Plymouth Whitemarsh

By RICK KAUFFMAN

rkauffman@timesherald.com

WHITEMARSH — For three straight years, Plymouth Whitemarsh has been the undisputed champs of the Suburban One American Conference, claiming it with ease just last season. Yet, the Colonials’ work isn’t finishing.

Getting routed in round one of the district tournament wasn’t how the Plymouth Whitemarsh football team intended to exit the season, rather a win and a berth in the state tournament would have been preferred, or desired.

This season, 2014, they intend to do just that.

“We definitely want to do better than last year or the previous three years,” said starting quarterback Noah Allanoff. “A playoff berth is great, but we want to first win the league title for the fourth year straight, we want to secure a playoff berth with a high seed, get a home playoff game, win that, and then continue into states.”

Once again, it’s all about the front line for the Colonials. Save for offensive tackle Jack Mailey, the line remains the same from the season before.

“We have a solid offensive line that we’re really going to rely on with four starters returning with Joe DeSanto filling in Jack Mailey’s spot, a great addition for us here,” said coach Dan Chang. “We’re going to count on them to be leaders up front for us physically and in terms of leadership on the team.”

Ryan Bischoff at left tackle, a three-year starter who has verbally committed to Virginia, will lead the front five. He’ll be flanked by Steve Kovacic, left offensive guard, who both combined will make life difficult for opposing defenses from the left side. Two-year starter Anthony Casselli returns at the center position, with Brett Highland back at left tackle. Joe DeSanto, a transfer from Archbishop Carroll will fill the left offensive tackle position vacated by Mailey.

“The easier we can make it for (quarterback Allanoff) in terms of pressure and blocking with our offensive line, the better he’s going to be,” Chang said.

Allanoff takes the spot of Connor Hanlon, who earned the spot last year via an extremely high IQ, good vision on the field, the ability to scramble when needed and a work ethic second-to-none in regards to game preparation. His replacement, Allanoff, is both built very similar to Hanlon, but also takes after his predecessors’ game-readiness.

“(Connor) was obviously a very smart kid and he prepared very well for games,” Allanoff said. “He studied hard, watched film constantly, and I think that was the most important thing that I picked up from him.”

“Noah is an extremely smart kid who’s athletic, who’s got a strong arm and I have all the confidence that he’s going to be a good player for us,” Chang said.

Offensively, the Colonials will look to Nafeese Nasir, a junior, to fill in for the vacated Brian Afflick at the running back position.

“Nafeese is going to be a playmaker, he’s dangerous with the ball in his hands and we’re going to get the ball into his hands,” Chang said. “He’s a guy that teams are going to have to worry about.”

Replacing fullback Jose Mora-Vega — a much-lauded asset to the team in both creating holes for the running back Afflick or carrying the ball himself — will be Jake Winterbottom, a junior.

“He’s really looking up,” Chang said. “He’s a guy who runs really well, runs hard, has good vision and is athletic to take Jose‘s spot.”

Also returning is wide receiver Jimmy Rodgers.

“He’s been playing great,” Allanoff said. “We can do damage all over the field.”

The Colonials will have a difficult road head as they’ll start the season against Souderton, and in week two will face the team that knocked them out of the District tournament, Abington.