Terriers will need to tame Barth to continue best season under Haughey, advance in playoffs

Delaware Valley has done practically nothing but win the last few years under Mike Haughey, but the one thing that’s missing is a state championship.

The quest for a title begins Friday night when the 4th-seeded Terriers (7-2) open the South Group 2 playoffs at home against 5th-seed New Providence (7-1).

It’s the Big Central Game of the Week driven by Autoland, with kickoff set for 7 pm in Frenchtown.

Mike Pavlichko and Dom Savino will call all the action, with pregame starting at 6:45. Click here to listen live.

Del Val boasts an outstanding quarterback in Jack Bill, who’s just a junior, but has thrown for nearly 1,500 yards this season, with 14 touchdowns.

It helps that he has a big target, and by big, we mean big.

Logan Blake, who’s a hybrid wide receiver and tight end, is 6-foot-7. He’ll play tight end if Haughey needs a blocker, and will line up wide if Bill wants to throw it to him.

Blake has 47 catches for 609 yards and ten touchdowns on the season, amassing 24 in his three-year varsity career.

But Del Val also will face a defensive challenge from a New Providence team led by linebacker Charlie Barth, who “also” is an outstanding runningback.

Barth led the Big Central with over 115 tackles and scored 25 rushing touchdowns in last year’s COVID-shortened season, and has amasssed over 1,300 yards and 21 touchdowns in 2021, while stepping off the gas a bit defensively.

This will be just the third meeting between the schools, and the Terriers have shutout the Pioneers each time.