Times Chronicle & Public Spirit
‘Kenrick 12’ continues to strengthen bond of friendship
'Band of brothers sponsoring scholarship event in honor of friends Dave Friday, Dave Stagliano
The group of friends posed with Kenrick-themed cupcakes.
NORRISTOWN » You can almost picture it — like a scene from a movie. Twelve kids, classmates at a small-ish Catholic high school and teammates on the football field, form a bond that’s built on laughter, camaraderie, teamwork, sports and life lessons. A bond that, even 40 years down the road, proves unbreakable.
But when these boys walked the halls of Bishop Kenrick High School, and ran their laps around the field prior to football practice, it wasn’t a page out of script. It was the first chapter of a book about love and loss, and the bond of friendship that forever connects the two.
They came together as kids — all from neighboring parish schools in the Norristown area — St. Francis of Assisi, St. Patrick, Visitation, St. Titus, Holy Saviour, St. Paul. As CYO athletes, they were rivals and competitors. But in the hallowed halls of Bishop Kenrick, they started their journey as teammates. As their high school years progressed, they grew into more than teammates, they became brothers…a band of brothers.
Rich Wesselt; Dave Friday; Moe Cabot; Tom McGrath; Chris Cameron; Dave Stagliano; Tom Kelly; Chris Pizzirani; Elio Colavita; Frank Basile; Tony Dupell; Bob Stec — this “Kenrick 12.” They joined forces with Mike Migliarese; Dave Riley; Drew Ritchie; Paul DeSantis; Terry McKenna ;Pat Nolan; Tim Bonjo; Brian Opielski; Chuck Maggio and Scott Crouch to form that formidable band of brothers.
A band of brothers who, in 1981 were key players on a freshmen football team that went unbeaten and untied — the only team in the Philadelphia Catholic League Northern Division to achieve that
distinction, according to Rich Wesselt.
“That winning produced a bond that’s been intact now for (almost 40) years,” Wesselt said. “We’ve been at each other’s weddings, baptized each other’s children, and developed such a strong friendship.”
The celebrations of life’s milestones naturally drew these friends together through the post-Kenrick years. But the losses, the heartbreaks, well, those proved to be the cement that sealed their bond of friendship.
The first hit came in 2015, when Dave Friday died of a heart attack. He was 47 years old, and the “heart of that Kenrick football team,” Wesselt said.
Now this group of friends is determined to keep the memory and legacy alive of the heart of the team, a man of undeniable integrity and character.
“Dave was a strong, solid football player, and he could bench press 405 pounds,” Wesselt offered. “But most importantly, Dave was like a brother to all of us. He was a good human being. He was godfather to my youngest son, Carson; both my boys (Carson and Logan) loved Dave. He would do anything for you.”
And now, these brothers are dealing with yet another unexpected and tragic loss.
Dave Stagliano died this past February after an illness — his obituary in The Times Herald references “The Kenrick 12,” the band of brothers.
“This was very hard on all of us. Dave Stagliano went into hospital on December 24, 2021 and passed February 6, 2022,” Wesselt said. “He never was able to get out of the hospital. We never saw him again. This was extremely challenging and heartbreaking. It strengthened the bond between us even greater, knowing how precious life is and the importance of friends and family. We plan to continue to honor their legacies for many years to come.”
Every year following Friday’s death, Wesselt organized the “Dave Friday Memorial Night,” with all money raised benefitting the scholarship fund for
Pope John Paul II High School in Friday’s name. Now, Dave Stagliano’s name will be added to that memorial scholarship.
This year’s event will be held Saturday, April 23 at Pope John Paul II High School, 181 Rittenhouse Road in Royersford. The invitation reads: “Food, drink and plenty of great memories will be shared this night. We will be accepting donations at the door for the benefit of the David Friday and David Stagliano Jr. Scholarship Fund. Please make checks payable to Pope John Paul II High School.”
Wesselt said this scholarship does more than keep the memories of their friends alive.
“We want to honor Dave Friday and Dave Stagliano,” Wesselt said. “They were two of the best human beings I know. They were Catholic first, loved their family, they were servants, great friends and lastly two guys who loved football.
Wesselt added that the scholarship is meant to reflect the men it memorializes.
“We want to honor the complete person with respect for academic and athletics, allowing kids to excel with the foundation of a Catholic education,” Wesselt said.
Keeping their friends’ legacies alive is the driving force of this charitable endeavor. But Wesselt has realized that the bond he continues to strengthen with his band of brothers, the Kenrick 12 and more, is creating its own legacy.
“My son Logan recently said to me, ‘Dad, you don’t know how lucky you are to have this amazing bond with your friends.’ “
“I thought about that and reflected back to the halls and field of Bishop Kenrick. A truly memorable and happy time and where the strong friendship started. We realize how truly blessed we all are and I believe our bond will grow even stronger as the years go by.”
For more information on the event, or to RSVP, please email Debbie@Wesseltcapital.com.