Plymouth Whitemarsh out for revenge in ‘15

WHITEMARSH — The Plymouth Whitemarsh football team lost a lot of players from its 2014 squad that finished second in the Suburban One League American Conference with a 6-1 record in the league and 7-3 mark overall.

The Colonials lone blemish on its SOL American record was a wild, last-minute loss to Upper Dublin, 34-28, that ended a 25-game winning streak in conference play. Upper Dublin finished the year with a perfect league record and took home the title.

PW head coach Dan Chang is working with an inexperienced – but hardworking – group this year and, despite that, expects to improve on the 2014 season.

“Every year it is our goal to win the league,” Chang said. “Last year we were very close – we lost a pretty close and tough game to Upper Dublin. We just have to take care of business every week. We are going to go in, take it week-by-week and hopefully by the time we get to Upper Dublin (Oct. 16 at Plymouth Whitemarsh) we are both undefeated and we get a great game.”

PW’s offense is going to be built around its running game and running back Nafeese Nasir. The senior ball carrier is coming off a season in which he ran for more than 1,300 yards.

“We expect Nafeese to be a pretty big factor in our offense,” Chang said. “He is a speed guy who can make you miss, but he is also a guy who can lower his shoulder and get some tough yards as well.”

Aside from Nasir, the offense is only returning its fullback and tight end. The star halfback will be running behind five new offensive linemen and will be receiving handoffs from junior quarterback Anthony Mirabile, who saw a little bit of varsity action in 2014.

The Colonials bring back a few more starters on defense, led by linebacker Christian Jones, cornerback Khan Jamal and free safety Nasir.
“We lost a lot of seniors last year so we lost a lot of experience,” Chang said, “but we have got some young guys ready to fill their shoes and we have got some athletes out there on defense this year who can really move around.”

To keep up with a veteran Upper Dublin team in the SOL American race, Chang and the Colonials will need to grow up fast and hit the ground running in 2015.

Top Photo: Plymouth Whitemarsh’s Vinnie Martina tries to get past Daniel Margulies on Tuesday, Aug. 18, 2015. (Adrianna Hoff/—The Times Herald)