Carroll Head Coach Kyle Detweiler (left) played center in high school and college. Patriots senior center and captain Patrick Griswold says he has learned much from Detweiler and his other line coaches. Both believe Carroll is on right path to return to greatness. Photos by Al Thompson

There are high school football programs out there that have struggled for a while and were reluctant to talk about the team’s past saying it’s not about the past, it’s about the future.

Archbishop Carroll High School’s football team has not produced a winning or .500 season since the Patriots went 10-3 in 2007. Carroll had not won a playoff game since 2008 until last week’s win over Bonner-Prendie 17-14.

Kyle Detweiler took over the Carroll program this year after former NFL linebacker Dan Conner, a standout at Strath Haven, left for a job in college football after just two seasons.

Detweiler stared at the losing streak and instead of dwelling on the tough times this football team endured over the last 11 years, he saw an opportunity to restore a winning attitude to a program that has won five Catholic League titles and a team that after 2007 season had won more playoff games than any team in Catholic League history.

The Catholic League started in 1920, Carroll started playing varsity football in the Fall of 1969.

Did he share his fearless look at the program with his new team?

“Oh yeah, absolutely,” Detweiler said just before Tuesday’s practice. “It was one of my goals when I got hired in March. I said Carroll hasn’t had a winning football season since 2007. So I said, let’s do it! Actually it was one of the things that attracted me to come here. I wanted to be part of the turnaround. I wanted to be part of the change. I want the challenge.”

The Patriots are 5-5 heading into their District 12, second round 4A playoff game against Cardinal O’Hara (6-3) to be played at Cardinal O’Hara in Springfield Saturday November 10, 2018 at 5 PM.

One of the leaders Detweiler will no doubt lean on is standout center Patrick Griswold. The senior captain and head coach have something in common. They both play center.

Since 2011, Detweiler was the assistant varsity football coach and defensive coordinator at Central
Bucks South High School in Warrington. He played center for Souderton Area High School (class of 2006) and at Muhlenberg College.

In his senior year football bio at Muhlenberg, the 5-foot-11, 260-pound Detweiler is described as “Small for position but smart.”

While Griswold is listed as 6-0, 305 pounds, he too displays the wisdom you would expect from a senior and a captain. Part of that wisdom comes from learning to adapt quickly. In his case, he had little choice.

Griswold played freshman football Carroll and was impressive enough to start at center his sophomore season and has manned that position ever since.

The Patriots football program has had three head coaches during Griswold’s four years a Carroll, Joe Powell, Conner and Detweiler.

Griswold has had a different offensive coordinator each year at Carroll. Yup, four different systems he needed to learn and since he is the only player who actually can say he handles the ball on every play, it’s been a tall challenge every season.

“The coaching changes have been hard.” Griswold before practice Tuesday, held at an area indoor facility. “We had Coach Powell for my freshman year and I had to learn that offense. Then we had Coach Conner for two years, but the offensive coordinators changed both years.”

Griswold started to smile as he finished his thought. “I haven’t run the same offense in any one of my four years. We’ve had a lot of coaching changes, but we’ve been on the up. We’ve been getting players coming in…and coach Detweiler has done a great job.”

Griswold keeps his thinking on the positive side. He talked about how having to learn a new offense could help him at the next level. Griswold says he is getting interest from programs that compete in the Division III Centennial Conference and the Middle Atlantic Conference.

Eagles middle linebacker Jordan Hicks played for two head coaches and four defensive coordinators at Texas. Hicks has maintained that helped him adjust to the next level because he learned to change and adapt quickly.

“Change does not scare me and I don’t take anything for granted,” Hicks said. “I also think I’m able to see the positives of every different situation I’m in. It’s enhanced my confidence and humility all at the same time.”

The coach agreed his center could really benefit from such an unusual career, from a coaching standpoint.

“I would hope so,” Detweiler said. “I think there’s value to just expose your inexperience to all types of offensive systems. He’s going to determine a college, and if he’s fortunate to play at that college…they may have a whole different system than we ran here! He’s so use to change it’s going to help him in everything because he’s going to be flexible, he’s going to be adaptable, versatile, all those things.”

In what was his last coaching change, Griswold said having Detweiler as his coach has probably been the best year for him playing football. Since Detweiler played the same position in high school and college, the coach has plenty to offer to his offensive leader

“He’s been a great help,” Griswold said. “He played center. He’s been able to teach me a lot and our line coaches John Tull (also a former standout center at Carroll) and Mark Mounayar are doing a great job.”

Griswold credits his coach for changing the culture from accepting a loss to expecting to win.

“With new guys coming in Coach Griswold is doing a great job with the culture,” Griswold said. “We’re turning this around.”

Griswold said he and his teammates are aware that a win against O’Hara would guarantee at least a .500 season and a tangible sign the program is headed in the right direction. Carroll dropped a 21-7 decision to the Lions on September 21.

“We’ve been aware of it from the start of the season,” Griswold said. “Looking back to my freshman year I thought this 2019 class was going to do so well. We need to be the class that changes the football program around. We want to get that first winning season, get that first title.”

Griswold said they like their chances on Saturday.

“We’re all pretty evenly matched,” Griswold said. “We all have a chance in every game.”

Detweiler agrees because the Patriots have been in pretty much every game. Winning Saturday is in their hands.

“I happen to be part of a very successful CB (Central Bucks) South squad the last couple years,” Detweiler said. “It (Carroll) was a brand new challenge for me and we’re enjoying it. We’ve had quite the roller coaster ride this season. That’s why we are 5-5, an up and down season. We could very well be sitting here with a winning record.“

Win Saturday and they will. *

Al Thompson graduated from Archbishop Carroll in 1970. He served as the Patriots strength and conditioning coach from 2001-2007.

Carroll’s offensive line (left to right, tackle to tackle}: Gavin McKenna, CJ Hetrick, Patrick Griswold, Jacob Santoro, and Jason Lafontano.
Photo by Al Thompson

2018 Southeastern PA Top 20 Football teams as of November 6, 2018
1. Coatesville (11-0)
2. St. Joe’s Prep (8-0)
3. Malvern Prep (10-0)
4. Imhotep Charter (7-2)
5. North Penn (11-0)
6. Garnet Valley (11-0)
7. Downingtown West (11-1)
8. Penn Wood (10-1)
9. Harry S. Truman (10-1)
10. Pottsgrove (10-1)
11. Radnor (9-2)
12. Conwell-Egan (11-0)
13. Archbishop Wood (6-3)
14. Neshaminy (8-3)
15. West Catholic (9-2)
16. Academy Park (9-2)
17. William Penn Charter (7-2)
18. Upper Dublin (9-1)
19. Downingtown East (9-2)
20. Bayard Rustin (9-2)

Best of the rest (alphabetically): Archbishop Carroll (5-5), Archbishop Ryan (7-3), Bishop McDevitt (8-3), Cardinal O’Hara (6-3), Council Rock South (6-5), Episcopal Academy (6-3), George Washington (8-3), Haverford High School (8-3), Martin Luther King (9-2), Northeast (6-3), Perkiomen Valley (8-3), Pope John Paul II (8-3), Pottstown (6-5) Ridley (6-5), Spring-Ford (8-3), Springfield (7-4), Upper Darby (7-4).

Follow Al Thompson on Twitter @thompsoniii