By Brian Carroll, Havenfootball.net –
Bouncing back. For high school football players, that is not always as easy as it sounds, especially after losing an oh-so-close, would/could/should have contest with a rival near the top of the Central League. But after the gut punch first loss of the season against Haverford, the Strath Haven Panthers were able to rebound quickly and convincingly a week later by pounding Marple Newtown in an electric atmosphere on their home turf. Next on the docket for the Panthers: A road trip to visit the Conestoga Pioneers.
The Pioneers, sporting a relatively young roster under second-year Head Coach Scott Gee, are looking for their first victory in 2025 after falling to Garnet Valley last Friday, 48-3. Conestoga’s opening scoring drive was impressive, using a short and mid-range passing attack out of their spread offense led by junior quarterback #2 Brian Ford. Ford has a quartet of talented receivers in #1 Nile Holman, #3 Bryce Fielding, #4 Christian Crump, and #25 Tyler Goulet, while sophomore #24 Justin Smith handles most of the carries in the rushing game. Defensively, the Pioneers are led up from by three-year starter #62 Cody Vermillion and #77 Justin Schwartz, with Ford, Goulet, and #20 Mike Evitts staying busy at linebacker. Holman had a first quarter interception last week in the secondary, and he’s joined by Fielding, Crump, and #13 Nico Perrin.
Strath Haven rebounded from their first defeat of the season with a convincing 34-10 victory over Marple Newtown. Jumping out to a 14-0 lead on early touchdowns runs from #5 Kasey Hudson and #4 Yosef Ali, the Panthers controlled the game from start to finish. Ali and #35 Ryan Mudrick both topped 100 yards rushing, while Mudrick and #3 Landon Barlow also visited the end zone. The only pass attempt of the evening also clicked, as #8 Jake Plunkett connected with #80 John Reilly on 4th and 8 for a 24-yard touchdown late in the game. Defensively, the Panthers were terrific again, allowing points only after turnovers provided the Tigers with a short field. #17 Quinn Kell led with 8 tackles, and #56 Nick Farabaugh, #64 Jackson Miller, and #57 Zach Milligan were disruptive pass rushers all evening.
This week, look for the Panthers to continue attacking with their talented running backs, as the Conestoga defense has been porous against opposing ballcarriers all season. Still, the Panthers have some room for improvement after multiple fumbles and a missed opportunity inside the five-yard line last week should keep them hungry. Conestoga will also look to build momentum with their spread offense that shares the ball well amongst multiple speedy receivers, so the Panthers’ secondary will need to stay sharp.
For those unable to make the trip to Berwyn on Friday evening, the livestream will have all the action beginning at 645pm on www.havenfootball.net. With the stretch run of the regular season upon us, it’s time for the Strath Haven to find another gear over the next four weeks in pursuit of another Central League title and a deep run in the District 1 5A playoffs. Go Panthers!
