Archbishop Carroll

By RICK KAUFFMAN

rkauffman@timesherald.com

RADNOR — Over the years, Archbishop Carroll coach Joe Powel simply wanted to field the best team possible. This meant that many skilled players would play on both sides of the ball.

Best receiver and safety on the team? Play both.

But, now Powel’s mentality has changed. Years of middle-of-the-run efforts in the Philadelphia Catholic League have left him looking for a new approach. And this year, will a larger-than-usual roster filled with many younger players, Powel saw an opportunity to build from the ground up.

“The theme for this year is to keep growing, to get some of those younger players the experience necessary in our pre-season so that they can compete in the Catholic League,” Powel said. “This year may be a struggle for us physically, but we’re on the right track.”

With numbers up from previous years — 43 on the everyday roster with 38 freshman set to come up next year — Powel felt it was time to prepare for the future.

“We hope to really start rolling in the next few years with our football program and competing for championships and now worrying about just competing,” Powel said.

The strength of the team will be in the secondary where Jack Daywalt and Joey Rodden, who last year also lined up as receivers, will strictly be designated to the safety position.

“We’ll give a guy like Qadir Roberts an opportunity as a sophomore to go out and make plays as a receiver,” Powel said.

Another player, Christian Ritter, who was a receiver and a defensive back last season, will stay on the offensive side and open up an opportunity for a younger kid.

McMorran, in his second year as the starting quarterback, will be the focal point of the time, both in terms of play and leading by example.

“He will be a strength for us,” Powel said.

Where the team will struggle will be on the offensive and defensive lines, where the Patriots will not start a senior.

“We’re going to help them have their growing pains and hopefully they’re going to continue to get better each week and we’ll be a good football team toward the end of the year and obviously going into next season,” Powel said.