At Bonner, West Catholic, athletes deal with closings

PARENTS are accustomed to receiving short responses from sons and daughters they try to text.

Rose Haley got a two-worder early Friday afternoon from her son, Jim, and it will be burned in her mind forever.

She was at the home of her sister, Theresa Young, and she knew that an announcement was coming on the fate of the side-by-side high schools in Drexel Hill, Monsignor Bonner (boys) and Archbishop Prendergast (girls), where LOADS of family members have studied while enjoying themselves immensely.

"I knew they were supposed to hear something around noon, so I waited until 12:15," Haley said. "I texted to Jim, 'Any word?' He texted back, 'Both closed.'

"I texted him again, but there was no response. I figured he was just like me - very upset. . . . I was angry, and crying. It was hitting my sister even harder because her kids were also losing their grade school (Annunciation BVM, in Havertown). Of course, I knew the rumors were out there about Bonner and Prendie, but I just did not think it would actually happen.

"I thought, maybe, they would merge the schools. And I would have been OK with that. The way the enrollments are now, you could have put everybody in one building and had enough room to keep the single-sex approach. All of my family members have always loved that. Cuts down on the high-school drama."

Rose Haley (nee Moran) and her husband, Dan, have 10 children. The three oldest - Dan, Ryan and Mike - are Bonner grads while Joe, a senior, and Jim, a junior, are currently enrolled. Bridget is a freshman at Prendie.

Nine of Rose's nieces and nephews are also part of the two schools, and 41 family members, including Rose and 12 of her brothers/sisters, own diplomas.

Her two oldest siblings do not, but don't think a snub occurred. The family was formerly based in West Philly, and those two attended West Catholic (also not long for this world).

Haley's sons are more than students. They're also quality athletes and Jim, a quarterback/defensive back, last fall earned first team Daily News All-City honors (at the latter position).

At some point, Jim will be ready to comment on the devastation and what might be coming next. For now . . .

"It's been a rough weekend," Rose said last night. "A couple other difficult things have happened in the last four weeks and then to have this . . . he's still trying to digest everything. His phone has been going nonstop. It took only 10 minutes for him to get the first call asking, 'Where are you going next?'

"I know one thing: Wherever he goes, it'll be what Jim wants. There won't be any pushing from the family."

Maybe Jim Haley can touch base with David Williams. He has been there before, and now he's there again.

Williams, a junior, is a first-magnitude running back at West Catholic and already boasts nine Division I scholarship offers. This was his second season as a Burr after playing in 2009 for now-shuttered North Catholic.

His main memory of Jan. 6, 2012, will also be vivid.

"We knew the rumor was going around, really, for the past five years," Williams said. "We just kept hoping it wouldn't happen. We came into the auditorium at noon and were sitting with our classes. My heart was beating fast. I was real nervous. Having chills, like.

"The teachers had already met. When they came walking in, I saw one in tears. . . . I knew that couldn't be good. Then Brother Patrick (Cassidy, an assistant principal) started to make the announcement and he was breaking down. Now my heart was beating real fast. I was trembling."

Over the weekend, Williams said, his parents kept using the word "ridiculous" to describe the Archdiocese's closings (both now and in 2010).

"I can't believe," he added, "that two schools have closed on me."

Williams lives in West Oak Lane, not far from the Cheltenham Square Mall. Trekking to West every day, he's accustomed to travel, so he could wind up anywhere. Bishop McDevitt is maybe a 5-minute ride. Powerhouse Archbishop Wood is also not far.

"As far as a Catholic school, I'd be looking for the one that can give me the most financial aid," Williams said.

Said West coach Brian Fluck, who could surface as Lansdale Catholic's new coach, or perhaps as an assistant to Gil Brooks, the former St. Joseph's Prep coach, at Camden Catholic, in South Jersey: "I'm going to have a sitdown with my underclassmen [tomorrow], to tell them we'll give them as much help as possible as far as finding a new school. My worry is that a lot of these kids [athletes/non-athletes] won't be able to afford a different Catholic school. West kids get a lot of financial support."

Williams, meanwhile, could surface at Imhotep Charter. West assistant Albie Crosby is believed to be a strong contender for that school's job; an announcement is expected this week.

Whatever happens, Williams will always be a Burr.

"Ever since I came to West, I've been falling in love with it more and more," he said. "It's like home. I'm cool with everybody. I have much respect for West."