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• The Bucks County Courier Times

• The Trentonian

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• The Pittsburgh Tribune Review

• The Philadelphia Inquirer

• Woodland Hills Progress Star

• Post Gazette (W.H.)

• The Bucks County Intelligencer

• The Sentinel (Carlisle, PA)

'Skins thrive on hit parade

Neshaminy (12-0) will host Conestoga (11-1) tonight at 7:30 in the third round of the Class AAAA state playoffs.

By JOHN GONZALEZ
Courier Times
 

LANGHORNE - On Thursdays at Neshaminy, the football team holds a little meeting. It's as much an exercise in recognition as it is in extemporaneous speech.

Thursdays, you see, are for stickers. Helmet stickers. The coaching staff gives them out for big plays recorded in the last game, and then the players attach them proudly to their headgear. There is more to it than that, though. It's not simply a nice little ceremony followed by tea and cookies and hugs. Rather, a lot of jabber-jawing goes on. Lots of hooting, from those who earned the stickers and strut happily to, um, those who are perhaps overlooked and a bit disconcerted.

"Oh, those stickers are like gold," said head coach Mark Schmidt smiling slyly. "Those guys go nuts for the stickers. If you miss a guy somewhere, and he doesn't get a sticker, boy, watch out. These guys will let you know."

The Redskins should understand something: the coaches are doing their best and if they miss a guy here or there, well, it's nobody's fault but the players'. That is, at least in the playoffs and particularly on defense, a lot of guys have made big plays - and nearly all of them worthy of a sticker or five, which makes for difficult book keeping.

Neshaminy (12-0), which will host Conestoga (11-1) tonight in the third round of the Class AAAA state playoffs at 7:30, has performed exceptionally in the postseason. Naturally, the offense - led by all-everything Jamar Brittingham, who rushed for 216 yards in a win over Downingtown last week - has contributed mightily, but it is the emergence of the defensive unit that has truly sparked success in the last two games.

There have been hits in these playoffs, frequent and painful. Vicious smacks doled out by Redskins who sauntered off bearing unrepentant grins. Those licks, they are regarded as highly as the aforementioned stickers.

"We call them 'woo' hits," said junior linebacker Geoff Donahue, who totaled 15 tackles last week, a good number of which were of the "woo" variety. "We call them that because when you make the hit, people go 'woo.'"

Aside from drawing reverent responses, those hits serve a strategic purpose. They intimidate. And they force dropped balls. And fumbles. And, sometimes, interceptions.

Last week, against the Whippets in a 37-20 victory, all of the above occurred. The Redskins unleashed countless tackles, parlaying one of them into a timely fumble recovery. Neshaminy, which got a good push from its defensive line, also forced Downingtown's quarterback into several errant throws, two of which resulted in interceptions by defensive back Devon Swope.

The turnover ratio has been a main determinant in the playoffs for the Redskins. They are plus-four and have yet to give the ball away.

"At the beginning of the season, people were ripping [the defense], including the press," said cornerback Keith Ennis, who recovered that fumble last week. "But now, people are noticing what we can do. Coach made it more simple for us. We're just playing right now. From the first to the last play we're hitting."

Tonight, the defense will be charged with more of the same. They will be asked to tackle with malice, to make plays early and often. Still, the breadth of their responsibilities will be greater than in the last two weeks.

Unlike Downingtown (46 runs, 22 passes against Neshaminy) and CB East (34 runs, 18 passes) Conestoga's offense is a bit more balanced. The Pioneers have a solid running back of their own in senior Steve Shea, who had 29 carriers for 168 yards and two touchdowns in last week's double overtime win at Cheltenham. Unlike the Redskins' previous postseason opponents, however, Conestoga balances its ground game with the pass. Quarterback John D'Agostini didn't play especially well last week, but he has performed admirably over the season. As have the wideouts.

Which only means Neshaminy's defense will have to excel. Again. Either that, or face defeat for the first time.

"They have five good wide receivers, and they like to throw the long ball," said Schmidt. "Their back is pretty slick, too. He has a couple of different speeds. They're sound offensively. But, defensively, we're playing really well right now. Over the season, we steadily matured. Hopefully we continue that progression [tonight]."

KICKOFF: 7:30 p.m. at Harry E. Franks Stadium

RADIO: WBCB, 1490-AM

RECORDS: Neshaminy, 12-0; Conestoga (11-1)

WHAT TO WATCH: Redskins senior running back Jamar Brittingham became the first area player to eclipse the career 2,000-yard barrier when he rushed for 216 yards. Defensive back Devon Swope, a junior, picked off two passes in the 37-20 win over Downingtown. The Redskins forced three turnovers against the Whippets while not allowing any. They have yet to turn the ball over in the playoffs. Wideout Keith Ennis caught three balls for 108 yards and a touchdown against Downingtown. Conestoga is coming off a 34-31 double overtime victory last week at Cheltenham. The Pioneers got two field goals from kicker Tyler McCraw - a 23-yarder to tie the game in the first OT, and a 32-yarder to win the game in the second OT. Senior running back Steve Shea carried the ball 29 times for Conestoga for 168 yards and two touchdowns. Junior quarterback John D’Agostini, who has played solidly all year, completed just 8 of 21 passes against Cheltenham for 125 yards. He also had two touchdown passes.

PREDICTION: The roll continues, but not without the prerequisite grief. Neshaminy 31, Conestoga 21

It's still thumbs up for Neshaminy in football playoffs

STATE RANKINGS

Wednesday, November 21, 2001

For a brief, chilling moment, Neshaminy thought that its brilliant 2001 season just might be over.

Less than halfway through the first quarter of Neshaminy's District 1-2-4 semifinal game with Downingtown, the undefeated Redskins (someone still uses that nickname?) seized up when they saw star running back Jamar Brittingham emerge from a pile holding his left thumb.

That was the thumb that the 2,000-yard rusher had broken two years earlier. And if it was broken now ...

Ah, not to worry. The Neshaminy trainers did the ol' tape-it-up-and-go routine, and Brittingham went to the tune of 216 yards to help Neshaminy into this week's sub-regional final against Conestoga (11-1), one of the most surprising teams of the season.

Still, the Brittingham story is representative of the thin line between success and failure in the playoffs. Lose the wrong player for a game, and all of those metal plates lifted back in April might as well have been paper plates.

In this case, the story had a happy ending for Neshaminy, less so for Downingtown, which was beaten 37-20.

Here's a small slice of what happened around the state last week:

Class AAAA: Altoona officially claimed the Mid-Penn Conference West Division championship by defeating State College 20-19. State College just missed (or just made, depending on who has your ear) a two-point conversion with 7:11 to play following its final touchdown.

Altoona heads into the quarterfinals against Erie Cathedral Prep, the defending state champion which is no doubt mindful of the fact that Altoona was a kneel-down away from blowing up Prep's season in last year's quarterfinals. Prep bombed Brashear as expected 41-9, but both teams had the same yardage, 333.

A reprise of quite possibly the best game of the 2001 regular season occurs Saturday when Woodland Hills and Pittsburgh Central catholic meet in the WPIAL championship game at Heinz Field in Pittsburgh.

Woodland Hills defeated Central Catholic 31-28 in three overtimes in midseason, and both teams brushed aside semifinal opponents

Woody High got slightly less than 200 yards rushing, which is nothing new, from star quarterback Steve Breaston to pound McKeesport 40-7.

Central Catholic surround North Allegheny with balanced offense for a surprisingly easy 38-14 triumph over North Allegheny.

Class AAA: What's up with Bradford? The Owls simply mauled District 6 champion Huntingdon, scoring early and often and earning a quarterfinal game against Perry, which cracked Wilmington 35-7.

Wait until the Owls get a load of Cupples Stadium, located in on the south side of Pittsburgh. It's not just because it's a lonnng way from McKean County and its cozy mountains, it's because Cupples (formerly South Stadium) is Perry's home field.

Class AA: Karns City, trailing Sharon by 14 with 4:27 to play, very nearly Chicago Beared-it.

The Gremlins pounded out a quick TD drive to make it 20-13, missed the onside kick recovery and got the ball back with 24 seconds left on its own 40.

The Gremlins hit a 34-yard pass, spiked the ball and had a final shot at the Tigers.

But a sack by Danny Tomko ended Karns City chance to advance.

Wilkes-Barre Meyers, a 66-0 victim to Lakeland in week 8 of the regular followed up its turnaround victory over Lakeland in the 2-AA semis with a 10-3 overtime upset of Valley View in the finals.

A blocked field goal with 13 seconds left enabled Meyers to force overtime.

Beaver Falls star Daine Williams said he felt sick the entire game with North Catholic in the WPIAL semifinals. We should all feel so terrible: Williams rushed for 257 yards and scored four touchdowns in the Falls' 46-30 triumph.

St. Pius X running back Zack Pierce did what he usually does -- gain a lot of yards and score a lot of touchdowns -- to lead the Winged Lions past Wyalusing Valley 34-15.

Pierce's 245 yards and five touchdowns on 39 carries boosted his season totals to 2,366 yards rushing and 39 touchdowns this season.

Class A: Monaca, which usually saves its postseason frustration for the WPIAL title game, was a week early this year, turning over the ball seven times, a sure way to lose a game.

That's exactly what happened in a 27-6 decision to Fort Cherry in the WPIAL semifinals.

Here comes Rochester again. The defending state champion had lost twice this season, but the Rams are playoff mavens, proving it again with a 19-8 triumph over a Farrell team that had been playing strong football late in the year and had beaten Rochester 12-9 during the regular season.

Rod Frisco may be reached at or rfrisco@patriot-news.com. 

Neshaminy's youth movement paying off

Neshaminy football coach Mark Schmidt knew Jamar Brittingham was going to be a good player when he was a freshman. He didn't know Brittingham was going to be this good.

A 6-foot-1, 195-pound senior, Brittingham has emerged as one of the top running backs in the state. He has rushed for 2,058 yards and scored 25 touchdowns in leading the Redskins to a 12-0 record and a spot in the PIAA Class AAAA quarterfinals Friday against Conestoga (11-1).

Brittingham carried 19 times for 215 yards and scored on a 57-yard run as Neshaminy defeated Downingtown 37-20 last week.

"He was a wide receiver for us as a sophomore and we moved him to tailback part way through that year," Schmidt said. "He's been doing it for us ever since.

"I don't think people realize how strong he is. He carried four or five guys about eight yards on a play the other night. He can run people over if he has to."

Brittingham is a Division I college prospect and will wait until after the season to make a decision on a school. Maryland, North Carolina and West Virginia have shown the most interest.

Last year, Neshaminy was racked by injuries and lost four regulars, and Schmidt was forced to play a lot of underclassmen.

"Because of the injuries, a lot of the younger guys got time. Now this season, we had the guys who were hurt coming back along with those other guys and we've got a lot of depth," Schmidt said.

Neshaminy competes in the same league at Central Bucks West, which has played in the PIAA final the past four seasons. Schmidt said a come-from-behind 21-19 victory against Central Bucks West fed his players' confidence.

"We went 75 yards in the final 1:40 to win that one," he said. "CB West has set the bar high around here. We all had to work harder and get better to compete with them."

Brittingham has Whippets' respect

By Rick O'Brien
INQUIRER SUBURBAN STAFF

LANGHORNE - Everyone knows about Jamar Brittingham's catlike quickness and electrifying moves on the football field.

However, before Friday night's PIAA Class AAAA subregional semifinal playoff game against Downingtown, many didn't know about the considerable strength of the Neshaminy High running back.

One play, in the fourth quarter of the Redskins' 37-20 victory, gave the overflow crowd at Harry E. Franks Stadium all it needed to see.

With four defenders clutching at him and one draped squarely on his back, Brittingham churned his legs and carried the helpless group nearly 5 yards before being brought down. The eye-catching 9-yard pickup left Neshaminy 1 yard shy of its fourth touchdown of the night.

"We knew he was a great one," Jack Helm, Downingtown's coach, said of Brittingham. "He does the things that the great ones do. He's very difficult to handle."

Brittingham, who sat out part of the second quarter after injuring his left thumb on defense, carried the ball 19 times for 215 yards and a touchdown as the top-seeded Redskins (12-0) jumped out to a 10-0 lead and eased to their second playoff victory.

Neshaminy, the No. 1 team in The Inquirer's suburban rankings, will host third-seeded Conestoga in the Class AAAA quarterfinals at 7:30 p.m. Friday. The Pioneers (11-1) ousted second-seeded Cheltenham, 34-31, in double overtime on Saturday.

Brittingham, a major Division I recruit, increased his season rushing total to 2,058 yards. The speedy senior notched his 25th touchdown of the year in the closing minutes, darting off right tackle and sprinting 57 yards into the end zone.

"It was something I wanted to accomplish," Brittingham said of surpassing the 2,000-yard mark. "The line and [fullback] Jay Collins helped me do that. They've been blocking well all season."

Against fourth-seeded Downingtown, the 6-foot-1, 190-pounder accounted for 215 of his team's 258 rushing yards.

Collins was the biggest beneficiary of Brittingham's performance. All three of his touchdown runs came from 2 yards and closer.

"People think that Jamar is just a slasher and a dancer," Collins said, "but he'll run over you, too. It usually takes more than one guy to tackle him."

A 69-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Jason Wiater to wideout Keith Ennis gave the Redskins a 10-0 advantage less than six minutes into the game.

A 1-yard scoring plunge by Collins increased the lead to 24-7 with 7 minutes, 24 seconds remaining in the third quarter. The Whippets (9-3) never recovered.

"We're not the type of team that can get behind by two touchdowns or more," Helm said. "We're not a big-play team. We're a team that grinds it out. Once we got behind like that, we were in a lot of trouble."

Downingtown quarterback Matt Helm, the coach's son, completed 13 of 22 passes for 160 yards. The 5-11, 165-pound junior carried the ball 20 times for 94 yards and two touchdowns.

Neshaminy's defense was sparked by junior Geoff Donahue. The defensive end was involved in 15 tackles, including seven solo stops.

"He's a tough kid," Mark Schmidt, Neshaminy's coach, said of Donahue. "He was making plays for us left and right."

Collins, who also plays linebacker, and linebacker Pat Carroll combined for 22 tackles for the winners. Junior safety Devon Swope intercepted two of Helm's passes.

For Downingtown, senior running back Aaron Dykes netted 90 yards on 16 carries. The Ches-Mont League champions, who had a seven-game winning streak snapped, gained 227 of their 387 yards on the ground.

"They're a very good team," Brittingham said of the Whippets. "We just came out and played harder than them. I guess we wanted it more."

High school football

Neshaminy's players are excited after their win over Downingtown.		Neshaminy coach Mark Schmidt talks to his team after the win.
(Photos: Joe Dixon/Courier Times)

PIAA Class AAAA playoffs

Neshaminy 37, Downingtown 20

Neshaminy's Pat Carroll, #6, and others stop Downingtown's Omar Muhammad, #5.

Senior Jamar Brittingham became the first Lower Bucks County running back to rush for over 2,000 yards in a season as he carried the ball 19 times for 216 yards leading Neshaminy to a 37-20 victory over Downingtown in the second round of the PIAA Class AAAA playoffs.

The Redskins scored on their first three possessions, racing to a 17-7 lead.

The score was 24-7 late in the third quarter before both offenses erupted late in the game.

Neshaminy fullback Jay Collins rushed for three touchdowns, all for one-yard. Brittingham capped off the Redskins magical night with a 57 yard touchdown run with just under four minutes to go in regulation.

Neshaminy quarterback Jason Wiater, #8, congratulates Devon Swope, #13, after his first interception.		Neshaminy's Keith Ennis, #1, gets ready to grab the ball intended for Downingtown's Omar Muhammad, #5.

Saturday, November 17, 2001 

Little things doom East

By Mike Sielski
Staff Writer
 

Patriots' miscues lead to 24-14 loss to Neshaminy in playoffs

LANGHORNE —It was only through an obscure tie-breaking method that they found themselves playing football Friday night in the first place, and at times the Central Bucks East Patriots looked as though they weren't quite certain they belonged in the PIAA Class AAAA subregional.

Their defense, their fulcrum throughout the regular season, was tender to the run, an absolute no-no against Neshaminy and its senior tailback Jamar Brittingham. Their offense stalled twice inside the Redskins' 20-yard line. And Neshaminy bettered the Patriots' special teams unit on the game's most important play —a second-quarter fake field goal that led to the game-winning touchdown.

There is no doubting that in its 24-14 loss to top-seeded Neshaminy at Harry E. Franks Stadium, eighth-seeded East lost to a stronger football team. But given that the Redskins (11-0) had to rally to beat the Patriots (7-4), 15-14, in the teams' regular-season meeting on Oct. 6, it also seemed clear that the gap between the two teams had widened in the month since that first game.

"They did the same things," East senior flanker/defensive back Mark Hughes said. "We did a bunch of little things we shouldn't have done."

Those little things ended the Patriots' season, a season that saw them earn a share of the Suburban One League Colonial Division title and claim a playoff berth by playing a game they lost by 33 points. East won a three-way tie-breaker with Central Bucks West and Pennridge for the final postseason spot because its non-league opponent, Reading, had fewer losses than West's and Pennridge's non-league opponents. That Reading beat East, 39-6, was of no consequence.

And Neshaminy showed its first matchup with East —a game the Patriots dominated until the fourth quarter —mattered little on Friday. The Redskins scored on their first four possessions as East was unable to corral Brittingham (27 carries, 127 yards, 1 TD) or stop the accurate passing of senior quarterback Jason Wiater (8-for-12, 103 yards, 1 TD).

"We knew Brittingham was a big cutback runner and obviously had speed," Patriots senior cornerback Matt Pocock said. "The biggest thing was getting him out of his game. That was basically the focus of our defense, and we just weren't able to get him out of his game."

Brittingham gave Neshaminy a 17-7 lead 2 minutes, 29 seconds before halftime one play after Wiater pulled off a fake field goal on fourth-and-7 from the East 23. The holder for freshman kicker Kevin Kelly, Wiater took the snap, rolled to his left and threaded a 21-yard pass to tight end Chuck Koch. Brittingham scored from the 2.

"Our guys on the block stopped rushing," East coach Larry Greene said. "As (Wiater) took the ball and rolled, the guys didn't battle like they normally would. It was a big play. If we had gone in at halftime down 10-7, that's certainly not insurmountable, because I don't think we were playing real well at the time."

East, which had tied the game at 7 on a 1-yard touchdown run by senior fullback Mike Czop, had a chance to pull closer late in the half, driving to the Redskins' 18. But senior quarterback Josh Felicetti's pass to the end zone on the half's final play fell incomplete.

"They played our passing game pretty well," said Felicetti, who was 9-for-18 for only 62 yards and was sacked three times. "They brought people. Last time, they brought people, but they brought people in the right gaps this time."

On the second half's second play, Neshaminy wide receiver Keith Ennis went around left end for a 71-yard touchdown run and a 24-7 Redskins lead. The Patriots couldn't afford to miss a scoring opportunity on their next possession, but they did, driving to the Neshaminy 15 before Felicetti was sacked by Koch on third down and threw incomplete on fourth down.

Junior tailback Brian Hogan (15 carries, 99 yards) cut the deficit to 10 with a 2-yard touchdown run with 10 minutes left in the fourth quarter. Neshaminy, however, handed off to Brittingham six times on its next possession, chewing up more than five minutes, before punting to end any prospects for an improbable East comeback.

"They played a heck of a game," Hughes said. "They just ran Brittingham and ran Brittingham. I wish the best of luck for them."

Sunday, November 11, 2001 

High school football scouting reports

Like Downingtown, Neshaminy's Redskins have plenty of talent at the skill positions.

DOWNINGTOWN vs. NESHAMINY

Kickoff: 7:30 p.m. at Harry E. Franks Stadium, Langhorne

Radio: WBCB, 1490-AM

Records (poll): Downingtown, 9-2; Neshaminy, 11-0 (1st)

What to watch: The Whippets won their sixth Ches-Mont League championship in a row and topped Williamsport in the first round of the playoffs. They reached the regional final a year ago, but were blown out by Central Bucks West. This year, Downingtown lost a close game against state qualifier J.P. McCaskey and was crushed by Malvern Prep. The Whippets have a good offense. Aaron Dykes has rushed for 928 yards and 13 touchdowns. Omar Muhammad has rushed for 400 yards. Matt Helm, son of coach Jack Helm, has thrown for more than 1,000 yards and 11 touchdowns. Wide receiver Shaun Weber has 43 catches for 604 yards and three TDs. The offensive line is big, led by 6-4, 248-pound Division I college recruit Brandon Darlington. Neshaminy beat Central Bucks East in the first round. Like Downingtown, the Redskins have plenty of talent at the skill positions. Jamar Brittingham leads the area with 1,869 yards rushing and 24 touchdowns. Quarterback Jason Wiater has thrown for 1,045 yards and five TDs. Keith Ennis leads the area with 38 catches. Tight end Geoff Donahue has caught six TD passes. Freshman kicker Kevin Kelly has good range. The winner advances to the Eastern Region semifinals.

Prediction: A battle of the running games. Downingtown, 21-17.