Top 10 High School Football Rankings

Southeastern Pennsylvania Football

Featuring District 1, 12 and the Inter Ac

December 15, 2009

 

THE PLAYOFFS: Hershey Park Stadium this weekend.

4A East: LaSalle (13-1) vs. State College (12-2), Saturday, 12/19 at 7:00 PM.
3A East: Selinsgrove (15-0) vs. Manheim Central (15-0), Friday, 12/18 at 7:00 PM.
2A East: Lancaster Catholic (14-1) vs. Greensburg CC (13-2), Saturday, 12/19 at 1:00 PM.
1A East: Bishop McCort (14-0) vs. Clarion (14-1), Friday, 12/18, at 1:00 PM.

You know in some ways last week’s AAAA results were a win-win situation for many of us. For those here in the southeastern part of the state, the outcome of the Ridley-LaSalle game would at least send a representative from the area, softening the blow somewhat to the loser. Nah, not really but at least we got one of “our” teams to Chocolate Town. It was the same out west but doubly satisfying for central PA where Mid Penn Conference-Commonwealth Division teams State College and Cumberland Valley faced off in the semifinal. Since District-Three was moved to the West, the MPC had teams that were in the thick of it every year except the inaugural year in 2004 where Pittsburgh Central Catholic trounced Bishop McDevitt, 44-0, before beating Neshaminy in the final, 49-14. Other semi-final games saw McKeesport edge McDevitt, 14-13, in 2005 with Upper Saint Clair beating State College the following year, 28-20. In 2007, Pittsburgh Central Catholic barely got past Harrisburg, 14-6, while in 2008, Lancaster-Lebanon League’s Wilson High lost in triple overtime to Bethel Park in the semifinal, 38-35. That’s how close the district has been in advancing to the final the last few years. They are still not there but have a member of the Mid Penn in the final making everyone proud back in Central PA.

Triple A action saw Selinsgrove have a relatively easy time with Archbishop Wood, shutting them out, 28-0. Same with the monster team from Manheim Central who waffled West Allegheny, 45-27. The Barons ran and passed for 490 total yards of offense and never punted with 312 of those yards coming on the ground. Quarterback Justin Gorman rushed for 147 yards and passed for another 182. Running back Joe Gruber rushed for 154 yards and scored three touchdowns. Look out Seals!

In double A games, West Catholic went down in a heartbreaker to Lancaster Catholic, 23-21 (see below), and Greensburg Central Catholic beat the defending AA champ Greyhounds from Wilmington, 14-10. GCC stuffed Wilmington’s two +1,000 yard rushers, Derrick Burns (1,110) and Sutton Whiting (1,251) holding them to 18 and 37 yards respectively and the Hounds to a total of 118 yards rushing.

Class A action went about as expected with Bishop McCort crushing Tri Valley, 42-27, in the East and Clairton beating the Steelers from Farrell, 13-7, out west. The Bears are playing brutal defense at just the right time, allowing only two touchdowns in six post-season games. They are making their second finals appearance in a row after getting walloped by Steelton Highspire in last year’s final, 35-16. The Crimson Crushers are a load, having won four straight district titles. They have size everywhere. Sophomore OL/DL Zachary Rugg (64 tackles) goes 6-4, 270 while brother Shane, a senior, is 6-3, 270 with 74 tackles. MLB Chaz Merriman (6-1, 215) leads the team in tackles. Other line backers are Luke James (5-10, 180) with 118 tackles; Nathan Moor (5-9, 185) with 116 tackles and Stephen Belskey who comes in at 6-1, 203 pounds with 109 tackles. Running back Josh Seidel has 1,913 yards rushing and 35 touchdowns. These Crushers have lived up to their name crushing all comers by an average score of 42-15. So have the Bears by a score of 41-4, so get ready for what promises to be a great encounter.

SE PA Top Ten

1. LaSalle (13-1) After beginning the season as the second ranked team in southeastern Pennsylvania, then drifting south with the loss to St. Joseph’s, LaSalle finds itself at the top of the rankings following a convincing defeat of previously top ranked Ridley, 35-7. Ridley did as much to beat themselves as LaSalle did with an eye popping five fumbles that were all recovered by the Explorers. But make no mistake about this one, LaSalle beat them. By the third-quarter, the Explorer’s were winning the war in the trenches. And despite Ridley getting the ball first in the second-half after tying the game at 7-7 with eight seconds remaining in the first half, LaSalle’s D stepped up, forcing a three and out to set the tone for the second-half. LaSalle’s lines came to dominate in the second half although the Raider D put up a tremendous battle with no support from the offense. Here again, cudos to LaSalle’s defense holding them to one touchdown. Field position was critical with LaSalle having it for most of the game. Fumbles, penalties and an offense that never found rhythm gave LaSalle short fields most of the game. Still, it was anyone’s game well into the third-quarter when LaSalle went on a telling nine-play, 43 yard drive, (making it look easy) and grabbing a 14-7 lead when Drew Loughery lunged straight ahead on a one-yard sneak for the score with five minutes left in the period. From thereon it completely unraveled for the tiring and frustrated Raiders as LaSalle rolled on for three fourth-quarter scores to wrap it up. What a great win for LaSalle! Running back Jamal Abdur-Rahman quietly rushed for 118 yards on 21 carries and caught three passes for 20-yards. He had two rushing touchdowns. Quarterback Drew Loughery had another solid performance completing 10 of 14 passes for 104-yards. The game was held at a packed Charles Martin Stadium at Northeast High in Philly on a crisp day with little wind and mild temps in the low 40's. Their next game is at Hershey Park Stadium Saturday night at 7:00 PM against State College (12-2) where they will get a severe challenge to maintain their top ranking.

2. Ridley (13-2) Ridley’s season ended in disappointment with the loss to LaSalle but still must be regarded as an unusually successful season. Following heavy graduation losses and the retirement of Coach John Waller, who in their right mind would have picked Ridley back in August to win the district title by beating North Penn and advance to the state semifinal? Of course the Ridley Nation expects that every year but to the rest of us, wow, what a year. The Ridley faithful know it was a special year as well. They’ve hit the double digit win level four straight years and won thirteen games three of the last four years. Also, they’ve advanced to the D1-AAAA final three of the last four years, winning the championship in 2007 and this year. Their won-loss over that period is 49-7. With most of their skill returning next year, look for them to again challenge for the district championship and more.

3. North Penn (13-1)

4. St. Joseph's Prep (9-3)

5. Avon Grove (11-2)

6. Downingtown East (10-3)

7. Neshaminy (9-3)

8. Downingtown West (10-2)

9. Archbishop Wood (AAA, 11-3) Archbishop Wood fought the good fight but just like Ridley against LaSalle, they were their own worst enemy in committing too many turnovers to win against a playoff veteran team like Selinsgrove (15-0). Quarterback Jerry Rahill threw four interceptions and was sacked four times by the unrelenting Seal defense that on occasion bent but never broke. Three trips into the Seal’s red zone were turned away in the fourth-quarter alone. The Vikings also fumbled four times. By half-time, the score was 14-0 Selinsgrove after quarterback Cory Briggs connected with Ryan Keiser from ten yards out in the first-quarter and on a 56-yard touchdown in the second-quarter. An interception returned for a touchdown early in the third-quarter followed by a recovered fumble leading to the final score in the Seals’ next possession sealed their fate and it was over, with Wood going home after being shutout 28-0 and Selinsgrove advancing to the final against Manheim Central. This one brought together two of the best new coaches in Dave Hess from Selinsgrove at 28-2 in two years and Steve Devlin at Archbishop Wood who is 32-9 his three seasons. Considering last year’s graduation losses and this year’s achievements compared to the last seven years says Wood has entered a new threshold of teams that can re-load on an annual basis. That puts them among an elite group of teams that are always in the hunt.

10. West Catholic (AA, 12-3) A year ago, West Catholic was celebrating a 37-14 thumping of Lancaster Catholic in the state semifinal with their record setting offense. Ever since then, both anticipated and hoped for a rematch, but for different reasons. Lancaster Catholic wanted the rematch for obvious reasons. Revenge, plus they were returning good numbers from last year’s team led by a record setting quarterback in Kyle Smith. Everyone knew they were going to be strong. West Catholic wanted it for a chance to get back to the state final where after beating the Crusaders last year, they dropped a heart breaking 35-34 double overtime loss to Wilmington in the final, denying them the opportunity to be the first PIAA state champion from the Philadelphia Catholic League. So here they were in West Catholic versus Lancaster Catholic, Part II. Lancaster Catholic’s defense stepped up big time early in the game, holding the Burrs to numerous three-and-outs. The offense contributed with two long drives, marooning West Catholic’s explosive offense on the sidelines for long periods of time. In summary, the first half saw West Catholic trying to find rhythm and get something going and Lancaster Catholic dominating possession time. They finally found rhythm near the mid-point of the second period when Jim Lynch blocked a 40-yard field goal attempt with just under seven minutes left in the half. West’s biggest play of the half, a 40-yard bomb from Jarred Evans to Quran Kent, was followed by Lynch’s catch of a ten-yard touchdown pass from Evans, cutting LC’s lead to 10-7. They got their first lead late in the third-quarter following a 17-play, 72 yard drive when quarterback Jarred Evans ran in from five yards out. It was a great drive, featuring two fourth-down conversions and Evans scoring on a third-and-goal. The Burrs’ were back, but Lancaster Catholic's quick striking offense countered immediately with another time consuming drive of 64 yards where Jordan Stewart’s two-yard TD regained the lead at 17-14 at the end of the quarter. West Catholic got the lead right back when Brandon Holloman ripped off a 50-yard run down the right sideline for the score. With seven and a half minutes left to play, the Burrs were on top, 21-17. The lead might have been safe against many other teams but this was Lancaster Catholic who despite the accolades and achievements of their record setting quarterback, is a balanced football team. They had 2,661 yards rushing and 2,691 passing coming into this game. Catholic’s final scoring drive of the game started on their 28-yard line and ended 12 plays later with Kevin Cotchen pulling in the nine-yard game winner from Kyle Smith with a minute left in play! Once again, a clock eating drive sustained them, aided in part by two third-down penalties called on the Burrs. Catholic moves on to the final against Greensburg Central Catholic (13-2) who defeated defending state champ Wilmington, 14-10. West moves on to a 2010 season that promises to be a fine campaign with most of their skill returning. Let’s see if they can replace the strong quarter backing they lost the last two year’s with the graduation of Curtis Drakes to Penn State and this year’s talented signal caller, Jarred Evans. Evans completed 107 of 180 passes for 1,889 yards and 16 touchdowns.

T I E

Penncrest (8-4)

Honorable Mention (Grouped by conference or classification, otherwise random)

Interboro (AAA, 12-1)
Pottsgrove (AAA, 14-1)
Garnet Valley (9-2)
Abington (7-3)
Pennsbury (9-2)
Council Rock South (8-3)
Malvern Prep (7-4)
Cardinal O'Hara (8-3)
George Washington (8-3)
Unionville (8-4)
Rustin (AAA, 11-1)


State Top 10 High School Football Rankings
December 15, 2009

1. LaSalle (13-1) See Southeastern PA rankings.

2.State College (12-2) Cumberland Valley came into the semi-final game against State College at Mansion Park Stadium looking to exact their pound of flesh after losing to the Lions back in the second game of the season at State College, 21-17. But it didn’t work out that way. Turns out that as much as CV has improved with wins against Central Dauphin, Wilson and Bishop McDevitt, State has improved even more as they rolled all over the Eagles for an unexpectedly easy 35-13 win. It didn’t take the Lions long to get started with Shane Dorner returning the opening kickoff 88-yards for a 6-0 lead after a missed extra point. Still, it was one heck of a start. Showing some class and a little bit of dash, Cumberland Valley came right back on their next possession with an eight-play, 72 yard drive capped off by Travis Friend’s three-yard run to put the Eagles in front, 7-6. On the very next series it appeared CV was going to pin State High deep, facing a third and 12 from their own five-yard line. But as big and physical a team as the Lions are, they also have one of the fastest players in the state in Alex Kenney, who is always a heartbeat away from pay dirt. Quarterback Dom Mills, who should get more credit than he does for having a decent arm, spotted Kenney streaking down the field and nailed him for what turned out to be a 95-yard touchdown. Dom is their monster safety (6-2, 240) who steps in under center when needed. If that wasn’t a back breaker it was certainly demoralizing letting Kenney get loose on a third and 12. State was fired up and held CV on the next possession then went on a grinding ten-play, 80 yard drive with fullback Colby Way banging in from two yards out. The two-point conversion was good and just like that it was 20-7 with 1:25 left in the half. The second-half opened with State again stopping the Eagles who were running out of options. State succeeded in bottled up the running game which in turn devastated their play action emphasis. The Eagles were going nowhere fast against the Lion D that held them to a season low 110 yards rushing and 283 total yards of offense. The crippling score came on a fake 27-yard field goal when “injured” quarterback Matt Mazzara found Colby Way alone in the end zone for a ten-yard touchdown. The two-point conversion made it 28-7 with 4:20 left in the third-quarter. Guess the shoulder wasn’t that sore. Also back from injury is Bryan Schmidt who had a 73-yard touchdown run at the end of the third-quarter to end the scoring for the Lions. CV tacked on a score in the fourth-quarter, making the final 35-13. Nice run by CV but maybe it was asking too much for them to beat CD, Wilson, McDevitt and State High on consecutive weekends. That’s a brutal gauntlet to run. On the other hand, State has turned into a mean machine, holding McDowell, Woodland Hills and CV to a combined 23 points in the post season. Starting quarterback Matt Mazzara will likely be ready to start this week and if not they have steady Dom Mills (58% passer) ready. Matt is a powerful runner, rushing for 785 yards this year in limited action. When healthy, he can motor. In the first game against CV, he and Kenney rushed for 296 yards, 199 belonging to Mazarra. But the center piece of the offense is Alex Kenney (6-0, 190, PSU recruit) with 1,150 yards rushing and 427 yards passing. He had 190 of State’s 410 yards against Cumberland Valley, 137 in receptions. SB Bryan Schmidt’s return (5-11, 185, 41/218ry, 11/132py), makes them even stronger. Junior running back Jamal Albro (5-10, 205, 70/350ry) is another versatile player getting little attention with a headliner like Kenney. Way (6-3, 235) doubles at TE and FB and is a mainstay on the D-line. The offensive line features Jack Deboef (6-8, 270), Mike Laskowski (6-3, 270), Vinh Vuong (6-2, 282), Aaron Salade (6-3, 235), Ryan Harpster (6-0, 265) and tight end Way. They have under rated linebackers in Micah Porter (6-2, 205), Matt Baney (6-1, 215), Shane Dorner (6-2, 195) and Brad Holzwarth (5-11, 215). Mills nails anything in sight at safety. It’s a big ground pounding attack averaging 338 yards a game, 262 on the ground. Offensively they average 32 points per game while allowing 15. Their head coach is Al Wolski who is in his sixth year with a 58-19 won-loss through last week’s game. Before coming to State College he went 65-28 in nine seasons at Reading High, winning three Lancaster Lebanon League championships. That’s quite a feat. Back to the present; this is an interesting team that can beat you a number of ways. They run multiple sets using versatile players mentioned above who will challenge you vertically and horizontally. This is quite a team that can hit you real hard, real quick.

3. Ridley (13-2) See Southeastern PA rankings.

4. Cumberland Valley (12-3) Cumberland Valley closed out its season with a disappointing 35-13 loss to fellow conference member State College. Won’t that be a good one to see next year! They still have much to be proud of, winning their ninth District-Three AAAA title, more than any Class AAAA team in the district. It’s been a while but they won gold back in 1992 beating Upper Saint Clair, 28-14. Their semifinal appearance in 1994 resulted in a loss to Downingtown, 28-7. In 2001, they lost to eventual state champion Neshaminy in the semi-final, 25-16. It’s quite a program where head coach Tim Rimpfel is 276-91-3 in his 21st year at the helm. CV is always strong but may be even more next year with the return of junior quarterback Eric Sawyer who threw for 1,730 yards in his first year as a starter. Top rusher Kevin Snyder (6-2, 210) is back after rushing for 1,292 yards and catching 26 passes for 610 yards. Same with split end Colton Kirkpatrick (6-1, 195) who caught 12 passes for 174 yards. Both are jarring tacklers at linebacker with Kevin getting 108 tackles this year and Colton leading the pack with 144. Losing their bruising fullback, Travis Friend (6-2, 240, 165/895ry) is a loss but his younger brother, Kyle, is back (6-0, 243, soph). He’s already growing into a lineman when he got good time on the D side. Junior Barry Lyons (6-3, 225) is back with a host of others making the Eagles look good on paper for next year.

5. Bishop McDevitt (12-1).

6. North Penn (13-2) See Southeastern PA rankings.

7. Woodland Hills (12-2).

8. Gateway (12-1).

9. Easton (13-2).

10. Bethel Park (10-2).

Honorable Mention

North Allegheny (9-2)
Wilson (11-2)
Manheim Central (AAA, 15-0)
Selinsgrove (AAA, 15-0)
Downingtown East (10-2)
Downingtown West (10-2)
Avon Grove (11-2)
Archbishop Wood (11-3)
St. Joseph's Prep (9-3)
Neshaminy (9-3)