Senior stars Witherspoon, Wilson help King defeat West Philadelphia

When a high school football team has only 24 active players, athletes must play multiple positions, something that can either be a burden or a blessing. For Martin Luther King High School Friday, it was certainly a blessing.

After losing by six to Olney 2 weeks ago, the Cougars bounced back by defeating West Philadelphia on the road, 22-8, in a Public League AAAA Silver game. The Cougars were led by seniors Curtis Witherspoon and J. Michael Wilson, both two-way starters.

Witherspoon, who played quarterback and safety, finished the game 3-for-4 for 77 yards while adding 27 rushing yards. On defense, Witherspoon intercepted senior quarterback Lawrence Richardson on the first offensive play of the game.

"Curtis is an athlete playing quarterback," King coach John Sheroda said. "If he does get to play at the [collegiate] level, he could be a running back, a receiver, anything. He's a very good defensive back also. He's a football player, not a one-position guy."

Wilson, who played running back and defensive back, finished the game with 51 yards off nine carries and converted two two-point conversions. He also caught two passes for 33 yards. On defense, Wilson stood out with 10 tackles.

King's lack of bodies and experience was evident against Olney. The additional week of practice in between games helped in this game, Sheroda said.

"It's a result of a couple more weeks of practice," Sheroda said. "I got a lot of first-year players on the front line. They've been getting a little more practice and a little more playing time, and that's led to them being a little more experienced."

On the other sideline, the Speedboys were dealing with similar experience issues, coach Pat O'Hara said.

"Our biggest problem right now is inexperienced line play," O'Hara said. "We're relying on a lot of sophomores and juniors, and they're just not gelling yet. They come to the line and they're uncertain about who they're going to block. They're making a lot of mistakes due to inexperience."

For the Speedboys, Richardson finished 15-for-24 for 179 yards passing. Junior wide receiver Eric Leslie also compiled some impressive stats. Wilson, who is called "T.O" by fans who think he plays like former Eagle Terrell Owens, finished with five catches and a game-high 106 yards.

"[Leslie] works hard, he's quiet and he has all the goods of a college receiver," O'Hara said. "He's a junior and we're looking for him to just get better and better. He really knows how to step on the field and play."

King's defense prevented the Speedboys from scoring until the fourth quarter. The level the Cougars played at was not surprising, O'Hara said.

"[King] always brings a good football team," O'Hara said. "They have a good coaching staff and they come to play. There are no surprises in this league. Every team you face has players that are going to be able to beat you."

The Cougars will look to build off this win at 3 p.m. next Friday when they host Simon Gratz. The Speedboys will host Murrell Dobbins Tech at 3 p.m. next Friday. *