Radnor Falls to Marple Newtown

Friday night at Harry R. Harvey Field, Marple Newtown got touchdowns from four different players and kept explosive Radnor halfback Tajee Bryant in check to claim the 27-13 win.

1

2

3

4

Final

Marple Newtown

7

7

13

0

27

Radnor

7

0

0

6

13

IN SHORT

A night after the Flyers allowed nine goals in a home loss, another local and team that wears orange and black had a better go of things.

Despite falling behind 7-0 after Radnor fullback TJ Hines finished a lengthy drive by plowing in from short yardage, Marple Newtown got touchdowns from Jamie Ridinger, Joey Pham, Cimarrow Moat, and Nick Ciarrocchi to cruise to the 27-13 win.

The shorthanded Raiders—one assistant coach admitted they dressed only 31 players for the contest—played the Tigers to a tie for the first 20 minutes of Friday's action, but gave up a 29-yard touchdown strike from Ridinger to Pham in the waning minutes of the second half and seemed to lose their footing from that point on.

In the first drive after the break, Moat scored, untouched, from 55-yards out to advance the Marple lead to 21-7 then, after the game entered a brief holding pattern, the Tigers struck again: this time in the form of a 51-yard touchdown pass from Ridinger to Ciarrocchi.

Ridinger completed two passes on the evening. Both went for touchdowns.

Radnor, after the series of gut punches they took in the second and third quarters, composed themselves and made a late run. Quarterback Mike Koerick found Tim Wilson in the back of the endzone for a 22-yard score two cut the deficit to 27-13—both kickers missed PATs—but on the subsequent drive, Koernick went for the endzone again, but instead found Ciarrocchi, who hung on for the interception and, for all intents and purposes, the win.

RAIDER OF THE GAME

Tajee Bryant—The elusive halfback didn't get in the endzone for the Raiders, but he made more people miss than Roy Halladay.

"He's going to be playing on Saturdays somewhere next year," said his coach, alluding to a likely college career.

OTHER KEY PERFORMANCES

Mike Koernick—Though the senior struggled for much of the game agaisnt the Tigers powerful front and quick defensive backfield, he stayed strong in the pocket and nearly led a last ditch comeback, throwing a 22-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter and just missing on another.

Tim Wilson—The senior wideout beat the Tiger defense to the back of the endzone, posted up, and caught a 22-yard floater to give the Raiders a touchdown and, for a moment, hope in the fourth.

COACH'S TAKE

"That's a very good, very well-coached football team."—Raiders head coach Tom Ryan, giving warranted praise to his opponent.

THEY SAID IT

"Our numbers are down, but our kids are players."—Ryan, on his teams lack of bodies, but abundance of heart

UP NEXT—On November 4, the Raiders host Penncrest at 7 p.m.