REVIEW OF THE 1975 UNDEFEATED FOOTBALL FRIARS

POST SEASON RECOGNITION

ALL INTER-AC OFFENSE

Mike Ameche OL, Joe Campagna OL, Steve Donnelly Back

ALL INTER-AC DEFENSE

Sonny Michaliszyn DL, Phil Lynch DL, Paul Ameche DL, John O’Sullivan LB, Rich Devine DB, Steve Scheuerle DB

HONORABLE MENTION

Gil Nassib E, Jim DellaFranco Back, Joe Carlantonio OL, Tony Liberatore DB, Eustace Wolfington DL

BULLETIN ALL CITY

1st TEAM

Steve Donnelly QB, Rich Devine DB

HONORABLE MENTION

Joe Campagna OL, Mike Ameche OL

BACKGROUND

What a time it was for the 1975 football team. Having toured many campuses with our 3 children, I can confidently say that the Malvern of today is a school that looks nicer than many colleges that we visited. Most current students and parents have no idea what the school looked like in the 1970s and how close Malvern came to closing its doors. It was much closer to shutting down than it was staying open. The school’s future literally hung in the balance. Malvern was awash in red ink, to the tune of over $200,000. Now I know that does not sound like much by today’s standards but in 1975 it was a very deep hole. It was a financial crisis in the truest sense of the words. There were instances where Malvern even had difficulty meeting their payroll obligations. If it wasn’t for a very aggressive fund raising effort (think early BASH) and a tuition hike to $2,200. I did not miss a zero or a comma. The number is correct. Tuition was $2,200! The school would have been probably become a development of a few hundred homes. Without the strong voice and forceful feedback of many parents and the commitment of people like the Ameches, Quigleys and Howleys, to name a few, MP would have been a memory. Thanks to all of you who believed in Malvern and stayed the course.

It was in this uncertain, tumultuous time that the guys of ’75 embarked on their season. What a season it was. These Friars were the 3rd team in 4 years under Shark who did not lose a football game. Coming on the heels of the dominant 1972 and 1974 teams, they had a very high bar to reach. The 1975 Friars showed that they were as resilient as the school itself. They never gave up and always played to the whistle. Multiple times they came from behind to win or blow open close games and emerge victorious. Four wins came by a combined 22 points, 3 of those games were in the Inter-Ac. This team showed they were tougher than a very tough schedule. I think the idiom NEVER SAY DIE fits this team. Grammatically it is a head scratcher, but its meaning is to never give up hope even when things do not look good or are not going your way. This team never gave up hope. They made hope a reality.

To quote the yearbook, “This year’s team had a common unifying attitude which got them through a long season. For the players, Malvern went beyond the field. They had that special spirit of togetherness which makes a good team a winner. The feeling was best described by offensive tackle Joe Campagna, ”The sheer fun of playing at Malvern wasn’t just the winning, it was the experience of playing and being with other players to share a common goal- to work together, to be a team.” Jack McGuinn gave the class of 1975 a tribute saying “ the single largest factor in this team’s success was the performance of the seniors both on and off the field and, more importantly, as leaders”. In all my years of coaching I can attest to the fact that chemistry is a very important component of a team’s success and in contrast, a lack of chemistry can lead to a team’s failure. Teams that believe in each other and have each other’s backs will have more success than a team of individuals. The Friars on this team had chemistry, believed in each other, had each other’s backs and went into the record books as one of the best.

Going into the year, these seniors were on a 14 game win streak. The last time they had lost was their sophomore season, in mid-October 1973, to a very good Germantown Academy team. They had not lost a game in a year and a half. Winning streaks can be a blessing and a curse. The more you win, the more the proverbial snowball picks up speed and rolls downhill. In contrast the more you win, the pressure not to be the team that breaks the streak also builds up. You know all streaks come to an end but no one wants to be the streak-ender. The 1975 team was a complete package. The expectation was high and the pressure was definitely on. But as Coach McGuinn noted, the senior class were leaders and they were going to get the job done.

OFFENSE NOTES OF INTEREST

With all the undefeated MP teams I have written about, a common thread to the success of the season was multiple skill guys that could hurt you, a defense that could shut you down and special teams that changed field position. For these Friars the skill players took turns doing the damage week in and week out. The 1975 team followed the recipe of all the other great teams that have been featured- 3 running backs and a quarterback whose passing game can light you up at any given moment. RBs Stephen Scheuerle, Joe DellaFranco, Steve Redding, QB Steve Donnelly and TE Gil Nassib ably fit this bill. In the first game of the season, it was Steve Scheuerle and Dell who stepped up. “Squirrel” rushed for 113 yards and Dell scored from 4 and 10 yards out. The Friars came away with a 13-13 tie against Woodrow Wilson. The streak was still alive and the roll started.

Private school Peddie from New Jersey was Malvern’s unfortunate opponent in game 2. In this game all four backs got into the act. This time QB Steve Donnelly even included the Tight Ends. Yes, Shark did throw the ball on occasion. Dell scored first and Jim Arnold added the extra point to make it 7-0 Friars. Peddie came right back but missed the extra point. Score MP 7 Peddie 6…. it was the closest Peddie got all day. As they say in the movie Remember the Titans, “Leave no doubt” and the boys in blue did exactly that. Squirrel and Steve Redding took turns pounding the ball down the field until they got close. It was Dell again from 10 yards out. The lead was now 13-6 Friars. The rout was on. 3rd score came about by Dons to big skill TE Gil Nassib (Delaware). The Friars entered halftime up 19-6…. And it only got worse for Peddie. On the day Gil had 5 catches for over 100 yards. At 6’4 Gil was a rather large target. As a quick aside, Gil is the father of both Ryan (Syracuse, NY Giants) and Carl (Penn State, Cleveland, Las Vegas, Tampa Bay). Guess you could say there is some football DNA running through the family. In the 2nd half Peddie could muster no comeback attempt and Scheuerle scored from 1 yard away to put the game out of reach at 27-6. However, the Friars were not done as Dons matched his 1st half 10 yd TD to Gil with a 10 yd TD to his other TE Sonny Michaliszyn. Jim Arnold split the uprights and the Friars sealed the deal at 34-6. Steve Redding led the charge on the day with 20 carries for 120 yards.

Next up was Nether Providence who was coming off a 39-7 throttling of Harriton. No rest for the weary. The Friars had to battle Nether Providence, the rain, the mud and a faulty scoreboard to pull out the win. Nether scored first but Steve Scheuerle evened the score at 6-6. Steve Redding’s 62 yard jaunt set up Scheuerle’s second score. Redding’s 2 point conversion had the Friars up 14-6 at half. Dell had the only score in the 3rd and had the Friars leading a tight contest at 20-6. No need to worry with these guys. In the 4th Dons to Gil and the Friars pull away with the win. The trio of RBs combined for 188 yards in the slop of a field- Redding 108 yards, Scheuerle 51 yards and Dell 29 yards.

The Friars win in a swamp against Nether in the previous two weeks more than prepared the Friars for their 1st Inter-Ac “swim meet” against Haverford. The pouring rain and cold winds could not dampen or prevent Malvern from coming out on top in this homecoming contest. Six by Dell and one by Arnold had the Friars up 7-0 early in the 2nd. The Friars and Haverford School traded the next two TDs with the Friars up 13-8 at half. Malvern’s score came on a key 4th and 7 scramble by QB Donnelly (more on Steve Donnelly to come). The rain let up at half but the Friars did not. If any former Friars are reading this you can all remember what it was like to play on the home field when it was rain soaked. There were some puddles, some ponds and other areas that were mini-lakes. The familiar 1975 connection of Steve Donnelly to TE Gil Nassib put the Friars ahead with a lead they would not relinquish. Final MP 21 HS 16. For the 2nd game in a row it was Dell on top. With the rain and field conditions one might say that he swam his way to 140 yards on 20 tough carries. Dell would be the 3rd different Friar in 4 games to go over a 100 yards. All year long the opponents tried to pick their poison with these guys but it never worked. Dons, Dell, Scheuerle, Redding and Nassib combined to be a formidable offensive force. You could not shut them all down. One or two players were always going to hurt you, and they all took turns.

The next two were down to the wire, Inter-Ac, last man standing wins. The difference between an okay season and a great season is you have to win the close ones. Every undefeated team had challenges and the 1975 squad had Penn Charter and Germantown Academy as their close ones. Two games 3 TDs total, 2 wins. Penn Charter was Dell scoring the only TD of the game in the 3rd quarter. The GA score was a unique 14-6, only because of how it ended. Down 7-6 with 7:36 to go, the Friars faced a deeper hole when Steve Donnelly went out with a concussion. For the fans, things were looking bleak. But the bleak wasn’t in the vocabulary of this team. Out goes Dons. In steps Pierce Keating (baseball Georgetown) at QB. What does Pierce do? Just wins the game….92 yard TD pass to Gil Nassib. All-purpose Rich Devine (more on Rich Devine in the special teams section) adds the 2 points, Friars 14-6 final. Not only was it two tough wins but it also extended the streak to 21 games. Pressure yes. Adversity yes. Win always. These guys always played to the end. Yep, never say die.

EA gave the Friars a much needed breather. In their previous three IA contests EA was outscored 91-7. The Churchmen got more of the same from Malvern. No better way to win the title than crushing your last IA opponent 43-8. Leave no doubt, again. Game was not close, even in the 1st quarter. Who else but Stephen Scheuerle to start the parade with 2TDs in the 1st, 13-0 Big Blue. Dons and Stephen, one each in the 2nd Q, Friars 29- Churchmen a giant goose egg at half. Steve Donnelly was a more than adequate passer but when the big boys upfront are tossing people around like pizzas there was no need to throw this day. Stephen Scheuerle closed out the TD parade of the 1st team by scampering from 30 yards out for his 4th TD of the day. On the day Squirrel finished with 12 carries for 112 yards, a robust 9.3 yards a carry. Starters pulled, back up Mario DioGuardi scores the last one. Inter-Ac champs Malvern Friars 43 Episcopal 8.

Have to use the old cliché out of the frying pan into the fire for the Friars last two games. They had two more games to complete their season and neither was a gimme or a rollover. Malvern had to beat two very good teams to finish unbeaten- Salesianum from Delaware and Catholic League Southern Division champion St. Joe Prep. The Sallies were perennially one of the best teams in Delaware. They were ranked #1 at 8-1 in Delaware and were ranked #6 in the Tri-state area. Their coaching wasn’t too bad either. Their coach, Tom Olivadotti, just happened to go on and become the defensive coordinator for the Miami Dolphins for 8 seasons! If there was a time for a letdown this was the week and the team. This game was as close as the score indicated but when a team battles all year and is as tight as these guys were, the final score would not be in doubt. The Friars scored 1st on a 63 yard romp by Dell. Salesianum let the Friars know they were going to be around all day long with a 78 yard TD run of their own. The extra point was good and the Friars were down early 7-6. The Friars were just getting warmed up. Dons to his favorite target Gil and a Dons 1 yard plunge had the Friars up 18-7 at half. This game was far from over as the Sallies came out in the 3rd to get it to 18-15. As they have done all year the Friars punched back. Two of the Friars best that day were two of Malvern’s best.. Steve Donnelly hit Stephen Scheuerle for a 62 yard catch, score and 24-15 lead. Salesianum tightened it up to 24-22 at the end of the 3rd. Too little too late as the Friars beat the best team in Delaware 26-22. The streak lives on. Nine down and one to go….St. Joe Prep Hawks.

It seems that if you want go to down and be one of Malvern’s best you have to beat SJP in the last game. The 1972 team won 52-0,the 1974 team won 27-12 and the 2008 team 34-27. These guys followed the script with a 37-16 win. A Steve Donnelly to Joe Carney TD pass and a Donnelly 8 yard run secured a16-8 halftime lead. Dons did it again in the 3rd with a 42 yard run. SJP had no answer for Steve all day long. He was 7-13 for 154 yards 1 TD and 2 rushing TDs.

Speaking of Steve Donnelly, it is time for one of my asides/commercial breaks. This usually happens when my research turns up a one of a kind statistic. In 1974 MP football was 10-0 and in 1975 9-0-1, with two IA titles. In hoops, the 1974,1975 and 1976 Malvern basketball teams were a combined 29-1 in the IA. These hoop teams also garnered three IA titles. The tally in 5 seasons in 2 sports was 5 IA titles and a combined 2 sport league record of 37-1. I am sure you are wondering where I am going with this? A hoops reference in a football article? You are probably saying in your head that I am way off the beaten football track. Yes I am, but for good reason. There is a common connection to the 5 titles and 37-1 record. Here you go…..The “quarterback” of those 5 teams was none other than Steve Donnelly. He played point guard in basketball and was the QB in football. I do not know how many athletes at Malvern have come close to this kind of record. Dons is one of the most unassuming athletes I have ever known. Very low key but a competitive streak like no other. Maybe silent assassin is more appropriate description. As the saying goes, all he did was win. Steve was 1st team All IA in football and basketball in his senior year and rightfully sits on the Wall of Fame at MP. He took the multi-sport athlete label to another level. Great job Dons.

DEFENSE NOTES OF INTEREST

If you cannot beat a Malvern team there is a pretty good chance that their defense is shutting you down all game long and all year long.The boys of ’75 were no different than all the other great teams that have been highlighted. Malvern scored 34 against Peddie. 21 of the points were set up by three picks on the day. Two by Devine and one by O’Sullivan stopped Peddie drives and set up the offense to do their damage.

In the Malvern’s “ swimming pool” it was Mike Ameche and Phil Lynch leading the charge. The Friars held Haverford to 63 yards on 28 carries. Mike Ameche’s fumble recovery set up a Dons score and a 21-8 Friar lead. In tight games you always need the defense to get you that big stop. With 7:15 to go in the 4th the Friars held onto a 21-16 lead. Haverford got the ball one last time at their own 24 yard line. Eight straight Mayock completions (NFL analyst, Oakland Raiders GM, father of Mike Mayock who played on the 2008 MP championship team) got the Fords down to the Friar 25. Hero of the drive was Al Shrader as Haverford’s 9th completion with 3:56 to go went to Al. Game over. 21-16.

Next up for the defense was Williamson Trade. The rush defense came up big again as they held Willaimson to 54 yards on 34 carries (1.6 yards a tote). Sonny Michaliszyn pitched in to the season turnover total by recovering a fumble and setting up a QB Donnelly score and a 13-0 lead. There is a saying that bad things happen in 3s. For this defense its good things happen in 3’s as this was the 3rd game in a row the opponent’s rushing game was squashed. Against GA the MP defense held the Patriots to 52 yards on 39 carries. If you are keeping score, as I am that’s Haverford 26-63 yards, Williamson 34-54 yards and now GA 39-52 yards. 3 game run- 99 attempts for 169 yards and a 1.7 average. That translates to run, run, run, punt. For this MP team a win wouldn’t be complete without a game ending pick. Tony Liberatore did the honors with 3:15 to go.

Pick to end a game? Pick to end a game? Did I say pick to end a game? In the 6-0 squeaker over Penn Charter, it was QB/DB Steve Donnelly who got one to end a late PC rally and any hopes the Quakers had of a win.

Episcopal fared no better than the previous 3 opponents. The Friars D stuffed another opponent as the Churchmen could only muster 81 rush yards for the game and a total of 109 yards. 35 of the 81 yards came on 2 carries. Squash, squash and squash again.

“SPECIALS” NOTES OF INTEREST

In each of these memorable seasons there seems to be that one guy who makes big plays in all areas. As I was digging into the 1975 season, Richie Devine’s name kept popping up time and time again. His punt return of 50 yards in the Haverford game set the Friars up on the 17 yard line. Short fields lead to short scores and the 1st Friar score on that day. It was another punt return of 45 yards to the Williamson 6 that set up a Pat Van Horn score and a 39-14 lead. In my opinion it was Devine who was the Swiss knife for this team- picking off passes, catching passes and returning punts for great field position. Four catches for 66 yards in a 13-13 battle against Wilson. And when the ground game stalled a bit, four catches for 41 yards against GA in the barn burner 14-7 win. Clutch players always step up in clutch times. You name it, he did it. His selection to both all Inter-Ac and All-City were testament to his performance game in and game out. Nicely done Richie Devine.

I would be remiss in this section if I did not mention other “special highlights”. In great seasons you need all phases to be make significant contributions. Jim Arnold, the kicker, did his job throughout the entire season. In the tight 6-0 PC game it was Jim’s punting that gave the Quakers bad field position the entire game- long field, score. In the back and forth Sallies game, it was a key punt that pinned them at the 8 yard line. This set up a game closing defensive safety by Phil Lynch and a final 26-22 score.

OTHER NOTES OF INTEREST

The Friars finished 5th in the area “Saylor rankings.

No surprise here. The defense finished 2nd in the area in rush yards a game. They only gave up, on average 92 a game.

These seniors had a great run. They finished their 3 year run at 25-2-2, with 2 IA titles, and two unbeaten seasons. In those 29 games the defense gave up a TD or less in 14 of them.

Speaking of runs, they extended the team unbeaten streak to 24 games with the season ending win against SJP. They responded to pressure all year long.

If you follow Careys Corner you know how much I talk about how the multi-sport athlete has contributed to the success of the football program. Many times it is the skill guy whose main sport is lax and second sport is football. Well for Stephen Scheuerle his best sport was both lacrosse and football. Can’t decide on which one to play in college? Well just play both! Once he left MP he successfully played and starred in both sports at Georgetown University. Not only that, he was the captain of both teams. That is a wow in my book. Off the top of my head the only other MP athlete to pull off that dual college sport accomplishment of playing two sports and being Captain of both was Ryan Polley at Merrimack.

Big Fatty Kevin Kiesel went on to play football at Gettysburg. After his playing career he got into coaching at the college ranks and ultimately headed up Albright, Fairfield, Millersville and Guilford.

MY BIG FATTIES

Always a big shout out to the guys up. Center Mike Ameche, Guards Joe Carlentonio and Kevin Kiesel, tackles Joe Campagna and Greg Faust, Tight Ends Gil Nassib and Sonny Michaliszyn. A team cannot be successful without the big skill up front. These Friars paved the way to an area leading 319 yards per game and a robust 26.7 average. They really hit their stride when it mattered, averaging 35 a game in the last three against EA to cinch the IA title, Salesianum and SJP. The last two were certainly no patty cake opponents. Play your best against the best. These guys finished the season with an exclamation point.

IN THE END

Resilience is the ability to cope with and recover from setbacks. Resilient people remain calm in the face of disaster. These Friars faced many setbacks in 1975- the uncertainty of the school’s future, playing multiple games in terrible weather and awful field conditions, winning tight games, battling through injuries and playing an incredibly tough schedule. It was their resilience, their chemistry and their spirit of togetherness that got them through it all. Hats offs to the champions of 1975 on a job well done

** Many thanks to Steven Scheuerle for having kept his scrap books.

More to come……………

08.30.24

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