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FOOTBALL: Philadelphia Sports Digest’s Inter-Ac Pick Six (Week of 11/6)

By Rich Flanagan - Photos: James Quinn, Geanine Jamison & Lennie Malmgren, 11/11/21, 6:00PM EST

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The “Pick Six” – a league title within reach, a senior quarterback returns, a running back keeps rolling and versatile receiver finds success in the backfield.  PSD’s “Pick Six” highlights personal achievements, team highlights and unbiased turning points of our weekly Inter-Ac League teams in their previously played games.

By: Rich Flanagan

Photos/Videos: Rich Flanagan, Lennie Malmgren, Geanine Jamison & James Quinn

Pick One: Malvern Prep One Step Closer to Title

Dave Gueriera looked out and beheld his Malvern Prep football team. The Friars had put together a dominant 17-7 victory over Episcopal Academy behind a pair of turnovers and a career day for their senior running back. The win on Friday night was not only Malvern Prep’s first over the Churchmen in over two years but it also put the Friars (7-2, 3-0 Inter-Ac) in control of their own destiny.

A win over Springside Chestnut Hill on Saturday afternoon will give Gueriera’s team its first league crown since 2018, which was also the last time they won the title outright. Gueriera stressed that no one spoke about the matchup with Episcopal Academy until the week leading up to it but he could not deny it was on everyone’s mind a lot longer than that.

“The mindset was we’ve been thinking about this for two years and we had this circled at the beginning of the season,” Gueriera said. “You don’t ever talk about it and you go week to week. When the week began, there was nothing I had to say to these guys. There was no theme because it was already built in. Everyone felt it and they wanted this game. They knew the Inter-Ac trophy was here. They were ready and motivated.”

Malvern Prep vs. Episcopal Academy Game Highlights by Rich Flanagan:

Both of the titles Gueriera has won at Malvern Prep have been outright and his 2018 championship team was as loaded as this year’s group. Starting linebacker Keith Maguire, now at Clemson, was named Inter-Ac Co-MVP that season and finished with 106 tackles, 18 tackles for loss, five sacks and four interceptions. He was a member of the Tigers 2019 team that lost to LSU in the College Football Playoff National Championship Game. Drew Gunther, who originally committed to Syracuse but is now at Bowling Green, was the starting quarterback and finished his career with 4,936 yards, 54 touchdowns and a 22-3 record as a starter with the Friars.

Offensive lineman Jake Hornibrook, whose brother, Alex played football at Wisconsin and Florida State, is at Stanford and has played in 20 career games, including a start in a win against No. 3 Oregon this season. Kicker Sebastian Costantini, now at Penn State, had a 70 percent touchback rating and set the Malvern Prep record for most touchbacks in a season as a senior.

Over the course of the 2017 and 2018 Inter-Ac title seasons, the Friars only allowed 131 total points. This year’s team has allowed 96 points but only 14 over the last two weeks in wins over Germantown Academy and the Churchmen. Safety Andrew Connolly picked off Episcopal Academy’s Jake Fant on a fourth down in the end zone and linebacker Ryan Davis made the decisive interception that halted any chance of a comeback by the Churchmen.

Isaiah Wright returned from a knee injury he suffered against the Patriots and rushed for 153 yards and two touchdowns to power the offense. The 5-foot-10 running back has rushed for 846 yards and 11 touchdowns this season, easily putting him in position with a shot at league MVP. He has recorded four 100-yard games in the last six and it’s even more impressive what he has been able to do after not recording a single carry against the Patriots.


Malvern Prep senior Isaiah Wright was awarded PSD's Player of the Game after battling back from injury and recording a season high of 34 carries for 153 yards - PSD Photo by Lennie Malmgren

Wright understands the magnitude of this week’s game and wants his fellow seniors to convey a strong message to younger players after coming off a very emotional win.

“Not to overlook anyone and not take the last game lightly,” Wright said. “We have to come in with the same game plan and Coach Gueriera says, ‘Bring your A game,’ because anyone can beat you. We have to come out there, stay humble and come out with a victory.”

With a stout defense, a seasoned and effective running back and an experienced head coach, the Friars are in prime position to take home their third league crown in five years (there was no league champion in 2020).

Pick Two: Fant Returns and Captures Rhythm with EA Receivers

After suffering a shoulder injury that forced him to miss the second half of the Inter-Ac opener against Germantown Academy and the last two games, Jake Fant returned under center for the Churchmen (6-3, 3-1) and played well in the biggest game of the season going 18-for-26 for 189 yards, a touchdown and two picks.

His touchdown pass came on a beautiful fade route to Army commit Neo Vossschulte in the left corner of the end zone from nine yards out.

Fant made plays with his arm and legs to try and will Episcopal Academy to victory on Friday night. The interception to Connolly came on a desperation heave into the end zone on a 4th-and-long situation but overall he looked solid in his first start in more than two weeks.

He found junior wideout TJ Lamb for four receptions for 53 yards and senior running back and Princeton lacrosse commit Andrew McMeekin, who has 465 rushing yards and 10 touchdowns on the ground, four times for 40 yards. He hit senior receiver Bryce Cooper three times for 61 yards, including a 26-yard connection down the left sideline that set up the scoring strike to Vossschulte.

The senior signal caller has thrown for 997 yards and eight touchdowns while rushing for 217 yards and four scores. Fant will look to close out his Episcopal Academy career with a win at the Haverford School on Saturday.


EA senior quarterback Jake Fant had 18-for-26 completions for 189 yards and a touchdown in game vs. Malvern Prep - PSD Photo by Lennie Malmgren

Pick Three: Allen Reaches Century Mark Again (Well Almost)

Germantown Academy running back Brian Allen’s explosive senior season has been well documented. The 5-foot-11 back leads the Inter-Ac with 1,220 rushing yards on 172 carries and 13 touchdowns but on Saturday against the Fords, he showcased a little bit of everything in his arsenal.

He rushed for 72 yards and caught two passes from junior quarterback Tristian Machado for 28 yards giving him 100 total yards in the Patriots 19-12 win. This marked the eighth consecutive game he has over 100 total yards with the previous seven being 100-yard rushing games. He rushed for a seven-yard touchdown to give the Patriots a 7-0 lead 5:32 into the game. Machado, who threw for a season-high 201 yards, found Evan Spivey for a 60-yard touchdown hookup then kicker Jared Smith nailed two field goals in the fourth quarter to close things out.

Allen has been one of the true surprises in the Inter-Ac this season and his strong play has allowed him to tally the most rushing yards for a Patriots player since Reed Marko in 2007. He needs one more touchdown to match former teammate Lacey Snowden, who rushed for 14 scores last season. The Germantown Academy rushing touchdown record is 23 held by Alex Holcombe (2006).

Germantown Academy Celebrates their 19-12 victory vs. Haverford School while noting their upcoming goals of "winning the day" in Saturday's GA/PC Day - video by Geanine Jamison:

Pick Four: Quakers Score Pull Away with Huge Second Half

Penn Charter (3-5, 1-3) fell behind Springside Chestnut Hill, 7-0. Playing from behind has been a theme for the Quakers this season but they had heard enough of that narrative with Saturday’s performance.

Junior running back Ohifame Ijeboi (98 rushing yards) answered the Springside Chestnut Hill (3-6, 0-4) score with an 82-yard touchdown run to tie the game with under six minutes left to play in the first quarter.

Jimmy Melnick kicked a pair of field goals to give Penn Charter a 13-7 lead heading into halftime. After the intermission, the Quakers poured it on and they did so starting on defense.

Defensive end Isaiah Grimes recorded a strip sack then junior linebacker Liam Rowan recovered and sprinted seven yards for a touchdown to put the Quakers ahead, 20-7 at the 9:41 mark of the third. With Colin Schumm out, junior Seamus McCain stepped in and delivered, as evidenced by his 20-yard scoring strike to Zach Curtin. Curtin put the finishing touches on a decisive afternoon triumph with a 59-yard rushing touchdown.

McCain finished 13-for-18 for 102 yards and connected with eight different receivers in an efficient first start. Curtin finished with 73 yards on the ground and Chandler Turner added 35 yards of his own. On the other side of the ball, McCain leads the Quakers with nine tackles for loss and 6.0 sacks while Rowan has scored three defensive touchdowns this season (two interceptions, one fumble recovery).

Penn Charter closes out the season at home against Germantown Academy on Saturday.

Pick Five: Gerber Finding Success All Over the Field

A week after hauling in the game-winning touchdown on a 4th down to beat Penn Charter, Haverford School senior wideout Sam Gerber put together another scintillating performance as he accumulated 117 total yards in the loss to the Patriots. He rushed for 98 yards while recording three receptions for 19 yards.

The Fords (4-4, 2-2) have used Gerber in multiple positions from the backfield to slot to the outside and everywhere in between to cause mismatches with linebackers or allow him to use his speed to outrun the secondary. The 5-foot-10 receiver has caught 42 passes for 393 yards and four touchdowns this season while also rushing 295 yards and two scores. He and junior Chace Knox (418 yards) have been dynamic this season, even with rotating quarterbacks in Michael Benincasa and Mike Galasso, who had 276 passing yards and three touchdowns against the Quakers a week ago, and have given each quarterback a chance to have success.


Haverford senior Sam Gerber rushed for 98 yards and had three interceptions in game vs. Germantown Academy - PSD Photo by Geanine Jamison

Pick Six: Crawford Performs Well in Relief

Springside Chestnut Hill's Malcolm Crawford had played sparingly this season at quarterback behind the experienced and talented Aidan Dooley. The 5-foot-11 senior threw a 49-yard touchdown to Ivan Thorpe, who received an offer from VMI this week, against Capital Preparatory Harlem Charter School (N.Y.) earlier this season but Saturday was his first opportunity to see extended playing time.

He completed 10-for-15 for 108 yards and a late touchdown in the Blue Devils 35-13 loss to Penn Charter on Saturday. It will be interesting to see if Crawford receives more time in his final high school game but after his solid play last weekend, he should see more snaps in the finale against the Friars.