By Brian Carroll –
“There is no real ending. It’s just the place where you stop the story.” – Frank Herbert
At some point, the high school football season comes to a close each year. And of all the teams qualifying for the playoffs throughout Pennsylvania, only six teams presumably finish with an on-field smile when hoisting a state championship trophy. The Strath Haven Panthers have accomplished this rarity twice—in 1999 and 2000—and remain the only public school in Delaware County to do so. Still, for players, coaches, and fans, the drive and hope of extending a postseason run just one more week eventually sees the trip end more often than not. This season, the Panthers reached their dead end in the road in Springfield, as the undefeated Cougars knocked off Strath Haven for the second time in four weeks, 26-10, in the District 1-5A Semifinals. Despite a 30-yard field goal from #47 Matt Styer and an electric 94-yard kick return score from #30 Derek Bradley, Springfield left little doubt as to why they were the top-seeded team in the district. Holding the Panthers to less than 100 yards rushing and demonstrating eye-popping efficiency on third and fourth downs, the Cougars will seek their first-ever District 1 title this Friday against #2 Chester. Yet for all the disappointment of not getting that “one more week,” this year’s Panthers’ accomplishments have added to the tremendous history and memories of their storied program.
Coming into the season, the Panthers had questions galore on how they would replace 15 graduated seniors who piled up 35 total wins, a share of three Central League titles, and a District 1 5A title in their varsity careers. The 2025 version answered many of those questions quickly and convincingly, roaring out to eight wins in their first nine games. With #56 Nick Farabaugh as the only returning starter on offense, fellow seniors #73 Paul Oblek and #64 Jackson Miller joined him on the offensive line to help pave the way for over 3,200 rushing yards and 48 touchdowns on the ground. #35 Ryan Mudrick led the way with 806 rushing yards and 11 touchdowns, while a quartet of juniors– #3 Landon Barlow, #4 Yosef Ali, #5 Kasey Hudson, and #30 Derek Bradley- all averaged 6.5 yards per carry or more and provided several explosive touchdown runs. Quarterbacks #15 Luke Mulhern and #8 Jake Plunkett completed timely throws in the passing game, with juniors #80 John Reilly, #18 Jalen Starr, and #84 Tyler Slaughter all providing excellent targets. And the special teams were indeed special, with Miller and Reilly perfect this season on snaps and holds for sophomore kicker #47 Matt Styer, who drilled 54 of 55 extra point tries and 3 of 4 field goals and steady punting from #62 Chase Shuster. Add in some postseason magic from kick returners Starr, Hudson and Bradley, and the Panthers have a lot to look forward to in 2026.
Defensively, the Strath Haven crew will be talked about amongst the best, as they allowed a paltry 9 points per game to put them in the top 10 in all of Pennsylvania. #57 Zach Milligan, the team leader in sacks, joined Barlow, Oblek, Farabaugh, and Mudrick on a quick and strong front line that gave up some size in nearly every game this year. Mulhern was again a leader at linebacker, while juniors #7 Cole Haly (116 tackles, 2 INTs) and #53 Patrick Burke (89 tackles, 3 INTs) exploded onto the scene to rate amongst the best linebackers in the league. #22 Grayson LaFrance was excellent (3 INTs, 6 pass breakups) in his third year as a starting corner, while fellow senior #17 Quinn Kell was an open-field tackling machine at safety. Seniors #11 Van Wendel, #16 Brady Nangle, and #25 Jordan Alexander also were key contributors in the secondary and joined #55 JP Redmond on the special teams’ coverage units, which allowed zero big plays to opponents all season. Considering the Silver and Black returned only four starters from last season’s unit, the defensive effort and results were nothing short of remarkable.
Those who listen to the broadcasts or view the website on www.havenfootball.net have heard this already, but special “Thank You’s” go out to the Panthers’ 12 graduating senior players, of whom we are forever proud and thankful for your years of energy and effort in the football program. The last of the “Covid Classes” that saw their sports careers interrupted or delayed, this group can be immensely proud of their 10-3 season that included two playoff wins and tremendous leadership of a young team. Speaking of leadership of a young group, the Panthers’ coaching staff led by Coach Kevin Clancy, Jim and Mike Conner, Dan Shaffer, Brian Fili, and Pat Clancy can count this season as one of their best coaching efforts, adding another season of double-digit wins and advancing a round farther in the playoffs with so many first-time starters.
Many thanks also go out to Athletic Director Lynelle Mosley, the Haven Gridiron Club, the Haven Marching Band, Strath Haven Cheerleaders, the Swarthmorean, and the many sponsors of www.havenfootball.net for continued support of the program and our video broadcasts. Most of all, we are grateful that the 2025 Strath Haven Panthers once again gave us so many fantastic memories, and a ton of fun on so many Friday nights. Congratulations, 2025 Strath Haven Panther Football, and we look forward to the 2026 Panthers continuing the story!
