2013 in review

By MATTHEW De GEORGE

mdegeorge@delcotimes.com,@sportsdoctormd

Central League

It’s easy to get lost in the numbers of Garnet Valley’s Central League championship. But for however many rushers on the team who were among the county’s best or the gaudy stats of quarterback Christian Portale, the success started with the guys on a line that produced four All-Delcos. The primary metric, though, is winning, and for the first 11 games, the Jags did just that. It got them to the quarterfinals of the District One Class AAAA tournament, where injuries caught up to them in a 26-21 setback to Abington.

On offense, the push from the line led to yards for Portale (706, 11 TDs) and a triumvirate of backs in Jake Irving (817 yards, eight TDs), Vince Razzano (732 yards, 18 TDs) and Michael Bruette (651 yards, three TDs). Portale was also the county’s best-rated passer last year, finishing eighth in yards with 1,087 but throwing 15 touchdowns to just two picks for a 167.58 rating and second-team All-Delco honors.

By just about any standards, Upper Darby’s 2013 season was a success, featuring a first playoff berth since 2006, a first win over Ridley since 2002 and one of the most electric offenses in Delaware County.

Though the Royals couldn’t keep pace with Pennsbury in a 55-20 loss in the Class AAAA playoff game, then succumbed to Haverford, 31-13, on Thanksgiving, the 2013 group that enjoyed a seven-game winning streak left a legacy. The team produced four All-Delcos, including quarterback Chris Rossiter (1,400 passing yards, 19 TDs against five interceptions; 787 yards and six TDs on the ground), receiver De’Andre Pendergrass (26 catches, 682 yards, county-leading 12 TDs) and defensive backs Cyrus Barlee (also the county’s fifth-leading rusher with 1,016 yards to go with 14 scores) and Kevin White.

Fortune wasn’t always on the side of Haverford, which finished 18th in the AAAA power rankings, narrowly missing a playoff berth.

The Fords, thanks to All-Delco Jai Thornton’s offense and defense, responded from a loss to Garnet Valley in Week 9 to spoil Ridley’s bid at a playoff berth in the regular-season finale and finished the season on a three-game winning streak with that Thanksgiving Day win over Upper Darby.

Thornton, the team’s leading rusher with 760 yards, was the team’s beating heart, aiding an offense under the direction of a sophomore quarterback (Jack Donaghy) and one that suffered a midseason injury to its star running back (Kevin Leyden). Thornton also led the county with six interceptions.

Penncrest was left to wonder what could have been after finishing 19th in District One Class AAA, three spots outside playoff position.

The season had the makings of a special one for the Lions, who started 5-0 for the first time since 1964. But they dropped decisions to Ridley (20-15) and Upper Darby (35-14 in a win-and-you’re-in game) in the final two weeks to miss out on the postseason.

The offense was one of the more explosive in the county, led by the deadly passing combination of Danny Fisher (1,197 yards, 14 touchdowns, seven interceptions) and LaVaughn Frame (30 catches, 625 yards, seven TDs).

The standard for the Ridley football program is one that expects, not hopes for, playoff berths and championships … and one where six wins doesn’t cut it after averaging 10 wins the previous three years.

Every chance the Green Raiders had to get some momentum going went by the wayside, including a 28-19 loss to Haverford in the regular-season finale in which Ridley, with a chance to solidify a playoff berth, coughed up a 13-0 lead at home. The capper was a holiday goose egg in a 12-0 loss to rival Interboro on Thanksgiving.

Everything about Springfield’s 2013 season indicated the mediocre record it posted. Powered by a solid defense and a strong running game, the Cougars took care of business against inferior opponents but rarely challenged in meetings with those ahead of them in the standings.

When push came to shove, the Cougars couldn’t get the offense going against the big teams in the league, scoring a total of 33 points in their four Central losses. That was despite the danger posed by Colin Bracconier and his 888 rushing yards, sixth-most in Delco, and All-Delco linebacker Adam Krauter leading the defense.

Marple Newtown may have hit its peak in Week 2 in a gutsy, double-overtime win over Strath Haven. Short of that, though, the Tigers beat the teams that the standings indicated that they should’ve, but couldn’t punch above their weight. The brightest spot on a quiet offense was Adrian Sapnas, who ran for 769 yards and seven touchdowns.

Even before the season started, Strath Haven’s 2013 campaign seemed doomed when quarterback Kevin Mohollen, set for his third season under center, was ruled out for the season after injuring his shoulder. While his replacement, Bryan Mizell, performed ably, the offense sputtered for large stretches. The offense was often missing in action, a problem made worse when injuries eventually caught up to feature back Anthony Myers (711 yards, seven touchdowns). During a five-game losing streak from Week 3 to Week 8, the Panthers scored just 29 points.

A three-win season may not seem like much to most programs. But for a Radnor team that had a solitary win to its name over the previous two seasons combined, a 3-8 campaign constitutes a stride forward. The Raiders finished the season with wins in two of three games, topping Valley Forge Military Academy before downing Lower Merion, 33-14, in the season finale in the renowned rivalry.

Del Val League

The equation is the same every year at Glen Mills: Kevin Owens and his staff are tasked with molding a new crop of players into a winning team. In 2013, Owens and company did just that in a nine-win season, a Del Val championship and a berth in the District One Class AAA final.

Along the way, Glen Mills lived up to its reputation of backing down from no one – its three nonleague losses were to Ridley, Inter-Ac co-champ Malvern Prep and Delaware powerhouse Salesianum.

The headliner for the Battlin’ Bulls may have been All-Delco running back Shaaheen Dow, who was second in Delco with 1,580 rushing yards and third with 16 touchdowns. But the backbone of the team was a defense that featured All-Delcos Tre Easter-Geary and Douglas Coburn and forced 15 turnovers in three playoff games.

The 2013 season will be a tough act to follow for Academy Park, with the school coming off its first District One title in any sport, a resounding 22-14 triumph over Glen Mills in the Class AAA title game that etched a class of Knights into history. The win over Glen Mills exacted revenge for an Oct. 25 loss that cost the Knights a share of the Del Val title.

Leading the way for Academy Park (10-3, 4-1 Del Val) was 2013 Daily Times Player of the Year Jerry Lanier, who rushed for 2,306 yards, 22 TDs and 8.1 yards per carry. Quarterback Brian Ingram (951 yards and 11 TDs passing, 578 yards and 13 TDs rushing) also earned All-Delco honors, as did defenders Jamar Dembry and Marlin Jackson.

The magical run ended at the hands of eventual PIAA champion Archbishop Wood, 42-14, in the state quarterfinals with the Knights missing Ingram due to injury.

Reigning Del Val champ Interboro couldn’t hang onto its crown. The Bucs were clearly a notch below Academy Park (which topped the Bucs, 38-14) and Glen Mills (which controlled a 28-13 decision). Making matters worse was the loss of All-Delco linebacker and running back Sonny Armstrong (606 yards) to a broken arm in Week 9. That loss was evident as a game Interboro effort was shot down by Academy Park, 35-22, in the quarterfinals of the playoffs.

Through all the adversity, though, the Bucs ended the season on a high note, blanking archrival Ridley, 12-0, on Thanksgiving in a game where the Interboro defense allowed 51 yards of total offense.

Behind All-Delco offensive lineman Matt Gould, the Bucs did most of their offensive damage on the ground, with Eric Owens (823 yards, 13 TDs) and Quran Mottenon (622 yards, nine TDs).

Three years removed from a winless season, Chichester’s five-win season continued the program’s recent progress.

Quarterback Duffy Gilhool, starting for a third season, finished with the sixth-highest yardage total in the county at 1,143, almost half of them to Tamien Jackson (23 catches, 565 yards, five touchdowns).

In the league, the Eagles ran into a buzzsaw with Glen Mills and Interboro in the first two weeks but rallied to notch impressive wins over Chester and Penn Wood in consecutive weekends. Chichester ended the slate with a 20-12 win over Sun Valley on Thanksgiving.

Despite enduring its third straight eight-loss season, Chester was rarely a comfortable team to play against in 2013.

The Clippers managed just two victories, but they were both character wins grinded out by a hard-nosed team: a 20-14 win over Furness, and an 8-6 victory over Penn Wood. Even some of the games the Clippers lost – like a 16-8 setback against Penn Charter and a 26-12 battle with Chichester – were hard-fought battles, ones whose results could’ve been different with more offensive execution and fewer turnovers.

Penn Wood was unable to prevent its streak of one-win seasons from reaching three, but it certainly wasn’t because the Patriots weren’t in games.

The problem for Penn Wood (1-9, 0-5 Del Val) was finishing. After an 0-3 start, the Patriots broke through with a 23-7 win over Archbishop Carroll in Week 4 thanks to a strong defensive effort and the running ability of Tayvon Ruley. The next three weeks, they played well enough to add to that victory but just couldn’t seem to seal the deal, losing three games by a total of 27 points, including a 6-0 loss to league champ Glen Mills that they coughed up due to penalties.

Catholic League

The 2013 season ended on a definite down note for four-win Cardinal O’Hara, being eliminated in the Catholic League semis by rival Bonner-Prendergast, 41-38, in a game they led by four touchdowns.

The tide of momentum that Bonner-Prendie stemmed made it all the more devastating: After an 0-3 start, the Lions had managed four wins in six outings.

Ultimately, the finished product was disappointing for a team that included several Division One talents. Quarterback Dashawn Darden was among the county’s top passers with 1,132 yards and 16 scores, while UMass-bound running back JT Blyden rushed for 838 yards. Thad Smith (Boston College) finished with 567 receiving yards, while Steve Weyler (Villanova) earned his second All-Delco nod as a kicker.

Bonner-Prendergast was many things in 2013; boring wasn’t among them.

Faced with a daunting schedule, the Friars struggled out of the gates until they authored two epic chapters in their rivalry with Cardinal O’Hara.

O’Hara got the better of the first installment Oct. 19, recouping a 15-point deficit to score a 36-35 win in overtime. Bonner’s revenge came in the Catholic League Class AAA semifinal, a 41-38 win despite trailing 35-7 at the half. The catalyst in that game was junior quarterback Collin DiGalbo, who accounted for six touchdowns (three rushing, three passing) and 325 passing yards.

DiGalbo finished second in Delco with 1,636 yards and 16 TDs. Receivers Mike Ockimey (27 catches, 487 yards, seven TDs) and Kyle Dawson (24-335-2) excelled, as did All-Delco lineman John Durkin.

It took until Week 9 for Archbishop Carroll to find its 2013 highlight, courtesy of running back Austin Tilghman’s 374-yard performance in a 49-30 win over Bishop McDevitt, the second-highest total in Delco history.

Before that triumph, the Patriots were unable to get much momentum going in a three-win season. Though they got out of the gates quickly by beating neighborhood rival Radnor, they couldn’t parlay that into sustained success or get into the top two spots in the Catholic League’s Class AA to move onto the postseason.

Outside of Tilghman, who finished fourth in the county with 1,109 yards, 10 TDs and 8.4 yards per carry, the only consistent performer seemed to be Shawn Springs, who made 17 catches for 397 yards and five scores, his yards-per-catch average of 23.3 ranking fourth in the county.

Inter-Ac League

Few teams cut a more consistently perplexing figure than Inter-Ac co-champion Haverford School. But for their struggles with inconsistent play at the quarterback spot early in the season and injuries to feature back Phil Poquie (826 yards, eight touchdowns), the Fords got most of the confusion out of their system in the nonleague slate.

It took four weeks for the Fords to get a win, then after two straight, they were throttled by Cardinal O’Hara, 46-7, in the nonleague finale.

Nonetheless, Mike Murphy’s resilient bunch forced six turnovers the following week to beat Malvern Prep in overtime to open the Inter-Ac slate. With the resurgence of quarterback Brendan Burke (1,179 yards, 10 touchdowns) in Inter-Ac play – save for a three-point loss to Springside Chestnut Hill – the Fords managed to earn a title. They punctuated it with a 27-7 thrashing of archrival Episcopal Academy in the season finale.

It seemed like a small obstacle at the time. But when Episcopal Academy’s 15-game winning streak was snapped Oct. 5 by Lawrence School, the home team denying a two-point conversion to earn a 48-47 win, it signaled a shift in the Churchmen’s season.

After flying high and running out to a 5-0 start, the Churchmen wound down the season playing 3-3 ball, including consecutive lopsided losses to Malvern Prep (49-21) and Haverford School (27-7).

The offense was robust, with junior Ryan Whayland leading the county in yardage with 1,958 and tied for second with 16 touchdowns. His primary target, University of Virginia-bound tight end Evan Butts (41 catches, 801 yards, eight TDs) had an all-Delco season, while running backs Anthony Feliziani (807 yards, 12 TDs) and Dee Barlee (711 yards, eight TDs) also starred.

Ches-Mont League

A seven-win season in 2012 that followed a winless 2011 grind could’ve been a jumping-off point for Sun Valley. A 2-0 start to the 2013 season threatened to verify that notion.

But soon after those wins over struggling programs like Lower Merion and Chester, the wheels fell off the Vanguards (2-10, 0-7 Ches-Mont American), who stumbled over the line on a 10-game losing streak.

The first nine losses in that streak featured the Vanguards surrendering at least 34 points per game. The nadir came in Week 9 when Sun Valley surrendered 678 yards of offense, including 566 yards on the ground, in a 56-7 beating at the hands of Oxford. The slate ended with a 20-12 loss to Chichester on Thanksgiving.

Bicentennial League

Delco Christian returned to the playoffs in the program’s fourth season, getting to the District One Class A title game where it was dealt a 19-6 loss at the hands of Bristol.

Nonetheless, an 8-3 season constituted a stellar debut for coach Drew Pearson.

Of the three losses, two came at the hands of Bristol, while the other was a one-point defeat to New Hope-Solebury, 42-41, on a day that they rushed for 520 yards. The Knights also scored a playoff victory, a 42-16 thumping of High School of the Future in the District 1/12 Class A Sub-Regional.

The Knights did all that thanks to one of the county’s most potent ground attacks, led by David Goines (1,350 yards, 9.0 ypc).