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Games, Games, Games!!!! NORTH PENN vs. CB SOUTH(played two weeks ago at North Penn) This was a big one for CB South to prove they belonged with the big boys again this year. South will have to wait till next year for another shot as North Penn won on the scoreboard and in the physical arena. The final score of 31-14 was an indication of how convincing North Penn’s won the battle in all phases. Using an array of formations but running many similar plays, North Penn ran off tackle, hit the edge and threw some nice balls to Ronnie Akins. Defensively, NP used its 44, 3 deep zone, 52 man and 44 man with multiple blitzes to keep South’s passing game under wraps. CB South quarterback Tom Johns was under more pressure than he’d faced all year. Again, the team speed of North Penn’s defense and offense was the difference. Davey, Smith, Akins, Stoll, McManus and company look focused at this point of the season. It looks to me that NP is improving week by week. This is BIG as we’ve hit the halfway point and playoffs will be here in six weeks. Remember, it’s the team that peaks in playoff time that gets the Hershey kisses!!
CB WEST vs. CB SOUTH. This was a game, I was really excited to see as I thought West had a legitimate chance of winning. They played tough in the first quarter, but after a 35-yard field goal attempt was blocked and run back 97 yards by Mike Doty of South, CB West found itself playing catch-up the rest of the game. South moved the ball well on “O” with speed sweeps by Jon Eisemann and nice passes by QB Tommy Johns (best I’ve seen him in two years) to Mike Doty, who has now developed into a nice runner after the catch. South needs to get better on defense (although very impressed with MLB Chris Hulton who was all over the field making tackles) if it wants to make a run for the playoffs. They’re giving up way too much yardage on the edge and have been exposed there two weeks in a row by North Penn and now West. For West, FB Ted Conrad and RB Rashaad Williams ran for over 200 yards combined for the game. West needs to develop a passing game to compliment its nice running attack. Also, improve defensively and they will have a chance to compete for the win with the rest of their schedule.
GARNET VALLEY vs. CONESTOGA. I was excited to see Garnet Valley on film vs. Conestoga, their opponent this week. I heard a lot about Garnet Valley (state title game last year, Triple A) and how they are the up and coming team from the Central League. The INQUIRER has them rated number three in their TOP TEN poll. They didn’t disappoint as they rolled over Conestoga 45-10. They are a well-coached team that runs multiple formations offensively (double, double wing, trips, wishbone, unbalanced package) and sits almost exclusively in their 44 cover 3 look defensively with a lot of outside linebacker blitzes. On “O” they are led by junior QB #18, Mark McHugh, a 5’11 185-pound lefty, who throws a nice ball mainly to senior SE #7 Paul Dunn, who at 5’11 has great hands (and caught two TD’s in this game). The running attack is led by shifty senior RB, # 25 Tim Keyser, 5’11 175 and senior FB #20 Jared Bonacquisti, 6’1” 190. Keyser is the real deal with great quickness and vision. He’s the engine that drives this BUS! Defensively, they are led by senior DT #77 Nich Garcia, 6’3” 315. Garcia is a load who can run and disrupt things in the middle. Garnet Valley looks like a team that has many weapons BUT Ridley (Friday, Oct 31st) looms in the future, and that will be a measuring stick for their progress. As for them being ranked number three at this point in the season, I believe it’s a TOTAL STRETCH. I think it’s more realistic to have them around 8th – 10th. Time will tell!
BEHIND THE SCENES…THE COACH / ATHLETIC DIRECTOR RELATIONSHIP. They say that behind every successful man is a woman. That could be debated, but I do know that behind every successful coach is a great AD. The AD is a guy who puts in countless hours, attends tons of games for all sports and acts on many request from their coaches. He or She is constantly juggling budgets, going to league meetings, working on schedules, dealing with parents etc. The football coach and the AD must have a working relationship that has some give and take. Every coach knows he’s not going to get every request he makes weather it’s sharing a field, scheduling certain opponents or asking for new uniforms. I sent out a questionnaire to all Suburban One head football coaches and was overwhelmed by their responses concerning their AD’s.
Most of the responses showed this working relationship. All of the coaches had a general theme that a top flight COACH / AD relationship, started with the AD having a good knowledge of how a football program worked. The long hours, a sport involving large numbers of athletes, huge staffs and the schools biggest budget presents a multitude of problems. EJ Smith from Norristown raved about how AD Chuck Knowles understands football. EJ states, “He lets me coach and gives me support.” Bret Stover, head coach at Upper Dublin stated “AD Hope Donnell and acting AD Eric Greiner have given me total support. They both have helped me get UD competitive and now to maintain it.”
AD’s also act as a buffer between parents and coaches (I will write a whole other column on the parents of today). Today many parents go right to the AD with coaching complaints (Is this crazy or what??). John Donnelly head coach from Quakertown states that AD Dave Babb not only gives him great support in his needs but “acts as a filter between the administration and parents.”
John DeSimone head coach of Wissahickon says you must be flexible with your AD. John states that you must build a relationship with your AD. This takes time. John says his best advice to young coaches is to see the big picture. Work with your AD, especially about the small things. Your chances of getting help with big important items are then likely to follow. John says his working relationship with AD Tom Meier allowed him to get what he says is “one of the best weight rooms in District One as of this fall.”
Concerning the off-season strength program which is so vital to the success of today’s football programs, Ed Gallagher from Souderton stated AD Tom Quintois has given the Indians total support. That’s important because many schools today share the weight room with other sports (can you believe that?), and they are all vying for afternoon weight room hours. The AD usually is the one who sets the schedule.
In closing, thanks for all the responses and for those who answered but did not get mentioned (I’ll use you in the next article). We all agree that having a great relationship with your AD is vital to the success of your program. Work it, but remember that this is a long term relationship that will improve over time (and, of course, winning always helps!).
THE REAL TOP TEN
1. NORTH PENN
2. MALVERN PREP
3. LASALLE
4. CARDINAL O’HARA
5. RIDLEY
6. WEST CATHOLIC
7. ST JOE’S PREP
8. NESHAMINY
9. GARNET VALLEY
10. Tie –ROMAN CATHOLIC & PENNSBURY
PETTINE INTERVIEW: I just talked to Mike Pettine, and he agreed to do a interview for “THE WAY I SEE IT” column. I’m totally thrilled!! I know Mike well and will pose some abnormal questions to him. If you have a special question that you’d like Coach Pettine to answer, send it to the e-mail address below.
That’s it for now….I’ll definitely get to those questions you’ve been sending me soon. Keep them coming….send questions to suburbanonesports@comcast.net and I’ll give an honest, thick skin type of answer. Until later…keep the hits coming! There’s no game in America like high school football.
--Coach Carey