August 22, 2025 • 22 mins
Marty Bowman talks with Coach Jeff Weachter about winning another state title, the upcoming season, and this week's game versus Clarkson North!
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Marty bum On alongside PIAA Class five A championship coach
Jeff Wector. Jeff wanted to get that in there. I
know you don't too much for the accolades and all that.
I wanted to get that in here so you win
it all. I got to talk about the winning field
goal from my viewpoint, Art and Rob's view point up
in the press box.
Speaker 2 (00:19):
Your viewpoint, Okay, first you tell me and I'll tell
you what I saw or it didn't.
Speaker 3 (00:23):
Say I didn't see it go over.
Speaker 4 (00:28):
But then I saw our guys running on the field
and it was kind of like the Harrisburg game. I
thought that was in so and then I looked back
and I saw the two officials at the goal post
put their hands up. So it's still even hard to
see from a sideline angle.
Speaker 3 (00:44):
I was.
Speaker 4 (00:46):
Not down there because we have to stay on the
twenty five, but I was right at the twenty five
yard line. The best angle I saw was when I
watch the game on TV, is from the end zone.
You saw all, yeah it did cross. Yes, it's even
hard from the side. I love you on film to
see so, but yeah it you know and say it
was a little nervous but you know, he was a
(01:10):
good kicker for us all year and and uh, you know,
happy to you know, just win on our state title.
Speaker 2 (01:16):
Did I imagine a tip?
Speaker 1 (01:17):
I thought I saw tip, But once I saw the tip,
if it wasn't it, the ball disappeared from me.
Speaker 4 (01:22):
It was tipped. Yeah, it was tipped. He got it
normally one of the things that he does really well.
I gets the ball high, real fast. I think, just nerves.
It was love, but yeah it was tipped.
Speaker 2 (01:32):
Yeah, and Art did the right thing. Art didn't see it,
but he saw the rest.
Speaker 1 (01:36):
And all of a sudden he just starts talking state
champs because I couldn't find the ball after the tip,
and I figure was gonna be lay it on the
ground somewhere.
Speaker 2 (01:43):
Yeah, so yeah, great way. I mean, I know, you know,
you know me that I'm thinking.
Speaker 1 (01:48):
You're never gonna win a state championship on a field goal.
Speaker 2 (01:51):
But hey, you're blessed with a kicker here, for sure,
we are.
Speaker 3 (01:54):
He's a great one, all right.
Speaker 1 (01:55):
So New year, Well, first off, he took a couple
of weeks off right kind of when that was all
were just kind of just rested a little bit away
from football.
Speaker 3 (02:03):
Yeah, you know, I kind of went back and forth.
Speaker 4 (02:05):
Uh, you know, I'm getting up there in age, and
you know there's always a thought of, you know, don't
want to retire, you know, as a state championship or
something said. For that, I really I talked to a
lot of I talked to some friends at coach in
the NFL.
Speaker 3 (02:25):
I talked to a friends that you know, coaches in
college head coach.
Speaker 4 (02:31):
And you know, I had two days after Christmas, I
had dinner with Chris Kawer, our former defensive coordinator, talked
to him about it, and I wasn't sure.
Speaker 3 (02:41):
One day I was going to come back. One day
I wasn't.
Speaker 4 (02:44):
But then, you know, honestly, the the podcasts because when
when we did the podcast with you guys on the uh,
I did mine on phone because of you know, I
wanted to be home. You know, I lived down north
of manhad instead of coming back up here. So it
(03:04):
was a couple of weeks until you know, I didn't
hear what the kids said. So it was a couple
of weeks. So the podcast came out and when I
finally listened to it, one of the things that you
know I heard, you know, the last question about Rob
mcleize was, what's your favorite memory to our four captains
of the state champ of your career at McDevitt, And
(03:25):
Stone's like, well, you know, maybe the first play of
the state championship game in twenty two. Then he goes, Yo,
what nobody expect us to win.
Speaker 3 (03:32):
It this year?
Speaker 4 (03:33):
I'll say this year came to Lucas Lawlor and I
fell out of my chair and Lucas said the trip
to the Garrado, and I just took it as a
sign from God.
Speaker 3 (03:44):
You know, my time's not over.
Speaker 4 (03:47):
You know, wins are great, Stan shape, straight state championships
are unbelievable, but it's not why I do it. Had
chance to go to college, you know, Division one and
be a assistant coach. My job is, I felt God
put me on this earth, is to help out high
school kids. And we don't talk a lot about our
(04:09):
trip to the grod or our senior retreat, but there's
some quite a bit of religion in there, and usually
guy says life changing. And when Luke had said that,
I said, you know what, that's my sign, you know,
is I gotta stay and I'm happy I did.
Speaker 3 (04:26):
I'm excited for this year.
Speaker 2 (04:28):
Well that's good. You got that out of the way.
Speaker 1 (04:29):
For all the people that asked me throughout the year, well,
does he ever talk to you about retired?
Speaker 2 (04:33):
Is he going to retire? Is this it?
Speaker 4 (04:36):
Really really thought about it? Yeah, but again it's Scott's plan.
Speaker 3 (04:40):
Not mine.
Speaker 1 (04:41):
And we had talked briefly even before the championship game,
and I knew there's something you were going to think about,
you know after it was Oliver. Yeah, but it was
a good, good atmosphere to think about it. Citing state
championship game senior class. I am so used to when
we come in here and senior night seeing twelve maybe
thirteen seniors. You know, I'll how it always turns that way,
(05:01):
but it does. Twenty seven eight, I.
Speaker 3 (05:03):
Mean yeah, I think we're up to twenty eight. Yeah,
it's it's good.
Speaker 4 (05:08):
It's a lot of guys have played a lot of football, Yeah, especially.
Speaker 3 (05:11):
In our program.
Speaker 4 (05:12):
So we're excited again about them and excited about the
team this year.
Speaker 2 (05:17):
Did it make it a little easier through camp?
Speaker 1 (05:19):
I'm having these this leadership from some of these guys
with the younger guys.
Speaker 2 (05:23):
Did that help? Did you notice that?
Speaker 1 (05:25):
Yeah?
Speaker 4 (05:25):
I mean they did as a group, Still looking for
those couple that really stand out and take the leadership.
I mean they've got you know, just says in twenty
three that team had, you know, something to live up
to with Rayler Rebel's leadership and this team. You know
what Stone and Lucas Lawer did for us last year
is you know they kind of set the bar and
(05:48):
still waiting for somebody to reach that bar other senior class.
Speaker 1 (05:51):
Yeah, you know, game five, I'm probably gonna ask you
af two or three guys step stepped up. Yet you
got to on your back.
Speaker 2 (06:00):
Have you discussed that much?
Speaker 4 (06:03):
Yeah, I mean we talked about it a little bit,
but you know, we you know, always have We got
to target were we talked about where everybody's super Bowl,
so we always played with that target. What we did
talk a lot about is is went in twenty two
and then what happened in twenty three and complacency setting
in and we're trying not to let that happen this year,
(06:23):
and you know, we're trying not to you know, I
mean obviously, you know, it'll be a little ceremony before
the first home game in a couple of weeks when
we played Chambers Burke, But after that, you know, we
and we we've done a better job not talking about
winning a state title last year. You know, every year
is a new year, and we're back like everybody else
(06:45):
wears zero and zero, you know until later today, but
we're zero and zero. Nobody cares that we're the twenty
four state championships championship team were everybody wants to knock
us off. So we did talk about that, but you know,
we as we do, we just keep on talking about
getting better every day.
Speaker 1 (07:03):
Oh wait, when I first met you, I remember that
mammoth locker room where we do those interviews about an
eight by twelve, but the old blackboard, we'll say two
thousand and eight state champs.
Speaker 2 (07:15):
No excuses, I don't get in the locker room here.
Is that up every year here?
Speaker 4 (07:19):
No, you know, we just kind of that kind of
stayed at twenty two hundred Market Street. I mean, we've
we put some stuff up, but not so much like
we did there. But you know, it's always a goal here.
Speaker 2 (07:35):
Yeah, for certain, So.
Speaker 1 (07:37):
Defense and a lot of talk about the defense, and
that's touched on that a little bit. Day. It appears
like it's going to be a strong defense from from
front to back.
Speaker 3 (07:46):
We hope. So, I mean there's a lot of experience back.
Speaker 4 (07:48):
I mean when you look at you know what we
have back.
Speaker 3 (07:54):
We you know, on the defensive front, we just essentially
lost Lucas Lawler.
Speaker 1 (07:59):
That's a lot big loss.
Speaker 4 (08:03):
But you know, and then you know a couple of
guys that played some safety, you know, Uh Dante Luckett,
Uh Jayden Garns and uh Darius d s Alis. Uh
you know, and we lost vnny Brooks who was playing great.
Speaker 3 (08:23):
But you know, in the same token is R j R. J.
Speaker 4 (08:27):
Duffy played eight games last year, including all the playoffs
in the state championship game, so he's back.
Speaker 3 (08:33):
You know, Maurice has been a four year starter. Maurice Barnes.
Speaker 4 (08:36):
Chris Thompson had a great regular season for US, but
couldn't play in the playoffs. So he's good to go
the whole year now. Jackai Logan played some a lot
of defensive tackle last year. You look, we had a
lot of rotation with David mount teesnik uh will Yost
and Spencer Mussy rolled in there.
Speaker 3 (08:56):
Uh.
Speaker 4 (08:57):
Jack Dawson played there a little bit upfront. Uh swoops
his back. He played a lot of linebacker. We're excited
about Zach Brown, who played in our youth program, and
you know, we finally got him and and he's he's
he's gonna do a lot of great things for us.
Speaker 3 (09:12):
You know.
Speaker 4 (09:12):
Then you look at the secondary. Tyler Ronhart's back committed
Division one. Jamison Crummels back started for US at corner.
Then you look at the other corner. Austin Mack played
a lot last year as a freshman, so he Clement
played a lot last year, couldn't play the playoffs. Uh,
you know, Kaitlyn Smith played a lot. Kailen had an
(09:34):
interception in the state championship game. So we got some
other guys too. You know, is Palmer besides being a
great kicking punt return you know, he played some nickel
for us and you remember the CD game he had
to pick six. So we have all those guys back.
So we're really excited about the defense. You know, as
I've said, is we hope that they play well enough
(09:54):
that they can kind of carry us early in the
season to our offense catches up to the defense.
Speaker 2 (10:00):
Let's go to the quarterback.
Speaker 1 (10:01):
I mean, in my eighteen years here, it's almost been
two years, two years, two years, you're always starting to
except for Maddie Johnson at the beginning, and of course
Stone for four years.
Speaker 2 (10:10):
A little bit different this year.
Speaker 1 (10:12):
You had four years where well after the very first
year you had an experienced quarterback.
Speaker 2 (10:17):
Now you're back to you got to bring Sebastian Williams in.
Let's talk a little bit about.
Speaker 4 (10:20):
Him, especially as a lot of talent, is good, arm strength,
He's a very intelligent young man. You know, it's uh,
there's a lot to learn in our offense. I mean
it is truly. It's why our guys, you know, you
look at Arico Scott playing as a true freshman in
the bowl game, starting for Alabama and looking to be
(10:43):
playing a lot this year. You know, you look at
our guys over the you know, Shady McCoy walk right
into Pitt and played. You know, it is, you know,
more like a college offense. You know, now we're not
going to you know, last two years. So Sounders had
the key keys to the offense, because the car keys
(11:06):
to the offense, because he he could do so much too.
I can't expectatia. It's almost like going back to Stone's
freshman year, even though Sebastian's been our JV player quarterback
for the last two years. It's just as non JV
football as varsity football, big time football. So you know,
(11:26):
we'll we'll the offense will look a little more similar
to Stone's freshman year than to his senior year. I'm
not saying you know that, but you know he he's
not ready to make some of the checks on the
line of scrimmage. And it's just not run past plays,
it's line protections and things like that. So I think
(11:49):
maybe a little earlier off in the summer, I probably put.
Speaker 3 (11:51):
A little bit too much on the plate. We backed off.
Speaker 4 (11:53):
I thought he had a good scrimmage last week, and.
Speaker 3 (11:57):
So we're gonna just bring them along.
Speaker 4 (11:59):
And you know, it's just not him, it's you know,
we lost two very good offensive tackles and Landon Block
and JJ Torres, So we have two inexperienced guys right now.
You know, Chris Thompson can fill in a little bit.
And you know the two guys right now starting or
Aiden mctish.
Speaker 2 (12:18):
Uh.
Speaker 4 (12:18):
You know, longtime mcdebit fans will remember his father get
the quarterback and John played here. His father John coach
on the first couple of stats of mind, and then
you know sophomore Aiden uh uh, Andre Mana is the
other starter right now. But Eli Culpepper, who's new to mcdebbit.
(12:40):
You know, he's coming along and he'll get some playing time.
And you know, if one of those guys needs a
little more seasoning, because you know it's tough too first games. Uh,
Chris Thompson can play some offensive tackle for us, and
we got a couple other guys that have done well.
Uh you know that that can fill in. Uh No,
Kyle David Smith, So you will get there.
Speaker 3 (13:04):
You know.
Speaker 4 (13:04):
It's just wish it was a little bit not quite
so tough as these two games as we're going to face.
Speaker 1 (13:09):
Yeah. I always tell people that when they're talking to
me about football, of me, you can never have enough
lineman because they get rolled up one yeah and boom there.
Speaker 2 (13:17):
You never have enough.
Speaker 1 (13:18):
So all right, jump over a little bit to the
running game. You got two three four guys back there. Uh,
you're gonna have enough footballs.
Speaker 3 (13:27):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (13:28):
I mean they did a good job last year understanding
sometimes we went with the hot hand, you know, obviously,
you know, and I've talked to the other two running
backs and they know that your Jones Davis is a
bell cow.
Speaker 3 (13:42):
Uh.
Speaker 4 (13:42):
You know, last year up until probably the state semifinals,
you know, we split the carriers that actually going into
that game that had the exact amount carriers, and we.
Speaker 3 (13:53):
Didn't plan it like that. It just worked out.
Speaker 4 (13:56):
Uh, and then the zero got the hot hand in
the last two games he played a lot more. I
kind of see more of that this year with Marie
stowing some good things, you know. And then uh, you know,
Jerome I think is you know, he got some time
last year as a freshman, but I think he's even
more ready this year, so you know, and then you know,
(14:16):
we have you know, a new player that came in
from Minnesota, Patrick Wright, who's going to play some defense
for us, but you know, he's I'm not sure we're
gonna need him, but he's a pretty good running back,
and uh, we like a freshman.
Speaker 3 (14:32):
He might know.
Speaker 4 (14:33):
The last name, Leyden Parsons, Leon's younger brother, is a freshman.
He again is playing a lot of defense, but we
like him at running back also. So future is really
bright there, but the future is right now also, you know,
with Maurice.
Speaker 3 (14:52):
And the Zeer being seniors, and then.
Speaker 4 (14:54):
You know, Jerome having varsity experience, so I feel really
good about the run game.
Speaker 2 (15:00):
New tackles.
Speaker 1 (15:00):
As far as the pass game really important because you
got the new quarterback and you want them to have
time to throw, time to read in that.
Speaker 4 (15:07):
Yeah, I thought they did a pretty good job in
the scrimmage, but that's a scrimmage, you know, because we
have a pretty good defensive ends, you know. And what
I didn't even mention in the in the defensive part
Tron Dennis. He started the second half of the year,
including state championship, as a freshman, and Toronto's gotten bigger
and better and faster. I think he's gonna have a
(15:29):
real big year for us. And our offensive tackles did
a pretty good job with him. Now we limited you
know that. We didn't do stunts or anything like that,
but they worked along. Even though Zach Brown's gonna play
some linebacker, he's also gonna play some defensive end. Last
year for CD East, he played almost exclusively defensive end
(15:50):
and and he ended up I think with like fifteen
sacks in eleven games. So it helps our young tackles
because you know they're going up against quality guys every
day in practice, and it's made him better.
Speaker 1 (16:01):
Kicking game we mentioned about the state championship and the
field Aiden Gorilla. I mean, it looks like he's going
to handle the entire kicking game. Punny actually points field
goals and everything. So doesn't look bit punny either of
what I saw with you.
Speaker 4 (16:16):
So one of the things I talked to him about
is going to Cole's kicking camp because for kickers a
little bit to get recruited. I believe Aiden's a Division
one kicker, it's a little different and Cole's rates you
and I know a lot of colleges go off of that,
and so he went with them. But you know, they
also helped him with punting because he knew how to kick.
He didn't really know how to punt last year. So
(16:38):
his punting is better. His leg believer or not, is
even stronger. You know, he hit a sixty two yard
or practice, you know the other week, you know when
we when we go when we practice our kick return
team because you know, in high school, if the ball
his end zone is dead. So we have to make
(16:59):
our scout team kickoff team go from the thirty because
if Aiden's on the forty, everything's either in the end
zone or out of the end zone. And so we
put him on the thirty and there's some that he's
still kicking one or two yards into that end zone.
Speaker 3 (17:17):
So unbelievable.
Speaker 4 (17:19):
Leg You know, I've in my thirty eight years of
coaching never never had somebody on our team that has
his life strength.
Speaker 1 (17:28):
Certainly, I would expect it sometime during the year more
than once or zel, depending on the situation, game time,
score and everything, you might have that kicking game as.
Speaker 2 (17:38):
Your field position as a really good weapon.
Speaker 3 (17:40):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (17:41):
I mean we kind of did that kind of late
in the season last year also, so yeah, I think
it's going to continue.
Speaker 1 (17:47):
Yeah, I kind of remember late in the season a
couple of times where you punted that you surprised me
because I didn't think you would. But that field position
things right there. So staff changes, got some changes on
the staff.
Speaker 2 (18:01):
Can you introduce some of the newer guys.
Speaker 4 (18:04):
Yeah, Well, you know Connor Marsco, who coached with me
in twenty nineteen, our athletic director and kind of played
for me. He and Mike Berry, who was on the
staff as defensive line coach the last couple of years.
Mike played for me. Obviously, Dad Pat was our long
time defensive coordinator. They did a good job stepping in
in the Lordolphin game in the playoffs, so they're gonna
(18:27):
be defensive co defensive coordinator.
Speaker 3 (18:29):
They're both doing a great job. We brought on.
Speaker 4 (18:35):
A tight end coach, Logan Howser, who has a lot
of experience as receivers, tight ends, quarterbacks. He coached at
State subsequent township for years. He was offensive coordinator for
a little bit, and then so the free me up
a little bit.
Speaker 3 (18:56):
You know.
Speaker 4 (18:57):
We brought on Sean Jones, who coached a CD last year.
He's he's played quarterback in college in the Division two level.
He's helping out with Sebastian quarterback. And then uh uh,
we're getting helped by in the secondary by former mcdebit
player Aaron Gathers. Aaron played at Boston College and and
(19:18):
you know a couple others. And then Aaron is hoping
to he's working right now to get a tryout in
the UFL, and so we're gonna go h with him.
And then we're bringing back the help out with the
defensive line. Anthony go on for Home over Us. So okay,
Anthony's helping out and and Kovid and White will be
(19:40):
helping a little bit.
Speaker 3 (19:41):
You know, Kobe, you know, we started to get away
from uh.
Speaker 4 (19:45):
Kobe and uh Anthony and a lot of our other
former players are are coaching with the CV Crusaders, which
is great. Uh so they'll be you know, Anthony's joining
the staff and Kobe is gonna be helping us with
signals day game.
Speaker 2 (19:59):
Let's let's they look at today Clarkson North. If I'm
saying it right, what do you see from them? Did
you get any film? It's a little bit more get change.
Speaker 4 (20:10):
We traded two game films about a week ago from
last year, and then we traded our inner squad scrimmage.
They scrimmaged St. Francis Academy out of Baltimore, which is
a top ten team perennially and I think they're in
the top ten this year. So we got that film.
They're a good football team. They travel around mostly. Everybody
(20:33):
asked me, did you play Canadian rules? No, it's American rules.
They play American rules. Most of their games are against
American teams and they come down here for most of them.
They're home games. Because I was looking at the film
that they're supposed to be playoff games and they kind
of confused us a little bit because you know, Connor
got confused because they played them at Aria Cathedral Prep Stadium. Wow,
(20:55):
so we're like, they're playing Aria Cathedral Prep, you know,
so we're thinking they're the white team, but no, they
were the home team in the dark Jersey. So they
play a national schedule. To give you example, they played
Saint Edwards, the Catholic school out in Ohio, who's perennial
Division state champions and they lost i think twenty to
(21:19):
twelve last year against Saint Ed's and Saint Ed's beat
Saint Joe Prepp last year. So we're gonna have our handsful.
This is a good football team. I think sometimes people think,
oh it's just a team coming down from Canada, they're
not that good. Now this team, they're big and they're good.
They're very well coached.
Speaker 3 (21:35):
You know.
Speaker 4 (21:36):
I'm I'm like a little surprised how well coached they are.
They do a lot of good things. They got some athletes.
Speaker 1 (21:43):
So so yeah, so folks that are listening out there
when you're there Saturday, don't take this all. They're a
Canadian football team. You heard it from the coach. Do
not take it for granted. And do not expect it
to be over early.
Speaker 3 (21:56):
No, this is, this is they're a really good all team.
Speaker 4 (22:00):
They're big, they're athletic, they're fast, they're physical, and we'll
coach so now this is this will be a big
test for.
Speaker 1 (22:08):
Us and the first two weeks are going to be
monsters and we'll talk about week two next week.
Speaker 2 (22:14):
Thanks coach, appreciate it.
Speaker 3 (22:15):
Thanks Martin M.
Marty bum On alongside PIAA Class five A championship coach
Jeff Wector. Jeff wanted to get that in there. I
know you don't too much for the accolades and all that.
I wanted to get that in here so you win
it all. I got to talk about the winning field
goal from my viewpoint, Art and Rob's view point up
in the press box.
Speaker 2 (00:19):
Your viewpoint, Okay, first you tell me and I'll tell
you what I saw or it didn't.
Speaker 3 (00:23):
Say I didn't see it go over.
Speaker 4 (00:28):
But then I saw our guys running on the field
and it was kind of like the Harrisburg game. I
thought that was in so and then I looked back
and I saw the two officials at the goal post
put their hands up. So it's still even hard to
see from a sideline angle.
Speaker 3 (00:44):
I was.
Speaker 4 (00:46):
Not down there because we have to stay on the
twenty five, but I was right at the twenty five
yard line. The best angle I saw was when I
watch the game on TV, is from the end zone.
You saw all, yeah it did cross. Yes, it's even
hard from the side. I love you on film to
see so, but yeah it you know and say it
was a little nervous but you know, he was a
(01:10):
good kicker for us all year and and uh, you know,
happy to you know, just win on our state title.
Speaker 2 (01:16):
Did I imagine a tip?
Speaker 1 (01:17):
I thought I saw tip, But once I saw the tip,
if it wasn't it, the ball disappeared from me.
Speaker 4 (01:22):
It was tipped. Yeah, it was tipped. He got it
normally one of the things that he does really well.
I gets the ball high, real fast. I think, just nerves.
It was love, but yeah it was tipped.
Speaker 2 (01:32):
Yeah, and Art did the right thing. Art didn't see it,
but he saw the rest.
Speaker 1 (01:36):
And all of a sudden he just starts talking state
champs because I couldn't find the ball after the tip,
and I figure was gonna be lay it on the
ground somewhere.
Speaker 2 (01:43):
Yeah, so yeah, great way. I mean, I know, you know,
you know me that I'm thinking.
Speaker 1 (01:48):
You're never gonna win a state championship on a field goal.
Speaker 2 (01:51):
But hey, you're blessed with a kicker here, for sure,
we are.
Speaker 3 (01:54):
He's a great one, all right.
Speaker 1 (01:55):
So New year, Well, first off, he took a couple
of weeks off right kind of when that was all
were just kind of just rested a little bit away
from football.
Speaker 3 (02:03):
Yeah, you know, I kind of went back and forth.
Speaker 4 (02:05):
Uh, you know, I'm getting up there in age, and
you know there's always a thought of, you know, don't
want to retire, you know, as a state championship or
something said. For that, I really I talked to a
lot of I talked to some friends at coach in
the NFL.
Speaker 3 (02:25):
I talked to a friends that you know, coaches in
college head coach.
Speaker 4 (02:31):
And you know, I had two days after Christmas, I
had dinner with Chris Kawer, our former defensive coordinator, talked
to him about it, and I wasn't sure.
Speaker 3 (02:41):
One day I was going to come back. One day
I wasn't.
Speaker 4 (02:44):
But then, you know, honestly, the the podcasts because when
when we did the podcast with you guys on the uh,
I did mine on phone because of you know, I
wanted to be home. You know, I lived down north
of manhad instead of coming back up here. So it
(03:04):
was a couple of weeks until you know, I didn't
hear what the kids said. So it was a couple
of weeks. So the podcast came out and when I
finally listened to it, one of the things that you
know I heard, you know, the last question about Rob
mcleize was, what's your favorite memory to our four captains
of the state champ of your career at McDevitt, And
(03:25):
Stone's like, well, you know, maybe the first play of
the state championship game in twenty two. Then he goes, Yo,
what nobody expect us to win.
Speaker 3 (03:32):
It this year?
Speaker 4 (03:33):
I'll say this year came to Lucas Lawlor and I
fell out of my chair and Lucas said the trip
to the Garrado, and I just took it as a
sign from God.
Speaker 3 (03:44):
You know, my time's not over.
Speaker 4 (03:47):
You know, wins are great, Stan shape, straight state championships
are unbelievable, but it's not why I do it. Had
chance to go to college, you know, Division one and
be a assistant coach. My job is, I felt God
put me on this earth, is to help out high
school kids. And we don't talk a lot about our
(04:09):
trip to the grod or our senior retreat, but there's
some quite a bit of religion in there, and usually
guy says life changing. And when Luke had said that,
I said, you know what, that's my sign, you know,
is I gotta stay and I'm happy I did.
Speaker 3 (04:26):
I'm excited for this year.
Speaker 2 (04:28):
Well that's good. You got that out of the way.
Speaker 1 (04:29):
For all the people that asked me throughout the year, well,
does he ever talk to you about retired?
Speaker 2 (04:33):
Is he going to retire? Is this it?
Speaker 4 (04:36):
Really really thought about it? Yeah, but again it's Scott's plan.
Speaker 3 (04:40):
Not mine.
Speaker 1 (04:41):
And we had talked briefly even before the championship game,
and I knew there's something you were going to think about,
you know after it was Oliver. Yeah, but it was
a good, good atmosphere to think about it. Citing state
championship game senior class. I am so used to when
we come in here and senior night seeing twelve maybe
thirteen seniors. You know, I'll how it always turns that way,
(05:01):
but it does. Twenty seven eight, I.
Speaker 3 (05:03):
Mean yeah, I think we're up to twenty eight. Yeah,
it's it's good.
Speaker 4 (05:08):
It's a lot of guys have played a lot of football, Yeah, especially.
Speaker 3 (05:11):
In our program.
Speaker 4 (05:12):
So we're excited again about them and excited about the
team this year.
Speaker 2 (05:17):
Did it make it a little easier through camp?
Speaker 1 (05:19):
I'm having these this leadership from some of these guys
with the younger guys.
Speaker 2 (05:23):
Did that help? Did you notice that?
Speaker 1 (05:25):
Yeah?
Speaker 4 (05:25):
I mean they did as a group, Still looking for
those couple that really stand out and take the leadership.
I mean they've got you know, just says in twenty
three that team had, you know, something to live up
to with Rayler Rebel's leadership and this team. You know
what Stone and Lucas Lawer did for us last year
is you know they kind of set the bar and
(05:48):
still waiting for somebody to reach that bar other senior class.
Speaker 1 (05:51):
Yeah, you know, game five, I'm probably gonna ask you
af two or three guys step stepped up. Yet you
got to on your back.
Speaker 2 (06:00):
Have you discussed that much?
Speaker 4 (06:03):
Yeah, I mean we talked about it a little bit,
but you know, we you know, always have We got
to target were we talked about where everybody's super Bowl,
so we always played with that target. What we did
talk a lot about is is went in twenty two
and then what happened in twenty three and complacency setting
in and we're trying not to let that happen this year,
(06:23):
and you know, we're trying not to you know, I
mean obviously, you know, it'll be a little ceremony before
the first home game in a couple of weeks when
we played Chambers Burke, But after that, you know, we
and we we've done a better job not talking about
winning a state title last year. You know, every year
is a new year, and we're back like everybody else
(06:45):
wears zero and zero, you know until later today, but
we're zero and zero. Nobody cares that we're the twenty
four state championships championship team were everybody wants to knock
us off. So we did talk about that, but you know,
we as we do, we just keep on talking about
getting better every day.
Speaker 1 (07:03):
Oh wait, when I first met you, I remember that
mammoth locker room where we do those interviews about an
eight by twelve, but the old blackboard, we'll say two
thousand and eight state champs.
Speaker 2 (07:15):
No excuses, I don't get in the locker room here.
Is that up every year here?
Speaker 4 (07:19):
No, you know, we just kind of that kind of
stayed at twenty two hundred Market Street. I mean, we've
we put some stuff up, but not so much like
we did there. But you know, it's always a goal here.
Speaker 2 (07:35):
Yeah, for certain, So.
Speaker 1 (07:37):
Defense and a lot of talk about the defense, and
that's touched on that a little bit. Day. It appears
like it's going to be a strong defense from from
front to back.
Speaker 3 (07:46):
We hope. So, I mean there's a lot of experience back.
Speaker 4 (07:48):
I mean when you look at you know what we
have back.
Speaker 3 (07:54):
We you know, on the defensive front, we just essentially
lost Lucas Lawler.
Speaker 1 (07:59):
That's a lot big loss.
Speaker 4 (08:03):
But you know, and then you know a couple of
guys that played some safety, you know, Uh Dante Luckett,
Uh Jayden Garns and uh Darius d s Alis. Uh
you know, and we lost vnny Brooks who was playing great.
Speaker 3 (08:23):
But you know, in the same token is R j R. J.
Speaker 4 (08:27):
Duffy played eight games last year, including all the playoffs
in the state championship game, so he's back.
Speaker 3 (08:33):
You know, Maurice has been a four year starter. Maurice Barnes.
Speaker 4 (08:36):
Chris Thompson had a great regular season for US, but
couldn't play in the playoffs. So he's good to go
the whole year now. Jackai Logan played some a lot
of defensive tackle last year. You look, we had a
lot of rotation with David mount teesnik uh will Yost
and Spencer Mussy rolled in there.
Speaker 3 (08:56):
Uh.
Speaker 4 (08:57):
Jack Dawson played there a little bit upfront. Uh swoops
his back. He played a lot of linebacker. We're excited
about Zach Brown, who played in our youth program, and
you know, we finally got him and and he's he's
he's gonna do a lot of great things for us.
Speaker 3 (09:12):
You know.
Speaker 4 (09:12):
Then you look at the secondary. Tyler Ronhart's back committed
Division one. Jamison Crummels back started for US at corner.
Then you look at the other corner. Austin Mack played
a lot last year as a freshman, so he Clement
played a lot last year, couldn't play the playoffs. Uh,
you know, Kaitlyn Smith played a lot. Kailen had an
(09:34):
interception in the state championship game. So we got some
other guys too. You know, is Palmer besides being a
great kicking punt return you know, he played some nickel
for us and you remember the CD game he had
to pick six. So we have all those guys back.
So we're really excited about the defense. You know, as
I've said, is we hope that they play well enough
(09:54):
that they can kind of carry us early in the
season to our offense catches up to the defense.
Speaker 2 (10:00):
Let's go to the quarterback.
Speaker 1 (10:01):
I mean, in my eighteen years here, it's almost been
two years, two years, two years, you're always starting to
except for Maddie Johnson at the beginning, and of course
Stone for four years.
Speaker 2 (10:10):
A little bit different this year.
Speaker 1 (10:12):
You had four years where well after the very first
year you had an experienced quarterback.
Speaker 2 (10:17):
Now you're back to you got to bring Sebastian Williams in.
Let's talk a little bit about.
Speaker 4 (10:20):
Him, especially as a lot of talent, is good, arm strength,
He's a very intelligent young man. You know, it's uh,
there's a lot to learn in our offense. I mean
it is truly. It's why our guys, you know, you
look at Arico Scott playing as a true freshman in
the bowl game, starting for Alabama and looking to be
(10:43):
playing a lot this year. You know, you look at
our guys over the you know, Shady McCoy walk right
into Pitt and played. You know, it is, you know,
more like a college offense. You know, now we're not
going to you know, last two years. So Sounders had
the key keys to the offense, because the car keys
(11:06):
to the offense, because he he could do so much too.
I can't expectatia. It's almost like going back to Stone's
freshman year, even though Sebastian's been our JV player quarterback
for the last two years. It's just as non JV
football as varsity football, big time football. So you know,
(11:26):
we'll we'll the offense will look a little more similar
to Stone's freshman year than to his senior year. I'm
not saying you know that, but you know he he's
not ready to make some of the checks on the
line of scrimmage. And it's just not run past plays,
it's line protections and things like that. So I think
(11:49):
maybe a little earlier off in the summer, I probably put.
Speaker 3 (11:51):
A little bit too much on the plate. We backed off.
Speaker 4 (11:53):
I thought he had a good scrimmage last week, and.
Speaker 3 (11:57):
So we're gonna just bring them along.
Speaker 4 (11:59):
And you know, it's just not him, it's you know,
we lost two very good offensive tackles and Landon Block
and JJ Torres, So we have two inexperienced guys right now.
You know, Chris Thompson can fill in a little bit.
And you know the two guys right now starting or
Aiden mctish.
Speaker 2 (12:18):
Uh.
Speaker 4 (12:18):
You know, longtime mcdebit fans will remember his father get
the quarterback and John played here. His father John coach
on the first couple of stats of mind, and then
you know sophomore Aiden uh uh, Andre Mana is the
other starter right now. But Eli Culpepper, who's new to mcdebbit.
(12:40):
You know, he's coming along and he'll get some playing time.
And you know, if one of those guys needs a
little more seasoning, because you know it's tough too first games. Uh,
Chris Thompson can play some offensive tackle for us, and
we got a couple other guys that have done well.
Uh you know that that can fill in. Uh No,
Kyle David Smith, So you will get there.
Speaker 3 (13:04):
You know.
Speaker 4 (13:04):
It's just wish it was a little bit not quite
so tough as these two games as we're going to face.
Speaker 1 (13:09):
Yeah. I always tell people that when they're talking to
me about football, of me, you can never have enough
lineman because they get rolled up one yeah and boom there.
Speaker 2 (13:17):
You never have enough.
Speaker 1 (13:18):
So all right, jump over a little bit to the
running game. You got two three four guys back there. Uh,
you're gonna have enough footballs.
Speaker 3 (13:27):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (13:28):
I mean they did a good job last year understanding
sometimes we went with the hot hand, you know, obviously,
you know, and I've talked to the other two running
backs and they know that your Jones Davis is a
bell cow.
Speaker 3 (13:42):
Uh.
Speaker 4 (13:42):
You know, last year up until probably the state semifinals,
you know, we split the carriers that actually going into
that game that had the exact amount carriers, and we.
Speaker 3 (13:53):
Didn't plan it like that. It just worked out.
Speaker 4 (13:56):
Uh, and then the zero got the hot hand in
the last two games he played a lot more. I
kind of see more of that this year with Marie
stowing some good things, you know. And then uh, you know,
Jerome I think is you know, he got some time
last year as a freshman, but I think he's even
more ready this year, so you know, and then you know,
(14:16):
we have you know, a new player that came in
from Minnesota, Patrick Wright, who's going to play some defense
for us, but you know, he's I'm not sure we're
gonna need him, but he's a pretty good running back,
and uh, we like a freshman.
Speaker 3 (14:32):
He might know.
Speaker 4 (14:33):
The last name, Leyden Parsons, Leon's younger brother, is a freshman.
He again is playing a lot of defense, but we
like him at running back also. So future is really
bright there, but the future is right now also, you know,
with Maurice.
Speaker 3 (14:52):
And the Zeer being seniors, and then.
Speaker 4 (14:54):
You know, Jerome having varsity experience, so I feel really
good about the run game.
Speaker 2 (15:00):
New tackles.
Speaker 1 (15:00):
As far as the pass game really important because you
got the new quarterback and you want them to have
time to throw, time to read in that.
Speaker 4 (15:07):
Yeah, I thought they did a pretty good job in
the scrimmage, but that's a scrimmage, you know, because we
have a pretty good defensive ends, you know. And what
I didn't even mention in the in the defensive part
Tron Dennis. He started the second half of the year,
including state championship, as a freshman, and Toronto's gotten bigger
and better and faster. I think he's gonna have a
(15:29):
real big year for us. And our offensive tackles did
a pretty good job with him. Now we limited you
know that. We didn't do stunts or anything like that,
but they worked along. Even though Zach Brown's gonna play
some linebacker, he's also gonna play some defensive end. Last
year for CD East, he played almost exclusively defensive end
(15:50):
and and he ended up I think with like fifteen
sacks in eleven games. So it helps our young tackles
because you know they're going up against quality guys every
day in practice, and it's made him better.
Speaker 1 (16:01):
Kicking game we mentioned about the state championship and the
field Aiden Gorilla. I mean, it looks like he's going
to handle the entire kicking game. Punny actually points field
goals and everything. So doesn't look bit punny either of
what I saw with you.
Speaker 4 (16:16):
So one of the things I talked to him about
is going to Cole's kicking camp because for kickers a
little bit to get recruited. I believe Aiden's a Division
one kicker, it's a little different and Cole's rates you
and I know a lot of colleges go off of that,
and so he went with them. But you know, they
also helped him with punting because he knew how to kick.
He didn't really know how to punt last year. So
(16:38):
his punting is better. His leg believer or not, is
even stronger. You know, he hit a sixty two yard
or practice, you know the other week, you know when
we when we go when we practice our kick return
team because you know, in high school, if the ball
his end zone is dead. So we have to make
(16:59):
our scout team kickoff team go from the thirty because
if Aiden's on the forty, everything's either in the end
zone or out of the end zone. And so we
put him on the thirty and there's some that he's
still kicking one or two yards into that end zone.
Speaker 3 (17:17):
So unbelievable.
Speaker 4 (17:19):
Leg You know, I've in my thirty eight years of
coaching never never had somebody on our team that has
his life strength.
Speaker 1 (17:28):
Certainly, I would expect it sometime during the year more
than once or zel, depending on the situation, game time,
score and everything, you might have that kicking game as.
Speaker 2 (17:38):
Your field position as a really good weapon.
Speaker 3 (17:40):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (17:41):
I mean we kind of did that kind of late
in the season last year also, so yeah, I think
it's going to continue.
Speaker 1 (17:47):
Yeah, I kind of remember late in the season a
couple of times where you punted that you surprised me
because I didn't think you would. But that field position
things right there. So staff changes, got some changes on
the staff.
Speaker 2 (18:01):
Can you introduce some of the newer guys.
Speaker 4 (18:04):
Yeah, Well, you know Connor Marsco, who coached with me
in twenty nineteen, our athletic director and kind of played
for me. He and Mike Berry, who was on the
staff as defensive line coach the last couple of years.
Mike played for me. Obviously, Dad Pat was our long
time defensive coordinator. They did a good job stepping in
in the Lordolphin game in the playoffs, so they're gonna
(18:27):
be defensive co defensive coordinator.
Speaker 3 (18:29):
They're both doing a great job. We brought on.
Speaker 4 (18:35):
A tight end coach, Logan Howser, who has a lot
of experience as receivers, tight ends, quarterbacks. He coached at
State subsequent township for years. He was offensive coordinator for
a little bit, and then so the free me up
a little bit.
Speaker 3 (18:56):
You know.
Speaker 4 (18:57):
We brought on Sean Jones, who coached a CD last year.
He's he's played quarterback in college in the Division two level.
He's helping out with Sebastian quarterback. And then uh uh,
we're getting helped by in the secondary by former mcdebit
player Aaron Gathers. Aaron played at Boston College and and
(19:18):
you know a couple others. And then Aaron is hoping
to he's working right now to get a tryout in
the UFL, and so we're gonna go h with him.
And then we're bringing back the help out with the
defensive line. Anthony go on for Home over Us. So okay,
Anthony's helping out and and Kovid and White will be
(19:40):
helping a little bit.
Speaker 3 (19:41):
You know, Kobe, you know, we started to get away
from uh.
Speaker 4 (19:45):
Kobe and uh Anthony and a lot of our other
former players are are coaching with the CV Crusaders, which
is great. Uh so they'll be you know, Anthony's joining
the staff and Kobe is gonna be helping us with
signals day game.
Speaker 2 (19:59):
Let's let's they look at today Clarkson North. If I'm
saying it right, what do you see from them? Did
you get any film? It's a little bit more get change.
Speaker 4 (20:10):
We traded two game films about a week ago from
last year, and then we traded our inner squad scrimmage.
They scrimmaged St. Francis Academy out of Baltimore, which is
a top ten team perennially and I think they're in
the top ten this year. So we got that film.
They're a good football team. They travel around mostly. Everybody
(20:33):
asked me, did you play Canadian rules? No, it's American rules.
They play American rules. Most of their games are against
American teams and they come down here for most of them.
They're home games. Because I was looking at the film
that they're supposed to be playoff games and they kind
of confused us a little bit because you know, Connor
got confused because they played them at Aria Cathedral Prep Stadium. Wow,
(20:55):
so we're like, they're playing Aria Cathedral Prep, you know,
so we're thinking they're the white team, but no, they
were the home team in the dark Jersey. So they
play a national schedule. To give you example, they played
Saint Edwards, the Catholic school out in Ohio, who's perennial
Division state champions and they lost i think twenty to
(21:19):
twelve last year against Saint Ed's and Saint Ed's beat
Saint Joe Prepp last year. So we're gonna have our handsful.
This is a good football team. I think sometimes people think,
oh it's just a team coming down from Canada, they're
not that good. Now this team, they're big and they're good.
They're very well coached.
Speaker 3 (21:35):
You know.
Speaker 4 (21:36):
I'm I'm like a little surprised how well coached they are.
They do a lot of good things. They got some athletes.
Speaker 1 (21:43):
So so yeah, so folks that are listening out there
when you're there Saturday, don't take this all. They're a
Canadian football team. You heard it from the coach. Do
not take it for granted. And do not expect it
to be over early.
Speaker 3 (21:56):
No, this is, this is they're a really good all team.
Speaker 4 (22:00):
They're big, they're athletic, they're fast, they're physical, and we'll
coach so now this is this will be a big
test for.
Speaker 1 (22:08):
Us and the first two weeks are going to be
monsters and we'll talk about week two next week.
Speaker 2 (22:14):
Thanks coach, appreciate it.
Speaker 3 (22:15):
Thanks Martin M.
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