Delco Football Friday: For Carroll and O’Hara, something’s got to give

In today’s Daily Times we take a look at Radnor’s success on the offensive line and preview the Raiders’ Central League showdown with Haverford Saturday night. Here are five other games to watch this weekend:

Friday

Card. O’Hara (2-1) at Arch. Carroll (2-1), 7 p.m.

The Lions and Patriots look to rebound from heartbreaking defeats in their Catholic League Blue Division opener last week. O’Hara has allowed 8.3 points per game, the best in Delco. Carroll is the highest scoring offense in the county at 43.7 points per game. Something has to give …

O’Hara gave up two touchdowns in the final three minutes of regulation, at home, as Bishop McDevitt rallied for a 12-7 win. Keed Kpoto ran for 112 yards in the loss.

Carroll fell to West Catholic in overtime, 36-35. Vying for their first 3-0 start in eight years the Patriots let a 21-6 halftime lead fall by the wayside. First-year quarterback Russell Minor-Shaw threw for 198 yards and three touchdowns and leads all county signal callers with nine scoring throws.

Strath Haven (3-1) at Upper Darby (3-1), 7 p.m.

The Panthers claimed their third straight win with a 17-7 decision of Conestoga. Quarterback Jake Fisher threw a touchdown and ran for one, while Strath Haven’s defense limited Conestoga to 111 yards of total offense. Senior Zack Hussein is the second leading rusher in Delco with 552 yards.

The top defense in Delco belongs to Upper Darby, which has held offenses to 129 yards per game. Offensively the Royals are fifth in scoring at 35 points per game. Kareem McAdams ran for 119 yards and three scores in a 64-7 rout of Penncrest last Friday night.

Marple Newtown (2-2) at Springfield (4-0), 7 p.m.

The Tigers have turned the page after last week’s 42-14 loss to Garnet Valley, the No. 1 team in the Daily Times Super 7. Marple’s ground game failed to get going as leading rusher Marlon Weathers was held to only 19 yards on 10 carries. Brian Joslin and Alden Mathes each threw for a touchdown.

The Cougars destroyed Harriton, 36-0, as senior quarterback Jack Psenicska had his best performance of the season (11-for-18, 224 yards, four touchdowns). Springfield’s defense is allowing an average of 179 yards per game, the third-lowest average in Delco.

 Martinsburg (4-0) at Academy Park (4-0), 7 p.m.

The Bulldogs are the three-time reigning West Virginia Class 3A state champions and ranked No. 8 in the USA Today Midwest Regional Top 10. Maxpreps.com has the Bulldogs ranked No. 3 in the state. They are averaging a mind-boggling 51.2 points per contest.

The Knights utilized a balanced rushing attack in their 28-8 win over Simon Gratz last Friday. In his first action of the season Darren Gibli finished with 81 yards and a touchdown and quarterback Skylor Fillis chipped in with 77 yards and a score. AP owns a plus-10 turnover differential, which is best in Delco. Malik Johnson and Devon Covert has flourished in the defensive secondary.

Saturday

Chester (1-3) at Haverford School (1-1), 1 p.m.

The Clippers lost their second in a row last Saturday to Archbishop Ryan, 45-30. Malik Langley had a touchdown run and his twin brother, Malachi, added a scoring catch for the Clippers. Senior quarterback Tahree Fuller-Bryan ranks fourth in Delco with 609 passing yards.

The Fords play at home for the first time this season. Last Saturday they were handed a 58-28 defeat by La Salle. Senior quarterback Ben Gerber threw for 129 yards and two touchdowns. Nate Whitaker paced the receiving corps with four catches for 109 yards and a TD.