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DOWNINGTOWN — The Bishop Shanahan football team under head coach Paul Meyers has always featured a wide-open, innovative offense that confounds opposing defenses and puts itself in position to score from anywhere on the field.
The 2024 edition at Bishop Shanahan should be more of the same. A season removed from the Eagles’ advancing to the District 1 4A championship game, where the Eagles fell to Pope John Paul II, there is much optimism.
“We were very young last season and I think we should reap the benefits of all those guys getting game experience,” Meyers said. “We have seven guys back on both sides of the ball and I feel the strength of our team will be our skill position players. We will still run the spread offense and we will use the (run-pass option) with our quarterback a little more than we have in the past.
“The big key for us is depth up front. If we can keep our linemen healthy and keep them fresh for the fourth period we should have a good season. The depth is always a concern for us because we have about eight or nine guys who go both ways.”
One lineman who the Eagles will be counting on is 6-foot-2, 260 pound junior Mike Cleary. Meyers says that Cleary had a great season as a sophomore last year and feels that he is one of the best linemen in the Ches-Mont League. And with the Eagles positioned in the tough Ches-Mont North Division with heavyweights Coatesville, Downingtown West and Downingtown East, line play will be key for the Eagles.
“I feel we are going to have a real good season,” Cleary said after practice. “We are very strong at running back and wide receiver. And our line is coming together. I like to be a leader with those guys. I try to be a leader by example and I can be a vocal leader also. And playing against teams like Coatesville and the Downingtowns only makes us better I think.
“Those teams usually have some Division I college guys and it is a good measuring stick for me as a player and for our team to see how we stack up against top competition. We love the fact we are a small school playing up. And it gets us ready for our district playoffs.”
One of the wide receivers Cleary was talking about is Aidan Civitella. Meyers said that Civitella is getting a ton of FCS and Division II looks. Civitella can stretch the field and is very fast. He won the 4×100 race in the Penn Relays last spring for the Eagles’ track team.
“I like to stretch the field or catch a short pass,” Civitella said. “I just want to do anything I can to help our quarterbacks and give them a lot of options in the passing game. We have a lot of guys that go both ways so if we can stay healthy I feel we have the talent this season to get to the 4A championship and win the district this season.
“I also love playing the big schools in the Ches-Mont. It is a good chance to play in front of big crowds and highlight what we you can do. We are very prepared for district after facing those 6A schools.”
The quarterback position is still to be decided, but Anthony Aquila will see a lot of snaps for the Eagles. Aquila was an all-league selection as a safety last season, and Meyers feels he can use Aquila as both a passer and runner from the quarterback position.
“He is a very good athlete and he has real good football instincts,” Meyers said. “He was All-Ches-Mont as a safety last year and we are looking for big things from him this season.”
With the Ches-Mont League going to three divisions from two this season, the Eagles faced pressure to go to a division with the smaller 5A schools — but Meyers was having none of that talk.
“We faced pressure to move again,” Meyers said. “They wanted us to go to the South Division but we like where we are. We want to play top completion and we look at it as a challenge for us. We will always be with the big schools. That was part of the agreement back when we joined the Ches-Mont.”
In addition to playing Coatesville, Downingtown East and Downingtown West, the Eagles will take on Pope John Paul II, and Philadelphia Mastbaum, who they walloped a season ago.
