PCL Red’s Wood, Prep set to be state’s best again
Raheem Blackshear of Archbishop Wood celebrates another TD run against Harrisburg in the PIAA Class 5A football championship at Hersheypark Stadium in Hershey, PA on December 9, 2016. Mark Palczewski | Special to PA Prep Live.
Archbishop Wood and St. Joseph’s Prep ended last season with title celebrations in Hershey, the Vikings and Hawks rolling in their respective PIAA championship games as each team won a third state crown in four seasons.
But only the Prep could also claim to be a Philadelphia Catholic League champ — the Hawks topping Wood in the Red Division in the first year of the PCL two, seven-team division format.
And while both teams are expected to be among the state’s best once again – they are ranked Nos. 1 (SJP) and 2 (Wood) in the PA Prep Live preseason Top 2 – the first goal for either squad is to procure a Catholic League championship hubcap.
“That’s everybody’s goal, that’s why we practice so hard. We all have that same goal in mind: we want to win a PCL championships and go on for a state championship,” Wood senior linebacker Matt Palmer said. “We all come out here with that intensity that we have to win championships this year.”
St. Joe’s Prep capped off a 14-0 season in 2016 by routing Pittsburgh Central Catholic 42-7 6A title game and while 29 seniors graduated from the squad — including 6A state player of the year D’Andre Swift, now at the University of Georgia — the Hawks are still heavy on talent and stand 19th in the MaxPreps Xcellent 25 national rankings.
Senior quarterback Marquez McCray threw for 2,164 yards and 21 touchdowns in earning All-PCL Red first-team honors last season and is joined on offense by senior wide receiver Darryle Simmons — a Virginia Tech commit — and junior Christian Waller, an all-division second team pick at running back. The defense returns PCL Red first-team tackle Ryan Bryce, an Army commit.
Bob Raines–Digital First Media
St. Joe’s Prep quarterback Marquez McCray unloads a pass under pressure from LaSalle’s Daniel Kuznetsov Oct. 22, 2016.
Like Prep, Wood also has a top player now at Georgia — wide receiver Mark Webb — along with graduating a pair of 1,000-yard rushers in Raheem Blackshear and Shawn Thompson after the Vikings rolled past Harrisburg 37-10 in the 5A state final to cap a 11-2-1 campaign. But plenty of high-end players can still be found in Warminster. Senior tight end Kyle Pitts, a Florida commit, and junior quarterback Sean Colyar are back on the offensive side while the defense returns Virginia Tech commit Nasir Peoples in the secondary, Palmer (Delaware) at linebacker and Billy Schaeffer (Lafayette) at defensive end.
Wood and Prep each start their seasons in Florida — the Vikings taking on Oxbridge Academy (Fla.) on Aug. 25 while the Hawks face Tampa Jesuit (Fla.) Sept. 1 — with their matchup coming Sept. 15 at Widener University. Prep took last year’s meeting 43-24.
La Salle head coach John Steinmetz (center) leads a team huddle to kick off the practice on August 8.
La Salle, meanwhile, will try its best to be a part of the Red Division title conversation. The Explorers had a tough 2016, going just 6-5 including a pair of losses to rival Prep. But senior quarterback Isaiah Jones is back after missing all of last season due to an ACL tear. So is senior receiver Troy Holland, along with all-division first team defense picks Garrett Zobel (line) and Austin Lemke (linebacker).
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Father Judge and Roman Catholic — 6A sides that finished last season fourth and fifth in the PCL Red, respectively — are both replacing graduated quarterbacks. Archbishop Ryan went 1-5 in the division but the Raiders finished 7-6 overall for a second straight winning season and the fifth consecutive with at least six wins. Archbishop Carroll, meanwhile, will look for improvement in coach Dan Connor’s second season after a 1-10 (0-7 division) finish in 2016.
Over in the Catholic League’s Blue Division, Cardinal O’Hara comes in as the defending champ, the Lions first’s PCL title since winning the 2004 Red Division. Conwell-Egan and West Catholic finished tied for second, both teams coming up just short to O’Hara — CEC falling 26-13, West dropping a 27-26 double overtime contest — and could supplant the Lions at the top.
Conwell-Egan’s 9-4 mark in 2016 was its first winning season since 2012 and its most wins since going 8-4 in 2008 and returning last year’s top rusher Patrick Garwo. West Catholic went 7-6 and has back senior quarterback Da’Vion Kidd-Jackson and senior tight end Rovny Dasilva, who both made the all-division second team.
Bonner & Prendergast and Lansdale Catholic aim to move out of the division’s middle after both finished 3-3 in Blue competition. LC looks to all-division second teamer senior Matt Casee to make plays in the ground game.
Bishop McDevitt looks to progress from last season’s 2-7 record in Year 2 under Mike Watkins. Neumann-Goretti, meanwhile, is coming off an 0-9 season — forfeiting two games and cancelling its Thanksgiving contest with South Philadelphia due to a low number of players and injuries. The Saints are on their fourth coach in four seasons, but now the program is helmed by Albie Crosby, who led Imhotep Charter to the 2015 PIAA Class 3A championship.
By Mike Cabrey; mcabrey@21st-centurymedia.com | PaPrepLive.com staff writer Andrew Robinson contributed to this article.
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