Chris Dowling was around for the rebuilding phase.
During his freshman year, Dowling, now a senior on the Father Judge High School football team, started for a Crusaders squad that finished the season with just two victories.
During his sophomore year, Dowling helped Judge win five games, including an upset playoff win over Roman Catholic.
Last year, Dowling and the Crusaders continued to improve. The team won seven games and the junior was named the All-Catholic fullback.
Things were really looking up for his senior year.
Then, in the second game of the year, Dowling found himself in a lot of pain.
"I was running the ball against Northeast and one of the linemen rolled over on my ankle," Dowling said. "It snapped. I missed six games. For the first few weeks, I was in a cast, then I got it taken off, but I still couldn’t play. I wasn’t cleared to run until last week.
"I went to the doctor and he said it’s still broken, but I’m able to play," Dowling continued. "I still can’t cut . . . I feel a lot of pain when I try to do that . . . so I’m only playing linebacker. But it’s better than not playing at all. It feels really good to get back in there."
Dowling was talking at the 50-yard line of Abraham Lincoln High School’s football field, moments after the Crusaders knocked off Cardinal O’Hara, 33-0, in a Catholic League Red Division game on Sunday afternoon.
The win was huge for a number of reasons. It was the fourth time this season that the Crusaders pitched a shutout, including the third time in Red Division play.
It marked the return of Dowling, a four-year starter and emotional leader of the team.
And, more important, it just about locked up a first-round bye for Judge in the playoffs. Judge can clinch the bye next week if they knock off North Catholic, or if unbeaten St. Joseph’s Prep wins its game against Roman Catholic.
Against the Lions, the Crusaders’ defense was as ferocious as it has been all season.
Judge limited O’Hara’s offense to 15 rushing yards and 83 total yards. Many of those yards came after the Crusaders had built a 33-point lead in the fourth quarter and had already emptied its bench.
Defensively, junior linebacker Joe Swallow led the way with 11 tackles. Dowling chipped in with nine stops.
The offense was led by running back Andrew McHale, who rushed for 138 yards and scored all four touchdowns.
But this game wasn’t about numbers, it was about helping the Crusaders continue their trek through the Red Division.
"We kind of knew that we could be really good this year because we have a really good senior class and we have a really good junior class," Dowling said. "That’s why I was so disappointed when I first got hurt. I really wanted to play and see what we could do.
"I wasn’t out there, but they didn’t miss me much," Dowling added. "We have such a good team. We had to play a few games without (starting quarterback) Paul Volpe and they just kept winning.
"That shows you how well this team can play," he said. "We have a lot of depth and a lot of good players who can play as a team. That’s very important, especially if we want to win a championship."
If the Crusaders do clinch a bye this year, it will be the first time the school has received a first-round pass in the playoffs. Only the top two finishers in the division earn the week off.
Dowling hopes the team does earn that bye, because it will give him added time to heal from the ankle miseries.
Since this is his last year at Judge, Dowling is leaning toward attending the University of Delaware next year, where he would likely move to safety if he plays on the football team. But he’s keeping his options open.
"I think I’d probably be too small to play linebacker in college, so I’ll have to go back to safety, which is fine because you still get to hit," he said. "Delaware is great, the only problem is I want to major in physical therapy and they don’t offer it. I’m still looking around, but that seems like a really good spot for me."
As the Judge football season winds down, Dowling likes to dream about a Catholic League championship. But it’ll take some work to get there.
"Right now, we’re not worried about the playoffs, we’re worried about beating North," Dowling said. "After we play them, then we can start thinking about the playoffs.
"We’re not good enough to overlook anyone," he said. "We have to come out next week and be prepared. After that, we can start looking at the playoffs." ••
Joe Mason can be reached at joemason70@hotmail.com