By Brian Carroll, Broadcaster
On to Round 2… Not only Round 2 of the District 1 5A football playoffs, but the Strath Haven Panthers will now have the added challenge of facing an opponent for a second time this season. As the #2-seeded Panthers pounded out a convincing 35-0 whitewash of Upper Merion last Friday night, the possibility of facing #7-seeded Marple-Newtown in the quarterfinals. And when the Tigers held on for a 21-14 victory over #10 Phoenixville, it set the stage for what should be an entertaining and challenging Central League rematch from early September.
Marple Newtown has rebounded nicely after a 1-2 start. Following lopsided losses to Strath Haven and Garnet Valley, the Tigers have rattled off seven victories in the last eight weeks. Head Coach Chris Gicking continues to rely heavily on All Delco running back #2 Charlie Box, and the offensive line, with all new starters at the start of the season, has improved with experience. The same can be said of sophomore quarterback #10 David Bertoline, who has eleven games under his belt as a starter, rather than just one game of experience when the Panthers saw him in early September. The Tiger defense, led by defensive end #55 Damien Bogsch up front, has been stingy as well, allowing just 18.5 points per game overall, and holding eight of their eleven opponents to 16 points or fewer.
The Panthers continued to roll last week in the victory over Upper Merion, activating the running clock mercy rule early in the third quarter. The Panthers hammered away for nearly 300-yard rushing, and mixed in two big plays in the passing game (Qquarterback #4 Sam Milligan to running back #23 Matt Shuler for an 83-yard touchdown), and on special teams, with Shuler breaking free for an 80-yard kickoff return to pay-dirt. Shuler’s four total touchdowns capped another tremendous performance from the offensive line.
Of course, winning is a little easier when the opponent does not score, as the Panthers essentially slowed Upper Merion to a halt. Defensive tackles #72 Jason Williams and #68 Ben Farabaugh clogged the middle of the line, allowing defensive ends #85 Nate Perlman and #84 Mason Green to again run wild in the Viking backfield. #32 Anthony Crawford returned to the lineup to force a fumble and a handful of tackles, with #40 Bob Fooskas (fumble recovery), #25 AJ Glavacic (fumble recovery) and #5 Chase Nangle (interception) all feasting on takeaways to kill Upper Merion drives.
Leading into this week, the Panthers must be conscious of the enormous challenge of beating the same team twice in the same season. Expect new wrinkles and perhaps some trickery from Marple-Newtown on their return visit to George L. King Field, and Coach Kevin Clancy and his staff can preach the lessons of 2011, when Marple Newtown handled Strath Haven, 24-7, in the regular season, only to have the Panthers return the favor, 31-7, in the first round of the playoffs. Rematches can be unpredictable in that way, so the Panthers cannot afford to bask in the 41-13 victory from two months ago. Solid tackling will be a must against the Tigers, and a good balance amongst all five primary ball carriers will be key to putting up another big point total. The winner of #3 Unionville versus #6 Academy Park looms on November 19th, but neither Strath Haven nor Marple Newtown can afford to look ahead to the semifinals just yet.
If you can’t make it to the game in person for the rematch, catch the audio broadcast on www.havenfootball.net at 6:45 PM for pre-game and a 7 PM kickoff, with a trip to the District 1 5A semifinals on the line! The game will be available on our archives within a few hours after the game concludes. You can also check in on Twitter for scores and video updates. with a trip to the District 1 5A semifinals on the line!
