COATESVILLE - For months, I have observed the intense hype surrounding linebacker Dan Connor, a senior from Strath Haven H. S. who recently committed to Penn State for the 2004 season.
Strong as an ox. Blazing speed juxtaposing a 6'3", 220-pound frame. One of the best prep defenders in the nation.
But message boards and websites can only go so far, and I needed to see for myself if Connor is, in fact, really the real deal.
On Saturday I had the opportunity to watch Connor, who doubles as a fullback, first-hand in Strath Haven's PIAA semifinal playoff match-up against Manheim Central.
And my analysis of Connor's play? He's quite an athlete, and the best high school linebacker I've seen in some time. Seven years, in fact.
But to fully understand Connor's performance on Saturday, it is necessary to assess his opposition, a Manheim Central team that I had literally grown up watching.
My father, Scott Good, was a lineman coach at Manheim Central in the mid-eighties under legendary head coach Mike Williams, during the beginning of what has become a Lancaster-Lebanon league dynasty. I viewed countless games from the Manheim bleachers during a decade of autumns, seeing Matt Nagy, Dan Kreider and Jeff Smoker grow from small-town legends into big-time performers, football royalty in their own rights. I played against Manheim Central on the midget, freshman and varsity levels, even bawling after the freshman defeat due to the emotional and physical punishment I had just endured -- they're that tough.
And I have seen Manheim Central -- a community as addicted to football as West Canaan from Varsity Blues -- advance to the state semifinals eight
times since 1994, only to be denied eight times by either Berwick or Strath Haven.
Strath Haven, on the other hand, entered the game ranked first in state AAA rankings by the Harrisburg Patriot-News, reaching the state finals during Connor's freshman, sophomore and junior seasons.
With that in mind, the stage was set.
The field was cleat-worn and the weather conditions undesirable, the brisk air colder than a meat locker.
And Connor, wearing short sleeves in the 40 m.p.h. winds and possessing an arsenal of blitzes, bull-rushes and swat moves, spent the entire day fighting Manheim Central lead blockers and linemen, the obvious bull's-eye from a Baron squad targeting victory. Central, running its much-heralded veer package, double and triple-teamed Connor at times, but still couldn't fully contain the brutish linebacker, who amassed a plethora of tackles.
In addition to interior strength, Connor exhibited solid pass coverage and intelligent lateral pursuit, which, when taken into account with his 4.55 40-yard dash speed, gives him the ability to play outside linebacker if necessary.
On defense, Connor clogged holes like hair in a drain; on offense, Connor opened holes like Drain-O, clearing paths for Panther halfbacks. But neither offense ever really took off, and the game became a battle of the trenches and field position due to the weather conditions.
After Manheim Central kicked a field goal in the second quarter for a 3-0 lead, Connor shouldered more and more of his team's workload, earning most of his team's offensive touches in the second half.
With just over 4:45 remaining in the game and Central still holding the advantage, Strath Haven began to drive. The ball was snapped, and Connor rolled out into the flat in a crucial situation, uncovered on a screen pattern. The quarterback dumped the ball off to Connor, who rumbled well past the first down, turning it into a potential back-breaker. As flashbacks of past meltdowns began to again haunt the Baron faithful, Manheim Central's Craig Gatchell wrapped up Connor from behind, stripping the ball. Manheim recovered and won the game, 3-0, knocking Strath Haven from its long-standing perch atop Eastern Pennsylvania.
After shaking hands with the opposition, Connor walked toward the locker room, head slightly bowed, covered in dirt and, on this windy afternoon, the abnormal stench of defeat -- during his four years of high school football, Connor has endured just three losses.
But even in loss, Connor exhibited many qualities that will make him successful at the next level, and many talents that will make him a pillar of 'Linebacker U.'
The last time I saw a high school middle linebacker dominate a game so thoroughly, I was 12 years old and sitting in Hershey Park Stadium. It was July, 1996, and I was viewing the Big 33 game in what would be a 45-36 Ohio victory.
The physical specimen I speak of, Westerville, Ohio's Andy Katzenmoyer, would go on to start at Ohio State as a true freshman and eventually suit up for the New England Patriots.
The opposing coach who fell victim to Katzenmoyer's defensive wrath on that day?
Manheim Central's head coach, Mike Williams.
