POST SEASON RECOGNITION

ALL INTER-AC OFFENSE

** David Orr RB- LEAGUE MVP**

Steve Sullivan- Offensive Line

Bob McEvoy- Receiver

Mike Burke- Quarterback

All INTER-AC DEFENSE

Kevin Bradley- Defensive Line

Brian Wall- Linebacker

Barkley Sample, Ed Devine Defensive Back

Honorable Mention- Jim Marino RB, Mike Laino RB, Rich Chakejian DL, Jay McNeil E, Ron Sheridan DL

ALL SUBURBAN OFFENSE

Steve Sullivan-Offensive Line

Mike Burke- Quarterback

Bob McEvoy- End

David Orr- Running Back

ALL SUBURBAN DEFENSE

Kevin Bradley- Defensive End

Brian Wall- Linebacker

Ed Devine- Defensive Back

Honorable Mention- Barkley Sample DB, Jim Marino RB

**GAMP PELLEGRINI- COACH OF THE YEAR**

ALL MAIN LINE

David Orr- Running Back

Kevin Bradley- Defensive End

ALL INTER-AC ALL DECADE

David Orr RB

Keven Bradley DL

SEASON HIGHLIGHTS

So how do you top your junior year where you went 8-1, only gave up 47 points, win the IA title and are one of the top teams in the area? That’s easy. Led by captains Steve Sullivan, Michael Burke, Ed Devine and Kevin Bradley all the 1980 team did was run the table and go undefeated, avenge last year’s only loss to traditional Delaware power St. Marks, win the IA, give up 58 points, and again be named one of the top teams in SEPA. These accomplishments automatically put them into the discussion as one of the best, all time teams in MP football history. The discussion is a quick one. Well, there really is no discussion once you are presented the facts. The 1980 team was one of the best of all time. Case closed. It was Gamp’s 3rd season at the helm and this team was in the midst of one of the Malvern “streaks” (see previous Carey’s Corner article Malvern Goes Streaking ). Malvern’s last loss in the Inter-Ac was the 1st league game of their 1973 season. Pressure? Not a chance. The boys in blue were focused and determined to make sure nothing got in their way. The skill players were as versatile and as talented as Malvern has ever had- QB Mike Burke, HB Jim Marino and David Orr, FB Mike Laino, WR Bob McEvoy. They could run, catch and throw with the best of them. Like the other undefeated teams these guys were a headache to all the Defensive Coordinators they played. Orr was the team’s 1000 yard rusher, league MVP and Maxwell Award winner, not a bad tri-fecta. He was known as being quiet off the field but as the yearbook noted, on the field he was the “Silent Storm”. David is a perfect example of the stud MP multi-sport athlete. He is only one of two MP players ever to be named All-City 1st team in two sports (football and baseball). Billy Lockhart ’84 and ‘85 mirrored David’s very rare feat. This accolade spans from 1973 through 2018. All-City football and baseball teams were not selected in 2019. I am thinking this demonstrates he was a pretty good athlete.

Great skill, outstanding big fatty line play and a typical Malvern defense that was beyond solid. What was the result? The 1980 team was ONLY one of two teams (2001 being the other) since 1950 to hit all three categories that were featured in previous articles. They averaged 33.7 points a game- 30 for 30 article; they surrendered a meager 5.8 points a game- the Touchdown Club article; and last and certainly most importantly their average margin of victory was ONLY 27.9 points a game- Beat the Spread article. This margin of victory was 2nd all-time behind Gamp’s 2008 team. If you follow MP football at all you already know that 2008 team wasn’t too shabby either. Yeah, this 1980 group was good up and down the lineup. After their two year dominance of 18-1, top rankings and 2 IA titles many opposing teams and coaches were happy to see these guys go. It was rumored rival coaches actually attended Malvern’s graduation that year just to make sure they all did in fact graduate and permanently drive away from campus.

On a special note, this season was not without sadness. In the summer of that year the team tragically lost fellow player and great guy Kevin Fitzpatrick. I never met him but by all accounts Kevin was everything you wanted in a teammate and more importantly, a friend. He was a “Malvern guy” through and through. Kevin was one of the big fatties up front and that automatically makes him near and dear to my big fatty heart. Steve Sullivan captain and close friend recounted “I remember what was inscribed on Kevin’s head stone, “ Courage to Be”. Kevin’s impact on family, friends, teammates and the community are summed up in these three words. A great light was lost on August 10th 1980. Number 71 will live on in our hearts forever.” Well said Steve.

The team dedicated the season to him and they firmly believed Kevin was with them every step of the way of this unbelievable year. In turn, his teammates have asked me to dedicate this tribute of the 1980 team to Kevin and his family.

They came, they saw, they dominated you. Then they got on the bus and went home. There was pretty much nothing you could do about it. They were that good.

DEFENSE

With graduation, Malvern had some uncertainty and some holes to fill. There was a question if the Friars could hit their stride early and build some quick momentum. Scores of the 1st three games were 20-0, 47-0, 34-0. Ah, never mind. Hit their stride, check. Gained some momentum, check. What a way to start a year, pitching three shutouts right off the bat. If that is not a statement on what the rest of the opponents and particularly the Inter-Ac, had to look forward to I do not know what is. Neumann, Delhaas and local Delco Marple Newton all went down without crossing the goal line. In the post-game press coverage of the Marple game it was stated Marple did three things well in this contest- punt, fumble and throw interceptions. Marple punted 9 times. Guessing the Malvern D had something to do with that.

Anyone who knows me, knows I was going to dig into this incredible stat. These Friars were the only team in MP history to start off with 3 straight goose eggs. The 1964 team came closest, giving up 6 in its first 3 games, followed 1965 who gave up 6 in their first game then shut down their next 3 opponents. The 1987 team has the record with 4 shutouts in a row in games 3,4,5 and 6. This shut out statistic puts the 1980 defense in a different class all together.

Next up was St. Mark’s of Delaware. The Friars were looking for paybacks for their only loss in 1979, a 6-0 setback. Took the Friars a quarter to figure things out as St. Marks jumped out to an early 14-0 lead. No worries. Malvern shut them down defensively, outscored them 36 to 6 the rest of the way and chalked up win #4 at 36-20. In the 2nd quarter, a Kevin Bradley interception and a Jay McNeil fumble recovery on the St. Marks 18 yard line helped the Friars turn the game around.

If the rest of the league was wondering what was in store for them, they soon found out. It was not going to be a fun experience for any of them. GA, PC, EA and HS managed 7,6,6, and 0 points. Even though it was the first league game for both teams, many thought the GA contest would determine the IA championship. This was a very good Germantown Academy team. MP jumped out to a 25-0 lead and held GA to 53 rushing yards on 20 carries in the first half. Barkley Sample’s 2 interceptions and fumble recovery helped the defense coast the rest of the way. A late GA score spoiled their potential 4th shutout. If GA was supposed to be the contender then you could conclude the rest of the league had no shot. In a familiar repeat, MP went up 22-0 on EA. A late score prevented another shutout, in route to a 22-6 win over the Churchmen. The Friars closed out the IA season with a school record 7TH consecutive Inter-Ac championship in a row and a 35-0 mercy rule of Haverford School. Rest of the league, no shot, check.

Is there any better way to finish out this stellar defensive year than a 48-0 stomping (newspaper’s word not mine) of Bonner on Thanksgiving? On the day, the Friars held the fellow Friars to 2 yards of total offense and a -36 yards rushing. That is not a misprint, 2 yards of total offense! Like Marple Newtown, the only thing Bonner had a lot of practice at in this game was the punt. They punted 8 times. On the year, when every opponent played MP they all seemed to do that one thing very well….. punt.

It is totally appropriate that 2 of the 7 scores in the final game of the season were on the defensive side of the ball. One was an Ed Devine 68 yard interception and the other was a Bob McEvoy 37 yard interception. On the year, the 5 shutouts tied the 1980 team with the 1976 and 1987 team for most shutouts in a season. It was not out the possibility that this team was legitimately close to 7 or 8 shutouts. PC scored with 58 seconds left, GA scored with 5:15 left, EA scored with 4:50 to go. Let that sink in. 11 minutes from having shutouts in 8 of 10 games. Wow! With defensive linemen like Kevin Bradley, Steve Sullivan, Rich Chakejian, Rod Krasley, Ron Sheridan, Jay McNeil, linebacker John Quinn and all IA linebacker Brian Wall, would you expect anything less from the big boys up front?

They came, they saw, they shut you down then shut you out. There was pretty much nothing you could do about it. The defense was that good.

OFFENSE

There is only one team from 1950 to 1999 to average more than 30 points a game, almost 5 decades! Yep, you guessed it, the 1980 team. There are only 4 teams in MP history that have averaged more points per game. I must be sounding like a broken record but it is another example of why these guys were among the best of the best of Malvern Prep football.

Just as the defense was preventing the opponents from crossing the goal line in the first three games the Malvern offense was doing the direct opposite. They were scoring, and scoring some more, 17x to be exact. Like all of the undefeated teams, when you have good skill in multiple positions everyone will ultimately find their way into the box score on a consistent basis. These names may look familiar. Orr had 5 TDs, Burke ran for 3 and threw for 3, Marino chipped in a key 22 yarder against Neumann, Laino showed his versatility with a receiving and rushing TD and top receiver McEvoy had 2 TDs. Against Marple Newtown the Friars dominated the line of scrimmage with 347 yard rushing. Both Orr and Laino rushed for over 100 yards in the game. 1980 was the one and only time Malvern played Delhaas from Bucks County. Did Delhaas not know anything about Malvern when they agreed to play them? I guess when you beat someone 47-0 you are quickly removed from any future schedule. There was no rematch the following year. That has happened many times over the years. Play MP once, yes. Play MP twice? No thank you.

Malvern 101 Malvern opponents 0. Pretty good start don’t you think?

Next up was the revenge game against St. Marks. Last year the Friars had a long bus ride home in a 6-0 loss. Not this year. Burke to his favorite target McEvoy for 36 yards, Orr plowed in from 1 yard out, Burke scampered in from 10 and the Friars were up 20-14 at half. Once again, David Orr sealed the deal with a 14 yd run and a 28-14 lead in the 3rd. Yes, revenge is sweet, especially against a very good team like St. Marks.

Still keeping score? Malvern 137 Malvern Opponents 20.

Yeah, the Inter-Ac was in trouble because these Friars were on their quest to cement yet another Inter-Ac title. The non-league games showed the rest of the Inter-Ac they were going to have a long season. It started with a quality win against Germantown Academy and ended with a white washing of Haverford School. The GA game was an emotional win for the Friars in many respects. It put them in the driver’s seat for the title and they gave the game ball to Kevin Fitzpatrick’s parents. On the day David Orr asserted his dominance and showed MVP candidate form with 19 carries for 145 yards and TD runs of 14 and 23 yards. You could always count on QB Mike Burke to run for one and throw for one. Sure handed receiver McEvoy hauled in Burke’s TD pass. In the 35-0 win over Haveford the all-around skill marked up the box score one more time. Orr, Laino, McEvoy and Marino all hit pay dirt. Not to be left out, QB Burke added a two point conversion.

It would be easy to expect a team to have a letdown after winning a championship. Who are you kidding? Not these guys. They went on to ONLY score 89 points in their final two games. That would be 44.5 a game. I am not sure but that doesn’t look like a let down to me. Over the last 2 games and in familiar box score territory, Orr rushed 29x for 280 yards and 6 TDs, Marino scored twice. Burke threw and ran for one, AGAIN. And yes, McEvoy caught one of the two TD passes.

I think the reporter who covered the Thanksgiving game summed up the season and this team perfectly. “Motivation is the mother of annihilation. When Malvern Prep stepped onto its home field for the Turkey Shoot that would be a 48-0 dismemberment of Monsignor Bonner, it had one victory standing in its way of an undefeated season. All Bonner stood to gain was a few bruises before dinner. Malvern ran up nearly 400 yards of offense and raised nearly 800 welts on defense in a gruesome display of dominance underlined by a 144 yard 3 TD performance by David Orr.” Yeah, that David Orr did it one last time. Gruesome display of dominance? Is there a better phrase than that? This reporter definitely described this season and this team perfectly.

Final Score? Malvern 337 Malvern Opponents 58.

They came, they saw, they rang up a ton of points on you. There was pretty much nothing you could do about it. The offense was that good.

SPECIALS TEAM

Would it surprise you that this multi-talented team had the same multi-talented players share the special teams chores? QB Mike Burke and Jeff Hasso shared the extra point duties. David Orr and Hasso shared the kick off duties and Hasso and Orr punted. What didn’t David Orr do for this team? Well, an exclamation point was added in the St. Marks game. Malvern had gone up 28-14 and seemed to have the game well in hand. St. Marks scored to make it 28-20. Momentum was swinging the game back in St. Marks favor. Not so fast! That momentum lasted a whole 13 seconds. That is about how long it took Orr to take the kick-off to the house. Add a two point conversion and the game was out of reach and over 36-20. In case you were wondering it was Orr who caught the 2 point conversion….. on his back!

MY BIG FATTIES

Have to love my fatties up front. These guys cleared the way for David Orr, Jim Marino, Mike Laino and Mike Burke to run rampant on opposing defenses. How can you defend four guys in the backfield when the big skill is “Blind Siding” guys over the fence (movie reference I hope you get- “Coach, I was taking him to the bus. It was time for him to go”). You don’t become the 5th highest scoring team since 1950 without big skill doing their job.

Shout out to tackles Brian Wall and Vince Friedel, guards Steve Sullivan and Kevin Bradley and center Mike Ciesielski. Props to honorary big fatty Tight Ends Joe McGuire and Bob McEvoy

ROLL CALL

And as I will do with all the highlighted teams, one last roll call of the seniors in their very special season.

Mike Burke, Jim Marino, Barkley Sample, John Williamson, David Orr, Tony Ceriale, Ed Devine, Frank McNesby, Steve Sullivan, Jay McNeil, Brian Wall, Kevin Bradley, Kevin Fitzpatrick, Ernie Sims, Vince Friedel, Ron Sheridan, Rich Chakejian, Joe Maguire, Bob McEvoy.

You guys were not the biggest around but no one can ever measure the size of your heart. A great two year run that culminated into one of the best teams ever at Malvern Prep.

Brothers Forever.

This was what it was all about. Vince Friedel provided this t-shirt and great memory.

POST SCRIPT

Many thanks to David Orr for finding his scrapbook and sending some great stuff along, to Steve Sullivan for the pics and Vince Friedel for the T-shirt .

41 years later and these guys are still working together and making things happen. Even now, they are still that good!

More to come……………

08.03.21

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