Trio aiming Friends' Central boys' soccer team at title
The feeling - no, aspiration - began for Matt Blackman back when he was a student at Friends' Central's Lower School on Old Gulph Road.
The feeling - no, aspiration - began for Matt Blackman back when he was a student at Friends' Central's Lower School on Old Gulph Road.
It continued when he moved on to the Middle School and eventually the Upper School, just 10 or 12 minutes down the road.
He wanted his school to win a soccer championship. Badly.
The senior midfielder was in just eighth grade when he watched from the stands as the Phoenix dropped the Friends Schools League title game to George School in penalties.
It wasn't the first time the middle schooler watched the team he would soon captain from the stands. But it was difficult, he remembers.
And it would only get harder three years later.
The harder came when he was playing on the Farm Fields at Shipley as the final whistle blew and the Phoenix came up short, losing the championship.
"I can't tell you how many times I've thought about it," Blackman said. "It's the topic of discussion all the time with the team. Now we just see it as motivation."
Motivation for what? Winning the program's first league title since 2004.
"We know the history. We know how long it's been," Blackman said. "We are trying to be the team that changes it."
Blackman was just six years old at the time of the championship, and it was about that same period that he met Asa Bell.
They've been combining to score goals ever since.
Bell said that putting that ball in the back of the net is his responsibility. He is a forward after all.
It's a bit different for Nolan McGrann. His responsibility is keeping the ball out of the net - and directing traffic - the senior keeper said. He met Blackman and Bell later - they don't go back as far as kindergarten - but the trio did get along right away. Together, they form the strong nucleus of a senior heavy team.
"I trust these guys on the field, off the field, all the time," Bell said. "I trust Nolan. I trust Matt. It's good to have people you trust on the field with you, giving you the ball, moving off of you, so you can hold them accountable."
Two years ago, the team won just four games but last year showed improvement, going 9-7-3. Further development has already been displayed this season, with the squad (5-2) beating Malvern Prep and Penn Charter, two programs they tied a year ago.
"You master one thing and then keep moving forward," Bell said. "You never master the system. There's always more you can do with it. Maybe you can have a player make one more run, get the defense into the play or something like that. But there's always another step.
"The mentality is that we can always be one of the best."
On Friday, coach Galen Guindon addressed his players at Episcopal Academy, where the Phoenix let up two second-half goals after hanging with the Churchmen for the better part of the contest.
"We are growing," he said to the assembled group. "But we've got some more work to do."
He paused.
"We are going to get there."
Guindon wasn't specific as to what "there" meant.
It didn't matter. Blackman, Bell and McGrann have all been "there" before.
Now they want to win it.
@ka_harman