Ruane puts on a show as Haverford handles Conestoga

TREDYFFRIN >> When you have one of the most talented quarterbacks in District 1, a receiver with hands like velcro, and an offensive line exploding off the ball, your team is going to be very hard to beat.

That pretty much sums up the Haverford Fords Friday night, as senior quarterback Jake Ruane and wide receiver Kevin DePrince led the Fords to a convincing 44-15 Central League win over Conestoga at a rain-soaked Teamer Field.

Haverford (1-0 Central, 2-0 overall) started fast and put Conestoga (0-1, 0-2) in a hole early by jetting out to a 21-0 lead after the first quarter. Ruane, who rushed for 146 yards and three touchdowns, and threw for two more scores to DePrince, led the way for the Fords.

“We wanted to jump out on them early and put them back on their heels a little,” Ruane said. “And our offensive line I thought did a great job tonight opening things up. You saw late in the game when we were backed up at our own 1-yard line, they allowed us to run clock and run the game out.”

DePrince took an 8-yard strike from Ruane to make it a 7-0 game after just five minutes of play. DePrince ran a nice slant pattern, beating the Pioneer defender to make the touchdown grab. After a three and out for the Pioneers, Haverford went on a nine-play drive with Ruane running the last 28 yards to make it a 14-0 game. The quarter scoring ended when Ruane found DePrince over the top for a pretty 32-yard touchdown reception, and it was a 21-0 Haverford lead after one quarter.

“On the slant pattern, that is actually supposed to go outside but the linebacker cleared and I took it inside for a slant pattern and Jake hit me,” DePrince said. “We got out on them early and we just did our job tonight.”

Conestoga showed some life as the Pioneers’ ground attack, which gained 216 yards on the night, found its form, with Milton Robinson (78 yards) and Liam Kirk (71 yards) leading the Pioneers down the field. The drive ended with Robinson banging in from nine yards out to cut the lead to 21-7.

But the night belonged to the Fords, as Haverford blocked a Conestoga punt in the end zone for a safety and a 23-7 lead. After taking the ensuing kick at the Conestoga 48-yard line, Haverford went on a four-play drive, which resulted in Ruane doing a tap dance down the right side for a 10-yard touchdown run and a commanding 30-7 halftime advantage.

“Jake is a dual threat and he gets the yardage for us when we need it,” said Haverford head coach Joe Gallagher. “And tonight, I thought our offensive line played very well and I was pleased with our performance. Last week against Chester I thought we were a little sloppy but we only had one scrimmage and I knew we would improve tonight.”

Conestoga did not go away easily, however, as the Pioneers went on a five minute-plus drive to start the second half with Robinson capping the drive with a six-yard touchdown run and a two-point conversion to make it a 30-15 game midway through the third quarter. Conestoga was up against it, as the Pioneers only threw the football for 21 yards on the night and cut down any chances of a comeback.

The night belonged to Ruane as he finished the Pioneers off by hitting DePrince for a 10-yard touchdown pass. DePrince caught six passes for 131 yards and three scores and was open most of the night. Ruane finished off the scoring by capping a 99-yard Haverford drive by going untouched for the final 32 yards to make it a 44-15 game, allowing the Fords to look ahead to an early Central League showdown with Garnet Valley next week.

Conestoga will travel to Upper Darby next week, looking for its first win of the season. Pioneer head coach Matt Diamond talked about the challenge his team faced Friday against the Fords’ quarterback.

“We knew coming into the game how good Ruane was,” Diamond said. “Give then credit. They made some big plays tonight and I thought we hurt ourselves too much out there tonight.”