Football: Marco Kaufman, Strath Haven go to ground to end Garnet Valley’s win streak

CONCORD – Marco Kaufman was too young to remember the last time Strath Haven defeated Garnet Valley in a football game.

The senior running back/linebacker considers the year 2010 ancient history, a bygone era before teams were permitted to carry around tablets on the sideline. Back in those days coaches exchanged game film on relics such as DVD and VHS.

When the game went final Friday night, and Strath Haven players congratulated themselves on a 28-19 victory over Garnet Valley to take sole possession of first place in the Central League, Kaufman showed a lot of emotion.

“It feels so great. I’ve been waiting for this since I was a little kid,” Kaufman said. “We’ve never beaten Garnet, not since I have been playing football. It’s incredible.”

The Panthers’ previous win over the Jaguars transpired Oct. 15, 2010, a 21-20 decision at George L. King Field. Thirteen years later, the Panthers came to Moe DeFrank and dealt the Jaguars their first Central League loss since 2017. Garnet Valley is the five-time defending league champion, but they are no longer in the driver’s seat. Strath Haven, which shared the title with Garnet Valley last season (the teams did not meet), is seeking its first outright championship since 2010.

“That has been a goal for us going into the season, but at the same time, when we started in August our goal was to beat Interboro (on opening night),” Kaufman said “It wasn’t to go 10-0, or win the Central League, it was to beat Interboro and take it one game at a time. That’s what we have been doing.”

Kaufman’s 23-yard touchdown run straight up the gut helped the Panthers (7-0, 6-0) seal the deal. Haven led 21-6 at halftime, but Garnet Valley came out of the locker room determined to come back and keep its unbeaten streak alive.

“I knew we just needed a first down on that last possession, just keep things going,” said Kaufman, whose 84 yards on the ground was third-most on the team. Shane Green led the way with 124 yards on 18 carries, while James Fisher amassed 86 yards on 13 rushes.

Kaufman added: “We were thinking about the clock and holding onto the ball and keeping possession, no matter what.”

Kaufman’s TD with 2:15 to go extended Haven’s advantage to 27-19. Junior Ben Milligan was tasked with making the pivotal extra point to give the Panthers a two-score lead. No problem, right? Well, not after the Panthers were whistled for a 15-yard unsportsmanlike penalty for excessive celebration.

Milligan lined up for a 35-yard PAT. After taking a deep breath, he drilled the ball through the uprights with plenty of room to spare. He said he never made one from that far out before, even in practice.

“I don’t know if I can hit that one out of a 1,000 times,” Milligan said. “I was confident and all of my teammates had trust in me to make the kick. … This is the best feeling in my life.”

Strath Haven coach Kevin Clancy praised his players for staying together when the Jaguars rallied in the second half.

“Our kids came in determined today and that kind of showed,” Clancy said. “I think they believe in themselves, they believe in each other. And, you know, they just stuck to the things that they practiced all week. And they showed poise and composure. There’s some things we’ve got to clean up, but on the whole, that’s a great effort from our kids. This isn’t just a bunch of guys put together, they’re a true team.”

The Jaguars recovered an onside kick to start the half, then Luke Vaughn scored on a 21-yard run to cut the deficit to 21-13. Early in the fourth quarter Tyler Lassik connected with Drew Keaveney on a 12-yard touchdown pass. Lassik fell short of scoring the game-tying, two-point conversion by a half-yard.

The Panthers scored on each of their first two possessions to begin the night. Green did the majority of his damage in the first half, finding the end zone on a short run for the game’s first TD. Garnet Valley’s initial drive ended with a lost fumble at its 35-yard line and the Panthers took advantage, as Green sprinted 18 yards to the house as the Panthers jumped ahead 14-0.

Garnet Valley responded with a lengthy 16-play drive that ended when Nolan Carroll crossed the goal line from a yard out. On the ensuing possession the Panthers leaned on Fisher, who broke off a 28-yard run. Moments later Fisher hit the end zone, but officials thought otherwise after he fumbled the ball and Garnet Valley recovered for a touchback. With a minute left before halftime, Fisher found paydirt once again…and this time the touchdown counted.

“This is definitely one of the biggest games I’ve ever been a part of in my sports career,” said Milligan, the starting second baseman for the Panthers’ District 1 Class 5A championship team that made it all the way to the PIAA final in June. “This win is about us tonight. We control our own destiny now and that’s exactly where you want to be.”