By Brian Carroll, Havenfootball.net –
In what seems like a blink of an eye, the 2025 high school football regular season is entering Week 8 already. The Strath Haven Panthers have provided plenty of highlights, and like all high school teams week-to-week, still have areas for improvement. Last Friday’s victory over winless Conestoga was no different in that regard, so the Panthers will look to take another step forward during their road trip to face the Harriton Rams this Friday night.
Second-year Head Coach Mario Dattilo and the Rams have had an uphill climb after a promising opening weekend. Since their 43-18 shellacking of Kensington in Week 1, the Rams have managed just 10 total points over the next six games, losing four of the six via shutout after last week’s 52-0 loss to Ridley. Injuries at quarterback and receiver have challenged Harriton, but recent games have shown terrific effort and improvements in multiple areas. Quarterback #18 Josh Fishbein took snaps last week in place of #12 Spyros Esposito and #4 Joey Mena, and will look to spread the ball to #22 Ben Krebbs and #15 Jonah Lockwood in the passing game. #77 Matai Minstry and #53 Eugene Bright anchor the offensive line, and look to pave the way for #17 Solomon Tolbert in the run game. Defensively, Harriton relies on Lockwood, Krebbs, and #2 Ryan Zheng as playmakers in the secondary, while #75 Everett Gentzel provides size up front with Minstry.
Strath Haven managed a shutout of their own last week with a 35-0 blanking of Conestoga, their third of the season. #7 Cole Haly led the way with 13 tackles, and #15 Luke Mulhern returned to action with 4 stops that included two for loss in the backfield. Despite some turnovers and missed opportunities, the Panther offense clicked again to the tune of 260 rushing yards, led by #5 Kasey Hudson’s season-high 140 yards and three touchdowns on nine totes. While #35 Ryan Mudrick pounded between the tackles, #4 Yosef Ali scorched the edges for another 71 yards and two scores on just nine carries, as well. #47 Matt Styer drilled all five of his extra point attempts, and the Panthers took another step in securing a berth in the District 1 5A playoffs.
With just three regular season contests remaining, expect the Panthers to continue striving toward Head Coach Kevin Clancy’s, “we just want to get a little bit better every week” mantra. Lopsided victories in recent weeks do not indicate that Strath Haven cannot improve further, as attention to detail, taking care of the football, and minimizing penalties will be crucial in upcoming games. With a chance for another Central League title and an excellent seed in the playoffs still in reach, Strath Haven cannot afford to take Harriton lightly.
For those unable to make the trip north on Friday evening, www.havenfootball.net will begin the livestream at 6:45pm for a 7pm kickoff. Continue checking the website for additional news around the Central League, as well as projections for possible playoff seedings in the weeks ahead. Go Panthers!
