Photos: Chelby Elam, Mike Nance & Ryan Nix
By: Marc Narducci
Quarterback play continues to be impressive for many Inter-Ac teams. This past week we saw a dual-threat standout at Springside Chestnut Hill Academy, a battle of big plays between Penn Charter and Episcopal Academy quarterbacks and a record-setting performance at Germantown Academy, not to mention another fine performance at Malvern Prep.
And of course, it wouldn’t be a week in the Inter-Ac if we didn’t see a goose egg by the Malvern Prep defense. Here is a look back at Week No. 2 in the Inter-Ac where the season is getting late early.
A year ago, as a sophomore Penn Charter quarterback Tom McGlinchey performed admirably during a 4-5 season that included a 1-4 mark in the Inter-Ac. This year, the 6-foot-6, 220-pound McGlinchey has taken that proverbial next step.
He ended last year with a 35-14 victory over rival Germantown Academy and has carried that momentum into this season.
Penn Charter junior quarterback Tom McGlinchey #8 - PSD Photo by Chelby Elam
On Saturday, it was bombs away for McGlinchey in an exciting 31-28 back-and-forth home win over visiting Episcopal Academy.
McGlinchey led an inspired comeback. The Quakers trailed 28-17 entering the fourth quarter, but won the game with a 14-0 advantage over the final 12 minutes. Penn Charter got to within 28-23 when McGlinchey eluded a big rush and running to his left, hit Zahir Kalam Id-Din on a short pass and the Penn Charter senior did the rest, scampering for a 55-yard scoring pass.
The game-winner came with 7:41 left when McGlinchey hit a wide-open Tate Taylor, at the 40 and the Penn Charter senior took off for a 59-yard touchdown. McGlinchey then hit Nolan Duffy for the two-point conversion to end the scoring.
All told, McGlinchey completed 17-of-27 for 379 yards and four touchdown passes. He also found Taylor on a 65-yard scoring pass in the second quarter and then hit Kalam Id-Din in stride on an 85-yard bomb early in the third quarter.
Taylor caught five passes for 183 yards and two scores while Kalam Id-Dim added four receptions for 160 yards and two touchdowns.
McGlinchey also showed great mobility, able to buy himself time when needed, especially on that 59-yard score to Taylor. It just demonstrated his continued growth.
“It is definitely a big step up from last year,” he said. “I was kind of a first-year guy in there last year and now I am a second-year guy and had the whole off-season to work.”
And work he did.
“I worked on my strength and speed and reading the defense is what I improved on over the summer and I think it has been a big confidence booster coming into year two as the starter.”
What was most impressive is how Penn Charter kept its poise as Episcopal Academy appeared ready to pull away.
“We kept our cool on the sideline and everybody was like’ ‘hey we’re on the same page,’” McGlinchey said. “We all felt we were going to get chances to score, and our motto was to score more.”
Good motto.
On the game-winner, Taylor couldn’t have been more wide-open. With his speed Taylor was off to the races, and nobody was going to catch him.
“I just ran the play that the coach called up and Tom happened to see me down field,” Taylor said modestly.
Added McGlinchey: “That is Tate doing Tate things. He is our guy to make a big plays, and we needed him to do that and he did it.”
So did the QB, who is playing with more confidence each day. For the season he has completed 78-of-123 passes for 1,335 yards and 14 touchdowns.
“Tom is throwing the ball well, he’s gaining confidence all the time he is a hard worker and good leader,” said Penn Charter coach Tom Coyle.
The veteran Penn Charter coach lauded his entire team, which is now 6-1, 1-1 this season.
“It’s just a group that worked really hard in the off-season and committed themselves to getting better,” Coyle said. “And whatever the difficult situation that’s presented them, they just find a way to overcome some challenges, and they do that together.”
While the offensive created so many big plays, linebacker Hugh Maley led Penn Charter with 13 tackles, while defensive back Matt Furda had seven tackles and an interception.
Next: Saturday at Malvern Prep, 1 p.m.
Liam Zelman had quite the day in Springside Chestnut Hill Academy’s 36-20 win over Germantown Academy. The junior rushed for 264 yards and three touchdowns on 21 carries, a healthy 10.76 yards per carry.
He also completed 8 of 14 passes for 133 yards and two scores as the Blue Devils improved to 7-0, 2-0.
“We had one of our running backs get hurt in the third quarter and I kind of had to step up in the second half and take over the run game,” Zelman said.
Zelman is a true dual-threat quarterback and not surprisingly, at 6-foot-3 and 215 pounds, he’s not very easy to bring down.
This is Zelman’s first year at SCH. He attended Northern Valley Demarest in North Jersey during his first three years. In January he transferred to Cheshire Academy, a boarding school in Connecticut for a semester.
He said it didn’t work out as he had hoped at Cheshire Academy and decided to enroll at SCH, where he is reclassified as a junior.
Last year as a starting quarterback, he was productive for Demarest, throwing for 918 yards and five touchdowns and running for 433 yards and four scores, according to NJ.com stats.
He said the adjustment to SCH has been seamless.
“It’s been great,” he said. “Everybody at SCH has been great and very welcoming and it has been a smooth transition.”
What has helped the transition football-wise is that Zelman is playing behind a huge and talented offensive line, one of the many strengths for the unbeaten Blue Devils.
“Our offensive line is great,” he said. “I could talk about them all day.”
Besides the stellar quarterback play, Aaron Clark caught five passes for 86 yards and a touchdown and Joey Markey added two receptions for 42 yards and a score.
The defense has remained solid all season for the Blue Devils. Sean Brett has a team-high 11 tackles for loss, while Colin McFadden has 9 tackles for loss, including two sacks.
Next: at Haverford, Saturday 1 p.m.
It was a bittersweet day for Episcopal Academy junior Jackson Orcutt during Saturday’s 31-28 loss at Penn Charter. Orcutt had nine receptions for 194 yards and three touchdowns. He also had 68 return yards as a punt and kickoff returner and added three tackles at cornerback. Yet it was the three receiving touchdowns of 54, 22 and 39 yards from classmate Brody Garrison that really stood out.
Episcopal Academy junior Jackson Orcutt #10 tallied nine receptions for 194 yards and three touchdowns vs. Penn Charter - PSD Photo by Chelby Elam
It was a once-in-a-lifetime performance, except that this was actually the second time this season Orcutt had three touchdown receptions in a game. He also had three in a 33-14 win over Blair Academy on Sept. 27. In that game Orcutt had five receptions for 181 yards and three scores.
Even though it might be getting old hat, it’s still a thrill to snare in three TD passes in a game, but ever the competitor, Orcutt would have traded the three scores for a W.
“It’s definitely disappointing, but we have to get back to work next week,” said Orcutt, who has 48 receptions for 715 yards and 10 touchdowns this season. “It’s more like a team thing than an individual thing.”
Spoken like a true team player.
The performance wasn’t a surprise to EA head coach Todd Fairlie.
“He is an excellent player who always steps up,” Fairlie said. “We are going to go to him in big moments and he has always been a gamer for us. He is phenomenal.”
Among the other players, Garrison completed 18-of-29 passes for 292 yards and three touchdowns. Senior Jake Virbitsky led the defense with eight tackles.
Next: Friday vs. Germantown Academy, 7 p.m.
Haverford School had a tough time dealing with Malvern Prep last week, which doesn’t exactly put the Fords in select company. Most opponents have that same experience against the Friars. Yet despite a 27-0 loss, one thing remained constant for Haverford School was the play of junior defensive lineman Walt Frazier.
Haverford School junior defensive lineman Walt Frazier #53 - PSD Photo by Mike Nance
The 6-3, 290-pound Frazier, had another big game for the Fords, which is simply becoming routine.
Talk to coaches around the Inter-Ac and they often mention the stellar play of No. 53.
“Walt played tough against Malvern and made a lot of disrupting plays on the line,” Haverford School coach Brian Martin said.
Frazier is versatile enough that Martin is able to use him at both tackle and defensive end.
He has been a starter since his freshman year, when Haverford went 10-0 overall and 5-0 to win the Inter-Ac title in 2022.
Opposing coaches often want no part of dealing with Frazier.
“Teams tell me they try to run away from him,” Martin said.
That still doesn’t work.
Frazier has made an impression whether seeing him in person or on tape.
This past week, Penn State coach James Franklin visited Haverford School. While there was no immediate scholarship offer made, the Nittany Lions want to continue correspondence.
“Coach Franklin said he wants to get him on their campus,” Martin said.
The two offensive leaders for the Fords were junior Semaj Lee, who rushed for 43 yards on 12 carries and sophomore Marcus Jones who had five receptions for 39 yards.
Next: Saturday vs. Springside Chestnut Hill Academy, 1 p.m.
Germantown Academy junior Xavier Stearn needed just 17 games to put himself in the Patriots record books. The 6-6, 210-pound junior is now the all-time leader in career passing yards at GA. The old mark was 3,891 set by Kyle McCloskey in 2017. According to GA head coach Kyle Donahue, McCloskey set his record in 29 career games.
Stearn set the mark in Saturday’s 36-20 loss to Springside Chestnut Hill Academy, where he completed 19 of 27 passes for 221 yards and two touchdowns.
“It is quite an accomplishment,” Donahue said. “Xavier continues to play really well.”
Stearn has now thrown for 4,069 career yards and 43 touchdowns.
Others who stood out Saturday include kicker Cole Grim, who kicked two more field goals of 35 yards. Receiver AJ Towsen had six receptions for 76 yards and a score and Mick McKee added eight receptions for 73 yards and a touchdown.
Jack Durkin added 54 yards rushing on 12 carries.
Even though the Patriots are 0-2 in the Inter-Ac, they have been competitive. In an opening 40-26 loss at Haverford School, GA led 16-13 at the half. Against SCH, they trailed just 14-13 at halftime.
The Patriots may lack some depth, which could explain the second halves, but they have shown plenty of fight in the first two Inter-Ac games.
Next: Friday at Episcopal Academy, 7 p.m.
After opening with a 41-0 Inter-Ac win over Episcopal Academy, Malvern Prep continued its stingy defensive ways with last week’s 27-0 victory over Haverford School.
Malvern Prep safety Andrew Pellicciotta #15
“We are 11 men going to the football,” Malvern Prep safety Andrew Pellicciotta said. “I feel like we are super disciplined.”
A Navy commit, Pellicciotta credits defensive coordinator Joe Carr for a lot of the team’s success.
“Coach Carr is one of the best defensive coaches I ever been coached by,” Pellicciotta said. “He coaches really well and always has a great game plan.”
Malvern Prep head coach Dave Gueriera concurs with the assessment of his defensive coordinator.
“Coach Joe Carr does a phenomenal job, and preparation is big with us,” Gueriera said. “We get 11 helmets to the ball very quickly and I think that is a staple of a good defense.”
To demonstrate that 11 men going to the ball philosophy, Malvern Prep had six players with three or more tackles against Haverford School, led by linebacker Jake Bauer, who made six tackles.
Dylan Novak scored on a 53-yard interception return. The defense held the Fords to 137 yards of total offense.
On offense junior quarterback Jackson Melconian completed 9-of-15 passes for 126 yards and a score. He also rushed for 50 yards and a touchdown on four carries.
Pellicciotta rushed for 53 yards on eight carries and caught three passes for 59 yards. Chris Smith gained 86 yards on 14 carries. PJ Holmes caught two passes for 21 yards and a touchdown, while Austin Trout kicked a 25-yard field goal and three PATs.
Next: Saturday vs. Penn Charter, 1 p.m.
Springside Chestnut Hill Academy 2-0, 7-0
Malvern Prep 2-0, 5-2
Penn Charter 1-1, 6-1
Haverford School 1-1, 4-3
Germantown Academy 0-2, 4-3
Episcopal Academy 0-2, 2-5
Special thanks to Ed “Huck” Palmer for the Penn Charter and Malvern Prep stats. To Mike McNulty for the Episcopal Academy stats and Dan Moyer for Haverford School statistics. Also thanks to coaches Rick Knox of SCH and Kyle Donahue of Germantown Academy for their statistics.