Rick O'Brien: Washington, Sillman may be force to reckon with

George Washington was far from impressive in its two preseason scrimmages, leading many to believe the Eagles could be facing a long and frustrating season.

But Hakeem Sillman said it would be a big mistake to write off the perennial Public League power so fast. And he could be right.

With Sillman rushing for 124 yards on 15 carries and notching a pair of second-quarter touchdowns, host Washington ripped Chestnut Hill Academy, 26-7, in a nonleague opener Saturday at Northeast.

"People shouldn't doubt us like that," said Sillman, a 5-foot-8, 190-pound senior tailback and cornerback. "We're going to be good. We've been working hard since Day 1."

Sillman, a workhorse with tree-trunk legs, scored on runs of 5 and 7 yards to give the Eagles a 26-0 advantage at intermission.

"I take a lot of pride in not going down easily," the 17-year-old said. "It's going to take a few guys to tackle me most times. It's all about heart."

Last season, Sillman gained 900 yards and scored seven touchdowns, including a kickoff return, as Washington went 8-3 and advanced to the Public League final before bowing to Northeast, 13-6. The Vikings secured their first crown since 1983.

"That's our goal right there, to bring the trophy back home," he said. "We're coming to get that. If we play as a team, I don't think we can be stopped."

Sillman, who lives near Second Street and Godfrey Avenue in Olney, grew up playing for the Frankford Chargers. His teammates included a pair of current Frankford High players: two-way back Kelly Johnson and offensive lineman-linebacker Geoffrey Phillippe.

With his all-out, rugged rushing style, Sillman, wearing No. 2 this year, said he has been compared to the NFL's Maurice Jones-Drew of the Jacksonville Jaguars.

"That's a great compliment," he said. "I try to do what he does, which is run hard and go right at defenders. He doesn't back down from anyone. I love that."

Against CHA, Washington totaled 229 yards on the ground. Early in the first quarter, junior Donald Smith (79 yards on eight attempts) capped an eight-play, 72-yard drive with a 2-yard TD run.

The Eagles' Justin Moody, a rising two-way junior end, was slowed by lower-back issues. The 6-3, 225-pounder has scholarship offers from Rutgers and Temple.

Milestone. Kevin Clancy, Strath Haven's coach for 21 seasons, earned his 200th win at the school with Friday's 42-6, nonleague romp over visiting Upper Moreland.

"Really, it's a group accomplishment," Clancy said. "A lot of people are part of it, from middle school coaches on up. There's been a lot of stability in the program."

With the Panthers, Clancy has a 200-49 record. His overall mark is 267-88-2. He went 67-39-2 in nine seasons at Archbishop Carroll.

Quotable. Washington assistant/adviser John McAneney, talking to junior QB Alfonso Augustine after his left-side toss to Sillman resulted in an 11-yard, second-quarter gain: "Now, that was a pretty pitch. All the plays before that stunk."

North Penn-La Salle. Here are some notes from La Salle's 44-27, come-from-behind win over North Penn on Saturday:

Senior receiver Colin Buckley, wearing black-colored prescription goggles, made nine catches for 168 yards and four TDs. . . . In the second quarter, Knights outside linebacker Matt Smith came up and smashed Tim Wade on a left-side run, knocking Wade's helmet off. Wade bounced back, scoring on an 8-yard burst three plays later. . . . Early in the fourth quarter, junior end Andrew Carlone made consecutive tackles of QB Corey Ernst. The first resulted in a 4-yard loss. . . . North Penn defensive backs Dan Gevirtz and Danny Wynne made first-quarter interceptions. . . . Kyle Mayfield, North Penn's junior halfback, carried 20 times for 204 yards, including a 71-yard TD jaunt around the right corner. He also escaped for a 75-yard gain in the third quarter. . . . In the third quarter, Mike Piscopo forced a fumble (recovered by Andrew Eidenshink) with a sack of Ernst. On the Knights' next series, Piscopo was the beneficiary of a fumble caused by Mike Eife's sack. . . . In the first three quarters, North Penn middle linebacker Ralph Reeves made six tackles and an interception. His four solo stops included a first-quarter sack of QB Matt Magarity. . . . Corey Eidenshink's 37-yard punt return early in the fourth quarter set up Magarity's third TD toss to Buckley. . . . At the time of his second-quarter benching, Magarity was 5-for-8 passing for 48 yards, two interceptions, and zero scores. Over the final 20 minutes, he hit on 8 of 13 throws for 177 yards and four TDs, with one pick.

Extra points. Linebacker Tori Gordon made a team-high six tackles in Washington's win over CHA. For the Blue Devils, 6-1, 295-pound lineman Tyler Hightower made seven stops, with five solos. . . . Former Washington and Syracuse star Jameel McClain, now a linebacker for the Baltimore Ravens, was at the game. . . . In Roman Catholic's 19-7 win over West Catholic at the Jersey Shore on Saturday, Cahillites outside linebacker Chris Cruz posted seven tackles, with five solos. West's David Williams rushed 19 times for 123 yards. His 3-yard TD run with 11 minutes, 42 seconds to go was the Burrs' only score.

Team Record

Last week's rankings in parentheses.

1. La Salle (2) 1-0

2. Archbishop Wood (1) 0-1

3. Downingtown East (5) 1-0

4. Neshaminy (4) 1-0

5. North Penn (3) 0-1

6. Council Rock So. (6) 1-0

7. Coatesville (10) 1-0

8. Roman Catholic (NR) 1-0

9. Souderton (8) 0-1

10. W.C. Henderson (NR) 1-0

Under consideration (listed alphabetically): Boyertown (1-0), Downingtown West (1-0), Malvern Prep (0-1), Ridley (1-0), St. Joseph's Prep (1-0), West Catholic (0-1).

- Rick O'Brien
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