In many ways, the setting and surroundings that enveloped the Week 3 collision course matchup between Elizabethtown and Lower Dauphin could not have been any more apropos.
Firstly, the location.
For years, nay, generations even, every high school football team that handed out uniforms and pads in the month of August dreamed of the possibility of having their final victory come on the field at Hersheypark Stadium which meant leaving the property with gold medals around necks and a massive gold trophy to boot that only a state champion can possess. That was of course until just a few months ago when it was announced that the winning bid to host state championship weekend had been awarded to Cumberland Valley School District instead of the entertainment supergiant. So, in that regard, while the ol’ girl located beside Chocolate World will have to sit quietly by for the first time in a long time just a few weeks before Christmas this year while she allows another venue to partake in the fanfare that comes with crowning half a dozen state champions, it’s impeccable history cannot simply be washed away.
Ironic in that respect because the two teams that laced up and played on her turf Friday night were concerned, while they too were entering new chapters in terms of their respective programs, an eye to both of their pasts as well cannot be erased either.
For Lower Dauphin, much like the roller coasters that perch over the top of their home stadium itself, the past decade for the Falcon football program has been exactly that—filled with ups and downs and twists and turns. As far as the top is concerned, how can anyone possibly forget the magic that was the 2013 campaign that saw LD trudge its way forward all the way to the state semi-finals, all before falling to the behemoth that is Pittsburgh Central Catholic. Since then, however, the lows have seemed especially low. In fact, just in taking the years of 2018 thru 2020 as an example, the Falcons posted just a 3-23 record during that span, including an 0-10 mark hit in 2019.
Simply put, it seemed as if new blood had been needed in terms of trying to jolt this power awake from its slumber. For that, the Lower Dauphin brass handed the keys over to Josh Borelli, a young and bright alum from the class of 2009 who has seemed to infuse new life into the proud program he once suited up for not all that long ago. Case in point, the 2-0 record which the Falcons entered the evening with, yes, albeit with a forfeit victory over rival Middletown due to the administration there shuttering the team this year in the wake of the hazing situation within the Blue Raiders’ program.
Standing on the other sideline, the E-Town Bears have also found a new guiding light to help lead them into the new world known as the 37-team mega Lancaster-Lebanon League thanks to the inclusion of the 13 Berks County programs into the fold. And if resumes are more your forte, it’s hard not to be impressed with the one that new headman Keith Stokes brings to the table.
Aside from his days on the practice squads of the San Francisco 49ers and Miami Dolphins respectively following his days as an East Carolina Pirate that saw him lead all of Conference USA in total yardage in the 2000 season, the new Elizabethtown head coach is perhaps best known for his prowess in playing in the Canadian Football League before getting to the deserved opportunity run the show for the first time this year over in E-Town. And like his counterpart from Lower Dauphin, the 43-year-old Stokes has left an indelible imprint on his new team in just a short amount of time as well given the Bears’ 2-0 record they brought with them up the road to Hershey following triumphs over Donegal and McCaskey respectively to the tune of 93 total points. To be sure, the early returns look promising for a Bears’ program that has long been considered one of the conference’s stalwarts given what they too have accomplished over a prolonged period of time.
Suffice to say, for these two teams, a shared appreciation for their histories while also relishing the opportunity to write a new chapter for themselves was most at stake entering Friday evening considering one of these two would emerge out of the first third of the 2022 campaign still unblemished.
All that being said, if what E-Town was able to do on Friday night is to serve as any indication moving forward on both the macro and micro, the Bears under Stokes’ guidance are going to be a problem for L-L Section 3 foes, much less the league itself, for quite a long time to come.
However, an E-Town whitewash wasn’t at all what it seemed may take place at least in the early going of this one. No, especially when factor in Lower Dauphin junior running back, Ty Millhimes’, long gainer on the first play from scrimmage, in the form of a run alongside the E-Town sideline that quickly ushered the Falcons’ attack all the way down to the visitor’s 19-yard line with scores of fans still left outside the turnstiles in a single-file line that approached Hersheypark Arena. And after a quarterback keeper by way of senior quarterback, Bryce Forney, on the very next play which took LD down to the Bears’ 9 which preceded a successful 3rd & 6 conversions from the arm of Forney to the mitts of senior wideout, Ellis Snow, LD appeared eager to strike. Sure enough, the hosts’ 61-yard opening march was punctuated in style with a 5-yard touchdown keeper by Forney off the jet sweep window-dressing, as a Brandon Fritz PAT made it a 7-0 Falcons’ lead with 8:52 still left to play in the opening stanza.
Unphased though, E-Town certainly didn’t appear any worse for the wear following LD’s early haymaker.
If there has been a more lethal tandem in quite possibly all the state than that of the duo between E-Town signal caller Josh Rudy and wideout Braden Cummings, you’d be hard-pressed to find many that can possibly stack up to what those two have done thus far in 2022. Case in point, Cummings entering the night with an eye-popping nine touchdown receptions to his name through just eight quarters of play. Sure enough, it didn’t take the pair very long to find one another on the Bears’ opening drive of the contest on Friday night either considering that an 18-yard pitch and catch between them helped move the ball down to the Bears’ 40-yard line within a flash. And while E-Town’s senior trigger man can spray it around the yard to a host of capable receivers –such as the case when he found fellow senior, Cade Capello, for a pair of third down conversions which gave the Bears a fresh set of down to extend the series – his reliable safety blanket in Cummings was there yet again later in the drive to finish things off as the 23-yard hookup between them was good for the timely E-Town rebuttal as a Caleb Fuge PAT made it a 7-7 affair with 4:13 still left to play on the first quarter clock.
But just as quickly as the E-Town sideline started to get an extra pep in its collective step following its touchdown answer, Ty Millhimes was there to douse that fire out entirely.
In fact, Lower Dauphin’s tailback didn’t even need to take a snap in his traditional backfield position when it came to offering up his second big imprint on the early action following his aforementioned chunk play from scrimmage to begin the evening’s proceedings as the Falcons’ senior demonstrated that he can also moonlight quite well as a kickoff specialist given his prompt 90-yard kickoff return for a score which swung the pendulum of momentum back over into LD’s favor in the form of a 14-7 cushion with just 12 seconds following the aforementioned E-Town score.
But boy oh boy, can E-Town strike (almost) just as fast.
Granted, the Bears’ answer wouldn’t take the form of a special teams to score in the same way that Lower Dauphin had just done so. Rather, they would take the more traditional approach to things.
While most everyone by now is keenly aware that E-Town can pack quite a punch when it comes to their method of attack through the skies, sleeping on their run game can be equally as regrettable for the opposition. In fact, with a duo the likes of Hayden Haver of Logan Lentz toting the rock, the latter of whom successfully allowed his troops to prolong their second offensive drive of the contest following a successful 4-yard carry on a 3rd & 1 play at their own 38-yard line, it’s easy to see how the 1-2 punch offered by the Bears offensively could pose many sleepless nights for defensive coordinators who find themselves upcoming on the E-Town slate.
And with both aspects appearing of both the run and pass game appearing to make sweet music with one another on this drive as well, the Bears suddenly found themselves with the ball resting on the Falcons’ 8-yard line following a 17-yard hookup from Rudy to Cummings followed by a Rudy quarterback keeper shortly thereafter. From there, the E-Town response was capped off by a 1-yard Lentz touchdown plunge which knotted things back up at 14-apiece which is exactly where things would remain once the final 23 seconds evaporated off the first quarter scoreboard.
Then, after successfully holding Lower Dauphin to their first punt of the evening on the Falcons’ ensuing offensive drive, E-Town’s offense had hoped that their offensive fluency would only continue onward and upward. Spoiler alert—it would.
If it’s ever a third and long scenario for E-Town, such as the case when the Bears lined up for a 3rd & 8 attempts at their own 49-yard line following a sack by way of LD senior defensive captain, Tanner Webb, it’s a pretty surefire bet to assume that Josh Rudy likely figures to be looking in Braden Cumming’s direction. Sure enough, that would be the case here too as the dynamic pair helped move the sticks for E-Town as the 19-yard toss put the white-clad guests on the precipice of the LD RedZone. Then, with that running game right there in tow, a 31-yard burst on the ground via Lentz put the ball firmly on the Falcons’ 1-yard line. Then, it was Hayden Haver’s opportunity to punctuate this series off as the junior’s 1-yard touchdown dive gave E-Town their first lead of the evening, 21-14, with just 4:15 left before the break.
But it would be a cushion that E-Town would enjoy for all of 10 seconds.
If there appears to be one cavity that the Bears will surely need to shore up come the stretch run of what figures to be a tooth-and-nail chase for the divisional title over the span of the next six weeks, it is most certainly in the form of its special teams. Yes, even despite surrendering a 90-yard kickoff return for a score by way of Ty Millhimes just one-quarter previous, Millhimes was there yet again to scoop up the bounding pill off the turf and proceed to race 71-yards home with his prize as Millhimes’ second kickoff return for a score following the Brandon Fritz PAT made things all square once more at 21-21 with 4:05 still left before recess.
Four minutes you say? Plenty of time for some fireworks then.
The fuse? How about Cummings via Rudy? Yes, it took the two of them just one play to hook up with one another yet again on the Bears’ ensuing offensive series here too as the 42-yard bomb that came complete with Cummings simply snatching the ball away from his defender amidst one-on-one coverage allowed the Bears to sprint down to the LD 41-yard line. From there, the duo opted for a much more mundane and pedestrian 24-yard pitch and catch on a 3rd & 15 attempts, moving the sticks down to the Lower Dauphin 22-yard line. And hey, if you’re going to be the one to land the biggest punches, you might as well be the one to finish things off, right? Well, in that respect, seeing Braden Cummings take an unimpeded stroll down the seam for the 23-yard touchdown reception with just 52 seconds left to play before intermission surely led to added frustration shared amongst the Lower Dauphin brain trust before they would assemble in the halftime dressing room while staring up at a 28-21 hole following Caleb Fuge’s fourth successful PAT try on the heels of Cumming’s second TD grab of the opening 24 minutes.
For an opening half that seemed to feature nothing but a tug of war type struggle between two sides that struggled to get a decisive upper hand on one another, the third quarter of play on Friday evening seemed much tepid in many respects. Granted, that call came before the untimely end of Lower Dauphin’s second and only offensive series of the third frame that is to say.
Following a successful pair of third-down pickups after holding the white-hot Elizabethtown offense on downs coming out of the halftime dressing room, the latter of which came off a marvelous thrown by LD quarterback, Bryce Forney, into triple coverage and into the hands of freshman wide receiver, Hunter Strohm, the Falcons appeared to be in the prime position given their residency at the Bears’ 16-yard line following the 26-yard strike from Forney to Strohm. Of course, that was if LD’s high level of execution would remain firmly in place as the series moved along.
Unfortunately, as far as the home patrons were most concerned, that was not to be.
With the ball later resting at the E-Town 11-yard line, Lower Dauphin seemed all but destined to have this drive end with a celebration past the chalk line and into the endzone. However, an untimely high snap went off the wickets of Ty Millhimes who did his best to try and snag it out of the air, but not before E-Town’s Elijah MacFarlane proceeded to dive on the loose pigskin for his squad, effectively allowing the Bears to collectively exhale following the takeaway turned to stop as the third quarter would expire shortly thereafter while still in control of that 28-21 lead.
By this stage, with the game entering its final dozen minutes, the opportunity seemed ripe for the picking as far as E-Town perhaps authoring some sort of knockout punch.
On this march, the Bears opted to do the lion’s share of their damage by way of the ground. Simply put, the decision seemed to be worth its weight in gold as a 20-yard burst up the gut by Hayden Haver helped lay the groundwork for the remainder of the drive. And after a series of body blows that came courtesy of the stout E-Town offensive line starting to lean on its opposition with Haver and Logan Lentz carrying the mail behind them, a 4-yard touchdown run by Lentz gave the Bears their largest lead of the evening at that point, 35-21, with 9:52 left to play following another Fuge PAT.
So, with the Bears starting to roar, it seemed fitting that its defense would emerge onto the scene with its own splash play as well.
For that, long no further than a sack tallied by the Bears’ Brayden Burkholder and his fellow defensive mates, an emphatic close to the Lower Dauphin possession which handed the ball back over to the E-Town offense at the midfield stripe following the LD turnover on downs.
If we’re talking TKO’s here, just let Cummings do the work. Sure enough, after yet another long reception, this of the 32-yard variety on the first play of the series, the Bears found themselves at the Falcons’ 8-yard line on the heels of a Rudy QB keeper following his efforts slinging the rock. Fittingly, the Bears needed not to travel any further as the 8-yard touchdown run by Lentz helped to put this one out of reach, 41-21, with 6:56 left to go after the PAT block by the LD special teams unit.
However, even despite looking up at the scoreboard and seeing a current 20-bulge working against them with time starting to run out, Lower Dauphin continued to scrap. Case in point, the Falcons’ 31-yard touchdown pass from Forney to a streaking Millhimes down the LD sideline as Millhimes’ third marvelous touchdown of the contest made it a 41-28 E-Town lead which is where things would remain in place once the final 2:44 ticked off the game clock, allowing the Bears and their traveling contingent to make the short trek home with a perfect 3-0 record for their troubles after their team’s important triumph by a baker’s dozen on Friday night inside Hersheypark Stadium.
NEXT UP: For E-Town, a team that seems to be primed and ready to take on the challenge that is the L-L Section Three race, this is really where the rubber meets the road. Yes, while the Bears will still host yet another nonconference foe in Red Lion next week for their first game under the lights so far this season, a Red Lion team that will enter the night at 2-1 including a win over Section Three resident Ephrata in the opening week of the season, getting all the hay in the barn before a trip to Twin Valley the following Friday night will be of the utmost importance for the Bears. But yet again, if Friday night viewed simply in a snapshot is perhaps best served as a microcosm of things to come, the Friday nights ahead both in 2022 and beyond seem incredibly bright for the E-Town program as a whole.
For Lower Dauphin, despite the sting that surely comes in experiencing your first defeat of the season, the relatively small roster the Falcons possess this season will surely become nothing if not even more tight-knit given what comes in experiencing shared battles in the foxhole alongside one another. And for a team eager to looking to plant its flag back near the top of the Mid-Penn Keystone Division standings, knocking off an equally-improving Mifflin County Huskies outfit which will travel southward next Friday night will most certainly be of the utmost importance in trying to make sure that goal comes to fruition in 2022.
