By Brian Carroll, Havenfootball.net
In every high school football season, teams will have their ups and downs. Injuries, on-field mistakes, and of course the effort and skill of the opponent will contribute to some level of adversity each week. Those teams who manage to accept, absorb, and overcome these roadblocks are usually the ones on the happy side of the scoreboard and few teams have done this better than the Strath Haven Panthers over the last few seasons. Last Friday was no exception, as a too-close-for-comfort battle with Marple Newtown finished with the Panthers on top who now look to build momentum this week in a clash with the visiting Conestoga Pioneers.
First-year Head Coach, Scott Gee, brings a young Pioneer squad down Rt. 252 this week for their first visit to Strath Haven since 2021. Conestoga is led by all-purpose quarterback #4 Timmy Bruder, whose quickness and mobility can give opposing defenses fits. When putting the ball in the air, Bruder looks for #2 James Quici, who entered last week’s game with the fourth-most receiving yards in Chester County, and #5 Jonah Brown, who caught a touchdown pass in last week’s loss to Garnet Valley. #44 Matt Scudder leads the rushing attack and also stays busy at linebacker on the defensive side of the ball. The Pioneers have had their challenges stopping the run this year but #52 Hayden Leon, #0 Arjun Narang, and #55 Harmon Stephen have been playmakers up front, while #10 Daniel Cavanaugh and #16 Rayan Irani lock down the secondary.
