Delco Football Friday: Moore, Zizza helping Interboro adopt a very defensive posture

GLENOLDEN >> Mike Moore recalls watching Interboro football games in the South Avenue Complex bleachers last season.

“Better to be out here than in the stands,” he said.

Moore’s rapid ascent hasn’t gone unnoticed. A first-year high school player, he’s quickly become one of coach Steve Lennox’s favorite players, alongside fellow defensive end, Anthony Zizza.

“They’re both very good kids, very good football players,” Lennox noted. “They’re both forces at defensive end. They perform very well each week, and they’re both wrestlers, too.”

At some point, the Bucs ran out of space for Moore. Maybe no one anticipated that a wrestler would decide in his junior year to come out for the football squad. Moore doesn’t even have a locker.

“He sits on top of the locker and changes on top,” Lennox said. “He just jumps around. Very, very athletic.”

What’s the deal, Mike?

“A first-year player doesn’t really get a pick of a locker,” Moore said. “I just kind of improvised. There are pads on top of the lockers, so I push them out of the way.”

Zizza, a senior who started playing football once he got to high school, implored Moore to try out for the team last winter.

“We told him during wrestling season, ‘Dude, you should have came out this year.’ He never did,” Zizza said. “So, we got him out this year. He’s showing out, so that’s good.”

Moore played for a number of years in the Prospect Park Termites youth organization. Once he arrived to Interboro, he decided to focus solely on his wrestling career.

“I’m surprising myself,” Moore said. “Each game is different. I just have to stay disciplined.”

Both members of Lennox’s infamous 1300-pound weightlifting club, Moore and Zizza have caused plenty of destruction this season. Moore had six tackles, two sacks and an interception in the Bucs’ victory over Chichester earlier this month. He also rushed for two touchdowns. Moore’s performance helped the Bucs snap a four-game slide.

In last week’s 15-14 decision over Glen Mills, Zizza posted eight tackles, including two for a loss, and a sack. In their last four games, the Bucs have caused six turnovers. Linebackers Ryan Doughty and Brett McLaughlin have flourished as well. Charles “Ox” Harris pounced on a fumble to seal the Bucs’ win over Glen Mills.

Interboro (5-4, 3-1) aims for its fourth consecutive victory Friday night at Academy Park (5-3, 3-1).

“We knew we had to improve our chemistry,” Moore said. “Earlier in the season, we didn’t have that.”

The Bucs have a slim chance to claim a share of the Del Val League title and repeat as champions, but they must take care of business against the Knights, who are coming off a heartbreaking loss to Penn Wood, and hope that Chester upsets Penn Wood Saturday afternoon.

Crazier things have happened.

“The hardest thing about winning the Del Val,” Moore said, “is staying on top.”

“It’s still one of our goals, winning a Del Val championship,” Zizza said. “We have to hope Chester wins and hope that we can come out on top Friday

night.”

The Bucs, though, have long-term plans. They enter the weekend as the fourth and final seed in the District 1 Class 4A playoff rankings. With a win and some help, they can climb to No. 3 and avoid a semifinal round matchup with top-seeded Pottsgrove (9-0). The Bucs fell in overtime to Pottsgrove in last year’s district final.

“We still have a chance at districts. We’re going to try and beat AP this week and hopefully go up in the power rankings,” Zizza said. “Hopefully, we’ll be able to come out on top in districts.”

Academy Park, which is the reigning District 1 Class 5A champ, poses a difficult challenge. Fan can expect a close, drama-filled game whenever the Bucs and Knights clash.

“Biggest game of the year,” Moore said.

Zizza and Moore know the Bucs must contain Knights quarterback Skylor Fillis, who has thrown for 659 yards and 10 touchdowns. He has rushed for 572 yards and eight scores. Kareem Burton is AP’s leading rusher with 782 yards. The Knights also have a slew of speedy wide receivers who can do damage in open space.

“The quarterback likes to run the ball, so we’re going to try to contain him on the outside,” Zizza said.

“And, along with just about every other team we’ve played, they have a lot of speed,” Moore said. “We just have to keep up with it.”

Things were looking bleak for the Bucs midway through the year. Little by little, though, they’re beginning to show what Buc football is all about.

“We’ve really brought up our intensity the last couple of weeks and that’s helped us win games,” Zizza said. “After losing four in a row, we started to pick up our intensity and now we’ve been able to go on a little bit of a winning streak.

“It’s all about attitude. That’s how it starts.”