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Quigley Field, Malvern PA - It was another windy, chilly day for football, and the atmosphere at Malvern Prep's football field was indeed at a fevered pitch. There were hard hits, many changes of momentum, and players who stepped up to the challenge. Though there were two very good teams playing, in the end, only one could be crowned as the Inter-Ac League Champion, and Malvern Prep took that title as they outslugged Chestnut Hill Academy in an entertaining 26-18 victory.
Chestnut Hill got off to a fast start, as quarterback Michael Mattei ran it in from 42 yards out to give the Blue Devils a 7-0 lead. The small sea of Blue Devil fans in attendance (who were seen tailgating prior to the big game) were ecstatic. This would change when Malvern Prep marched down the field and scored on a Neil Willis toss to the left side which nodded the score up at 7. A "We can't hear you" chant from the Friar faithful quickly signalled that this was going to be one intense battle - on and off the field.
Mistakes then came to haunt Chestnut Hill as they would for the entire game; a botched punt by the Blue Devils handed Malvern Prep excellent field position inside the red zone. The Friars quickly capitalized a few plays later with a 1 yard sneak into the end zone by QB Ryan Nassib that would put them ahead 13-7 (the extra point failed).
Another miscue for the Blue Devils, a fumble by Mattei that was recovered by the Friars, threatened to put Chestnut Hill in a deep hole. However, the defense came up big with a fourth down stop, and eventually, Chestnut Hill was able to get 3 more points on the board with a Patrick Connaghan field goal. The score would be 13-10 at the half.
The defenses of both squads held strong to start the second half, especially the Friar defense in their efforts to contain Chestnut Hill star running back Rashad Campbell. Malvern Prep eventually went up 20-10 towards the end of the third quarter after a touchdown pass inside the red zone from Nassib to Willis. This, combined with 2 missed field goals for Chestnut Hill gave some in attendance the feeling that the game was slipping away from the Blue Devils.
This feeling would change as the Chestnut Hill defense put up a goal line stand against the Friars midway in the fourth quarter. However, a Neil Willis interception a few plays later would put all of the momentum back to the Friar's side, and then a subsequent James Connelly (JR RB) touchdown seemed to put the game away with 2:43 left.
Chestnut Hill gave it one last shot; they managed to score a touchdown on a pass from Mattei to Sr WR Michael Lonergan, and made the 2 point conversion to close the gap to 26-18 with a little over a minute left. The onside kick was the last gasp for the Blue Devils, and although it took a good bounce, the Friars managed to fall on the ball and put the game away.
The packed stadium crowd applauded as the time ticked off the scoreboard and their Malvern team won the game. The student section rushed the field and joined their football representatives in glee. It was truly a great scene as Malvern Prep hoisted their helmets in the air to symbolize a team that worked hard and saw that work pay off. Chestnut Hill deserves kudos as well, for while they did not win the championship, they have put together an amazing season that will not be forgotten. The two heavyweights battled it out in a true slugfest, and Malvern Prep, in the end, managed to stand tall.
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