Tigers Host Strath Haven on Alumni Night

NEWTOWN SQUARE, PA -The Marple Newtown Football Alumni Association, current Head Coach Ray Gionta and the Tigers Football Team is honoring former Head Coach Jim Smith and the football alumni of 1988 through 1991 during the 2009 Alumni Night at Marple Newtown High School.

They are asking all football alumni to return for the event and game next week on October 9th, 2009 at 6:30 PM. There will be a BBQ prior to the event and additional festivities after the game. The ceremony honoring Coach Smith and the Classes of 1998-1991 will take place during halftime.

Paul Garvey (paul.garvey@oracle.com), Chris McCune (chrismccune@verizon.net) and Mark Stewart (mstewart501@hotmail.com) along with Coach Smith are helping to organize this event.

For more information, you can email Gil Maze from the Alumni Association at gmaze@yesbank.com.

Also, Coach Smith's former players may also contact Coach Smith at cms894@aol.com for more information about Alumni Night.

Please join us on Friday October 9th, at 6:30 PM.


Contact EyeOfTheTigersBlog.com at jma158@comcast.net.

Duffy and Gregory Lead Tigers in Win Over Stoga

By Steve Scoleri
Tigers Radio Network

NEWTOWN SQUARE, PA - There were many questions lurking how Marple Newtown would come out against Conestoga after suffering a 35-0 loss the previous week to Penncrest. This question was put to rest immediately by the Marple Newtown Tigers’ dominating performance.

The whole atmosphere at Harry Harvey Stadium was extra pumped up on this special Friday night where the elementary schools were celebrating Youth Night. You could feel it in the air that The Tigers would not perform like they had the prior week. The stadium was packed and extra juiced for this game against a tough Conestoga opponent.

The Tigers started the game off with a beautiful kickoff return which led to an opening touchdown against the Pioneers. Ryan White had a 16-yard touchdown run that would put Marple Newtown up 7-0 with 8:38 remaining in the first quarter. After White’s touchdown, the whole stadium was buzzing and you could feel the 12th man factor put into place. To close out the quarter Ryan White had a 10-yard touchdown run with 1:34 remaining to put Marple up 14-0. White ended the night with 76 yards on 13 carries.

In the second quarter, Marple Newtown held Conestoga from scoring. Their ferocious defense did not allow Conestoga to get anything going. Matt Gregory and Johnny Watkins were huge factors on the defense throughout the game. Watkins had four unassisted tackles against Conestoga and one pass break-up.

Late in the second, Kasarsky had an interception and returned it for 33-yards that was forced by Matt Gregory's pressure on Conestoga's quarterback, Bill Flately. The interception allowed Kevin Johnson to put more points on the board with a 1-yard quarterback sneak to put Marple Newtown up 21-0 at the half.

Gregory's defensive contribution against Conestoga was incredible. Not only did he have a key QB hurry in the second quarter that set up the Tiger's third touchdown of the first half, Gregory registered three sacks for minus 24 yards. He led the defense in unassisted tackles with five, had four tackles for a loss (including sacks) for minus 25 yards and blocked and extra point attempt.

Carl Kasarsky had a nice third quarter for Marple Newtown. He got in the end zone twice, one on a 1-yard rush followed by a 2-yard rush in the quarter. On defense, Kasarky was second in tackles on the night with seven, including one pass break-up. Brian Kelly led the team in tackles with eight.

Although he did not get into the end zone, make no mistake that the Marple Newtown rushing attack was lead by Ryan Duffy. He led the team with a season-high 19 carries for 160 yards. Of the 19 carries, seven were for gains of ten yards or more (29, 23, 14, 12, 12, 12, and 10). Of those seven gains of ten yards or more, four were critical during drives that ended with a touchdown.

The Pioneers were able to find the end zone in the third quarter. Bill Flatley connected with Dexter Bridge on a 21-yard touchdown pass. The score at the end of three quarters put Marple Newtown up 34-7.

Marple Newtown needed to get through one more quarter to solidify their dominating performance. In the fourth quarter, the Pioneers scored twice but it was too little too late. Jonathan Hamer started the scoring by recovering a Dioguardi fumble and taking it 67-yards for a touchdown. Later in the quarter, Bill Flatley hooked up with Dexter Bridge, again this time for an 8-yard touchdown. The final score was in Marple’s favor 34-20 over Conestoga.

This outstanding performance shows a lot of heart and character from this Marple Newtown team. The prior week at Penncrest did not go as planned for the Tigers but they bounced back and gave it to Conestoga. They came together as a team and knew what they displayed the prior week was not Tigers’ football.

What they displayed Friday night against Conestoga was Tigers’ football. The team worked hard and prepared hard for Conestoga and it showed on the field. The team kept firing all night and did not quit. This Marple Newtown team has a lot of talent and after this week it really opened up many eyes beating a good opponent in Conestoga.

Extra notes...

Since 2005, the Marple Newtown Tigers have had seven players (including Gregory) that registered two or more sacks in a single game:

Matt Moccia, 2 sacks vs. Upper Darby on 9-16-05 (L, 17-0)
Pete Massaro, 3.5 sacks vs. Springfield on 9-30-05 (W, 17-0)
Ken Clark, 2 sacks vs. Radnor on 10-21-06 (W48-0)
Pete Massaro, 2 sacks vs. Conestoga on 11-3-06 (W, 33-14)
Dave Hansell, 2 sacks vs. Unionville on 11-10-06 (L, 21-19)
Pete Massaro, 2 sacks vs. Kennett on 8-31-07 (W, 21-3)
Brian Hulsey, 2 sacks vs. Kennett on 8-31-07 (W, 21-3)
Steve Reynolds, 2 sacks vs. Ridley on 10-17-08 (L, 27-7)
Matt Gregory, 3 sacks vs. Conestoga on 9-25-09 (W, 34-20)

And since 2005, the Marple Newtown Tigers are 5-3 when they have a player that has two or more sacks in a single game.


Contact Steve Scoleri at sds5084@psu.edu.
Contact EyeOfTheTigersBlog.com at jma158@comcast.net.

Conestoga at MARPLE NEWTOWN

Bob Herpen, Chris McSweeney and Steve Scoleri of the Tigers Radio Network provide complete coverage of the Conestoga Pioneers vs. the Marple Newtown Tigers on Friday, September 25th, 2009 from Harry Harvey Stadium on the campus of Marple Newtown High School in Newtown Square, PA.

The Tigers Radio Network is presented by the following sponsors:
Philly Pretzel Factory
United States Marine Corps
Marple Newtown Football Boosters Club
Marple Newtown Football Alumni Association

1st Quarter

MP3 File

2nd Quarter

MP3 File

3rd Quarter

MP3 File

4th Quarter

MP3 File

The Tigers Radio Network is a service of the Marple Newtown Football Boosters Club.


Contact the Tigers Radio Network at jma158@comcast.net.

Tigers Halt Pioneers' Progress

By Chris McSweeney
Tigers Radio Network

NEWTOWN SQUARE, PA - Some victories are more important than others, and tonight was a perfect example of that for the Marple Newtown Football team. The Tigers, coming off a 35-0 loss to Penncrest last week, had to bounce back. They did more than bounce back tonight against the Conestoga Pioneers.

The Tigers pounced on the Pioneers right from the start. With a great kickoff return, the Tigers started out on offense and on an opening quarter touchdown drive. With 8:38 left in the first quarter, Ryan White took the ball off tackle on the right side for a 16-yard rushing score. Seven minutes later, Ryan would do the same again. This time it was for a 10-yard score, Adam Fender converted both extra points and the Tigers were up 14-0 after the first quarter.

In the second it was more of the same domination that took place in the first. The Tigers defense was stopping the Pioneers on all points of attack. Matt Gregory was a standout in tonight’s game on defense along with cornerback Johnny Watkins. Marple Newtown also added a score in the second quarter with quarterback Kevin Johnson sneaking the ball from the one yard line into the end zone. Adam Fender connected on the extra point and the score at the half was 21-0 in favor of Marple Newtown.

More scoring followed in the third quarter. Carl Kasarsky had two separate rushing touchdowns, one for one yard and another that followed for two yards. Kasarsky also recorded an interception in the third quarter that was forced by a Matt Gregory hurry on Pioneer quarterback Bill Flatley.

The Pioneers did finally get on the board in the third quarter, Flatley connected on a 21-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Dexter Bridge. The score at the end of the third was 34-7.
The game was all but over but the fourth quarter was still had to take place. The Pioneers recorded two more touchdowns in mop up duty. Jonathan Hamer recovered a fumble and took it to the house for a 69-yard touchdown. Finally, Bill Flatley connected with Dexter Bridge one more time for an 8-yard touchdown.

Tonight was a huge victory; it shows the character and belief in the Marple Newtown Tigers. It also showed a team that is together and who does not dwell on past events. They came in firing on all cylinders and did not hold up at any point. The season is young but already we can see the talent and endless possibilities of this football squad.


Contact Chris McSweeney at cem5053@psu.edu.
Contact EyeOfTheTigersBlog.com at jma158@comcast.net.

Tigers Endure Tough Loss to Penncrest, 35-0

By Chris McSweeney.
Tigers Radio Network

MIDDLETOWN, PA - Last Thursday marked the first step backwards in an otherwise very productive season for the Marple Newtown Tigers. The Tigers lost to the Penncrest Lions 35-0. Marking the first defeat and shut out for the Tigers all year.

It is almost impossible to go through a season without hitting any road bumps or losing a game here and there. When you look at Thursdays’ game, Marple Newtown can take a lot away from the contest.

It’s very important also that we mention the great job Penncrest did running the ball. They scored four rushing touchdowns, two of which came from standout Jerry Boyer. Boyer had a career night with ten rushes and 143 yards, he also made one catch for 35 yards. Boyer also recorded nine tackles from his middle linebacker position, and one sack. Helping Boyer in the offensive explosion was teammate Juhwan Young and quarterback Matt Atkinson, who both added to the rushing attack.

For Marple, it will be important to build on a young but very promising season. The mark of a winner is not always how many games you win, it is other things. It is about resilience, conquering what has stopped you before, overcoming past obstacles and learning from certain mistakes.

There were bright spots from Thursday’s game. There was good quarterback play at times. Although Johnson’s numbers were not overwhelming, he protected the ball. He was smart with it, took what the defense gave him and did not throw an interception. He kept his quarterback rating in the eighties all night and continues to show his maturity at the quarterback position.

There was also good running back play from Ryan Duffy who carried the ball sixteen times for 70 yards. Billy Weaverling punted very well and showed his continued consistency as the team’s punter. Also on special teams, Ryan White returned three kicks for 66 yards. The defense was led by Vince Christiana with eight tackles and Brian Kelly followed with six tackles. The defense held Penncrest in a very gut wrenching goal line stand.

The glaring positive to me is that the Tiger’s never gave up. This to me is the ultimate mark of a team wanting to get better and all being on the same page. To lose is one thing, to give up is another. Yes the game was lost, but the spirit and the belief are still strong with this group of coaches and players. When the final whistle blew it was tough to swallow at first for the players. But looking out to the team during their post game huddle, I could see heads up and players listening to the coaches as they gave their speeches. This is a good sign for the team, to see them still intent on listening and learning after a tough loss is a very key component to keep the season going strong.

Therefore, I feel very confident in saying that what happened on Thursday night will not be repeated.


Contact Chris McSweeney at cem5053@psu.edu.
Contact EyeOfTheTigersBlog.com at jma158@comcast.net.

Tigers Drop First Game of Season

By Steve Scoleri
Tigers Radio Network

MIDDLETOWN, PA - The Marple Newtown Tigers hit a little bump in the road against the Penncrest Lions on Thursday night. The Penncrest Lions shut out the Marple Newtown Tigers 35-0.

The scoring began in the first quarter when Penncrest’s Jerry Boyer ran a 66-yard touchdown run with 7:46 remaining. With 18 seconds left in the quarter Juhwan Young scored a 1-yard touchdown run. In the second quarter Marple Newtown did a nice job in holding Penncrest out of the end zone. The third quarter scoring started with Jerry Boyer running a 4-yard touchdown run with 8:24 left. Then with 2:06 remaining Matt Atkinson throws a pass to Matt Bundy for a 38 yard touchdown pass. In the fourth quarter Adam Yee's scored on a 3-yard touchdown run to finish the scoring for Penncrest.

Marple Newtown fought hard throughout the game but came up short. A positive spot in the loss was Kevin Johnson had a nice night throwing the ball and finding open receivers.

Courtesy of www.marplenewtownfootball.com.

Contact Steve Scoleri at sds5084@psu.edu.
Contact EyeOfTheTigersBlog.com at jma158@comcast.net.

Thursday Night Football at Penncrest

Courtesy of www.marplenewtownfootball.com.

Marple Newtown (2-0, 1-0) takes on Penncrest (1-1, 1-0) on Thursday evening at Penncrest High School. The Tigers are coming off a victory over Springfield, while Central League favorite Penncrest defeated Radnor.

Game time is 7PM.

PARKING ADVISORY

Parking at Penncrest is limited so the school runs a continuous shuttle busfrom the Granite Run Mall's parking lot. The shuttle bus runs from Lot #33, on the Middletown road (Rt. 352) side of the Granite Run Mall (at the Beer distributor, behind the Acme), from 6 PM thru the end of the game.

Fans should take the second entrance to the mall from Rt. 352 (near JC Pennys), then turn left at the stop sign and Lot #33 is on the immediate left. The shuttle will drop off/pick-up at the main ticket gate behind the school.


Contact Jim Allsman at jma158@comcast.net.

Gionta Gets 100th Career Victory Over Springfield

By Steve Scoleri
Tigers Radio Network

NEWTOWN SQAURE, PA - It was a wet and dreary night as Marple Newtown took on Springfield. It had been raining all day but that would not stop these two teams from clashing under the Friday night lights. Both teams were ready to play one another no matter what weather conditions were on the field. Marple Newtown was looking to win their second straight game of the season and continue their dominating performance they unveiled in game one.

The scoring started in the first quarter when Marple Newtown’s Kevin Johnson handed the ball off to Mario Dioguardi for a 14-yard touchdown run. This happened with 6:42 left in the first quarter. Springfield did respond with 5:09 left in the first quarter when Wally Rutecki threw a 48-yard touchdown pass to Denzel Thompson. Rob Tumelty missed the point after for Springfield which gave Marple Newtown the 7-6 lead after the first quarter.

In the second quarter, Marple Newtown controlled the shots by scoring two touchdowns. The first touchdown of the quarter was when Billy Weaverling recovered a fumble in the end zone with 9:35 left in the quarter. To close out the quarter, Kevin Johnson threw a 10-yard touchdown pass to Matt Gregory with 18 seconds remaining.

Kevin Johnson had a great first half by throwing over 100 yards which is rarely seen in the Wing-T style offense. The coaches were giving Kevin Johnson the opportunity to air out his arm which surprised Springfield’s defense. It was a nice sight to see Marple Newtown mix it up on the play calling. It also showed opponents that they can throw the ball just as well as they can run the ball. The score at halftime put Marple Newtown up 21-6.

In the third and fourth quarters, Marple Newtown did a nice job in running and controlling the play clock. This was lead by the captain Kevin Johnson and senior Carl Kasarsky. Their leadership on offense was huge for this Marple Newtown team. The only scoring of the second half was Adam Fender’s 36-yard field goal with 5:29 left in the third quarter. This put Marple Newtown up 24-6.

The defense was also a strong point for Marple Newtown. Brian Kelly was a force to be reckoned with, recording ten tackles on the night. He was around every time Springfield tried moving the ball. To close the fourth quarter, Ryan Furst had an 18-yard interception with 2:17 remaining to put the final seal on the game.

Marple Newtown had another great performance for the second straight week which puts them at 2-0 on this young season. Marple Newtown has outscored their opponents 55-6 over the past two weeks. Much of the credit has to be given to Head Coach Ray Gionta, who picked up his 100th career win on Friday night. This is an incredible milestone for any head coach to achieve.

Marple Newtown is looking forward to bringing this momentum they have going against their next opponent, Penncrest. The Tigers will visit the Lions on Thursday, September 17, 2009 for a 7 PM kick-off at Penncrest High School.


Contact Steve Scoleri at sds5084@psu.edu.

Tigers Best Springfield, 24-6

By Chris McSweeney
Tigers Radio Network

NEWTOWN SQAURE, PA - Marple Newtown High School dominated another opponent again Friday evening. The Tigers came away with a 24-6 victory over the Springfield Cougars. The Tigers displayed great ball movement on the offensive side and ball stopping defense for the second straight week.

The scoring began in the first quarter when Marple Newtown’s Mario Dioguardi scored on a 14 yard touchdown run. Springfield did respond in the first quarter with a 48 yard touchdown pass from Wally Rutecki to Denzel Thompson, the extra point was missed however and the score ended 7-6 after one quarter.

The Tigers dominated from there on scoring two touchdowns in the second quarter, the first on a fumble recovery by Billy Weaverling in the end zone. The next was on a 10 yard pass from quarterback Kevin Johnson to Matt Gregory. This put the score to 21-6 at halftime.

In the third quarter Marple Newtown kicker Adam Fender added a 36 yard field goal with 5:29 remaining in the quarter. There was no more scoring for the rest of the game leaving the score at Marple Newtown 24 and Springfield 6.

Great defense was played by Brian Kelly, Pete Finegan and Ryan Furst, who intercepted a key fourth down pass by Springfield late in the contest. Both Kevin Johnson and Carl Kasarsky continued to show leadership on offense. This marks another victory for the Tigers and puts them to a 2-0 record on the young season.

This victory was also Head Coach Ray Gionta’s 100th career win.


Contact Chris McSweeney at cem5053@psu.edu.

Tigers Open Season with 31-0 Win Over Raiders

By Chris McSweeney
Tigers Radio Network

NEWTOWN SQUARE, PA - The Marple Newtown Tiger’s football team could not have asked for a better start to their season on Friday night. It was total domination from the start for the Tigers. In their season and home opener, the team welcomed in Archbishop Ryan, a team that struggled last year and were looking to make some adjustments and improvements. This however did not occur as Marple Newtown brought a swarming defense, a potent offense and very dominant special teams to play.

The Tiges are known for their Wing-T rushing attack but it was through the air that they struck for the game's opening score. With a very promising drive going, quarterback Kevin Johnson dropped back and threw a strike to RB Mario Dioguardi. The catch and run was good for 29 yards, resulting in the opening score for the Tiger's season. The first quarter would come to an end with the Tiger’s leading the Raiders 7-0. It was a dominating quarter by Marple Newtown and the second quarter was the same way.

In the second quarter, Marple Newtown went with their bread and butter and started running the ball straight at Archbishop Ryan. The Wing-T was in full effect, causing confusion for the Raider's defense and ultimately resulting in two touchdowns for the Tigers. Carl Kasarsky scored the first of the two touchdowns as he bullied his way through the middle of the defense for a 9-yard touchdown run. The second touchdown of the quarter and third of the half came from Ryan White. This was an 8-yard touchdown run, and the best display of the Wing-T’s ability to fake out the opposing defense. Ryan took the hand off and ran on the outside and no one reacted, as the Raider's defense assumed the ball went up the middle. White walked in easily and untouched on the outside to put the score at Tigers 21, Raiders 0.

The home team would continue its domination after half time. It was much of the same in the third quarter as the Tigers continued to run the ball on offense. Once again, the Wing-T was on display as the Tigers controlled the ball with the run for most of the third quarter. Quarterback Kevin Johnson showed off his great arm with a long and deep pass to Vince Christiana. This completion gave the Tigers great field position, which resulted in another touchdown for Kasarsky. It was a 13-yard run out of the Wing-T formation that put the home team up 28-0 at the end of three quarters.

In the fourth quarter, the game was all but over, but there was still time for the special teams to shine. After a long drive, it was fourth down and a chance for special team’s ace kicker Adam Fender to take the field. He set up for a 37-yard field goal. The snap was good, the hold was good, but the kick was even better. Fender put it through from 37 yards and it could have been good from at least 47 yards. It was straight through the uprights and put the score at 31-0.

Not to be overlooked was the great play of the defense on Friday night. The line of scrimmage was controlled beautifully, the linebackers were consistently on top of the runners and the secondary continued to blanket the Raiders receivers all night. Some stand outs from the defense include, Brian Kelly, Christian Whiteside, Kevan Strigle and Billy Weaverling.

The game was a joy to watch and the team performed well. The offense, defense and special team’s all looked sharp and hopefully this is a sign of great things to come throughout the rest of the season.

The Tigers look to continue their great play as they visit Springfield High School on Friday, September 11th, 2009.


Contact Chris McSweeney at cem5053@psu.edu.

Archbishop Ryan at MARPLE NEWTOWN

Bob Herpen, Chris McSweeney and Steve Scoleri of the Tigers Radio Network provide complete coverage of the Archbishop Ryan Raiders vs. the Marple Newtown Tigers on Friday, September 4th, 2009 from Harry Harvey Stadium on the campus of Marple Newtown High School in Newtown Square, PA.

The Tigers Radio Network is presented by the following sponsors:
Philly Pretzel Factory
United States Marine Corps
Marple Newtown Football Boosters Club
Marple Newtown Football Alumni Association

1st Quarter

MP3 File

2nd Quarter

MP3 File

3rd Quarter

MP3 File

4th Quarter

MP3 File


The Tigers Radio Network is a service of the Marple Newtown Football Boosters Club.

Contact Jim Allsman at jma158@comcast.net.

Tigers-Raiders Set to Open 2009 Season

Courtesy of www.marplenewtownfootball.com

September 01, 2009

The Marple Newtown Tigers play host to the Archbishop Ryan Raiders on Friday, September 4 in the season opener for both schools. The meeting at Harry Harvey Field is the first between Marple Newtown and Ryan in school history.

The Tigers look to continue the momentum from their strong 2008 finish. The Tigers return nine seniors, including captains Kevin Johnson (QB/DB) and Kevan Strigle (OL/DL).

Ryan Head Coach Frank McArdle will make his Ryan debut on Friday evening. Marple Newtown Coach Ray Gionta has faced Archbishop Ryan as a Head Coach once before, a 13-0 St. James loss to the Raiders in the 1991 Catholic League Championship Game.

More information on Archbishop Ryan can be found at http://www.arfootball.com/index.html.

Friday's game will begin at 7:00PM. A podcast of the action from the Tigers Radio Network can be heard following the game at http://marplenewtownfootball.com/ssp/trn_2009_podcasts.


Contact Jim Allsman at jma158@comcast.net.