High School Top 10 & Previewing This Weekend's Top Games
By Joseph Santoliquito
Southeastern PA Top 10
Week of Sept. 6, 2013
1. St. Joseph's Prep (Record: 1-0. Weeks Rated: 2.)
2. Coatesville (Record: 1-0. Weeks Rated: 2.)
3. Archbishop Wood (Record: 1-0. Weeks Rated: 2.)
4. La Salle (Record: 1-0. Weeks Rated: 2.)
5. Neshaminy (Record: 1-0. Weeks Rated: 2.)
6. Pennridge (Record: 1-0. Weeks Rated: 2.)
7. Ridley (Record: 1-0. Weeks Rated: 2.)
8. Imhotep Charter (Record: 1-0. Weeks Rated: 2.)
9. Downingtown East (Record: 1-0. Weeks Rated: 1.)
10. Council Rock North (Record: 1-0. Weeks Rated: 1.)
Philadelphia, PA (CBS) — If Coatesville stellar senior Daquan Worley had his choice, he'll be a cornerback when he arrives at Penn State next summer. In the meantime, the Penn State-commit continues to do something he's been doing since he first touched a football, and that's running through defenses and scoring touchdowns.
Worley ripped through William Penn (York County) last week for three touchdowns and 156 yards in state runner-up Coatesville's season-opening 42-7 romp.
"[Penn State] Coach [Bill] O'Brien said he hasn't ruled out the possibility of me carrying the ball in college. It is something I do want to do at Penn State, but if I had my choice, I would rather play defense in college," Worley said. "So there is a chance this could be the last chance I play offense. Coach O'Brien said he recruited me to play both ways. Those are the type of players he wanted, to run bubble screens and running me out of the slot. I've been running the ball my whole life. I don't like the attention—everyone likes to be the superstar. I want to be defined as a football player. I don't like being called a superstar. I'm just a football player. That's all I am.
"I see myself as a shutdown cornerback. I have to think I'm the best. I have to stand up for myself. [St. Joe Prep's] John Reid is a great player, and I respect his game and take nothing from him. I'm also not cocky and I don't like coming off as arrogant because I have to believe in myself—and my team. I definitely believe in my team; the goal is to win the whole thing. No one expected us to do anything last year. Every time we were in the playoffs, we were the other team. We're going to get back to the state championship."
Beating the Heat
St. Joseph's Prep took a journey to Dallas, Texas last week and played in 102-degree temperatures on the field at kickoff against Dallas Jesuit.
"Climate-wise, it was the most hostile environment I ever played in. I mean it was hot, really hot," Hawks' coach Gabe Infante said. "The one thing I can say about the performance of our kids is we didn't play well, but the one thing that I came away with from beating Dallas Jesuit is we were tough, mentally tough."
Infante also discovered yet another weapon in freshman tailback De'Andre Swift. When teammates were falling to leg cramps, Swift was churning out 56 hard yards on seven carries. Swift helped Prep overcome an early 13-0 deficit to beat Dallas Jesuit 48-27.
"This kid is a special back," Infante said about Swift. "It's rare you can say a kid is an offensive player, but De'Andre, he's that special. He has another gear that accelerates faster than a lot of kids his age."
La Salle at Imhotep Charter, Saturday, 6 p.m. at Johnston Memorial Stadium: La Salle junior quarterback Kyle Shurmur turned out to be everything as advertised, completing 16 of 25 passes for 185 yards and two touchdowns in the Explorers' opening 34-7 victory over North Penn. So was Imhotep's Nasir Bonner, who rushed for 145 yards in the Panthers' 49-21 victory over Cardinal Mooney (Oh.). Here's leaning toward Shurmur and the Explorers' offense in a real shootout.
Prediction: La Salle 38, Imhotep Charter 34
St. Joseph's Prep at Don Bosco, 6 p.m., Saturday, at Chuck Granatel Stadium, Ramsey, NJ: The Hawks looked a little shaky at the outset against Dallas Jesuit, then found a little something extra in shutting out the Rangers in the second half of their 48-27 victory. But Hawks' coach Gabe Infante knows his team won't be able to get away with the same things that they did against Dallas Jesuit when it comes to national power Don Bosco. St. Joe's cleans up some mistakes on defense and a packed house in North Jersey will get a close look at the Hawks' John Reid and Jon Daniel Runyan.
Prediction: St. Joe's Prep 24, Don Bosco 20
Joseph Santoliquito is a contributing sports blogger for CBS Philly.
