Football Notebook: Minott has Upper Darby on the upswing

When Upper Darby began the year with two straight losses, longtime coach Rich Gentile wasn’t overly concerned.

Gentile and his coaching staff believed in the talent all along, but knew it would take time to develop.

“I think we have 17 kids who are playing varsity football that have never played before,’ Gentile said.

Since a Week 2 loss against Garnet Valley, the Royals have ripped off three straight wins going into Friday night’s clash with Ridley.

“The kids have kind of found themselves. The big thing is they have confidence in themselves,’ Gentile said.

Gentile attributes the play of junior quarterback Christoff Minott as the primary reason for the Royals’ upswing. Minott was the hero in last Friday’s thriller.

“If you look at the film, the most impressive plays are him pulling the ball and going around end. … He’s embraced the fact that he is the leader of the offense,’ Gentile said of Minott, whose passed for 701 yards and 10 touchdowns. “He sits in on the defense’s meetings. He just loves the game of football.’

When Strath Haven reclaimed the lead in the final minute, Gentile had a deja vu moment.

“I’m sitting there thinking, ‘˜Here we go again. It’s Strath Haven, just like the last 20 years,” he said. “Christoff’s walking by and says to me, ‘˜Just give me the ball.’ If you watch that play (for the game-winning TD), he put the ball right where it had to be. Perfect throw.’

Gentile has been proud of the performance of the offensive line, headed by senior Scott Rucci, as well as wide receiver Vincent Coll, who has 10 catches for 235 yards and three TDs. Coll is the Upper Darby senior class president and a first-year varsity member. The Royals have a treacherous schedule ahead with October games against Ridley, Springfield and Conestoga.