The member schools of the Bicentennial Athletic League are far from the biggest in District 1, all competing in the smaller classifications, but it doesn’t stop the league from fielding plenty of talent.

Last season, it was New Hope-Solebury taking BAL honors with an unbeaten 6-0 league record and even with a fair amount of talent due back, repeating in the league is always a tall task. With the smaller schools, the loss of even one key player can sometimes dramatically alter a team’s win-loss record.

A handful of BAL teams are rebuilding this fall, but competition at the top should be fierce for that coveted league title.

CONTENDERS

New Hope-Solebury isn’t going to just hand over its reign atop the BAL without a major fight, and despite the loss of several multi-year starters, the Lions still have a lot to like on their roster.

Nick Garritano is back for his fourth year as the starting quarterback, an unrivaled commodity not only in the BAL, but across the board in high school football. Garritano has eclipsed the 1,000-yard barrier in each of his first three seasons and he has some polished receivers back to make that accomplishment well in reach again.

NHS’s powerful ground game will have a new look with the departure of all-league running back Jack McKenna and fullback Brendan Shadle, a potent 1-2 punch that was a huge part of the unbeaten BAL season in 2016.

Up front, the Lions are big, burly and ready to move people on both sides of the ball. With three starters back on both the offensive and defensive line, New Hope-Solebury won’t have to worry about opening holes or eating up gaps.

While New Hope-Solebury has had a very good ground game the past few seasons, Bristol has made its name on big-yardage backs running behind strong offensive lines. The Warriors return a horde of talent on both sides of the ball and look to be right in the thick of the title chase all season long.

Senior Eric Bell is the latest in the long lineage of standout Bristol runners, entering his second season as the primary ball-carrier. In classic Warrior fashion, he’s not the biggest guy around, but he’s quick, reads blocks and his numbers, including a 1,000-plus yard junior season, more than make up for it.

Bristol has just 24 players on the roster, many of them seniors, so it’s do-or-die for this group. The Warriors look to have a fast and athletic defense led by senior cornerbacks Xavier Corbin and Dante Lombardi.

Also figuring to be in the mix is Delco Christian. The Knights lost the District 1 Class A title game to Jenkintown last year, but have a good mix of returning talent and some new faces.

Don’t expect a lot of balls in the air when DC is on offense, thanks to their tested and true triple-wishbone offense. Senior Luke Gutkowski is transitioning to play quarterback and will be the conductor of the Knights’ run-heavy option attack.

Senior Jalen Mitchell figures to see a boatload of touches out of the backfield on offense as the team’s top returning skill position player. Defensively, Gutkowski returns off a strong season at linebacker and Mitchell will line up as a defensive back.

WILD CARD

Morrisville enters the 2017 season more than capable of putting itself in the BAL title discussion, provided its young players are able to answer the bell throughout the season.

The Bulldogs are replacing roughly half of their starters on both sides of the ball and like the majority of teams in the BAL, they will need the roster to avoid any major injuries. Morrisville has a good foundation, with three offensive line starters back, a growing quarterback in junior Felix Feliciano entering his second year as a starter and some variety in the backfield.

It’s the defense that has Morrisville ready to make a push. With veterans at every level, anchored by a strong secondary, expect the Bulldogs to be fierce when trying to get stops and able to hang around in games by keeping the score close.

REBUILDING

After graduating 10 seniors, most of them two-way starters, it’ll be a growing year in Jenkintown.

Drakes coach Tony Owens returns just four offensive starters, all in new spots, and three on defense and has just five seniors on the roster. Losing a do-it-all player like Steve Charlemagne also hurts and while Jenkintown is expecting its share of peaks and valleys, there’s a definite chance to plan for the future.

With a combined 20 juniors and sophomores, plus whatever amount of freshmen that end up in the fold, the Drakes are hoping to set up for the next few years. Seniors Pat Morrin and Christian Solis, both multi-sport athletes, will be asked to help lead and encourage this young and inexperienced crew. After a 7-3 season that saw them win the District I A title last season, repeating all that may be a stretch, but if they’re playing their best ball by season’s end, the Drakes will certainly take it.

It’s been a few tough years at Lower Moreland, where the effort couldn’t be questioned despite a lack of wins to show for it. Longtime coach and athletic director Mark Mayson stepped down at the end of last school year, so former assistant Justin Beck is taking over for his first year on the job.

Beck has a lot of areas to work on, including an offense that didn’t score in double figures at all in 2016 and a defense that spent a lot of time on the field. The Lions have plenty of energy as they get ready for the season and under Beck, are planning to be a little higher-paced and diverse on offense. LM may not see immediate improvement in terms of record, but the players want opponents to recognize this is a different Lions team.

Likewise, it’s a similar story at Valley Forge Military Academy. VFMA lost the services of Audley Isaacs, now at Temple, a linebacker/running back who rarely left the field and who was one of the BAL’s top all-around players last season. Likewise, departed seniors Peyton Small and Jayden Smith leave a big void for the Trojans. VFMA did manage a huge win in the playoffs last year, knocking off Bristol in a District 1/12 AA semifinal despite a host of injuries.

By Andrew Robinson; arobinson@21st-centurymedia.com