Pennsbury footballers taking the next step

FAIRLESS HILLS – Pennsbury quarterback Mike Alley had a list of places he was looking to play for in college, in the end, he followed a long line of Falcons who have taken their game to the Golden Rams

Brandon Pepper only recently wrapped up a four year career at West Chester. Former Pennsbury receiver Steve Miller (WCU: Class of 2010) played there. Running back Jackson Fagan (2012) was a dual threat and two-time All-PSAC East selection for the Golden Rams in 2008 and again in 2010. Heck, even new head coach Dan McShane played his college football at West Chester.

After looking at Kutztown, Lehigh, Bucknell and Monmouth, Alley also wanted to go to West Chester.

“It’s a great fit for me; the coaches are awesome and they have a winning program like Pennsbury,” said Alley. That was important to me to not only to go to a great school athletically but also academically.”

“I thought West Chester was that place.”

Former skipper Galen Snyder agrees.

“I think West Chester is a great choice for Mike,” said Snyder. “He fits in real well there.

“They have a really good program and they are getting a really good player.”

Alley was certainly a good fit for the Falcons.

“Mike has done a great job for us,” said Coach Snyder. “He’s played as well at quarterback as anybody in the area.

“He’s been a great leader for our team and we’ve done a lot of winning with Mike at the helm.

There’s a long-time connection between the Golden Rams and the Falcons. One of WCU’s current recruiters is defensive back coach Gerald Toney, a former Morrisville Bulldog who played in the Bucks County Senior all-star game alongside coach Snyder.

“We’ve always had some guys who wanted to play there and they’ve done well,” said Snyder.

Alley believes he is ready to play in the PSAC East Conference. Playing his last two years of high school football under former skipper Galen Snyder has prepared him well, he says.

“Anybody that plays Pennsbury football will tell you it’s not easy,” said Alley “Practices are hard, camp is hard but it prepares you to have that winning mentality for the next level.”

After playing at Conwell-Egan Catholic, Alley transferred to Pennsbury in the fall of 2014, in time to lead the Falcons to a District 1 Class AAAA championship. Last fall, Alley, a duel threat at 6-4, 230 pounds, threw for 14 touchdowns this season, and carried the football for another 1,154 yards while reaching the end zone 15 times on the ground.

LUKE SNYDER TO KUTZTOWN

Luke Snyder also looked at West Chester along with Shippensburg but says his heart belonged to Kutztown.

“I always knew I was going to go to Kutztown,” said Snyder, who will play linebacker for the Golden Bears.

“I just like their grittiness – the players, the team and the coaches. They’re awesome; I love them Coach Pennypacker, Coach Clemens.”

“Everything about Kutztown, I felt like it fit me.”

Playing inside linebacker, Snyder led Pennsbury in tackles the past two seasons. Luke has good memories playing for the Falcons.

“Playing my heart out every single game and playing for my dad which was a pretty cool experience that not a lot of people get to do.”

“It was a little different because my dad is the coach. He pushed me to my limit, which I think will help me in college.”

Of course, Luke’s favorite memory was getting past Coatesville in the 2014 district championship game, especially winning the battle on defense by stopping the Red Raiders on the goal line as they attempted to mount a game-winning drive in the closing moments of the title clash.

“That was awesome; It was a total team effort,” said Luke. “Everyone came in and busted the line and got that fourth-down stop.

“It was pretty cool.”

Snyder played on both sides of the ball at Pennsbury but after playing fullback his junior year, dad asked him to play a wing position for his senior campaign. It was a job that came with added responsibilities.

“He’s been a standout on defense for us for two years,” said Coach Snyder. “This past year, he did a great job for us on both sides of the ball – blocking and catching the ball out of the backfield.”

Snyder – Luke, not the coach – says he hopes to get onto the field on a regular basis by his sophomore season. Currently, the Golden Bears have at least two inside linebackers ahead of Snyder on the depth chart.

Redshirt freshman Tajier Jefferson was the 2015 PSAC East Freshman of the Year and a First Team All-PSAC East selection after notching 70 tackles (39 solo), 16 for a loss and 3-and-a-half sacks.

Junior linebacker and team’s leading tackler Zack Delp (84 tackles, 42 solo) was a Second Team All-PSAC East selection will return to the Bears lineup to complete a four-year career at KU. Snyder might also have to compete for a spot with a familiar face in former Neshaminy linebacker Denny Lord, who played in nine games for the Bears last season.