Football Friday: Episcopal’s Bush boys have tall challenge in Uncle Dave’s Friars
NEWTOWN SQUARE — For as long as they can remember, there’s been a competitive streak between Episcopal Academy cousins Jack and Matt Bush.
They played for rival CYO programs in West Chester, for St. Agnes and St. Thomas the Apostle.
“In grade school, it was always fun playing against each other,” said Matt, a junior. “Now it’s fun playing with him at the same school. He’s a real competitive guy.”
“We’re pretty close,” added Jack, a senior. “Our grandparents have a house down the beach and during the summer we pretty much live together.”
The Bush boys are having big years for the Churchmen as two-ply standouts.
Jack is an excellent two-sport athlete. In addition to his exploits on the football field, he runs track in the spring. He is garnering plenty of recruiting interest for football and has an offer from Lehigh University.
“They’ve both been great,” EA coach Todd Fairlie said.(Matt) does a great job at linebacker and, offensively, he does all the grindy work. Real tough kid. He’s kind of the butt-kicker at fullback for us.
“Jack’s got three touchdown catches over 50 yards. He does a lot for us on both sides. He can stretch the field and is a fast runner. He’s got three or four interceptions at cornerback. Jack does a really nice job.”
Matt Bush’s uncle – unrelated to Jack – is Malvern Prep head coach Dave Gueriera. The reigning Inter-Ac champion Friars host the Churchmen Saturday afternoon. Kickoff is slated for 1:30.
“There’s a little trash-talking going on, but it’s all love,” Matt said. “It’s all good.”
Malvern (7-0) is one of the top football programs in the area this year. Led by Clemson-bound linebacker Keith Maguire and senior quarterback Drew Gunther, the Friars are averaging 37 points per game. They have a 42-32 win against Reading power Berks Catholic. The Friars put up 35 points against La Salle and are coming off a 51-17 drubbing of Penn Charter in their Inter-Ac opener.
Episcopal is going to have to be ready from the opening kick.
“We know we haven’t strung together four complete quarters yet. We’ve come out slow in a lot of games, so we’ve got to get back to starting fast and ending fast,” Jack Bush said. “Obviously they’re big and athletic, but we feel we have athletes who are just as big and athletic. We believe in our athletes and we trust ourselves.”
Gunther, who has offers from Georgetown, Fordham and Brown, was the top passer in the Inter-Ac a season ago and is on pace to shatter his junior year output.Through seven games he has thrown for 1,555 yards and 15 touchdowns. He set a Malvern single-game record with 386 yards in a 42-32 win against Berks Catholic.
“I think their depth is huge. Their linebacker (Keith Maguire) is going to Clemson and their safety (TyGee Leach) is going to Lehigh,” Fairlie said. “Those guys play little offense, hadly any at all. They’ve got six receivers, but only two of them play any defense. Their offensive line and defensive line are very good, the quarterback can sling it. They’re really good all-around. Dave does a nice job and they’re just very, very balanced across the board.”
Fairlie insists his boys are up for the task. Episcopal (5-1) is the No. 3 team in Delco and defeated Springside Chestnut Hill Academy last Friday night. In their most recept trip to Maguire Field in 2016, a last-second field goal off the foot of Connor Ringwalt lifted EA to a 37-34 victory.
“They’ve got talent across the board and they’ve got a lot of depth,” Matt Bush said. “But I don’t think it’s anything that we can’t handle.”
The Churchmen will lean on what’s worked for them in the early going. Junior quarterback Maurcus McDaniel has developed into a formidable dual threat. He has thrown for 736 yards and six touchdowns, including three aerial strikes in the win over SCHA. McDaniel has added 364 yards on the ground.
Jack Bush is EA’s leading receiver, posting 23.8 yards per catch. And, of course, no EA football article can be written without the mention of All-Delco running back DeeWil Barlee. The Villanova recruit was hobbled by an ankle injury earlier in the season, but since his return two weeks ago, he is averaging better than eight yards per carry.
“We went through bit of a lull when DeeWil was hurt, but we’re doing well I think,” Fairlie said. “Last week was really the first time where we thought, ‘He’s good, he’s back.’ He finished the game really strong. … We’ve found ways to overcome some injuries and we’ve had guys step in. Billy Adams, who is a sophomore, filled in for DeeWil and did a really good job. He does an awesome job for us.”
The winner, one might think, will be the frontrunner for the Inter-Ac championship, which the Churchmen haven’t captured since their magical 10-0 season of 2012.
“This is a big game every year for us,” Fairlie said. “It’s a game our kids really look forward to and it’s one they have no problem getting up for.”
