Despite loss to LaSalle,
Falcons still in playoff run

By Joe Mason
For the Times

Terrell Oglesby has good reason to be proud.
Oglesby, a senior tailback and defensive back on the North Catholic High School football team, has seen a lot of good times during his days as a Falcon.
During his sophomore year, he and his teammates suffered through a winless Catholic League Red Division season before winning their final game of the season over Thanksgiving Day rival Frankford.
Last year was even better.
Last year, with Oglesby as a starter, the Falcons won four games in Red Division play, and followed that up with the school’s first Catholic League playoff win in 50 years.
That was a great accomplishment, but Oglesby prefers to live in the present.
"What we accomplished before, that was before," Oglesby said. "Now we’re just focused on this year, getting back to the playoffs and winning again."
If they’re able to do that, Oglesby will be directly responsible.
Last year, he served as a change-of-pace back. The featured guy was Daryl Robinson, who’s now playing for Temple University. This year Oglesby is the go-to guy for the Falcons, and on Saturday afternoon at Frankford High School’s stadium, he showed why.
Oglesby rushed for 127 yards and a touchdown. In the end, though, it wasn’t enough — his Falcons fell to La Salle, 19-10, in a Catholic League Red Division game.
North fell to 4-4 overall, 1-4 in divisional play, but that’s not a huge disaster.
In Catholic League play, two wins can secure a playoff spot because six of the eight squads in each division make the postseason.
So piling up the wins isn’t important, but gaining the momentum is crucial at this time of year.
"That’s what makes this hurt so bad, we need to win games like this," Oglesby said. "We have the ability to play well, but lately we’ve been making mistakes and we don’t win. We have to get better."
The Falcons have improved every week, according to coach Chalie Sgrillo. North’s defense limited La Salle to just 173 yards of total offense and held Explorer quarterback John Harrison to 136 yards passing, his second-lowest total of the season.
But North did turn the ball over three times in the game, including a pair of fourth-quarter interceptions that took the air out of the Falcons.
"I’m happy with the way we played in some areas, and I know we’re getting better," Sgrillo said. "I feel that if we make the playoffs, we could be a dangerous team, but we have to make the playoffs. We need to take this improvement and turn it into some wins.
"La Salle is a very good team and we played well today, but not well enough to win, and that’s a problem. We need to start gaining some momentum."
On Saturday night, the Falcons are scheduled to meet winless Archbishop Ryan in another Red Division game at Northeast High. Kickoff is scheduled for 7 p.m.; with a win, North would clinch a playoff spot.
"I really want to make the playoffs," said Oglesby, who has accounted for more than 900 yards from scrimmage this season, including 800 yards on the ground, and has cashed in for 10 touchdowns.
"If we can make the playoffs and do well, that would be great," he said. "But we need to do that now. We needed to do that (against La Salle)." ••
Joe Mason can be reached at joemason70@hotmail.com