Dual Effort Propels Bonner to Win Over Woodbury

Senior Jamal Melvin and junior Joe McGinn each scored 17 points as Bonner defeated Woodbury 57-52 on Monday in Wildwood. Scott Slade had 10 points and also had 8 rebounds in the winning effort. The Friars improve to 3-2 overall, and will take on Cherokee High School Tuesday, again in Wildwood.

Cantando Records Hat Trick in Bonner Win

Rob Cantando recorded a hat trick, and Dave Brewer scored two goals of his own in Bonner's 9-4 win Thursday night over Conwell-Egan. Mark McGrory started the scoring seven minutes into the first period. Four minutes later, Billy Gregg tallied, giving Bonner a 2-0 lead. The Eagles got on the bored with two minutes left in the stanza, with Rick Syzgiel tallying for Egan. Cantando scored his first of the night with five seconds left to extend that lead to two after the first. The Friars scored 4 times in the second period. Cantando had two goals, Gregg had another, and Dave Brewer also tallied, giving Bonner a 7-2 lead after two periods of play. The third period saw two goals by Bonner. Corey Cahill put the puck in the net three minutes into the period, and Brewer closed the Friars scoring line with his second goal of the night with three minutes left. Egan got two late goals to make the final score 9-4. Friar goalie Steve Gallo 22 saves on 26 shots to record the win. Bonner is now 6-4-1 overall, and 6-1 in the division, remaining in first place. The hockey team will be off for Christmas until January 11th, 2010. They'll have a second date with Cardinal O'Hara. Bonner suffered a rough loss to the Lions earlier in the year, and seek revenge on their neighborhood rival. The puck drops on January 11th at 7:30 at the Skatium in Havertown.

Francis Scores 25 As Bonner Wins

Bonner senior Keefer Francis had a game high 25 points as the Friars rolled to a 66-49 win Thursday night over Chichester. The green and white dominated the fourth quarter, scoring 21 points in that stanza alone. The small, but extremely quick Jamal Melvin had 13 points for Bonner, and Scott Slade had 14 of his own to get the Friars second victory of the season. Mike Coles had 18 points for Chichester, who falls to 3-1 on the year. Meanwhile Bonner improves to 2-1 on the 2009-10 campaign, with the Catholic League schedule looming. The team opens up PCL Red Division play on Wednesday, December 23rd, at 7:30 pm. St. Joe's Prep, led by former LaSalle University coach Speedy Morris, travels to the Bonner gym to take on the Friars. The two rivals will meet just before Christmas Eve, and both teams look to get a head start in league play. Don't miss this great Catholic League rivalry.

McGrory Sparks Bonner in 8-2 Win

Mark McGrory scored two goals and Bryan McLauglin made 22 saves in net, leading Bonner to an 8-2 victory over Archbishop Carroll on Monday night. In the first period, Carroll's John Ahern scored off a Mike McGuire assist to give the Patriots an early 1-0 lead. Three minutes later, junior Terry Jacobs took a wrist shot from the point that found its way past Carroll goalie Sal DeGrazio to tie the game at one. Early in the second period, Carroll took a 2-1 lead on a goal by Chris McCabe. That lead would not last long. Senior captain Rob Cantando tied the game at two less than a minute later off assists by Dave Brewer and Dan Schwartzman. This goal seemed to spark the Friars. Two minutes after, Schwartzman put the puck in the back of the net, this time off assists by Brewer and Cantando. Corey Cahill lit the lamp with six minutes left in the period on the power play to give Bonner a 4-2 lead. Late in the second, Dan Stone's shot was blocked by DeGrazio, but McGrory put the loose puck past the line for his first goal of the night. After two periods, Bonner held a 5-2 lead. The third period was all Bonner. Schwartzman scored his second goal of the night off an assist by Nick Martin with six minutes left. Thirty seconds later, McGrory stole the puck in the slot and took a wrist shot to for his second goal. Brewer ended the scoring with a minute left, giving Bonner their eighth goal on the evening off an assist from brother Kevin Brewer. The Friars dominated every aspect of the game, and defeated the Patriots 8-2. McLaughlin played well for the Friars and did not allow Carroll to get back in the game. Bonner improves to 5-4-1 on the year, and 5-1-0 in the division. They lead Archbishop Wood by two points. Meanwhile Carroll falls to 2-6, and 1-3 in the division. They sit in fourth place behind Roman and Wood. Up next for Bonner is a date with Conwell-Egan Thursday night at 8:00pm. The game will be played at the Skatium in Havertown. Bonner defeated Egan earlier in the year by a score of 7-2.

Bonner Earns First Victory

Bonner traveled to Cardinal Dougherty on Sunday in hopes of earning their first win. They accomplished that goal, defeating the Cardinals 54-49. Coach Tom Meakim earned his first win as head coach of the team, since taking over for Brian Daly. Senior Keefer Francis had a game high 12 points, pacing the Friars to the win. Junior Scott Slade had 11 points, and Karonn Davis scored 7, while grabbing 9 rebounds. Art Comas had 11 points to lead Dougherty. Unless the two teams meet in the playoffs down the road, this was the last basketball game between Bonner and Dougherty. The Archdiocese announced a couple months ago that Dougherty, along with North Catholic, will close at the end of the year due to low attendance. Kennedy-Kenrick will also close. Both the Friars and Cardinals even their record at 1-1 on the year. Bonner's next game will be another non-league meeting with Chichester on Thursday, December 17th at Chichester.

Prendie Defeats Merion; Wins Haverford Tournament

Jenna Gassew scored 12 points and had 7 rebounds, as Prendie defeated Merion Mercy 46-30 to win the Haverford High School Tournament. Tournament MVP Jess Rotella totaled three points, but also had 7 steals in the winning effort. Ingrid Fitzgerald chipped in 10 points for the Pandas, who are now 2-0 on the year. Natalie DiCocco scored 8 points to lead Merion. Prendie's next home game will be a home match up with Lansdale Catholic.

Prendie Basketball Dominates; Earns First Win

The Prendie Pandas dominated the first quarter, scoring 21 points, and picked up their first win of the 09-10 season. Junior Jessica Rotella had a game high 15 points. Senior Jenna Gassew scored 10 points, and junior Lindsay Cras had 7 of her own to lead the Pandas to a 50-30 over Haverford High School. Ruth Garret led Fords with 8 points. Jaclyn Gantz and Chelci Asbury had 7 apiece, and Moira Corrigan chipped in with 4 points. Prendie gets off to a good start on their campaign with their record now at 1-0. They'll take on Merion Mercy in the finals of the Haverford High School Tip-Off Tournament Sunday, December 13th at Haverford.

Bonner Basketball Loses in Overtime

Their was much anticipation for the 2009-10 Bonner basketball season opener. The green and white made some noise after a controversial season last year, reaching the quarterfinals of the playoffs before bowing out to North Catholic. Under new head coach Tom Meakim, Bonner looked to continue their string of three straight post season appearances. Unfortunately, they did not get off to a good start, losing a thriller to Malvern Prep. The game was tight through regulation. Malvern took a 11-10 lead at the end of the first quarter. Bonner took a 21-20 lead into the locker rooms at halftime. Neither team separated themselves in the final two quarters, and the game was tied at the end of regulation 45-45. But in overtime, Malvern took control. Bonner couldn't keep up with Malvern and fell by a score of 59-49. Junior DeQuann Walker had a game high 20 points for Malvern. Lamon Church scored 19 points, and Tracy Peal had 14 of his own. Meanwhile for Bonner, senior standout Jamal Melvin led the scoring with 18 points. Keefer Francis added 17 points of his own, but it wasn't enough. Bonner falls to 0-1 on the year, while Malvern improves to 4-1. Up next for Bonner is a date with Cardinal Dougherty this Sunday. Unless the two teams meet in the playoffs, this will be the last time the two schools will play each other on the basketball court, as Dougherty will close at the end of this school year along with North Catholic. Tip-off is set for 2:30 Sunday at Cardinal Dougherty High School.

Friars Hockey Can't Get Past Wood

Senior goalie Steve Gallo made 27 saves on 30 shots, but it wasn't enough. Archbishop Wood put three in the back of the net to give the Vikings a 3-0 victory over Monsignor Bonner. Frank Leonardo started the scoring off a Chris Rotz assist, giving Wood a 1-0 lead with two minutes left in the first. With two seconds left in the period, the black and gold struck back again, this time by Christian Gregory. In the second period, Wood scored their third and final goal by Ryan Donohue on the power play to give the Vikings a 3-0 lead. That was all they would need, as Frank Grimes made 27 saves on 27 shots. Bonner just could not get anything going on the night. The Friars fall to 4-4-1 overall, and drop to 4-1-0 in the division. Their next game will be a rematch from opening night, when Bonner takes on Arcbishop Carroll. The Friars took the first match-up 5-4, and look to sweep the season series between the two teams. Game time is set for 9:15 on Monday, December 14th, at the Skatium in Havertown.

Bonner Hockey Beats Egan; Falls to Malvern

After a lengthy layoff, the Bonner Friars hit the ice for two games this week. The first was a battle with Conwell-Egan. Bonner defeated the Eagles by a score of 7-3. Dan Schwartzman recorded a hat trick for the Friars. Mark McGrory, Joe Myers, Alex Maenner and Dan Stone also tallied. Steve Gallo recorded 35 saves on 38 shots. The second game did not go as well. Bonner took on Malvern Thursday, and it had a good outlook early on. Dave Brewer scored five minutes in off an assist by Schwartzman to give the boys in green a 1-0 lead. But that was the only bright story of the game. Malvern dominated there on out, scoring the next six, including four in the second period alone. Goalie Bryan McLaughlin played well, making 36 saves, but it wasn't enough. Bonner's record now stands at 4-3-1, and they are atop the PCL Blue division. The Friars next game will be Friday, December 11th. They'll take on Archbishop Wood. The Vikings are 1-4, and are coming off a loss to Cardinal O'Hara. Bonner hopes to continue their domination over the division, and get their fifth win of the season. The puck drops at 8:45 next Friday at the Skatium in Havertown.

Bonner Routs in Thanksgiving Eve Game; Petransky Breaks Record

It was the final game of the year for the Monsignor Bonner football team. They took on Archbishop Carroll in their third annual Thanksgiving Day matchup. Bonner came into the game 5-6 after a big win over Springfield, and looked to finish at the .500 mark for the only the first time in a long time. But they would first have to go through the Patriots. Carroll hasn’t played since their semi-final loss to Bishop McDevitt in the Class AA playoffs.
The first quarter started well for the Friars. Senior RB Eric Petransky rushed for a 25 yard touchdown. Later, junior QB Sean Quarterman threw a beautiful 41 yard touchown pass to a wide open Jack Wichmann. But after, Bonner struggled. Using the Wildcat formation, Carroll was able to score off a 46 yard bootleg by Teron Dobbs. The point after was no good. After the first quarter, Bonner led 14-6. The second quarter led to more struggles by Bonner. Late in the second, Bonner mishandled a snap on a punt attempt, and Carroll recovered at the Bonner 11 yard line. The Bonner defense was able to hold them to only a field goal. Carroll gained the ball back with less than a minute left in the half, and they took advantage of their opportunity. Quarterback Chris Shuster threw a 49 yard pass to Greg DiSanto for the score with 17 seconds left. It looked to be beautifully defended by Bonner’s Sam Christie, but it was an unlucky bounce that led to a score. After the first half, the Patriots led 15-14.
The second half proved to be much different. Bonner dominated the half. It started off with 8:29 left in the third, when Quarterman threw another great pass to Wichmann, this time for a 44 yard touchdown pass. The two point conversion was no good. Five minutes later, the Friars scored again, this time off a Petransky two yard plunge. Once again, the two point conversion was no good. After the third, the score read 26-15. In the fourth, Petransky struck again, this time for a 47 yard touchdown run. Carroll was driving late in the quarter, but the Bonner defense forced a fumble, and recovered the loose pigskin with 4:32 left in the game. Senior Kyle Schuberth sealed it, scoring on a 10 yard touchdown run. Bonner shut the Patriots down, and defeated Carroll 40-15.
Coming into the game, Bonner running back Eric Petransky needed just 83 yards to break the school’s single season rushing record. He didn’t just eclipse that mark. He destroyed it. The senior ran for 241 yards on 21 carries, scoring three touchdowns, en route to breaking the record. The original mark was 1,386 yards. That is no longer, as Petransky finishes his career with 1,544 yards rushing. This is certainly an incredible feat. Sean Quarterman played extremely well last night. He finished 9 for 11 for 129 yards and two touchdowns, both to WR Jack Wichmann. The Bonner defense shut down the Carroll offense in the second half. They were led by senior Greg Wilent, Sam Christie, Kenny Weyler, and junior Brendan Garrison. Bonner finishes the year at 6-6, which is the first time in a long time for the Friar program. The 2009 squad took big strides this year, accomplishing much more than expected. This senior class certainly helped turn around what was a struggling program into a very respectable one this year. Although key seniors will graduate, the 2010 squad looks to build on this success and keep Bonner’s winning ways. With Quarterman returning, along with Jamie Juisti, John McGilligan, and Anthony Jackson, the Friars look poised to make a playoff run. It’s hard to believe, but the football season is over. But all good things must come to an end. Now it’s time for the Bonner basketball team to shine.

Bonner Hockey Falls Just Short

It was a packed house on Friday night for one of the most anticipated games of the year. The Bonner hockey team took on Cardinal O'Hara, and it was hyped up to be a great game. The only problem was that it wasn't. It was over in the first ten seconds. That's no exaggeration, as O'Hara's Conner McCanney scored only ten seconds in. He tallied less then a minute later to put the Lions up 2-0. Less than a minute after the second goal, Mike Marconi put the puck in the net, giving O'Hara a 3-0 lead. No one was expecting this outburst, especially three goals in three minutes. Bonner started to pick it up, getting opportunities from Dave Brewer and Corey Cahill, but were unsuccessful, as O'Hara goalie Mike Amorosa shut the Friars down. Bonner started to pick up momentum, but with two minutes left, that momentum was destroyed, as Mike Ranalli gave the blue and red a 4-0 lead.
The second period was no different. Andrew Greenleaf, Steve Cantando, Bobby Franzini, and Bryan Reed all scored one goal apiece, and Mike Marconi added two more for O'Hara. The game didn't make it to the third period, as the mercy rule came into effect. It was an extremely rough night for Bonner goalie Bryan McLaughlin. He made 16 saves on the night, but allowed six goals, some of them soft ones. Senior Steve Gallo, who probably should have started, played well in his eleven minutes of ice time, stopping 12 shots. But it wasn't enough. O'Hara dominated this game, showing that they were the superior team. O'Hara improves to 2-1 on the year. Meanwhile, Bonner falls to 2-2-1. The Friars next opponent will be Conwell-Egan, November 30th at Grundy Ice Rink. The next meeting between the two squads will be January 11th. This gives Bonner plenty of time to prepare and get ready, and hope for a better result next game.
As usual, the Bonner hockey faithful were out in full force, supporting the Friars even as the game was out of hand. O'Hara's "faithul" included two clowns. Both had white face paint on, and what looked to be red and blue pom-poms on their head, giving the appearance of a clown from the circus. Their crowd included stolen chants from the Bonner section, as well as using an airhorn. Who brings an airhorn? The t-shirt toss at the end was a little over the top. It's a high school hockey game, not the Phantoms T-shirt toss. Bonner had to get some credit for the night, which, was the student section. I Guess we'll have to wait until basketball season for real recognition.

Bonner, O'Hara Clash Friday Night

On Friday night, the Skatium will play host to another chapter in the storied rivalry between the Monsignor Bonner and Cardinal O'Hara hockey teams. The neighborhood schools, well, don't like each other to say the least. Trash talk has been started already, exemplified with the Facebook event. Fans and players alike have hatred for one another. Grade school friends become enemies when there is a Bonner O'Hara hockey game. It is one of, if not the most important game of the year for both squads.
The 2009-10 Bonner club is led by captains Rob Cantando and Dave Brewer. Brewer, along with junior Corey Cahill, are tied for the team lead in goals with three apiece, and Cahill leads the team in points with five. Goalie Steve Gallo has played well in net through the opening part of the season so far, posting a 3.33 GAA and an 88.1 save percentage. Bonner has played four games so far, going 2-1-1. They defeated Archbishop Carroll and Lansdale Catholic. The Friars tied Boyertown 2-2, and fell to St. Joe's Prep.
Meanwhile, O'Hara has only played twice, and have a record of 1-1. The Lions defeated Roman Catholic, and dropped a contest to Holy Ghost Prep.They are led by seniors Mike Marconi and Steve Falcone. Both have one goal apiece this year, and Marconi leads the team in points with three. O'Hara's Jeff Holland posts a 3.00 GAA, while holding an 86.96 save percentage in net. Marconi, as well as Mike McGrath, are transfers from Bonner to O'Hara for hockey. Bonner players and fans aren't too happy about that, and both will be greeted with "open arms" when the Lions take the ice.
Unfortunately, O'Hara has dominated this contest the last couple years. However, Bonner has been almost able to pull the upset on a couple of occasions. Last year, after going down 3-0 in the first, Bonner came roaring back to tie the game 3-3, only to fall short. Two years ago, in a game everyone will remember for more of the fans antics than the game itself, Bonner came back from a deficit to tie the game in a playoff game, only to fall short again, giving up a goal with seconds left in the game. This year's battle looks to be a good one. Both teams look poised to take the first of two match ups between the squads. O'Hara looks to continue its winning ways over the Friars, while Bonner looks to upset the Lions. This should be a good match up between the two arch-rivals. You will not want to miss this game. The puck drops at 7:00 pm Friday night at the Skatium in Havertown.

Penalties Prove Costly for Friars in 4-1 Loss

One thing coaches, and players, hate in a game are penalties. Bonner's coach had to be furious after Monday's 4-1 loss to St. Joe's Prep. The calls came at critical points of the game after Bonner started to pick up momentum.
The Prep started the scoring off in the middle of the first period. Tim DiPietro tallied to give the Hawks a 1-0 lead. That lead did not last long, as less than a minute later, junior Frank Lanni scored to tie the game. Once again, a lead didn't hold for very long, as DiPietro put the puck in the back of the net two minutes later to give the Prep a 2-1 lead, a lead they would not relinquish. In the second period, DiPietro was able to score again early on to give St. Joe's a 3-1 lead. The third period saw only one goal, again by Prep, but this time at the hands of Kevin Melone midway through the period to seal the game. It was a big night for DiPietro however, as he tallied the Prep's first three goals for the hat trick. Both goalies played very well for their respective teams. Paul Sjostrom made 27 saves on 28 shots. Meanwhile, Bonner's Steve Gallo stopped 30 shots. As stated, penalties proved costly for Bonner. Roughing calls and misconducts certainly won't help a teams winning cause, and these were the majority of the penalties taken by Friar, as well as Prep players.
Bonner drops to 2-1-1 on the year, and remain 2-0 in their division. Friday night will be the biggest contest of the year so far for the Friars. They'll match up against bitter rival Cardinal O'Hara for the first of two meetings Friday at 7:00 pm at the Skatium in Havertown. O'Hara is 1-1 on the year, losing to Holy Ghost Prep and defeating Roman Catholic. This is a heated rivalry, to say the least. These teams do not like each other at all. This should be a very interesting game. You will not want to miss this game.

Bonner Football Wins Shootout with Springfield

The lights were on for Saturday’s clash between Monsignor Bonner and Springfield. The strange part about that was that the game time was 2:30 pm. By 4:40, it was dark out, giving one the feeling that it was a night game. Lingering clouds from Friday’s rain overshadowed Springfield High School, which may have led to a low crowd turnout. It was Springfield’s last game of the year, and the second to last for the Friars. Unfortunately for the Cougars, they end their season on a sour note, losing in a rout by a score of 47-30. The game certainly wasn’t a defensive struggle. Both teams combined for 77 points, including 56 in the first half, and also combined for 853 total offensive yards.
The story of the game, as it has been all year long, was senior RB Eric Petransky. The second team All Catholic rushed for four touchdowns, totaling 226 yards. He would have had a fifth touchdown had it not been for a holding penalty called late in the fourth quarter. Petransky had two rushing touchdowns totaling more than 80 yards. His first was an 84 yard scamper. After losing a fumble, his next touch two drives later totaled 80 yards. All four of his touchdowns came in the first half. It was a very big day to say the least for the Bonner running back. Not to be outdone was junior QB Sean Quartarmen. He was 8-12 throwing for 2 touchdowns and 187 yards. He threw his touchdown passes to junior Jamie Juisti for a 41 yard score in the first half, and then with eight minutes left in the fourth to John McGillian. The second pass came on 3rd and 21 from midfield. Quartarman threw a bomb and McGillian was able to make an incredible catch in double coverage for the score. Senior captain Kyle Schuberth rushed for Bonner’s final score with 4:30 left in the game. The lone bright spot for Springfield was RB Matt Craig, who ran 159 yards and three touchdowns. The other Cougar score came on a pass from QB Wally Rutecki to Josh Cavanaugh late in the game.
The Bonner defense stepped up big in the second half, shutting down the Springfield attack. After yielding 22 first half points, the Friars wreaked havoc on the offense and were able to stop the Cougar no-huddle offense. Senior Mike Murphy had an interception on the day, and Sam Christie and Kenny Weyler made big plays on defense. The unit only yielded one touchdown in the second half, which came after the game was already in hand for the Friars.
The win improves the Friars overall record to 5-6. Meanwhile Springfield ends its year at 5-7. It’s hard to believe, but there is just one game remaining for Monsignor Bonner. That game will be a Thanksgiving Day meeting with Archbishop Carroll. The Patriots are coming off a loss in the Catholic League AA semifinals to Bishop McDevitt, losing 21-0. The final game will be played Thanksgiving Day, November 27th, at 10 am at Upper Darby High School. Don’t miss the last chance to see the 2009 Friar squad.

Big Week in Bonner Sports

The Bonner football team takes on the Springfield Cougars Saturday, November 14th, at 2:30 pm. Due to the field conditions, the game has been moved from Upper Darby High School to Springfield High School. Springfield is 5-6 on the year, and missed the Central League playoffs by a game. Meanwhile the Friars are 4-6, and with two games remaining, are looking to get back and finish at .500 for the year.
Bonner hockey looks to continue its winning ways. After a 6-1 win over Bishop McDevitt Thursday, the Friars have two tough match ups this week. The first is a date with St. Joe's Prep Monday night at 7:30 at the Skatium. The second is a big game for Bonner. They'll take on rival Cardinal O'Hara, Friday November 20th at 7:00 pm. This game is also at the Skatium

Welcome

My name is Brian Nestel. I'm a senior at Monsignor Bonner High School. I plan on going to college and majoring in Journalism. Currently, I write articles for the Bonner football team on a website called Tedsilary.com. It's a big high school sports website that covers football, basketball, and baseball, covering the Catholic League, Public League, and Inter-Ac. I'm setting up this blog so that every sport at Bonner and Prendie get publicity, not just the "big three." I'll report on the hockey team, track team, lacrosse teams, as well as football, basketball and baseball. Spread the word to your friends, family, and anyone you want. Check back every now and then to see whats going on in the Bonner sports world.