Strath Haven’s Landon Barlow runs through a hole in a 2025 game against Upper Darby. (PETE BANNAN – MediaNews Group)
By Chuck Smith –
Strath Haven all-purpose monster Landon Barlow was a menace on both sides of the ball Friday night as the Panthers shocked undefeated Garnet Valley, 13-7, at Moe DeFrank Stadium.
Change positions? No problem. Ram into the heart of the Jaguars’ defense whenever needed? Whatever it takes.
Barlow was willing to do anything asked of him, but he was far from a one-man show. The Panthers delivered an epic defensive performance, slowing down a Jaguars offense that had been terrorizing opponents all season.
“We just kept telling ourselves that we were not going to let anyone take this from us,” said Barlow, who moved from defensive end to linebacker for the game. “Everyone in Delco had us losing. We came out with a very physical mindset and were ready to get downhill and get after it.”
There was never any doubt that Strath Haven’s visit to Garnet Valley on Friday night would be a battle. For the Panthers, preparation centered on finding a way to contain the Jaguars offense.
“I thought we had our best week of practice, and it wasn’t even close,” Strath Haven middle linebacker Patrick Burke said. “The scout guys played great. It was an intense week, and we had our best practices at the right time, just before the biggest game of our season so far. We had a game plan. At halftime, we made some adjustments, and that’s all it was. Honestly, it came down to grit.”
The ground-and-pound teams went straight at each other, as expected.
