By Brian Carroll
“It’s really tough to beat the same team twice in a year.” Whether it be at the youth, high school, college, or professional level, football fans have heard this repeated over and over for decades. The challenges of a rematch (for both teams) just weeks apart are significant, yet recent results amongst Central League foes might suggest otherwise. For instance, Strath Haven defeated Marple Newtown twice in 2021 on their way to a District 1 5A championship, and defeated Springfield twice in 2022. More recently, Springfield handled Marple Newtown in last weekend’s 5A quarterfinal round, a repeat of the Cougars triumph in mid-September. Thus, the stage has been set for yet another Central League rematch, as #3 Springfield and #2 Strath Haven, with their identical 11-1 records, will meet in the 2023 5A Semifinals this Friday in Wallingford.
Head Coach Chris Britton and the Central League Co-Champion Cougars roll into the semifinals as one of the hottest teams in Delaware County, winners of 10 straight games. The defense has allowed just 9.5 points per game during this run that includes two shutouts, with only Ridley scoring more than two touchdowns in a game. #55 Mike Miller continues his stellar play up front, with #32 Ethan Marshall and #34 Nate Romano behind him as punishing linebackers. An athletic secondary has forced multiple takeaways per game, with #1 Chris Dolan and #6 Brian Delaney each snaring interceptions in last week’s shutdown of Marple Newtown.
