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Suburban One League 2019 Preview and Team-by-Team Breakdowns

[tps_title] Wissahickon Trojans [/tps_title]

Wissahickon’s Nick Santo hands off to Jalen Smalls during a home game in 2017. (MNG file)

Trojans believe they’re up to speed after taking recent lumps

LOWER GWYNEDD >> Wissahickon is aiming to turn its football program around.

The Trojans have finished under .500 every year since posting a 6-4 mark in 2013.

Second year head coach Bruce Fleming believes it’s time to take a step forward.

“This year is really getting to take that next step as a program,” he said. “The program has been down for the past six, seven years. We have stability now as a coaching staff. The next step is — our offseason has changed, guys are more bought in to the weight room, a real family atmosphere with the players and the coaches. Now the next step is having all that transition and show up on the football field Friday nights.”

Wissahickon is looking to improve off of last year, when it finished 1-9 overall and 0-6 in Suburban One League American Conference play.

“I think a positive start for us is getting to that five-win mark,” Fleming said, “and then building from there.”

The Trojans were young during their tough 2018 campaign, which means this year’s team should have plenty of experience.

One of the players with experience is junior quarterback Nick Santo, who’s been playing varsity since he was a freshman.

“He played six games as a freshman, seven games last year as a sophomore,” Fleming said. “Coming into your junior year with 13 varsity starts under your belt is a lot of experience for a guy. He’s stepped up as a leader this offseason and especially during camp so far. We’re starting to see a different side of him. I’m looking forward to see what he can do during the season.”

Protecting Santo will be the strongest unit the Trojans have — their offensive line. They have six juniors that can play up front and help the offense get into rhythm.

The offense wants to be up-tempo. This was the plan last season, too, and they’ve improved at it since.

“Last year, playing a lot of sophomores, it was going through the growing pains of the young guys going through a new system,” Fleming said, “understanding how the tempo of football needs to be played at this level. As the season went on they started to pick it up and understand it. This offseason and throughout the summer we’ve constantly practiced it. We’ve brought up-tempo into our weight room time as well. Everything is on a timer and we’re moving and moving and moving. Guys are really used to the speed and the pace we want to have. It makes it an easier transition onto the practice field coming from the weight room already having that tempo built in.”

The defense is also filled with returning players that have experience in a system that was new in 2018.

“This year the defense is going to be guys really understanding what their role is and what their responsibilities are,” Fleming said. “Last year was a brand new defensive system they had to learn. Now going through an entire year, an entire offseason, everyone really understands their job and their role. I expect to see our guys be a lot more aggressive now that they understand what they have to do and trust in their teammates to make sure they’re doing their job as well.

“We’re pretty athletic at the defensive back position. Linebackers are pretty athletic as well. With high school football it’s always about ‘Do you have the linemen to compete?’ I think playing a lot of young guys last year, some new faces showing up this year, I think we’ll be able to compete very well this year up front.”

DateHomeTime/ResultsAwayLeagueSeasonVenueArticleMatch Day
1986Legacy
2004Boyertown-
2004Upper Merion-
2004Coatesville-
2004Upper Dublin-
2004Phoenixville-
2004Pottsgrove-
2004Conwell-Egan-
2004Spring-Ford-
2004Upper Perkiomen-
2004Lansdale Catholic-
2004Boyertown-
2004Owen J. Roberts-
2004Phoenixville-
2004Lansdale Catholic-
2004Spring-Ford-
2004Upper Merion-
2004Methacton-
2004Perkiomen Valley-
2004Souderton-
2004Norristown-
2004Pottsgrove-
2004Phoenixville-
2004Spring-Ford-
2004Upper Merion-
2004St. Pius X-
2004Methacton-
2004Quakertown-
2004Pottsgrove-
2004Wissahickon-
2004Pottstown-
2004Owen J. Roberts-
2004Lansdale Catholic-
2004Phoenixville-
2004Boyertown-
2004Norristown-
2004Perkiomen Valley-
2004Chichester-
2004Upper Merion-
2004Upper Perkiomen-
2004Methacton-
2004Phoenixville-
2004Phoenixville-
2004Upper Dublin-
2004Central Bucks East-
2004Perkiomen Valley-
2004Pottsgrove-
2004Lansdale Catholic-
2004Upper Moreland-
2004St. Pius X-
2004Council Rock South-
2004Owen J. Roberts-
2004Upper Perkiomen-
2004Pottstown-
2004Central Bucks West-
2004Spring-Ford-
2004Cheltenham-
2004Boyertown-
2004Norristown-
2004Perkiomen Valley-
2004Phoenixville-
2004Upper Perkiomen-
2004Methacton-
2004Upper Merion-
2004Hatboro-Horsham-
2004Spring-Ford-
2004Pottsgrove-
2004Pottstown-
2004Upper Dublin-
2004Lansdale Catholic-
2004Methacton-
2004St. Pius X-
2004Boyertown-
2004Upper Merion-
2004Norristown-
2004Owen J. Roberts-
2004Perkiomen Valley-
2004Pottstown-
2004Upper Perkiomen-
2004Owen J. Roberts-
2004Pottsgrove-
2004Abington-
2004Methacton-
2004Plymouth-Whitemarsh-
2004Wyomissing-
2004Upper Perkiomen-
2004Pottstown-
2004Souderton-
2004Great Valley-
2004Owen J. Roberts-
2004Upper Perkiomen-
2004Spring-Ford-
2004Pottsgrove-
2004Upper Merion-
2005Boyertown-
2005Norristown-
2005Perkiomen Valley-
2005Great Valley-
2005Radnor-
2005Pottstown-
2005Souderton-
2005Upper Perkiomen-
2005Methacton-
2005Boyertown-
2005Norristown-
2005Upper Merion-
2005Owen J. Roberts-
2005Pottsgrove-
2005Spring-Ford-
2005St. Pius X-
2005Wyomissing-
2005Pottsgrove-
2005Quakertown-
2005Owen J. Roberts-
2005Pottstown-
2005Upper Perkiomen-
2005Methacton-
2005Cheltenham-
2005Plymouth-Whitemarsh-
2005Norristown-
2005Upper Merion-
2005Perkiomen Valley-
2005Pottstown-
2005Lansdale Catholic-
2005Boyertown-
2005Wissahickon-
2005William Tennent-
2005Phoenixville-
2005Pottsgrove-
2005St. Pius X-
2005Cheltenham-
2005Spring-Ford-
2005Owen J. Roberts-
2005Norristown-
2005Perkiomen Valley-
2005Upper Perkiomen-
2005Pottstown-
2005Upper Merion-
2005Methacton-
2005Norristown-
2005Owen J. Roberts-
2005Pottsgrove-
2005Boyertown-
2005Methacton-
2005Phoenixville-
2005Lansdale Catholic-
2005Upper Merion-
2005Perkiomen Valley-
2005Upper Moreland-
2005Souderton-
2005Plymouth-Whitemarsh-
2005Owen J. Roberts-
2005Lansdale Catholic-
2005Upper Perkiomen-
2005St. Pius X-
2005Boyertown-
2005Norristown-
2005Upper Merion-
2005Upper Perkiomen-
2005Perkiomen Valley-
2005Spring-Ford-
2005Pottstown-
2005Central Bucks West-
2005Central Bucks South-
2005Perkiomen Valley-
2005Phoenixville-
2005Spring-Ford-
2005Boyertown-
2005Methacton-
2005Lansdale Catholic-
2005Boyertown-
2005Spring-Ford-
2005Downingtown West-
2005Strath Haven-
2005Hatboro-Horsham-
2005Pottstown-
2005Upper Perkiomen-
2005West Chester Henderson-
2005Souderton-
2005Pottstown-
2005Phoenixville-
2005St. Pius X-
2005Boyertown-
2006Muhlenberg-
2006Northeast-
2006Upper Merion-
2006Upper Dublin-
2006Phoenixville-
2006Pottsgrove-
2006Spring-Ford-
2006Lansdale Catholic-
2006William Allen-
2006Lansdale Catholic-
2006West Chester East-
2006Perkiomen Valley-
2006Phoenixville-
2006Wyomissing-
2006Upper Perkiomen-
2006Methacton-
2006Archbishop Carroll-
2006Norristown-
2006Upper Merion-
2006Spring-Ford-
2006Perkiomen Valley-
2006Phoenixville-
2006Boyertown-
2006Souderton-
2006Methacton-
2006Central Bucks East-
2006Wissahickon-
2006Downingtown West-