Scott Huff previews opening round football games involving SOL teams in the District One playoffs.
By Scott Huff
The path to the 2012 PIAA state championships begins this week for seven Quad-A and one Class AAA team from the Suburban One League as the District One Playoffs commence. The final destination is Hershey, and the playoff format is unforgiving – one and done.
PIAA District One Quad-A Playoffs
Friday - November 9, 2012
7 pm
[# 14] Abington Ghosts @ [# 3] Pennridge Rams
Abington:
The Season - TheGhosts (7-3, 5-2) finished the season tied for second place in the Suburban One League National Conferencebehind conference champion Pennsbury. Abington lost all three games this season to district playoff teams – Plymouth Whitemarsh (45-17), Pennsbury (35-9), and Neshaminy (21-14). The biggest wins of the season came against in conference against Bensalem (39-20) and William Tennent (37-14).
Players To Watch – The Ghosts feature senior quarterback Dylan Collins as a threat to both run and pass the football. Junior running back Craig Reynolds has led the team in rushing this season, while receivers Kendall Stewart and Andrew Pickney have come up with big receptions.
Abington head coach Tim Sober says – “Pennridge is without question the fastest team that we will play this year, and it just isn’t the (Michael) Class kid. They can score points in bunches, and they are also very well prepared on defense. They are a #3 seed for a reason – they are an excellent football team. The playoffs was a goal for our seniors, and now we get that chance to play in the playoffs.”
Pennridge:
The Season – The Rams (9-1, 6-0) concluded the season as the champion of the Suburban One League Continental Conference. Pennridge will become outright champs pending a conference game with Quakertown. The Rams came up with huge conference wins over Central Bucks South (21-10), North Penn (28-21), and Souderton (45-35). The lone loss of the season came in the second week with a 24-21 overtime loss to Bensalem.
Players To Watch - The Rams have showcased one of the elite running backs in Southeastern Pennsylvania in Michael Class. However, Pennridge also has other running back weapons in Kyle Bigam and Mackenzie Crawford. Alex Krivda has been a big-play quarterback for the Rams with Micah Stutzman as a dependable receiver.
Pennridge head coach Randy Cuthbert says – “Abington has a dual threat quarterback (Dylan Collins) that can be productive with both the run and the pass. They have a wide-open offense that can stretch the field. The players are excited for this playoff game, and the regular season has prepared them for this. We played tight games against good teams.”
[# 13] Neshaminy Redskins @ [# 4] Plymouth Whitemarsh Colonials
Neshaminy:
The Season – The Redskins (7-3, 5-2) finished the season tied for second place in the SOL National Conference behind conference champion Pennsbury. Neshaminy lost in what proved to be the conference title game to the Falcons – 7-0. The Skins also lost games this season to Souderton (18-7) and William Tennent (20-17). The biggest wins of the season came in conference over playoff bound Abington (21-14) and Bensalem (42-33).
Players To Watch - The Redskins have been a run-first team most of the season and have featured the talents of tailback Nate Hall. Denny Lord and and Blake Sullivan have picked up key yardage for the Red and Blue. Neshaminy has played two quarterbacks effectively this season with both Hugh Hart and Joe Falkowski earning playing time for the Skins.
Neshaminy head coach Mark Schmidt says - “What impresses me about PW is the balance that they have on offense. The have two very good senior running backs and a quarterback that can also hurt you. We have played well defensively, but our offense is going to have to be able to help the defense and control the clock.”
Plymouth Whitemarsh:
The Season – The Colonials (9-1, 7-0) concluded the season as the champion of the SOL American Conference. The only loss for Plymouth Whitemarsh during the season came in a 21-13 non-league loss to West Chester Henderson. The most impressive wins of the season for the Colonials came against Abington (45-17), Wissahickon (35-21), and Cheltenham (34-28).
Players To Watch - The Colonials feature a pair of 1,000-yard plus backs in seniors Corey Kelly and Terry Brown. However, Plymouth Whitemash quarterback Pete Giorgio is a double-threat weapon both running the ball and passing. Alton Custis is his favorite target, while Erik Tucker is also a threat.
Plymouth Whitemarsh head coach Dan Chang says – “The obvious thing that impresses you about Neshaminy is how physical and well coached they are. We have some guys banged up, but we will not make any excuses. We will be ready to play. Playing a home game in front of our home crowd is huge – we play well at home.”
[# 12] Haverford Fords@ [# 5] Central Bucks South Titans
Haverford:
The Season – The Fords (8-2, 6-2) finished the season in fourth place in the Central League behind champion Ridley, Garnet Valley, and Springfield (Delco). The biggest wins of the season came against Council Rock North (23-10) and Strath Haven (42-36). The two losses of the season for Haverford came against Ridley (23-15) and Garnet Valley (30-13).
Players To Watch - The Fords have featured a balanced offensive attack this season. The Eddie Durkin-to-Ricky Dempsey combination has been a very potent passing combo, while running back Kevin Leyden is battling an injury. When healthy, Leyden is one of the elite backs in the area.
Central Bucks South:
The Season – The Titans (9-1, 6-1) concluded the season in second place in the SOL Continental Conference behind conference champion Pennridge. The lone loss of the season for CB South came against those Rams – 21-10. Key wins for the Titans during the season came in conference games against North Penn (36-29), Souderton (44-28), and Central Bucks West (34-14).
Players To Watch - The Titans have been explosive all season long with both the running and passing game. Sophomore sensation Josh Adams has been electric all season, and senior quarterback John Peliggi has been terrific as well. Receivers Steve Veal, Cale Mosher, and Paul Weeks have made huge contributions for CB South.
Central Bucks South head coach Dave Rackovan says - “Both teams are very similar in that we have great skill position players and have been able to score a lot of points. This should make it an exciting game for the fans to watch. The goal for both teams will be who can contain the other team’s offense. I’m glad that we are playing this game in front in the friendly confines of our stadium.”
[# 11] West Chester Rustin Golden Knights @ [# 6] Pennsbury Falcons
West Chester Rustin:
The Season – The Golden Knights (8-2, 5-1) finished the season as the second place finisher in the Ches-Mont American Conference behind champion Unionville. The only losses for West Chester Rustin came against Unionville (13-7) and West Chester Henderson (21-3). The biggest wins of the season for the Golden Knights came in conference against West Chester East (37-7) and Sun Valley (36-29).
Players To Watch – The Golden Knights love to keep the ball on the ground and have one of the best touchdown makers in the area in Adam Burke. Burke is supported in the running game by both Terry Loper and Michael Pernsley. Quarterback David Fithian controls the Wing-T offense.
Pennsbury:
The Season – The Falcons (8-2, 7-0) concluded the season as the SOL National Conference champion with an unbeaten conference season. The only losses for Pennsbury came against quality opponents outside the conference against both Easton (32-13) and Downingtown East (42-28). The Falcons claimed critical conference victories over Neshaminy (7-0), Abington (35-9), and Council Rock North (41-20).
Players To Watch - The Falcons are still very much the ‘Ground and Pound’ team they have always been and feature three strong running backs in Shawn Pepper, DaQuan Mack, and Sykeem Steward. Quarterback Breon Clark has given the Falcons a passing game this season with Pepper as his go-to receiver.
Pennsbury head coach Galen Snyder says – “Getting ready for this team is like looking in the mirror. They are a Wing-T team – just like us; they are a hard-nosed team – just like us. I doubt that there was a ton of preparation by either team this week. It will be great to have this game at home.”
[#16] Wissahickon Trojans @ [# 1] Downingtown East Cougars
Wissahickon:
The Season – The Trojans (7-3, 5-2) finished the season in a second place tie with Cheltenham in the SOL American Conference behind champion Plymouth Whitemarsh. Wissahickon recorded nice wins over Central Bucks West (38-25), Upper Dublin (41-21), and Upper Moreland (55-13). The Trojans lost games this season to Archbishop Ryan (29-22), Plymouth Whitemarsh (35-21), and Cheltenham (20-6).
Players To Watch - The Trojans showcase the talents of running back Dan Murphy and the all-purpose threat of Gordon Bentley. Greg McDonough and Dave Stellato support the rushing attack for Wissahickon, while Randy Frankenfield has had a strong season at quarterback.
Wissahickon head coach Jeff Cappa says – “There is no question that we are playing a team this week that could end up being the state champion. They have excellent technique both on offense and defense, and they are impressive to watch on film. But we have a good football team too, and we’ll find out how good we are on Friday.”
Downingtown East:
The Season – The Cougars (10-0, 6-0) concluded the season as the champion of the Ches-Mont League National Conference. Downingtown ran through it season unbeaten and collected impressive victories over Pennsbury (42-28), Coatesville (35-34), and Downingtown West (35-21) – all district playoff teams.
Players To Watch - The Cougars have been a prolific passing team this season. Quarterback Kyle Lauletta has a pair of outstanding receivers in Chris Beals and Jay Harris. The Cougar running game is also very good and features the talents of Ryley Angeline.
PIAA District One Class AAA Playoffs
Friday – November 9, 2012
7 pm
[# 7] Upper Moreland Golden Bears @ [# 2] Academy Park Knights
Upper Moreland:
The Season – The Golden Bears (6-4, 4-3) finished the season as the fourth place finisher in the Suburban One League American Conference behind champion Plymouth Whitemarsh. Upper Moreland has lost games to Interboro (27-21), Wissahickon (55-13), and Plymouth Whitemarsh (21-7). Upper Moreland has claimed conference wins over Cheltenham (28-21) and Upper Merion (35-20).
Players To Watch – The Golden Bears showcase the talent of running back Robert Knox who has been a scoring threat as both a running back and receiver. Quarterback Charlie Hooker has been effective with Dan Cummings a threat as a receiver. Chris Kitchens has been solid at running back.
Upper Moreland head coach Dave Heying says – “Academy Park is an awesome team. They want the game to be a track meet, and they have the players to do that. What we have to do to be successful is for our offense to be our defense – chew up some clock and keep their offense off the field.”
Academy Park:
The Season – The Knights (9-1, 5-0) concluded the season as the champion of the Delaware Valley League. The only loss of the season for Academy Park came in the third week of the season when the Knights suffered a 37-15 loss to Pennridge in a non-league game. The Knights have collected big wins over Interboro (49-26) and Glen Mills (28-27).
Players To Watch – The Knights feature a strong passing attack in quarterback Tyler Street. His main targets are Earl Hargrove and Jeff DeVaughn. The Academy Park rushing attack features scoring machine Jerry Lanier.
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