Wednesday, November 14, 2012
Darryl Grumling is Famous
Darryl Grumling's now infamous video from last Friday's Spring-Ford game was featured on SportsCenter today. The clip is below. Keep an eye out for it on ESPN the rest of the week, including (possibly in) Friday's Not Top Ten countdown.
Tuesday, November 13, 2012
WEEK 12 RANKINGS
By Don Seeley
Sometimes change is good, but there is nothing wrong with The Mercury's Super Six - which remained unchanged once again following last weekend's games.
1. POTTSGROVE (11-0): The Falcons beat old nemisis Strath Haven for the second year in a row. Except for that opening drive and the quarterback sneak that went for a touchdown to open the second half there, they didn't give much up at all defensively, either. Good, solid win for the Falcons, who now face Henderson - unquestionably their biggest challenge of the season yet in the District 1-AAA semifinals.
2. SPRING-FORD (10-1): The Rams picked up their school's first and the entire Mercury area's first win in the District 1-AAAA playoffs by defeating Garnet Valley. Next up is No. 2 seed Ridley down in Folsom that, contrary to most critics, is a winnable game.
3. PERKIOMEN VALLEY (8-3): The Vikings closed out their season with a come-from-behind win up at Saucon Valley. With a noticeable group of underclassmen returning, they could be the team to watch next year.
4. PHOENIXVILLE (6-5): The Phantoms' bid to return to the District 1-AAA final came up short following a loss at Interboro. They'll have time to regroup for the Thanksgiving Day game at Spring-Ford, which right now could be Thanksgiving Eve (like last year).
5. METHACTON (6-5): The Warriors capped off a 4-1 run down the stretch with a lopsided win over Norristown last weekend for their second straight winning season.
6. POTTSTOWN (5-6): The Trojans broke a number of single-game and single-season records last Friday night in their double-overtime win against Great Valley. On Thanksgiving morning over in Bucktown, they'll have an opportunity to finish at .500 for the first time in head coach Brett Myers' brief career guiding the program.
Sometimes change is good, but there is nothing wrong with The Mercury's Super Six - which remained unchanged once again following last weekend's games.
1. POTTSGROVE (11-0): The Falcons beat old nemisis Strath Haven for the second year in a row. Except for that opening drive and the quarterback sneak that went for a touchdown to open the second half there, they didn't give much up at all defensively, either. Good, solid win for the Falcons, who now face Henderson - unquestionably their biggest challenge of the season yet in the District 1-AAA semifinals.
2. SPRING-FORD (10-1): The Rams picked up their school's first and the entire Mercury area's first win in the District 1-AAAA playoffs by defeating Garnet Valley. Next up is No. 2 seed Ridley down in Folsom that, contrary to most critics, is a winnable game.
3. PERKIOMEN VALLEY (8-3): The Vikings closed out their season with a come-from-behind win up at Saucon Valley. With a noticeable group of underclassmen returning, they could be the team to watch next year.
4. PHOENIXVILLE (6-5): The Phantoms' bid to return to the District 1-AAA final came up short following a loss at Interboro. They'll have time to regroup for the Thanksgiving Day game at Spring-Ford, which right now could be Thanksgiving Eve (like last year).
5. METHACTON (6-5): The Warriors capped off a 4-1 run down the stretch with a lopsided win over Norristown last weekend for their second straight winning season.
6. POTTSTOWN (5-6): The Trojans broke a number of single-game and single-season records last Friday night in their double-overtime win against Great Valley. On Thanksgiving morning over in Bucktown, they'll have an opportunity to finish at .500 for the first time in head coach Brett Myers' brief career guiding the program.
SEELEY: Even Brubaker pleased with Spring-Ford's first playoff win
By Don Seeley
dseeley@pottsmerc.com
ROYERSFORD — Chad Brubaker can be difficult to please at times. Then
again, he’s no different than most (if not all) high school football
coaches.
He took over the Spring-Ford program two years ago and led the Rams to a turnaround 9-3 record, their most wins since 1999 — but was disappointed by not getting into the district playoffs. Last season, he led the Rams to a perfect 9-0 run through the Pioneer Athletic Conference for their first title and most wins since 1998 — but was disappointed by a very lopsided loss to Coatesville in the opening round of the district playoffs. This season, except for a Week Five setback to unbeaten PAC-10 champion Pottsgrove, he’s led the Rams to 10 more wins — and though obviously disappointed by not successfully defending the league title, he was elated last Friday evening after the Rams beat Garnet Valley for the milestone first postseason win in the opening round of the district playoffs.
But Brubaker still isn’t completely satisfied.
“We have been talking about dominating a team for four quarters, no matter the level of competition on the other side of the ball,” he said this past weekend as he began preparations for Friday night’s District 1-Class AAAA quarterfinal challenge at unbeaten Ridley.
“We have not played our best games against teams with inferior records to our own. Conversely, Garnet Valley was an excellent football team, and our level of play rose to the occasion.”
The Rams will have to up that level of play this week, of course.
For the complete story, click here
dseeley@pottsmerc.com
 |
| Spring-Ford head coach Chad Brubaker |
He took over the Spring-Ford program two years ago and led the Rams to a turnaround 9-3 record, their most wins since 1999 — but was disappointed by not getting into the district playoffs. Last season, he led the Rams to a perfect 9-0 run through the Pioneer Athletic Conference for their first title and most wins since 1998 — but was disappointed by a very lopsided loss to Coatesville in the opening round of the district playoffs. This season, except for a Week Five setback to unbeaten PAC-10 champion Pottsgrove, he’s led the Rams to 10 more wins — and though obviously disappointed by not successfully defending the league title, he was elated last Friday evening after the Rams beat Garnet Valley for the milestone first postseason win in the opening round of the district playoffs.
But Brubaker still isn’t completely satisfied.
“We have been talking about dominating a team for four quarters, no matter the level of competition on the other side of the ball,” he said this past weekend as he began preparations for Friday night’s District 1-Class AAAA quarterfinal challenge at unbeaten Ridley.
“We have not played our best games against teams with inferior records to our own. Conversely, Garnet Valley was an excellent football team, and our level of play rose to the occasion.”
The Rams will have to up that level of play this week, of course.
For the complete story, click here
Monday, November 12, 2012
NOTEBOOK: LC legend Algeo on hand to see postseason mark matched
By Don Seeley
dseeley@pottsmerc.com
LOWER POTTSGROVE — Jim Algeo may not be on the sidelines anymore, but he certainly isn’t out of the game.
The longtime Lansdale Catholic coach, who resigned last year after a Hall of Fame career that spanned 44 seasons, was in the stands last Friday night to watch his son — Pottsgrove assistant Jim Jr. — and the Falcons defeat longtime nemesis Strath Haven in the opening round of the District 1-Class AAA playoffs.
Algeo, who was accompanied by his wife and son Danny Algeo, the head coach at Cardinal O’Hara, has also sat in on a few Pope John Paul II games, where two of his daughters’ sons play for Mike Santillo and the Golden Panthers.
What the Algeos may or may not have known is that Pottsgrove head coach Rick Pennypacker and the Falcons win over Strath Haven tied Lansdale Catholic for the most postseason wins (15) by a Pioneer Athletic Conference team.
For the complete story, click here
dseeley@pottsmerc.com
 |
| Former Lansdale Catholic football coach Jim Algeo |
LOWER POTTSGROVE — Jim Algeo may not be on the sidelines anymore, but he certainly isn’t out of the game.
The longtime Lansdale Catholic coach, who resigned last year after a Hall of Fame career that spanned 44 seasons, was in the stands last Friday night to watch his son — Pottsgrove assistant Jim Jr. — and the Falcons defeat longtime nemesis Strath Haven in the opening round of the District 1-Class AAA playoffs.
Algeo, who was accompanied by his wife and son Danny Algeo, the head coach at Cardinal O’Hara, has also sat in on a few Pope John Paul II games, where two of his daughters’ sons play for Mike Santillo and the Golden Panthers.
What the Algeos may or may not have known is that Pottsgrove head coach Rick Pennypacker and the Falcons win over Strath Haven tied Lansdale Catholic for the most postseason wins (15) by a Pioneer Athletic Conference team.
For the complete story, click here
Saturday, November 10, 2012
Pottsgrove 32, Strath Haven 14
By Don Seeley
dseeley@pottsmerc.com
LOWER POTTSGROVE — Postseason wake-up calls aren’t usually required or, obviously, requested.
Nonetheless, Strath Haven gave Pottsgrove a couple of ringy-dingy-dings Friday night in the opening round of the District 1 Class AAA playoffs.
The visiting Panthers stretched their first possession of the evening into a 13-play, 67-yard drive to take a 7-0 lead. Then, on the first snap of the second half, a Kevin Mohollen quarterback sneak went 79 yards for another score and 14-12 lead.
As Pottsgrove linebacker-tight end Jeff Adams said, they were indeed wake-up calls, or enough to get the defending district champion Falcons out of an uncharacteristic football funk and lead them to a 32-14 win.
“Give credit to (Strath Haven),” Adams said. “They were doing their jobs.”
Mercury reporter gets you in on the action
Mercury reporter Darryl Grumling covered Spring-Ford's playoff win over Garnet Valley Friday night.
But before the game even started, he proved just how close The Mercury gets you to the action.
But before the game even started, he proved just how close The Mercury gets you to the action.
Spring-Ford 43, Garnet Valley 27
By Darryl Grumling
dgrumling@pottsmerc.com
ROYERSFORD — On a Spring-Ford football offensive arsenal rife with weapons, Tate Carter is the most versatile one.
And Friday night, the Rams junior showed it — and then some — during a District 1-Class AAAA first-round game that morphed into a veritable shootout at the O.K. Corral.
Carter ran the ball effectively, averaging more than seven yards on his seven carries.
He was even more dangerous catching it, with four receptions for 98 yards and one touchdown.
And to top it off, Carter even threw the pigskin a couple of times, capped by a 21-yard TD pass to Jarred Jones — part of a 31-point, second-half explosion that helped Spring-Ford hold off Garnet Valley, 43-27, for the program’s first postseason win in school history.
“Honestly, he can throw the ball farther than anybody in this room,” Spring-Ford coach Chad Brubaker said of Carter. “He’s as quick as anybody, and he catches the ball well. He just has a lot of different skills. He’s like a chess piece we can move around. He does so many things well. We’d be idiots if we didn’t try to use him as much as possible.”
(For Darryl's up close and personal encounter with the Rams, click here...)
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