Rick O'Brien

Rick O’Brien has been at The Inquirer since 1993, primarily covering high school sports in Southeastern Pennsylvania.

Read our high school sports coverage.

Email Rick at robrien@phillynews.com

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Rick O'Brien: Showdown's outcome may hinge on injury - 11/20/2009: By Rick O, Inquirer Columnist

The outcome of tonight's PIAA District 1-12 Class A subregional championship football game between St. Pius X and Calvary Christian will hinge heavily on the status of Pius quarterback and free safety Cole Parkinson.
Rick O'Brien: Taking a look at the area's top linebackers - 11/19/2009: By Rick O, Inquirer Columnist

This week, we rank the top linebackers in Southeastern Pennsylvania. In compiling our top-15 list, we took into consideration the following: instincts, open-field tackling ability, range from sideline to sideline, skill at stopping the run and defending the pass, and strength at blitzing and pressuring the quarterback.
Rick O'Brien: GW's Sellers turns in stellar performance - 11/16/2009: By Rick O, Inquirer Columnist

Seemingly shot out of a cannon, George Washington's Simba Sellers played an incredible 8 minutes, 29 seconds of defense during the first half of Saturday's Public League Class AAAA championship game vs. Northeast.
Rick O'Brien: Tackles, middle guards power the defense - 11/15/2009: By Rick O, Inquirer Columnist

Continuing with our position-by-position tour of the local football talent, this week we rank the top 15 interior defensive linemen (tackles and middle guards) in Southeastern Pennsylvania.
Rick O'Brien: Central League rivals clash in District 1 game - 11/13/2009: By Rick O, Inquirer Columnist

If the relentless rain that pounded the Atlantic Seaboard yesterday doesn't hit the Philadelphia area with the same ferocity this weekend, possibly forcing postponement of some games, playoff contests will be everywhere.
Rick O'Brien: North Penn pushes title quest - 11/12/2009: The Knights will play Neshaminy this weekend, one of many playoff games.

By Rick O, Inquirer Columnist

There are 21 football playoff contests on tap this weekend. We'll provide game-by-game predictions tomorrow, including selections in three championship games: Public League Class AAAA and AAA, and Catholic League AAA.
Rick O'Brien: Get set for a weekend of league showdowns - 11/09/2009: By Rick O, Inquirer Columnist

We've dabbled a bit with football playoffs over the last two weeks, but the postseason will begin in earnest next weekend.
Rick O'Brien: Devlin is tops on decade list of QBs - 11/08/2009: By Rick O, Inquirer Columnist

Pat Devlin didn't step quietly onto the high school football stage. In October 2003, as a 6-foot-3, 190-pound sophomore for Downingtown East, Devlin completed 31 of 46 passes for a then single-game state record of 511 yards and five touchdowns in a 53-34 home loss to Ches-Mont League rival West Chester East.
Rick O'Brien: Season grows late, pressure grows hot - 11/06/2009: By Rick O, Inquirer Columnist

Week 10 is filled with pressure-packed games. It's the cutoff weekend for the PIAA District 1 and subregional playoff tournaments in four classifications, so there are a number of win-or-probably-go-home contests on tap tonight.
Rick O'Brien: Top defenses begin with their ends - 11/05/2009: By Rick O, Inquirer Columnist

We begin our defensive player football rankings this week, kicking off with the best ends in Southeastern Pennsylvania. Next week, we'll take a look at the area's premier tackles and middle guards.

MORE STORIES

Rick O'Brien: Avon Grove rises to the heights - 11/02/2009: By Rick O, Inquirer Columnist
Rick O'Brien: G.W. lineman's big future - 11/01/2009: By Rick O, Inquirer Columnist
Rick O'Brien: Football turnaround for Avon Grove - 11/01/2009: By Rick O’Brien, INQUIRER STAFF WRITER
Highly-recruited Washington star Floyd weighs options - 10/31/2009
Rick O'Brien: Southeast Pa. high-school football playoff predictions - 10/30/2009: By Rick O, Inquirer Columnist
Rick O'Brien: Top high school offensive linemen in Southeast Pa. - 10/29/2009: By Rick O, Inquirer Columnist
Rick O'Brien: Finley's 361 yards a Panthers record - or not - 10/26/2009: By Rick O, Inquirer Columnist
Rick O'Brien: Top 10 Pa. high school gridiron thrillers - 10/25/2009: By Rick O, Inquirer Columnist
Rick O'Brien: Top-10 most exciting Pa. football games of last decade - 10/24/2009: By Rick O’Brien
Rick O'Brien: Rains could move games up to today - 10/23/2009: By Rick O, Inquirer Columnist
Rick O'Brien: So good, top 10 receivers are 12 - 10/22/2009: By Rick O, Inquirer Columnist
Rick O'Brien: A new season, and a fast start for Interboro - 10/19/2009: By Rick O, Inquirer Columnist
Rick O'Brien: A look back at heroics of North, Dougherty - 10/18/2009: By Rick O, Inquirer Columnist
Rick O'Brien: Coming Tomorrow - 10/17/2009: By Rick O, Inquirer Columnist
Rick O'Brien: A weather-permitting slate - 10/16/2009: By Rick O, Inquirer Columnist
Rick O'Brien: Campbell leads army of running backs - 10/15/2009: By Rick O, Inquirer Columnist
Rating the Pa. running backs - 10/14/2009: Rick O'Brien, Inquirer Staff Writer
Rick O'Brien: Penncrest beats Springfield-Delco, 66-54 - 10/12/2009: By Rick O, Inquirer Columnist
Rick O'Brien: School closings end two proud sports traditions - 10/11/2009: By Rick O, Inquirer Columnist
Rick O'Brien: Penncrest’s Moretti enjoyed football shootout - 10/11/2009
North Catholic, Dougherty leave proud sports legacies - 10/10/2009
Rick O'Brien: A showdown of unbeatens in the Del-Val - 10/09/2009: By Rick O, Inquirer Columnist
Rating the best QBs in Southeastern Pa. - 10/08/2009: By Rick O'Brien, Inquirer Columnist
Rick O'Brien: Pennsbury's Devine scores big - 10/05/2009: By Rick O, Inquirer Columnist
Rick O'Brien: Injuries can't stop West's Reynolds - 10/04/2009: By Rick O, Inquirer Columnist
Rick O'Brien: Pennsbury’s Devine prefers the action - 10/04/2009
Rick O'Brien: Collision of perfect records - 10/02/2009: By Rick O, Inquirer Columnist
Rick O'Brien: Triple-threat Hill does it all in Malvern Prep's victory - 09/28/2009: By Rick O, Inquirer Columnist
Rick O'Brien: Lessons in the game of life - 09/27/2009: By Rick O, Inquirer Columnist
Rick O'Brien: League foes to start going head to head - 09/25/2009: By Rick O, Inquirer Columnist
Rick O'Brien: C.B. East's coach: 'I was ineffective' - 09/24/2009: By Rick O, Inquirer Columnist
Rick O'Brien: A coach who yells, cares, says North Penn's Dzurko - 09/21/2009: By Rick O, Inquirer Columnist
Rick O'Brien: Her unflagging spirit overcomes all odds - 09/20/2009: By Rick O, Inquirer Columnist
Rick O'Brien: North Penn riding high after big win - 09/20/2009: By Rick O’Brien, INQUIRER STAFF WRITER
Dazzling duels: This week's matchups - 09/17/2009: By Rick O, Inquirer Columnist
Garnet Valley vs. Conestoga highlights Thursday night football slate - 09/16/2009: By Rick O’Brien, INQUIRER STAFF WRITER
Rick O'Brien: O'Hara football's Brown commits to Ohio State - 09/14/2009: By Rick O, Inquirer Columnist
Rick O'Brien: Rough debut for Malvern's new coach - 09/13/2009: By Rick O, Inquirer Columnist
Rick O'Brien: Trojans-Falcons: Expect fireworks - 09/11/2009: By Rick O, Inquirer Columnist
Rick O'Brien: Northeast's QB says offense will flourish - 09/10/2009: By Rick O, Inquirer Columnist
Rick O'Brien: Coach Gro lights up the night - 09/06/2009: By Rick O, Inquirer Columnist
Rick O'Brien: A season of challenges - 09/03/2009: By Rick O, Inquirer Columnist
Predictions for football playoffs - 11/06/2008
Ranking the region's top defensive linemen - 11/02/2008
A big week for teams on the playoff bubble - 10/31/2008
Interboro's Krautzel puts Internet to use - 10/26/2008
Title chase begins for Public, Catholic AA - 10/24/2008
Southeast Pa. football playoff race in homestretch - 10/23/2008
In football playoffs, the more the merrier - 10/19/2008
O.J. Roberts-Phoenixville highlight Week 8 - 10/17/2008
Ranking Southeast Pa.'s top linemen - 10/16/2008
Lincoln's Wilson overcomes disability - 10/12/2008
More pigskin upsets to come? - 10/10/2008
List of top tight ends starts with Carrezola - 10/09/2008
Greg Godfrey exonerated - 10/05/2008
Bok to make it 36 straight - 10/03/2008
The top 10 wide receivers - 10/02/2008
Potent arms and sure hands - 09/28/2008
Weather permitting ... - 09/26/2008
A crowd at running back - 09/25/2008
No shortage of standouts at QB spot - 09/21/2008
Battle for league supremacy begins - 09/19/2008
Tennent football enjoying comforts of home field - 09/14/2008
There's more in Week 3 than Prep-North Penn - 09/12/2008
Filling the roster is not always easy - 09/07/2008
West Catholic, Garnet Valley, Pennsbury, Judge favored - 09/05/2008
Joe McCourt learns with loss - 08/31/2008: By Rick O'Brien, Inquirer Staff Writer
Some fun in the sun on opening weekend - 08/29/2008

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