PA – Central Athletic League | Archive | November, 2020

Some Central League teams may experience a severe case of FOMO this weekend.

While many in District 1 prepare for district or state tournament competition, the fear of missing out is a harsh reality for the 12 teams in the Central League.

It’s certainly understandable for players on undefeated teams such as Garnet Valley, Haverford, Marple Newtown, Ridley and Springfield to feel upset, frustrated or angry over their lack of participation in the playoffs. You can second guess or wonder what could have been had the Central League decided earlier to bring back fall sports in the middle of the coronavirus pandemic.

“It’s disappointing that we won’t be playing in the playoffs, but we are still motivated,” Ridley senior Gavin Kingsborough said last month. “We want to win every game we get to play and everyone on the team has that same goal and the same mindset.”

“I think everyone is very positive,” said senior Will Higson, Haverford High’s All-Delco linebacker. “We waited long to be out here practicing for games and I think everyone realizes that (this season) is different. Everyone is excited to play and hopefully we will play for a championship.”

There are three weeks remaining in the Central League’s regular season. The top team from the Class 6A and Class 5A divisions will meet for the league championship later this month.

Winning a Central League title definitely holds more significance this year. If everyone can get through the season of COVID-19 unscathed and we get a final that is truly representative of the best teams in the league, all the players’ hard work and sacrifice since March will be worth the wait. As for districts and states … so what?

Who are the favorites in the Central League? It’s no surprise the usual suspects are in the running. Last year’s champion Garnet Valley looked dominant against a pair of weak Class 6A teams in Lower Merion and Conestoga. The Jags have leaned on their normal potent ground attack to score 110 points in two games. Shane Reynolds has rushed for a team-high 169 yards and four TDs, but seven players have racked up least 50 yards on the ground. Kevin McGarrey (10-for-13, 194 yards, four TDs) has done an excellent job running the offense in his first year as the Jags’ starting quarterback. CJ Woods and Alex Nicolaides are among the standouts on a defense that has allowed only 12 points.

Despite their varsity inexperience, Haverford has posted back to back blowout wins via shutout over Upper Darby and Lower Merion. Sophomore quarterback Tommy Wright, senior running back Jimmy Wright and senior wide receiver Tommy Caruso have powered an offense that is averaging more than 300 yards per game.

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Ridley’s Gavin Kingsborough, right, looks to avoid Upper Darby defender Sean Roberts in the second quarter last

Friday at Phil Marion field. Ridley is one of five 2-0 teams in the Central League. (Pete Bannan/MediaNews Group)

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CONCORD — The feeling on the field, from the chill in the air to the temperature of the competition, felt familiar Wednesday. Even if the calendar didn’t say it was a playoff game, the intensity between Garnet Valley and Radnor made it feel like one.

This week one year ago, the Jaguars were making a long-awaited trip to the state tournament. Radnor had just wrapped up a 16-win season, dented by an unceremonious exit from playbacks of districts. For both, playing into November has become an annual objective.

In 2020, though circumstances have conspired to make November field hockey arrive on much different terms, the result between the lines looked similar.

“It’s different, but I’m just glad we have a season, honestly,” Garnet Valley senior Mary Rose Berry said, after a 6-2 win over Radnor. “We have good competition throughout the Central League, too. So we just play every game like we’re going to play in states or districts.”

While the Central League continues its round robin of a season, other areas of District 1 that were quicker to return for the fall are contesting the district playoffs. Those teams have a chance to advance to a shrunken state playoffs, which Garnet Valley earned passage to last year as District 1’s fifth seed in Class 4A.

The COVID-19-condensed schedule has made that an impossibility this year. But when nights like Wednesday’s tilt between traditional league powers takes on the intensity it did, there is a sense that not much is being missed.

“It feels like we’re in the playoffs right now because it was a really tough game,” Radnor midfielder Hope Delaney said.

The teams put together an entertaining game from the start. Garnet Valley had the better of play, earning 16 penalty corners and generating chances aplenty. They scored on five of them, including two first-quarter goals by sophomore Alyssa Smith. Both times, she was alert on the doorstep to clean up rebounds, the first off a scramble, the second when a Tina Rawa shot dinged of the left post and fell to Smith manning the right stick.

Berry scored a similar goal in the third quarter, a shot from the run of play deflected by Radnor goalie Meghan Dole off the crossbar. Berry was waiting, batting the carom into the net from knee height before it hit the ground.

“Usually I’m supposed to play the post on the left side,” Berry said. “We’ve been practicing a lot and when it went in the air, I just saw it and it was right in front of me and I had to hit it in so the defenders wouldn’t knock it out.”

The Jaguars had plenty of plays to draw up for corners. They took a 3-1 lead at halftime via the direct route, Rawa receiving the feed from Theresa Ricci and firing a shot home through traffic. When Rawa’s take was deflected in the third quarter, Ricci picked up the loose ball and nudged it to Sophie Easter to finish. And with two minutes to play, Easter was the beneficiary when Berry’s take was kicked away by goalie Rory Harper, Eastern swiping the goal home through traffic.

Despite getting a goal back via Delaney in the first quarter, the onslaught of Jaguars corners was a tide Radnor couldn’t stem for long.

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Garnet Valley’s Tina Rawa fires a shot that goes for a goal, giving the

Jaguars a 3-1 lead over Radnor at the time Wednesday night.

(Pete Bannan/MediaNews Group)

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The senior striker has been a productive scorer for a powerful Aces squad during the past two LM boys’ soccer seasons. As a junior, he received second team All-Main Line honors as his scoring and all-around play helped the Aces post an undefeated regular season record and place third in the PIAA District 1 4A tournament. Lower Merion boys’ soccer head coach lauds Downey’s valuable versatility. Off the pitch, Downey participates in the Challengers Sports program, in which he plays basketball with special needs youths.

Fun facts – Owen Downey
Favorite book: Percy Jackson.
Favorite TV show: The Boys.
Favorite movie: Wolf of Wall Street.
Favorite athlete: Desean Jackson.
Favorite pre-game pump-up song: The Motto by Drake.
Favorite team: Philadelphia Eagles.
Favorite place to visit: Sea Isle City, N.J.
Favorite pre-game meal: Bagel with peanut butter and bananas.
Person I most admire, and why: “I admire both of my parents, Matt and Daneen, because without them I wouldn’t be where I am today. They always push me to the best of my abilities and put me first every day.”
Family members: parents Matt and Daneen, younger sister Grace (who also plays soccer).

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The senior libero and co-captain has been the Fords’ defensive MVP the past three years, and got her 1,000th career dig Oct. 28 against Springfield. She was named to the All-Main Line girls’ volleyball second team as a junior, and has received All-Central League honors each of the past three years. She will play volleyball for Misericordia University next fall. Off the court, she is a devoted runner and competes in as many 5K races as she can. At Haverford High, she is a member of the National Business Honors Society.

Fun facts – Cara Fredericks

Favorite movie: Rock of Ages.

Favorite athlete: Morgan Hentz.

Favorite pre-game pump-up song: Welcome to the Jungle by Guns. and Roses, or Lose Yourself by Eminem.

Favorite team: University of Wisconsin volleyball.

Favorite place to visit: Ocean City, N.J.

Favorite pre-game meal: Hummus and veggies.

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NEWTOWN SQUARE —  In crunch time, Marple Newtown’s linemen took control Friday night.

The boys in the trenches were excellent in the fourth quarter, on offense and defense. Co-captain Joey Goodman, who made a key stop in the backfield on Strath Haven’s final possession, knew both lines had to make their individual mark on the game. Oh, and it helps that they are blocking for the most explosive player in the Central League in junior running back Charlie Box.

Box caught a 13-yard pass from Joey Paoletti in the end zone to put Marple in front in the fourth quarter. The Tigers added a safety and held on for 33-27 win over the Panthers, improving to 2-0 this season.

“We’ve all played together since we were at a young age, when we were rivals at middle school at (Sts.) Pius and Annie’s,” Goodman said. “By sophomore year we all hit the weight room and started getting varsity time. Come junior year, Chris Meiklejohn comes over to the O-line and just started playing great and got a starting job this year. Anthony Armento is stepping up at center, his snaps were great tonight. All of us, we keep improving our chemistry and we are coming together.”

It was a difficult challenge for Marple Newtown’s entire defense for three-plus quarters. Strath Haven’s run game had its way, especially in the first half. Haven’s opening drive of regulation chewed up more than 10 minutes of clock. Running backs Jaris Adams, Matt Shuler, Christian Mazur and Chase Barlow were having a field day.

But when they needed a big stop, Marple’s defense penetrated the backfield and forced a three-and-out with four minutes left. CJ Lane stopped Matt Shuler for no gain, then Goodman was able to tackle Shuler on the next play for a loss of three yards. Jack Ryder threw an incompletion on third down, then a high snap that sailed over the punter’s head on fourth down resulted in a safety for the Tigers.

“I saw the play developing, I had the jump on the snap,” Goodman said. “We had it schemed up. They can run it inside to the right or outside to the left. As soon as I saw the guard turn his hips, I broke. it was a big-time play and I had to make it, so I just went for it.”

Marple scored 21 straight points to take a 24-14 advantage late in the third quarter. But Haven kept fighting. Barlow ripped off a 24-yard run to set up a Ryder one-yard sneak into the end zone with 30 seconds left in the third. Shuler intercepted Paoletti on Marple’s next possession, then ran eight yards to paydirt to put Haven on top, 27-24.

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Charlie Box, pictured here in a game last year, ran for 178 yards and caught the game-winning

touchdown Friday night against Strath Haven.

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RIDLEY TWP. — When your first home game of the football season takes place on Mischief Night, you expect strange things to happen.

When Senior Night ceremonies are held before the opening kickoff, you expect a senior football player or two will emerge as among the top performers in the game.

Senior linebacker Nate Desmond made a significant contribution to Ridley’s 34-0 Central League football victory over Upper Darby at Phil Marion Field Friday night.

Junior quarterback John Heller shook off a slow start and had a hand in helping the Green Raiders to their second consecutive victory. He was ably assisted by junior back Tahir Mills as well as sophomore receiver Paul Jackson and seniors Gavin Kingsborough and Mike Sfida, as each of Ridley’s four touchdowns came through the air.

The visiting Royals had two bad snaps on their first four plays, with the second resulting in an 18-yard loss and two points for the Green Raiders when the ball ended up in the end zone instead of in the punter’s hands.

Ridley led by that 2-0 baseball score until late in the first half, when senior Chris Vinci connected on a 24-yard field goal. One play later, it was Desmond stepping in front of a Donte Shaw pass, giving the home team a first down at the UD 20.

“I dropped into my coverage and ball just came right to me and I ran with it,” Desmond said. “It was great to be playing here on Senior Night and having good things happen for us.”

After two plays resulted in a loss of three yards, Heller found Mills in the end zone right in the center of the field 16 seconds before halftime, and Vinci’s conversion kick gave Ridley a 12-0 lead at the break.

“It was a corner concept,” the quarterback said. “I looked off the corner to my next progression, and (Mills) made a great play.”

Shaw saw that it would be a difficult reception to make, but he kept his concentration on the ball.

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Ridley’s Tahir Mills hauls in a pass over the shoulder in the second quarter to set up a Green Raiders field goal that

contributed to what would be a 34-0 win over Upper Darby.

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CONCORD — Friday evening, the Garnet Valley football players enjoyed a post-game fireworks display behind the stadium, after they triggered an explosive 68-6 victory against Conestoga.

“We had a great week of practice leading up to this game,” said Jaguars junior running back/defensive back Sean Gallagher, who scored in the first half on a 78-yard kickoff return and on a 51-yard screen pass. “Our scout team really did a great job all week of getting us prepared.”

“Our offensive line did an incredible job tonight,” Garnet Valley senior quarterback Kevin McGarrey said.

While Garnet Valley’s 68 points is not a school record — the Jaguars scored 76 against Harriton in 2011 — the hosts’ offense purred along so smoothly Friday that they did not have to punt until the fourth quarter.

The Jaguars led at halftime 48-6, and kept moving on the ground half despite many substitutions at half.

On Garnet Valley’s first offensive play from scrimmage, junior running back Shane Reynolds found a hole and broke free for a 60-yard touchdown run up the middle. Following a Conestoga, 3-and-out Garnet Valley ran four straight plays to the 4-yard line but lost a fumble.

Two plays later, Conestoga exploded for a quick score. Pioneer junior wide receiver Peter Detwiler got behind the secondary and quarterback Michael Costigan hit him in stride for a 98-yard touchdown, which cut the hosts’ lead to 7-6.

On the very next play, Gallagher returned the kickoff 78 yards for a TD.

Garnet Valley recovered a Conestoga fumble at the 33 and scored in three plays, Reynolds sweeping into the left side of the end zone from 15 yards out. Three minutes into the second quarter, Gallagher took a screen pass from McGarrey, and behind a wall of solid blocking, ran 51 yards to make it 33-6.

“It was a really good throw by Kevin – he and I have really been working on our timing on that play this week,” Gallagher said. “And I got a great block from Sam Morin.”

“Sean lined up in the perfect spot,” said McGarrey. “This was a play we had worked on all week – our scout team gave us a great look – and we got some great blocking tonight.”

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Garnet Valley’s Cullen Mink, left, scores his second touchdown of the night as the Jaguars

scored a 68-6 win over Conestoga Friday. PETE BANNAN / MEDIANEWS GROUP

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