Photos/Videos: James Quinn & Marc Narducci
By: Marc Narducci
SHARON HILL, PA – Let’s get this out of the way first – Haverford School’s football team doesn’t expect to accumulate too many style points this season.
No doubt, the Fords would love some aesthetically pleasing victories.
So far early in the season, the Fords have to just be satisfied with two W’s in two tries.
Calling the wins ugly may be harsh, but it likely wouldn’t be inaccurate.
The Fords opened with a 14-12 win over Bonner-Prendergast in which the Fords took a 14-0 halftime lead and then held on for dear life.
Unlike the first game, Haverford School had to put its comeback skills to test during a 32-18 win over host Academy Park on Saturday.
When a team’s leading offensive performer is its placekicker, one realizes this was not a conventional win.
For Haverford School, there was a 12-3 deficit in the second quarter to navigate. After catching up, the Fords fell behind18-12 when Academy Park’s Jerae Cavanaugh made a sensational leaping 25-yard touchdown reception from Darrell Fields with 5:06 left in the third quarter.
After that, the Fords seemed to alter their approach, going ground and pound, with Matt Brosko, a 5-foot-10, 180-pound bowling bowl of a back, fighting for every yard and also breaking some big runs, including a 45-yarder.
Brosko epitomizes the Fords. He isn’t very flashy, but then the opponent realizes that it often takes multiple tacklers to bring him down. The way he battles, it could take as many as half a dozen defenders in pursuit of stopping Brosko, who runs like a bronco.
Haverford School vs. Academy Park - PSD Highlights by Marc Narducci:
Haverford School junior running back Matt Brosko #6 - PSD Photo by James Quinn
Brosko’s 5-yard touchdown run and Ivan Harlamov’s PAT gave the Fords the lead for good, 19-18 with 59 seconds left in the third quarter.
There were still plenty of anxious moments after that, but Harlamov, owner of the four field goals, would add two more, including a 42-yarder. Finally, with 16 seconds left, Yasir Denmark sealed matters with a long interception return for a touchdown.
It was the second straight week he made a big interception late in the game.
Afterwards, Haverford School coach Brian Martin had one word for this one “whew!!!”
Actually this is what he really said, not only about the win, but the future this season for the Fords.
“I see a lot of games not being pretty,” he said. “It’s going to be down and dirty and we will take it.”
Do they have any other choice?
Academy Park has some talented players and the minefield of a schedule that the Inter-Ac provides will present Haverford School its fair share of high quality future opponents.
Marc Narducci catches up with Haverford School head coach Brian Martin, Ivan Harlamov and Matt Brosko after the Fords win vs. Academy Park - PSD Video by Marc Narducci:
Haverford School won’t be listed among the Inter-Ac favorites, but any team that faces the Fords must understand it will be in for a 48-minute fist fight.
Not a literal one, but one in which this team will be relentless, throwing figurative jabs throughout.
Sometimes when a team wins in a grinding fashion, there is the tendency to think it is devoid of talent.
That couldn’t be further from the truth. For instance, Haverford School tight end James Falk (6-6, 226) is a Division I recruit, having committed to Rice.
Falk made sensational leaping catches against Academy Park, only to be negated by a penalty, part of the not so pretty portion of Saturday’s win.
“We came out flat, picked it up, but we kept on fighting,” Falk said. “That is our identity.”
Make no mistake, this wasn’t the happiest team when trailing 12-3 in the second quarter, but a 16-yard scoring pass from senior quarterback Gavin Wright to senior wide receiver Derrick “Chase” Knox and a 36-yard field goal by Harlamov with five seconds left in the second quarter, tied the score at halftime.
And finally, after getting behind 18-12 in the third quarter, Haverford School made a consensus decision – the Fords simply didn’t want to leave Sharon Hill with an L.
“We just clawed our way back and we were just trying to win the ball game,” Falk said. “No matter how ugly or pretty.”
In addition to Falk, Wright (6-5, 200) is a strong-armed quarterback. Denmark is a quality defensive back. Knox is a blur in the open field.
Center Matt Pante (6-5, 285) leads an offensive line that simply crushes opponents. He has committed to Cornell.
“We have the best offensive line in the state,” said Brosko, who may be slightly biased, but anybody watching the OL, could see how they receive such lavish praise.
Senior defensive back Willis Burt (6-0, 174) is one of those players who is seen all over the field, strong in coverage and such a sure tackler.
There are many other quality players on this team, a fact that could be forgotten when seeing how they struggle to win, but win nevertheless.
What is also good is that the Fords posses a healthy dose of humility. After kicking a career-high four field goals, all Harlamov could do was talk about his supporting cast.
“It felt incredible but I couldn’t have done it without my snapper Kellen (sophomore Kellen Gardner) and my holder (freshman) Zach Faragalli,” he said.
In addition, the Fords received a lesson that is much better learned in victory rather than defeat.
Haverford School senior tight end James Falk #86 - PSD Photo by James Quinn
Haverford School senior receiver Derrick "Chace" Knox #1 - PSD Photo by James Quinn
Haverford School senior center Matt Pante #71 - PSD Photo by James Quinn
Haverford School senior kicker Ivan Harlamov #16 - PSD Photo by James Quinn
“We came in a little too confident in all honesty, but in the end of the game we put a cap on the game and as coach Martin always likes to say, ‘we shut the gate and don’t let them leave,’” Harlamov said.
That’s a good way of putting it.
For two games, the gate has been shut, just at the appropriate time.
