Imhotep routs West Philly for Public League Class AAA championship

THREE WEEKS after Imhotep Charter thrashed West Philadelphia High, 66-6, deja vu was in full effect Saturday afternoon with the Panthers' 62-0 rout over the Speedboys to capture the Public League Class AAA championship at Northeast High field.

Despite tallying 62 unanswered points en route to the title, Imhotep coach Albie Crosby delivered a post-game message, firmly reminding his team: "State Champions. Still not done."

Senior quarterback Andre Dreuitt-Parks seems to have that slogan set in his mind. He paced the Panthers' offense on Saturday with three scores, but he won't sway from the ultimate prize of winning a state championship, a goal since he came to Imhotep as a sophomore.

"We said in the locker room we were going to treat it like a regular game because it is not our goal; our goal is to win states," Dreuitt-Parks said.

It didn't take long for the Panthers to score as junior Mike Waters (six carries on 48 yards and two TDs) dashed 11 yards for a score with 8:19 in the first quarter. On the ensuing drive a blocked punt by senior Braheem Garland set up junior Tyliek Raynor for 8-yard rushing score.

Dreuitt-Parks (4-for-6 on 95 yards, two TDs) capped off the Panthers' fast-paced offensive explosion in the first half by releasing a 20-yard strike to junior Naseir Upshur for a touchdown. Dreuitt-Parks also connected with Khalif Clemons on a 23-yard touchdown pass and chipped in a 3-yard keeper for a score, putting his team up 54-0 at halftime.

"We've got a lot of athletes, our motto is 'run-run-run,' and at practice everything is fast for us," Dreuitt-Parks said. "You can tell, once we score, he's [Crosby] screaming, 'Get off the field' because everything is run."

In addition, the Panthers' defense had four team sacks and a 49-yard interception returned for score by Shaquille Jones with 8:14 left in the second quarter. Dreuitt-Parks joked about how lucky is, having to only go against that defense in practice.

"I hate going against my defense in practice because they always have a pump to them and so much energy," the QB said.

Dreuitt-Parks, who has received offers from Morgan State, and Costal Carolina, hopes to major in kinesiology and stay involved in sports.

With the 54-0 halftime score, both coaches agreed to play 7-minute quarters with a running clock in the second half.

West Philly simply could not get any fingerprints on this game, but junior Tarell Mcleod led the Speedboys' offense with 15 carries for 44 yards.

Imhotep, the City Class AA champion last year, has dominated the City Class AAA since the switch this season, delivering a 8-0 conference record (10-1 overall) and outscoring conference opponents, 474-46.

"I feel that we are the best team in the city and we treat every game like it's our last," said Dreuitt-Parks. "When we get to that stage to play a game that is not as competitive, we still try hard to prepare for it."

Next up for Imhotep: the District 12 Class AAA championship.

"It's going to be live, I cant wait," Dreuitt-Parks said. "Last year we lost in the state championship, this year we have to take it all in my last year, so we just need to leave everything on the table."