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UPPER DARBY — The tour bus guide was deep into a detailed description of Ireland, pointing out a museum here, a cathedral there, a park, a statue, an historic site, some building 400 years old. That’s when a cheer arose from the back, spontaneous and genuine, loud and passionate.
The high school football players from Bonner & Prendie in Upper Darby, U.S.A. finally were moved.
“They saw a McDonald’s,” coach Jack Muldoon said with a shrug. “The tour guide looked at me. I just said, ‘If they see a Burger King, they’re really going to go crazy.’”
There are no rules for culture exchange and too many rules in football, but somehow a couple of weeks ago Muldoon and the Friars made it all work with a meaningful, memorable game in Dublin that opened eyes and opportunities. As part of a tripleheader allowing American high school and prep school teams to compete against some up-and-coming young European players, the Friars defeated the NFL Academy of the United Kingdom, 34-24, with freshmen quarterbacks Kenjai Gatling and Noel Campbell combining for five touchdown passes.
A component of a weekend culminating in a college game between Navy and – who else? – Notre Dame, the preseason match nicely prepared the Friars for a more enriched life. As for how it prepared them for the state-side regular season, those answers will begin to roll in Friday night at 5 when 1-0 Salesianum arrives on Lansdowne Ave.
“I think we built a lot of team chemistry,” senior lineman Kieran Farren said. “Without the trip, I don’t think I would have gotten to talk to all the teammates and gotten to know them so well. Spending hours on hours with each other, I think it was really important for all of us.”
They talked together and they sang together, particularly on that bus, where one of the guides taught them a ditty about the Molly McGuires, band of immigrants from 150 years ago infamous for routinely acting up.
“That was my favorite memory from that trip, singing that song,” senior tight end Mylachi Williams said. “I don’t even remember the words. But someday I would like to go back there.”
The NFL Academy team was made up of players from many nations, mostly of massive size, as the NFL tries to spread its popularity around the globe.
“They were much, much bigger,” Muldoon said. “But they were not better.”
For the occasion, Muldoon wore a tie that belonged to his late father, Ed, embroidered with depictions of small flags of the United States and Ireland. He topped it off with a Jeff cap once given to him by his mother, Dolly. By the end of the trip, many of the Friars would add similar headgear to their wardrobes, as they were the most popular souvenir of the trip.
With the athletic Academy players still lacking American-football sophistication, penalties abounded. Despite the size disadvantage, the Friars won by double figures, with all of the 45 players on the trip receiving minutes. Jalil Hall caught three touchdown passes, and Rob Ford and Austin Cannon snagged one apiece. Though it remains unclear how the victory will impact the Friars’ postseason, they still must outlast only O’Hara and Ryan to reach the Class 4A playoffs.
That left the memories as the most important take-away.
“The food wasn’t the best,” Cannon proclaimed. “Bacon wasn’t cooked. Breakfast wasn’t the best. But overall, it was a fun experience, because the teammates got together and built team chemistry. It was all fun. The bus rides, the team dinners, the team breakfast, the practices – everything. There was a lot of team bonding.”
Though there wasn’t as much as a single golf club in any of the equipment bags, the players did have some free time to explore the charms of Dublin. With a staff of nine, Muldoon was able to assign each coach five players to monitor, demanding they remain in touch at least once an hour whenever they were on their own.
Muldoon didn’t often leave the team hotel, preferring to concentrate on film and preparation. But it was not all business for the Friars coaches. “Business,” Muldoon conceded, “and Guinness.”
That, at least, was clear when he made time to hit a particular Irish pub where some Bonner supporters on the trip were gathered.
“You might have thought,” he said, “we were in Casey’s down the street.”
For everything – the bonding of the players, the bonding with the fans, the victory, the education – the trip was a success.
“I just feel like some people on the team got closer with other teammates,” Hall said. “I think it will make us a better team.”
For that point, at least, the Friars looked the part, roaming around Dublin together in Kelly green swag prepared for the occasion.
“Some people saw the green and knew they were a football team,” Muldoon said. “And they knew about the college game, so somebody said, ‘Hey, is that Notre Dame?’ But it was just us. Little Bonner.”
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