Malvern Prep Beats Haverford School, 17-14

The way it was going, it was bound to come down to one play, possibly something freakish that promised to be talked about for years. One thing is certain: The tension between and Haverford School is real and grippingly palpable. They’re two schools that don’t like each other, and that dislike spills over into the followers of both teams and the alumni.

So when Malvern Prep’s Dennis Gabert booted a 36-yard field goal that skidded off the crossbar and just through the uprights with 5:18 to play, it seemed fitting that proved to be the difference in Malvern Prep’s dramatic 17-14 Inter-Academic League victory over Haverford School Saturday before a packed crowd.

Friars left themselves in position to win the Inter-Ac title with a victory over Springside Chestnut Hill Academy next Saturday, while the loss ended Haverford School’s two-year reign as Inter-Ac champs.

Gabert seemed the unlikeliest of heroes. Before his fourth-quarter boot, he never before kicked a varsity field goal. In fact, Gabert was sitting in the stands two years when Haverford School’s Aron Morgan beat the Friars with a dramatic fourth-quarter field goal that gave the Fords the league title.

It’s interesting how it was Gabert who was the one placed in the position this time. He had missed a 25-yarder in the first half, and was anxious to get another chance. He carved the role of hero. When the opportunity presented itself again, Gabert cashed in.

“That’s what I kept replaying in my mind, Morgan’s field goal against us two years ago; everyone wants to be a hero, and I had to make up for the miss earlier in the game,” Gabert said. “We have a lot of hate for those guys [at Haverford School]. It was great to get them back after beating us the last two years.”

It was Gabert’s kick that won the game. But it was junior back-up quarterback Bill Ford’s 25-yard completion to Joe Carlini that set it up. And it was the play for Carlini, Joe Nilan, Sam Schmucker and Tom Rumer that placed the Friars in a position to win the whole game.

“I thought there was no way we would lose this game,” said Carlini, a junior who had a touchdown catch and made 12 tackles on defense. “We had the fullest confidence in Ford when Rumer went out [early in the fourth quarter]. He made the plays when he had to, and it was great being able to beat Haverford School, especially those guys.”

Malvern Prep went into halftime leading 14-7, but it could have been—should have been—much worse than that. Haverford School turned the ball over three times, once at its 15—and Malvern Prep could only made the Fords pay once.

The Friars turned a James Chakey interception by Carlini into their first score of the game, a 36-yard Eric Pernell touchdown sprint. But Haverford School answered on its next possession. Chakey responded well to the interception, completing three straight. The big gainer was Chakey’s 59-yard completion to Zack Rego, giving the Fords prime field position at the Malvern Prep four.

Three plays later, Chakey found Ethan Brown in the corner of the end zone for seven-yard TD connection, pulling the Fords into a 7-7 deadlock with 5:16 left in the first quarter.

The Friars responded by taking the next possession 53 yards on seven plays. Just when it seemed as if the Fords would force Malvern Prep into trying a field goal, but Rumer saw Carlini out in the flat and the junior shook two Haverford School defenders and trotted into the end zone for a 14-7 Friars’ lead.

Malvern’s Shawn Wilson had 47 yards rushing on 11 carries, and Chakey got into a strong rhythm after the interception, completing five of 10 for 131 yards. Chakey’s hot streak eased the tension of an anxious first quarter for Haverford School, which hurt itself with four penalties for 20 yards.

The Friars, meanwhile, didn’t fare much better after taking the 14-7 lead. Malvern Prep was only able to manage 17 yards of offense on its next four possessions going into halftime.