"We have good size and experience on the line and a lot of weapons are back," Riley said. "Our defense is fast to the ball."
To no one's surprise, the push in AAAA Gold will come from Frankford and/or George Washington.
At Frankford, first-year coach Will Doggett, a Louisiana native, has scrapped the traditional wing-T, in place since 1965, with a shotgun/spread version featuring the tosses of Tim DiGiorgio and the snags of Savoy Martin and Aaron Allison.
"I was doing some research on what would work best for us," Doggett said. "The wing-T's still in there, kinda, because the way the front five blocks hasn't changed. It's a work in progress [52 points in two games]. Some of the alumni have said they're happy we're throwing more."
Star rusher Hakeem Sillman heads Washington's cast. Though coach Ron Cohen's Eagles are green, it never makes sense to dismiss them.
Also, Germantown appears to boast its best squad since the '99 champs. Will Parks is committed to Pitt for cornerback while two more two-way backs, Ackeno Robertson and Myles Brooker, are drawing I-AA sniffs. There's also honors student Kwame Miller, who goes 6-5, 390. (Not a typo.)
In AAA, there's no such thing as a clear-cut favorite.
Roxborough has the best crop of returning runners/throwers/catchers. The question now becomes, who wants to block and tackle?
The AA crown will likely be decided tomorrow when Edward Bok Tech (passionate rusher Shaquil Sammons, stud two-way end Jihad Ward) visits Imhotep Charter, home of Temple-bound wideout Shakur Nesmith and a bevy of physical/ornery linemen.
As the season progresses, do-it-aller Sharif Smith, of Horace Furness (AAAA Silver), will draw more and more recruiting attention. So far, unofficial visits have been made to Rutgers, Wisconsin and Villanova. Through Week 2, his career has produced 3,467 rushing yards and 246 points.
