With Week 8 upon us, many PIAA District 1 squads are in the stretch drive in a bid to gain more power points and a playoff berth.
At the AAAA level, among the teams on the bubble are Council Rock South (4-3), Chester (5-2), Conestoga (4-3), Pennridge (4-3), Cheltenham (4-3), Norristown (4-3) and Upper Darby (5-2). Tonight, in a key AAA contest, Owen J. Roberts (5-2) visits Phoenixville (5-2) in a Pioneer Athletic Conference matchup.
Last week: 7-5.
Overall: 55-30 (.647).
Mastbaum (4-2, 2-1) at Roxborough (4-2, 3-0), today, 3 p.m. The Indians, led by 5-foot-10, 145-pound running back Akmed Green, can clinch a Public League AAA championship. To do so, they will have to keep speedster Rasheen Tookes (800 rushing yards, eight touchdowns) from running wild. A slight edge goes to the hosts.
Pick: Roxborough, 16-14.
No. 2 Malvern Prep (5-0, 1-0) at Haverford School (5-1, 1-0), today, 3:45. The Fords have been on a major roll, losing only to sixth-ranked Cardinal O'Hara. However, Herculean efforts will be needed from both running back Terance FitzSimmons and quarterback Dan Judge to upend the powerful and savvy Friars.
Pick: Malvern Prep, 35-13.
Coatesville (5-2, 2-1) at West Chester Henderson (5-2, 3-0), tonight, 7. Henderson is looking to get back on track after falling to Bayard Rustin, 24-13, in a nonleague tilt last week. Junior quarterback Charles Green (107 carries for 458 yards) and senior running back Kenny Wylie (141 for 855) are Coatesville's catalysts.
Pick: Henderson, 28-14.
Owen J. Roberts (5-2, 4-1) at Phoenixville (5-2, 4-1), tonight, 7. Behind front-runner Pottsgrove, the Wildcats and Phantoms are tied for second place in the PAC-10. The key for Phoenixville is slowing down sophomore running back Ryan Brumfield, who has notched 1,327 rushing yards and 14 touchdowns.
Pick: Roberts, 31-19.
Upper Dublin (5-1, 2-1) at Cheltenham (4-3, 2-1), tomorrow, 1. Several dynamic running backs will be featured in this Suburban One League American Conference meeting: Upper Dublin's Josh Mastromatto, and Cheltenham's Damon Finley and Mikhail Reed. We're anticipating a shoot-out.
Pick: Upper Dublin, 32-29.
Other games to watch
Academy of the New Church (4-2, 3-0) at Bristol (4-3, 0-2), tonight, 7. Pick: ANC, 38-8.
Quakertown (5-2, 1-2) at Central Bucks East (4-3, 3-1), tonight, 7. Pick: C.B. East, 19-14.
No. 1 North Penn (7-0, 4-0) at Souderton (4-3, 2-2), tomorrow, 6. Pick: North Penn, 37-12.
North Catholic (6-1, 2-0) vs. Conwell-Egan (4-3, 2-1), at Truman, tomorrow, 7. Pick: North, 28-6.
Bishop McDevitt (4-3, 2-1) vs. No. 7 West Catholic (6-1, 3-0), at Widener, tomorrow, 7:30. Pick: West, 33-14.
Glen Mills (5-2, 1-1)
at Chester (5-2, 4-0), tomorrow, 10:30 a.m. Before the season, many expected a two-team race for the Del-Val League crown between 10-time defending champion Interboro and newcomer Glen Mills.
Now, Chester, best known for its basketball prowess, is in a position to clinch its first Del-Val football title since 1997. A win tomorrow against the Bulls would set off a big celebration at the Chester Athletic Complex.
The offensive leaders for the improved Clippers, who last season went 4-7 overall and 2-2 in the Del-Val, are quarterback Al Payne, running backs DeVaughn Swain and Jabree Clayton, and receivers Aaron Jackson and Laquan Robinson.
Defensively, Chester's top playmakers in a 3-3-5 scheme include senior linebacker J.R. Wells, junior linemen Aaron Payne and Amos Spencer, and junior linebacker Ronell Williams.
Glen Mills, back in the Del-Val after 13 seasons as an independent, is led by explosive running back Bernard Pierce.
Pick. Glen Mills, 20-14.
- Rick O'Brien
