By John Lohn, Delaware County Daily Times
October 29, 2009
So, for the 10th time, we present our annual By The Numbers feature.
-79: Rushing yards lost by William Penn during its 40-8 setback to Penn Wood in Week 4. Shawn Oakman, a Division I prospect at defensive end, paced a dominant defense by registering four of Penn Wood’s nine sacks.
0: Combined wins for Chichester (0-8) and Sun Valley (0-7) through eight weeks. There’s a good chance the Eagles and Vanguards will square off Thanksgiving morning with winless records, a sad state for two programs with storied histories.
.800: Winning percentage of the five teams Chester has lost to — West Chester Henderson, Downingtown West, Interboro, Cardinal O’Hara and Glen Mills. Each of the teams the Clippers (3-5) have fallen to remain in playoff contention.
1: Postponed games by Archbishop Carroll, which was forced to delay its meeting with North Catholic in Week 6 due to a swine flu scare. The Patriots have won back-to-back games since the cancellation and carry some momentum into this weekend’s Catholic League Class AA playoff game with Bishop McDevitt.
2: Number of times Corey Brown will appear on the Ohio State University roster next season. In September, Cardinal O’Hara’s standout by that name made a verbal commitment to play for the Buckeyes. Already on the OSU roster is Corey Brown, a freshman out of Gateway High in Western Pennsylvania.
3: Number of games in which Glen Mills has held the opposition to fewer than 100 yards in total offense. The Bulls are alive for the Del Val League title and a District One Class AAAA playoff berth.
4: Games in which Chester quarterback Tevin Campbell has thrown for more than 200 yards, including a season-high of 293 against West Chester Henderson. In seven games, Campbell has passed for 1,234 yards.
6-9: Height of Garnet Valley offensive lineman Joe Cenatiempo, a 300-pounder who has helped the Jaguars to seven victories in eight games. Garnet Valley faces its biggest test of the season Friday night when it travels to Phil Marion Field for a Central League showdown with Ridley.
7: Returns for touchdowns by Interboro (8-0), which is storming toward a berth in the District One Class AAA playoffs. The Bucs have returned two fumbles, two interceptions and two kickoffs for touchdowns and have returned a punt for a score.
8: Number of victories for Dennis Decker, Ridley’s first year coach. The school’s former standout quarterback, who replaced John Waller at the program’s helm, has been perfect during his initial year under the high-powered microscope used in Ridley Township.
21: Penalties committed by Strath Haven, the fewest in Delco. Also the number of turnovers forced by Interboro, which leads the county in that category.
23: Receptions for Episcopal Academy’s Shane Morrell, who ranks among the county leaders in receiving. The Churchmen have been struggling, dropping their last five games, but Morrell has been a bright spot for coach Bill Gallagher.
26: Turnovers by Upper Darby, which has struggled to a 1-7 record. The positive for the Royals is that junior Terence Bridgers is now the starting quarterback and has serious athleticism and a strong arm on which to build. While he might make mistakes during the learning curve, Bridgers could develop into a standout by next season.
38: Years since The Haverford School last captured the Inter-Ac League championship, a drought that could end in the next few weeks. The Fords (6-2) face a big hurdle Friday when they venture to defending champion Malvern Prep. If Haverford can prevail, it would next duel with Chestnut Hill, undefeated and favored for the league crown.
41.1: Scoring average for Penncrest, which possesses the top offense in Delco. With quarterback Matt Atkinson throwing to the likes of Matt Bundy and Phil Barbieri and Jerry Boyer picking up large chunks of yardage on the ground, the Lions have been phenomenal offensively. In eight games, Penncrest has scored 40-plus points four times, including 66 against Springfield.
69: Passing attempts by Marple Newtown quarterback Kevin Johnson, who has thrown just one interception this season while putting the Tigers (6-2) in the hunt for a District One Class AAA playoff invitation. Johnson doesn’t put up spectacular numbers, but he’s adept at managing the game.
100: Career victory for Marple Newtown coach Ray Gionta when the Tigers beat Springfield in Week 2. Last week, Gionta was inducted into the Delco Athletes Hall of Fame for his coaching exploits. Archbishop Carroll coach Dan Bielli also claimed his 100th career victory this season.
136: Rushing yards produced by Mike Clancy in Haverford’s 14-13 triumph over Strath Haven in Week 8. Clancy’s performance arrived during a game in which he faced his father, Kevin, the longtime coach of the Panthers.
305: Rushing yards for Springfield’s Matt Craig during the Cougars’ 42-13 rout of Lower Merion in Week 7. The leading rusher in Delco, Craig became just the second Springfield player to crack the 300-yard mark, joining Albert Grundy in esteemed company.
341: Receiving yards for Radnor’s Derrick Adger, one of Delco’s top playmakers. Adger has nine touchdowns, five of which have spanned at least 37 yards. Adger is also tied for the county lead in interceptions with four.
570: Rushing yards for Strath Haven’s Thurman Fortune in the four games in which he has played for. Fortune missed the first four games while ineligible, but has been a big-time contributor for Haven since becoming available.
909: Number of rushing yards for Monsignor Bonner’s Eric Petransky, who had a 260-yard outburst in a win over Father Judge in Week 8. Petransky is trying to become the first Friar to run for 1,000 yards in a season since 1992, when Greg Kirwan pulled off the feat with 1,356 yards.
1,193: All-purpose yardage from the Week 6 clash between Penncrest and Springfield, which ended in a 66-54 triumph for the Lions. The teams combined for 926 yards from scrimmage and added 267 return yards. Although the game was sickening to defensive purists, it was entertaining for those who love offensive outbursts.
4,230: Times this writer wavered while sorting out the top of this week’s Super 7. Ultimately, I decided to keep Cardinal O’Hara in the No. 1 slot, just ahead of Ridley, and not penalize the Lions for a superb performance in a last-minute loss to St. Joseph’s Prep last week. While some might not agree with that decision, remember this fact: The only Super 7 that truly counts is the last one.