Strath Haven struggles to gain yards against an overwhelming Imhotep defense in last Friday night’s game. Photo by Jim Quinn, BQPictures.com
By Brian Carroll, Broadcaster
It hits like a ton of bricks every year. Of the hundreds of PIAA football teams who reached the playoffs in early November, only six of them will finish the season with a scoreboard result that will make them smile, with pictures taken holding a golden trophy at Hersheypark Stadium. Strath Haven managed that feat twice, in 1999 and 2000, and remain the only team in Delaware County to do so. In looking back on the 2021 football season, the hope is that anyone who watched the Strath Haven Panthers this season would not dwell on a 36-0 defeat by Imhotep Charter in the state semifinals last Friday night. Still, as abrupt and as painful as a season-ending loss feels for players and fans in most seasons, the journey is often far more meaningful and enjoyable than the destination.
Yes, the result was lopsided, with the Panthers’ high-powered running game held to more than 200 yards below their season average and about 37 points below their scoring average. Imhotep’s star-studded defense was as fast and as talented as advertised, with D1-recruits at nearly every position blanketing Haven ball carriers and receivers all night, and an offense that showed off a depth of talent rarely (if ever) seen at a public boundary school these days. As expected, though, thanks to years’ long efforts and leadership by the players and coaching staff, Strath Haven’s determination and grit was evident all the way to the final horn, when their last drive ended two feet short of the goal line. The Panthers committed zero turnovers and had few penalties—they just ran into a stronger, faster, more talented Imhotep team, who seem to be overwhelmingly favored to bring a state title home this Friday in their sixth trip to the finals in the last eight seasons.
