On a night when the opponets and the elements gave Ridley trouble with its vaunted passing game, Quarterback Colin Masterson turned to a weapon just as equally adept. His feet.
Masterson scored on a 6 yard run in the second overtime as Ridley scored a 27-24 come from behind win to spoil Homecoming at Penncrest Friday Night.
“My coaches tell me I’m good with my feet”, Masterson said. Masterson finished the game as the leading rusher with 73 yards on 15 carries.
“He’s a smart kid who is not going to make many mistakes,” said Ridley Head Coach Dennis Decker.
After a scoreless first quarter, Ridley (7-0 overall, 6-0 league) scored first when Norm Donkin hauled in a 14 yard pass from Masterson on a fourth down and seven that capped a 53 yard nine play drive with 10:20 to play before halftime. Tom Bongiorno kicked his first of three extra points as the Green Raiders went up by a 7-0 score. The drive was set up when Dillon Hayer recovered a Matt Atkinson fumble. Masterson had an 11 yard run and Alex Nicolino hauled in a 22 yard pass from Masterson in the drive.
Penncrest (4-3 overall, 4-2 Central League with all 3 losses by a combined total of 7 points) then put the next two touchdowns on the board, putting Ridley behind for the first time all season.
First Atkinson scored on a four yard run as the Lions marched 76 yards in 10 plays with 5:35 left in the second quarter. Adam Yee had 17 yards in the drive, and the Lions were helped by a personal foul penalty against Ridley. Tom Weathers kicked his first of three extra points to knot the game at 7-7. Penncrest then scored on their first possession in the third quarter as Phil Barbieri caught a 15 yard touchdown pass from Atkinson that ended a 65 yard 10 play drive as they went up 14-7 with 4:46 left in the quarter. Juhwan Young (10 carries 50 yards) had 27 yards in the drive.
Ridley then scored with 46 seconds left in the third quarter as Jalen Randolph went over from the three. to tie the game once again at 14.
Penncrest had a chance to win it in regulation with just over a minute to play.
Faced with a fourth and 14 at the 43, weathers punted the ball away but it was fumbled by Daquan Hill and Yee recovered it on the Green Raider 16. Jerry Boyer gained two yards on first down but that was as close as the Lions would get. Atkinson was sacked by Casey DiPrizio along with a 10 yard holding penalty took Penncrest out of Weathers range.
“The kids showed me something tonight,” said Decker. “They showed they have a lot of heart,” he added.
Ridley struck first in the overtime as Shahid Smith scored on a four yard run to put Ridley back in the lead at 21-14.
Penncrest then tied the game again as Atkinson scored on an 8 yard run and Weathers kicked a 24 yard field on their second overtime possession to take their last lead at 24-21. That set up Masterson’s game winning run.
Dropping back to pass on third and six, the middle opened right up for him and he took advantage.
“It was a great game to be apart of,” Masterson said.
“I would much rather be in a game like this than a 42-0 blowout’ Decker said. “This was a great high school football game”
With the win, Ridley still sits all alone atop the Central League and plays host to Springfield-Delco who scored 54 on Penncrest last week in a losing effort. The Lions, who now have their work cut out for them to make the District 1 AAAA playoffs will regroup next Saturday afternoon in Ardmore against Lower Merion.
One Response
weathers punted the ball away but it was fumbled by Vince Jennings not Daquan Hill. Atkinson was not sacked by Casey DiPrizio, he was sacked by Rob Crispin #58!!