Southeast Pa. Players to Watch

Catholic League

Archbishop Carroll

Kamal Gray >> This time last season, few people outside of Carroll knew his name. A midseason promotion opened outsiders’ eyes to the then-freshman’s potential. “He was the JV starter and our varsity backup,” Connor said of Gray, a pocket passer with escapist speed. Experience and savvy, Connor said, is not a concern with Gray. “From what we’ve seen, he won’t crumble under pressure.”

Anthony Warnick >> If Connor needs leadership, he has to look no further than to Warnick. The two-way lineman and co-captain commands respect as Carroll’s student council president. Last year’s team suffered from a lack of accountability and what Warnick called “undisciplined play.” And this year? “The leadership on the football team translates to the classroom, too,” said Warnick. “It’s awesome that my teammates look at me that way.”

 

Archbishop Wood

Albert Glasgow >> Anchoring the edge of Wood’s tough, experienced line, the 6-foot-2, 265-pound Glasgow will help pave the way for Wood’s stable of running backs and keep a clean pocket for Jack Colyar. The Vikings can score fast, but they love to put together long, draining drives as well and it all starts up front.

Billy Shaeffer >> The Lafayette commit certainly looks the part at 6-foot-3, 215 pounds and comes off a solid junior season where he spent a lot of time in the backfield. Wood’s line is packed with veterans, size and skill, so Schaeffer should have plenty of chances to pick up sacks or tackles for loss.

 

Bishop McDevitt

Giancarlo Kelly >> Two-year starter at center. Watkins: “Offensively he’s very versatile. Having him along the offensive front makes me really comfortably, because it means we have a guys who will get our guys in the right place.”

Nasir Petus >> A three-time All-Catholic Selection on the defensive line. Watkins: “He’s an excellent defensive lineman. He still hasn’t scratched the surface of what he can do as a football player.”

 

Bonner-Prendergast

Kyrin Jackson >> The 6-1 senior receiver will be “The face of our program,” Muldoon said. Villanova is among the programs that have noticed. Jackson, who will double as a defensive back, plans to play offense in college. “I am expecting to go D-1 or D-2 in college, whatever works,” Jackson said. “I just want a scholarship.”

David McMullen >> The 6-1, 205-pound junior linebacker has been, according to Muldoon, “an animal in the weight room.” Where does that come from? “My dad,” McMullen said. “His name is David McMullen, too. And he is a mason. So he is lifting stones all day.” McMullen could help lift the Friars to a fulfilling season. Muldoon: “He has bought in in every way. He has a real football attitude. He can have a monster year.”

Cardinal O’Hara

Tom Wertz >> With the loss of several big bodies up front, the 6-0, 215-pound senior lineman is expected to guide a relatively inexperienced line corps.
“I feel being the only starter and one of the seniors, that I have a lot of responsibility and I have to handle the young guys, teach them where to go and stuff like that. I feel pretty confident in our line this year. A lot of the attention is going to be on me, but I feel we can be pretty good.”

Josh McCalister-Afflick >> Expectations are high for the senior free safety, who will also see some time at wide receiver. Hogan thinks he can become one of the top players in the Catholic League at his defensive position.
“I hit the gym a lot more, I do conditioning a lot more and I try to stand out moreso with personality,” said the affable McCalister-Afflick, who hopes to be a doctor someday. “Talent stands out a lot, but if you can be a leader on the team, that’s going to help out a lot of things.”

Conwell-Egan

Patrick Garwo >> Garwo earned high praise from evaluators at a Rivals 3 Stripe Camp that took place in May in Piscataway. According to Rivals, “Garwo has that short, stocky running back build that is a common sight in the NFL with guys like Ray Rice and Doug Martin. That low center of gravity can sometimes be an aid with change of direction, and that is certainly the case for Garwo.” In addition to the aforementioned schools, Garwo has received offers from Temple, Syracuse, Wisconsin and Virginia.

Dwayne Majors >> A 6-foot, 260-pound junior, Majors is a bruiser at fullback and defensive tackle. An absolute strongman who can bench 340 pounds, Majors could pick up the spot vacated by Baines on the D-line. Last year, Majors earned second team All-PCL honors on defense. Offensively, he carried the ball 27 times for 113 yards.

Father Judge

Tim Weldon >> Part of a three-man rushing attack with Katob Joseph and Ryan Jakeman, Weldon will try to top a season where he rushed for 711 yards and 12 touchdowns.

Mark Maguire >> As a returning starter in the middle, linebacker surrounded by loads of fresh faces, it will fall on MaGuire to keep things organized on defense.

 

Lansdale Catholic

Mike Dutkiewicz >> Dutkiewicz steps into his first season as the starting quarterback, replacing two-year starter Mike Basilli. At 6-foot-4, he’s got good size for the position but will also be breaking in a couple of new receiving targets. If he’s able to develop chemistry quickly, it will help open things up for LC’s run attack

PJ O’Connor >> A returning starter on both sides of the ball, O’Connor fits into the mix at linebacker after playing a couple spots on defense, including safety, last season. The senior is entering the season trying to get an injured hamstring right, but is a crucial part of LC’s defense. A rangy athlete, he adds quickness and sure tackling to the veteran linebacker unit.

 

La Salle

Isaiah Jones >> Jones hopes to be all the way back from his knee injury. “I know if I play tentatively it will happen again. We have the guys, the will and the confidence and hopefully it will all pay off with a date in Hershey.”

Garrett Zobel  >> Defensive End. “For me, I got over last season right away. I struggled with it a couple of days, but then I went right into wrestling, so I was able to forget about it pretty quickly.”

 

Roman Catholic

Marquise Cooper, running back >> He has the balance, speed and explosiveness to make him a blue-chip running back. He has good hands out of the backfield and capable of breaking a big run at any time.

Michael Leland, defensive end >> At 6’4 and 245 pounds, Leland has sufficient size and quickness to be a factor on both sides of the ball. He has strong leadership qualities and superb blocking technique in both pass and run situations.

 

St. Joseph’s Prep

Marquez McCray, senior quarterback >> Marquez McCray took the role of first-year starting quarterback for St Joe’s Prep and ran with it in 2016, going 14-0 and winning a state championship.
This season McCray has a year of experience, and expectations are high as always. The dynamic is totally different, as the senior will line up behind an inexperienced offensive line without a running back like D’Andre Swift to hand the ball to. McCray must step up his game for The Prep to have success in 2017. He’s confident, and why not with an undefeated career record.

Ryan Bryce >> The college recruiting process is exciting for any 18-year-old high school student. Particularly when he has the talent to get looks from Division I schools. Ryan Bryce found himself in that position, but decided to go a different route and attend West Point next year.
“If you would have asked me five years ago I wouldn’t have thought about going to West Point, but over the last year the military side kind of intrigued me,” Bryce said. “When they contacted me I didn’t really have to think about it that much. It was always in the back of my mind since last year.”
It also turns out the senior is a heck of a football player, anchoring a defensive line that will be The Prep’s strong suit this season. There will be 10 other kids on defense looking to him this year, which is something Bryce can use for experience. He’ll have a lot more people counting on him in the near future.

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