Football: With title share, Wood wins over Ridley faithful

By Anthony SanFilippo
For Digital First Media

RIDLEY TWP. >> When coach Dave Wood took over the Ridley football program last February and instituted wholesale culture changes that would flip the historical style of Green Raider football on its ear, there were a lot of raised eyebrows. How could Ridley win as an offense that heavily focused on the run? How would a 3-4 defense work when for years Ridley was known for its 4-3 run-stuffing? How would players used to playing both ways or doing more things suddenly accept a reduced, team-oriented role?

Wood is still a few playoff wins from becoming Norman Dale from Hoosiers, but he’s made believers out of everyone in the Ridley community. The exclamation point on the team’s return to Central League prominence occurred with Friday’s 38-8 thumping of Upper Darby in the final game of the regular season. The win allowed Ridley (9-1, 8-1) to be co-champions of the Central League (along with Springfield and Marple Newtown) and earn a PIAA playoff berth for the first time since 2012. It is the 23rd Central League championship for the Raiders.

“I can’t even begin to describe the feeling,” said linebacker Sean Crowley, who along with the rest of the Ridley defense wreaked havoc on the passing attack of the Royals (4-6, 4-4). “We bought in to everything Coach Wood told us and it’s led to this – being Central League champs. But we’ve got more work to do. This was just one goal. We’ve got more.”

Efforts to reach that next goal will begin next week with a first-round home playoff game in the District 1 Class 6A playoffs. Ridley is guaranteed a home game in the first round. They will find out their opponent Sunday morning.

“This is a credit to all our seniors,” Wood said. “When I got here, they were all used to doing things their way. I asked them to give me and the staff a chance. They did and this year, these seniors beat Haverford for the first time. They beat Garnet Valley for the first time. And now they beat Upper Darby.”

Not only did they beat them, they smothered them.

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