It's Radnor-LM Week

The reports:

Radnor High School will commemorate one of the oldest, continuous public-school rivalries in the country during Lower Merion (LM) Week, a celebration featuring a range of activities from Monday, Nov. 7 to Friday, Nov. 11. The schools’ football teams will then meet for the 113th time on Saturday, Nov. 12 at 1 p.m. at Radnor’s Prevost Field. The match-up also marks Radnor’s annual Homecoming Game and will be followed by the first-ever Radnor High School All-Class Reunion.

This year’s LM Week schedule is:

• Monday, Nov. 7: Pajama Day
• Tuesday, Nov. 8: School closed for Teacher In-Service Day
  • 5:30 p.m.: Powder Puff Football Game, Prevost Field
  • 6:30 p.m. Faculty Football Game, Prevost Field
• Wednesday, Nov. 9: Character Day
• Thursday, Nov. 10: 1980s Day
  • 1 p.m. Has-Beens luncheon (Football players who graduated 5 or more years ago)
• Friday, Nov. 11: Spirit Day
  • 1 p.m.: Pep Rally
  • 6 p.m.: Team Pasta Party
  • 6:50 p.m.: Fire Truck Parade and Bonfire
• Saturday, Nov. 12: Homecoming Game
  • 10 a.m.: Annual SADD (Students Against Destructive Decisions) Walk
  • 1 p.m.: Radnor-Lower Merion football game
  • Halftime: Homecoming festivities
  • 4-7 p.m.: First-ever Radnor High School All-Class reunion, Radnor Financial Center

Hallways have been decorated to match the theme of this year’s celebration, “iPod Shuffle.” Each grade level was inspired by a musical genre. Ninth-grade is country-themed; tenth-grade is pop-themed; eleventh-grade is classic rock-themed; and twelfth-grade is disco-themed.

Radnor-Lower Merion Factoids

• The rivalry began in 1897. Only two years were missed: 1901 and 1905.
• The 1943 Radnor High School team appeared in “Life” magazine. Both the Radnor and Lower Merion teams appeared on Good Morning, America in 1996 for the game’s 100th anniversary.
• The Radnor High School Classes of 2008 and 2009 enjoyed a four-year sweep.
• The total rivalry record: Lower Merion 55, Radnor 48, with 11 ties.
• Lower Merion won the first meeting 10-4 in “a field just north of the railroad tracks on North Wayne Avenue,” according to the Suburban on Oct. 26, 1897.
• Radnor’s roster over the years has included Emlen Tunnell (NFL hall of famer); Ted Dean (Philadelphia Eagles 1960 NFL championship team); the three Sydnor brothers, Willie (Pittsburgh Steelers), Chris (Oakland Raiders and a current RHS coach), Chad (Chicago Bears); Joe Iacone (Philadelphia Eagles); and Brian Henesey (Arizona Cardinals).
• Radnor gets a half-day off after every victory, a bonus not practiced in LM.
• The 1919 Radnorite reported that Mr. John Dotterer gave a star pin to all team members who had beaten LM. Each point on the star had an initial: T, D, B, L and M (Teamwork, Duty, Brilliance, Loyalty and Merit). The team had its own interpretation: “These Devils Beat Lower Merion.”
• The Radnor Has-Beens, an organized group of football alum, was instituted in 1945. At the first banquet – held in the Radnor High School gym – the 1915 team was honored.
• “The” bell, around since at least 1957, is rung Monday if RHS wins.