5A Quarterfinal PIAA Preview: Imhotep (8-2) host Whitehall (8-5)
Tagged under: Conference Previews, District 11, District 12, News, Playoffs
Noah Stomsky | November 23, 2022
Imhotep (8-2) hosts Whitehall (8-5)
Germantown Supersite
Saturday, November 26th, 1 PM
Whitehall Zephyrs:
Coach: Daniel Jones
Whitehall plays in a tough league (Eastern PA Conference out of District 11). They went 4-4 within their league which gives them confidence knowing they’re battle tested. They are an offense that’s fairly balanced. They have a stud in Jr. QB Trey Dogmanits who has thrown for 1775 yards, and 21 TDs while also rushing for a score. The backfield is led by Sr. RB Nigel Linton who has 1246 yards on the ground to go with 16 TDs. He’s also dangerous as a receiver as he has 327 yards and 6 receiving scores. Other targets Trey frequently finds are Sr. Jack Kocher who has 531 yards & 4 TDs, Jr. Braden Bashore who has 480 yards & 8 TDs. Defensively they are an active bunch who don’t get many sacks but know how to force turnovers. Leading them in sacks are Jr. Kaeden Weaver with 2.5 sacks among his 22 tackles. Sr. Chandler Roman has 55 tackles and Sophomore LB Carter Troxell leads the team with 71 tackles & 5 interceptions. The key for Whitehall will be to find a way to generate pressure and force Tep’s QB into making a mistake. They have a good offense that is capable of putting up 30 points if they limit their own turnovers as they do have 12 Interceptions thrown on the year. Whitehall has the more explosive offense but defensively in their losses they’ve given up tons of yardage, big plays & points as opposed to Imhotep who have not given up more than 19 points in any game. On the season Tep still hasn’t given up 100 points total yet so points will be at a premium for Whitehall. Expect Tep to control and dominate up front on both sides to continue their road to redemption as they advance to the 5A semifinals next weekend.
Imhotep Charter:
Coach: Devon Johnson
Imhotep is coming out victorious over Roman Catholic in a 14-6 battle that extended their win streak seven straight. After dropping two in a row they haven’t looked back and have been hot ever since. Imhotep plays in District 12-5A which is full of hungry teams. “Are guys are battle-tested” Said, Coach Johnson. “We ended up going 1-2 in those non-league games on the road in hostile environments that made us come together as a team and go out there together. They learned when things don’t go right how to not panic and stay together.” Coach Johnson added on. That must be the key to success and right now success is seven straight wins. The passing game has been in the hands of Jr. QB Mikal Davis with 1,354 yards for 15 touchdowns and 6 ints on a 57% completion rating with a 100.4 QBR. With the passing game though, Imhotep is a more run-dominant team with more rushing yards (1,496) on the year than total passing yards (1,363). Soph. RB Jabree Wallace-Coleman has led the way with the team with 870 yards and 9 TDs on 150 carries. Averaging 5.8 yards per carry means that every two carries are a first down in the hands of Wallace-Coleman. “Jabree’s our workhorse, he gets like 20 carries a game, he’s explosive, can break at any time but he’s not afraid to get those 4 to 5-yard gains that can break down a defense”. Coach Johnson says when asked about Jabree. Sr. Rahmir Stewart was described as the most seasoned player out on the field for Imhotep. “He helps us out on offense and defense, controlling the back end he makes all our calls on coverage”. Stewart comes into the defense with 2 ints, and 14 total tackles with 8 solo and 6 assisted. On offense, he has been effective in the rushing game with 218 yards on 44 carries and 4 touchdowns averaging 5 yards a carry. The Mixed back duo between Wallace-Coleman and Stewart works and there is no reason to stop using them now. The leading tackler has been Jr. Jahsear Whittington with 24 total, 14 solo, 13 assisted, 8 tackles for loss, and 2 sacks. They play without Sr. Semaj Bridgeman who had a tremendous season with 30 total tackles, 17 solo, 13 assisted, 6 tackles for loss, and 2 sacks which could take a toll on the intimidating Imhotep defense. Imhotep has a 284-point differential only allowing 67 points. No team has scored more than 20 points on them and their biggest score differential is 69-0. In the 2 games they’ve lost they have both been within two scores so Imhotep looks to continue to control the opposing team’s offense and dominate on the ground all the way into the 5A Championship.
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