By Brian Carroll
“They’ll start at their six-yard line, with a chance at something epic.” Late in the fourth quarter a week ago, the tone of the www.havenfootball.net broadcast was hopeful, but anxious to say the least. The Strath Haven football team had struggled their way to just 143 yards of total offense on the evening against a terrific Springfield Cougar defense in a back-and-forth tilt reminiscent of several recent contests with these two teams. Still, the Panthers managed a 94-yard scoring drive in less than two minutes to stun the Cougars’ home crowd and walk away with an exhilarating 19-15 victory between two fantastic squads favored to be at or near to the top of the Central League. The Panthers don’t get to revel in the victory for long, however, as another formidable opponent visits George L. King Field this week, the always-tough and talented Ridley Green Raiders.
Ridley will hit the road for the first time this year, after an 8-4 record and third place finish in the Central League in 2022. Defensively, the Raiders return last year’s inside linebackers #45 Connor Kelly and #52 Bill Bair, who returned an interception for a touchdown in last season’s loss to the Panthers.
