The top of the (interior) line

November 05, 2011|By Rick O’Brien, INQUIRER STAFF WRITER

Continuing with our tour of the local football talent, this week we rank the top 10 interior defensive linemen (tackles and nose guards) in Southeastern Pennsylvania.

Please note that some standout two-way linemen, such as Archbishop Wood's Frank Taylor and Penn Charter's Mike McGlinchey, were included in our listing of the area's best offensive linemen. As a result, their names will not be duplicated here.

1. Colin Thompson, Archbishop Wood, senior, 6-foot-5, 255 pounds. Thompson is expected to play tight end at the University of Florida, but he's also quite the run-stuffer for a suffocating defense.

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2. Kevon Johnson, Plymouth Whitemarsh, senior, 6-1, 265. Johnson's inside muscle helped the 8-1 Patriots clinch their first Suburban One League American Conference championship since 2005.

3. Tyler Hightower, Chestnut Hill Academy, senior, 6-1, 295. With Hightower clogging the middle, the Blue Devils are making a run for an outright Inter-Academic League title.

4. Andrew Cohen, Council Rock South, senior, 6-3, 270. Golden Hawks coach Vince Bedesem can't say enough about the rock-solid Cohen, who also helps ignite the squad's wishbone offense.

5. Ayitey Kwei-Quaye, Upper Darby, senior, 6-0, 295. A nose guard, Kwei-Quaye was hearing from the Division I-AA likes of Stony Brook, Delaware, and Villanova.

6. Rick Young, Souderton, sophomore, 6-2, 287. Division I-A recruiters should make it a priority to check out the rising, two-way tackle.

7. Chris Kutsubos, Neshaminy, senior, 6-1, 273. While he might be better as an offensive tackle, Kutsubos has been a force on both sides of the ball for the 7-3 Redskins.

8. Dan Sergeyev, Central Bucks West, senior, 6-1, 245. Sergeyev, also a top performer in the classroom, is considering Princeton and Harvard. Bowdoin, in Maine, is another possibility.

9. Jeremiah Lowery, Academy Park, senior, 6-3, 230. Coach Jason Vosheski said Lowery, who has helped the Knights to a 7-3 mark, "has been absolutely unblockable."

10. Shannan Green, Malvern Prep, senior, 5-10, 230. With a terrific nose for the ball, the versatile Green can play nose guard or tackle for the Friars.

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