Skip to content
Link copied to clipboard

Neumann-Goretti's Roane is Daily News Player of the Week

Running back Khalil Roane scored two touchdowns in the Saints' Class AA city title victory over Prep Charter.

Khalil Roane starred in Neumann-Goretti's win over Prep Charter.
Khalil Roane starred in Neumann-Goretti's win over Prep Charter.Read moreSTEVEN M. FALK / STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

KHALIL ROANE was at it again for Ss. Neumann-Goretti last week.

After 70 carries and 379 yards in his last two games, the 5-8, 185-pound running back put the Saints on his back again in a 12-6 victory against Prep Charter in the Class AA city title game.

Jack Taylor, a senior linebacker for the Saints, actually ended the game with an interception with 47 seconds remaining.

Roane, already the city's leader in attempts (now 283), supplied the offense. He logged 31 more totes for 171 yards and both N-G touchdowns. The last was a 3-yard, eventual game-winner with 1:13 left in the fourth.

In so doing, Roane, our latest Player of the Week, helped the Saints to their first city title since 1954, a week after knocking off West Catholic for N-G's first Catholic League crown since the same period (his 209 yards against West Catholic are fifth-best in PCL Championship history).

"We were aware of that, but we're still not done," he said. "We still have to go for more."

On Saturday, the Saints will take on Springfield-Montco in a subregional (District 12/1) PIAA Class AA state playoff game at 1 p.m. at the South Philadelphia Supersite.

"It's very cool. It's a big accomplishment. Not everybody from our school expected it. They thought it was just going to be the same old regular year like, 'Neumann has a football team. Yeah, OK.' So, it's kind of fun to shock our fans and all the staff at our school."

Perhaps Roane and Co. will also find themselves with some additional followers. Although, with over 11,000 on Twitter, it's hard to fathom Roane needs any help.

The junior said he started using social networks only during his freshman year. By the end of sophomore year, he said he had about 3,000.

"Then after that it started to pick up," he said. "I actually wasn't really concerned about it. Yeah, I noticed, I knew it came from sports, but it's just followers on Twitter.

"I mainly use it for recruiting. I tweet my [highlight] link and stats from the different playoff games to college coaches. I try to catch them when they're on, because I know they're busy just like me."

Roane also said his followers are mainly other high school athletes, students from other schools and fans of N-G football.

"Yeah, it's a lot of people," said Roane, whose handle is @KhalilRoane. "It's a lot. It's not that impressive to me. It's just followers on Twitter."

The 3.3-GPA student also has an interest in business, so when asked whether he considered parlaying his followers into a money-making venture, he paused.

"Yeah, you can actually start a lot of things through social networks, because they have a wide audience," he said. "It's good to have the upper hand on that. Someday, I don't know. It is a good way to get stuff out there."

But before businesses and, ahem, sports writers show up for lessons at his Olney home, Roane doesn't plan on starting any how-to courses just yet.

"Nah, no classes," he laughed. "No, I have no pearls of wisdom."

Others considered

Archbishop Wood senior Jarrett McClenton (Villanova) rushed for 125 yards on 12 carries in the Vikings' 35-14 AAA title win against Archbishop Ryan. McClenton also added three ground tallies and another via punt return. St. Joseph's Prep senior Olamide Zaccheaus (Virginia) toted 12 times for 146 yards and three scores in Prep's 46-13 clubbing of La Salle in the AAAA championship. Also, senior two-way lineman Jake Strain batted down four balls, forced a fumble and added a sack for the Hawks. Ben Franklin senior QB Kevin Caldwell launched the most yards in Public League title history with 295 in the Electrons' 36-24 AAAA win against Simon Gratz. Also, Franklin senior wideout Rapheal "Macho" Rodriguez had 134 receiving yards, most in Pub title history. Gratz junior running back Luke White put up 175 rushing yards, the seventh-most yards in Pub title history and most since Jameel Davis romped for 200 with Dobbins in 2011.

Top 10 city football teams

1. St. Joseph's Prep 7-3

2. Imhotep 10-1

3. Haverford School 9-1

4. Archbishop Wood 10-1

5. Ben Franklin 10-0

6. La Salle 8-3

7. Ss. Neumann-Goretti 8-4

8. Malvern Prep 6-4

9. Simon Gratz 10-2

10. Prep Charter 9-1-1

Also considered: Archbishop Ryan, Bonner-Prendergast, Del-Val, Springside Chestnut Hill, West Catholic