Coatesville defeat of Spring-Ford sparked by Tyler Burke

Tyler Burke says he was not sure about Coatesville's chance at making major noise this season after the departure of three dynamic playmakers.

"We lost a good amount of talent," the 6-foot-4, 240-pound junior said. "You expect there to a be little drop-off. You don't know what to expect."

It's clear now that the squad was able to overcome the graduation of quarterback Manny Stocker (now at North Carolina State), wide receiver Kyle Kerrick (Michigan State), and running back Dae-Hon Cheung (Delaware State).

Friday night, with Burke making his usual rock-solid contributions at middle linebacker, Coatesville whipped Spring-Ford, 59-28, for the program's first PIAA District 1 Class AAAA championship since 1992.

Next for the 12-2 Red Raiders, ranked No. 2 in Southeastern Pennsylvania by The Inquirer, is a date with No. 1-ranked La Salle (12-1). The state semifinal is set for 7 p.m. Friday at Downingtown West's Kottmeyer Stadium.

"It's been a fun ride," said Burke, who doubles as a tight end. "We've had a lot of success, especially on offense."

Coatesville, with the help of eight defensive touchdowns, is averaging 40 points a game. The 59 points they scored against the Rams were the most in a District 1 AAAA final, eclipsing the mark of 55 set by North Penn in 2005.

QB Emmett Hunt, running back Daquan Worley, and wideouts Chris Jones and Dre Boggs have been the headliners in a spread attack.

In taking over for Stocker, the 6-2, 210-pound Hunt has completed 130 of 200 passes for an area-best 2,748 yards and 40 scores.

Worley has carried 186 times for 1,453 yards and 17 TDs; Jones has 62 receptions for 1,393 yards and 22 TDs; and Boggs has 30 catches for 740 yards and 12 TDs.

"Chris and Dre are probably the fastest kids I've ever seen play," Burke said. "I'm just glad I don't have to cover them."

While roaming the middle, Burke, 16, helped to contain Spring-Ford running backs Jarred Jones (15 carries for 42 yards) and Yousef Lundi (five for 17).

"He's a young player, but he really knows what he's doing," Hunt said. "And he's actually faster than what he looks."

A top-level recruit, Burke is flanked at linebacker by Devonte Suber and Steve Pawling. Terrance Wright also sees time on the outside.

"Our defense hasn't gotten much recognition," Burke said. "But that happens when your offense is putting up 50-some points on teams."

The 4-3 unit, with Tim Lucci serving as coordinator, has been keyed by nose guard Mike Boykin, tackle Dylan Morgan, end Joe Phillips, strong safety Isaiah Flamer, and cornerback Jason Totaram.

Burke has scholarship offers from Maryland, North Carolina State, and Temple. Notre Dame, Penn State, Rutgers, and Pittsburgh are also involved. Nittany Lions assistant Ron Vanderlinden watched Burke on Friday.

Custis to UMass. Neumann-Goretti's Sharif Custis, a senior two-way end, has orally committed to play at Massachusetts.

The 6-3, 210-pounder was in Amherst over the weekend for an official visit. "The program is in a rebuilding mode, and that's something I'm familiar with," he said. "I wanted to be part of it."

Custis, who earned first-team all-Catholic League Class AA honors as a multipurpose performer, is projected to play tight end in college. He also had scholarship offers from Temple and Stony Brook.

Quotable. La Salle coach Drew Gordon on watching Coatesville handle Spring-Ford: "They looked like a college team [Friday] night. Their execution was excellent."