The 2024 SCH football season has come to an end, and once again, the year ended on a disappointing note. The Devils fell to the Malvern Friars 35-0 in their final game, ending with a somber close to a promising season.
Despite the return of senior running back Finn Whittle to the Blue Devils offense, the squad never seemed to get comfortable. Add to this the fact that junior WR Aaron Clark went out early in the game with an injury, and you have a problematic start to the match-up.
“Everyone’s emotions were high,” said junior WR Joey Markey. “I tried to keep my head up and remind myself we’ll be playing in the same game next season.”
The Devils ended 8-2 this year, mirroring their record from the prior year, and in a similar fashion, the team fell to the same opponents: Haverford and Malvern.
Looking forward to the 2025 season, the Devils want to maintain that success — but they want to find ways to improve too.
“We wanna be right back where we were, playing for a championship game again,” said head coach Rick Knox. “But the league is tremendously competitive.”
Knox recognized a reality for the conference – this was a very competitive year for the Inter-Ac. At the season’s start, almost every team had some reason to be considered a “title contender” which is a rarity for the league.
SCH’s strength was heavily geared towards the run game, backed by a strong senior class led by RBWhittle. The senior was named all-Inter Ac first team this season, alongside fellow senior OL Grayson Scott. 
OL Matt McTammeny was the other senior to make an all-Inter Ac team, coming in as an all-Inter Ac second team player. The other players who made a key impact to the run game were junior C Kyle Knox (All Inter-Ac Second Team), and junior QB Liam Zelman (All Inter-Ac First Team).
Zelman transferred to SCH this season and brought a new dynamic to the offense. With a ground game that matched (and often exceeded) his air game, the QB brought a much needed variability to the team’s offensive schemes.
The addition of Zelman might signal a change to the Devil’s future offensive plans, as he and Clark were two of the team’s best players this season.
“One of my biggest philosophies as a coach is to cater to our best players,” said Knox. “So, (next season) two of our best players are going to be a senior QB and WR, and hopefully they can really match and be the center of the offense next year.”
Zelman and Clark aren’t the only seniors the Devil’s plan to bring back. Their senior class is almost double the talent from the prior year, and looks poised to lead the Devils to new heights. But the team still needs lots of work to be a contender.
“Just having that talent on paper, those numbers and that confidence itself doesn’t get you anywhere.” Knox said, speaking about the team’s future. “We have a lot of work to do for next year.”
It’s going to be a challenge for the Devils to replace the talented senior core , whose presence and experiences helped lead the Devils through some of the best and worst times.
“Next season, us juniors need to step up,” said Markey. “We’ve gotta fill the leadership role the seniors this year did really well.”
While the rising seniors will make up the backbone of the Devil’s team, the younger players will need to fill in as well, and are expected to make a big impact.
The team will need to see major contributions from younger players in their secondary, including sophomore DBs Joey Schriber and Sean Simmonds.
Those two players stepped up and made massive contributions, helping the Devils form a formidable defense that posted multiple shutouts and limited offensive powerhouses.
That formidable defense is headlined by a core of younger players, which looks to return largely intact from this season.
The big question for the Devils won’t be replacing the senior class. Rather, it’s how they can improve upon their current team outlook. Despite being a strong team right now, the question remains: How can they become a true contender in the Inter-Ac?
SCH’s game against Malvern shows they’ve got to improve their scoring next season, with an offense that racked up just 110 yards total with 4 total turnovers.
Regardless, SCH looks to be in a great spot with a solid roster. Even with the loss, they’ve had a season to be proud of, and look ready to put together another great campaign.
“Not only was it a great season in terms of wins and losses, but from a camaraderie and a personal perspective, football teams are a family, and I really felt like we were a family this year,” said Knox, reflecting on the season. “They were a pleasure to work with. Can’t wait to get back to this group again next year.”
