Football: Ridley scores knockdown in bout with champs Haverford

HAVERFORD >> Dave Wood wasn’t certain how long it would take, when it would happen or how the celebration would unfold. All he knew was that if he were going to help Ridley High return to Central League dominance, there first would be one major correction.

At some point, the Green Raiders were going to have to defeat the sitting champion, a program that their seniors had never beaten, a well-coached growing power. At some point, they would have to beat Haverford.

That point, Wood figured, arrived with just over five minutes left Friday at A.G. Cornog Field. That’s when he told quarterback Cade Stratton to let it fly and throw it high.

“As much as we pound the ball, sometimes play-action will get one-on-one coverage,” Wood said. “So we went to the tall receiver.”

The 41-yard pass from Stratton to 6-foot-4 Liam Wright down the right sideline would land the Raiders at the Haverford 20 in a scoreless game. Less than three minutes later, Stratton would squeeze into the end zone from a yard away for the only touchdown in a 7-0 Ridley victory.

Though the Green Raiders would attempt just 11 passes, six were complete, all to Wright, none more valuable than that 41-yard connection that finally cracked a strong Fords defense.

The Raiders improved to 2-0 overall and 1-0 in the Central in their first season under Wood. Haverford, rebuilding some after its championship season, dipped to 0-2, 0-1 in the conference.

“This league is going to be real close,” Fords coach Joe Gallagher said. “We entered this game and said, ‘We’re in the Central League now. It’s going to be a nine-round bout.’ Tonight was Round 1. That’s all. We lost the first round. We have eight more rounds to go. And we take pride in getting better every week, which I know we will.

“I relate it to boxing. We’re the belt-holders. And until somebody takes it, we’re still the champs. It’s nine rounds. This is one round. We’re still in it.”

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