It’s Week 5 inside the Lancaster-Lebanon League this week which can mean only one thing—it’s crossover week. Ah yes. The beloved crossover week. The one week each year where you either find yourself firmly entrenched on one side of the fence or the other. For fans and players, it’s hard not to get excited about seeing literal mathematically-equal matchups across the board that pit teams against one another head-to-head from Section One versus Section Two and Section Three versus Section Four respectively. For coaches however, not everyone is head over heels in love with the premise. In some cases, for good reasons. After all, it’s hard not to take issue when you’re being told you are mandated to play against a school that is possibly below you in terms of classification level –thus endangering your District 3 power ranking should you lose—while also considering that it’s a high-grade speedbump placed in your way that you might not have otherwise scheduled unless forced to do so. Well, good news there if you find yourself in the latter category as this will be the last year of such an occasion considering that the Berks and L-L merger next season will take care of any scheduling issues given the implementation of a new 37-team super conference in 2022. However, Friday night still provided plenty of intrigue for crossover week’s final swan song. Chief among the matchups, Manheim Township traveling to Cocalico.
If you’re a high school football from the eastern side of the state, chances are that you’ve probably already heard of Manheim Township. Shoot, you’ve probably even heard of them if you’re from out near Pittsburgh too considering they gave eventual state champion and western PA powerhouse, Pine Richland, their stiffest test of the entire 2017 slate –which also included a season-opening game played in front of a national television audience on ESPN—when the Blue Streaks fell shy of the Rams in the PIAA 6-A state semifinals that season. Suffice to say, Manheim Township has gradually evolved from a nice team, to a program, to now an unmistakable and undeniable brand in local football circles.
And wouldn’t you know it, the 2021 Blue Streaks appear to possess many of those same characteristics reminiscent of their recent successes. Whew, talk about a misleading 2-2 overall record for Township heading into this weekend. Especially when you factor in that one of their losses came at the hands of Harrisburg, arguably one of the best teams in the entire state, on just a few days’ notice after COVID cancellations led to the impromptu matchup. But nonetheless, here the Streaks came into Friday juggling a .500 record needing to keep the pedal down against an always stout Cocalico outfit and their infamous veer option attack if they wanted to keep their hopes in good order of securing one of those precious eight seeds in the District 3-6A playoff field.
Speaking of Cocalico’s program, what’s not to love there either? Arguably perhaps the most overachieving program on a perennial basis seeing as how their roster size is literally sometimes almost half of their fellow 5A counterparts at times, the Eagles are routinely among the top of the class in terms of the L-L Section Two and District 3-5A standings every single season, including a state semifinal appearance of their own back in 2019. And they don’t do it with a finesse and smoke and mirrors either. No, this is the same option attack that those in Denver can speak fluently to for generations and spoiler alert-it still works. In short, teams know exactly what they’re going to be fed ahead of time and usually still can’t stop it regardless.
When talking about this year’s edition of the Eagles, those very same things continue to ring true in spades. Coming into the night also with ownership of a 2-2 mark, Cocalico still continues to butter their bread by running the football, a feat best exemplified by the fact that running back Anthony Bourassa came into Friday night’s contest as the L-L’s leader in rushing yards, including going over the 300-yard mark in Cocalico’s 31-20 triumph over Garden Spot just last week. And outside of a 56-0 loss to what appears to be a generational Governor Mifflin team two weeks ago, it doesn’t appear as if there’s any logical reason as to think that Cocalico will once again not find themselves near the top of the divisional heap once again. In that regard, Friday night against Township proved to be an extremely valuable tool in terms of their side of the coin from the Eagles’ perspective.
And while there were plenty of volleys lobbed back and forth between the two sides in the early going in this much-anticipated contest, it became rather obvious that this game at the end of 48 minutes would be coated in Manheim Township’s shade of blue.
As mentioned, it didn’t very long for the fireworks to start on either side Friday night.
After the Manheim Township defense quickly ushered the Cocalico offense back over to the sidelines after a three and out after the Eagles’ opening drive of the contest, the Streaks wasted little time in drawing first blood. In fact, it took the visitors from Neffsville all of one play to cross the pylon as a 53-yard bomb lobbed by sophomore quarterback Hayden Johnson into the waiting hands of fellow sophomore, wideout Landon Kennel, promptly put the Streaks up 7-0 with 9:46 left in the opening quarter.
No worry though. Cocalico was up to the task.
As far as the Eagles were concerned, it would take them much longer to offer a rebuttal. Well, that is if you consider one additional play a large of amount of time of course. On just their second play of their ensuing drive following the Township touchdown just moments earlier, Cocalico senior running back Brycen Flinton took the option pitch from quarterback Blake Taddei near the Streaks’ sideline and quickly bobbed and weaved his way through the entire Township defensive unit to find paydirt by way of a 70-yard touchdown jaunt to even score at 7-7 just 1:08 later.
From there, it was once again Township’s turn to take the baton and run with it.
On the Streaks’ next offensive series, a pair of key third down conversions converted by way of a 15-yard jaunt by senior running back Isaiah Jones and a nice pitch and catch from Johnson to Penn State wide receiver commit, Anthony Ivey, gave Township a fresh set of downs just when they needed them most. And much in the same vein as the drive that had just preceded it, another touchdown connection from the sophomore duo of Hayden Johnson to Landon Kennel –the pair’s second in as many drives—this time from 23 yards out, put the Streaks back in front 14-7 with 5:58 still left to play in the opening stanza.
At that point though, momentum began to swing into Township’s good graces.
After failing to move the sticks following the latest Blue Streaks’ touchdown, Cocalico tried to see if they could catch the opposition asleep at the wheel with an impromptu fake punt to try and extend the drive. No dice however. With the Streaks’ special teams dialed into the Cocalico wrinkle, the Township offensive troops sauntered back onto the field already well into Eagles’ territory compliments of snuffing out the Cocalico fake. From there, the Hayden Johnson aerial display that had suddenly descended upon the town of Denver was on full display for all to witness once again as a 19-yard touchdown pass to Ivey –Johnson’s third scoring strike of the opening nine minutes—made it a 21-7 affair in favor of the white-clad guests with 3:00 exactly still showing on the first quarter clock.
But just as they had done not all that long ago, Cocalico still had plenty of bite left in them.
In fact, the venom in which they inflicted upon Township a second time was eerily reminiscent to that of the first considering how it was yet another long touchdown jaunt, this time of the 68-yard untouched variety from Anthony Bourassa, which drew the Eagles ever so closer at a 21-14 count within the blink of an eye with 2:17 still left to go in the first. Thankfully, as far as the scoreboard operator was concerned, that would be the last of the scoring that would take place for the remainder of the opening quarter to conclude what had been an absolute wild opening dozen minutes’ worth of play.
It was in the second quarter though where the Blue Streaks began to flex their collective muscle.
Ignited by special teams yet again –this time courtesy of a muffed Cocalico punt—the Blue Streaks set up shop while already knocking on the door to possibly tally yet another score. No worries there when you hand the ball off to running back Jake Laubach, precisely what Township did, as the Streaks’ junior bruiser rumbled his way in from 15 yards out on the first play following the Eagles’ miscue, upping the Manheim Township lead to 28-14 with 9:02 left before intermission.
But the Streaks weren’t done playing complimentary football there either.
Especially not when their defense got into the act once again, such as the case when Township senior linebacker Jesus Perez pounced on a Cocalico fumble to rudely end the Eagles’ ensuing offensive possession, a key takeaway which handed the keys back over to an already sizzling Blue Streaks’ offense at that point in time. Speaking of sizzling, both Hayden Johnson and Jake Laubach did their parts to kick things up a notch even further given their 27-yard screen pass which resulted in Johnson’s fourth TD toss of the opening half, making it a now commanding 35-14 Township buffer with 2:58 left before the break.
Nope, still more work to do.
After forcing Cocalico to punt yet again, Johnson’s right arm continued to spin the magic bean for the Streaks with a mind-boggling fifth touchdown pass of the opening 24 minutes, this of the 54-yard variety to Isaiah Jones, effectively sending Manheim Township into the dressing room with the 41-14 cushion after a wild relatively back and forth opening half.
Suffice to say, time was of the upmost essence if Cocalico had any desires of staying within shouting the distance the rest of the way. Well, fortunately for the home crowd, their Eagles would indeed rise up and make a stand once the third quarter got underway.
Undoubtedly invigorated after holding the Streaks on downs to conclude Township’s opening possession of the third quarter, the Eagles’ offensive troops went on the attack just 55 yards away from the end zone. And while it wouldn’t be nearly as immediate as their previous scoring drives had been, Cocalico went right back to work while leaning on their rushing prowess. Sure enough, in bits and pieces, the Eagles began charting their course through Township’s side of the field. Case in point, a 3rd & 3 conversion picked up by Bourassa for a 10-yard gainer which moved Cocalico down to the Streaks’ 37-yard line. There, they only needed to go just a wee bit further as a sweet 30-yard touchdown sprint by sophomore running back Aaryn Longenecker on a critical 4thdown conversion cut the Township lead back down to a more manageable 20-point threshold at 41-21 with 6:50 left to go in the third.
And while Cocalico would once again turn Township away and force a Blue Streaks’ punt at the end of the next series, a long and lengthy Eagles’ drive –one best highlighted by a tough catch on a key 3rd & 5 pickup from senior triggerman Blake Taddei to freshman wideout Dane Bollinger amounting to a 37-yard pitch and catch along the Cocalico sideline—it would prove to be the Streaks’ defensive outfit that would turn the tables and hold Cocalico on downs as the final quarter began in earnest with Township still having ownership of the 41-21 advantage.
In some ways, it was as if the Township offense had looked all out of sorts after having emerged from the halftime recess. Fair enough, but the Streaks’ opening drive of the final frame helped put those question marks to bed.
Kick-started by a nifty 27-yard QB keeper from the star of the show on Friday night, Hayden Johnson, the Streaks suddenly found themselves residing inside Cocalico territory with the ball resting on the Eagles’ 43-yard line. Shortly thereafter, Township clearly still had one more touchdown left in them as a 43-yard TD jaunt from sophomore running back Nick Good then made it a 48-21 Blue Streaks’ lead with 10:12 left to play.
Granted, while the eventual outcome had largely been decided by that point in time, it wasn’t as if there weren’t positive glimpses into the what future may hold for both Cocalico and Township respectively. On the Cocalico side, the future of the veer attack piloted by current freshman quarterback Josh Myer appears to be in a good hands given his handful of tough and determined runs as time was trickling down on Friday evening. Fittingly, for a program that prides itself in exerting their dominance at the line of scrimmage such as Manheim Township, the young brute strength possessed by up and comers the likes of sophomore defensive lineman Carter Bair appear to have the Blue Streaks loaded and in a favorable position moving forward, something best amplified by Bair’s late game sack which helped take the wind out of Cocalico’s collective sails once and for all. And once the final horn went off, there was little doubt as to who had owned much of the evening at large with Manheim Township heading home victorious with the momentum found within a 48-21 triumph over Cocalico.
A solid win? Yes. Things to improve upon? Oh yes. Plenty of learning lessons to be had within Blue Streaks’ camp leaving Denver.
“I thought we got a little complacent there in the third quarter,” Manheim Township head coach Mark Evans admitted after addressing his troops in the postgame huddle. “This group is kind of a unique group where if you give them an inch, they’ll take a mile,” Evans said with a wry grin. “That’s on me though. We’ve got to focus on 1-0 and keep on the straight and narrow. (His players) cause me some sleepless nights every now and then,” he added with a laugh before reiterating, “But they’re a fun group and they’re kind of coming of age. When you think about it, last year we started 21 of 22 new starters. This year, we have a lot of young kids in a lot of positions believe it or not. I have not started this many sophomores and a freshman at Township in my ten years here. We have a lot of young kids playing, plus a lot of upperclassmen getting their first crack at it,” Evans remarked. “Through five weeks, sometimes you gotta learn the hard way, so I’m pleased.”
NEXT UP: And for good reason Coach Evans should be pleased with his cast of characters who also happen to possess exactly that–character. After all, the Streaks will now sail into next weekend with a game against Cedar Crest coming off back-to-back victories while now having three straight home games on the immediate horizon and a wide-open L-L Section One race still ahead of them. Even still, it’s a day-to-day, nose to the grindstone operation over in Neffsville. “I do think that this team has yet to play the kind of game that I know they can play. That’s what I said to them there,” said the Streaks’ head man of the overarching message given to the squad heading into the start of next week. “I’m looking for a four-quarter effort. Not two quarters, not three quarters. I thought we got a three-quarter effort tonight. In the third quarter, I think we put it in cruise control and thought it was going to take care of itself and it didn’t. Like I said, that’s on me. We’ll make sure that doesn’t happen again.” And while the long-term forecast does appear to point towards another Manheim Township resurgence in the years to come that is hard not to get excited about, Evans perhaps put it best on Friday night when he said in closing, “I really like these guys we have right now and I’m not ready for this to end any time soon.”
For Cocalico, it’s right back to work next week when the Eagles match wits with an almost mirror-image of themselves when they square off against run-heavy Solanco next Friday night back at home in Denver. Heading into that option-crazed contest between the pair of Section Two brethren, the Eagles will need to get things back in gear considering they will come into the night with a 2-3 overall record. Fair, but if there’s one lesson everyone around these parts should have learned by this point in history, it’s that picking against an established program the likes of Cocalico is a venture that should be taken with extreme caution.
