In some ways, it almost had to be this way, right? Death, taxes, and Cumberland Valley and Manheim Township running it back to play twice inside a single year. Okay. Hyperbolic language or not, the fact of the matter is that yes, we have come to expect seeing the Eagles and Blue Streaks renew their quasi-annual rivalry against one another for two matchups –one to kick off the season and one inside of the postseason—for has now become three consecutive years in a row.
If you’re keeping track of the long-term record within the series, “rivalry” may not exactly be the most apropos of words used to describe it considering that Manheim Township has won four of the last five meetings between the pair, with the Streaks’ lone slipup on the banana peel coming back on opening night of the 2022 campaign, a game in which had its various fits and starts thanks to the effects of thunderstorms being just annoying enough to hang around that usually comes part in parcel with starting the season off in the latter stages of August.
But now, as far as this year is most concerned, if there was ever a time for Cumberland Valley perhaps break free from their Blue Streak hex, this likely figured to be their best shot for a few different reasons. Chief among them, while Township did indeed have the benefit of starting this playoff jaunt with ownership of the #1 seed, it wasn’t exactly a resume without cavity considering that the Wilson Bulldogs rolled into town on the final night of the regular season and rode home with the Lancaster-Lebanon League Section One title back in tow following a rather decisive 34-16 triumph on Township’s home turf to stun the Streaks and prevent them for notching a perfect 10-0 mark in the process. Besides that, there was the other elephant in the room that came with CV owning the #8 seed in the District 3-6A playoff field, meaning that the Eagles were one of the four squads that found themselves suiting up and playing last Friday night while teams like Township sat idly by virtue of the bracket layout.
And about last week, well, let’s just paraphrase it and say that Cumberland Valley could not have arrived in Neffsville on Friday night for the quarterfinal round of the 6A tournament in any better shape.
Yes, while the Eagles may have begun the contest by surrendering a roughly ten-minute long, clock-sucking scoring drive at the hands of Governor Mifflin, their opposition last week, Cumberland Valley responded in kind and in the absolute loudest of ways possible from that point forward. In fact, had it not been for their final offensive “possession” of the contest, one that ended in the victory formation and ceremonial kneel downs, Cumberland Valley had scored points on every single one of their offensive trips up until that point before coming away with an eventual 44-12 final verdict one week ago to advance on for the right to tangle with Township for the sixth time in three years.
So really, the question that hung over the night at large was whether or not Cumberland Valley would be able to parlay their recent proficiency by then going into the den of the top-seeded team, a team that knocked them off 42-14 eleven weeks ago now, against a Manheim Township bunch that had to sit and stew on seeing their home field and league crown get ransacked their last time out without having yet to try and make amends.
And while Cumberland Valley did indeed come in with all the bluster and smoke that seemed nothing if not fitting given the November hurricane-like winds that this game would be played under, the good news for Manheim Township’s perspective at the end of 48 minutes was that it would be exactly that—bluster. For them, while it may have taken up until the literal last play of the game, the Blue Streaks would successfully stave off the winds of change as far as this nonleague matchup is concerned, a Cumberland Valley triumph, for a victory that while it may have had its share of warts, looked and felt rather marvelous all things considered.
In many ways –with the benefit of hindsight of course—perhaps the opening quarter played on Friday night should’ve been a harbinger of things yet to unfold. Case in point, unlike last week when Cumberland Valley largely moved up and down the field offensively without much in the way of any impediment offered up by Governor Mifflin, a botched snap on the Eagles’ very first play from scrimmage against Manheim Township did more than set them behind the 8-ball –14 yards worth to be exact – but it ultimately brought the punting unit onto the field for the first time in over two weeks’ time after three plays and out. However, Manheim Township would fare no better on their opening possession either as the Streaks proceeded to turn it over on downs in their own right following a screen pass that fell short of the necessary 15 yards to gain.
Granted, while Cumberland Valley would fare better in their second series by way of a pair of third down pass receptions hauled in by the Eagles’ most favorite of targets, Brody Pines, the CV junior wideout certainly did his part before this offensive excursion would later run out of steam just a tick past the midfield stripe, forcing the CV punt team back onto the field for the second time in as many drives. That said, any semblance of offensive rhythm and momentum could not be said for Township as the Blue Streaks would spend the entirety of the opening frame absent of a first down accumulated, going three and out in the here and now before eventually seeing the first quarter expire in a flag-laden rock fight of a 0-0 score.
Suffice to say, while the offensive highlights were in short supply up until that point, any forward progress generated by either side quite frankly would be a sight for sore eyes if you fancy yourself a fan that side of the ball. In that regard, Cumberland Valley did their part in the waning stages of the opening stanza as the Eagles moved the pill down the field courtesy of yet another pair of third down conversions thrown by quarterback Colton Stamy to Pines and then to another underclassman target, Zayden Smith, as the latter connection from freshman to sophomore picked up 29 yards, moving the ball inside Township territory at the 40-yard line.
Then, as the second quarter started to round into form, it seemed as if all but a certainty that this Cumberland Valley drive would end with the Eagles celebrating in the endzone. Hard to argue considering how a deadly triumvirate of things went against the Streaks on the ensuing handful of plays by way of a facemask penalty, a 6-yard run by Erik Barbacci down to the 5-yard line, before a pass out on the perimeter to Smith eventually saw the ball resting at the Township 1-yard line.
Ironically though, while it may have felt predetermined that a Cumberland Valley score was about to occur, as they would demonstrate all evening long –but especially here in the height of upmost necessity—the Township defense was warm to the fight at nearly every single turn.
In fact, things would end up culminating in a third and goal for Cumberland Valley, still negotiating no further than the 1-yard line, without yet having to puncture the Township resistance.
And if you need a game-saving play, say of the 14-point swing variety, what better time than the present to go about doing so.
Well, in that regard, a well-earned steak dinner is coming Charlie Hill’s way as the Streaks’ senior backer stepped in front of the Cumberland Valley pass before racing 101 yards back the other way with his theft turned filet for a game-breaking pick 6 that saw Township go up by a 7-0 count following a Johnny Morales PAT with 8:33 left in the opening half and all the momentum residing on Township sideline.
However, that momentum would gradually dissipate as the quarter trudged along before both teams retired to their respective dressing rooms with Township still holding serve by virtue of that same 7-0 cushion.
Yet while Cumberland Valley was doing just fine in terms of offering stiff resistance to Township’s desires, so too were the Blue Streaks being equally hard on themselves given a litany of penalty flags thrown in their direction that seemed to follow darn near every play it had to feel in their camp. But on this, their opening offensive drive of the third quarter, Cumberland Valley didn’t need any added assistance offered by their hosts considering Martin Francis’ sack on a 3rd & 8 attempt which promptly brought the Township punt team back onto the field after just three plays and out.
Fortunately, as far as the home patrons were most concerned, the Streaks’ second offensive series would fare far, far better in comparison.
Rest assured, when you still have the ability to enjoy the services of your program’s all-time leading rusher being able to tote the rock for you, that would likely figure to be a nice safety blanket to possess in your arsenal. For Manheim Township, while opposing defenders are likely to say he runs anything but, Declan Clancy surely gave the Streaks all the warm and fuzzies here when they needed to buckle down.
On this drive, after steady incisions of 12 yards, 9 yards, and 11 yards just to name a few within the bushel, Township’s 5’10 195lb pure muscle of a senior running back did more than lean on the Eagles’ defense as MT methodically ushered themselves down inside the redzone. From there, while Clancy may have brought the hors d’oeuvres, Daryus Dixon came with the main course as the 10-yard tunnel screen TD throw to the Streaks’ junior wide receiver from senior triggerman, Carson Weisser, made it a 14-0 affair with exactly 3:00 left in the third quarter following Johnny Morales’ second PAT of the evening, a two-score lead that felt nothing if not massive considering the way in which the game had unfolded up until that juncture.
And once the fourth quarter ultimately rolled around, same 14-0 difference and all, time was running out on a Cumberland Valley comeback bid.
Needless to say, the Eagles would be more than accepting for any bit of offensive movement, whether they themselves could generate it or not. In that respect, as if to be right on cue no less, Manheim Township extended an ill-timed olive branch of good will to their guests on a bang-bang play that ended with a crunching hit across the middle, resulting in a personal foul, breathing new life into a critical CV series that desperately needed to get moving.
But they still needed to do their part too. With that in mind, seeing Elijah Sherman plop himself down inside the Township zone on a 3rd & 10 play which in turn would result in the Eagles’ sophomore wideout rattling off 27 yards following the grab, moving the ball down to Township 28-yard line, was a bit of good news. From there, largely continuing to play well beyond his years as a freshman quarterback in what most would figure to be the most inhospitable of places to operate while being on the road in a postseason game against a #1 team, Colton Stamy kept that same steely, gun-slinging confidence all game long, but particularly here on a 4th & 5 play that resulted in a 6-yard pitch and catch to Zayden Smith, prolonging this CV drive once more. Then, rather fitting seeing as how he himself had a large part in things getting in gear, Elijah Sherman got his just desserts in the form of an 18-yard touchdown reception thrown from Stamy, slicing the Township lead in half, 14-7, with 7:16 still left to play.
So, if Manheim Township could help it, there would be nothing more paramount on the Blue Streaks’ wish list than a seven-minute drive to suck up nearly last bit of life that Cumberland Valley still had left to muster. And for a time, it appeared as if that may have in fact been in cards seeing as how old reliable, running Declan Clancy behind their experienced offensive line, steadily moved the proceedings over the midfield stripe sure enough. However, if Manheim Township as a collective suddenly has a distain for the color yellow, it’d be hard to find fault with them considering how a holding call whistled against the Streaks later in the series threw their mojo all out of whack, forcing MT to work uphill from there on out. Then, on what was designed to be a hard count on a 4th & 3 try ended up resulting in a bungled operation altogether, giving the ball back to Cumberland Valley with another lease on life with two minutes and change yet to tick off the clock following the impromptu stop on downs.
51 yards and 2:33. That’s what the Eagles offense had in front of them to navigate while also down by a touchdown. But again, as had largely been the case all night long, ill-timed penalties haunted Manheim Township at nearly every turn. In this most recent instance, what was deemed to be a late hit personal foul call just as quickly moved the CV attack down to the Township 27-yard line and time bleeding off the clock. Later, on a 4th & 1 attempt just a few plays afterwards, all-state caliber basketball player turned receiver here in the immediate, Nolan Buzalka, moved the sticks for CV following a season-saving reception to put it mildly.
Suddenly, Cumberland Valley had worked themselves down to the Township 15-yard line. That was the good news. The bad news was that the Eagles found themselves fresh out of timeouts before an upcoming 3rd & 10 play with inside of a minute left to play. And on said third down, Stamy was flushed out the pocket while also falling just short of the line to gain in his attempt to elude the Township rush. Then, following an impromptu stoppage for a measurement, the clock went back in motion with the Eagles having one final gasp to extend their season. Unfortunately, while the ball was indeed caught in the endzone, it was the wrong team on the receiving end as a batted ball found its way into the hands of Manheim Township’s Jaden Reed-Jones before he was rushed out of bounds along the CV sideline for a punctuation mark that could only be described as an exclamation point.
And with that dagger inserted on the game’s literal final play, not only did it allow Manheim Township to finally exhale before moving onto next Friday’s semifinal round by virtue of this white-knuckle 14-7 affair over Cumberland Valley, but there was also something perhaps hidden, or perhaps rather loud, depending on how you want to look at it here too. That being Manheim Township successfully staving off two Cumberland Valley drives within the contest at the goal line that ironically either resulted in Blue Streaks points scored directly –see Charlie Hill’s 101-yard INT to the house back in the second quarter—or this final nail in the coffin to seal the deal and turn away Cumberland Valley at the absolute last moment.
Granted, while “survive and advance” is a phrase that can be played out and get rather monotonous here when describing playoff scenarios, perhaps this would be one such example where the description accurately fits the bill.
“Find a way to win. I’ll take an ugly win over a pretty loss any day,” Manheim Township head coach Mark Evans said in the postmortem Friday night addressing his troops on-field following the victory. “Our kids stayed resilient. That’s what we didn’t do two weeks ago (against Wilson). We lost our minds in the first half and we didn’t stay resilient.” Said Evans, “We keep talking about the word ‘yet.’ We haven’t played our best game yet. We haven’t played our best half yet. We haven’t played our best quarter yet. We keep continuing to say that there’s hope (for achieving that). But you have to win and advance in order to do that. It doesn’t matter whether it’s by one point or by fifty points. We’re advancing on, but we have to play better. We have to play better.”
And when you get to this time of year, you need your left hand helping your right hand. Or, in football terms, playing complimentary. Well, in terms of their defensive work here, it’d be hard to find much in the way of much to sneeze about as far as Friday night was concerned.
“59 plays and 205 yards? Helluva defensive effort by our coaches and our team,” Evans then remarked after hearing the stat line for the first time. “Our special teams came to play too. You need two out of those three phases, right? Offensively, we were in a bit of a lag tonight. But if you’re winning two thirds of the game, you’re probably going to win. Our defense might have bent, but they stiffened when they had to and made the plays. Like I said, two thirds of that game was won by special teams and defense.”
And because of it, Manheim Township will get the opportunity to play at home yet again next week opposite of either Dallastown or Harrisburg. Suffice to say, if you’re still playing here with all but a month left remaining in the state’s high school football season, having the word “yet” still left in your vocabulary certainly isn’t a bad place to be.
