Let’s take a trip down memory lane, shall we? Along the first leg of our journey, I want you all to recall the years of 2012 and 2013. What do you remember doing back then? Well, if you were associated with the Penn Manor Comets football program, life was pretty sweet in those days. After all, you ran pretty much roughshod over the competition in Lancaster-Lebanon League Section One play except for one pesky opponent you couldn’t quite get past. That opponent being the Wilson Bulldogs who simply refused to budge. But hey, Wilson didn’t bother to give an inch to anyone else in Section One back then either. I mean, how could then when they ran undefeated through the division from 2007-2017? Don’t feel bad though. That’s a level of success that we’ll never see something the likes of ever again. But anyway, back to you for a moment. Yes, those were indeed amongst the best and brightest of days that your Comets have been able to put forth on the football field in quite some time. The bad part of course being that since 2013, the wins have been in short supply as you’ve tried to find tangible footing amongst a divisional crop that is always loaded for bear. But this year, 2021, you’ve seen a rebirth of Penn Manor Football the likes we haven’t seen since the days of Charlie Bell given your 4-1 start to the campaign. Surely you remember him, right? Not only that, but with the overall landscape of L-L Section One already being put upside down and shaken up the likes of which we haven’t seen in eons with no clear-cut front runner already pacing the field, it’s not blasphemous to suggest that Penn Manor, yes, your Penn Manor Comets, could end up winning Section One this season. And hey, not even those 2012 and 2013 squads are able to say that. However, what’s new is old again in the sense that you must still get past those Wilson Bulldogs this Friday night if you have any desires of laying claim to that elusive section title. You know, that very same Wilson program which you’ve never beaten in school history? Simply put, slaying Wilson on Friday would be both a literal and figurative exercise of demons that have plagued you over the last handful of years, perhaps decades even.
Hello friends from West Lawn. I didn’t forget about you either. I want to ask the same question of you too. I want you to take a stroll with me as well please. I want you to go even further back for me though. All the way to the year 1963 please. Oh boy. That’s a long time isn’t it? Shoot, maybe even your grandparents were your age that point. I think we can all admit a lot has changed since then hasn’t it? Televisions went into full color industry-wide, telephones got so small that we can fit them inside our pockets now, and we also saw the advent of the internet. Jury is still out as to whether that’s a blessing or a curse mind you. But one thing hasn’t changed, has it? Your Bulldogs still play winning football in both a literal and figurative sense. In fact, I want to revisit 1963 specifically because that was the last year Wilson ended a season with a losing record. So, what’s the expression again? Death, taxes, and Wilson victories? Something like that I guess. But I bring that up now not to scare you, but to remind you that’s it’s been a long, long time since we’ve seen the Bulldogs put in a position like they are here heading into Friday night at Millersville against Penn Manor. Safe to say it’s been awhile for all of us witnessing a Wilson squad heading into the second half of the season with a 2-3 overall record, including a pair of decisive setbacks against county foes Governor Mifflin and Exeter in that start respectively. Not to go all hyperbole here, but you could make the argument that this game against Penn Manor is amongst the most important that the Bulldogs have played in quite some time for a litany of reasons. Needless to say, the time is now for the Dawgs to get on their giddy-up and end this season the way all of you in Berks County are accustomed to seeing –a winning record and a playoff appearance.
For the rest of you, it’s clear to see why this year’s edition of Wilson vs Penn Manor came fit with all the trimmings of intrigue. One squad eager to make a splash while gunning to author arguably the most consequential victory in its program history, with the other trying to live up to their own illustrated and celebrated history with no absolutely no margin for error the rest of the way.
However, it became evident right from the jump that the 30th matchup between Penn Manor and Wilson would end in the same exact fashion as the 29-previous meetings which had preceded it—Wilson taking home the victory.
While Penn Manor had the honors of getting the football first to start the contest, the Comets didn’t end up hanging on to it very long. Not when you considering that the hosts coughed it up on the second play from scrimmage Friday evening with senior defensive back TJ Flite pouncing on the loose pill for the Bulldogs, effectively setting the guests up with stellar field position before anyone had a chance to get settled into their seats. Speaking of the aforementioned Flite, he then proceeded to demonstrate his accompanying wide receiver skills on the offensive side as well with a beautiful one-handed stab of a touchdown reception from 18-yards out thrown his way by fellow senior, quarterback Brad Hoffman, allowed Wilson to draw first blood at 7-0 with just 2:10 having ticked off the first quarter clock.
From there, Wilson began to rely on one of their trademark tricks of the trade—absolutely bullying the opposition at the line of scrimmage.
Case in point, an ensuing Comets’ punt coming at the heels of their next offensive possession, highlighted by a Nick Weitzel sack and Gavin Lenart snuffing out a Penn Manor screen on a 3rd & 17 play, effectively allowing the Bulldogs’ offensive troops to set up shop with marvelous field position yet again at the Penn Manor 19-yard line following a woefully short Comets’ punt.
But to their credit, Penn Manor would bow their necks and refuse to let Wilson inflict any further damage on this drive as a key 4th down stop courtesy of Penn Manor senior linebacker Charlie Gonzalez registering a key sack on a Wilson 4th & 5 attempt, gave the Comets a sorely needed jolt of energy albeit with the game still in its infancy stages.
So, even despite Wilson by and large owning the first quarter of play out on the field, the Dawgs carried a somewhat misleading 7-0 advantage with them heading into the second frame. The misleading part however was quickly about to change.
If nothing else, Wilson’s initial drive of the second quarter was the very definition of Wilson Football. In short, continue to have the big boys up front lean on you with a heavy dose of run game while also sprinkling in a nice handful of dinks and dunks with an occasional shot downfield to keep you extra honest. Sure enough, here came one of those trademark Wilson marches.
Ignited by a nice quarterback keeper by Hoffman to the tune of a 16-yard pickup, and another Hoffman keeper after eluding what seemed to be nearly half of the Comets’ defensive troops, quickly ushered the Bulldogs all the way down to the Penn Manor 2-yard line. From there, a Jadyn Jones 2-yard touchdown run gave the visitors from Berks County the 13-0 cushion following the botched PAT attempt with 7:59 left to go before the intermission.
Following yet another Penn Manor punt on the Comets’ ensuing series however, Wilson only continued to keep the pedal down.
This time, after starting off at their own 23-yard line, Jadyn Jones simply wasn’t having any of that poor field position as the Bulldogs’ senior running back proceeded to rip off a back-breaking 61-yard jaunt down the Wilson sideline, putting the Wilson attack right back on the doorstep of another score before the break with the ball now resting at the Comets’ 7-yard line. From there, Jones would go on to finish what he had started as his 1-yard TD plunge shortly thereafter made it a 19-0 affair following the 2pt try which went incomplete with 1:09 now left to go before the break.
So, the $64,000 question for Penn Manor at that point in time was how do you play the final minute and change of the first half? Do you play it safe and keep the game within shouting distance heading into the second half, or do you push the envelope and what you can conjure up late? Penn Manor as it turned out opted for the latter.
So, with the Wilson defensive only continuing to exert the same dominance as they had demonstrated throughout the entire first half of play on Friday night, yet another Comets’ three and out after no yards gained led to another punt back to Wilson. Speaking of the punt, that would largely prove to be the proverbial nail in the coffin.
With Cam Jones standing back at his own 30 awaiting the oncoming kick, it was evident that he knew precisely what to do with the ball once it was in his clutches. After scooping it up and navigating his way past the initial crop of the Penn Manor coverage unit, Jones then turned the corner along the Wilson sideline and shifted into high gear as the junior running back’s 70-yard punt return touchdown with just 17 seconds remaining allowed Wilson to enjoy the commanding 26-0 advantage once both teams retired to their respective dressing rooms.
But as it turned out, the respite in between halves seemed to do little as far as slowing down the Wilson machine.
In fact, the second half began in an eerily similar way considering a Wilson takeaway on the Comets’ second offensive play from scrimmage –this time an interception nabbed by Bulldogs’ senior linebacker Gavin Lenart– set Wilson up at the Comets’ 9-yard line. And, much in the same vein on the offensive side as well, a Brad Hoffman to TJ Flite touchdown connection –this one coming on Wilson’s first offensive play following the Penn Manor turnover—upped the Bulldogs’ lead to 33-0 with 8:52 to play in the third.
But alas, as far as the home contingent was concerned, the Wilson onslaught just kept on coming.
After yet another successful defensive stand offered up by their defensive mates, the Wilson offense knew exactly what to do with the ball once they got it back. While this series too would also end in the black-painted end zone signifying Millersville University’s school colors, it was an actual blur of a touchdown scamper right up the gut of the Comets’ defense thanks to the work of the offensive line with Jadyn Jones having the honors of toting the rock thanks to their hard-earned labor with a 68-yard untouched sprint to push the Bulldogs’ lead up to 40-0 at that point with 5:01 left to play in the third quarter which exactly where things would remain heading into the final stanza.
Granted, while the outcome had long since decided once the game plowed ahead into its final dozen minutes, Penn Manor was able to find some things in that final quarter which perhaps they can build upon heading into the final quarter pole of the regular season. Case in point, a sack which effectively ended another Wilson threat deep inside enemy territory thanks to the handiwork of Comets’ junior linebacker, Will Stover. On the offensive side meanwhile, the Comets were able to generate some things in the final frame in that respect as well. In that regard, look to the sensational pitch and catch thrown by Penn Manor junior quarterback Eli Warfel to fellow junior wideout, DeShawn Stanley, as the Comets’ go route along the Wilson sideline allowed the hosts to enjoy their deepest penetration into Bulldogs’ territory all night long. From there, a perfectly dialed up screen pass from Warfel to another junior Comet, running back Spencer Stuart, from 21-yards out meant that the Comets were successfully able to avoid a shutout with the scoreboard now reading 40-6 in Wilson’s favor with 2:08 left to play following the failed 2pt try.
In the end, that is precisely where things would end up following the final two minutes and change. And, without a shadow of a doubt, a decisive 34-point triumph on the home field of a team that was clearly on the rise was exactly what the doctor had ordered for Wilson.
“That’s what we preached all week,” Wilson head coach Doug Dahms said postgame following his team’s 40-6 bounceback victory over Penn Manor on Friday night. “Take one play at a time, make the blocks, make the tackles, execute, then start all over again. Don’t live on your laurels, or if you blew it, don’t rest on your mistake either.”
The thing about this performance though that perhaps stands out the most? This was a decisive and commanding performance authored by the Bulldogs with their backs undoubtedly pushed up against the proverbial wall. Well, as it turns out, they certainly can rise up once challenged, at least on this night, with nothing but flying colors.
“At some point, the responsibility is on them,” Dahms went on to say on about his players and how they themselves would want this season to end inside the latter half of the regular season slate. “We (coaches) can put them in a position to win, but we can’t play the game for them. As I said, you tell (his players), ‘One play at a time. Don’t worry about the play before, don’t worry about the play after. Don’t worry about what happened last week. If you focus and do your job and everyone does their job, the rest takes care of itself.’
“As we stress all the time, this isn’t about who scores. It’s not about who does what. I don’t care who gets what as long as there’s a W at the end of the day,” Dahms continued. “We just stressed that you can’t make mistakes. If you make a mistake, it’s on you. Don’t point the finger at anyone else but yourself. If you do that and take responsibility, the team will be fine.”
NEXT UP: With their defiant win over Penn Manor now in the books and behind them, a win which undoubtfully gave the Bulldogs some much-needed mojo, Wilson now sets their sights on McCaskey. As if that wasn’t already evident enough, the Bulldogs broke their postgame huddle on the field Friday night with an emphatic, “Beat McCaskey,” heading into this upcoming week of prep.
“Everybody in the league was 0-0 heading into tonight. It’s the second season,” said Dahms in closing regarding the start of the sectional schedule which began in earnest on Friday night. “We’ll take it one at a time and hopefully the rest will take care of itself.”
For Penn Manor, Friday night’s setback is assuredly a tough pill to swallow. However, as is the case always in L-L Section One play, the sympathy and compassion meter from the other teams in the division is hardwired to nil. With that in mind, the Comets will need to regroup over the next six days as they prepare to take on an always grizzly Manheim Township bunch on the road in Neffsville next Friday evening. That said, thanks to their stellar start out of the chute this season, the opportunity for a playoff push has already been baked into the Comets’ cake with plenty of opportunities still left out in front for them the rest of the way. Suffice to say, an appearance in Week 11 this season would quickly wipe away any of the painful sentiment experienced by Friday’s setback at the hands of Wilson.
