Blundin the latest in a long line of Ridley QBs

SEAN BLUNDIN used to stir a lot of curiosity off the field. Wherever he went, the questions followed. Was he Matt Blundin's son? Was he Matt Blundin's nephew?

He's actually a cousin of Matt's, one of Ridley's all-time great quarterbacks who played in the mid-1980s and went on to play at the University of Virginia and then for the Kansas City Chiefs.

As he got older, Sean thought he was over the "name" thing.

Apparently, he wasn't.

So he found himself this season looking for his own niche. But that doesn't come without a dose of curiosity when you happen to be the quarterback of Ridley and your last name is Blundin.

The 6-1, 170-pound senior has continued to do what his cousin did when he wore green-and-white, and that's win. Under Sean, the Green Raiders are 7-0 overall, lead the Central League at 6-0, and are considered by some news outlets to be the best Class AAAA team in Pennsylvania. Sean's handled the this season's high expectations with aplomb. It's something that comes with being a Blundin.

"I think every Ridley team comes with high hopes and some pressure," said Sean, whose father Brian is the younger brother of Brent Blundin, Matt's father. "You can say it comes with the territory. I knew all the weapons this team had coming back and what everyone was expecting us to do. My main goal was to be a leader, support everyone, and step up."

Part of that meant speaking up. Blundin admits he's not the most vocal.

"I don't have the biggest mouth," he said. "It is something I had to adjust to, but it helped having a relationship with so many guys on the team."

Since Sean was a first-year senior starter, Ridley coach Dennis Decker wanted to make sure he eased him into the role of on-field leader. The Green Raiders' staff simplified things, and have gradually added on as the season has progressed.

"I think Sean has handled the pressure well," Decker said. "With any first-year quarterback, you're going to be a little nervous. That was Sean, until he took a few hits and made a few throws to get into the game. My biggest priority was not to let Sean's life be too difficult. We had a lot of leaders coming back from last year's team, but you can't be a quarterback without being a leader. He's gradually filled that role. He's getting comfortable. We're placing him in a position to make plays and he's done a nice job."

Sean is looking to get one up on his cousin Matt, who lives in Virginia: a state championship. Since the PIAA didn't have state football playoffs when Matt played, those Ridley teams of the '80s were denied going against the best in the state.

"I know my cousin Matt would love it if we won a state title," Sean said. "If you play for Ridley, it's like it becomes part of you. You can say Ridley is in the Blundin blood."

AIR STRAIN

Springfield has been on an offensive tear the last 3 weeks. The Cougars have scored 41, 56 and 54 points. Springfield is in a position to make the PIAA District 1 playoffs for the first time since 1994, when, ironically, Springfield head coach Dan Ellis was at Downingtown and guided the Whippets to a playoff victory over the Cougars.

Ellis felt some changes needed to be made after the Cougars were shut out by Ridley, 32-0, on Sept. 24. The Green Raiders stacked the box with nine players, preventing Springfield's dangerous Matt Craig from going off.

"We just couldn't rely on Matt, and Matt alone, that meant putting the ball up," Ellis said. "I love throwing the ball. I was determined not to do that this year, because we have Matt. We had to make teams play us honestly, instead of just loading up on the line."

Ellis made the switch from senior Dontae Allen to junior Ryan Strain at quarterback. Allen is now a jack-of-all-trades, playing various roles on offense. Though Craig's carries are down, his yards-per-carry have gone up, as have his touchdowns. Craig scored 10 TDs in the last three games, with significantly less carries.

"We've gone from throwing maybe 10, 11 times a game to putting it up 18 to 25 times a game," Ellis said. "Believe me, I've kicked myself over not making this move sooner. I have no problem saying it was just me being stupid. We're a much more dynamic team offensively. Ryan has really been on fire. He's played very well. We're a much different team than we were a month ago."

Over the last three games, Strain's completed 32 of 39 passes for 561 yards, averaging 187 yards passing a game, with five TDs.

PLAYOFF PICTURE

The District 1 playoff picture is starting to shape up. Defending Class AAAA champion Ridley currently holds the No. 2 spot behind undefeated Council Rock South, while 5-2 Garnet Valley sits at No. 13. The district takes the top 16 teams based on point averages in Class AAAA. After 7 weeks, Upper Darby sits 18th, averaging 78.6, and right behind is Penn Wood, which has never played in the district football playoffs, with a 77.1 average.

In Class AAA, Strath Haven (120) is second and Academy Park (105.7) is third, with Springfield (87.1) fifth. The district takes the top eight teams in Class AAA. Interboro (47.1) sits at 10 and Radnor (45.7) at 11.

DELCO 7

The top seven Delaware County football teams playing in the Delco leagues:

1. Ridley (Record: 7-0. Weeks rated: 7. Last week: 1.)

2. Strath Haven (Record: 6-1. Weeks rated: 5. Last week: 2.)

3. Penn Wood (Record: 6-1. Weeks rated: 7. Last week: 3.)

4. Upper Darby (Record: 5-2. Weeks rated: 3. Last week: 4.)

5. Springfield (Record: 5-2. Weeks rated: 6. Last week: 7.)

6. Academy Park (Record: 6-1. Weeks rated: 4. Last week: 6.)

7. Garnet Valley (Record: 5-2. Weeks rated: 6. Last week: 5.)