Taking a look at SE Pa.’s top interior defensive linemen

Continuing with our position-by-position tour of the local football talent, this week we rank the top 10 interior defensive linemen (tackles and middle guards) in Southeastern Pennsylvania.

Our subjective list, which we cranked up to 12, is based on a player's ability to stop the ballcarrier at the point of attack, strength in one-on-one matchups, quickness off the ball, aggressiveness, and potential to excel at the next level.

Some two-way standouts, like Archbishop Wood's Frank Thompson and Souderton's Joe Stolfi, were listed in the rankings of the area's best offensive linemen. Their names will not be duplicated here.

1. Jeff Kiely, Downingtown East, senior, 6 feet, 275 pounds. The third-year starter, who battles Tourette syndrome, is a beast on the field and in the weight room for the Ches-Mont League National Conference cochampions. "He's the strongest kid we've ever had," Cougars coach Mike Matta said.

2. Jamil Morgan, Simon Gratz, senior, 6-2, 345. Morgan's inside efforts helped the 8-2 Bulldogs reach the Public League Class AAA semifinals. He doubles as a center.

3. Anthony Fecondo, Pennridge, junior, 6-2, 230. The ever-improving Fecondo, who bench-pressed 350 pounds in training camp, notched 16 tackles in an Oct. 22 loss to Central Bucks West.

4. Zack McMenamin, Interboro, senior, 5-10, 235. McMenamin is undersized, but the two-way stalwart, a pulling guard on offense, has a nonstop motor, a terrific nose for the ball, and a relentless approach. He visited Penn on Saturday.

5. Chris Muller, Boyertown, junior, 6-6, 295. Muller will likely wind up being an offensive lineman for a Division I-A program, but he has also been a force on defense for the improved Bears.

6. Corey Bronson, Roman Catholic, senior, 5-10, 227. In Friday's Catholic League Class AAAA loss to La Salle, the second-team all-league pick was involved in three tackles that went for losses. He also played fullback.

7. John Konway, Abington, senior, 6-0, 217. He's a big reason the Ghosts are 9-2 and Suburban One League National Conference tri-champs, and have a PIAA District 1 Class AAAA quarterfinal date with Neshaminy.

8. Rory Clark, Archbishop Wood, senior, 6-3, 240. Stellar against the run, Clark, a first-team all-Catholic AAA choice, helped the Vikings limit foes to an average of 14.3 points during the regular season.

9. Dave Jackson, North Penn, senior, 5-10, 230. Flanked by Shayne Watson and Chuck Knower, he has been key in the Knights' drive toward a fifth District 1 AAAA crown.

10. Andrew Cohen, Council Rock South, junior, 6-3, 250. Cohen, joined in the interior by Jake Presley, has been a rock-solid performer for a unit that has posted five shutouts and yielded 11.7 points a game.

11. Jon McCullough, Strath Haven, senior, 6-2, 265. While he may be better on offense, this two-way tackle, a second-year starter, has sparked the Panthers on both sides of the ball.

12. Jeff Smyth, Cardinal O'Hara, senior, 5-10, 220. A gritty middle guard for the Lions, Smyth earned first-team all-Catholic AAA honors.

Twenty others to watch, listed alphabetically: Treshawn Anderson, Northeast, senior, 5-5, 187; John Bradford, Malvern Prep, junior, 6-1, 260; Tyrone Brown, Roman Catholic, junior, 5-11, 150; T.J. Demetrio, Pottsgrove, senior, 5-7, 170; Tyler Hightower, Chestnut Hill Academy, junior, 6-1, 285; Darrell Hill, Penn Wood, senior, 6-4, 250; Brandon Martynuik, Neshaminy, senior, 6-1, 230; Corey Max, Glen Mills, senior, 6-0, 235; Brian McGilloway, Archbishop Ryan, senior, 5-7, 180; Tyler Mercer, Penn Charter, junior, 6-1, 285; Justin Moody, George Washington, sophomore, 6-3, 245; Logan Niederriter, Cheltenham, senior, 5-11, 195; Mike Nowak, Owen J. Roberts, senior, 6-2, 270; Nathan Pompei, Upper Perkiomen, senior, 5-9, 190; Malcolm Roberson, West Chester Rustin, junior, 6-3, 285; Matt Ruggear, Academy Park, junior, 6-4, 220; Dan Sergeyev, Central Bucks West, junior, 6-2, 230; Tyler Swann, Unionville, senior, 6-2, 230; Jake Swearingen, Quakertown, senior, 6-1, 230; Kieran Trainer, La Salle, senior, 6-2, 230.