Archbishop Carroll High School Football

RADNOR - Amid all the frustrating losses and costly turnovers in its first five games, Archbishop Carroll has been able to move the ball up and down the field.  The Patriots have found the red zone, but not the end zone.  Saturday afternoon, Carroll started finishing drives against a solid North Catholic ... which made a hard-fought, 28-22 loss at Prevost Field sting all the more.  "That was the best game we played all year," Carroll head coach Dan Bielli said, "but we're still 1-5. But you know what, on the practice field this week, you wouldn't have thought they were 1-4.   "We get to come back Friday night. (North Catholic) is a terrific team and we took them to the wire." That the Patriots did. When quarterback Luke Wischnowski ran a sneak into the end zone from a yard out with 7:43 remaining in the fourth quarter, then passed a floater to tight end Chris Kennedy for the 2-point conversion, Carroll had a 22-21 lead and brought a roar from its side of the field.  Those cheers came too soon.

The Falcons marched back down the field when they needed to and took the game back for good. North Catholic quarterback Dennis Logue found wide receiver Mike Scott for a 14-yard strike with 78 ticks left to crush Carroll's hopes at an upset.  Despite the loss, Carroll's run defense was able to contain North scat back Eugene Boyd (82 yards on 19 carries), who shredded defenses for more than 600 yards in North's first five games. Kennedy, who is also a playmaker on the defensive line, stuffed Boyd in the backfield on several occasions and pressured Logue all day.  "There was nothing we could do; we fought as hard as we could," Kennedy said of the tough loss. "We knew (the Falcons) were a good team and that they would be a challenge. We needed to make key plays and it didn't happen for us."

On offense, Carroll racked up 260 yards as the running game flourished on misdirection plays and reverses.  While the outcome was not what Bielli was looking for, it was definitely an eye-opener to hang with North. The Patriots have shown some signs of life that could help transfer some of those losses over to the win column.  "We're all proud of the way they played," Bielli said. "When you're 1-5, you take what you can get and build on it for the next week."

---- BUD WEAVER
©DelcoTimes 2008

The Archbishop Carroll Patriots earned their first win of the season yesterday, gutting out a 15-14 squeaker over a physical, speedy Overbrook squad.

The Pats had to sweat this one out literally as well as figuratively, with temperatures at the Simon Gratz Supersite reaching over ninety muggy degrees on the turf. Carroll fans present probably had to mop their brows a little harder when the Panthers took the opening kickoff and marched 65 yards for the game’s first score. Overbrook missed the PAT and had to settle for a 6-0 cushion.

Carroll answered right away, and vaulted into the lead with a six-yard blast by halfback Zach Parke in their first possession . The scoring drive was aided by a fourth-down conversion on a pass from QB Luke Wischnowski to SE Mike Gramlich. Sophomore kicker Andy Brouwers added the extra point for a 7-6 lead. 

Although an interception by Greg DiSanto thwarted one subsequent Panther scoring threat, the margin would not hold until halftime intermission. Overbrook used its passing game and a trick play to cover 72 yards with less than a minute left in the half and score the go-ahead TD. Fortunately, the Carroll defense denied the two-point attempt, and the Pats went into the locker room trailing 12-7.

In the second half the Patriot defense stiffened considerably, allowing no further scoring by the Panthers. Carroll took the lead for good in the third quarter on a sneak by Wischnowski, set up by one of several clutch receptions by FB Bryant Moritz and by solid pass protection from the offensive line, which has not allowed a sack all year. Head Coach Dan Bielli made what turned out to be one of the game’s key decisions on the conversion attempt, opting to fake the kick. Wischnowski’s flip to HB John Wynne was successful, giving Carroll a 15-12 lead and just enough cushion to offset an Overbrook safety after an errant snap late in the contest.

With their first win behind them, the Patriots now turn their attention to the Burrs of West Catholic High. Carroll will meet the team some consider to be the best AA team in Pennsylvania this Friday night at Widener University.

RADNOR - The Archbishop Carroll football team had been through enough trauma.  Following an opening-week whitewashing at the hands of Cardinal O'Hara, the Patriots were beaten and battered.  Click here for full article.

As Camp Bielli 2008 drew to a close last week, the Patriots turned to the annual process of selecting team captains and position group leaders. Four seniors earned the honor and responsibility of captaincy: Jack Lowney (75), Dillon McClernon (20), Chris Kennedy (46), and, for the second straight year, Luke Wischnowski (16). Position group leaders are senior Jim Ellis, line; senior Pat Seeds, split ends; senior John Wynne, running backs; junior Bryant Moritz, linebackers; and junior Chris Shuster, defensive backs.  This year's 2-week camp format included 6 double practice sessions, and the weekends featured successful scrimmages against LaSalle and Ridley.  The Patriots now turn their focus toward implementing a weekly game plan for their upcoming opponents.  Ocean City, NJ is the venue for the season opener and the renewal of the old Southern Division rivalry - Carroll vs. O'Hara.  The Lions enter the contest boasting the #4 rank in Southeastern Pennsylvania.