By Brian Carroll, Havenfootball.net
After last weekend’s 50-6 shellacking of Kensington and two non-league victories to start the 2022 season, the Strath Haven Panthers have laid the groundwork for another exciting and successful season. The defense and special teams have been solid, and the offense continues to plow forward with a new mix of offensive linemen and talented, bruising runners. And with the Central League opener arriving this Friday, the previous sentence also applies to this week’s opponent, Conestoga.
The Conestoga Pioneers also roll into George L. King Field with some momentum, coming off a 2021 season that saw them win seven games and return to the District 1 6A playoffs for the first time in seven years. Head Coach Matt Diamond’s squad has carried that surge into 2022, with wins over Owen J. Roberts and Lower Merion the past two Fridays. A big story for the Pioneers has been their defense, allowing just 13 and 14 points, respectively, in their opening wins. Co-Captains #55 Jim Marturano and #7 Brody Eaton flank #50 Drew Mershel to anchor a formidable defensive line, with fellow seniors #2 Jake Allred and #1 Jon Quici active in the linebacker corps. All-league free safety #13 Bryce Beltrante stabilizes the secondary and is a dangerous kick returner, as well. Offensively, #9 QB Peter Costigan will call the signals, and has found #3 Jeremy Friend for touchdown passes in each of the first two games. Still, the key to the first two wins for the Pioneers was a bruising offensive line led by Marturano and junior OT’s Sean Mackey and Benner Miller paving the way for Quici and Allred on clock-chewing, long touchdown drives.
The same can be said for Strath Haven, of course, as the Panthers offensive line– #68 Carter Law, #67 Ryan Weinberg, #63 Jackson Geremia, #75 Will Leuthold, #77 Billy Brown, and #56 Cole Miller—helped the running game pile up 341 yards on the ground in the win over Kensington. #34 Anthony Crawford and #40 Bob Fooskas led the way with 136 and 97 yards, respectively, and combined for four touchdowns. Mix in a backbreaking 70-yard touchdown pass from first-time starting QB #6 Jake Kitchen to #5 RB Chase Nangle, and the Panthers kept the ball and the clock moving against a feisty Tiger defense. Speaking of defense, the Panthers’ front four of #35 Austin Conner, #73 Jason Williams, #68 Ben Farabaugh, and #64 Vince Hales wreaked havoc all night, totaling four sacks with Hales forcing two fumbles. #25 DB A.J. Glavacic and #32 LB Shane Green each had second half interceptions, and the Panthers defense essentially pitched a shutout with Kensington’s lone touchdown occurring on an offensive fumble.
On paper, the Pioneers and Panthers look to be an even matchup: Both teams arrive with unblemished records, both with strong running games, and both with a stingy defense that has yet to allow any of their opponents more than two touchdowns in a game. Expect a ball-control, slug-it-out-in-the-trenches type of battle, with the occasional attempt at a big play in the passing game. As is often the case, the turnover battle will loom large, so the Panthers will need to continue taking care of the football on offense and steal some opportunities to set up a short field on defense.
With summer vacations now in the rearview mirror, help build the home field advantage and cheer the Panthers in what should be a terrific football game, which includes another magnificent performance from the Strath Haven Marching Band. If you cannot attend in person, www.havenfootball.net will again be streaming the game (audio and video) beginning at 6:45pm. If you miss the game you catch the whole game on archive or just view all the video highlights on our weekly Play-of-the-Game feature.
Go Panthers!
