Exactly nine weeks ago, when the assembled masses convened and descended upon the LNP headquarters in Lancaster city for the outlet’s hosting of the annual media day festivities prior to signify the official, unofficial start of the campaign, the season at large figured to of course be somewhat hard to predict at the time, and understandably so. Granted, there’s always going to be your surprise team and your disappointment that you didn’t see coming –in either direction for that matter — during the still-intense summer months without the hard evidence yet in front of you. But by and large, you still had a pretty good idea on how things figured to go and what the attractive matchups would likely prove to be.
But maybe not this one perhaps.
If you want to talk about using history as a tool to inform your decision-making process when it comes to Section One of the Lancaster-Lebanon League in particular, starting things off with Manheim Township is a pretty safe place to begin. Yes, even back in the infancy of August did many envision a Week 10 donnybrook between the Blue Streaks and Wilson Bulldogs figuring to be the game that tipped in the scales in either side’s direction in terms of the eventual divisional title. And here again, heading into Week 7 here at least, all those same cards were still placed on the table coming down the pike considering how apart from a few challengers here and there every so often sporadically on a yearly basis, Township and Wilson have largely been off on their own in terms of claiming ownership of section supremacy for a decade-plus if we’re being perfectly frank. That said, there were still some significant holes to fill in Neffsville coming into 2024 no doubt.
For starters, how do you go about replacing what if nothing else is on the very (short) list, if not the actual greatest ever season in terms quarterback production and efficiency in league history when trying to describe Hayden Johnson’s flat-out ridiculous clip of 49 touchdowns thru the air paired alongside zero picks?
Seriously, dude? Not even one to the other team by pure accident? Then, remove his favorite target, Landon Kennel, from the equation as well, and there was somewhat ample reason as to why maybe this season wouldn’t be without its turbulence for last year’s District 3-6A’s silver medalists following that potent pair’s parlay of football successes into college educations at Lehigh and Monmouth respectively.
Fair point to be queasy perhaps. Yet when you return your hosses found up front at the line scrimmage, then add in the eventual champion in terms of rushing yards complied in your school’s history who ran home with that honor (literally) earlier this season, Declan Clancy, before topping things off –offensively at least—with the next QB1 in waiting, Carson Weisser, and suddenly the sun does rise at the start of every morning on the north suburbs of Lancaster after all. Oh yeah, the Streaks’ defense hasn’t been half bad either considering how entering this week Manheim Township had shut out 75% of their last four opponents, the last two of which came in back-to-back fashion, all while en route to a 6-0 overall mark that comes part in parcel with the sought-after #1 slot currently in the District 3-6A pecking order heading into the first weekend of October.
On the other hand, for the team that awaited Township’s arrival this week, they had far, far, more question marks coming into the season than maybe anyone else in the entire 37-team league.
Go ahead and take your quarterback away, Township. At least Cedar Crest didn’t have that fate awaiting them coming into 2024. But that’s about where the extent of the losses stopped. After largely getting cleaned out courtesy of 2024 graduation ceremonies heading into preseason camp, there were going to be a bevy of new faces to become accustomed to in south Lebanon. Chief among them, how about the head coach seeing as how Nick Lambros now finds himself in the CEO chair following Rob Wildasin stepping aside in the offseason? And in fitting fashion, even Lambros himself, a 1998 Falcon grad, is the father of one of those newly minted alums subtracted off this season’s roster after seeing son Nick, one of team’s foremost senior leaders on the 2023 squad, now venture off on his own. Simply put, after saying goodbye to one of the most athletically gifted senior classes they’ve ever had in Cornwall (see their 2024 Lancaster-Lebanon League boys’ basketball championship that featured what felt like a roster comprised of almost exclusively Falcons’ football players), no one really knew what to expect out of Cedar Crest.
But it’s Cedar Crest we’re talking about here. They thrive on outside hot takes and doubt.
Right on cue, to the surprise of a lot of pundits more than likely, the Falcons have suddenly inserted themselves right smack dab into that L-L Section One discussion being four games up and two games down thru the first six weeks this fall. In those four that went in their direction, Crest has won by an average clip of over 30-points-per-game, scoring no fewer than 42 points in each of those occasions. And even their losses have been equally notable considering how one came not just at the hands of Warwick on the road after Labor Day weekend without any added context, but the fact that it was largely driven by an almost unimaginable seven giveaways which ultimately sunk the Falcons there was nonetheless mystifying. The other? Doing what not many teams do—staring Wilson directly in the eyes for four quarters, in West Lawn no less, before the Falcons would fall by just one score two weeks ago, 14-7, at the hands of the other cohort in charge of the section standings alongside the Streaks.
All that is to say, when looking back at either side’s respective slate prior to the start of games being played going back a few months ago now, you’d be forgiven if this particular Manheim Township excursion up to Cedar Crest might’ve gotten nothing more than a passing glance initially. Instead, as both teams had rightfully proved, this game suddenly became worthy of headline status with first-place status hanging the balance coming into Friday night for a game played on Falcon Drive.
But as far as this game went, it was really a case of the good news/bad news variety. First, the good news. If you fancy yourself a Blue Streaks’ backer, it was far from a flawless performance at the office that still saw your team get the better part of an upper tier divisional foe by a handful of scores once the dust had finally settled. The bad news portion though comes for everyone outside their camp and future opponents coming up on Township’s horizon however considering how the Blue Streaks, while now sporting a 7-0 record by the end of the night, still seem a ways away yet from truly hitting their ceiling. Scary thought, no?
Yet while this game would have its various fits and starts throughout, it didn’t seem that way from the outset. At least not when Manheim Township wasted next to no time when it came to making an imprint on the contest in lieu of turning Cedar Crest over just a few plays into the Falcons’ initial offensive series, an occasion marked by Township senior lineman, Thomas Capizzi, pouncing on the fumble recovery for his side. From there, short field to work with and all being just 37 yards away from paydirt right off the bat, the Streaks wisely gave the ball to their battering ram of a tailback, Declan Clancy.
For Clancy, a schoolyard bully of a ball-carrier that plays far larger than his listed 5’11 195lb would suggest, he always seems to not just pick up oodles of yards after first contact, but he is consistently falling forward once he does hit the ground after toting the rock as well. That said, it’s not as if Clancy is purely relegated into a life of servitude in going between-the-tackles and nothing more. For that, look no further than his flashy 21-yard scamper on the first play of the series following the turnover to get the Streaks inside the redzone, before Clancy then ending the ultra-quick march altogether with an 18-yard touchdown jog through the Cedar Crest defense to give his side the 7-0 advantage following a Johnny Morales PAT to conclude the 20-second scoring drive with all of 10:09 still remaining in the first frame.
Simply put, it’d be hard not to recognize if Cedar Crest had undergone a bit of shellshock given an almost instantaneous Township assault in the early going. However, perceived emotions or not, going three-and-out on their ensuing offensive series of downs most certainly didn’t help matters as the visitors would set up shop at their own 47-yard line following the Falcons’ punt back to them.
For their first act, Manheim Township took nary 20 seconds to cross the chalk. Here, on this their second foray with it, the Streaks were extremely tardy. Well, not exactly, unless you consider 53 seconds to be a far shoddier operation in comparison to taking up just 20 seconds that is to say.
Again, much like the lightning bolt decal they adorn atop their glittering helmets that seem to ignite and come to life while shining underneath the bright stadium lights, Manheim Township’s pension for scoring early touchdowns on Friday evening was nothing if not quick. Case in point, Carson Weisser going up top and launching a bomb past the Cedar Crest secondary and into the waiting hands of Daryus Dixon behind the cavalry as the Township senior quarterback hooked up with his junior wideout for a connection that was good enough not just for the 49-yard touchdown strike, but also the 14-0 bulge up on the scoreboard following another Morales’ PAT with 7:17 still go in the game’s opening act at that point.
Suffice to say, if shellshock had beset Cedar Crest after the first Township incision against them, there’s no telling what this latest punch could’ve done to their collective psyche. But in typical Cedar Crest fashion, the Falcons’ fighting spirit showed up as if to be right on cue.
Ignited by way of a marvelous return on the ensuing kickoff from Falcons’ junior speedster, Kayden Tirado, Cedar Crest found themselves setting up shop on Township’s side of the field at the 47-yard line. Ironically, in a role reversal of sorts, the quick-strike prowess of Cedar Crest was on full display as a 53-yard touchdown jaunt from the legs of senior triggerman, Jackson Custer, cut the Streaks’ lead back down to one score, 14-6, after the PAT try sailed wayward after what would amount to a 15-second Cedar Crest rebuttal to answer back.
But the zaniness of an already topsy-turvy first half of the first quarter didn’t exactly subside either. Certainly not on the ensuing kickoff following the first Falcons’ touchdown when Cedar Crest opted to roll the dice and came up flush with an impromptu onsides kick that was pounced on by Falcons’ senior skill guy, Kaeleb Fees, as Fees’ recovery allowed his offensive mates to trot back onto while residing on the Township 39-yard line, obviously looking to strike again in short order.
However, even despite their auspicious field position while dancing with momentum in the moment, Cedar Crest would end up being turned away courtesy of the Township defensive unit as a field goal attempt later in the drive would come up short, giving the ball back to Township, albeit deep in their own end comparatively speaking to their first two drives.
Up until that point, it seemed as if the only thing that could stop Manheim Township might have only been, well, Manheim Township’s own demons perhaps. And unfortunately for the guests, this next series would be a bit of a harbinger of things yet to come for the evening overall.
Yes, while Weisser would find fellow senior, wideout Lex Haberbosch, for what would amount to a 52-yard touchdown pitch and catch following a wonderfully designed tunnel screen, an ill-timed penalty call whistled against the Blue Streaks forced the proceedings to come all the way back. On this drive at least, while beset by their own doing, Township would be unable to negotiate a first down later in the same drive as an incomplete pass on a 3rd & 6 play not only helped to lower the curtain on an entertaining opening dozen minutes that saw things conclude with Manheim Township still holding serve with that 14-6 difference in their favor, but it also had to help Cedar Crest’s sense of belief considering they were fully in the fight despite much of the initial action being authored by the Streaks.
Yet once the second quarter began, even with a notion of credence at their side, surrendering another Township score during the early stages could just as easily scrub all that good juju away. Unfortunately, for those sitting on the home bleachers, that is precisely what transpired near the onset of the second frame.
In quintessential l Manheim Township fashion, using equal part dink and equal part dunk, the Streaks began making their way down the Earl Boltz Stadium turf via the legs of Clancy and the receiving mitts of Haberbosch doing the bulk of the heavy lifting. For that reason, it seemed apropos that the latter part of that particular tandem be justly rewarded for his efforts as he would be once Weisser fired in a 36-yard touchdown pass to Haberbosch — who hung on despite being drilled while making the catch by a Cedar Crest defender—making it a 21-6 Township leading following Johnny Morales’ third successful PAT on the evening with 10:09 left to play in the opening half.
And after an ensuing three-and-out tallied from the handiwork of Blue Streaks’ starting defensive unit once they came back onto the field following the offense’s third touchdown, it felt as if the Streaks were in the midst of winding up a devastating knockout blow with much of the first half still yet to unfold.
But that TKO would never come to pass. At least not here. If fact, maybe the only punch that was landed was found in Township tabulating a gut-punch against themselves of sorts.
Instead of tallying up what could have been a back-breaking score, a steady and methodical Streaks’ trip down the field ended in the cruelest way possible, a fumble recovery in the endzone while fighting for extra yardage, only to see Cedar Crest’s Jack Waranavage come away with the theft, allowing the Falcons to breathe a sigh of relief after holding Township back, at least for the time being.
From there, the sighs went to sheer exuberance mere seconds later as Cedar Crest’s impressive sophomore running back, Isaiah Zimmerman, took off through the mammoth-sized hole created by his offensive line and left no less than three would-be Blue Streaks on the turf behind in his wake following contact as Zimmerman’s 80-yard dash to the house on the first play from scrimmage made it a 21-13 affair following Ethan Bowman PAT with 6:25 still standing first half action.
To even the naked eye, it felt as if Township had by and large dictated the terms of engagement while still continuing to leave the door open in the event that Cedar Crest could eventually capitalize on the Streaks’ graciousness. Yet on their final offensive series of an explosive opening 24 minutes, Township began to close that close that door, and the Falcons’ larger chances for that matter, with a critical score right before the halftime horn.
For the finality of it all, the Carson Weisser to Daryus Dixon tandem would bear fruit once more as Weisser climbed up in the pocket magnificently while operating against the collapsing Cedar Crest pressure before feathering a perfect pass to Dixon who was all by his lonesome in the endzone, capping off the 34-yard touchdown strike that took just 1:03 off the clock along with 55 yards traveled, making it a 28-13 advantage in favor of Township, a lead which they would maintain once both teams retired to their respective dressing rooms.
And just as had they been able to do going into the break, Township would put together a critical drive coming out of the half as well which would again result in points added to their side of the ledger.
Granted, while a holding call on the opening kickoff not only wiped away a solid return that forced Township to begin the proceedings at their own 13-yard line wasn’t exactly the most opportune of ways to get out the starting blocks, the Streaks were no less determined.
All told, behind a heavy dose of Declan Clancy totes from his running back spot that allowed the Township big eaters to impose their will at the line of scrimmage and begin to lean on the Cedar Crest defense, the Streaks’ yardage accrued would gradually become leakier by the play. Then, the dam would ultimately break in the form of a 15-yard touchdown toss from Carson Weisser, his fourth of the evening, to the willing and able Charlie Hill, as the MT senior duo made upped their cushion to a 35-13 mark following another senior, Johnny Morales, knocking home his fifth PAT of the contest with 9:02 left in the third frame.
From there on out, both third quarter and otherwise, Township’s defense took their turn at the starring role.
Hard to argue considering how the Streaks would then hold the Falcons on downs on Cedar Crest’s ensuing offensive drive following their latest TD before then following that up with another defensive stand –which came loudly considering the way in which Thomas Capizzi barged his way through the Falcons’ O line before nabbing himself a sack on the very first play of the series—all while helping Township claim ownership of that existing 35-13 lead heading into the final period.
There, once in the final stanza, while the outcome was largely decided by that juncture, there will most certainly be plenty of loose ends to be tidied up and found in terms of the teaching tape that came out of Township’s fourth quarter showing on a now suddenly foggy Friday evening that had taken hold.
In fact, despite another prolonged and elongated march that effectively sucked the life out of the game while also allowing Township to define total game control, that too would be the second such example of Township quite literally fumbling away a second touchdown on the evening while on the precipice of adding six points on the board as yet again, an ill-timed takeaway in favor of Cedar Crest, sealed by Kayden Tirado’s recovery of the loose pig, sent the Streaks packing with nothing to show for it.
Again though, hard to find much of anything to sneeze at when it came the Streaks’ work defensively once more.
Here, with Cedar Crest firmly pressed up against the wall albeit after successfully thwarting a Township TD as mentioned, the Falcons’ ensuing three plays went backward, both literally and figuratively, as a quick three-and-out sent the visitors back out of offense deep inside enemy territory thanks in no small part to a stupendous punt return authored by Township’s cat-quick junior wideout, Allan Feliciano, as his 32-yard return after shaking off the effects of what seemed like a significant lower body injury at the time back in the latter stages of the third quarter, would then put the ball on the Cedar Crest 30-yard line.
On this drive, quite like the way in which the series previous unfolded, while Township would continue to flex their muscle and pound away at the Cedar Crest defensive troops, there was plenty of meat left over and unaccounted for on this bone too.
Sure enough, for what could be argued as the fourth time on the evening altogether, Manheim Township would have a touchdown taken away. Here, instead of Declan Clancy getting the spoils of a 3-yard touchdown plunge to add onto what would end up being his black and blue 31 carries once all was said and done, a holding call brought things to a grinding halt, creating a 3rd & Goal back at the 13-yard line as a result. However, unlike the two times previous which ended in fumbles being surrendered to Cedar Crest, Township would indeed net points to punctuate this drive at least as a 30-yard field goal booted through the uprights — with plenty of room to spare — by way of Johnny Morales allowed Manheim Township to not just close the book on the night’s scoring, but Cedar Crest’s upset bid as a whole as the final 4:02 bled off the clock before vaulting the Blue Streaks upwards to 7-0 overall and likely their #1 slot in the District 3-6A power rankings remaining in place following their 38-13 triumph over a cagy Falcons’ bunch on Friday night.
Yet make no mistake about it. While simply looking at the 22-point difference in final score would lead one to possibly surmise that the Blue Streaks yet again had their way with a divisional foe with a performance that was some adjective akin to flawless, don’t be so sure. Even their head coach would intimate as much.
“We gotta learn not to play with our food. We have to eat it,” Manheim Township head coach Mark Evans said afterwards while using his best metaphor to sum up the night. “We made too many dumb mistakes and again relied on big plays rather than continuing to play small, chip away, and not put ourselves behind the sticks. And then, turning the ball over, which is a rare moment for us. We haven’t turned the ball over much this year,” Evans added. “We haven’t (turned the ball over) all year, so is this just an anomaly? I think so. I think we just had those moments…We have a lot to work on, but we have the right tools to work with.”
And while Manheim Township clearly has both the show ponies and workhorses in the stable of all equine varieties as Evans alluded to, the factor that one cannot readily see, the work behind the scenes, while that may indeed be the Streaks’ secret sauce, that too, just like this season, is not cemented and finalized just yet either.
“Culture is never static. Culture is dynamic,” said Evans of the bigger picture. “You have to work on your culture every single day. With our slogan this year, ‘Pushing to the top,’ every week we are trying to pick something in our culture that we need to work on. This week, it was teamwork. Last week, discipline. We’re coming to the point now where maybe I don’t know what I’m looking for at this very moment, but I do know that we can’t continue to play with our food,” he hungrily stated in more ways than one. “Culture, as far as I’m concerned, is an everyday thing. If you’re not working on it, then you’re going to lose. Yes, we work on the X’s and O’s a lot, but I continue to talk about player-led teams and how important player-led teams are…I think this group of seniors are hungry, humble, and have what it takes.”
And with that window of growth still there in front of them, that’s about the very last thing the rest of District 3-6A competition wanted to hear.
NEXT UP: After successfully navigating what could have easily been a snake pit in trying to get out of crossing the Lebanon County line unscathed, Manheim Township did what needed to be done and now finds themselves with just three games left on the regular season slate before embarking on what they hope is another long journey through the postseason that lasts until late November, into early December if they had their druthers. Speaking of the immediate need however, Weeks 8 and 9, those matchups will see the Blue Streaks go against the likes of Reading High and Penn Manor respectively, two opponents that still demand the upmost amount of the Streaks’ respect and attention to detail, before that much-awaited punctuation mark coming in the final week of play looming between Wilson and Manheim Township down in Neffsville provided that both teams handle their shared business in the next two outings.
For Cedar Crest, while moral victories rank right up there with using curse words in the Falcons’ vernacular, it’s hard not to be impressed with the early returns on investment in the early days of the Nick Lambros-led portfolio, even if this game against a divisional juggernaut didn’t go in their favor. In fact, when it comes to one former player at least, Manheim Township’s Mark Evans ironically enough, even from afar, so too can the Blue Streaks’ head coach see and appreciate the building blocks of what his first-year counterpart now in charge of his alma mater is trying to lay.
“Nick’s been here for a long time and he’s just an overall good guy,” the 1985 Cedar Crest alum said of the 20-year coaching vet turned head coach now in charge of the Falcons standing on the opposite sideline. “Obviously there is some level of on-the-job training, but Nick and I spent a lot of time talking in the offseason,” Evans shared. “I told (Lambros), ‘For 51 weeks out of the year, we can like each other,’” he quipped with a wry grin. “But at the end of the day, he’s doing things the right way and I think he’s going to be a really good young head coach in the league.”
And as far as their specifics are concerned, Cedar Crest will find themselves rounding out their Section One slate against McCaskey and Hempfield before closing things out with their annual Cedar Bowl rivalry against their neighbors from Lebanon High, all while the Falcons continue to stalk down a possible playoff bid in the closing weeks of the campaign.
