SEPTEMBER RANTS ON THE CHES-MONT

by Paul Sarpen

Downingtown East (4-1, 0-0)- has been looking good the first half of the season, against good competition. William Tennent was a playoff qualifier last season in quad a in 2004, returned most of their team this season, and got soundly pounded by Downingtown East. The only team with a losing record that the Cougars have played is Elizabethtown. Interboro is a good AAA team in District One, who also was soundly pounded by Downingtown East. Downingtown East's only loss is to unbeaten Malvern Prep. What impressed me about Downingtown East, is that they beat Tennent without star quarterback Pat Devlin.

Up next for the Cougars are two Ches-Mont League tests against rivals Downingtown West, and at Coatesville. Win both games, and the Cougars have an inside track to the Ches-Mont Crown and a good seed in the District One playoffs. This will be the first time that Downingtown East and West went into the "Battle of Downingtown" that both teams go into the game with above .500 records (East is 4-1, West 3-2)

Coatesville (4-1, 1-0)- I got to see the Red Raiders week one against Archbishop Carroll. Coatesville will have a winning season this year, but a Ches-Mont title might be expecting too much. Star running back Clinton (CJ) Gray is a bit banged up (ankle injury), and has has had to get 25-35 carries to get the yardage he got on 10-15 carries the last 2 seasons. I have been impressed with CJ's durability, despite being banged up.

Coatesville's only loss came to Bethlehem Catholic, in a game which CJ Gray sat out due to a team-issued suspension, for skipping a Labor Day practice. Besides Bethlehem Catholic, Coatesville has not been tested, as all of their wins came against teams with losing records: Archbishop Carroll (1-3 going into week 5 games), JP McCaskey (2-3), Conestoga Valley (0-5), and Bishop Shanahan (1-4). Glen Mills, their week 6 opponent, also has a sub-.500 record (2-3).

Coatesville might be tested against Glen Mills, depending on what Glen Mills team shows up. I see their first test being October 14th, when Downingtown East come into CAMPS.

Downingtown West (3-2, 0-0)- I am not sure what to think of Downingtown West yet. They lost to two teams superior to them in their first two games (Allentown Central Catholic, and Middletown). The Middletown game was brutal for the Whippets, as they were gashed for 500 yards of offense. But three weak teams proved a remedy for a wounded animal. They defeated Chester (24-6), Ephrata (49-21), and Solanco (41-14) soundly, none of those teams being remotely good. I can see them finishing third or fourth in the Ches-Mont League. They should beat Bishop Shanahan and West Chester East, a win over Coatesville and Downingtown East are out of the question.

West Chester Henderson (2-3, 0-0)- This team could easily be 4-1 or 5-0. They had a couple hard luck losses in late games. They lost to Malvern Prep on the last play of the game, and lost another game late. The Warriors have a workhorse back in Stefan Adams, and a speed back in Jabar Khan. A win this week in the "Battle of the borough" against West Chester East, will help build confidence and momentum going into the league season.

West Chester East (2-3, 1-0)- The Vikings earned their first Ches-Mont League win of the season in week 4, in a close win over a weak Bishop Shanahan team. They are the Jekyll and Hyde team of the Ches-Mont League. They suffered a tough loss to Conestoga in week 1, but then got pounded by a weak Owen J. Roberts squad. The game this week against West Chester Henderson will tell me a lot about the direction of the Vikings in October.

Bishop Shanahan (1-4, 0-2)- I do not see much success for Bishop Shanahan this season. If there was one reassuring thing about finishing 6th or 7th next season, is that they will not finish last in the Ches-Mont in year three. West Chester Rustin opens in 2006, and Avon Grove joins the Ches-Mont League next year. Shanahan might win a few league games next year, as Rustin opens (meaning that WC East and Henderson will be a bit depleted), and a weak Avon Grove joins in on the league.

Phoenixville (5-0, 4-0)- Talk about a team coming out of nowhere to being undefeated. They were struggling when coach Furlong took over. They have a bit of talent this year in quarterback Bill Shirk, running back Travis Ford-Bey, and Chester County coach of the year nominee in Coach Furlong. Travis Ford-Bey might be the most underrated running back in Chester County, as CJ Gray and Richie Walls get most of the attention. The Phantoms are 1 of 2 teams that could make the District 1 AAA playoffs, and could make some noise.

Owen J. Roberts (1-3, 0-3)- This season might be written off in the long run for Wildcat football. After two 6-5 seasons the last 2 years, the team is young- and are a year or two away from challenging Phoenixville and Lansdale Catholic in the PAC-10.

This is just a general rant here. Who ever expected SCCL powers "from the Valleys" Sun Valley, Great Valley, and Garnet Valley to struggle, while Oxford (4-1), and Unionville (5-0), are dominating the SCCL. Avon Grove (1-4) got off the schnide this week against Harriton, and things will get tougher for the only AAAA school in the SCCL. The Red Devils bolt for the Ches-Mont League starting in 2006-07 school year.

Players that have impressed me this season- This is the first time in a long while that Chester County has had 2 quarterbacks (Pat Devlin and Anthony Parker-Boyd) go to top notch Division 1 schools the same year. CJ Gray will go D-1 or D-1AA for football or track. Anyone who lands Travis Ford-Bey will get a diamond in the rough. My nominations for County Coach of the year are Pat Clark (Unionville) and Coach Furlong (Phoenixville). Both inherited struggling programs, and are unbeaten this season so far.