Malvern Prep vs Episcopal Academy

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Friars aim for second straight Inter-Ac title

There was a point in time where Malvern football's season didn't look so pretty on paper.

After a season-opening loss to La Salle, the Friars followed that up with a dramatic win over Delbarton, as well as a home-opening loss to Roman Catholic in Week 3.

Malvern was 1-2 after three weeks. And they could have very easily been 0-3 if it wasn't for a comeback-for-the-ages win over Delbarton in Week 2; a game that they trailed 17-0 but rallied for 27 points in the final eight minutes in one of the craziest games one could ask for.

The narrative around the school seemed to be that this wasn't the year for Malvern. And with the Friars having a pair of tough non-conference opponents ahead -- both on the road in tough environments -- it wasn't looking like an easy road ahead for Malvern. At least until they got to Inter-Ac play.

Fast forward three weeks and the Friars sit 3-2 coming off the bye week, ready for Inter-Ac play sitting at No. 2 in the state. And, based on non-conference results by Inter-Ac foes, the Friars seem to be the clear favorite to win Dave Gueriera's third title in four seasons.

How did they get here though?

The Friars' comeback of the decade?

Down 17-0 early in the fourth in Week 2, after a blocked Austin Trout field goal and the rain starting to pour, it seemed just over. Malvern was headed for their second straight loss after an ugly three quarters of play.

The Friars got a stop though after the blocked kick, and Malvern got the ball back. It didn't take long for them to drive downfield despite the pouring rain to get on the board, as Jackson Melconian dropped the snap but picked it up and found Zeke Bates in the end zone for six.

A total momentum switch then hit the Friars.

They converted the onside kick after the score, and once again Malvern found the end zone via Bates only two minutes later to make it a one-score ballgame at 17-12, although missing the two-point conversion again. They forced a quick punt, and it was Melconian finding Dan Riely Jr. for a near 50-yard passing touchdown to take the lead at 3:31 in the fourth; that was before Chris Smith punched in the two-point try to add to the Friars' lead at 20-17.

Yet another stop for the Friars came on defense, and Andrew Pellicciotta put the game on ice with a touchdown run of his own in the winding minutes.

That's 27 points in eight minutes for you.

A pair of wins under the lights

However, after a tough 21-17 loss at home to Roman Catholic that ended in a late, game-clinching interception for RC, the Friars' season was looking bleak -- especially given they could have easily been sitting at 0-3 had it not been for the miraculous comeback.

At a critical point in the year, the Friars walked in to cross-state rival Salesianum (DE) and dominated from the start -- grabbing a 27-3 win on the road in a tough environment to even up the record.

Then came the toughest test of the season. Malvern had a three-hour trip to Gonzaga in downtown DC, just minutes from the Capitol.

It was a slow-moving affair from the start. Not much offense came from either side, though the Friars did go into the half up 7-0 on Melconian's fourth-and-goal touchdown run.

Malvern suffocated Gonzaga all night, but they didn't make it easy on themselves at times. The Friars forced a red-zone fumble in the second quarter, before the Friars themselves fumbled inside the 10 early in the fourth quarter, but were bailed out by a Jake Bauer interception; only for Gonzaga to block a punt and return it for a touchdown several plays later, tying it at 7-7.

Gritty as always, the Friars found a way to win. Bauer stuffed it in on the fullback dive with 2:56 to go to give Malvern a 13-7 lead, and on Gonzaga's potential game-winning drive Bernard Blakey forced a game-sealing fumble to clinch their third win of the season.

Friars sit No. 2 in the State

At the time, the La Salle loss to open the season didn't look great, though now, it looks way better on paper. The Explorers took down the top dog in St. Joe's Prep in quadruple overtime, 35-34, to become the No. 1 team in the state via MaxPreps.

Even with a home loss to Roman Catholic, the now No. 8 team in the state, Malvern is the No. 2 team in the state following their impressive win over Gonzaga on the road. It's their first time being No. 2 in the state since they took down Imhotep in 2022, an impressive feat for the Friars given where the 2024 season was sitting at one point.

With the Inter-Ac ahead, what's the path to another Inter-Ac championship for 'Vern?

W1 & Episcopal Academy: Friday, October 11

The Friars open the Inter-Ac schedule tonight with a contest at Episcopal Academy.

EA comes into Inter-Ac play 2-3 on the year, as they lost 35-21 last year on Malvern's homecoming, in a game where it was over by halftime and the Friars didn't even throw the ball once.

The Churchmen have two mutual opponents to Malvern, as they opened the season with a 34-13 loss to Salesianum before falling 48-3 to La Salle. Malvern beat Sallies 27-3, and the Friars took La Salle to the final whistle in a 21-17 defeat.

By just that, on paper, Malvern is favored heavily just comparing results against those two teams. EA also fell to Lawrenceville, a team that Inter-Ac foe Sprinside Chestnut Hill took care of in convincing fashion.

EA lost a majority of their production from last season due to graduation, and in terms of bodies on the roster, the roster size is small. The Churchmen went 3-2 in 'Rac play last season.

W2 vs. Haverford School: Friday, October 18

Haverford took down Germantown Academy, 40-26, to open their Inter-Ac quest which puts them at 4-2 on the season, and 1-0 in conference play.

Another team that played La Salle earlier in the year, they fell 34-6 to the No. 1 team in the state and lost 39-14 to No. 6 Monsignor Bonner the following week as well.

Malvern took down the Fords 24-6 last season in Melconian's first start since his freshman season, and they face off under the lights on a Friday night. What's better than a high school football rivalry under the lights?

Haverford's offensive line is their biggest strength -- literally and figuratively -- led by the Bernard brothers. The Fords went 3-2 in 'Rac play last season.

W3 vs. Penn Charter: Saturday, October 26 (Homecoming)

Penn Charter opened their Inter-Ac schedule with a 21-7 loss to SCH.

The Friars will face them on their Homecoming, which was the case in 2021. Malvern beat the Quakers in 2023, 42-14, on the road. They were winless in conference play last season.

Penn Charter did go into Thursday's contest undefeated though at 5-0. Albeit, the strength of schedule isn't ideal compared to other Inter-Ac teams, but their win against Wyoming Seminary (a 30-12 score) is better on paper than Haverford's result against them (21-14) -- that's something to note.

W4 & Germantown Academy: Saturday, November 2

Germantown opened conference play Thursday with the aforementioned loss to Haverford. Their one win in the Inter-Ac was against Penn Charter last season, but they sit 4-2 on the year after some high-scoring contests to begin the season.

In fact, the Patriots have scored over 28 points in every game this season, including 65 against Central and 49 against Father Judge. GA's high-powered offense under 6-foot-5 junior quarterback Xavier Stearn may give the Patriots more than just one Inter-Ac win this season.

GA fell to Malvern 38-10 last season.

W5 vs. Springside Chestnut Hill: Saturday, November 8

Springside Chestnut Hill may give the Friars their toughest conference battle for the second straight year.

Naturally, the Friars are always forced to face SCH on the last week of the season. Given the historic rivalries between EA-Haverford and Penn Charter-Germantown left to be played on the final week, that always leaves the Friars and Blue Devils left.

With a conference-opening win over Penn Charter, SCH is now 6-0. One could argue strength of schedule, which is certainly a factor, but they've blown out every team they've played and have taken care of business. The closest game they've played was a 40-14 win over Lawrenceville, yes, a *26-point* win was their closest win.

It's only right to consider SCH as the next-best favorite to win the conference. After an 0-5 2022 season, the Blue Devils turned it around and were 3-1 entering the final week against Malvern last season. Down 10-7, with three minutes to go, they drove downfield into the red zone only for Owen Mears to save the day with a pick six for the Friars.

Had the Blue Devils scored on that drive and proceeded to beat the Friars, they would have been co-champions of the Inter-Ac with Malvern.

With that, SCH could potentially be 4-0 entering Malvern on senior night -- making the final game of the season a true Inter-Ac championship.

Quinn Riley '25