NETHER PROVIDENCE — It started with a calculated slow trot right, and then in a blink through a maze of black and white jerseys, James Fisher popped out at the end of the player tunnel that hugged the sideline.
And no one seemed to touch him.
It was as lethal as a cobra strike.
It’s exactly what the 5-foot-10, 176-pound Strath Haven senior tailback was like Friday night against Garnet Valley, scoring a career-best five touchdowns, along with a career-best 178 yards rushing in an awesome display of explosive speed in the Panthers’ 35-14 Central League victory over visiting Garnet Valley.
Strath Haven, the defending PIAA District 1 Class 5A champions, made a statement throughout the area that it is not going to give up that title easily.
And if Fisher can keep up performances like that, the 5-0 Panthers will be tough to beat.
In a crowded, highly competitive PIAA Class 5A, Strath Haven may have grabbed the regular-season top spot with the victory over Garnet Valley, which has moved down to Class 5A.
The Panthers will have to battle Central League rival Springfield (Delco), Rustin, Phoenixville and Chester, last year’s District 1 Class 5A runner-up that returns major pieces from its 2023 team.
This win went a long way toward confidence building and making sure the rest of the area takes notice: To be the champ, you have to beat the champ—and that’s Strath Haven.
“We know we have a big target on our backs, from Springfield, Garnet Valley, Marple Newtown, and especially Chester, for the district championship,” said Fisher, who has not received any college offers, though is talking to Villanova, Towson, Stony Brook, Kutztown and West Chester. “We feel a lot of pressure. This game started slowly, but the whole game the sweeps were there and we waited on them. This was a really big win. We had a number of people who didn’t think we would win this game, so, yes, it was a statement game.”
Strath Haven scored on five of six drives, highlighted by Fisher touchdowns coming off a 54-yard TD reception, and touchdown runs of three, four, 50 and 59 yards.
The last two scores looked like identical plays. It was Fisher taking a handoff right and almost what seemed like casually surveying the Garnet Valley defense before bolting down the sideline.
“This was a great measuring stick midway through the season to see where we are,” said legendary Strath Haven Hall of Fame coach Kevin Clancy. “Garnet Valley is a great team, a great program. James has outstanding speed and we try to attack the defense as we see it. James happened to make the big plays today. It is everyone involved. This is all about execution.”
And great line play from right tackle Phil Collins, right guard Cooper Murley, center Mike Flanigan, left guard Nick Farabaugh, who also played well defensively, and left tackle Sean O’Neill, with help from tight ends Jahi Curtis, Alexei Gustafson and Luke Mulhern.
As a team, Strath Haven churned out 264 yards rushing.
Jags’ coach Eric Van Wyk saw his team take the opening kickoff 66 yards over 13 plays for a 7-0 lead, when Luke O’Donohue hit junior tight end Paxton Hunt with an 11-yard TD pass. The drive took 6 minutes, 44 seconds and was a great way to keep Fisher and the Strath Haven offense off the field.
That did not last long.
The Panthers responded by scoring 28 unanswered points, scoring on four of five drives.
“I was very impressed not just by Fisher, but their entire offense, and it’s why Clancy is a coaching legend. They execute, and it’s why he is the best in the business,” said Van Wyk, referring to Clancy. “We started well. But in my opinion, it came down to preparation. We didn’t finish drives.”
Hunt was exceptional.
The 5-foot-11, 190-pound junior caught a career-best six passes for 83 yards. And just like Fisher, he was unstoppable, too. It was not just the fact that he caught six passes, but how. His two 11-yard TD receptions was a career best and both were of the highlight-reel variety. The first score came when he reached up and pulled a pass down in the end zone over a Strath Haven defender. The second score resulted from a sliding over-the-shoulder catch in the back of the end zone.
“We got close and we felt we could get them through the middle. Our game plan was being executed,” Hunt said. “We needed to execute when we got near the goal line. We will the next time we see them. We will see them again.”
Scoring Summary
Garnet Valley (4-1) 7 0 0 7-14
Strath Haven (5-0) 7 7 7 14-35
1st Quarter
GV – Paxton Hunt 11 pass from Luke O’Donohue (Michael Medici kick), 5:16
SH – James Fisher 54 pass from Caden Shuster (Matt Styer kick), 3:48
2nd Quarter
SH – Fisher 3 run (Styer kick), 10:00
3rd Quarter
SH – Fisher 4 run (Styer kick), 3:21
4th Quarter
SH – Fisher 50 run (Styer kick), 8:34
GV – Hunt 11 pass from O’Donohue (Medici kick), 6:27
SH – Fisher 59 run (Styer kick), 6:16
Joseph Santoliquito is an award-winning sportswriter who has been covering high school football since 1992 and is the president of the Boxing Writers Association of America. He can be followed on Twitter @JSantoliquito.
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