By Brian Carroll
One more. By virtue of a thrilling victory last Saturday afternoon, the Strath Haven Panthers football team gave themselves one more win on an already brilliant 2023 season. That one more win granted them another District 1 5A championship. That one more win gives the seniors on the sideline, the band, and the cheerleaders one more chance to spend an evening on the football field. And that one more win gives the Panthers a rematch, and one more chance to knock off a state powerhouse this weekend, as they meet Imhotep Charter on Friday evening in the state semifinal for the second time in three years.
Imhotep Charter, the District 12 champion whose mascot is also the Panthers, will be the highest hurdle to clear so far this season, with a team loaded with college prospects and multi-year starters at many positions. The offense, averaging 44 points per game (13th in Pennsylvania, and 2nd best of all 5A teams) is led by senior signal caller #12 Mikal Davis, an Army West Point commit. Davis has guided his squad to two state finals already, and has over 1,900 passing yards, 605 rushing yards, and 38 total touchdowns to his credit this year. When Davis isn’t throwing it, his massive offensive line leads the way for University of Georgia recruit #1 Jabree Wallace-Coleman, who has piled up 1,400 rushing yards and 24 touchdowns. Penn State-bound wide receiver Tyseer Denmark is ineligible due to transfer rules, but #8 Johann Hennigan, #18 Kareem Abdul Haqq, and #17 Isaiah Prater are all speedy and reliable targets. Defensively, Imhotep boasts the fifth-best scoring defense in all of Pennsylvania, with seven shutouts to their credit and allowing only 7.3 points per game. Penn State will have another Panther headed their way next year, as #2 Kenny Woseley is a lockdown defensive back with 5 interceptions on the year. His counterpart in the secondary #21 Willie Norris has seven interceptions, including two in last week’s victory over Delaware Valley. Before they test the secondary, however, Strath Haven will have to find their way past the top-rated defensive lineman in the state, as Pittsburgh signee #25 Jah’Sear Whittington was a force even as a sophomore when these teams last met. #22 Raheem Reid and #9 Zaire Pollard are busy tacklers, as well.
