Episcopal Academy has had an unusual start to the season.
The Churchmen opened at Salesianum, Delaware’s defending Class 3A champion, in the second game of a scheduled doubleheader on Aug. 29. Kickoff, originally set for 7:45 p.m., was delayed. EA trailed by seven points at halftime before a nearly 90-minute lightning delay led officials to suspend play. The team returned to campus around midnight, only to head back early the next morning to resume the game at noon. By the fourth quarter, the Churchmen were exhausted and the Sallies won running away, 34-13.
“It was an odd situation because they had games all day on the field, it was like a showcase, and that was the only time slot available. You live and you learn,” EA coach Todd Fairlie. “It was an interesting experience. They are a really good team and it was a good opportunity to play against them. It was a measuring stick early. You have to play four quarters to beat them and we definitely did not.
“Coming back (the next day) seemed like a good idea at the time. We’re competitive people, and you only get 10 games. What are you going to do, give up a half of a game because it’s a little inconvenient? We really wanted to see it out, fix some things, but by the time we turned around, our kids were sore from the night before as you can imagine. And so were they. Hey, it’s a story you can tell. … Our nonleague games are to help us get better for the league in the grand scheme of things.”
Last week the Churchmen traveled to Lawrenceville (N.J.). They battled but fell 10-7. EA is 0-2 for the second consecutive season. The Churchmen will host Hill School Friday, the first of three straight at home against nonleague opponents before starting their Inter-Ac schedule Oct. 11.
Notwithstanding two difficult losses, Fairlie has been impressed with several players. Senior linebacker Paul Bruder, who is committed to Penn State for lacrosse, has been “a shining star,” Fairlie said. Defensive lineman Raheem Orr and junior defensive backs Jahmir Brown and Jamil Abdul-Malik have also flourished.
“Bruder has the ability to play linebacker at a very high, very unique level here that I haven’t seen in my 15 years,” Fairlie said. “Raheem Orr is an edge rusher, and he’s been fantastic. In the scrimmage and the two games, you can see how much of a problem he is for opponents on the pass rush and getting home for sacks. That makes life a lot easier for us.”
Jackson Orcutt, a junior, has excelled as a wide receiver and kick/punt returner.
“He’s been our biggest threat offensively,” Fairlie said. “… He’s been phenomenal, and one of those kids who sort of carries on with the tradition here as one of our multi-sport skill guys who can do a lot of different things with the ball.”
Despite being a bit weary from two challenging out-of-state trips, the Churchmen are far from defeated.
“We’ve got a lot to improve on, but I think we’ll get there,” Fairlie said. “We graduated two deep senior classes the last two years, so a lot of these guys are new. We’ve played 31 non-seniors the first two games. We’re going to keep getting better.”
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For Upper Moreland’s Braden and Kyle Moore, Friday night’s game at Interboro will be a special family affair.
Braden, a senior wide receiver, and Kyle, a sophomore defensive back, will play on the same field at the South Avenue Athletic Complex in Glenolden where their father, Ryan, and uncles, Pat and Rick, starred for some of Interboro’s greatest teams in the late 1990s and early 2000s.
Pat and Rick Moore were All-Delco wide receivers, while Ryan was a second-team selection before going on to a Hall of Fame career at Gettysburg College, where he set the program record for career tackles as a four-year starting linebacker.
“They told me stories about all of the fun they had playing high school football,” said Braden, who has seven catches for 170 yards and a touchdown this season. “It’s going to be very cool playing on the same field they did.”
Upper Moreland enters play with a perfect 3-0 record, while Interboro remains winless after three games, having been outscored 143-12.
Braden and Kyle, who transferred from La Salle, have quickly made an impact with their new team. Their older brother, Ryan Jr., is a defensive back at Sacred Heart University after a standout career at La Salle.
“I know that my dad and my uncles had many great games there 20-25 years ago,” Kyle said. “They left such a great legacy behind. I think it will be a good opportunity for me and my brother to step up and show that the legacy is still carried on.”
Braden and Kyle’s grandparents still live in Glenolden, just around the corner from the field.
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One of the top performers in Academy Park’s 64-6 rout of Kensington last week was Harda Gaymore, who made seven consecutive extra-point kicks. The 5-11, 280-pound defensive lineman only began playing football in 11th grade.
“I just started kicking this year,” he said. “I listen to my coach. He always tells me to keep my head down, watch the ball and just kick it. Then you can look up afterwards. That’s the way I always do it and I stick to that.”
Gaymore’s efforts helped the Knights (1-2) secure their first victory.
If the opportunity arose, Gaymore said he is confident he could make a field goal from 30 to 40 yards out.
“Oh yeah,” he said. “I do it all the time in practice.”
Contact Matt Smith at msmith@delcotimes.com
