Tucker a memory-maker for Roman Catholic

Passing along some city high school football tidbits . . .

Taishan Tucker now owns two, bold-relief lifetime memories.

No. 1 occurred on Thanksgiving 2009 as North Catholic topped Frankford, 28-22, before a huge, rousing crowd at La Salle University in what turned out to be its final game.

With star rusher Eugene "U-Turn" Byrd momentarily injured, Tucker trotted onto the field and turned his first carry since September into a crucial, 5-yard touchdown.

"I'm still in contact with a lot of my former North Catholic teammates and coaches," Tucker said. "We still talk about that game."

Even during the school day, sometimes. That's because four ex-Falcons - Jack Schanz, Tyrone Brown, William Fuller and Collin Shields - all start now with the 5-9, 175-pound Tucker, a senior wideout/d-back, at Roman Catholic, and Saturday, in time, they had all kinds of fun.

With Tucker making four receptions for 116 yards and three TDs, the Cahillites scored the final 38 points over 25 minutes to stun St. Joseph's Prep, 45-17, in a Catholic AAAA semi.

Making the occasion even more notable: The quarterback was second-stringer Christopher Cruz, filling in for the injured Michael Keir. Talk about steering an offense into Cruz control. He passed 8-for-14 for 230 yards and five TDs (most ever in a city-leagues postseason game), and added a 62-yard rushing score.

"They were saying there'd be a game-time decision [on Keir], but everybody pretty much knew all week Chris would be the quarterback," Tucker said. "He was running the team in practice. Even when Mike's around, I'd say the balance on snaps is 60-40.

"Chris had a good week. We got our timing down and worked on little things. But to see what he did . . . I was as surprised as everybody else. My thoughts were like always. Put the ball out there and I'll go get it. Chris was doing it perfect."

Once, Tucker did not cooperate. In fact, he was guilty of a flat-out drop on the drive that helped the Cahillites create a 17-17 halftime tie. Who scored that TD? Tucker, on a 24-yarder.

Beforehand, he'd said toward the coaches along the sideline, "Come right back to me. Let me get it again."

"I just lost my focus. I should have been tougher than that," he said later. "But I have confidence in myself and I know the coaches do, too, so I was ready when the ball came at me again."

This season, Tucker, who boasts a 4.6 time in the 40 and a 32-inch vertical leap, has made 30 catches for 513 yards and five TDs. Fuller's totals are 39-652-8; he had two TD snags, and Brown started the comeback with a tackle for a safety.

"William's been getting a lot of double coverage," coach Joe McCourt said. "Taishan is taking advantage of that. Doing a great job. He's very underrated."

Said Tucker, who also had an interception: "It's nice to know that they look for me, too. I'm agile with good hands and I do a nice job of getting open."

What are the chances this is a state, even national, record? Cedric Madden scored 16 consecutive TDs for Springside Chestnut Hill (over six games) before the streak ended Friday, against Penn Charter, on Forrest Rall's 5-yard reverse (Madden handed him the ball). He owns 24 of the Blue Devils' 27 six-pointers . . . Speaking of national records, there were six fair catches of kickoffs in that Roman-SJP game. Two apiece by Prep's John Antiskay/Eric Medes and Roman's Dimetri Kelly . . . Two Pub teams last week used quarterbacks who'd played elsewhere this season. Overbrook's Yvon Dessus (Bok) passed for two TDs in a win over Olney. Fels' Marc Prompt (Northeast) threw for one in a loss to Lincoln, becoming the fifth Panther to achieve that feat this fall (also Isaiah Brinkley, Jamiel Hines, Stephane Smith and Messiah Mitchell) . . . Lovers of calories rejoice: West Catholic's line includes Jaryd "Burger" Jones-Smith and Devante "Butterball" Ford . . .

Numerous Geis Trophy winners (MVP) will be recognized Saturday when Penn Charter hosts Germantown Academy in that rivalry's 125th contest . . . Two star members of a Pub squad were suspended last week after firing helmets at each other in practice. In another game, a player suspended for missing practice tugged on equipment and tried to sneak into action. The coach had to burn a timeout to get him off the field . . . Matt McArdle (Penn Charter '77) is about to make his family 4-for-4 in Hall of Fame inductions. Already in are brothers John (at Chestnut Hill, where he's an assistant), Frank and Ed (both at Judge). Frank's son, also named Frank, is Ryan's head coach . . . Michael Alexander, a transfer from Academy Park, had two TD catches and a pick in his Bartram debut . . . University City owned 11 passing TDs this season before Robert Hall tallied the first rushing score, vs. Southern . . . Congrats to line judge Frank "Brown Belt" McAnulty for giving the Future-Edison game a fair shake timewise. The scoreboard is broken. Given the opportunity, many officials would have fudged like crazy to get the game completed much earlier . . . King's Andre Shirley has scored on two very long defensive returns: 91 interception, 89 blocked field goal (city record) . . .

When Germantown soph Jordan Alexander suffered an injury on the final play of the first half vs. Washington, 390-pound tackle Kwame Miller carried him off the field. In Miller's arms, the 190-pound Alexander looked like an 8-year-old . . . West Catholic's six consecutive championships (two Blue, four AA) are the most for a city leagues squad since Malvern rolled to seven in the Inter-Ac from 1974-80 . . . On goofy plays, Central lineman Cameron Johnson has made two catches this season . . . Dobbins' Daquan "Day-Day" Brown has totaled 83 points six ways (rushing, receiving, returns of kickoff/fumble, conversion runs, PATs).

Online high school coverage at philly.com/rally.