards on seven carries and was named the MVP of the North squad. He also scored the game’s final touchdown on a six-yard run.
North Roster
MVP – Craig Needhammer – North PennNorth Penn Knights
Brandon Mercer; Dominic Taggart; Gerard Wendowski; Dave Jackson; Matt Donovan; Willie Kye; Marcus McGraw; and Chuck Knower.
Norristown Eagles:
Anthony DiNolfi; Tyreese White; Rasheed Johnson, and Leo Collazo.
Souderton Indians
Alex Sowhanger; Clint Passarella, Jason Skyram, Joe Stolfi, Antoine Ray, Austin Morgan, and Nick Spause.
Hatboro-Horsham Hatters
Shane Scannell, Nick Dovidio, and Jack Abercrombie.
South Roster
MVP – Chris Stevens – CheltenhamAbington Ghosts
Ian MacMillan; Julien Ireland; Will Taylor; DJ McFadden; John Konway; and Marquis Walker.
Upper Moreland Golden Bears
Sean Haley; James Norton; Terrell Watson; Dave Driscoll; and Dave Connelly.
Plymouth Whitemarsh Colonials
Dave O’Neil; Wakeen Blythe; and Baker Veidt.
Cheltenham Panthers
Dan Rouse; Richard Levine; and Jon Tsipori.
Upper Dublin Flying Cardinals
Anthony Williams; Bill Kim; Jeff Buchanan; and Ryan Hopkins.
Wissahickon Trojans
Jaron Parham.
Upper Merion Vikings
Naim Cheeseboro.
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