La Salle High's Burke warming to state quarterfinals

TO LOOK at Sean Burke Thursday, you would have thought it was summertime in Appalachia, not Dec. 1 in suburban Philly.

OK, so he wasn't sweating profusely, but his arms were bare throughout La Salle High's football practice in ch-chilly weather at Plymouth-Whitemarsh High.

"I'm always this way. No sleeves," said the 6-foot, 215-pound Burke, a senior and 2-year starter at middle linebacker. "While everyone else is in sweatpants and sweatshirts.

"Actually, there are three of us. Linebackers Mike Eife and Dillon Smith do this, too, but I'm the ringleader because me and Connor Daly did it last year. We don't try to talk other guys into it. It's like, 'Do it if you want.' I've never regretted it. Yup, mind over matter."

As always, Burke was a focal point in the defensive drills, as orchestrated by coordinator John Steinmetz and linebacker coach Paul "Paco" Colistra.

Did someone say drills? Burke wielded one last summer in Kentucky, hard by West Virginia, during a volunteer, weeklong, help-the-community project he experienced with roughly 30 La Salle students.

"It was very fulfilling," Burke said, "because we actually got to meet the people we were helping. One of the ladies we helped, by redoing her roof, was elderly, and we got to hear how much she appreciated what we were doing. She would come out and give us snacks, too.

"My job was to do the drilling. So I was on roofs that whole week, baking in the Kentucky sun."

Now he's basking in the Explorers' annual glory.

In the 2009 season, just No. 2 for the Catholic League as a PIAA participant, Burke filled a backup role as La Salle claimed a Class AAAA state title. The 2010 campaign yielded a trip to another final, with Burke enjoying occasional stardom, and Saturday's schedule shows a 1 o'clock quarterfinal vs. Nazareth at Liberty High in Bethlehem.

Two other CL squads also will tackle state quarterfinals. In AAA, Archbishop Wood will meet Pottsgrove at 7 o'clock Friday night at Northeast's Charlie Martin Memorial Stadium. Saturday at noon, at the South Philly Super Site, it'll be West Catholic vs. Pen Argyl in AA.

Before every Nazareth play, Burke will relay two defensive calls, as provided by Steinmetz, and then add two more right before the snap based on what tips he culls from checking out the offensive alignment."

Thereafter? Pound away, baby!

"I was a lineman in grade school," said Burke, who hails from Lansdale. "I got moved to linebacker as a freshman and wasn't too sure what I was doing. Then I got to sophomore year and coach 'Paco' taught me everything I needed to know. He made my game take off. I love linebacker because you can see everything, then go hit people."

A while back, before the game with archrival St. Joseph's Prep, you could have seen some pretty good hitting at La Salle's fall-sports pep rally, as organized by Burke with a focus, understandably, on football.

Sean is the secretary of the student council and one extra element of the pep rally, right on the stage immediately after the showing of a wonderful sports video made by computer-savvy students, was "fights" with Sock'em Boppers (padded beanbags that cover hands).

So, how'd that go?

"I don't think we'll be doing that again," he said, laughing. "One kid had his nose broken. It split right open. He got rocked. Blood was everywhere."

Burke, who also competes in track (javelin), plans to limit his college sports activity to football while majoring in business or economics. Carnegie-Mellon, Franklin & Marshall and Gettysburg are among the possibilities.

No doubt about what Saturday will bring: another important game. One he wants to win very badly.

"From the personal standpoint, there's certainly a different aspect to games like these when you're a senior," Burke said. "We had two great teams before this one, and I feel we're just as strong.

"To still be playing football in December, that's the best feeling in the world."

Sean Burke's bare arms agreed.

Online high school coverage at philly.com/rally.