Strath Haven

By TERRY TOOHEY

ttoohey@delcotimes.com

NETHER PROVIDENCE — After two consecutive losing seasons, the heat is on Strath Haven to get back on the winning track.

The pressure, though, does not come from the coaching staff, the fans or some other outside entity. It comes from within.

No one wants to turn things around more than the players.

“Pressure is something we embrace,” senior running back/defensive back Alex Bratsis said. “We put pressure on ourselves in a good way. We want to succeed.”

Bratsis and the 16 other seniors on the roster do not want to be the first class in the 31-year history of the program to have three consecutive losing seasons. You have to go back nearly 20 years, to 1994 and 1995 to be exact, to find the only other time the Panthers had back-to-back losing campaigns.

“This program has a history of winning,” senior split end/linebacker Paul Somaru said. “We want to get back to that so yeah, there’s pressure, but it’s the kind of pressure we feel this team is can handle.”

So how do the Panthers turn things around?

“Go out and work hard, a lot harder than we did last year,” said two-way lineman Justin Fremont. “We have to stay focused and move forward, don’t think about the past.”

“You have to play hard every snap,” Somaru added. “And you have to know your assignments.”

What did you expect from a Kevin Clancy coached team? Clancy, the winningest coach in Delco history by 55 victories, is a no-nonsense guy who likes to keep things simple. Success is a product of hard work. If you work hard, you will succeed.

Clancy does not dwell the past.

“Every year is different,” said Clancy, the dean of Delco football coaches with 32 years as a head coach, 24 at Strath Haven. “Every team is different. We haven’t talked about (the back-to-back losing seasons) because I don’t want that to be our focus. I think it’s going to be fun. We’re looking forward to the season. We have a tough opener against Dobbins and then we have the league.”

As usual, Strath Haven has speed and good size up front, the only drawback could be depth. With only 44 players on the roster, a lot of players will be going both ways, but that is not unusual, either.

The 6-3, 265-pound Fremont anchors and offensive line that also has Peter Deeb (6-0, 225) and Anthony Paul (5-11, 200) returning. All three are two-way players. Fremont and Paul also play up front on defense, while Deeb is part of a deep corps of linebackers.

The strength of the offense is in the backfield, where two of the top three rushers return. Anthony Myers led the team with 711 yards and seven touchdowns. Bratsis gained 373 yards and scored eight times. He also had caught two passes for touchdowns.

Bratsis was part of a three-way battle at quarterback with fellow seniors Nick Fender and Dalton Leach before Clancy turned that into a two-way fight between Fender and Leach.

The 6-2 Somaru gives Strath Haven size on the flank and Denzil Lezenby (6-3, 200) is a big target at tight end. One newcomer to watch is Kyree Full. The 6-2, 185-pound junior came back out for football after taking a year off and should help in the backfield and in the linebacking corps.

Another fresh face is junior guard/linebacker Shane Mulhern, a transfer from Garnet Valley. He’s the son of Mike Mulhern and the nephew of Chris, Dan and John Mulhern, all of who had great careers at Strath Haven.

The strength of the defense is in the secondary. Somaru led the team in total tackles and solo stops a year ago. Bratsis and Myers are standout defenders, too. Bratsis led the team in tackles for loss and Myers was second in the category.

The best thing Strath Haven has going for it, though, is its collective attitude. The players are upbeat and believe they can get Strath Haven back to its winning ways.

“This is an experienced team,” Bratsis said. “I think that’s our strength. Our senior class has a lot of experience. We know that has to be done and it’s our job to make sure the younger guys know that, too. We have to be the leaders because we want to turn things around. That’s very important to us.”