All-Delco Baseball Player of the Year: Bonner and Prendergast’s Ryan Friel

UPPER DARBY There wasnt some magical moment when Ryan Friel felt like he had it all figured out.

No dramatic turning point.

He just got locked in and never came out.Once the Philadelphia Catholic League and PIAA playoffs got under way, Friel went on a tear for Bonner & Prendergast that didnt even seem real.

He hit .714 (17-for-21) to carry the Friars to a Catholic League championship and a District 12 Class 6A crown.Bonners playoff run was something of a shocker on its own.

The Friars were a young team and entered the Catholic League tourney as the No.

6 seed.

But even more eye-popping was what Friel was doing every time he stepped to the plate.I have a pretty simple approach: I just go gap to gap, Friel said.

Knowing that Im going to get something to hit, being in the three-hole, the pitchers are going to want to go right at me.

I was just seeing the ball really well.

But I wanted to keep taking a simple approach every at-bat knowing that anything could happen.

I believed what could happen did happen.

Going 3-for-4 in every game is ...

something.Something, indeed.Friel got incredibly hot at the right time, but he didnt just have a nice stretch for two weeks.

He dominated all season.

Thats why the upcoming senior is the 2025 Daily Times Player of the Year.In 24 games, the right fielder batted a scorching .506 (44-for-87) with nine doubles, four triples, two home runs and 30 RBIs.

His OPS? A silly 1.302.

And for good measure, he broke Bonners single-season hits record, even more than Friars legend and MLB prospect Kevin McGonigle.Not bad for a guy who just kept it simple.Joining Friel on the All-Delco team, selected after consultation with local coaches, are Bonner & Prendergast teammates Michael Coleman, Sergio Hernandez and Michael Klawansky; Cardinal OHaras Brendan Till; Chichesters Cole Sanford; Delco Christians Reid Darnall; Episcopal Academys Reggie King; Garnet Valleys Cole Lombardo and Ryan McGhee; Haverfords Jimmy Boyle and Ryan Cassidy; Radnors Austin Havertine and Teddy Monahan; and Ridleys Bobby Doherty.Bonner-Prendergast's Ryan Friel is the Daily Times Baseball Player of the Year.

(PETE BANNAN-MEDIANEWS GROUP)Friel came into his junior year knowing it was time for him to act as a leader.

While he wasnt a senior, on a Bonner & Prendie team that didnt have many four-year starters in the field, his experience mattered.Only two senior starters were back: Jack Redding, a pitcher and third baseman, and left fielder Michael Coleman, the eventual Catholic League Offensive Player of the Year.

Coleman took on that leadership role from the jump, especially with so many new faces in the starting nine.

Friel knew he had to follow suit and he led with his bat, glove and voice.I knew I had to step up and take the team as far as I can, Friel said.

And I think playing with a lot of pressure has always helped me, knowing that I have guys behind me and in front of me who can do the job.

Its a lot of trust.

Playing with the seniors who were just here, they always gave you that boost of confidence.

Knowing that I had Coleman with me in the outfield and (Michael) Klawansky and Johnny (Ortegae) on the mound to back it up.

Having a lot of those guys on this team just gave me the confidence to grow and become a better player.Friel put together so many big games at the plate this season, its tough to single one out, but his performance in the Catholic League championship might top the list.He went 3-for-5 with a double, two RBIs, a run scored and a stolen base as the Friars rolled past Archbishop Ryan, 10-0, to capture their second league title since 2022.

Friel racked up three hits in each of the Friars Catholic League playoff games.We got that PCL chip and that means a lot to everyone, Friel said.

If youre a part of the Catholic League, you know how much that means to you.

In my opinion, I think winning that is the biggest deal.

And the biggest thing is we were able to win another one for our seniors.

Theres nothing bigger than that, to be honest.The Friars did come a long way in 2025.They lost many key contributors from the 2024 team that advanced to the PIAA Class 4A semifinals for a fourth year in a row All-Delcos Jaxon Kehoe, Harry Carr and Quinn Bryan, just to name a few that even a program as competitive as Bonner was expected to endure growing pains.And the Friars did early, but overcame by winning 13 of 15 games.

During states, their debut season as a Class 6A program, the Friars struggled in their first-round loss to Coatesville, committing five errors in an 8-7 loss.I think we were on the high horse after winning the PCL and district championship.

We just came up short, Friel said.

We had a lot of mental mistakes that hurt us.

We didnt have a great practice the day before, and we kind of werent in that zone that we needed to be in.

We didnt stay focused and sometimes that happens.

Its a part of baseball.

Unfortunately we couldnt bring it home.

We wanted that state championship, but at the end of the day, its nice that we got two pieces of hardware this year.Friel, a Roxborough kid with big-time dreams, got the perfect crash course in varsity ball when he was a freshman sharing a field with McGonigle, arguably the best to ever wear Bonners green and yellow.I came here and saw how positive he was and how he always tried to keep the boys fired up, Friel said.

It didnt matter if he got out because he knew someone behind him would pick him up.

Thats who you try to be.

Kevin was the best and you wanted to be like Kevin.

If you come here, you want to be like Kevin McGonigle and Nate Furman and Jimmy Haley.

Thats what we all strive for.Now on the doorstep of his senior season, Friel hopes to carve out his legacy.

After an all-state junior year and rising Division I attention, hes focused on being the kind of teammate others look up to, just like the names he admires..

This article has been shared from the original article on delcotimes, here is the link to the original article.