By Brian Carroll, Havenfootball.net
In what seems like a blink of an eye, the 2022 regular season is winding to a close. For fans of the Strath Haven Panthers, the first nine weeks could not have had a better result, even with a few bumps and bruises providing some challenges each week. The final challenge for the regular season is significant: a week 10 date with the Marple Newtown Tigers. The Tigers, who last hosted Strath Haven in a shortened 2020 season (and handed them their only loss that year), are battling for playoff position and are looking to spoil the Panthers’ chance for a Central League title.
After a 4-0 start to the season, the Tigers have hit a rough patch in dropping four of their last five games. Three of those losses (to Conestoga, Springfield, and Upper Darby) were excruciatingly close—twice by a point, and once by just three. After shutting out Hatboro-Horsham two weeks ago, Marple is looking to bounce back after a turnover-filled, 42-7 loss to Ridley last Friday. Head Coach Chris Gicking, now in his 9th season, has the Tigers offense clicking to the tune of 27 points per game with a very balanced run/pass attack. Junior QB #10 Dave Bertoline is in his second season as a starter, and is completing a whopping 72% of his passes, spread out over 13 different receivers. #5 Bryan Bogan and #1 Joey Yukanevitch are his most frequent targets, while sophomore #22 Brian Box is busy in the run game with 11 rushing touchdowns on the season. Box has also returned two kickoffs for scores. Defensively, junior DT #57 Jake McGowan has been a disruptive force, leading the team in tackles and sacks, with 14.5 tackles for loss to his credit. Box and fellow sophomore LB #34 Lou DiLuzio anchor the back seven, which has limited opponents to 170 rushing yards per game.
Strath Haven, riding a nine-game winning streak, will look to duplicate last season’s success against Marple Newtown, where they scored 83 points in their two meetings and approached 400 yards rushing in both their regular season and playoff wins. Last week’s 35-7 win over Upper Darby should provide a good launching point, as the Panthers once again piled up over 300 yards of offense and had five different seniors find the end zone in their final regular season tilt on George L. King Field. Senior running backs #34 Anthony Crawford and #40 Bob Fooskas again led the way, with #35 Austin Conner and #5 Chase Nangle also coming up with key runs. The icing on the cake was the single pass attempt of the game in the third quarter, when #80 Ryan Weinberg, a converted offensive lineman, hauled in a 39-yard scoring strike from #4 Sam Milligan. Milligan also chipped in with an interception on defense, and AJ Glavicic snared two more picks.
Look for Marple Newtown to control the clock and the ball with their short passing game, which led them to a solid first half performance in last year’s playoff game against the Panthers. On the other side of the ball, the Tigers will be tasked with handling Haven’s outstanding offensive line, and then be fast and aggressive enough to take on four big, physical Haven ballcarriers. And if Sam Milligan gets the passing game clicking to balance that overwhelming run game, it could be a quick path to the Panthers’ first Central League title since 2010.
Fans should plan to make one more short road trip up Route 252 before the Panthers host (hopefully multiple) playoff games at home. But if that in person visit is not in the cards, all the action will be covered beginning at 6:45pm (pregame) for a 7pm kickoff on www.havenfootball.net. Go Panthers!
