Noble Pursuit: Downingtown East junior ready to contribute for Cougars’ D

UWCHLAN >> Downingtown East head football coach, Mike Matta, says a lot of flattering things about junior Connor Noble. But one anecdotal story really exemplifies his love for the game and his team-first approach.

In early summer workouts, Matta was concerned about finding a long snapper and let his team know that auditions would soon take place. Later that day after practice, he saw Noble all alone working on a brand new skill.

“Connor is over there teaching himself how to do it,” Matta said. “That’s the kind of guy he is. He is a team player.”

When asked about it, Noble acknowledged that it wasn’t a particularly fruitful endeavor, and that he will not be the Cougars’ long snapper this season.

But he also said: “It’s a team thing at Downingtown East, so I just figured that I’d give it a shot.”

The son of a former Penn State standout and NFL veteran, Noble will begin the second half of his burgeoning high school career on Friday when Downingtown East opens the 2018 season at home against Plymouth-Whitemarsh. Already regarded as the top tight end in the Ches-Mont and the county, Noble will also play on defense this season for the first time.

“We didn’t play him on defense because he was just a sophomore and we didn’t want to burden him too much,” Matta said. “But he is so good in space and so physical, we thought that this would be a good opportunity to play linebacker in certain circumstances.”

And here is the kicker: the 17-year-old from Chester Springs could wind up being even more valuable as a defender. His dad, Brandon Noble, was a defensive tackle with the 49ers, Cowboys and Redskins in the NFL. And his uncle, Clay Mathews is a six-time Pro Bowl linebacker for the Green Bay Packers.

“My uncle plays it and my dad played defense. I just wanted to give it a shot,” Noble pointed out.

“I will rotate in at weak side linebacker, but I will primarily be a tight end. On defense, you have to adapt faster and you have to play angrier.”

As a full time starter in 2017, Noble was primarily a blocking tight end (he caught just 11 catches for 156 yards). But he still earned first team All-Area and All-Conference as three Cougars’ runners – Brassier Stocker, Tim Aivado and Garvey Jonassaint – each rushed for more than 1,000 yards.

“I did not expect that at all because I only had 11 catches all year,” Noble acknowledged. “But blocking made up for that. It’s fun blocking for three great runners.”

At 6-foot-2, 205-pounds, Noble isn’t a prototypical Division I tight end prospect like former Cougars Tyler Kroft (6-6, 240) and Cary Angeline (6-7, 254).But he fits right in as the latest in a long line of outstanding tight ends at Downingtown East under Matta.

“You can’t go wrong being a tight end here,” Noble said.

In addition to Kroft (who went to Rutgers and is now with the NFL’s Cincinnati Bengals) and Angeline (who recently transferred from Southern Cal to North Carolina State), the list also includes Alec Coyle-Nicolas (Harvard), Evan Byrd (Holy Cross) and Eddie Matta (Moravian).

“We’ve had a lot of really good tight ends – it’s been a good position for us,” Matta said. “Noble fits right in with that group. He’s not as long as Cary and Tyler, but he catches the ball every bit as good, and he carries himself in the same humble but commanding way.

“He is a great blocker and he has great hands. We see flashes of greatness every day in practice. We see things we can’t believe. He makes catches every day that would be a highlight reel on ESPN.”

Noble may still be growing, and he has the frame to add some bulk, but is hasn’t been an easy proposition. Matta says he has long arms and high hips, but he also has a high metabolism.

“I am extremely skinny,” Noble admitted. “I try to eat a bunch but the pounds don’t come easily.

“In the off-season at one point, it was 5,000-6,000 calories a day. I am eating every two hours, and my dad makes a protein shake for me every day.”

Adding linebacker duties for 2018 was something Noble was all for, and Matta believes it will certainly help the team and also could help Noble down the road.

“I think coach (Matta) wants to help me out because I’m a smaller tight end, so linebacker would be the ideal position for me in college,” Noble said. “I love playing linebacker and I think I’ll turn out to be a linebacker later on. I don’t think I’ll grow to be 6-5.”

It’s predictably a move that got the green light from his uncle Clay, who was the NFL’s Defensive Player of the Year in 2010, and his dad, who played professionally from 1997-2005.

“My uncle sends me cleats and gloves and stuff,” Noble said. “He is fun to have around. He is smart and very good at what he does.”

And according to Noble, he works out with his father “for defensive stuff” a couple times a week. After retiring from the NFL, Brandon Noble has been an assistant coach at places like Temple and Coastal Carolina – and he also had two stints under Bill Zwaan at West Chester.

“I used to go to all of the (WCU) games and practices too,” Connor recalled. “I remember seeing the older players and thinking, ‘I want to be just like them.’”

He had an early introduction to football, and it’s been a love affair ever since. Noble watches college and pro football every weekend, plays football video games on his X-Box, and his work ethic at Downingtown East is already legend.

“I’ve never really been into other sports – it’s always been football for me,” he said.

“Connor is a gem,” Matta said. “The only thing with him is we have to slow him down. He would stay an hour after a good hard practice to catch balls. Now that he’s playing linebacker, he is always coming up to me and asking to watch film and asking a lot of questions.

“His future is somewhere in college – don’t know where. But I do think being a linebacker gives him another option. Some schools are looking for long guys for tight end, and some don’t even want tight ends.”

Pete’s Picks

The highly anticipated start to the 2018 high school football season commences. And the slate is full of nonleague games.

Every area team except West Chester Rustin and Malvern Prep swing into action, so let’s take a look at some of the interesting opening weekend nonleague games.

Rustin and Malvern will open play next weekend.

Kennett at Avon Grove

In a battle of two teams from the southern part of the county, the Kennett Blue Demons will travel to Avon Grove to take on the Red Devils. Avon Grove is on the upswing in head coach Harry O’Neill’s fourth year at the helm. Last season’s 5-5 record was just the second non-losing season for the Devils since 2009. The Red Devils return most of their linemen from last season and are led by big Connor Long. Kennett will try top take down the Red Devils in new head coach Lance Frazier’s debut as boss. O’Neill was very impressed by Kennett in the Blue Demons’ scrimmage, and he talked about what a challenge the opener will be.

“I watched the Kennett scrimmage and they are very fundamentally sound and physical,” O’Neill said. “They are well coached and have good schemes on both sides of the ball. We will have our hands full again because this is a very tough opener.”

Pick: Avon Grove 28, Kennett 14.

West Chester East at Council Rock North

West Chester East travels to Bucks County to take on a revived C.R. North squad. The Vikings lost a heartbreaker to the Indians in last year’s opener and would like to return the favor. The running game of the Vikings along with senior quarterback Kyle Cassidy have given the Vikings optimism to improve on the 2-8 record of last year. Vikings running back Kyle Cichanowsky will get the bulk of the carries for the Vikings.

“Our guys are very excited to get the season started,” West Chester East head coach Scott Stephen said. “Our guys have put in a ton of work this offseason and we are eager to see how that translates to the field against a big, tough, physical squad like Council Rock North.”

Pick: West Chester East 21, Council Rock North 20.

Downingtown West at Perkiomen Valley

The Whippets face the defending Pioneer Athletic Conference champions, who return most of their team from last year. Downingtown West was wiped out by Perk Valley 38-0 in last year’s opener, but with a veteran squad and superb quarterback Will Howard, the Whippets feel this will be a different season. And why not start against the PAC favorite? Downingtown West head coach Mike Milano feels his defense is much improved over last season.

Pick: Downingtown West 28, Perkiomen Valley 24.

Plymouth-Whitemarsh at Downingtown East

Downingtown East returns four starters on offense and three on defense and should have enough to beat a struggling Colonials program. All you need to know is that the Colonials attempted to drop the Cougars from the schedule for this one. Plymouth-Whitemarsh has gone to a new offense and is running the option right now.
Pick: Downingtown East 31, Plymouth-Whitemarsh 13.

West Chester Henderson at Oxford

Oxford had break out season last year but the Hornets lost all of their skill position players but do return eight defensive starters while West Chester Henderson, under new head coach Stefan Adams is still trying to put together an identity.
Pick: Oxford 28, West Chester Henderson 14.

Unionville at Garnet Valley

Unionville is the defending District 1 Class 5A champion and the Indians always seem to reload. Unionville’s strength is that it is big and physical up front and the squad returns three offensive linemen. But, Garnet Valley, which was the District 1 Class 6A runner-up to Coatesville last season, will be very tough to beat at home.
Pick: Garnet Valley 24, Unionville 21.

Ben Franklin at Bishop Shanahan

Bishop Shanahan is coming off a 7-4 season that saw the Eagles advance to the District 1 Class 5A playoffs. The eagles have now dropped down to the 4A bracket and were hit very hard by graduation. The strong points for Shanahan are at the skill positions. Connor Whalen is the lone returning starter on offense, but head coach Paul Meyers likes his receiving corps. Junior quarterback Charlie Maddocks will take over as Bishop Shanahan signal caller.

Pick: Bishop Shanahan 30, Ben Franklin 13.

Great Valley at Phoenixville

Great Valley has returning senior quarterback Jake Prevost back and Patriots head coach Dan Ellis is very excited about the progress his quarterback has made in the offseason. Josh Burgess is a game breaker for Great Valley and the Patriots should get this road win.

Pick: Great Valley 35, Phoenixville 20.

Owen J. Roberts at Conestoga

After two very disappointing seasons, Conestoga has a new head coach in Matt Diamond and there is optimism around the Pioneer program. Running back Milton Robinson should have a big game against the Wildcats. Robinson is one of the best backs in the Central League and I look for Stoga to take this opener.

Pick: Conestoga 24, Owen J. Roberts 21.

Saturday’s Game

Coatesville at Harrisburg

Coatesville is almost everyone’s pick to repeat as District 1 Class 6A champion, and why not? The Red Raiders are loaded with junior quarterback Ricky Ortega and senior running back Aaron Young forming the most explosive backfield in District 1. Harrisburg was a state semifinalist last season, but the Cougars lost nine starters from the offensive side of the ball. But, the Cougars are, like Coatesville, blessed with a lot of very quick athletes and this should be an interesting track meet type of game.

Pick: Coatesville 42, Harrisburg 27.