By Brian Carroll
By the time Strath Haven’s third football game of the season concluded last Friday night, the broadcast team at www.havenfootball.net was looking for somewhere to sit down. A furious, fourth quarter comeback by the Panthers left players, coaches, and fans alike drained and exhilarated, as Haven erased a two-touchdown deficit in the final six minutes to steal a 21-20 victory over Ridley. Yet there is no rest for the weary, as the undefeated Panthers now face another stiff test this week, and with even less time to recover and prepare. With the Media Bowl trophy on the line on Thursday evening, the Panthers will need to be sharp and energized to battle their neighbors to the north, the Penncrest Lions.
Third-year Head Coach Paul Graham brings a run-heavy attack just a few miles south on Route 252 to visit Haven this year, with a pair of bruising running backs and lightning quick quarterback to power his veer, triple-option offense. All-Central senior #2 Matt Ferry is joined this season by another talented runner, #3 Matt Malley, in the backfield, with #1 Nico Tozzi taking snaps under center. Tozzi is a recent baseball commit to Catholic University and will give opposing defenses fits with his quickness on the edges. Ferry and Malley contribute defensively, as well, joining #19 Kolby Poole in the linebacking corps. Junior #7 Albert Dada anchors the secondary, and classmate #25 Kyle Cunningham has been disruptive at nose guard, returning a fumble 95 yards for a touchdown last week in a loss to Garnet Valley. Falling to Garnet Valley last week was the Lions’ first defeat of the season, so they arrive with some confidence after starting the season with consecutive wins (over Sun Valley and Chichester) for the first time in a decade.
Strath Haven should also feel good about their undefeated start to the season, especially considering the manner-in-which they pulled out victories the last two weeks. The last-minute win over Springfield proved costly on the injury front, as the Panthers were then without three starters in facing Ridley last week. Still, the Panthers senior-laden offensive line again proved to be strong in the fourth quarter, springing juniors #32 Shane Green and #5 James Fisher on long runs to secure the victory. #8 Ryan Henry filled in admirably at linebacker, while #31 Jack Schuster and #16 Grayson LaFrance joined Fisher and #27 Ben Milligan in the secondary to make just enough tackles against a high-powered Raider passing attack. The Panthers’ defensive line was able to make clutch plays late in the game, with #89 Alexei Gustafson, #81 Jahi Curtis, #40 Cole Miller, and #34 Vince Hales all coming up big during Ridley’s final two drives.
Looking ahead to this week, Head Coach Kevin Clancy and his talented staff may again have some question marks on the injury front and will look to clean up some sloppy and untimely penalties that have plagued the Panthers in the early part of the season. Penncrest, while struggling to maintain momentum on offense for most of the Garnet Valley game, has certainly shown the ability to control the ball and minimize their opponents’ opportunities with clock-melting drives. As always, the Media Bowl brings an extra energy as players from both teams battle their former teammates in their youth football days, with Penncrest looking to take the trophy back to Barren Road for the first time since 2015.
The 2023 Media Bowl will begin at 6:45pm for pre-game and a 7pm kickoff on www.havenfootball.net on Thursday night. If you are able to attend in person, come out to George L. King Field, start the weekend a little early and enjoy a terrific atmosphere with the Haven and Penncrest bands. It should be another competitive and terrific version of the annual rivalry game. Go Panthers!
