Below is a look at the other Public League football squads that participated in the postseason last weekend (all Catholic League programs had a bye week):
Simon Gratz 24, Northeast 8
A disappointing season that started with so much promise and expectations ended in defeat for Northeast on Friday night.
Asa Manley rushed for 87 yards, Rushawn Grange added 77 of his own and a touchdown and receiver Travon Williams hauled in four passes for 89 yards, but the senior trio’s efforts weren’t enough, as the Vikings were bounced from the playoffs and now have just the Thanksgiving game with Central to look forward to.
“I just think we didn’t play well, and at the end of the day that’s my fault,” head coach Phil Gormley said. “When you make mistakes and aren’t prepared, it’s a reflection on me as a coach. We made those mistakes early in the season and thought we had them corrected. I don’t want to make it sound like it was the kids’ fault; I just didn’t push the right buttons.”
Northeast (4–6) lost its first four games and five of its first six, including three games by a total of four points. The Vikings won four of five recently and appeared to be turning things around, but ran into a Gratz team that has now won eight straight.
“We have 23 days until we play Central,” Gormley said. “We obviously wish we won the title, but truthfully the alumni here only cares if you beat Central. That’s what people will talk about when these guys come to their high school reunion in 25 years. Now, we have to get the kids to buy into that game being our championship. That’s where we’re going. There will be 5,000 people there and it’s our biggest game for the alumni.”
King 28, Frankford 20
For the first time since 2011, there will be a new Class AAAA Public League champion.
King became the first team since 1994 to sweep Northeast, Washington and Frankford in the same year, and the Cougars sent Will Doggett’s Pioneers home much earlier than they’re accustomed to. But it was a transitional year for Frankford, something Doggett knew going in when he saw how young and inexperienced his returning group was. At 4–6, it was Doggett’s first losing season in four years as head coach.
Junior quarterback Naim Franklin was the team’s brightest spot against King, completing 10 of his 20 passes for 190 yards and three touchdowns.
The Pioneers still have one game left on the schedule, as they will host Prep Charter on Thanksgiving for the two schools’ first Turkey Day showdown.
Franklin 63, Fels 6
Fels drew the toughest matchup possible, going head-to-head with the undefeated Electrons, arguably one of the best teams in the city.
And though Franklin held a 23–0 lead not even two minutes into the game, that plus the 57-point loss was not enough to diminish the pride head coach Bill Harrigan had in his outnumbered squad making it to the postseason for the second straight year (no small feat in the always competitive Public League).
“That was certainly our goal, to get to the playoffs again,” Harrigan said. “We started 0–4 but continued to work and improve each week. We got three division wins, and this season was a big step for us. We aren’t a well-established program, so it’s great to have a group that only knows making the playoffs these last two seasons. It used to be a surprise to make it at all, so that’s a huge hump we’ve gotten over. These guys have established a tradition now, that this is where we’re supposed to be in November. Now, the next step is to build on this, work harder in the offseason and do the things we need to do to win a playoff game, as opposed to just getting there.”
The loss to Franklin ended Fels’ season, as the Panthers do not have a Thanksgiving game scheduled in 2014. ••
