Playing Madden is CHA's game
SOON AFTER Chestnut Hill Academy plays its football games, Cedric Madden's best friends turn from people to objects. Frozen water, for one. A comfy mattress, for two.
SOON AFTER Chestnut Hill Academy plays its football games, Cedric Madden's best friends turn from people to objects.
Frozen water, for one. A comfy mattress, for two.
Once the 5-10, 185-pound senior tailback completes his never-ending job of trying to run the ball into the end zone, all he wants to do is soothe the bruises and catch some Zs.
Saturday, after the Blue Devils edged visiting Haverford School, the defending champion, 7-3, in a spirited Inter-Ac League opener, Madden was asked how he intended to celebrate.
"Head home, ice up, and go to sleep," he said.
If he'd added "until Monday," eyebrows would not have been raised.
Madden, who also plays cornerback, is averaging 24 carries and 172 yards through six games. Those are common workload/production numbers for CHA's main rusher over the last six seasons, and soon Madden might be changing his surname to Campbell.
Rashad, now a defensive back at Cornell, handled the 2006-07 chores. His brother, Ibraheim, now a d-back at Northwestern, took care of 2008-09. "Ceddy" is now in Year No. 2 of dominate-the-offense duties.
Comparatively, this wasn't a classic outing (just 62 yards on 25 carries). But when the Blue Devils needed something/anything to overcome a late-game, 3-0 deficit, there was Madden dashing into the end zone for a 13-yard score with 2 minutes, 17 seconds remaining.
In CHA's previous game, a non-league win over Hill School, he'd been given every . . . single . . . carry in a 34-7 win. Twenty-eight of 'em for a school record 343 yards and five TDs.
"Teams would bang up the Campbells early in games, but they'd keep plugging and never quit," said coach Rick Knox. "Just like I used to say to them, I was telling Ceddy, 'Stay with it. You're gonna pop one in there.' And he did it. I give him credit.
"Ceddy learned a lot from those guys. But at the same time, he's his own young man. He earned this himself. Of anyone I've coached, he may have improved the most."
Madden said the Campbells most imparted their work ethic.
"From them I learned how hard you have to prepare through the summer," he noted. "That was the mark they left on our team - hard work. I used to run some hills [with Ibraheim]. And I try to be like them in terms of staying humble and taking one game at a time.
"I like the responsibility I have with this team. At all times, pretty much, I'm given chances to help us win. I accept that. I look forward to that every week. And with my line I try to get the job done."
In the first quarter, Aron Morgan drilled a 32-yard field goal for HS and then sent his wind-aided kickoff 70-plus yards through the uprights. Early in the fourth, Tyler Hightower's 2-yard tackle-for-loss, Lewis Lake's pass breakup and Andy Reid's 13-yard sack (along with 22 yards in penalties) ruined the Fords' first-and-goal-from-the-8 opportunity.
The winning drive, consisting of five plays, needed to cover just 38 yards, and the TD came on a counter. (Cole Hoffmann's interception sealed the deal at 0:44.)
When asked to talk about his TD, Madden cited a large early hole and a clinching block at the 5 by wideout Jamie Young.
Yes, the same Jamie Young who earlier had dropped what almost certainly would have been a 65-yard TD pass . . . on a trick-play heave from Madden.
"Yeah, I should have a touchdown pass right now," Madden said, smiling. "Jamie said the wind got to him. He fought past it. Gave me the big block."
Unlike the Campbells, Madden would prefer to play running back in college. Early contact has come from Lehigh and Monmouth and the Norristown resident could picture himself majoring in psychology.
"I like talking. I'm a people person," he said. "I feel I could help people. I already do that, a lot, for my friends."
With girlfriend problems?
He laughed.
"Yeah, basically."
