Garnet Valley-Ridley and Strath Haven-Springfield weren’t the only exciting games in the Central League Friday night.
Penncrest picked up its first win of the season with a 26-8 victory over Harriton. Meanwhile, Marple Newtown rode the right foot of a sophomore kicker to pull out a last-second, 16-13, triumph over Radnor at Conestoga’s Teamer Field.
Quarterback Chris Chelo threw for two touchdowns and ran for another to lead the Lions (1-5 overall, 1-4 Central League) beat the winless Rams (0-6, 0-5).
Chelo, who threw for 213 yards, tossed a 45-yard TD pass to Jimmy Cage and hooked up with Brennan Kaut for an 83-yard scoring play. Chelo also scored on a 13-yard run to cap a 97-yard drive in the first quarter that gave the Lions a 14-0 lead.
Cage finished with three catches for 125 yards and Kaut ran for 157 yards as the Lions piled up 460 yards of total offense. The Penncrest defense got into the act, too, as Matt Ferry returned an interception 45 yards for a touchdown in the fourth quarter to close out the scoring.
Marple Newtown 16, Radnor 13 >> Ty Can booted a 26-yard field goal, his third of the game, with one second left to win it for the Tigers (4-2, 3-2).
The Tigers got a big stop near midfield with about two minutes remaining to set up the winning drive. Radnor decided to go for it on fourth-and-one but Marple Newtown defensive lineman Damien Bogsch batted down a pass attempt by Radnor quarterback Jude Wallin to end that threat.
Marple Newtown drove to the nine-yard line behind the solid play of quarterback Dave Bertoline and Tigers coach Chris Gicking sent Can in with four seconds left to win it. He put it through the uprights with one second on the clock. Can connected on field goals of 27 and 36 yards earlier in the game. Marple Newtown’s other scored came on a TD pass from Bertoline to Matt Cantwell.
Wallin threw two touchdown passes for the Raptors (1-5, 1-4), a 50-yarder to Amir Bryd and a seven-yarder to Tommy Deshan to tie the game at 13-13 with 4:55 remaining in the game. The extra point kick after Deshan’s score was off the mark.
Upper Darby 28, Lower Merion 14 >>Donte Shaw and Montz Ellis split time at quarterback and helped the Royalss (2-4, 2-3) snap a two-game losing steal
Ellis scored twice and Shaw as Upper Darby opened up a 28-7 advantage before the Aces (3-3, 2-3) cut that deficit in half with a score in the fourth quarter. Ellis scored in the second quarter to put UD up 14-7 at the half and added another TD in the third period to extend the lead to 21-7.
Shaw capped a 99-yard TD drive that consumed more than 11 minutes and stretched from the third quarter to the fourth period to close out the scoring for the Royals. Dishon Lee had the first TD for UD..
