Lower Bucks kicks off season tonight
Much of the pre-season talk involving the Suburban One National League football teams was about how this year many of them appear stronger.
Football fans will begin finding out just how true that is with eight games involving Lower Bucks County teams set to kick off the scholastic season on Friday night.
ROMAN CATHOLIC (0-0) AT NESHAMINY (0-0), TONIGHT, 7 P.M. » Coming off a monster 11-1 season, look for the Redskins to prevail by a comfortable margin on Heartbreak Ridge. You never want to take a Philadelphia Catholic League team lightly, but the Cahellites are pretty low on the PCL pecking order and graduated a quarterback who completely nearly 130 passes last year. Neshaminy has a new QB as well, but its superior line play will give him time to grow.
PENNSBURY (0-0) AT ACADEMY PARK (0-0), TONIGHT, 7 P.M. » From all reports the Falcons look much better equipped after last year’s lackluster 5-5 campaign. This will certainly be a test. Academy Park was 13-2 last year, a district champion and is 54-11 over the last five years. The Delaware County team, however, plays in a lower classification (5-A) than Pennsbury (6A) and doesn’t play as tough a schedule. Keep an eye to see if Pennsbury’s rebuilt offensive line can get Dan McShane’s spread offense untracked.
CHELTENHAM (0-0) AT COUNCIL ROCK SOUTH (0-0), TONIGHT, 7 P.M. » Rock South won just two games last year, but played a ton of underclassmen in what was basically a rebuilding year. This year’s team will be more physical and should reestablish its ball control wishbone offense. Cheltenham has some weapons in receiver Mason Jones and new QB Jordan Gyabaah, but it was 3-7 a year ago and doesn’t exactly play a rugged schedule. TRUMAN (0-0) AT METHACTON (0-0), TONIGHT, 7 P.M. » There’s a lot of excitement at Truman with a new staff that includes head coach Mike LaPolombara and former Pennsbury head coach Galen Snyder. Truman is now a Wing-T team and can burn the opposition at any moment with the likes of the state’s 200-meter champion Sayyid Saunders. Methacton was 3-8 last year and reportedly doesn’t have much depth.
MORRISVILLE (0-0) AT STEELTON-HIGHSPIRE (0-0), TONIGHT, 7 P.M. » Mo’ville coach Derrick Savage likes what he saw out of his Dawgies in the pre-season, including the continued development of quarterback Felix Feliciano. On the other hand, the Dawgies are on the road and lost to this team, 55-6, in last season’s opener. CONWELL-EGAN (0-0) AT NEW HOPE (0-0), TONIGHT, 7 P.M. » This has the potential to be an interesting game. Obviously, the PCL’s Conwell-Egan plays a tougher schedule and has a highly-recruited D-1 running back in junior Patrick Garwo. New Hope is the defending Bicentennial Athletic League champion and has a good quarterback in Nick Garritano, who has thrown for over 1,000 yards in each of the last three season.
COUNCIL ROCK NORTH (0-0) AT WEST CHESTER EAST (00, TONIGHT, 7 P.M. » The Indians won just one game a year ago, but have a good chance of equaling that total tonight. Although WCE won its first playoff game in a decade last season, it also had a 5-7 record and got hit hard by graduation. This will be the debut of new Rock QB Adam Charen, who is a transfer from Texas. Mike Welde will
rip off some yardage if the Rock North offensive line can open some holes.
BENSALEM (0-0) AT FRANKFORD (0-0), TONIGHT, 7 P.M. » The Owls just missed out on their first playoff berth last season when they dropped a wild one-point heartbreaker to Truman in their season finale. Returning standouts in the backfield included QB Drasaun Moore and speedster Keith Parrish. Frankford used to be a power in the Philadelphia Public League, but has not been as formidable in recent years.