Niko Carestia, Schuylkill Haven running back.

Story by Rod Heckman

Special to T102SportsNow.com

SCHUYLKILL HAVEN — Teams know what Schuylkill Haven is going to do on offense.

The problem is trying to stop it.

The Hurricanes have long been a program that excels at running the ball behind a dominating line.

And this season, they feature not just one or two talented runners in the backfield — but a trio of outstanding ball carriers.

Panther Valley found that to be especially true Friday night during a 57-0 Colonial/Schuylkill Blue Division defeat at Rotary Field.

“I don’t know if they have a flaw,” Panther Valley head coach Mark Lavine said. “They’re a really, really strong team, and that’s what good teams do. They take care of business when the other team doesn’t play well.

“We knew they were a very good team going in,” he added. “They have a ton of returning starters. (Niko) Carestia is a beast in the backfield. And (Colton Reber) is also very good back there.”

Lavine might not have mentioned Niko Castillo, but he also saw how much of a factor he can be with the ball.

The three backs combined to rush for 342 yards in the first half, building a 51-0 advantage.

“They’re three dudes,” Schuylkill Haven coach Mike Farr said. “They’re big, strong kids that run really well. I’ve never had a backfield with a kid that runs a 4.5 and two kids that run 4.6. We’re also talking about weight room kids.

“They know that we’ll distribute the ball, but obviously you can only have so many carries, so when you get the ball you have to make the best of it,” Farr added. “And let’s not mistake things, our offensive line is really, really good. So it makes life a little easier for them. My goal, ultimately, I’d love to have three 1,000-yard rushers, so we’ll see what happens. It’s nice where we don’t have to focus on just one guy on offense. We truly have a three-headed monster.”

The Hurricanes (1-1, 1-0 Blue) actually didn’t touch the ball much in the first two quarters. Of their first 10 touches on offense, five of them went for touchdowns.

Carestia broke loose for scoring runs of 30, 57 and 60 yards, while Reber reached the end zone on carries of 28 and 74 yards. Castillo, who had a pick-six on defense, also tallied in the second quarter on a 21-yard run.

“We hoped we would tackle better, and we didn’t,” Lavine said. “We gave up way too many big plays, which was disheartening. We hoped that would be something we could clean up this year.

“If they would have chunked us, and had five-, six, seven-play drives and scored, I think I would have felt a little bit better … but the big plays kill you. The missed tackles kill you. We have to figure that out.”

The Panthers (0-2, 0-1) managed to move the ball a bit in the second half, with their most promising drive reaching the Haven 23-yard line in the fourth quarter. But an interception ended their scoring threat.

“Against a team like that, you’re just trying to get first downs and keep the clock running and not give them back the ball so quickly,” Lavine said. “You have to execute. In fairness, their pass rush was pretty good. They put pressure on us and got in our quarterback’s face a lot.”

Two plays after the pick, Haven freshman Logan Goad capped the game’s scoring with a 95-yard touchdown run.

“We have a good football team,” Farr said. “We’re just worried about ourselves. We have to get better every week. We have to get stronger every week. … We just have to keep competing and getting better every week. That’s all we can control.”

STAT LEADERS … Carestia finished with 180 rushing yards on just seven carries, while Reber added 113 on four attempts. Castillo chipped in with 49 yards on four rushes. For PV, Marcus Rodriguez collected 37 yards on 10 carries, and quarterback Brody Breiner picked up 24 yards on 10 attempts and threw for 48 yards.

KEEP YOUR HEAD UP … While Panther Valley has struggled in its first two games, there is a way for the future to be brighter. Farr knows that. After all, his team was 2-8 just two years ago. “You just have to keep working,” he said. “You have to get in the weight room. It looks like they’re doing a good job. They have some nice-sized kids. I would say to Mark, ‘Don’t judge your team’s success based on tonight. Because you faced a very good Schuylkill Haven team.’ They just have to keep working. I’ve been there, done that. Focus on the weight room. Focus on the fundamentals, and they’ll do well.”

Game Summary

Schuylkill Haven 57, Panther Valley 0

PV (0-2, 0-1 Blue)   0              0              0              0              —               0

SH (1-1, 1-0 Blue) 38            13            0              6              —               57

SH — Carestia 30 run (run failed)

SH — Reber 28 run (Castillo run)

SH — Castillo 29 interception return (Carestia run)

SH — Carestia 57 run (Reber run)

SH — Carestia 60 run (Castillo run)

SH — Reber 74 run (Correll kick)

SH — Castillo 21 run (kick failed)

SH — Goad 95 run (run failed)