Sherry finds new way to make Prep merry
Dan Sherry and varsity football go way back.
So far, in fact, the now-senior began making important contributions for St. Joseph's Prep before he ever strolled into a classroom.
Off his performance in youth ball, Sherry was one of two freshmen to be invited to training camp before the start of the 2009 season. And then, when a need for a punter became obvious, he was being prodded to try for the job by a fellow frosh with knowledge of his skills.
Bingo. He began launching boomers.
"It was very awkward, at first, though," Sherry said. "I didn't know too many of the guys and I had a job where their season could depend on me. That made for pressure."
Fast forward to 2012.
The 6-2, 210-pound Sherry is still a quality punter, and starts at tight end and safety. And Friday night, in a Catholic AAAA semifinal at Germantown's Ben Johnston Memorial Stadium, he made multi-pronged contributions as the Prep muffled frisky Archbishop Ryan, 29-6.
Two came quickly.
After allowing Ryan one first down to start the game, the Hawks forced a punt and took over on their 45. Before anyone had time to wonder how the series would go, Sherry could be spotted in the end zone, celebrating a 55-yard touchdown connection with junior quarterback Chris Martin.
Shortly thereafter, a strip by James Mooney and recovery by John Antiskay gave the Hawks the ball at Ryan's 18. Care to venture a guess on which guy made the catch on third-and-7 from the 15? And what that snag produced?
Dan Sherry 12, Ryan 0. Just 5 minutes, 54 seconds into the game.
"I had a good game offensively last week against Ryan (regular season finale)," Sherry said, "and the coaches wanted to get me more involved tonight. So, they put in some new formations.
"I'm not usually the primary (receiver), but things worked out on those two plays because I was open and Chris was able to find me. They were leaving the middle of the field open with a cover-two look, so we thought we could take advantage. I was the front-side tight end the first time, and the back-side the second time."
Though Sherry made no further catches, it wasn't as if he went unnoticed. In the third quarter, he twice pinpointed punts inside Ryan's 20 -- 1, then the 12 -- and in the fourth quarter he uncorked the night's best hit, completely crunching a would-be receiver.
"That's why you're out there, to make big plays when they're really needed," Sherry said. "I saw the ball go in the air and I was thinking, 'This is my senior season. Leave it all on the field.' "
Sherry said he entered the Prep with the hope of becoming a prominent offensive player because that was always his favorite side of the ball.
"But I had to wait my turn," he said. "I started seeing some scout-team duty on defense and, over time, I just found myself as a safety. It was nice to get a chance to contribute."
On the heels of a Todd Jones interception (ball batted by Mooney), the 9-0 Hawks extended their lead to 15-0 on the second snap of the second quarter, thank to Kyle Battin's 29-yard field goal. A TFL by Antiskay and sack by Jake Strain helped to limit Ryan's next series to three plays and Vincent Moffett bulled two yards for a touchdown on play No. 6.
The Raiders nixed any shutout ideas 6.8 seconds prior to halftime on a 1-yard burrow by quarterback Mark Ostaszewski; his nifty, 21-yard, screen-pass hookup with Connor Golden had advanced the ball to the 2.
Though Ryan kept hanging around, heroics by Pat McCabe proved to be lethal. On the next-to-last play of the third quarter, McCabe made a diving interception in the end zone. And with 5:33 left in the game, he pounced on a fumble at the Hawks' 11. Momentarily, soph Olamide Zaccheaus was racing 79 yards for a score.
Jones rang up 14 tackles (seven solos), with four producing losses. Lineman Paul Johnson notched 10.
Sherry, who lives in Havertown, is hoping to play college football at the I-AA or II level and figures he'll major in business. During school hours Friday, like all Prep seniors, he enjoyed a twice-delayed Halloween tradition.
"We get to dress up in costumes," he said. "We didn't have school on Halloween because of Hurricane Sandy and then (Thursday) was All Saints Day."
As Sherry talked, it was hard not to notice the beginnings of a beard.
"Part of my Halloween look," he said, smiling. "I needed the scruffy look to back my costume."
Which was?
"Couldn't even tell you," he quipped. "I wore a wig. Put on some jean shorts. Got some other things from my basement. Put them all together. No idea what I actually WAS, though."
By nightime, Dan Sherry could be classified as an overall football hero. EndFragment