 (Photo by Bill Allen/NJ SportAction) GUNNING FOR SUCCESS: Princeton Day School sophomore quarterback Clint O'Brien fires a pass in a game this season. The talented O'Brien passed for 246 yards and rushed for 187 yards this season as he helped trigger PDS to a memorable 7-1 campaign. |
Bruce Devlin knew early this fall that his Princeton Day School football team was good but it took a defeat for the squad to show him that it was truly special.
After starting 2-0, PDS looked out of sync as it fell 20-3 to Bound Brook in late September. That setback could've shaken the team's confidence but it ended up being a blessing in disguise.
"I think the kids learned a lesson from that," recalled Devlin, who was in his third year as the head coach of the Panthers.
"They really wanted to bounce back from that. We had a tough game at Manville the next week and we lost our quarterback Clint O'Brien in that game after he hurt his ankle. Jason Ferree came in and did a nice job. You could tell from that how hard they were working and how much they wanted it."
PDS ended up edging Manville 6-0 and then reeling off four more wins to end the season with a 7-1 mark, matching the program record for victories which was set by the 1981 team which also went 7-1.
The Panthers punctuated their special fall on a high note as they traveled up to West New York and dismantled St. Joseph of the Palisades 34-0 in the season finale.
"The kids were excited for that one," recalled Devlin. "They wanted to tie the school record and they were excited to play under the lights. The kids played hard and they played with discipline."
That blend of hard play and discipline translated into a dominant performance which saw PDS roll up a season-high 386 yards rushing.
"They couldn't stop our running game," said Devlin, who got 195 yards rushing from sophomore star Mike Shimkin and 140 from senior Alex Kowalski.
"We were able to move the ball all night. They did get the ball down to our five yard line but David Blitzer came and put on a huge hit, causing a fumble. We then drove 95 yards for a score."
The Panthers' senior stars, such as Blitzer and Kowalski, gave the team plenty of drive. "David had 117 tackles at linebacker and he also anchored our offensive line," asserted Devlin.
"We rushed for over 2,000 yards total. Alex had a great year, he rushed for 842 yards. Craig Knowlton was great at noseguard. He's tall and weighs just about 200 pounds. He's so quick that his first two steps cause chaos for the other team's offensive line. Jason played great at linebacker and did a nice job when he stepped in for Clint at quarterback."
The seniors did more than excel on the field as their leadership helped create a new culture around the program. The seniors were sophomores when I took charge," said Devlin, whose team went 2-7 in 2003 and 4-4 in 2004.
"They helped us turn the tables. We practice hard and we work hard. The team was like a big family. The kids got along well in the preseason, working hard in the summer heat. There was a great chemistry."
Devlin is confident that chemistry can continue into next season. We return most of our skilled players," said Devlin who will welcome back leading rusher Shimkin (861 yards and eight touchdowns), quarterback O'Brien, and the versatile Andrew Ojeda.
"I think these kids want to keep things going. We already have our schedule for next year and it will be nine games. They are already talking about going 9-0."
No matter how PHS does in the future, his 2005 squad will have a permanent spot in Devlin's heart. "I'll always remember this season," said Devlin, who is also the PDS head baseball coach.
"It's been a long time coming. In my first two years with the program as an assistant, we took a pounding. But the coaches showed commitment and we finally got commitment from the players. We all put in a lot of time."
Putting in those long hours helped the Panthers make history this fall.
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