Back for its fifth season, the popular Intelligencer/Courier Times ‘Let’s Talk Football’ features high school football beat writers Drew Markol and Dan Dunkin. Markol covers schools in the Intelligencer area while Dan Dunkin covers teams in the Courier Times area. Both share their perspective on the teams in their coverage area. Scott Huff, football writer for SuburbanOneSports.com, shares his thoughts about the American Conference squads. 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/
SuburbanOneSports.com: After covering the North Penn/La Salle game last Friday, share your thoughts about North Penn heading into Friday’s game against West Catholic.
Drew Markol: “North Penn needs a win with the schedule they have. They lost their first three games last year but were able to go undefeated in the then Continental Conference and get into the playoffs. This year that will be a little bit harder. They have to play Archbishop Wood next week, which will be very difficult, and West Catholic is a very good AA team, but North Penn has to beat them because there’s no assurance they can run the table in the National Conference because they’ve got Pennsbury, CB South, Neshaminy and Abington that they now have to beat. Another 0-3 start like last year would make getting to the playoffs very difficult.
“North Penn’s defense – the La Salle quarterback - Kyle Schurmer, son of the Eagles offensive coordinator (Pat Schurmer) - is very good. He was picking them apart, but they really couldn’t get into the end zone. North Penn’s defense bent a lot, but they didn’t break too much. They could have given up 50, so that was a plus.
“Their offensive line though is a little worrisome because they have four starters back, and La Salle was still able to pretty much stuff the run and put pressure on the quarterback. The quarterback play – it’s only week one, but it’s a concern because you need to be able to throw it a little bit just to be able to open up the running game.”
SuburbanOneSports.com: Central Bucks South was impressive in its win over Central Bucks West. Your thoughts about both of those teams heading into this week’s games.
Drew Markol: “I think CB South is going to be very good, so last Friday’s game might be a difficult barometer. Central Bucks West is coming off a district playoff appearance last year, and that’s a team that really needs to bounce back. You’re playing against the best player in the area in Josh Adams, but in scrimmages, from what I heard, West had looked pretty good. Maybe that’s a blip, but they’ve got to go to Souderton – you don’t want to go 0-2.
“Not many people expected Souderton to beat PW. If you look at Souderton, it’s a young team that’s probably a year away, but to get that win and the confidence that comes along with it is enormous. Now you’re playing your first home game, and if you’re Souderton, you’re looking at Friday’s game against West as a winnable game. Now all of a sudden you’re 2-0.
“Last year Coatesville blew out CB South in Coatesville in the second week of the season. Josh Adams could do very little against them. They were in the backfield while he was getting the handoff. This game will be a great barometer. Coatesville is always good, and I think they’re ranked 10thby the PA Football News, so this is a huge test for South. Let’s see what South can do. They need to be able to throw it a little bit and give Adams some space. It’s a great game to be played. I give them credit for scheduling it. When you schedule a team like Coatesville, it’s always going to be a tough opponent. It would be huge for South to win that.
“If you look at the numbers, South had over 100 kids come out for the team, and in the relatively short period of time former coach Dave Rackovan was there, they became known as a team that liked to throw it around. Their quarterback (Kevin Witchey) threw for 180 yards on Friday night. That’s enormous when you have a running back like Josh Adams – if you just have the semblance of a passing game, it just opens up the world for Adams. That’s how teams go far. You need to be able to do one thing well to go far in districts. If you can run it really well and throw it a little, it will take you a pretty good way. “
SuburbanOneSports: Abington edged Northeast with a miracle finish. Your thoughts about Friday’s game against PW.
Drew Markol: “To be able to eke one out like Abington did, you look at it from both sides of the coin. You lose that game, and your whole week of practice is dreadful because you let it get away, but you win it, and that changes everything. Now they’re playing a PW team that lost a game to Souderton they probably thought they were going to win. The pressure is more on PW not to go 0-2, so Abington goes into that game with a jolt of confidence which is huge for 17-year-old kids.”
SuburbanOneSports.com: Pennridge faces Central Bucks East on Friday at War Memorial. The Rams had an impressive win over Hatboro-Horsham, and the Patriots defeated Cheltenham. Your thoughts about that game.
Drew Markol: “With Pennridge, it’s a good start getting a win over - from what I’d heard - was going to be a pretty decent Hatboro team, and to go in there and to blow them out was good. If you’re Pennridge, you’ve opened the last two seasons with good wins – beating your old coach at Emmaus (Randy Cuthbert) last year and now beating Hatboro this year.
“For East, which seems to be stuck in the 5-5, 4-6, 6-4 rut, they’re 1-0, and I’m sure they’re hungry to pile up some wins and make people believers. Beating Pennridge would help to do that.”
SuburbanOneSports.com: Quakertown, which is coming off a big win over Upper Perk, is traveling to Hatboro on Friday. Your thoughts about that game.
Drew Markol: “It’s hard to say, but if any team ever needed to open the season with a win, it’s Quakertown. They ended their season so many years in a row now with that loss to Pennridge on Thanksgiving. To open their season against a rival like Upper Perk – get a win and look good, it’s huge.
“We’ll start to get a better gauge about Quakertown once they’re playing in the new Continental Conference. If you look at those teams, this is obviously a much better spot for Quakertown. Getting North Penn and Souderton – they’ll play Pennridge but off of their conference schedule – let’s see how they do against schools more their size. It’s a little too early to tell after one week.
“For Hatboro, there are whisperings again they would be a pretty decent team, and maybe Friday’s loss to Pennridge was a blip. We’ll find out, but if you’re Hatboro – I’m sure they're hearing about it in practice, but you need a much better effort because you’re getting a fired up Quakertown team. That game is probably a little bit more important to Hatboro right now. It’s week two, and everybody wants to win.
SuburbanOneSports.com: Truman earned a convincing win over Bensalem in its season opener. Your thoughts about those two teams.
Dan Dunkin: “I think Truman can be one of the best stories of the season, continuing where they left off last year. They were 6-6, and it was their first .500 season in 12 years. There’s a lot of momentum in the program, the foundation laid by Ed Cubbage before he left to find a fulltime teaching job. His staff remains intact, and Jon Craig is a great choice to take over as head coach. He’s been there four years as a defensive coordinator primarily and is just a terrific young coach. He has a lot of energy, he learned at lot at Neshaminy where he coached under Mark Schmidt, and he’s continuing what Cubbage and that whole group started.
“This is a team that believes. They came into the season with a lot of belief after seeing their hard work pay off last year. There was a much stronger offseason commitment than Truman has maybe ever had. There’s enthusiasm through the ranks, all the way down to the younger kids. There’s a lot of talent, a lot of speed on this roster, a lot of versatile players, strong players, players who are ready to win. They lost some tough, close ones last year that they could have won. They’re learning to finish now. They have a long way to go, and we’ll see going forward, but that was a great, resounding opener for them to build their confidence."
SuburbanOneSports.com: Truman will face Upper Dublin this week. Your thoughts about that game.
Dan Dunkin: “This is a great proving ground game for Truman. This is where Truman can really raise some eyebrows if they win this game. Upper Dublin is a talented team coming off an impressive win in Florida, but I’m going to believe in those Truman kids and what they’ve started there. That loss to Upper Dublin was one of those games that just gnawed at them last year. They really had a chance, and they will be hungering to finish it off this year. In a close game I’m going to take Truman.
“Front to back, they really like their defense, and they’re very physical and quick. They’ve got more depth than they’ve had, and I think that’s going to pay off for them. They have had a lot of kids going two ways for a long time, but that’s starting to change, and that’s going to make a big difference, especially in a game like this. That Trysten Hunt is for real. That kid’s a player.”
SuburbanOneSports.com: Neshaminy, coming off a tough 42-3 loss to Gonzaga College, will be traveling to Downingtown West on Friday night. Your comments about the Redskins.
Dan Dunkin: “It’s a really good Whippets team, as usual, and it’s a tough back-to-back start for the Mike Frederick era. They knew Gonzaga was really good. ’Andre Pollard only had 56 yards, and if they rely too heavily on him, it’s going to be a long, long season. Mason Jones has a lot of potential at quarterback, but their offensive line, which was unbelievably good last year - it’s going to take it a while to develop some cohesion. In this game, Neshaminy’s defense is really going to be tested. I think it’s a lot to ask for them to bounce back in one week against a very good team, this one from the Ches-Mont.
“We all knew Neshaminy wouldn’t be as good as last year. That’s one of the best senior classes Mark Schmidt ever had, and that’s a lot to replace. They have a very good staff though, and they’ll pick up the pieces and get these kids dialed in, but it’s going to take a while. Maybe taking these lumps early could help them some in the tougher SOL National.”
SuburbanOneSports.com: Your thoughts about Pennsbury – which defeated Council Rock South 28-0 - heading into this week’s game against Frankford.
Dan Dunkin: “They did what they should have done. They dominated the first half, and then it was pretty much run the clock out. I didn’t give CR South a chance in that game. They’re just outnumbered, and this is one of Galen Snyder’s very best teams. They’re very experienced, but they still have a lot of juniors on that team that play. They don’t mess around. They’re all about execution, and they’re very good at it, and their defense just flat out gets after you. With Charles Snorweah at running back and all the depth they have, a returning offensive line and a defense that is very experienced, they’re hitting the ground running. Their preconference schedule is not as tough as in recent years, but I’m definitely okay with that. It’s going to be tougher in the SOL National anyway this year. They’re ready, and they were ready in the offseason. It’s a fully committed team. I think they’re fine tuning, and by the time they get to week four and the start of the conference season, they’re going to be the target. Everyone is favoring Pennsbury, and they’re going to be ready for that responsibility.”
SuburbanOneSports.com: Abington used a miracle finish to eke out a win over Northeast. Your thoughts about the Ghosts heading into Friday’s game at Plymouth Whitemarsh.
Dan Dunkin: “Abington pulled that one out of the fire. Tim Sorber is a terrific coach. Every year this team brings it. They replace guys, and they’ve got a good system, and their quarterback (David Kretschman) showed a lot of poise late with no timeouts. To get that ball in the end zone and win that game was a tremendous start for them.
“Abington’s a team that is not under the radar, but in this new conference, you’re hearing all about North Penn and Pennsbury, but look out for Abington. They’ve got the athletes, they’ve got the coaching, they’ve got the motivation in this new league. I have always enjoyed watching them play. They have exciting players. They have guys that are very aggressive, and they’re always competitive, every game. Every year it’s an eight or nine-win season. To win a game like that early just does a ton for the team’s confidence and their quarterback.”
SuburbanOneSports.com: Bensalem travels to Council Rock South on Friday. Your thoughts about that game.
Dan Dunkin: “Boy, you talk about two teams that desperately need a win – both are coming off consecutive tough years and going into new leagues. Bensalem, in particular, is really in a tough spot playing in the SOL National. This is a game they probably think they can win, and I think CR South feels the same way. Both feel it will be a close game and one they really need to get some kind of momentum and feel good about themselves heading into the league season in a couple of weeks.
“Bensalem is finding its way with its skill position players. They had a wake-up call against Truman. They knew Truman was improved, and now they know how far they’ve got to go.
“Council Rock South hit the reset button this year. They have a really good junior class, in particular. Losing to Pennsbury like they did is no surprise. I look for CR South to squeak this one out. I think they’re a little more ready at the skill positions and just a little bit further along in their rebuilding mode than Bensalem.”
SuburbanOneSports.com: Council Rock North had a big win over Perk Valley. Your comments about the Indians.
Dan Dunkin: “Rock North blew a big lead, but to their credit, they withstood it. Brandon McIlwain was unbelievable. He had well over 400 yards total offense. I don’t know how heavily they can rely on this kid though. He is an amazing athlete. He embraces the responsibility, but I’m going to be interested to see how they start to incorporate some other guys into the offensive approach, and that’s going to really be a key to their success. He makes everybody better by his constant dual threat as a passer and a runner. Having him on the field really gives them a chance against just about everybody – certainly in the medium-sized enrollment league they’re in this year. I look for them to beat Gratz, partially due to McIlwain again. If you haven’t seen this kid – what you see on film doesn’t do a lot to help you prepare for him because he is at another speed, just his decision-making, his ability to improvise. I think that win was a confidence builder for North last week. They’re thinking this could be a good season for them, and they want to continue this week, so that first game momentum means something.”
SuburbanOneSports.com: William Tennent, which fell to Mastery Charter, will host Fels this week. Your thoughts?
Dan Dunkin: “I look for Tennent to bounce back. I’m looking for things to get better in the second year under Bob Rosenberger. The guy really knows what he’s doing. It’s a slow process, but he’s building it the right way. Nik Banks and that group has talent, and they’ve got pride. They’re learning how to put it all together, and I’m looking for them to do it.”
SuburbanOneSports.com: Upper Dublin came up with a 36-28 win over Coconut Creek (Fla.). How tough an opponent did the Cardinals play?
Scott Huff: “Coconut Creek showcased six Division One players on its roster. Coconut Creek plays in a high school crazy state in Florida and is a 6A school in a state that has teams ranked 8A. The opponent was tough – the victory was impressive. Upper Dublin will be more than prepared for the SOL American over the course of the season – and for Truman this week.”
SuburbanOneSports.com: Springfield came up with a 35-0 win over old time rival Lower Moreland. What was the key to the easy win?
Scott Huff: “The simple answer is the return of senior Chris Stone. Stone missed the entire 2013 football season with an injury, but the gifted Stone has returned to the field with a vengeance. Stone rushed for a pair of touchdowns and also threw for a pair of scores. He is going to make the Spartans relevant in the SOL American Conference this year and is clearly among the elite players in the conference. Remember, Stone is an athlete who has excelled for Springfield in track and field and was the state champion in high jump.”
SuburbanOneSports.com: What impressed you most about the Upper Moreland win over Penncrest last week?
Scott Huff: “Tyler Whitmore – still another track star as a sprinter for the Golden Bear track team - turned in a spectacular effort with a four-touchdown performance. Whitmore may be the very best running back in the conference this year – and he will take Upper Moreland to any success it will earn this year. Also impressive was the defensive effort against a Penncrest team that won nine games last season. A 30-12 win is a team victory – not an individual one.”
SuburbanOneSports.com: Any thoughts about Wissahickon’s win over Central?
Scott Huff: “Playing Central is surely not like Neshaminy scheduling Gonzaga College or North Penn scheduling La Salle, but a 47-6 win is impressive no matter who the opponent might be. Josh Smith rushed for over 100 yards – scored a pair of touchdowns – and had an interception. Expect the Trojans to contend this year in the American Conference.”
SuburbanOneSports.com: Defending SOL American Conference champion Plymouth Whitemarsh lost 21-14 to Souderton. Thoughts?
Scott Huff: “Plymouth Whitemarsh challenged itself with a rugged non-league schedule that included Souderton and Abington. The Colonials may have lost the game but gained valuable experience playing against quality opposition. PW will be faced with much the same challenge this week against Abington – don’t expect a win – but don’t be too surprised if the Colonials walk away with a ‘W’.”
SuburbanOneSports.com: Hatboro-Horsham has replaced Norristown in the conference and the Hatters had a tough opening night 35-6 loss to Pennridge. Is this going to be a weekly problem for Hatboro-Horsham?
Scott Huff: “No. The Hatters simply played ‘up’ against a Pennridge team that is in the powerful SOL National Conference. Hatboro-Horsham is going to be one of a number of teams in the conference that could contend for a conference championship. Look for improvement this week from the Hatters against Quakertown – even if H-H does not collect a victory.”
SuburbanOneSports.com: Both Cheltenham and Upper Merion lost games and scored just one touchdown in doing so. Cheltenham lost 21-7 to Central Bucks East, while Upper Merion lost 27-6 to Norristown. How soon can they both recover?
Scott Huff: “This week. Cheltenham has a more than good chance to come away with a win against Bishop McDevitt, while Upper Merion should be more than competitive with Octorara. Stay tuned.”
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