Strath Haven’s Sean Henry, left, and Marco Kaufman celebrate after stopping Chester on fourth down in the waning minutes of the PIAA Class 5A final Saturday afternoon. (PETE BANNAN-DAILY TIMES)
CHESTER — Strath Haven quarterback Jake Kitchin never envisioned himself scoring three touchdowns in one game.
It wasn’t just any old game, either. It was the District 1 Class 5A championship in front of a crowd of thousands packed inside the Chester Athletic Complex.
Playing behind the best offensive line in the county, Kitchin was more than happy to get the opportunity to score points for his team. Strath Haven’s version of the Brotherly Shove worked to perfection each time.
“I definitely have to give props to my offensive line,” Kitchin said. “Three quarterback sneaks there, wow. It was like Jalen Hurts and Jason Kelce, a little tush-push action. A lot of credit to the line for getting me in there “
Kitchin’s final QB sneak from a yard out helped put the second-seeded Panthers ahead eight points late in the fourth quarter. Haven held on to capture its 13th District 1 title — all under the guidance of coach Kevin Clancy — with a 28-20 victory over No. 1 Chester Saturday. It marked the Panthers ‘ second district championship in three seasons.
Strath Haven meets District 12 champion Imhotep Charter next week in the PIAA semifinals. Imhotep advanced with a 31-7 decision over Delaware Valley.
“This was a great football game for both schools and you could see both communities really wanted it,” Clancy said. “I think they have done an exceptional job with the Chester football team. They have tremendous players and our kids had to play our best game of the year to be able to win today. I thought we played disciplined, we grinded it out and I am really proud of our kids for sticking together as a team. I have a ton of respect for how good those guys are on Chester.”
Strath Haven imposed its will and dominated time of possession in the second half. Chester ran only 11 plays for 52 yards after Quamere Cosby returned the opening kick of the second half 92 yards for a touchdown. Jalen Harris connected with Dom Toy on the two-point conversion pass to give the Clippers (12-2) a 20-14 lead.
“They got tired and we didn’t. That’s just what it is,” Kitchin said. “We worked so hard for this moment, we get a hundred reps in practice for each play, so we never get tired from this. I think you saw that they got tired and it gave us the edge.”
The Panthers (13-1) answered Cosby’s kick return with a 16-play drive covering 68 yards. Kitchin hooked up with tight end Sean Henry on a nine-yard TD pass to tie the game at 20 with 1:48 left in the third quarter. Ben Milligan hit the extra point to give Haven the lead.
“We have trust in our guys. Shout out to our quarterback Jake and my fellow linemen,” senior offensive tackle Bill Brown said. “We trusted each other and we’ve been working together since the summer. We went out there and took control of the game. It’s the best feeling in the world. We have worked so hard for everything we accomplished. People really doubted us throughout the season, so I feel really blessed to win it.”
After a Chester punt, Strath Haven’s signature Wing-T offense went back to work in the fourth quarter. Running backs James Fisher (88 yards), Shane Green (78 yards) and Marco Kaufman (51 yards) averaged 5.2 yards per carry. Chester’s big and fast defensive front had no answer. Kitchin got into the end zone with 3:18 left in regulation.
“They’ve been down before and they just play with a lot of poise. Nobody gets too up or too down,” Clancy said “And they are an exceptional group when that happens”
Henry intercepted Harris (7-for-12, 173 yards) in the final minute to seal the deal.
The Clippers were plagued by 17 penalties. The infractions came in bunches on defense in the second half as the Panthers slowed the game down and controlled time of possession.
“I think we had 13 offsides and half of them were just lining up offsides from the jump. We’ve got to be a more disciplined team,” said Dennis Shaw, who led the Clippers to a program-record 12 wins in his first season as head coach. “There is no other way around it, and it’s not rocket science. When you beat yourself, you’re not going to win against a legendary coach and a good football team.
“Hat’s off to Strath Haven. I don’t want to deflect from their win because they earned it and they were a better team today. They came out and they beat us.”
Strath Haven marched 65 yards on the opening drive of the game. Kitchin sneaked across the goal line from five yards out for the game’s first score.
Chester’s high-powered offense had a response on its first play as Jalen Harris threw a strike across the middle to his twin brother Daron, who raced 74 yards to the end zone. In the second quarter, Jalen Harris scrambled for a 10-yard touchdown to give Chester the first of its two leads.
Fisher broke loose for a 34-yard run on Haven’s next possession. Four plays later Kitchin found paydirt for the second time to put the Panthers up 14-12.
Chester’s dynamic run offense was held in check. Larry McDaniel had a couple of nice runs, but the Clippers never could find their rhythm on offense. While the Panthers ran the ball 55 times for 232 yards, the Clippers managed only 89 yards on 20 attempts.
“God willing, we hope to be right back in this game next year. I told the kids to remember the feeling,” Shaw said. “This team made history this year, hosting the district championship as the one-seed for the first time in school history. They put on a show in front of a great crowd. There are a lot of building points for us and we are looking forward to being back next year.”
2023-11-26 01:52:30
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