Long-awaited Hannum hitch a winner for Radnor

RIDLEY TWP. — Thomas Hannum and Mark McKeon practiced the exact play every day at practice since they were freshmen.

McKeon runs a hitch route about 10 yards deep and Hannum hits him in stride. It’s their play.

In Hannum’s first varsity start at quarterback Friday, he connected with his buddy McKeon for a touchdown. And it was a pass-and-catch the seniors won’t soon forget, the one that got their team on the scoreboard and on the way to an emotional 12-7 victory at Ridley’s Phil Marion Field to close the 2020 season.

“What a lot of people don’t know is we’ve been doing this for four years,” McKeon said. “Me and Tom, after every practice, we would throw extra reps and out-and-up was our play. Every day we put in extra reps and it paid off in the biggest moment of our high school careers.”

Radnor coach Tom Ryan informed Hannum he was starting at quarterback for the first time after J.P. Moreland, who is the team’s No. 1, was hobbled by an injury throughout the week. Moreland was ranked as the second-leading passer in Delco entering the week.

The call to Hannum paid dividends for the Raiders. Hannum played with confidence and smarts. He showed tremendous athleticism running the ball (79 yards on 12 carries). and completed 7 of 17 passing attempts for 100 yards. The most memorable pass, of course, was the touchdown to McKeon to put the Raiders ahead 6-0 in the third quarter.

“I was nervous before, but this was the best way to play my last game,” Hannum said. “It was the best way it could have turned out.”

Radnor effectively the iced the win — its second against Ridley in three seasons — when senior running back Scott Belveal broke off an 80-yard scoring run with 4:32 to go. Belveal was a bulldog for the Raiders all year and carried the offense once again Friday night. He gashed the Ridley defense for 223 yards on 30 carries.

Click HERE to read the full article.