Drexel Hill wins first Bert Bell football playoff title
The Drexel Hill Raiders sophomore varsity team recently became the organization’s first Bert Bell Football Conference playoff champion by earning a 7-0 decision over the Downingtown Young Whippets.
The Raiders had two touchdowns called back by penalties in the first half before Raheem Robinson scored the only TD of the contest.
Throughout the playoffs, Robinson, Nick Link, Akeem Whipple, Christian Shaw, and quarterbacks Andrew Ross and Amari Heslop were the team’s offensive standouts. Kamal Brown, Stelios Zacharatos and Ryan Ripley Jr., who returned an interception for a touchdown in the semifinal win over Springfield and added another pick in the title game, were the defensive leaders.
The players wore special patches on their uniforms in memory of assistant coach Stew Crawford, who died Aug. 8.
“We had talked about cancelling practice when all that happened,” Raiders head coach Ryan Ripley said. “His son, Matthew Crawford, said we should go on with practice because that would have been what Coach Stew wanted.
“We dedicated the championship game to him. He is missed and always will be in the hearts of the Raiders families.”
The Raiders compiled an 11-0 record, averaging 26 points per game. During the regular season, the defense allowed just 4.0 points per game and didn’t give up a point in the playoffs.
One of Drexel Hill’s coaches, Jason Nicholas, played for a Raiders team that won a championship when the organization was a member of the Delco Boys Football League. His son, Jared Nicholas, is on the 2019 team.
Among the other members of the championship team were Jacob Johnson, Christian Shaw, Xavior Carroll, Austin Tarella, Trevon Veney, Sean Williams, Nakai Benjamin, Jacob Green, Elan King, Jermiah Sarjoo, Robert Bower, Michael McCullough Jr., Matthew Corrado, Tristan Horner, Joshua Olashore, Ryan Turner and Terrence Crabbe.
In addition to Ripley and Nicholas, Lance Shaw, Mike Veney, Akeem Whipple, Andrew Ross, Donald Heslop, Earl Johnson, Michael
McCullough and Darnell Carroll comprised the coaching staff.
“This season and championship game were special since the kids have been playing together for three or four years,” Coach Ripley said. “They were excited and ready for the chance to finally have the opportunity to go all the way. We also would like to recognize all the other Raiders teams and express our gratitude to everyone who supported them.”
Jake Maiale, a 6-foot, 215-pound sophomore, was a starting offensive tackle and linebacker for Chichester in the Eagles’ 20-0 Thanksgiving Day football victory at Sun Valley.
Maiale’s father, Steve, was an athlete at Nether Providence High. His grandfather, Jim Maiale, spent time as head football coach at Marple Newtown. Jim Maiale’s wife is the former Peg Marion, whose late father — Jake’s great grandfather — was Phil Marion, head football coach at Ridley Township/Ridley High for three decades.
The University of North Carolina defeated Princeton, 6-1, on Nov. 24 to earn its eighth NCAA Division I field hockey championship and complete its second consecutive 23-0 season.
Karen Shelton, the Marple Newtown and West Chester University graduate who in 1999 was named Daily Times Field Hockey Player of the Millennium, is the Tar Heels head coach.
Among the members of the 2019 UNC team are a pair of players who earned All-Delco honors while at
Episcopal Academy, senior Ali Rushton and junior Courtnie Williamson.
Former Haverford High field hockey player Melissa McCarthy has been named head hockey coach at Widener University.
She played collegiately at Millersville and Hofstra, earning National Field Hockey Coaches Association (NFHCA) Scholar-Athlete Honors. She spent time as an assistant coach at Marple Newtown and Merion Mercy Academy before joining the Widener coaching staff five years ago.
McCarthy, a Level 2 Accredited USA Field Hockey coach, has helped the W.C. Eagles club program’s U16 and U19 teams win national indoor championships.
Villanova University senior Lydia Sydnor has been named to the Mid-Atlantic second team in the 2019 Longstreth/National Field Hockey Coaches Association (NFHCA) Division I All-Region teams.
Sydnor, who played at Radnor and transferred to Villanova after beginning her college career at the University of Michigan,
had a team-leading 15 goals as well as six assists and a pair of defensive saves for the Wildcats (7-10).
The daughter of former Villanova and Pittsburgh Steelers football player Willie Sydnor, she also was selected as a member of the All-Big East first team.
Declan McDonnell, a junior at Tatnall School in Greenville, Delaware, recently won the Delaware Division II cross country individual championship and helped the Hornets to a runner-up finish in the team standings. His winning time on the Killens Pond course in Felton was
16 minutes, 3.9 seconds. McDonnell, a Rosemont resident, has a 75mile round-trip commute to school each day. Before enrolling at Tatnall, he attended St. Aloysius Academy in Bryn Mawr.
The Sports Legends of Delaware County Museum is hosting the grand opening of its Delco High School Football exhibit and holiday book sale from 11 a.m. until 1 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 14.
The museum is located at 301 Iven Avenue in Wayne.
The exhibit will feature individual game-worn jerseys representing many of the Delaware County high school football programs.
“Tales from the Museum, A Collaborative Anthology,” a 250-page book featuring behind-the-scenes stories and photos that showcase the museum, will be available to the public for the first time at the exhibit. Cost is $35.
For additional information, contact Jim Vankoski at 610-909-4919 or vankoski21@comcast.net.