Football Friday – Five Games to Watch: Del Val play opens on Saturday morning
The number of Del Val League teams may be at a low ebb, but the excitement the league generates isn’t.
Scheduling has gotten complicated, with five teams meaning one has to look for nonleague opposition each week. A partnership with the Ches-Mont, which has 13 teams, has eased the conundrum some, and many schools are resourceful in crafting long-term relationships. There is a tidiness, though, lost since the closure of Glen Mills: That half-and-half, five-week league season of three games each week.
Instead, the league season starts early for four teams. Academy Park, for instance, has a Week 4 league game, then three nonconference affairs, then three straight Del Val tilts. It’s an unbalanced way to crown a champion, but it’s unlikely to diminish the competitiveness that that process entails.
The two Del Val openers are slated for Saturday this week. First, a look at Friday’s lineup:
Springfield at Radnor, 7
Games between these two are rarely boring: Four of the last five meetings have been decided by three points or fewer, including a 13-10 Radnor win last year.
Neither team is flying high. Springfield (1-2) dropped a 33-28 decision to Ridley last week. Its only win this season has been against Harriton. The Cougars have a consistent offense – Jake Rama is coming off a 300-yard passing game, Robby Longo is a playmaking threat – if not a ton of big play threats.
Likewise, Radnor (1-2) stumbles in after being blanked by previously winless Upper Darby, 17-0. Radnor routed Penncrest in Week 2 and fell in overtime at Oxford in the opener.
Haverford at Ridley, 7
The Central League’s premier matchup should produce a ton of points. Haverford (2-1) has scored 126 in three games; it allowed 49 to Strath Haven last week. The Fords can move the ball with Dante Pergolese carrying it and Tommy Wright slinging it. But their ceiling this year might be determined by how well they stop other teams.
In Ridley (3-0), they’ll face a confident group, fresh off that win over Springfield. The Green Raiders have a pair of those kinds of wins – 34-29 over Central Bucks East, 33-28 over Springfield – so that if the game gets close, they’ll be familiar with the territory. Tahir Mills is one of Delco’s biggest threats to take the ball to the house from anywhere on the field, and John Heller is returning stability under center to a program once renowned for its quarterback play.
Unionville at Sun Valley, 7
The Vanguards aren’t just 2-1, more wins than in the last two seasons combined. Ernie Ellis’s team has done it with character – outlasting Penncrest by two points, and winning at Great Valley, 16-13, last week. After three straight road games, the Vanguards get to come home.
The line has been an expected strong point. Stevie Eskridge has made big plays under center, and Andrew Kmett and Todd Harper offer impressive backfield balance.
The Longhorns (3-0) will be their toughest test yet, having allowed just four touchdowns in three games. They control the clock with the two-headed backfield monster of Ethan Bennick and Joe King. But the rapid progress the Vanguards have made earn them some deserved spotlight.
Saturday
Chichester at Academy Park, 10:30
It’s Saturday morning Del Val time! The marquee matchups will have to wait, as the league seems to always have a way of heightening the drama. In this case, it’s Academy Park finishing the season with Chester Oct. 29.
First, AP (3-0) gets to test itself against Chichester. The Knights have started impressively, allowing just 13 points and scoring 125. Their offensive output is a portrait of consistency – 42, 42 and 41 points – with a new quarterback under center. Considering that the Knights have dealt with so much off the field after a shooting in the moments after the finish of the opener against Pennsbury left a member of the extended AP football family dead, the on-field performance is a testament to the group’s resilience and togetherness.
The Eagles (1-1) are no pushovers. In coach Ed Buck’s first season, Chi beat Harry S. Truman in Week 1 and, after a bye, gave Berks Catholic a game in a 39-29 loss. Not bad considering the Saints were PIAA Class 4A quarterfinalists in 2018 and 2019.
Interboro at Chester, 11
The Bucs (1-2) broke out in a big way last week, routing Executive Education Academy Charter, 43-6. Two of those touchdowns came via the defense on Zakee Brooks interceptions returns. The offense generated four scores, a welcome sight after just seven points in the opening two losses to Strath Haven and Conwell-Egan.
The Interboro offense will need to be on its game against Chester (3-0). The Clippers have banked their recent resurgence on defense. That unit has allowed just 12 points in three wins, all over Philadelphia Public League opposition. On the offensive side of the ball, Chester may have found something last week in Nah’ree Melvin, the freshman who ran three times for 76 yards, including a pair of touchdowns.
