By Brian Carroll
It was oh-so-close last Friday night. Oh-so-close to breaking just one more big play. Oh-so-close to handing Springfield their first loss of the season. And oh-so-close for the Strath Haven Panthers to grab a share of their fourth straight Central League title. But Springfield matched the Panthers blow-by-blow, and a fourth quarter field goal was the difference in knocking off the Panthers in Week 10 for the second straight season. In 2024, that loss that ended the regular season spurred the Panthers to a fantastic first-round playoff win, so this year’s #4 seed Strath Haven will look to repeat history this week as they host the #13 Upper Moreland Golden Bears.
The Golden Bears arrive at George L. King Field with some momentum after knocking off neighborhood rival Hatboro-Horsham, 41-13, to secure a spot in the playoffs. Head Coach Adam Beach has a balanced offensive attack with big play capability thanks to senior receiver #11 Larry Hughes. At 6’4”, Hughes provides a big and fast target for quarterback #5 David Adamski, as they connected for a pair of 28-yard scoring strikes in last week’s victory. Adamski is also a very capable scrambler and runner, as he topped 100 yards rushing on Friday, as well. Senior running backs #1 Elijah Davis and #32 Justin Valentin also found the end zone and offer some variety in attacking the middle and the edges of the defense. Defensively, Upper Moreland allows just 16.5 points per game, with Valentin and #44 Jimmy Murray staying busy at linebacker. #54 Darrius Whetstone (6’2”, 285 lbs.) is a force on the defensive line, while #2 Kyle Moore (interception last week) and #3 Travis Quirk anchor the secondary. And while overall strength of schedule for the Bears is perhaps less than other teams in the field, down-to-the-wire contests with #5 seed Wissahickon and 6A playoff qualifier Plymouth-Whitemarsh have Upper Moreland battle-tested leading into the postseason.
Speaking of battle-tested, Strath Haven is just a few days removed from their toughest battle of the season, a 10-7 loss to undefeated Springfield. The Panthers managed to hold District 1’s highest scoring offense to a season-low in points, with big plays coming from linebackers #7 Cole Haly (16 tackles, interception) and #53 Patrick Burke (7 tackles, pass defense), and sure tackling from #17 Quinn Kell. Quarterback #15 Luke Mulhern’s 39-yard scoring strike to #30 Derek Bradley gave the Panthers a brief 7-0 lead before halftime, but Springfield’s halftime adjustments stymied the Haven attack the rest of the evening, and the Cougar offense took advantage of great field position to claim the Central League title outright. Still, the Panthers were just a play away from knocking off the undefeated #1 seed in the playoff field so can have some confidence that a deep postseason run is within reach.
Strath Haven and Upper Moreland have met twice previously, with the Bears giving the 2010 Panthers their only regular season loss, while the 2011 Panthers avenged it on opening night the following season. While the current players were learning to tie their shoes, Head Coach Kevin Clancy and Coach Beach were both at the helm of those teams and will be more than aware of game plans and tendencies this week. Expect Upper Moreland to get Hughes involved quickly with some short passes to set up deeper shots later, while Strath Haven will look to re-establish the ground game that stalled last week. The winner will advance to the quarterfinal round to take on the winner of the #5 Wissahickon vs. #12 Unionville tilt.
A good crowd is expected this Friday, with playoff energy and urgency engulfing all 16 teams in the playoff field. For fans who cannot attend in person, catch all the action beginning at 6:45pm on www.havenfootball.net, and cheer Strath Haven toward extending their season at least another week. Go Panthers!
