This past week: Mathews rushed for 166 yards and scored three touchdowns to lead Schenley in a 54-0 blowout against Punxsutawney in a PIAA Class AAA play-in game. The Spartans play District 10 champion Erie Cathedral Prep in a first-round game tomorrow night.

Check this out: Mathews' versatility was a big reason Schenley won its first City League championship since 1999. A four-year starter, he has run for 663 yards, scored 18 touchdowns and has been a standout kick returner and cornerback.

How did you get your nickname, "The Future"? I got it when I was in ninth grade from some of the trainers. They saw that I was good, so they called me "The Future."

Did you think before the season that you guys would go as far as you have? I believed that we could, but it seemed like nobody else believed in us. We faced some adversity, but then we caught fire.

Does City League football get enough respect? No. It doesn't. We have to go hard at states and make a name for the City League.

Who talks the most trash on the team? [Strong safety] Jeron Grayson. He makes it fun. [Lineman] Andre Irish talks stuff, too. I'm more of the quiet type.

How highly do you and others at school think of [Schenley graduate and San Antonio Spurs player] DeJuan Blair? Very highly. That's my best friend. We talk every day on the phone. When he's in town, he hangs out with us.

? Did he congratulate the team when you won the title? Yeah. We put him on the speakerphone.

Where will you be eating Thanksgiving dinner? I live by a lot of the players, so hopefully with them. We're all like brothers. We're going to watch an Erie Prep game.

What's your favorite Thanksgiving food? I love all of it. Probably chitlins, though.

If you could meet anybody in the world, who would it be? Deion Sanders.

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