Ridley-Springfield a rivalry even as nonleague game

Here’s a look at five of the top games from around Delaware County in Week 2:
Ridley (1-0) at Springfield (1-0), 7 p.m.
This is the game of the week in Delco and, consequently, the only Central League matchup on the Week 2 schedule. However, since the league went to an eight-game schedule, the game does not count in the Central League standings.
On their quest to winning the Central League championship for the first time in 20 years in 2014, the Cougars never had the chance to test their mettle against the Green Raiders. The highly anticipated border war has been dormant since the 2013 campaign, when Ridley blanked Springfield, 20-0.
What happened two years ago — and the many other wins Ridley has accrued against Springfield in the rivalry’s storied history — is irrelevant. The Cougars are coming off a come-from-behind win on the road against Interboro last week. The fourth quarter was the Kyle Long show.
Trailing 9-0, Long took a kick return to the house to get the Cougars on the board. Later, he snared a 20-yard touchdown pass from Brandon DiChiacchio on fourth down to give Springfield the lead to stay. Temple-bound defensive end Dan Archibong sealed the win with a sack in the waning moments of regulation.
Ridley, meanwhile, is riding high after whooping up on Glen Mills, 30-0. Malik Young rushed for 159 yards and a pair of scores, while Ridley’s impressive defense held the visiting Battlin’ Bulls to a mere 70 yards of total offense.
Penn Wood (1-0) at Marple Newtown (1-0), 7 p.m.
It was a long time coming for the Patriots. After going nearly two years without a win, Penn Wood kicked off its 2015 campaign with a 20-0 blanking of Bensalem. It was the first victory for second-year coach Nick Lincoln, and the first shutout win for the Pats since 2010 (the last time Penn Wood captured the Del Val League crown).
The Tigers used an uptempo style of offense to jump on Cardinal O’Hara en route to a 34-7 triumph. Leading the way was explosive wide receiver/defensive back Abel Hoff, who accounted for 184 all-purpose yards and three touchdowns. Marple Newtown racked up 410 yards of offense.
Penncrest (0-1) at Academy Park (1-0), 7 p.m.
The Lions and Knights are one of four intriguing interleague battles between the Central and Del Val.
Last week Penncrest unveiled its new turf field at Louis W. Scott Stadium, but stumbled to a 28-15 loss to Upper Moreland. The Lions yielded the game’s first 21 points and didn’t have an answer for Bears running back Rodney Morgan, who rushed for 252 yards. Ryan Kinnard paced a sluggish Penncrest offense with 77 yards rushing and two TDs.
The Knights trounced West Chester East, 45-19, behind a strong performance by senior running back Jermaine Wesley, who had four rushing touchdowns before halftime and finished with 142 yards on the ground.
Strath Haven (0-1) at Interboro (0-1), 7:30 p.m.
In a battle between Delco’s winningest head coaches, the Panthers and Bucs both look to bounce back from disappointing Week 1 defeats.
The Panthers couldn’t keep pace with Prep Charter, falling at home, 27-6. The running game was nonexistent (53 yards) and the lone offensive highlight for Strath Haven was a 65-yard touchdown pass from Evan Atsaves to Kyree Fuller in the fourth quarter.
Interboro certainly didn’t play poorly against Springfield. While the Bucs coughed up a 9-0 lead in the final period, they played well enough to win on defense. Offensively, Chris Thomas rushed for 93 yards and Matt DiSands hauled in four catches for 62 yards in the losing effort.
Strath Haven’s Kevin Clancy and Interboro’s Steve Lennox have a combined 568 coaching victories. The Panthers are 7-0 all time against Interboro (credit: Havenfootball.net).
Saturday
Haverford School (1-0) at Arch. Ryan (0-1), 1 p.m.
The Fords have been the Daily Times Super 7 No. 1 for nearly a full calendar year, and it’s hard to see them relinquishing the top spot anytime soon. Last Saturday, the Fords jumped out to a 28-zip halftime lead over Del Val Charter and cruised to a 50-34 victory. Buoyed by All-Delco quarterback Kevin Carter (19-of-27, 302 yards, five TDs) and wide receiver Dox Aitken (five catches, 145 yards), the Fords finished with 483 yards of offense.
Ryan fell to Father Judge, 20-14. Ryan was the runner up for the Catholic League AAA title last fall.