Welsh and Powell: Opponents turned teammates
They became friendly rivals in third or fourth grade, as they were the top players in their age group in adjacent towns with youth football programs that competed in the same league.
They became friendly rivals in third or fourth grade, as they were the top players in their age group in adjacent towns with youth football programs that competed in the same league.
"Back and forth every year," Mike Welsh said of the battle between his Medford Indians and Evan Powell's Marlton Chiefs.
Things only got more heated in high school as Welsh became as four-year varsity player for Shawnee, and Powell emerged as a four-year starter for Shawnee's fiercest rival, Cherokee.
College football will be different for Welsh and Powell as the two first-team all-South Jersey athletes will join forces at Monmouth University, a Football Championship Subdivision program in the Big South Conference.
Welsh, a quarterback, and Powell, a linebacker, are expected to sign with the Hawks on Wednesday.
"It's really cool to be able to play on the same team with a kid I've been facing my whole life," Powell said.
Shawnee coach Tim Gushue said it was "pretty amazing" that Welsh and Powell will land at the same college after years on opposite sides of the field.
"I went to a lot of those youth games," Gushue said. "Evan always was the best player on their team, and Mike was the best player on our team.
"When they got to high school, Mike was our quarterback, and right across the line at middle linebacker, there was Evan."
Cherokee coach P.J. Mehigan said the rivalry between Welsh and Powell has "mirrored" the situation between Cherokee and Shawnee, two of South Jersey's most powerful programs.
"There is mutual respect, but both are very competitive and have a deep desire to win," Mehigan said. "They are opponents but certainly not enemies. In fact, they are friends."
The two athletes finished their careers as among the most accomplished players in the history of their respective programs.
The 6-foot-2, 225-pound Powell is Cherokee's all-time leader with 292 tackles. He led the Chiefs to a pair of South Jersey Group 5 titles.
"He's probably the best linebacker that has walked the halls here," Mehigan said. "His career was historic."
The 6-2, 200-pound Welsh won more games as a starting quarterback than anyone in Shawnee history. He passed for 4,158 yards and 46 touchdowns and led the Renegades to a pair of South Jersey Group 4 titles.
Their careers were remarkably similar. In Welsh's four years, Shawnee went 35-12 (29-7 in his final three seasons) with two sectional titles. In Powell's four years, Cherokee went 34-11 (28-7 in his final three seasons) with two sectional titles.
And the teams were 2-2 against each other in their four varsity seasons.
"It's awesome that we get to play together after being rivals for so long," said Welsh, who stayed with Monmouth sophomore tight end Jake Powell, Evan's brother, during his official visit. "We come from a great background of playing for great programs and have similar hard-nosed styles.
"I can't wait to finally play with him after being against him through all these years."
@PhilAnastasia