By Brian Carroll, Havenfootball.net
Anyone reading www.havenfootball.net’s Playoff Projections probably saw this one coming. As the regular season inched toward its conclusion, it became more and more apparent that as Strath Haven was busy nailing down the #2 seed in the District 1 5A playoff bracket, Springfield was getting hot at the right time of year. And after both teams came away with very convincing home wins in their playoff openers (Strath Haven bested Upper Merion, 35-3, while Springfield hammered Phoenixville, 42-7), the rematch of Central League rivals is all set for a quarterfinal matchup at Haven’s George L. King Field.
After a three-game losing streak in September, Head Coach Chris Britton and the Cougars have righted the ship and rattled off six straight wins. Senior QB #8 Jake Rama has 1,214 passing yards and 15 touchdowns on the season, and has been particularly sharp during the winning streak. In the last six weeks, Rama is 39-of-53 for 712 yards, 11 touchdowns and just one interception. The offensive line, led by tackles #78 Gus Bryan and #70 Tyler Klamabara, have allowed only three sacks on the season and have opened some terrific running lanes for FB #34 Nate Romano and TB #14 Tyler Gougler. Mix in receiving weapons #10 Mike O’Donnell and #6 Aiden Kreydt, and Springfield has scored 35 or more points in five of their last six weeks. Defensively, Kreydt and O’Donnell anchor the secondary, while linebackers Romano, #20 Chris Dolan and #32 Ethan Marshall are busy tacklers. Up front, defensive tackles #63 Fred Withrow and #79 Jaylin Price-Tate will be a handful for Strath Haven blockers.
For Strath Haven, last week’s victory of Upper Merion was more of the same, as the Panthers pounded away for 450 rushing yards and five touchdowns, with #34 Anthony Crawford and #40 Bob Fooskas each topping the 100-yard mark for the second week in a row. And while Upper Merion found some success moving the ball through the air, the Panthers kept them out of the end zone thanks in large part to terrific tackling from defensive backs #5 Chase Nangle, #30 James Fisher, and #4 Sam Milligan. Pass rushers #35 Austin Conner and #89 Ben Farabaugh had timely sacks and pass deflections, and kicker #84 Tim Styer was again perfect on extra points and kept the Vikings’ dangerous returners at bay with some solid directional kicking.
To beat an opponent twice in the same season is a daunting at any level, so expect that Strath Haven will have a different challenge against a red-hot Springfield squad that is now quite familiar with the Panthers’ Wing-T attack. The Panthers 41-14 victory in September was punctuated by several big plays, including long touchdown runs from then-running-back Sam Milligan, as well as a momentous kickoff return touchdown from James Fisher. Expect the Cougars to adjust accordingly, and the Panthers may need to be more patient with their ground attack while still hoping to get the passing game established. With a trip to the District 1 5A Semifinals on the line, emotions will run high as neither team seems ready to end their 2022 season.
If you are unable to attend in person this Friday evening, the game will be streamed on www.havenfootball.net beginning at 6:45pm for pregame and a 7pm kickoff. A Central League rematch in round 2 went well for Strath Haven a year ago when they took down Marple Newtown on their way to a District 1 championship, but Springfield will provide quite a battle this week. Go Panthers!
