By Brian Carroll, Havenfootball.net –
With twelve teams in the Central League and only 10 weeks of regular season high school football, the Strath Haven Panthers do not have the opportunity to play every team on an annual basis. This oddity has led to multiple shared championships for many teams over the years and several “what if” discussions. Still, when old rivalries have a brief hiatus in a given year, the renewal can be exciting. Thus, after not meeting in 2024, the Panthers and Upper Darby Royals game this Friday should provide a new spark for a matchup that has been excellent for decades.
The Royals roll into their third road game in as many weeks with some energy and momentum, and third-year Head Coach Darrell Dulany and the team blasted Conestoga 29-9 a week ago. Upper Darby boasts a fast and aggressive defense, which essentially shut out the Pioneers a week ago, with Conestoga’s points coming only via special teams and a defensive fumble recovery. Senior #7 A’zeem Spicer is a playmaker up front from his defensive end spot, as he and fellow senior linebacker #5 Osman Daffay both have college offers appearing. #6 Shyon Branch has played well in the secondary, and is a threat in the kick return game, too. Offensively, Upper Darby used a more balanced attack in the win over Conestoga, as sophomore quarterback #17 Safiy Salley threw for three touchdown passes. A’zeem Spicer snagged two of those scoring tosses, and has three receiving scores on the season. #10 Amir Crooks also had a 24-yard touchdown catch last week, while #3 Salahudin Abdur-Rahid paced the rushing attack with 129 yards that included a 56-yard scoring jaunt to ice the game in the fourth quarter.
For the Panthers, the Week 1 victory over Interboro was a sign of more to come, as the silver and black pounded their way to 376 rushing yards in a 35-0 whitewash of Penncrest. #35 Ryan Mudrick (84 yds, TD) and #3 Landon Barlow (87yds, TD) did some heavy lifting at the fullback spot, with dangerous wingbacks #4 Yosef Ali (55 yards) and #5 Kasey Hudson (79 yards) adding speed and power off the edges. #30 Derek Bradley also exploded onto the scene with a 53-yard scoring burst in the third quarter, as the Lions had no answers for the Wing-T offense. Defensively, the Panthers were fantastic in limiting the Lions to just 119 rushing and 29 passing yards, as Penncrest never reached the red zone all evening. #7 Cole Haly, #15 Luke Mulhern, and #53 Patrick Burke led the way in tackles, while #17 Quinn Kell had multiple key stops in the open field to slow or stop Penncrest drives.
This week, the Panthers will be tested to match the speed and physicality of the Upper Darby defense, and keep them guessing on which of the six weapons in the backfield could be carrying the ball. Upper Darby was bested by Bensalem in their opening game, but cleaned up some turnovers and penalties in Week 2 and will be the Panthers’ toughest matchup to date. On the other side of the ball, the Royals’ vertical passing game has accounted for three of their four touchdowns on the season, so Kell, Hudson, #22 Grayson LaFrance and #18 Jalen Starr will need to be in peak form in the secondary.
Come out this Friday night for the third home game in a row for the Panthers, or check out the broadcast beginning at 6:45pm on www.havenfootball.net to see if Strath Haven can jump to 3-0 on the young season, or if the Royals can insert themselves quickly into the Central League race. Go Panthers!
