Governor Mifflin’s Jan Johnson finds an NFL home with a Penn State connection
Jan Johnson has always made his own opportunities. Coming out of Governor Mifflin as a 6-foot-2, 195-pound linebacker, he received two offers: Akron and Fordham. The problem was, Johnson had dreams of playing for Penn State. So, he made it happen—not on the greatest of terms, but on his terms. Johnson wound up gaining 40 […]
St. Joe’s Prep closes out another season as 6A state champs
HERSHEY — There was no mystery behind it. It would be the same over, and over, and over, and over again, until Central Dauphin found a way to stop it. St. Joseph’s Prep kept a simple plan intact, and never let it go: Run left. Run behind the beefy guys, the “Two Matts,” left tackle […]
Superhuman Dominic DeLuca leads Wyoming Area to its first PIAA state championship
HERSHEY — Dominic DeLuca couldn’t walk. He had to be helped up after taking victory shots. He also sprung what appeared to be a 1,000 leaks. Blood flecks dotted his face. Blood smeared the white No. 9 of his green jersey. Blood covered the tip of his right thumb. Blood was dripping down his right […]
Archbishop Wood ends an improbable season with a dramatic 19-15 5A state title win over Cheltenham
HERSHEY — Anyone else might have been a nervous, twitchy mess. Cardel Pigford wasn’t. The 5-foot-9, 165-pound Archbishop Wood junior had had his problems a month ago holding on to the ball. Now the Vikings were asking him to hold on to their season. Pigford slid toward the goalpost, and Wood quarterback Max Keller found […]
Southern Columbia puts an exclamation point on perfection with a 74-7 record-setting 2A state title victory
Matt Topper Photos HERSHEY — The game was over before it started. It was done exactly 55 minutes before it started. Initially, the portents flowed in drips, then became more rampant when the Avonworth players began noticing to their right the Southern Columbia team filter out of its locker room at Hersheypark Stadium Friday afternoon. […]
2019 PIAA State Championship Previews
This marks the fourth year that the PIAA will be working under the 6A system, with six state championship games taking place. There are a variety of teams involved this year, from nationally ranked St. Joseph’s Prep in District 12 (Philadelphia), to a team that could arguably be the best in the state, District 4 […]
Central Dauphin pounds Downingtown West, 65-44, to reach the 6A state championship
CALN, PA — Nathaniel Mosey could hear how tired Downingtown West was. He heard the huffing and puffing, which was more fuel for the Central Dauphin junior center’s ears. So, the Rams’ offensive front went at the Downingtown West defense again. And again. And again. Central Dauphin exploded for 465 yards rushing, averaging 9.48 yards […]
Downingtown West makes history with first District 1 6A championship By Joseph Santoliquito
There was a silent confidence in the Downingtown West locker room prior to its PIAA District 1 Class 6A championship game Friday night against two-time defending district champ Coatesville. The Whippets knew what they had to do—and they knew what they had recover—that intensity that propelled them to score a record 63 points against archrival […]
The PhillyVoice Southeastern PA Top 10 Week of Nov. 22, 2019
1. St. Joseph’s Prep (9-2) 2. Downingtown West (12-1) 3. Archbishop Wood (8-3) 4. Coatesville (10-2) 5. Imhotep Charter (8-4) 6. Northeast (11-2) 7. Garnet Valley (11-2) 8. Haverford High (10-3) 9. Cheltenham (12-1) 10. Academy Park (11-2) Under consideration: Neumann-Goretti (11-1), Pope John Paul II (10-3), Episcopal Academy (9-1), La Salle (8-3), Downingtown East (10-2), Germantown Academy (7-2), Bonner-Prendergast […]
St. Joe’s Prep puts it on the line to win the District 12 6A championship By Joseph Santoliquito
PHILADELPHIA, PA – No one said anything in the huddle. No one had to. All anyone wearing maroon had to do was look up at the 14-0 on the scoreboard to know the situation Saturday night against surging Northeast in the PIAA District 12 6A championship. So, they kept their mouths shut—and plowed ahead, like […]
Archbishop Wood turns it on after a slow start to stomp MLK, 51-14, to win District 12 5A
PHILADELPHIA, PA – Cardel Pigford wasn’t about to panic, and neither was anyone else on the Archbishop Wood sideline Saturday afternoon in the Vikings’ PIAA District 12 5A championship against Martin Luther King. Pigford, Wood’s explosive junior tailback, was having his issues holding on to the ball, as did the Wood team. The Vikings fumbled […]
The PhillyVoice Southeastern PA Top 10
Week of Nov. 15, 2019 1. St. Joseph’s Prep (7-2) 2. Downingtown West (11-1) 3. Archbishop Wood (7-3) 4. Coatesville (9-2) 5. Garnet Valley (11-1) 6. Haverford High (10-2) 7. Northeast (11-1) 8. Episcopal Academy (9-1) 9. Pope John Paul II (10-2) 10. Imhotep Charter (7-4) Under consideration: La Salle (8-3), Neumann-Goretti (11-1), Downingtown East […]
Pope John Paul II makes history by winning its first PIAA district title with a 29-28 upset of Neumann-Goretti
PHILADELPHIA, PA – Justin Kormos had his doubts. The Pope John Paul II receiver, however, wasn’t about to express them openly. Because staring him and his teammates in the face was only their season, and the Golden Panthers’ first-ever PIAA District 1/12 Class 3A championship. They had to travel 43 yards and were facing a […]
The PhillyVoice Southeastern PA Top 10
Week of Nov. 8, 2019 1. St. Joseph’s Prep (7-2) 2. Downingtown West (10-1) 3. Neumann-Goretti (11-0) 4. Downingtown East (10-1) 5. Archbishop Wood (6-3) 6. Coatesville (8-2) 7. La Salle (8-2) 8. Garnet Valley (10-1) 9. Northeast (10-1) 10. Central Bucks West (10-1) Under consideration: Episcopal Academy (8-1), Germantown Academy (6-2), Academy Park (9-2), Bonner-Prendergast […]
Perkiomen School wins Pennsylvania’s first-ever eight-man football state title
The bus rides were often long, and often solemnly quiet. The Perkiomen School went 1-6 during 2018 in its first year of playing eight-man football. The Panthers played against teams from Connecticut, New York and New Hampshire. It meant 12-hour roundtrip bus rides that weren’t exactly boisterous after losing six of seven games. It’s why […]
Neumann-Goretti moves by Lansdale Catholic, 34-19, to advance to the D1/D12 Region 3A championship
PHILADELPHIA, PA – Neumann-Goretti coach Albie Crosby wasn’t happy, even though the beaming numbers behind him, which his team could see on the distant scoreboard, said otherwise: Neumann-Goretti 34, Lansdale Catholic 19. Crosby has a bigger picture for the undefeated Saints, and that means going deep into the PIAA 3A state playoffs. He’s won a […]
The PhillyVoice Southeastern PA Top 10 Week of Nov. 1, 2019
1. St. Joseph’s Prep (6-2) 2. Downingtown West (9-1) 3. Neumann-Goretti (10-0) 4. Downingtown East (9-1) 5. Archbishop Wood (6-3) 6. Coatesville (7-2) 7. La Salle (6-2) 8. Episcopal Academy (8-0) 9. Garnet Valley (9-1) 10. Northeast (9-1) Under consideration: Downingtown East (8-1), Spring-Ford (8-2), Central Bucks West (9-1), Abington (8-2), North Penn (7-3), Imhotep Charter (5-4), […]
Episcopal Academy remains undefeated by snapping Malvern Prep’s 16-game Inter-Ac winning streak with 29-27 victory
Everyone in blue and white was bouncing up-and-down and hugging. Everyone, that is, except Maurcus McDaniel, who could barely get to his feet, he was so exhausted and hurting. Episcopal Academy is 8-0 for the first time since 2012, when the Churchmen last won the Inter-Academic League championship outright, after a dramatic 29-27 victory over […]
The PhillyVoice Southeastern PA Top 10: Week of Oct. 25, 2019
The PhillyVoice Southeastern PA Top 10 Week of Oct. 25, 2019 St. Joseph’s Prep (5-2) Coatesville (7-1) Downingtown West (8-1) Neumann-Goretti (9-0) Archbishop Wood (5-3) La Salle (6-2) Episcopal Academy (7-0) Souderton (8-1) Garnet Valley (8-1) Northeast (8-1) Under consideration: Downingtown East (8-1), Spring-Ford (7-2), Central Bucks West (8-1), Abington (8-1), North Penn (6-3), Imhotep […]
Rickey Ortega comes through again for Coatesville in a dramatic 29-21 win at Downingtown West
Ricky Ortega wasn’t about to let go. He couldn’t. All the Coatesville senior quarterback has done is win in his four years as the Red Raiders’ starter. So, a little ankle injury, which has plagued and tormented him through most of this season, wasn’t about to deter him Friday night in what up until now […]
The PhillyVoice Southeastern PA Top 10 Week of Oct. 18, 2019
1. St. Joseph’s Prep (4-2) 2. Downingtown West (8-0) 3. Coatesville (6-1) 4. La Salle (6-1) 5. Neumann-Goretti (8-0) 6. Central Bucks West (8-0) 7. Downingtown East (7-1) 8. Episcopal Academy (6-0) 9. North Penn (6-2) 10. Northeast (7-1) Under consideration: Academy Park (7-1), Garnet Valley (7-1), Abington (7-1), Souderton (7-1), Pope John Paul II (7-1), Imhotep Charter (4-4), […]
Episcopal Academy wears down Penn Charter, 21-17, in a classic
PHILADELPHIA, PA — The sense on the far sideline was that it wasn’t over. Even though Episcopal Academy had squandered what seemed like myriad chances to blow up its game against undefeated Penn Charter in the Inter-Academic League opener, the Churchmen still held the belief they would prevail. And with :32 left to play in […]
The PhillyVoice Southeastern PA Top 10 Week of Oct. 11, 2019
The PhillyVoice Southeastern PA Top 10 Week of Oct. 11, 2019 1. St. Joseph’s Prep (3-2) 2. Downingtown West (7-0) 3. Coatesville (5-1) 4. La Salle (5-1) 5. Neumann-Goretti (7-0) 6. North Penn (6-1) 7. Central Bucks West (7-0) 8. Downingtown East (6-1) 9. Episcopal Academy (5-0) 10. Penn Charter (5-0) Under consideration: Northeast (6-1), Academy Park […]
Downingtown West beats Downingtown East in an unforgettable 63-35 shootout
DOWNINGTOWN, PA — No one expected this. No one expected Downingtown West and Downingtown East to combine for 98 points, 881 total yards of offense, 39 first downs and break every scoring record in the 16 meetings between the rival Chester County schools. That’s what happened Friday, after the shootout at Downingtown’s Walter E. Kottmeyer Stadium. […]
Marvin Harrison Jr. gets back on track in leading St. Joe’s Prep by La Salle, 44-13
AMBLER, PA — No one is going to beat up Marvin Harrison Jr. more than himself. The St. Joseph’s Prep 6-foot-4, 180-pound junior receiver already carries the burden of a famous surname, who happens to be his father, Hall of Famer Marvin Harrison. Compounding that are expectations. Marvin Jr. is one of the country’s best […]
The PhillyVoice Southeastern PA Top 10 Week of Sept. 27, 2019
1. St. Joseph’s Prep (1-2) 2. La Salle (4-0) 3. Downingtown West (5-0) 4. Coatesville (3-1) 5. Neumann-Goretti (4-0) 6. Archbishop Wood (3-1) 7. North Penn (4-1) 8. Downingtown East (5-0) 9. Central Bucks West (5-0) 10. Imhotep Charter (2-3) Under consideration: Northeast (4-1), Academy Park (4-1), Garnet Valley (4-1), Ridley (4-1), Souderton (5-0), Penn Charter […]
The PhillyVoice Southeastern PA Top 10 Week of Sept. 20, 2018
1. St. Joseph’s Prep (1-2) 2. La Salle (4-0) 3. Downingtown West (2-0) 4. Coatesville (2-1) 5. Neumann-Goretti (4-0) 6. Archbishop Wood (3-0) 7. North Penn (3-1) 8. Downingtown East (3-0) 9. Upper Dublin (3-0) 10. Central Bucks West (4-0) Under consideration: Northeast (3-1), Academy Park (4-0), Garnet Valley (3-1), Souderton (4-0), Penn Wood (3-1), Central […]
St. Joe’s Prep comes up short, 31-25, to national powerhouse IMG Academy
PISCATAWAY, NJ — St. Joseph’s Prep is a team overflowing with talent. But even the Hawks can’t overcome costly penalties and turnovers. That’s what bit St. Joe’s Prep against IMG Academy (No. 7 USA Today/No. 4 MaxPreps) Friday night at Rutgers’ SHI Stadium in a 31-25 defeat. The Hawks (1-2) turned the ball over four times—two […]
The PhillyVoice Southeastern PA Top 10 Week of Sept. 13, 2018
1. St. Joseph’s Prep (1-1) 2. La Salle (3-0) 3. Downingtown West (3-0) 4. Coatesville (1-1) 5. Neumann-Goretti (3-0) 6. Archbishop Wood (3-0) 7. Downingtown East (3-0) 8. Upper Dublin (2-0) 9. North Penn (2-1) 10. Malvern Prep (0-2) Under consideration: Northeast (3-0), Academy Park (3-0), Garnet Valley (2-1), Penn Wood (2-1), Central Bucks East (3-0), […]
Neumann-Goretti linebacker Eric “Spider-Man” Gentry may not be a hidden gem for long
PHILADELPHIA, PA — Eric Gentry’s teammates call him “Spider-Man,” because he does everything. It also may be because he’s able to get to places on a football field, and disrupt an offense like no one else can, too. That tends to happen when you’re a 6-foot-6, 190-pound junior outside linebacker, who’s an intelligent student of […]
Sam Brown powers La Salle to 3-0 start with 2 TDs in 24-13 over Malvern Prep
SPRINGFIELD (MONTCO), PA — It’s easy to forget Sam Brown is a sophomore, by the way the La Salle tailback moves past, through and over defenders. The 6-3, 185-pound Brown is already garnering college attention, and that should only grow, especially after the kind of game Brown had Saturday against a very good Malvern Prep […]
St. Joe’s Prep downs nationally ranked No. 4 St. John’s College (D.C.) 34-30
PISCATAWAY, NJ —Tim Roken tucked the ball nonchalantly under his arm and politely shook the hands of all the well-wishers that were coming at him from every direction Friday night at Rutgers’ SHI Stadium. Not too far away stood Hawks’ junior receiver Malik Cooper, who was smiling and posing for shots with teammates and coaches, […]
St. Joe’s Prep loses a 21-17 heartbreaker in season opener in Marietta (Ga.) 8-30-19
The one team in Pennsylvania—perhaps the only team in the state—that can beat St. Joseph’s Prep is St. Joseph’s Prep. The Hawks, ranked No. 11 nationally by numerous national news outlets, appeared primed for a minor upset over the Marietta (Ga.) Blue Devils, when they stung themselves with a costly unsportsmanlike penalty celebrating a go-ahead […]
La Salle finds its offense in 42-6 route of North Penn 8-30-19
Photo’s courtesy of Jim Beaver at flattailphotography.com LANSALE, PA — It took a week. That’s all. A week. No one was moving before Sam Brown’s eyes like a movie sci-fi spaceship in warp drive. The La Salle sophomore tailback saw things unfold in normal speed. The only one seemingly not moving in normal time was […]
Joseph Santoliquito’s PhillyVoice Southeastern Pennsylvania Top 10 for Sept. 30, 2019
1. St. Joseph’s Prep (0-0) 2. North Penn (1-0) 3. Malvern Prep (0-0) 4. La Salle (1-0) 5. Downingtown West (1-0) 6. Coatesville (0-1) 7. Neumann-Goretti (1-0) 8. Archbishop Wood (1-0) 9. Imhotep Charter (0-1) 10. Downingtown East (1-0) Under consideration: Upper Dublin (1-0), Academy Park (1-0), Garnet Valley (0-1), Penn Wood (1-0), West Catholic […]
La Salle’s Ryan Savage powers the Explorers to a 15-12 win over Imhotep Charter
PHILADELPHIA, PA — Ryan Savage needed to make a change. The 6-foot-2, 215-pound La Salle senior defensive lineman dropped 20 pounds since last year. To get there, sacrifices had to be made. It meant eating a lot of roasted chicken. Perhaps the biggest commitment was cutting out brownies. Savage figures it’s been about seven or […]
Trevion Carey leads Harrisburg to a season-opening 14-6 win over Coatesville
CALN, PA — There’s a good chance no one will be forgetting where Trevion Carey is on the field again. After playing a key reserve role for Harrisburg last season, Carey, a 5-foot-10, 170-pound wide receiver/defensive back, worked in the offseason to improve. His goal was to make an impact this season, after catching 12 […]
Tommy Santiago makes a great sacrifice and transfers to William Tennent so his brother could stay at Archbishop Wood
It wasn’t easy. It couldn’t have been. Tommy Santiago was all set to return to Archbishop Wood his senior year, after the 6-foot, 200-pound two-way standout rushed for 1,788 yards and 20 touchdowns his junior year. Santiago is one of the better tailbacks in Southeastern Pennsylvania and he was attending a perennial powerhouse in Wood, […]
The Manning Passing Academy is quarterback nirvana for many PA QBs and one legendary coach
Gerry Yonchiuk can stop kicking himself. The legendary Lebanon High School coach had been asked 20 years ago to coach at the Manning Passing Academy, which just completed its 24th year. He turned it down. Yonchiuk, 56, regrets that now. But he made sure he got there this year, when Archie Manning, with his three […]
St. Joe’s Prep overcomes a host of mistakes to claim fourth state title in six years
In the end, it was a matter of believing. It’s about trusting in themselves, in their talent, in the system, in each other. It’s the culture that St. Joseph’s Prep coach Gabe Infante instituted when he took over the program. And now, it’s flourished to produce four PIAA state championships in six years—with the promise […]
Aliquippa ends a 15-year drought in capturing 3A state title behind Avante McKenzie’s 4 TDs
HERSHEY — Avante McKenzie didn’t care that they weren’t moving. What was important to the powerful Aliquippa 5-foot-6, 190-pound senior tailback was that he was moving in his cut-off hoodie, dodging trash cans in the snow in his back yard last week, while imagining them as Middletown tacklers trying to get him. The trash cans […]
Daequan Hardy goes ballistic in leading Penn Hills to its first state title in 23 years
HERSHEY — Daequan Hardy is one of those players who makes everyone around him seem like they’re moving in slow motion. Teammates or opponents, it doesn’t matter. Once the 5-foot-10, 175-pound Penn Hills senior turns on the jets, those trying to catch him are left in his wake. Each time Manheim Central was shadowing the […]
Southern Columbia’s Ninth PIAA 2A state title came with a flair of adversity
HERSHEY — Jim Roth was rather calm about it. The Southern Columbia coach slowly walked into his team’s dressing room and stoically decreed at halftime of the Tigers’ PIAA 2A state title game, “Guys, you’re not playing your football. It’s as simple as that.” Outside on the scoreboard, it may have looked like Southern Columbia’s […]
SE PA Top 10 Nov. 30, 2018
The PhillyVoice Top 10 Week of Nov. 30, 2018 1. St. Joseph’s Prep (11-0) 2. Coatesville (14-0) 3. Imhotep Charter (10-2) 4. Malvern Prep (11-0) 5. Archbishop Wood (9-3) 6. North Penn (13-1) 7. Garnet Valley (12-1) 8. Downingtown West (11-2) 9. Upper Dublin (12-1) 10. Conwell-Egan (13-1) Under consideration: West Catholic (12-2), Downingtown East […]
Coatesville makes it look easy winning second-straight District 1 Class 6A title
It begins as a slow-forming wave, then gradually turns into a tsunami, laying waste to everything in its path. It’s pretty much the way Coatesville offense has cleared the way to a second-straight PIAA District 1 6A championship and a berth in the PIAA 6A semifinals, where the Red Raiders will meet Harrisburg next week. […]
Southeast PA top 10 Week of Nov. 23, 2018
HIGH SCHOOLS Southeast PA Top 10 Week of Nov. 23, 2018 1. St. Joseph’s Prep (10-0) 2. Coatesville (13-0) 3. North Penn (13-0) 4. Imhotep Charter (9-2) 5. Malvern Prep (11-0) 6. Archbishop Wood (8-3) 7. Garnet Valley (12-1) 8. Downingtown West (11-2) 9. Conwell-Egan (13-0) 10. Pottsgrove (12-1) Under consideration: Downingtown East (10-3), Penn […]
Marques Mason of St. Joe’s Prep is the Hawks’ do-everything guy
He tends to be everywhere. Marques Mason likes it that way. The St. Joseph’s Prep senior is a tailback, plays slot receiver and returns the Hawks’ punts and kickoffs. The Hawks thoroughly throttled Northeast, 49-14, Saturday night at Northeast High’s Supersite. The win is the third-straight PIAA District 12 6A championship. That was expected.So, too, […]
Coatesville is a runaway train heading into December
The course began last December, moments after the Coatesville football team walked off the field for the last time in 2017, on the short end of an exciting 53-49 shootout in the PIAA Class 6A state semifinal to St. Joseph’s Prep. The Red Raiders vowed to themselves that they didn’t want to endure that feeling […]
Southeastern PA Top 10 Week of Nov. 9, 2018
Southeastern PA Top 10 Week of Nov. 9, 2018 1. St. Joseph’s Prep (8-0) 2. Coatesville (11-0) 3. North Penn (11-0) 4. Imhotep Charter (7-2) 5. Malvern Prep (10-0) 6. Garnet Valley (11-0) 7. Downingtown West (10-1) 8. Archbishop Wood (6-3) 9. Conwell-Egan (11-0) 10. Truman (10-1)
The Southeast PA Top 10 – Week of Nov. 2, 2018
Week of Nov. 2, 2018 1. St. Joseph’s Prep (7-0) 2. Coatesville (10-0) 3. North Penn (10-0) 4. Imhotep Charter (6-2) 5. Malvern Prep (9-0) 6. Garnet Valley (10-0) 7. Downingtown West (9-1) 8. Archbishop Wood (6-3) 9. Conwell-Egan (10-0) 10. Truman (9-1) Under consideration: Downingtown East (8-2), Penn Wood (9-1), Academy Park (8-2), Radnor (8-2), […]
