The third season under head coach Darrell Dulany could be the season Upper Darby starts turning the corner.
The Royals went 5-6 last fall and closed strong, winning two of their last three even though their top playmaker, Jaylen Johnson, was sidelined most of the year with an injury. Even without him, the Royals return a roster with plenty size, speed and upside.
Senior A’zeem Spicer (6-2, 215) is the tone setter for the Royals. He earned second team All-Central League honors as a defensive lineman and figures to be one of the most disruptive players in Delco.
“He’s an athlete, so he’s doing everything for us,” Dulany said. “He’s a guy who is going to play receiver and tight end for us, he’ll be on kick returns and play outside linebacker and D-end. He can do it all. He has an offer from Cal University (of Pennsylvania) and has some others coming through the pipeline. He’s a big talent.”
Right next to Spicer is senior linebacker Osman Daffay, another second team All-Central pick. He already holds offers from Eastern Michigan and West Virginia State. Together, they anchor a defense Dulany believes will play fast and hit hard.
“He’s a monster for us,” Dulany said of Daffay. “Just a real solid player. He’s going to be key for us.”
On offense, the Royals leaned heavily on senior running back Salahudin Abdur-Rashid once Johnson went out last season. He returns in a backfield that also features seniors David Okolski and Taijae Byrd.
At quarterback, Dulany has overseen a healthy camp competition. Sophomore Safiy Salley (6-2) transferred over from West Catholic and, according to Dulany, already looks the part of a future top-tier passer in the Central League. Sophomore Tyler Freeman has made it a battle all summer.
The Royals’ skill talent is a strength, especially with junior receiver/safety Shamarr Purnell (6-1, 185), who has already bagged an offer from Penn.
“Our main strength is our skill guys, but we have a lot of guys who can play multiple positions. We have a lot of older guys with experience who had to be thrown into the fire when they were younger guys,” Dulany said. “From a position standpoint, our running back corps and our linebacker corps are our main strengths. The offensive and defensive lines, we’ve got big bodies, but those big bodies are young. They’re still understanding how to play football and how to win games.”
Dulany, a former defensive back at Rhode Island, keeps the standard high and isn’t shy about pushing his group toward it every day. With more players drawing college attention and another year in his system, he believes this could be the breakthrough year.
“This being my third year, those guys who have been here every year with me now understand some of those things,” Dulany said. “But it’s always a constant reminder that this is the standard and this is what we do. We need to always run to the ball, I need all 11 hats on every play … those types of things. I think the biggest difference going into this season is just having guys that get it and want to win and want to get better at their craft.”
Upper Darby has a daunting first month of the schedule, with four straight games on the road against Bensalem, Conestoga, Strath Haven and Cardinal O’Hara. The Royals won’t have their home opener until Sept. 19 when Springfield comes to town.
“We’re going to be challenged early in the season,” Dulany said. “A lot of games on the road, but hopefully that will help us pull together. Nothing comes easy.”