Photos: Patty Morgan, Mike Nance, Lennie Malmgren & Chelby Elam

By: Marc Narducci

It’s hard to believe that this is the final week of the Inter-Ac football season. Malvern Prep attempts to win its second straight overall crown, but Springside Chestnut Hill Academy and Haverford School are still alive in the championship picture. Penn Charter and Germantown Academy are renewing their longstanding rivalry, while Episcopal Academy and Haverford School are looking to play not only for pride, but a Sweater to keep for at least the next year. 

Many players will be ending their careers this weekend, so emotions are sure to be flowing. We examine that and much more in this week’s segment of the Pick 6.

Jake Bauer is trying to make one week last one month, one year, even longer.

This is the last week of his football career at Malvern Prep and the senior fullback-linebacker is trying to savor every moment.

His final game will be on Friday when the Friars host Springside Chestnut Hill Academy.

Malvern Prep is 4-0 in the Inter-Ac, having won each game by an average of 38.5 points. The Friars have already earned a share of the Inter-Ac crown, but they are never in a sharing mood. SCH can earn a share of the title with an upset win. A Malvern Prep victory would make the Friars sole champions for the second year in a row. If SCH beats Malvern Prep and Haverford School defeats Episcopal Academy, then Haverford, SCH and Malvern Prep would be tri-champs.

He is trying not to get too nostalgic just yet, but as the days in his career dwindle, he appreciates what playing high school football for Malvern Prep has meant to him.

“It means everything to me,” he said.

A few weeks ago, the team had a senior dinner, just with the seniors and coaches. It was another meaningful experience in a long list of them at Malvern Prep. At that dinner, which he labeled a special time, Bauer took a brief long-range look at his time with the football program.

“You see how much you have grown from freshman to senior year,” he said. “This school has provided me something I couldn’t get anywhere else, and I am super grateful for the opportunity.”

At the dinner the emotions even got the best of Bauer.

“I was tearing up,” he said, understanding that there is only one senior dinner, another final event for Bauer and his upperclassmen teammates.

The 6-foot-1, 225-pound Bauer, who is also a member of the Malvern Prep baseball team, dreads seeing his high school football career concluding, but won’t take much time off after the season. He wants to be ready for baseball and more than that, prepared to make the most of his next opportunity as a football player at Navy.

“On Monday, I will be back in the gym,” he said.

Of course he will.

During last week’s 44-7 win over Germantown Academy, Max Mohring and Cameron Brickle each led Malvern Prep with five tackles, while Mears had an interception, On offense, 11 different players carried the ball. Malvern Prep rushed for 257 yards on 28 carries. Zeke Bates scored two touchdowns and rushed for 63 yards on two carries.

Next: Friday vs. Springside Chestnut Hill Academy, 6 p.m.

This will be Tom Coyle’s last game as head coach of Penn Charter, as outlined last week. After 12 seasons as Penn Charter head coach, he will become the athletic director at his alma mater, Father Judge.

Tate Taylor had an interception and three tackles for the Quakers and according to Coyle, running back-defensive back Eian Kilpatrick was strong on both sides of the ball. Kilpatrick had two tackles, including one sack, while rushing for 57 yards on 17 carries.

Linebacker Hugh Maley led the Quakers with 13 tackles. Dominic Comitale and A.J. Bouie each had six tackles.

Next: Saturday at Germantown Academy, 1 p.m.

This will be Kyle Donahue’s first Penn Charter-Germantown Academy game as a head coach. 

Next: Saturday vs. Penn Charter, 1 p.m.

For the second straight year, Springside Chestnut Hill Academy enters the final game of the season with a championship to play for. Last season the Blue Devils were 3-1 in the Inter-Ac while facing Malvern Prep in the season finale. A win would have shared the title with the Friars.

Malvern Prep earned a hard-fought 17-7 win.

The blocked field goal really turned the game around because instead of it being potentially 14-3, the score became 21-0.

What’s interesting is that it was the second blocked field goal of the season for Flach, who also had one in a 46-6 win over Lincoln. Attempting to block field goals is a thankless job.

Yet thoughts of hoops can wait just a little longer as Flach and his teammates compete for a football championship.

Next: Friday at Malvern Prep, 6 p.m.

Episcopal Academy’s Saturday season finale against Haverford School will be part of a daily competition between the two schools, who will be competing in five sports that day. The other sports are golf, cross country, water polo and soccer.

Coach Todd Fairlie cited the play of junior defensive end Kam Carson as one of the leaders. Safety Jamil Abdul-Malik had one of the signature plays on D, forcing a fumble.

On offense, Liam Appaneal had three third down conversion catches.

Showing some late fight, EA scored all its points in the fourth quarter on a safety and a 1-yard run by Spencer Schuh.

Next: Saturday vs. Haverford School, 4 p.m.

Whether it’s football or lacrosse, Haverford School senior Kellen Gardner has made his reputation on defense. Among the standout linebackers in the Inter-Ac, Gardner made the biggest offensive contribution of his career during last week’s 30-3 win over Penn Charter. Gardner caught two touchdown passes, the first two of his career, from quarterback Zach Faragalli.

This will be Gardner’s final football game. He is a Notre Dame lacrosse commit. Gardner is a defender, who was an All-conference selection last season for a Haverford School team that won the Inter-Ac lacrosse title with a 10-0 league mark. As much as he is looking forward to playing for Notre Dame, knowing that Saturday’s matchup at Episcopal Academy will be his final football game, will play on his emotions.

“It is kind of surreal and everybody says it goes so fast, and you don’t realize it until you go out on the field the last time,” he said. “I am trying to cherish every moment, from practice, to film study, to everything and I am preparing myself and my teammates the best I can to get a win on Saturday.”

“Walt Frazier, Phill Okala and Brennan Apple were a force up front,” he said.

The linebackers, according to Martin, complemented the defensive line. That crew consisted of Gardner, Matt Jones, Gavin Cooper and Colin Campbell-Williams.

As stated above, Haverford School has something to play for when it visits Episcopal Academy this week – a share of the Inter-Ac title. If SCH beats Malvern Prep and Haverford wins over Episcopal, it will cause a three-way tie for the title among Malvern, Haverford and SCH.

Next: Saturday at Episcopal Academy, 4 p.m.

Malvern Prep 4-0, 7-2

Springside Chestnut Hill Academy 3-1, 8-1

Haverford School 3-1, 6-3

Penn Charter 1-3, 6-3

Episcopal Academy 1-3, 3-6

Germantown Academy 0-4, 4-5

Special thanks to Ed “Huck” Palmer for Penn Charter and Malvern Prep Stats. To Dan Moyer for Haverford School stats and to Mike McNulty for Episcopal Academy statistics. Also thanks to coaches Rick Knox (Springside Chestnut Hill Academy) and Kyle Donahue (Germantown Academy for their statistics.