The Panthers varsity football team (4-0) faced off against the Upper Darby Royals (1-3) on September 5 in what both teams knew would be a tough matchup.
However, the Panthers rode off the back of a dominant defensive performance to defeat the Royals 21-0.
The Panthers’ offense built momentum quickly, and within a few plays on offense, senior quarterback Luke Mulhern completed a 44-yard pass to junior Tyler Slaughter.
That drive ended in a Mulhern goal-line touchdown, starting the game off well for the Panthers.
The Royals put up a good effort in the following drive, beginning to gain momentum. However, this was quickly stopped by junior Patrick Burke securing an interception.
“I saw number seven and I knew they wanted to throw something to him…when they snapped it, I saw it was a slant, went over to it, and the ball was just in my hands, really,” Burke said.
By the end of the second quarter, the Panthers held a strong 14-0 lead. Both touchdowns came at the goal line from Mulhern.
The Panthers capped off the half with a strong showing from the defensive line, which carried into the rest of the game.
“Being the end of the half with a minute left and making those two plays stops them [the Royals] dead at the half. It really helped us go in the second half, too. It gave us the momentum to win,” senior Paul Oblek said. Oblek had a critical sack going into the half.
Both teams played solid defense after the break, going scoreless until senior Ryan Mudrick’s game-icing touchdown early in the fourth quarter.
“We always try to do a really good job at stopping them at half and taking over,” Mudrick said.
Following Mudrick’s touchdown, the Panthers faltered slightly, fumbling the ball. However, the defense would hold up to the end, with Burke and junior Cole Haly both securing interceptions in the fourth quarter.
The Panthers look forward to the next matchup against the Radnor Raptors (2-1) on September 12 at 7 p.m. at Prevost Field in Radnor, PA.
