By Brian Carroll, Havenfootball.net
In looking at the District 1 5A football standings, it is getting crowded at the top of the lists. Of the eight teams with unblemished records, four of them—Garnet Valley, Springfield, Strath Haven and Radnor—reside in the Central League. And while it feels a little early to be discussing playoff seeding, a big early season matchup this Friday evening between Strath Haven and Radnor could be another significant step toward Central League dominance and a potentially deep postseason run.
Starting a season 3-0 for the first time in recent memory, Radnor Head Coach Kyle Yeiter has had lots of reasons to smile in his third season at the helm. The Raptors’ senior-laden defense has been stout, allowing only two touchdowns and 14 total points all season. #23 John Belveal and #11 Mason Shieh are both multi-year starters at linebacker, and #57 Patrick Burke, #77 Alex Gaskill, #51 Ryan McWilliams, and #6 Quinn Conway join #52 Jake McDonald to anchor the front line. Offensively, junior quarterback #16 Luke Reilly was pressed into action midway through 2023, and has made great strides since, already throwing five touchdown passes this season. Reilly’s favorite target is junior split-end #2 Mikey Enright, an All-Central selection a year ago. Enright has four receiving touchdowns and another on the ground, while Belveal and #8 Kyle Tomczak spark the rushing attack, as well. #22 Tyler Vitale is also a threat as a slot receiver, snaring a 22-yard touchdown in the Raptors’ shutout of Harriton two weeks ago.
Strath Haven also sits undefeated through three weeks, coming off a convincing victory over a tough Ridley squad. Senior fullback #32 Shane Green again sparked the offense, with 161 yards and three trips (41, 61, and 8 yards) to the end zone, while #8 Ben Milligan (93 yards) and #5 James Fisher (49 yards, 1 TD), provided balance on the edges. Yet it was the defensive game plan and effort that was the story of the evening, as the Panthers held a powerful Ridley attack to seven points. After an early Raider scoring drive, timely plays by linemen #73 Paul Oblek, #56 Nick Farabaugh, #89 Alexei Gustafson, and #81 Jahi Curtis (all of whom were credited with sacks) set the tone. Curtis joined #15 Luke Mulhern and Green in double-digit tackling efforts, and safeties #17 Quinn Kell and Milligan were key in a 4th-and-1 stop in a decisive second quarter. In all, the Panthers allowed just over 100 yards passing, most of which came late in the fourth quarter, and held Ridley’s powerful backs Kirkland Plummer and Connor Kelly to just over four yards per carry. Freshman kicker #47 Matt Styer blasted his first touchback on the season, and was again perfect on extra point attempts.
Radnor’s most recent meetings with Strath Haven have not gone their way, as they have been outscored 96-7 in two lopsided victories for the Panthers. Still, the Raptors’ defensive statistics suggest that Haven will have its hands full, and will need to get their passing game clicking quickly after completing just two passes through the first three contests. Expect Head Coach Kevin Clancy’s Wing-T offense to continue pounding the ball between the tackles, but also need to gain some confidence in the air attack to provide balance in the weeks to come.
This Friday looks like a great night to see the Panthers’ first home game in person, so come join the fun at George L. King Field for a 7pm kickoff. The marching band and cheerleaders will be ready to rock and roll, too, and the game will be streamed on www.havenfootball.net beginning at 6:45pm. Go Panthers!
