MARPLE — After head coach Mike Ewing wrapped up practice Tuesday, Cardinal O’Hara players took a knee as one of the best alums in school history stood before them.
Gerry Feehery, who played in the NFL for the Eagles, Chiefs and Patriots, and a former O’Hara head coach, offered words of encouragement for the 2023 team. With the Lions set to embark on a new season, they couldn’t have asked for a better person to share some last-minute pointers before the team opens the regular season Friday at Springfield.
Team captains Ethan Schulcz, Khalil Epps, Dashawn Foster and Zion Knox absorbed the words that Feehery spoke. The tradition of winning football at O’Hara is not lost on this year’s team.
“It drives us,” said Knox, a senior linebacker/defensive back. “To see our alumni come in every week and talk to us, telling us how it should be, it gets us going.”
“It’s motivation,” said Epps, a junior wide receiver/defensive back. “To see the alumni come back and speak to us, I feel like that pumps a lot of guys up.”
In Ewing’s second year at the helm the Lions expect to have a far better season than last, when they finished with a 1-9 record. Its doesn’t hurt to have Gerry Feehery around to push them back in a winning direction, while competing in the ultra-competitive Catholic League Blue Division.
“We have energy and the drive to win,” said Epps, who had 30 receptions for 396 yards and four TDs last year. “We’ve been down for a couple of years and everybody’s got that in the back of their minds. Now it’s time to get back and start the program right in Year 2.”
Schulcz (21 catches, 198 yards, two TDs) and Epps are the returning weapons in the passing game. The Lions have a very impressive, young quarterback in John Welde who was among the top passers in Delco last fall with 1,370 yards and a 60.7 completion percentage.
“He’s a really good quarterback, especially for only being a sophomore,” Schulcz said. “Over the offseason we got a lot of work in running routes and stuff. I think our offense has really come together since last year and I think we are really building it.”
The Lions have plenty of offensive weapons at their disposal. Foster is part of a committee of talented running backs that includes senior Keon Powell and sophomore Sidique Kamara.
Senior wide receiver/defensive back Michael Kutufaris and junior tight end/linebacker John Brown have important roles on in both sides of the ball.
Sophomore Nate Kutufaris, an All-Catholic League selection last season, will lead the offensive line at left tackle.
“Incredibly smart football player that is getting the attention of the Ivy League schools,” Ewing said.
Ewing is looking forward to seeing the growth of Kamara, who started every game last year at middle linebacker. Brown is “one of our best opening tacklers” at outside linebacker, Ewing said. Powell will start in the defensive secondary. The St. Joseph’s Prep transfer is garnering interest from Division I programs. First-year starter Colin Culp, a senior two-way lineman, returns after missing all of last year due to injury.
“Having four really good captains who have bought in and have taken over the role of corralling the troops, so to speak, it helps everything,” Ewing said. “It’s definitely been a huge leap from (years) one to two.”
