2023 Season Preview Dallastown
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The Dallastown Wildcats finished 4-6 under first year Head Coach Levi Murphy in the YAIAA conference. As their season progressed they certainly showed the fire power on offense averaging over 30 points per contest. They will lose some of the…
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Continue ReadingThe Dallastown Wildcats finished 4-6 under first year Head Coach Levi Murphy in the YAIAA conference. As their season progressed they certainly showed the fire power on offense averaging over 30 points per contest. They will lose some of the firepower with the graduation of Pittsburgh commit Kenny Johnson, but they have some returning pieces that should help keep their offense humming. They’re schedule is lined up too that if they keep improved play particularly on defense, an above .500 record is in their sights.
Top Returning Players:
The top returning star for Coach Murphy is this Junior Wide Receiver Michael Scott Michael Scott 5’9″ | 155 lbs | WR Dallastown | 2025 State PA . He was already on our radar from his sophomore campaign where he nabbed first team all conference honors at both receiver and corner. His stock soared after his showcase performance this past May where he was the star of the camp posting a ridiculous 40 and winning nearly every 1 on 1 rep in the drills. His performance grabbed the attention of our Vic Castillo Vic Castillo RB PA who shared his thoughts last May below:
The overall MVP of the camp. No one prospect dominated each and every rep the way Michael Scott Michael Scott 5’9″ | 155 lbs | WR Dallastown | 2025 State PA did. I told those beforehand that he would do exactly that. I’m an advocator of this young man on and off the field, so I’m familiar with the complete skillset he brings to the table. I’m happy the coaches in attendance got a taste of it too. Incredible release off the LOS that no DB at the camp could keep up with. Scott has speed to burn coupled with incredible tracking ability. All of this makes for one of the toughest matchups any DB has had to go up against in our camp’s history. It’s a shame we didn’t have a vert-mat present to measure this kid’s vertical. Witnessing Scott’s ability to leap for the ball while running a streak is impressive in its own right. His pure athleticism more than makes up for his stature.
Elite combine numbers. 5’8, 152 pounds, 4.35 40, 4.34 Shuttle, 10’0 broad, sub-7.0 L Drill. Jaw-dropping numbers.
You can see the hype building for Scott already and his showcase performance the FBS offers started coming.
https://twitter.com/michaelscott_34/status/1665411166313521155?s=20
Highlights
The second team all conference safety selection Jalen Cook Jalen Cook 6’2″ | 185 lbs | ATH Dallastown | 2025 State PA is back anchoring the Wildcats defense for 2023. They will need his leadership and skill set immensely this fall as their defense struggled to get going for much of the season. Cook is a great building book for Dallastown to look on for guidance as he stout at his free safety position. He shows great range and footwork on tape and his high IQ level on the field is very impressive. Boasting a 3.4 GPA, Cook is sure to be on many division 2 and above schools level after a good fall season.
A big time name for Dallastown’s 2025 that is not getting enough attention is this man Jack Mahoney Jack Mahoney 6’4″ | 225 lbs | TE Dallastown | 2025 State PA . This rising junior is 6’5 with good hands and can move already clocking a sub 4.7 40. Expect his name to rise with a stellar performance this fall, you would think he will be a much needed go to option with everyone focusing on Scott. If Mahoney can continue his development and he is grinding this off-season, do not be surprised if the Wildcats offense is better than last year.
Christopher Cromarte
Christopher Cromarte
Cromarte is not a household name yet, but give him time he will be making defenders look silly across the entire YAIAA very soon. A stud sophomore to be running back, this kid could be a big time addition to the Wildcats offense. Constantly watching his tape what he did with the football, I came away believing he is ready to play varsity and have an impact now. Remember his name as he may be the next big time running back to come out of this very talented conference.
A freshman who already had an impact was this special talent Nushi Valenti. A scatback of sorts he will be a tough matchup with his speed and vision out of the backfield. The Wildcats had him involved in the offense about midway through their season where he had maybe his best game against the York High Bearcats. They use him in a number of misdirection plays and as a freshman he already showed he has breakaway speed.
Robert Brandley
Robert Brandley
One of the few seniors Brandley is a good stout offensive lineman that is coming into his own. A very good run blocker, I would like to see him get more physical at the point of attack. Each time he does he looks like a mean nasty PSAC caliber player. For some lineman it may take a mean streak for them to be effective and when this young man has, defenders should be on the lookout. While the Wildcats lost a number of lineman up front, it is good to have Brandley back as he continues to improve in his own game.
Another defender who caught my eye is junior to be Warren Kabamba Warren Kabamba 6’0″ | 250 lbs | OL Dallastown Area | 2025 State PA . At 6’0 and 275 lbs. Kabamba has the potential to be one of most dominant defensive tackles in the conference. He has a long reach and knows how to get off blocks and his been working tirelessly this offseason to improve on his overall strength and speed. Starting as a sophomore last year he was one of the few defenders who really stands out on file. With a year of off-season progression under his belt, do not be shocked if first team all conference honors are in his future.
https://twitter.com/warrenk3x/status/1668926173210869760?s=20
Highlights
Final Thoughts:
I really like Dallastown’s Junior class and think that group will be something special. As you can see their 2024 kids are not well represented on here as they do not have a ton on their roster. That is not to say things wont change between now and fall but will see. Overall the direction of the Wildcats is trending up as we head into year 2 of the Levi Murphy era. I can see a very similar record this year but with improvements on both sides of the football. My prediction is a 5-5 record with Dallastown and their special Junior class closing the season strong.