Ridley football is steeped in tradition. Black-and-white photos still adorn areas of the school of previous coaches who were there 30, 40, 50 years ago. It’s tradition and a feeder system that indoctrinates future Green Raiders on the program’s system and the Ridley way that’s kept it successful all these years.
It’s why Ridley is the winningest high school football program in Pennsylvania.
Dennis Decker is looking to keep that tradition going. He should be familiar with it, because he played a big part in it, leading the Green Raiders to their only PIAA state championship appearance in 1990.
The former Ridley star quarterback, now a playfully paunchy 35 and father of three, will add a new chapter in Ridley’s history as the Green Raiders’ new head coach. Decker takes over for John Waller, who retired after eight seasons and guided the Green Raiders to a 79-21 record, winning two Central League titles and making history in securing Ridley’s only PIAA District 1 Class AAAA title.
“This is really a thrill,” said Decker, who was selected Pennsylvania’s Player of the Year in 1990 and succeeds a line of outstanding coaches that goes back to Phil Marion, Joe McNicholas, Ralph Batty and Waller. “I know what’s coming, after playing here. There’s going to be a lot of pressure to win, and win immediately. It’s something any head coach anywhere faces, but it could be a little more at Ridley, with the winning and tradition.
“You see all of those old guys in the stands, they’ve been following Ridley football like you see some people follow college or pro teams. These guys go back 40 years watching Ridley football.”
The presumed thought among Philadelphia-area high school football people was that Bruce Udovich, a 1968 Ridley graduate and previous head coach at Conestoga, would take over the program for four or five years and have Decker as the offensive coordinator, getting groomed and waiting in the wings for a smooth transition after Udovich retired.
“That was the thinking, but when I talked to the Ridley School Board and when I applied for the job, I wouldn’t have went through this whole process if I didn’t think I was ready,” Decker said. “I know I’m ready. I thought I had a real good chance of being the guy. Playing here prepared me to be ready.”
It just took the Ridley School Board three months to come to that conclusion.
“I’d get asked everywhere I went where things were in the process,” Decker said. “I am happy it’s over, and I can’t be more thrilled with this.”
Decker said he’d like the entire staff to return next season, including Batty, the team’s defensive coordinator.
“Coach Batty is one of the first people I will talk to about coming back,” Decker said. “They had a great staff last year. If any of the guys from last year want to come back, they’re welcome, that door will left open for them.”
Ridley has a strong tradition of throwing the ball (Decker threw for 2,750 yards his senior year), but the Green Raiders return two talented sophomore tailbacks in Sam Dixon-Dougan and Shahaid Smith.
“I’d love to throw the ball every down,” said Decker, who previous coaching experience was as the offensive coordinator at Glen Mills Schools for five years. “But we have a lot of talent coming back at running back, so we’ll see where things are. I’ll meet with the team this week, introduce myself and tell the kids what some of my goals are. Then we’ll go from there.”
Beginning a new tradition of Ridley football.
Joseph Santoliquito covers high schools for the Philadelphia Daily News and is a frequent contributor to MaxPreps.com. He can be contacted at JSantoliquito@yahoo.com.
