By Brian Carroll, Havenfootball.net
After last weekend’s 50-6 shellacking of Kensington and two non-league victories to start the 2022 season, the Strath Haven Panthers have laid the groundwork for another exciting and successful season. The defense and special teams have been solid, and the offense continues to plow forward with a new mix of offensive linemen and talented, bruising runners. And with the Central League opener arriving this Friday, the previous sentence also applies to this week’s opponent, Conestoga.
The Conestoga Pioneers also roll into George L. King Field with some momentum, coming off a 2021 season that saw them win seven games and return to the District 1 6A playoffs for the first time in seven years. Head Coach Matt Diamond’s squad has carried that surge into 2022, with wins over Owen J. Roberts and Lower Merion the past two Fridays. A big story for the Pioneers has been their defense, allowing just 13 and 14 points, respectively, in their opening wins. Co-Captains #55 Jim Marturano and #7 Brody Eaton flank #50 Drew Mershel to anchor a formidable defensive line, with fellow seniors #2 Jake Allred and #1 Jon Quici active in the linebacker corps. All-league free safety #13 Bryce Beltrante stabilizes the secondary and is a dangerous kick returner, as well. Offensively, #9 QB Peter Costigan will call the signals, and has found #3 Jeremy Friend for touchdown passes in each of the first two games. Still, the key to the first two wins for the Pioneers was a bruising offensive line led by Marturano and junior OT’s Sean Mackey and Benner Miller paving the way for Quici and Allred on clock-chewing, long touchdown drives.
