Delaware County Christian

By CHRISTOPHER A. VITO

Special to the Times

NEWTOWN SQUARE — The preseason schedule that Alex Linton maintains is almost surgical in its precision. He arrives at the field promptly at 3:30, commits to the team without respite until 7, then retreats to an ice bath that awaits him less than 10 minutes later.

That last part, the ice bath, is Linton’s least-favorite aspect of his daily football itinerary.

“But it’s the most important part,” said Linton, a fullback and middle linebacker.

Delaware County Christian School’s roster will feature close to 30 players, though it’s unlikely to exceed that figure. What that translates to is an emphasis on physical health, bodily maintenance … and a bit of luck.

The Knights, who posted an 8-3 mark in coach Drew Pearson’s first season at the helm, have committed their season to a three-word motto: Raise the banner. Their Bicentennial League varsity program is turning a half-decade old, and they don’t have a championship to show for it. This year, they would like to win a title.

“BAL, district — it doesn’t matter,” two-way lineman TJ Lannetti said. “It’s all about ‘Raise the banner.’ That’s why we’re playing.”

It’s why Linton said he sticks to such a strict schedule. It’s why he directed a group of more than 15 players, more than triple the output achieved by the Knights in the summer prior, through rigorous offseason workouts that began in June. It’s why the Knights, whose victory in a District One Class A semifinal, their first in program history, are hungry for more.

If the Knights are to replicate or exceed their results from a year ago, they will have to stay healthy. But there’s a benefit to having a roster as thin as this team’s.

“If we lose a guy,” said Brookhaven native and lineman Kyle Winters, “as long as the next guy knows what he’s doing, we’re going to be OK. Our backups get first-team reps in practice, so in a way, they’re more ready.”

What the Knights lack in sheer numbers, they make up for in strength, said Winters. Delco Christian returns its starting offensive line from last season’s team, which includes Winters at left tackle, Jacob Gutkowski at left guard, Lannetti at center, Giho Park at right guard and Stephen Mitchell at right tackle. Their familiarity and power up front will be a linchpin for Pearson’s team, which doesn’t have much else to hang its hat on this early in the process. And, in a way, that’s by design.

Only minutes after introducing his newest players to graduated senior and unexpected practice guest David Goines (Delaware County’s third-leading rusher in 2013 with 1,350 yards and 15 touchdowns), Pearson suggested that his team doesn’t need a reprise of Goines’ performance this season.

“Our offense is a no-name offense,” the second-year coach said. “Our hope is that year in, year out, that we can get chunks of yards just by grinding and getting three yards at a time. Our kids believe that. If we get three yards, we’re happy. That’s a testament to our line. We know if we just keep grinding, pounding and eventually something breaks.”

If something breaks, it’ll probably have something to do with Linton. The senior represents DC’s primary ballcarrier for the upcoming season. The West Chester native, who captained those four-times-a-week workouts with the bulk of his teammates, achieved plenty during his summer sessions. He shaved 0.4 seconds off his 40-yard dash and upped his bench-press limit to 305 pounds and his squat mark to 400 pounds.

Quarterback Sterling Williams, who trained alongside Linton over the summer, has “improved his explosiveness, too,” Pearson said.

The Knights are ready.

“We’re just here to play,” said Lannetti, a Garnet Valley native. “We want a banner, and we’ll do whatever it takes.”

They spent a summer proving it.