Ben Milligan, #8, on one of his rushing plays last night. Haven lost a heart-breaker in overtime, 35-34. ©Havenfootball.net, Inc.
By Harry Chaykun
Nolan Carroll set his knee down between the 9- and 10-yard lines at the east end of George L. King Field shortly before 9:15 p.m. Friday.
The Garnet Valley senior had done the same thing about 10 minutes earlier, only to find himself in the middle of a frantic chase for the football after Strath Haven had blocked a Jaguars field-goal attempt.
This time, snapper Joe Anzalone delivered the ball to Carroll, who placed it perfectly for kicker Michael Medici.
“I never even picked my head up,” Carroll said. “I knew he wasn’t going to miss that kick.”
As jubilant players and coaches rushed the field and a roar erupted from the Jaguars fans, Carroll learned that Medici’s point-after kick, following a Luke Vaughn 10-yard touchdown run, was successful and had given Garnet Valley a 35-34 overtime conquest of Strath Haven in a classic District 1 Class 5A quarterfinal game.
The fifth-seeded Jaguars (9-3), who had dropped a 35-14 decision at King Field in September, will visit No. 1 Springfield (11-1) for a semifinal matchup, while No. 4 Haven, the defending district champion, finished its season at 10-2.
