By Brian Carroll –
Any time a high school football team loses their first game, doubt has an opportunity to appear. For the Strath Haven Panthers, coming off a 22-10 opening night loss to an excellent Chester squad, a short practice week then gave them less time to prepare for their annual “Media Bowl” showdown with Penncrest. And while Penncrest put up a good fight through the first two quarters, Strath Haven erased all doubt thereafter and now arrives in Week 3 with another stern test in front of them—A road trip to Lansdown Avenue to battle the Upper Darby Royals.
The Royals are off to a solid start, with a 2-0 record for the second time in the past three seasons after convincing wins over Bensalem and Conestoga. Head Coach Darrell Dulany begins his fourth year with lots of talent at the skill positions, namely with two good options at quarterback. Junior #6 Safiy Salley accounted for three total touchdowns last week, while Senior #4 Wac Kuol Duot Wac ran for one last week and threw for two more against Bensalem. #1 Shamarr Purnell, #2 Mustapha Daboh, and #5 Amir Crooks are all explosive threats as receivers, with Daboh and #3 Jeremiah Benoit also providing special teams sparks as returners. Defensively, the Royals were hit hard by graduation but still have good size up front with #52 Jay’Den Lackay and #58 Brandon Beverly. #7 David Nicholson is a solid anchor at middle linebacker, and is flanked by #34 Kyle Harris, #29 Habib Conteh, and #9 Dantily Samoura. Purnell is receiving college interest as a defensive back, while Crooks, Benoit, and #12 Hasan Johnson all have interceptions in the early season.
Speaking of explosive playmakers, Strath Haven rebounded with a 42-0 shutout of Penncrest thanks in large part to the start and the end the first half. #3 Landon Barlow (199 yards, 3 TDs) took the second snap from scrimmage 55 yards to the end zone, while #11 Jalen Starr turned a 10-yard hitch into a 46-yard catch and run with only one second remaining before the break for a 14-0 lead. From there, the Panthers ground out 358 rushing yards for the night, with contributions from #4 Yousif Ali (78-yards), #5 Kasey Hudson, and #20 Will Davis. Defensively #84 Tyler Slaughter was a menace up front, deflecting two of Penncrest’s first three pass attempts, while sure tackling from #53 Pat Burke, #80 John Reilly, and #7 Cole Haly (fumble recovery) limited the Lions to just 12 yards in the second half. #47 Matt Styer was perfect on six extra point tries.
Leading into this week, the Panthers will have their hands full with a Royals defense that has rotated several players at all three levels. Last year’s 21-0 Strath Haven victory may provide a blueprint of sorts, as the Panthers went with a fullback-heavy, slugfest approach that controlled the clock and found the end zone three times. Still, the Panthers will need to keep the defense honest when they crowd the line of scrimmage, so look for the developing connecting between #8 Jake Plunkett and #11 Jalen Starr to grow, as well as the Panthers big targets at tight end. For the Royals, they will need to minimize mistakes, as penalties and two fumbles in each of their first two contests could prove costly against an already-stingy Haven defense.
For those who can’t make it out to a special Thursday night football game with a 5pm kickoff, join the livestream on www.havenfootball.net beginning at 4:45pm at Upper Darby High School. Coach Dulany will have the Royals ready to avenge last year’s loss, while Coach Kevin Clancy and the Panthers will try to continue their plan of, “Let’s get a little better each week.” Either way, expect a tight, tough battle between two talented teams. Go Panthers!
