By Brian Carroll, Havenfootball.net
In every high school football season, teams will have their ups and downs. Injuries, on-field mistakes, and of course the effort and skill of the opponent will contribute to some level of adversity each week. Those teams who manage to accept, absorb, and overcome these roadblocks are usually the ones on the happy side of the scoreboard and few teams have done this better than the Strath Haven Panthers over the last few seasons. Last Friday was no exception, as a too-close-for-comfort battle with Marple Newtown finished with the Panthers on top who now look to build momentum this week in a clash with the visiting Conestoga Pioneers.
First-year Head Coach, Scott Gee, brings a young Pioneer squad down Rt. 252 this week for their first visit to Strath Haven since 2021. Conestoga is led by all-purpose quarterback #4 Timmy Bruder, whose quickness and mobility can give opposing defenses fits. When putting the ball in the air, Bruder looks for #2 James Quici, who entered last week’s game with the fourth-most receiving yards in Chester County, and #5 Jonah Brown, who caught a touchdown pass in last week’s loss to Garnet Valley. #44 Matt Scudder leads the rushing attack and also stays busy at linebacker on the defensive side of the ball. The Pioneers have had their challenges stopping the run this year but #52 Hayden Leon, #0 Arjun Narang, and #55 Harmon Stephen have been playmakers up front, while #10 Daniel Cavanaugh and #16 Rayan Irani lock down the secondary.
Strath Haven clawed their way past Marple Newtown last week to move to 6-0 on the season, though it not without some hiccups. The Panthers struggled to stop the run at times, but managed to tighten the screws in the red zone, with #15 Luke Mulhern and #81 Jahi Curtis making back-to-back goal line stops just before halftime to stop the Tigers’ attempt to take the lead. Additionally, #18 Jalen Starr had a key pass breakup, and #22 Grayson LaFrance tackled well in the secondary. From there, the Panthers run game found some traction. After Ben Milligan started the scoring on the opening drive of the game, the Panthers went more than two full quarters without a score until James Fisher went 59 yards to the house after terrific lead blocks from #32 Shane Green and #56 Nick Farabaugh. Green and Fisher both finished the evening with over 100 rushing yards and a touchdown, and the Panthers kept pace with undefeated Springfield atop the Central League, as well as leaping to the top spot in the District 1 5A playoff standings.
Over the next few weeks, the playoff seeding chatter around Delaware County will grow louder by the minute, as several Central League teams have a shot not only for a top four seed but are still in the hunt for the league title. Still, Panthers’ Head Coach Kevin Clancy will continue to preach the idea of “one week at a time,” which has obviously been successful in the past for the defending Central League and District 1 5A champs. The Panthers, while still boasting an unblemished record, still have improvements to make in the passing attack as well as shoring up a defense that bent a little more than they had hoped last Friday. And with Conestoga hungry for a signature win, Strath Haven can ill afford to look past the Pioneers this weekend.
For those accustomed to marking every Friday evening for high school football, please note that this week will be a bit of a curveball, as the Panthers and Pioneers kick off at 7pm this Saturday, October 5th. The atmosphere at George L. King Field, with Haven’s phenomenal band and cheerleaders joining the fun, is not to be missed. But for those unable to attend in person, pre-game coverage and the livestream will begin at 645pm on www.havenfootball.net. Go Panthers!
