There must have been something good in the air during the winter of 2004-05.
Declan MacCabe and David Ellis were born 26 days apart, with MacCabe arriving on Christmas Day of 2004 and Ellis following on Jan. 20. It’s only fitting they came into the world so close together, as their high school football and academic careers are also bound tightly — by excellence.
Both are linebackers, both play lacrosse and both are shining beacons for their school.
Ellis, a Pennington resident, was Hopewell Valley Central High’s honoree at this year’s 61st Annual George Wah Scholar-Leader-Athlete Awards Dinner, hosted by the Delaware Valley Chapter of the National Football Foundation and College Hall of Fame on March 12 at the Princeton Marriott at Forrestal. MacCabe, who hails from Titusville, received the same recognition for Notre Dame.
Each received a $1,000 scholarship, which is awarded to all who are recognized; MacCabe received the additional Ed Cook $1,500 scholarship. Their awards are for their excellence on the football field and in the classroom and community, and both take those roles seriously.
“The DelVal scholarship meant a lot to me,” Ellis said. “For my coaches to choose me as the player on their team that they felt was most deserving of this award is something that I am extremely appreciative of.”
MacCabe felt it was validation that he’s doing something right.
“Winning the Scholar-Athlete award meant so much to me because it exemplifies what it means to be a student-athlete at the high school level,” he said. “Winning this prestigious award is so meaningful to me because it shows me that my work on and off the field is paying off and that I should continue what I am doing.”
MacCabe will continue doing it at Franklin and Marshall University in Lancaster, where he will play football and study political science and economics. Ellis’ career on the gridiron is over, but he’s going to a football school and will major in health policy administration at Penn State.
Both young men have left an indelible imprint on their high schools.
“Declan reminds me of Sen. (Bill) Bradley (a former Princeton/NBA star) whom I have had the pleasure to meet and hear speak on a number of occasions,” said ND coach Sean Clancy, whose senior linebacker led the team with 98 tackles and 12 tackles for losses. “Declan Brody is a truly remarkable young man who commits fully to all that he does because he is driven to be a success. Humble, kind and fiercely competitive — these are not often adjectives that can be strung together, but they describe Declan. He is destined to achieve at the highest level.”
Bulldogs coach Dave Caldwell said he saw something special in Ellis when his family moved to Pennington from the Pittsburgh suburb of Mars, Pa., prior to his freshman year. Despite coming from football-crazed Western Pennsylvania, that was his first year playing football and he caught on quickly and made impacts on and off the field.
“What distinguishes David from other captains we had, is that he not only led by example, but he led vocally and had the courage to hold his teammates accountable,” Caldwell said. “David always gave his best effort maximizing his athletic ability and therefore expecting his teammates to do the same. David’s work ethic and positive attitude inspires his teammates. And his ability to volunteer his time in the school community, work a part-time job and maintain high academic standards is exceptional.”
On the gridiron, Ellis was the team’s most consistent defensive player while at linebacker. He garnered 50 tackles, three sacks and three sacks for loss. As a senior captain he won the Bulldogs “Chain Award”; given to the player who leads by example, is willing to play multiple positions and physically competes with the understanding that iron sharpens iron.
In the classroom, Ellis has a cumulative grade point average of 3.7. He is involved in HVCHS’s SMAC (Student Movement Against Cancer), Cancer Club, Hiking Club and Ski Club, as well as serving as a student ambassador and playing lacrosse in the spring.
David’s volunteer work is with HomeFront Homeless Shelter and as a camp counselor at Hopewell’s Youth Football Camp. He also squeezes in time to work at Vito’s pizza.
“I enjoy volunteering and giving back to less fortunate people and communities,” Ellis said. “I think it is important to recognize that not everybody is as fortunate as a lot of people in the Hopewell area, which is why me, my mother, and my brother spent a large part of our summer volunteering at the Homefront in efforts to give back to others.”
Ellis considers his senior football season a high school highlight, considering a team that was not picked to do well went on to the state playoffs. He credits Caldwell for making him part of it.
“I cannot speak enough to how great of a coach and person Dave Caldwell is,” Ellis said. “I credit all of my success throughout high school to him. He made sure to stay on top of his player’s grades and pushed us to be the best version of ourselves on and off the field.”
MacCabe was certainly the best version he could be in both areas.
Declan was a three-year starter at linebacker, earning All-Area and All-Division honors as a junior and senior. He led the Irish with 98 tackles last fall and was named to the All-Non Public and Super 100 All-State teams. During the spring, MacCabe is a captain and All-Area performer in lacrosse.
In the classroom, he has a 93.3 (out of 100) grade-point average. Declan is a National Honor Society and Italian National Honor Society member, serves as a Peer Tutor and made Honor Roll with Distinction his first two years at ND.
Much like Ellis, he understands the importance of helping others.
“I do enjoy volunteering,” MacCabe said. “Not only is it a great feeling to give back, but it really gives you a reality check. Sadly, not everyone is as fortunate as me. This has made me truly appreciate what I have. My parents instilled the importance of service to my community throughout my childhood.
“Service is heavily woven into Notre Dame’s curriculum. This helps students understand their purpose in the world and the impact of a successful academic career on the community. Through the different organizations I have worked with whether it is CAC (Catholic Athletes for Christ), Homefront, The Diocese of Trenton, or the Special Olympics, I have learned lessons from all the wonderful people involved.”
In looking back on high school, MacCabe is proudest of the balance he managed to maintain between academics and athletics.
“I have been fortunate to play two sports throughout my time at Notre Dame, while successfully managing a rigorous academic schedule and solidifying some of the most important interpersonal relationships with my friends, teammates, teachers and coaches,” he said. “Having a good balance with the social, academic and athletic aspects of life have always been a challenge to high schoolers so being able to have done this is awesome.”
And Hopewell Township can take awesome pride in having two such student-athletes representing its town.
Declan MacCabe.,
