Bagnell, Episcopal linemates building their own identity
NEWTOWN SQUARE >> Episcopal Academy’s James Bagnell is a massive lineman with an interesting family lineage.
The 6-7, 300-pound junior is the grandson of University of Penn great, Francis “Reds” Bagnell, who finished third in the Heisman Trophy balloting in 1950. The College Football Hall of Fame inductee famously accrued 490 yards of total offense on a fall afternoon in 1950, leading the Quakers to 46-26 win over Dartmouth at Franklin Field.
Unfortunately, James didn’t have the opportunity to meet Reds, who passed away in 1995, several years before James was born.
But he’s heard plenty of stories of his famous grandpop.
“Of course. Ever since I was little, I learned so much about him” he said. “My grandfather started from nothing and he made it big. It’s just an honor to carry his name. It’s a great last name and hopefully I would make him proud.”
Take one look at James, and there’s no doubt Reds Bagnell would be thrilled with his grandson’s development, on and off the gridiron. In the next year or so, Bagnell will be inundated with letters from prospective college programs, making their pitch to sign the big lumberjack.
“He comes from a great family, but he’s looking to create his own name,” Episcopal coach Todd Fairlie said. “People think that because he’s so big, he’s ticketed to go somewhere. But he works really hard and is very humble. He knows he has to earn it, and he has a long way to go, but that just drives him even more. For a big kid, it’s not that natural to be running around and blocking people in space, and he works really hard at what he does. He’s come a long way and he really takes his work seriously. He gets better everyday, which is great to watch.”
Bagnell hopes to play a vital role in helping the Churchmen revive their status as a Delco football powerhouse, and one of the top contenders in the Inter-Ac League. After an inconsistent 2015 season (6-4, 1-4 Inter-Ac), the Churchmen boast one of the top front line units in the area.
Bagnell is one of five returning starters on the offensive and defensive lines. Bagnell and Adam Klein, also a junior, and senior Dallas Taylor have been starting on varsity since their sophomore seasons.
“Last year was a rebuilding year, we were pretty young, and we had a whole bunch of sophomores starting,” Taylor said. “This year, we’re a pretty mature team, a whole bunch of us have been together for a while. We all know how to play with each other, and we look to be a force this year. “We know we have to bring more intensity. This isn’t JV anymore.”
Episcopal will have the advantage in the trenches against many opponents, but they’re not taking their physical appearances for granted.
“Every time we’re in the weight room, us five, we make sure we’re pushing each other as hard as possible because we know we have to improve,” Klein said. “We’re also really good friends, inside and outside of school, so we have great chemistry.”
The experience should make a difference.
“The benefit of playing varsity as sophomores, you become more mature earlier than you thought,” Taylor said. “Everyone who is a junior who didn’t play on varsity as a sophomore may not be as prepared as you are.”
“We built a leadership role,” Bagnell added. “Usually as sophomores, you don’t look at them to be leaders. Starting at a young age, as we did, you’ve got to be ready to go, know our playbook and be ready to play. The coaches don’t put us in a situation that they don’t think we can handle, so it’s all about us and making sure we put in the work.”
Episcopal opens its season Friday night at home against Wyoming Seminary. Kickoff is 7 o’clock. In last year’s meeting, the Churchmen cruised to a 48-14 victory.
“Like coach says, never get complacent. We have to get better with every play, every game,” Klein said. “If we keep doing that, we’re going to be ready to go against big teams like Malvern and Haverford, all of the Inter-Ac teams. We have to know our jobs, know our assignments, and work at getting better each day.”
While the Churchmen had their way against Wyoming Seminary a year ago, Fairlie anticipates a far greater challenge this time around.
“They have a whole new staff, some new players. Their nose guard is phenomenal, their MIKE linebacker is very good. One is committed to North Carolina, the other is committed to Virginia. They play right next to each other, so we’ve got to handle that,” Fairlie said. “It’s a good challenge, especially for our guys up front. They run a stack, so it’s going to be complicated with their stunts and stuff like that. We’ll be tested right off the bat. It’s not going to be a rollover game. Hopefully we can get out early and keep our foot on the pedal against these guys like we did last year.”
NOTES >> CJ McAnally will be the starting quarterback for the Churchmen Friday night. For the second straight summer, McAnally battled with Jon’avin Freeman for the No. 1 job. “Jon’avin did a great job. We feel really confident with both of them,” Fairlie said. “We decided after last year that we would be more consistent with one being named the quarterback, but it’s something we’ll continue to evaluate. They’re two of our best players. Jon’avin is now starting at fullback and H-back, and he’s a starting outside linebacker, so he’ll play more snaps now that he’s not at quarterback. CJ is a heck of an athlete and will help us in the secondary a little bit, but he can now focus on quarterback. If we felt like we have to make a change for whatever reason, we feel we won’t miss a step.”
