By Brian Carroll
“That’s why they play the games…” In last week’s 50-yard Line column, Strath Haven and Garnet Valley seemed to be a relatively even match-up “on paper”, with nearly identical statistics, approaches on offense, and more. But after 48 minutes of football last Friday, it became clear to everyone in the Central League and beyond that this year’s version of the Jaguars is not only the team to beat in the Central League, but is perhaps Coach Ricci’s best team since their 2007 state finalist, and a favorite in the 6A division in District 1 and beyond. After taking their first loss of the season, Strath Haven will look to bounce back on the road this week against a Springfield Cougar squad on a two-game winning streak.
Led by Head Coach Chris Britton, the Cougars have gained momentum in recent weeks after an opening night loss to Pioneer Athletic Conference 6A power Perkiomen Valley. With a 42-6 win over Harriton, followed by a competitive and close 33-28 loss against undefeated Ridley, Springfield has since rattled off two straight wins over Radnor (23-14) and Upper Darby (21-0) with a stifling defense and an offense that features a variety of weapons. In last week’s shutout over the Royals, the Cougar defenders piled up five sacks, forced three turnovers, and never allowed Upper Darby inside their 40-yard line. That set up the offense, led by junior, quarterback #8 Jake Rama, with good field position most of the night. Rama completed 17 of 24 passes for 199-yards and a touchdown to go with one interception. And while the running game averaged less than two yards per carry amongst four different ball carriers, it was effective enough to keep the defense honest and allow Rama to sling it to six different receivers and keep the Royals’ defense on its heels.
For the Panthers, Week 5’s stat sheet was not nearly as pleasant as their first four outings, as the potent running game that averaged over 360-yards per game and nearly 10-yards per carry was squashed by Garnet Valley’s fast and punishing defense. The Panthers’ passing game was also hit or miss, and after two stops in the first quarter, the defense struggled to contain a balanced Jaguars offense. Still, the Panthers can have confidence that four convincing wins aside from last week have given them a blueprint for success for the second half of the regular season. Look for the Panthers to get the Wing-T rolling again with running backs (#24) Chase Barlow, #23 Matt Shuler, and #32 Anthony Crawford, with quarterback (#4) Sam Milligan sprinkling in the occasional run. Milligan has also found recent success with emerging target (#15) Aiden Sutherland, and will be tested against a Springfield defense that returns 8 starters from last year’s unit and allows just 18 points per game.
With Springfield on a modest win streak and the Panthers facing their first adversity of the season, this Friday’s matchup could very well come down to the Strath Haven defense. Can the Panthers contain Jake Rama, who often extends plays by scrambling out of the pocket and throwing on the run? Can they tackle well in the secondary, as slot receiver (#14) Robby Longo is a favorite target and runs very well after the catch? Can the Panthers get back to forcing multiple turnovers to shorten the field for the offense, as Springfield’s punting and kicking has been solid all season? Prior to last week, the Haven defense showed it was up to the task, so if the Panthers defensive line, led by Nate Perlman, Mason Green, Jason Williams and Ethan Barrar, can get pressure up front, it should set up well for success.
Kick-off is this Friday at 7:00 PM at Springfield High School. If you can’t make the game you can always listen to our broadcast right here at Havenfootball.net. Our broadcast will begin at 6:45. The game will be available on our archives within a few hours after the game concludes. The game will also be broadcast live on SSD Cougars Streaming on YouTube. You can also check in on Twitter for scores and video updates.
