Archbishop Carroll

By ANDREW PARENT

Special to the Times

RADNOR — In the world according to Max Frederick, the art of kicking a football is easy.

Amid his transfer to Archbishop Carroll from Pope John Paul II prior to his sophomore year, the soccer-toned Frederick was ready to accompany his jump to a new school with adding a fresh sport to his pedigree, preferably one involving his powerful leg.

He chose football.

“I stopped playing soccer and figured kicking a football would be easy,” Frederick said. “I switched schools and figured, ‘That would be a new sport, why not try it?’

“I was self-taught. I did most of the kicking stuff on my own. The coaches helped me out a bit. Punting was a lot different than kicking a soccer ball, though. I went on my own a little bit. We did a decent amount of kicking here. We do a lot of special teams (drills) and that’s how I get a lot of my practice in.”

Frederick’s knack of booting footballs through the uprights earned him two Coaches All-Catholic League Class AA second-team honors. Sporting a lanky 6-2, 170-pound frame, the senior will bring a fresh dimension to his arsenal when he lines up at wide receiver for the Patriots.

“The height is helpful,” Frederick said. “I haven’t played anything but kicker my last few years here, and this is my first time playing receiver.”

Moving Frederick to wideout could help a Patriots offense in need of an extra playmaker, as the team lost top running back Shawn Springs, who transferred to Timber Creek (N.J.). Patriots coach Joe Powel said senior Tommy Scott and sophomore Dan Finley are the frontrunners for the starting job and could split time.

Frederick, meanwhile, has taken snaps at receiver during practice in years past and will join a Patriots receiving corps that includes two-year starter Christian Ritter and 5-11 sophomore speedster Kadir Roberts, along with his kicking and punting duties.

The other kicker, though, will be the depth of Carroll’s roster, as has been the case in recent seasons.

While the Patriots’ numbers have increased considerably — entering the fall fielding 43 players as opposed to last season’s 28 — the Patriots will be forced to play several guys on both sides of the ball. Sophomore fullback/linebacker Rich Milito, junior lineman Matt Della Donna, starting quarterback Sean McMorran (linebacker) and Ritter will be among the two-way contributors this fall, a sobering fact for fourth-year coach Powel.

All four players, particularly an experienced signal caller in McMorran, rank among the Patriots’ biggest make-or-break factors if they are to join Catholic League contention.

“It’s always a major concern when you don’t have the numbers and the depth you would like,” Powel said. “You have to develop a third person somewhere, and hopefully it’s a younger person. … In our first couple weeks, it’s going to be very scary. They’re going to need to get into game condition and they’re going to need breaks.”

Gifted with the addition of 25 sophomores, Powel said the Patriots’ staff will integrate the young pieces on Friday nights, particularly early in the schedule.

“I’m trying to limit the number of players we play both ways,” Powel said. “Our numbers are growing, and in past years we played eight or nine players both ways. This year, we want to scale that down to about four guys and let our young people play.

“We’re going to have to put in some individuals who may or may not ready yet to play at the varsity level, but we’re going to try to get away with it and hopefully they can come along.”

As Powel’s squad features as many sophomores as it did players two seasons ago, and with 38 freshmen potentially filing in next year, a once-middling Carroll program appears to be gaining steam, and intent on becoming a legitimate contender.

“Our new president (Francis E. Fox) has done a tremendous job getting kids to see the facility and Archbishop Carroll, and there’s been a lot of interest in where we’re going in the future,” Powel said.

This season, though, will likely ride on the arm of McMorran and the sting of a defense mixed in experience but offering potential to be bruising with the likes of Harry Rolhfing and Della Donna.

“We’re a young team,” McMorran said, “but I feel like everyone’s getting better every day. I definitely feel a lot more conditioned than I did from the start of camp to now. I feel like everyone’s getting better every day, so hopefully for the (Conwell-Egan) game, we’ll be ready to go.”