By Brian Carroll – Havenfootball.net
If it seems like this article was written already in 2023, well… About a year ago, the Strath Haven and Garnet Valley football programs met in Week 7, both undefeated in the Central League at the time. Garnet Valley was in the midst of a 46-game winning streak in the league dating back to 2017, and Strath Haven was coming off an undefeated 2022 Central League run, as well. In a back-and-forth tilt, the Panthers outlasted Garnet Valley for their first-ever win in Glen Mills, and ended up securing a share of the 2023 league crown with Springfield and Garnet Valley. This year, both teams (along with Springfield) once again sit atop the Central at 4-0, and are ready for the rematch this Friday night in Wallingford.
Garnet Valley, fresh off a convincing 49-28 victory over Lower Merion in which they led 35-7 late in the third quarter, again brings a high-powered, triple-option offense that has been balanced well this season by an effective passing attack. Behind good protection from center #62 Joe Anzelone, #71 Aiden Misiewicz, and #77 Brayden Green, QB #1 Luke O’Donoghue leads the team in rushing yards, and has thrown for 774 yards and 10 touchdowns already through four games. Favorite receiving targets include split end #4 Caeden Koehler (16 catches/435 yards/5 TDs), slotback #20 Nolan Carroll (3 receiving touchdowns), and tight end #44 Paxton Hunt (averaging 31 yards per catch). #3 Gavin Rosello has stepped up nicely at running back, contributing 106 yards and a touchdown last week, as the Jaguars have dealt with injuries to senior runners #8 Dean Koehler and #21 Luke Vaughn. Defensively, seniors #66 Aiden Bendo, #68 Reis Meiser, and #61 Massimo Lavarone present a formidable front, while #42 Caeden Olinger, #7 Chase Britton and Hunt have been busy at linebacker. Carroll and #9 Brendan McDermott have combined for 5 interceptions as safeties, while Caeden Koehler, #5 Drew Donaghy, and #13 Ryan Douglas have been solid tacklers and defenders on the corners.
Strath Haven’s 35-0 blanking of Radnor last week was a dominant performance from a defensive unit that has allowed just 5.7 points per game thus far. The Panthers secondary of #22 Grayson LaFrance, #42 Van Willner, #17 Quinn Kell, and #8 Ben Milligan helped hold the Raptors to under 7 yards per completion, while #81 Jahi Curtis, #15 Luke Mulhern, and #89 Alexei Gustafson squashed the Radnor run game that ended with negative yardage on the evening. And while the defense was excellent, the offense also ironed out some wrinkles in the passing game, as #3 Caden Shuster completed all three of his passes. Two of those connections landed with #5 James Fisher for touchdowns (41, 25), and Fisher finished the evening with 164 all-purpose yards. #32 Shane Green added 98 yards and two more touchdowns on the ground, as the Panthers ensured this year’s meeting with Garnet Valley would once again have significant implications for the Central League title.
Both Garnet Valley Head Coach Erik Van Wyk and Strath Haven’s Kevin Clancy will be preaching that ball security will be paramount to winning this week, as both teams had costly turnovers in last year’s battle. Look for a patient, ball-control attack from the Panthers and Jaguars, as defensive coaches from both sides will be trying to contain offenses that both average over 30 points per game. And if the turnover battle remains even, this is a contest that could very well come down to who has the ball last.
George L. King Field will be jumping on Friday evening, so arrive early to enjoy the bands, cheerleaders, and all the fun with two of Delaware County’s premier football programs of the last four decades. If you cannot attend in person, the game will be streamed beginning at 6:45pm exclusively on www.havenfootball.net. Go Panthers!
