Madden, Chestnut Hill Academy Bedevil Conwell Egan

Saturday afternoon in Chestnut Hill, the Blue Devils got a solid performance from their defense, and a several degrees of magnitude above solid performance from halfback Cedric Madden in downing visiting Conwell Egan 35-6. The Blue Devils advanced their record to 2-2 on the season.

IN SHORT

Football is a team sport in the fullest sense of the expression. Even the most apparently outstanding individual performances are near impossible to isolate, to separate from the context of the team. They're contingent: on field conditions, play calling, performances of teammates, choices of the opposition. In this sport, you're only as good as the guy next to you is better than the guy across from him—depending on other factors. On the gridiron, in other words, context is king.

Except sometimes it isn't. And unfortunately for Conwell Egan, Saturday afternoon was one of those times.

Chestnut Hill's untackleable Cedric Madden scored on rushes of 30, 16, and 44 yards before a full quarter had even been played, then tacked on, for good measure, another score in the final three quarters to near single-handedly devastate Conwell Egan 35-6.

In between scores, Madden did much of the other work for the Blue Devils too. He went long and short, off tackle and between them, around Eagles and through them. In the first half he rushed for 157 yards. It took him nine carries to get there.

"He was outstanding," admitted CHA head coach Rick Knox.

As great as Madden was though, he only defeated the Eagles near single-handedly: other contributors included quarterback Paul Dooley, who played more-or-less mistake free football and chipped in a 26-yard second quarter touchdown pass; receiver Jamie Young, who caught Dooley's touchdown pass: and the defensive unit as a whole, which allowed 29 fewer points than their offense scored. (On most days, that's good enough to win.)

The Eagles only score game with 6:30 left in the final period against the Blue Devils second (and third) string defenders.

BLUE DEVIL OF THE GAME

Cedric Madden—He's not particularly fast, or particularly strong. He is particularly effective.

"He reads blocks very well," said his coach.

OTHER KEY PERFORMANCES

Paul Dooley—Starting in the stead of the Blue Devils injured starter, Dooley did a workmanlike job of handing the football to Madden and even got a score of his own. Not a bad afternoon.

Jamie Young—The receiver outraced an Eagle defender and caught the ball over his shoulder for a second quarter score.

COACH'S TAKE

"We had five starters out today, but we played together. This could be a springboard for us."—Chestnut Hill Academy head coach Rick Knox on the fact and implications of Saturday afternoon's win

THEY SAID IT

"Nah. I scored four [touchdowns] a couple weeks ago"—Madden, responding to the question of whether Saturday was a career best

UP NEXT—The Blue Devils travel to the Hill School on Oct. 1 for a 3:30 p.m. matchup