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La Salle's Geppert injured again

Passing along some city high school football tidbits . . . DAVID GEPPERT doesn't like to think of himself as one of those woe-is-me guys, but this is getting a little ridiculous.

Geppert
GeppertRead more

Passing along some city high school football tidbits . . .

DAVID GEPPERT doesn't like to think of himself as one of those woe-is-me guys, but this is getting a little ridiculous.

"I haven't caught a break all season," he said.

When healthy, the 6-3, 285-pound Geppert, at right guard, is the only starting underclassman on La Salle's offensive line. Alas, after missing time this season due to problems with his right hip and then his left hip, he likely suffered a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee in Saturday's 28-7 win over Parkland in a Class AAAA quarterfinal. The Explorers face Coatesville in the semis on Friday at Downingtown West.

"I knew it was serious right away," Geppert said. "Someone pushed me from behind and the knee got hyperextended. I couldn't get up.

"It really upsets me that I won't be out there with my teammates, to help them get it done. But I know they'll be fine. David Losier is just as good as I am."

Geppert's problems began in training camp, when his right hip began to constantly ache. He made it deep into the season opener vs. North Penn before having to take the no mas route and walk off the field.

He returned to action for the Week 6 game vs. Father Judge and made it through Week 9 vs. West Catholic.

"They had me wearing special wrap around my hips," he said. "With Hurricane Sandy on the way, we had a special Sunday night practice and our trainer couldn't make it. I didn't have the hips wrapped and I must have been overcompensating. I was having stabbing pains in my left hip. Really bad. This is so frustrating. I work to make it back and the first time I'm out on the field again in a game, this happens.

"It meant a lot to me to be part of this line, especially as the only junior. I was trying to pick up where I left off. I'm only an inch shorter, and I weigh more, than Patrick Hoffman [tackle, Navy commit], so I was feeling good about my [long-range potential]."

Over the last 13 seasons, teams with Steve Devlin on board have gone 135-24 (.849 winning percentage). He's 70-13 as Wood's head coach and St. Joseph's Prep went 65-11 during his six seasons (2001-06) as an assistant; final five as offensive coordinator . . . It was fitting that junior defensive end Ryan Coonahan, with two apiece of sacks and TFLs (22 total yards), was one of La Salle's stars vs. Parkland. He lives in Oreland and that's the childhood hometown of former Explorer John Butler, an All-Catholic d-back in 1990. Butler now coaches the secondary at Penn State and watched Saturday's game with fellow staff member Ron Vanderlinden (linebackers) . . .

While setting the city record for points in a season (775) in 2008, West Catholic played 16 games for an average of 48.4. Imhotep boasts 638 points through 14 games (45.6) . . . Imhotep's David Williams, previously of West Catholic (2009-10) and North Catholic (one carry, no yards in '09), now boasts 4,512 yards and 57 TDs on 574 carries . . . That yardage total ranks him fifth in city history behind Curtis "Boonah" Brinkley (7,413 for Roxborough/West Catholic), Eddie Gaskins (6,122 for Frankford), Steve Slaton (5,998 for Conwell-Egan) and Kevin Jones (5,728 for O'Hara). All but Gaskins reached the NFL . . . Two of Parkland's series vs. La Salle featured three consecutive losses. On another, two losses sandwiched an incompletion. Parkland ran 14 plays in the third quarter. Eight lost 41 total yards . . . La Salle center Conor Resch is the son of Tony Resch, who served a long stint as the school's athletic director and has enjoyed great coaching success in pro lacrosse . . . Against Wyomissing Saturday, 1 p.m., at Germantown's Ben Johnston Memorial Stadium in a Class AA semifinal, Imhotep can become the first team in city annals to achieve 15 wins. Fourteen-victory squads: La Salle in '96, West Catholic in '08, La Salle in '09, Wood in '11 . . .

This is the seventh season in which a La Salle QB has passed for at least 2,000 yards. Chris Kane is up to 2,259. The others: Brett Gordon, 2,647 in '97; Drew Loughery, 2,628 in '08; Loughery, 2,401 in '09; John Harrison, 2,274 in '06; Gordon, 2,136 in '95; Gordon, 2,054 in '96, Gordon has been the offensive coordinator for Kane, Loughery and Harrison. Brett's dad, Drew, was his OC and has been the Explorers' head coach since '06 . . . Andrew Guckin has rushed for 1,091 yards and 19 TDs over Wood's last five games and in one of those, vs. Bok, he was shut down after just five carries with the Vikings owning a big early lead . . . This is the Catholic League's fifth season of PIAA competition. In state playoffs at the AAAA and AAA levels, thanks exclusively to La Salle and Wood, the CL owns a 7-1 record and the average score has been 32-18 . . . Wood's Nick Visco keeps extending his city records for career PAT (253) and total kicking points (313, thanks to 20 FGs) . . . This could be a city record, right? La Salle made seven fair catches of punts vs. Parkland: six by Sean Coleman and one by Mike Koller. Parkland added three.