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When it comes to football, playing two games over the same weekend simply isn’t an option.
That was the predicament Bok football coach Tom DeFelice was presented with following the Nov. 10 Public League District 12 semifinal against Northeast. The Wildcats were already scheduled to represent the city in the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association AAA state tournament, which begins this weekend. They earned the spot for the fourth-straight season by going a perfect 8-0 in their division.
Unfortunately, the Public League championship also is scheduled for Nov. 17 at Northeast High, 1601 Cottman Ave. After Bok defeated the Northeast Vikings 8-0 in the semifinals, the Wildcats suddenly had two games scheduled for the same week. In baseball, the coaches could say "let’s play two," but football is one-game-a-week.
Instead of discussing the scenario with his team, the man in charge made the decision.
"I didn’t even present it to the players," the coach said. "Deep down in our heart, I knew the players would rather play for the Public League title. We feel bad about not going to the PIAA, but at the same time we are happy to go [to the league championship]."
The South Philly team had represented Philadelphia in the previous three state tournaments, but never made it past the opening round. Ben Franklin, who finished second in the city’s AAA Division, will replace Bok at the game.
The South Philly squad last appeared in the league final in 1999 when it lost 29-6 to Germantown.
"The other group might have been expected to get there, but I think this group has been a surprise," DeFelice said of the ’99 team and the current roster.
The coach noted the ’99 group had several Division I-caliber athletes, but that doesn’t mean the current squad is lacking. Lineman Ryan Murray will play for Temple University next fall, while Luke Lassiter has rushed for more than 1,100 yards. Combined with the rest of the team, Bok heads into Saturday’s contest a perfect 11-0, while Washington is 10-1.
"Anytime you are 11-0, the bounce of the ball has to go your way," DeFelice said. "I give all the credit to our coaches and players. We just come to play football. We try to block and tackle to the best of our abilities."
Bok’s strong defensive play helped lead them to victory over Northeast, with all eight of their total points coming in the second half. They came via a safety and an 86-yard interception return by Kyle Williams. Northeast was the seventh team the Wildcats defense held scoreless this season. Bok opened the playoffs with a 14-6 victory over Central.
The trip to the championship is the culmination of a wild run, which included competing without home-field advantage for an entire season. The 11th-and-Bigler facility is being converted into a super site, which forced the program to move practices to Capitolo Playground, Ninth and Federal streets. The corner is considered a South Philly hot spot with Pat’s and Geno’s both cooking up cheesesteaks. Bok football has developed its own following with fans seen outside the playground fences taking pictures last week.
Since there were no lockers on site, the players changed at school before catching a bus to practice. There were afternoons where transportation failed to show after practice, forcing them to walk back to Eighth and Mifflin streets. With the championship game just days away, it looks like everything is turning out just fine.
"The gratifying thing is that we’ve come together as a team," DeFelice said.
Even under the intense pressure that comes when a championship title hangs in the balance — and CN8 set to broadcast the contest live — the coach has no intention of making any major adjustments.
"We’re just going to approach it like another week and come out and play football," the coach said.
Who: Bok vs. Washington
What: Public League District 12 football championship
Where: Northeast High super site, 1601 Cottman Ave.
When: 12:30 p.m. Nov. 17
TV: Broadcast live on CN8
