The Radnor football squad clashed with the limping Pioneers of Conestoga on Friday, October 14th, and move to a 3-5 record and 2-4 in the Central League. The Raiders gained their second win in the past three games, and capped it off with their second shutout of the season. They now move on to 2-4 in the Central League and will clash with the Strath Haven Panthers, who only stand one spot above the Raiders at 3-4 in the conference.
The atmosphere was tense at first, but the excitement exploded when the 25 yard completion began the night on the Conestoga field. The Raiders gained yards in quick succession through their running and passing plays, and completed and converted their first and only touchdown of the night in the first quarter. The second quarter saw the same kind of offensive effort, but led to only a field goal rather than touchdown, putting the Raiders up 10-0 going into halftime. Both the converted point and field goal were kicked in by Radnors quarterback, Patrick McDermott.
The second half saw a stalwart defenses by both teams, and not a single point was scored for the rest of the game. Conestoga’s one hope to make a revival in the game was a touchdown called off by the referees in the third quarter, and from then on it the spirit was crushed and Radnor walked it home.
The return of McDermott has ignited a fire within the Radnor Football Team. Starting the season 1-4 without him, Radnor has closed 2 of its last 3 games, losing a nailbiter in between to Upper Darby 7-10. They’ve taken care of business against the Harriton Rams and Conestoga Pioneers, but these victories are to be expected against the lower tier of Central League football. Radnor will take a step up the ladder against Strath Haven this Friday, October 21st, and a victory against the Panthers will surely be a good step in the right direction of legitimizing Radnor as a competitor in the central league this season, and will certainly possible after it’s been seen what this team can do when revitalized.