*If you have a football roster from any of the above missing team page years please send to Rcarey5171@aol.com
FINAL RECORD
8-1 overall, 4-0 league
214 PF, 47 PA
| 1979 Schedule | |||||
| Opponent | W/L | US | THEM | ||
| Bonner | W | 14 | 7 | ||
| Carroll | W | 14 | 6 | ||
| Marple Newtown | W | 21 | 7 | ||
| St. Marks (DE) | W | 0 | 6 | ||
| Reading | W | 14 | 0 | ||
| Germantown Academy | W | 28 | 0 | ||
| Penn Charter | W | 29 | 6 | ||
| Episcopal | W | 28 | 0 | ||
| Episcopal | W | 49 | 7 | ||
| Haverford School | W | 46 | 14 | ||
| SCORING | ||||||||||
| Bonn | Carrol | M'Newto' | ST. MARKS | Readi | GA | PC | EA | HS | ||
| Phelan | 6 | N | 18 | 18 | 18 | |||||
| Sullivan | 2 | 8 | 3 | O | 8 | 4 | 4 | 13 | 4 | |
| Burke | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | |||||
| Orr | 6 | 6 | S | 6 | ||||||
| Betz | C | 6 | 6 | 6 | ||||||
| Holway | O | 6 | 6 | |||||||
| Wilson | R | 6 | ||||||||
| Sheridan | I | 6 | ||||||||
| Marino | 6 | N | 6 | |||||||
| Maguire | 6 | G | 6 | |||||||
POST SEASON RECOGNITION
ALL INTER-AC OFFENSE
1ST Team Offense
Bill Brennan, Jim Martini OL, Paul Phelan RB, John Betz E
1st Team Defense
John O’Leary DL, Joe “Trooper” Sullivan LB, Jim Shrader, Ed Devine DB
HM- John Whalen OL, Kevin Bradley DE, Kevi Fitzpatrick DL, Brian O’Connor DB
INQUIRER ALL-CITY
ALL SUBURBAN OFFENSE
1ST Team Offense
Paul Phelan RB,
1st Team Defense
Trooper Sullivan LB
HM- John Betz E, John O’Leary OL
ALL MAIN LINE
Paul Phelan RB, Trooper Sullivan LB
HM- John Betz, Jim Martini, Bill Brennan, Mike Burke, John Whelan, Kevin Bradley, Kevin Fitzpatrick
SUBURBAN ATHLETE OF THE WEEK
Paul Phelan
MAXWELL AWARD WINNER
Paul Phelan
For his 246 yards and 3 TDs vs Haverford School for the IA title.
NOTABLE ACCOMPLISHMENTS
Gamp’s second year was as good as his first but it did have bumps in the road. For those who played on the 1979 team I am sure you will remember the various opinions on whether Paul Phelan, a fifth year player ( permitted under IA rules) should or should not play in various games. It is the reason Malvern only played 9 games in 1979. O’Hara cancelled their Thanksgiving game against Malvern. It could have presented a major distraction to the team but to their credit they kept their focus and had a great year… so did Paul.
MP started a little slow out of the gate against Bonner but Paul Phelan made sure the Malvern Friars came out on top of the Bonner Friars. Paul rushed 18 times for 140 yards and grabbed an interception on defense. QB Mike Burke tallied the other score off a Kevin Fitzpatrick fumble recovery. The defense held Bonner to one score in a 14-7, 1st game win.
Two early scores were enough for Malvern to prevail over Carroll. Two fumble recoveries set up both scores. A David Orr 6 yard run and fullback/linebacker/kicker/Jack of all Trades, Trooper Sullivan rumbled 60 yards for the other. 14 points was the magic number for win number two. This game was the battle of the brothers as Paul rushed for 127 yards for Malvern and his brother Gerard rushed for 121 yards for Carroll. Paul wins the bragging rights at home.
The win against Marple was of the punt, pass, run variety. Jim Marino had a 76 yard punt return, Mike Burke passed to David Orr for a 47 yard TD and Burke finished it off with a one yard run.
14 points popped up again against Reading. Trooper and QB Burke got the scores. Trooper added 2 extra points in a 14-0 whitewash of Reading.
The non-league schedule showed the rest of the Inter-Ac that they might have a tough time scoring on very stingy Friars defense. Malvern only gave up 4 TDs and 26 points over the 1st 5 non-league games.
The scoreless streak continued in a 28-0 over the Patriots of GA. After sitting out 3 games Paul Phelan made his presence felt, carrying the ball 24 times for 197 yards and adding 3 TDs. A Burke to Holway connection finished the scoring. The Malvern D shutdown any semblance of an offense by sacking GA’s quarterback nine times. That is a lot of sacks.
Goose egg number three came the next week against Penn Charter. Just like the GA game the defense pressured Penn Charter QB Brian McClosky by sacking him five times. The offense followed a familiar script with Phelan getting 152 yard and 3 TDs. Like last week, Burke finished off the scoring with a TD pass to TE Betz. And for the second week in a row, all-purpose Trooper Sullivan added another 4 points.
Someone finally scored against MP. EA did the honors. Episcopal came in with a 6-0 record and had high hopes. Then reality hit. Unfortunately for the Churchmen, the Friar offense answered with 49 points. The Friars started off in a very unique fashion… and I mean a VERY UNIQUE fashion. They score 3 TDs BEFORE the offense stepped on the field. Do not think I have ever seen this before. David Orr opened with an 86 yard kickoff return, Luke Sheridan had a 38 yard pick six and Jim Marino returned a punt 76 yards for a TD. I am guessing EA realized it was going to be a long day. Burkie threw TD passes to Holway and Betz and Trooper had a 5 yard run. McEvoy to Maguire finished the day. Trooper did his thing again, seven times.
Well, it was Haverford School for the title. In the 1st half the offense showed balance, with 2 Phelan runs, a Burke run and a Burke to Betz TD. The Friars led comfortably at half 27-6. The Fords tried to make it interesting by scoring to make it 27-14 in the 3rd. The Friars responded with 3 more, leave no doubt scores- Phelan from 4 yds, Burke to Holway for 19 and Wilson with a 23 yard run. The big boys upfront did their thing by opening holes for Phelan to run 26x for 246 yards.
Like teams before it, the 1979 squad dominated the Inter-Ac by an average score of 36 to 5. In 8 of the 9 games, they gave up a TD or less and only had 47 points scored on them all year long (Careys Corner Touchdown Club June 2020). Yet, in this authors opinion, had post season recognition that, in general, was a bit understated.
Paul Phelan did not play in 3 games but still managed over 900 yards in the other 6 contests.
The team finished ranked 4th in the Dunkel SEPA rating and #1 in Ted Silary’s City Football Ranking.
The Friars of 1979 definitely set the stage for Gamp’s 1st undefeated team in 1980. What a team and season it was! (Careys Corner- Review of the 1980 Friars August 2021).
