Dan O'Hara is making history

silaryt@phillynews.com

Corey Brown is Cardinal O'Hara High's football franchise, but Dan O'Hara is the one who's making history.

Say what?

Well, how many times have you seen a fullback serve his team as the lone deep man in punt-return situations?

O'Hara the kid, a 6-2, 220-pound senior, did so yesterday as O'Hara the school crunched Archbishop Ryan, 56-0, in a Catholic AAAA makeup played at Marple-Newtown. Wasn't the first time, either.

As happened last year, Brown (strained knee), a recent Ohio State commit, is currently sidelined with an injury.

"With Corey out hurt, the team needed someone to step up with confidence," O'Hara said. "I did it a little bit last year, too, when Corey got hurt. So as the backup, it was natural for coach Algeo to put me in there. It's nerve-racking back there, but once you get that first one it goes uphill."

O'Hara managed gains of 7 and 11 yards with punts and saved the Lions some real estate by fair-catching another.

That wasn't all. At fullback, he gained 64 yards on seven carries, added three catches for 30 yards and a 14-yard touchdown, and blocked with passion while helping Adam Dempsey turn just 12 carries into 187 yards and four scores.

He even showed commitment to a seemingly minor duty.

"On our jet sweep for Adam, I have to sell that fake," he said. "I have to get the linebackers to bite.

"With Corey out, we knew people had to step up. From the running backs to the line. We did our job by hitting the holes, but the line was phenomenal. The holes were huge."

Among the cavern-creating grunts was tackle Matt Williams, who committed to James Madison Saturday night in Williamsburg, Va., while watching the Dukes fall to Villanova, 27-0.

"I like everything about it," Williams said. "I really like their line coach. It all feels right. They were pretty excited when I told them."

O'Hara, meanwhile, is a second-generation contributor to O'Hara athletics. His uncles, Tom and Mike, were basketball stars while his dad, Jack, was partial to wrestling.

So, what's it like having the same name as your school?

"Every year with every teacher, it's, 'O'Hara at O'Hara,'" Dan said. "And I'm like, 'I haven't heard that before.'"

He laughed, then added, "Thank God this is my last year of having to go through that."

The subs hit the scoreboard on runs by Major Everett and Tom Familetti, while the defense did its part with Demiere Shaw's 49-yard interception return. Mike Granata drilled all eight of his PATs. Ryan's best chance to score, following a 34-yard, fourth-quarter screen pass from Dillon Cave to Mark Golic, was terminated by Ameer Carroll's leaping pick of a right-corner fade.

"This game might look like it was easy on the scoreboard, but Ryan gave their all," O'Hara said. "I took some tough hits. I give them credit for not quitting."

O'Hara, who lives in Aston, is mulling a career in sports medicine while hoping to draw football interest.

Brown did some light jogging yesterday morning and still envisions being able to return for Saturday night's 7 o'clock showdown with St. Joseph's Prep, at Plymouth-Whitemarsh.

Now might be the time for Dan to challenge Corey in a 40.

"I run a 4.9," he said. "In pads, probably higher than that."

OK, maybe not. But Dan O'Hara is the punt-returning fullback.