#40 Bob Fooskas and #32 Anthony Crawford blitz the quarterback in Haven’s victory last week over Academy Park. Photo by Jim Quinn, BQPictures.com
By Brian Carroll, broadcaster
The matchup could not look any more even “on paper.” The #1 seed will play the #2 seed. Both teams vanquished a league opponent for a second time in the playoffs. Both teams favor a “ground-and-pound” approach with a Wing-T offense. Both teams have longtime coaches with a history of success. And so, the District 1 5A Championship football game will land as predicted by the playoff bracket, as top-ranked West Chester Rustin will host #2 Strath Haven with a trip to the state semifinals on the line.
Rustin, the runner-up in the Ches-Mont American division, is no stranger to the District 1 Championship game. With Head Coach Mike St. Clair in his 16th season at the helm, the Golden Knights claimed the crown in 2008 and finished as runner-up in both 2018 and 2020. Current players who are hungry to end the two-game skid in the district finals include seniors #12 Anthony Meadows and #14 Chris Yanko, both of whom double as running backs and linebackers. Another senior calls the signals for the offense, southpaw QB #11 Kolbe Freeney, and is protected by a massive and talented offensive line. That line paves the way for a run-heavy offense, with the focal point being school-record setting running back #1 Dayshawn Jacobs. Jacobs, as one of the best threats in all of District 1, has amassed 2,551 rushing yards and 39 touchdowns on the ground, and also doubles as a kick returner and punter. Mix in a defense that allows just under 13 points per game, and has only given up 21 or more to three of their twelve opponents, and Rustin has shown their success of the past few years is anything but a fluke.
