EARLY GOAL ERASED FOR FALCON VICTORY
North hosted LaSalle today in a pivotal PCL Red Division soccer clash at Archbishop Ryan. North was undefeated in regular season action while LaSalle was sitting tied for third place after 8 games.
As has been North's trend in important games this year, they found themselves behind very early in the match. On a corner kick in the third minute, a miscommunication between keeper John McCarthy and his defense led to LaSalle's score from a few yards from goal.
You could not describe this first half as clinical soccer, but North seemed to be gathering some momentum as the end of the half approached. Junior forward Juan Pablo Martinez had a couple scoring opportunities late in the half, but to no avail. Senior midfielder, Carl Essenthier continued his outstanding play by creating several attacking opportunities for North but the half ended with LaSalle still in front 1-0.
The second half was completely different from the first. North commanded the game and the pace of play. The ball remained on the pitch most of the half, mainly on LaSalle's side of the field. North had several scoring opportunities. Senior midfielder, Pat Greer was thwarted by LaSalle's keeper early in the half. A couple of crossing balls into the penalty area were unable to be knocked home. About ten minutes into the half North even the score. Essenthier received a ball, low in the box on the right side of the field. He was able to dart on a diagonal toward goal going right to left, cut the ball to his right foot and hammered a hard shot that somehow found the inside of net between the right post and the goaltenders head.
North continued to put pressure on the LaSalle defense throughout this half. Head coach, Jerry Brindisi opted to attack with three forwards rather than the customary two to try to win the game in regulation. LaSalle was able to survive, and regulation ended with both teams still knotted at 1 goal apiece.
In the first sudden death (victory as PIAA would like it to be known) period, the play was identical to that of the second half with North attacking and LaSalle defending and countering. About 5 minutes into the period, Senior midfielder, Mike Gredzlik gained possession of the ball near midfield. He pushed forward and found an unmarked Carl Essenthier on the right sideline. Carl saw Juan Pablo Martinez streaking into the box on an inside run. Carl one timed a pass into his path which Juan Pablo took to goal. A touch later, he slid a low shot in the far right corner to give North the victory.
DID YOU SEE...........
SUPERFANS abounded at this contest, as usual Tim Murphy was in attendance along with his brother Bob. Bartender of the Century, an honest man if he says so himself, Mr. Leo Filewicz was also made an appearance. Former North standout, Alby Hewitt also took an early day and watched his Falcons. Finally, Mr. Chris Campbell of Port Richmond fame was in attendance. Chris is the Head coach of Friends Central. As an alumnist of North, especially the soccer program, Chris has been integral with our success, thanks Chris.
Scroll down for the review of our Alumni Game last Saturday. Over 30 Alumnists came out for a day of soccer, camaraderie and friendship. While 30 sounds like a lot, itis small when you know there are a couple thousand soccer alumnists. We know we have some work to do and can use your help. So grab your wife, your kids and/or your grandkids and come root North on, we can use your support.
For schedules and all the results go to: www.northcatholicsoccer.com
You Really Had To See IT To Believe IT!
At the Falcon Nest, we usually only post about one column per game, and we usually reserve this space for the varsity team. But, since I make up the rules, I have decided to add a story about something I saw today and just had to share with the Falcon community. It all started when I left work a bit early to get to the eye doctor in time to pick up my new glasses. I ended up getting done earlier than expected and I got a reminder from my phone that the JV football team was playing Lansdale Catholic at Wissinoming Park. So, being relatively close to my house, I decided to catch as much of the game as possible.
As I’m watching the game, I’m chatting with Ed Glackin about this and that, while the scoreless game went on in front of us. Although it was a decent JV game, it did lacked scoring late in the game. The Falcons, at one point, had a first and goal inside the 10, but failed to score on four plays. A couple of people on the sidewalk wondered why North didn’t try for the chip shot field goal. But, I guess the coaches felt that we were moving the ball well enough to go for the touchdown. After Lansdale Catholic got a first down on their next possession, their drive stalled. The Falcons had one last shot at a score on the Lansdale Catholic side of the field. But, after 3 plays, the Falcons couldn’t make the first down and were faced with a 4th down at the Lansdale Catholic 23. And, to the bemusement of the crowd, the coaching staff decided to try a 40 yard field goal. Now, kicking a 40 yard field goal in college or the pros is not a big deal. Hell, even some varsity high school teams routinely attempt field goals from that distance. But, to attempt a field goal from 40 yards in a JV game is just down right lunacy. And, the following paragraph will show you why I’m writing this story and not coaching.
Did you ever see those eastern European weightlifters that are like 17 years old and they lift more weight than anyone thought was possible at the Olympics? It's usually because they have no idea that their not supposed to lift that much weight, or maybe nobody ever told them so. Well, enter Andrew “Noodles” Pierson (he hates that nickname, but it’s kind of caught on, so it stays). Noodles runs out on the field like he’s kicking an extra point. I really don’t think this young man understood that he’s being asked to do something that may have never happened in the 81 previous seasons at a NC JV football game. He’s being asked to kick a football 40 yards, through the uprights, while be rushed by a real live defense. As I’m in the middle of saying, “these guys are out of their minds,” the ball is snapped and placed perfectly on the kicking block, and Drew steps into it and blasts a perfect end over end kick that splits the uprights right down the middle, with a good 5 yards to spare, to give the JV Falcons a 3-0 win. I said, “Are you kidding me? I think that was like 40 yards.” Well, from my vantage point, I couldn’t really tell, so I walked over to the one person on the field who I was certain would know the exact distance……..Drew Pierson Sr, Andrew’s dad. He proudly told me that the ball was placed right on the 30 yard line. Wow! This kid, who got his start playing football on this very field about 10 years earlier, at Wissinoming Boys Club, comes back as a high school player and wins a game with an unbelievable kick. Fortunately, Drew played soccer for many years as a youngster, and he’s also a martial arts champion. You have to believe that this combination helped him with his kicking ability. (Editor’s Note: Please don’t let the soccer coaches know about this, as they may want him to try out for their team next season.) It was truly a sight to see.
After the game, I had to go down on the field to ask young Drew about that kick. When asked what he was thinking immediately after kicking that ball, he responded with, “I didn’t get my whole foot on the ball.” If that’s not getting his whole foot into the ball, I’d love to see what he can do when he really gets a hold of one. Drew then asked me if I was going to write about him. I told him that he’s getting his own article. Great job, Drew. I’m looking forward to seeing you kick for the next year and a half and writing about it.
As I’m watching the game, I’m chatting with Ed Glackin about this and that, while the scoreless game went on in front of us. Although it was a decent JV game, it did lacked scoring late in the game. The Falcons, at one point, had a first and goal inside the 10, but failed to score on four plays. A couple of people on the sidewalk wondered why North didn’t try for the chip shot field goal. But, I guess the coaches felt that we were moving the ball well enough to go for the touchdown. After Lansdale Catholic got a first down on their next possession, their drive stalled. The Falcons had one last shot at a score on the Lansdale Catholic side of the field. But, after 3 plays, the Falcons couldn’t make the first down and were faced with a 4th down at the Lansdale Catholic 23. And, to the bemusement of the crowd, the coaching staff decided to try a 40 yard field goal. Now, kicking a 40 yard field goal in college or the pros is not a big deal. Hell, even some varsity high school teams routinely attempt field goals from that distance. But, to attempt a field goal from 40 yards in a JV game is just down right lunacy. And, the following paragraph will show you why I’m writing this story and not coaching.
Did you ever see those eastern European weightlifters that are like 17 years old and they lift more weight than anyone thought was possible at the Olympics? It's usually because they have no idea that their not supposed to lift that much weight, or maybe nobody ever told them so. Well, enter Andrew “Noodles” Pierson (he hates that nickname, but it’s kind of caught on, so it stays). Noodles runs out on the field like he’s kicking an extra point. I really don’t think this young man understood that he’s being asked to do something that may have never happened in the 81 previous seasons at a NC JV football game. He’s being asked to kick a football 40 yards, through the uprights, while be rushed by a real live defense. As I’m in the middle of saying, “these guys are out of their minds,” the ball is snapped and placed perfectly on the kicking block, and Drew steps into it and blasts a perfect end over end kick that splits the uprights right down the middle, with a good 5 yards to spare, to give the JV Falcons a 3-0 win. I said, “Are you kidding me? I think that was like 40 yards.” Well, from my vantage point, I couldn’t really tell, so I walked over to the one person on the field who I was certain would know the exact distance……..Drew Pierson Sr, Andrew’s dad. He proudly told me that the ball was placed right on the 30 yard line. Wow! This kid, who got his start playing football on this very field about 10 years earlier, at Wissinoming Boys Club, comes back as a high school player and wins a game with an unbelievable kick. Fortunately, Drew played soccer for many years as a youngster, and he’s also a martial arts champion. You have to believe that this combination helped him with his kicking ability. (Editor’s Note: Please don’t let the soccer coaches know about this, as they may want him to try out for their team next season.) It was truly a sight to see.
After the game, I had to go down on the field to ask young Drew about that kick. When asked what he was thinking immediately after kicking that ball, he responded with, “I didn’t get my whole foot on the ball.” If that’s not getting his whole foot into the ball, I’d love to see what he can do when he really gets a hold of one. Drew then asked me if I was going to write about him. I told him that he’s getting his own article. Great job, Drew. I’m looking forward to seeing you kick for the next year and a half and writing about it.
Week 5 - Falcons shut out Lansdale Catholic 13-0
We’re not quite sure where to begin this week. The Falcons traveled up to Wissachickon high school on Friday night to take part in Lansdale Catholic’s first ever regular season game as a new member of the Philadelphia Catholic League. If anyone knows anything about Lansdale Catholic, you’ll know that this team has been a state power at the AA level for quite some time, including a state championship team in 2004. But, now the Crusaders are part of the AAA division of the Catholic League and they found out just how difficult this league can be. The Falcons defense was, in a word, stifling. They held the usually high powered Crusader offense to 130 total yards. The Falcons played a time consuming grind it out type of offense on Friday, as Eugene Byrd (29-158, 2 TD) quietly gained 158 yards in the 13-0 shutout, which gave the Falcons a 4-1 record. This is the first time since 1987 that the Falcons football team got off to a 4-1 start.
Click here for a little background on Eugene Byrd.
Profile of Eugene Byrd
Click here for story by Ted Silary featuring Eugene Byrd about the big win.
Game Summary from Daily News
Click here for a little background on Eugene Byrd.
Profile of Eugene Byrd
Click here for story by Ted Silary featuring Eugene Byrd about the big win.
Game Summary from Daily News
The real star of this game (no disrespect to Eugene) was the defense. When the team needed a big play, the entire defensive unit stepped up and made that play. When a pass needed to be knocked down, one of the defensive backs always seemed to be there. Leading the team in tackles this week was junior Linebacker, Davide Williams, who accounted for 10 tackles (5 solo), and Joe Mascino, who accounted for 8 tackles (2 solo). Both players seemed to be wherever the ball was on Friday night. Kyle Fellenbaum had one sack and Curtis Wilson and Blake Graham each had a half sack. The entire defensive unit, represented by Joe Mascino, received the game ball.
Cheap Shot? We think not!
After the game, I’m standing at mid-field with some reporters, who are waiting for Eugene Byrd to finish his interview with the Philadelphia Daily News. One of the reporters says something to the affect that if the cheap shot by the North player would have been called, the outcome could have been a lot different. I was intrigued, so I listened in as this reporter and a reporter from the Philly Inquirer discussed it. The Inquirer guy said that from his vantage point in the press box, it didn’t look like a late hit. I said that I’d like to help, but from my vantage point on the NC sideline, I couldn’t tell. But, the guy mentioned that it was “the long run” by the LC QB. A quick check of my charts showed only one “long run” by Dan Plummer, the LC QB. The tackle was credited to Freddy DiMascia. Now, for anyone who doesn’t know Freddy, I’ll tell you straight up that although he’s a tough and hard-nosed football player, he’s one of the nicest and fairest young men on the team. (For some of you older guys out there, Freddy is the son of former All Catholic QB, Al DiMascia). I can’t honestly say this is the same guy, but the next day in the Bucks County Courier times, a story by reporter Rick Woelfel, described the play like this, “With his team down two scores in the fourth quarter, Plummer scrambled 15 yards for a first down at the Falcons 32. He was well out of bounds when a Falcon defender hit him but there was no flag on the play and the Crusaders ran out of downs at the North Catholic 24." I was thinking that maybe I’d go watch the film and see what this guy was talking about, but the next morning I got the answer that I was looking for. You see, the photo below, by Mike Cabrey, which was posted to TheReporterOnline.com, clearly shows that Mr Woelfel was more of a “homer” than an objective reporter at this game. Or, maybe it means Mr Woelfel needs new glasses. Note the position of DiMascia’s body (he’s finishing his hit) and notice the position of Plummer’s feet in relation the the sideline (he’s still in bounds). But, if a Bucks County reporter needs to grasp for excuses to explain how Lansdale Catholic lost a game against the former doormat of the Catholic League, then it is his reputation which will suffer in the long run. But, we’ll still remember him in our prayers at Northeast Catholic.
Did You notice…..
….that the rain was just enough to drive stats guys like myself batty? Actually, we’ve always been a little batty, but the misty rain really didn’t help.
….there are no hash marks or painted line markers on the field? My guess is that the soccer or lacrosse teams have more pull up at Wissachickon than does the football team.
…..the LC people at the concession stand are some of the nicest people we’ve encountered all season. There’s a bunch of them and they all seem to be smiling all the time.
….speaking of the concession stand, did you notice that someone forgot the mustard? Of course, I didn’t learn this until after I paid for my hotdog. I don’t want to accuse anyone of being un-American by not having mustard for the dogs, as I’m sure it was an honest over-sight on someone’s part.
….That Tina Fellenbaum, the better half of Mr & Mrs Fellenbaum, had a similar red and white striped shirt to her husband’s shirt (see week 1 “Did You Notice” report). After the loss to Coatesville in week 1, Carter Fellenbaum decided to retire his shirt. The team has gone 4-0 since.
…..Some of the player’s numbers didn’t match the roster? This only happens during the weeks where the team wears the white jerseys. It’s kind of a long story here.
Faces in the Crowd…
I have to confess that I didn’t do as much smoozing this week as I normally do. I was actually on the Daily News payroll for the game, so I needed to make sure I had stats for both teams and I needed to secure a player for an interview after the game.
…..I did speak with Father Kilty for a brief moment during half time. He and I had the same complaint about scheduling. You see, some of us football guys are actually fans of the NC soccer team too, but it seems as though the soccer games and the football games always seem to be scheduled at the same time. But, there’s enough season left to catch the booters as they embark on the second half of the season. By the way, we don’t always mention it here, but when there is no conflict, you can often catch some of the soccer guys at the football games.
….While going to the restroom at half time, I spotted former NC head football coach and current Lansdale Catholic principal, Tim Quinn. This is the second game in a row where a former NC football coach was in attendance. Last week, at the Pennridge game, Bill Saybolt was on top of the press box filming the game. Coach Saybolt coached the team most of the 1980’s.
North Soccer Alumni Game: See What You Missed
One of the interesting differences from other sports is soccer’s annual anniversary we call our Alumni Game. I rarely see any other sport hosting such an event and makes soccer unique and this is no different at North. In fact, I don’t have this as a fact but I would bet you that North is the primary reason for high school soccer alumnus reunions, just another way we have and are trendsetters.
It did not seem possible, first that North’s varsity team would be played on Friday night and second that the Annual Alumni Game would take place on Saturday given the rain this area accumulated since Thursday night and what was forecasted through Sunday, but as luck would have it, both of events took place and more importantly were successful for the soccer program. As most of you know, the Falcons vanquished Roman on Friday night by the score of 2-0 (see www.northcatholicsoccer.com and www.thefalconnest.com). Now, the highlights of the Alumni Game.
Under the leadership of North’s Soccer Alumni Association, the soccer program took a pro-active, albeit risky, approach by having its game at Danubia Soccer Club. Typically, throughout the years, this funfilled game was played at North’s practice and game fields. In recent years, that has been Torresdale and Devereaux. Previously, the tandem of Scanlon Playground and Kensington Ramblers Club played host to the game and the place to talk and lie about the past. However, in the past several years the number of Alumni coming to play was decreasing at an alarming clip. The idea of taking the game to a soccer only venue, while novel, posed the risk that many former Falcons might not want to leave the neighborhood.
With over 25 players to play and many more in attendance, the game was a huge success with representation from the 60s into this century throughout the day. Hall of Famers Hugh McInaw and Ed Blaney along with Paul Duddy, Mike Huckle and Dennis Drumm represented the 60s. Hall of Famer, Ed Sheridan, Joe Steffa, Mike Hines, Bob Strom and Ed Stangler (in from Boston for the game) were the faces of the 70s. The 80s players were: Jim Hooven, John “Bird” Regan and John Frisky (with his son of course). The 90s included: Tony Rod, Anthony Noel, Mike "Primo" Primavera, Chris McKenna, Mike Bednarz,Chris Ochs, Paul Hollinger, Anthony “Hoody” Hood, Tim O’Neil, John Burns, Danny Morris. The youngsters of 00 were: Matt (I am not Leo) Filewicz, Tim Greer, Joe Rotan, Joe Blaney, Matt Stricker, Alby Hewitt, Joe Rudolph, Ryan Sullivan.
The game was divided between odd and even graduation years. The score of the game did not matter (6-1 for the evens) but the events leading up to the game are something to talk about. Former soccer stud Tony “I need to train for a marathon” Rod bragged of scoring four goals minimum. Well he did tally one, but officially it was an own goal (so that doesn’t count Tony). His flubbed shot hit off the backside of the defender past the laughing goalie. He also missed a breakaway, but he did keep the ball in the park as it hit a tree behind the goal. Ron Noel kept the game in check, issuing no “red” cards which surprised many on the sidelines. The goal highlight came from Anthony “Hoody” Hood. Hoody commandeered a ball about 40 yards from goal and smacked a rocket of a shot passed the stunned Pat Zolk (he of Frankford fame) in the second half. Afterwards, Head Coach Jerry Brindisi got Hoody to pose for the shot with his new “disposable” camera. Now all he needs to do is get the film developed, the heck with technology! There were thankfully no injuries in the game, not even egos, but Mouse Hines did deliver some hospital balls that posed the threat of injury. I was going to ask Mouse about these balloon balls after the game, but as usual, he slinked out of the affair, unnoticed with his usual excuse “I have to get something I left in the car.” What we do know though is who the real Hines is and that would be Sean Hines. Not only did Sean hang out and watch every second of the game, he hung out in the beef n’ beer till the Danubschwabans asked him to leave which was well after Grandmaster Hans was seen pacing the hall saying “I need the check!”
How about this for a table, Paul Duddy, Ed Blaney, Hugh McInaw and Ed Sheridan. Mouse was seen hovering around the table, lobbying for a committee to study the idea of a JV Hall of Fame. This will be no surprise but the bar area was two rows deep and that wasn’t because of a football game on the tube nor was it because of the Columbian soccer game.
There were a few MIAs which provided more opportunity to talk about them. These men of mystery are obvious to many of us but I don’t want to keep you in suspense, they are: Mike “Call me Robbo” Robinson, Rusty Bono and the O’Donnell’s. There is no question that the ODonnell's have a legitimate reason, but let me tell you about Robbo’s. He was heard telling Joe Steffa that he traveled to Utah and thought he couldn’t make the day. The problem was the trip to Utah was 10 days before the day. I guess it must be the time change and its impact on Mike. Rusty had to mind his grandchild. I guess it did not dawn of him that he could have brought the child with him. And where was Chris Brunetti? Rumor has it, he was camping, yes camping, with his girlfried somewhere in Pennypack Park. Thanks Chris!
How about this, there was a guy there that no one knew. Joe Steffa, acting as our bouncer approached to guy to find out who he was and was he armed. He told Joe that he grew up in New Jersey but his dad went to North. He saw an ad in paper about the game and beef n’ beer and wanted to support us for his dad. I don’t know if he played soccer, but who cares, he came to support us. Now that is a good man better than many who went to the school and his name is Hugh McHugh.
It would not be an Alumni Game without some representation from our brothers at Frankford. Once again, Pat O’Neil was a prominent player and this year he was joined by Pat “My Left Foot” Zolk and no, you don’t need the name Pat to play if you are from Frankford. If you don’t know, Pat O’Neil is one of North’s most avid supporters. His brother Timmy led North to the 1999 PCL Championship and Pat has stayed with us ever since. In fact, in 2007, North Soccer awarded Pat the “Fan of the Year.” Pat Zolk is the JV coach and the Uncle of Mike “Zoom” Zolk, a major player on this year’s Varsity team. Most of the Zolk boys were there. Pat wearing his North shirt, brother Mike in Phillies regalia and brother Steve impersonating John Elway in a bright orange jersey. You can always count of the Zolks for their support, thanks guys.
There were other former stars seen such as Joe “Dunser” Dunlevy. Joe spends much of his time organizing and leading a golf group when he is not protecting the campus of Temple University.
I have always said that if any clothing item says “North” on it, then people will want to have it. Case in point, Head Coach Jerry Brindisi met with AD Tom Kaiser the other day. Tom showed Jerry some old jerseys from teams from the 60s and 70s. He told Jerry that he was going to toss these uniforms. Jerry asked Tom if he could have them for the Alumni Game, he was sure that someone would want one or two as a memento. Jerry also brought along form vintage sweatshirts, tees and hats from the past several years. Guess what, almost all of it went. You had to see these old uniform tops. I know boys today are bigger and faster than my generation but there were a couple of shirts that my 9 year old might find tight, but we sold them nonetheless, once again, true Falcons with Falcon memories. We need to send a special thanks to the non-soccer supports of North as well. Mr. Frank Wolldonger has been generous in his support of the program and Joe "Bo-Bo" Foley spent the day with us as well, thanks guys.
Finally, Saturday was the first day to nominate past players for Hall of Fame consideration. Our event brought a couple of names to the nominating committee. If you have anyone in mind, please see the website for criteria and how to nominate. The deadline for nominations for consideration is November 1. If you run into Mouse Hines remember,there is no JV Hall of Fame.
Round 8: North Defeats Roman, 2-0
THE GAME
What a way to start the 2nd half of the season. A late start at 8 PM impacted by a day of rain and mist throughout the night made the conditions difficult. Roman Catholic was our opponent and it was their home game which Lighthouse Field hosted.
The game opened on some promising notes. North controlled much of the early plan and created several opportunities as they kept dropping balls into Roman’s back third. To their credit, Roman covered all of these chances. A couple of shots from Kristian Hall missed the target. Roman’s keeper made a tough save of a hard shot from midfielder, Pat Greer. The game remained scoreless into halftime. By this time, the typical soccer crowd was arriving even with this nasty weather.
The start of the final period was much like the first. North seemed to control the pace of the play. Roman was pinned down under constant pressure. North successfully moved the ball east to west and created several good scoring chances. These shots, like the ones in the first half either found the keeper or missed the target. That all ended about 11 minutes into the period.
Junior defender, Tyler Ward was able to possess the ball just inside the midfield stripe. Taking it forward on a diagonal from his right to left, he was able to slide a pass wide right to our unmarked flank player, Sr. Mike Gredzlik. Mike wasted no time and one timed a pass into the penalty area about 12 yards from goal. Sr. midfielder, Pat Greer continued his run into the box and first timed a ball into the upper right corner of the goal.
From this point, the Falcons seemed to gain in confidence and began to push to goal more frequently even as Roman adjusted with three forwards. This pressure resulted in North’s next goal with about 15 minutes remaining. Sr. midfielder Mike Gredzlik was attacking goal against a Roman defender. As he tried to beat his mark, the defender obstructed and North was awarded a free kick about 20 yards from goal, in line with the right post. Wasting no time, North played quickly and Carl Essenthier blistered a curling shot beyond the wall into the net. North 2, Roman 0.
The score remained this way as the final whistle blew. Roman had a few chances but the work of the back 4 defenders solved most of Roman’s attack (Mike Zolk, Jim Griffen, Tyler Ward and Mark Pugliese). When Roman did have a chance, goal keeper John McCarthy was stellar in keeping the clean sheet. John made 7 saves in the game.
DID YOU SEE………..
North soccer Superfans abounded at this game, as usual, even in bad weather. Messrs. Robinson and Hooven were seated next to one another. Mr. Jim Ashby wandered behind the net keeping an eye on the Falcons. North Superfan #1 (in our books anyway), Mr. John “Baines” Jacober was pacing the pitch. I am not sure if he was trying to be incognito by wearing a hat, but it was raining. Teddy Maciocha, Class of 88 was there with his son. Teddy also coached at North back in 1999.
Next up is LaSalle on Tuesday, September 30th. Game time is 3:30 at Ryan, our home away from home.
What a way to start the 2nd half of the season. A late start at 8 PM impacted by a day of rain and mist throughout the night made the conditions difficult. Roman Catholic was our opponent and it was their home game which Lighthouse Field hosted.
The game opened on some promising notes. North controlled much of the early plan and created several opportunities as they kept dropping balls into Roman’s back third. To their credit, Roman covered all of these chances. A couple of shots from Kristian Hall missed the target. Roman’s keeper made a tough save of a hard shot from midfielder, Pat Greer. The game remained scoreless into halftime. By this time, the typical soccer crowd was arriving even with this nasty weather.
The start of the final period was much like the first. North seemed to control the pace of the play. Roman was pinned down under constant pressure. North successfully moved the ball east to west and created several good scoring chances. These shots, like the ones in the first half either found the keeper or missed the target. That all ended about 11 minutes into the period.
Junior defender, Tyler Ward was able to possess the ball just inside the midfield stripe. Taking it forward on a diagonal from his right to left, he was able to slide a pass wide right to our unmarked flank player, Sr. Mike Gredzlik. Mike wasted no time and one timed a pass into the penalty area about 12 yards from goal. Sr. midfielder, Pat Greer continued his run into the box and first timed a ball into the upper right corner of the goal.
From this point, the Falcons seemed to gain in confidence and began to push to goal more frequently even as Roman adjusted with three forwards. This pressure resulted in North’s next goal with about 15 minutes remaining. Sr. midfielder Mike Gredzlik was attacking goal against a Roman defender. As he tried to beat his mark, the defender obstructed and North was awarded a free kick about 20 yards from goal, in line with the right post. Wasting no time, North played quickly and Carl Essenthier blistered a curling shot beyond the wall into the net. North 2, Roman 0.
The score remained this way as the final whistle blew. Roman had a few chances but the work of the back 4 defenders solved most of Roman’s attack (Mike Zolk, Jim Griffen, Tyler Ward and Mark Pugliese). When Roman did have a chance, goal keeper John McCarthy was stellar in keeping the clean sheet. John made 7 saves in the game.
DID YOU SEE………..
North soccer Superfans abounded at this game, as usual, even in bad weather. Messrs. Robinson and Hooven were seated next to one another. Mr. Jim Ashby wandered behind the net keeping an eye on the Falcons. North Superfan #1 (in our books anyway), Mr. John “Baines” Jacober was pacing the pitch. I am not sure if he was trying to be incognito by wearing a hat, but it was raining. Teddy Maciocha, Class of 88 was there with his son. Teddy also coached at North back in 1999.
Next up is LaSalle on Tuesday, September 30th. Game time is 3:30 at Ryan, our home away from home.
Round 7: North Defeats O'Hara
THE GAME
North ended the first half of its regular season by travelling to Cardinal O'Hara in Delaware County. O'Hara was in quest for its first victory in the new aligned Catholic League and North tried to remain unbeaten.
For those of you who have not been to O'Hara, it is a campus very similar to Archbishop Ryan in Northeast Philadelphia. The real main difference is the quality of its field. Ryan is the gold standard in terms of field, environment and field condition. O'Hara on the other hand might be the tin standard. Its field certainly had enough length, but it is narrow and its field conditions are akin to those of Department of Recreation fields. Did I mention that the weather was outstanding again?
North played well enough to come away with a 2-1 victory. In the first half, Sr. midfielder, Carl Essenthier slotted a perfect pass to Bridesburg Sophomore Tyler Wolfinger running into the penalty area on the left side. Tyler opened his hips and curled a ball into the far corner to open the scoring. The half ended North 1, O'Hara 0.
The play in the second half was pretty sloppy. Bouncing balls and miskicks seemed to dominate the play. Anytime North was able to mount an attack, O'Hara's defenders were able to clear the ball pretty effectively. Midway through the final half, Carl Essenthier delivered a long pass onto the streaking path of Sr. Mike Gredzlik who beat the keeper to make the score 2-0 in North's favor. From this point on, the game was more of a slugfest with each side clearing balls from its defensive zone. With a few minutes to play, O'Hara capitalized on a defensive lapse by North and scored its lone goal with about 3 minutes to go. Final score, North 2 and O'Hara 1.
FACES IN THE CROWD
Do you know this man??????? You know that old saying, "North Guys are Everywhere," here again is another example. Before our trip to O'Hara, North's AD, Tom Kaiser gets a phone call from a Jim Lynch. Jim sees that North is playing O'Hara. Just so happens that Jim's dad is a graduate of North, from the Class of 1938! Jim's dad is Ray Lynch. He grew up at Front and Tioga and is from St. Hugh Parish. Ray has lived in Springfield (Delco) for the past 40 years. He has been inducted into 2 Soccer Hall of Fames in Delaware County. At the game, Ray had his picture taken with Coaches: Jerry Brindisi and Dennis Drumm (below) and with the captains of this years team: John McCarthy, Carl Essenthier, Pat Greer and Mark Pugliese.
North ended the first half of its regular season by travelling to Cardinal O'Hara in Delaware County. O'Hara was in quest for its first victory in the new aligned Catholic League and North tried to remain unbeaten.
For those of you who have not been to O'Hara, it is a campus very similar to Archbishop Ryan in Northeast Philadelphia. The real main difference is the quality of its field. Ryan is the gold standard in terms of field, environment and field condition. O'Hara on the other hand might be the tin standard. Its field certainly had enough length, but it is narrow and its field conditions are akin to those of Department of Recreation fields. Did I mention that the weather was outstanding again?
North played well enough to come away with a 2-1 victory. In the first half, Sr. midfielder, Carl Essenthier slotted a perfect pass to Bridesburg Sophomore Tyler Wolfinger running into the penalty area on the left side. Tyler opened his hips and curled a ball into the far corner to open the scoring. The half ended North 1, O'Hara 0.
The play in the second half was pretty sloppy. Bouncing balls and miskicks seemed to dominate the play. Anytime North was able to mount an attack, O'Hara's defenders were able to clear the ball pretty effectively. Midway through the final half, Carl Essenthier delivered a long pass onto the streaking path of Sr. Mike Gredzlik who beat the keeper to make the score 2-0 in North's favor. From this point on, the game was more of a slugfest with each side clearing balls from its defensive zone. With a few minutes to play, O'Hara capitalized on a defensive lapse by North and scored its lone goal with about 3 minutes to go. Final score, North 2 and O'Hara 1.
FACES IN THE CROWD
Do you know this man??????? You know that old saying, "North Guys are Everywhere," here again is another example. Before our trip to O'Hara, North's AD, Tom Kaiser gets a phone call from a Jim Lynch. Jim sees that North is playing O'Hara. Just so happens that Jim's dad is a graduate of North, from the Class of 1938! Jim's dad is Ray Lynch. He grew up at Front and Tioga and is from St. Hugh Parish. Ray has lived in Springfield (Delco) for the past 40 years. He has been inducted into 2 Soccer Hall of Fames in Delaware County. At the game, Ray had his picture taken with Coaches: Jerry Brindisi and Dennis Drumm (below) and with the captains of this years team: John McCarthy, Carl Essenthier, Pat Greer and Mark Pugliese.
Week 4 - Football Team Beats Pennridge 28-14
The Falcons came into this week’s game against the Rams of Pennridge as a slight underdog. I say this because it seems as though just about everyone picked us to lose this game. Well, everyone except Tom “Puck” McKenna, the Idiot Savant, who accumulates stats for TedSilary.com. When I was asked before the game, by Stuart London, the Sports Editor for the News Gleaner, if I thought we had a chance, I gave him my honest opinion. I said, “If we play like we did last week, we’ll have a hard time beating Pennridge. But, if we play like we should, we should win the game.” He didn’t seem convinced. I’m sure he was at the end of the game.
There’s a saying in football circles that defense wins football games. This game was a perfect example of just that. The stingy Falcons held the Rams to 28 rushing yards and 7 passing yards in the first half, and 104 rushing and 38 passing for the entire game. Time and time again in this game, the defense made the big plays when the team needed it most. Of the 16 attempted passes by Pennridge, 4 were knocked down by defenders, 2 were picked off. The team also recorded 4 sacks. It was an overall dominating defensive effort for North.
But, the real star of the game was the offensive line of the Falcons. They opened holes and protected the quarterback better in this game than they have all season. When I asked the offensive line coaches after the game who the linemen were, because they couldn’t be the same line as the week before, I was told, “We didn’t change linemen, we changed coaches.” What I think he meant was that instead of blaming players for not doing their jobs, the line coaches looked at themselves. My guess is that asked themselves the following questions; “Are we teaching it right? Are we motivating the players? How do we help make these players better?” Well, in my opinion, that’s an example of good coaching. The ability to look at yourself when things don’t go well is not something that many people are willing to do. Keep up the good job coach.
There’s a saying in football circles that defense wins football games. This game was a perfect example of just that. The stingy Falcons held the Rams to 28 rushing yards and 7 passing yards in the first half, and 104 rushing and 38 passing for the entire game. Time and time again in this game, the defense made the big plays when the team needed it most. Of the 16 attempted passes by Pennridge, 4 were knocked down by defenders, 2 were picked off. The team also recorded 4 sacks. It was an overall dominating defensive effort for North.
But, the real star of the game was the offensive line of the Falcons. They opened holes and protected the quarterback better in this game than they have all season. When I asked the offensive line coaches after the game who the linemen were, because they couldn’t be the same line as the week before, I was told, “We didn’t change linemen, we changed coaches.” What I think he meant was that instead of blaming players for not doing their jobs, the line coaches looked at themselves. My guess is that asked themselves the following questions; “Are we teaching it right? Are we motivating the players? How do we help make these players better?” Well, in my opinion, that’s an example of good coaching. The ability to look at yourself when things don’t go well is not something that many people are willing to do. Keep up the good job coach.
Exceptional Performances
Leading the defense in tackles was Big Pete Puchalski, who recorded 6 tackles (4 solo), 3 tackles for losses and 2 sacks. David Wiliams, Joe Mascino (3 TFL, 1 Fumble Recovery) and Daniel Clark (1 TFL) all had 5 tackles apiece. Mike Scott and Stephan Singleton each recorded an interception. Scott has 3 INTs in 4 games now. Kyle Fellenbaum record 2 sacks.
On offense, Eugene Byrd rushed for a career high 177 yards and Dennis Logue passed for 105 yards, thanks mainly to the offensive line play this week. Dennis Logue (6 for 13, 105yds) had ample time to throw this week, and the team produced 195 yards on the ground. Jullian Huggins had 3 catches (all first downs) for 69 yards and Mike Scott pulled down 2 catches for 23 yards.
Did You Notice……
….That Germantown field was like Grand Central Station? As the Falcons and Rams were arriving at the stadium, we had to wait for the Fels and Martin Luther King teams to leave. They played just before our game. Then, during warm-ups, while North and Pennridge players were going to and from the locker rooms, the Germantown team, who played an away game, arrived at the stadium to change back into street clothes. Believe it or not, it sounds a lot worse than it actually was.
….that an announcement that the restrooms on the visitor side of the field were open, and then it was announced that they were closed.
….there was no National Anthem prior to the game. Taylor Rand, who usually does the honors, couldn’t belt it out as nobody could find the microphone in the press box.
….that the microphone was eventually found, but the battery died mid-way through the 3rd Quarter. Quick thinking and hustle by North AD, Tom Kaiser, rectified the situation as he delivered fresh batteries to the booth before the end of the quarter.
….that this was our second home game in a row at a stadium that we’ve never used as a home game. Last week, we were “home” at 10th & Bigler. This week, we were “home” at Germantown. We have two more home games, but they will be at Frankford and Northeast. There’s no place like home.
….there was a couple of Pennridge parents buying North Catholic shirts. Apparently, one of their dads is a North grad. It sure does seem as though everyone’s dad went to North.
….that the pub game that was played prior to our game, which did not have a lot of fans, required 2 Philadelphia police vans and 2 or 3 school security officiers at the game. Our didn’t need any such “security.” I wonder why.
Faces in the Crowd…..
….Once again, Mike Fagan ’57, was working the ticket booth.
….Super Fan Update 1…….I ran into Ed White ’55, before the game. He told me that he had a dilemma because the NC soccer team was playing Prep and he could only go to one game. But, because the soccer team plays like 150 games a year, and we only play 10, there’s more opportunities to see the soccer guys. But, I think it’s because deep down inside, Mr White is really a football guy.
…..Super Fan Update 2…….Tim Murphy ‘71, who can usually be found in attendance at soccer games (Yes, he was at the North/Ryan soccer game on Tuesday), couldn’t make it to the football game. But, Tim gets an excused absence for this one, as he was holding down the fort at Division 87 of the AOH Friday night, while many of the members were down the shore enjoying Irish Weekend in Wildwood.
…..I ran into a couple of former players at half time. Pat McCullough ’07, is roofing with his dad, John. John is a former NC football coach and was also in the stands for the game. I also ran into Shahid Paulhill ‘08. Shahid is NOT attending Fork Union. Instead, he tells me he’s heading to a school out in the Pittsburgh area and should be at Temple next year. Good Luck.
…Since the Phils were out of town, Ed Glackin was watching the game with NC President and former classmate, Stan Witalec. Mr Witalec can usually be found at North games, cheering on his alma mater.
….The Lansdale Catholic coaching staff, including Coach Algeo, who wasn’t real happy with the move of Lansdale Catholic into the Catholic League. Lansdale Catholic will play their first ever PCL game against our Falcons next week at Wissahickon HS.
The Falcons open the regular season Friday night at Lansdale Catholic (Wissahickon HS). We’ll need the support of the alumni, current students and fans of the program. This is an exciting season so far and the Falcons are expected to do well this season in the AAA division. Come out and support the team and cheer them on to victory. I just might mention you in this column next week.
Round 6: North 2, Prep 1
With the world financial markets crashing around us, it was nice to spend a quiet afternoon watching quality high school soccer. Once again, North hosted a Red Division game at Archbishop Ryan. In my previous descriptions, I think you understand how great a field this is and on Friday it was even better because it was just cut! The weather was spectacular with a little bit of an Autumn bite in it. The 5 PM kick-off kept the crowd sparse but those there saw a pretty good game.
THE GAME
This was the first, regular season game between the schools. Since joining the PIAA, the PCL realign its soccer divisions by the size of the schools. Both Prep and North are in the Red Division (larger schools)of the soccer league.
Prep opened the scoring early (5th minute) on by capitalizing on a mistake in the defensive zone of the Falcons. Prep played a through ball into the back third and North's sweeper was unable to cleanly pass the ball to an outside midfielder. The Prep forward was able to win and control the tackle and attack goal. He was joined by the other forward to create a 2 on 1. The forward slid a pass to the on rushing forward who was able to knock it into the empty net as Keeper McCarthy was caught in no man's land trying to defend the attack. Clearly, the momentum was on the side of the Prep. They controlled the midfield for a good part of the first half but were unable to add to the score.
The second half began the same way the first one ended. Prep controlled much of the midfield space and North countered. Froward Kristian Hall did yeoman's work in running down diagonal balls and setting up the Falcon's offensive thrust. Through the first 55 minutes, he was able to create three shots and countless passes in the offensive zone. Coach Brindisi toyed with some of his parts to counter what the Prep was doing and to see if North could get the tying goal. He moved sweeper Pat Greer from sweeper to defensive midfield and inserted Sophomore Mike Zolk to sweep. Pat has a great ability to get forward and Mike Zolk is effective anywhere you put him. Half-way through the second half, a Prep defender was given his second "yellow" card (warning) for grabbing the shirt and taking down Mike Gredzik as he attacked the Prep goal. This was the 2nd "yellow" card for this player. Two "yellow" cards means you are disqualified from the match. This gave North an 11 player to 10 player edge in the game.
The man advantage gave North more room to operate and allowed Coach Brindisi to bring more offensive thrusts to try to equalize the score. About 22 minutes into the second half, Jr. Juan Pablo Martinez received a pass from Sr. Mike Gredzik right outside Prep's penalty area on the right hand side of the field. Juan Pablo ran on a diagonal with the ball and powdered a hard shot ticketed for the far left corner of the goal. A Prep defender turned to block the shot and it caromed into the net passed the sprawled Prep keeper. North 1, Prep 1.
With six minutes to go. North was awarded a free kick right beyond midfield. Sr. Carl Essenthier knocked a cross field ball on the foot of Mike Gredzlek. Mike took a touch, found Juan Pablo Martinez at the corner of the penalty area. Pablo caught Pat Greer running into the box and slipped a ball to him. Pat kept his run going and beat a defender and nailed a hard, low shot passed the Prep keeper who was glued to the short-side post. North 2, Prep 1.
The final six minutes were frenetic as Prep tried to tie the game. After several free kicks into the box and defensive clearing by North's backs, the game ended. Keeper McCarthy played well in defending the net for North. Mark Pugliese was exceptional in managing North's defensive third and shutting down a strong Prep midfield. North's record improves to 4 wins, 2 ties and 0 losses in the Division for second place.
FACES IN THE CROWD
Even with a smaller than usual crowd because of the early starting time, some familiar faces were spotted. SuperFan #1, Mr. Tim Murphy was spotted cheering his Falcons. Three soccer SuperFans were also in attendance: Messrs. Robinson, Dunlevy and Hooven. These gentlemen make almost all home North games, here is a shout out to them. Finally, Mr Harry Niemann was spotted for the first time this year. Harry is my wife's father. He is a proud grad of Olney High School but has been drawn into North with my involvement. In the past 5 years, Harry has seen almost every home game and is a good luck charm for the team. Through this period of time, North has only lost one game. Thanks Harry.
Next up, North closes out the first half versus O'Hara on Tuesday at O'Hara. Game time is 3:30 PM. On Friday night, September 26th, Roman hosts North at Lighthouse Field at 8 PM to begin the 2nd half of the season.
THE GAME
This was the first, regular season game between the schools. Since joining the PIAA, the PCL realign its soccer divisions by the size of the schools. Both Prep and North are in the Red Division (larger schools)of the soccer league.
Prep opened the scoring early (5th minute) on by capitalizing on a mistake in the defensive zone of the Falcons. Prep played a through ball into the back third and North's sweeper was unable to cleanly pass the ball to an outside midfielder. The Prep forward was able to win and control the tackle and attack goal. He was joined by the other forward to create a 2 on 1. The forward slid a pass to the on rushing forward who was able to knock it into the empty net as Keeper McCarthy was caught in no man's land trying to defend the attack. Clearly, the momentum was on the side of the Prep. They controlled the midfield for a good part of the first half but were unable to add to the score.
The second half began the same way the first one ended. Prep controlled much of the midfield space and North countered. Froward Kristian Hall did yeoman's work in running down diagonal balls and setting up the Falcon's offensive thrust. Through the first 55 minutes, he was able to create three shots and countless passes in the offensive zone. Coach Brindisi toyed with some of his parts to counter what the Prep was doing and to see if North could get the tying goal. He moved sweeper Pat Greer from sweeper to defensive midfield and inserted Sophomore Mike Zolk to sweep. Pat has a great ability to get forward and Mike Zolk is effective anywhere you put him. Half-way through the second half, a Prep defender was given his second "yellow" card (warning) for grabbing the shirt and taking down Mike Gredzik as he attacked the Prep goal. This was the 2nd "yellow" card for this player. Two "yellow" cards means you are disqualified from the match. This gave North an 11 player to 10 player edge in the game.
The man advantage gave North more room to operate and allowed Coach Brindisi to bring more offensive thrusts to try to equalize the score. About 22 minutes into the second half, Jr. Juan Pablo Martinez received a pass from Sr. Mike Gredzik right outside Prep's penalty area on the right hand side of the field. Juan Pablo ran on a diagonal with the ball and powdered a hard shot ticketed for the far left corner of the goal. A Prep defender turned to block the shot and it caromed into the net passed the sprawled Prep keeper. North 1, Prep 1.
With six minutes to go. North was awarded a free kick right beyond midfield. Sr. Carl Essenthier knocked a cross field ball on the foot of Mike Gredzlek. Mike took a touch, found Juan Pablo Martinez at the corner of the penalty area. Pablo caught Pat Greer running into the box and slipped a ball to him. Pat kept his run going and beat a defender and nailed a hard, low shot passed the Prep keeper who was glued to the short-side post. North 2, Prep 1.
The final six minutes were frenetic as Prep tried to tie the game. After several free kicks into the box and defensive clearing by North's backs, the game ended. Keeper McCarthy played well in defending the net for North. Mark Pugliese was exceptional in managing North's defensive third and shutting down a strong Prep midfield. North's record improves to 4 wins, 2 ties and 0 losses in the Division for second place.
FACES IN THE CROWD
Even with a smaller than usual crowd because of the early starting time, some familiar faces were spotted. SuperFan #1, Mr. Tim Murphy was spotted cheering his Falcons. Three soccer SuperFans were also in attendance: Messrs. Robinson, Dunlevy and Hooven. These gentlemen make almost all home North games, here is a shout out to them. Finally, Mr Harry Niemann was spotted for the first time this year. Harry is my wife's father. He is a proud grad of Olney High School but has been drawn into North with my involvement. In the past 5 years, Harry has seen almost every home game and is a good luck charm for the team. Through this period of time, North has only lost one game. Thanks Harry.
Next up, North closes out the first half versus O'Hara on Tuesday at O'Hara. Game time is 3:30 PM. On Friday night, September 26th, Roman hosts North at Lighthouse Field at 8 PM to begin the 2nd half of the season.
Soccer Round 5: North vs. Ryan
North travelled to Ryan to host the Raiders last night. Yes, you read that correctly, we played at Ryan but it was our home game. I can imagine your question is "Why?" There are several answers to this question. The first one, the fields that we have used to practice and play over the last quarter century (Lighthouse, Scanlon and Torresdale/Devereaux) have deteriorated and decayed to the point where the risk of injury is great and these neighborhoods have shifted dramatically away from Catholic strongholds and soccer enthusiasts. Under the leadership of Head Coach Jerry Brindisi, the team has played most of its home games at night under the lights. This allows the team to be showcased to college scouts, let proud parents come and see their sons play and have rabid North Alums gather to support and critique the team(s). As North has gone so has many of the marquee teams in the PCL. There usually is not a week that goes by that other teams are not playing under the lights for the same reasons. This year, we are hosting 4 home games at Archbishop Ryan. Why Ryan you might ask? Well, in our opinion, it is the best, natural grass field in the City. Coach George Todt has created and maintained a truly unique field for a City Catholic High School. Coach Todt, often known for his exploits as head coach of Ryan also is the soccer moderator for the PCL. One of his primary missions is the showcase the league for its competitiveness, enthusiasm, following and sportsmanship. Coach Todt volunteered his field to North for several matches and Coach Brindisi welcomed this opportunity (and it gives Ryan two home games vs. North). We are grateful and thankful for his generosity.
I also just want to take a moment and relay to you the value of Mike Ferris to the North community. Mike is the brainchild behind this idea and operation. He is involved with many of North's athletic programs. His motive is simple, share in the joy of what is North and get the Alumni involved to support and remember what the school did for many of us. North sorely needs more support and it's not just money (but we can use money). It's coming to games, supporting the kids and opening your wallets (okay, it is about money somewhat). Thanks Mike!
The Game:
It was a great night at Ryan. The weather was about 65 degrees and the field was in fantastic shape. It was a usual soccer crowd, rather small at kickoff and much bigger at the end. Ryan wasted little time in banging in the first goal. About 13 minutes in the game, a low crossing ball from the right sideline seem to freeze North's keeper, John McCarthy and his defenders. The ball bounced at the far post and was run onto by a Ryan midfielder for the goal.
One of the toughest moments in any sport is not letting down after a score. In soccer, we usually stress the next two minutes to keep your concentration. Well, off the tap, North knocked a couple of passes forward and Juan Pablo Martinez was able to slot a ball to Freshman Kristian Hall (of Bridesburg fame) between Ryan's last two defenders. Kristian calmly took a couple of strides with the ball and flicked a low shot into the lower right hand corner of the goal passed the on rushing Ryan keeper. This was Kristian's 5th goal of the campaign and is the leading goal scorer in the Red Division. Sensing some momentum, North struck again, about three minutes later to take the lead 2-1. A bouncing ball sent into Ryan's penalty area failed to be cleared. Mike Zolk, All Catholic Baseball and Soccer player, was able to control the ball in the middle of the 18 and sent another low, hard shot to the far right corner for the tally and North's lead. Score at half, North 2, Ryan 1.
From this point on, North seemed to control the play and the pace of the game. In the second half, North dominated possession and opportunities to score. With about 20 minutes left, Jr. Ira Woodruff took a pass from Carl Essenthier and hammered a ball from 22 yards into the upper right corner of the goal to make the score 3-1. The game remained that way until the final whistle.
On the defensive side of the ball, Defenders Pat Greer, Jim Griffen and Mark Pugliese shut down Ryan's attack time and time again. Sr. midfielder, Carl Essenthier was dominant in midfield and allowed North to control the game. Behind these boys, stands arguably the best goalie in the division, John McCarthy. John stopped 11 shots last night. North remains undefeated after 6 games with a record of 3 wins 0 losses and 2 draws.
Next up for North is a Red Division showdown with St. Joe's Prep on Friday, 9/19 at 5 PM at, yep, you guessed it, Archbishop Ryan.
Faces in the Crowd
Superfans were cited at the game. Superfan #1, Mr. Ed White was seen and has been an avid soccer follower. I did not see Superfan #2, Mr. Tim Murphy but I had to think he was there (tell me so Tim). And how about this crew, most of the North Soccer Alumni Board were there, hovering behind the team. They were: Joe Steffa, Dennis McDonough, Chris McKenna and Eddie Blaney (a Hall of Fame Inductee). The word was that they had a meeting planned at a local watering hole when someone advised about the game. Ironic don't you think that the Soccer Alumni were unaware of the varsity soccer game, hmm makes you wonder doesn't it.
Soccer Alumni Game
The group did mention to remind all soccer alums and junkies that the Annual Alumni Game is scheduled for 9/27 at Danubia Soccer Club starting at 4 PM. Right after the game, there is a beef n' beer in the club and there are showers available for the players. Donations for the game are $50 and include the keepsake Alumni soccer shirt (as seen on Ebay), refreshments and the beef n' beer. For those who can only make the beef n' beer the cost is $25. Don't let money be the reason not to come and join the fun, it's the memories that really count. Call Joe Steffa for more information at 215-783-8020, you can email me at tcrosset@northcatholicsoccer.com or you can respond to this entry.
I also just want to take a moment and relay to you the value of Mike Ferris to the North community. Mike is the brainchild behind this idea and operation. He is involved with many of North's athletic programs. His motive is simple, share in the joy of what is North and get the Alumni involved to support and remember what the school did for many of us. North sorely needs more support and it's not just money (but we can use money). It's coming to games, supporting the kids and opening your wallets (okay, it is about money somewhat). Thanks Mike!
The Game:
It was a great night at Ryan. The weather was about 65 degrees and the field was in fantastic shape. It was a usual soccer crowd, rather small at kickoff and much bigger at the end. Ryan wasted little time in banging in the first goal. About 13 minutes in the game, a low crossing ball from the right sideline seem to freeze North's keeper, John McCarthy and his defenders. The ball bounced at the far post and was run onto by a Ryan midfielder for the goal.
One of the toughest moments in any sport is not letting down after a score. In soccer, we usually stress the next two minutes to keep your concentration. Well, off the tap, North knocked a couple of passes forward and Juan Pablo Martinez was able to slot a ball to Freshman Kristian Hall (of Bridesburg fame) between Ryan's last two defenders. Kristian calmly took a couple of strides with the ball and flicked a low shot into the lower right hand corner of the goal passed the on rushing Ryan keeper. This was Kristian's 5th goal of the campaign and is the leading goal scorer in the Red Division. Sensing some momentum, North struck again, about three minutes later to take the lead 2-1. A bouncing ball sent into Ryan's penalty area failed to be cleared. Mike Zolk, All Catholic Baseball and Soccer player, was able to control the ball in the middle of the 18 and sent another low, hard shot to the far right corner for the tally and North's lead. Score at half, North 2, Ryan 1.
From this point on, North seemed to control the play and the pace of the game. In the second half, North dominated possession and opportunities to score. With about 20 minutes left, Jr. Ira Woodruff took a pass from Carl Essenthier and hammered a ball from 22 yards into the upper right corner of the goal to make the score 3-1. The game remained that way until the final whistle.
On the defensive side of the ball, Defenders Pat Greer, Jim Griffen and Mark Pugliese shut down Ryan's attack time and time again. Sr. midfielder, Carl Essenthier was dominant in midfield and allowed North to control the game. Behind these boys, stands arguably the best goalie in the division, John McCarthy. John stopped 11 shots last night. North remains undefeated after 6 games with a record of 3 wins 0 losses and 2 draws.
Next up for North is a Red Division showdown with St. Joe's Prep on Friday, 9/19 at 5 PM at, yep, you guessed it, Archbishop Ryan.
Faces in the Crowd
Superfans were cited at the game. Superfan #1, Mr. Ed White was seen and has been an avid soccer follower. I did not see Superfan #2, Mr. Tim Murphy but I had to think he was there (tell me so Tim). And how about this crew, most of the North Soccer Alumni Board were there, hovering behind the team. They were: Joe Steffa, Dennis McDonough, Chris McKenna and Eddie Blaney (a Hall of Fame Inductee). The word was that they had a meeting planned at a local watering hole when someone advised about the game. Ironic don't you think that the Soccer Alumni were unaware of the varsity soccer game, hmm makes you wonder doesn't it.
Soccer Alumni Game
The group did mention to remind all soccer alums and junkies that the Annual Alumni Game is scheduled for 9/27 at Danubia Soccer Club starting at 4 PM. Right after the game, there is a beef n' beer in the club and there are showers available for the players. Donations for the game are $50 and include the keepsake Alumni soccer shirt (as seen on Ebay), refreshments and the beef n' beer. For those who can only make the beef n' beer the cost is $25. Don't let money be the reason not to come and join the fun, it's the memories that really count. Call Joe Steffa for more information at 215-783-8020, you can email me at tcrosset@northcatholicsoccer.com or you can respond to this entry.
Week 3 - Football team beats Holy Cross (NY)
We have a couple of editorial notes to take care of before getting into this week's entry. First, by popular demand, we'll give a weekly game summary and point out some good performances by the players. Second, it appears as though this space has generated some interest among the NC soccer community. If you scroll down a bit (or click here), you'll see the first entry by Tom Crosset. Tom is just as psycho about soccer as I am about football. We welcome Tom to the Nest. Keep in mind that this space is not strictly football. It's strictly North Catholic, so we hope to have entries for every sport in time.
Ok, on with this week's football submission.
Game Summary
The Falcons plays sloppy at times, but still managed a win. Hopefully, we can get some of the remaining wrinkles ironed out this week so we're ready for the start of Catholic League play in week 5. Some of the outstanding performers this week were:
Offensive
Rushing - Eugene Byrd - 74yard and 2 touchdowns.
Passing/Receiving - Dennis Logue threw for 102 yards. Mike Scott caught 3 passes for 53 yards.
Defensive
Leading tackler was jr LB David Williams. David had 6 solo tackles (11 total), a sack and he knocked down 2 passes.
Mike Scott and Stephan Singleton each recorded 6 tackles. Eric Moore (4 tackles) registered a sack and he knocked down 2 passes. Daniel Clark and Freddy DiMascia (Game Ball) each recorded an interception. Kyle Fellenbaum recorded 2 key sacks in the game and recovered a fumble.
All three kickers (Punter DiMascia, FG Kicker John Baranosky and KO Specialist, Drew Pierson) did a fine job in the special teams department.
Did You Notice....
.....all the fans on one side of the field. Not sure why. Probably has something to do with the field being new. Who knows?
....Speaking of the new field. The 10th & Bigler complex is very nice. Great field, exceptional bleachers, clean restrooms and plenty of parking.
.....the parents who were helping with food brought along a tailgate grill (Scott Rooney). Very portable and very cool. One of our staffers had a couple of dogs and he loved them.
.....the new hats that are on sale. They are white mesh, flex fit hats. Unfortunately, our guy on the scene was a cheap SOB and didn't bring us one back. We'll see if we can't get one this week.
.....the announcer for the game was Mike Kaiser, who happens to be our Athletic Director's (Tom) brother. We'd told he did a fine job. Our staffer spent the game in the press box with the coaches, so he couldn't hear the announcements much.
....Speaking of the press box, they were air conditioned. Now that's how to watch a football game on a humid evening in S. Philly.
....how many cars were in the neighborhood of S. Philly after the game? Boy, whoever does the schedule should check the Phillies schedule to make sure we're not in S.Philly at the same time. It was a nightmare getting to I-95.
Faces in the Crowd....
We pretty much saw the same crowd at this game, so there weren't many additions.
....we did see former football player and wrestler and assistant NC wrestling coach (currently coaching football at another school), Jim Whitehead. We had a quick chat with Jim about football and such. Good to see Jim coming out to support his alma mater.
...Remember the guy with the Red Sox hat last week? Well, one of our staffers saw a guy who looked exactly like that guy at the game. He was sporting a brand new "North" hat. Gotta love the support we get from the alumni and administration.
...Speaking of alumni in the stands, once again, Tim Murphy was at the game (actually, we believe he has a twin because he seems to be everywhere). Murph was chatting it up with Al DiMascia during the game. Murph was also spotted at the NC soccer game on Sunday too.
...Mike Fagan '57, who makes it to just about every game, was put to work this week in the ticket booth. This guy is a true Falcon supporter. And, he goes to more high school games than anyone....well, except for maybe Ted Silary. But, unlike Ted, Mike doesn't get paid to attend games.
...John Connors, a former neighor of mine and NC grad (I forget what year), was in the crowd for the game. He's related, by marriage, to NC QB Dennis Logue.
This week
On Friday night, the Falcons host the Rams of Pennridge. Pennridge is a team from Perkasie, which is up 309 near Sellersville. They are a former state football power and they come into this game with a 3-0 record, having beaten Wood in OT in week 1. It should give us a good idea how good we are. The game will be at Germantown (yes, another roadtrip for a home game), but it should be worth the drive to see the last game before the Falcons open their season next week against Lansdale Catholic.
Ok, on with this week's football submission.
Game Summary
The Falcons plays sloppy at times, but still managed a win. Hopefully, we can get some of the remaining wrinkles ironed out this week so we're ready for the start of Catholic League play in week 5. Some of the outstanding performers this week were:
Offensive
Rushing - Eugene Byrd - 74yard and 2 touchdowns.
Passing/Receiving - Dennis Logue threw for 102 yards. Mike Scott caught 3 passes for 53 yards.
Defensive
Leading tackler was jr LB David Williams. David had 6 solo tackles (11 total), a sack and he knocked down 2 passes.
Mike Scott and Stephan Singleton each recorded 6 tackles. Eric Moore (4 tackles) registered a sack and he knocked down 2 passes. Daniel Clark and Freddy DiMascia (Game Ball) each recorded an interception. Kyle Fellenbaum recorded 2 key sacks in the game and recovered a fumble.
All three kickers (Punter DiMascia, FG Kicker John Baranosky and KO Specialist, Drew Pierson) did a fine job in the special teams department.
Did You Notice....
.....all the fans on one side of the field. Not sure why. Probably has something to do with the field being new. Who knows?
....Speaking of the new field. The 10th & Bigler complex is very nice. Great field, exceptional bleachers, clean restrooms and plenty of parking.
.....the parents who were helping with food brought along a tailgate grill (Scott Rooney). Very portable and very cool. One of our staffers had a couple of dogs and he loved them.
.....the new hats that are on sale. They are white mesh, flex fit hats. Unfortunately, our guy on the scene was a cheap SOB and didn't bring us one back. We'll see if we can't get one this week.
.....the announcer for the game was Mike Kaiser, who happens to be our Athletic Director's (Tom) brother. We'd told he did a fine job. Our staffer spent the game in the press box with the coaches, so he couldn't hear the announcements much.
....Speaking of the press box, they were air conditioned. Now that's how to watch a football game on a humid evening in S. Philly.
....how many cars were in the neighborhood of S. Philly after the game? Boy, whoever does the schedule should check the Phillies schedule to make sure we're not in S.Philly at the same time. It was a nightmare getting to I-95.
Faces in the Crowd....
We pretty much saw the same crowd at this game, so there weren't many additions.
....we did see former football player and wrestler and assistant NC wrestling coach (currently coaching football at another school), Jim Whitehead. We had a quick chat with Jim about football and such. Good to see Jim coming out to support his alma mater.
...Remember the guy with the Red Sox hat last week? Well, one of our staffers saw a guy who looked exactly like that guy at the game. He was sporting a brand new "North" hat. Gotta love the support we get from the alumni and administration.
...Speaking of alumni in the stands, once again, Tim Murphy was at the game (actually, we believe he has a twin because he seems to be everywhere). Murph was chatting it up with Al DiMascia during the game. Murph was also spotted at the NC soccer game on Sunday too.
...Mike Fagan '57, who makes it to just about every game, was put to work this week in the ticket booth. This guy is a true Falcon supporter. And, he goes to more high school games than anyone....well, except for maybe Ted Silary. But, unlike Ted, Mike doesn't get paid to attend games.
...John Connors, a former neighor of mine and NC grad (I forget what year), was in the crowd for the game. He's related, by marriage, to NC QB Dennis Logue.
This week
On Friday night, the Falcons host the Rams of Pennridge. Pennridge is a team from Perkasie, which is up 309 near Sellersville. They are a former state football power and they come into this game with a 3-0 record, having beaten Wood in OT in week 1. It should give us a good idea how good we are. The game will be at Germantown (yes, another roadtrip for a home game), but it should be worth the drive to see the last game before the Falcons open their season next week against Lansdale Catholic.
Soccer: North Battles Judge for First Place
Just in the neck of time, the weather cooled Sunday night for a neighborhood showdown for first place in the Red Division of the Philadelphia Catholic League between North and Father Judge. So far this year, Judge is undefeated and unscored upon in Catholic League action. North has been travelling under the radar screen but remained undefeated posting two wins and a draw in league play. The game was played at Lighthouse Field.
Like most important North soccer games, the fans showed up in droves for the match. Officials estimated close to 400 fans of both schools were on hand. It was an entertaining match where all fans got their money's worth. The final score was a 1-1draw with Judge remaining on top of the division, two points in front of the Falcons.
The game was hotly contested from the outset. Judge set the tone early and played a very organized possession game that seemed to frustrate North. In the 9th minute, a North clearing pass from its end line hit a defender and fell within the penalty box, about 14 yards from goal. A Judge forward was stationed a few yards from the spot and was able to beat North keeper John McCarthy with a hard shot to the lower left side of the goal.
The game settled from this point with North beginning to force more of the play. North seemed to knot the score with about ten minutes to go, but the goal was ruled offside. The score going into the end of the half remained 1-0 but a Judge defender was served with a "red" card for unsportsmanlike conduct. This caused Judge to play a man down for the rest of the match.
In the second half, North continued to put pressure on ball and caused several turnovers. From these turnovers, North created several chances but to no avail. But with only 3 minutes remaining in the match, Freshman Kristian Hall was able to latch onto a deflected throw in about six yards in front of the goal. His fourth goal in league play tied the score.
Under the new PIAA rules, tie games go to 2 sudden death periods of 10 minutes each. If the score remains tied at the end of the second period, each team receives a point.
Similar to the game, North continued to apply the pressure throughout both periods. Several opportunities were solved by either Judge's defenders, its keeper or both. Physical exertion played an important part as well, as several players from both squads went down with an assortment of problems, from cramps to twisted ankles. Judge also created a couple of chances, but again McCarthy was equal to the chance.
What is great about these games is the faces you see in the crowd, from soccer alumnists to loyal fans who don't miss a game. Spotted in the crowd were John Friskey from the late 70's juggernaut and Kevin "Max" McGettigan from the early 80's squad. There were also familiar faces on the Judge side as well. How about Mr. Jim Green, former Coach of North, now an assistant at Judge and a trainer to boot. He was pretty busy last night. Several super fans were spotted as well, like Tim Murphy, Jim Ashby and Mr. Robinson. Hot on becoming a new "super fan" for North soccer was the siting of Mike Ferris. Given his football background and fear of reprisals, he stayed mostly incognito. Thanks also to many football and basketball players who supported their classmates.
Next up is a traditional, division rival, Archbishop Ryan. The game is scheduled for Tuesday night, September 16th at 7 PM. If you are a real die hard, the JV game is at 5 PM.
Like most important North soccer games, the fans showed up in droves for the match. Officials estimated close to 400 fans of both schools were on hand. It was an entertaining match where all fans got their money's worth. The final score was a 1-1draw with Judge remaining on top of the division, two points in front of the Falcons.
The game was hotly contested from the outset. Judge set the tone early and played a very organized possession game that seemed to frustrate North. In the 9th minute, a North clearing pass from its end line hit a defender and fell within the penalty box, about 14 yards from goal. A Judge forward was stationed a few yards from the spot and was able to beat North keeper John McCarthy with a hard shot to the lower left side of the goal.
The game settled from this point with North beginning to force more of the play. North seemed to knot the score with about ten minutes to go, but the goal was ruled offside. The score going into the end of the half remained 1-0 but a Judge defender was served with a "red" card for unsportsmanlike conduct. This caused Judge to play a man down for the rest of the match.
In the second half, North continued to put pressure on ball and caused several turnovers. From these turnovers, North created several chances but to no avail. But with only 3 minutes remaining in the match, Freshman Kristian Hall was able to latch onto a deflected throw in about six yards in front of the goal. His fourth goal in league play tied the score.
Under the new PIAA rules, tie games go to 2 sudden death periods of 10 minutes each. If the score remains tied at the end of the second period, each team receives a point.
Similar to the game, North continued to apply the pressure throughout both periods. Several opportunities were solved by either Judge's defenders, its keeper or both. Physical exertion played an important part as well, as several players from both squads went down with an assortment of problems, from cramps to twisted ankles. Judge also created a couple of chances, but again McCarthy was equal to the chance.
What is great about these games is the faces you see in the crowd, from soccer alumnists to loyal fans who don't miss a game. Spotted in the crowd were John Friskey from the late 70's juggernaut and Kevin "Max" McGettigan from the early 80's squad. There were also familiar faces on the Judge side as well. How about Mr. Jim Green, former Coach of North, now an assistant at Judge and a trainer to boot. He was pretty busy last night. Several super fans were spotted as well, like Tim Murphy, Jim Ashby and Mr. Robinson. Hot on becoming a new "super fan" for North soccer was the siting of Mike Ferris. Given his football background and fear of reprisals, he stayed mostly incognito. Thanks also to many football and basketball players who supported their classmates.
Next up is a traditional, division rival, Archbishop Ryan. The game is scheduled for Tuesday night, September 16th at 7 PM. If you are a real die hard, the JV game is at 5 PM.
THE NC FLANNEL FALCONEERS
If you've been to a North/Frankford Thanksgiving Day football game in the past 4 or 5 years, you've probably seen the guys in the red flannel shirts who attempt to build a human pyramid at halftime. Well, some people truly believe that this group of NC fans are just a bunch of drunken rowdies. Let me tell you something about these guys. They are very serious and very diehard supporters of Northeast Catholic. As a guy who has known these flannel falcons for most of his life, I can tell you that they all bleed cardinal red (by the way, if you didn't know it, North's color is "cardinal" red. Don't get me started on that one). Anyway, to show how serious these guys are about North Catholic, they have actually organized themselves to put their money where their mouthes are and they are holding a fundraiser where all of the proceeds will benefit North Catholic. But, to top it all, they will attempt to break the world record for highest human pyramid. If you enjoy having a few drinks and some food with NC supporters, and you'd like to support their cause, and maybe watch some bones break before your eyes, click on the link below to see the details of this event.
Week Two - Falcons back on Track with win over Archbishop Ryan Game
Well, the Falcons licked their wounds after the loss to Coatesville in week 1, and promptly got over it and prepared for the Raiders of Archbishop Ryan. It’s good to see that a NE Philly Catholic League team is still willing to play the Falcons (yes, that’s a dig on the Crusaders of Father Judge). The Falcons got off to a slow start, but quickly recovered and dominated the Raiders, running up a 33-0 score by the end of the 3rd quarter. Coach Szydlik promptly took out the starters to give them a rest, as well as to give some of the young guys some playing time. It looks like getting kids into games is more important to coach than preserving a shutout. I can’t say that I would argue with that philosophy.
Did you notice……
…..that the field was surprisingly dry for this game. Remember that it was only 18 hours earlier when tropical storm Hanna blew through Philly. I wonder if the field drained so well due to the 4 foot crown in the middle of the field. Have you ever seen a field with such a lump in the middle?
…..that the numbers on some of the players were NOT the numbers that are listed on the roster on the website. Apparently, there was a problem with the jerseys that were sent out to be cleaned last week and some players couldn’t wear their normal numbers.
…..that one NC coach who was perched at the top of the bleachers really didn't need a headset as his voice was so loud that he had kids at Wissahickon were running the plays he was calling from Washington.
….that the aforementioned coach used the “brown word”, which was heard throughout the entire stadium. A couple of NC administrators’ ears went up when this happened, but we all know it was a heat of the moment type thing and he kept his language clean the rest of the game.
Showing up early to get a good seat was Super Fan II, Tim Murphy ’71 (see photo above). We believe Murph was there with his daughter, but we never did get introduced, so we’re not quite sure.
On the way out of the game, we ran into Super Fan I, Ed White, who is the current president of the NC Alumni Association. Mr White mentioned that the Coatesville game was a little too far for him last week. This could hurt his reign as Super Fan I.
Speaking of Super Fans, one guy can’t be overlooked. Mike Fagan ’57, was at his second NC game of the season. In addition to the North games, he’s also been spotted at the Lansdale Catholic-Downingtown East game last week as well as the Judge-Northeast game Friday night. This guy could easily move up the Super Fan charts if this keeps up. Stay tuned....
Did you notice……
…..that the field was surprisingly dry for this game. Remember that it was only 18 hours earlier when tropical storm Hanna blew through Philly. I wonder if the field drained so well due to the 4 foot crown in the middle of the field. Have you ever seen a field with such a lump in the middle?
…..that the numbers on some of the players were NOT the numbers that are listed on the roster on the website. Apparently, there was a problem with the jerseys that were sent out to be cleaned last week and some players couldn’t wear their normal numbers.
…..that one NC coach who was perched at the top of the bleachers really didn't need a headset as his voice was so loud that he had kids at Wissahickon were running the plays he was calling from Washington.
….that the aforementioned coach used the “brown word”, which was heard throughout the entire stadium. A couple of NC administrators’ ears went up when this happened, but we all know it was a heat of the moment type thing and he kept his language clean the rest of the game.
….that there were more North Catholic fans at this game then Ryan fans, despite the fact that it was played a short distance from Ryan and it was a HOME GAME for the Raiders (see pic above of Ryan's stands). What’s with that?
….that there was no National Anthem played before this game. But, unlike a few times last year, there was a flag on the flag pole.
….that there were random PCL coaches in the stands for this game. We spotted a couple of coaches from O’hara and a couple more from Judge. I know the O’hara coaches were scouting Ryan, but I’m sure the Judge coaches were there to make sure they made the right deicision in not playing the Falcons this year.
Faces in the crowd….
Showing up early to get a good seat was Super Fan II, Tim Murphy ’71 (see photo above). We believe Murph was there with his daughter, but we never did get introduced, so we’re not quite sure.On the way out of the game, we ran into Super Fan I, Ed White, who is the current president of the NC Alumni Association. Mr White mentioned that the Coatesville game was a little too far for him last week. This could hurt his reign as Super Fan I.
Speaking of Super Fans, one guy can’t be overlooked. Mike Fagan ’57, was at his second NC game of the season. In addition to the North games, he’s also been spotted at the Lansdale Catholic-Downingtown East game last week as well as the Judge-Northeast game Friday night. This guy could easily move up the Super Fan charts if this keeps up. Stay tuned....
Drew Pierson (see pic above) found a few more friends for this game. Drew’s a good guy, so he doesn’t mind me picking on him during the year. (Actually, I think he likes the attention).
Jeremiah Glackin, a junior player on the team, had some alumni family members in the stands for the Ryan game. In addition to dad, Ed ’66??, Jeremiah’s Uncle Joe ’73 and cousin, Brendan ’06 in the stands watching the game. Brendan was taking a break from his studies at the University of Pennsylvania to catch this game. We’ll see Joe and Brendan at the Alumni Association meeting on Thursday. I wonder if they’ll also show up at Division 87 of the AOH’s monthly meeting on Tuesday.
Sitting in the top row was two former players (see photo above). Pete Sellecchia ’08 and Anthony Doria made it to Washington to catch the game. Last we heard, Pete, who played a part in the NC Championship basketball run last year, was attending VFMA, and Anthony told us that he’ll be going back to school in January after working very hard the past year. Great to see some former players.
Who was that guy in the North stands (see photo above) with the Boston Red Sox hat (at least it looked like a Red Sox hat from a distance)? If you're coming to a North game, wear a NC hat or at least something red. Next time, we'll turn you in to the school president for disciplinary action.
Week 1 - Falcons Fall to Coatesville in Opener
The Falcons opened up a good distance from Philly this week. Unlike the past 20 years or so, the first game was not in Wildwood against Neumann-Goretti, but rather in Coatesville. Driving out there on the Friday of Labor Day weekend is not the easiest thing to do. The steady rain didn't help one bit either.
Did you notice
.....Mike Fagan '57 - (picture below) Mike, who worked the gate at our home games last season, made the trek out to Coatesville to see his Falcons open the 2008 season. By the way, one of our staff members saw Mike at the Lansdale Catholic/Downintown East game on Saturday. This guy loves high school football.
Did you notice
....that the Coatesville stadium is a football only stadium? There are no lines for soccer, lacrosse, etc. The field is strictly for football.
....there's a play clock in each endzone. This is common in college and pros, but at the high school level, it's a little bit different. We didn't think people would believe me, so I included a photo (see above).
....that despite the drive and the rain, there were (in my estimation) about 200 fans on the North side of the field.
....that the coin flip just before the game was actually just for show. The real coin toss took place about 30 minutes before the game. Why? I have no idea.
...a North player blew some chunks during the game, and a ref who saw it said, "He can't go back in without a doctor's note." When the North trainer, who is trained in identifying symptoms of concussions told the ref that the player was fine, refused to accept this assessment, and insisted on seeing a note from a doctor. Are you kidding me? Is there a doctor in the house? Fortunately, there was a Orthopod on the Coatesville sideline who came over to the North side to write the note for the ref. It was one of the more bizarre things I've ever seen in a football game.
Faces in the crowd....
.....Mike Fagan '57 - (picture below) Mike, who worked the gate at our home games last season, made the trek out to Coatesville to see his Falcons open the 2008 season. By the way, one of our staff members saw Mike at the Lansdale Catholic/Downintown East game on Saturday. This guy loves high school football.
....Terrell "TO" Oglesby, who is redshirted this year at Bloomsburg, was in the stands watching his old team. It's always great to see former Falcons in the stands watching the team play.
...Drew Pierson (pic above) got to the game early so he could sit with all of his friends (I told Drew I was going to write that).
....We won't mention any names, but there were a couple of dads in the stands wearing their NC red and white. Why is this a strange sight? Well, maybe it's because they are former Frankford players who have sent their kids to North to play. We do appreciate your support for the team and especially for sending your sons to Northeast Catholic.
....Carter Fellenbaum was decked out in his best NC colors for the opener (see photo above). Gotta love a guy who will go out in public with a shirt like that. But, we love the support and the spirit shown by this dad.
Next Week....
....the Falcons travel to George Washington High School to take on the Raiders of Archbishop Ryan. This is one of the closest away games we have this year, and the team sure could use the support in this NE Philly battle. At least one team in NE Philly would play the Falcons this year. Ryan is coming off a good showing at Pennsbury. Their game brought back memories of the 1972 Olympic basketball game between the USA and Russia. We're expecting a real good game.