By Brian Carroll, Havenfootball.net
Week 10 in the Central League has been circled on the calendar for weeks. Or months. Or maybe even a year. While the 2024 season has certainly seen a few surprises around the league, many fans had envisioned a meaningful matchup when the Strath Haven Panthers and Springfield Cougars aligned on the calendar for the final week of the regular season. And with much credit to both teams for a fantastic performance through the first nine weeks, each will have a chance this Friday evening to make their mark on the regular season, as well as set the tone for the upcoming postseason.
As if they didn’t need any more motivation than a chance at the Central League title and the top seed in the District 1 5A playoffs, Springfield rolls into Wallingford this week brimming with confidence after a convincing 35-23 victory over Garnet Valley last Friday. A punishing ground attack, let by junior #7 Brad Barber (193 yards, 2 TDs) and #34 Nate Romano wore down the Jaguar defense, and senior quarterback #11 Jackson Kennedy topped the 1,000 yard passing mark on the season. Kennedy’s favorite target is split end #1 Chris Dolan, and tight end #41 Mike Franks emerged with two key grabs last week. #2 Tanner Coll is an all-purpose threat at wingback, and #3 Luke Valerio provides as a receiver and returner. Defensively, the Cougars are led by Romano and #32 Evan Herzig are the leading tacklers at linebacker, while #26 Jahmeer Springfield and #64 Gary Thomas are stalwarts on the line. The Springfield secondary has been a no-fly zone all season, with Valerio manning one corner opposite #6 Brian Delaney (3 interceptions) and Dolan (5 interceptions), with the latter two both having returned picks for scores this year.
