Football Preview: Foley, fellow Marple Newtown blockers in line for rebuild
NEWTOWN SQUARE >> As Brian Foley leads the Marple Newtown linemen through drills, the senior is cognizant of the weight of the past. Last year’s group in the trenches led the way to an unbeaten regular season and a berth in the Central League championship game.
Unfortunately for Foley, that legacy is all that’s left.
Foley is one of those tasked with creating a new Tigers line out of whole cloth, a challenge both daunting and exciting.
“We had an amazing line last year, a lot of great guys, a lot of great leaders, and I feel like that kind of shadows over us as we try to step into our new line and try to build that together,” Foley said. “I would say we’re using that as motivation. A lot of young guys are stepping up. We’re forming a brotherhood on the line.”
The brotherhood will have plenty to block for. But how that group up front develops may define whether the Tigers can build on last year’s success.
The losses are heavy, led by stalwarts Ryan Lain and Johnnie Ebert. Their dominance on the way to a 5-1 mark in 2020 meant many of their understudies are short on playing time.
Foley is one. Damien Bogsch has experience on the defensive side of the ball that will likely need to be conveyed to the O-line, while Tyler Fields, Gavin Garbutt, Tasi Kosmatos and Nate Nguyen are all seniors with opportunities to state their cases but little seasoning.
Coupled with replacing quarterback Joey Paoletti, this year’s Tigers will look plenty different.
It’s not the first time, though, that Marple has faced this dilemma. Coach Chris Gicking is 51-27 in seven seasons in charge, returning the program to perennial relevance in the Central League. He’s done that by ushering in multiple generations of standouts, and the line rotation this offseason is no different.
The veterans of 2020 bequeathed lessons in leadership that Foley and company are building around, but this year’s unit has the chance to develop a unique identity.
Most of the players they’ll block for know the deal. Charlie Box is set for his third season as a game-breaking running back. Eric McKee, Jonny Small and Michael Schumacher present proven threats in the passing game, and baseball All-Delco Owen Mathes will step in at tight end to continue the family lineage of multi-sport excellence.
Who will deliver those passes remains a mystery via a multi-person competition. Matt Cantwell is among the options, as is Bryan Bogan, but Gicking has in the past not been shy about sharing snaps.
The veteran returnees are aware of the deficit they face sans Paoletti, and it’s bred an ethos of hard work in a large senior class to help bring along the younger players.
“It’s definitely hard replacing someone like that,” Small said. “But young guys are stepping up. Everyone’s competing for a position. Everyone competes every day, and whoever gets a position is going to be the best fit for our team.”
“As a team overall, we do seem inexperienced with the young guys, but those guys like Charlie and Eric, who had the time on the field, who had the experience, it just helps a lot for us,” Foley said. “They give us advice, they tell us what it’s like and they lead by example through their play.”
The Tigers won’t have much time to get their bearings. They open down the shore against Collingswood (N.J.) before trips to Strath Haven and Garnet Valley, which ran away from Marple in the title game last November.
Last year’s squad was defined by its grit in close games, with three wins by a single score. The identity for this year’s squad is to be determined. To Foley, that’s an opportunity to craft it as they see fit.
“Sitting behind those guys for a few years, it’s finally our time to step up and make this team how we want it to be,” he said. “A lot of guys over the offseason were working, putting in all the work, and it’s reflecting on the field. It’s great what we can do here.”
