Ryan's Bullock plays with dedication

WHEN SAMIR Bullock looks in the mirror, he doesn't necessarily see his father staring back. People have told the 5-8, 175-pound Archbishop Ryan running back that he resembles his late father, Lee Bullock.

But, when Samir gazes in the mirror after a football game, his focus lies somewhere else. Bullock doesn't scrawl his dad's initials on his equipment or keep a photo tucked in his sock. Instead, he just makes sure to look toward the sky at some point during pregame warmups.

"I just look up, say a prayer, think about what he would want me to do and how much he did for me, and then dedicate the game to him," Bullock said. "Then I go out there and play. And at the end of the day, when I look in the mirror, only I know if I gave it 100 percent."

Bullock, our latest Player of the Week, had 373 yards on 29 carries and scored four touchdowns as the Raiders (3-4, 1-2) defeated Archbishop Carroll, 42-7, in a Catholic League AAA contest.

Bullock's performance broke his school record of 345 yards set last season in his first game with the Raiders after transferring from Father Judge.

He declined to talk about the particulars surrounding his father's death but did say they were very close. What seems most important to Bullock is how his father wanted him to play the game.

"I just play with heart," he said. "Play like how I think he would want me to play, and that's 100 percent every play."

So, does his face really favor his father's?

"Yes, everybody said it did," Bullock said, laughing. "I didn't think I did, but everybody said I did."

Dad may influence the way he plays, but his mother, Robyn Duncan, got him into football with the North Philly Aztecs.

"At first, I didn't even like football," he said. "It was just a parenting thing. My mom, she wanted me to be more active and involved in different things and ever since then I've been making progress with it."

Humility notwithstanding, Bullock currently has offers from Delaware, Bryant, Rhode Island, Maine, Stoney Brook and Robert Morris. Wake Forest, he said, has shown recent interest. First-team Daily News All-City as a junior, Bullock now owns 3,208 yards and 34 touchdowns in the last two seasons.

Friday's win also helped Ryan's playoff chances. This week, the Raiders will host Cardinal O'Hara.

"It's a big win for the team," Bullock said. "It's just one step closer. That's it; one step closer. Now, let's get ready for next week."

If playoff incentive wasn't enough, Bullock is playing for family bragging rights. He said his second cousin is Corey Brown, who played receiver at O'Hara then Ohio State and now with the Carolina Panthers. Brown's brother Courtney Williams, who played at Washington High, is currently an assistant at O'Hara.

Family or not, Bullock is coming. And after, it'll be back to that mirror.

"At the end of the day," he said, "look in the mirror and ask yourself, 'Did you take any plays off, did you do all of your assignments, did you give it 100 percent?' "

Others considered: St. Joseph's Prep senior quarterback Jack Clements led the Hawks with 232 passing yards on 14-for-19 passing in a 35-31 win over La Salle. He also added 59 yards on 12 carries. Sophomore running back D'Andre Swift led the Hawks with 89 yards on 10 carries and 76 yards on five catches . . . Springside Chestnut Hill Academy senior quarterback Paul Dooley threw for 265 yards and five touchdowns on 9-for-13 passing in the Blue Devils' 53-51 marathon win against Penn Charter. Sophomore running back Syaire Madden added 196 yards and three scores on 16 carries for SCH.

Imhotep Charter senior quarterback Andre Dreuitt-Parks nabbed the Public League's career passing yardage mark (4,194) on Saturday in a 57-6 drubbing of Dobbins. According to TedSilary.com, the record-breaking completion came on a 50-yard TD pass to senior wideout D.J. Moore (Maryland), who booted the extra point thus setting the Pub career PAT mark at 101. Dreuitt-Parks broke Malik Stokes' 4,170 set in 2010 with Northeast High. Moore pushed aside Washington's Will McFillin, who finished with 100 in 2009 . . . On Saturday, Springside Chestnut Hill Academy and host Penn Charter binged on points in an offensive free-for-all that the Blue Devils won, 53-51. The two combined for 1,139 yards from scrimmage with the Quakers on top, 585-554. Led by sophomore quarterback Michael Hnatkowsky (324 yards and two touchdowns), PC scored more points in city history during a defeat. Junior running back Jake McCain rushed for 217 yards and a score on 28 carries. Hnatkowsky also added three ground tallies. Junior wide out Jordan Johnson snagged three catches for 132 yards and two scores for the Blue Devils.

1. St. Joseph's Prep 3-3

2. Imhotep 6-1

3. Haverford School 5-1

4. La Salle 5-2

5. Archbishop Wood 6-1

6. Ben Franklin 6-0

7. Springside Chestnut Hill 6-0

8. >Father Judge 4-3

9. Bonner-Prendie 7-0

10. Roman 4-3

Also considered: Del-Val, Martin Luther King, Prep Charter, Simon Gratz, West Catholic.