By Brian Carroll, Havenfootball.net
Anyone reading havenfootball.net’s Playoff Projections probably saw this one coming. As the regular season inched toward its conclusion, it became more and more apparent that as Strath Haven was busy nailing down the #2 seed in the District 1 5A playoff bracket, Springfield was getting hot at the right time of year. And after both teams came away with very convincing home wins in their playoff openers (Strath Haven bested Upper Merion, 35-3, while Springfield hammered Phoenixville, 42-7), the rematch of Central League rivals is all set for a quarterfinal matchup at Haven’s George L. King Field.
After a three-game losing streak in September, Head Coach Chris Britton and the Cougars have righted the ship and rattled off six straight wins. Senior QB #8 Jake Rama has 1,214 passing yards and 15 touchdowns on the season, and has been particularly sharp during the winning streak. In the last six weeks, Rama is 39-of-53 for 712 yards, 11 touchdowns and just one interception. The offensive line, led by tackles #78 Gus Bryan and #70 Tyler Klamabara, have allowed only three sacks on the season and have opened some terrific running lanes for FB #34 Nate Romano and TB #14 Tyler Gougler. Mix in receiving weapons #10 Mike O’Donnell and #6 Aiden Kreydt, and Springfield has scored 35 or more points in five of their last six weeks. Defensively, Kreydt and O’Donnell anchor the secondary, while linebackers Romano, #20 Chris Dolan and #32 Ethan Marshall are busy tacklers. Up front, defensive tackles #63 Fred Withrow and #79 Jaylin Price-Tate will be a handful for Strath Haven blockers.
