Smokin' Aces: Lower Merion High Football Program Looks to Rebuild

The Lower Merion Aces are coming off a difficult season. They won three times, lost eight, and were outscored 329 to 142 over the course of those 11 games. They struggled to score points and struggled even more to keep the other guys from getting them.

This young season hasn't gone much better. In their first and only game they were defeated soundly by the team (Harriton) they had beaten by their largest margin of '09.

So if a reporter were looking for reasons to feel pessimistic about this football team, he wouldn't have to look too long or too hard to uncover a few. What he would also uncover though, if he were thorough and unbiased in his excavating, would be plenty of carefully hidden, but nonetheless convincing, kernels of evidence that this team has great things in store for it.

Kernel number one: Things are moving in the right direction.

While the Aces won only three games last season, that's three more than most expected them to win on the way in.

"We finished 9^th in the league last season, which doesn't sound great, but was higher than we'd finished in the last six years," said second-year head coach Jon Rothberg.

Rothberg's also convinced that brighter days are ahead. He's installed a pro-style offense this season in lieu of the wishbone the team had used in the past, and suddenly has plenty of players to run it.

"Our numbers are up right now. For the first time in years we can field a team at all three levels; JV, Varsity, and freshman ball. Last year we played only two JV games and the year before none. We're going to play a whole slate this year," said Rothberg.

"I'm not saying we're state champions, but we're going to have a good team."

The players also have a nagging sense that they're part of the start of something.

"Coach does a good job of identifying talent, especially with the younger guys, and pushing them to get better," said senior Marc Ciamaichelo, adding that the staff had taken a special interest in developing talented sophomore lineman Josh Harper and Shaun Cameron.

The program is being built from the ground up, and the foundation looks pretty sturdy.

Kernel number two: The head coach is the right man for the job.

"Everybody has a huge amount of respect for coach," said sophomore Eli Zimmer, who's own respect is sufficient that he shows up everyday to watch practice in street clothes and rapt attention while he waits for his torn meniscus to heal.

"He's a very intense, no-nonsense guy, who would never let any of us slack. There's no profanity, no disrespect," said Zimmer.

The members of the team with healthy knees seem to agree. They are responsive to his every command as his prowls the practice field, barking orders and sneaking glances at the play card fastened to his forearm. When he says, "run faster," the Aces speed up.

Kernel number three: The players

Recent record notwithstanding, there are some players on this team.

"We've got three running backs with college-speed," said a player between drills at a recent practice of running backs Zeke Zimmer, Jimmy Chimemekas, and Max Golden.

 "And we've got some great lineman," interjected Zimmer. "Sam Fisher has the heart of a lion, and Lou Barlos is the size of a lion."

"Michael Lyde's improved a lot too," added another.

That's the salient feature of the team. They support one another, and that support stems from something very basic: They really like each other.

A four play sequence for QB Desmond Ellis the other day in practice: interception, interception, overthrow, dropped interception. In response, the staff pulled him to give the backup some reps and let Ellis clear his head. On the next snap, the backup completed a long, albeit wobbly, pass up the seam of the defense. How did Ellis respond? Smiled, slapped hands and congratulated his teammate.

That's Aces football.

***

Lower Merion next plays Friday, Sept. 10 at Ridley. The Raiders defeated Coatesville Area 27-20 last week and are coming off a 13-2 season in which they beat Lower Merion 39-0 and eventually advanced to the state semi-finals.

They're one of the preeminent teams in southeastern PA, and are back more loaded than ever this season. I wouldn't count the Aces out though.

And neither would anybody in that locker room.

Notes and Anecdotes

-The starting running backs are named Zeke Zimmer, Jimmy Chimemekas, and Max Golden. They sound like the backfield of the 1927 Minnesota Golden Gophers. Get these guys some leather helmets.

-There seems to be some uncertainty on the team that Junior Desmond Ellis is ready to start.

-The defense, at this juncture of the season, looks miles ahead of the offense.