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OCEAN CITY, N.J. — The Philadelphia Catholic League is deeper than athletics.
Although the PCL boasts impressive athletics, sports are just the surface. What makes the league special is its community. It offers an atmosphere unlike any other league in the country, rooted in a shared Catholic faith.
Recently, the Bonner-Prendie football team has exemplified these catholic traits, aiding fellow league members in hard times. In August, Roman Catholic’s football facilities were broken into; they lost access to water and many other necessities. Shortly after, Jack Muldoon’s Friars provided Roman with water and Gatorade.
The fine institutions in the Catholic League instill important values in students, helping high schoolers form strong Catholic morals. Although rivalries are fierce during game time, the catholic league is a beautiful group of schools that unites teenagers and alumni.
“I’m an old school PCL guy,” explained Muldoon. “I’ve been around this for 50 years, so I take it as a real brotherhood. That’s what we showed when we went down to Coach Prete and the Roman guys and showed them that we had their back.”
In their game against Archbishop Ryan on Saturday, a scary event unfolded. One of the Raiders players stayed down after the play and required severe medical attention. The player was strapped to a stretcher and taken off the field in an ambulance.
Through the process, Bonner once again leaned on faith; each player knelt out of respect for the injured player. What truly enlightened the crowd was when the Friars came together in prayer, seeking God’s help for the player and his family.
“The schools in the Archdiocese [of Philadelphia] all rally around each other,” Muldoon told PCLSN. “When that young man went down today, that could have been any of our kids, so we said a prayer to Fr. Bill [Atkinson] to make sure that boy gets home safely and healthy.”
Fr. Bill Atkinson was the first quadriplegic priest in the Roman Catholic Church and meant the world to many students at Bonner. Father’s brother, Al Atkinson, played linebacker for the New York Jets, and Fr. Bill himself loved football, moderating the Bonner football team for many years.
The Friars pray to Fr. Atkinson, who has an ongoing cause for Sainthood, every morning and every day as a team. Fr. Atkinson wrote a poem that reflects Bonner’s football team’s impact in the past few weeks. It reads as follows.
“How’d I do it? Let me reply
On those who help me, I totally relied.
They taught me to live, not just to cope
With their love, they gave me hope
How’d I do it? Day after day
Help of others along the way
Valued friends, sisters, and brothers
I simply borrowed – the strength of others”
His poem closely ties to the unity shared between PCL schools. Countless times one institution has benefited another. Bonner’s football team has established young men with strong standards to help others.
“We’re a school of faith.” Muldoon continued, “We want our guys to understand that [faith] is the basis of everything we do. We’re going to be a really great football team but also really great people that live in our faith.”
The prayer was a special moment that showed the Catholic League is not just an elite athletic association. The schools rely on each other, putting the PCL in a class of its own. The tight-knit community is unified by both athletics and its roots of faith.
“I want [my team] to understand that they are doing it for a reason,” Muldoon told PCLSN. “That they are thanking God for the opportunities given to them.”
The Bonner football program believes a foundation built on faith will lead them to success on the field. Against Ryan, it did, leading to a 29-0 victory.
“We try to instill that morality in everything we do,” Muldoon said.
He also mentioned that Bonner has not had any ‘flagrant’ penalties that demerit the spirit of the game. The Friars’ strong base has led to many good decisions. Against the Raiders, Bonner was in control throughout.
The Friars looked strong in all aspects of the game. Their running back tandem of Omarie Demercado and Mehki Martin seemed unstoppable. On top of that, Noel Campbell pitched his argument as one of the best quarterbacks in the Catholic League. Notably, he threw a deep strike to Musa Bradford (a two-way star) to conclude the first half.
Their dangerous offense combined with a swarming run defense gave Ryan nowhere to go. The Friars’ efforts would result in a 29-0 victory.
Bonner is seeking both a PCL and state championship this season after a devastating end to 2025.
Amid all the excitement, Bonner knows faith is the first step to success. Off the gridiron, it has been an impressive early season for the Friars.