Southeastern PA Top 10: Week of Sept. 3, 2021
1. St. Joseph’s Prep (0-0) 2. Imhotep Charter (1-0) 3. La Salle (1-0) 4. Archbishop Wood (1-0) 5. North Penn (1-0) 6. Garnet Valley (1-0) 7. Neumann-Goretti (1-0) 8. Malvern Prep (0-0) 9. Downingtown East (1-0) 10. Northeast (0-1) Under consideration: Academy Park (1-0), Chester (1-0), Spring-Ford (1-0), Coatesville (1-0), Germantown Academy (0-0), Quakertown (1-0), Upper Dublin (1-0), Bonner-Prendergast […]
Dallas’ Jake DelGaudio makes a triumphant return to the field after a devastating injury kept him off in 2020
Too often it passes without notice. The muffled aaah of the crowd. The filled stands. Too often high school football players get so caught up in the emotional freedom of the game that they hardly step back to absorb the ambiance surrounding it. On Friday night, Dallas senior Jake DelGaudio did take that inventory. The […]
Archbishop Wood’s Andrew McHugh explodes on Neshaminy in a 37-0 victory
Andrew McHugh had to seek him out under the concrete Neshaminy stands Friday night. Minutes ago, the 6-foot-1, 190-pound Archbishop Wood senior defensive back returned an interception for 100 yards to close out the first half against Neshaminy, only to have the play called back for an illegal block. McHugh could have been angry. He […]
Northeast losses its opener, but the Vikings could gain in the long run
For once, the scoreboard didn’t matter. It didn’t anyway, since the scoreboard at Ocean City High School was broke Friday afternoon in the first game of the Battle at the Beach. On a larger scope, nothing was really able to measure the emotional trauma the Northeast High School football team went through last week after […]
Gavin Garcia is now the face and voice of Southern Columbia Football
Gavin Garcia was freezing like everyone else on Dec. 10, 2016, sitting on the frosty metal benches in the Southern Columbia stands at Hersheypark Stadium. It wasn’t the comfortable chill either that normally accompanies Southern Columbia teams in Hershey in December, since District 7 champion Steel Valley was really taking it to the Tigers, 49-7, […]
No longer a secret, Lakeland’s Lacota Dippre is climbing out of older brother CJ’s shadows
Lacota Dippre’s challenges as a first-year varsity player came rather emphatically last season—with caring bumps and bruises. He had constant eyes on him. Lacota’s older brother, CJ, would walk over to Lakeland Chiefs’ head coach David Piwowarczyk and say on the side “Coach, let’s run stretch again, I want to run at my brother and […]
Josiah Trotter narrows his college list to a final four
Josiah Trotter is expecting a big junior season, after having a big sophomore year for St. Joseph’s Prep. All Trotter has known is winning at St. Joe’s Prep. He began playing as a freshman, replacing his older brother, Jeremiah Jr., when he got hurt. He had the joy of playing alongside his brother last season, […]
La Salle’s Abdul Carter chooses Penn State
By Joseph Santoliquito It could not have been more binding than the way La Salle’s Abdul Carter made his commitment to Penn State on Saturday. The 6-foot-4, 235-pound senior-to-be linebacker was invited to Penn State’s summer camp, along with numerous other commits and Nittany Lions recruits over the weekend. The Nittany Lions’ Lasch Bash, which […]
Dallas’ Jake DelGaudio’s amazing return to the football field
The whirl of the crowd on a balmy Friday night vanished. Lips were moving without sound. Arms were rapidly motioning for the trainers. Everything took a gauzy grey surreal turn, with players and officials moving in slow motion, moving to Jake DelGaudio. DelGaudio himself didn’t know why, until he looked down and saw a shoe—his […]
St. Joe Prep’s Keenan Nelson is headed to South Carolina
When Keenan Nelson was a freshman at St. Joseph’s Prep, a Rutgers recruiter saw enough in the 5-foot-10, 170-pound defensive back to make him an offer then. Through time, Nelson’s stature and his size blossomed, turning into a sturdy, muscular 6-foot-1, 200-pound cornerback that many major colleges in the country wanted. Last weekend, Nelson made […]
Governor Mifflin’s Nick Singleton is headed to Penn State
It just fits. Curt Warner, Ki-Jana Carter, Blair Thomas, and more recently, Miles Sanders and Saquon Barkley. Governor Mifflin’s Nick Singleton falls very much in line with those great runners. Penn State is a running-back friendly school with a strong tradition. It’s why Singleton, one of the nation’s best, choose to stay close to home […]
La Salle’s Abdul Carter could be the most imposing defensive force in Southeastern PA
Almost every time he touched the ball, Abdul Carter scored. It can be a little intoxicating being an unstoppable grade-school running back. Then, Carter entered La Salle College High School and a whole new world sprouted. Adjustments had to come quickly. He had no choice, though as he was moved around, he grew to like […]
Governor Mifflin’s Cam’Ron Stewart dominates in leading PA to a Big 33 shutout over Maryland
Cam’Ron Stewart thought he was set. The stellar Governor Mifflin defensive end already was packed to leave for Rutgers on Tuesday to begin his new life of football as a Scarlet Knight. The 6-foot-5, 250-pound Stewart will be packing one more item, a large, bronze trophy as the Pennsylvania MVP after leading PA to a […]
La Salle’s powerback Sam Brown finds his next home—Rutgers
Sam Brown can feel settled now. The dynamic La Salle College High School junior tailback has his destination set—Rutgers. Brown committed to Scarlet Knights’ coach Greg Schiano back in March, and he’ll be joined by another outstanding Philadelphia-area player in Neumann-Goretti linebacker Anthony Johnson in Piscataway, New Jersey, next fall. Brown, the 6-foot-2, 205-pound tailback, […]
The East makes it look easy over the West in the Big School All-Star Game
It felt like fall. At least the low-50 degree temperatures gave it an autumn touch. So did the crunch of the pads from the players in the East-West Big School All-Star game Sunday night at Central Dauphin School District’s Landis Field in Harrisburg. The East made it a clean sweep taking the small game earlier […]
Penn Charter’s Aaron Maione shines in Small School East-West All-Star Game
Mike Farr was being honest. The Schuylkill Haven head coach out of District 11 was bestowed with being the coach of the East Team in the East-West Small School All-Star game. So, minutes after the East beat the West, 17-10, on Sunday at Central Dauphin School District’s Landis Field in Harrisburg, he openly admitted one […]
LaDontay Bell has created a winning culture at U-10 champion Chester
Photo’s courtesy of Bruce Badgley Excuse LaDontay Bell for his enthusiasm. The Chester High coach is in his fifth season as head coach of the Clippers. He just saw his team win the U-10 Championship on Saturday with a 26-18 comeback victory over Truman, and it comes after Chester’s 7-3 year in its last fall […]
Northeast’s Dacare Smith leaves no confusion in key play of Neumann-Goretti victory
Dacare Smith understands the confusion. The Northeast High School defensive back is rather on the large side for his position, which often leaves people to think he’s a linebacker or fullback. But the 5-foot-9 senior is a safety for the Vikings and someone who’s plunged a lot of time the previous three years into this […]
Imhotep Charter’s Keon Wylie may have turned a big spring into an even larger fall
As soon as Northeast quarterback Di’Andre Green snatched the ball out of the crisp spring air Friday night, he was instantly met by a blur accompanied by a tremendous crunch. Keon Wylie was at it again. The Imhotep Charter 6-foot-3, 220-pound junior defensive end was a little hard to miss in the Panthers’ dominant 22-8 […]
Philadelphia-Area Football began again this spring on Saturday
Ken Talley kept a tally in his head. The 6-foot-3, 240-pound Northeast High junior defensive end who’s headed to Penn State knew the exact number of days he last played a competitive football game to the next. It had been 567 days since Talley played against St. Joseph’s Prep in December 2019 in the PIAA […]
Southern Columbia’s Jim Roth named All-EPA Class 2A Coach of the Year
Nothing lasts 37 years anymore. Nothing. Concrete football stadiums decay. Bronze monuments tarnish in time. Yet, in Southern Columbia, Jim Roth keeps going to practice every afternoon. He’s been doing it for close to four decades. The high school coaching legend does it based on a simple tenet: He likes what he’s doing. Roth likes […]
St. Joseph Prep makes history by being the first large school in over 20 years to threepeat
St. Joseph’s Prep coach Tim Roken may have spent more time on the phone this football season than he did coaching. The Hawks may have spent more time wondering where they were going to practice than actually practicing. It didn’t matter. The seniors on this historic St. Joe’s Prep team were on a quest to […]
Pine-Richland tops a brilliant season with its first Class 5A state title
Luke Miller couldn’t help himself. The Pine-Richland senior was running around with blood-shot eyes grabbing and hugging everyone in green he could find. The Kent State-bound linebacker made a promise to himself four years ago when he was an intense water boy running up and down the sidelines when Pine-Richland won the 2017 PIAA 6A […]
Thomas Jefferson squeezes by Jersey Shore, 21-14, for its second-straight Class 4A state crown
It looked safe. Jersey Shore couldn’t move the ball. The Bulldogs had minus-66 yards rushing. They had 97 yards of total offense, based on their last two drives. Still, a bolt of fright ripped through Thomas Jefferson Saturday night in the PIAA Class 4A championship at Hersheypark Stadium. What appeared comfortable for 47 minutes and […]
Southern Columbia coach Jim Roth takes a historical victory in the Tigers’ fourth-straight Class 2A state title
Nothing lasts 37 years anymore. Nothing. Concrete football stadiums decay. Bronze monuments tarnish in time. Yet, in Southern Columbia, Jim Roth keeps going to practice every afternoon. He’s been doing it for close to four decades. The high school coaching legend does it based on a simple tenet: He likes what he’s doing. Roth likes […]
2020 PIAA State Championship Previews
This marks the fifth year that the PIAA will be working under the 6A system, with six state championship games taking place. There will be three teams this year that will be vying for consecutive state championships. In 2A, perennial state powerhouse Southern Columbia enters this state title weekend with a 58-game winning streak and […]
Central Valley roars back with a big second half to claim its first state title
Under the deluge of mercy-rule victories, and an undefeated record stood Brandon Graham. The 6-foot, 195-pound Central Valley senior was easy to lose in the Warriors’ grand quest of winning the school’s first PIAA state football championship. The starting point guard for the basketball team, Graham was convinced by his pals to play football his […]
Steelton-Highspire claims its first state title in over a decade
Damein Hammonds and Odell Greene each have a faint recollection of what it was like. The Steelton-Highspire senior tandem were barely waist high when they were shivering in the Hersheypark Stadium stands over a decade ago. That, they remember. There was one thing about that chilly December day in 2008—the Steamrollers won the Class 1A […]
St. Joe’s Prep aims for a threepeat 6A state title, after beating Souderton
From a distance, it looks close. Up close, it wasn’t. The scoreboard indicated that St. Joseph’s Prep just got by District 1 6A champion Souderton in the PIAA Eastern finals, 51-43, at Cardinal O’Hara on Saturday afternoon. The scoreboard said it was a one-score game. What happened on the field, while the game was still […]
Souderton makes history in winning its first District 1 championship
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Meet Nick Yagodich, St. Joseph Prep’s war daddy
Nick Yagodich may have the nastiest job on a football field. The 6-foot-4, 240-pound St. Joseph’s Prep senior is the demolition man. Whatever is front of him, the Hawks’ defensive tackle is assigned to blow it up in Prep’s multiple-look front. So far this season, Yagodich has five sacks, but he does far more […]
Marvin Harrison Jr. is conquering the Catholic League record book—and more big names
Marvin Harrison Jr. couldn’t help it. He was born into it—the pressure of upholding a Hall of Fame namesake, his father, NFL Hall of Fame receiver Marvin Harrison. The 6-foot-4, 200-pound St. Joseph’s Prep conquered that mountain early, becoming the Hawks’ go-to receiver in their drive to consecutive PIAA Class 6A state titles. Now, Harrison […]
The PIAA is staying with its forfeit policy throughout the state championships
It’s been nothing short of amazing that there is even high school football being played throughout Pennsylvania, considering the COVID-19 pandemic that’s disrupted almost every facet of daily life, it seems. The PIAA has kept a vigil on teams and players throughout this trying season, and it will not back off throughout the postseason. The […]
Can anyone stop Governor Mifflin’s Nick Singleton?
The simple inclination has been the same ever since Nick Singleton was barely able to wrap his arm around a football: See a crease and reach the end zone. It’s been a habit for the 5-foot-11, 190-pound Governor Mifflin junior tailback. Even with defenses stacked up to stop him, Singleton still busts loose. In leading […]
Noble House finds a home in St. Joseph Prep’s backfield
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St. Joseph’s Prep announces its schedule on the journey to threepeat
The preeminent high school football program in Eastern Pennsylvania resides at St. Joseph’s Prep. The Hawks are the two-time defending PIAA 6A state champions, winners of three of the last four large-school state titles and five of the last seven years (2013, 2014, 2016, 2018 and 2019). The frightening part is the 2020 version of […]
Class of 2022: Keenan Nelson won’t let anything—nor anyone—pass by him
There are no tallies left on a scoreboard. Keenan Nelson Jr. likes to keep track of them in his head. Each time the 6-foot-1, 195-pound St. Joseph’s Prep junior cornerback steps across from teammate Marvin Harrison Jr. in practice, he knows he’s going up against the best……Read more Joseph Santoliquito is an award-winning sportswriter […]
Chris James looks super in leading Neshaminy to a 35-19 victory over North Penn
🏈 EASTERN PA FOOTBALL ON ROKFIN: If you enjoy Eastern PA Football’s ongoing coverage of football in Pennsylvania, please consider subscribing to my Rokfin channel here. Subscribers get full access to all of my player rankings, previews, stats, recruiting news and more – as well as full access to other Rokfin channels like Tom Lemming’s […]
Spring-Ford pounds Perkiomen Valley in the PAC-10 season opener
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La Salle memorializes a fallen teammate with a 2020 season-opening victory
🏈 EASTERN PA FOOTBALL ON ROKFIN: If you enjoy Eastern PA Football’s ongoing coverage of football in Pennsylvania, please consider subscribing to my Rokfin channel here. Subscribers get full access to all of my player rankings, previews, stats, recruiting news and more – as well as full access to other Rokfin channels like Tom Lemming’s […]
Nolan Rucci commits to Wisconsin
Any direction Nolan Rucci decided, he figured, he was a winner. The 6-foot-8, 295-pound senior Warwick offensive tackle was looking at Wisconsin, Clemson, Penn State, Michigan and Notre Dame as his final five college destinations. But it really came down to Wisconsin, where his older brother, Hayden, is a redshirt freshman tight end, or Penn […]
BREAKING NEWS: PIAA approves football for the fall
Someone finally put their foot down. What had been speculation for months came to fruition on Friday when the PIAA board of directors voted 25-5 to have fall sports, meaning a high school football season, despite the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. The vote goes against Pennsylvania governor Tom Wolf’s August 6th recommendation—not mandate—that interscholastic and recreational […]
PIAA appeals to Gov. Wolf to open a dialogue about fall sports
By Joseph Santoliquito On Tuesday, the PIAA sent a letter to Pennsylvania governor Tom Wolf, asking to meet with he and his staff to share dialogue as to options so there could be fall sports in a safe environment in Pennsylvania. Wolf recommended last week that all fall sports be cancelled for the 2020 calendar […]
PIAA pushes for Gov. Tom Wolf to reconsider his recommendation of no high school football this fall
Last Wednesday, July 29, it all appeared good, with the lingering caveat of what Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf said in regards to the upcoming 2020 high school football season. A week later, after the PIAA Board of Directors voted by a 29-3 margin that fall sports would go on as scheduled, Governor Wolf nixed the […]
Neumann-Goretti’s Eric “Spider-Man” Gentry commits to Arizona State
Eric Gentry does things on a football field not many can do. The Neumann-Goretti senior outside linebacker finished a strong junior season with 15 sacks, seven being strip-sacks, two interceptions, three fumble recoveries and two touchdown receptions playing tight end. He’s kind of hard to miss, at 6-foot-6, now a sturdy 210 pounds. Last year, […]
There will be High School Football this fall in Pennsylvania—and State Playoffs
What had been speculation and good portents in previous weeks was confirmed Wednesday afternoon by the PIAA Board of Directors that fall sports would go on as scheduled by a 29-3 vote. There will be high school football in Pennsylvania this fall—and what’s more, it looks like there will be playoffs. Throughout the previous months […]
It looks like football in the fall, so far—says the PIAA
PIAA Board of Directors met on Wednesday and after what seemed to be an interminable wait, it was decided that fall sports would follow a “status quo” process. PIAA football teams are expected to report for summer practice on Monday, August 17. During the meeting, PIAA executive director Dr. Robert Lombardi stated during the meeting, […]
Kyle McCord is coming off a big Elite 11 camp who’s setting his eyes on a great senior year
Kyle McCord began playing football when he was five. He’s never had to stand on the sideline during a season—until last year. He watched the last four games nursing a knee injury as he watched his St. Joseph’s Prep Hawks win a second-straight PIAA 6A state championship. He was a consensus Player of the Year […]
Follow up: The First Step To Football Returning This Fall
Interview with Bob Lombardi, Executive Director and Melissa Mertz, Associate Executive Director by Al Di Carlo, D11Sports.com On Wednesday, Pennsylvania governor Tom Wolf released a preliminary guidance structure for the return of high school sports in the state in dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic. It seems like it’s very strong sign that the state will […]
It Looks Like Football Will Return This Fall
Interview with Bob Lombardi, Executive Director and Melissa Mertz, Associate Executive Director by Al Di Carlo, D11Sports.com On Wednesday, Pennsylvania governor Tom Wolf released a preliminary guidance structure for the return of high school sports in the state in dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic. It seems like it’s very strong sign that the state will […]
