Rashon Lusane, Malvern Prep are headed to Chicago

By Dennis C. Way

dway@timesherald.com
@DwaySports on Twitter

NORRISTOWN >> Rashon Lusane has never been to Chicago.

But that is about to change.

The Malvern Prep safety/slotback and Norristown area resident will travel with the rest of the Friars football team to the Windy City on August 26 to prepare for the club’s season opener against St. Rita of Chicago on August 28.

And to add a little gravy to the meal, the game’s site is also an eye popper.

Would you believe Soldier Field?

Yes, the Friars will bring the curtain up on their season at the home of the Fog Bowl and the Super Bowl Shuffle.

And like most of the Friars, Lusane is taking the trip in stride.

Well, kind of.

“Are you kidding, I’m real excited,” the Friars senior said. “Not everybody gets the chance to play where the Chicago Bears play. I can’t wait.”

The trip, organized in large part by Malvern head football coach Aaron Brady, is going to give the Friars a taste of what it takes to play for a collegiate or professional football team.

“Coach Brady is big on giving people the opportunity to do things they’ve never done before,” Lusane said. “This is going to be like playing for a college team, traveling to another part of the country and preparing to play a football game.”

But the trip is not just a wham-bam trip to Chicago and back over a weekend.

There are plans to stop at the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio on the way out, taking in the Chicago sights while there and stopping at the University of Notre Dame on the return trip.

It’s also an opportunity for the Friars to get some exposure outside of the Philadelphia area.

With a team that’s expected to challenge again for the Inter-Academic League title, the Friars are looking for a little out-of-town challenge.

“We’re going to be solid,” Lusane said. “We feel we’re going to have a great season.

“We’re hoping to win the Inter-Ac this year, and we think that’s something that’s possible.”

Lusane, who transferred to Malvern from Norristown last season, is known for his prowess as a football player and a wrestler.

While he’s keeping his options open, Lusane said his preference is to play football for a Division I collegiate program.

“I’d like to go to college for free and use sports as the vehicle,” he said. “Right now, I have one Division I offer for football, from the Naval Academy, but I’m hoping for more as the season goes along.”

And Lusane will not be carrying the Norristown-area banner alone when he hits the Midwest.

Teammates O’Shaan Allison, Cole McCabe, Quincy Watson and Tygee Leach are among the Norristown area residents who are also Chicago bound.

“I’m really looking forward to it,” Lusane said. “It’s a great way to start my senior season.”