Ridley, Strath Haven earn top playoff seeds

Delaware County will be well-represented when the PIAA District 1 Class AAAA and Class AAA football playoffs begin this weekend. In fact, Delco will be so strongly represented that the district playoffs will be going through the top two seeds, respectively, in Class AAAA and Class AAA.

Ridley earned the top spot in the 16-team Class AAAA playoffs by going 10-0 this. The Green Raiders, the defending District 1 Class AAAA champions and district titlists in 2 of the last 3 years, will open the playoffs by hosting West Chester Henderson (7-3) on Friday at 7 p.m.

In Class AAA, Strath Haven, the Central League co-champions with Ridley, grabbed the No. 1 seed in the eight-team field by going 9-1 and will open against visiting No. 8 seed Upper Perkiomen (5-5), on Friday at 7:30 p.m.

Other Delco teams that qualified for the district playoffs include Penn Wood, the No. 14 seed in Class AAAA and Del-Val League champion, and in Class AAA, Springfield is the No. 5 seed, Academy Park comes in at No. 6 and Interboro took the No. 7 slot by beating Academy Park last Friday.

The district championship will be played on a neutral site. So Ridley, a state semifinalist last year bowing to eventual state champion LaSalle, 35-7, could host three district playoff games.

"I like where we are right now and the kids deserve this, they deserve to be the No. 1 seed for all the hard work and dedication they put into this year," Ridley coach Dennis Decker said. "As long as we keep on winning, we have the home field throughout district playoffs, up until the finals. The thing we're stressing with the kids is that they take it one game at a time. I know it's a cliché, but it's also the truth. We just have to keep winning."

Penn Wood continued its historic season by making the district playoffs for the first time in school history. The Patriots also captured their first Del-Val League since 1994, and will open with Southeastern area powerhouse North Penn, the No. 3 seed, Friday night at 7:30.

"My kids have a lot to be proud of this season, and I know we're starting tough, but if you plan on winning this, you're going to have to eventually go through North Penn or Ridley," said Penn Wood coach Sam Mormando, who turned a program around that was 1-11 in 2005 to 9-1 this season. "We've already been screwed over in the point standings, and they put us 15th, until that was corrected. We'll be ready."

Springfield is also making some history, appearing in the district playoffs for the first time since 1994, then as a Class AAAA team, when the Cougars' current head coach, Dan Ellis knocked them out when he was quarterbacking Downingtown.

"We didn't even mention the district playoffs before this week," said Ellis, whose team will open at Bishop Shanahan at 11 a.m. Saturday. "Our focus is now on the playoffs."

Interboro will open at Upper Moreland Friday night at 7 p.m., while Academy Park travels to defending Class AAA champion Pottsgrove Friday at 7.

E-mail Joseph Santoliquito at santolj@phillynews.com.

District Playoff seedings

Class AAAA

1. Ridley 10-0

2. Council Rock South 9-1

3. North Penn 9-1

4. Neshaminy 9-1

5. Abington 8-2

6. Downingtown West 8-2

7. Coatesville 8-2

8. West Chester Rustin 9-1

9. Boyertown 9-1

10. Central Bucks West 8-2

11. Owen J. Roberts 8-2

12. Cheltenham 9-1

13. Upper Dublin 7-2

14. Penn Wood 9-1

15. Souderton 7-3

16. Henderson 7-3

Class AAA

1. Strath Haven 9-1

2. Upper Moreland 8-2

3. Pottsgrove 8-2

4. Bishop Shanahan 7-3

5. Springfield 7-3

6. Academy Park 6-4

7. Interboro 5-5

8. Upper Perkiomen 5-5

Class AA

1. West Catholic 8-2

2. Bok Tech 7-2

3. Comm Tech 6-3

4. Del-Val Charter 6-3

Class A

1. Morrisvile 7-3

2. Calvary Christian 7-3