Football Preview: Chichester trying to Buck trend of losing seasons under new coach

UPPER CHICHESTER >> There’s a new boss at Chichester.

Under first-year head coach Ed Buck, the Eagles could be contenders in the Del Val League, but it certainly won’t be easy.

“We’re bringing in an entire new offensive system, and there’s a learning curve,” Buck said recently. “They are working hard and getting up to speed,” 

Buck is taking over for Bob Brice, who stepped down after a two-year stint coaching the Eagles. A graduate of Wilkes University, Buck has assistant coaching stops at Upper Darby, Cardinal O’Hara and Oxford on his resume. He is a teacher at Chichester.

“A lot of these guys I’ve had in class, I’ll say about 40 percent of them,” Buck said. “That helped with the transition.”
Brice left in the spring for West Chester Henderson after the Eagles wrapped up their pandemic-shortened spring campaign with a 2-3 record. Buck was hired in the summer.

“It’s been a quick turnaround and we are jumping right in,” Buck said. “The good thing is that a lot of our guys are dedicated and want to be better football players.”

Despite some obvious holes to fill on the depth chart, Buck has reason to believe the Eagles can be competitive.

“Our line is really experienced and we have a ton of skill guys, too,” he said. “The big question is going to be quarterback. There’s a couple of guys we’re looking at and we have young guys who I think are going to be good, but they didn’t play football for two years and they’re in a tough spot because they have a lot to learn.”

In terms of team leadership, one player Buck can rely on is senior two-way lineman Jake Maiale, whom he calls the anchor of the offense and defense. The 6-1, 215-pound senior has Delaware County football in his blood. He is the grandson of former Marple Newtown head coach, Jim Maiale, and the great-grandson of legendary Ridley coach Phil Marion.

“Overall, I think our defense is going to be great this year. The defense is going to lock it down,” Maiale said. “We have some big guys on the line and talented guys in a lot of other places.”

One of those talents is senior wide receiver Walter Jones III, better known to Buck as, “the swiss army knife of the varsity squad.”

Jones is one of a handful of talented all-purpose players. Not only does he provide a reliable set of hands in the receiving game, he could get touches out of the backfield and will play a major role in the defensive secondary.

“I know I’ve got to do whatever I can to help my team,” Jones said. “We know everyone’s got to step up this year. We don’t want to have another losing year, we want to go out and win every game.”

Indeed, it’s been a rough decade-plus for the Eagles, who haven’t enjoyed a winning season since 2005.

“It would be great to show everyone what we’re capable of this year,” Maiale said. “I think we have a pretty good shot.”

One player who is sure to steal the spotlight is Star Reaves, a junior defensive back. Reaves started at Chester his freshman year before transferring to Chi as a sophomore. In five games last spring, the 5-9, 175-pound Reaves was a playmaker on both sides of the ball.

“Star is a naturally gifted athlete,” Buck said. “He is a hard worker who will do whatever it takes to be the best player on the field.”

The Eagles are also looking for steady improvement from Quadir Blackwell, a 5-9, 165-pound sophomore. Andrew Foster, a 5-10 lineman, is also a big part of the plans at Chi.

“I’m not going to try and reinvent the wheel here,” Buck said. “We have a lot of skill guys and it’s our job to get them the ball and let them take over. We have a lot of work to do, but we believe we can get there.”