Fords Give Penn Charter A Frosty Defeat, 28-7

It brought back memories for everyone on team. The nasty, that arrived on Saturday was treacherous for anyone on the roads trying to get somewhere, or simply walking down the street. There were fender-benders, fallen lines and downed trees all over the place.

But for a group of kids playing a snowy field, it was heaven. It rekindled those great times in their past when every kid on the block met at a vacant field to play pick-up games of tackle in the snow. And in Saturday’s contest against Penn Charter, the snow game might not have meant more to anyone than two-way lineman Chris Dibello.

Playing in his last home game as a senior at Haverford School, Dibello, the Fords’ starting center and middle linebacker, had his first interception and returned it for his first high school varsity touchdown in Haverford School’s 28-7 victory.

Dibello’s arms and cheeks were red from being exposed for three hours in the frigid conditions, though he had a special incentive that was going to keep him warm and snug, if his father was going to come through with a promise.

Chants of “Hot tub, hot tub, hot tub” emanated from the Haverford School sideline after Dibello’s 32-yard interception return for a touchdown with 1:46 left in the third quarter gave the Fords their 28-7 lead.

“My father made a deal with me, if I scored a defensive touchdown this year, he would get me a hot tub, I’m calling him on it,” said Dibello, letting out a hearty laugh. “Hey, I might run a little goofy, but I have decent speed. It's just the first time I carried the ball in four years, since I played fullback in CYO.

"All I saw was the end zone and I didn’t want to look back. I just kept running. But actually, it was a little surreal for me. The ball was thrown right at me. I wanted to make sure I had it before I ran.” 

The play didn’t surprise Fords’ coach Mike Murphy. Dibello may have looked a little like Adam Sandler's character in The Waterboy running down the field, his stubby legs churning and his head pointed straight ahead, though the play was typical of Dibello.

“That’s a great kid for that play to happen for,” Murphy said. “The play was a perfect reflection on how Chris plays the game. He played that play exactly how the coaches told him how it should be played. It’s great for Chris, playing in his last home game as a senior and going out like that.”

Dibello smiled at the thought of one day sinking into a small tub of heated water with the mist rising from the surface. For now, he’ll have the indelible memory of a chilly Saturday and a game to remember for a long time.

“It was like a childhood dream to play in the snow, and then to score a touchdown and get an interception in my last home game, what a way to go out,” Dibello said.