MALVERN — On Saturday afternoon, Malvern Prep jumped on Germantown Academy early and often as they rolled past the Patriots, 49-13, in an Inter-Ac contest.
On their first offensive possession, the Friars drove the ball 64 yards and capped off the drive, with quarterback Alex Hornibrook finding his tight end, Ryan O’Neill, for the three-yard touchdown pass.
After forcing the Patriots to go three-and-out, the Friars’ air attack struck again. This time, Hornibrook connected with running back Zac Fernandez, who spun his way in for the 11-yard score.
Malvern Prep (3-4) showed their Inter-Ac foe that their running game was just as lethal as their passing game.
Three minutes into the second quarter, Anthony Picitti broke a 35-yard touchdown run. Later on in the quarter, Fernandez acquired his second touchdown of the contest, this time on an 18-yard carry.
Hornibrook threw his third touchdown pass with 16 seconds remaining in the first half, when he check downed to Picitti for the six points.
In the first half alone, Hornibrook engineered three touchdown drives, which all started inside their own 12-yard line. All three of those drives took less than three minutes to create a touchdown.
“Our offensive line did great today,’ Hornibrook said. “They gave me so much time to throw the ball. All week we prepared well. We did a really good job executing.’
The Friars added 14 points in the second half. Fernandez ended the afternoon with two touchdowns, 126 yards rushing, and 34 yards receiving.
“There were holes for our rushing game today. Our line did a great job opening up running lanes,’ Fernandez said. “It is my job to get through those holes, and make plays happen.’
In total, the Friars generated 537 yards of total offense, picked up 23 first downs, and scored their highest amount of points this season.
“We just need to keep pressing and keep doing our thing,’ Hornibrook said. “We have to continue to put up points and be productive.’
While the offense registered the flashy numbers, the defense was equally impressive. The Friars did not allow the Patriots to convert one third down, the entire game. They only allowed one touchdown, eight first downs, and contained their offense to a meager 205 yards.
The Patriots (3-4-1) had one bright spot in the performance of their senior wide receiver, Andrew Simon. Simon scored both touchdowns for his team. The first came when he fell on a blocked punt in the end zone. The other came at the start of the second half, when Germantown Academy’s quarterback Kyle McClosky hit him for a 38-yard touchdown pass.
“I just listened to what our coaches told me to do today. They gave me a few opportunities and I tried my best to execute. We need to come back this Monday and work hard and get ready for next week,’ Simon said.
Saturday’s victory snapped the Friars’ three-game losing streak, which was their longest since 2004. It also marked their 10th straight time, defeating Germantown Academy.
