Carey's Corner
FROM THE MALVERN ARCHIVES
A LOOK BACK
December 18th, 2024
I will admit that parts of this story I cherry picked from the speech I wrote when Jack McGuinn was inducted onto the MP Wall of Fame. I went to grade school at St. Andrews in Drexel Hill (GO DELCO) but spent my “formative years” hanging at St. Dots. In the late 60s and 70s, there were quite a few teachers, administrators, athletes and students who came from St. Dots to Malvern. Some might say it was the original Malvern pipeline. I have some great memories of St. Dots (Lens Den, Lou’s Shoes, Aronomik Swim Club, St. Dots gym with the low ceiling, to name a few). However, one of the greatest memories I have was discovering that everyone I met had a nickname…..I mean everyone.
In the summer of 69 as I walked onto the fields of Malvern for the first time I was immediately struck by a very large human being who was, coincidently called Tuba. And of course, Tuba was from St Dots. As teammates and classmates, we became friends and he soon introduced me to the world of the Green and White. Well, Tuba had a brother and his nickname was Bear. With names like Tuba and Bear I soon learned Saturday morning breakfast at the Riordan house was not skim milk, toast points and grapefruit (God bless Mrs. Riordan and her three daughters). Over time a met a Pig, a Rhino, a Brick, a Pic, Flag, Eggs, Bulb, Nails, Dog, Bird, Spider, and a Kraut. I could go on but I think you get the idea. There are guys today at St. Dots who I still do not know their real first name. So, it is appropriate that in this Careys Corner I will talk about the coach before Gamp. He was a guy from St. Dots and he was called Shark.
I have completed the Careys Corner tributes to the 1972, 1974 and 1975 Malvern football teams. I have also recounted the1969 season and the Penn Charter game. That game and that season were pivotal moments that turned the football program around. All of the above have a common theme- the coach. I thought it was appropriate to give recognition to the coach who was the architect of it all. Before the Gamp era there was some pretty good football being played at Malvern and there were some pretty good football players too.
From 1969 to 1977 we all played for “the Shark”- through the 3 hour practices, the 40-40 yard sprints, the 95 degree 3 a-days with no water breaks, August summer camps, the vein popping out in his forehead when he was really mad, the click-click-click of the projector when we watched film, AND the endless ten perfect plays followed by “ZERO” (the guys who played for him will get that and probably still get chills when they hear it). But we all survived.
His task was daunting but there was never a question that it would not happen. In the early 60’s he was at St. Dots and turned them into a team that no CYO team wanted to play. He had confidence that he could do the same at Malvern. It was going to take hard work, focus and determination. When we stepped onto the practice or game field he always expected us to give a total effort. He pushed us hard and made us realize that if we wanted to succeed on the field we would have to earn it. If we wanted to win on Friday we would have to prepare ourselves each and every day to achieve that goal.
As you all know, football is not for the faint of heart. Nobody, especially in football, is going to roll over hand and you a win. With Shark, whether it was a block, a tackle or a sprint, going through the motions was certainly not an option. Do your best each and every time and good things usually happen. Hard work is not a guarantee of success but it will certainly put you in a better position to succeed. Without being too philosophical here, you can pretty much say that about life.
Before Shark came, MP football had a stretch where they really struggled. He was hired to stop the bleeding and point the program in the right direction. I will be the first to confess that there were times I did not like him. I mean I really didn’t like him. Shark pushed and prodded me and my fellow players to give our very best- rep after rep, practice after practice and game after game. There were no half way efforts. There was no “going through the motions”. Losses happened but that didn’t mean you had to accept them. Learn from them and get better. Under Shark, Malvern football did get better….alot better. Here are the facts:
Shark 9 Year Resume- 1969-1977
Shark took over a program that had lost 10 straight league games. With the same players he shared the league title in his first year (Careys Corner- The game and the season that changed it all).
BY COMPARISON AND POINT OF REFERENCE
How was this accomplished? Can you say defense?
When you talked about a Shark coached team you talked defense. How about playing defense for 9 years?
These stats are truly remarkable. It was an incredible run.
It has been a very long time since Shark was at MP (RIP 2010). I recently celebrated with my teammates the 50th anniversary of our 1972 undefeated team. The1974 team came back in 2024. The accomplishments of the Shark era are a distant memory for the guys who played for him, but we still remember. I hope the accomplishments of those teams of long ago are not forgotten.
In this stretch of years, it was often said that there was Malvern football and then there were other programs.
During the Shark years I had the pleasure to play with some great guys and to watch many others once I graduated from Malvern.
Roundo, Bear, Tuba, Pokey, Squirrel, Spear, Rullo Monster, Kutter, Bird Legs, Troll, Jaybird, Tagger, to name a few. Football under Shark wouldn’t be complete if there were not nicknames. All the players contributed to great seasons and some great games along the way. I think there are 30+ players from the Shark era on the Wall of Fame. This did not happen by accident.
For me, the games that come to mind- MP 30 Penn Charter 20 1969, Salesianum 8-7 and 12-6 in back to back years 1970 and 1971. MP 35 Haverford School 6 for the 1st outright title in 1972, beating the Prep 4 years in a row 1972 through 1975, MP 6 Penn Charter 0 in 1975 to secure another IA title. And most if all, after just missing 3 outright titles from 1950 through 1971, the Friars cranked out 5 outright titles in 6 years. Let the good times roll.
And the rest is history. The Gamp, along with Jimmy the Jet and Sellsy, took over and raised the MP football program to the next level. And what a level it was.
I hope I speak for the guys who played during the Shark era. It was an honor to have played at MP, and today, to still be able to watch the program continue to have the success it has had on the field that we played on…. well, not really the field that we played on. The current field is a whole lot nicer. It is level and drains very well after a heavy rain. No puddles, lakes or streams.
This continued football success is no easy fete. Credit goes to all the coaches and players who have made Malvern Prep football one of the best in the tri-state area. I hope that anyone who has played football at Malvern recognizes that they have been a part of something very unique and special. Other schools hope to have a competitive year, are happy if they have a .500 record and maybe win a league title every once in a while. Not at Malvern. Win the league, shoot for undefeated season and be ranked in the top 10 in all of Southeast Pennsylvania. These are very loft goals and are set against one of the toughest schedules every year.
Today the observation still stands the test of time. There is Malvern football and then there are other programs.
Always defend the “M”.
More to come……………
