The postgame talk was quiet, subdued, interrupted by sporadic sniffles and a few muffled groans. took its 17-14 Inter-Academic League loss to Malvern Prep hard—very hard.
The Fords played well, exceptionally well, but a number of early mistakes wound up costing them, and consequently, cost them any chance of a third-straight Inter-Ac Title.
It was just a bitter, bitter defeat to swallow, since it literally came down to the few inches it took a 36-yard field goal attempt to skid off the crossbar and fall over for the difference.
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The loss snapped Haverford School’s streak of two-straight Inter-Ac titles, with two games left for the Fords against rival Episcopal Academy and Cardinal O’Hara in a makeup game from postponement earlier this season.
“This loss is brutal, absolutely brutal,” admitted Fords’ coach Mike Murphy. “Losing like this, and losing to Malvern Prep, it hurts. It’s definitely the mistakes in the first half that cost us.”
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The winning margin came on a 36-yard field by Malvern Prep’s Dennis Gabert with 5:18 left in the game. It was Gabert's first high school field goal.
What shouldn’t be lost is the effort made by Fords’ junior linebacker Matt Galambos, who had a game-high 12 tackles, and whose interception off a deflected pass at the Malvern Prep 13 resulted in the tying 14-14 score with 1:24 left in the third quarter.
Malvern Prep went into halftime leading 14-7, but it could have been—should have been—much worse than that. Haverford School turned the ball over three times, once at its 15—and Malvern Prep could only made the Fords pay once.
The Friars turned a James Chakey interception by Joe Carlini into their first score of the game, a 36-yard Eric Pernell touchdown sprint. But Haverford School answered on its next possession. Chakey responded well to the interception, completing three straight. The big gainer was Chakey’s 59-yard completion to Zack Rego, giving the Fords prime field position at the Malvern Prep four.
Three plays later, Chakey found Ethan Brown in the corner of the end zone for seven-yard TD connection, pulling the Fords into a 7-7 deadlock with 5:16 left in the first quarter.
The Friars responded by taking the next possession 53 yards on seven plays. Just when it seemed as if the Fords would force Malvern Prep into trying a field goal, Rumer saw Carlini out in the flat and the junior shook two Haverford School defenders and trotted into the end zone for a 14-7 Friars’ lead.
Malvern’s Shawn Wilson had 47 yards rushing on 11 carries, and Chakey got into a strong rhythm after the interception, completing five of 10 for 131 yards. Chakey’s hot streak eased the tension of an anxious first quarter for Haverford School, which shot itself with four penalties for 20 yards.
The Friars, meanwhile, didn’t fare much better after taking the 14-7 lead. Malvern Prep was only able to manage 17 yards of offense on its next four possessions going into halftime.
