Predictions Column: Should soon be some movement atop crowded Central League

Posted on October 20, 2023 in Newspaper.

By Matt Smith

There is a four-way tie for first place in the Central League with two weeks to play in the regular season.

Garnet Valley, Marple Newtown, Strath Haven and Springfield all have one loss in the conference. Barring a big upset Strath Haven and Springfield will win out and earn a share of the title. The winner of Friday’s showdown between Garnet Valley and Marple Newtown will be the third team to likely claim a share of the championship.

Garnet Valley has earned at least a piece of the title in six consecutive seasons. Strath Haven shared it with the Jaguars last year. Springfield’s last championship season came in 2017. Marple Newtown’s most recent title came in the form of a three-way share with Ridley and Springfield in 2016.

Here is a look at the games this weekend, beginning with Friday (all games 7 p.m. unless otherwise noted):

Haverford at Strath Haven >> The host Panthers (7-1) could use a palate cleanser after last week’s heartbreaker, but the Fords (1-6) are tougher than their record suggests.

Prediction: Strath Haven, 35-14

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