By Brian Carroll –
For those who have watched Central League football over the last several seasons, sometimes certain rivalries have a life all their own even when there might be disparities in experience, talent, or record. Coming in to Week 6 on a five-game winning streak, Strath Haven could have been tempted to peek at Marple-Newtown’s winless record and very young roster with indifference. But after absorbing an early gut punch, the Panthers used explosive plays and suffocating defense to hammer out a 45-14 victory. 
If a cornered animal is the most dangerous, then the Panthers found out pretty quickly on Friday night the desperate-for-a-win Tigers were ready to scrap. Picking up where they left off after three second-half touchdowns last week against Garnet Valley, Marple-Newtown’s #13 Jack Dreger’s 59-yard burst up the middle on his first carry set up the Tigers inside the five-yard line. Junior quarterback #3 Nick Link dove into the end zone from the one, and just over two minutes into the game, the Panthers were staring at a 7-0 hole thanks to their feisty rivals.
But just as he did last week when the Panthers first trailed Haverford by a touchdown, #11 Jalen Starr provided a spark. On a third and eight from their own 21-yard line, senior split end beat his man at the line of scrimmage and hauled in a gorgeous throw from #8 Jake Plunkett (127 passing yards) for a 79-yard catch and run to tie the game. From there, the Panther defense took over with #84 Tyler Slaughter (8 tackles, sack) dominating the interior line, #80 John Reilly nabbing an interception, and #32 Connor Kelly returning at free safety to knock away multiple passes. The defense squashing Marple’s offense for the rest of the first half led to #3 Landon Barlow’s 36-yard scoring run and a last-second, 34-yard field goal from #47 Matt Styer for a 17-7 halftime lead. 
After an extended halftime, the Panthers caught fire again. Barlow, who finished with 204 yards and three scores, followed terrific blocks from Slaughter and #4 Yousif Ali in his way to a 44-yard touchdown jaunt just two minutes into the third quarter. Three snaps later, #53 Pat Burke picked off a Tiger pass and somersaulted his way into the end zone from 25 yards out. And after Ali swatted down a Tiger pass on 4th and 1, Barlow followed a down block from #57 Zach Milligan and weaved his way to a 63-yard sprint to paydirt. The 21-point outburst in the third quarter stretched the lead, and then Starr mercifully started the running clock in the final stanza, sprinting 77 yards off a block from #5 Kasey Hudson on a jet sweep.
Despite the lopsided final margin, Marple-Newtown showed that they can be a force in future seasons, as several underclassmen made key plays in this game and were ready to build on their early lead. Still, Strath Haven’s 45 unanswered points were reminiscent of their second-half outburst against Upper Darby in Week 3, and built on last week’s comeback win over Haverford. While room for improvement exists and a tough test at Garnet Valley looms, Haven showed that despite some injuries, penalties, and other mistakes that happen in every game, they “are a fight-back team,” as Pat Burke said post-game. “You can punch us, but we’re going to punch right back.”
