Central League Picture Clears the Race is for Second Place
By Joe Stokes
The fifth week of the 2005 Delaware County High School football season provided crystal clarity, Conestoga will win it’s second straight league Championship.
The Conestoga Pioneer’s rated 5th in (Delaware County Sports.Com) top twenty faced 11th ranked Ridley at the new and improved Teamer Field in Berwyn.
The first half featured a defensive struggle with neither offense able get in gear. However the defining moment of the game did take place on the last play of that half. The Ridley Green Raiders offense had worked its way to the Conestoga 16 yard line. With time running out a field goal attempt was in order. The kick attempt failed as Ridley kicker Ekrem Uysaler slipped on the approach sending the ball into the arms of Pioneer defenseman. The live ball came to rest on the 14 yard line only to be scooped up by Mark Herzlich who rambled 86 yards for the only touchdown of the half and sending the home crowd into a frenzy as time ran out.
The teams traded second half touchdowns with Ridley fighting back to match Conestoga touchdown for touchdown. The 21-14 final reflects the hard fought nature of the contest with Ridley winning the statistical match out gaining the Pioneer’s in total offense 239 to 174 and first downs 11 to 8 but it is the final score that all will remember and Conestoga now can look forward to its second straight Central League crown and a AAAA District One playoff slot.
The sixth ranked Strath Haven Panthers kept pace with 17th ranked Upper Darby in the race for second place in the Central League. The Haverford Fords had opened the season with three straight league victories and this game had added importance. The Fords struck first with an 80 yard drive culminating in a 14 yard TD pass from Matt Rementer to Matt Cahill accounting for an early 6-0 lead. The Panthers rose to the challenge and scored 35 unanswered points with Jared Bradley pounding out 89 yards on the ground and three touchdowns to slam the door shut on any Haverford hopes for an upset.
The 17th ranked Upper Darby Royals roared back from last week’s heartbreaker at Conestoga with a 48-7 pounding of Lower Merion. Once again Simoni Marco Lawrence led the way with 205 rushing yards and 4 touchdowns to keep up hopes for a second place finish and a shot at a playoff birth. The upcoming showdowns with Ridley and Strath Haven will determine the Royal’s fate.
The fourth ranked Cardinal O’Hara Lions had an easy night with a 40-0 romp over North Catholic. A late season match with top ranked St. Joseph’s Prep will say it all for this talented group of Lions.
The sixth week of the season may allow for a nice mid season breather for some of the top rated teams. Fear of those crazy upsets should keep Upper Darby focused as they entertain Springfield (Delco) and Strath Haven awake for a contest at home against Marple Newtown. Conestoga should not let down against Lower Merion while Ridley needs to rebound over a hard working group of Radnor Red Raiders.