2008-09 Top Players in District 12 & Independent Teams

Written by: Josh Funk on Monday, June 30th, 2008. Follow Josh Funk on Twitter.

Adam Novak, Senior WR, Father Judge HS – Novak finished 2007 as the second-leading receiver for Judge, as he hauled in 26 passes for 421 yards and 3 scores. Novak averaged 16.2 yards per reception and was responsible for nearly 30 percent of Judge’s receiving yardage output in 2007. He helped Judge reach the PCL Red Division playoffs last season.

Brakim Poole, Senior DB, Edward Bok Vo-Tech HS – Bok Vo Tech possessed one of the best defenses in the Philadelphia Public League last season, allowing only 88 points (just over 6 points per game) in their 12-game season. The Vo-Tech defense notched 7 shutouts and held 9 opponents to 7 points or less. Poole, who doubled as a wide receiver, recorded 7 interceptions last season for Bok, who finished as the Public League runners-up to George Washington. By electing to play in the Pub Final, Bok was spared the task of playing in the PIAA playoffs against District 1 up-and-comer Pottsgrove, who throttled Ben Franklin 42-12.

Connor Hoffman, Junior WR, LaSalle HS – Hoffman returns as the Explorers’ second-leading receiver. In his sophomore season, he snared 41 passes for 456 yards and scored 2 touchdowns. Twice last season did Hoffman catch 8 passes in a game, and he set a school single-game record for receiving yards, with 152 against Bishop McDevitt.

Corey Brown, Junior RB/WR, Cardinal O’Hara HS – Brown is probably the best returning junior in the entire Philadelphia Catholic League this season, and he should be a big factor in O’Hara’s offensive equation this season. Forced into more of a traditional Wing-T set because of an injury to star quarterback Tom Savage, Brown benefited, rushing for 1,017 yards and 9 touchdowns while averaging over 5.5 yards per carry. He was also a pass-catching threat out of the backfield, hauling in 15 passes for 226 yards and 4 touchdowns.

Curtis Drake, Senior QB, West Catholic HS – Drake is the field general that drives the WC offense which averaged over 370 yards and a Philly Catholic League best 37 points per game. Drake completed 52.4 percent of his passes last season for 1,325 yards and 20 TDs, while adding 597 rush yards and 9 scores on the ground. His career passing percentage hovers right around 50, but he boasts an impressive 19-1 overall record as the Burrs’ starter. He’s thrown for 1,933 career yards, run for 852, and had a hand in 41 rushing and passing touchdowns. Drake has an offer from Penn State, and has had some contact with Georgia Tech. He’s also received letters from Maryland, Purdue, Wisconsin, Tennessee, Syracuse, and Michigan State.

Dan Judge, Senior QB, Haverford School – You be the judge to determine exactly how good of a dual threat the Fords’ field general is. Chances are, you’ll come to the conclusion he’s one of the best returning dual-threat quarterbacks among the Independent teams. Logue has thrown for 1,500 career yards and run for another 819 while having a hand in 28 total touchdowns. While those stats haven’t translated to victories, the numbers sure aren’t anything to sneeze at.

Dennis Logue, Senior QB, Northeast Catholic HS – Logue put up some decent stats for a Falcon team which finished 6-6 and averaged nearly 21 points per game. He completed 73-of-166 passes for 996 yards and 9 touchdowns. To go along with those stats, 5 times did Logue exceed the 100-yard passing mark in 2007. Maybe, he’ll hit a passing total in the four-figures in 2008.

Drew Sigfried, Junior DB, Bishop McDevitt (Philly) HS – This McDevitt is not to be confused with Harrisburg’s Bishop McDevitt, a traditional District 3 power. While BM only won 5 games last season, Sigfried played some top-notch defense, intercepting a team-best 6 passes. In the Neumann-Goretti game, the junior intercepted 2 passes, his only game with multiple interceptions last season.

James Connelly, Senior RB, Malvern Prep – Connelly is one of the Friars’ two top returning rushers and one of the team leaders in all-purpose yardage. The senior back totaled 1,065 yards of offense (738 rushing, 327 receiving) and scored 7 touchdowns for the Inter-AC champions. Connelly averaged 5.3 yards per rush and 18.2 yards per reception.

James Johnson, Senior RB, Philadelphia George Washington HS – The Eagles won the 2007 Philadelphia Public League championship and advanced to the PIAA “AAAA” East Quarterfinals before falling 44-12 to Parkland. The blue and gold boasted a multi-faceted rushing attack, but Johnson emerged as the leading rusher, racking up 676 yards and 11 touchdowns on just 79 carries. He returns to lead an Eagle ground game which returns 4 of its top 6 rushers from a year ago, and that could be just the thing that leads GW to yet another Public League title.

Je’Ron Stokes, Senior WR, Philadelphia Northeast HS – It is believed that Stokes is the first Division-1 product from the Northeast system in a period of time. Stokes, the team’s leading receiver, verbally committed to the University of Tennessee, and is one of the Public League’s best home-run threat receivers. Stokes finished 2007 with 28 receptions for 617 yards and 7 touchdowns for a Vikings’ team which finished 7-5. Stokes averaged a hair over 51 yards receiving per game and over 22 yards per reception, one of the top averages in the Philadelphia region.

Joe Price, Senior WR, Malvern Prep – The Friars ran a balanced offensive attack last season, and part of that balance was a passing attack which averaged over 123 yards per game. Price was the main beneficiary of quarterback Ryan Nassib’s passes, as he caught 29 passes for 551 yards and 5 touchdowns. While that only equates to an average of roughly 3 receptions for 55 yards per game, the 19 yards per reception average is nothing to sneeze at.

John Howell, Senior RB, Lansdale Catholic HS – This explosive running back will be one of the driving forces behind the Crusaders’ offense in 2008 – he certainly was in 2007 for a Crusader team which scored over 500 points for the second time in 4 years and reached the “AA” quarterfinals against Dunmore. Howell ran for 2,084 yards on 211 attempts and scored 29 touchdowns for the green and gold while averaging over 9.8 yards per rush, easily one of the top averages in the state. He scored 33 total touchdowns last season, and has added an impressive 536 career receiving yards out of the backfield.

Joseph Clayborne, Sophomore WR, University City HS – The Public League has been known to run, run, run, and run some more, so a freshman that can post over 300 receiving yards is something that catches your attention. Clayborne did exactly that in 2007, snagging 13 passes for 335 yards and 6 touchdowns. He averaged nearly 26 yards per reception.

Joseph Montouth, Junior RB, Martin Luther King HS – The basic game plan for King, according to the Daily News’ Ted Silary, was to give Montouth the ball roughly 20 times per contest and see what he could do. King High struggled in 2007, but Montouth excelled, rushing for 1,106 yards and 12 touchdowns on 178 attempts. Despite the fact that opposing defenses knew what was coming, the junior was able to average a hair over 6.2 yards per rush attempt. He should be considered as one of the top returning Public League running backs for 2008.

Luke Wischnowski, Senior QB, Archbishop Carroll HS – Wischnowski inherited a 4-7 Patriots team when he took over the reins from graduating Carroll QB Matt Cantafio. All Wischnowski did in 2007 was light the world on fire. 4 Carroll wins in 2006 turned into 10 wins in 2007, and Carroll’s Wing-T offense roared to life, scoring 380 points for an average of 29 points per game. Wischnowski was responsible for assuming the title of “driving force,” as he piled up 729 yards and 9 scores on the ground while completing 55 percent of his passes for 1,181 yards and 10 additional scores. Carroll could conceivably be the team that stands in the way of West Catholic’s push for a third straight PCL championship, and Wischnowski would be a big reason why.

Malik Stokes, Junior QB, Philadelphia Northeast HS – Malik returns to a Northeast offense in 2008 that also returns his brother, star wideout and Tennessee commit Je’Ron Stokes. Malik had a brilliant 2007 season for just a sophomore, completing 78-of-156 passes for 1,256 yards and 13 touchdowns. In the process of throwing for over 1,200 yards, he broke the Vikings’ single-season school record for most passing yards. How will the best returning Public League pass-and-catch duo fair in 2008? Only time will tell.

Matt Della-Croce, Senior QB, Conwell-Egan HS – Della-Croce and company only won 1 game a season ago, but that didn’t stop the C-E field general from putting up some decent looking stats. He completed 105-of-218 passes for 1,380 yards and 11 touchdowns last season. Della-Croce eclipsed the 100-yard passing mark 8 times, including a stellar 20-completion, 257-yard game against Bishop McDevitt.

Mike Bennett, Junior PK, LaSalle HS – Bennett was a consistent kicker, scoring at least 1 point in every game except the game against Father Judge. He only converted 17 extra points, but hit an impressive 8 field goals for the Explorers. Bennett’s 41 points provided 22.6 percent of the team’s total scoring in 2007.

Mike Doty, Senior WR, Germantown Academy – Doty returns as the top receiver to a run-oriented Germantown team. He caught 19 passes for 322 yards and 3 touchdowns a year ago, averaging close to 17 yards per reception.

Mike Scott, Senior WR, Northeast Catholic HS – Scott had a pretty solid junior season for the red and white, as he snagged 31 passes for 378 yards and 5 touchdowns. Scott, who is the top returning receiver on the team, averaged 12.2 yards per reception a season ago.

Mike Yeager, Senior RB, Saint Joseph’s Prep HS – When you look at his 2007 statistics, you might question why Yeager was included on this list. He earned 29 carries for 191 yards and 5 scores in 2007, and while those numbers are not all that gaudy, consider that come 2008, he won’t have to worry about Jamir Livingston carrying the rock. The past 2 seasons, Livingston has combined to rush for 2,887 yards and 31 touchdowns. A breakout season should be expected for the “Yeager-meister” and the Hawks, who have won 55 straight league games, a streak which dates back to the 1999 football season. Remember, laugh now at this selection, but check Yeager’s stats come the end of November. His rushing total should be in the 4-figures.

Neil Willis, Senior RB, Malvern Prep – Willis finished 2007 as the Friars’ second-leading rusher and third-leading receiver. He returns to an offense which averaged 28.9 points per game and a team which went 9-1 a season ago. Willis finished with 895 all-purpose yards last year, running for 707 yards on 108 attempts and hauling in 15 passes for 187 yards and 3 additional scores. He averaged a touchdown every 5 receptions and 15 rush attempts for Malvern.

Rasheen Tookes, Senior RB, Jules Mastbaum HS – Not many people outside of the Philadelphia region may have heard of Mastbaum High, or even Rasheen Tookes for that matter, but he’s quietly putting together a solid career in the “City of Brotherly Love.” After running for 711 yards and 6 touchdowns as a sophomore, Tookes “tooke off,” carrying the ball 174 times last season for 1,213 yards and 10 scores. He also scored 3 touchdowns as a receiver. Tookes should easily surpass the 2,000-yard plateau for his career, and, barring injury, could set his sights on 3,000 yards and 30 career touchdowns scored.

Raymond Maples, Senior RB, West Catholic HS – Meet the second Division-1 prospect in the Burrs’ backfield who led the team in rushing touchdowns a season ago. Maples scored 19 rushing touchdowns to go along with his 1,040 rushing yards on 160 attempts. He finished 2007 as the Burrs’ second-leading rusher and averaged exactly 6.5 yards per carry. Maples scored a rushing touchdown every 8.42 attempts last season and finished the year scoring over 100 points, with 120 to be exact.

Robert Holloman, Senior RB/WR, West Catholic HS – He’s the third factor of West Catholic’s three-headed monster in a backfield loaded with D-1 talent. Holloman did a little bit of everything in 2007, carrying the ball 122 times for 1,048 yards and 8 scores. He also hauled in 17 passes for 364 yards and 6 more touchdowns. But what few outside the Philadelphia Catholic League may know is that in addition to receiving and rushing touchdowns, Holloman, who scored 18 touchdowns last year, also scored touchdowns on defense, as well as kick and punt returns. All told, he scored touchdowns 6 different ways in 2007, and is drawing the attention of Division-1 scouts.

Ronnell Fairel, Senior WR, Kennedy-Kenrick Catholic HS – Fairel posted solid statistics during his junior season, catching 30 passes for 392 yards and 4 touchdowns for the blue and white. He’s K-K’s top returning receiver, and should see an increase in the stats department in 2008.

Rus Slawter, Senior QB, Archbishop Ryan HS – Slawter only played in 9 games last season, but he put up some pretty good numbers, completing over 100 passes for 1,095 yards and 7 touchdowns. He averaged 122 passing yards per game, and cracked 100 yards passing 6 times during the ’07 season. Slawter’s best performance – a 281-yard day against Cardinal O’Hara.

Ryan Golin, Senior WR, Conwell-Egan HS – Had he not blown out his knee, Golin could have been a potential 1,000-yard receiver and would have statistically been the best returning receiver in the PCL. He still put up amazing stats for only playing half a season, hauling in 35 passes for 497 yards and 5 touchdowns. According to Ted Silary, Golin tied the city record for most receptions in a game with 15 in the Bishop McDevitt game, meaning he was the recipient of 75 percent of Egan’s completed passes that day.

Ryan Sejda, Senior QB, Kennedy-Kenrick Catholic HS – Sejda completed nearly 50 percent of his passes for 887 yards and 9 touchdowns a season ago. He had a season-high 237 passing yards against Bishop McDevitt (of Philly) to go along with 3 touchdown passes.

Terrance Fitzsimmons, Senior RB, Haverford School – Fitzsimmons was the Fords’ featured running back last year, leading the team with 555 rushing yards and 5 touchdowns on just 78 attempts. He averaged 7.1 yards per carry, and was also a receiving threat out of the backfield, snaring 8 passes for 136 yards and 2 additional touchdowns. He averaged a dead-even 17 yards per reception, and will be a big factor in the Fords’ offense for 2008.

Sam Feleccia, Junior RB/WR, LaSalle HS – This Explorer did plenty of exploring the opposing defenses last season, finishing as LaSalle’s leading rusher and receiver. Feleccia ran for 244 yards and 1 touchdown, and hauled in 45 passes for 505 yards and 3 additional scores. He averaged 3.8 yards per carry and 11.2 yards per reception.

Tom Ryan, Senior WR, Father Judge HS – Ryan is the top returning receiver to a Judge team which finished 2007 with a 9-3 overall record and qualified for the PCL Red Division playoffs. Ryan did not disappoint last season, as he reeled in 33 passes for 586 yards and 7 touchdowns for a team which averaged just under 26 points per contest. Ryan averaged 17.76 yards per reception, ironic since he plays in the Philadelphia region.

Tom Savage, Senior QB, Cardinal O’Hara HS – Savage is hailed as one of the top quarterbacks in the Philadelphia region this upcoming season. He’s the only guaranteed player on the East roster for the prestigious US Army All-American game in San Antonio, TX. The Lions’ field general has thrown for 2,380 yards and 17 touchdowns in his high school career, and posted an impressive 1,470 passing yards in his sophomore campaign. Who knows – if Savage can pass for just over 1,600 yards this season, the Rutgers commit will hit 4,000 passing yards for his career.

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