Radnor outscores Springfield, turns attention to telling test

SPRINGFIELD — The youth program led to a robust varsity program. The robust varsity program led to a senior-dominated roster. The senior-dominated roster let to optimism. The optimism led to success. The success led Radnor High to a 35-23 victory at Springfield Friday.

And that victory led, at last, to what will come next.

“Garnet Valley,” coach Tom Ryan said.

And?

“We know Garnet is Garnet.”

Garnet is also the opportunity Ryan and the Raiders have been craving for years, and it will happen next Friday at Radnor, and it will matter. It will matter because the Raiders used two Matt Cohen touchdowns and his 103 rushing yards to outperform Springfield, improving to 6-1 overall and 5-1 in the Central League. Essentially, the showdown with the Jags will be for first place and indisputable proof that Ryan’s program has fought its way into any conversation (along with Haverford) about the Central League’s best.

As for Springfield, which enjoyed two touchdown passes and 261 passing yards from quarterback Jack Psenicska, it settled in at 4-2 in the Central, 5-2 overall despite multiple opportunities Friday to push its own way into that conversation.

“They were a very good team,” Cougars coach Chris Britton said. “We knew they were going to be a very good team from last year. We saw tape of them. We saw what they were doing. So did everybody in the league. We knew there were going to be some mismatches because of the way they play. My hat’s off to them. They played a great game.

“I take blame for it, because I don’t think our guys were in all the right spots. We’ve got some stuff to work on. We’re a young team and we have some kids that are going to come back next year. But we have to answer back at certain times.”

The Cougars never led, but they did provide some of that counterpunching. After Sean Mullarkey hit Matthew Rosato with a 41-yard Radnor touchdown pass in the first quarter, Springfield answered early in the second when Ben Konah took a pitch and rolled six yards around right end for a touchdown. Cohen scored his first touchdown on an 18-yard run midway through the second, and Mullarkey’s 45-yard scoring strike to Jahmair Rider might have signaled an impending rout. But Springfield hustled to draw within 21-9 at halftime on a 32-yard field goal by Brett Barber.

When Radnor recovered a fumble at the Springfield 20, Taylor Margolis eventually made it matter with a one-yard touchdown run. But when the Raiders turned it over on downs early in the fourth, its momentum slowed. With 7:11 to play, Alex Williams scored on a 21-yard pass from Psenicska. Psenicska followed with a conversion pass to Ian Deal, who made an acrobatic catch to send a buzz through the press box that it was not over.

That’s when Cohen had enough, and with 1:09 left, he would blast 35 yards down the left side for a touchdown. Springfield, ever game, responded with a seven-play drive, culminating with Frank Bullock’s 10-yard touchdown reception with 17 seconds left.

Still, 17 seconds later, the Radnor-Garnet Valley talk opened.

“Our senior year,” Cohen said. “If you’d have told me we’d be 6-and-1 at this point, I’d certainly take it. We have a chance to beat Garnet, and then who knows what can happen. We’ve played great pretty much every game. The Haverford game, we played with them for the first half and kind of fell off. I think we’ve learned from it. We’re going to be a better team because of it.”

The Raiders are going to be good enough that they are not likely to sneak up on the dangerous Jags. And that, alone, is an accomplishment.

“Now that we beat Springfield, they may expect a game,” Cohen said. “I think we can give them a run for their money.”

Mullarkey passed for 198 yards (160 in the first half) on just seven completions, only one shorter than 17 yards. Rider accumulated 112 receiving yards for Radnor, Bullock 97 for Springfield.

“I’ve said before this is one special group of 25 seniors,” Ryan said. “The leadership just trickles down hill to the juniors and the sophomores. These guys have worked together since pee-wee ball, and have the opportunity to play for a part of or all of the Central League title next week. And to beat a very good Springfield team, coached by a great staff, I couldn’t be more proud of my kids right now.”