By Brian Carroll
“They’ll start at their six-yard line, with a chance at something epic.” Late in the fourth quarter a week ago, the tone of the www.havenfootball.net broadcast was hopeful, but anxious to say the least. The Strath Haven football team had struggled their way to just 143 yards of total offense on the evening against a terrific Springfield Cougar defense in a back-and-forth tilt reminiscent of several recent contests with these two teams. Still, the Panthers managed a 94-yard scoring drive in less than two minutes to stun the Cougars’ home crowd and walk away with an exhilarating 19-15 victory between two fantastic squads favored to be at or near to the top of the Central League. The Panthers don’t get to revel in the victory for long, however, as another formidable opponent visits George L. King Field this week, the always-tough and talented Ridley Green Raiders.
Ridley will hit the road for the first time this year, after an 8-4 record and third place finish in the Central League in 2022. Defensively, the Raiders return last year’s inside linebackers #45 Connor Kelly and #52 Bill Bair, who returned an interception for a touchdown in last season’s loss to the Panthers. They, and a number of new faces on the defensive line, will attempt to improve upon a run defense that had some second half struggles in last week’s 42-28 loss to Garnet Valley. Offensively, however, the Raiders are dangerous, with second-year starter #12 Ryan Carroll quarterbacking an offense that piled up 32 points per game a year ago, and flashed three first-half touchdowns against a strong Garnet Valley team last week. #5 WR Khameen Powell is a gamebreaker, with two receiving touchdowns last week and six (!) kick and punt return scores last season. Pair him with #2 RB Alante Smith, also a second-year starter, and Head Coach Dave Wood has some skilled pieces to fit into his offensive puzzle.
Strath Haven will look to continue the momentum they grabbed in the fourth quarter of last week’s Springfield game, as two fantastic defensive stands sandwiched a 94-yard scoring drive with just over a minute to go. Senior halfbacks #4 Mekhi Clark and #20 Marco Kaufman each found the end zone late in the game, with a big pass play from #6 Jake Kitchin to #25 AJ Glavicic sparking the winning drive. The offensive line cleared the path for nearly 200 yards rushing against a tough Springfield defense, with #5 James Fisher leading the way with 79 yards and a score. Kaufman led the defense with 13 tackles, while #34 Vince Hales and #40 Cole Miller helped control the line of scrimmage at big moments. Clark and #27 Ben Milligan swatted away Springfield passes on the Cougars’ last two drives, and the Panthers escaped to pick up their first Central League win of 2023.
Looking ahead to this week, Strath Haven’s secondary will be tested by Carroll and the Raiders’ spread offense, as the talented junior spread the ball to six different receivers in their opener. While Khameen Powell is the big play threat any time he touches the ball, several other Ridley pass catchers can keep the chains moving, especially when Carroll has time to set his feet and throw comfortably. Look for Strath Haven to push for a big pass rush, as that helped force four Ridley interceptions in last year’s game. Offensively, the Panthers have mixed in an effective passing attack to go with the run-heavy Wing-T, but expect Haven to take notice of Garnet Valley’s 349 rushing yards on the edges of the Ridley defense last Friday, too.
As mentioned on the broadcast several times, a Friday night Strath Haven football game is about the best $5 you can spend, with terrific competition, lots of positive energy, and a phenomenal band. But if you cannot make it in person, check out www.havenfootball.net for pregame chatter beginning at 6:45pm.
