Archbishop Carroll High School Football

John Tull always knew where his father went. He could tell by the yellow index card hanging from a magnet on the metal backdoor of his Media home. It said one word: Fire.  Click here for full article.

RADNOR, PA – Geoffrey Prather and Kevin Eckel inked national letters of intent today in a ceremony at school that included the administration, faculty, staff, family and friends.  Prather, a versatile athlete and a physical specimen, will join Al Golden's Temple Owls football program in the fall.  The 6-3, 215-pound Gulph Mills resident earned Honorable Mention All-Catholic honors as a linebacker during his senior season.

Kevin Eckel, a Haverford Township resident, will attend the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis following in the wake of his brother Kyle, a former Midshipmen standout who is currently a member of the AFC Champion New England Patriots.  Despite missing six games due to injury, which arguably hurt his chances to earn All-Catholic honors, Eckel, a two-year starter at safety and fullback, was honored for his outstanding sportsmanship by the Central Board of Football Officials.

Joining Prather and Eckel at the signing ceremony were classmates Rachel Walsh and Jackie Krizovensky.  Walsh will attend St. Joseph's University and Krizovensky will matriculate to American University.  These two-time Catholic League Championship teammates will do battle on the field hockey field next fall.

L to R: Geoffrey Prather, Rachel Walsh, Jackie Krizovensky and Kevin Eckel signed national letters of intent on Thursday, February 7th.  These four February signees bring the Archbishop Carroll Class of 2008's total to thirteen athletic scholarships.

RADNOR, PA – Al Thompson, a Carroll alumnus who has enjoyed great success as the strength coach at his alma mater, announced that he is resigning from his positions as strength coach and as Executive Director of the Carroll Football Hall of Fame Club to pursue other interests outside of coaching.

Thompson, 56, who has served the last seven seasons as the Patriots’ strength coach, helped guide the team to seven playoff appearances and two Catholic League championships during that span.  According to Athletic Director Fran Murphy, the football staff will begin to look for a new Executive Director of the Football Hall of Fame Club and a strength coach as soon as possible.

Thompson has played a pivotal role as part of a group that is one of the most experienced coaching staffs in high school football today. Head coach Dan Bielli, who is nearing the 100-career wins plateau, will begin his 13th season as a head coach in 2008. In addition, offensive coordinator Fran Murphy begins his 13th season on the Carroll staff this fall.  Assistant coaches – Pat DiPilla, Tony Brigg, Pete Stolzer, Jay Stretch, John Sexton and Bob Fuhrmeister – add a combined sixty-three years of high school coaching experience.

"Al has been an excellent coach and has made a wonderful contribution to Carroll football," said Bielli. "It really is a tough loss for our program. He has been here for nearly all of those wins, so his efforts have been truly phenomenal. Few have matched Al's dedication to this program. We certainly wish him the best for the future."

Al Thompson serves as the Master of Ceremonies during the 2007 Hall of Fame induction ceremony.  The Carroll off-season strength training program improved tremendously during Thompson's seven-year tenure as Strength Coach.

Head Coach Dan Bielli will hold a brief, MANDATORY meeting for all 2008 football prospects (juniors, sophomores, and freshmen) on Tuesday, February 5th at 2:35pm in Room #200.  The agenda will include 1) explain player expectations, 2) review off-season calendar, 3) introduce new coaching staff and 4) implement strength training program.

Sophomore C.J. O'Brien covers a kickoff during a JV game.  O'Brien and several of his classmates are expected to make a large impact on the varsity team next fall.

Some come from the game with no scars, no pain.

We emerge with bloodied hands, and bones so sore that it takes a few hours the next morning before we can walk upright.

Some come from the game with pants still shiny, shirt barely dirty.

We are only faintly recognizable, as the mud and grass of trench warfare take all the newness and shine from our uniforms and our souls.

Some come from the game with impressive stats of yards rushing and passing.

We measure our progress in short bursts that no paper will keep track of, that no record book will ever immortalize.

Some come from the game with parents loudly bragging and fans cheering as names come over the P.A. system.

We deal in a world of brutal anonymity, silent except for the grunts of collision and the quick praise of our coaches.

Some come from the game with egos blazing, claps on the back, the sounds of the crowd in their head.

We measure our worth by the holes we open for players with smaller numbers; their brief nod is our only applause.

Some come from the game as prima-donnas, barely working in the off season, giving lip service to the idea of physical improvement.

We spend our time in the weight room, iron plates and shiny steel our friend, our enemy, our taskmaster.

Some come from the game with thoughts of I did this, or I did that.

We recognize that the parts build a greater good, that teamwork is not an outmoded concept in today’s world.

Some come from the game thinking of us as swamp things in uniform, they joke about our speed, our hands, our seeming lack of grace.

We take the brunt of the jokes, even laugh along, just as we take the brunt of the physical force aimed at them.

In our little world we stand. Our boundaries are the sleds and the chutes. Our teachers are men who dwell in the dual worlds of detail and violence.  This is our world.

It starts with us.

WE ARE THE LINE.