How did the high school football season go overall?
“I think it went good for sure, but it would’ve been better if I didn’t get hurt and then go on to win states.”

What are your plans now with sports and workouts?
“I’ve just started going to the gym after the season was over and then I’m going to work on getting faster and just more ways to get better overall.”

How do you feel your team will do next football season?
“We will do good. We lost many of our starters, but we still have skill and linemen to back it up.”

What team do you feel will be the toughest competition on your schedule?
“Usually it’s Clairton and just the game is a rivalry. Clairton will be our toughest competition.”

Who is the toughest individual player your team will face off against?
“I’m not sure yet because all the teams we played had many seniors leave and they were their best players.”

Do you want to play sports in college? If so, which one?
“Yes, I do want to play football in college, but if something switches up, I’ll play basketball or baseball. Right now, it’s football.”

What colleges have been recruiting you?
“No coaches can talk to me yet, but the college coaches that follow me or have sent me questionnaires are Penn State, Pitt, Baylor, Rutgers, Marshall, and UNLV. My 7 on 7 coach helped me with more college coaches like Texas Tech, Arizona State, West Virginia, Michigan and more.”

What school is recruiting you the hardest?
“No one can talk to me yet, but just most of the Penn State staff follows me.”

Have you made any college trips yet?
“I only visited Michigan and Toledo for 7 on 7 tournaments.”

Do you have plans for any trips soon
“I might go to some with my brother for his recruiting, but no plans on it now.”

Did you have a favorite college growing up?
“My favorite college growing up was always Alabama since I was like 5, but for a while now, I’ve been liking Florida the most.”

What are your plans now with sports and workouts?
“Working out 4-5 times a week and playing some 7v7.”

How do you feel your team will do next football season?
“State championship.”

What team do you feel will be the toughest competition on your schedule?
“Probably a team in the state playoffs.”

Who is the toughest individual player your team will face off against?
“Not sure.”

What colleges have offered you at this point?
“Tennessee, Indiana, UMASS, Temple, Ole Miss, Bowling Green, and Kansas.”

What other schools that have not offered are still recruiting you?
N/A

Did you have a favorite college growing up?
N/A

Find out what colleges are recruiting Khalif Kemp, Connor Shamany, Zaid Warren, Giovonni Graham, Raleigh Collins III now!


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Upper Dublin linebacker Khalif Kemp

What colleges have offered you at this point?
“Tennessee, Indiana, UMASS, Temple, Ole Miss, Bowling Green, and Kansas.”

What other schools that have not offered are still recruiting you?
N/A

Did you have a favorite college growing up?
N/A


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Jeannette quarterback Brad Birch

Do you want to play sports in college? If so, which one?
“Yes, I do want to play football in college, but if something switches up, I’ll play basketball or baseball. Right now, it’s football.”

What colleges have been recruiting you?
“No coaches can talk to me yet, but the college coaches that follow me or have sent me questionnaires are Penn State, Pitt, Baylor, Rutgers, Marshall, and UNLV. My 7 on 7 coach helped me with more college coaches like Texas Tech, Arizona State, West Virginia, Michigan and more.”

What school is recruiting you the hardest?
“No one can talk to me yet, but just most of the Penn State staff follows me.”

Have you made any college trips yet?
“I only visited Michigan and Toledo for 7 on 7 tournaments.”

Do you have plans for any trips soon
“I might go to some with my brother for his recruiting, but no plans on it now.”

Did you have a favorite college growing up?
“My favorite college growing up was always Alabama since I was like 5, but for a while now, I’ve been liking Florida the most.”


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Neumann-Goretti linebacker Zaid Warren

Do you want to play sports in college? If so, which one?
“Yes, I do want to play sports in college.”

What colleges have been recruiting you?
“I’m being recruited by UMASS, Kansas University and Temple.”

Have you made any college trips yet?
“I haven’t made any college trips due to covid-19.”

Did you have a favorite college growing up?
“Growing up, one of my favorite colleges was Miami University.”


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Imhotep Charter defensive tackle Giovonni Graham

What colleges have been recruiting you?
“Yes, I am being recruited at this time and have picked up two offers so far from UMASS and Akron. I have been in contact with other schools, especially MAC Division schools. I have also been in contact with UCONN and others.”

Have you made any college trips yet?
“I have not made any college trips yet, but that is something I am looking forward to.”

Do you have plans for any trips soon?
“Yes, I have plans on taking some college trips when the dead period ends as I want to go up to a few schools this year.”

Did you have a favorite college growing up?
“Growing up, I did have a favorite team actually. I like Alabama as it has just been me and my friends watching them at high stage on TV made me take interest in them.”


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Neumann & Goretti defensive back Raleigh Collins III

What colleges have been recruiting you?
“I have been offered by PSU, Oregon, Ole Miss, Cincinnati, Boston College, Howard, WVU, PITT, UCONN, Bowling Green, Temple, UMASS, Army, Upenn and Kansas. I have heard from Northwestern, Liberty, Nebraska, Purdue, Rutgers, Cornell, Yale, and Notre Dame."

Have you made any college trips yet?
“I have visited PSU for an unofficial on September 27. I have also virtually visited PSU, Oregon, Cincinnati and WVU. I plan on having a Pitt virtual visit this week.”

Do you have plans for any trips soon?
“I really would love to visit a lot of schools, but because of COVID, I’m not sure when I will be able to.”

Did you have a favorite college growing up?
“I always loved Oregon as a kid because I was amazed by their uniforms.”


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Big College Games Today-Saturday



Alabama 10-0 vs Florida 8-2 for the SEC

Against same comp, stats are similar (?) vs Mizu, Tex AM, Ga and Ole Miss giving Gators a chance on paper with Bama favored by 7.12, a long way from Vegas’s 17 ½. Big impact is Tide allowed a lot of points, 26ppg vs teams shown above, Florida allows 31. Interesting seeing if Tide is tight and Gators pumped per last week’s LSU loss. Sister went to Florida so Go Gators. Game is in Atlanta at 8.

Notre Dame 10-0 vs Clemson 9-1 for the ACC

Irish won first round at South Bend 47-40 in double overtime with Qb Lawrence on the bench. Guess that’s why Clemson is a 10 pt favorite per Vegas at neutral site (not!) Charlotte. I’ve got it Clemson -2 ½. QB Book can be a load and is way under rated, always in someone’s shadow. Both play their best vs quality, Clemson winning by 22 average pts, Irish by 17. Might be boring for a series or two then they’ll be ripping it with everything riding on this one game.

Cincinnati 8-0 vs Tulsa 6-1 for the AAC, Am Athletic Conf

Great chance for Bearcats to show their stuff against a quality team. With Cincy getting little respect, you know no one wants to hear that Tulsa is a good team so good luck there! Only loss was Ok St where they competed, losing 16-7 in opener whereas Bearcats have dominated all comers. Math says Cats by 19, Vegas says 13 ½. Game is in Cincinnati. They’ll let it all hang out in the last chance to impress for shot at the final 4 or a major bowl.

Iowa State 8-2 vs Oklahoma 7-2 for the Big 12

Like AL-FL, similar stats with OU streaking at 6 games since loss to Cyclones who are on a 5 game winning streak with losses to Louisiana (formerly SW La, Ragin Caguns) and Ok St., OU losing to Kan St (?) and Cyclones. Vegas says OU favored at 5 1/2. I’ve got them up by 9. Game is in Arlington. Outside shot for Cyclones making playoffs with a big win and a few other pieces falling in place.

Boise State 5-1 vs San Jose St 6-0 for the MWC, Mt West Conf

Boise got stomped by BYU 51-17 back when BYU was looking like a playoff team. That is, if anyone can figure out the criteria those people use for their rankings. The Mountain West is a fun free-wheeling bunch that are fun to watch. It’s in Vegas where the smart guys are calling Boise a 6 ½ pt favorite. I’ve got San Jose up by 10 influenced largely by wins over AF, SDSU and Nevada and Boise’s loss to BYU. Should be a wild one a lot closer than 10! Game is in Las Vegas.

Forgot OSU-NW;
OSU played NOBODY unless you count PSU and Rutgers. NW passed tests vs Iowa and Wis but come up short by 4.5 per OSU margins greater. Vegas says -20 ????

Hot off the press and will try to finish , Bama, FL, ND, Clem, etc by tomorrow
Oregon 3-2 vs USC 5-0 for the PAC

Ducks have disappointed all year while SC with a under rated group is a long way from Student Body Left-Student Body Right after taking down crosstown rival UCLA 43-28. Nice Qb! The Boys from Troy take it by 9.94 points, a 10 pt favorite. Yikes.



Buffalo 5-0 vs Ball State 5-1 for the MAC

Bulls are a good team. Now that I’ve hexed them the math says they put a hurtin on Ball State by 22.20 pts. Bulls have thumped everyone this year while Cardinals have won 5 straight. Feels closer than 3 touchdowns but it is in Buffalo.



Marshall 7-1 vs UAB 5-3 for Conference USA title

UAB lost to La Tech and Louisiana competitively while the Thundering Herd thumped LT 35-17, FAU 20-9 and App St 17-7. The game is in Wild, Wonderful West Virginia where the Herd is the word, by 22.20 pts, a 3 Td fav. It really is wild and wonderful in West Va!

Question for the group. Obviously, I’m a football fan and follow local hs football in addition to College/NFL games. I started collecting mini-helmets years ago with a focus on the major D1 programs, then started to get some 1AA schools, like Nova, Richmond, William & Mary, etc. From there, I progressed on to some D3 and more obscure schools from sites that were selling custom helmets. On Ted Silary’s website, I found a guy a few years back who was doing custom local HS helmets, so I scooped up a bunch of the Catholic league schools (I’m a Prep grad), then picked-up some District 1 schools and other stalwarts, like Easton. I live up in the Pennridge school district and would love to add Pennridge, Souderton, and CB South to the collection (I already have CB East and West). The seller advertising on Ted’s website no longer has the Pennridge decals and didn’t offer South or Souderton. Does anyone know of any other place or seller that might make mini-helmets for these schools? Thanks in advance for your help!

Newport….and others; Power Ratings-Point Spreads, SJP vs The Five.

Here are the Power Ratings/Spreads for hypothetical games featuring St. Joseph’s Prep against ’95 Penn Hills, ’98 CB West, ’00 Cathedral Prep, ’04 Pittsburgh Central Catholic and ’12 North Allegheny, with some narrative/research that may be interesting while trying not to stray too much into things covered by RoverNation05. The PRs are based on scores and schedule difficulty.

**** St. Joseph’s Prep 6-0 2020 vs Penn Hills 15-0 1995
Keep in mind that in 1995 (25 years ago!), it was a different game, including rules, field condition, equipment and approach in terms of offense and defense. Today’s hard tackle might get you thrown out of the game while that same tackle back then might elevate you from 2nd string to the first unit. Anyway, while being a long way from an expert on this, comparisons can only go so far since it was a different game. While no team gave SJP a game, Penn Hills was involved in more than a few close calls. What stands out about them is they were pedestrian and one dimensional, rarely throwing and averaging 26ppg. Eight of twelve finalist this year averaged over 40ppg. Five averaged 45 or more! But and it’s a big but, they also had inordinately large lines (see below) that dominated on both sides. Lines this size were more the exception than the rule in ’95. Another team with a monster line was Butler who almost pulled the upset game #1 losing 14-0. They played a wicked WPIAL schedule, one many teams including the Hawks might struggle with. Their ppg average actually increased (26 to 32) once they got out of the Wpial wars (North Hills-Lavar Arrington, Gateway, Woodland Hills, USC, Pitt CC, etc) and into the postseason, finding those teams (first 3 were Wpial) a walk in the park, winning by an average score of 32-9. Hypothetical or not, remember that Penn Hills faced and survived the grind of a full season in terms of injury and depth the Hawk’s didn’t have to face. But we know how the Hawk’s fared health wise in just six games. Bottom line, SJP comes out 546.72 to Penn Hill’s 539.09, a spread of 7.63; -7 ½.

Penn Hills OL, 1995
TE: Ron Graham 6-4 235, jr
OL: Mike White 6-4 300, sr
OL: Demond Gibson 6-4 315, sr
OL: Jared Smith 6-0 245, sr
OL: Ted Fitzpatrick 6-1 250, sr
OL: Kevin McCoy 6-4 245, sr

For size comparison, here’s 92 Alabama and 93 Notre Dame

Notre Dame 1993 O-Line depth chart.
TE
80- Oscar McBride Jr 6'5'' 262 Carrollwood, FL
88- Leon Wallace So 6'3'' 268 Bedford, TX
98- Pete Chryplewicz rs Fr 6'5'' 253 Sterling Heights, MI
LT
75- Aaron Taylor Sr 6'4'' 305 Concord, CA
70- Mike McGlinn Jr 6'6'' 285 Kansas City, MO
LG
67- Mark Zataveski Jr 6'6'' 296 Robinson, PA
59- Lance Johnson Sr 6'2'' 270 Charlotte, NC
C
61- Tim Ruddy Sr 6'3'' 295 Dunmore, PA
78- Jordan Halter rs Sr 6'7'' 289 Troy, MI
RG
72- Ryan Leahy So 6'5'' 263 Yakima, WA
77- Dusty Zeigler So 6'5'' 284 Redan, GA
RT
66- Todd Norman Sr 6'5'' 273 Huntington Beach, CA

Alabama 1992 O-Line
TE
83- Steve Busky Sr 6'6'' 233 Suitland, MD
5- Tony Johnson Fr 6'4'' 240 Como, MS
LT
63- Matt Hammond Jr 6'3'' 266 Fort Payne, AL
74- Kareem McNeal rs Fr 6'5'' 287 Tuskegee, AL
LG
68- George Wilson Sr 6'2'' 263 Bessemer, AL
59- John Clay Jr 6'2'' 265 Nashville, TN
C
61- Tobie Sheils Jr 6'3'' 250 Fairhope, AL
67- Scott Mullenix Jr 6'3'' 270 Jacksonville, FL
RG
69- Jon Stevenson So 6'2'' 273 Memphis, TN
62- William Barger Jr 6'3'' 270 Birmingham, AL
RT
77- Roosevelt Patterson Jr 6'4'' 290 Mobile, AL
60- Joey Harville So 6'5'' 276 Moulton, AL

**** St. Joseph’s Prep 6-0 2020 vs Central Bucks West 15-0 1998
Like Penn Hills above, Central Bucks West was a basher, keeping it on the ground as exclusively as Penn Hills and therefore as one dimensional and predictable. However, this was the era of head coach Mike Pettine and O-Line guru Mike Carey, who by more than a few accounts fashioned one of the best playoff O-Lines ever. They had few challengers. One was undefeated Norristown (3-0) in their first road game (Week-4) where the Eagles put up a good fight, losing 28-13. They had strong teams then, finishing 11-2, both losses to CBW. The team that would pick up the SOL banner with the decline of West was North Penn, who often gave the Bucks fits. It was no different this year with the Knights giving them their stiffest test of the season, losing 13-12 in a Pettine Sr. vs Pettine Jr (NP coach) showdown. Council Rock hadn’t split yet (2002) and was fielding good stuff as well. The ‘98 edition held West to their second lowest output in a competitive 21-17 loss. Thereon they sailed through the remaining six games by an average score of 39-11, capped by a romp in the final, beating New Castle 56-7. Here fullback Dustin Picciotti (6-3, 235, jr) shattered Arlan Harris' Class 4A record of 185 yards rushing for Downingtown with 236 yards. Wow! Harris set the 4A finals record two years earlier against Woodland Hills in a 49-14 rout of the Wolverines. The Bucks also set the total yardage record against New Castle at 535 yards. The bottom line here shows the Hawk’s winning in a squeaker with a PR of 546.72 to the Bucks’ 541.02, or -5. Personally, it’s hard imagining anyone slowing West’s controlled drives and….managing Dustin Picciotti. https://getyarn.io/yarn-clip/3aaaba2e-67b5-47fa-b1f5-99a23499110e

**** St. Joseph’s Prep 6-0 2020 vs Cathedral Prep 14-0 2000
Cathedral Prep had absolutely no competition, rolling to the state final against Central Bucks West scoring 48ppg, allowing 9. There was the Altoona anomaly in the Western Semifinal where the Mountain Lions played stall ball, holding the ball until the last moment while staying largely with the option to shorten the game. It almost worked as the Ramblers escaped with a harrowing 27-20 double overtime win. Bear in mind they blasted Altoona in the regular season 46-10. Two games later and after getting past Mount Lebanon 39-14, they were in the final against Central Bucks West. The Bucks had just defeated one of Bob Stem’s tough Bethlehem Catholic teams 27-12, after Beca disposed of Cumberland Valley 43-28 in a wild one. For my District-3 buds who thought CV would humble the Hawks, the turning point may have occurred on CV’s opening drive to Beca’s 10 yards line where Eddie Scipio delivered a 97 yard Pick-6 gut shot. For years, the knock on Prep was they played a weak schedule. Unknown to many, they played their share of quality teams during the Michael “Mina” George years, going 131-44-4 from 1980 through 1995. Few knew this until Mike Mischler became head coach in 1998, turning the program into a steady winner that won state titles. You Have To Get The Gold To Get Noticed In This State! He led them to the West Final in his first year against New Castle with a young team after beating Schenley 36-0 in the first round then upsetting State College in the quarterfinals, 20-14 in double overtime. New Castle beat them 27-25, after Prep missed an extra point and a two point conversion while taking and a losing a 12-0 first quarter lead to finish 9-4. The very next year saw them in the 4A final against Central Bucks West, losing 14-13. It all came together the following year beating the Bucks 41-35 in overtime. Not bad, winning a gold medal in your third year! Mischler had two stints at ECP; from 1998 through 2004 going 61-25 and again from 2009 to the present going 141-24, with 4 more gold medals and 2 silver-runner up medals. In 2000 their PR is 543.11, making the Hawks at 546.72 a 3.61 favorite, -3 ½.

**** St. Joseph’s Prep 6-0 2020 vs Pittsburgh Central Catholic 16-0 2004
This game and maybe the one below matches the best two of that era against what many are calling the best of this era. Who knows. Do know Central was severely tested (was SJP?), beating quality teams from Gateway (11-2) 28-20, Penn Hills (10-2) 39-24, Upper St. Clair (11-1) 20-12, Gateway again in the Wpial final 28-0, McDowell (10-2) 44-3, Bishop McDevitt (10-3) 44-0 and Neshaminy (13-2) 49-14 in the state final. That’s an impressive list with a combined record of 76-14. Both of Gateway’s losses were to Central Catholic. Apart from an 8 point loss to Central in the opener, they had an impressive win at Thomas Jefferson (14-2) 34-21. TJ never lost again on the way to their first Class 3A title, handling Manheim Central (13-2) 56-20. Central beating McDowell soundly influenced their PR because of the schedule McDowell played including teams from Ohio and New York. McDowell lost to Kirk Herbstreit’s high school in Centerville, OH (11-1, 368-136 since ‘73) 31-14, who lost bad to Cincinnati public school power Colerain (15-0) 35-0. Defeating St. Francis, NY (8-2) 50-27, who defeated St. Ignatius, OH (10-3) 28-13 also improved the resume. Once again the math says it’s the Hawks at 546.72 to Central’s 544.02, a narrow 2.7 advantage or -3 point favorite. Central will always be a blast from the past after living at 419 Neville Street (Oakland) with my father as a teenager just up the street from Central Catholic High.

**** St. Joseph’s Prep 6-0 2020 vs North Allegheny 16-0 2012
North Allegheny like all the teams above would be an opponent that was battle tested by a variety of quality teams and systems, going through the trials and tribulations that define a full schedule. It would be a real test for St. Joseph’s or any team’s durability and depth to play a similar schedule. North Allegheny and all the teams above survived the gauntlet of a 14 to 16 team schedule. Flashback: In 2005, McKeesport beat Bishop McDevitt 14-13 in the West Final. The Crusaders were playing without one of the best running back in the country in LeSean McCoy who broke an ankle against Harrisburg game 4. Who would argue his loss was not decisive in the outcome. McKeesport went on to overwhelm Liberty 49-10 the following week. This year St. Joe’s lost running back Josh Barlow and later linebacker Jeremiah Trotter in just six games. Point being, you can’t project wear, tear and injuries doing this kind of an assessment. But you can still have fun with it. About North Allegheny, they played a number of quality teams, destroying all but one, defeating Mount Lebanon (8-3) 39-14, a strong Seneca Valley (10-2) twice, 45-3 and 47-17, whose only losses were to NA after destroying all others by an average score of 42-18. Powerful Gateway (9-2) also fell in NA’s only competitive game of the season, losing 14-3. The Gators went on to defeat all their opponents by an average score of 46-11….except Woodland Hills (10-3), who defeated them in the Wpial 2nd round 17-14. The wins stacked up in the Wpial defeating Sen Val twice (above), Woody (10-3) 21-14, McDowell (7-6) 44-3, Wilson (13-2) 45-10 in the semifinal and Coatesville (13-3) in the final 63-28. In all these games they either destroyed teams by significant margins, shut them down defensively or both. Check out McDowell who looks anemic at 7-6 until noting they played arguably a more difficult schedule than any Pennsylvania team that year losing to Ohio powers Mentor (12-2) 34-27, St. Ignatius (11-2) 34-10, St. Edward (11-1) 34-23, Cardinal Mooney (3-6) 27-21 and Erie’s Cathedral Prep (15-0) 41-27. I went to that length talking about NA’s opponents because they directly link to some of the strongest teams in both Ohio and Pennsylvania, making North Allegheny, based on schedule difficulty and scores, one of the state’s strongest teams ever.
This is the only team that had a higher PR than St. Joe’s at 549.57 vs Hawk’s 546.72, making St. Joe’s a 3 point underdog. I’m sure a bunch of people would love to jump on that dog!

How did the high school football season go overall?
“It was decent. We have a lot of work to do to accomplish our goals.”

What are your plans now with sports and workouts?
“Winter strength and conditioning with school for football, accompanied by my soccer season at Penn Fusion ECNL. If other training camps open up, I may attend. I was invited to the 2020 O-D All-American Bowl.”

How do you feel your team will do next football season?
“I expect we will do pretty good as we kept up with the competition this year. There is always is always room for improvement.”

What team do you feel will be the toughest competition on your schedule?
“At this time, our schedule may change but if I look at past years Daniel Boone is always a great game.”

Do you want to play sports in college? If so, which one?
“Yes, soccer or football.”

What colleges have been recruiting you?
“West Chester and LaSalle.”

What school is recruiting you the hardest?
“LaSalle.”

Have you made any college trips yet?
“Yes, for soccer as I am a dual athlete.”

Do you have plans for any trips soon?
“Yes, but nothing concrete.”

Did you have a favorite college growing up?
“Penn State and Pitt.”

How did the high school football season go overall?
“We didn’t have the best record overall, but we had a rough start and we really excelled as the season went on. We had a great second half.”

What are your plans now with sports and workouts?
“I plan on working out six days a week until next season and get in a bunch of football workouts.”

How do you feel your team will do next football season?
“I feel like next season for us will be an amazing season because we will have an amazing senior class with some great leaders.”

What team do you feel will be the toughest competition on your schedule?
“Definitely Bishop McDevitt and Milton Hershey with them both being private schools and having amazing athletes.”

Who is the toughest individual player your team will face off against?
“Definitely Bishop McDevitt’s returning sophomore running back.”

Do you want to play sports in college? If so, which one?
“I definitely want to college and play football.”

What colleges have been recruiting you?
“I currently am not being recruited by any colleges.”

Have you made any college trips yet?
“No, I have not made any college trips yet, but I do plan on it.”

Did you have a favorite college growing up?
“I have always been a huge fan of Penn State and I’ve always wanted to go to a game.”

How did the high school football season go overall?
“The football season went very well considering the circumstances of COVID-19 and the restrictions from that. We didn’t have any games cancelled because of the pandemic thankfully.”

What are your plans now with sports and workouts?
“My plans now are to prepare for basketball in the winter, baseball and track in the spring, and find time between those sports for football workouts.”

How do you feel your team will do next football season?
“I feel like our team has a great chance to be really successful next year since we have a lot of young players with experience that will only get better.”

What team do you feel will be the toughest competition on your schedule?
“I think Southern Columbia will be the toughest team on our schedule for next year if we have a normal season. They have a lot of talented athletes returning and they are always a great program.”

Who is the toughest individual player your team will face off against?
“I think Gavin Garcia from Southern Columbia will be the toughest player we will face against.”.”.”.”

Do you want to play sports in college? If so, which one?
“Yes, I would like to play football in college.”

What colleges have been recruiting you?
“Mainly some D-3 schools and a couple D-2 schools.”

Do you have plans for any trips soon?
“I do not have any trips planned soon.”

Did you have a favorite college growing up?
“Clemson is my favorite college.”

How did the high school football season go overall?
“I feel the season went very well considering the circumstances. It was disappointing that we were only able to play half of our schedule.”

What are your plans now with sports and workouts?
“I plan to play basketball this winter and in the spring. I will also spend a lot of time with my team working on strength and speed.”

How do you feel your team will do next football season?
“I am optimistic about next season and feel we will capitalize on a full offseason we missed last year and improve overall.”

What team do you feel will be the toughest competition on your schedule?
“As we did not play all teams in our sections this year, it is difficult to judge their potential next year. I do feel that North Allegheny and Pittsburgh Central Catholic will still stand out in our competitive section.:

Who is the toughest individual player your team will face off against?
“As I said, we did not have the chance to compete against everyone in our section this year, but among the teams we played I feel RB Ryan Angott from Canon MacMillan stands out.”

Do you want to play sports in college? If so, which one?
“I plan to play football in college.”

What colleges have been recruiting you?
“I was invited to several camps this off-season, most of which were cancelled, but have not actively started pursuing recruitment, although I plan to soon.”

Have you made any college trips yet?
“Most colleges are currently locked down due to COVID, so I have not made any trips yet.”

Do you have plans for any trips soon?
“I plan to start visiting colleges as soon as possible.”

Did you have a favorite college growing up?
“My favorite college when I was young was Alabama, but I always rooted for Pitt as it was what I considered to be my hometown team.”

How did the high school football season go overall?
“Our team performed average this year as we went 4-4 with a tough schedule. We won and lost games we were expected to win and lose. We weren’t the most talented team, but our coaches did their best to work with what was available to them and utilize all potential talent.”

What are your plans now with sports and workouts?
“Right now, I’m admittedly more focused on my offseason workouts than winter sports due to the uncertainty of winter sports. I can plan on working out in a gym, Covid permitting, or at home more so than I can plan on winter school sports.”

How do you feel your team will do next football season?
“I know our coaches are stressing the amount of young talent on our team this previous season that still needs this upcoming offseason to mold and I tend to agree with them. My class and the class below have a lot of kids that got playing time this year that just need another offseason to be great players. One of the biggest things I know I need to do in order to have a great season next year is exhibit better leadership and expect those talents and expect hard work before next season starts.”

What team do you feel will be the toughest competition on your schedule?
“I’m trying not to look that far ahead right now. I want to focus on one day at a time and beating the me of yesterday in my strength, speed, and agility. Alternately, it’s hard not to acknowledge some of the tough teams like Warwick and Governor Mifflin who had phenomenal seasons. In addition there are some other great teams who had great seasons that we could face in the 4A playoffs like Lampeter-Strasburg, but for right now, I’m trying to focus on making large leaps of improvement before thinking about them.”

Who is the toughest individual player your team will face off against?
“For me and my teammates, football has never been coached to us as a game of individuals, but always as a team game. Personally, I don’t get caught up in the talk about so-and-so or this kid has offers from this-or-that school, I see a great individual football player that would not be as good if he didn’t have teammates out there helping him do his job.”

What colleges have offered you at this point?
“UCONN was my first offer back in late July of this year and then UMass, Kent State, Yale, and just recently, UPenn.”

What other schools that have not offered are still recruiting you?
“Harvard, Princeton, Penn State, Rutgers, Duke, Pitt, Liberty, Temple, Miami of Ohio, Army, and a few others have been in contact recently.”

Which school or schools do you feel is recruiting you the hardest
“At this point, I don’t really know. I’m sure when I’m ready to decide it will be clear who wants me the most, but I really only entered the recruiting process last spring so I’m still trying to look at the big picture of the recruiting game in general and figure out who’s interest I have and who’s interest is just a formality.

Do you have a favorite at this point in the process?
“I do have favorites and they would be anybody who has taken chance and offered me without being able to meet me on campus, or through a camp due to the dead period. I was raised to have gratitude and I have gratitude for those 5 schools that have taken that chance on me. Anybody who offers me makes it into my category of favorites. Aside from that, no further favorites until I make a final decision.”

Do you have plans for more trips soon?
“I did have some plans to travel to some campuses back when the dead period was set to end in January, but now that it is pushed back to April 15th, I’m going to have to figure out some new times to travel and adjust some plans. I’m still relying on football camps this upcoming summer to earn a few more offers.”

Did you have a favorite college growing up?
“I did. I grew up a Penn State fan for two reasons, one being the locality of Penn State as a south-central PA-er and two being my dad played at Penn State from 1984-1988 as an OT. Since starting the recruitment process though, I’ve determined that until I decide where I am going, I will have no favorite college teams because until then my recruitment is 100% open.”

Find out what colleges are recruiting Ryan Brubaker, Daniel Sierk, Carson Persing, Jordan Blauch, and Trey Freeman now!


......................................................................................................

Cocalico offensive tackle Ryan Brubaker

What colleges have offered you at this point?
“UCONN was my first offer back in late July of this year and then UMass, Kent State, Yale, and just recently, UPenn.”

What other schools that have not offered are still recruiting you?
“Harvard, Princeton, Penn State, Rutgers, Duke, Pitt, Liberty, Temple, Miami of Ohio, Army, and a few others have been in contact recently.”

Which school or schools do you feel is recruiting you the hardest
“At this point, I don’t really know. I’m sure when I’m ready to decide it will be clear who wants me the most, but I really only entered the recruiting process last spring so I’m still trying to look at the big picture of the recruiting game in general and figure out who’s interest I have and who’s interest is just a formality.

Do you have a favorite at this point in the process?
“I do have favorites and they would be anybody who has taken chance and offered me without being able to meet me on campus, or through a camp due to the dead period. I was raised to have gratitude and I have gratitude for those 5 schools that have taken that chance on me. Anybody who offers me makes it into my category of favorites. Aside from that, no further favorites until I make a final decision.”

Do you have plans for more trips soon?
“I did have some plans to travel to some campuses back when the dead period was set to end in January, but now that it is pushed back to April 15th, I’m going to have to figure out some new times to travel and adjust some plans. I’m still relying on football camps this upcoming summer to earn a few more offers.”

Did you have a favorite college growing up?
“I did. I grew up a Penn State fan for two reasons, one being the locality of Penn State as a south-central PA-er and two being my dad played at Penn State from 1984-1988 as an OT. Since starting the recruitment process though, I’ve determined that until I decide where I am going, I will have no favorite college teams because until then my recruitment is 100% open.”


......................................................................................................

Hempfield Area defensive end Daniel Sierk

Do you want to play sports in college? If so, which one?
“I plan to play football in college.”

What colleges have been recruiting you?
“I was invited to several camps this off-season, most of which were cancelled, but have not actively started pursuing recruitment, although I plan to soon.”

Have you made any college trips yet?
“Most colleges are currently locked down due to COVID, so I have not made any trips yet.”

Do you have plans for any trips soon?
“I plan to start visiting colleges as soon as possible.”

Did you have a favorite college growing up?
“My favorite college when I was young was Alabama, but I always rooted for Pitt as it was what I considered to be my hometown team.”


......................................................................................................

Danville wide receiver Carson Persing

Do you want to play sports in college? If so, which one?
“Yes, I would like to play football in college.”

What colleges have been recruiting you?
“Mainly some D-3 schools and a couple D-2 schools.”

Do you have plans for any trips soon?
“I do not have any trips planned soon.”

Did you have a favorite college growing up?
“Clemson is my favorite college.”


......................................................................................................

Palmyra Area defensive tackle Jordan Blauch

Do you want to play sports in college? If so, which one?
“I definitely want to college and play football.”

What colleges have been recruiting you?
“I currently am not being recruited by any colleges.”

Have you made any college trips yet?
“No, I have not made any college trips yet, but I do plan on it.”

Did you have a favorite college growing up?
“I have always been a huge fan of Penn State and I’ve always wanted to go to a game.”


......................................................................................................

Twin Valley wide receiver Trey Freeman

Do you want to play sports in college? If so, which one?
“Yes, soccer or football.”

What colleges have been recruiting you?
“West Chester and LaSalle.”

What school is recruiting you the hardest?
“LaSalle.”

Have you made any college trips yet?
“Yes, for soccer as I am a dual athlete.”

Do you have plans for any trips soon?
“Yes, but nothing concrete.”

Did you have a favorite college growing up?
“Penn State and Pitt.”


......................................................................................................

Pretty BIG news! Unexpected....?....but still big stuff. Hope the line gives him a little breathing room!


Eagles starting Jalen Hurts over Carson Wentz: Four reasons Philly made the move for Week 14

There are plenty of reasons behind the Eagles' decision to start Hurts
By Jeff Kerr
18 hrs ago

The Philadelphia Eagles made the move no one in the Delaware Valley saw coming at the beginning of 2020: Carson Wentz was benched and Jalen Hurts was named the starting quarterback. Eagles head coach Doug Pederson announced the new starting quarterback Tuesday, giving Hurts the keys to the franchise in his rookie season -- looking to boost one of the NFL's worst offenses and give the Eagles their best shot at actually winning a football game.

"We're not where we want to be as an offense," Pederson told Eagles Insider Dave Spadaro Tuesday. "I looked at the whole thing and decided that for this week to look for that spark again to try to get the team over the hump, to try to get everybody playing better."

There are plenty of factors why the Eagles chose Hurts and benched Wentz, who is owed $132 million over the next four seasons, to start Sunday against the New Orleans Saints -- and may go with the rookie on a permanent basis. Here's why the Eagles made the decision now.

Wentz has been one of the NFL's worst quarterbacks

There's no defending Wentz for how poorly he's played this season. He's been one of the worst quarterbacks in football and his numbers showcase that. Of the 32 qualified quarterbacks in passing statistics, Wentz ranks second-to-last in completion percentage (57.4%), fourth-to-last in interception percentage (3.4%), third-to-last in yards per attempt (6.0), and third-to-last in quarterback rating (72.8). He's been sacked a league-high 50 times this season, or a league-high 10.3% on drop-back attempts.

Wentz is also second in the league in bad throw percentage (percentage of poor throws per pass attempt) at 22.2%, and only 70.4% of his passes are on-target (passes that would have hit the intended receiver), which ranks fifth-worst in the league. Only Drew Lock has been worse than Wentz amongst the qualified quarterbacks this year, which justifies the Eagles' decision to bench him.

No matter the talent -- or lack thereof -- surrounding Wentz, the Eagles quarterback didn't do himself any favors with his numerous giveaways and bad decisions over the first 12 games of 2002. Benching Wentz is the last resort to get through to the franchise quarterback.

Pederson is trying to save his job

The Eagles head coach is fighting to be retained in 2021, just three seasons after leading the franchise to its only Super Bowl championship. The regression of Wentz is only part of Pederson's problems in Philadelphia. He has compiled a record of just 21-22-1 since that Super Bowl championship. Poor decision-making and never-ending coaching changes on the offensive side of the ball have hindered that unit, which is the sixth-worst in the league in points scored and fourth-worst in yards per game. The Eagles have the fourth-worst pass offense in the game but are second in the league in yards per carry -- yet they throw the ball 64.33% of the time, which is the third-highest in the league.

The result is a 3-8-1 record, second-worst record in the NFC, with a franchise quarterback who is fragile physically and seemingly mentally as well. Pederson and the numerous offensive coaches' failures with Wentz have played a major role in why the team is turning to Hurts.

Howie Roseman is trying to justify drafting Hurts

Not even a full calendar year after making Wentz the highest-paid player in NFL history, Roseman, the Eagles' GM, used a valuable second-round pick on a quarterback. It's a pick the Eagles wouldn't part with to move up in the first round to draft a wide receiver. Hurts was selected with the 53rd overall pick as a player the Eagles were to develop behind Wentz, but teams don't just use a high draft pick on a quarterback for that reason.

The Eagles front office saw enough in Hurts to select him on Day 2 of the draft to eventually replace Wentz as the starting quarterback. Philadelphia can actually get out of Wentz's contract in the 2022 offseason, saving $6.7 million in cap space if they are able to find a trade partner for him. Per Over The Cap, the Eagles can actually save $852,928 in cap space if they trade Wentz before the third day of the new league year.



Of course the Eagles were hoping for significantly different circumstances, hoping Wentz would play on par with his 2017-to-2019 form -- so the front office can either keep him around or trade him and receive maximum value in return while having a quarterback (Hurts) on his rookie contract. Instead, they'll accelerate the process of playing Hurts because Wentz is in the midst of the worst season of his career.

If Hurts plays well over these final four games, Roseman can actually make a case to Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie why he should keep his job.

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Way-To-Early favorites in 2021 6A?

By The Associated Press

Dick Allen, a fearsome hitter who was a seven-time All-Star, the 1964 NL Rookie of the Year and the 1972 AL MVP, has died. He was 78.
The Philadelphia Phillies, the team Allen started out with, announced his death on Monday.
Allen’s No. 15 was retired by the Phillies in September, an honor that was considered long overdue by many for one of the franchise’s greatest players who fought against racism during a tumultuous period with the team in the 1960s.
“The Phillies are heartbroken over the passing today of our dear friend and co-worker, Dick Allen,” the team said.

“Dick will be remembered as not just one of the greatest and most popular players in our franchise’s history, but also as a courageous warrior who had to overcome far too many obstacles to reach the level he did. Dick’s iconic status will resonate for generations of baseball fans to come as one of the all-time greats to play America’s pastime,” the Phillies said.
Phillies managing partner John Middleton broke from the team’s longstanding “unwritten” policy of only retiring the number of players who are in the Hall of Fame to honor Allen.
“I thank the city of Philadelphia. Even though it was rough, I’ve made some friends along the way,” Allen said in an emotional ceremony on a warm, sunny afternoon.

Mike Schmidt, a Hall of Fame third baseman who helped lure Allen out of retirement to return to Philadelphia for a second stint with the team in 1975, was among the former players who attended the ceremony. They wore masks and sat several feet apart during the coronavirus pandemic that shortened the major league season to 60 games. The Phillies planned to honor Allen again in 2021 with fans in attendance.

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How did the high school football season go overall?
“I think our season went pretty well with all things considered. We had a lot of guys step up to make everything work on both sides of the ball.”

What are your plans now with sports and workouts?
“I’ll be playing winter, spring and summer lacrosse and plan to continue to lift and study to improve my performance for my last year.”

How do you feel your team will do next football season?
“I think we’ve got a team of hardworking guys. With that being said, I think all of us on the team can agree that we played a lot better than our 3-3 record showed and are going to do everything we can to build off of what we have.”

What team do you feel will be the toughest competition on your schedule?
“We don’t like to take any team that we play lightly. We’re in a really well-balanced league with some talented teams. Like I already said, we’ve got to use this off-season to our advantage to get better and prepare for guys that gave us a hard time.”

Who is the toughest individual player your team will face off against?
“Diohnny Ruiz was one of these guys. He’s super shifty and hard to bring down.”

Do you want to play sports in college? If so, which one?
“Of course I’m looking to continue my athletic career in college and will look into any opportunity I’m given whether it’s lacrosse or football.”

What colleges have been recruiting you?
“In all honesty, I haven’t gotten much attention from colleges, which will be a focus of mine this offseason.”

Have you made any college trips yet?
“My family and I plan to make some visits this winter to some local schools.”

Did you have a favorite college growing up?
“Growing up in Pennsylvania, I have always been a PSU fan.”

How did the high school football season go overall?
“I thought that the season went as well as it could due to Covid-19. Although we were short a couple games, I’m very grateful we were able to be able to play this year.”

What are your plans now with sports and workouts?
“For sports and workouts this year, I plan to compete in throwing for track and field this spring, and of course play football next year. For workouts, I will be training and lifting in the Fox Chapel Area weight room.”

How do you feel your team will do next football season?
“I believe our team will be very successful next season. We have lots of talent coming back next year, and we also have many guys who are ready to step up and take the field next season.”

What team do you feel will be the toughest competition on your schedule?
“Pine Richland.”

Who is the toughest individual player your team will face off against?
“I believe the toughest player our team will face next year is Brandon Lawhorn.”

Do you want to play sports in college? If so, which one?
“My biggest goal is to play sports in college. I would want to play football and compete in track and field.”

What colleges have been recruiting you?
“None.”

Have you made any college trips yet?
“I have not made any trips so far.”

Do you have plans for any trips soon?
“I do not have any plans yet. If the opportunity comes, I would love to.”

Did you have a favorite college growing up?
“Pitt all the way.”

How did the high school football season go overall?
“The high school football season went well. We were able to play some really good competition which was important for us as a young team. We were also able to get in the majority of our games in this season.”

What are your plans now with sports and workouts?
“The plan for me is to start with my wrestling season. Wrestling and football go hand in hand which helps all football players including myself. I will also still be working on getting stronger and more athletic.”

How do you feel your team will do next football season?
“I feel like we will take another great step forward. We are returning a bunch of our talent from last year and I know we will find some younger guys to step into some roles.”

What team do you feel will be the toughest competition on your schedule?
“It’s tough to say now, but I’d have to say McDowell or Cathedral Prep. Both of those programs are state powers year in and year out.”

Who is the toughest individual player your team will face off against?
“This is also tough to predict because so much of next year is based on what players do between December-July. I do know that we will play many good teams with good talent and playmakers.”

Do you want to play sports in college? If so, which one?
“I do want to play sports in college. It has always been a dream of mine to play at the next level. I would love to play either football or baseball, but it would be a dream come true if I had a chance to play both.”

What colleges have been recruiting you?
“My recruiting hasn’t seriously picked up yet, but the schools that I have had the most with have been the Ivy League.”

Have you made any college trips yet?
“I have not had a chance to make any college trips yet due to Covid-19.”

Do you have plans for any trips soon?
“My plan is to visit some schools in the spring and summer due to the dead period extension.”

Did you have a favorite college growing up?
“I’ve always had a special place in my heart for Pitt. My mom went to college there and I think it would be awesome to play for a major program in my backyard.”

How did the high school football season go overall?
“Last year, we had a record of 2-8 and this year we turned it around with a record of 4-3 and a chance to play in the district championship.”

What are your plans now with sports and workouts?
“I’m currently starting basketball for the winter season, but I plan on working out and getting stronger also.”

How do you feel your team will do next football season?
“We have a good nucleus back, but we have to put a lot of work in the offense to be successful.”

What team do you feel will be the toughest competition on your schedule?
“Every game is a dog fight, but Delaware valley and Williamsport will be tough games ahead of us.”

Who is the toughest individual player your team will face off against?
“I’m not sure particularly, but we just have to prepare to be ready for every opponent.”

Do you want to play sports in college? If so, which one?
“I would like to play football at the college level.”

What colleges have been recruiting you?
“None at the moment, but my head coach Dennis Buchman is trying to get my name out to different schools.”

Have you made any college trips yet?
“I haven’t made any college trips yet. I am just trying to stay healthy for the football season.”

Do you have plans for any trips soon?
“I will consider college trips in the spring and summer after basketball season.”

Did you have a favorite college growing up?
“Growing up, Penn State University was my favorite college.”

How did the high school football season go overall?
“Our high school 2020 football season was successful. It went great, our team had more wins this year than they had in prior years. We were a team with mostly seniors which allowed us to spread the ball around more in games than we did in the past.”

What are your plans now with sports and workouts?
“Since the football season is officially over, I plan to work out and train to prepare for the lacrosse season. I enjoy basketball as well, but since lacrosse is my main sport, it is smart to be fully prepared and rested for the spring season. I also play club lacrosse so hoping that goes on this winter.”

How do you feel your team will do next football season?
“Although we are losing 16 seniors, we have some strong juniors replacing their spots. Aiden Defeo, our starting QB, is a junior now and leads our division in passing yards for the 2020 season. Looking into the backfield and seeing Aiden and I is going to be an intimidating look for next year.”

What team do you feel will be the toughest competition on your schedule?
“I haven't seen the 2021 schedule but honestly all the teams on our schedule will be a challenge. We will most likely be the underdog in all the games on our schedule. One of these days we would like to beat Upper Dublin, they are our cross-town rival. They are extremely well coached and disciplined.”

What are your thoughts on the upcoming lacrosse season?
“This should be the best Wissahickon lacrosse team in a long time. I know the coaches are really trying to put together a schedule that will challenge our team. They have reached out to a number of Central League and Chesmont teams that we wouldn't normally be able to compete against, but this year we would like to take advantage of the talent we have and try to see how we match up with them. Upper Dublin should probably be the toughest in league competition. I am really looking forward to the play in the upcoming spring lacrosse season since our season was taken away from us last year.”

Do you want to play sports in college? If so, which one?
“I definitely want to play sports in college. Right now, my best sport is lacrosse. Ever since I was young, I knew I wanted to play college lacrosse. I have always thought playing both lacrosse and football in college would be pretty cool. I don’t know, maybe it could happen.”

What colleges have been recruiting you?
“In lacrosse, they can't talk to prospects until September 1 of my junior year. I am only a sophomore now, so hopefully come next fall I will have a full understanding as to the schools that will have interest in me. For football, it is just too early.”

Have you made any college trips yet?
“No official visits. I have been on campus of many schools that I would have interest for various reasons, so I am familiar with what schools look like.”

Do you have plans for any trips soon?
“No specific plans. Once Covid has settled down, I plan to go watch lacrosse games at colleges such as Penn State and Maryland.”

Did you have a favorite college growing up?
“I have always been a Penn State fan. My dad played lacrosse there and we go up to watch some football games each year. I consider that my dream college.”