Daily Local News (West Chester, PA)
Golden Rams’ win streak ends at Shepherd
Malvern Prep outshoots Penn Charter in offensive explosion
MALVERN >> It was an instant classic Saturday at Quigley Field, as Malvern Prep and Penn Charter combined for 93 points and more than 900 total yards of offense. Defense was checked at the door. The game was not decided until Malvern stopped the Quakers on a fourth and 11 at the Malvern 31 yard line with 1:06 to play. A pass from Penn Charter quarterback Ryan Jones fell imcomplete and Malvern Prep (3-4 overall, 2-0 Inter-Ac) escaped with a 49-44 victory.
Malvern Prep junior quarterback Lonnie White ran for 245 yards and four touchdowns, but the first Friar score was an 80-yard jaunt by Steven Rose that erased an early 6-0 lead by Penn Charter (5-2, 0-2).
“I was just trying to hit the hole,” Rose said. “It is all about team. My offensive line did a great job and I took the ball and carried it. There is plenty of team to go around.”
Malvern looked like it was going to coast to victory, building a 28-6 lead in the second quarter. White hit Isaac White with a 17-yard touchdown pass and then Lonnie White scored on runs of 24 and 47 yards.
But, Penn Charter running back Chandler Turner, who rushed for 145 yards, scored from eight yards out. After Penn Charter recovered a Friar fumble on the ensuing kickoff, Turner went four plays to score again and suddenly it was a 2820 game.
“This game really was like the Peddie School game we played last year,” Malvern Prep receiver Ryan Maguire said. “And our defense held us up during our tough nonleague stretch, so today the offense owed those guys. They did the job for us early in the season and now it was our turn to win a game for them.”
With Malvern Prep leading 35-23 going into the third quarter, Penn Charter took the second half kickoff and went on a 12play touchdown drive that lasted 7:03 to cut the deficit to 35-30. The drive was capped by Turner scoring from three yards out.
Lonnie White, a longstriding power runner, returned the favor by going 54 yards down the left side for a 42-30 Malvern Prep lead.
Penn Charter kept up the pressure early in the fourth when Turner went in from five yards out. Malvern came back with a touchdown drive, as White went 27 yards up the middle to score, and Malvern had a 49-37 lead with seven minutes to play.
Jones brought the Quakers to within 49-44 when he hit Lucas Rainer with a 21-yard touchdown pass. A Malvern drive ended without a score, and the Friars punted the ball to the Quakers’ 23yard line with a little under three minutes to play.
The combination of Turner and the arm of Jones, who threw for 259 yards for the game, brought Penn Charter to the Malvern 31, but a fourth down pass fell imcomplete.
“We had a game like this against Peddie last year but not as many points,” Malvern Prep head coach Dave Gueriera said. “I think to win a game like this a team has to trust each other and the kids are doing that. In the weight room, the prcatice field or in the game we have been preaching trust and consistency and since the loss to Imhotep Charter, where we sort of hit rock bottom, we have been doing that.
“And Penn Charter is a really good team that is coached very well and they have a lot of tough, scrappy kids, so we are very pleased to come out with the win.”