CONCORD TWP. – Strath Haven all-purpose monster Landon Barlow was a menace on both sides of the ball Friday night as the Panthers shocked undefeated Garnet Valley, 13-7, at Moe DeFrank Stadium.
Change positions? No problem. Ram into the heart of the Jaguars’ defense whenever needed? Whatever it takes.
Barlow was willing to do anything asked of him, but he was far from a one-man show. The Panthers delivered an epic defensive performance, slowing down a Jaguars offense that had been terrorizing opponents all season.
“We just kept telling ourselves that we were not going to let anyone take this from us,” said Barlow, who moved from defensive end to linebacker for the game. “Everyone in Delco had us losing. We came out with a very physical mindset and were ready to get downhill and get after it.”
There was never any doubt that Strath Haven’s visit to Garnet Valley on Friday night would be a battle. For the Panthers, preparation centered on finding a way to contain the Jaguars offense.
“I thought we had our best week of practice, and it wasn’t even close,” Strath Haven middle linebacker Patrick Burke said. “The scout guys played great. It was an intense week, and we had our best practices at the right time, just before the biggest game of our season so far. We had a game plan. At halftime, we made some adjustments, and that’s all it was. Honestly, it came down to grit.”
The ground-and-pound teams went straight at each other, as expected.
“We’re taking a lot of pride in being able to balance out the offense a little bit this season. With Coltan (Turner’s) arm, we trust him,” Jaguars coach Eric Van Wyk said. “It came down to those little moments where we needed to execute as a team, and we just didn’t get it done.”
The game also featured clutch special teams play. Garnet Valley narrowly avoided disaster early when a snap sailed over punter Owen Zweier’s head. Zweier scrambled to recover the ball before unleashing a 28-yard punt.
That bit of good fortune would not last long, as Strath Haven (6-1, 6-0 Central) wasted little time getting its offense rolling.
The Panthers marched down the field on a 10-play, 67-yard drive, capped by a 12-yard touchdown run from Yousif Ali. Barlow, who finished the game with 129 yards on 22 carries, gained 29 yards on the drive. Ali, who totaled 52 yards on the night, added 38 yards on four carries.
The Jaguars (5-1, 4-1) didn’t let the Panthers run away with the game.Garnet Valley quarterback Coltan Turner used both his arm and his legs to lead the Jaguars’ answer, and he ran in a 37-yard touchdown in the second quarter to tie the game at 7-7 heading into halftime.
“Everyone knows Garnet Valley as a running team, but when it’s third-and-10, you need to be able to sling the ball. That’s something we can do very well this year, and we’re very proud of that,” said Michael Archer, who finished with five catches for 45 yards. “We also know we have the run game, too, so we can flip back and forth and use both of them. We’re gonna flip the page on this one and put it behind us.”
The Jaguars opened the second half with an onside kick, which Archer recovered. Garnet Valley failed to capitalize, but the recovery provided an early boost.
Barlow’s electrifying 38-yard touchdown run in the third quarter put his stamp on the contest. It gave the Panthers a 13-7 advantage.
“I just tell myself that if I get the ball, I run like I mean it,” Barlow said. “As long as I run as hard as I can, I’m proud of myself.”
Barlow’s upright running style allows him to absorb contact, shake off defenders, and still explode into the open field. His touchdown was the kind of play Strath Haven fans will not soon forget.
“It was that kind of a night,” Strath Haven coach Kevin Clancy said. “Possession of the ball is important, and making first downs was as important as scoring touchdowns. (Barlow) really came through and was tremendous for us, but the guys up front were great, and his fellow backs, who were blocking for him, also ran hard.”
Garnet Valley’s Dylan Perry, who turned in a strong defensive performance, blocked the point-after attempt. But the big play went unrewarded, Garnet’s offense getting no closer.
“The truth is that the story of the night was our defense. They held strong against a team that was averaging 46 points a game. It was an outstanding defensive effort,” Clancy said. “One of our best defensive players was out hurt (Cole Haly), and the other kids rallied around each other. Barlow switched from end to linebacker and filled in beautifully, but our defensive coaching staff also did a great job.”
Helping lead the defensive effort was Chase Shuster, who also starred as the punter. Tyler Slaughter and Zach Milligan also stood out as defensive stalwarts.
The drama continued until the final moments. Late in the fourth quarter, Garnet Valley faced fourth-and-3 from the Strath Haven 12-yard line. It appeared a Jaguars’ run had been stuffed. But Garnet Valley was given a timeout just before the play began, earning one more opportunity to keep their hopes alive. But the followup was an incomplete pass, allowing the Panthers to take over and grind down the clock.
“It’s one game. They executed in the pressure situations, and we didn’t,” Van Wyk said. “It’s a learning moment for us, but the beautiful thing is that there are a lot of games left.”
Suspense, physicality, and a legendary performance from Barlow: Strath Haven could not have asked for much more.