Chestnut Hill has climbed the Inter-Ac ladder

By Gorden Blain

For the first time since rejoining the Inter-Ac in 2006, Chestnut Hill Academy has what it takes to win a league championship in 2009.

The Blue Devils, who left the Inter-Ac after the 1972 season and have never won an Inter-Ac championship in football, have finished in second place behind Malvern Prep the past two seasons.

Last season, the Blue Devils led the Inter-Ac in defense, allowing just 10.7 points per game. But the blueprint for the 2009 season centers around returning first team Inter-Ac all-star RB Ibraheim Campbell (5-11, 190, Sr.). Stanford, Vanderbilt, Michigan St. and Boston College have offered scholarships to Campbell, who rushed for a league-leading 1,772 yards and scored 22 TDs and is also a top-notch DB, who has 6 interceptions the past two seasons. He could play either position in college.

There’s plenty of support for Campbell. The Devils pass-catch combo remains intact. First-team all-star WR Jon McAllister (6, 190, Sr.), who caught 21 passes for 441 and 4 TDs last season, and QB Dan Gallagher (6, 175, Jr.) and a veteran offensive line dominated by Colin Kelly (5-10, 250, Jr.) and Will Emery (6-1, 260, Sr.) are returning starters. Gallagher passed for 830 yards and 6 TDs last season. Clemson and USC is interested in McAllister as a college baseball prospect.

There are seven starters returning on defense, led by Kelly and Emery at DT, first-team all-star LB Tom Devlin (5-11, 220, Sr.) and DBs Campbell and McAllister.

Ironically, head coach Rick Knox points to the numerous injuries during the 2008 season as a “blessing in disguise” for the 2009 team. Many of the returning starters this season benefited from the opportunity to play that came their way when starters suffered injuries last season.

The rest of the Inter-Ac…
Kevin Pelligrini takes over for his father Gamp as the new head coach for Malvern Prep. The Friars won’t miss a beat and that’s a tall order. After an 10-0 season in 2008—Gamp’s fourth undefeated team at Malvern, Malvern’s record the past four seasons is 37-4. The Friars have won three of the last four Inter-Ac championships and have only loss one league game in the past four seasons. Although it is not a PIAA team, Malvern clearly has been one of the top football teams in Pennsylvania, regardless of size, the past four years. Gamp, whose final record at Malvern was 219-86-8 with 20 league titles, called his final Malvern team his best. Kevin and the Friars have a lot of work to do to recover from the departure of their legendary coach and all but three starters from the 2008 team. First-team Inter-Ac all-star DT Joe DiTrolio (5-11, 255, Sr.), who has drawn interest from Bucknell and Colombia, DE Christian Green (6-0, 180, Sr.) and DB-RB Bobby Hill (5-10, 170, Sr.) round out the short list of returning starters. Hill is a lacrosse recruit headed to the University of Virginia. Sr. Chase Gunther (6-0, 175), a backup to first-team all-star QB Billy Connors (1,509 yards passing) last season who saw very little playing time, and Jr. Chris O'Brien (6-0, 180) are the QB candidates and G-DT Jack Moran (5-11, 225, Sr.) is a first-year starter. The Friars are counting on Hill, DB-RB Michael Bolte (6-1, 185, Jr.) and FB Bobby Scaramuzza (5-10, 220, Jr.) to emerge as the playmakers in the Friars' Wing-T offense. That trio saw very little playing time last season, combining for just 148 yards rushing.

With three first-team Inter-Ac all stars and 19 seniors returning from their first team to finish over .500 in Inter-Ac League play since 1975, Haverford head coach Mike Murphy sees the Fords once again playing a role in the league championship race. “I told the kids to enjoy the accomplishment,” says Murphy. “But I also told them that it’s something that I’m going to come to expect rather than it be the exception to the norm.” First-teamers WR-DB A.J. Kaikai-Jones (6-3, 205, Sr.), who led Haverford with four interceptions, two he returned for TDs, and 24 receptions for 313 yards and 4 TDs, WR-DB Joe Nassib (5-9, 160, Sr.), who also has two interception returns for TDs and had 184 yards in receiving, and LB-FB Wyatt Benson (6-1, 220, Sr.) return. Benson has accepted a scholarship offer from Temple. OL-DL Max Silver (6-4, 280, Sr.), LB Andrew Herm (5-10, 180, Sr.), OT-TE-DE Stephen Aiken (6-2, 190, Sr.), a three-year starter who is a Penn State lacrosse recruit, and DE-OT Rob Boyle (6-4, 245, Sr.), who played injured last season, are returning starters. The Fords’ challenge is to replace RB Terance FitzSimmons, who graduated after he rushed for over 859 yards last season and scored 11 TDs. That task is for RB-LB Carl Walrath (5-11, 180, Jr.) and Benson. Matt Lengel (6-5, 215, Sr.) is the new starting QB, following Dan Judge, who is a Richmond QB recruit.

With their offensive firepower still intact from last season, Penn Charter head coach Jeff Humble expects the Quakers to jump back into contention for the Inter-Ac championship. QB John Loughery (6-5, 210, Jr.), who passed for 999 yards and 6 TDs last season, RB Michael Brown (5-9, 180, Sr.), who rushed for 593 yards and scored 7 TDs, including two kickoff returns, and WRs Mike Foley (6-3, 185, Sr.), who had 373 yards receiving, and David Martina (6-1, 185, Sr.), who had 270 yards receiving, return. Akron, Delaware and Dartmouth are recruiting Brown. Humble expects DT Tyler Mercer (6-0, 285, Soph.) and Brown, a first-team all-star DB, to be the centerpieces on defense.

RB Lamont Jackson (5-9, 150. Jr.), who rushed for a team-leading 654 yards and scored 7 TDs, and WRs Jake Beil (6-3, 185, Sr.) and Aaron Novak (6, 175, Jr.) return for Germantown Academy. Head coach Luke Harris is counting on them to be a strong supporting cast for the Patriots new QB Austin Kevitch (6, 180, Sr.), who now goes both ways after he led the Patriots with three interceptions at DB last season. LBs John Citrone (6, 185, Sr.), Ryan Crane (5-10, 175, Jr.) and Keith Corliss (6-1, 180, So.) return on defense.

First-team all-star OG-LB Jake Butts (6-2, 230, Sr.), a four-year starter and Ivy League prospect, LB-RB Brian Taylor (5-11, 190, Sr.), OT-DT Dan McKelvey (6-0, 285, Sr.), OL-DL Ted Gramiak (6-2, 265, Sr.) and RB-DB Brian Ruditys (5-9, 160, Jr.) are returning starters for Episcopal Academy. OL-DL Scott Ruston (6-2, 235, Sr.) returns after missing last season with an injury. Churchmen head coach Bill Gallagher expects his backfield combo of first-year starting QB Taylor Wright (6-3, 160, Jr.), son of Villanova basketball coach Jay Wright, and Taylor and Ruditys at RB to emerge as playmakers.

Favorite: Chestnut Hill
Main Contender: Malvern Prep
Preseason Player of the Year: RB Ibraheim Campbell (5-11, 190, Sr.) Chestnut Hill Academy