Good Counsel football to open in Ohio

Our Lady of Good Counsel, No. 14 in the MaxPreps Preseason Top 25 Xcellent rankings, broke a four-year losing streak in the Washington Catholic Athletic Conference football title game when it defeated DeMatha 14-7 to win the 2009 championship.

The Falcons lost several seniors from that team, including 12 who are playing on the collegiate level. But most good coaches will tell you that games are won or lost in the trenches, and it's there that Good Counsel is in excellent shape.

Ten offensive starters return this season, including the entire starting offensive line, for head coach Bob Milloy. Seniors Pat Walsh (6-1, 245), Stephen Snyder (6-0, 245) and Peter Sotiriou (6-2, 270) will join juniors Ryan Watson (6-3, 260) and Mike Madaras (6-foot, 270) as part of perhaps the most highly-recruited offensive line in the state.

Senior Zach Dancel returns at quarterback for his senior season and junior Wes Brown will be the featured running back. Virginia-bound tight end Vincent Croce will be an integral part of what should shape up to be a very potent offense.

Junior Stefon Diggs, who is being courted by Maryland and Pittsburgh, is perhaps the Falcons' best all-around player. He not only plays wide receiver and defensive back, but will also return kicks and punts on special teams.

The Falcons open up on the road against St. Xavier (Cincinnati, Ohio) in a game that will be featured on ESPN. "That's our first game," Milloy said during a phone interview, "and even though it's not a conference game, it's important we get off to a good start."

Counsel will then return to play in the inaugural I-95 Kick Off Classic's feature game when its faces defending Maryland Intercollegiate Athletic Association champion Gilman Sept. 4 at 7:30 p.m. in Johnny Unitas Stadium on the Towson University campus.

"That should be a great game," Milloy said of the matchup. "They are a good team with good players and coached by good people."

2. Virginia power heading to Herbstreit
Oscar Smith will take on Pickerington Central (Pickerington, Ohio) at the Kirk Herbstreit National Kickoff Classic at Ohio Stadium Sept. 6 in a game that will be televised on ESPNU at 4 p.m.

Oscar Smith (13-1), which finished the 2009 regular season undefeated, was nationally ranked in most polls at the end of the season but lost a very talented senior class.

Central finished last year's campaign with a 10-2 record, losing in the second round of the state tournament.

3. Salesianum (Del.) lacrosse star in football camp
Salesianum (Wilmington, Del.) senior Ryan Kilpatrik, who has already verbally committed to play lacrosse at the University of North Carolina, showed up Monday for the first day of football practice.

"Ryan is a very valuable member of our football team," Sals coach Bill Dinardo said in an e-mail after the team's afternoon practice Monday. "He is an outstanding runner and return man who is a threat to score whenever he touches the ball. Ryan is also a great team leader who leads by his example of hard work."

Although Dinardo said in his e-mail there was never a doubt Kilpatrik would report to camp, several online sources questioned whether or not the talented athlete would forgo his senior season since he has already committed to play lacrosse at UNC.

Salesianum (8-2 in '09) will begin defense of its state title when it hosts Hodgson Vo-Tech (Newark, Del.) on Sept. 10 at 7:30 p.m.

Recruiting news
* Darius Lee, a senior outside linebacker at St. Stephen's-St. Agnes (Alexandria, Va.) has made a verbal commitment to the University of Virginia.

* Good Counsel senior linebacker Chris Pitsenberger (6-foot, 215) made a verbal commitment to Towson University.

* Boys Latin (Baltimore, Md.) senior Taylor Stothoff has given a verbal commitment to play lacrosse at Penn State University.

The buzz
* The Delaware Interscholastic Athletic Association has declared Sussex Central (Georgetown, Del.) junior Brandon Lewis ineligible for the upcoming football season based on its transfer rule. According to DIAA rules, because Lewis played football as a sophomore at a different school he must sit out one season.

However, the rule is being called into question because Lewis' previous school was a Vo-Tech School, and technically, with a recent move of residence, Sussex Central is now his home school. If allowed to play, this will be Lewis' third football school in three years — athletes may transfer after their freshman year without penalty — which is precisely the reason the rule was implemented.

* Freeman Williams has stepped down as boys' basketball head coach at Caesar Rodney (Camden, Del.) to accept an administration position in the district. Williams held the post for four years, compiling a 66-28 record and leading the Riders to the Henlopen Conference title in 2008-09.

Jon Buzby is the sports columnist for the Newark Post, a freelance writer, and occasional color commentator for the 1290am The Ticket High School Football Game of the Week. You can reach him at jonbuzby@hotmail.com.