Octorara Football Braves Aim To Improve On Ches-Mont Debut Season

Octorara's Blake Shivery dives for an extra yard after catching a pass during the Battle of the Braves game against Pequea Valley last September. (Photo by Bill Rudick of the Daily Local news)

Note:  Parkesburg Today welcomes the first of many postings by Jack Mariano about the Octorara sports scene.

By Jack Mariano

Octorara hopes to improve on its debut last year in the football heavy Ches-Mont League when they open their non-league schedule against Bishop Shanahan on the practice field behind the Primary Learning Center on Saturday, August 20 at 11 a.m.

 Braves' quarterback Danny Solomon (Photo by Bill Rudick of The Daily Local News)

According to Jed King, head coach for the Braves, “I think we are going to have a really exciting year, with a lot of key returnees.”

“I have approximately 20 seniors on the football team, and a lot of them have spent time with me in the weight room this summer.

“Danny Solomon is definitely the leader of our team. He is coming back with already 2,500 yards passing under his belt, so he will definitely be a stand out.

“Charles Cooper and Mitch King will both also be exciting when the ball is in their hands. As slot receivers and speed halfbacks, they are exciting to watch and add a lot to our team.

The Braves battling Kennett in 2010

“We also have our first team All-Ches-Mont tight-end, Anthony DiNorscia. Anthony is about 6'5" and had a decent amount of touchdowns for us last year.

“He is complimented by our 6'3" big- framed wide receive James Brown, who also had over 20 receptions last year.

“Upfront the offense is anchored by Patrick McHenry, who is a 2-year starter left tackle.

“Defensively we are looking for Michael Turner to make plays in the back field, and Chuck Rossider and Tyler Walton as linebackers to plug holes in the middle.

“Our secondary is also very strong because we have a strong group of skilled positions that play both ways.

“Our goal is to qualify for the district playoffs, but we also have our aim on trying to win our league.

“We are excited to get back to football as it approaches us in the next 2 weeks.”

Looking at the schedule, our Braves square off against the Pequea Braves in the second annual “Battle Of The Braves” game at  Pequea Valley High School on Friday, September 16 at 7 PM.

The September portion of the schedule are mostly games on the road except for a September 29 home game versus Sun Valley which will be a Friday Night Lights event beginning at 7 p.m. The Braves are also slated to “host” a home game against Haverford under the lights and on the synthetic turf of the Pequea Valley High School field on October 6^th at 7 p.m.

Perennial rivals Oxford and Unionville loom late in the season with home games scheduled against both opponents. 

The final game of the 2011 – 2012 campaign will find the Braves battling against powerhouse West Chester Rustin on Friday, November 4 at 7 p.m. This November date should be a perfect football climate for the close of the season.