It’s Week 5 of the Lancaster-Lebanon League high school football slate this week which (somehow) means we are already halfway home through the regular season gauntlet in 2023. In some cases, we’re halfway home towards a section title. For others, halfway home towards a potential playoff berth. And yes, for some, we’re halfway home towards the start of winter sports practices too unfortunately. However, for a very select few, this week in particular finds them halfway home towards chasing history in real-time.
And perhaps no team can illustrate the latter better than the Ephrata Mounts.
Yeah, short of sparing you all the finer details –most of which you are probably already well aware of—seeing Ephrata make it through the first four weeks of play totally unblemished while sporting a 4-0 record hasn’t been witnessed in quite a while. Like, in an entire generation type of “while.” Sure enough, heading into their home game against Daniel Boone this week at the friendly confines of “The War,” Ephrata would be vying for their first 5-0 start to a season since 1995. Factor that into the equation where the purple and yellow have been locked out of postseason play since even further back, 1987, and it’s easy to see why the town has understandably embraced this edition of Mounts’ football with nothing but open arms given how they have largely been starving for a winning product to boast outside of their own backyard for over 30 years now. And not for nothing, but this dramatic about-face that has come with Ephrata now fighting for space amongst their fellow brethren at the top of their respective division that has come to a head this year is even more remarkable considering how it wasn’t all that long when Ephrata was fighting against history in a much different way, the state’s all-time longest losing streak, that had spanned the better part of five consecutive seasons in the middle part of the last decade. Suffice to say, in just eight remarkable years at the helm of the program, head coach Kris Miller most certainly finds himself on the shortlist for “Best Coaching Jobs” in the 50+ years of league history if such an honor were to truly exist.
But beyond the whimsical storyline happening here, the Mounts have been playing some really sound football to start the campaign.
True to form, if you can somehow win in a variety of ways through just the first four weeks of play, Ephrata has already done so.
On opening night, the Mounts were able to hold off a valiant effort put forth from Red Lion as a tight 34-32 triumph against one the name brands from York County opened the door for a history-making 14-0 win over arguably their most heated rival, Warwick, as the shutout victory on the Warriors’ home field certainly felt even sweeter seeing how it signified the George Male Trophy staying put in the halls of Ephrata High School for two straight school years for the first time since the early 21st century in a series that quite frankly had it not possessed such a strong historical significance, was fair game to be questioned as to if it was truly a productive game to remain scheduled for either side given how Warwick had so emphatically dominated the series, especially given a number of the final scores that were posted in their head-to-head meetings. In that respect, insert any karma-related phrase of your choosing here. But we’ll go with patience is virtue after all, eh?
From there, the Mounts’ propensity from shifting roles from the bullied to the bullies was never evidenced better than with their last two performances against the likes of Lebanon and Solanco respectively with Ephrata having eclipsed the 50-point barrier in each of those two victories that came complete with a complimentary defensive effort on both occasions. Simply put, there’s no been no accident or mystery here. Ephrata has become one of the L-L League’s best teams. Full stop.
But there would be another team in town on this night. One that really had no reason whatsoever to be all that intimated by Ephrata just looking at recent history in a vacuum.
For the Daniel Boone Blazers, the school notorious for donning the Carolina blue unis, this year is a bit of transition in terms of its football program. This year, the Blazers welcomed in first-year head coach J.D. Okuniewski who takes over the reigns from the trusting care of Rob Flowers who had steered the ship for the last few seasons. And in perhaps the most apropos way given how Boone is still a program that many L-L football fans are trying to become accustomed and familiar with since the Berks/L-L merger went into effect last year, the Blazers’ resume in ’23 looks like a bit of a wildcard in its own right. That said, the Mounts almost surely knew what they were getting into Friday night considering how the Blazers prevailed in a 33-14 contest two years ago before Ephrata returning the favor last year in a hard-fought 28-20 decision.
For starters, Daniel Boone would be found succumbing to rival Exeter in the form of a 42-7 final tally in the annual “Pig Iron Bowl” back on opening night. From there, the Blazers made another of the L-L’s most intriguing teams thus far, Conestoga Valley, sweat out a 28-21 outing back in Week 2. Then, come Week 3, Boone was able to put together undoubtedly their best showing to date with a resounding 51-14 win over Muhlenberg before stumbling last week to Garden Spot by four scores. But if the saying goes that no one washes the car quite like the owner, having an alum who wore the uniform not all that long ago in Okuniewski figures to bode well into the future for years to come up in Birdsboro. And what a better time to make legitimate waves than with this week right here in front of them should be able to knock Ephrata from the ranks of the unbeaten?
But as would become abundantly clear right from the jump, this Friday night outside of downtown Ephrata would prove without a shadow of a doubt as to why the first leg of the Mounts’ campaign has been anything but a fluke.
After taking the opening kickoff to begin the contest, the hosts methodically began working their way down the field against the opposition. To be quite frank, had it not be for a 3rd & 6 conversion that resulted in a moving of the chains once senior quarterback Sam McCracken rolled right in the pocket and found Nick Keller for a 12-yard gainer that awarded the Mounts a fresh set of downs, there was little resistance that Ephrata experienced in their first foray with the ball. Case in point, a monstrous 36-yard chunk play just moments afterwards as McCracken found another fellow senior, Angel Collazo, as the big-body receiver was able to haul in the key catch that propelled the Ephrata attack down to the Daniel Boone 2-yard line. And from there, McCracken traded in the talent of his right arm for his pair of legs as McCracken’s 2-yard touchdown run made it an early 7-0 lead in the Mountaineers’ favor with 8:31 left in the opening frame following Evan Honberger’s PAT.
Then, on Daniel Boone’s first offensive play from scrimmage, it seemed as if the floodgates were about ready to burst.
Hard to argue when you consider that Ephrata senior linebacker Quintin Pfautz sat on the Blazers’ pass route and played volleyball with himself before scoring a diving interception for his efforts as Pfautz’s takeaway brought the Mounts’ offensive unit back on the field just 24 yard away from paydirt.
That said, much credit needed to be doled out in the Blazers’ favor as even though Boone found themselves pushed up against the wall and then some following their early giveaway, the visitors from the eastern end of Berks County were able to turn away the Mounts away on downs as a sensational play authored by Boone junior defensive back Ryan Poore on a 4th & 14 attempt successfully thwarted the Ephrata threat following his magnificent pass breakup.
However, on their second offensive series of the game, Ephrata went right back on the attack.
That said, it wasn’t totally smooth sailing the entirety of the way for the Mounts this time around. No, with Daniel Boone doing yeoman’s work in terms of stopping the Ephrata running game to nothing more than small bits and pieces throughout the early portion of the contest. As a result, seeing Ephrata convert on the “money downs” figured to be the key to their success. Well, in that respect, the Mounts got rich on this series when you consider how a 4th & 3 attempt led to the chain gang being on the move yet again as a McCracken 9-yard pitch and catch to Nick Keller not only gave Ephrata a fresh set, but it also put the hosts back on Boone’s side of the field. From there, following another third down conversion not long afterwards –this of the 1-yard variety as McCracken was able to call his own number—the final third down conversion proved far and away to be the most fruitful given how it would end in a 19-yard touchdown throw from McCracken to Jeremiah Knowles as the two team captains were able to find the purple-painted endzone on the final play of the opening stanza as Ephrata punctuated the opening dozen minutes with an exclamation mark in the form of a 14-0 cushion over this divisional foe.
Yet for as successful as the opening quarter had appeared to be given how it saw Ephrata roar out to an early lead, the second quarter would be much more lethal.
Granted, while the Blazers appeared to be making some hay over the course of their initial offensive series of the second period, not the least of which included Boone moving the ball across the Mounts’ side of the field, an emphatic tackle for loss on a Daniel Boone 4th & 2 attempt that was swallowed up by junior all-everything ace, Brayden Brown, gave the ball right back to Ephrata’s potent weaponry.
Then, like dynamite, the Mounts suddenly saw themselves move all the way down to the Blazers’ 5-yard line as a 50-yard tunnel screen from McCracken to Knowles on the first play of the new drive officially put this one on the verge of being busted open for good. Fittingly, while he may have been chased down following his handiwork on the receiving side of things, Knowles was able to catch his breath just two plays later and promptly turn the jet sweep around the left side of the line in for six as the 8-yard touchdown run tallied by the Mounts’ senior made it a 21-0 ballgame now following Honberger’s third successful PAT of the still fairly young evening.
But after another quick Daniel Boone series offensively, the haymakers landed against the Blazers most certainly added up.
In fact, Ephrata’s next scoring series would last all of one play as a 34-yard touchdown heave from McCracken to Quintin Pfautz down the seam saw the hosts’ advantage swell up to a 28-0 difference in a matter of just six seconds as 5:42 remained showing on the first half clock following the score between this particular pair of Mounts’ captains.
Yet as if his night couldn’t have possibly gone any better by that point, Sam McCracken had one more ace up his sleeve before the opening half would draw to a close.
Hard to get much better for the Ephrata 6’1 senior triggerman given how it was announced over the loudspeaker not long after his third total touchdown of the first half that he had just become the school’s all-time leading passer in the aftermath of his most recent hookup with Pfautz. But if we’re talking encores here, his 9-yard fade route touchdown to Angel Collazo was so aesthetically pleasing that even the Daniel Boone defensive back who appeared to have excellent coverage on the play could do nothing more than to tap Collazo on the lid in a moment of appreciation as the Mounts were able to saunter into the locker room just 29 seconds of game time later while possessing a commanding 35-0 halftime cushion.
Regardless though, even the infant stages of the second half on Friday appeared to have no ill-effect whatsoever on the Ephrata machine as momentum remained heavily skewed in the Mountaineers’ favor, 20-minute halftime break or no.
In terms of the specifics of it all, the Mounts’ defensive unit was to make a resounding opening statement once inside the third quarter as Ephrata 6’5 senior defensive lineman Charlie Lydamore was able to bullrush his way through the Blazers’ offensive line and come away with physically dominating football play that resulted in a 4-yard loss for Boone with the third quarter not even a full-minute old yet. And so, with the Ephrata defense turning Boone away with a prompt three-and-out to begin the proceedings, the Mounts went right back to work offensively just an eyelash shy of the midfield stripe with still nine minutes and change left open in the third quarter.
But the ball wouldn’t stay in one place for very long.
No, especially not when one of the men of the hour, Angel Collazo, was able to rip off a huge chunk play on the ground all the way down to the Boone 8-yard line near the outset of the series. Then, Collazo’s big play helped set the table for Brayden Brown to follow suit almost immediately afterwards the Mounts’ 6’1 bruising back powered his way across the chalk line from 8 yards out as Brown’s score coupled with Honberger’s fifth successful PAT of the evening helped make it a 42-0 affair with not even half the third quarter having been evaporated off the clock by that point with 8:22 still showing.
Then, thanks to the advent of the Mercy Rule format that had already been triggered by that point, a running clock would help take us the rest of the way home in the third as Ephrata was out front and living large with a six-touchdown upper hand at 42-0 come the end of 36 minutes.
In the fourth quarter, even despite all the things that had gone against them up until that point, Daniel Boone admirably continued to show flashes.
Perhaps there was no greater evidence put forth to support that notion than with 6’2 190lb Fred Lacey barreling his way past the Ephrata defensive troops while toting the rock from his running back spot as not only did the Boone senior pick up the Blazers’ longest play of the evening from scrimmage, but after a late-hit personal foul along the sideline tacked on just for good measure, the visitors finally appeared posed to strike. And strike they would in the form of the aforementioned Lacey as his 2-yard touchdown jaunt finally allowed Boone to crack that pesky goose egg as Justin Aidukas’ PAT made it a 42-7 ballgame with 8:09 left to play.
Even still, despite the fact that the Ephrata starters had since checked out by that point, the sheer depth of the Mounts’ roster was on full display the rest of the way.
As if to be right on cue, Ephrata brought in the 2nd quarterback found in their rotation, Caleb Grant, and experienced no drop-off whatsoever. If anything, the Mounts’ junior backup looked the part and then some in his time operating the controls. Of course, it’s easy to say that when you put the best play of the night on the entire highlight reel as Grant proceeded to do after taking off from inside the pocket and promptly zigzagging his way through the Daniel Boone defense for the 61-yard chunk play to advance the ball all the way down to the Blazers’ 3-yard line. From there, even despite a loss of yardage on the immediate play afterward, Grant seemed no worse for the wear as his beautiful 6-yard touchdown strike to Matt Ochieng in the corner of the endzone would be the final icing on this cake as the eventual 4:45 that bled off the fourth quarter clock seemed nothing more than the last couple minutes before a party would ensue as Ephrata would once again play the part of a mature team on this night by handling their business in a very direct and emphatic way given the 48-7 final score emblazoned on the scoreboard lights late Friday night.
“The big thing is that our focus has been to come out and start off hot,” an understandably excited Kris Miller offered in the postgame media gaggle. “Last year, when we played (Daniel Boone) our records were kind of similar and we let them hang around and hang around. But hey, that football team has a lot of great football players on it,” Miller would add of the opposition his team had just prevailed over. “(Boone) had been searching for an identity and we had a fear that this would be the week they were going to find it, so we had to make sure our kids were ready to go because all of this is new,” said Miller. “We’re not used to being in this situation, so you always worry about what is looming next week, are we going to come out flat, is there going to be a letdown game after what we’ve done? So, our focus was that this game had to be the most important thing in our minds and I was really happy with how the kids came out on the opening possession and then with Q (Quintin Pfautz) getting that interception.”
And not for nothing, but the one thing that is blatantly obvious to even the naked eye is that the Mounts boast an absolute embarrassment of riches found in the skill positions. In fact, with so many toys in the toy chest, Miller and the offensive brain trust can almost at any time play the game of “Who needs a touch?”
“We have so many playmakers,” Miller was quick to point out. “I was so happy to see Jeremiah (Knowles) make some plays tonight. He’s probably one of the best receivers we’ve had around here in a long time, and he hasn’t gotten a lot of touches because everyone has been scheming to take him away. It’s opened up Nick (Keller) and Angel (Collazo) the past few weeks and it was just a pick your poison with who we were going to go at. I’m just proud of the way our kids played.”
“Our offensive staff does such a great job with Coach Surgeoner, Coach Franck, Coach Niemeyer, Coach Clair, and all those guys with scheming up formations that put our kids in advantageous situations and then it becomes a case of which matchup do we like the best? (The coaches) do a good job of making sure the ball gets spread around and it’s nice that these kids aren’t selfish,” said Miller. “As long as we keep putting up points and moving the ball, they don’t care who gets the credit. What’s cool about it is when you look and see all those guys blocking for one another out on the perimeter. It’s just a great group of kids.”
“Our goal from the get-go when we started is that we have to get better each and every day,” the Mounts’ head coach would go on to mention after remaining perfect on the season. “If we do that, what we do on Friday nights is a byproduct of that work that we put in. We don’t want to get too far out in front of ourselves, start counting wins and doing things like that. It’s got to be getting better each and every day, taking care of our business. We’re our biggest opponent. We have to make sure we’re ready to go each and every week and then we’ll adapt to what the opponents do.”
And speaking of the next opponent, it’s going to be an old-fashioned donnybrook in Lancaster County next Friday night when this now mammoth conference finds its only matchup of unbeaten going head-to-head against one another in New Holland when Ephrata travels to Garden Spot to tangle for the top spot in the Section Three standings at the Week 6 checkpoint. Rest assured, given the history between these two neighboring schools, there’s a mutual appreciation for what the other side is doing at the moment.
“They are a great team. Z (Garden Spot head coach Matt Zamperini) always has those guys playing well,” Miller lauded of the Spartans. “It’s always been a close game. Last year it was three points and could have gone either way. We’ll have to get ready for them certainly.”
But again, with all of this being “new” in Mounts’ country, seeing Ephrata rise to the level of what awaits next week and finding itself on the very short list of best games found around the entire District 3 landscape, growth will come in the days leading up.
“We just have to talk about it and be honest about the situation with them,” Coach Miller said of what lies ahead this week for he and his squad and all the attention sure to follow. “This is what high school football is all about. When you look back at 2016, this team and where we’re at, getting a chance to play in a game like this? This is what it’s all about. I want the kids to enjoy this. At the end of the day, you only get three, or four years of this with playing high school football. You’ve got to enjoy every single second of it. But yeah, we’ve got to live up to playing in a big game because you don’t get to play in them all the time.”
Yet what might be the coolest part about all of this? Sure, while it’s been quite some time since the Ephrata Mounts have found themselves in a position like this, it wasn’t all that long ago when situations such as where the program finds itself right now probably didn’t even seem remotely possible or fathomable, even for the most ardent of purple-backers. Fortunately, having a head man who has seen both the depths of the valleys and the peaks of the summits, he can recognize and compartmentalize what has taken shape under his guidance for the better part of nearly a decade now.
“We talk about that a lot,” Miller would add candidly of his early days on the job. “What’s important is that those kids in 2016 (his first year) that came out and played football, they kept this thing going. I told them back when they graduated that whatever success we may have down the road, it would be because of the stuff they were willing to do in those years when it was pretty rough. They showed up and played every single week even when we played opponents that had us outnumbered and kept this going. We will always appreciate them and all their efforts.”
“I will tell you this, it’s fun to be a part of this,” Miller would say in closing. “We try and keep things in perspective, but we’re 5-0 now for the first time since 1995. These kids weren’t even born or thought of then. Shoot, I was only 10 years old at the time,” he would say with a laugh. “But the last time we were 5-0, we finished 5-5. This all can change quickly, so enjoy every single moment of it. That’s for sure.”
NEXT UP: As mentioned, it’s a Game of the Week type of attention with the spotlight firmly placed on the Ephrata and Garden Spot battle coming up to headline the L-L’s Week 6 slate. As far as the Spartans’ perspective is concerned, they too are coming in riding a high at 5-0 following their Friday night 48-21 victory over Fleetwood as Coach Zamperini was able to nab his 75th career victory while pacing the Garden Spot sidelines across a couple of different stints in the process. But make no mistake about it, whoever emerges in that matchup next week isn’t out of the woods of the divisional race by any stretch of the imagination. No, not when there is still a Twin Valley outfit found out there looming on the horizon for both of these two clubs on the homeward journey considering that the Raiders from Elverson are not only unblemished in their own right, but TV has also put up 49 points in each of the last three ballgames. Needless to say, Section Three is about to get very tantalizing over its final four weeks of play without a shadow of a doubt.
For Daniel Boone, the Blazers will have to take Friday night against Ephrata a lesson learned. Even still, it wasn’t as if Boone was totally outmatched across the board without much in the way of hope when it came to trying to knock off the Mounts. In fact, just looking at their upcoming schedule the rest of the way, don’t be surprised to see Boone perhaps secure a couple more wins, starting with a pivotal game next week against an 0-5 Elizabethtown outfit that has failed to hit double digits in all their games this season save for one when they were able to scrape 13 out against McCaskey back in Week 2. And if they can finish strong, especially in the first year of a new coach’s tenure no less, that could do wonders moving forward for the Blazers’ program down the line for years to come as they too work to find themselves with comfortable housing inside this loaded divisional neighborhood.
