Previewing the Continental Conference Showdown: North Penn @ Pennridge

By Andrew Marcus
Sportswriter for Montgomery Media

Follow me on Twitter @amarcus515

North Penn still cannot get the bitter taste of losing to Pennridge in their home gym out of there mouth. They have circled the rematch with the Rams and the day is finally here. Tuesday's showdown may still ultimately decide who wins the Continental Conference crown, but neither team is entering the contest feeling bullet proof.

RAMS PROJECTED STARTING LINEUP
SG Tim Abruzzo (JR)
PG Mike Guldin (SR)
C Kyle Peters (SR)
SF Rocky Ferrier (SR)
PF Andrew Lyons (JR)

KNIGHTS PROJECTED STARTING LINEUP
SG Wes Brooks (JR)
PG Sean Brooks (SR)
PF Matt Possanza (SR)
C Tom Scott (SR)
SF Dexter Shy (SR)

The Knight are coming off a dismal night from the floor against Bensalem, which snapped an eight game winning streak. They scored 10 points in the first quarter, but then it was down hill from there. The Knights were held to one point in the third quarter.

Luckily they still control their own destiny with the recent struggles Pennridge has faced. After starting the season 10-0 the Rams are now 12-4, losing 3 of their last 4, including league losses to C.B. West and C.B. South.

If the Rams do sweep the season series with the Knights it will also add C.B. East to mix of title contenders as they have only lost two league games as well. If the Knights get the split and both teams win on the road the Knights will be sitting pretty. The tough league games against Souderton and CB East remaining will all be played in Lansdale. They will only hit the road for Quakertown and Hatboro-Horsham.

If you were to ask me a week ago I would have said the Rams pull off a close win behind the support of Gang Green at home. But after seeing teams figure out how to defend them it could end up being a sad night in Perkasie. Teams have blanketed the Rams' shooting guard Tim Abruzzo and the offense is not being picked up by anyone else.

Sure, Mike Guldin is still collecting his 15 points per game, but with Abruzzo 20 points per game being cut in half as of recent days, the other Rams are need to pick up their offensive game or Abruzzo needs to drive to the basket more often and not rely on screens to get him open looks from beyond the arc.

If the Knights can not let the adrenaline rush get the best of them and they can limit the turnovers and win the rebound battle I'd say the Continental Conference will become a bit more clear with a Knights win. Matt Possanza needs to lead the team like he wants to and is capable of and take the game over, by demanding the ball.

PREDICTION: Knights 57, Pennridge 49

Previewing the NFL playoffs: Can anyone stop Tom Brady?

By Andrew Marcus
Sportswriter

Follow me on Twitter @amarcus515

I bet Tom Brady has not had a complete night sleep in years. The reoccurring nightmare of a no-name receiver David Tyree and the lesser-Manning spoiling perfection has to haunt his nights. But Brady, who will in my opinion easily win the MVP this season over Mike Vick and others, does and great job of hiding his hurt and playing at a hall-of-fame level.

The biggest question in the 2011 playoffs is will anyone be able to beat the Patriots. Brady has not lost a home game in almost three years and once they arrive at the Superbowl is there really a NFC team that can take down  the hooded coach and his long-haired signal caller.

The best chance to knock off the Patriots goes to....
Pittsburgh Steelers - The best defense by far goes the 2010 steel curtain led by Troy Polamalu and James Harrison. If the Steelers can avoid falling behind against the Patriots they can expose the defense for the weak unit it was described as in the first few weeks of the season.

The Colts and the Jets are shadows of their 2009 selves and the Patriots should not have any trouble with either of them. Mark Sanchez will have to be coddled so much Manning and the injured Colts should be able to dial up enough offense to run away with the win on wildcard weekend.

The Colts would then be paired up with the Steelers and that is where the injuries to Dallas Clark, Bob Sanders and others would be exposed. The Steelers can win games in multiple fashions and I'll chalk this one up to a Big Ben winner.

The Ravens were my pre-season pick to go to the Superbowl from the AFC, and while I think they will take care of the inexperienced Chiefs at Arrowhead, they will struggle to play with the Pats. The Chiefs' Jamaal Charles will be able to find running room against the aging Ravens defense, but Flacco will show he will one day be holding the Lombardi trophy.

I think the NFC best chance at beating the Patriots happens to be my home town Eagles, but as a fan I bite my tongue at actually winning a NFC Championship game, especially on the road, which it could be if they face the Falcons.

The best chance of the Falcons falling would be against the fresh Saints, who cruised to a win over the undeserving NFC West winning Seattle Seahwaks. But are the Saints really going to beat Matt Ryan at home for the second time this season? No repeat for NOLA this season.

Maybe I'm underestimating the NFC North, but the Bears are the most flawed two-seed in a while. The Packers, who I picked to win it all in the pre-season, will be a tough test for Philly in wildcard weekend, but I think Vick is a man on a mission to make all the money back he lost in the dog-fighting ring. The best way to do that is win playoff games and get a contract of insane amounts of dough.

While Vick and the Eagles should hold off the Packers without a running game in a lower scoring affair than you make think, they should just destroy the Bears secondary if #7 can get away from Julius Peppers and company.

What a story if Vick returns to Atlanta for the NFC championship game. I think this is very possible and I really want to take the Eagles here, but Andy Reid has to show me he can win in this game before I ever pick it.

The Eagles team speed could actually take down any team in the NFL, but I'll take Matt Ryan to reach the Superbowl this season thanks to his home field advantage throughout. The Superbowl is a nice reward for the Falcons great season, but a win in Dallas seems like a tall task for Hotlanta.

The fan in me wants to see Eagles over Steelers...
The realist in me expects to see Patriots over Falcons...

Bottom line is Tom Brady and the Patriots should win another, I'm just excited to see teams try and stop them.

A closer look at the landscape of Pennridge basketball

By Andrew Marcus
Sportswriter for Montgomery Media

Follow me on Twitter @amarcus515

The state of the two Pennridge basketball programs have shifted in opposite directions this season. With the loss of talented seniors for the girls and the development of returning starters for the boys, the recent successes or lack thereof of each team has been reversed.

While the boys' season looks promising and the girls looks lousy, there is a lot to play for in 2011 for both. As someone who has seen a number of games over the last three seasons, here is my opinion on what the boys and girls' basketball teams upcoming and distant future may look like.

Pennridge girls' basketball
It is rare that the first year as a head coach is a walk in the park and that is no different for Dave Martin. He has been around the program, working with his wife Brooke Martin, so he knows what he signed up for. It was clearly going to be a rebuilding year for the Rams with the loss of Jordan Dominic and Sam Simononis. The tandem probably accounted for 80 percent of the Rams scoring in the 2009-2010 season.

The one thing that should keep Martin's girls focused in a season with not many wins would be what the boys' are doing this season. After two years with six total wins and one league win the boys' look to be one of the most complete teams in the area. The girls need to remember hard work and perseverance can lead to better days if they stick together.

Junior Alyssa Marchunsky is clearly the biggest scoring threat for the Rams. She is fearless from the floor and will pop one from anywhere. She may graduate before the Rams hit their peak, but if continues to play hard like she has done this season she will be remembered at a key contributor.

Jen Cooley and Brianne McGrath are other juniors that will need to develop more of offensively if they want to compete in their senior season. McGrath and Cooley are strong on the boards, but not as strong going to the hoop as they need for success this season. Cooley, who has started since she was a freshman, needs to realize she has the talent to take off and average 10 points a game in the Suburban One League.

The most exciting player on the Rams may be freshman Jordan Rimmer. She is coming off the bench this season and already has shown glimpses of a sweet shot and a fearless sense that is deeply needed. If I was coach Martin I'd be giving Rimmer as much time as possible because she could develop into a all-league player.

This year should be all about learning the ins-and-outs and try to knock any team that takes them too lightly. Hopefully they can burst other teams playoff hopes and gain some confidence in the process.

Pennridge boys' basketball
This might not be the year we find out who's up-and-coming in the boys' program, but we will find if they hang with the big boys. The Rams are off to an insane start if you take into consideration how dismal they have been in recent years.  Are they a 15 win team? Will they win the league title? district? state playoffs? What can the Rams actually do this season.

The 15 win mark looks like a lock, with nine wins already under the belt. Souderton and North Penn will challenge the Rams for a league title but they definitely could win. Districts is where it will get dicey. Even if they pull a top-10 seed teams like Norristown, Neshaminy, and Plymouth-Whitemarsh will wait in the wings.

Teams with a dominate post presence could also give the Rams trouble. Kyle Peters has played incredible defense to this point and has really owned the boards, but if the 6-0 forward has to make up for a three-or-four inch difference it could be a long night for Pennridge.

The Rams are going to score points. Tim Abruzzo is making a early push for Continental Conference MVP, but even on the rare night he is struggling from the floor the Rams have others that can keep the pace. Mike Guldin has been a strong point guard since his freshman season, but now improved his scoring skills. Jared Schaffer has come off the bench and completely transformed himself into an offensive weapon.

Rocky Ferrier is a great leader and motivator for the team and Andrew Lyons still has untapped some of the talents he possess. Lyons has the skills to be the Rams top rebounder or top scorer on any night. If the junior forward's entire game ever fully clicks the Rams could be extremely dangerous in March.

The one flaw I see is depth. The Rams are running six deep and seven, eight and nine just have not been able to keep the pressure on opponents when they take the floor. Foul trouble could be a curse for the Rams, but that's a bridge they will cross when they get there.

Coach Dean Behrens has been at the helm for 14 years and 100 wins so he is well aware to handle all the adversity in a variety of game situations that are handed to him and his team. Reaching the second round of the playoffs is something that should be the goal at this point and will be a test for the entire Pennridge program, including Behrens, but something Gang Green (the Rams' student section) should be hyped for.