Game Notes, Observations, Imhotep vs. Malvern Prep

Whenever I write on Malvern Prep, it’s difficult not to speak of the offensive line immediately. We will do just that. In what was an outstanding all-around performance put on by the Malvern Prep Friars this past weekend, no other unit, outside of the Friar front-seven, looked better. We all know what kind of test Imhotep provides opponents each week. Imhotep is going to challenge you in the trenches with an incredible blend of speed and toughness. The offensive line was up to the task. Watching Peter Jones Peter Jones 6'5" | 300 lbs | OL Malvern Prep | 2024 State PA line up against the likes of Zahir Mathis Zahir Mathis 6'6" | 230 lbs | DL Imhotep Charter | 2025 State PA and other ‘Tep defenders was worth the trip. Jones’ abilities allow him to stack up with any pass rusher in the state, no surprise there. Yet I was pleased with how well the rest of the offensive line held up throughout the night. Yaahdir Nash Yaahdir Nash 5'10" | 175 lbs | RB Malvern Prep | 2023 State PA was able to find real running lanes against one of the more stout defenses in the state and exploit those holes. The Freshman quarterback wasn’t necessarily running for his life after each dropback either. Excited to see this line bind together the way they did.

If you aren’t in the know, stud sophomore quarterback Skylar Smith exited this game very early on. A shame considering he was a prospect that drew me out of South Jersey. Nonetheless, Malvern Prep exemplified the next-man-up mentality, thrusting a green freshman into the fold against what I think is the best defense in all of Pennsylvania. No pressure. Quite honestly, I didn’t pick up on an ounce of hesitation or fear out of this young man. Melconian has a ton to work on, as any freshman does, yet this kid looked calm and confident in and out of the huddle. It’s tough to know how deep into the playbook the coaching staff went, yet from my eyes, there didn’t seem to be a distinct change in what the Friars do best. Melconian wasn’t afraid to test the Imhotep defensive backs, he wasn’t afraid to move out of the pocket and open up passing lanes on the run. Color me impressed with this kid.

The three main recipients of the target and carry shares. Ennis Udo Ennis Udo 6'2" | 205 lbs | TE Malvern Prep | 2024 State PA , the kid we like primarily at defensive line, showed off how far he’s come along as a pass catcher. Udo did provide quality DE reps in this one, yet where he stood out was in the passing game, coming away with four catches on this star-studded secondary, none of which were easy haul-ins either. If he keeps up this offensive production, I could see a reranking as a tight end in his future.

Yaahdir Nash Yaahdir Nash 5'10" | 175 lbs | RB Malvern Prep | 2023 State PA , a top-20 ranked running back showed he’s more than capable of producing against elite talent. That should bode well for his collegiate stock. Many might be concerned with how he will hold up against size at the next level, we got a taste of that answer this past weekend. Nash’s suitors should be pleased. Every yard gained by Nash and company was hard-fought and earned. I applaud his efforts for running tough all game long, inside and out of the trenches.

Roman Vernisi is a new name to me, one that isn’t new amongst the Friar community, however. Not sure how I missed ranking this kid on our updates over the years. Vernisi slipped through the cracks, his performance up close didn’t however. I was able to catch a ridiculous toe-tap catch near the Imhotep sideline that was hauled in by the senior. Most of the targets went Udo’s way on the night, yet that didn’t stop Vernisi from impacting the game with his blocking along the perimeter. I like what I saw out of the young man.

Malvern Prep deploys such deep depth charts, that not many prospects have to play both ways, something that you don’t see too often at this level. One of the Friars that does provide quality reps on both sides of the ball is sophomore athlete Zade Johnson Zade Johnson 5'11" | 180 lbs | DB Malvern Prep | 2025 State PA . You can argue that his value higher than most of the team. Matching up against a back like Jabree Coleman, you’re going to need everyone running to the football to help bring that young man down. Johnson was up for it, meeting Coleman and other ball carriers in the secondary and bringing them to the turf by himself at times. Johnson provided a spark on offense as well, something I didn’t expect to see him do in this game solely because of the secondary on the other side of the ball. Johnson was all around the field, hitting, running for first downs, flashing good hands, PBUs.

The huge momentum shift began with the equally huge pick-six snagged by DB/OLB Hayden Pegg. Another new name to the site, Pegg didn’t just come up with arguably the biggest play of the game, he also put some kids on their backsides in this one. He’s a linebacker at heart, he’s got the downhill playstyle and size for the position. Pegg is probably the best new player on the field, new to me at least. Would love to see how this kid tests in the offseason.

The last observations from the massive win over Imhotep Charter are for the Friar front-seven. An awesome night out of the unit from both a personal and a collective perspective. As a group, the Friar front-seven, including names not listed above knew the task at hand. They knew they had to do everything they could to contain Jabree Coleman and Rahmir Stewart Rahmir Stewart 6'0" | 205 lbs | DB Imhotep Charter | 2023 State PA , for the most part, they did just that.

How about the efforts out of Bobby Mears Bobby Mears 6'4" | 225 lbs | LB Malvern Prep | 2023 State PA , Sean Maguire Sean Maguire 6'1" | 205 lbs | LB Malvern Prep | 2023 PA , Luke Testa Luke Testa 6'1" | 215 lbs | LB Malvern Prep | 2023 State PA , and Jack Bauer in this one. These four kids might have had the biggest say in why Malvern Prep came away with this Victory. I have seen Imhotep play for years, against a myriad of defenses and defenders, trust me when I tell you, it’s tough to stalemate these backs the way this group did. Time and time again, rep after rep, Bauer, and Mears would stop any run in its tracks. Coleman and Stewart still got their share, yet it came gruelingly, as the front seven wouldn’t allow runs to be broken off into the secondary. The linebacking corps’ confidence must be through the roof after this one. Hoping my numbers are correct, but Bobby Mears Bobby Mears 6'4" | 225 lbs | LB Malvern Prep | 2023 State PA blocked a punt that was subsequently scooped by Sean Maguire Sean Maguire 6'1" | 205 lbs | LB Malvern Prep | 2023 PA for a back-breaking score. They can play special teams too it seems.

Two interior defenders, whose ranks should take a jump, stepped up to the plate and played huge roles in bottling up this Imhotep ground attack. Those two being Philip Tabasso Philip Tabasso 6'2" | 285 lbs | DL Malvern Prep | 2024 State PA and Colin McHugh Colin McHugh 6'0" | 210 lbs | DL Malvern Prep | 2023 State PA . Underclassmen Ben Kumpon Ben Kumpon 6'1" | 220 lbs | TE Malvern Prep | 2025 State PA looked solid as well, making plays at DE/OLB, a spot where he should be ranked instead of tight end for the time being.  Shoutout to Cameron Brickle too. During the game I kept trying to figure out who 54 was on defense, it was yet another freshman, one who stands 6’2 and weighs just under 270 pounds. Brickle was flying around the field, assisting in clogging lanes while also getting through the ‘Tep offensive line to redirect ball carriers away from his gap. A more in-depth piece on this kid will drop with my next freshman report.

A huge round of applause should be in order for this group.

One thing’s for certain, this young man showed up to play. The outcome wasn’t preferred of course, yet that didn’t stop Jahsear Whittington Jahsear Whittington 6'1" | 280 lbs | DL Imhotep Charter | 2024 State PA from blowing up running lanes all night long. Anger, assertiveness, energy. The Friar offensive line didn’t make this one easy, yet the big Panther still showed why he’s the best defensive linemen in his class.

Kenny Woseley had a quiet game, mostly because his area of the field wasn’t targeted too often. Woseley did his usual job of locking up his matchup and closing off any possible throwing lanes his way.

Rahmir Stewart Rahmir Stewart 6'0" | 205 lbs | DB Imhotep Charter | 2023 State PA did his thing. The outstanding S/RB seems to always be in position to make a play, he did just that on both sides of the ball. Jabree Coleman also played his part. This game wouldn’t be looked at in such a bad light if not for costly miscues on special teams. The Coleman-Stewart duo still performed well, they made things tough for MP all night. The petal was to the metal, they just couldn’t drive home the win.

Semaj Bridgeman Semaj Bridgeman 6'2" | 235 lbs | LB Imhotep Charter | 2023 State PA continues to prove his case for being the best linebacker in the state. He looks the part and plays the part too. There were some huge sticks made by this kid, his instincts are next level. Bridgeman’s flashes shine brighter than anyone in the state.

Corey Wright Corey Wright 5'10" | 165 lbs | ATH Imhotep Institute | 2023 State PA earns a shoutout, he came up with two big catches for good chunks of yardage in this one. One of the catches came close to the sideline, not even sure how he got a toe in, to be honest. He’s looking like a real threat at wideout if the coaching staff decides to work away from running the football. Nice to have an option like this.