Ricci, Garnet finally clear that Coatesville hurdle in emphatic finale at “The Moe”
CONCORD >> Through the piercing winds that amplified a winter air, there was an undeniable energy at Moe DeFrank Stadium, Friday.
Garnet Valley was 13-0 and it was longtime head coach Mike Ricci’s final home game, ahead of his impending retirement. This was one of, if not the best, teams Ricci ever coached, and all that stood between the Jaguars and their first District 1 title since 2007 was their recent nemesis, Coatesville.
But instead of dwelling on past heartbreaks or fearing much of the same was coming, there was a sense overwhelming the field that this was not going to be another disappointing loss to Coatesville, but rather, a culmination of an all-time career.
“It makes it sweet because they’re a great team and a great program and to be able to beat them like we did, it speaks volumes for our kids,” Ricci said. “I could’t be more proud.”
Coatesville had ended that Jags’ season their previous three trips to the playoffs. In 2017, Avery Young shocked the home crowd with a pick six to break a tie in the final minute, to win the district title.. After a rout in 2018, Dapree Bryant used a pair of last-minute interceptions to break open another tight playoff game at Garnet, in the 2019 district semifinals.
Winning a District 1 title is sweet any year, but finally clearing a major hurdle to do so made it that much sweeter.
“It does, definitely,” Garnet senior, CJ Wood, said. “They’ve been circled for us, we’ve been circled for them. With all the alumni here and Coach Ricci’s last game at the Moe, I couldn’t have pictured it any other way. It’s perfect.”
Garnet (14-0) unleashed years of frustration onto Coatesville (12-2), outscoring the Red Raiders by 25 in the second quarter to roll to a 54-15 win. It was the biggest margin of defeat for Coatesville, under Matt Ortega, topping the previous high of 36 in his first season, against Avon Grove.
Coatesville felt what most of its foes experienced the past 5 seasons. Sure, the No. 1 and 2 and 4 jerseys were worn, but those heroes of the past were not wearing them anymore, and Friday, it was simply Garnet’s time.
“They didn’t do anything different,” Ortega said. “They countered in terms, we played them the last 3 years and thought they would come out in similar looks and they did a good job of scheming that up. They were a great football team and came out and took care of business. They were better than us and they out-coached us and out-played us.”
Since 2016, Coatesville has won 64 of its 75 games, which is tops in District 1, but Garnet has been right there. With the win, Friday, the Jags’ record since 2016 is 62-11, and would tie the Red Raiders’ total if they were to win the state title.
Saint Joseph’s Prep will have a lot to say if Garnet can even have that opportunity, in the state semifinals, but now that one giant has been slain, it’s on to the next one.
“We definitely had history with (Coatesville), but now it’s on the state semifinals and that’s what we’re focused on,” Garnet senior, and Mike Ricci’s son, Matt Ricci said.
Some things will surely be different at Garnet, without Mike Ricci, but a lot will stay the same, with the type of program that the Jaguars have. Coatesville’s not going anywhere, either, with quarterback, Harrison Susi, back to lead the Raiders as a senior.
Chances are, they’ll see each other again for a game of great magnitude, but for Ricci and an extremely talented senior class to go out with a redemptive win, and so emphatically, the finale in the Coatesville rivalry will finally be one they don’t want to soon forget.
