October 26, 2006 Issue                                       

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©2006 The Chestnut Hill Local

Devil gridiron boys beat Haverford
by Ed Mahon

CHA’s Rashad Campbell was business-as-usual with his outstanding rushing performance. For more archived CHA Football photos visit www.chlocalphotos.com. (Photo by Jimmy J. Pack Jr.)

Chestnut Hill Academy won its first Inter-Ac football game in over 30 years, but for junior Mike Lonergan beating their hosts 14-12 wasn’t good enough.

“We didn’t really come out like we wanted to. We didn’t play as hard as we wanted to, we didn’t execute. We still won, but it felt like we lost,” said the 6-foot-2, 185-pound junior who had two key defensive plays on both sides of the ball against Haverford School on Saturday, Oct. 21. Lonergan scored the deciding touchdown on a 21-yard reception in the first half. In the second half, he recovered a fumble to buy the Blue Devils (6-1 overall, 1-1 league) defense more time as they tried to prevent a Fords (1-8, 0-2) comeback.After several games this season, CHA players have talked about the need to execute better—an idea echoed by their head coach, Rick Knox.

“We’re very happy to get our first Inter-Ac win. We just have to execute better. Or it’s not going to be quite where we want it,” Knox said.

The Blue Devils won largely thanks to a business-as-usual, outstanding rushing performance from Rashad Campbell, who ran for 187 yards on 35 carries with one touchdown. The game came down to a Fords’ missed two-point conversion attempt with under a minute left in the game, after the hosts had marched 80 yards down the field to threaten the lead CHA had held all day.

“We feel like it should have been, you know, could have easily been a two, three touchdown game. But it didn’t happen that way,” said Knox. “None of these games in the Inter-Ac are easy. Nobody’s gonna fold on you. No matter what it looks like. That’s why you got to play ’em.”

Knox has played them before. As Episcopal Academy’s head coach, he led the Patriots to their first Inter-Ac football championship since 1983.

Now, Chestnut Hill, in its first year back is banking on Knox, a coach described as intense, reliable and praised for his ability to communicate with high school kids.

Former head coach Jack Plunkett has known his replacement since Knox was a seventh grader, playing baseball. But it was as his football coach that Plunkett really connected with the defensive and offensive lineman, the team captain and all-league player.

“He was a real leader for us. . .” Plunkett said. “He was just a real go to, sturdy reliable player for us. Injuries weren’t a factor for him. He just played every game full speed. And was just the kind of guy you loved to coach, because you knew you could rely on him every day in practice and every game, because he was just ready to step up to every challenge.”

Graduating from CHA in 1992, Knox went on to play left guard and center for the University of Pennsylvania and was named All-Ivy during his senior year. After nine years coaching at Episcopal Academy, first as an assistant than as a head coach, Knox was ready for a new challenge: filling in for Plunkett, CHA’s coach of 24 years. (Plunkett, who still is on the coaching staff helping out primarily with defense, left so he could see his son play football at Millersville. “I don’t want to miss all of his games…” Plunkett said. “As a dad it was kind of a no-brainer choice.” It helped knowing Knox would be there to fill in).

“Kind of a no-brainer for us,” said athletic director Mark Burke of bringing Knox in. “We knew we wanted to get back in the Inter-Ac, we knew we wanted a guy that had experience in the Inter-Ac. A CHA grad, experience in the Inter-Ac, great football coach, high energy, that’s Rick Knox. That’s what we wanted.”

Players like Lonergan, a 17-year-old from Abington, appreciate that energy. “He likes smash mouth football, just jamming it down their gut. I mean that’s kind of hard as a receiver, cause he makes us block instead of catching balls,” Lonergan said. “But I like it. He’s got a lot of intensity.”

In addition to his role as coach, Knox also teaches history and serves as the dean of students. “Just walking the hallways, in his role as dean of students, you can see the respect that the kids have towards him. And he returns that to the kids. He just really understands how to communicate with a 14, 15, 16, 17-year old kid. He’s tremendous,” Burke said.

Knox enjoys his dual roles. “Not only with the football players, with all the kid’s it gives me a good base of respect and relationship with them. . .The kids get to see you in a different light than [if] they just see you with your tie up in the classroom. So I think it helps me out with all the kids as well.”

“He wants the football players to be the leader of the school,” Lonergan said.

Plunkett’s more than pleased with his replacement. “He was always just a really dedicated, hard worker. . . It was always a real point of pride for me to have a guy that played for us, to go on to be interested in a career as a teacher and a coach,” Plunkett said.

“Being the head coach for 24 years, I was a little worried about how that transition was gonna take place and who was gonna be able to fill the job at some point. . . When Rick came it was just a perfect fit for us,” said Plunkett. “Hopefully, he’ll be the head coach for the next 24 years.”

As for next week, when Knox returns to face his old Episocpal Academy squad, he’s not feeling too sentimental. “Last year, you know, being the first year I played back against ’em, it was a little more meaningful,” Knox said. “This year it’s another Inter-Ac game.”

CHA’s next game is at Episcopal Academy at 12 p.m. Oct. 28.