Panthers to Face West Chester Rustin in District 1 5A Football Championship
#40 Bob Fooskas and #32 Anthony Crawford blitz the quarterback in Haven’s victory last week over Academy Park. Photo: Jim Quinn, BQPictures.com
This week’s championship 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 taste victory 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, who 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 top 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 that their success of the past few years is anything but a fluke.
Practically a mirror image, Strath Haven brings an ever-improving defense (allowing just 13.6 points per game), and a powerful running game that has piled up nearly 4,500 yards rushing and 37.5 points per game (7th best in District 1). The recipe was the same in last week’s 34-6 throttling of Academy Park, as the defense, led by #85 Nate Perlman, #57 Ethan Barrar, #52 Jason Williams, and #84 Mason Green on the defensive line, held a fast and potent Academy Park attack in check. From there, the offense was rolling all night, with #23 Matt Shuler and #24 Chase Barlow scoring two touchdowns each, while #32 Anthony Crawford and #4 Sam Milligan ran effectively and also connected on a 29-yard scoring pass to ice the game in the third quarter. Overcoming some uncharacteristic penalties and fumbles and still putting 34 points on the board against the District’s second-best scoring defense should give the Panthers plenty of confidence leading into their first trip to the District 1 finals since 2010.
With both Rustin and Strath Haven running versions of the Wing-T offense and boasting similarly stingy defenses, expect the game to come down to which team takes care of the ball best, and which team avoids big plays against them. With Rustin’s Dayshawn Jacobs’ ability to score from anywhere on the field, and the Panthers bringing six different backs with runs of 45 yards or more, this game is certain to have its share of highlights. Haven Head Coach Kevin Clancy is 11-1 all time in District finals, and as noted above, Rustin’s St. Clair has very recent experience playing in the big game. With many seniors on both teams not looking for their seasons to end just yet, the Golden Knights and Panthers will both be motivated to bring some hardware home to their respective trophy cases.
Everyone should enjoy their Thanksgiving (and subsequent naps) on Thursday, and then gear up for some championship football on Friday night. Don’t miss the audio broadcast beginning at 6:45 p.m. for pre-game and a 7 p.m. kickoff on www.havenfootball.net. The game will be available on our archives within a few hours after it concludes. You can also check in on Twitter for scores and video updates.
