Football Preview: Lean, mean and experienced, Haverford front will be tough to stop
HAVERFORD >> There is one uncontested fact about the 2021 Haverford High football team: The starting linemen are big and mean.
“We want to get after it, and we know we can be really good,” Mario Tascione said.
The Fords’ four senior linemen, all of whom started on varsity in 2020, are Pete Corcoran (6-4, 260 pounds), Mike McNichols (6-2, 255), Mike Powel (6-2, 285) and Tascione (6-2, 270).
The line is the one area where the Fords should have an advantage over most teams in the Central League. They are positioned to dominate in the trenches.
“We’re all brothers, we’ve all known each other since the eighth and ninth grade,” Corcoran said. “That’s a big reason we feel really good about this year.”
The Fords are looking to build upon 2020’s truncated season in which they finished 4-2 and in fourth place in the Central League.
“We have a great program. Going into the season, now that we’ve been training all summer, I definitely think we’re going to be better,” Tascione added. “It’s working out and training hard. We’ve been doing it every day.”
Luke Dougherty is now the man in charge of the Fords, who for nearly 30 years had been led by Joe Gallagher. Health reasons prompted “Gal” to retire after 29 seasons, opening the door for one of his protégés to take the helm.
Dougherty, whose background includes grooming strong quarterbacks — he was instrumental in Daily Times Player of the Year Trey Blair’s development in 2019 — has high expectations for second-year starter Tommy Wright, who threw for the third-most yards (751) in Delaware County last season with six touchdowns.
“Gal and I both agreed on this last year: If you’re going to have a six-game season, that’s the best opportunity to get a sophomore’s feet wet,” Dougherty said of Wright. “There were no playoffs at the end of the tunnel, it was an isolated, controlled environment. He had moments.
“The big thing about Tommy is he loves the game. He is wide eyed and wants to learn. His lacrosse coaches were calling me in the spring, just letting me know that when their practice ended at 8 o’clock at night, he scurried on the field with four or five receivers every night. He has a group chat and just puts it out, whoever wants to run routes with him, he’ll be on the field, always ready to work hard. He’s just that kind of kid.”
Wright will have some dynamic targets in the passing game, including senior Tommy Caruso, who converted to full-time wide receiver after competing with Wright for the QB spot early on last season.
Top varsity newcomers include seniors Christian Pergolese (RB/DB 5-10, 175) and Sam Appelbaum (WR/CB 5-9, 160), and juniors Ethan Mahan (WR/LB 6-0 175), Jake Snell (RB/SS 5-11, 170), Justin Marciano (LB/TE 6-1, 180), Ben Fleming (WR/CB 6-0, 165), Tyler Rogers (WR/LB 6-1, 165) and Googie Seidman (K 6-1, 155).
Dougherty and his staff are particularly bullish on Mahan’s potential in the receiving game.
“Receiver wise, he’s pretty explosive,” Dougherty said. “He’s an outside guy for us. We did our combine testing (in July), he was our fastest kid in the 40, far and away, and he’s just got great hands. And when Tommy Wright throws to him, Tommy’s a little goofy, he’s got a good sense of humor. Tom throws it to him and says, ‘Why does he do that thing with his body, it’s like he floats and the ball’s coming up to him and it looks unusual.’ That’s because not many kids can do that and it’s a mark of a great receiver and athlete.”
