Four of the starting offensive line for William Penn are co-captains. Photo by Pam Lane

By AL THOMPSON

When your football team is the defending State Champion, has won 15 straight games dating back to the start of the 2014 season and is loaded with talent, the expectations can be overwhelming. Many teams might come out flat and lose a game they shouldn’t. That has not been the case for William Penn High School of New Castle, Delaware.

Head coach Marvin Dooley appears to have his players in the right frame of mind to continue to play at a high level. Week two featured the Quakers (3-0) against perennial contender Middletown and the result was a 13-7 victory over the Cavaliers (2-1) in a key Blue Hen Flight – A match up.

Dooley said his team showed it was ready for the challenge of defending its title.
“I think our game against Middletown, our team matured a lot,” Dooley said in a recent phone interview. “And our defense really played great.” Dooley went on to talk about several players he has leaned and who have delivered. He said it starts with the defensive front four that includes returning starters Elijah Lewis, Frank Burton, Kharon Newton and newcomer, junior D’Mir Copeland. “A new guy that’s been doing it this year is Copeland,” Dooley said. “Our front four makes everyone better.”

Dooley said the play of the line impacts the rest of the unit. “Our linebackers get a chance to run free, if they get double-teamed, they (defensive line) get the stops up front,” Dooley said. “And it makes our secondary good because they can go right to the ball. Our front four has really made our defense.”

Dooley singled out linebacker Myles Goodson, “Myles’s has played well…really tackled well,” Dooley said. “And Charlie Hope was a returning starter at linebacker. He became the signal caller. He’s played really well for us.”

On offense, once again Dooley talked about the play of the guys in the trenches.
The offensive line features four seniors who are all co-captains including center Brandon Dooley, listed at 6-foot-0, 265 pounds, guards Dominick Trotta (5-11, 223) and Charles Hope (6-3, 225) plus tackles Elijah Lewis (6-2, 270) and junior Timothy Dooley (5-10, 260).
“It all starts up front with the offensive line, and they’ve done a tremendous job,” Dooley said. ” And our quarterback has really played well.”

This season Dooley has gone to the air with a lot more frequency than in the past. The reason Dooley feels comfortable throwing the ball is an offensive line made up of size and leadership and a senior quarterback in DJ Johnson who knows how to use his weapons.
“I finally turned him loose a little bit this year,” Dooley said. “I think we’ve passed more so far this season than we have in an entire season in the past.”
Not quite.

In 2014, Johnson was 43 of 75 for 785 yards, nine TD passes and four interceptions. This year Johnson is 20 of 34 for 393 yards, six touchdowns and just one interception in three games.
“He’s been tremendous,” Dooley said. “He’s been accurate and made really good decisions. He has really made our running game a lot better because he’s throwing the ball well.”
Senior running back Titus Nelson leads the team with 45 carries, 354 yards and two touchdowns. Coach Dooley said he expects to get production from junior Joe Greenwood who is back from injury.

Frank Burton, a Ball State commit, has become a threat at tight end with six catches for 111 yards and a TD after three games, “He’s a big time weapon,” Coach Dooley said.
Also making an impact catching passes is senior Chi Chi Amachi who has seven catches for 153 yards and three touchdowns.

But what makes William Penn different and special is their standout player Zach Burton, a junior and younger brother of Frank. “He’s probably the best athlete on the team,” Dooley said. “He plays slot receiver, we’ll put him in the wildcat as a quarterback, we play him as a receiver, safety, at corner and even linebacker. He’s just a great athlete.” The younger Burton on the season has six rushes for 50 yards, six catches for 123 yards and a score plus 18 tackles on defense. Dooley no doubt has it all this year…talent, experience, leadership and players driven to be great. The Quakers still have Salesianum to get past on October 31.

What will his team need to do to finish on top once again in 2015? “Defense is going to win it for us,” the coach said. “Right now the offense looks good, but come November when it’s cold and windy, rainy, it’s tough. We have to run the football…our offensive line has to be there. Our front four, in my opinion can get it done for us. That’s the key.”

FOOTBALLSTORIES DELAWARE TOP 10
1. William Penn (3-0)
2. Salesianum (3-0)
3. Middletown (2-1)
4. Sussex Tech (3-0)
5. Mount Pleasant (3-0)
6. Cape Henlopen (2-1)
7. Glasgow (2-1)
8. Wilmington Friends (3-0)
9. Delaware Military Academy (3-0)
10.Hodgson Vo-Tech (3-1)

The next five (alphabetically): Appoquinimink (2-1), Conrad Science (3-0), Dover (2-1),
Smyrna (2-1), St. George’s Tech (2-1), Woodbridge (2-1)