By Brian Carroll, Broadcaster
And the “Second Season” begins… After an exciting and productive 10-week regular season, the Strath Haven Panthers pounded their way to a 9-1 overall record, a second place finish in the Central League, and have earned a #2 seed in the 16-team field for the PIAA District 1 5A playoffs. And with seven of their ten regular season opponents also qualifying in the 5A and 6A fields, the Panthers are battle-tested and, as Coach Clancy mentioned after last week’s 33-7 win over Radnor, getting some players healthy at the right time of year. With no opportunity to participate in the 2020 playoffs due to a truncated season, the Panthers will open the playoff schedule the same way they did in 2019: hosting Upper Merion.
Upper Merion, out of the Pioneer Athletic Conference (PAC), finished with a 4-5 overall record, including a 20-19 nail biter of a loss to Boyertown in a wind and rainstorm last Friday night. Led by second year coach Davis Chubb, a former assistant at Phoenixville, the Vikings rely heavily on a pass-oriented attack led by junior quarterback #5 Zayd Etheridge. Weather permitting, Etheridge will typically look to put it in the air about 30 times per game, counting on several receivers to pick up chunks of yards after the catch. Fellow junior wide receiver #2 Thomas Alzere is a deep threat and has over 600 yards receiving on the season, while #13 Marcus Crittendon and #3 Brad Zielinski each have 100 yard receiving games to their credit this year. Mix in the powerful running of #14 Brayden Marino and #44 Joey Kovacic behind three-year starter left tackle #78 Wyatt Hart, and the Vikings will certainly test the Panthers’ defense at all levels.
The Panthers also dealt with the same nasty weather last Friday, but still piled up over 440 yards of offense without completing a pass for the second time this year. Running back #24 Chase Barlow led the way with over 200 yards rushing, with #23 Matt Shuler and #40 Bob Fooskas providing balance out of the backfield. Tack on 88 yards and two touchdowns from quarterback #4 Sam Milligan, and the Panthers once again showed they are built for November and December weather with their powerful offensive line. Senior defensive ends #84 Mason Green and #85 Nate Perlman were outstanding on the edges of the defensive line, with junior defensive tackles #72 Jason Williams and #68 Ben Farabaugh controlling the middle. Cornerback #35 Austin Conner’s second interception of the season helped put the game away in the second half, and the Panthers could close the book on the regular season with a smile.
As is the nature of high school sports, looking back to games in seasons’ past isn’t always helpful considering the changes in personnel every year. But while Upper Merion has a new Head Coach, the Vikings bring four starters who were starters in the 2019 playoff tilt that the Panthers won, 21-6. Strath Haven counters with the same coaching staff and three players (Shuler, Barlow, and right tackle #73 Jake Millet) who were big contributors to the varsity team as sophomores. Upper Merion will undoubtedly arrive with an upset and a taste of revenge on its mind for their return trip to Wallingford, while Strath Haven expects to continue to do what they do best, and hope this is just the first of many Fridays they plan to play football over the next month or more.
That #2 seed the Panthers secured offers a short commute to George L. King Field this week, and hopefully the next few as long as Strath Haven continues to be on the right side of the scoreboard. If you can’t make it in person, catch the audio broadcast on www.havenfootball.net at 6:45pm for pre-game and a 7pm kickoff, and what we hope is the first step toward a District 1 championship! 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.
