Mosley shows the way for Ruane, Haverford in rout of Radnor

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HAVERFORD — Haverford wide receiver Shane Mosley let quarterback Jake Ruane know what to do.

“I know I could beat the (defensive back),” Mosley said. “So just throw the ball up, and I got it.”

Ruane connected with Mosley three times on touchdown passes in the second half of Haverford’s 40-16 Central League victory over Radnor Saturday night at A.G. Cornog Field.

“One-on-one, I think I can beat anyone,” said the junior Mosley, who finished with six receptions for 142 yards. “With my speed, I definitely feel like I can beat anyone.”

The Ruane-to-Mosley hook-up was precisely what the Fords needed to run away from previously undefeated Radnor (4-1, 3-1 Central League).

“Tonight, we wanted to prove we are one of the top teams in the Central League,” said Ruane, who completed 11 of 19 passing attempts for 228 yards and four touchdowns. He did most of his damage (7 of 8, 158 yards, three TDs) after halftime. “We know we can be one of the best.”

The Fords produced 428 yards of offense and were practically unstoppable in the final two quarters, outscoring the Raiders, 26-6. The first two quarters were what you’d expect in a game featuring two Central League heavyweights, both ranked in the Daily Times Super 7.

Upstart Radnor was feeling confident from the get-go and scored first on the opening drive of regulation when Dylan Van Dusen drilled a 35-yard field goal to complete an eight-play, 53-yard drive.

Later in the first quarter, the Fords grabbed a 7-3 lead when Trey Blair made a one-handed snag in the end zone. The Fords also made a concerted effort to get big running back Chasen Wint involved early and often.

He didn’t disappoint.

“They were talking a little bit in the first half, that they’re 4-0, undefeated, coming down the Blue Route to play us. We knew what to expect,” Wint said. “We just had to be calm, cool and collected.”

Wint rushed for 82 yards on 20 carries. His two-yard jaunt across the goal line midway through the second quarter gave the Fords a lead they wouldn’t relinquish.

“I’ve been doing it in practice. I just have to keep my feet moving. It’s all about vision and awareness,” Wint said. “I practiced all week really hard, I put in the work. I do it all for Haverford, for my teammates.”

Haverford’s offensive line paved plenty of lanes for Wint and did a tremendous job of protecting Ruane, who wasn’t tackled in the backfield all night.

“I’ve been playing with Jake since I was young, we’ve all known Jake forever,” junior tackle John Cunningham said. “I just think, I can’t let the big guy next to me down and I can’t let Jake down. He’s my quarterback and I’ve got to protect him. I think about that every play and that helps me stay motivated and ready. I can’t let him down because I know he won’t let me down.”

Haverford’s produced 428 yards of total offense and was 7-for-9 on third downs. When he wasn’t airing the ball out, Ruane made Radnor’s defense pay with his legs. He ran six times for 78 yards and his 43-yard sprint to pay dirt in the fourth quarter put the exclamation point on a dominating win by the Fords.

“A lot of credit goes to (strength and conditioning coach) Marco (Dapkey),” Cunningham said. “During the offseason, Marco helped us a ton. He’s very crucial to the O-line. He made us big, he made us fast, he made us strong. That helps a lot. And when you have a big, strong running back like Chasen and a big O-line that can fire off the ball, not many teams can stop it.”

Clinging to a 14-10 advantage at the start of the third quarter, the Fords required only four plays to find the end zone and expand their lead to 11 points. Mosley flew down the Radnor sideline on a post route, and Ruane dropped a perfectly thrown ball right into his hands for a 63-yard scoring strike.

“They changed their defense a little bit and that allowed us to throw the ball a little more,” Ruane said. “In the first half they were really forcing us to run the ball. In the second half we were able to open the passing game a little bit and just let it go.

“At halftime we just stayed calm. If we could execute our stuff on offense, we were going to be all right.”

Radnor’s offense failed to convert three times on fourth-down plays. Elihu Bey and Paul Denman were excellent on the defensive line for Haverford.

Radnor quarterback Sean Mullarkey completed 14 of 20 passing attempts for 126 yards and two touchdowns, but threw a pair of interceptions to Blair, Haverford’s do-everything junior defensive back/wide receiver/punter/returner. Jahmair Rider snagged a two-yard catch in the end zone to put Radnor ahead 10-7 in the second quarter. Mullarkey found Kieran Sheridan for a touchdown in the fourth quarter, but by then the game was decided.

Matt Cohen continued to impress out of the backfield. The Radnor junior was a workhorse, carrying the ball 28 times for 137 yards.

Ultimately, this game was about Haverford’s ability to take control in the second half and not let up. The Fords still were angry about their home loss to undefeated Garnet Valley two weeks ago. They needed a good showing against a quality opponent and they got it Saturday.

“Every win is good for the confidence. It’s hard to win a football game, no matter who the opponent is,” Cunningham said. “But it’s hard to stop Haverford, honestly. We are going to come out ready every game.”

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Matt Smith

Matt Smith
Matt Smith is a sports writer with the Delaware County Daily Times. To contact him, email msmith@delcotimes.com or follow him on Twitter @DTMattSmith.

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