Ridley football closer than in previous years

Joey Harmon

The Ridley Raiders are making a name for themselves inside and outside of the central league with wins over Malvern Prep., Haverford, Marple Newton, Radnor, and Strathhaven.

Photo by Ryan Doyle

The Raiders beat Malvern Prep. 21-20 in a game that never had a clear winner. Key plays made by Mike Crowley, Mike Smoluk, Jalen Randolph, Shane Dougherty, and Quarterback Matt Davis helped the Raiders succeed in winning the first game of their regular season. Guard Frank Cullen said "We were the underdogs, and we came out victorious to shock the High School Football community."

"It really came down to the last minute," said middle linebacker Dennis Bryson after looking back on the game.

When each interviewed player was asked what the highlight of their season was, they all responded by saying it was their win over Malvern Prep; A big win for Coach Decker's Ridley Raiders.
Jalen Randolph, running back and outside linebacker for the team, has had an exceptional season, scoring touchdowns, making tackles, and even breaking his own father's rushing record.

“It felt great to break my Dad's record,” says Randolph, “I just wanted to make him proud and to know how much I look up to him so it was a great accomplishment for me.”

When asked if he knew that he broke the record during the game, Randolph stated that he did not know it until “the reporter told me after the game.”

Another great accomplishment for Randolph was the win against Malvern. One of the reasons it was such a big deal was because of the way it affected the team.

Randolph said “The win against Malvern was great for our team because it showed how determined our team was and that nobody on the team gives up on each other.”

When players were asked how they felt about the team in comparison to the previous year, they all agreed that they had to put in a lot of hard work and effort so that the team can be as successful as years past.

"We might not have as good of record as last year but we lost two close games that we could have won. Those two games are the only thing that separates our season last year from this years season," states Wide Receiver Chad Davis.

Photo by Ryan Doyle

Bryson thinks that this year's team is a much closer group.

The bond that these players share is a very tight one. Guard Frank Cullen states, "If you give us their name we will know their number. Almost everyone has a football nickname, and when it comes down to it, we always have each others backs."

The team works together in order to succeed throughout the season. "Everyone respects the person next to them on the field," says Bryson.

Players are confident in their team when the subject of the postseason comes up, Cullen said, "I expect that we could go as far as previous (Ridley) teams have gone, like the semi-finals, as long as we know our assignments and execute correctly, the coaches will do the rest. Although I wouldn't be mad at a Thanksgiving game either."

Bryson knows that if they make playoffs, they will play a high seeded team, but he thinks that if they win the first game, "I expect to go pretty far and end up with a good playoff run."

The players all work together in order to reach this goal. "Our post season successes all depend on us. If we play as a team and work hard at practice we have potential to be a good football team," explains Davis.