Academy Park, Chichester about to go all lime green
Academy Park will host a “Go Lime” game to benefit the HEADstrong Foundation when Del Val League rival Chichester comes to town Friday night. All ticket sales will go to HEADstrong’s mission of improving lives impacted by cancer.
Based in Ridley, the foundation was founded by Nick Colleluori, who died in 2006 after battling non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. Colleluori was a three-sport athlete at Ridley High and played college lacrosse at Hofstra University.
The Knights will wear lime green HEADstrong shoelaces, towels and armbands during Friday’s contest against Chi.
“Every game, we tell our players they are playing for something bigger than themselves: their school, community and family,” said Academy Park football coach Jason Vosheski, a Ridley alum. “We wanted to help in any way we can, and the HEADstrong Foundation is as good a cause as we can think of. We currently have a player on our team who has some family members going through cancer, and it seemed like a natural progression for Academy Park to team up with HEADstrong to help get our names out there.”
Since 2010, a HEADstrong facility in Ridley Township known as “Nick’s House” has provided a rent-free home to guests undergoing cancer treatment at nearby medical
MATT SMITH’S SUPER 7
1. Garnet Valley (6-0)
2. Haverford (5-1)
3. Penn Wood (5-1)
4. Academy Park (5-1)
5. Springfield (5-1)
6. Episcopal Academy (3-1)
7. Radnor (5-1)
facilities.
For more about the HEADstrong Foundation or to donate, visit headstrong.org.
••• Garnet Valley coach Mike Ricci heaped praise on Danny Bradley for his performance in last Friday’s win over Springfield.
Bradley, who recently was given an expanded role in Ricci’s option-based offense, ran for 115 yards and the only touchdown of the game. He also executed a fake punt run and averaged
33 yards on five boots. It’s worth noting, the Jags have been so effective offensively they had punted only once before last Friday.
In addition to his play on offense and special teams, Bradley was stellar in the defensive secondary.
•••
It’s believed that no Delaware County player has ever done what Upper Darby’s Marson Weh accomplished in a 15-13 win over Martin Luther King High last Friday.
Weh intercepted MLK quarterbacks not once, twice or thrice ... but four times.
One of Weh’s picks was returned 86 yards for a touchdown. In addition to his exploits in the secondary, the fleet-footed senior has been one of the most productive receivers in the county with 435 yards. His
36.3 yards-per-catch is tops in Delco among players with at least 10 receptions.
The Royals overcame a sluggish performance against MLK and Weh was a big reason for the win. They can thank the fact that MLK coughed the ball up seven times, including five interceptions thrown by two quarterbacks.
MLK attempted a twopoint conversion in the fourth quarter, aiming to tie the score, but inexplicably called a double reverse that was sniffed out wonderfully by UD’s Dezhan Peterson.
That’s Public League coaching for you ...
•••
One of the biggest concerns for Springfield’s coaching staff headed into the season was lack of experience on the offensive line. The Cougars graduated all five starters on the line from last year’s Central League championship team.
The unit was constantly under duress in the Cougars’ 6-0 defeat to Garnet Valley last Friday. Head coach Chris Britton wants to see better run blocking and pass protection for senior quarterback Jack Psenicska, who was sacked five times against Garnet Valley.
“These are guys who will all be back next year and they’re working through it,” Britton said. “They’re getting their experience now. We’re halfway through (the season) and they’re starting to get it now, but it’s time to develop overall and keep getting better.”
••• Academy Park quarterback Skylor Fillis was named weekly MVP of the Del Val League after completing 13 of 18 pass attempts for 166 yards and two TDs in the Knights’
40-13 rout of Interboro. Fillis added 89 yards and two scores on the ground.
Other weekly honors went to: Academy Park’s Barry Brown (receiver), Chester’s Tylee WilliamsClark (defensive line), Chichester’s Antonio Perez (defensive back) and Zach Taylor (specialist), Interboro’s Mike Moore (running back), and Penn Wood’s Keivon Stevens (Penn Wood).
•••
JULZ KELLY WATCH >> The Sun Valley senior had his second six-touchdown game of the season last Friday night (five rushing, one receiving) and also threw for a score ... because he’s just that darn good.
Kelly has 22 touchdowns
(19 rushing, two receiving, one kick return) and needs 15 to tie the county’s single-season record. Isaiah Bruce of Upper Darby scored 37 touchdowns in
2015. Sun Valley plays at least five more games, six if it makes the district playoffs, so Kelly is very much on track to make history.
••• DISTRICT 1 POWER RANKINGS >> How competitive are the 6A standings right now? No.2-ranked Garnet Valley is one of five 6-0 teams jockeying for position with North Penn (No.
1), Downingtown West (No.
3), Downingtown East (No.
4) and last year’s champion Coatesville (No. 5).
Meanwhile, Haverford and Upper Darby, both 5-1, are eighth and 11th, respectively. Over in Class 5A, 5-1 squads Penn Wood, Radnor and Springfield occupy the top three places. Academy Park (5-1) is fifth and Chichester (3-2) is 10th.
Three Delco teams with
.500 records (Strath Haven, Marple Newtown, Sun Valley) are 12th, 13th and
14th. Despite its 2-4 record, Interboro would be a playoff team today as it sits in 16th place.
•••
MOVING THE CHAINS >> Inter-Ac League competition begins next weekend. Episcopal Academy (3-1) returns from a bye week to host undefeated Salesianum (Del.) this Friday, while Haverford School (2-2) is off this weekend . ... Interboro has allowed
42.3 points per game in its four losses . ... Ridley running back Elijah Yakpasuo is averaging 9.4 yards per carry in his last two games . ... Radnor quarterback Sean Mullarkey is tops in Delco in efficiency rating (174.33) and completion percentage (65.6) . ... Penn Wood’s Desman Johnson
(1,316) and Haverford’s Jake Ruane (1,066) are the Delco quarterbacks to eclipse the
1,000-yard plateau. Chester’s Tahree Fuller-Bryan is sitting on 999 yards.