Pride of the Lions (TCY/FOF)

[Big Six]

It's been a while since I played either TCY or FOF, and reading some of the excellent dynasties that have been written here has put me in the mood to break the games out again.

My dynasty is based on the same premise as Izulde's excellent "Hail to Thee, Park High." If it approaches the level of his effort, I'll be very pleased and proud. Thanks to Izulde for the inspiration, and for the invitation to create a dynasty along the same lines.

I'll be following the fortunes of the State College Area High School Lions as they pursue their dreams of college and professional football glory. Although I'm not an alumnus of SCAHS, I chose it because I'm an avid Penn State fan, and I'd like to see if any of the "Little Lions" will be able to continue their careers at their hometown university.

I've placed the Solecismic Eight in Pennsylvania, so there will be a better chance of seeing State College players in the recruiting pool each year.

State College Area High School Profile
Academic Preparation: 76
Athletic Preparation: 50

The Lions lucked out here. There ought to be some pretty decent players for us to follow over the coming decades.

I'll begin with the 2003 season very soon. I hope you'll enjoy following the Lions, too.

[Big Six]

There is one State College grad playing Division I football this season.

Emmanuel Sexton is a redshirt junior DE at Reading. He's 6'6", and despite weighing only 247 pounds, he's better against the run than he is at rushing the passer.

He's not much of a player right now--the scout rates him at 8/100--but he does appear to have some upside.

I'll post the highlights of Emmanuel's career over the three remaining years of his college eligibility.

[Big Six]

Preseason 2003
Three State College seniors are considered possible Division I prospects this season. All three are stars in the classroom, and one of them has a decent shot at a D-One scholarship.

Vince Cox is the kind of player you just about have to root for. He’s a 5’10”, 178-pound running back with a terrific attitude. While a Fair scout rates him at 22/100, he’s also listed as the #6 running back in Pennsylvania, so there’s a chance he’s better than advertised. Cox shows promise as a breakaway runner, and with a 3.55 GPA and a 1280 SAT, academics won’t be a problem for him at all. He’d like to study hotel management in college, and he’s looking for a school with an excellent academic reputation.


Tight end Michael Patterson is a big target—6’7”, 248 pounds—and scouts like the way he catches the ball in traffic. The #14 tight end in the state, Patterson grades out at 24/100 (Excellent scout). Michael has dreamed of playing for Penn State since he first picked up a football, but I doubt he has enough talent to make it in the Big Ten. He carries a 3.34 GPA and a 1190 SAT, and wants to major in economics.


Dan Phillips is, by far, the best player on this year’s State College squad. A 6’2”, 257-pound center, Phillips is #96 among centers on Rivals.com’s national listing, and he’s considered the 98^th best prospect in Pennsylvania, period. Dan excels in pass protection, and he’s praised for his good attitude. He’d like to study mechanical engineering, and with a 3.82 GPA and a 1380 SAT, he’s certainly bright enough to handle that demanding curriculum. Phillips is looking for a prestigious school with an outstanding academic reputation. He might be a better fit at schools like Northwestern, Duke, or Vanderbilt.

[Big Six]

Week 8, 2003

Two of the three Lions seniors have attracted some attention from Division I programs!

Vince Cox finished his senior year with decent stats: 807 rushing yards on 184 carries (4.38 average). Strangely, however, Vince only got into the end zone TWICE...one rushing, one receiving. He's been contacted by Allentown (Sol-8), but they haven't made him an offer yet.

Dan Phillips received an offer from York, and he visited there this week. He apparently enjoyed himself and, although he still has his sights set higher than the Solecismic Eight, he's considering York's offer. Eastern Michigan has also been in contact with Dan. Neither school has a very good program in mechanical engineering, which has him somewhat concerned.

He's better off than poor Michael Patterson, who hasn't been contacted at all. Those Penn State dreams must seem far, far away by now.

Meanwhile, Emmanuel Sexton has emerged as a key contributor to Reading's defense. He's started all six games at DE, and leads the Solecismic Eight with 5.5 sacks! Apparently the scout who said Sexton was a stiff was watching the wrong player. Reading's team stinks--they're 1-5--but that doesn't seem to be Emmanuel's fault.

[Big Six]

End of Season, 2003

As the 2003 season ends, one State College senior's dreams have come true. Two others are left to ponder a future without Division I football. And, a Lions alum enjoys the memories of a season that ended with success, both for him and his team.

Dan Phillips decided that an offer from a team that truly wanted him was too good to pass up, and he committed to York during Week 9. York's starting and second team centers are both graduating this year, and it looks like Dan will have only one other player to beat out for the starting job--a lousy redshirt junior. Life's looking good for Dan right now.

Vince Cox caught the eye of another Solecismic Eight school during Week 10. Lancaster liked what they saw, and quickly offered him a scholarship. Apparently Vince took too long to make up his mind, and Lancaster filled its 16-man recruiting class before Vince signed on.

At least Vince had a chance to make a decision. Michael Patterson wasn't so lucky. Lancaster contacted him during Week 11, but never made him an offer. That's not too surprising, because Patterson caught only 11 passes all year long and scored only one touchdown.

Finally, Emmanuel Sexton continued to play well during the remainder of Reading's season, and his team won five of its last six games. Sexton continued to terrorize opposing passers, and led the Solecismic Eight in sacks and hurries. His #78 was in the grille of opposing QBs on a frighteningly regular basis. Not too bad for a guy whose biggest weakness is said to be rushing the passer, is it?

Emmanuel's season statistics look like this:

G/GS 11/11
Tackles 29
Assists 13
Sacks 10
TFL 11
Passes Blocked 1
Hurries 10
Running Plays 293
Pass Plays 265
Pass Rush Eff. 7.9%
Tackling % 7.5%

I was surprised to see that Sexton didn't make either the first or second All-Solecismic Eight team.

A history major, Emmanuel was just as successful in the classroom, scoring a 3.12 GPA. He earned an A- in his major, B+ in Latin and chemistry, B in Spanish, and C+ in statistics. Apparently he aspires to be trilingual.

It looks like we'll have two D-I players to follow during 2004!

[Big Six]

Preseason 2004

2004 doesn't look like a great year for State College Area seniors. Only one of the team's players has a real shot at a Division I scholarship.

That's placekicker Dean Myers, who's rated 36/100 by an Excellent scout. He's noted for his accuracy as a field goal kicker, but his inability to hang the ball in the air on kickoffs might hold him back somewhat. Dean is a very good student, with a 3.46 GPA and an SAT score of 1210. He'd like to play for a prestigious program with a good academic reputation. Dean is ranked #87 among kickers nationwide, but in a surprisingly good crop of PA players at his position, he's #6. This won't help his chances of landing a Solecismic Eight offer, since there are several guys better than he is in the conference's prime recruiting area.

Guard Bob Humphries is big (6'3", 284) and smart (3.77, 1370), but he's not very good (18/100 from an Excellent scout). He does have some talent as a pass protector, however, and if he can improve his attitude some, he might draw some attention from a program that is looking to improve its academic performance. He shouldn't hold his breath, however. Bob is #22 among PA players at his position.

The prognosis is better for both of the Lions who have already made the jump to college ball. Emmanuel Sexton returns to Reading with improved skills (13/100), and he's got his weight up to 255. He's a good deal happier than he was at this time last year (42, up from 33), despite the fact he doesn't have a girlfriend. Emmanuel, a fourth-year junior, is looking forward to an even more productive season this year.

Over at York, true freshman Dan Phillips appears to have won the starting job at center. He's hardly a stud right now (5/100 from an Excellent scout), but he's almost as good as the only other center on the roster, and Dan's upside is higher (26/100). Phillips has bulked up just a little, and now weighs 260. He's been assigned #51.

[Big Six]

End of 2004 Season

Division I coaches weren’t terribly impressed with either of State College’s senior stars. Each player was contacted by one school; Dean Myers heard from Reading and Bob Humphries got a nibble from Allentown. Neither Dean nor Bob was offered a scholarship, however.

Emmanuel Sexton and his Reading teammates won the Solecismic Eight championship in a tough three-team battle, and Emmanuel therefore became the first Lion alum to appear in a bowl game. Reading was blown out by North Texas, 55-14, in the Happy Fun Bowl, but at least Emmanuel got to strut his stuff in postseason play.

Sexton battled shoulder tendonitis for much of the season, and as a result, he wasn’t quite as productive as he had been in 2003. Nevertheless, he displayed his toughness by starting every one of Reading’s 12 games, and he still led the conference in QB hurries.

Emmanuel was on the field for 284 running plays and 297 pass plays. He racked up 40 tackles, and assisted on 15 more, and recorded 11 TFL. His sack total dropped to 4.5, but he hurried the QB on 10 more occasions and knocked down two passes. Emmanuel’s pass rush percentage was 5.8%, and he was in on 9.4% of his team’s tackles.

Sexton seemed to slack off academically, however, and his GPA fell to 2.69. He raised his History grade to an A, but made Cs in Music, English, and Medicine, and in his attempt to add a fourth foreign language to his transcript, he made a D+ in French. He must have been spending too much time trying to find a girlfriend, a search which has so far proven unfruitful.

York freshman Dan Phillips started all eleven games at center. He saw action on 224 pass plays and 289 running plays, and demonstrated some talent in both phases of the game. Dan recorded 8 key run blocks in 22 chances, for a solid 36.3 blocking percentage. He also allowed only two sacks, a fine performance for a freshman. Dan also recovered two fumbles.

Phillips had a fine first season in the classroom, too. His 3.28 GPA includes As in Mechanical Engineering (his major) and Marketing, an A- in Jurisprudence, a B in Psychology, and a C- in Geology.

Nevertheless, Dan is miserable (14/100). The problem doesn't seem to be playing time; he's content with that. He's apparently frustrated by the fact that he's spending a lot of time in the weight room and not much time hanging out. Hopefully he'll enjoy a successful sophomore year, and the sacrifices he's making won't seem so unpleasant anymore.

[Big Six]

Preseason 2005

Once again, it’s a lean year for Lions fans who want to see one of their favorites earn a Division I football scholarship. Only one player is considered a prospect, and he’s marginal, at best. However, there are two State College alumni who project as starters for their college teams this season.

State College senior Lincoln Gracia is a 5’10”, 176-pound safety who ranks #15 at his position in the state. He’s a decent man-to-man defender but, as you’d expect for a player his size, he struggles against the run. His scouting grade of 33/100 isn’t bad, but the scout is Poor when it comes to evaluating DBs. Don’t be too sure, then, that the score is an accurate evaluation of Lincoln’s talents. He might be better; he might be worse. We'll see.

He’s a better-than average student with a 3.09 GPA and an SAT score of 1130. Maybe a Sol-8 school will take a shot at him.

The two Lions already playing college ball have both bulked up a little in preparation for the season. Emmanuel Sexton tips the scales at a muscular 264 pounds now, and he’s ready to lead the Reading defense from the defensive end spot he’ll be manning for the third straight season. He continues to improve, and now rates 25/100. Emmanuel is clearly the best player on a Reading D-line that is otherwise completely lousy.

York recruited a stud center named Teddy Nelson, so it looks like Dan Phillips might be in for a good, hard position battle. Nelson is raw right now, so he might be redshirted, but he has the potential to be a very good Sol-8 lineman (55/100). For now, it looks like Phillips (19/100 current, 25/100 potential) has the inside track. Dan put on 13 pounds since last season and now weighs in at 273.

[Big Six]

End of 2005 Season

For the second straight season, State College Area High will not be sending a player off to the Division I football wars.

Despite a productive senior season--44 tackles, 6 interceptions, and a sack--Lincoln Gracia was completely ignored throughout the recruiting process. He might walk on somewhere, or he might go the D-2 route. I have a feeling he's really a little better than his ratings, the kind of player who doesn't impress you with his size or strength but manages to make plays.

Emmanuel Sexton certainly made plays during his final year at Reading.

He was named to the All-Solecismic Eight first team!

Emmanuel was in on a heck of a lot of tackles for a defensive end; he racked up 46 solo stops and 23 assists. He was obviously double-teamed almost constantly, but he still managed to record five sacks and five hurries. He made the most of his 6'6" frame and led the conference with five blocked passes, too.

Sexton will graduate with career totals of 115 tackles, 52 assists, 19 sacks, 30 tackles for losses, eight blocked passes, and 26 hurries. Since Emmanuel was a redshirt soph when the dynasty began, these totals reflect only three seasons. Will an NFL team take a chance on this productive small-school star?

Emmanuel also raised his grades during his senior year, too. He made his usual A in History, and got another A in German--his fifth foreign language course. He'll graduate with a very respectable 2.84 GPA. We'll miss him.

Over in York, Dan Phillips started the first two games of the season before an attack of tonsilitis put him on the shelf. The York coaching staff took Teddy Nelson's redshirt off, and the freshman moved into the starting lineup while Phillips recovered. In four games as the starter, Nelson played well enough that I wondered if Dan would get his job back.

Fortunately for Dan and his State College homies, his coaches put him back in the lineup for York's final five games, and the sophomore responded by playing very well. He contributed five key run blocks in 13 chances (38.4%, up from 36.3% the season before) and allowed only one sack in 142 passing plays. Apparently York doesn't run up the middle very much, but since Dan did his job more frequently than all but one other starting O-lineman, they might want to drive the ball up the gut more often next year.

Phillips kept his grades up, too; he made A- in Mechanical Engineering and French, B+ in Kinesiology, B in Music, and C+ in Political Science. Have you noticed that State College grads don't take any lightweight courses?

Both Reading (4-7) and York (3-8) were sorry teams during 2005, but you can't blame either of their State College grads for their mediocrity.