Penncrest has what it takes to end a 43-year championship drought
By Gorden Blain

Not that Penncrest head coach Paul Graham dwells on statistics and obscure history of Lions football, but he thought it would be time well spent to dig up just when was the last time Penncrest won a football league championship.

“I think it was 1966,” he reports. “It was before the Central League was formed.”

It’s been that long ago for Penncrest. The Lions believe the wait for a championship may be about to end in 2009.

“We’re hoping to put it all together,” Graham says. “We have a lot of talented players.”

Leaping forward from three consecutive 5-6 seasons to an 8-3, second-place Central League finish, and a spot in the 16-team PIAA District 1 AAAA playoffs in Graham’s first season as head coach in 2008, Penncrest has the talent and experience at skilled positions and on the line of scrimmage on both sides of the ball to overtake perennial Central League heavyweights Conestoga, Strath Haven and Upper Darby and defending league champion and bold Central League newcomer Garnet Valley.

No question that Graham has set the tone for improvement at Penncrest. Returning two-way standouts such as RB-LB Jerry Boyer (5-10, 205, Sr.) and QB-DB Matt Atkinson (6-0, 165, Sr.) and a strong supporting cast have responded to his expectations.

Boyer rushed for 1,221 yards on 141 carries and scored 19 TDs last season. Precise and efficient, Atkinson passed for 1,598 yards and 17 TDs. The combo that fueled the Lions attack that averaged 28.7 points per game remains intact for another season.

A three-year starter, Boyer, whose uncle Al Atkinson was a linebacker on the Super Bowl III champion New York Jets, has drawn serious recruiting interest from Temple and other Division 1 teams.

“Boyer and Atkinson make me look good as a coach,” says Graham. “Boyer is a special player. He is talented on both sides of the ball. Atkinson understands the game and makes all the reads in our triple option offense. We knew the pedigree was there.”

There’s a strong supporting cast returning with the Lions’ one-two punch in the backfield. TE-DB Phil Barbieri (5-10, 180, Sr.), who led the Lions with 28 receptions last season, and WR-DB Matt Bundy (5-11, 165, Sr.) who led with 9 TD catches in 2008.

Just the array of options and weapons for Atkinson that allow the Lions to spread the defense to open up the rushing lanes for Boyer. OL Mike Morretti (6-2, 205, Sr.) returns along with first-time starters OL-DL Kale Wenner (6-0, 235, Jr.) and OL-DL Nick Quintans (6-2, 240, Jr.), both whom saw important playing time last season.

There are major contributors returning on defense, again led by Boyer, who had a team-high 50 tackles last season, along with OL-LB Andrew Snow (5-9, 195, Sr.) and OL-DL John Young (6-0, 240, Sr.).

After the Lions at last got a taste of November football last season, despite a 45-14 drubbing by Pennsbury in the first round of the district playoffs, they want more and believe they can have it. Graham expects the season opener against Ches-Mont League powerhouse Downingtown West to give the Lions an immediate read on their expectations for the season and where improvement is needed for the September 25 league showdown with Garnet Valley.

“We’re going to know early where we are,” he says. And where they may just be headed.

The rest of the Central League…
Garnet Valley wasted no time making its impact on the Central League. After the Jaguars rolled to the PIAA State AAA championship game in 2007 competing as an independent, in their first season in the Central League in 2008, they rolled to the league championship.

And on top of that, the Jags, who are 25-3 over the past two seasons, advanced to the PIAA District 1 AAAA semifinals in their first season in AAAA.

No wonder expectations remain high for GV, which despite inexperience among linemen and the challenge to replace two veteran running backs this season, now transitions season-to-season in a reload mode under head coach Mike Ricci. The Jags like their chances to keep its Central League crown and once again hang out with the District 1 AAAA heavies.

QB Mark McHugh (5-11, 195, Sr.) returns after throwing for 1,039 yards and 8 TDs and rushing for 437 yards rushing and 7 TDs. He was intercepted just four times and completed 74 percent of his passes. RB-DB Marcellus Irving (5-11, 205, Sr.) gets his chance to be the featured backfield threat after rushing for 180 yards on 26 carries with 5 TDs behind two senior running backs who both rushed for 1,000 yards in 2008 and catching seven passes for 122 yards and one TD.

Ricci also expects important contributions from WR-DB Ryan Woods (6-1, 185, Sr.), PK-TE Dan Acchione (6-0, 170, Sr.), who hit 48 extra points in 2008, and OG Joe Cenatiempo (6-9, 285, Sr.) on offense and LB Alec McHugh (6-0, 235, Jr.), LB Eric Warden (6-1, 225, Sr.), LB Sean Van Horn (6-0, 190, Sr.), LB Tom D'Alonzo (6-0, 200, Sr.), LB Jeremy Irving (6-0, 195, Sr.) and DE Andrew Weber (6-7, 220, Sr.) on defense, where five starters return.

The tradition of talented, productive quarterbacks is sure to continue at Ridley, whose 53 straight non-losing seasons is the longest streak in Pennsylvania. Former Ridley quarterback Dennis Decker replaces John Waller, another former Ridley QB, as head coach of Ridley. Waller, who retired after a 79-21 record in eight seasons that included two Central League and one District 1 AAAA championships, was an Associated Press first-team all-state QB in 1964 and Decker was an AP first-team All-State QB in 1990 when he passed for 2,741 yards and led the Green Raiders to the PIAA AAAA State Championship game that they lost 21-14 to North Allegheny. In all, four Ridley QBs have earned AP first-team all-state honors—the most of any other big school in PA.

Under Waller, the Ridley passing game was in high gear as Green Raider starting QBs averaged 1,838 yards passing over the past eight seasons. So the first challenge for Decker is to find a QB who can follow QB Andrew Pidgeon and a group of wide receivers who can fill the shoes of Jake Cahill, Pat Mills, Cody Meyers, and Troy Foster. Sr. Colin Masterson (5-11, 160) played QB last season when Pidgeon was injured. Jr. Sean Blundin (5-11, 165), nephew of Matt Blundin, another former first-team all-state QB from Ridley (1986), is also in the mix at QB. Shifty RBs Shahaid Smith (5-8, 155, Jr.) and Sam Dixon-Dougon (5-10, 190, Jr.), FB Jalen Randolph (5-10, 195, Soph.), WR-DBs Dion Shaw (5-10, 175, Jr,), Dwayne Kennedy (5-9, 160, Jr.). and Vince Jennings (6-0, 180. Sr.) are expected to make an impact in the offense. FB-LB Casey Deprinzio (5-11, 235, Sr.), OT-DT Nick Haber (6-0, 265, Sr.), WR-DB Alex Nicilino (5-9, 170, Sr.) and WR-DB Norm Donkin (5-10, 170, Jr.) are the returning starters. Decker says finding linemen is his biggest challenge. Srs. James Mole (6-0, 225) and Cody Hendricks (5-11, 235) are expected to make contributions on the line of scrimmage.

Conestoga remains in the mix among league championship contenders. Julian Anapolsk, who Pioneers coach John Vogan last season moved to QB to utilize his athletic ability, and Bill Flatley are two options at QB. Also returning are TE-LB Austin Rogusky, DB Adam Kravitz, WR-DB Chris Destefano, TE-LB Zach Rafferty and FB-LB Colin Mohoney. Vogan expects linemen Brian Wright, Greg Gruschow, Tim Parent, Zach Carroll, Graham Lenker, and Jason Nowacki to make an impact.

An impact player on both offense and defense, RB-DB Lonnie Richardson (5-11, 195, Sr.), who had 1,383 yards rushing and 14 TDs last season, returns for Strath Haven, once the Central League and PIAA District 1 AAA power that has not won a post-season game since 2005. QB Matt Robinson (6-0, 170, Sr.) is a first-year starter. Seniors Shane Kennedy (5-10, 175, DB) and Joe D'Aurizio (6-0, 235, DL), who had 61 total tackles (9.5 for a loss) and 2.5 sacks in 2008, return on defense for Panthers head coach Kevin Clancy.

Springfield is another Central League team that has reason to believe that a turnaround is imminent. With the return of starting QB Wally Rutecki (6-5, 195, Sr.), the Cougars, who improved from 2-8 in 2007 to 5-6 in 2008, and head coach Dan Ellis have expectations of their first winning season since 1997. Rutecki threw for nearly 800 yards and 6 TDs and rushed for 156 yards.

Nii-Afutu Nikoi (6-3, 205) and Matt Serra (5-10, 190) give Upper Darby head coach Rich Gentile two options at QB after the graduation of Dale Blees, who passed for 1,549 yards last season. Impact players LB Niyi Adewole (6-1, 210, Sr.) and former Cardinal O'Hara transfer DL Austin Fox (6-0, 240, Sr.) return on defense for the Royals…At Haverford High, head coach Joe Gallagher expects Keith Stewart, Anthony Gore, Vincent Anderson, Zachary Bissey, Eric Dunn, Brian Clancy, Jake Ritter and Greg Morris to be the nucleus for the Fords this season…OL-DL Tevin Gilbert (5-11, 300, Sr.), Kevan Strigle (6-1, 260, Sr.) and Christian Massey (6-2, 270, Sr.) are in the mix as Marple-Newtown head coach Ray Gionta rebuilds the offensive and defensive line for the Tigers…WR-DB Derrick Adger (6-1, 180, Sr.) returns for Radnor head coach Tom Ryan, whose Raiders have averaged just three wins a season since 2003…Joining the Central League in 2008 only made the job tougher for Harriton head coach Matt Barr and the Rams, who have just one winning season in 17 years…Lower Merion head coach Ed Cubbage always faces a challenge with the Aces, who have just six wins over the past four seasons.

Favorite: Penncrest

Main Contender: Garnet Valley