Conwell-Egan Football - PSD File Photo
West Catholic Football - PSD File Photo
CATHOLIC LEAGUE GAME OF THE WEEK
Who: West Catholic vs. Conwell-Egan
When: 7 PM Friday, October 12
Where: Harry S Truman High School, Levittown, PA
Records: West Catholic 6-1, 4-0; Conwell-Egan 7-0, 4-0
Most Recent Performance: West Catholic had no problems with Bishop McDevitt, 41-0; Conwell-Egan had a similar situation against Bonner-Prendergast, winning 55-6.
Importance: Barring a miracle, a victory will clinch the Catholic League Blue Division championship.
All-Time Record: West Catholic leads, 19-6.
West Catholic Notes:The Burrs are playing their best football at the perfect time. They have allowed 19 points over the past three games against formidable division foes (Lansdale Catholic, Cardinal O’Hara, and Bishop McDevitt). Meanwhile, their offense has remained consistent behind the running of senior Jacir Savoy(118 carries for 566 yards, seven touchdowns) and junior Zahir Booker (58-430-5), and the throwing of junior Zaire Hart-Hawkins (81 for 146, 1,136 yards, 14 touchdowns). His main targets are senior Seth Degree (22 catches for 397 yards and five touchdowns), junior Julio DiSilva (14-177-1), and Savoy (17-194-2) . . . West’s underrated defense centers around senior outside linebacker Tre Johnson, senior end Damen Studstill, senior middle linebacker Kha’Jey Frazier, junior nose guard Rickquan Rivera, senior cornerback Nadir Morton-Andrews (two interceptions), senior cornerback Aaron Jenkins, and junior safety Shakur Smalls (three of the team’s six interceptions).
Conwell-Egan Notes: Behind Boston College-bound senior Patrick Garwo, the Eagles possess arguably the best running game in the area. The rugged back has already reached quadruple digits on the ground (1,163) and scored 17 touchdowns . . . Senior quarterback Alex Goldsby can also run, as evidenced by a 106-yard effort against Lansdale Catholic, and 109 yards on 17 carries over the past two contests . . . Tough team to throw against. The Eagles have picked off eight passes – two each by sophomores Sincere Thomas and Andrew Garwo, and senior Terome Mitchell. . . Speaking of the latter, Mitchell has scored 11 touchdowns in six different fashions: four receiving, three rushing, and one return each of a kickoff, punt, fumble, and interception.
BURR CHAT: “This is a very important game for us,” said West Catholic senior defensive back Aaron Jenkins. “We know exactly what the stakes are and what’s on the line. Our approach to this week is just like how it has been since week one; let’s be 1-0 after this game. In order to win, we just have to play the football that we’re used to playing: fast, physical and hard. Also playing mistake-free football. Mistakes can kill a team in a lot of ways and we don’t need them this week. This team is a good team as their record shows, so we’ll definitely have to bring our A game.”
“This game is one of the most important games that we will we play in our league,” said junior quarterback Zaire Hart-Hawkins. “We’re both the only undefeated teams in the Blue Division and are fighting for that first-place spot. We need to come out strong in the first half, execute, and put points up early. A lot of people are doubting us, and we need to prove why we should be Number One in the league.”
West Catholic vs. McDevitt Highlights:
Video by James Williamson, Edited by Austin Ampeloquio
EAGLE CHAT:“This game is very important to me and my guys,” said senior quarterback Alex Goldsby. “We want to win the Blue Division and this is a very vital game to win. This is what we have been working for all off-season. We all remember what they did to us last year and we don’t want that to happen again. We need to play clean football and not turn the ball over and give them opportunities.”
“This game means a lot to our team,” said senior outside linebacker and running back Terome Mitchell. “It’s been marked down since day one. Last year we stuck in there with them until we had a turnover and they scored and we put our heads down and then they took advantage of that. So this is very important because it’s our comeback game from last year and we are home. We have to specifically not let up on defense or offense.
Conwell-Egan Football Highlights:
Video by Kevin Murphy, Edited by Austin Ampeloquio
Because then it’ll be a game we have to not get mad at each other and play as a team, go hard in every practice, make sure that we are getting better everyday, also to help each other do our jobs as team.”
Prediction: Was about to pick Conwell-Egan, but three things clouded the confidence: One was the win over a very strong McDevitt team by a hard-to-fathom 41-0; Two was figuring out the collective records of both team’s division wins (West Catholic 7-9; Conwell-Egan 3-13), and then this: In a 38-0 West win over C-E last year, the Burrs held Garwo to a season-low 39 yards on 13 carries. The previous season, a 28-6 C-E victory, Garwo only managed 52 yards on 14 carries. And get this – in his career, Garwo has scored against every Blue Division opponent, except West Catholic. Soooo . . . let’s put West Catholic in for a 31-27 victory, but Garwo will definitely find the end zone.
(John Knebels can be reached at Jknebels@gmail.com or on Twitter @johnknebels.)