Photo by Patty Morgan
AAA Boys | Lots of depth and lots of question marks
D1-AAA Boys Team Preseason Rankings
Downingtown West put on a show last season, winning at districts and dominating at states, with individuals placing second, third, and sixth to win AAA in convincing fashion. But there will be quite a few shake-ups in Downingtown and District 1 this season.
Downingtown West loses that entire top three with the graduations of Jaxson Hoey and Henry Sappey, as well as the transfer of Josh Hoey to Bishop Shanahan. Downingtown West does return some strong pieces to that state and regional championship team from last year, though. Ryan Barton, Drew Alansky and Jake O'Neill are back and the Whippets will be in the mix for another state qualifying spot this season.
Shanahan moves over from AA, where they were district champs this year. They will benefit greatly from the transfer of Hoey, who is the odds-on favorite to win the individual title. The youngest Hoey, Jonah, will be a freshman to keep an eye on (he certainly has the right genes). The question then is what kind of depth will they have after the Hoeys? Jack Ettien, Logan Yoquinto, and Jonathan McGrory will likely make up the rest of the the top five and a lot of pressure will be on them to perform. It's hard to tell how good Shanahan is now, but we'll figure it out soon enough.
Photo by Patty Morgan
While there are question marks there, there are a few other teams where we have a little bit better of an idea of what they have. Council Rock North (PA#2 on the first edition of the Saucony Flo50 Team Rankings) may be the favorites to win the district this year. They return five of seven from last year and had one of the tightest packs we've seen in recent memory of a top team. Ryan Campbell (younger brother of former Foot Locker finalist Chris) and Tim Haas are the top returners. Bryan Keller, who shined on the track, is also there, along with Sam Earley and Ethan Koza. All those returners were sub-17 at districts. Campbell was the top states finisher last year from North, taking 42nd. They'll likely require a better placed top guy to contend for the win, but CRN has a good track record of improvement year-to-year. Watch out for North this season.
Central Bucks West is another team to watch. While they lose Rock Fortna and Brian Iatarola from last season (both state medalists), they return a strong bunch, which is a testament to its depth. Ben Smullen (pictured above) and Brian Mass will lead the way for this group. They have five others on the roster who have run under 17 minutes. A few will have to step up into big varsity roles this season, though. Like CR North, they lack a true low stick for the moment at the state level, so a few guys will have to emerge. Here in the beginning of September, the Bucks are in a good spot.
Like always, there are plenty of other talented teams looking to rise to the occasion this season. Two likely candidates are Spring Ford and North Penn.
Photo by Patty Morgan
Spring Ford returns six of seven from 2015 (a team that had zero state qualifiers) and have great depth. Zachary Smith and Jacob McKenna are two rising juniors that should have a big impact. They are fresh off good track seasons and ready to make a serious jump up this fall. Shane Ainscoe, Patrick Power, and Kyle Reed make up what should be a strong top five. They were sixth in the district last year and certainly not trying to have a repeat in 2016.
North Penn is another interesting team. While they are a program with great history, they haven't qualified a team for states since 2011. That could change this year. They return their top six from last year, a team that placed ninth at districts. Like Spring Ford they didn't qualify anyone to states last year. They're in need of a breakout performer, but with the number of returners they have hovering around the 17 minute mark, they are bound to have a few step up. Brendan O'Toole, Daniel Santiago, and Zach Thomas will make up the probable top three.
Then there's West Chester Henderson. You'd have to go back to 2007 to find the last time they didn't make the state meet, and it's always best to not bet against them. They return Spencer Smucker, one of the state's top returning juniors and four of seven from last year. Jack Downing, Jake Dunleavy, and Ben Berkman also return from last year. It's hard to tell what kind of team they'll be, but it's always best to put your trust in the coaching staff at Henderson to pull out a top five (or better) district squad.
Central Bucks East begins life without Jake Brophy (check out his Navy Athletics profile!), but that doesn't mean the Patriots can't return to Hershey. They lose Brophy along with Joshua Goetz, but return a strong core. William Schulz, David Endres, Cade Sands, Cole Sands, and Declan Earles will make for a solid returning top five. They've learned from one of the best in Brophy, so we'll see what they can bring to the table this season.
William Tennent, Pennsbury, and Lower Merion are among the squads with an outside shot at the top five. Anything is possible in September.