L-L League football media day is one big gigantic cluster. Three sessions. Eight teams per session. Twenty-four coaches. Three players per team. Several TV stations set up in the back. Reporters with pens, notebooks and tape recorders everywhere. And I can’t forget the refreshment table, which always has a line. It’s pretty messy.
Anyhoo … Every year at media day, I do my best to get to as many coaches and players as possible. This year I was able snag 23 coaches (one coach did not attend), and while I was hoping to get as many kids as possible, I was up against the clock and, well, I snagged as many as possible.
(The coaching Podcast interviews will appear with my full team preview capsules; check back in two weeks for those)
When the Section 1 session came around last week it was wickedly busy, so I was only able to secure interviews with three players – Penn Manor’s Aaron Frederick, McCaskey’s Nate Shaeffer and Manheim Township’s Moyo Oluleye.
You can enjoy those interviews here …
Aaron Frederick, Penn Manor – What a season for the Comets last fall. Penn Manor won its first seven games and motored to the top of the Section 1 charts with Wilson. The Comets hit a speed-bump in Week 8 against Warwick, and then fell to the Bulldogs in Week 9. But Penn Manor rallied, not only earning a spot in the postseason, but winning its first District 3 Quad-A playoff game. It was a special season in Millersville. And one of the players who helped make it special was Frederick and his big-play ability. He was second on the team with 19 receptions, averaging 17.4 yards per catch with five touchdowns. Frederick also averaged 24 yards on kick returns, and he’ll be called upon to make big plays once again this season. You can listen to the interview with Frederick by clicking on the ‘play’ button above. You can also download the Podcast and listen to it on your favorite mp3 player by clicking here.
Nate Shaeffer, McCaskey – All kinds of new things going on around McCaskey’s program, most notably a new coach – David Given and his new schemes – plus some tweaks with the uniforms and logos, which is always fun. One place to definitely keep an eye on as this season develops is McCaskey’s quarterback spot. The Red Tornado will have some serious depth at that position, with two holdovers back in the fold to pilot the team. Shifty Adrian Westbrook (690 passing yards, 7 TD passes; team-high 436 rushing yards, 6 TD) and Shaeffer (768 passing yards, 6 TD) will vie for the starting gig in camp. I chatted with Shaeffer about the coaching transition – and how McCaskey can rebound form last year’s 0-10 finish. You can listen to the interview with Shaeffer by clicking on the ‘play’ button above. You can also download the Podcast and play it on your favorite mp3 device by clicking here.
Moyo Oluleye, Manheim Township – Just call him the Nigerian Nightmare. Born in Nigeria and raised in Canada, Long Island and now Manheim Township, Oluleye is poised for a breakout season on both sides of the ball for the Blue Streaks, who have a bad taste in their mouths after last year’s 5-5 finish. After playing Robin to Nick Sizemore’s Batman last season (I just thought of that all by myself), Oluleye should be Township’s main sticker from the LB spot this year. He finished second on the team in tackles last fall with 67 solos and 18 assists. He also had five stops for losses, forced three fumbles, recovered a fumble and had 2 ½ sacks. And now that ‘Razorback’ specialist Dan Wertz has moved on, expect Oluleye to help out in the backfield. It’s a hard name to pronounce, but remember the name Moyo Oluleye. He’s going to do some major damage for the Streaks. You can listen to the interview with Oluleye by clicking on the ‘play’ button above. You can also download the Podcast and listen to it on your favorite mp3 player by clicking here.
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Aaron Frederick, Penn Manor – What a season for the Comets last fall. Penn Manor won its first seven games and motored to the top of the Section 1 charts with Wilson. The Comets hit a speed-bump in Week 8 against Warwick, and then fell to the Bulldogs in Week 9. But Penn Manor rallied, not only earning a spot in the postseason, but winning its first District 3 Quad-A playoff game. It was a special season in Millersville. And one of the players who helped make it special was Frederick and his big-play ability. He was second on the team with 19 receptions, averaging 17.4 yards per catch with five touchdowns. Frederick also averaged 24 yards on kick returns, and he’ll be called upon to make big plays once again this season. You can listen to the interview with Frederick by clicking on the ‘play’ button above. You can also download the Podcast and listen to it on your favorite mp3 player by clicking here.
Nate Shaeffer, McCaskey – All kinds of new things going on around McCaskey’s program, most notably a new coach – David Given and his new schemes – plus some tweaks with the uniforms and logos, which is always fun. One place to definitely keep an eye on as this season develops is McCaskey’s quarterback spot. The Red Tornado will have some serious depth at that position, with two holdovers back in the fold to pilot the team. Shifty Adrian Westbrook (690 passing yards, 7 TD passes; team-high 436 rushing yards, 6 TD) and Shaeffer (768 passing yards, 6 TD) will vie for the starting gig in camp. I chatted with Shaeffer about the coaching transition – and how McCaskey can rebound form last year’s 0-10 finish. You can listen to the interview with Shaeffer by clicking on the ‘play’ button above. You can also download the Podcast and play it on your favorite mp3 device by clicking here.
Moyo Oluleye, Manheim Township – Just call him the Nigerian Nightmare. Born in Nigeria and raised in Canada, Long Island and now Manheim Township, Oluleye is poised for a breakout season on both sides of the ball for the Blue Streaks, who have a bad taste in their mouths after last year’s 5-5 finish. After playing Robin to Nick Sizemore’s Batman last season (I just thought of that all by myself), Oluleye should be Township’s main sticker from the LB spot this year. He finished second on the team in tackles last fall with 67 solos and 18 assists. He also had five stops for losses, forced three fumbles, recovered a fumble and had 2 ½ sacks. And now that ‘Razorback’ specialist Dan Wertz has moved on, expect Oluleye to help out in the backfield. It’s a hard name to pronounce, but remember the name Moyo Oluleye. He’s going to do some major damage for the Streaks. You can listen to the interview with Oluleye by clicking on the ‘play’ button above. You can also download the Podcast and listen to it on your favorite mp3 player by clicking here.
