By Melissa Yerkov

Times Sports Editor

Brandon Chudnoff may have gotten a late start to his football career - not picking up a pigskin until the seventh grade - but it looks like he's making up for lost time.

Nowadays, the George Washington High School junior has become a three-year varsity athlete, a Public League champion and a city title winner.

But he's never forgotten where it all started.

And now he's returning to his roots.

When he isn't helping the Eagles battle local squads in the highly competitive Public League, Chudnoff can be found pitching in where it all started - Baldi Middle School.

"I help them out on game days. I film the games and help the guys on the field," explained Chudnoff, who has been involved with the local squad for two seasons. "It's great. It feels good helping out the team I started out with.

"When I practiced with Baldi, we would practice at Washington's football field," he added. "When I started off, I would always see the Washington players coming in and out of the locker room and I would watch them practice and play. I wanted to be just like them."

Now, he is.

The 6-foot-2, 230 pound tight end and defense man has helped the Eagles score a spot in the Public League championship for the fourth consecutive season after downing Bartram, 34-6, in the semifinals on Saturday.

"We want to do it again," said Chudnoff. " I know last year that we were the underdogs going into playoffs. No one thought we'd win the city title.

"There's a little more pressure this season," he continued. "A lot of teams are gunning for us. We know we have to step it up. We have to be focused. I'm pretty confident. We've been practicing hard, so we have a good chance."

Senior quarterback Aaron Wilmer rushed for a team-high 70 yards during the semis, where he was able to sneak into the end zone for a touchdown. Junior running back Daquan Cooper snagged a 23-yard touchdown pass, and also ran for another six points after a 34-yard sprint. Junior wide receiver English Peay rushed in another TD for the Eagles, with senior running back Chea Sloh rounding out a stellar performance with a 14-yard touchdown.

"It was a nice win for the team," said Washington coach Ron Cohen. "The kids played well."

As the Eagles make another dash for the coveted Public League trophy, it's hard not to compare their current success to last year's unforgettable season.

In 2008, Washington High went undefeated in divisional play and finished the year 10-2 overall. The squad won the longest playoff game in Philadelphia history when they trumped Northeast High School, 41-34, in three overtimes for the Public League Class AAAA championship crown. The Eagles then pulled off a huge upset after downing Catholic League AAAA champs, La Salle, 23-14, for the city title.

It was certainly a remarkable year.

But all of that is in the past, and right now, Washington is much more concerned with the future.

This time around, Washington is standing strong with a 7-2 overall record. After last week's semifinal win over Bartram, the Eagles will ride a four-game winning streak into the Public League finals next week- where they have outscored opponents by 128.

Washington will go up against Northeast High School, which stands at 6-3 overall, in the Public League championship game scheduled for this Saturday at 3:30 p.m. in Northeast High School's Charles Martin Stadium.

"We're watching film. We're practicing hard," said Cohen. "Our kids will be prepared and I'm sure their kids will be prepared. The better team will win."

Although Chudnoff has only five years experience on the gridiron, he is most certainly up for this weekend's challenge. He's been training five days a week over the entire year - no off-seasons, no breaks, no vacation.

Only more football.

"I play as much as I possibly can and I'm ready to win," said Chudnoff, who was also recently selected into the National Honor Society for his superb performance in the classroom. "I love it. In off-season, we train, we lift weights and we run Monday through Thursday. Football is all year round for us. That's why most of the guys don't play other sports like basketball or baseball. There's no time. We're all focused on football.

"I think that's our greatest strength - we're dedicated together as a team, like a family. And that's basically what we are, a family."

Sports editor Melissa Yerkov can be reached at 215-354-3035 or myerkov@phillynews.com