The Ultimate Challenge: Ghosts Preparing For Suburban One Showdown
Barry F. Hess
September 20, 2006
ABINGTON, Pa- Huge.
That is the one adjective Abington football coach Tim Sorber continued to use in describing the Ghosts’ opening Suburban One League, National Conference game at Neshaminy this Thursday night.
After a long and strenuous off-season in which the Ghosts’ believed their 2006 campaign had the chance to be something special they will finally be put to the ultimate test against a Redskins team that has the lure of former PIAA Championships and numerous playoff berths behind them.
With just one win over the Redskins since Sorber took over the head coaching duties, albeit a monumental upset at the time, Abington will once again look to freshman quarterback Sam Kind to lead the Ghosts’ into a very loud and sometimes intimidating Neshaminy stadium.
While huge is the appropriate word to describe the stakes in this game as it relates to the Ghosts’ post-season aspirations it is not an accurate word to describe the Redskin team that will be lining up across the field.
They are not nearly as physical as they once were,” said Sorber. “We watched them on film this week and they are not anywhere near what they were as far as the size that they have traditionally had over the last couple of years, so I think if our kids play like they did last week and against CB East they will be fine.”
While the monstrous size the Redskins had for years may be absent the Ghosts will still have to contend against a very speedy defense and a potent offense that will only get stronger with the return of their starting running back this week.
The Ghosts will need another solid outing from their offensive line that has played very well in each of the team’s two wins.
With Jake Niehoff continuing to progress after missing the first two games of the season with a knee injury the line will have to give Kind sufficient time to throw the ball as well as running back Kahlil Pitman the opportunity to use his speed once in the open field.
I think that [the play of the offensive line] is something that we are going to need to establish early on,” said Sorber. “Jake helps out tremendously…he’s started 24 games for us and he’s only a junior so it is real important that he’s back in there. We can run the ball a little more interiorly because of the push we get from him.”
Because Neshaminy’s offense is so potent it’s important for the Ghosts to eliminate drive stalling mistakes that have lingered at some point in each of their three previous games.
Abington has nine drives this season of eight plays or more but half of which have resulted in no points due to costly penalties or physical mistakes, a situation that will have to be drastically different if the Ghosts want to walk out of Neshaminy 3-1.
When we’ve been successful against Neshaminy in the past we’ve dominated the first quarter and in order to do that we are going to have to make some plays, eliminate mistakes and set the tone early,” said Sorber.
A win in Neshaminy Thursday night would do wonders for the Ghosts chances at the post-season, but with nine games after this Thursday still remaining on the schedule and the new 16-team format used in the playoff system this year a loss would by no means eliminate Abington from post-season contention.
A win, however, could not only change the direction this talented group of players goes but the program as a whole for years to come, after all, it wasn’t long after the Ghosts’ last win over Neshaminy that the program became a legitimate threat each and every week.
These kids aren’t stupid, they know that Neshaminy is year in and year out one of the top teams in the Suburban One, National so to knock them off on Thursday can give them the confidence to feed of off not just this week but week in and week out,” Sorber said. “It’s just huge, I mean, just a huge game…the kids just have to realize if they play their game then they can win.”
That is the one adjective Abington football coach Tim Sorber continued to use in describing the Ghosts’ opening Suburban One League, National Conference game at Neshaminy this Thursday night.
After a long and strenuous off-season in which the Ghosts’ believed their 2006 campaign had the chance to be something special they will finally be put to the ultimate test against a Redskins team that has the lure of former PIAA Championships and numerous playoff berths behind them.
With just one win over the Redskins since Sorber took over the head coaching duties, albeit a monumental upset at the time, Abington will once again look to freshman quarterback Sam Kind to lead the Ghosts’ into a very loud and sometimes intimidating Neshaminy stadium.
While huge is the appropriate word to describe the stakes in this game as it relates to the Ghosts’ post-season aspirations it is not an accurate word to describe the Redskin team that will be lining up across the field.
They are not nearly as physical as they once were,” said Sorber. “We watched them on film this week and they are not anywhere near what they were as far as the size that they have traditionally had over the last couple of years, so I think if our kids play like they did last week and against CB East they will be fine.”
While the monstrous size the Redskins had for years may be absent the Ghosts will still have to contend against a very speedy defense and a potent offense that will only get stronger with the return of their starting running back this week.
The Ghosts will need another solid outing from their offensive line that has played very well in each of the team’s two wins.
With Jake Niehoff continuing to progress after missing the first two games of the season with a knee injury the line will have to give Kind sufficient time to throw the ball as well as running back Kahlil Pitman the opportunity to use his speed once in the open field.
I think that [the play of the offensive line] is something that we are going to need to establish early on,” said Sorber. “Jake helps out tremendously…he’s started 24 games for us and he’s only a junior so it is real important that he’s back in there. We can run the ball a little more interiorly because of the push we get from him.”
Because Neshaminy’s offense is so potent it’s important for the Ghosts to eliminate drive stalling mistakes that have lingered at some point in each of their three previous games.
Abington has nine drives this season of eight plays or more but half of which have resulted in no points due to costly penalties or physical mistakes, a situation that will have to be drastically different if the Ghosts want to walk out of Neshaminy 3-1.
When we’ve been successful against Neshaminy in the past we’ve dominated the first quarter and in order to do that we are going to have to make some plays, eliminate mistakes and set the tone early,” said Sorber.
A win in Neshaminy Thursday night would do wonders for the Ghosts chances at the post-season, but with nine games after this Thursday still remaining on the schedule and the new 16-team format used in the playoff system this year a loss would by no means eliminate Abington from post-season contention.
A win, however, could not only change the direction this talented group of players goes but the program as a whole for years to come, after all, it wasn’t long after the Ghosts’ last win over Neshaminy that the program became a legitimate threat each and every week.
These kids aren’t stupid, they know that Neshaminy is year in and year out one of the top teams in the Suburban One, National so to knock them off on Thursday can give them the confidence to feed of off not just this week but week in and week out,” Sorber said. “It’s just huge, I mean, just a huge game…the kids just have to realize if they play their game then they can win.”
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