Emotional game for Bok coach

Tomorrow, when Bok meets West Catholic in the District 12 Class AA championship game in football, Wildcats coach Tom DeFelice will truly find out about the loyalty of his relatives and friends.

For some, the temptation to sit in the stands behind West's bench, instead of Bok's, may be too much.

Like DeFelice, many are West graduates. Those deep-rooted ties make the final, at 2 p.m. at Southern, an emotional affair for all involved.

The likable and good-intentioned coach met his wife of nearly 40 years, Grace, at West. Both graduated in 1964. Their children - Chris, 36; Greg, 34; and Natalie, 30 - also graduated from West. DeFelice's brother, Carmen, is a 1962 West graduate and an assistant coach for the Wildcats.

Greg DeFelice is coming in from Atlanta for tomorrow's clash. "Everyone wants to be part of the event, not necessarily to see Bok win, but just to be there and take it all in," Tom DeFelice said.

His top assistant, Frank "Roscoe" Natale, also played and coached at West. In the early 1970s, DeFelice assisted John McAneney, now helping Ron Cohen as George Washington's offensive coordinator, as coach of the quarterbacks and defensive backs.

McAneney's brother, Vince, whose name is attached to Pennsauken's field, where he guided the Indians to many victories, also coached at West (from 1957 to '64), and is a close friend of DeFelice's.

In 1962, DeFelice quarterbacked West to the city championship game. In front of about 34,000 at Franklin Field, the Burrs played Southern to a 20-20 draw. He went on to play football and baseball at Temple.

DeFelice grew up near 56th Street and Baltimore Avenue. "It was a great area to live in," he said. "It had terrific athletic organizations and a high community involvement."

He looked up to West's many star athletes, including basketball greats Ernie Beck, Jimmy Lynam, Jim Boyle and Herb Magee.

"West Catholic was the glue to our neighborhood, our society, our friendships," said DeFelice, a health and physical education teacher at Bok. "The one thing that tied everybody together was West Catholic. It was the heart and soul of the neighborhood."

Natale was a standout nose guard. He is a former head coach at Bartram and now a science teacher at Bok.

"He's such a great role model for our athletes and students," DeFelice said. "I've never met a more positive individual."

The 10-0 Wildcats are up against a speedy and talented squad averaging 48 points a game. The Burrs (9-1) have outscored their foes by 481-126.

"Our players read the papers," DeFelice said. "They know about the abilities of the West players. But our kids aren't in awe of them. They're looking forward to playing them."