Souderton loses star lineman to broken leg

Souderton's bid to make a strong run at the Suburban One League Continental Conference football title took a big hit on the third day of training camp.

Standout two-way lineman and Villanova recruit Ricky Young suffered a broken leg while participating in a practice drill Wednesday morning.

"It's one of those unfortunate things," Indians coach Ed Gallagher said.

The 6-foot-2, 290-pound Young is a force as an offensive tackle and nose guard. He earned first-team all-Continental Conference honors in each of the last two seasons.

Gallagher, whose squad went 7-4 overall and 4-3 in conference action last year, said: "There's a chance we could get Ricky back at some point in the season."

Souderton lost another key player to a leg injury earlier this summer. Kyle Murphy, a senior running back and cornerback, went down with a broken fibula and torn meniscus in June. The 5-9, 170-pounder has since had surgery.

"He's walking on it now," Gallagher said. "They're hoping he can run on it in a few weeks."

With Murphy out, junior Nate Landes is expected to move from fullback to halfback. He will be joined in the backfield by senior Marcus Miller and junior Taz Smith, with rising sophomore Jamar White also in the mix.

In the absence of Young, the Indians' defensive line will be anchored by end Josh Lister, a 6-2, 240-pound senior and third-year starter.

"We're pretty good up front," Gallagher said. "We have some size and strength."

Mayor Nutter and city officials this week announced a $2.5 million project to renovate the playing field at 11th Street and Cecil B. Moore Avenue in North Philadelphia.

The field, with artificial turf replacing worn-out grass, will be shared by St. Joseph's Prep and the Blackhawks youth squad.

The project is expected to begin in the fall.

In a PIAA District 1 athletic eligibility hearing Wednesday, explosive rusher Marvin Todd, formerly of Harry S Truman, was cleared to play this season for Central Bucks West.

A 6-foot-1, 190-pound senior tailback and strong safety, Todd played in fewer than half of Truman's games last season because of personal and academic issues. He was approved to compete for West by a District 1 committee made up of athletic directors and principals.

In 2011, on Thanksgiving Day, Todd rushed for 300 yards and six touchdowns to spark the Tigers' 49-14 victory over Bucks County neighbor Conwell-Egan.