September 8, 2004

Richard Long

COOL CUSTOMERS

This past Thursday I, along with my good friend and fellow writer Charles Huester, had a chance to sit down and share some pizza with the state?s two premier passing quarterbacks, senior Gene DelleDonne of Salesianum and junior Corey Phelan of Charter.

They finished second and third in the state in passing yards last year (DelleDonne 1,697, Phelan 1,653) and have both been starting since their freshman seasons.?

DelleDonne, who committed to Duke University during the offseason, is a pure pocket passer with good height and a strong arm, while Phelan is known for his savvy and poise in the pocket along with an uncanny ability to make big plays under extreme duress.?

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DelleDonne has been playing the position since he was in the third grade, but Phelan only played one season of organized football, as a linebacker at Holy Angels, before arriving at Charter.

Along with playing football, DelleDonne was the leading scorer on a Sallies basketball squad that reached the state finals before falling to Middletown, and Phelan compiled a 3-3 record while pitching for Charter?s baseball team this past spring.

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Chuck and I did a similar interview last preseason when we met with a dozen seniors from St. Mark?s 2003 squad and I thought it would be interesting to get these two players together for a similar sit down.? Both agreed to do the interview without question, and though they had never met, have an obvious mutual respect for each other?s talents.?

Afterwards, Chuck said he felt there was a calmness about them and we agreed that calmness lends itself mightily to they?re poised performances on the field.

They share a common thread; both come from strong family backgrounds and on top of everything, are exceptionally nice people.? I can?t say enough about what impressive young men they are.?

Both are the middle child in their family.? Gene has two sisters and Corey, who comes from a family of seven, has four brothers and two sisters.?

Both families have strong athletic bloodlines.? Gene?s father played baseball in college at Columbia and his grandfather played football at Sallies and then at the University of Delaware in what Gene referred to as ?the leather helmet days.?

Phelan?s older brother, and former Charter teammate, Regis is a defensive back at Kings College, while his uncle Paul played college ball at Maine, and his uncle Kevin played at the University of Delaware.?? His Godfather, Gerard Phelan, played for Boston College and was on the receiving end of Heisman winner Doug Flutie?s historic hail-mary pass in the Orange Bowl against Miami back in 1984.

They?re respective teams underwent big changes during the offseason, as Salesianum got a new head coach in Bill DiNardo, and Charter was promoted from D-II to D-I due to an increase in the student population.

Phelan knows the competition in the Flight A Conference is as good as it gets, with games against the likes of Newark, Middletown and William Penn on the schedule, but he isn?t backing down from the challenge.?

?I?m a competitor and as a competitor you have to want to play against the best,? he said.? ?At Charter we?ve come to relish the underdog role, its something we get pumped up for.? When we play our best, we can win, but we can?t afford to lose our focus, not even for a minute.?

Phelan has written his name all over the school record book, passing for 3,189 yards and 26 touchdowns in 20 career starts and now faces the challenge of sustaining those numbers against some of the state?s toughest defenses.? ?I expect my numbers to improve this season,? he said.? ?The receivers are playing very well and our style of play works to our benefit.??

Both are cerebral performers, with a strong ability to read defenses and deliver the ball on target.? ?That comes with maturity,? said DelleDonne.? ?When you?re in seventh grade, you just throw the ball as far as you can and hope someone catches it, but things change in high school.?

Technique is a major factor said Phelan.? ?I do a lot of footwork drills with coach (Steve) Dent.? He emphasizes being aware of where the pressure is coming from, staying in the pocket and letting things happen.??

No coach in the state teaches the play-action fake better than DiNardo, adding a dangerous new dimension to DelleDonne?s overall game.? ?Its great,? he said of a trick that turned a long list of Middletown quarterbacks into signal-calling Houdinis.? ?Coach DiNardo really knows his stuff.? He?s a great coach and a really good guy.?

The team?s season opener at Middletown on September 10^th will be one of the most anticipated opening night games ever played in the state as DiNardo returns to the place he called home for 16 years for his first game as Salesianum coach.?

?It?s going to be absolutely crazy,? said DelleDonne.? ?I hear we have a police escort? into town, and someone said there could be something like ten thousand fans.? It?s a tough place to play and I?m sure their fans will be ready for us.?

DiNardo?s arrival has created a buzz in the Salesianum community and the fans have been showing up in force.? ?Its been a lot of fun,? said Gene.? ?People have been coming out just to watch us practice and it?s really nice to have that kind of support.?

Both players have put in endless of hours of work in preparation for the coming season and the physical demands that come with playing the position.? Phelan added 15 pounds of solid muscle to his frame and DelleDonne looks bigger and fitter than ever before.

Quarterbacks often find themselves in a variety of awkward positions as they absorb hits from onrushing defenders.? Imagine taking a shot in the chest as you plant your foot and attempt to throw, or standing in the pocket with your ribs exposed as you follow through on a pass.

One of the things that separates these guys from the rest of the pack is their patience in the pocket and their willingness to take a hit to make a play.? ?You can?t worry about getting hit,? reasoned DelleDonne.? ?Because no matter what you do, it?s going to happen.?

Both players spent the summer honing their skills by attending camps and throwing with their receivers.

Gene attended a camp at Duke in June, and then he earned the MVP award at a prestigious 7-on-7 camp in Texas in July as he led his team to a second place finish.?

?We had a really good team,? said Gene.? ?One of our receivers was going to Texas and another one was going to Oklahoma and they were both awesome.?? He then capped the month by helping to lead Salesianum to their first 7-on-7 title.

Phelan was also on the go as he attended a quarterback and wide receiver camp at the University of Delaware and then went to a camp at the University of Pennsylvania, in addition to playing in the 7-on-7 league.

?It definitely helps keep you sharp,? said Phelan.? ?Coach Woods from Penn did both camps and he?s really good, I felt like I learned a lot.?

They also share an affinity for playing the Madden 2005 NFL video game.? Those of you that have played it will understand.? Both players spend some of their free time with their teammates, lounging around and playing.? DelleDonne?s favorite NFL player is Patriots QB Tom Brady and Phelan?s is Chiefs tight end Tony Gonzalez.

Both players agreed that their relationship with their receivers and especially the lineman, the men who watch their backs when they?re most vulnerable, is of extreme importance.?

?They?re good to you,? said DelleDonne.? ?And you have to treat them with respect and let them know you appreciate it.? You can?t yell or lose your cool, you have to be a leader.? We?re lucky because we have a close team, which allows us to be brutally honest with each other, without feelings getting hurt.?

?It starts up front,? agreed Phelan.? ?My line does a great job.? We only keep five blockers in and sometimes teams send six or seven guys on the blitz, but they always pick it up and give me time.?

Just for fun, I asked each of them, who was the one opposing defensive player you?ve encountered that you feared the most?

DelleDonne smiled and said, ?John Pursell, a linebacker from Middletown.? We played them two years ago down there, and he destroyed me.? He put me against the fence.?

Phelan immediately answered, ?Jim Lewis from Concord.? I didn?t want him hitting me at all.? Wherever he was, I was headed in the other direction, and I made sure I always knew where he was.?

One thing that neither player can escape is the spotlight.? Both have earned their reputations with hard work and scintillating performances and serve as the poster boys for their respective programs.