And with the No. 1 pick….

Henriques selected first in fantasy football draft

By: Bob Nuse
   There is nothing quite like being in the "War Room" for the first Packet Sports Pod Fantasy Football League draft.
   Who goes No. 1? Who will be the biggest surprise of the late picks?
   This one wasn’t televised. There was no national media coverage. But who knows what will happen in a few years?
   Unlike the NFL draft, which takes two days and each pick is agonized over for what seems an eternity, the Packet draft took about 20 minutes. That’s not to say each team didn’t do its homework and come in prepared — maybe that’s why it went so quickly.
   The rules for the league are in the accompanying story on this page. It’s not a league that should be taken too seriously. Nothing is at stake other than trying to provide some late August fun for the local sports fan.
   The three general managers who selected the teams are by no means experts. Jake Uitti (Andy Cap All-Stars) had the No. 1 overall selection. A Princeton High graduate, Uitti covers Montgomery Township for Packet. He was at one time known as the best under 6-foot basketball center in the country. Now, his focus is on Rocky Hill.
   Justin Feil (Feil Cabinets), Assistant Sports Editor at the Packet, spends his football weekends covering Princeton University. A speedy tight end in high school days, Feil follows the high school teams closely from the PU press box.
   Bob Nuse (Bad Nuse Bears) has been covering high school football and the Packet teams for a long time, which you would think would be an advantage. But remember that all things are not always as they appear.
   Anyway, here is a round-by-round look at the first (and possibly last) Princeton Packet Sports Pod Fantasy Football League draft. The draft went in snake order, with Uitti getting the first pick. No one steps to the podium. This draft goes on with little fanfare.
ROUND ONE
   As the novice when it comes to following high school football in the area, Jake Uitti was awarded the first selection for his team, the Andy Cap All-Stars. Uitti, a Princeton High graduate, didn’t stray far from his roots as he selected Little Tiger senior Alexz Henriques as the No. 1 overall pick. A year ago, Henriques led the Colonial Valley Conference with 1,707 yards rushing and scored 15 touchdowns. In the Sports Pod Fantasy League, those are the sort of numbers that win championships.
   The Feil Cabinets, who spend most of their football time at Princeton Stadium, had the second selection. There was no hesitation in selecting WW-P South’s Ryan Lupo, the 2005 Princeton Packet Player of the Year. The feeling was a younger version of Larry Johnson had fallen into the Cabinets’ lap. "Last year he split carries, now he’ll get the ball even more," Cabinets’ GM Feil said. A year ago, Lupo ran for 1,293 yards and scored 17 touchdowns.
   Feeling like they needed a two-headed monster to off-set the first two picks of the draft, the Bad Nuse Bears went for running backs with the next two picks. To close out the first round, the selection was Montgomery’s Will Treichler, who led the Cougars with 780 yards and four touchdowns a year ago. With a year experience, those numbers should grow.
ROUND TWO
   The Bears open the second round with another running back, Princeton Day junior Mike Shimkin. As a sophomore, Shimkin split carries with Alex Kowalski and still managed to rush for 858 yards and seven touchdowns. This year, he’ll likely carry more of the offensive load for the Panthers.
   The Feil Cabinets follow up by selecting the first quarterback of the draft, PDS junior Clint O’Brien. Even though he threw just 51 passes last year, Feil expects the Panthers to go to the air more this season as the third-year starter gains more experience.
   To close out the second round, Uitti stayed with the Princeton theme and selected quarterback Jon Mitko, who threw for 1,549 yards and 16 touchdowns a year ago. The hope is Mitko will cut down on his 19 interceptions as a key part of the potent Little Tiger offense.
ROUND THREE
   Uitti can’t stay away from his alma mater as the Andy Capp All-Stars select their third straight Little Tiger, receiver Tyler Moni. A year ago, he was third on the team with 15 receptions. But with the top two receivers lost to graduation, the hope is a few more passes come Moni’s way during his senior year.
   The Feil Cabinets stay with the receiver theme and select Montgomery’s Steve Watson with their third pick. Last year, despite missing several games due to injury, Watson still caught 29 passes for 605 yards and six touchdowns.
   The Bears know the way to win football games is with defense, and go with the WW-P South defense with the final selection of the third round. Last year the Pirates recorded 28 sacks and intercepted 11 passes. And even though there are holes to fill, many of the top players are back in the fold.
ROUND FOUR
   When a team gets close to the end zone it needs a big receiving target, so the Bad Nuse Bears opt for WW-P South tight end J.B. Fitzgerald with the first pick of the fourth round. As a sophomore, Fitzgerald caught a team-high 17 passes, two for touchdowns. With most of last year’s receiving group lost to graduation, Fitzgerald may be the No. 1 target of quarterback Colin Dampier.
   Sensing a run on defenses, the Feil Cabinets select the Hun defense with their fourth pick. Last year the Raiders had a Packet-area high 32 sacks. And even though there will be several new players on defense for Hun, the MAPL has traditionally been a defense-oriented league with a lot of low scoring games.
   Uitti closes out the fourth round with his first non-Princeton High pick, selecting the Montgomery defense. As the news reporter for Montgomery and Rocky Hill, Uitti is putting his faith in his newly adopted town, hoping the Cougar defense is able to shut down some of the high-powered Skyland Conference offenses it will face.
ROUND FIVE
   Uitti takes the first unknown of the draft in Hun running back Kenny Howard, a newcomer to the Raiders. Feeling like they got the steal of the draft, Uitti heard ESPN’s Stuart Scott say, "I think they just blew the competition out of the water with that pick. Boo Yaaaaaw!"
   Feil Cabinets follow with their own unknown, selecting Hun receiver Quentin Plair. Some online reseach has Feil thinking the speedy receiver played for a pretty good team in Atlanta last year. He’s hoping his research was right. Somewhere in America, Mel Kiper Jr. just said, "I don’t think the Feil Cabinets have any idea what this draft is all about."
   The Bad Nuse Bears are surprised to see all three quarterbacks they liked still on the board in the fifth round. South’s Colin Dampier and Montgomery’s Kevin Watson both have a season under their belt from a year ago, while Hun’s Shane Davis should get a crack at the starting job after being a backup a year ago. All three have positives, but the selection is Watson based mainly on the feeling the Cougars will throw the ball more than the other two teams.
ROUND SIX
   The first WW-P North player goes off the board as the Bears select receiver Alex Ruggiero. A year ago, Ruggiero led the team with 10 catches. The hope is that the Knights will put the ball in the air a little more this year.
   The Feil Cabinets add a second running back with WW-P South’s Stuart Adams, giving them both Pirates who figure to get the bulk of the carries.
   Uitti closes out the sixth round by selecting PDS receiver Andrew Ojeda, who caught a team-high 12 passes last year with four of them going for touchdowns.
ROUND SEVEN
   The final round was the kicker round, as each closed out its roster by filling out that position. Uitti had the first choice in the round and selected Hun’s Scott Demler, who has been with the varsity since he was a freshman. A year ago, he made a field goal and a pair of extra points for the Raiders.
   Feil Cabinets had the next selection and went with Princeton newcomer David Griffin, who takes over for the graduated Katy Paxton.
   The final selection of the draft was the final kicker, with the nod going to first-time football player Dan Jankowski, a converted soccer player, who will kick for WW-P South and the Bad Nuse Bears.
DRAFT REACTION
   In the respective War Rooms after the draft, all three teams are feeling good about themselves.
   "Our team is going to be like our No. 1 back, Alexz Henriques," Uitti said. "We’re going to run away from the competition."
   Feil was a little less confident. "Question marks everywhere," he said. "I may have to talk to a few of these coaches."
   As for the Bad Nuse Bears, we just want to get through the season without any mathematical errors so we add this thing up at the end.