REGION 6 FOOTBALL PREVIEW
LAST YEAR’S CHAMPION: *Strong Vincent
OTHER PLAYOFF QUALIFIER: Cathedral Prep
PREVIOUS CHAMPIONS
2007: ^Cathedral Prep and McDowell tied for crown
2006: McDowell
2005: ^McDowell
*=also won District 10 Class AAA crown, ^=also won District 10 Class AAAA crown
CATHEDRAL PREP RAMBLERS
HEAD COACH: Mike Mischler (*first year)
2008 RECORD: 3-1 region (second), 7-5 overall (lost 0-28 to Strong Vincent in district championship game)
PLAYOFF APPEARANCES IN LAST 5 YEARS: 5 (2004-2007 as Class AAAA team, 2008 as Class AAA team)
DISTRICT TITLES IN LAST 10 YEARS: 7 (1999-2001, 2003, 2005-2007 all as Class AAAA team)
PIAA FINALS APPEARANCES: 2
1999: lost 13-14 to Central Bucks West
2000: beat Central Bucks West 41-35 (OT)
OFFENSE
Averaged 33.1 points per game last season (not including playoffs)
RANK
Amongst 5 teams in region: 2
Amongst 10 teams in the two District 10 Class AAA regions: 2
Scoring points has never really been a problem for the Ramblers as they’ve averaged more than 28 per game each of the past six seasons, although they were shutout, for the first time in over four years, in last year’s district championship game loss to Strong Vincent. Five all-region picks from last year’s team graduated, although two do return and both are senior wide receivers in first team selection Rasean Thrower (16 catches, 164 yards, one touchdown) and second team pick Noel Oduho (five catches, 109 yards, one touchdown). William Lubahn and Ryan Oldach are two other seniors in the mix at receiver and throwing them the ball will be classmate Shyquawn Pullium, who accounted for 22 touchdowns (eight pass, 14 rush) and over 1600 yards of total offense last year. Juniors Justin Wiley and Dearis Williams are the top two halfbacks and Markel Keys, also a junior, is the starting fullback with classmate Luke Trucilla the backup. Four of the all-region losses from last year’s team were offensive linemen, including tackle Jason Faipler, who was a first team pick both of the past two years and junior Jake Geanous, sophomore Anthony Szymczak and senior Tom Robishaw are the top three tackles this season. Junior Logan Thompson is the starting left guard and is backed up by Robishaw with senior classmates Jon Gianoni and Bobby Beeler others in the mix at guard, while junior Stephen Fatica or junior Dan Buzas will start at center and junior Sam Holmgren is the tight end.
DEFENSE
26.2 points per game allowed last season
RANK
Amongst 5 teams in region: 3
Amongst 10 teams that compete in the two District 10 Class AAA regions: 6
Cathedral Prep gave up more points per game than any other District 10 playoff qualifier, regardless of classification, last year, although many of them came against top competition outside of the PIAA. Half of the eight players that earned some form of postseason recognition on last year’s squad are back, including second team all-state linebacker Vigilione (67 tackles, 3.5 sacks). Fatica is another player that could see time at the MIKE position, with Hampy and Keyes two options at the SAM and either junior Mario Sanders or senior Dan Paluh the WILL. Cornerbacks Thrower (first team) and Pullium (second team) were both all-region picks last year, while Williams is another player that could start or see time there and the top three safeties are Wiley, Lubahn and Trucilla. First team defensive end Gianoni (62 tackles, seven sacks) completes the list or returning starters and Holmgren is the other starting end, with Szymczak, Geanous, Robishaw and junior Justin Hatcher all defensive tackles.
SPECIAL TEAMS
The Ramblers might have the top return game in the district as Thrower brought back five kicks for scores and Wiley had a punt return touchdown last season and both will handle those respective duties again. First team all-region punter Ray Blanks, who was also the team’s kicker, graduated and as of this article junior Noah Ackerman was first in line to be the kicker with Eric Hultgren handling punts.
OVERVIEW
As most people know, Mischler led the Ramblers to the state finals in both 1999 and 2000, when it captured the crown, and while expecting the team repeat that performance in his first year back is probably a stretch, winning both District 10 and PIAA crowns is always the ultimate goal at Cathedral Prep.
*=Coach Mischler is in the first season of his second stint at Cathedral Prep
STRONG VINCENT COLONELS
HEAD COACH: Tom Cacchione
2008 RECORD: 4-0 region (first), 13-1 overall (lost 21-35 to Thomas Jefferson in PIAA Quarterfinals)
PLAYOFF APPEARANCES IN LAST 5 YEARS: 5
DISTRICT TITLES IN LAST 10 YEARS: 4 (2003, 2004, 2007, 2008)
PIAA FINALS APPEARANCES: 1
1991: beat Conestoga Valley 29-20
OFFENSE
Averaged 46.6 points per game last season (not including playoffs)
RANK
Amongst 5 teams in region: 1
Amongst 10 teams that compete in the two District 10 Class AAA regions: 1
Strong Vincent has averaged more than 33 points per game each of the past six seasons and led all of District 10 in scoring last year. Nine players that earned some form of all-region recognition, including region player of the year Deonte Flemings who had a hand in over 1000 yards of offense and 11 offensive touchdowns, graduated and first team tackle Emmanual Wells is the only all-region pick that returns. Senior center Alex Davis gives the line a second returning starter, although three all-region honorees must be replaced. Junior Travaughn Roberts joins Wells as a starting tackle, while senior Jordan Pointer and junior Ryan Greenawald are the guards. In the starting backfield the Colonels must replace three all-region picks, including first team halfback Darrell Brooks who rushed for 1651 yards and 25 touchdowns. Senior Emari Tangle led all returning players in all rushing stats (82 carries, 698 yards, four touchdowns) and is the starting fullback with classmate Brandon Akins one the halfbacks and junior Dalton Eimers the other. Senior Steve Uplinger and sophomore Denzel Jones will share time as the starting quarterback, while senior Courtney Harden-Pullium replaces first team all-region split end Robert Joyce (22 catches, 369 yards, six touchdowns). Tight end Brandon Marlow was another first team all-region pick that graduated in the class of 2009 and junior Aaron Bell takes his place.
DEFENSE
RANK
Amongst 5 teams in region: 1
Amongst 10 teams that compete in two District 10 Class AAA regions: 1
As was the case on offense, Strong Vincent finished the 2008 regular season with the top scoring defense in all of District 10 and while six players that earned some form of postseason recognition must be replaced, two are back, including first team all-state defensive tackle Wells (102 tackles, nine sacks). Davis is the other D-tackle with Bell and Roberts the defensive ends. At linebacker the Colonels must replace all three starters, who combined for 265 tackles, 12 sacks and five interceptions, including second team all-state choice Marlow (90 tackles, six sacks, four interceptions). Eimers led the list of returners with six tackles and is joined on the outside by junior classmate Tony Twillie with Greenawald the new middle linebacker. Even without first team all-state cornerback Flemings (49 tackles, five interceptions) the secondary might be the strength of the defense this year as strong safety Akins (45 tackles, four interceptions) and senior cornerback Marquis Pullium (52 tackles, one interception) are back, while sophomore Shaquille Page is the new free safety with Harden-Pullium or senior classmate Percy Tolbert the other corner.
SPECIAL TEAMS
Phil Fromey is the new kicker, Gorden Williams is the punter and the return men are Akins and Harden-Pullium.
OVERVIEW
It’s not a stretch to say that Strong Vincent was hit harder by graduation than any team in the district and possibly the state, but that said the Colonels should still be expected to compete for both region and district crowns.
EAST WARRIORS
HEAD COACH: Leonard Ford
2008 RECORD: 0-4 region (fifth), 1-9 overall
PLAYOFF APPEARANCES IN LAST 5 YEARS: 0
DISTRICT TITLES IN LAST 10 YEARS: 0
PIAA FINALS APPEARANCES: 0
OFFENSE
Averaged 13.2 points per game last season
RANK
Amongst 5 teams in region: 4
Amongst 10 teams in the two District 10 Class AAA regions: 9
Last year was the first time since 2005 that East averaged more than 11 points per game and while the team must replace first team all-region quarterback Corey Ratliff (1101 yards passing, eight touchdown passes, three rushing touchdowns) and second team all-region receiver Derrick Allen (20 catches, 313 yards, three touchdowns) it does return two of its top three rusher and four of its top six pass catchers. Senior Alondre Hamilton led or shared the team lead in rushing both of the past two years and is joined as a starting running by classmate Mark Knight, while Jermaine Gillespie, also a senior is the new quarterback and Gary Brown, another senior gives the team an experienced backup quarterback as he completed 22 of 59 pass attempts for 328 yards, two touchdowns and six interceptions last year. Seniors James Paul (23 catches, 542 yards, three touchdowns) and Dearius Nolen (nine catches, 129 yards, two touchdowns) and juniors Martial Cajuste and Jermaine Thornton are the starting receivers in the team’s spread offense, while senior Max Sanchez (15 catches, 185 yards, two touchdowns) lends depth as the one of the top backups. The line is made up of five seniors, including right guard Damian Jefferson, a third-year starter. Trent Doxey (right) and Dejon Sheppard (left) are the tackles, Wes Davis is the left guard and the center is Kyale Booth.
DEFENSE
35.1 points per game allowed last season
RANK
Amongst 5 teams in region: 4
Amongst 10 teams that compete in the two District 10 Class AAA regions: 9
Last year was the first time since 2001 that East’s defense allowed fewer than 36 points per game and seven of the team’s top 10 tacklers are back, including second team all-region linebackers Pete Hamilton (49 tackles), who enters his junior season, and Alondre Hamilton (26 tackles). Sophomore Levante Ford (36 tackles) joins Pete Hamilton as the other starting inside linebacker, while Alondre Hamilton is joined by Jacob Wood (38 tackles), as the starting outside linebackers. Jefferson (29 tackles) is the lone returning starter on the line and is joined at defensive end by senior classmate Torian Stevenson, with Doxey and Booth the starting defensive tackles. The secondary is made up three seniors with Thornton and Shaliel Glover the corners and Brown the safety.
SPECIAL TEAMS
Sanchez was the team’s primary kicker last year and will be again this season, while Jefferson shared punting duties with 2009 graduate Rob Campbell and will split time with junior Marcus Johnson at the position this year.
OVERVIEW
Last year was the fifth straight season and the eighth time in 10 years that East won no more than one game and while coach Ford appears to have the program headed in the right direction, it might take some time to see any drastic improvement in the win-loss column.
CENTRAL TECH FALCONS
HEAD COACH: Jason Beer
2008 RECORD: 1-4 region (fourth), 1-9 overall
PLAYOFF APPEARANCES IN LAST 5 YEARS: 0
DISTRICT TITLES IN LAST 10 YEARS: 0
PIAA FINALS APPEARANCES: 0
OFFENSE
Averaged 11.8 points per game last season
RANK
Amongst 5 teams in region: 5
Amongst 10 teams that compete in two District 10 Class AAA regions: 10
Central Tech hasn’t averaged more than two touchdowns a game since 1999 and last year the team was held to single digits four times, including two shutouts, while scoring at least 20 points just twice. Each of the three all-region choices from last year’s offense graduated and with that in mind the team will switch from a traditional two-back look to a three back, two receiver set. Kaylon Mims, who led the team in rushing both of the past two years - rushing for 713 yards and five touchdowns last season - was one of the all-region selections last season (second team all purpose back) and the new wingbacks are seniors Deniro Jones and Brandon Barnes, a transfer from East. Junior Jacob Johnson started at fullback last year and will split time with senior Kaleb Nelson this year, while junior Roberto Petri and Nate McBride are the new receivers. Senior Davon Stoval led all returning players in just about every offensive stat last year (125 carries, 557 yards, three touchdowns – four catches, 68 yards, one touchdown) and takes over as the new quarterback, while ell five starters from last year’s line graduated, including all-region guards Christian Magee (first team) and Damond Mathis (second team). Junior Russell Lockwood and senior Curtis Smith are the new guards, with senior Thomas Speed the center and junior Alex Smith and Walter Torres the tackles.
DEFENSE
41.1 points per game allowed last season
RANK
Amongst 5 teams in region: 5
Amongst 10 teams that compete in two District 10 Class AAA regions: 10
Last year was the first time since 2000 that Central Tech allowed the opposition to average at least 40 points per game and while two all-region picks graduated, two also return. As was the case on offense, the Falcons are switching defenses as they go to a 3-5 and second team all-region selection Johnson is back as the MIKE linebacker, while Nelson gives the linebacker core a second returning starter as the SAM. Second team all-region choice Stovall moves from safety to outside linebacker with Petri the other outside starter and Jones the new WILL. Up front Speed returns as one defensive tackle, Curtis Smith is a new starter at the other and Walter Smith is new nose tackle. All three starters in the secondary are new as Barnes and junior Chris Kaminski are the corners and McBride is the free safety.
SPECIAL TEAMS
Jones was one of the team’s return men last year and will be joined deep by Barnes, while both the kicker and punter jobs were open a few days into camp.
OUTLOOK
In his third year as the head coach, Beer is looking for improvement and hoping that team can win a minimum of five games. According to the coach the Falcons have a lot of very talented players at the skill positions, but the young and inexperienced line is a concern.
*BRADFORD OWLS
HEAD COACH: Jeff Puglio
2008 RECORD: 2-2 region (third), 5-5 overall
PLAYOFF APPEARANCES IN LAST 5 YEARS: 3 (2004, 2006, 2007)
DISTRICT TITLES IN LAST 10 YEARS: 5 (2000, 2001, 2003, 2006, 2007)
PIAA FINALS APPEARANCES: 0
OFFENSE
Averaged 21.4 points per game last season
RANK
Amongst 5 teams in region: 3
Amongst 10 teams that compete in two District 10 Class AAA regions: 7
NO INFORMATION PROVIDED
DEFENSE
20.2 points per game allowed last season
RANK
Amongst 5 teams in region: 2
Amongst 10 teams that compete in two District 10 Class AAA regions: 4
NO INFORMATION PROVIDED