Judge tops Ryan to claim playoff spot in Catholic AAAA

You talk to most high school kids who play football and you find their grid lives have been filled with change.

Rushers have grown into tight ends. Cornerbacks have become linebackers. Sometimes, a lineman is seen throwing the ball around in practice and a stunned coach blurts out, "Hey, you're now our quarterback."

And then there's Raul Quinones, a 5-11, 175-pound junior at Father Judge High.

"I've been playing football since I was 6 years old," he said. "My positions have always been running back and linebacker. Always. I've never played anywhere else. And that's fine with me. That's how I want it."

When this season began, on the offensive side of the ball, it appeared Q would have to settle for BD, as in backup duty. No more, folks. Maybe never again.

Judge bested Archbishop Ryan, 37-20, Friday night at Northeast's Charlie Martin Memorial Stadium in a showdown for the fourth and final Catholic AAAA playoff spot. Quinones responded with 19 carries for 116 yards and three touchdowns. Playing outside linebacker, he notched an interception.

"At first this season, I didn't start off as the starting running back," Quinones said. "There were three guys in the fight for that job and Jones Twenefor wound up with it over me and Nick Myers. But in the first game, Jones got hurt and the coaches went with me as the No. 1 guy.

"All along I've just tried to do my best. I get great blocking from my linemen and my fullback, Andrew Tuscano, and things go pretty well."

Though Quinones tends to receive more carries, he shares the No. 1 rushing spot with Myers, who also starts on defense (cornerback). In this one, Myers contributed 131 yards and a TD on nine rushes.

"My success was mostly coming on the same play, the 43," Quinones said. "You just go straight ahead and run downhill. Nothing really tricky about it. We don't use that play too much, usually, but we did tonight because it was working so well.

"It felt great to help my team like this. My teammates were all telling me how nice I was running and was saying great job to all of them, too."

Going into the contest, the irony of the situation was not lost on Quinones.

"It was shocking, really," he said. "I mean, we were 6-2 [overall] and they were 2-6, yet the playoff spot was coming down to this game. We had to keep our heads up and not think about [a possible negative outcome]. Play hard for the whole 48."

For some reason, a nutty Judge enthusiast recently circulated a rumor that Quinones travels to Judge every day all the way from Southwest Philly. Um, not true. He lives within footsteps of Northeast High.

"I wasn't going there anyway," he said. "My mom wanted me to have the nice atmosphere of a Catholic school and my coaches with Holmesburg [weight ball] talked to [assistant] Fran Costello and the other Judge people about how I was a respectful kid and could benefit the school, just like being there could help me. It has really worked out. I also run track and wrestle, so I'm always busy."

Rob Daniels passed 8-for-15 for 101 yards and registered a 1-yard TD sneak. Tuscano, at inside linebacker, made 11 tackles.

For Ryan, Mike Anusky hit seven of 13 tosses for 119 yards, mostly to Tim Kane (3-57) and Nick Le Van (2-42). Mike Palmer had an interception and Kurt Payne returned a late fumble 40 yards for a TD.

Of his own pick, Quinones said, "They were trying to throw to the outside guy. Tim Mills tipped it and it was up in the air a little. Nah, I didn't have to jump. Came right to me." *