The numbers have piled up this football season

The clocks have been turned back and the postseason brackets have been released. That means the scholastic football season has made the turn for home. But before schools start packing away the helmets and shoulder pads, it’s time for a little tradition. It’s By the Numbers, our annual look at the Delco season in statistical form.

0: Victories by Chichester, the only team in Delaware County that hasn’t broken into the win column. The Eagles have lost 23 of their last 24 games, dating to the 2006 season.

1: Number of seasons in which Episcopal has been a Delco school, having shifted its campus from City Line Avenue to Newtown Square. The Churchmen, who have received 769 rushing yards from Steve Faulkner, can complete an eight-win season with a decision of The Haverford School Saturday.

4: Types of touchdown returns for Academy Park’s Eric Gilbert. The do-everything senior has scored on interception, fumble, punt and kickoff returns. Also the number of ways Sun Valley’s John Wellbrock has scored. Wellbrock has run for and caught touchdowns, thrown for a score and has kicked an extra point.

5: Central League teams that have qualified for the District One playoffs — Conestoga, Garnet Valley, Penncrest, Ridley and Strath Haven. The Central has often been ridiculed by Suburban One Conference and Ches-Mont League supporters as being weak, but the postseason berths earned by the league prove otherwise. A few advancements to the second round would further prove its quality.

8: County-leading interception total for Haverford High’s Liam McGrath. The senior has also excelled at quarterback for the Fords, piling up 522 yards on the ground and 616 yards through the air. McGrath has returned two of his interceptions for touchdowns.

8: National rank for Richmond in the Football Championship Subdivision, formerly known as Division I-AA. The Spiders have landed Haverford School quarterback Dan Judge as one of their top recruits. Judge has guided the Fords to a six-win season, their first winning campaign since 2000.

12.7: Yards-per-carry average for Garnet Valley standout Tim Keyser, a threat to go the distance each time he touches the football. The All-Delco selection has run for 980 yards on 77 carries heading into the first round of the District One Class AAAA Tournament. Garnet Valley is seeded second and will face Pennridge in the opening round.

14: Points scored by Monsignor Bonner in the fourth quarter. Until last weekend’s win over Archbishop Ryan, in which the Friars scored twice in the final 12 minutes, Bonner hadn’t found the end zone in the final stanza.

15: Years in between appearances in the District One Class AAA playoffs for Interboro. The Bucs have been a Class AAAA postseason qualifier during the interim, but this year returned to the third-biggest classification in the state. Led by the multi-dimensional talent Shawn Krautzel, Interboro is seeded seventh and will try to knock off No. 2 seed Pottsgrove in the opening round.

19: Catches for Upper Darby’s Tim Brown, on the radar of some Division I-AA coaches. Despite missing three games, Brown has 391 receiving yards and four touchdowns.

24: Touchdowns for Glen Mills running back Bernard Pierce, who leads Delco in the category. Pierce is eight scores shy of the county record, shared by Sun Valley’s Tony Canci (204) and Collingdale’s Jimmy Cox (1955) at 32.

26: Penalties committed by Marple Newtown in 10 games. Coach Ray Gionta always has one of the most disciplined teams in the county. After a slow start, the Tigers have won four of their last five games. Phil Graziano leads the team with 1,209 rushing yards.

29: Length of the touchdown reception posted by Penn Wood’s Shawn Oakman in a win over Chichester. Oakman, a 6-8, 230-pound sophomore, is a rising star on the basketball court and a future Division I recruit.

34: Turnovers forced by an opportunistic Chester defense, a major reason why the Clippers shared the Del Val League championship with Interboro and Glen Mills. In nine games, Chester has recovered 17 fumbles and intercepted 17 passes. J.R. Wells has been a standout at linebacker and Laquan Robinson has flourished as a defensive back.

62.8: Average length of the five touchdowns scored by Cardinal O’Hara’s Billy Morgan, a Hofstra recruit. Morgan scored on a 99-yard run last week against La Salle, has an 80-kickoff return for a touchdown and a 71-yard scoring grab.

160.61: Passing-efficiency rating for Ridley quarterback Andrew Pidgeon. Was there really any doubt whether coach John Waller would develop another standout under center? Since taking the coaching reins in 2001, Waller has coached six of the past seven All-Delco quarterbacks. Pidgeon is doing his best to make it seven of the past eight.

199: Passing attempts by Springfield quarterback Wally Rutecki, the most in Delco. When former Downingtown and University of Virginia star Dan Ellis took the reins of the program prior to the season, there was no doubt the Cougars would go to the air with frequency. Ellis has started a turnaround at Springfield, which will seek its fifth victory Saturday.

282: Rushing yards generated by Strath Haven’s Lonnie Richardson in a win over Lower Merion. The total set a single-game school record, breaking a Dan Mulhern mark that had stood since 1996. Going into the Class AAA playoffs, where the Panthers will play Bayard Rustin, Richardson has run for 1,297 yards.

364.5: Total offense average for Penncrest, bound for its first playoff appearance. A balanced attack, fueled by quarterback Matt Atkinson and running back Jerry Boyer, has the Lions hitting for 30-plus points per game.

405: Receiving yardage for Radnor wideout John Coleman, a 6-4, 205-pounder who is playing his first full season of football. Coleman’s potential has attracted the attention of a handful of Division I-AA programs.

603: The rushing total for Archbishop Carroll quarterback Luke Wischnowski, the second highest total in Delco for a signal caller. Wischnowski has three 100-yard games, including a high of 111 in a win over Kennedy-Kenrick.

3,764: Career passing yardage for Cardinal O’Hara’s Tom Savage, considered one of the top quarterback recruits in the nation. Savage has committed to Rutgers University after considering offers from numerous big-time programs, including Georgia.

3,846: State record for rushing yards in a season, set in 2002 by Parkland’s Austin Scott. That mark is in jeopardy, under attack by Schuylkill Haven’s Zach Barket. In 10 games for his Class A school, Barket has run for 2,921 yards and 46 touchdowns. His scoring total is just seven shy of Scott’s Keystone State record.

John Lohn is the Deputy Sports Editor of the Daily Times.