Jones, Dogba headline talented cast for Neshaminy football
LANGHORNE >> With North Penn once again out of its division following yet another realignment and arch-rival Pennsbury rebuilding, it looks like smooth sailing for the Neshaminy High School football team during the regular season.
Actually, this might very well have been the case anyway because to put it simply Neshaminy is loaded.
Loaded as in eight returning starters on offense following a year in which Neshaminy went 9-4 and advanced to the District 1 Class AAAA semifinals. Although the Redskins have welcomed back considerably less on defense with four returning starters, you can be sure it will also be very strong on that side of the ball as well.
“We are pretty excited,” said second-year coach Steve Wilmot. “When you have this many back on offense it makes it easier to get going. We have most of our skill guys back.”
Throw in an experienced offensive line and it adds up to the scoreboard repeatedly lighting up on Heartbreak Ridge.
As always, Neshaminy will also have big and physical lines. Standouts up front include Eddie Parry and senior Chris Wilson, who goes 6-5 and weighs 295.
With Zach Treadway anchoring the secondary as a free safety, the key to Neshaminy’s defense is how quickly the linebackers come around. Among the newcomers at that position is talented sophomore Oleh Mancyk.
Senor Eddie Parry is a two-way wrecking crew and will cause havoc along the defensive line. A two-way starter since he was a sophomore, the physical Parry weighs 265. When you combine his good quickness to go along with his size, Parry is excellent at both stopping the run and putting pressure on the quarterback.
In addition to being the favorite to win the Suburban One League’s National Division, Neshaminy clearly projects as one of the heavyweights in the district’s new Class AAAAAA Division. In other words, it’s pretty much business as usual.
Stopping Neshaminy’s offense will be a very difficult task. Senior Mason Jones is starting at quarterback for the third straight year, while senior Will Dogba is coming off a big season in which he ran for 1,477 yards and 20 touchdowns. Once again helping to clear the way will be senior fullback/tight end Hayden Rooney.
Neshaminy lost a big target when Denzel Hughes graduated, but the team will remain strong at wide receiver. This group includes a speedy senior wide receiver in Treadway.
While for the most part Neshaminy was successful throwing the ball last season, there were some games when it sputtered. This included a 28-7 loss to North Penn in the playoffs. As such, Neshaminy is determined to upgrade its passing game to an even higher level.
“We have ramped up our passing game and we will be operating out of a spread more,” said Wilmot. “We are looking to throw the ball more and spread out the defenses.”
Contact Rick Fortenbaugh at rfortenbaugh@trentonian.com, or @RickFort7 on Twitter
