Friars’ defense rises up to shut out Vikings

By Peter DiGiovanni
pdgiovanni07@gmail.com
@PeteDLNontwitter

PHILADELPHIA >> Saturday afternoon at Franklin Field on campus of the University of Pennsylvania, the Malvern Prep football team threw a haymaker at one of the top football programs in the state. The Friars played suffocating defense and scored just enough as they completely dominated previously undefeated Archbishop Wood, 21-0, in nonleague action.
Malvern Prep (2-1) played tough, aggressive, assignment defense as they limited the Vikings (3-1) to just 73 yards of total offense in the first half. The Friars were led by lineman Coltin Deery, Ryan Davis and Colin McHugh, who had two of Malvern’s four sacks on the afternoon.
“We just came out and played real tough football,” Deery said. “We had a great week of practice and the scout team really helped us get ready. It was partly our game plan and partly the effort and execution, but we dominated the game defensively.”
Malvern and the Vikings traded three-and-outs through a very defensive first period. Malvern Prep got close to scoring, but Jake Reid’s 32-yard field goal try was blocked. and the game remained scoreless as neither team could generate much offense.
Fireworks erupted in the second when senior quarterback Jack Capaldi hit a wide open Yahhdir Nash down the right sideline for a 77-yard touchdown pass and the Friars had a 6-0 lead after missing the extra point. That would not be the end of the Malvern Prep scoring in the period and a large assist came again from its ravenous defense.
Wood quarterback Trey Holsman could not handle two bad snaps from his center, which backed the Vikings up to their own two-yard line. The Friars forced a punt from the Vikings’ end zone. Malvern fielded the punt at the 30. Two plays later, Isaiah Wright burst 19 yards out of the Wildcat Formation to make it a 14-0 game and that is where the score stayed until halftime.
“We had a great game plan on both sides,” Wright said. “And our effort was really there today. We had a great week of practice and we really came in today very focused.”
Archbishop Wood took the second-half kickoff, but again could go nowhere. They only had 18 yards rushing for the game as Deery, Davis and friends collapsed any running lanes the Vikings tried to go through as the Friars dominated their big offensive line.
The Vikings switched quarterbacks midway through the third, going to sophomore Mekhi Wharton, who had some success with the short passing game, completing nine of 11 for 86 yards and moving the ball down the field in small chunks.
It looked like the Vikings were going to score as they marched deep into Friars territory. But, an illegal motion penalty and two big plays from McHugh and Deery forced a fourth-and-goal situation at the Malvern 21. Wharton’s pass was off the mark, and the shutout was intact.
“I think today’s effort was a combination of plan and effort and execution,” Davis said.” We had a great defensive game plan and we came out together and executed against a real good football team.”
Malvern scored late in the third when Capaldi hit a streaking D’Angelo Stocker with a pretty 46-yard slant for a touchdown and all that was left was for Archbishop Wood to pad their stats at the end of the game finishing with 233 yards passing, but never reaching the end zone
“We felt we left some points on the field against LaSalle,” Malvern Prep head coach Dave Gueriera said. “We felt we were the better team, but we lost that game and we had a bad taste in our mouth and we wanted to go out and beat a high quality opponent and that was what we did today.”

Malvern Prep 21, Archbishop Wood 0
Archbishop Wood 0 0 0 0-0
Malvern Prep 0 14 7 0-21
Scoring
M-Nash 77 pass from Capaldi (kick failed)
M-Wright 19 run (Wright run)
M-Stocker 46 pass from Capaldi (Reid kick)
Team Totals
AW MP
First downs 14 12
Yards rushing 18 70
Yards passing 233 196
Total yards 251 266
Passing 19-33-1 8-13-1
Fumbles-lost 1-0 0-0
Punts-avg. 6-31.5 5-48.5
Penalties-yds 8-48 3-35
Individual Staistics
Rushing: AW: Bermudez 11-22; Delgado 7-28; Kinsey 1-4; Wharton 3-1; Holsman 8 (-33). MP: Wright 15-48, TD; Stocker 1 (-4); Nash 6-24; Capaldi 4-2.
Passing: AW: Holsman 11-23-147; Wharton 8-10-86. MP: Capaldi 8-13-196, 2TD’s.
Receiving: AW: Kinsey 2-4; Siah 6-70; Dixon 4-58; Delgado 4-54; McHugh 5-48. MP: Stocker 4-89, TD; Falkenstein 1-1; Brecker 1-8; Nash 1-77, TD; Wright 1-22.
Sacks: AW: Pergine. MP: Deer, Pegg, McHugh 2.
Interceptions: AW: Rowe. MP: Wright.