Galen Snyder isn’t ready to admit anything yet. The Pennsbury coach has to revamp his offensive line, using a sophomore as its anchor at center. He has to groom this front, smooth and shape the rough edges for the various pulling and running Pennsbury likes to do out of its Wing-T offense.
Snyder is in August coaching mode, where everything is a blank sheet and you give up nothing.
Brandon Pepper, Pennsbury
Photo by John Holden
But there are three glaring exclamation points every team that will face the Falcons can’t ignore in mid-August, and they’re good enough to carry this team well into December—and that’s the triplets: junior quarterback Brandon Pepper, senior receiver Eric Williams and senior fullback Dante Devine.
They’re explosive. They’re experienced. And when, not if, the Falcons front wall comes together, they’re unstoppable.
Pennsbury went 9-3 overall last season, losing in the quarterfinal round of the PIAA District 1 Class AAAA playoffs. The Falcons did it with young skill players, but something was cooking, and Snyder and his staff knew it after Pennsbury’s first game last year.
The Falcons turned the ball over five times, and Pepper was jumpy, showing all the anxiety of a first-time varsity starter. But then maturity suddenly came in the fourth quarter, on Pepper’s 20-yard scoring run in the game’s waning minutes, giving Pennsbury a 21-20 victory. And entrenching Pepper as a weapon.
That’s what started it. Now if the offensive line can come together, there is enough talent that Pennsbury can not only repeat its feat of 2006, when the Falcons won the District 1 Class AAAA championship, but could go even farther than that.
“I think we can be pretty good, a lot of our skill guys are back, but we lost a lot of linemen,” Snyder said. “This year will depend on if we get hot at the right time or not. Our season will depend on our offensive and defensive lines and how quickly they come together.”
One thing Pennsbury may not have too much to worry about is size. J.J. Denman could be a future star. The sophomore has good footwork and speed. He also comes in a 6-6, 285-pound package that’s freakishly imposing. He’ll be joined by senior 6-2, 250-pound left tackle Kevin Conpento, while defensively, 6-0, 295-pound senior tackle Josh Mitchell will hold down the middle.
They’re part of enhancing the terrific trio of Pepper, Williams and Devine.
“It is a team and we need to keep that team aspect,” said Williams, who’s received offers from Pittsburgh, Temple, Vanderbilt, Syracuse, Akron and Kent State. “Last year there might have been a little selfishness. That won’t be the case this year. I personally think everyone on this team is working hard for something bigger. I can see this team going for a state championship, if everything comes together for us.
“But it’s nice knowing what we can do. We can spread the ball, and not just with me, Brandon and Dante, we have so many other weapons on this team. But we all have to have each other’s backs. Everyone on my team is my brother. We do everything together. We just have to keep it up throughout the year.”
And Pepper has to continue to grow as a player. Brandon, a 6-0, 180-pound junior and the younger brother of all-state basketball star Dalton Pepper, emerged late last year as a dual-threat quarterback. Early last season, if he didn’t see something, he’d immediately tuck the ball and run. By the midway point, he was able to slow the game down and read his progressions. By the end of the year, he was able to pick apart defenses both running and passing.
“It’s just the experience factor from last year,” Brandon said. “The game did slow down for me and I would say there was a big difference between what I saw in the beginning of the season and how I saw the field at the end of the year. We have an entirely new offensive line from last year, but I think they could definitely be as good or better than last year.
“I think my experience helps, because they know they’re playing with someone who’s been there. Last year, we didn’t start clicking until around week four or five. This year we can start by week two or three. I’d say by then everyone will be on the same page. It’s just a matter of everyone getting used to playing together. I think it’s there. I think we can make a run at the state title. It will be up to how fast we come together.”
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.
