District XII Public League 6A Playoff Preview

Tagged under: District 12, News, pfn, Playoffs

Anthony Franklin | November 2, 2023

District 12 6A Playoffs Public League

The Public League 6A Playoffs Semi-final bracket has been set and the final 4 this season are Abraham #1 Lincoln (4-5), #2 Northeast (6-4), #5 George Washington (8-1) & #6 South Philadelphia (4-4). Abraham Lincoln earned their semi-final berth with a 65-6 trounce of Academy of Palumbo. Northeast won their quarterfinal game over Kensington 50-6. George Washington used a comeback effort to upset #3 seed Central 29-20. The South Philadelphia Rams upset #3 seed Olney 20-6.

The Games are as follows for the upcoming weekend:

#6 South Philadelphia @ #1 Abraham Lincoln (Northeast Supersite), 11/3 @3pm

#5 George Washington @ #2 Northeast (Northeast Supersite) 11/4 @12pm

Full brackets can be viewed here: https://pafootballnews.com/brackets/2023-playoffs/district-12/

Abraham Lincoln (4-5):

The Railsplitters record is deceiving as 3 of their losses came to teams who advanced to their league’s playoffs in Downingtown West (8-2), Imhotep (9-0) & Roman Catholic (7-2). The offense is led by Sr. QB Gabe Smalley who has passed for 24 touchdowns and over 1800 yards this season. Defensively they’re led by Ziiyon Bradell who leads the team in interceptions. Lincoln seeks their first Public League title since 1979 and last year after jumping out to an early 14-0 lead over 4x defending 6A champion Northeast fell 19-14 in a close battle. They defeated Northeast soundly in the regular season matchup this season 37-0 and are the odds-on favorite to win the 6A title this year. In their wins Lincoln has averaged 48 points per game.

Northeast (6-4):

The Vikings offense is heavily dependent upon the running game. Jr. David Akpuru leads the team in rushing with over 600 yards rushing. Being a young team, the passing game is still developing as well as the offensive line. Sr. TE George Truitt has been a consistent reliable target in the passing game while also being rock solid leading the defense from his LB position. The Vikings have a young but talented team that could make some noise if the passing game can find its footing.

George Washington (8-1):

The Eagles are 8-1 and undefeated against Public League competition. Led by Jr. Athlete Jaheim Bennett who has 20 overall touchdowns this season their offense has had no issues putting points up on the board. In their 8 wins they’ve won by an average of 25+ points per game. Defensively between Sr. Quadir Carr & Terrell Farris they’ve held 3 of their 9 opponents to under 20 points including pitching 4 shutout victories. GW is in the semifinals for the first time since 2014 and looking for their first PL title since 2011.

South Philadelphia (4-4):

The SP Rams pulled off a stunning 20-6 upset over #3 seed Olney HS last weekend to advance to the semifinals. The Rams offense has been led by Khair Glascow who leads the team in rushing yards & rushing TDs. The defense is boosted by two-way lineman Hamir Johnson.

Key Players to Watch for

Abraham Lincoln:

Jr. WR/CB Ziyyon Bredell

Sr. WR Rolling Davis

Sr. WR Nate Rivera

Sr. QB Gabe Smalley

Northeast:

Jr. RB/S David Akpuru

Sr. TE/LB George Truitt

Jr. DB Dymere Durham

Jr. TE Naseem Wertz

George Washington:

Jr. QB/WR/RB/DB Jaheim Bennett

Sr. CB Jamar Coleman

Jr. DB Patrick Wright

Sr. LB Qasir Carr

South Philadelphia:

RB Khair Glascow

Fr. WR Neelaj Armstead

Jr. Akir Moore

Sr. OL/DL Hamir Johnson

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