Season in Review: Northern Region Surprises of the Year

By Adam C. Warner
SportsPower Editor

1.) Wilmington Greyhounds (New Wilmington, PA)

Many prognosticators penned West Catholic for an easy victory over Wilmington in the PIAA Class AA championship back in December.

It’s easy to see why as West Catholic entered averaging 50 points per game and nearly 400 yards of offense per contest.

However, thanks to a second half surge and a late-game stop, Wilmington Area proved the state wrong and came away with one of the most unprecedented wins in Keystone State history.

Wilmington stopped West Catholic quarterback Curtis Drake just inches from the end zone in double overtime to earn its first state championship in school history and claim one of the biggest upsets in state finals history, 35-34.

From the outset, all of the predictions seemed right on. The Burrs racked up 260 yards rushing behind running back Raymond Maples and a 14-0 lead in the first half. It seemed that everything was going right for West Catholic.

But thanks to second half scores by Shane Wagner and Derrick Burns, the Greyhounds came right back and tied the score at 14-14. The teams would play to a 21-21 tie at the end of regulation before heading into overtime.

After trading touchdowns in the first overtime, Burns scored on a 1-yard run in the second extra session to give Wilmington a 35-28 lead. West Catholic marched right down and answered the call when Maples scampered in from two yards out to make the score 35-34 Wilmington.

But instead of going for the extra point attempt and a third overtime, West Catholic head coach Brian Fluck decided to go for two points and the win.

On the ensuing play, Drake was tackled just inches shy of the goal line thanks to a swarming Greyhound defense.


2.) Kyle Sullivan, Sr., DB/WR, St. Mark’s Spartans (Wilmington, DE)

The 5-11, 178-pound senior redefined the word versatile. Sullivan was named Delaware Player of the Year by leading the Spartans to an 8-4 mark and having a profound influence on his squad.

Offensively, Sullivan rushed for 200 yards and a touchdown and caught 18 passes for 300 yards and four touchdowns. Defensively, the cornerback made 48 tackles and seven interceptions. But his contributions didn’t stop there.

On special teams, Sullivan averaged nearly 40 yards per punt and booted 9 of his 28 punts inside the 20-yard line. The senior also notched 30 touchbacks on kickoffs, racked up 830 yards on punt and kickoff returns and hit eight field goals and 40 extra-points.

Truly, Sullivan was Mr. Everything for the Spartans this season.


3.) Watervliet Cantoneers (Watervliet, NY)

The Cannoneers weren’t real flashy and didn’t set any new records, but the squad simply won when they weren’t predicted to.

Led by a stout defensive unit headed by linebacker Caleb Gleason, Watervliet commenced postseason play with road victories at Hoosick Falls (22-19) and Chatham (20-3). Then, the Cannoneers did the unthinkable and took down No. 1 Schuylerville (10-6) in the Class C Super Bowl.

Defensive tackle Joe Hughes also led the charge for Watervliet as his unit held Schuylerville to 12 first half yards on 12 plays. Schuylerville averaged 45 points per game in the regular season.


4.) Steven Miller, Sr., RB, Piscataway Chiefs (Piscataway, NJ)

Miller was supposed to be a playmaker and major catalyst for Piscataway in 2007, but went down for the year after breaking his leg in week two.

In ’08, Miller received a second chance and made the most of his opportunity. Miller rushed for 1,322 yards and 16 touchdowns this year and was crucial towards Piscataway winning the North Jersey, Section 2, Group 4 championship.

In that pinnacle contest, Miller made his Tour de Force by rushing for 205 yards and a score in leading Piscataway to a 38-0 rout over Hunterdon Central.


5.) Glastonbury Tomahawks (Glastonbury, CT)

The last time that Glastonbury made the playoffs in Connecticut was in 1989, which also happened to be the program’s first state championship.

Well, in ’08, the Tomahawks (13-0) shocked the state by not only making the playoffs, but ran the table en route to the Class LL championship.

Glastonbury capped the year with a 28-14 win over Cheshire for the title. When the Tomahawks won in ’89, they also beat Cheshire for the crown.

Running back Jordan Brown and linebacker John Pinone proved to be forces for their unit all season long. Brown led the way for the Tomahawks in the title contest by rushing for 208 yards and three scores.


To contact editor Adam C. Warner, send an e-mail to adam.warner@activenetwork.com.