Recharge of the Rams

Bill Edger has learned to be wary of Gatorade showers. Though the time-honored sports tradition celebrates a victory, it wasn’t such a good thing for Edger’s cell phone earlier this season. The South Philadelphia High football coach had to replace his phone after his team shut out Imhotep Prep, 42-0, in October.

In a dual move of caution and positive thinking, Edger left his cell in the car when he pulled into the 12th and Bigler sports complex Thanksgiving morning. He knew that if his Rams defeated Ss. John Neumann and Maria Goretti — formerly St. John Neumann — for the first time since 1989, there would be a celebration like no other.

Sure enough, with little more than a minute remaining in the game, the Southern players celebrated their 30-26 win by drenching their coach with orange Gatorade. Beating their Catholic League neighbors was such a huge accomplishment — only the 19th time since the series started in 1934 — that the players hoisted the soaked Edger on their shoulders.

"It felt really good," said the upbeat coach.

The Southern program had a 13-game losing streak against Neumann heading into this year’s contest, and had lost the last three meetings by a combined score of 169-8 (not including the 2001 game that Neumann won via forfeit).

It’s been so long between Southern victories that junior linebacker Nick Moody, now 16, was just starting to walk the last time the Rams won.

"I just wanted to play hard and make some tackles," said the athlete, who finished the game with two fumble recoveries.

Moody recovered a fumble on the Neumann-Goretti 6-yard-line in the fourth quarter, setting up a 6-yard touchdown run by junior teammate Lamone Fox. The tailback finished the game with 100 rushing yards and two touchdowns. Fox has rushed for 100 yards or more six times this season, all in Southern victories. The player now holds a school single-season record 1,281 yards.

This year, in which the Rams went 6-5, was notable for the entire team as the program’s first winning season since 1997 (8-3-0).

The Neumann-Goretti Saints, on the other hand, suffered a rare losing season — their first since 1999, when they were 4-8 — with a 2-10 finish.

Southern senior Perry Woods, who started his first varsity game at defensive tackle last Thursday, said the teammates succeeded through trusting each other.

"Everybody played hard," he said. "We put our ‘A’ game out there and came out with a win."

The Saints made Southern earn the victory. The Rams took an early 14-0 lead, but Neumann-Goretti plowed ahead with three touchdowns and took an 18-14 score into the final quarter. Saints junior Dan Chavis led the comeback effort with 112 rushing yards and two touchdowns, while classmate Hiram Bowman scored on a 77-yard touchdown reception.

The confident Rams were suddenly silenced, but unlike in past seasons, the players regained their momentum.

"We never lost confidence," said senior quarterback Jalil Harris, who finished the game with 127 passing yards and a touchdown. "I just kept pumping them back up."

In the end, costly turnovers by Neumann-Goretti were key to the Rams’ victory. Freshman defensive back Pre’Andre Watson clinched the win by intercepting a Saints pass and returning it 67 yards for a touchdown. It was the second score of the day for the varsity rookie, who also caught an 11-yard touchdown reception in the second quarter.

Neumann-Goretti first-year head coach Steve Smith — who never lost to Southern as a player or an assistant coach — commended the Rams.

"They were well-coached against our system," he said. "I have to give them some kudos. They were the better team than us today."

After the game, Smith offered reassurance to his players, hoping to ease the most painful loss of their high-school football careers.

"Did you give up?" he asked.

Pointing to the 30-26 score, the coach answered his own question: "Heck, no!"

With 36 players expected to return, Neumann-Goretti is optimistic about next season. And the program still leads the Thanksgiving Day rivalry 49-19-3.

For the Rams, last week’s victory could signal a turning point. The already-strong team is now able to draw on its junior-varsity squad, which returned to action this year after a seven-year layoff. The JV team went 6-0, and outscored opponents 112-30.

"The future looks bright," Edger said.

Junior defensive end-right tackle Demetrius Tillman, who finished the game with seven tackles and a sack, also is hopeful, but he acknowledges further conquests won’t be easy.

"We have to work harder in the off-season," he said. "I want to beat Neumann-Goretti again next season, go to the playoffs and win a championship."

For now, he’ll settle for South Philly bragging rights.

Alums have reason to cheer

For South Philadelphia High grads, Thanksgiving morning is a time to get together with the old gang at 12th and Bigler streets.

That’s the site of the annual Southern-Neumann (now Neumann-Goretti) football game, but for the past 15 years, the nostalgic chats have been much more of a draw than the actual contest. The Southern Rams lost game after game, often by a blowout.

Last Thursday, however, former Southern players were in for a Thanksgiving treat as the Rams upset Neumann-Goretti, 30-26.

The class of 1955 was strongly represented, with 24 members. Unfortunately, many left before the fourth quarter when Neumann-Goretti was still leading, thus missing the chance to revel in the Southern victory.

The well-rewarded diehards were Carmen Galone, Harry Flinn, who had come up from Wildwood, N.J., and Bob Arangio.

"It’s a thrill," Galone said of watching Southern win. "It’s one of the best thrills we’ve had."

The group also gets together once a month for dinner, but they especially look forward to Thanksgiving Day.

"We come out on Thanksgiving Day no matter what [Southern’s] record is," Galone said.

John Baxter (’84) also enjoys meeting some of his former Southern teammates every November. The group of 10 all played for the Rams between 1982-86, and now cheer on their successors at every Thanksgiving game.

Baxter played in the 50th anniversary of the Neumann-Southern game in 1983 at Veterans Stadium; the Rams lost 25-13.

Whether Southern is 0-10 or 6-5, as the team is this season, Baxter and his buddies always start Thanksgiving morning by supporting their alma mater.

"The first game we think about is Southern-Neumann," he said. "We don’t miss this game."

–by Bill Gelman