Horvath scores 3 touchdowns as Radnor runs by Upper Merion

RADNOR >> From the sideline, one of Radnor’s coaches turned toward the field and shouted, “Go, Jack, Go!”

The fourth-quarter encouragement was intended for Jack Henry, the Raiders’ senior running back who was making his varsity debut. Henry was able to get in the game and leave his mark, thanks to earlier contributions by another guy named Jack.

Jack Horvath scored three touchdowns, helping Radnor build an insurmountable lead in its 34-10 rout of Upper Merion Friday night at Prevost Field.

Horvath carried 18 times for 174 yards and those three scores, from 11, 6, and 3 yards out. He and a host of Radnor starters exited the game after his third touchdown, a 3-yard lunge with 2:03 left in the third quarter that put the Raiders ahead by 31 points.

“He was incredible,” Radnor coach Tom Ryan said. “That’s exactly what we’ve come to expect from (Horvath).”

The Raiders (1-0) dominated the Vikings (0-1). In all, Radnor outgained the visitors, 435-195, in total offense. Horvath, who had 177 yards of offense, nearly single-handedly churned out more offense than Upper Merion.

“I’m the kind of back who can get going and keep it going,” Horvath said. “I like to carry over momentum from quarter to quarter.”

Horvath wasted no time at all. He rushed four times on the Raiders’ opening drive, racking up 69 yards and a touchdown. By the end of the first quarter, he had accumulated 82 yards rushing, most of which came on runs off tackle after handoffs from quarterback Pat McDermott.

“Every time we ran to the outside, it seemed like nobody was there,” Horvath said. “We had bodies on everybody. We had a really good (offensive) scheme going.”

McDermott had a solid night, too. He went 11-for-12 for 123 yards and a touchdown — a well-delivered 6-yard fade to Vernon Harper, who tapped his toes in the back-left corner for a third-quarter touchdown. McDermott also scored on a 1-yard keeper.

“It’s a credit to our guys,” Ryan said. “Eighty percent of them were here in the summer, three days a week, lifting weights, doing everything they needed to do to be ready for tonight.”

Upper Merion had no answer for Radnor. The Vikings, against a prevent defense, covered 49 yards in 69 seconds and, as time expired, used a 40-yard field goal from Anthony Littlewood to get on the board prior to halftime. A 4-yard surge up the middle by Zach DeSanto with 14 seconds remaining in the game provided the Vikings a touchdown.

Defensively, Radnor linebacker Kyle Addis (two sacks, interception) and defensive end Isaiah Coates (two sacks, five tackles for loss) kept Upper Merion in check.

“They’re a big team up front,” said Coates, “so we had to use a couple blitz packages to have success. Thankfully, it worked.”

And the Raiders were thankful to have Horvath on their side.