Monday, November 1, 2010

Meet the Steel-High Steamrollers

The Rollers are the likely third seed.

The Steel-High Steamrollers head into the final game of the season against District 11 power Schuylkill Haven with a 6-3 record.
The Rollers play in the Capital Division of the Mid-Penn Conference with the likes of Middletown, East Pennsboro, Trinity, Palmyra, Milton Hershey, Boiling Springs, Susquenita and Camp Hill.
The Capial Division, now including some Class AAA schools, is probably the toughest small school divisions in the state. The teams coming out of this division, who make the playoffs are battled tested.
The only common opponent is Boiling Springs. The Bub, Bub, Bubblers beat both the Tide and Rollers this season.
Rob Deibler is in his 12th season as Roller coach. He has back-to-back state titles to his credit and a bucket full of district titles. They didn't make the finals last year, losing in the first round to Millersburg.
Columbia has played the Rollers four times in the playoffs, the last being in 2008, which was a 39-6 Roller win. Other Roller wins over the Tide were (26-18, 1999), (35-7, 2000) and (33-7, 2005). Other teams on the Roller card that the Tide have lost to in the playoffs are Halifax, Trinity and Camp Hill.
There are two former Columbia players on the Roller coaching staff -- Tom Sherk and Tony Fillmore.
The best way to describe the Rollers in 2010 is young and athletic. As many as 14 freshmen are on the Roller roster, so their best football might just be next year and the year after. The Rollers can score and seem to be getting their defensive house in order, giving up 33 points in the last three weeks after giving up 209 the first six weeks of the season.
Talent-wise, there are a numberof great athletes.
QB Max Ward is 86-172-6, 1,439 yards and 10 scores. Clayton McNair is the leadaing rusher with 1,342 yards and 20 scores. JC Brandt is the top receiver with 41 catches for 725 yards and five scores and the list goes on.
A couple of freshman key the trenches with some juniors.
2010 Scores
SH 33, Halifax 22
SH 33, Middletown 7
East Pennsboro 56, SH 35
Trinity 53, SH 7
SH 36, Palmyra 26
SH 45, Milton Hershey 35
Boiling Springs17, SH 12
SH 47, Camp Hill 14
SH 28, Susquenita 2
This Week: Schuylkill Haven

Meet the York Catholic Fighting Irish

York Catholic is the probable second seed.
The Fighting Irish of York Catholic head into the final regular season game of the 2010 with a 6-3 record with its losses to Kennard-Dale by a 21-15 score; unbeaten Littlestown by a 41-6 score and in overtime to Delone Catholic, 20-19.
The Fighting Irish play in Division III of the York-Adams League with Farifield, Hanover, Littlestown, Biglerville, Delone, Eastern, York Tech and York Suburban.
Eastern is the only common opponent betwen the two. Columbia opened the season with a win over the Knights, while YC scored a 60-27 win over the Knights two weeks ago. Columbia did scrimmage Hanover and Suburban, while York Catholic scrimmaged Lancaster Catholic.
The Irish and Columbia have never played in football.
JD Martin is the Irish coach,
Key players are QB Adam Sentz, a two-year starter at the position.This season, Sentz has passed for 766 and is 46-84-4 with 190 scoring strikes. The top rusher is Matt Lehr, 116-784 and he is a sophomore. Fullback Nick Full is a load. Other players to watch are Christian Bohn, the team's leading receiver and Patrick Montgomery.
On defense, the Irish return eight starters.
2010 Scores
Kennard-Dale 21,York Catholic 15
York Catholic 33, Bermudian 6
York Catholic 50, Fairfield 7
York Catholic 24, Hanover 0
Littlestown 41, York Catholic 6
York Catholic 48, Biglerville 6
Delone Catholic 20, York Catholic 19 (OT)
York Catholic 60, Eastern 27
York Catholic 42, York Tech 7
This Week: York Suburban

Meet the Reading Holy Name Blue Jays

Holy Name is the probable top seed in the Class A playoffs.
Reading Holy Name heads into the final regular season game of the 2010 with a 7-2 record with its only loss to Shenadoah Valley, a District 11 Class A team in week two. The other loss was to Exeter in week three by a 48-12 score. Exeter is a Class 4-A team.
The Blue Jays play in Division II of the Berks Inter-County League, along with Wyomissing, Exeter, Schuylkill Valley, Hamburg, Fleetwood and Kutztown.
There are no common opponents between the Tide and Blue Jays, although Fleetwood and Hamburg played teams in Section 3. In 2001, Columbia crushed Holy Name, 48-7 in the opening round of the Class A playoffs.
Rick Keeley is in his 22nd year as Holy Name coach.
Key players are RB/KR Freddy Caruso, who is 15th in Berks County with
748 yards on the ground on 102 carries and he has scored 11 touchdowns. The QB is Brian Elfie, who is 67-128-2 for the season with 18 touchdown passes. The Holy Name backfield is completed by Danny Christian who is also the team's top receiver with 18 catches for 289 yards. Caruso is also the team's top receiver with 29 catches for 521 yards.
Up front, key players are Tim Laser and Caleb Miller.
On defense, the Blue Jays are a plus 25 in takeaways this season.
Key players are DE Cooper Kutz and Pietro Gaspari, both freshman, along tackle Jose Fernandez, LB Anthony Meridiande and DBs Tom Natola and Marcus Leaf.
2010 Scores
Holy Name 49, Pope John Paul 21
ShenadoahValley 19, Holy Name 8
Exeter 48, Holy Name 14
Holy Name 27, Schuylkill Valley 23
Holy Name 28, Hamburg 14
Holy Name 40, Fleetwood 2
Holy Name 34, Kutztown 20
Holy Name 36, Wyomissing 14
Holy Name 20, Blue Mountain 14 (OT)
This Week: Reading Central Catholic

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