bspahr@dailylocal.com
PHILADELPHIA - The Malvern Prep football team knows any time they go on the road to play at Penn Charter that they’re probably going to be in for quite a fight. That was certainly the case on Friday afternoon as the two got together for a key Inter-Ac League battle that went right down to the wire.
When the smoke cleared the visiting Friars found a way to not only deal with the Quakers’ two high-profile Division I recruits, but also their muddy grass field, as they posted a thrilling 27-20 victory to stay perfect in league play.
Malvern Prep (2-0 Inter-Ac, 5-2 overall) got a big day from junior running back Troy Gallen, as he caught a pair of first-half touchdown passes and also rushed for the game-winning touchdown late in the fourth quarter to help his team stave off the upset.
The Friars’ defense was also outstanding down the stretch when it mattered most. In the second half, they allowed only 114 yards and zero points. With the game tied 20-20 with 5:05 to go, and Penn Charter (0-2, 3-3) on the move, they stopped that drive by forcing a punt on fourth-and-two at the Malvern 43-yard line. Penn Charter probably wishes they would’ve went for it instead, considering the snap sailed way over the punter’s head. After back-tracking and eventually picking up the ball, the punter was able to get a punt off that was fielded behind the line of scrimmage by Malvern’s Hunter Paulus.
That gave the Friars the ball at the Penn Charter 42-yard line, where they proceeded to put together a terrific drive. After a couple of key first-down runs by Gallen, he was rewarded when he got his number called and scored on an 8-yard run with 2:00 left to give his team a 27-20 advantage after a scoreless second half by both teams up to that point.
Gallen finished the day with a game-high 79 rushing yards on 13 carries. He also led the team with three catches for 111 yards.
“That last drive of ours was the whole game right there and we knew it,” said Gallen. “Everyone was fired up and motivated to take the ball down and punch it into the end zone. Our offense line did a great job opening up holes. We weren’t looking to get any huge runs, we just wanted to peel off nice little chunks and burn the clock in the process.
“This was a really big win for us to get. It was an awesome game to play in -- really fun. The conditions made it anyone’s game and I’m just glad we found a way to come out on top.”
The Friars received a strong outing from senior quarterback Bill Ford, as he completed 8-of-13 passes for 162 yards and two touchdowns. They also got tough defensive efforts from Dan Riordan, Eric Purnell and Jordan Majors.
Malvern Prep found a way to limit Penn Charter studs Mike McGlinchey (Notre Dame) and Daryl Worley (West Virginia) in the second half. The 6-foot, 9-inch, 275-pound McGlinchey was a force all day on defense. Normally an offensive tackle as well, he was moved to tight end and caught three balls for 76 yards in the opening half. He only had one catch after halftime, however. The lighting quick Worley, meanwhile, did damage out of the back field and at receiver. He rushed for a team-high 65 yards on 13 carries, and also hauled in seven catches for 164 yards and two touchdowns. Like McGlinchey, though, Worley was contained after the break by Malvern Prep as three of his five carries went for four yards or less, and he was also limited to three catches for 33 yards and no touchdowns in the second half.
“Those two kids are exceptional football players,” said Malvern Prep coach Kevin Pellegrini. “Their team really fought hard.
“We never expect to come to Charter and have an easy day. They always play us tough. I’m just happy to get out of here with the win.”
There were plenty of fireworks in the first half as the squads went to their locker rooms at the break tied at 20-20 after six total touchdowns were scored in the opening 24 minutes.
Penn Charter got things started on the first drive of the game, as Bruce Smilley scored on a 6-yard run to make it 6-0. A 43-yard pass to McGlinchey was a key play on the series.
Malvern Prep would later tie it at 6-6 with 5:17 to play in the first quarter following an interception by Majors. On the first play following the pick, Ford found Gallen for a 44-yard touchdown pass.
The host Quakers came right back on the next possession and grabbed a 13-6 lead after Worley caught a 62-yard pass for a score with 3:31 remaining in the first. There was actually a flag on the play against Penn Charter that was eventually picked up after about a five-minute delay.
Malvern Prep fought back to tie the game at 13-13 with 10:23 left in the second quarter, as Ford and Gallen again hooked up, this time on a 30-yard touchdown pass.
The Friars then went ahead for the first time, 20-13, with 5:10 to go in the half on a 1-yard run by Connor Bohs. The lead was short lived, however, as Penn Charter tied the game at 20 with 1:10 to play before halftime when Worley scored on a 45-yard reception on third-and-eight.
The second half was a whole lot calmer as both teams dug in defensively. Malvern Prep’s defense made the key stop when they forced Penn Charter to punt, which resulted in the miscue that set-up the Friars’ game-winning drive.
“That stop was huge,” said Pellegrini. “That mistake on their part really hooked us up with much better field position too.
“Any league win is a big win. But this is two weeks in a row we’ve been in a tight game down the stretch. We’d like more of a lead in the fourth quarter.”
Malvern Prep 27,
Penn Charter 20
Malvern Prep 6 14 0 7 -- 27
Prep Charter 13 7 0 0 -- 20
Scoring
PC-Smalley 6 run (Kick failed)
MP-Gallen 44 pass from Ford (Kick failed)
PC-Worley 62 pass from McCain (Gottlieb kick)
MP-Gallen 30 pass from Ford (Dollfus kick)
MP-Bohs 1 run (Dollfus kick)
PC-Worley 45 pass from McCain (Gottlieb kick)
MP-Gallen 8 run (Dollfus kick)
Team Totals
MP PC
First downs 13 13
Yards rushing 127 108
Yards passing 162 272
Total yards 289 380
Passing 8-13-1 11-23-2
Fumbles-Lost 2-0 1-1
Penalties 4-30 2-15
Punts-Avg. 3-28.3 4-19.5
Individual Statistics
RUSHING - Malvern Prep: Gallen 13-79, TD; Purnell 7-39; Bohs 9-23, TD; Ford 4-(-14). Penn Charter: Worley 13-65; Smalley 14-37, TD; McCain 4-6.
PASSING - Malvern Prep: Ford 8-13, 162 yds, 2TDs, INT. Penn Charter: McCain 11-22, 272 yds, 2TDs, 2INTs; McGlinchey 0-1, 0 yds.
RECEIVING - Malvern Prep: Gallen 3-111, 2TDs; Purnell 2-26; Ammerman 2-15; Carlini 1-10. Penn Charter: Worley 7-164, 2TDs; McGlinchey 4-108.
SACKS - Malvern Prep: Riordan. Penn Charter: Samuel.
INTERCEPTIONS - Malvern Prep: Majors, Purnell. Penn Charter: Kelley.
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