[tps_title]Central Bucks East Patriots [/tps_title]
Central Bucks East quarterback Evan O’Donnell narrowly avoids the sack attempt of Spring-Ford’s Tanner Romano before being sacked later in the play. (Austin Hertzog – Digital First Media)
Szymanski leans on family tradition to lead Patriots up front
DOYLESTOWN >> Wake up and turn on the television — football is on. Get dressed and head out the door — to football practice. Sit down at the dinner table — the conversation is football.
Go to sleep. Do it all again the next day.
That’s the life of Central Bucks East senior PJ Szymanski.
The 6-foot-4, 285-pound left guard comes from a football family. His two older brothers — Bryan and Blake — both played on East’s offensive line and his dad played up front in college at the University of Virginia.
“Football is one of our core values,” PJ said of the sport’s importance to his family. “It’s a big part of our lives.”
Szymanski is entering his third year as a starter and second year as a captain. In 2016 he was selected to the Suburban One League Continental Conference first team after earning second team honors as a sophomore in 2015.
“We want to be (a run heavy team),” East coach John Donnelly said. “(Szymanski is) very mobile. We pull him quite a bit. He helps with protections — calling protections — he helps out our quarterbacks with that. He’s extremely valuable … He’s extremely vital in many different ways.”
He wants to be even better as a senior. He’s aiming to be All-State this year and worked on every aspect of his game during the offseason. He put on weight to improve his strength while also upping his conditioning and quickness.
“Those linebackers are quick,” said Szymanski, who has received some Division 1-A and 1-AA interest but no offers yet, added. “We have some good ones in our division. You have to catch up with them.”
Szymanski said his run-blocking, tenacity and strength are his top skills, but he’s not too bad in pass protection either. He allowed zero sacks as a junior.
His ability to lead the offense will go a long way in determining East’s success. The Patriots went 8-3 each of the last two seasons.
“Our goal first and foremost is to win week one against Quakertown — we’re a week-by-week team we don’t like to get too far ahead of ourselves,” Szymanski said. “This year we also want to take back the CB Cup — we want to beat C.B. South and C.B. West — our rivals. We want to get a home playoff game and advance.”
Slingin’ It
Evan O’Donnell will be playing quarterback for the Patriots. The 5-foot-11, 165-pound junior started a couple games as a sophomore when the starting quarterback went down and he accounted for six touchdowns.
Passing the Torch
The No. 45 is a significant number for Central Bucks East linebackers.
Jack Lamb wore 45 in 2015 and now he’s competing for a starting job at Lafayette College. Brian Stella had the privilege in 2016 and he’s trying to walk-on at Penn State University.
Now, Ty Tracy will don the special jersey.
“That says a lot about the kind of player that people think (Tracy) is,” Donnelly said.
Tracy, a 6-foot-1, 190-pound senior, will play inside linebacker. He started C.B. East’s District One Class 6A playoff game last season against Spring-Ford.
Biggest Strength
Szymanski and the offensive line should be the team’s biggest strength. They will be clearing the way for three running backs — sophomores Jake Ventresca and Wyatt Knipe and senior Chad Guzzi.
“We’re excited about the youth in the backfield, but also the talent,” Donnelly said.
Biggest Weakness
Donnelly doesn’t see any weaknesses on his team, just an area he wants to solidify. There are a lot of players looking to play in the secondary and the coaches need to find the right combination.
“In the secondary, we’ve got a lot of people there,” Donnelly said. “It’s just a matter of figuring out the puzzle and how it’s going to fit and putting it together … Right now there’s a lot of competition there and we’re excited about it. It’s not a weakness, it’s just an area we want to solidify and we will.”
By Ed Morlock; emorlock@21st-centurymedia.com
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