Normally, star running back LeSean McCoy and Bishop McDevitt High School would be looking forward to their next game as the weekend approaches.

State title contender McDevitt is moving on, but McCoy's high school football career is over. The all-everything running back - one of the nation's mostly highly recruited players - will miss the rest of the season with a broken right ankle and a torn ligament.

McCoy was hurt on his 34th carry of the game Saturday against rival Harrisburg, a game McDevitt won 38-24. As linebacker Xzavier Hunter was tackling McCoy, the two tumbled onto the turf and Hunter rolled onto McCoy's leg and ankle.

"I heard it pop," McCoy told the Patriot-News. "I was like, 'What was that?'"

Unfortunately for McCoy, it was the end to one of the best careers by any Pennsylvania high school running back. McCoy needed surgery to repair ligament damage and to strengthen the fracture. According to McCoy's father, Ron, McCoy must stay off the ankle for up to three months before beginning rehabilitation.

That is an exceptionally long time for an athlete to go without working out, and McCoy will require extensive rehabilitation to get his leg back into football shape.

McCoy finished with a career total of 6,640 yards and 75 touchdowns. He is among a handful of Pennsylvania backs to surpass 6,000 yards in his career. McCoy had been on pace to break the state career rushing record of 8,432 yards of East Stroudsburg's James Mungro.

McCoy acknowledged that losing his remaining games and his shot at helping McDevitt to a possible PIAA Class AAAA title was difficult. McDevitt lost in the PIAA semifinals to eventual state champion Pittsburgh Central Catholic a year ago.

"But I'm all right, I'm all right," McCoy said. "The team just has to keep on playing. They'll be all right, too."

The injury could affect McCoy's college recruitment. He has been one of the nation's most recruited running backs, with more than 60 colleges seeking him, including Penn State.

---

UPBEAT AT NORTH POCONO: North Pocono

High School's successful football season has produced an upbeat attitude at the school.

"We're even going to have a powder puff football game. Everybody's excited," coach John Whitelavich said.

That's understandable. After going 1-9 each of the past three seasons, North Pocono is 4-0, 2-0 in Division I of the Lackawanna Football League, and considered a possible Class AAA playoff team in PIAA District 2.

The Trojans, coming off a 35-13 victory against Wallenpaupack, play winless Western Wayne this weekend.

"When I took over the job four years ago, we were just in one of those down cycles," said Whitelavich, who previously coached at Lakeland. "Then last year, we had four starters who were juniors go down with injuries."

He said his team has had its share of bumps and bruises this season, but nothing major.

"These are the kids who have come through the program with me. They've bought into what we try to do academically and athletically, and it's paying off," Whitelavich said.

He is quick to point out North Pocono isn't filled with Division I-A prospects. He said a few of his players might end up at the Division II or III level.

The star of the turnaround has been senior running back Claude O'Connor, who is 5-feet-9, 185 pounds. He scored on runs of 65, 13, 47, 1 and 67 yards against Wallenpaupack and has rushed for 794 yards on 97 carries.

"He was a linebacker last year and we were looking for a tailback and tried him there," Whitelavich said. "He didn't know the plays very well, but he's learned them now and got faster over the summer. He's a tough runner."

Whitelavich hasn't talked about playoff possibilities with his players, especially with the Trojans facing a tough stretch of games the second half of the season.

"We'll play a couple of teams that could be undefeated when we get them," he said. "I've been though this before at Lakeland when we went 10-0 two years in a row. What we're doing now is for the kids. I'm going to let them enjoy it each week."

---

INJURED: McCoy wasn't the only standout

running back injured last week. Saint Joseph's Prep's John Shaw broke his left leg in a 41-0 victory against Philadelphia Roman Catholic.

A 5-8, 180-pound senior, Shaw has rushed 69 times for 430 yards. For his career, he has 3,530 yards, which is ninth-best in Philadelphia high school history. There is an outside chance Shaw could return this season.

---

NOTES: Manheim Central football coach Mike

Williams picked up his 250th victory, a 42-14 decision over Cocalico. ... Sammy Zeglinski, a 6-0 junior point guard at Penn Charter in Philadelphia, has made a verbal commitment to play at Virginia. La Salle also offered him a scholarship. ... Anthony DiMaria, a 6-6 senior guard at Canevin High in Pittsburgh, is headed to Duquesne. He helped Sewickley Academy to the PIAA Class A District 7 title as a freshman but sat out most of last season after transferring to Canevin in December. He was also being recruited by Syracuse and Tennessee. ... Christian Valeriano, a three-year starter on the Riverside (District 7) baseball team has given a verbal commitment to Lehigh. A 6-4, 210-pound outfielder, he hit .509 with 15 doubles, one home run and 22 RBIs as junior. ... Bellefonte High School softball coach John Wetzler has decided to step down. He took over the school's program in 1999 and had a 137-33 record. His teams won six consecutive District 6 championships.