"What Did I Walk Into?"
When Pat Manzi took the Bishop McDevitt football job in 1982, the Lancers had joined the Catholic League in 1963, played 19 seasons without a single playoff appearance (49-87-8 league, 69-100-10 overall), and were rumored to be on the verge of being dropped from the league altogether.
When I was interviewing for the job, there was strong talk about dropping the program here. I said to myself, 'What did I walk into?'
In his first year on the job — coaching against his alma mater Father Judge, no less — Manzi led McDevitt into the Catholic League playoffs as a 3-3-2 team. In the quarterfinal, McDevitt stunned 8-0 Father Judge 10-0 to win the first playoff game in Lancer history.
The 1986 and 1987 Championship Back-to-Back
Four years later, Manzi won his first Catholic League overall championship. McDevitt beat Cardinal O'Hara 20-0 at Villanova Stadium in the 1986 final for only the second shutout in 24 years of scheduled Catholic League title games. Brian Quigg had eight tackles, Scott Young seven, and Fran Lorenzo two interceptions. Mike Thomas ran for two touchdowns. Andrew Brown gained 106 yards on 18 carries. McDevitt finished 12-0 on the field — though three wins were later forfeited because a lineman was in his fifth year of high school.
A year later, the Lancers went undefeated at 11-0, winning the 1987 Catholic League championship 14-0 over St. James at Villanova Stadium. Dan Taylor passed 8-for-16 for 92 yards and a touchdown. Jason Hannings and Kevin Blackstock handled the running game. Over the 1986 and 1987 seasons combined, McDevitt went 23-0 on the field.
