By Ruthanne Morris
The Panthers’ three-game win streak and JV season came to an end at the hands of the undefeated Marple Newtown Tigers to the tune of a 32-0 yesterday at King Field.
The Tigers scored on their first possession and took an early 8-0 lead.
Haven’s offense got off to a slow start. Early injuries to Thomas Foster and Nick O’Connor certainly didn’t help matters. The Panthers couldn’t convert on third down and were forced to punt. The punt was blocked and returned for the second Tiger touchdown of the afternoon. The Tigers enjoyed a comfortable 16-0 lead with seconds to go in the first quarter.
Haven’s troubles continued when Morris’ pass intended for Seal was intercepted and returned for another Tiger touchdown. The score was now 24-0.
The Tigers were knocking on the door again when Chris Rosini dealt a punishing blow to interrupt the drive. Two plays later, Zach Politarhos intercepted a pass and returned it to the Haven 21-yard line. But the Tigers defensive line continued to penetrate the line of scrimmage as they had for the entire half and forced a fumble which Marple recovered with 20 seconds remaining on the clock. Two plays later Marple scored on a 20-yard touchdown pass giving the Tigers a cushion of 32-0.
The Panthers held the Tigers scoreless in the second half and the offense showed some sparks on connections from Morris to Seal and some shifty running by Sean Daly. The Panthers’ drive to the one-yard line was stopped short of the goal line giving the Tigers the win.
