Southeastern Pennsylvania Top 10
1. North Penn (7-0. Weeks rated: 8. Last week: 1)
2. Pennsbury (7-0. Weeks rated: 8. Last week: 2)
3. St. Joseph’s Prep (5-1. Weeks rated: 8. Last week: 3)
4. La Salle (6-1. Weeks rated: 8. Last week: 4)
5. Ridley (7-0. Weeks rated: 3. Last week: 8)
6. Pottsgrove (7-0. Weeks rated: 5. Last week: 7)
7. Neshaminy (6-1. Weeks rated: 8. Last week: 10)
8. Cardinal O’Hara (7-0. Weeks rated: 1. Last week: Unrated)
9. West Chester Rustin (7-0. Weeks rated: 1. Last week: Unrated)
10. Downingtown East (6-1. Weeks rated: 1. Last week: Unrated)
Cardinal O’Hara coach Dan Algeo is going to find out a lot of things about his team over the next three weeks. For one, is the Lions’ 7-0 start hollow, or could they play with the big boys? That answer will come Saturday when the Lions take on Catholic League Class AAAA powerhouse St. Joseph’s Prep at 7 p.m. at Plymouth-Whitemarsh High School.
While the Lions come into the game undefeated, Prep enters with a two-week break and 5-1 overall mark, having lost to North Penn, arguably the best team in Pennsylvania, on Sept. 19. Since then, the Hawks, who have played the toughest nonleague schedule of any team in the Philadelphia Catholic League, have won three straight, averaging 35.6 points in that stretch and giving up a mere nine points a game.
"You look at Prep’s first five games, that was a tough stretch of games," Algeo said. "We have our work cut out for us. Prep is solid, well coached, they have good athletes."
But Algeo counters with a healthy team, led by Ohio State-bound Corey Brown, who missed O’Hara’s 56-0 victory over Archbishop Ryan last week with a sprained right knee injured the previous week against Roman Catholic. Algeo is very optimistic that Brown will be ready to play against the Hawks — and is hoping to get the official word Wednesday about Brown’s return.
In the meantime, Algeo has some other weapons to resort to in senior running back Danny O’Hara and junior tailback Adam Dempsey. Ryan Laughlin, a 6-foot-2, 190-pound junior, has stepped in nicely for the graduated Tom Savage (starting at Rutgers) at quarterback.
But it will be up to O’Hara’s defense, which has given up less than a touchdown a game (6.5 points), to stop the Hawks. The Lions will be severely tested by Prep’s combination of sophomore tailback Desmon Peoples and sophomore quarterback Skyler Mornhinweg. Don’t let the age fool you.
"Prep is young, but this might be the best sophomore class (Hawks coach) Gil (Brooks) has ever had there," Algeo said. "I like a lot of things we’re doing right now. We have a good camaraderie, they’re just a neat group to be around.
"But we preach the same thing every week: Let’s get better, offense, defense, special teams. Against Prep, we’ll have to block and execute. The team that blocks, tackles and executes is going to win."
Keeping Peoples contained could mean the difference between a close game and a blowout. Prep smacked O’Hara around last year, 34-0, in a game nationally televised.
"You can’t let people go off," Algeo said. "You can let Peoples have one big play, but we can’t let one big play turn into two, and two turn into three. We can’t let their big people get off up front and dictate the game. That’s where the game is won and lost. Our big guys have to compete."
Playoff picture taking shape
North Penn surpassed what will conceivably be its last challenge on its schedule, as the PIAA District 1 Class AAAA playoffs near, when the Knights vanquished Quakertown last Friday, 43-13. But Pennsbury, which has the highest point average in District 1 Class AAAA, has two major tests at the end of its schedule, with a trip to Abington and hosting Neshaminy in the final game. 
Andre Poe (7) and T.J. Gill (15) celebrate during North Penn's 43-13 win at Quakertown on Friday.
Photo by Anthony Watson
In Southeastern Pennsylvania, teams are evaluated at the conclusion of the 10th week of the season, which falls on the Nov. 6-7 weekend. The top 16 teams with the highest point average qualify for the District 1 Class AAAA (large-school) playoffs. The top eight teams with the highest point average will host first-round games. The same format follows the next three weeks. The district playoffs will begin the weekend of Nov. 13-14.
The point system breaks down as follows:
A victory by a Class AAAA school over a Class AAAA school is 100 points, 80 points for a victory over a Class AAA team, 60 for a Class AA victory and 40 over a Class A (small-school).
In addition to the points earned for any team that you defeat, you receive 10 points for every win that team has on its schedule before and after you defeat them. While the "win points" are related to the classification of your school and that of the opponent, the " bonus points" are not. The bonus points are not related to team classifications.
Presently, Pennsbury holds the top spot (131.4 average), followed by North Penn (124.3) and then Ridley (121.4). All three seem to be a lock for the district playoffs. Other teams in good positions include Garnet Valley, Neshaminy, Downingtown West, Downingtown East and Avon Grove.
But it will be interesting which team secures the top seed. North Penn appears to have the inside track. The Knights should win out the remaining part of their schedule, as Ridley has a big challenge on Oct. 30 against Garnet Valley, and Pennsbury still has to get by Abington and Neshaminy in successive weeks.
In Class AAA, Pottsgrove is the No. 1 team, without question. The Falcons are leading the area (144.3 average), followed by Interboro (137.1) and West Chester Rustin (124.3). The top eight point-averages qualify for the district playoffs, with Pottsgrove and Interboro possibly the only teams that appear to be locks with three weeks left to determine the final seeding.
Joseph Santoliquito covers high schools for the Philadelphia Daily News and is a contributor to MaxPreps.com. He can be contacted at JSantoliquito@yahoo.com.
