This game had plenty of story lines in it.
Each team with a new head coach. The winningest program in Delaware County history against the winningest program in Chester County history. Number 20 in all time wins in Pennsylvania against Number 15 in wins. The Central League against the Ches-Mont League. Both teams have Raiders as their mascots. And yet, these 2 storied programs had never met on the gridiron.
Until tonite.
In the end, Ridley defeated Coatesville 21-6 in a non-league match-up at Coatesville’s Multi-Purpose Stadium Friday Night.
Ridley’s Colin Masterson threw for 202 yards and a touchdown as rookie coach Dennis Decker gets his first win as the Green Raiders head coach.
“That’s a good football team over there,” said Decker, who led Ridley to the 1990 PIAA AAAA State Championship game as Quarterback and was an assistant under previous Head Coach John Waller. “We’re not a great football team right now. We need to take care of the football and take advantage of oppourtunities when we get them,” he added.
Leading 7-0 with 2:02 to play in the second quarter, Ridley did take advantage of an interception of a Charles Green pass by Casey DePrinzio that set the Green Raiders up at the Red Raider 43. Five plays later Masterson hit Alex Nicolino with a 10 yard pass that put Ridley (1-0) up 14-0 with 45 seconds left before halftime. Masterson (16-20, 202 yards) was 3-3 for 47 yards in the drive.
Ridley then took the second half kickoff and drove 69 yards on 10 plays as Jalen Randolph scored on a 1 yard run with 7:05 left in the third quarter. The two big plays of the drive were concecutive catches by Shahid Smith totaling 31 yards. Smith finished the game with 69 yards on 5 receptions. Tom Bongiorno added his third extra point of the night as the Green Raiders went up 21-0.
As well as Ridley played on offense, their defense may have even played better.
“Almost the entire coaching staff returned,” said Decker when pointed out that they didnot seem to miss a beat from former coach John Waller.” When you have a staff like we have, they’re good coaches who are going to put the kids in the right positions to succeed. It doesn’t matter who is termed “Head Coach”.
Coatesville (0-1) did get on the scoreboard with 10:36 left in the game and threatened to make it interesting. Kevin Berry scored on an eight yard run that ended a 31 yard eight play drive. A 15 yard facemask penalty when Green was stopped 2 yards behind the line of scrimmage aided in the drive. The Red Raiders were held to 158 yards total offense by the Ridley defense.
Ridley now opens Central League play next Friday afternoon at Lower Merion, while Coatesville travels to Perkiomen Valley in search of their first win of the season.
