Usually at this time of year, the Frankford High School football team prepares for its annual championship run.
This isn’t a usual season.
Last week, prior to the Pioneers’ 22-0 victory over Central on Oct. 25, the team was forced by the Public League to forfeit its four wins on the year because of an ineligible player on the Frankford roster.
The player, Taryee Quiah, will turn 20 in January, which makes him too old to compete in high school sports.
The news shocked the Frankford players and coaches because Quiah doesn’t attend the school. He is enrolled at Franklin Towne Charter and is permitted to play for Frankford because his school does not offer football.
"It’s really disappointing, it was a mistake, we should have checked it out but we didn’t," said Frankford coach Mike Capriotti. "It was my fault, I accept full blame for it. It’s a shame because the kids worked real hard and we were starting to jell, but there’s nothing you can do about it."
The league chairman, Robert Coleman, supposedly undertook a review of the roster and told Capriotti that Quiah’s age violated league regulations. Frankford’s record was 4-2 overall (and 3-1 in Red Division play), but the forfeiture penalty stripped the Pioneers of those victories.
Capriotti, now in his fourth year as head coach at Frankford, has done a solid job since taking over. After leading the Pioneers to the Public League semifinals as a rookie coach, Capriotti guided Frankford to two straight Public League crowns.
Only once in Public League history has a team won three straight championship games. That was Frankford, when Al Angelo led the team to Public League titles in 1971, 1972 and 1973.
Although Capriotti is disappointed that his team can’t repeat history, he remains proud of his troops.
"I can’t say I’m surprised at how well they’re handling it, because these kids have been good kids for a few years now," Capriotti said. "But they’re handling it like men. When we found out about the playoffs, I told them in the locker room and then I told them that if anyone wanted to quit, I’d understand. I went out on the field and ten minutes later, they all came out.
"It’s tough, but they want to end strong," he added. "We might not have the playoffs, but we still have a few games and we’ll just go out and play hard."
In the pouring rain against Central on Oct. 25, Frankford tailback Ervin Goodson rushed for 190 yards and a touchdown to help the Pioneers earn their first official win of the season.
In other games:
North Catholic, 21, Archbishop Ryan, 16: After falling behind, 9-0, the Falcons got rolling to clinch a spot in the Catholic League Blue Division playoffs. Leading the charge was tailback Terrell Oglesby, who rushed for a pair of touchdowns and nearly 200 yards. North will conclude its regular season on Saturday night when it meets Father Judge at Northeast High. Kickoff is slated for 7.
Ryan, which finished the non-league portion of its schedule with wins over Pennsbury and Archbishop Wood, has yet to win a Red Division game in six chances. By virtue of the loss, the team failed to reach the postseason for the second straight year and for just the fourth time under head coach Glen Galeone, who began coaching the team in 1990.
Abraham Lincoln, 22, Samuel Fels, 14: While the Frankford Pioneers received bad news this week, the Railsplitters got great news. The team is heading to the playoffs for the first time since 1988.
Lincoln won the Blue Division after it was decided that West Philadelphia High School had used an illegible player and was forced to forfeit the division. Thanks to the forfeit win and the triumph over Fels, Lincoln heads into the Public League playoffs with a 6-0 record.
Against the Panthers, Public League leading rusher Kevin Chilton rushed for 216 yards and three touchdowns to clinch the undefeated regular season.
FIELD HOCKEY
Northeast, 5, Franklin Towne Charter, 0: Jessica Shotwell netted a pair of goals and Alicia Cornwell, Katie Benek and Stephanie Hughes each added one to help the Vikings win the Public League semifinal game on Oct. 29.
George Washington, 1, Central, 0: Hilary McFillin scored the only goal of the game midway through the second half to send the Eagles to the Public League championship game. Washington was scheduled to meet Northeast on Oct. 31 at Simon Gratz High School. ••