By Greg Pecko, Tigers Radio Network
Marple Newtown (2-1, 2-0) will travel to Ridley High School on Friday, September 19th, 2014 to play the Green Raiders (1-2, 0-2). This game, played at Phil Marion Field, will start at 7 PM and will not be broadcasted on the Tigers Radio Network. However, you can follow all of the action from Morton, PA via the team’s Twitter account, @MNTigers.
Week 4: Ridley vs. Marple Newtown Matchup History
Series Record: Marple Newtown is 6 – 42 versus Ridley
League Championships
Ridley: 29 Total; 7 Suburban League (Left in 1965); 22 Central League (Last 2012)
Marple Newtown: 4 Total; 2 Suburban League (Left in 1966); 2 Central League (Last 1977)
First Played
1959 – Ridley Township High School 26, Marple Newtown 6
(Ridley merged with Eddystone High School and Ridley Park High School after the 1965 season to become Ridley Senior High School)
Series Notes:
Marple Newtown has beaten Ridley in every decade except for the 1990s. Marple Newtown’s best decade against the Green Raiders was in the 1970s. During the 70s, the Tigers defeated Ridley three times, twice on their way to Central League Titles in 1971 and 1977. The last time that Marple Newtown defeated the Green Raiders at Phil Marion Field was 1977. The final score was 14-6. The 1970s was a strong decade for both the Green Raiders and the Tigers as the two teams combined for six league titles in that decade with the Green Raiders winning four and the Tigers winning two.
Last win in series:
Marple Newtown: 2005 (Home) 1977 (Away)
2005 Recap:
The Tiger’s last defeated the Green Raiders in 2005 by a score of 7-6. The Tigers took the lead early in the fourth quarter on an 11-play 64-yard drive that was capped off 1-yard Matt Moccia touchdown run. The game ended when the Tiger’s TJ Pretti intercepted a last second pass by the Green Raider’s quarterback, Al Humes, deep inside Tiger’s territory at the 8-yard line.
Ridley: 2011 (Home) 2013 (Away)
2013 Recap:
A back-and-forth game saw the Green Raiders defeat the Tigers 28-21 on a late Ridley score. With the score tied at 21 and just over 3:30 left in the game, a long punt return setup a 3 play, 29 yard scoring drive as Ridley running back Malcolm Strand-Young scored on an 11-yard run. The game was all Ridley after the Tigers fumbled inside the Green Raider’s 20 in the final 30 seconds of the game.
Notes for Week 4:
Marple Newtown: The Tiger’s come into this week’s game with a 2-1 record. The last time they started a season at 2-1 or better was in 2011 when they were 3-0 and made the playoffs that year. In another interesting twist heading into this week’s game, the Tigers faced Ridley in their 4th game that year and lost 27-7 at home.
Ridley: The Green Raiders are entering week 4 this year at 1-2 having beating Glen Mills. The Green Raiders two losses this year are against two traditional Central League Powers in Conestoga and Garnet Valley. The Green Raiders this week will be looking to avoid a program worst start of 1-3, as they have never started worse than 2-2 in the first 4 weeks of the season in their history.
Coaching matchup:
Marple Newtown Head Coach Chris Gicking and Ridley Head Coach Dennis Decker are no strangers to one another as the two faced-off the last five years when Gicking was the offensive coordinator at Conestoga. In the five times they faced each other the series is a close one at 3-2 in favor of Decker. The two also have very common playing careers as both played quarterback and were prolific passers for the programs they now run. Decker was the starting signal caller for two years at Ridley in the 1989 and 1990 seasons and led the Green Raiders to a State Runner-Up finish. Coach Gicking was a three-year starter at Marple Newtown from 1993-1995 and holds the Delaware County Record for Career Passing yards at 5,897; Decker is ninth on that list with 4,124 yards.