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2023 Preseason 6A STATE Top 10

I’m not a SJP hater, while I do recognize they have some immense advantages. If they can continue bringing in major transfers, the rich will get richer. I always respected that they never really took transfers. It appears that is starting to change under Roken (and I agree it starts with the collegiate players being the example). Ultimately it will make the gap even bigger between them and non-boundaries.
I think the transfer portal culture is trickling down to HS. I pretty sure there’s freshmen and sophomores waiting for this yrs senior class to finish at sjp before transferring in. I think next year will be even more transfers. It’s no coincidence that these transfers are coming in at spots they lost guys. Parents and students are playing the numbers game.
 
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I think the transfer portal culture is trickling down to HS. I pretty sure there’s freshmen and sophomores waiting for this yrs senior class to finish at sjp before transferring in. I think next year will be even more transfers. It’s no coincidence that these transfers are coming in at spots they lost guys. Parents and students are playing the numbers game.
Are you hearing of more potential Roman kids leaving?
 
I think the transfer portal culture is trickling down to HS. I pretty sure there’s freshmen and sophomores waiting for this yrs senior class to finish at sjp before transferring in. I think next year will be even more transfers. It’s no coincidence that these transfers are coming in at spots they lost guys. Parents and students are playing the numbers game.
Here's the reason SJP has a very strong hand.

You look at the faces of those 14-16 year olds at Penn State this past weekend and it's pretty obvious they have big-time careers--not just college but NFL--in their heads. Some say it doesn't matter what high school you go to; the scouts will find you wherever you are. Plus there are all these camps in the off-season. Why then did Jon Runyon, Marvin Harrison Sr., Jeremiah Trotter, Kyle McCord's father (ex D1 QB), Anthony Sacca's father (ex PSU player), Marty Mornhinweg, etc. send their sons to SJP? Not as if those sons weren't going to get noticed elsewhere. The choice of SJP speak for itself.

SJP can also point to a guy like Olamide Zaccheus--travels from Jersey to the Prep and winds up at UVA. Now he's in his 5th year in the NFL-well beyond the average NFL career. Within two more years there will almost certainly be a few more Prep grads in the NFL.

Equally important, going to the Prep makes it more likely a player will be academically prepared to go to and graduate from a good college. Look at the schools where Prep players, including the vast majority who are not NFL prospects, wind up going. No, they're not all top-of-the-class students, but they'll arrive at college at least able--well able, I hope--to manage academically. And there are great success stories that don't end in the NFL, e.g., Shane Davis coming to the Prep from a very tough background, playing on two state championship teams, and winding up as an MD. Dr. Justin Montague has a similar story.

The ex-NFL fathers know, probably better than most, that every hs or college player, no matter how good, is just one bad injury away from the end of his football career. They also know the average pro career of an NFL player is three years--or less.

I think the above is pretty much SJP's case
 
Here's the reason SJP has a very strong hand.

You look at the faces of those 14-16 year olds at Penn State this past weekend and it's pretty obvious they have big-time careers--not just college but NFL--in their heads. Some say it doesn't matter what high school you go to; the scouts will find you wherever you are. Plus there are all these camps in the off-season. Why then did Jon Runyon, Marvin Harrison Sr., Jeremiah Trotter, Kyle McCord's father (ex D1 QB), Anthony Sacca's father (ex PSU player), Marty Mornhinweg, etc. send their sons to SJP? Not as if those sons weren't going to get noticed elsewhere. The choice of SJP speak for itself.

SJP can also point to a guy like Olamide Zaccheus--travels from Jersey to the Prep and winds up at UVA. Now he's in his 5th year in the NFL-well beyond the average NFL career. Within two more years there will almost certainly be a few more Prep grads in the NFL.

Equally important, going to the Prep makes it more likely a player will be academically prepared to go to and graduate from a good college. Look at the schools where Prep players, including the vast majority who are not NFL prospects, wind up going. No, they're not all top-of-the-class students, but they'll arrive at college at least able--well able, I hope--to manage academically. And there are great success stories that don't end in the NFL, e.g., Shane Davis coming to the Prep from a very tough background, playing on two state championship teams, and winding up as an MD. Dr. Justin Montague has a similar story.

The ex-NFL fathers know, probably better than most, that every hs or college player, no matter how good, is just one bad injury away from the end of his football career. They also know the average pro career of an NFL player is three years--or less.

I think the above is pretty much SJP's case
I agree with you that SJP is the best way to get there in, and around, Philly if the kid can play - but it’s not the only way.

They are the most serious, well run program around. No doubt.

Wood has guys in the league.

LaSalle has guys/coaches in the league.

Roman is putting kids in college.

SJP’s strength and nationwide recognition is also an advantage for the kids that get to play them and get tape. Especially LaSalle who gets to play them twice.

It’s scraps off the table but those kids benefit too.

LaSalle could be the next SJP once they decide to move on from Steinmetz. The program is stale. It checks the academic box. Has an amazing campus. In a great, safe location. But the head guy is just holding on. If they put half the effort of SJP and Roman, now, with Prete, Hammond and Keita, they would be formidable.

With that said, they have Sean McDermott, Kyle Shurmur, Zaire Franklin, Jimmy Morreissy (sp?) working on Sundays.

A strong SJP is good for the PCL, just like Tiger was for golf. I just don’t like the internal in conference transfers.
 
I agree with you that SJP is the best way to get there in, and around, Philly if the kid can play - but it’s not the only way.

They are the most serious, well run program around. No doubt.

Wood has guys in the league.

LaSalle has guys/coaches in the league.

Roman is putting kids in college.

SJP’s strength and nationwide recognition is also an advantage for the kids that get to play them and get tape. Especially LaSalle who gets to play them twice.

It’s scraps off the table but those kids benefit too.

LaSalle could be the next SJP once they decide to move on from Steinmetz. The program is stale. It checks the academic box. Has an amazing campus. In a great, safe location. But the head guy is just holding on. If they put half the effort of SJP and Roman, now, with Prete, Hammond and Keita, they would be formidable.

With that said, they have Sean McDermott, Kyle Shurmur, Zaire Franklin, Jimmy Morreissy (sp?) working on Sundays.

A strong SJP is good for the PCL, just like Tiger was for golf. I just don’t like the internal in conference transfers.
That’s how I sell it to parents/kids. Of course sjp may have the resources but if you want your kid to play against guys who will play at the next level, there’s no better conference around. Now Roman plays them once but a great game against sjp is all you need to kick start recruitment. Lasalle, Wood and even Judge should use that strategy also.
 
Heard Roman Catholic lost their best lineman to Prep.
They lost their biggest lineman. Not there best. I attended a practice right around the time he left and he was the only lineman who wasn’t finishing sprints and complained the entire time they were conditioning. It’s a tough loss for them but not one they can’t overcome.
 
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Are you hearing of more potential Roman kids leaving?
They lost Denmark and the Lineman kid. That’s it. But every school loses kids, and even more come in. I remember when Rick got that job, they have way more kids then they had before and the talent is much improved. I am learning in the PCL that nothing has to be wrong for a kid to leave. If he’s 3rd on the depth chart he will leave. Sometimes you get kids like Jah Jah Boyd who stay and develop and become big time players. But a kid can be a D1 talent and not start at programs like Roman or Prep or Imhotep and sometimes they leave. If you’re a coach or a player in that league it has to be next man up mentality.
 
That’s how I sell it to parents/kids. Of course sjp may have the resources but if you want your kid to play against guys who will play at the next level, there’s no better conference around. Now Roman plays them once but a great game against sjp is all you need to kick start recruitment. Lasalle, Wood and even Judge should use that strategy also.
I think SJP also wants strong PCL teams. But, unlike in basketball, you need to put together a lot of pieces to have a strong football program year to year in the Philly area.

The Prep has beaten LaSalle 17 of the last 19 times they have played, often by wide margins. They haven't lost to Roman, Wood, or Judge since 2011.In the first decade of the century . i.e. the Brooks era, they never lost to Wood or Judge and only once lost to Roman. What's the relationship between the Prep's strength and the other teams' (relative) weakness, at least since 2013? I suspect the answer isn't simple.
 
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That’s correct. How do we lose 2 power 5 guys in one offseason? Every time I think we’re headed in the right direction. A legitimate 6’4 beast. We all know if you can’t match sjp up front you have no chance. The rich get richer. They have 3 power 5 backs excluding their qb, which if he takes off you would think it’s a rb. Losing Tyseer is one thing but we lose a guy to a conference foe. He’s better than what they lost to graduation. He's ineligible for the playoffs but word is parents compared schedules and wanted their son competing against top talent. Sjp never met with the kid. The father literally dropped him on their doorstep.
I’m told Prep hired the kids personal strength coach a few months back. Do what you will with that information. Also, he’s not 6’4. I’m also told may not start at SJP.

I heard that the dad said it was a non football issue and it was a school related issue. But If you’re having issues with recruitment Roman and programs like them isn’t going to be the reason. The track record is too good with the amount of relationships they have. It’s usually the opposite, kids go to Roman because they want a chance to be recruited. In 2023 there are some instances where because of the parent or whatever reason, no matter what school a kid starts at, he was never going to finish there.
 
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I think SJP also wants strong PCL teams. But, unlike in basketball, you need to put together a lot of pieces to have a strong football program year to year in the Philly area.

The Prep has beaten LaSalle 17 of the last 19 times they have played, often by wide margins. They haven't lost to Roman, Wood, or Judge since 2011.In the first decade of the century . i.e. the Brooks era, they never lost to Wood or Judge and only once lost to Roman. What's the relationship between the Prep's strength and the other teams' (relative) weakness, at least since 2013? I suspect the answer isn't simple.
Tulla you make a great point and pose a great question. I think the answer is simple. Its a runaway freight train or a snowball that just keeps building. You cannot catch up to it or slow it down. I’ve said this numerous times, I’m an old man and have been around mid Penn and Lehigh valley football a ton and nobody sits as plush as Prep does except for Lasalle. Unless you include Malvern in the interac. But Neither of those programs are in the archdiocese, still both play for an archdiocese title in the PCL. They are private schools who can do what they want. Roman, Neuman, Bonner, Wood etc. none of them can compete with the financial backing, and the fluidity of a private school. But even more impressive than any of that is the fact they have become “too big to fail.”
 
Tulla you make a great point and pose a great question. I think the answer is simple. Its a runaway freight train or a snowball that just keeps building. You cannot catch up to it or slow it down. I’ve said this numerous times, I’m an old man and have been around mid Penn and Lehigh valley football a ton and nobody sits as plush as Prep does except for Lasalle. Unless you include Malvern in the interac. But Neither of those programs are in the archdiocese, still both play for an archdiocese title in the PCL. They are private schools who can do what they want. Roman, Neuman, Bonner, Wood etc. none of them can compete with the financial backing, and the fluidity of a private school. But even more impressive than any of that is the fact they have become “too big to fail.”
Not so sure LaSalle has become "too big to fail" as far as the product on the field? If they lose to Malvern Prep, Haverford, and Roman (that will be 3 out of the last 4), it's safe to say they've been passed by those programs. And that shouldn't happen because of the potential that school has. And it stems to what I alluded to before, it's stale.

LaSalle will rely heavily on sophomores this year and that can be a good thing, or it can be another challenging year. But really what is speaks to is the talent that's not entering the program because of the efforts from SJP, Roman, Haverford, MP's, TEP, etc.

While LaSalle has no presence at youth games - especially in the city. They get outworked by every school around. It shouldn't be that way. So, they could definitely be taking on water.
 
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Not so sure LaSalle has become "too big to fail" as far as the product on the field? If they lose to Malvern Prep, Haverford, and Roman (that will be 3 out of the last 4), it's safe to say they've been passed by those programs. And that shouldn't happen because of the potential that school has. And it stems to what I alluded to before, it's stale.

LaSalle will rely heavily on sophomores this year and that can be a good thing, or it can be another challenging year. But really what is speaks to is the talent that's not entering the program because of the efforts from SJP, Roman, Haverford, MP's, TEP, etc.

While LaSalle has no presence at youth games - especially in the city. They get outworked by every school around. It shouldn't be that way. So, they could definitely be taking on water.
I agree with that. I was speaking about Prep being too big too fail. Lasalle in my opinion has failed for years with all the resources they have.
 
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Not so sure LaSalle has become "too big to fail" as far as the product on the field? If they lose to Malvern Prep, Haverford, and Roman (that will be 3 out of the last 4), it's safe to say they've been passed by those programs. And that shouldn't happen because of the potential that school has. And it stems to what I alluded to before, it's stale.

LaSalle will rely heavily on sophomores this year and that can be a good thing, or it can be another challenging year. But really what is speaks to is the talent that's not entering the program because of the efforts from SJP, Roman, Haverford, MP's, TEP, etc.

While LaSalle has no presence at youth games - especially in the city. They get outworked by every school around. It shouldn't be that way. So, they could definitely be taking on water.
Lasalle s schedule is the second toughest in the state this year IMO. They have added St Frances Prep which should not have been done . They already had a very challenging schedule .They will get crushed.
 
Lasalle s schedule is the second toughest in the state this year IMO. They have added St Frances Prep which should not have been done . They already had a very challenging schedule .They will get crushed.
Saint Francis Academy not Prep
 
lil..
“Wizard of Wyndmoor” would know, he’s the most connected person with the school & football doings.
I’m sure he’ll reply to this if he notices the thread.
Alan White
I love the Wizard!! He's the "Go To Guy" for La Salle questions. Stalker for everyone else!!
 
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Lasalle s schedule is the second toughest in the state this year IMO. They have added St Frances Prep which should not have been done . They already had a very challenging schedule .They will get crushed.
Did some digging. The JV is playing St Francis.
 
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