Great expectations for Archbishop Wood

This year, flirting with state gold won't be enough.

Not for a talent-rich, high school football team that includes six Division I-A senior recruits. Not for a squad that returns eight starters on both sides of the ball. Not for a team that will open the season in front of a nationally televised audience.

"People expect a lot from us," Archbishop Wood two-way back Desmon Peoples said. "And they should. We can be something great this year. But we have to go out and do it. We can't just talk about it."

Like the region's other Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association (PIAA) members, the Vikings, fresh off Saturday's scrimmage against Father Judge, are entering the second week of the preseason.

So are teams across the river in South Jersey. Holy Spirit, Cherokee, and the rest will play for real beginning Sept. 9.

For PIAA schools, the 2011 campaign will open Sept. 2. Wood will kick things off Sept. 4, facing fellow power Pittsburgh Central Catholic at Gateway High in Monroeville. The highly anticipated contest will be televised by ESPN2.

"It's great for the kids," Vikings coach Steve Devlin said of the exposure. "It's a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. They're real excited about it."

Devlin has compiled a 45-10 record (.818 winning percentage) in four seasons at the Warminster, Bucks County, school. Wood has bagged three consecutive Catholic League and District 12 championships. But it has fallen short of its ultimate goal: a state title at the Class AAA level.

In 2008, when the Catholic League joined the PIAA, the Vikings advanced to the state final in Hershey before bowing to District 7's Thomas Jefferson. The championship quest ended in the semifinals the last two seasons.

"When you get that far, it definitely puts the taste in your mouth," Devlin said. "We'd like to get it done this year. But you still have to play the games. We have a tough schedule."

In addition to the speedy Peoples, who doubles at cornerback and has committed to play at Rutgers, Wood returns two-way linemen Colin Thompson (Florida), Frank Taylor (Boston College), and Brandon Arcidiacono (Rutgers); and running back/linebacker/end Brandon Peoples (Temple), Desmon's cousin.

Another senior who will go to Division I-A is Nate Smith, a transfer from George Washington. The athletic wide receiver/free safety is considering South Carolina, West Virginia, and Temple, among others.