The Radnor Raptors kick off the 2026 varsity football season with a 10 a.m. home game Saturday, Aug. 22, against Owen J. Roberts High School, according to the Radnor athletics schedule.
It's a tall order for the opener. Owen J. Roberts, a Class 6A program out of Pottstown, went 8-4 last season under head coach Rich Kolka and reached the District 1 playoffs. The Wildcats return two Division I commits in senior Matt Gregory (WR/DB, 6-1, 195, UCLA) and senior Mekhi Graham (RB/DB, 5-11, 205, Maryland), according to PA Football News.
Radnor, a Central League Class 5A squad, finished 2-9 in 2025 and lost key contributors Mikey Enright, Luke Reilly, Ryder Freeman and Jake McDonald to graduation. Head coach Drew Devitt will lean on a senior-heavy receiving corps: Miles Davis (5-11, 170), Hendrick Bleyen (6-4, 190), Ryan Chess (6-0, 175) and tight end Aidan Swindells (6-3), per PA Football News' Radnor preview.
The game is the first major varsity competition of the school year under new athletic director Matthew Wicks, who arrived from Pasco County, Florida, this spring after overseeing athletics for 15 high schools and 19 middle schools. Wicks described his philosophy in a June 4 profile in the Radnorite: "High school sports are about developing people. Because not everybody goes on to play in college, but if our sports are competitive enough, then sometimes our kids have opportunities to move on to the next level if they want to."
That competitive test arrives early. The class-size gap between the two programs means Radnor's roster is smaller by PIAA classification, and Owen J. Roberts lost starting quarterback Chris Flynn but returns enough talent to remain dangerous.
Also this week
Radnor's boys and girls JV golf teams tee off Wednesday, Aug. 19, at 3 p.m. at Green Valley Country Club in Lafayette Hill in a match hosted by Harriton High School. The William Flynn-designed course plays par 71 from the white tees.
