Malvern Prep beats Penn Charter in Inter-Ac opener
Ryan Betz and Keith Maguire fed off eachother's energy on the defensive end to help Malvern Prep open the Inter-Ac with a win.
A smart tactic for Inter-Ac opponents this season might be to make sure Malvern Prep senior Ryan Betz is happy and fed properly.
In Saturday afternoon's league opener against visiting Penn Charter, Betz, a defensive lineman, wreaked defensive havoc throughout the Friars' 23-9 victory.
Truth be told, it wasn't a lack of food that had the 6-3, 255-pound Bucknell commit famished. It was the four-game losing streak carried into the game by the Friars, the defending co-league champions with Germantown Academy.
"We were hungry," said Betz, who finished with two sacks. "We were hungry. We were angry, and we came to play."
Since their Week 2 loss to La Salle, the Friars (2-4, 1-0) had faltered against four tough out-of-state opponents.
After a bye last week, first-year coach Dave Gueriera's group bounced back with a strong defensive effort led by Betz and junior linebacker Keith Maguire.
Maguire, who was recently offered a scholarship by North Carolina, finished with two interceptions.
The first helped spark the Friars' critical, 23-point second quarter. His second came late in the final frame after a Betz sack cost the Quakers 16 yards and forced a fourth-and-23 from the Friars' 29.
"Betz has a good motor on the d-line and plays with a lot of emotion," Gueriera said. "I think Keith does the same thing, so I think they kind of feed off each other."
Meanwhile, senior running back O'Shaan Allison also had his fill. Allison finished with 170 yards and two touchdowns on 32 carries.
Maguire started the scoring with a 7-yard receiving TD from Drew Gunther (11 of 19, 76 yards) in the second quarter. On Penn Charter's ensuing possession, he then added his first interception.
The Quakers' next possession began with a high snap that sailed into the end zone and forced a safety. Allison then added a 35-yard score when Malvern received the ball, helping the Friars take a 23-6 edge into intermission.
It might have also rejuvenated the Friars' sluggish sideline.
"In past games," Betz said, "we hadn't gotten hype when someone made a big play. We emphasized that we need to have fun out there and get to the ball."
For Penn Charter (5-1, 0-1), Edward Saydee finished with 108 receiving yards on six catches. He also added 37 rushing yards. Will Samuel finished 19 of 37 for 264 yards and a 39-yard score to John Washington.
Malvern travels to Episcopal next week, while Penn Charter heads to Haverford School.
Box
Malvern Prep 0 23 0 0 23
Penn Charter 0 6 0 3 9
MP: Keith Maguire 7 pass from Drew Gunther. Garrett Reilly kick.
MP: O'Shaan Allison 3 run. Reilly kick.
MP: Safety
MP: Allison 35 run. Reilly kick.
PC: John Washington 39 pass from Will Samuel. Kick failed.
PC: Terence Thompson 23 yard field goal.
