Andy Herr

If we were to take an unscientific poll before the season that asked if you would be satisfied or content while owning an 8-1 record with one final week left to go, chances were that most everyone would’ve asked where the nearest pen was at so that they could sign up without any sort of hesitation getting in the way. Understandably, winning 89% of your games coming out of the penultimate week of the regular season would be reason for celebration, especially for those relegated in fighting to retain, fighting to claim, or just flat out turning to prayer if necessary, provided it means they get to play beyond this week when the guaranteed games on the 2024 schedule run out. But then again, not every team is necessarily created equal. In that regard, please forgive the Exeter Eagles in advance if they came into this week’s contest rather perturbed to put it mildly.

It’d be nothing if not acceptable to give them that grace. After all, before heading into last week’s game against Conestoga Valley, no one really was found orbiting within Exeter’s stratosphere considering how the Eagles had decimated almost everyone who happened to cross their path thus far in 2024, something best evidenced by the fact that no team had fared any better than Governor Mifflin did in terms of the Mustangs coming within 21 points of knocking Exeter from the ranks of the unbeaten. Simply put, through the first eight weeks of the season, the Eagles were inserting themselves into the conversation of mythical best Lancaster-Lebanon League team straight up regardless of classification level.

But then the Buckskins came into town last Friday night.

Without much in the way of debate heading into that de-facto L-L Section Two title game a week ago, the prevailing thought was that no one would provide a stiffer test to Exeter’s proficiency than this group coming northward from Lancaster County, also 8-0 in their own right, while also having bested Exeter one year ago to boot, something else that added just a little bit of extra sizzle and spice to this already tantalizing affair. Unfortunately for Exeter, while not only did Conestoga Valley have the answer in solving the Exeter riddle that anyone had yet to crack, but this game became even harder to stomach from the Eagle’s perspective given that it’s key play was a bang-bang, judgement call on an Exeter two-point conversion attempt in the waning stages that was ultimately marked short of crossing the chalk line, allowing Conestoga Valley to hang on and finally exhale eight seconds later in the aftermath of the Buckskins’ gut-check 28-27 victory inside Don Thomas Stadium that gave CV the Section Two title by way of the head-to-head triumph in a memorable outing between these two stalwarts.

Suffice to say, while it obviously wasn’t a case of Exeter having been outclassed and totally run off the field, coming within what essentially could be boiled down to nothing more than an opinion in the heat of the moment for a game-deciding call that kept them from a 9-0 record, it’d be hard not to imagine that this group of Eagles wasn’t making the somewhat long trek down from Berks County all the way across to the far western edge of Lancaster County and into Elizabethtown on Friday night with anything but bad intentions in trying to make amends and right the wrongs they had experienced seven days prior.

For the Eagles’ opposition this affair, the E-town Bears, it’s been a bit of mixed bag of sorts thus far in their 2024 campaign.

Yes, the numbers will indicate that the blue and white came into their final game of the year while possessing a 2-7 overall record sure, but the Bears have been headache-worthy for almost all of opponents that have lined up against them this season. Case in point, taking aside the 0-5 start that E-town had to begin the year, they too were anything but sheerly outclassed and overmatched after diving inside the up-front numbers. In fact, save for their opening game the year, a 28-14 defeat at the hands of Cocalico, the Bears came within one score of the final margin of defeat from there on out. Finally, for a team that spent the first half of the season coming agonizingly close to have a celebratory locker room postgame time after time after time it seemed, Elizabethtown finally got their comeuppance in the form of a thrilling 36-34 win over Muhlenberg in Week 6 before then promptly following that up another win their next time out, a 14-8 triumph at Lebanon, giving the Bears their second divisional win in back-to-back fashion. And if you look around, aside from the sheer behemoths who are running roughshod inside this 37-team Lancaster-Lebanon League, officially going on a winning streak at any one point during the year isn’t something that’s exactly commonplace and easy to achieve. Granted, while their last pair of outings have since seen E-town come up shy by their largest margins of defeat so far this fall in setbacks at the hands of Conestoga Valley and Governor Mifflin respectively, the Bears might very well be fitting in fulfilling that age-old definition of a team that is better than what their record may indicate at face value.

But with all due respect to the other squads residing on their schedule, this almost certainly figured to be the Bears’ hardest test put in front of them yet to date. Again, even somehow trying to take aside and ignore Exeter’s 38 points-per-game margin of victory throughout their first eight weeks for just a brief second, the proverbial elephant in the room that was the sentiment coming out of last week’s outcome along with the Eagles slipping all the way down to the mind-boggling #8 spot in the District 3-5A field in the process would be almost impossible to ignore, while also likely making this assignment all the more challenging.

Yet if Exeter came into the night with something of a score to settle, let’s just say that they certainly put up one heck of a score indeed. One that could easily be displayed in a very literal fashion.

In fact, the deluge that the Eagles from Reiffton brought with them was apparent right from the jump on Friday night.

After holding E-town to negative three yards after three quick offensive plays and out to begin the contest, Exeter wasted almost no time at all when it came to dictating the eventual terms on how this contest would ultimately be ruled.

Sure enough, it took the visitors all of 34 yards over the course of 1:50 before they finally hit paydirt in the form of a 16-yard touchdown toss from multi-faceted Jayden Zandier fulfilling his duties at quarterback in this instance as the Eagles’ senior do-everything man found Aiden Dauble shaking free from the E-town secondary as the junior tight end’s TD grab helped to make it a very early 7-0 Exeter lead following a Jake Franek PAT with 8:40 still left to play in the opening frame.

But that wouldn’t be anywhere near the last of it.

Again, after halting the E-town offensive unit to no more than three plays on the Bears’ ensuing offensive possession, it likely seemed like a bad case of déjà vu for the hosts more than likely. This time, after setting up shop at the Elizabethtown 35-yard line to begin this series, Zandier went back to his more familiar role, the running back spot, before blazing a path to the endzone from 24 yards out while trotting off totally untouched, making it a 14-0 bulge following another Franek PAT to complete the lightning-quick, 1:15 drive.

And if they weren’t being extremely impolite house guests when it came to allowing E-town next to nothing in terms of the Bears’ offensive production, Exeter was downright rude when it came to their thievery which would then come to fruition over the course of the next few Bears’ offensive drives.

For their third trip out onto the field in trying to negotiate with the unwelcoming Exeter defensive troops, this Bears’ drive too would last all of three plays from scrimmage as well. Unfortunately, unlike the first two series of downs, a punt would not follow in this venture as a tipped ball thrown on a third down play found its way into the hands of Exeter senior defensive back, Carter Redding, as Redding promptly rattled off a 32-yard interception return down inside the E-town redzone to put the guests on the precipice of yet another score. From there, it took the Eagles just one play to get the job done as a 7-yard TD scoot around the left side of the line by way of the one who had started these very proceedings, Carter Redding, made it a commanding 21-0 count in Exeter’s favor following Franek’s third PAT of the still young evening with 3:29 left to go in the first period.

Remember that bad case of déjà vu? Well, unfortunately from E-town’s perspective, they just simply couldn’t shake it.

Like their most recent drive that abruptly ended in the form of an Exeter takeaway, yes, so too would this one.

Ironically, on a third down play yet again no less, did the Eagles found themselves to be the benefactors of some ill-timed E-town hospitality as a fumble recovery pounced on by Exeter sophomore defensive lineman, Kevin Oswalt, sent the Exeter offense back onto the field, a unit that was just as white-hot as the jerseys they were seen wearing from head-to-toe.  And in perfect complimentary football fashion, the Eagles would make good on punctuating the work compiled by their defensive mates as a 37-yard touchdown strike from Jake Hafer to Genuine Stutzman upped the Exeter lead out to a 28-0 difference with 3:01 left in the first quarter following the junior triggerman hooking up with his senior tight end who wears the surely sought-after #0 jersey.

Now, as far as the scoring was concerned, that would be all the further damage Exeter would be able to inflict within the span of the opening dozen minutes at White Family Dental Stadium on this crisp autumnal evening. That was the good news for the home patrons. The bad news however was that a score wouldn’t be far behind once the curtain rose on the second stanza.

For that, on the final play of an utterly flawless opening frame compiled by Exeter, the proverbial cherry on top came in the form of the Eagles’ third straight takeaway defensively as Aiden Dauble was able to snare an interception to add onto his night’s work, helping to set the table for Exeter’s offense to retake the field just outside the fringe of the Elizabethtown redzone once the game’s second act was set to begin.

Without spoiling the drama, or lack thereof, it would take the Eagles exactly seven seconds to travel those 22 yards to the house as Jayden Zandier was able to skate home for the one-play touchdown “drive”, making it a 35-0 Exeter lead with 11:53 still left in the first half yet to unfold.

But the snowball just cruelly continued to roll downhill at a rate of speed in which E-town just couldn’t withstand.

Case in point, after being stymied to another three plays and punt on their ensuing offensive drive, Exeter needed to travel just 35 yards this time around if they wished to punch another first half score up on the board.

Three plays. This occasion took just three plays as a 12-yard toss from Jake Hafer to Carter Redding got the ball rolling. From there, Zandier would cut back marvelously against the grain with a sizable jaunt which ushered the ball down to the E-town 4-yard line before Zandier himself tallied another touchdown to he and his teammates’ already sensational evening collectively as the Eagles’ lead ballooned up to a 42-0 difference with 9:41 left before both teams could head into their respective dressing rooms for the intermission, albeit with very different tones and moods once inside assuredly.

Needless to say, was it apparent by this point that Jayden Zandier looked like he was out there at recess or something of the like, seeming to score touchdowns at will? But even here, with the game already out of reach, the Eagles’ senior stalwart was feeling especially greedy despite having already placed four touchdowns overall next to his name with not even half of the second quarter yet expired on Friday night. But greed can be good. And Zandier was especially good for Exeter against E-town in this outing as his fifth score of the first half was punctuated with a 12-yard touchdown run, making it a 49-0 Eagles’ cushion with still 7:06 remaining in a suddenly crawling first half given all the stoppages in the aftermath of the Exeter scores.

Yet those seven minutes and change was still more than enough time for Exeter to make the scoreboard operator find the addition button one more time around before the second quarter ceased to exist.

By this point, with the outcome already a formality and with plenty of time still left before the game officially went final, Exeter just kept throwing fresh bodies at E-town in waves with a level of success that seemed to indicate no drop-off whatsoever.

In fact, perhaps no Eagle personified that assumption any better than junior running back, Leo Brown, a hiccup-quick ball carrier who seemed to pick up yards with ease once he was called into service. On this, what would prove to be their final offensive drive of a dominating first half of play, Brown became the focal point of the Exeter drive. Suffice to say, it proved to be a wise move by the Eagles’ braintrust as Brown ripped off chain-moving runs, both of the mundane and more exciting variety, including a 20-yard scamper within the bunch, moving the ball down inside the E-town redzone one more time. Fittingly, seeing as how he had done the bulk of the heavy lifting, Brown was rightly rewarded for this efforts in the form of his 11-yard touchdown run that made it a 56-0 Exeter lead following Robbie Gaston’s first PAT of the night which is exactly where the margin remained once the final 1:28 ticked off the second quarter clock with a fast-moving second half afoot given the running clock scenario.

However, even when they exclusively kept the ball on the ground following a brief respite known as halftime that could’ve perhaps slowed them down somewhat, Exeter simply wasn’t having any of it.

On this drive, the Eagles’ first of the third quarter, it largely could’ve been labeled “The Donovyn Alvarez Show.” At seemingly every turn, the Eagles’ powerfully built sophomore running back just kept churning the yards out against the Bears while also methodically moving the ball down the field. And just like Leo Brown had done before him in the waning stages of the second quarter, Alvarez was also able to reap the fruits of his labor as well given his 6-yard touchdown run up the gut which then made it a 63-0 ballgame following another PAT booted home by Robbie Gaston with 4:49 still left in the third at that point.

Now, all that is to say, if you really wanted to nitpick against Exeter in the face of this incredible display they were currently putting on for some odd reason if you so chose, while you really wouldn’t have any sort of stable ground to stand upon, perhaps you could ask why the defense hadn’t yet joined the scoring party directly, yes, even if they themselves had helped set the table for a handful of offensive scores in their own right. Well, if you really wanted to stand on the table to try and defend that argument, that talking point would be shouted down the very next time the Eagles returned to the field defensively.

Sure enough, in the perfect display of complimentary football on display working in tandem, the Exeter defensive troops were able to tally their own touchdown on the evening as a 15-yard, scoop and score fumble recovery authored by Braylon Reinert added yet another touchdown up on the board for the visitors. And on a play that seemed nothing if not emblematic of the night as a whole, even when things weren’t going in their favor, it didn’t seem to matter much when it came to Exeter’s side. Here, while already sitting on a 69-point lead, not even a high snap on the ensuing PAT threw the Eagles off course as evidenced by holder Jayden Ware acting extremely cool under duress, collecting the ball, before standing up and effortlessly sauntering off into the corner of the endzone for the impromptu two-point conversion, making it a 71-0 Exeter lead with time running down in the third quarter.

And once the game clock ultimately did hit all zeroes to signify its finality not long afterwards, this would be one of those occasions in sport where the final score truly did tell the entire story of what had just transpired from start to finish. Aside from what felt like almost the entirety of the game being played on half a field that was exclusively tilted heavily in Exeter’s favor –a notion perhaps best captured in the 22 to 5 disparity in terms of accrued first downs compiled by either team on the night—the 71-0 final verdict on the scoreboard itself largely left little mystery as Exeter had indeed rebounded in kind from the disappointment they had experienced just seven days prior by playing a 48-minute game this time out that while it may not have reached the almost-impossible word of “perfection,” certainly was deserving of some sort of milder synonym to use perhaps when trying to describe it to say the very least. In essence, probably not a better way to head off into what the Exeter folks hope is a long and fruitful postseason trip within the District 3-5A field.

For Elizabethtown, there’s no denying this was not the way that anyone in Bears’ camp wanted the final chapter of the 2024 season to be written once all was said and done. And while that may be true, again, while they may have wrapped up what the record books will show to be a 2-8 final mark overall, there’s more there than just those two digits put together. Up until this last stretch of the season, the Bears were making everyone’s life miserable with anything but an easy night at the office when going against them. If you’re looking towards the future, there certainly appears to be some electricity that the Bears can trot out there, not just next year, but for years to come beyond that considering that Prince Wratto, a freshman who burst onto the scene this fall that is a touchdown just waiting to happen, pairs nicely with soon-to-be junior quarterback, Gannon Shank, who fearlessly stood in there and took every snap on Friday night, getting reps which will certainly be invaluable for he and the team down the line. Yes, life in L-L Section Two can certainly be hard at times. There’s no disputing that. But for a program the likes of Elizabethtown, one that is no stranger to success on the football field to put it mildly, perhaps it’d be wise of those teams who lined up against the Bears this season to appreciate any shots they may have been able to get in and land this season. For those might not come so easily in the not-so-distant future.

If we were to handicap the projected Section One race inside the Lancaster-Lebanon League heading into the 2024 season, there’s more than enough ample evidence to suggest this is essentially the place we figured to find ourselves right here inside of mid-October. That of course being Manheim Township and Wilson largely running away from the rest of the pack.

It wasn’t exactly inconceivable of course. Over the last decade, both the Blue Streaks and Bulldogs have jockeyed back and forth for the division’s top spot, largely shrugging the rest of the group back to an arm’s length, if not to an even further distance in the process. And now, entering the evening of October 18^th, not only were both of these same teams neck-and-neck in terms of the L-L standings in particular, but District 3-6A as a whole for that matter, as Township has essentially all but locked up the #1 slot heading into the postseason with Wilson hot on the chase, residing at either some combination of the #2 or #3 seed line comparatively speaking more than likely. Suffice to say, while not only have both teams made good on those preseason prognostications up to date, but they’ve also been in many ways eerily similar to one another. Yes, even all the way down to the schedule-making part of it.

Since both teams find themselves inside the same section, the opponents are exactly the same of course. To that end, coming into Week 9 here at least, both the Streaks and Bulldogs have surged past all those same familiar foes, with both clubs on the precipice of entering their game with one another via identical, unbeaten section records. Beyond that, Manheim Township and Wilson ironically enough dipped into the same out-of-area pool this fall, both going up against Plymouth-Whitemarsh, and each coming away with only two losses the Colonials by way of District 1 have suffered thus far to date.

Now, all that is to say that of course that the long preamble there would lead you to believe that Friday night was finally that much-awaited Manheim Township and Wilson scrap, yes? Well, not quite. This was largely all about set up.

Rest assured, the scheduling gurus in charge of laying out the collective slates annually know exactly what they’re doing in trying to line up the projected the donnybrooks towards the tail end of the season, or in the very last regular season game as far L-L Section One figures to go, with Township and Wilson on the verge of a winner-take-all scenario come Week 10.

But this is Week 9, however. And all that flash, sizzle and overall noise would go down the down the drain in the event that either one would stub their toe just prior.

For Township, this week saw them go up against Penn Manor, the same exact Comets’ squad that Wilson dispatched by a 58-0 count just seven days ago, not even being gracious enough to yield their hosts literally any positive yardage, nor even a first down for that matter, inside of a victory where “dominant” may not even be anywhere near a strong enough adjective to use. So, without putting the cart too far before the horse, considering that the Streaks have already shut out three Section One foes along the way thus far in the campaign, chances were that they would be able to fulfill their part of the deal by the end of this week.

For Wilson, yes, another eerie case of a similar scenario on the Bulldogs’ side would await.

Now, all that is to say, taking the McCaskey Red Tornado totally for granted is a risk not exactly for the faint of heart. In fact, you could reasonably make the argument that no team inside the 37-team Lancaster-Lebanon League were the darlings of the opening weekend more than McCaskey given their emphatic 41-14 triumph on the road at Bartram, a Philadelphia Public League outfit. And yes, while McCaskey would find themselves on the opposite end of a 55-7 score one week later against their next-door neighbors from Conestoga Valley, there’s not exactly any shame in that considering that the Buckskins entered this week with an 8-0 mark in their own right and a de-facto section championship game with Exeter afoot waiting this week. After that CV contest, the Tornado fixed their ills to the tune of a 14-7 victory over E-town in Week 3, giving those in the Red Rose city hopes that perhaps this would be the year in which this bubbling powerhouse just waiting to explode may finally be on course towards making it back to the postseason for what would be the first time in a decade-plus.

Unfortunately, while McCaskey may indeed on that correct course when it comes to the long-term play, the short-terms goals of perhaps finishing with a winning record –or maybe even making it back to the district playoffs as mentioned – slipped away from grasp over the ensuing few weeks as McCaskey has gone winless since that E-town affair, including coming no closer than a 24-point gap in terms of final score difference when it comes that aforementioned shared L-L Section One contingent. But as is always the case, especially with skill players the likes of DeAndre Jones lining up out wide for them, quite possibly the best multi-sport athlete inside the entire L-L given his collective football and basketball prowess, if you even so much as blink against the Red Tornado, you could just as soon find yourself with a throbbing headache you just can’t shake the whole night thru.

So, with all that out in the open, the case for Wilson on their Senior Night here really could not have been any simpler for this group that is essentially one play, one yard even, away from a perfect 8-0 mark of their own this season. Handle your business without the need for any drama in your last (scheduled) game at home inside of InstaShine Carwash Field at John Gurski Stadium in West Lawn on Friday night, and then you can officially christen it “Township Week” once the clock hit zeroes against McCaskey.

And as would quickly become evident almost right from the opening kickoff itself, there would be no need for any Tylenol or Aleve to be consumed from inside the Bulldogs’ medicine cabinet on Friday night.

In fact, on the first play from scrimmage, Wilson junior running back talent, Correll Akings, proceeded to tote the rock and promptly galivant his way out for a 19-yard pickup. From there, Wilson senior quarterback, Madyx Gruber, did his part in breaking free from would-be McCaskey tacklers on the very next play, quickly jettisoning the Bulldogs out to their own 49-yard line in short order. Then, turning around the giving the ball to Akings once more proved to just as fruitful seeing as how his run around the left side of the Wilson line this time not only pushed the Bulldogs’ attack past the midfield stripe officially, but it also put them right on the precipice of entering the redzone with the ball now resting at the Tornado 23. All told, if it seemed as if Wilson’s nose for the endzone right off the bat was nothing if not the strongest of their collective senses, you’d be correct as this six-play, 82-yard opening march would be capped off by way of a bubble screen thrown from Gruber to Jaiden Carpenter out in the flat, good for the 28-yard scoring connection as the junior wideout’s TD reception helped make it a 7-0 buffer in Wilson’s favor with fans from either side barely even getting settled into their seats considering how exactly 10:00 remained in the opening stanza at that point.

Then, after holding the McCaskey starting offensive unit to a quick three-and-out, the Wilson defense did their part in helping to give their offensive mates a short field in which to work with. Well, it certainly didn’t hurt matters in that regard given how the snap on the upcoming McCaskey punt attempt would be high enough to throw the entire operation off kilter, leading to Wilson setting up shop at the Tornado 18-yard line following the snafu.

By comparison, the half dozen plays it took Wilson to score the first time around were incredibly tardy and sluggish considering how this “drive” would take all of one-play and just 17 seconds as a marvelous jaunt through the heart of the McCaskey defense by way of Akings made it a 14-0 Wilson cushion following Christo Hunsicker’s second PAT of the very young evening with all of 8:34 still left in first frame.

Then, after locking McCaskey out of nothing more than their ensuing three plays on downs on the Red Tornado’s ensuing offensive series yet again, seeing Wilson trot back out onto the field on a remarkably short field was just about the last thing the visitors from Lancaster city needed to see.

Unfortunately, with the Bulldog’s third drive beginning right at the midfield stripe, witnessing Correll Akings bust his way out the gate en route to a 30-yard scamper on the very first play didn’t help matters most assuredly from the guests’ perspective. Next, after a spectacular grab in traffic courtesy of Carpenter launching himself upward and catching the ball at its summit, the Bulldogs had suddenly positioned themselves right at the 3-yard line as this Madyx Gruber to Jaiden Carpenter hook up would be good for the 17-yard variety. By this point, a score here felt more than inevitable. Sure enough, this three-play Wilson excursion would be capped off right then and there with Gruber calling his own number on the zone read and then strolling in unimpeded for a 3-yard touchdown run which made it a 21-0 Bulldogs’ lead with 5:49 still left of a first quarter that was just barely past its halfway point.

Suffice to say, McCaskey needed to stem the tide –and fast—if they had wished to try and keep Wilson even remotely within reach at this early stage. That said, while things didn’t appear to be heading in that direction once their ensuing offensive drive following Wilson’s third score would end on the heels of its second play given a Rahmel Gaston fumble recovery for the staunch Wilson defensive effort currently being posted, there was a sliver of good fortune as the Red Tornado defense would stiffen here when called upon, sending the Bulldogs away without points following a missed field goal attempt that bounced off the upright.

The thing was, with still more than a minute and change still not yet accounted for on the first quarter clock, that would be more than enough time for Wilson to inflict even further damage.

In terms of what would materialize in what wound up being their fourth score of the game’s initial frame, Monty Greer found himself earning those honors as the Bulldogs’ sophomore back strolled in for the 34-yard touchdown run totally untouched, helping to lower the curtain on an utterly emphatic first quarter that showed Wilson in total command given their 28-0 advantage.

The problem for McCaskey? Not even the brief stoppage in between quarters seemed to do much of anything when it came to slowing down this white-hot Wilson outfit on Friday evening.

Case in point, what would amount to a 25-second series once the second quarter got underway as a 40-yard touchdown toss from Gruber to his fellow senior, wideout Christo Hunsicker, seen darting across the middle, made it a 35-0 Bulldogs’ lead following Hunsicker accounting for all seven points of this most recent Wilson scoring punch considering his fifth successful PAT of the evening here with 10:00 on the nose still left in the opening half.

Here though, after starting to integrate the reserves into the fold with a majority of the second quarter clock still left in front of them, Wilson would remain just as lethal and just as potent as they had been with their starters at the controls.

In fact, the very next Wilson offensive series would net points yet again, largely buoyed by way of a 19-yard zig-zagging run from an incredibly talented reserve trigger man the Bulldogs appear to have if called upon found in junior quarterback, Mason Young, ushering the hosts down to the Red Tornado 1-yard line on a key 3^rd & 6 play. From there, it seemed rather apropos that on Senior Night, a member of the 2025 graduating class have the opportunity to score which is exactly what Wilson senior running back, Emir Bailey, proceeded to do with his 1-yard TD run on the very next play to make it a 42-0 lead in favor of the home team which is precisely where things would remain etched in stone once the final 6:40 bled off the second quarter clock and a businesslike performance had been put forth by Wilson in the first two dozen minutes to put it mildly. But, if stats are more your liking when it comes to evidence, here are just a few to chew on. In terms of net rushing output, Wilson was McCaskey’s superior to the tune of 168 to -47. For total offense altogether, the Bulldogs took that crown too by virtue of a 270 to 34 difference. Need much more really be said?

Yet even the second half, while pushed up against it somewhat given the Mercy Rule that they themselves had helped trigger, Wilson still found time to score here inside of the third quarter just as they had done when the game clock wasn’t constantly melting away after essentially every play.

Case in point, Mason Young being able to reap the fruits of his earlier labor and that scintillating 19-yard jaunt that had set up the Bulldogs’ most recent score back in the waning stages of the second quarter as Young proceeded to rip off a 24-yard quarterback keeper for the touchdown which then made it a 49-0 Bulldogs’ lead following sophomore kicker, Mark Sneij’s, first PAT of the evening upon entering the final stanza once the rapidly moving final 5:38 bled away from the third quarter.

In the fourth, the script seemed to be the same carbon copy, at least from the outset that is.

Sure enough, on the very first play of the final quarter did Wilson find paydirt yet again as this time a 59-yard touchdown bomb thrown from the Bulldogs’ third quarterback of the evening who was able to account for a TD in some form or fashion, sophomore Cole Peterson, dropped it in the bucket perfectly to a streaking Jackson Becker running in stride, made it a 56-0 Wilson bulge following Sneji’s second consecutive PAT knocked through the pipes with 11:45 left to play.

Now, it should be noted that the unquestioned best player on the football field amongst all of this throughout the duration of Friday night was McCaskey’s senior do everything man, DeAndre Jones. You name it, Jones did it against Wilson. Field kickoffs five times over is what you need? He’s got you. Do that and then play the entire first half while running the show at quarterback? Yeah, he’s got you covered there too. Oh, you need a punter to kick it away after being turned away on downs? Yep, DeAndre’s got that on his duty sheet. Come the second half, you need to move him over to his natural position at wide receiver? Well yeah, I mean that’s a layup, right? And for the final cherry on top, guess who happened to lead the Red Tornado in tackles on Friday as well? I’ll save you the drama. It was DeAndre Jones.

The only downside was, for his yeoman’s work put forth on quite literally darn near every play he was out on the field against Wilson, there wasn’t much Jones had to tangibly show for his collective efforts to that point. Finally, and certainly not a moment too soon, that narrative was finally put to rest as after moving back into quarterbacking duties following an injury in the third quarter forced the Tornado to reshuffle the offensive deck of cards yet again, Jones would fire off a dart of a 27-yard touchdown pass off his left arm to Marquise Washington which made it a 56-7 ballgame following a Tom McCoy PAT with time running down.

And once it did, the dust would settle on what would end up being a picture-perfect night of work in that the participation chart for Wilson was surely packed to the brim with likely everyone who had dressed in red getting the opportunity to play under the lights given what was a decisive 56-7 Wilson victory over McCaskey that was never in any sort of doubt or question. And because of that, yes, you can now officially declare it “Township Week” in Wilson camp.

NEXT UP: It really could not be any simpler from Wilson’s perspective. They did what they needed to do and took care of business to set things up for all the marbles being on the line next week in Neffsville. Ironically, both Wilson and Manheim Township happened to take identical 42-0 leads with them heading into the half of each of their games Friday night respectively with the Streaks finishing off an eventual 42-14 victory over Penn Manor. But don’t be mistaken. There is plenty to clean up and address heading into what was always figured to be the key inflection point of the Bulldogs’ season coming up. Chief among them, finding a remedy to quell the nine penalties tallied against themselves –certainly not one of the stats that they desired to also beat McCaskey out on in terms of greater numbers by the end of the night considering Wilson’s nine to Tornado’s eight – that will only be magnified next week in a game where both the margins for error and separation are somehow so inherently intertwined and miniscule. But to their credit, Wilson will head into Township the owners of an 8-1 overall record that is only within a whisker of being perfect. Hard to be much better than perfect at this stage of the game.

For McCaskey’s side of things, this has obviously been a tough road to ho down the final stretch. That’s the downer side of the news. The upside? Call it hokey if you must, but next week in the season finale presents a golden opportunity for the Red Tornado to end this thing in the right way. For next week brings them back home on their campus for game against Penn Manor, an evenly matched foe that provides either side with the opportunity to end their respective 2024 journey with a bit of a boost heading into the offseason. And who knows for sure? Maybe that will be the exact catalyst McCaskey needed if it means them evolving into the program that when its humming along, as it was not all that long ago with high-level college talent oozing out of the seams, can be one of the best programs residing on this side of the state.

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.

There’s no contesting that football is inherently an exciting sport. Let’s be honest, if baseball didn’t already trademark the phrase eons ago, the game played with the oblong ball would probably be “America’s Pastime.” And hey, maybe it is in all reality, even without that moniker having to go along with it officially. But for all the adjectives, narratives, and characteristics (insert any word of your choosing here quite frankly) that help make football what it is, sometimes it can seem well, downright boring. Just stay with me here a sec please.

It should be noted up front that this is not in any way to be misconstrued as a slight. So far from it in fact that one could argue that the less drama and the more mundane the season is on the whole, that would in essence be a defining characteristic of greatness in a sense to where you never even let the opposition get within reach of you. And for a handful of teams that call Lancaster-Lebanon League Section Four their home neighborhood, through the first five weeks of the campaign, yeah, maybe the heart-stopping moments and collective fingernail-chewing has been in relatively short supply. Just look at Lampeter-Strasburg for example.

In oh so many ways, this is nothing new. If you’re from this neck of the woods in the south/central pocket of the state, Lancaster County in particular, seeing the L-S Pioneers –no matter what the sport – be anywhere but near or at the top of the heap is a rare sight to put it mildly. For years now, it’s been somewhat ironic that for a school often referred to by its initials that are separated by a dash, L-S, the Pioneers are anything but familiar with the concept of L’s in general if we were to remove that tiny dash. See what we did there?

Anyway, as most have just naturally come to expect from them, the 2024 Lampeter-Strasburg football team has mimicked the same cues of their established brethren of yesteryear. How emphatically you ask? If you like sum totals, 183-51 are the numbers you’re looking for. On the other hand, if averages are more your cup of tea, you’d like 27. For those are the total scores in which L-S has outscored their first half of opponents in the ten-game slate thus far with the latter being the average margin of separation come the end of the night. Suffice to say, when you’re more routinely flirting with the idea of inflicting the mercy-rule into effect rather than needing to draw up a last-ditch Hail Mary pass to emerge victorious, yeah, it hasn’t exactly been white-knuckle time for the Pios quite yet this season. So, for their troubles, L-S entered this week quite handsomely while possessing the #6 spot in Pennlive’s weekly 4A statewide poll while also coming in on the #10 line here on EasternPAFootball.com’s shared list of 3A & 4A squads from around the commonwealth given their body of work to date.

Rest assured though; the tests are coming. And consider this, is there a better division in all the state than L-L Section Four? Hard to find a coherent argument to counter that when it boasts the #1, #4, and #6 teams slotted in the state rankings between Twin Valley, Wyomissing, and yes, L-S respectively. But that’s another couple of weeks in waiting for that round-robin whirlybird. Here though, this week at least, that same level of Pioneers’ dominance needed to be on display for their short trek down the road, Route 41 to be exact, into Atglen for a date with the homestanding Octorara Braves.

For Octorara, while maybe their fanfare to this point in the season isn’t exactly on the same level as their three divisional counterparts as mentioned above on a comparative basis per se, it’s not as if the Braves should be treated as some sort of also-ran here. For a program itself that is just as old as its players found in this year’s senior class at 18 years of age coming into 2024, it’s been a steady climb up the hill for Octorara these last two decades.

First there was the move. Well, moves in the plural, that came in 2018 when the Braves jolted from their only known home, the Chest-Mont League and District 1, into the western world of District 3 and the Lancaster-Lebanon League, landing in a handful of L-L divisions that have seen the Braves wage more “fair” fights if you will in terms of roster sizes of opponents and the like since changing conference addresses. Finally, in 2021, Octorara checked off a big box in terms of their growing up, making it to the postseason for the first time in program history, a feat perhaps spurred by their decision to move locales a few years prior. Fast forward to the here and now, and it seems as if the Octorara football program is on the right flightpath.

Speaking of newness, how’d you like being just the second head man in charge ever? That’s the role that Braves’ second-year boss, Ed Smith, a disciple of the Braves’ infantile stages considering his 2010 alumni status, finds himself in leading these days just across the Lancaster line in Chester County. This season, after posting a 2-8 mark in his first go round a year ago, Octorara has already made better on that win total through the first half of 2024 alone, coming into the evening with a 3-2 record. Ironically though, none of those three triumphs came on home soil however as Octorara has gone into Berks County thrice this season and come back triumphant heroes on each occasion in taking down the likes of Hamburg, Kutztown, and Daniel Boone respectively. And speaking of protecting the home turf, this week against L-S marked the second time in as many weeks that a top-tier team in the entire state would come calling following top-ranked Twin Valley’s visit to campus last weekend. But all that is to say, while likely aided with the benefit of a downright miserable night conditions-wise with a concoction of fog, wind, and an overall slick track given the just annoying-enough rain showers that persisted throughout this whole week, what better time than the present to spring an absolutely colossal, program-defining upset?

Unfortunately for the home patrons most of all, it became abundantly clear right from the start that this would be an affair that L-S would largely treat as nothing more than a trip to the office to clock in and clock out without much pomp.

However, it wasn’t necessarily all sailing on glass-like waters for the Pioneers early on. At least not when Octorara opted for –and turned out being successful in– their fake punt venture following a quick three plays and out on their initial set of downs to start the contest with senior running back, Austin Kurtz, having the honors in giving the Braves their initial first down of the contest on the trick play of sorts to provide a spring in Octorara’s collective step.

But those good vibes would be all too short-lived.

Ironically enough, after coming up short of the yard to gain over their next three offensive plays, the Octorara punt operation this time around would cruelly go against the hosts with a high snap overhead that led to a bounding ball that was left spinning on the wet, natural grass surface before ultimately being pounced on by the Octorara special teams unit to mitigate disaster.

The downside of course was not just the fact that Octorara gave the ball over on downs to their guests right then and there for better or worse following said snafu, but the fact that it allowed the Lampeter-Strasburg offense to trot onto the field just 11 yards away from paydirt was even more devastating.

Sure enough, the visitors needed just one play to reach the endzone as an 11-yard touchdown strike thrown by way of L-S senior quarterback, Caileb Howse, to another senior classmate, wideout Emory Fluhr, put the Pios up by a quick 7-0 count following a Peter Fiorello PAT with 7:58 left to play in the opening frame.

Now, perhaps hard to predict at the time, but the floodgates were formally opened en masse.

True to form, L-S’ second drive was just as fruitful as its first. Sparked by a tough run tallied by way of yet another Pioneer senior, running back Mason Hostetter, which got things rolling right out of the chute, L-S was already living on Octorara’s side of the field after just a few short plays in the aftermath of the Hostetter carry. And while the white-clad Pioneers would then be faced with the task of staring down a 3^rd & 4 play not long afterwards, not even that seemed to phase L-S all that much given how Howse would hook up with, you guessed it, another senior, Danny Weichler having the honors here, as Weichler hauled in a dart across the middle on said third down play before shrugging off a would-be Braves’ tackler in the process en route to a 35-yard touchdown reception which made it a 14-0 count in their favor following Fiorello’s second PAT of the still young evening considering there was still 3:51 left to tick off the first quarter clock.

Problem was, not even the L-S defense let Octorara up for much air on Friday night either.

Case in point, a fumble recovery on the ensuing Braves’ series courtesy of another member in the somewhat endless cupboard of L-S senior talent, Preston Schonour here, as the Pios’ stalwart gave the ball back to his offensive mates deep inside Octorara territory to boot.

1:30 would be all it would take to add on.

Similar to the drive previous that saw L-S start things off with a strong run behind the Pioneers’ venerable offensive line, L-S continued to live by the phrase, “Run to win.” True to form, Dominic Brown would have the honors of the first tote as Brown got things rolling downhill with a hard and determined run on the first play of the Pios’ next series. And yes, he too is a senior you probably would’ve already surmised if you’re sensing a prevailing theme. Fittingly, considering he himself largely helped to set the table, Brown was rightfully awarded with his just desserts in relatively short order as his 11-yard run around the left side of the line was good enough not just for the touchdown in the moment, but also for helping to create the 21-0 bulge up on the scoreboard that remained in place once the final 60 seconds eventually bled off the first quarter once and for all with the Pioneers already in firm control of things.

The bad news for Octorara? L-S would be just as lethal in the second stanza as they had been in the first.

Here, after holding Octorara to another short series which saw the Braves punt it away in the early stages of the second frame, L-S just kept ringing it up on this their fourth time with the rock thus far. And on this drive, the Pioneers flashed an incredible proficiency in playing balanced football.

Yes, there was the 10-yard gallop by Brown which helped get things in motion on the very first play no doubt, but there was also the 19-yard toss from Howse to, you’re never going to believe this, a senior, Aven Cunningham, which propelled L-S all the way down to the precipice of tallying yet another score while just sitting just 10 yards away. For the historical purposes however, the march would end in the 1-yard variety, Dominic Brown’s 1-yard touchdown run to be exact, as Brown’s second score packaged up with Peter Fiorello’s fourth PAT of the night upped the Pioneers’ cushion out to a 28-0 difference with all of 9:59 still to play in the first half.

Did we mention that the L-S defense was largely playing lights out at this point? Well, if we hadn’t, please allow Christian Nolt to do all the talking with his pads as Nolt diagnosed the pre-snap read perfectly on an Octorara 4^th & 1 attempt on the Braves’ ensuing possession before shooting the gap from his defensive back position to effectively stonewall the Braves’ recipient of the bubble screen and stop him dead in his tracks, giving the ball back to the white-hot L-S offense on another short field following the exchange in possession. And yes, he too is a member of the L-S 2025 graduating class as well.

Suffice to say, there was hard to find many cavities in L-S’ overall performance up until this point. Yet if there is work to clean up from this one, the largest portion of it most certainly would be found in this drive, the Pioneers’ fifth offensive series of the ballgame.

Granted, while it would eventually culminate in the visitors adding to their already sizable lead, it wouldn’t be without its fair share of hiccups. In fact, the Pioneers scored touchdowns twice on this drive, only to see those go all for not as a penalty-laden L-S series was quickly unfolding. That said, when you can call upon a special teams ace the likes of junior kicker, Peter Fiorello, to help bail you out, life isn’t all that bad. And true to form, Fiorello responded in kind to the task asked of him by booting a 44-yard field goal through the uprights to make it a now 31-0 L-S lead with 3:03 left in the first half.

1:17? Yeah, they’d be good with that.

After taking over yet again after holding Octorara to a turnover on downs the Braves’ next time out on the field following the Fiorello kick, the Pios wouldn’t even need all of those 77 seconds in order to travel 54 yards.

Getting 15 of it right off the bat certainly didn’t hurt matters, such as the case when Caileb Howse rattled off a determined chain-moving run from his quarterback spot to get things in gear on the very first play of course. From there, Howse went back to the thick, misty skies for a 20-yard hookup with Danny Weichler once more in the half as the L-S tandem moved the ball down to the Octorara 19-yard line. From there, Emory Fluhr was cleared for takeoff as Fluhr promptly bolted to the house for the 19-yard touchdown run on the very next play, effectively sending L-S into the locker room and the halftime break with the wind of a 38-0 lead in their sails and the mercy-rule set to commence come the start of the second half following what was a largely flawless, methodical, and overall mature outing by the Pioneers throughout the first two dozen minutes.

Now, with a running clock being the impetus for this contest ending even earlier than planned, the opportunities presented on both sidelines figured to be in somewhat modest supply all things considered just given the facts at hand. But don’t bother trying to sell that notion to Octorara’s Chandler Stoltzfus that is. He wasn’t buying it.

On a night when the Braves’ highlights were admittedly somewhat hard to garner up and find, Stoltzfus tallied what was not only his team’s best singular play of the night, but perhaps for the entire game overall, as the burly Octorara senior running back bounced off tackles like a pinball wizard while en route to a 32-yard dash down the L-S sideline after breaking contain to get the Braves on the opposite side of the field. Unfortunately though, the resistance presented by the Pioneers collectively remained just as potent here too as Octorara was again turned away on downs to put the punctuation mark on this particular offensive series before the rapidly-moving third frame would end in that same 38-0 margin of separation.

So, with just a final dozen minutes left to play but not much in the way of anything to stop the clock, the only question left lingering was whether or not someone would be able to find the endzone one final time. Well, someone would. And that someone would be the exact same cast of characters who had done so all evening.

Here, with time winding down after having the keys to operate the L-S offense throughout the entire second half, Pioneers’ sophomore quarterback, Asher Jones, got plenty of reps to add into his toolkit moving forward as his career figures to flourish. But none of those repetitions put forth on Friday night at Octorara likely felt as good as one of his final ones which resulted in Jones’ 1-yard touchdown run standing up to help put the finishing touches on a decisive final 45-0 verdict in L-S’ favor over Octorara once the latter half of fourth quarter later concluded in due time.

All told, while sometimes a score can be somewhat deceiving as to what had actually taken place, that was simply not the case here. For on this night, Lampeter-Strasburg would punt only once, score points on six of their seven offensive possessions prior to ending the game with a kneel-down, highlighted by five of which ended in trips to the endzone. Rest assured, if there were any naysayers into L-S’ overall acclaim coming in, for this night at least, the doubters have no choice but to remain silent.

NEXT UP: Next week, L-S heads back to the home confines where they await the Northern Lebanon Vikings, a team that came out on the short end of the stick against Twin Valley by a 42-0 difference on Friday evening. After that, a road date with ELCO looms on the horizon in Week 8 before what may very well be the hardest finishing double-dip both near and far presented to anyone considering the Pioneers will line up against both Twin Valley and Wyomissing in the final pair of games to end the regular season slate in Weeks 9 and 10. Arduous, yes, but if any program is equipped to take on the premise found in that kind of challenge, you’d be hard-pressed to find one better suited for it than Lampeter-Strasburg.

For Octorara, speaking of tough back-to-back weeks, they don’t come much harder than the pair of 49-7 and 45-0 respective defeats inflicted by Twin Valley and L-S in these last two. That said, the biggest thing in Braves’ camp is that they cannot get overly discouraged to the point where their very real progress made could potentially veer off-track. As mentioned, this is a Braves’ program that hopefully –and seems to—have finally found its footing for long-term sustainability. And when you get right down to it, that’s what you’re really seeking in all of this. Sure, banner and flash in the pan years are nice and all, but consistently becoming a force to be reckoned with is what everyone is truly striving for in this arena. Yet while this road on which they travel is candidly tough to ho, the Braves need only look at their opponent standing across the field from them on this Friday night for evidence that it can be done. Here’s to hoping that it can, and that the next 18 years of Octorara football see highlights that perhaps the first 18 just weren’t quite able to yield. First up in that trying to make the most of that steady climb upwards? An evenly matched road game at ELCO next weekend against a Raiders’ crew which will enter next week with 2-4 overall mark.

Somehow, we’ve done it. We’ve reached the halfway point of the season. Probably not much of a surprise in all honesty, however. After all, you can usually set your watch to the masses eventually proclaiming just fast the high school football season moves once everyone gets out of the starting blocks, similar to that of a rooster’s call that comes at the start of every single morning. In a similar fashion, just like the narrative of how quickly the season itself races along, so too are the teams that have largely stolen the show throughout the first quadrant of the campaign. And if you’re talking about the Lancaster-Lebanon League throughout the first portion of 2024, the Conestoga Valley Buckskins are a pretty strong case study that fits the bill.

Perhaps somewhat quietly all things considered, the CV Bucks entered 2024 as a group to keep an eye on for sure. However, their actual results on the field have been anything but low in tenor and volume.

Case in point, look no further than the numbers that read out 165-19. For those five digits complied together separated by a tiny dash lists the total aggregate score compiled by the Buckskins through the season’s first four weeks when stacked against their opposition. And it hasn’t exactly been a slate devoid of beasts either. In that regard, that’s precisely why CV’s steamroll-like win over Ephrata last Friday night — the District 3-5A silver medalist from a year ago mind you– that transpired on the Mounts’ home turf no less, helped to serve notice that CV appears ready and ripe for the challenge of chasing down the L-L Section Two crown this season, all while being congnizant that other key cogs, namely the Exeter Eagles, who have put together just as sterling of a resume thus far, are lying in wait in just a matter of weeks. To be sure, regardless of what eventually transpires before the time when the final period is etched in their 2024 storyline, the fact that Conestoga Valley, one of the premier franchises that once upon a time found not just in the L-L League, but for the entire state for that matter (see a 1991 state championship game appearance for added context), seeing the Buckskins back near the league’s marquee after largely spending a decade-plus being off somewhere to the side is an occasion that has certainly been a long time coming.

As far as their opponent on a somewhat rare Thursday night outing was concerned for this week, while Spring Grove has certainly had their similar instances of looking just as impressive as their counterparts in the form of the Buckskins, it’s been more of a roller coaster ride through their first few weeks by comparison’s sake.

Yes, while the Rockets from the York-Adams League came into Week 5 while sporting an even 2-2 overall mark, it has been a bit of mixed bag thus far, something that the .500 record would lead one to indicate.

In their triumphs, Spring Grove has won by an average of 37 points-per-game at the hands of Northern York and Kennard-Dale respectively. In their slipups however, SG has succumbed to victors Cedar Crest and Central York at a 39 point-per-game clip on the other hand. Suffice to say, while not all records are not necessarily created equal, it certainly did feel as though coming into this L-L versus YAIAA nonconference affair that the tale of the tape didn’t leave much to mystery.
And for that reason, the methodology that both teams likely came into the evening with couldn’t have been much clearer. For Conestoga Valley, after traversing the roughly hour-long bus ride onto the western side of York County for this their second school-night affair in the span of the last three weeks across the Susquehanna oddly enough, the goal was to remain just as dominant as the first four weeks had demonstrated. Which oh by the way, while we can’t really “go there” quite yet, saw the Buckskins sporting the #5 slot in the District 3-5A field in the event that the playoffs started coming into the night. On the other side, after flip-flopping wins and losses to start the season, while not only would a takedown of Conestoga Valley get Spring Grove back into the win column heading down the final stretch for the here and now, but it would also send shockwaves throughout that collective District 3 landscape without a shadow of a doubt should the Rockets pop the upset considering CV’s utter-sultry start.

Yet while Conestoga Valley would eventually be able to indeed trek back eastward while owners of a still unblemished 5-0 overall mark by the end of the affair, their excursion into gorgeous Papermaker Stadium was anything but one of their routine, rip-roaring nights at the office.

Now, all that said, perhaps you can simply chalk CV’s uncharacteristic slow start as to nothing more than that. An aberration. Just a little blip in the road that saw the Bucks’ opening offensive drive of the evening end with a turnover on downs despite gobbling up nearly the entirety of the first three minutes of the contest. Easy to characterize drive numero uno as a minor speedbump perhaps considering how the visitors from Lancaster County would then make the most of their second series by punching it for the game’s first score immediately afterwards.

Then again, playing complimentary football doesn’t exactly hurt the cause either. For the defensive portion, look no further than a timely sack tallied by CV senior defensive lineman, Justin Corson, on a Spring Grove 3rd & 8 play which signified the Rockets going three-and-out to conclude their first foray with the pigskin. From there, the one who somewhat quietly would end up as CV’s secret ace in the hole on the night by way of his bundles of hidden yardage accumulated over various kickoff and punt returns, Isaiah Sensenig, allowed the Buckskins to open up shop for their second drive at the midfield stripe following the CV senior wideout’s latest exploits on the ensuing punt return. And while this series would in many ways appear just as methodical as the drive which had preceded it, this would prove to be one bearing fruit.

By way of one of their pet plays of the night, the jet sweep, CV began making steady incisions into the Spring Grove defensive unit. Nine yards picked up Josiah Garcia to start things off. A modest but nonetheless important 2-yard lift on a sweep to the other side on 3rd & 1 not long afterwards, this one picked up via Parker Book, and the guests then found themselves sitting down near the Rockets’ redzone. From there, the potent air attack employed by lead pilot turned quarterback, Sawyer Esbenshade, really turned the dial up on Spring Grove as the junior triggerman’s 23-yard hookup to a willing and able fellow junior, Teagan Ruble, ushered the Bucks down to the Rockets’ 7-yard line in due time. Yet even while CV had dinked and dunked their way down the field to that point, the remainder of the drive wouldn’t be so easy. Especially considering how the Bucks needed to convert on a 4th & Goal at the Spring Grove 4-yard line. However, they were able to do once Esbenshade found yes, another junior classmate, Konnor Fisher, streaking across the middle for the eventual 4-yard touchdown toss which made it a 7-0 lead in CV’s favor following a Ruble PAT with exactly four minutes left standing on the first quarter clock.

By that point, Conestoga Valley was off and running and up to their usual tricks of gargantuan scoreboard numbers, right? Well, the only problem with that notion was that someone forgot to tell Spring Grove to be a willing participant.
Sure enough, while the curtain would raise on the second quarter Thursday night with that very same 7-0 difference in the Buckskins’ favor, the fact of the matter was that the Rockets were on the move to begin the new period.

On this series, Spring Grove’s third of the ballgame now, the Rockets finally began making some hay. Among the key catalysts to ignite this SG march came the legwork of Spring Grove’s jitterbug of a tailback, Malik Cain, helping to get the Rockets in gear and march down the pitch with a bevy of tough, darting runs, 35 yards to be exact over the course of two plays in particular, which put the ball on the CV 9-yard line and a subsequent answer all but a certainty.
But just when they needed to do so the most, Conestoga Valley’s defense would answer the dinner bell when called upon.

In fact, Spring Grove would get no closer than the 9-yard seeing as how a sack tallied by way of Buckskins’ senior linebacker, Seth Morgan, halted the Rockets’ overall progress while also setting them back to the 14-yard line. Then, on the fourth down play taking place right behind it, the threat was extinguished for good courtesy of the Bucks’ aforementioned unsung hero, Isaiah Sensenig, as his timely interception across the middle kept the goose egg up on the scoreboard and the difference standing at one-score.

However, the Sensenig theft would only deter Spring Grove for just a little while longer.

Indeed, on the heels of Conestoga Valley promptly going three plays and out following the takeaway, the Rockets began their next drive with the ball resting on the positive side of the field, the CV 41-yard line, with five minutes and change remaining in the first half of play.

Speaking of Malik Cain, he would be equally as valuable and instrumental on this Rockets’ drive as well. In terms of specifics, following a pair of dizzying runs toted by Cain to begin the attack, Spring Grove was knocking on the door of the redzone at the Bucks’ 25-yard line. Later, forget about knocking on the door, Spring Grove would effectively kick the door in altogether following a 13-yard pitch and catch from a pair of Spring Grove juniors, quarterback Davis Baum to wideout Bredon Smith, which moved the pill down to the CV 12. From there, Holden Gobrecht would have the honors of finishing this drive off in style as the Spring Grove senior strolled in for 5-yard touchdown run which knotted things at 7-7 –following his PAT ironically enough– with 2:14 left in the first half.

Needless to say, for a team that came into the evening by exerting their collective will to the tune of roughly 42-points-per-game, seeing Conestoga Valley head into the halftime dressing room with only seven points to their name, and at a 7-7 stalemate no less, was a bit of unchartered territory for the Buckskins coming out for the second half on Thursday night. However, they would soon discover that the Spring Grove resistance effort put forth in quarters three and four was just as staunch as that found in quarters one and two as well.

Indeed, if you fancy yourself a fan of steady, methodical, three yards and a cloud of dust type football that comes part in parcel with exhausting nearly the entirety of a quarter of play to boot, rest assured that the third frame here in Spring Grove was sure to please the palate.

Sure, while it may not have been the most glitzy and glamorous method of attack, seeing Conestoga Valley turn around and give the football to bruising back, Teagan Ruble, was nonetheless effective as Ruble came away with timely, chain-moving rushes that allowed CV to gradually matriculate the ball down into Spring Grove’s side of the field. Yet for as mundane and routine as it had been before its eventual conclusion, there was a brief window of excitement, depending on how you view the word excitement, as a rare feat of three straight fumbles that ended in three straight fumble recoveries by the opposing team, helped to finally settle the dust on a rather tame third quarter that expired with that same 7-7 deadlock.

By this stage, it became rather evident that the first team to blink in the face of the other would likely be the unfortunate bunch to find themselves on the short end of the stick once the clock hit zeroes. For that reason, with Conestoga Valley going back out on offense at their own 40-yard line with 7:22 left to play in the contest, time was of the essence if they wished to knock Spring Grove off their heels, quite possibly for good.

Heeding the call to action, Sawyer Esbenshade appeared up to the task as a 20-yard addition to what would end in a 60-plus yard night at office in terms of his yardage picked up on the ground coming on the first play of this drive got CV in motion with the Bucks promptly reaching the Rockets’ 40. Later, in his usual tough-as-nails, clutch self, Teagan Ruble helped to move the pile of humanity forward on a crucial 4th & 2, giving CV a fresh set of downs with the dam appearing to be on the verge of bursting open. And burst open it would just two plays later as the one who largely had helped get them this far to the dance, Mr. Ruble, traded in his black-and-blue style runs for the flashier variety as his go-ahead score in the form of an 18-yard touchdown run through the heart of the Spring Grove defense made it a 13-7 buffer in Conestoga Valley’s favor with 4:38 remaining despite the PAT operation going awry to put it mildly.

Simply put, this was a do-or-die moment for the hosts. Knowing full-well that this was likely the final time in which they would possess the football, Spring Grove couldn’t leave anything to chance. And to their credit, they darn-near pulled it off with their backs pushed up against the wall.

This series wouldn’t be without it’s share of adversity of course. Fair, but when the Rockets could just as easily turn and give the rock to their #22 ironically enough, the same number worn by CV’s Teagan Ruble, Spring Grove found the dividends equally as lavish as a key Malik Cain run between the tackles on an eerily similar 4th & 2 play akin to that of Ruble’s in the previous CV drive, ended one yard better than the sticks required of him, giving Spring Grove a new set of downs with the Rockets now on the Buckskins’ side of the field.

Then, Spring Grove suddenly found themselves inside the redzone on the heels of two consecutive Davis Baum to Zane Lawrence pass-and-catch hookups of both the slant and bubble screen variety, with the attack now just a smidge past the Bucks’ 20-yard line and well inside of two minutes left to go at this point.
All told, Spring Grove would end up reaching the CV 15-yard line, but would advance no closer inside the waning stages. In that regard, similar to the way in which they successfully thwarted an earlier Rockets’ threat that protruded deep inside Buckskins’ territory found all the way back in the second frame, so too would the Conestoga Valley defense need to stiffen here, albeit with the ramifications far more pressing in this go-round. Well, fortunately for those who made the long journey across river that separates Lancaster and York County apart from one another, their patience would be justly rewarded.

It wouldn’t be without a case of heartburn and a mild anxiety attack, though. Yet finally, after both teams performed a dosey doe of timeouts with one another with the game hanging in the balance in the form of a Spring Grove 4th & 6 attempt with the ball resting at the CV 21-yard with all of just 46 seconds remaining, someone would be the fortunate party to deliver the final knockout blow. Or deflection as it turned out.

Here, on the game’s most critical inflection point, stellar coverage presented by the Conestoga Valley back-end right from the snap helped to set the table for what would be a frantic effort by Spring Grove after their initial plans on the play went up in smoke. And while the Rockets would lob one final pass into the night sky in a last ditch effort, a deflection caused by another member in the embarrassment of riches known as the CV junior class, Cordell Bair, while working with Latex-like precision from his defensive back spot against his Spring Grove receiver, caused the ball to end up in the hands of Buckskins’ senior, Jackson Byers, with that effectively serving as the moment in which those from Witmer could finally wipe the sweat beads off their brows at long last.

And so, following what is widely considered to be the best formation in all of football, the victory formation, Conestoga Valley took one final kneel-down before the buzzer rang out with the Buckskins being able to post a far gritter win than perhaps most had planned for, getting out of Spring Grove still unscathed by virtue of their 13-7 victory against a nothing if not game Rockets’ crew to vault upwards to 5-0 on the season.

NEXT UP: Let’s just be honest and call a spade a spade. Winning is hard. For that reason, while there are sure to be a bevy of loose ends and things to clean up for Conestoga Valley, there is no better record that one could have at this stage than 5-0. In fact, if you want to get totally politically correct, there is indeed no other Lancaster-Lebanon League team currently sporting a 5-0 mark at the moment, even if it may come with the huge caveat of no other unbeaten teams hit the field on Thursday night of course. But regardless of how this triumph over Spring Grove may have appeared to even the naked eye, this is the type of overall success that hasn’t been seen in Conestoga Valley’s corner of the universe for a number of years as previously stated.

Now, after clearing the first half of the year at 5-0, the next step is to become 6-0 which the Buckskins will look to do against the Lebanon Cedars next Friday night while back at CV’s friendly confines. From there, while it may be fair or unfair to boil a team’s whole season down to just two weeks most of all, one could reasonably make that argument on Conestoga Valley’s behalf as the Bucks take on Governor Mifflin and Exeter in Weeks 7 and 9 respectively, a pair of battles that will surely help to decide the eventual L-L Section Two championship picture, a division that is far better when the Buckskins are found to be competing for it.

On the hand, this result will surely leave those in Spring Grove camp smarting for the better part of the now long weekend in the days to follow. But as is the case for those that happen to call York-Adams Division One their home, time waits for no one. And for a team that came into this night right smack-dab in the midst of the District 3-5A playoff picture themselves, getting back up on the horse come next Friday night with a road date at a currently winless Northeastern squad figures to loom just as large for the Rockets as they too look to stalk a postseason bid of some form of fashion. Granted, while this night will forever end in a six-point loss as the record books will show it, slowing down arguably the hottest club inside of a 37-team mega conference, the likes that Conestoga Valley had demonstrated over in the neighboring L-L League, you’d have to like the Rockets’ chances for a Week 11 contest if they can replicate those same efforts put forth on Thursday night.

Across the 360-miles of which it spans, there are 36 exits located along the Pennsylvania Turnpike. Not all of these are created equal though. Some serve as a direct dive into the largest and most vital cities in the state. Others meanwhile divert into other key arteries, like the Northeast Extension for example, that make other, distant markets beyond the horizontal west-to-east model more accessible. There are also others along the main drag that don’t really stick out at all quite frankly.

Exit 298, Morgantown, would likely be one that fits the bill of the latter.

Sure, there’s a Lowe’s there. A Walmart-Supercenter too. And lest we forget about a potent Taco Bell and Popeye’s operating in tandem inside the same strip mall if you’re looking for a more “cultural” take on cuisine if you will than average your run-of-the-mill Americana fast food joints. But aside from the Hollywood Casino, also located nearby, this off-ramp right near the 300-mile marker is rather prototypical in being as quaint and blasé as the greater area that surrounds it, constructed from the gentle rolling hills and farmland of the Pennsylvania Dutch countryside, likely making it a spot to load up on snacks and gas more than anything else for the average traveler. Granted, while this overview probably won’t be a piece that greater Elverson/Morgantown Tourism Board figures to use in its next advertisement any time soon, if you fancy yourself a high school football fan, there’s a program being built there that seems poised for a breakout season that may be worthy of a detour along your travels.

Coming into the season, they were right to feel bullish around these parts. For the Twin Valley Raiders, they’re dreaming of titles these days –yes, in the plural—and for good reason. Aside from being one of the preeminent stalwarts that figures to fight for the Lancaster-Lebanon League Section Four crown this year, the next phase of that journey beyond that, the District 3 playoffs, seems to be even more appealing as Twin Valley finds itself located in the 4A rank and file, a blessing of a locale to reside considering two of the behemoths who have predominantly wreaked havoc in that class most of all, Manheim Central and Bishop McDevitt especially, are now thrusted up into the 5A class. Sure, there’s of course the other beasts living in the neighborhood who still remain, such as Wyomissing and Lampeter-Strasburg, a pair of squads ironically enough that Twin Valley will have to get through first if they desire that aforementioned section crown most of all, but the point is that the 4A playing field at least feels somewhat more level-set considering two of the potent ingredients of late are now absent from the overall recipe. And while coaches will shudder and get nausea to think this far in advance, but when you stop and look at the way that the state brackets overwhelmingly break in District 3’s favor, a possible trip to Cumberland Valley and the state championship is then just one game away for the eventual champ who emerges from the fray.

But if we’re being candid here, the early returns on investment out through the first three weeks of 2024 may have actually been better than originally projected for the easternmost school inside the massive District 3 footprint.

How does a point-per-minute in the game of football sound? Pretty gnarly considering this isn’t hoops where the points are far more plentiful. But that’s precisely the pace in which Twin Valley had been operating through its first few contests out on the gridiron. In fact, the Raiders have barely even been touched while racing out to their 3-0 start in the form of solid takedowns against Berks Catholic, Selinsgrove, and Olney Charter respectively.  And for their troubles, the assembled throng of sportswriters from around the state have also taken heed considering the consensus Top 5 ranking placed next to Twin Valley’s name in assorted polls conducted thus far, chief among them being slotted #3 in the statewide 4A Pennlive rankings coming into this week, along with a #5 rank in the combined 3A & 4A poll as posted here on EasternPAFootball.com. Suffice to say, when you win by an average margin of roughly 42-points-per-game, it’s hard to remain under the radar.

Yet for all the pomp they have rightly garnered through the first third of the campaign, Friday night brought with it a new challenge– the raising of the curtain on section play. And when you play a team that just flat-out knows how to win, it certainly doesn’t make your opening chore any easier.

For the ELCO Raiders, winning is in their blood. Long since established as a perennial thorn in the side of their conference foes behind the leadership of head coach, Bob Miller, the Raiders, who like to –and quite often—dictate the game on their terms, are also no slouch when it comes to District 3 playoff showings in their own right. In fact, their trip to Elverson on Friday had a bit of a “returning to the scene of the crime” feel to it considering Twin Valley High School was the exact piece of property where ELCO’s 2023 journey ended in the form of a 35-7 defeat at the hands of these very same green and white clad Raiders in the postseason 10 months ago.

Admittedly though, this go-round of a season hasn’t exactly been what the group from Myerstown had been shooting for, at least out of the chute.

Granted, probably easy to recognize how that might’ve been a real possibility coming in when you graduate the services of one of the best ball-toters from the eastern side of the state, Jake Williams, who rumbled his way to over 2,000 yards on the ground, a single-season program record to boot, who spearheaded the collective ELCO machine last fall. Yet while ELCO may have spent the first few weeks of 2024 searching for a remedy following setbacks courtesy of West York and Conrad Weiser in dual fashion, they may have just found what ailed them in the form of a stupendous come-from-behind 28-22 win at Lancaster Catholic just week ago, one of the preeminent forces that figures to be right there at the finish line in L-L Section Five play this year in its own right, after erasing a two-score deficit at the intermission against the homestanding Crusaders.

Suffice to say, with the Raiders now taking their show on the road to a second county in as many weeks, Berks County on this venture, that added bit of juice that came from a well-earned victory just seven days ago could likely do wonders for ELCO if they could somehow harness said momentum and then parlay it against undoubtedly the best team they had yet to go up against so far this season, Twin Valley, on a chamber of commerce-like evening for playing scholastic football in the mid-state on Friday night.

But as would become apparent almost right from the opening kick in this one, this would quickly turn into a Twin Valley showcase event.

How close to the opening kick you ask? How about 54 seconds?

Not only that, but the hosts wouldn’t even begin the night with possession of the football. Instead, after getting ELCO behind the sticks in the form of a 3-yard tackle for loss on the visiting Raiders’ first play from scrimmage, their second play would end up in a far worse fate as a tipped pass ended up in the hands of Twin Valley senior do-everything man, Evan Johnson, as Johnson’s interception off the deflection set his offensive mates up with sparkling field position to begin their evening. After then trotting out onto the field, his fellow troops needed just one play and 19 yards to do the rest as a dart thrown by four-year signal-caller, Evan Myers, to another senior classmate, Matthew Knight, led to a touchdown pass before fans even settled in to their seats as the host Raiders themselves with ownership of the 7-0 lead following a Nate Shaffer PAT with all of 11:06 remaining in the opening frame.

That said, while understandably getting knocked back on their heels to say the least considering the early haymaker, it seemed as if ELCO started to settle into the fight somewhat on their ensuing offensive series. Case in point, a nice strike up top from ELCO senior quarterback, Steven Rosado, into the mitts of another senior, wideout Justin Smucker, as the pair of 12^th-graders gave the white-clad Raiders their initial first down of the evening with the ball resting on their own 42-yard line for the 20-yard pass.

From there however, Twin Valley was lights out defensively.

What may have been most impressive, aside from the staunch resistance overall, was the fact that a handful of Twin Valley defenders were constantly flowing to the ball, hats upon hats, in true swarm-tackle fashion on what felt to be every ELCO offensive play. And with that being the impetus, it was no wonder that an ELCO punt wouldn’t be far behind here, this time setting Twin Valley up at their own 31-yard line following the exchange in possession.

But speaking of tough defensive work, ELCO wouldn’t be a slouch here when called upon.

Especially not when you consider the pair of tackles for loss tallied by way of Gavin Bicher and Luke Bailey respectively, the last of which came on a 3^rd & 10 play, forcing Twin Valley to bring out their punt unit after the offense had been stalled.

And while it may not be all that often when you can argue that a punt can change the overall trajectory of an entire game, may we submit junior specialist, Ben Grundy’s bounding punt here, one which died at the ELCO 9-yard line, entirely flipping field position in TV’s favor? In fact, it was so lethal that it directly led to points, this of the safety variety, as an intentional grounding call whistled against ELCO in the endzone while trying to hold off the hard-charging Twin Valley defense on the very first play led to the deuce, making it a 9-0 Twin Valley advantage with 6:09 left in the first stanza.

By now, the floodgates had totally opened.

 Sure enough, on the ensuing kickoff no less, Evan Johnson ripped off a 71-yard return to the house. That was of course until yellow laundry on the field brought the proceedings all the way back, setting Twin Valley up at their own 46-yard line instead.

No matter.

While largely ignited by a pair of Evan Myers quarterback keepers, both of the 22 and 15-yard variety respectively to move the ball down the field in dizzying fashion within the march, Johnson was rightfully awarded with the touchdown which just moments earlier had been taken away from him as his 4-yard touchdown gallop made it a 15-0 Raiders’ buffer following the PAT block with 2:57 still standing in the game’s first quarter.

But Johnson wasn’t finished tallying more points. Historic points to be exact.

After holding ELCO to a prompt three-and-out on their ensuing series, Johnson would have his fingerprints all over this next Twin Valley score as well. A drive that would take two plays and 23 seconds if you’re keeping track.

In this instance, not only did he scoot 45 yards to paydirt to help make it a 22-0 Twin Valley following the successful PAT venture this time around with just 58 ticks remaining in the opening quarter, but it was also a far more significant touchdown in that it signified Evan Johnson becoming the Twin Valley all-time leader in touchdowns scored as proclaimed over the public address system.

Regardless, strong opening statement and all, Twin Valley kept the pedal down during the second dozen minutes on Friday night just the same.

Here, on their first offensive drive of the second quarter, the perfect compliment of run-to-pass was on full display for TV. For the running portion, those services would be employed by way of sophomore running back/linebacker du jour, Lucas Myers, with a pair of scampers that pushed the pill over the midfield stripe and out to the ELCO 48-yard line following just two plays that accounted for 23 yards overall after employing a warp-speed offensive tempo. For the passing portion, brother Evan would pick that baton up quite nicely with a 29-yard touchdown strike to junior wide receiver, Patrick Shanahan, a play that would’ve counted in touch-football, as this most recent score upped the Twin Valley lead upwards to a 30-0 count as a two-point conversion run tacked on by Lucas Myers in the aftermath of ELCO being whistled for offsides on the PAT attempt with 7:53 before intermission would follow suit.

Unfortunately for ELCO, they just couldn’t seem to buy a break in the first two dozen minutes on Friday night in Elverson.

Remember that earlier interception that led to Twin Valley’s opening score? Well, it probably felt like a bad case of déjà vu here again as another batted pass on ELCO’s ensuing series ended up in another interception authored by the TV defense, this time with senior defensive back, Damarion Terry, having the honors, setting Twin Valley up with even more auspicious field position here too as if they even needed the extra assistance. And spoiler alert, but this drive would be more of the same in that it also ended in a Twin Valley addition up on the scoreboard as a 1-yard Lucas Myers TD dive over the pile on a 4^th & Goal made it 37-0 with 3:26 remaining in the first half and the mercy-rule already set to be trigged once the second half would get underway.

Three minutes and change? That’s more than enough time to tack on one more just for good measure.

Again, spurred on by their nearly impregnable defense found throughout the first half, it seemed rather apropos that this next ELCO drive too would also end courtesy of the Twin Valley defensive troops. For the specifics of it all, a tandem sack authored by Ryan Rementer and Joey Buckley inside the backfield brought on the ELCO special teams following a 3^rd & 9 play.

Yet for a first half which felt like Twin Valley touchdowns were being found around every corner, they quite possibly somehow saved their best for last.

One play, 50 yards. Those were the hard, finite numbers involved. Beyond that though, a fluttering dime of an over-the-shoulder pass through the night sky lobbed from the right arm of Evan Myers to Ben Grundy along the TV sideline –amid stellar defensive coverage from the ELCO defensive back on the scene no less– served as the whimsical storytelling portion of it all, as this 50-yard Myers to Grundy hookup of a touchdown made it a commanding 44-0 Twin Valley lead at the halftime recess once the last 91 seconds evaporated off the second quarter clock in short order.

By this point, even with an entire half yet to unfold, it was evident that the eventual outcome of this game was a foregone formality. And while that may have been true, this would be a second half contested on Friday night that would largely helped to determine the character and makeup of the young men residing in the ELCO’s dressing room. Yes, while you never want to award moral victories or anything of the sort, you’d have to be impressed with the way in which ELCO conducted themselves amidst such tough circumstances levied against them that came right from the jump. In fact, one could reasonably argue that the visitors largely “won” the second half on Friday evening.

Case in point, after holding Twin Valley on downs on their first offensive series of the second half, ELCO went right to work and began asserting themselves in short order.

Here, sparked by a tough, hard-nosed 9-yard run between the tackles on the opening play courtesy of senior ball carrier, Mitchell Frederick, the visiting Raiders were off and on the prowl. Then, never one to turn down unexpected gratuity in the form of a 15-yard facemask call dinged against Twin Valley, ELCO found themselves setting up the store at Twin Valley 35-yard line. From there, with Steven Rosado using his wheels not just to get out of danger, but also picking up a first down in the process on a key 3^rd & 3 play in the process, a 20-yard Rosado keeper around the left side of the line on the very next play would then place the ball right on the 1-yard line. Fittingly, considering he had done the bulk of the heavy lifting on this drive, Rosado would get his just desserts and finish things off with a 1-yard quarterback sneak standing up as the ELCO score narrowed things down to a 44-7 difference following Landon Goodison’s PAT which is precisely where things remained heading into the final stanza once the final 1:25 ran off the third quarter clock.

But in terms of the second half scoring, rest assured that Twin Valley wanted to at the very least end things in a stalemate. Fortunately for them, their next offensive drive would do the trick.

With freshman quarterback, Maverik Foster, getting his turn at driving probably the only “car” he legally can at this point, the Twin Valley offense that is, the 9^th-grader looked quite comfortable while behind the wheel and operating the controls once his number was called. Case in point, an 18-yard connection out in the flat to another Raiders’ pup, sophomore back Keenan Munn, which matriculated the ball across the midfield stripe and onto the ELCO 43-yard line. Then, subbing his arm for his legs, Foster would then proceed to rattle off a 32-yard jaunt along the ELCO sideline to put the attack on the precipice of another score with the ball now resting at the 7-yard line. From there, Chase Reilly would have the honors of writing the final punctuation mark of the evening as the sophomore running back’s 2-yard touchdown run, plus Josiah Horst’s PAT on the back end, ended a thoroughly impressive night at the office for the home team as Twin Valley surely sent their fans home happy following a resounding 51-7 victory over ELCO in a game that was never really in question whatsoever.

On the surface, while a 44-point win over a divisional foe certainly isn’t anything to sneeze at, there will be still warts to be exposed and things to shore up upon further review from this game tape against ELCO despite this nonetheless emphatic Twin Valley victory from start to finish. Hey, when you have your eyes on bigger and better things down the line, it’s not nick-picking, it’s just reality.

“Let’s be honest, everyone’s chasing the perfect game, right? You’re never going to get it, but you’re chasing it,” Twin Valley head coach Brett Myers said postgame Friday night. “By no means were we perfect tonight and there’s still stuff to improve on. So, in the end, it’s a good night. The perfect game for a coach, right? Tomorrow morning, we come in at 9am, we got something to work on.”

And maybe the best part of that work? Nearly everyone who suited up for Twin Valley not just on this night, but most every night so far this season, can look and see themselves playing on the actual game film rather than standing idly by on the sideline considering the way in which the Raiders’ dominating performances tallied thus far have led to droves of the entire roster getting invaluable reps under the lights in live action.

“Oh, 100-percent,” said Myers when asked of the hidden formula that comes from not just building up, but sustaining long-term success program-wise when it comes to reps upon reps. “We’re at like 57, 58 players (on the roster), and our goal is to play 35 guys in a tight game, scripted, no matter what. We’re always trying to develop there anyways and these past couple of weeks have been great when we can get 55 to 58 guys on the field every night. That gives them good stuff to learn and experience to get because let’s face it, it’s a lot faster (in varsity games) than it is in a Monday JV game or in practice.”

For the future, that certainly bodes well for Twin Valley football on the distant horizon. For the here and now though, this is a pretty stellar looking crew as is currently constructed. To their credit, buzz both near and far blowing in at them from all directions this year, these Raiders seem deaf to the outside chatter if you look at their first four games and how surgical they have been. A feature certainly not lost on a coach who he himself is used to this whole song and dance when it comes to leading teams with overwhelmingly high expectations.

“So, probably the nicest way to say this is that I tell (his players) that you guys are very unimportant at the moment,” Myers said after a pausing with the sly grin of a Chesire cat and quick-wit when describing those contributing to said noise and praise from anyone outside of his squad’s locker room doors when it came to the team itself perhaps getting caught up in reading their press clippings and falling victim to metaphorical injury by all the pats on the back they’ve been receiving to date.  “We will decide at the end of the day, at the banquet, the last game, that’s when we’ll decide how good we are,” Myers remarked of the internal apparatus having the final verdict as judge and jury. “Right now, like I said, we’re just chasing something that’s different. It’s not the scoreboard. It’s not the record. It’s, ‘Can we get 11 guys on the field at one time to play a perfect play?’ Then do it again. And again. And again. And again for 100-percent of the plays.”

If nothing else, you’d be foolish to doubt and go against the man in charge of Twin Valley these days and his operation considering it wasn’t all that long ago –2016 thru 2018 to be exact — that Myers led another public school, Middletown, to an incredible triumvirate feat of reaching three-straight state championship game appearances. On the surface, while Twin Valley and Middletown may seem as if they are totally apples and oranges to one another in a variety of different ways despite both calling District 3 their home turf, he isn’t so sure. Granted, while we’re still a far cry away from formally anointing Twin Valley into such an esteemed club as those Blue Raiders’ squads, Myers can see some like comparisons perhaps bubbling to the surface.

“We got tough kids here,” Myers said proudly of this Twin Valley crew. “People don’t always acknowledge that, but we got tough kids here. We had tough kids (at Middletown) too. Both places like to play a physical style of football. And whether anyone believes it or not, with all the flash found in both places, both places have a certain type of lineman that’s a little ‘different.’”

Different, but in many ways oh so similar when it comes to nastiness and playing with an edge. In a sense, that’s a perfect way to describe what’s going on in Elverson these days. While all the pieces appear to be there in the boxed set, only time will tell as to how this whole puzzle eventually gets put together and what it ends up looking like to see if it actually is a masterpiece. And if you too would like to check on their progress the rest of the way, it’s not a hard spot to find. Just set your GPS to Exit 298 on the turnpike as mentioned. It certainly has all the earmarks of being worthy of stopping off and paying the toll if you’re looking for something worthwhile to see.

NEXT UP: For Twin Valley, these next few weeks in particular appear to be those types of challenges Myers was referring to in terms of the Raiders maximizing and becoming the best versions of themselves heading into a key stretch of games not that far off the in the distance. From here, Twin Valley has the somewhat unenviable task of traveling to the furthest most south and furthest most north outposts in the “traditional” Lancaster-Lebanon League, traditional meaning every school sport absent of the one-off football arrangement with the Berks County schools, with back-to-back road trips to Octorara and Northern Lebanon respectively the next two weeks against a pair of teams with a combined 4-3 overall record at the time of this writing. From there though, the schedule ramps up ten-fold, particularly in Weeks 8 & 9 most of all, as those ballyhooed matchups against Wyomissing and L-S in successive fashion await, perhaps the first in a batch of meetings between those three in the ensuing weeks should fate happen to intervene and conjure up those same matchups in the district playoffs as well.

For the ELCO contingent, final scoreboard verdict aside in this one, the Raiders had their moments. Enough of tangible moments to try and string something together here for the stretch run of the season in fact. First up in that assignment list is a date with the oft-discussed crew from Wyomissing next Friday night back home in Myerstown before matchups with Daniel Boone and Octorara await beyond that. A game contested those two ironically enough that transpired Friday night with Octorara traveling to Boone and walking out of Birdsboro with the spoils of a tight 10-8 victory. And while only time will tell as to how their 2024 season eventually unfolds and gets written, ELCO fans can be rest assured this program is built on nothing if not solid footing regardless. While tough seasons for programs built on sand can cause an utter collapse, ELCO needn’t worry about falling victim to that. You can bet that the Raiders aren’t going to suddenly disappear into the void of the background without so much a whimper. Sorry, L-L Section Four foes.

In some respects, the game of high school football is a bit of an oddity and an outlier. For example, are there any other sports in the known free world where the number of months that make up the offseason actually compare, if not totally outweigh, the number of opportunities found in the number of games played themselves? Maybe that’s a bit of a Captain Obvious moment –or perhaps not if you hadn’t ever thought of it in that way before—but when you figure that the months of preparation comes in at a sweet spot of roughly ten months give or take and then realize that the number of game guaranteed to a team is that same exact number, ten, it’s easy to understand why the window of opportunity in this particular sport is oh so precious. Unfortunately, we’re not talking about field hockey, basketball, or insert any other sport of choice here, where there’s always another game right around the corner. To that end, that’s why the old cliché of not letting one loss turn into two is more than just lip service- it’s a hard reality. And on this Friday night, exactly seven days after each their saw respective campaigns both begin with shared 0-1 marks, time was of the essence for two old rivals over in Mount Joy.

While not all losses are necessarily created equal, it doesn’t mean that they are any less easy of a pill to swallow no matter what the final difference at the end of the night ends up being. But, for both Columbia and Donegal, their opening night losses did in fact come in very different fashions. Again, not better or worse one way or another, but difficult all the same.

For the Columbia Crimson Tide, 2024 figures to be a year of growth in more ways than one. Part of that of stems from the fact that, well, a very abridged number of occupied varsity roster spots if you will for this small but proud public high school found on the eastern banks of the Susquehanna, growth won’t just be a wish this season. It’ll flat-out be a necessity for the next few months and beyond. And for their first bit of tangible evidence, growth could perhaps show itself in Friday night’s road game at rival Donegal after the Tide were bested by their other neighboring rivals, Eastern York, by 36 points on Columbia’s home field last Friday night.

Their opponent? Well, they too figured to be chomping at the bit to rectify the lessons learned from last weekend.

While Columbia may have been the ones on the short end of the stick against Eastern York, it certainly didn’t appear that the Donegal Indians would find themselves with a similar fate throughout much of their opener against Middletown. Until that wasn’t the case…

Despite leading by two scores at the intermission against the multiple-time state finalists from the not-so-distant past, Donegal unfortunately saw their two-score lead evaporate throughout the second half last week, largely spurred by a 21-point Blue Raiders’ fourth quarter showing, before fate dealt the Indians a cruel 31-24 final overtime blow on the green and white’s lid-lifter of 2024.

Suffice to say, with that sand dial of a clock that measures the regular season now turned over and effectively slipping by ever so slightly grain-by-grain, come the end of Friday night, that aforementioned ten game window suddenly shrinks down to eight with no stoppage to bail you out anywhere in sight. Simply put, while 0-2 isn’t a totally fatally blow, it certainly isn’t the desired road to travel once you make your way into the month of September which is why this western Lancaster County backyard tussle was especially intriguing given the inherit implications behind it. And while we’re on the topic of oddities here for a second, try this on for size from Columbia’s perspective. Aside from playing their foremost neighboring rivals to begin the season, both of the head men currently leading Eastern York and Donegal these days just so happen to be the previous two Crimson Tide coaches prior the current man in charge, Brady Mathias, found in Bud Kyle and Anthony Sottasante respectively. Interesting plot twist, no?

But despite the upmost importance that this game signified for both Columbia and Donegal in the here and now, there was a new feature added into the equation in the latest chapter in the series. For this would be the first time that signified the “Battle of the Rock,” a brand-new trophy and moniker awarded the victor that bears an uncanny resemblance to the infamous Lombardi trophy of NFL lore. And while there would be plenty of twists and turns when it came to finding out who would be able to claim such distinction –particularly in the first half most especially—the eventual honor of defending “the rock,” or Chickies Rock as it were, would be bestowed on those who call Mount Joy their home community.

That said, if the first measure of the evening was to find out who would be the ones to have the best up-front “curb appeal” when it came to putting their first loss of the season behind them in short order, there was little doubt that Columbia made out the best in that regard.

Case in point, after beginning their second offensive series well inside Donegal’s side of the field at the Indians’ 39-yard line following a timely interception courtesy of Tide freshman defensive back, Miguel Ocasio, the guests went right to work. Of course, a little help goes a long way too. For that, courtesy of a horse collar tackle whistled against the Indians prolonged the ongoing Columbia march on the heels of a failed 4^th & 4 attempt with a fresh set of downs, a powerful run by way of senior back, Miguel Aviles, not long afterwards ushered the white-clad Tide inside Donegal’s 5-yard line. From there, with another bit of good fortune shining upon them considering the play came on a 4^th & Goal attempt, a crossing route across the middle resulted in not just a 7-yard touchdown strike from the underclassman duo of sophomore quarterback, Cameron McClair, to freshman wideout, Tyler Brommer, but it also signified Columbia’s first moment of playing with the aid of a lead throughout this young season thus far as the Tide successfully carried the 6-0 advantage with them into the second frame once the final 2:14 eventually bled off the first quarter clock after an unsuccessful PAT try.

But while the record books will show Columbia as the owners of the six-point lead throughout the first quarter, the truth of the matter was that Donegal was rolling downhill at an alarming pace on their ensuing drive following the Columbia touchdown.

On this, their second offensive series of the evening as well, Donegal also appeared to get into a lather and a groove in their next stint with the pill. And in the most tried and true Donegal way possible, by leaning on the running game, specifically the option game, the chunks of yardage the Indians found in the waning stages of the first frame were nothing if not impressive. 16 yards such as the case when Donegal sophomore quarterback, Leelan Baughman, called his own number on a keeper to move the ball down to the Crimson Tide 30. Deandre White then barreling his way for 10 yards up the gut on the very next play to officially reach the red zone. Then, yet another in the cupboard of the Indians’ plentiful bounty of backs, Chase Gerz, getting himself into the mix, Donegal was poised to strike once the curtain was raised on the second frame.

Truth be told, Deandre White probably had to help push the curtain aside considering just how fast and determined he proceeded to tote the rock on the very first play of the second stanza as the talented senior multi-sport Indians’ athlete helped to give the hosts their time playing with the lead on the evening following the subsequent PAT booted through by fellow senior, Brayden Givens, making it a 7-6 Donegal lead with all of 11:54 remaining in the first half of play.

It would later prove to be a lead which Donegal would never surrender.

Speaking of splash plays by way of the ground attack, so too did Columbia find like success in the immediate aftermath of Donegal’s go-ahead score. Ignited by a litany of runs courtesy of Cameron McClair, Kareem Nichols, and Tyler Brommer to name just a few, the Tide started to tilt field position back in their favor as the visitors found themselves sitting just one yard away from paydirt when it came to rebuking Donegal’s last answer. However, that yard would prove to somewhere closer to around a million miles away it had to feel as not only were the Tide stood up by the Donegal defensive front wall for the second straight play when trying to plunge forward, but in this instance, insult was added to injury as the ball came loose, eventually ending up in the hands of Donegal senior defensive lineman, Jaiden Gichuki, propelling the Indians’ offensive unit back onto the field at their own 33-yard line following his scoop and run, but not before he and fellow tribe mates were likely wiping the beads of sweat off their foreheads in the process no doubt.

And that largely was the game’s turning point right then and there.

In fact, as if to even be the visible to even the naked eye as to how crushing that ill-timed turnover truly was in real time, Donegal’s offensive series following the Gichuki theft was played downhill to say the least.

First up, a sizable gallop by way of Deandre White once more, this time moving the camo-green jersey squad to the Crimson Tide 40 within a flash. Speaking of flashes, that’s precisely what Donegal senior co-captain, Chase Gerz, appeared to be as he ripped off a 39-yard touchdown jaunt around the right side and in front of his own sideline as Gerz’s score made it a 13-6 affair with 7:36 left in the first half following the missed PAT.

Yet that was more than enough time for Donegal to continue upping the ante.

For the second drive in a row, Columbia was turned away by way of a turnover. In this instance, those thievery honors would be bestowed upon Donegal sophomore defensive back, Nysaiah Dejesus, who climbed the ladder on an errant Tide pass down the field which gave way to the Indians’ offense trotting back onto the field while eager to inflict more damage.

Sure enough, not even two minutes later, Donegal found themselves celebrating in the endzone. And for the second time, it would be Deandre White’s time to shine as White’s second TD run of the evening, this time from 9-yards out, propelled Donegal out to a sizable 21-6 cushion following White’s successful 2-pt conversion run right behind it with 4:42 remaining in the half.

But that wasn’t the last of it either.

Yet again, as if they even needed the benefit of playing on a tilted field in their favor, that’s exactly what the hosts found when they went back out with exactly 60 seconds remaining in the first half while just 40 yards away from a possible back-breaking score. It would take them all of nine seconds to insert that metaphorical dagger as a blazing 40-yard untouched touchdown tote by way of the other Donegal senior co-captain, Caidyn Leaf, helped to send the home side into the half with the commanding wind of a 27-6 advantage at their collective backs to begin the second half of play.

If the first half provided the highlights and the fireworks, the third quarter effort put forth by the Donegal Indians was more so of the blue-collar variety in that it signified leaning on the opposition as a means to further impose their will. For that, look no further than an 86-yard touchdown march over the course of 3:02.

Here again, bolstered by sizable runs compiled by the likes of Deandre White and Caidyn Leaf respectively, the home side was poised to author yet another six-point addition. Ironically though, for as mundane and methodical as this particular Indians’ series was throughout its duration, it did have its punctuation mark found not just in Leelan Baughman’s 15-yard touchdown keeper on the option by itself, but when the Indians’ quarterback proceeded to lower his shoulder at the goal line before bowling over a would-be Crimson Tide tackler in the process, it was an exclamation point that helped to make it a 35-6 Donegal advantage with 2:10 left in the third by that juncture.

Sometimes though, when it’s your night, it’s truly your night.

Here, after holding Columbia to a three-and-out on the Tide’s ensuing offensive series, the Indians decided to bring the rush on the punt. And while they didn’t get a total block in terms of the ball never getting up into the night’s sky, a partially blocked kick nonetheless proved to be even more lethal. Why? Well, once the short kick wound up in the arms of Donegal junior up-back, Quinn Weyers, and the Crimson Tide punt coverage unit already having well overrun the play trying execute their planned assignments, Weyers looked more than fluent in running with the ball as his 30-yard punt return touchdown by definition helped to make it a 43-6 Indians’ lead heading into the final dozen minutes on Friday.

Remarkably, considering that the opening twelve minutes ended with Donegal being shutout, the fact that the Indians proceeded to rattle off 43 unanswered points over the course of next two frames was just as eye-popping in and of itself to effectively take control and never really let Columbia back into the fight when it came to deciding the formality of the eventual outcome. Fair, but “fight” and “resolve” are two terms that are nonnegotiable within the Crimson Tide’s walls without question. And as if to be right on cue, Columbia would indeed have one final answer with time winding down to give them something to build upon heading into next week.

On this scoring drive, there was no bigger catalyst than the 40-yard reverse run thanks to handiwork –or legwork—of Tyler Brommer, as the Tide freshman’s jaunt moved the Columbia attack to the Donegal 10-yard line. From there, with senior triggerman, Loudon Rupp, now at the controls for the Tide, a nice run by way of Rupp moved things down to the Indians’ 1-yard line. And for that eventual 43-point Donegal salvo-bursting Columbia touchdown, those honors would go to Kareem Nichols as the Tide’s sophomore feature back –who ran hard all evening– finally got his just desserts in the form of a 1-yard touchdown plunge to make it a 43-12 contest with 9:34 remaining following the missed 2-pt try.

But needless to say, with the score the margin that it was, it was only a matter of time before Donegal would find themselves back on level ground officially when it came to evening their overall record at 1-1 following a decisive victory over their next-door neighbors in this one. How decisive you ask? Well, aside from that aforementioned 43-point blitzkrieg that put things out of reach, a sultry 6.5 yards per carry on the ground throughout the course of the evening probably doesn’t hurt matters either does it? And once the game clock did reach its final moment of rest, it would prove to be a successful night at the office for the Donegal Indians that came complete with a newfound trophy for their spoils as a cherry on top following their 43-12 triumph over Columbia in the latest iteration of this age-old donnybrook.

In retrospect, not too shabby of a bounce back effort authored by Donegal on this night following the way last week went down for them. And while the progress was there, Anthony Sottasante is cognizant that the ceiling remains plenty high for his Indians’ squad from here on out.

“I think we’re past that,” the second-year boss of his alma mater said when asked regarding a potential hangover that could’ve lingered in his team’s camp this past week. “Hopefully we learned from our lesson last week. We sort of dominated that game for three quarters, but then lost focus. But hey, (Middletown) is a good football team with good players, and they came back and won it.”

“We started off really shaky again tonight,” Sottasante continued.  “Just tons of penalties and missed assignments. Once we settled into our rhythm though, I thought we played well except for those penalties with roughing the passer and things like that when we had (Columbia) backed up. But I’m proud of how hard they played,” he added of his bunch with a satisfied tone. “We definitely, definitely improved a lot from Week One to Week Two and now we have a really tough game against West York next weekend. We’re going to have to play a lot better than we did tonight to beat a team of that caliber.”

And while this win in particular was vital not just in the sense that it meant Donegal getting to .500 footing, there was far more to this one beyond just the final outcome itself. Something Sottasante himself knows perhaps better than most anyone.

“I’ve said it before. It’s a very historic matchup. There’s been tons of really good games and year in and year out, any team can win this game. A break here or there, and it can go either way,” the former Columbia head coach turned current Donegal head coach said when asked about the rivalry series between the two programs. “I’m just really proud that we were able to get that very first ‘Battle of the Rock’ and get that win to keep that trophy. But you know, the only time I ever want to see Columbia lose is when they play us. There’s a special place in my heart still for them,” Sottasante said with much gratitude when referencing Columbia. “(Columbia) gave me my first opportunity at being a head coach and I’m forever grateful for that. It’s such a great town with great tradition. In the end, I just want to see the best for them too.”

Finally, for himself, an alum who now has the keys to the car after his playing days and in the aftermath of bouncing around the landscape by way of head coaching gigs at a few different spots which includes Columbia of course, this 1989 Donegal alum knows better than most what it will take to continue moving the Indians up the Lancaster-Lebanon League pecking order.

“We’ve always been a school that can run the ball. I played for Gayne Deshler here, Hall of Fame coach. I coached for him too…More than anything, I just want to get that winning legacy back,” the Donegal football player of yesteryear said. “I just want us to get back to where we’re relevant every single year. That’s pretty much it.”

With wins like the one demonstrated on Friday, it’s hard not to believe that Donegal already finds its way on Sottasante’s desired trajectory.

NEXT UP: As Coach Sottasante alluded to in his postgame comments following the Columbia win, going 2-1 come this time next weekend appears to quite a formidable challenge put in front of his squad. From here, Donegal will head back on the road to tangle with the West York Bulldogs for the final nonleague tilt of the season. Aside from being a perfect 2-0 through the first two contests, West York is also rather sparkling considering that they have outscored their first two opponents by a combined 54-12 score thus far, including a game against 6A Red Lion for an added jolt. And if they can knock off Donegal, West York would be the quasi leader in the clubhouse at 2-0 in L-L Section Four play (if they weren’t a YAIAA school themselves of course) considering they would have already picked off both ELCO and Donegal in two of their first three contests if that were to come to pass.

In Columbia camp, it’s time to get back to work. While it’s true that there really will be no real rest for the weary for the Crimson Tide in 2024, next week does offer a distinct possibility that they can head into L-L Section Five play with a boost in their step provided they can knock of York Tech next Friday night, a 6A school that the Tide can likely find themselves on level footing with by and large. Yet no matter how next Friday night or the rest of this season turns out, you can be assured that there will not be many teams on this side of the state will play with more vigor and fight than Columbia does for the duration of this season. Yes, small roster size and all.

For most everyone, this is the best week of the entire high school football season. Sure, aside from the old cliché that it’s the only time during the campaign that quite literally everyone has a 0 beside their name under the loss column on the season ledger, it’s the promise that a new season, a new journey is set to unfold that is ripe with hope and promise. And quite frankly, for the two teams that found themselves kicking off the 2024 slate inside the village of West Grove on Friday evening, promise is exactly what the doctor would’ve ordered.

For the home team, the Avon Grove Red Devils, 2024 likely couldn’t have come soon enough as far as they figured to be concerned. For a program that is understandably itching at the chance to finish above water in the terms of the .500 mark once the dust finally settles, it looked for all the world heading down the stretch of last season that their long-awaited calamine lotion was at finally their disposal. Until it wasn’t unfortunately.

Upon heading into the month of October last fall, Avon Grove appeared to be sitting pretty while owning a 4-2 record through the first six weeks of the season collectively. However, the Devils would unfortunately be shutout through the duration of the tenth month of the calendar year by going 0-4 down the final furlong, including coming up excruciatingly close in a pair of those games via cruel overtime defeats at the hands of Bishop Shannahan and Interboro respectively.

Even still, for a Red Devil team that brought back it’s fair share of talent from a squad that seemed poised to finally finish with a winning record a year ago, here sat their first opportunity in terms of making sure 2024 that would at long last be the year that the Red Devils, well, vanquished their devils and demons of old quite frankly.

In many ways, the same could be said for their opponents on opening night as well.

For the longest-tenured varsity football coach currently in Lancaster County, Warwick’s Bob Locker, he’s seen a thing or two –or three– over the past 24 years. There’s obviously been the various peaks and valleys that come with overseeing a public high school football program along the way for sure, but the highs have been incredibly high, but particularly of late. Granted, aside from the talent within the program itself which has sent scores of alums into the collegiate ranks, both of the 5-star variety and otherwise, not the least of which includes one currently fighting for a roster spot in an NFL training camp at the moment, the team success of late has also been unparalleled in terms of the program’s history in general. In fact, had it not been for an ill-timed COVID outbreak at the school that forced a forfeiture in the 2020 District 3 championship game, one could make an argument that the Warwick Warriors could’ve easily made the state championship game, if not won it outright, had it not been for a once-in-a-generation pandemic standing in their path. And perhaps that was why more than ever Warwick was eager and set to get a jump start on the 2024 campaign considering how their 2023 venture, one which resulted in a final 3-7 overall mark come the end of it, had served as the lone outlier in terms of this school’s golden age on the football field over the last decade or so if you will.

Suffice to say, for two programs that seemed to be entering 2024 with eerily similar vibes and narratives, a close encounter figured to be afoot. Sure enough, that’s exactly what transpired over the course of 48 minutes in Chester County on Friday night. And as it turned out, it would be the home team that would leave the happiest come the end of it.

Perhaps it could’ve been a harbinger of things to come as the game itself was concerned, but the opening play from scrimmage foretold a storyline that would largely develop for both teams over the duration of the evening—offensive struggles.

On said play, while nonetheless invigorated by a marvelous 36-yard kickoff return by Warwick junior wideout, Bode Madara, which allowed the Warriors to set up shop squarely at the midfield stripe, a botched snap on the first play understandably set the guests behind the proverbial 8-ball. In fact, while only being able to pick up three yards over the course of the next two plays from there, a three-and-out allowed Avon Grove to begin their first drive of the season, albeit way back at their own 7-yard line with 10:20 showing on the first quarter clock.

Conversely, as far as the Red Devils were concerned, their first offensive play would be far better in comparison considering how it would result in a 28-yard pitch and catch between a pair of AG seniors, quarterback Frank Hoogerwerff and wideout Sebastian Binstead respectively, ushering the hosts out from the shadows of their own goalposts.

Of course, Avon Grove wouldn’t turn down unsolicited help if it happened to present itself either.

In that regard, while it appeared as if Warwick had successfully turned AG’s opening march away with a sack on 3^rd & 10 from the very same 35-yard line in the aftermath of the opening play, a facemask call whistled against the Warriors gave Avon Grove a fresh set of downs of which to work with. Yet while AG would be able to eventually penetrate into Warwick’s side of the field, a later incompletion on 3^rd & 14 brought on the Avon Grove punt team.

However, the punt itself never got off the ground. Why? For Warwick’s Vinny Bagonis no doubt as the Warriors’ junior defensive lineman came charging through the Red Devil’s protection unit and came away the block for his efforts, setting his offensive mates up at the 50-yard for the second time in as many possessions.

Even still, Warwick would get halted yet again despite their auspicious field position.

In this instance, the nail in the coffin for the Warriors’ second series was inserted by way of Avon Grove senior linebacker, Zach Sheridan, on 4^th & 7 at the AG 29-yard line, giving the ball back to the Devils’ offense with a fast-moving first stanza quickly wrapping itself up.

But here too was Warwick’s staunch defensive unit serving as an equal opportunity employer when it came to halting their opponent’s second series.

Like their counterparts found on the opposite sideline, Avon Grove would also fall victim to a sack, this courtesy of Warwick’s Owen Hursh, on a 3^rd & 10 play which effectively saw the Devils net negative yardage over the course of three plays and out.

Needless to say, if someone could find their offensive footing and work free from some early molasses, it would figure to be nothing if not vital.

Well, it at long last seemed as if Warwick had been the fortunate ones to cease the initial slog as a 62-yard pitch and catch from Thomas Myers to the aforementioned Owen Hursh, this from his tight end position, resulted in a touchdown on the first play of the Warriors’ ensuing offensive drive. That was of course until a piece of yellow cloth was found sitting back well behind the ongoing celebration in the distant endzone as a block-in-back out on the perimeter tagged against the guests brought everything back entirely which seemed apropos for an opening dozen minutes which ended with a 0-0 stalemate.

Speaking of offensive mojo, the shoe would be on the other foot come the beginning of the second frame.

After being awarded with marvelous field position following a low snap on a Warwick punt which forced the punter to have his knee touch the ground just prior to getting the kick off marking him down in the process, the Devils began their third drive just outside the Warwick redzone at the 28-yard line.

Yet here again, even when they too looked prime to punch things in, they were met with staunch defensive resistance.

In fact, despite penetrating as deep as the Warwick 9-yard line following a sweet 11-yard scoot by Sebastian Binstead on a 3^rd & 2 play earlier in the drive, a tipped pass on third & goal later on resulted in Warwick’s Tyler Musser coming away with the theft at the goal line as the Warriors’ junior safety’s interception helped Avon Grove settle for nothing in this ongoing defensive slugfest.

And while it may only be the first game in a very long season, the upcoming Warwick drive following the takeaway may perhaps serve as to how the Warriors figure to bring the fight their remaining nine opponents the rest of the way.

Behind a methodical, run-first and sprinkle in the pass game as needed formula, the Warriors gradually reasserted command of the game’s narrative throughout much of the second period. Case in point, a triumvirate of successful third down conversions being utilized to prolong it, one by the legs of junior running back, Malachi Rodriquez, for 5 yards on a 3^rd & 2 play, and two via the right arm of fellow junior, quarterback Thomas Myers, on a pair of 3^rd & 10’s and 9’s respectively, Warwick plodded their course to the Avon Grove 5-yard line after eating up nearly eight minutes of the second quarter clock in the process.

That said, despite an impressive march, it would end without six. Yes, in a game where points were presenting themselves as extremely hard to come by, three wouldn’t be so bad all things considered. For that, out came Warwick sophomore kicker, Evan Hartel, as the Warriors’ underclassman not only broke the current stalemate with his right foot, but he also authored the only points of the entire first half as it turned out as Warwick carried the 3-0 lead with them into the dressing room over the course of the final 91 seconds in the aftermath of his 22-yard field goal.

Without a doubt, if you fancy yourself as someone who enjoys hard-nosed defenses being the ones to write the game’s overall narrative, you were experiencing football nirvana thus far. And hey, the third quarter too wouldn’t exactly lessen your current high either as three-and-outs, punts, and some sacks tossed in the recipe too just for good measure eventually resulted in that same 3-0 Warwick lead upon entering the final 12 minutes on Friday night at the campus of Avon Grove Middle School.

By this juncture, it was obvious that was Warwick’s defensive prowess was getting under the Red Devils’ collective skin. Aside from the visible frustration that came after unsuccessful after unsuccessful negotiations with the Warriors on the opposite side of the ball, there was the audible instances of, “Let’s go O” that came when the Devils’ offensive 11 retired to their sideline with the punt team marching on the field past them.

But whether you consider patience to be a virtue in life or not, it most certainly paid off for Avon Grove on the football field on Friday night.

As if to be birthed by a fresh start that came with the onset of a brand-new quarter of play, the Red Devils quite literally wasted little to no time in finally getting their offensive track shoes on.

Sure enough, on the very first play of the final period, Avon Grove was able to puncture the Warwick defensive bubble once and for all as a gorgeous 48-yard touchdown toss lobbed from Frank Hoogerwerff into the mitts of Sebastian Binstead and over top of a pair of Warwick defensive backs in the process made it a 6-3 contest with 11:52 left to be played and momentum clearing reside on the home sideline albeit the ensuing PAT which doinked off the left upright.

Did we mention Avon Grove had seized momentum? If that hadn’t already become apparent, it would over the course of the next few minutes for certain.

After holding Warwick to a timely three-and-out on the Warriors’ ensuing offensive series following the initial score, the Red Devils went right back to work while eager to capitalize on their newfound mojo.

Speaking of mojo, the connection of Hoogerwerff to Binstead proved vital in its overall concoction as Binstead sat himself down inside the Warwick zone on a key 3^rd & 12 play, securing the 14-yard reception, while also helping usher the hosts within a whisker of penetrating the redzone in the process. And truth be told, but that’s all the further Avon Grove needed to go from there as Hoogerwerff proceeded to call his own number from his quarterback spot by first going to his left, then careening across the face of the Warriors’ flowing defense, all before the senior triggerman’s 21-yard zigzagging touchdown run which made it a gargantuan nine-point advantage at 12-3 following an unsuccessful two-point try with 9:12 left to be played.

By this juncture, it became readily apparent that Warwick needed to find something offensively of which they hadn’t yet discovered on the evening as a whole. And for a moment, it seemed as if they indeed found something tangible to work with in Thomas Myers using his physically imposing frame to run between the tackles when the situation called for it, often creating a rugby scrum of sorts in the process with a host of defenders trying to bring him to the turf. Beyond that, the Warriors’ two-minute drill operation seemed to be relatively good form in keeping the Devil’s defense off-kilter as well considering that would largely be the catalyst for Warwick drumming up some offensive success, not the least of which included a dynamite throw from Myers to Owen Hursh down the seam on a 4^th & 7 play for a 32-yard pickup which moved the visiting troops inside the Avon Grove 20 and time becoming a huge factor.

That said, as if to be a microcosm of sorts when it came to the night at large, just when it seemed as if Warwick could get something in gear, Avon Grove just as quickly threw the car right back into neutral.

Here too, despite getting all the way down to the Red Devil 5-yard line, Avon Grove’s defense would refuse to yield once more and turn away one more serious Warwick threat to put a lasting stamp on an impressive defensive display once the dust had finally settled following a final 4^th & 5 pass attempt at the 13-yard line which in and of itself seemed to be a missed connection.

And once that dust did settle, the scoreboard lights displayed Avon Grove being the ones to successfully author the first chapter in their 2024 storyline as the Red Devils walked away with a hard-fought 12-3 victory to start the year 1-0 over their visitors from Warwick.

NEXT UP: From here, Avon Grove will look to keep their good vibes going as the Devils enter Week 2 while not only looking to start 2-0, but by also knocking off Penn Wood for what would be the fourth consecutive year in the process, as AG travels to take on a Patriots’ squad fresh off a tough 28-24 setback at the hands of Norristown on Friday evening.

For Warwick, to road to ho doesn’t exactly get any easier come next weekend either. Come Friday night, the Warriors will find themselves on the road again, this time in Lampeter, as they tangle with one of the perennial stalwarts of the Lancaster-Lebanon League, Lampeter-Strasburg, a team who just posted a resounding 26-point road victory over their southern neighbors from Solanco for the “Milk Jug” in their season lid-lifter. That said, while obviously the Warwick offense still needs time to get up to speed somewhat if this past Friday night was to serve as any larger indication, the good news is that the Warriors’ defense appears ready to shoulder the burden for as long as that might require. For if Warwick can consistently pair a defensive showing the likes of Friday night against Avon Grove the rest of the way, the Warriors will nonetheless find themselves in every single fight this season without being overmatched in the slightest. And once the offense does indeed figure to get on track as the compliment to it, Warwick figures to be headache for the rest of Section Three of the Lancaster-Lebanon League to contend with this season. Or, in other words, getting Warwick right back to the place they’ve always seem to reside when it comes to recent memory.

For a state where some may consider high school football to be a religion of sorts, it’s somewhat surprising perhaps to look around the state and realize that there isn’t a bountiful feast of postseason all-star games played to try and satisfy the appetite. 

But that isn’t exactly the case in south central Pennsylvania if we’re being honest. 

Now, two years into its second decade of existence, the annual Tri-County All-Star Game, orchestrated by the Manheim Touchdown Club, is one of the few gatherings of senior gridiron talent that largely features outgoing seniors hailing from one conference and one conference alone. That of course being the Lancaster-Lebanon League. 

And for a part of the state that likely fits right in like a perfect puzzle piece when it comes to viewing the lights on Friday nights to be nothing if not divine in nature when talking about the counties of Berks, Lebanon, and Lancaster respectively, any time that fans have an opportunity to go to their version of church –or stadium of choice as it were — and take in a scholastic football game, even during Memorial Day weekend, they’ll likely be right there in the pews. Er, bleachers. For that reason, especially here in the 22^nd edition of the contest played on Friday night at Elden Rettew Stadium in Manheim, this version was looked forward to perhaps more than most considering that last year’s game was (wisely) cancelled during the halftime ceremonies as an urgent medical emergency took place in the grandstands that understandably didn’t leave anyone with a burning desire to continue onward following what looked to be a dire scene at the time. 

Nevertheless, with the battle lines so clearly having been drawn in red ink beginning with last year’s all-star game affair that split players from Berks and Lebanon county schools up against a squad hailing entirely from Lancaster in the aftermath of the initial year of the 37-team mega-conference that the L-L League had suddenly morphed in to during the fall of 2022, the hope on this unseasonably warm spring night was that this 2024 contest of the Tri-County All-Star Game would make up for lost time given the untimely, aforementioned situation during last year’s playing a year ago. 

Simply put, for those with a keen rooting interest in Lancaster’s exploits in particular, this would prove to be something well worth the wait. Not to mention, if you fancy yourself a Manheim Central Baron above all else, your evening wasn’t a bad one spent at the ol’ ballpark either. 

Almost right from the get-go, it was evident that this 2024 Lancaster’s all-star crop was out to make this their evening without much in the way of negotiation from the opposition. And with Manheim Central senior quarterback and first-team 4A All-State honoree, Zac Hahn, operating the controls of the offense, Lancaster’s initial drive of the evening was nearly flawless. 

Case in point, while ignited by a 44-yard strike from Hahn who rolled right and out of the pocket before finding an open Quintin Pfautz of Ephrata for the long gainer through the air, the hosts already found themselves inside the red zone at the Berks/Lebanon 8-yard line in short order. From there, the duo of Hahn to Bode Sipel –something the masses have witnessed at Elden Rettew plenty of times before—allowed the home side to draw first blood following the Manheim Central pair’s 9-yard touchdown connection as another Barons’ player, kicker Drew Greiner, booted home the PAT which made it a 7-0 Lancaster lead with 8:23 remaining in the opening frame. 

But that would only prove to be a precursor of sorts for the night yet to come. 

Sure enough, after holding Berks/Lebanon to just one first down on their opening offensive series of the contest, Lancaster went right back to work just as they had before, beginning the drive at their 35-yard line. And just like the drive previous, this too would result in a seven-point addition up on the scoreboard by the end of it. 

Ironically, just like during their initial drive too, the Lancaster advance was kick-started by way of a long pass. For Dean Herr, after having a shot at scoring the game’s opening touchdown reception cruelly slip through his fingertips just a few minutes earlier, the Lampeter-Strasburg senior certainly opted to go with a flair for the dramatics when it came to his sweet measure of atonement as Herr was able to come down with a 30-yard acrobatic reception –while working against what would be called defensive pass interference—from the right arm of Garden Spot’s Kye Harting, now running the show for Lancaster from the quarterback spot, with the Lancaster threat now standing at the Berks/Lebanon 25-yard line following the big strike. Yet not even a 15-yard reversal in field position following a penalty called against Lancaster later on did much in the way of slowing down the inevitable as the Dean Herr-laden drive was crystalized following his 40-yard touchdown reception on a 3^rd & 25 play from Harting as Greiner’s second straight PAT made it a 14-0 count in Lancaster’s favor which is where things would remain standing following the 51 seconds bleeding off the first quarter clock in due time. 

But even before the second stanza came into existence, another Manheim Central Baron had something to say about the goings on out on the field. 

For Sonny Callahan, he too would make the most of the final game played on his school’s home turf as the soon-to-be Manheim Central graduate picked off a Berks/Lebanon pass on the first play of the ensuing possession, setting Lancaster up yet again with auspicious field position and then some once the quarter officially changed. 

Yet auspicious or not, Lancaster’s third drive of the night would not yield any new points. At the same time, however, neither would Berks/Lebanon’s as a fourth down stop gave the ball back to Lancaster with a hair under four minutes having expired off the second quarter clock by that point in time. 

In this instance, Lancaster wouldn’t let an opportunity pass them by. 

Sparked by another long chunk play through the air, this a 14-yard diving reception hauled in by Lancaster Catholic’s Josh Acker to get things in motion, the blue-jersey-wearing troops were poised to crack through yet again. And in keeping with one of the prevailing themes of the evening at large, Manheim Central players being the key catalysts, it should’ve been a shock to no one whatsoever that one of the better running backs in recent Barons’ lore, Brycen Armold, was able to find his way into his home endzone one more time in his high school career as Armold’s 7-yard TD scamper that preceded Drew Greiner’s third PAT of the night upped the Lancaster cushion to a sizable 21-0 difference which they were then able to carry with them on into the second half on Friday night once the final 6:08 ticked off the second quarter clock. 

But to their credit, even though much didn’t go in their favor at throughout the initial 24 minutes, Berks/Lebanon appeared to be reinvigorated and refocused coming out of the halftime respite. 

Case in point, a nice 15-yard slant route thrown by Fleetwood’s Jack Riffle –who far and away got the lion’s share of the work in terms of Berks/Lebanon quarterbacking duties on the night– to Berks Catholic’s Bill Hess, got the red squad off on the right foot for the opening play of the second half. From there, they went to the ground game which proved to be a wise inclination considering how Conrad Weiser’s Sevon Parham would promptly rattle off a 30-yard gainer through the Lancaster defense to get the ball on the other side of the field and onto the Lancaster 40-yard line. Unfortunately though, while Berks/Lebanon was enjoying their most productive drive of the evening at that point, this series would ultimately peter out and die around the midfield stripe as Berks/Lebanon was forced to punt it away to Lancaster.

Now, if the Berks/Lebanon defensive unit could turn things around and somewhat slow down the hard-charging Lancaster offense which had largely run roughshod over them up until that point, a tide may indeed be changing. Well, for his part, Reading High’s Michael Odeyemi deserved plenty of kudos thrown in his direction as the Red Knights’ 250lb defensive lineman came away with a sure tackle to halt Lancaster’s initial offensive drive of the second half on a 3^rd & 1 play which led to Zac Hahn trotting back onto the field in punt formation for the home side. 

But perhaps Berks/Lebanon had found something to which they could manipulate when it came to working against the Lancaster defense considering how productive their previous series had been. Here again, while sparked by a nice sprinkle of totes from his running back spot courtesy of Fleetwood’s Czion Brickle, added with a dash of Mason Musitano and Mason Semmel receptions by way of Fleetwood and Hamburg respectively, it seemed for all the world that Berks/Lebanon would at long last finally reach paydirt.

Until they wouldn’t. 

At this point, it would almost be anticlimactic if a Manheim Central Baron didn’t play a significant role in some form or fashion, right? Well, as if to be right on cue, Bode Sipel would indeed heed the call and come up not just with an interception, but an interception return for a touchdown to boot, as Sipel’s second TD of the evening, this coming from his defensive back position via an 87-yard Pick 6, made it a 28-0 cushion for Team Lancaster following yet another Drew Greiner PAT with a measly 48 seconds left remaining in the third period.  

By the time the fourth quarter rolled around, the only tangible bit of drama left unattended would be whether or not Lancaster would be able to author a shutout against their neighbors to their geographic north. But hey, why not add another score for your troubles while in the process, eh? 

As if to be played on rewind in harkening back to their opening drive of the evening, a long Zac Hahn bomb to Quintin Pfautz proved to be the spark that also would help send this Lancaster drive into orbit. In this latest instance, the Baron to Mount hookup was good for a 48-yard incision into the Berks/Lebanon defensive heart down to the 22-yard line which helped set the table for a 21-yard Hahn to Aaryn Longenecker touchdown strike in the back of the endzone, proving once again that cats and dogs can indeed find commonality now and then considering the rivalry –albeit one built on respect– that has metastasized between Manheim Central and Cocalico over the years and the irony found in the pair’s touchdown connection that made it a 35-0 bulge with all of 7:04 remaining in the contest after Greiner’s fifth PAT through the pipes. 

Here, with the outcome nothing more than a formality at this point, the timing was of the utmost essence if Berks/Lebanon could indeed crack that goose egg they had been staring up at all evening long. And for a moment in time, it seemed as if they would be able to achieve said feat. 

While his overall volume of receptions may not have been all that bountiful in terms of the amount of them in sheer number, Hamburg’s Mason Semmel certainly made the most of his opportunities for his side in the receiving department in terms of magnitude of catches all evening long as the Hawks’ star wideout came away with another long gainer here late in the final period, this of the 28-yard variety from Riffle, helping to usher Berks/Lebanon onto the Lancaster side of the field and to the 43-yard line. From there, Berks/Lebanon’s eventual team MVP of the night, Sevon Parham, ripped off a 23-yard jaunt around the right end not long afterward, moving the pill down to Lancaster’s 7-yard line and a score feeling all but certain. 

But even when they knocked on the door, Berks/Lebanon would eventually get turned away, even if they walked away on their own. 

Here, with the ball resting at the Lancaster 3-yard line, far and away the deepest penetration that Berks/Lebanon had been able to garner all night long up until that point, the only thing that could stop them was well, them. And “them” happened to come up with an ill-timed, unsportsmanlike conduct penalty which then moved Berks/Lebanon in reverse and backward to the 17-yard line. And as if that the penalty wasn’t already bad enough, having it take place following third and the goal was especially detrimental as Berks/Lebanon was now staring down the barrel of fourth and goal near the backend of the red zone. Unfortunately, for the group of fans who had traveled the furthest distance to get there to Manheim on this night, their side would indeed come up empty-handed here as an incomplete pass inside the final two minutes eventually allowed Lancaster to put the finishing touches on a resounding 35-0 victory over the Berks/Lebanon side once all was said and done. A performance that yes, while it was complete as the score would lead one to believe, was undoubtedly buoyed in no small part by a handful of outgoing Manheim Central Barons who not only had a direct hand in 29 of Lancaster’s 35 points tallied on the evening when you factor in all the touchdowns and extra points combined, but also the pair of interceptions nabbed throughout the contest as well just for good measure. And for the final cherry on top, their triggerman with his sights now set on the IUP quarterback room in the fall, Zac Hahn, would go on to capture Team Lancaster MVP honors after the evening too. 

Suffice to say, if the Manheim Central contingent and Lancaster crew as a whole had planned to go out with a statement in this their final high school football game that they’d ever play in front of their home fans, both in town and county alike, this 22^nd playing of the Tri-County All-Star Game was nothing if not a resounding success for them. 

But even if this game ended with an essential white-wash in one team’s favor as it had here, that certainly does not diminish the value that this triumvirate of counties that come together to make up this nearly 40-team behemoth of a conference should see when it comes to high school and the logistics surrounding the opportunity to play just one more time. Sure, it’d be easy to send the seniors out without much fanfare following their last football games played at their various schools in the fall. That’d be easy. But in these parts, high school football is a routine ritual that almost always draws a crowd. Yes, even in May. And yes, even on the official, unofficial kickoff to summer. There are now 22, going on 23 years of evidence to back that notion up. 

It might sound like a crazy premonition on the surface, but is it totally out of the realm of possibility that the two teams pegged at #1 and #2 respectively entering the District 3-6A tournament field with a combined record of 23-1 between them could possibly still have a massive chip residing on each of their very broad shoulders? Well, at least when examining this year’s version of the Manheim Township Blue Streaks and Harrisburg Cougars specifically, it’d be fair to say that both squads had their own reasons to still be playing with an edge despite stellar campaigns put forth thus far by each in 2023 heading into Thanksgiving weekend.

For Manheim Township, the team who garnered home-field advantage throughout the postseason with a perfect 10-0 record to their name, this season has been arguably one of the best that any “big school” outfit that calls the Lancaster-Lebanon League its home has demonstrated in not just recent memory, but perhaps all time as well. Case in point, behind an utterly brilliant regular-season stretch that saw the group from Neffsville score no fewer than 35 points that were parlayed perfectly with a staunch defensive effort that resulted in the opposition scoring within single digits nine times, highlighted by four shutouts along the way, the Blue Streaks had seemed to check off nearly every one of the metaphorical boxes.

Well, maybe except for one.

In a lot of ways, Black Friday 2023 had seen everything come full circle for this Manheim Township crew. You see, it was back on this very date a year ago when the Streaks rolled into the state’s capital city to tangle with Harrisburg for the right to decide the District 3-6A title. Suffice it to say, the home-standing Cougars left little in the way of doubt that Saturday afternoon at Severance Field with a thorough 44-6 victory that helped Harrisburg surge onward into the state playoffs and into the title game just a few weeks afterward. So, in that regard, you could certainly sympathize with the notion that everything the Blue Streaks had put forth over the past 364 days had been building up to this crescendo as a way to try and right the wrongs of a year ago on this very same stage, ironically against the very same opponent no less.

“Righting wrongs,” you say? The Harrisburg Cougars are holding on line one, please.

 Just like their opposition on this night, it was hard to find many cavities when examining the Cougars from top-to-bottom. That said, there was that one glaring omission that stuck out like a sore thumb on their 2023 resume thus far. For that would come in the form of their 38-6 defeat at the hands of, you guessed it, Manheim Township, back in Week 3 of the season. Since that Friday night turned Saturday morning mess of a game that had to be rearranged thanks to the havoc wreaked by Mother Nature however, Harrisburg seemed no worse for the wear by rolling through the Mid-Penn Commonwealth division unblemished without much in the way of any difficulty save for a good fight put forth by CD East in a 34-27 contest. For their spoils, the Cougars went on to rightly earn the #2 seed in the District 3 dance coming in just behind, yep, Township. And after a pair of victories over the likes of Cedar Crest and Central York respectively through the first two rounds, Harrisburg found themselves with a highly coveted rematch back on Township’s home turf. Not only that but when you add in the fact that the Cougars were the two-time defending 6A champs in the District 3 ranks, prying the crown away from them figured to be nothing if not a tall task.

So, simply put, with both teams understandably having their own motivation and fuel heading into this one, there was ample reason as to why this game was held on the day after Thanksgiving, the holiday that unofficially kicks off the holiday season synonymous with good tidings and warm embraces, had a little bit of old-fashioned football-induced discontent behind it once Harrisburg and Manheim Township met up yet again to renew the latest chapter in this series. As it turned out though, any matchup held before or after this night between these two giants will have quite a bit of heavy lifting to do when it comes to superseding what took place in this one.

From Manheim Township’s perspective, things could not have started off much better for the hosts. After holding the explosive Cougars’ offense to a quick three plays and out, the Streaks followed that up with a punt block in the immediate aftermath as Township sophomore linebacker, Marcon Fernandez, pounced on the loose pill, allowing the Streaks to set up shop at Harrisburg’s 12-yard line. That said, the Cougars’ defense would counter that with stern resistance following the sudden change which helped culminate in a 4^th & 1 attempt later in the drive. However, that fourth down play never would take place as Harrisburg jumped offsides, giving Township a fresh set of downs. And with that new lease on life, Manheim Township’s Hayden Johnson knew exactly what to do with it as the senior quarterback plunged his way in for the 1-yard touchdown run to get the scoring started at 7-0 following Hunter Nguyen’s PAT with 8:14 left to play in the opening frame.

 As it turned out though, Manheim Township was only rounding into form.

In fact, the Streaks’ stingy defense was up to the task at hand their very next time out on the field as evidenced by an interception hauled in by way of Nick Palumbo as the Township senior defensive back seemed as if he was the one running the pass pattern instead with Palumbo’s pick setting the Streaks up at their own 11-yard line following the theft.

Yet in many ways, even while backed up in the shadows of their goalposts, it felt as if that was really only more real estate from which the Manheim Township offense could operate within.

Hard to argue seeing as how Johnson was able to hook up with his favorite target, Landon Kennel, as the potent Township senior duo connected for a 32-yard pitch and catch which ushered the attack down to the midfield stripe. From there, another Johnson to Kennel find –this of the 9-yard variety—eventually paved the way for an upcoming 3^rd & 1 attempt with the ball resting on the Cougars’ 41-yard line. Unfortunately, for those who had come eastward on this night, they would see their team jump offsides yet again in back-breaking fashion, giving Township another breath of fresh air. Truth be told, it looked for all the world that the Streaks would indeed make their adversaries pay for their gratuity as a 32-yard touchdown from Johnson to Palumbo was found right behind it, until a penalty call whistled against Township on The play brought the threat all the way back.

However, even when Harrisburg found themselves staring down the barrel of having to stop the Streaks on yet another pivotal third downplay later in this very same series, Manheim Township continued to have the antidote.

This time around, faced with a 3^rd & 7 attempt while residing at the Harrisburg 32, a quick slant from Johnson to another senior target on the outside, Asher Wolfe, was good for the 13-yard gainer which then moved the Streaks inside of the red zone once the first quarter horn rang out with Manheim Township holding serve by virtue of their 7-0 advantage, albeit while knocking on the door of perhaps punching in another score once the second act got underway.

Spoiler alert- they would.

Again, despite the Harrisburg defense vehemently refusing to simply allow Manheim Township to saunter into the endzone unimpeded, a 4^th & 7 play later in the series was afoot. And with the marvelous Lehigh-bound quarterback commit who had thrown 40+ touchdown passes without a single interception thus far on the season buying time with his legs in this particular venture, a window had finally opened up with Asher Wolfe standing all by his lonesome behind the Harrisburg secondary as Hayden Johnson’s 16-yard TD strike to Wolfe made it a 14-0 affair in Township’s favor just 14 seconds into the second quarter.

After another quick three-and-out authored by the Township defensive unit on Harrisburg’s ensuing offensive series, it’d be understandable as to why those who had assembled on the visiting bleachers on this frigid night were right to be seen squirming somewhat. Finally, and certainly not a moment too soon from their perspective, good fortune had finally blessed the Cougars in the form of a Manheim Township fumble which Harrisburg promptly recovered right at midfield.

Speaking of that good fortune, Harrisburg continued to ride that wave en route to what became their initial scoring drive of the evening.

That said, it too wouldn’t come without some sort of adversity wedged within it, such as the case when the Cougars’ battering ram of a junior tailback, Nehemiah Ewell, was able to trudge his way forward with a key tote to pick up just enough to move the sticks on a 4^th & 1 attempt to extend the drive. Of course, if Manheim Township was going to offer up their own unsolicited assistance, Harrisburg surely wasn’t about to turn that down either given how a defensive pass interference call whistled against the Blue Streaks on a 4^th & 4 play not long afterward kept the Cougars’ offensive unit out on the field. From there, following a 9-yard scamper by Ewell in the immediate aftermath following the penalty, the 5’11 190lb back was only just getting lathered up as a 1-yard touchdown dive by Ewell not long afterward helped to cut the deficit down to a 14-7 count following Gideon Fasayna’s PAT with 3:45 left to play before intermission.

But that would be more than enough time for Manheim Township to counter back with a rebuttal of their own.

After starting off at their own 42-yard line following a solid return on the ensuing kickoff, a pair of Johnson to Palumbo pitch and catches moved the Blue Streaks all the way down to the Harrisburg 26-yard within the blink of an eye.

However, bending not breaking would prove to be the prevailing narrative for the Harrisburg defense all night long.

Case in point, a huge sack tallied by way of senior defensive end, Ryan Epps, on a 3^rd & 11 attempt that could have easily forced Manheim Township into a bit of a conundrum yet again. Perhaps, but when you have the assistance of such an experienced crew, you put all your chips to the center of the table and declare yourself as being all in. With that in mind, the Streaks’ offense remained out on the field for the upcoming 4^th & 16 attempts with time quickly winding down in the opening half. And as if right to be right on cue, Mr. Cool, also known as Hayden Johnson, was able to find Nick Palumbo yet again for another key conversion that moved the hosts down the visitor’s 14-yard line. Later, behind the assistance of a defensive pass interference call which matriculated the ball down even further, a gargantuan touchdown pass from Johnson to Palumbo from 5 yards out with all of three seconds left in the second quarter made it a 21-7 Township advantage following Hunter Nguyen’s third successful PAT as both teams retired to their respective locker rooms to regroup and prepare for the second half.

That said, it felt as if the team who needed to make the most of the 20-minute recess would be Harrisburg seeing as how Manheim Township had largely owned every facet of the first 24 minutes by and large. Well, suffice it to say, while one Harrisburg team entered the locker room for halftime, a whole different Harrisburg crew would emerge on the other side.

Even still, the mountain grew even steeper for the Cougars to climb once the second half got underway in earnest.

For that would come at the hands of –well, technically the legs – of Manheim Township junior running back, Declan Clancy, as the 5’10 190lb bruising back rolled around the right side of the line for a 67-yard trot along the Township sideline before being tackled at the Harrisburg 13-yard line. From there, the Streaks would need to pick up only three yards more before finding paydirt yet again as a 10-yard touchdown run by Hayden Johnson, his fourth overall TD of the evening, upped the Township lead to what appeared to be an insurmountable 28-7 cushion with 10:36 left to play in the third.

Insurmountable to some, but not to a two-defending champ that is.

Granted, while Harrisburg had been able to find the endzone back in the first half after having to travel only 50 yards worth of distance, the hard-hitting Manheim Township defense presented nothing if not tough and arduous sledding for the Cougars to try and navigate against throughout much of the evening up that point.

Yeah, but up until the point that Harrisburg junior quarterback, Shawn Lee Jr, finally got loose that is.

In fact, it took the grizzled three-year starter all of one play to show off his wheels in the form of a 79-yard bolt of lightning run which saw the 5’11 190lb signal-caller bob and weave his way through the Township defense before being tripped just shy of the chalk line for a play which had appeared to finally tilt momentum over to the Cougars’ favor. And in the most apropos way possible, while Lee may have been robbed of the highlight score a moment earlier, he certainly no qualms with a TD nonetheless as his 1-yard TD sneak made it a 28-13 contest with 9:25 to play in the third as Harrisburg opted to go for two following a Township offsides penalty on the ensuing point after try that was negated.

Momentum tilting? Well, it really turned into a boulder rolling downhill it seemed after that quick Harrisburg rebuttal more than anything else.

For proof of that, look no further than the pair of drive-killing sacks registered by Ryan Epps and Micah Chambers in successive fashion on the ensuing Manheim Township possession which in turn allowed the Harrisburg offense to return to the field, albeit 99 yards away following yet another marvelous punt on season by one Hayden Johnson.

Length of the field to go? No matter.

That said, with Harrisburg’s offense appearing to finally have the answers that seemed to elude them during much of the first half of play on Friday night, Manheim Township’s defense aided in the effort much to the Streaks’ collective chagrin as a Shawn Lee Jr run to begin the drive that came complete with a facemask call added on top effectively moved the Cougars out to their own 29-yard line. From there, following a crucial 4^th & 1 pickup courtesy of a Lee sneak to extend the drive, a defensive pass interference call against Township moved the advance inside the Streaks’ side of the field at the 42-yard line which is where things would remain at the end of the third prior to what promised to be a wildly entertaining final dozen minutes with Manheim Township holding serve by virtue of the 28-13 lead which somehow felt extremely precarious all things considered.

Easy to understand the overall queasiness from Township’s perspective of course once Lee was able to show off his lively right arm with a key 3^rd & 8 conversion attempt to Quincy Brannon Jr on a slant route which then moved the guests down inside the 15-yard line on the very first play of the final quarter. And that would prove to be all the further the Cougars needed to navigate as a 15-yard touchdown run courtesy of Nehemiah Ewell cut the gap down to a 28-20 difference following a Gideon Fasayna PAT with 9:59 left to play.

Then, playing in a true complimentary fashion to the tune of their defense thwarting Township from tallying any additional points over the course of their next two offensive possessions, Harrisburg had the ball back in their clutches just 35 yards away from potentially sending this game into an extra session following a wonderful punt return courtesy of Jayion Lewis.

To start things off, Nehemiah Ewell continued to be up to his old tricks by rattling off a 10-yard jaunt to get things in motion. Later, even while operating against the assignment of a 3^rd & 3, Ewell only continued to get stronger it appeared with a significant carry to not only move the chains but to put the ball even further down inside the Township red zone. And in keeping with the theme of significance, there would be no more pivotal tote that Ewell would have all game long than with his eventual first down run on a 4^th & 2 attempt inside the Streaks’ 10-yard line which understandably would’ve had the Cougars’ coaching staff scouring their playbook for their best two-point play seeing as how an eventual Harrisburg touchdown felt all but certain. Sure enough, with just 23 seconds remaining in regulation, a fade route lobbed high into the night sky from Shawn Lee Jr into the waiting mitts of Elias Coke on the receiving end was good enough for the 4-yard touchdown in the very back corner of the endzone, making it a 28-26 ballgame with the aforementioned two-point play upcoming. As it turned out, it was a play so nice on the touchdown that they decided to run it twice as Lee went right back to the well of Coke as the two-point jump ball play in the back corner was hauled in by the Cougars’ rangy 6’3 sophomore wideout which in turn sent the Harrisburg side of the field into a tizzy, with nary a murmur on the opposing side of the campus grounds given how they were understandably in a state of shock given Harrisburg’s improbable comeback.

Even still, there would be just enough time for Manheim Township to author some sort of heroic act. That said, it certainly didn’t seem as if anything of the sort would transpire once Cougars’ Quincy Brannon Jr picked off a Township pass with just under five seconds remaining in regulation. However, thanks to a defensive penalty whistled against the Cougars on said play, Brannon’s interception was in turn nullified with the Streaks having one final gasp. In this instance though, Hail Mary was not full of grace as the Township pass down near the goal line was swatted away, sending this heavyweight bout into overtime to ultimately settle the difference.

Once inside the extra frame, Harrisburg wasted next to no time at all in serving up an early haymaker.

For that would come in the form of an 8-yard jaunt around the right side of the line from Ewell which put the Cougars right on the precipice of drawing first blood. Fittingly, given how he had served admirably in his role as the workhorse back all night long, Nehemiah Ewell’s 2-yard touchdown run on the very next play, his third TD of the evening, made it a 34-28 lead in Harrisburg’s favor which is where things remained following a high snap on the ensuing point after try which in turn helps cause the kick to sail wide left with Manheim Township set to take their turn at response with an added jolt of momentum all things considered.

Needless to say, with their season hanging in the balance, there wasn’t really any sort of desire to go away from anything other than what had worked for them not just this season, but over the course of the last several years altogether. With that in mind, it should’ve come as a surprise to almost no one that Hayden Johnson found Landon Kennel in the endzone for the game-saving, potentially season-saving touchdown pitch and catch. However, the celebration would abruptly be put on mute as the Streaks were whistled for illegal touching on the play, nullifying the score and forcing Township to right the ship and try to regroup off the emotional high.

Ironically, the very same ask would be required of the Cougars not long afterward.

For it would be Harrisburg who would have to regroup following a 4^th & 12 stop in which they felt they had finally won the game, so much so that the Cougars’ bench erupted and spilled onto the field of play in the immediate aftermath, only to see a yellow flag laying on the field that had gone against them as a defensive pass interference call moved the ball half the distance closer with Township having one final go of it. And in what would truly prove to be the final play of evening, a Manheim Township pass in the endzone was batted away, finally causing the Harrisburg sideline to erupt in jubilation officially as they had just put the punctuation mark on a heart-stopping, tough-as-nails victory to snatch their third straight District 3-6A trophy behind a memorable 34-28 overtime triumph against Manheim Township in enemy territory that came in come-from-behind fashion no less.

Afterward, once both teams had moved off to their respective corners of the field to partake in either an agonizing postmortem or a well-earned photoshoot with accompanying hardware to match, the Cougars had assembled for the latter while yelling out, “The hard way.” Fitting, because that’s exactly what it had been over the course of the last 48 minutes and then some on Friday evening in Neffsville.

“I’m at a loss for words,” Harrisburg head man Calvin Everett said to the throng of media members encircling him with his players understandably taking in the moment behind him.  “That team is awesome,” Everett said in lauding Manheim Township. “It just says a lot about our kids and our program with how resilient we are,” he continued proudly. “Our defense comes through in the clutch, they held it down, and we got the victory.”

“Just keep fighting. Play the next play,” said Everett when asked how his group was able to withstand the early jab that the Streaks had laid against them. “Next play. That was it.”

And for their efforts, Harrisburg will indeed have plenty of “next plays” in front of them as they ready for a state semifinal tussle against North Alleghany, a 41-7 winner over Erie McDowell this weekend, as the Tigers from North Alleghany somewhat upset the entire apple cart of the western side of the state playoffs as their WPIAL championship game victory against Pittsburgh Central Catholic the week previous eliminated a Vikings’ crew who seemed destined to find itself in the very spot North Alleghany currently occupies. And should they be able to get through that semifinal round matchup, it would become two consecutive trips for the Cougars into the state’s grand finale, an achievement that in and of itself should lend credence as to how and why Harrisburg High remains a premier player in respect to the entire landscape of Pennsylvania high school football at large.

For Manheim Township on the other hand, this loss understandably will hit like a ton of bricks and won’t be something that will easily be solved with just one night’s sleep. Not just in that it was the Streaks’ lone loss of an utterly dominant season, but the fact that the script had been totally flipped against them solely within the second half on Friday night given that they found themselves with ownership of the 28-7 lead into the third quarter. Invariably, while this will take some time to get over, especially seeing as how it was a somewhat cruel and immediate ending of a career for a number of Blue Streaks’ players who had poured their all in for the betterment of the program over the course of too many hours and days to reasonably count, the foundation in which next year’s Manheim Township players find the program at thanks to this departing group is assuredly rock-solid. Not to intimate or suggest in the slightest that the program itself was somehow only being held together by rubber bands, scotch tape and gum mind you, but the fact that this graduating crop has helped elevate the bar even further upward in their own way should help demonstrate as to why this operation has staying power for years and years to come. And granted, while the black-and-white history books won’t show this 2023 cast as being able to revel in the same achievement as their 2017 brethren who still live on as the lone team in Township history to taste District 3 supremacy, that would simply be selling this group far too short. Rest assured, while the sting of falling short at this particular juncture might not be something that one truly ever recovers from in full, you can be assured that in just a few years’ time when perhaps another Manheim Township football team finds itself in this very same position, you’ll likely hear those up-and-coming Blue Streaks rattle off some of the same names that were on this 2023 team as who they looked up to and used for inspiration. And, yes, while maybe that doesn’t lead to something finite such as a trophy held behind a glass case, or a gold medal that may someday be stowed away in a storage box that ends up collecting dust, leaving behind a legacy that inspires others to follow in your very same footsteps isn’t such a bad way to be remembered.

The last time we ran into the Manheim Central Barons in person, it was quite a while ago. In fact, it was so long ago that they were found in an entirely different state altogether. Okay, maybe it wasn’t all that long ago in the traditional calendar-sense, but in football terms, it’d be fair to say that quite a bit has changed since Week Two of the season.

If you recall –Barons’ fans most certainly do – Labor Day Weekend this year saw the maroon and grey travel into Delaware for the Mid-Atlantic Pigskin Classic against Smyrna High, last season’s Delaware state champion in their big school 3A ranks, in a miraculous come-from-behind effort where backup quarterback Ray Lewis’ was forced into duty following an injury timeout before heaving a jump ball up to Aaron Enterline into triple coverage on 4^th & 10 inside of the final 30 seconds with Enterline collecting the goods in midair before sauntering past the Smyrna secondary for the go-ahead score. To be sure, while it’s become an age-old phrase around these parts and rightfully so, you’d be hard-pressed to find an instance that better illustrates the moniker of “Manheim Magic” better than that play right there which propelled the Barons back across state lines with a hard-fought 37-36 triumph that most certainly won’t be forgotten anytime soon, neither in Manheim, Pennsylvania, or the entire state of Delaware no doubt.

But beyond that Friday afternoon spent under the unforgiving late-summer sun in the nation’s first state, this was a Barons’ team that had far more on their minds besides proving their worth to an out-of-state foe. Simply put, for a franchise that has become synonymous with nothing short of high school football excellence, 2023 figured to be another year in which Manheim Central appeared poised to write another chapter in an already lengthy novel that’s considered a bestseller.

Sure enough, this year’s varsity team in this football-crazed town has indeed lived up to those lofty high preseason aspirations by and large throughout the first ten weeks. Now yes, while there was the disappointment in the form of a 20-point loss at the hands of its most potent rival of late, Cocalico, in the week immediately following the aforementioned game against Smyrna ironically enough, it’s been another autumn in Manheim with the leaves changing colors and wins on Friday night in more than ample supply. In other words, business as usual for the most part in the borough.

As far as the specifics of it all, when push really came to shove so to speak, the Barons were at their most prolific this year when competing against their section brethren.

In the world of Lancaster-Lebanon League Section Two football, while there is obviously no shortage of capable contenders found in the likes of Exeter, Governor Mifflin, and Warwick to name just a few, make no mistake about it– Manheim Central was out to prove that this was still a division where they rule the roost.

Simply put, purely based on their Section Two games alone, the defense in a metaphorical football courtroom could rest by pointing to the fact that the Barons scored no fewer than a staggering 42 points in any one of their victories against said opponents, while also allowing no more than 14 points. Within that, how about three shutouts to boot? Suffice to say, while the hay was in the barn with a 9-1 regular season record that was punctuated with an undisputed Section Two crown, their 28^th time doing so in school history, this was the time of the year that the Barons had been gearing up for the most. And to tie it all back together in one piece, if Manheim Central wanted to travel down the same type of path as the team they had defeated back in Week Two this year with the hopes of chasing a possible fifth state title game appearance of their own, rest assured they knew all of that would go up in smoke if they didn’t get out of the gates here and now in the quarterfinal round of the District 3-4A playoffs.

So, what type of prize of does a team with such a stellar resume get for a prize in their opening round affair? Surely a layup, yes? Oh no. Far from it in fact.

Granted, it’d be easy to simply look at Susquehanna Township’s #6 seed line entering the bracket without much of a passing glance given a somewhat unassuming 7-3 record, but that’d be a dire mistake. To help punctuate that point, in their three losses, the Indians had been bested by a measly five combined points across that triumvirate, helping to give credence as to why this appeared to a squad far more worthy than an initial first impression of a bracket could possibly give. Not only that, but when you have talent the likes of one Lex Cyrus on your roster, the fastest man in the commonwealth given his state champion 100M performance at last spring’s PIAA meet that has drawn in the recruiting attention of topflight collegiate football programs such as Auburn, Penn State, and Nebraska to name a small handful, explosive plays quite literally can come within a moment’s notice. To be sure, while most teams could easily fall victim to the aurora and nostalgia that is Elden Rettew Field in all its postseason glory, there was no reason as to why head coach Joe Headen and his Hanna Tribe had to feel the least bit phased or intimidated in taking their best shot against one of the best programs this side of the state with the appetizing aspect of trying to do so in their house no less.

But as would become readily apparent almost right from the very outset of the contest, Susquehanna Township was ready to bring the fight to Manheim Central over the course of a wildly entertaining back-and-forth affair for all 48 minutes.

Without question, especially given the track record put forth by the Barons’ offensive unit in recent weeks, it’s been playing the role of a finely tuned machine for quite some time now. With that in mind, it probably wasn’t the least bit surprising to see Manheim Central receive the opening kickoff on a chilly late autumn night and promptly sprinkle in a nice mix of run/pass to keep the Hanna defense off balance. Sure enough, behind a pair of Zach Hahn to Aaron Enterline receptions, a dose of Xander Kolk runs behind the work of the offensive line, plus a dart from Hahn to Bode Sipel not long afterward, the home team’s opening march had reached the Indians’ 16-yard line. From there, Hahn proceeded to call his own number by evading pressure and scrambling for a nice chunk play that put the ball right on the precipice of the chalk line, down the Tribe 3-yard line. Fittingly, given how he had seemed to have such an instrumental role in the drive’s proceedings, a 1-yard Zac Hahn quarterback sneak made it an early 7-0 Manheim Central lead following Katie White’s PAT with 6:55 left to play in the opening stanza.

However, that lead would prove to be short-lived.

So much so in actuality that it took the Indians all of one play to find a rebuttal to the Barons’ early volley as a 57-yard Dorian Smith touchdown gallop right through the heart of the MC defense on Susquehanna Township’s first offensive play from scrimmage on the evening knotted things up at a 7-7 count within a flash following Erin Ramsay’s PAT a mere 19 seconds following the Central score.

But just like the opposition found standing over on the other sideline, Manheim Central would have the antidote to Hanna’s answer just the same.

Granted, while it may not have been as explosive seeing as how it didn’t come in the form of one lonesome play from scrimmage, the Barons’ ensuing offensive march was nonetheless successful in its final form given its eventual result. That said, it wasn’t without its fair share of speedbumps along the way. Case in point, while Aaron Enterline’s kickoff return for a touchdown was wiped out due to a penalty whistled against the Barons, Central appeared to show no ill effects for the most part. And even when a pass play on 3^rd & 13 later on in the drive ended two yards short of the line to gain on another Hahn to Enterline trademark connection which set up a make-or-break 4^th & 2 attempts, Hahn was then able to help his fellow troops pass the test with a timely pitch and catch to Sonny Callahan that not only ushered the Barons’ attack down to the Hanna 44-yard line, it, more importantly, gave MC a fresh set of downs of which to work with. From there, Zac Hahn’s lively right arm continued to remain laser-sharp as a 39-yard touchdown strike to a waiting-for Cody Hess on the receiving end made it a 14-7 Manheim Central cushion with two minutes and change left to play in the opening quarter following Drew Greiner’s PAT this time around.

If we hadn’t mentioned by this point that Susquehanna Township has the propensity to come up with ultra-quick scores at almost every turn, that too would become nothing if not evident on the Indians’ second offensive series of the night as well.

Granted, the task of answering another Manheim Central touchdown grew even more advantageous seeing as how the Indians would set up shop already at the midfield stripe following a nice kickoff return courtesy of the aforementioned Lex Cyrus with 2:21 showing on the first quarter clock. Ironically enough, just like Manheim Central, Hanna would have to navigate past a critical play on this series too. For them, it came in the form of a 3^rd & 11 just a tick on their side of the field which proved to be no matter for Indians’ sophomore quarterback, Torin Evans, as the southpaw proceeded to scramble out of the pocket and take off on a galivant that would award the white-clad Indians with a fresh set of downs. Then, just as he had done on the drive previous, Dorian Smith continued to be a piercing headache for the Barons’ defensive unit to try and contend with in the first half of play as a lengthy 29-yard scamper through the Central defense by the senior running back ushered Susquehanna Township inside the Manheim Central red zone, down to the 11-yard line. Then, following a run by way of Siroun Tillman which took the Tribe down to the Barons’ 4, Evans was able to reap the benefits of the Indians’ gut-check answer with a touchdown run of his own as an Erin Ramsay PAT made it a 14-14 affair which is exactly where things would remain once the final nine seconds melted off the first quarter clock.

But just when those in attendance may have felt as if surely the opening quarter wouldn’t be a harbinger of things to come and that eventually the pace would settle itself down finally, the second quarter rolled around.

In fact, it took all of ten seconds for someone to add points to the scoreboard once inside the second stanza. This time, it would be Manheim Central authoring a one-play drive as Zac Hahn lofted a ball high into the night sky along the Barons’ sideline with Aaron Enterline being the recipient of the dime thrown in his direction after having won his one-on-one matchup decidedly against the corner placed opposite of him as the 72-yard TD toss orchestrated by the Barons’ lethal senior duo upped the MC difference out to a 21-14 count following Katie White’s second PAT of the evening with 11:50 to play in the opening half.

Momentum on the side of the Barons perhaps? Not at all.

50 seconds. That’s all it took for Susquehanna Township to answer back following the Barons’ most recent TD as Dorian Smith proceeded to tote the rock yet again and earn a touchdown for his efforts, his second of the evening, as Smith’s 61-yard jaunt past the initial line of scrimmage meant he was out the gate home free as the Indians found themselves back on level footing, 21-21, with 11:00 on the nose left in the first half following Ramsay’s third consecutive PAT.

Needless to say, the game by this point had seemed to take on a narrative similar to that of whichever team happened to possess the ball last would likely end up winning it, yes, even with nearly three quarters still to unfold. Yet just when that may have been the prevailing assumption, a pair of three-and-outs tallied by both the Indians’ and Barons’ defensive units respectively in successive fashion saw a rare sighting –the punt team—come onto the field for either side over the course of the next two series.

But after a brief appearance by the defenses, the offensive weaponry continued to take center stage after a brief recess.

As far as these fireworks were concerned, the fuse didn’t figure to wait very long in terms of being lit given how Manheim Central took over at the Hanna 45-yard line following the quick defensive stop tallied by their defensive mates. Sure enough, following another masterpiece in showing how to play within the pocket from the artist known as Zac Hahn, the Barons’ senior triggerman was able to elude the oncoming defensive pressure before climbing up in the pocket and firing a 43-yard flick of the wrist touchdown to Bode Sipel who had broken free from the Indians’ secondary as the long touchdown connection meant that the Barons had once again climbed back in front, 28-21, after Drew Greiner’s PAT with 5:44 still left to play in the second frame.

Speaking of big plays, Susquehanna Township most certainly could’ve used one right then and there. And while it would indeed be a big play of sorts, it unfortunately went against the Indians this time around.

In terms of its specifics, this too would come on the first play of the Tribe’s ensuing offensive possession. However, it would manifest itself in the form of an ill-timed Hanna fumble, recovered by the Barons, with Manheim Central already setting up shop at the Indians’ 20-yard line.

That said, major kudos needed to be extended to the handiwork of Susquehanna Township’s defensive unit following the sudden change. Yes, while the hosts would saunter down to the 5-yard line following a nice bubble screen flared out to Sipel, the Barons would travel only one yard further over the course of the next three plays as a field goal attempt ensued, confidently knocked through the pipes by way of Drew Greiner, as the senior kicker’s 21-yard field goal made it a 31-21 contest in Central’s favor with remarkably still another 3:54 left to go before the recess.

Remarkably, for a first half that was unquestionably dominated by both offenses, the defenses appeared to finally round into form over the course of the final few minutes of the opening half of play on Friday night.

Case in point, Lex Cyrus climbing the ladder and coming away with an interception to aid in the Hanna cause on a 4^th & 4 attempt from the Barons, which preceded a sack tallied by Manheim Central’s Noah Templin on the final play from scrimmage which ended a wildly entertaining 24 minutes of play that saw Manheim Central carry the 31-21 advantage with them into the half.

Ironically, maybe the worm had finally turned inside of those last few possessions to end the second quarter. Easy to say I suppose given how both Susquehanna Township and Manheim Central were met with the same fate coming out of the dressing room- three and outs—before Hanna went back onto the field for their second offensive possession of the third quarter while starting at their own 31-yard line. That said, the line of scrimmage would be pushed back even further within relatively short order seeing as how Manheim Central’s Owen Eichelberger was able to nab himself a sack as the senior linebacker’s tackle for loss helped set the stage for a defensive coordinator’s dream scenario, 3^rd & 38, with the Indians now pinned back at their own 3. And with the soup of the day quickly changing from offense to defense, it seemed apropos that Aaron Enterline would find himself the beneficiary of a bobbled bubble screen drawn up the Indians as the Barons’ do-everything wideout/defensive back dove on the pill in the endzone for the very atypical pick 6 that came with zero return yards to help make it a 38-21 Central lead by that point with 7:32 left to play in the third frame.

Ordinarily, it’d be fair to say that time was of the essence for Susquehanna Township to retaliate right back with a scoring drive after now finding themselves down by what could be considered a sizable difference. Fair, but given how the Indians had shown a propensity to strike with the reflex of a king cobra throughout much of Friday night, it may not have been as dire as the situation would warrant as it would for most teams.

In fact, the Tribe started off with a very auspicious field position, their own 45-yard line, following the ensuing kickoff return following the Enterline theft. From there, an all too familiar theme came into play once more –Dorain Smith toting the rock up the gut for big chunks against the Barons’ defense – as Hanna suddenly found themselves in Central territory at the Barons’ 43-yard line. Fortunately, just as he had done on the drive previous, Owen Eichelberger continued to wreak havoc on Susquehanna Township’s offensive plans as yet another sack compiled by the 6’0 192lb stalwart helped to fan the flames of an ongoing Indians’ threat. And while Hanna would be able to move the sticks on a 4^th & 5 play later on in the same drive courtesy of the legs by quarterback Torin Evans, a 3^rd & 19 play not long thereafter sailed incomplete, forcing Susquehanna Township to punt it away to the Barons without being able to slice the existing deficit down any further with now inside of the three minutes left to play in the third.

Yet even despite not coming up with anything offensively on said drive, Hanna’s defense would answer the bell when called upon right then and there as the Indians would force a Manheim Central pooch punt which didn’t exactly go according to plan from the Barons’ perspective seeing as how it hit one of the upbacks in his backside, allowing Hanna to retake control at the Central 40-yard line once the final act got underway.

Sure enough, Susquehanna Township’s big play potential would be on display in relatively short order given how Torin Evans would promptly throw a 40-yard bomb of a touchdown pass into the waiting hands of Darian Brown found way behind the Barons’ secondary on the first play from scrimmage as another Erin Ramsay PAT immediately cut the gap back down to ten, 38-28, with 11:53 left to play.

Suddenly, if those in attendance sitting on the home bleachers weren’t feeling a tad bit antsy by that point, perhaps an upcoming three-and-out that was punctuated by a Garee Mathes sack on a 3^rd & 2 play for Hanna defensively would do the trick as the ball was kicked back away to the Indians with just a tick over two minutes having been evaporated on the Manheim Central possession.

That said, while he was already doing his usual yeoman’s work in terms of running the show of the Barons’ offense, Zac Hahn certainly earned himself extra kudos in moonlighting as the Manheim Central punter on this night, but perhaps none more so than with his punt following the aforementioned three plays and out as the senior totally flipped field position in Manheim Central’s favor, forcing Hanna to take over at their own 2-yard line.

No matter though.

Sure, while it may have started off rather innocently in the form of a pair of first down conversions to help move the sticks, the aspect of getting out from underneath the shadows of their own goalposts was certainly the most important aspect of the ensuing Indians’ possession. Then, sprinkle in the traditional with the art of the big play –such as the case following a 73-yard strike from Evans to Zikhere Leaks which took Hanna all the way down to the Barons’ 1-yard line—and suddenly things got a lot more interesting. Easy to fathom on the very next play from scrimmage as a Torin Evans 1-yard quarterback sneak was good enough for the Susquehanna Township touchdown as the scoreboard showed a slim 38-34 Manheim Central lead with 7:05 left to play following the missed PAT.

While it may have been hyperbole, it’d be hard to find fault with considering that this upcoming Manheim Central drive offensively was their most important of the entire season. Yes, while they still had the four-point lead behind them, momentum started to careen in Hanna’s direction by that point which had to be worrisome for those with a rooting interest in the Barons’ perspective. And so, following a fantastic kickoff return courtesy of Aaron Enterline that saw the rangy 6’3 180lb offensive weapon bob and weave himself from sideline-to-sideline to help set him and his fellow offensive mates up at their own 47-yard line, the Barons’ starting field position for the assignment couldn’t have been much better.

In fact, in little to no time at all, Manheim Central found themselves operating on the Indians’ side of the field following a nice flip from Hahn out to Bode Sipel which ushered the Barons’ march down to the Hanna 42-yard line. Yet even despite the early mojo, this series was not without it’s share of adversity either, especially given how the Barons found themselves staring down the barrel of a 3^rd & 16 attempt just a few plays later. But when you have the coziness of a safety blanket in the form of Zac Hahn throwing to Aaron Enterline, no situation ever really seems all that out of reach. Sure enough, with the Barons needing to move the sticks, they did far better than that as Hahn continued to show off his stellar pocket presence by extending the play with his legs before firing to Enterline streaking across the middle with #4 to #3 being a connection worth six points yet again as the 48-yard touchdown pass between the two senior studs upped the Barons’ lead up to 45-34 following Drew Greiner’s PAT with 4:31 left to play which seemed to come complete with a collective exhale from everywhere within the Manheim town limits.

But even for a team with the ability to score in bunches in little to no time at all, even the existing 11-point hole seemed a bit advantageous for the Tribe to try and make up over the course of the final four minutes and change. Even still, Susquehanna Township was nonetheless determined to try as the Indians proceeded to take themselves down inside Barons’ territory with plays such as a Torin Evans scramble out of the pocket combined with other elements, such as a Manheim Central personal foul call, to aid in the cause.

That said, Bode Sipel didn’t have any desire whatsoever to let Susquehanna Township find the endzone anymore in the evening.

How so you ask? With Hanna up against a 3^rd & 6 at the Manheim Central 16-yard line, the 5’11 185lb Swiss army knife of a defensive ace broke free and came away with a monstrous sack that set up a 4^th & 15 play following an Indians’ timeout to try and regroup. But the regrouping didn’t seem to account for Sipel as the senior Baron came away with his second sack in as many plays, formally extinguishing Susquehanna Township’s flame once and for all.

Yet even while there continued a flair for the dramatics with the game all but a formality, such as the case with the Barons fumbling before recovering on the first play of the drive following Sipel’s game-saving antics, the eventual result would become crystalized over the final minute and change as Manheim Central found themselves in the 4A semifinal round following a three-hour roller coaster ride that saw them pass arguably their toughest test of the entire season thanks to a very game Susquehanna Township crew, 45-34.

NEXT UP: Not that they necessarily had to prove themselves entering Friday night by any means, but the Barons’ collective moxie was on full display while being pushed to darn near the brink by Hanna on Friday night within the friendly confines. When they had to, Manheim Central found the necessary answers when called upon while evading Susquehanna Township’s haymakers. Rest assured, that certainly can’t hurt when living in a “survive and advance” mode this time of year. And yes, while there will be plenty to clean up during this weekend’s film study, the Barons will most certainly put that cram session to good use when they venture out on the road to Elverson next week to meet up with another prolific offense, Twin Valley, for the right to go the District 3-4A title game the week afterward.

For Susquehanna Township, while Friday night in Manheim marked the end of the line for this year’s Indians, there certainly appears to be plenty to build upon for the school found on the eastern banks of the Susquehanna River just a stone’s throw north of the capital city. While there will obviously be the graduation of skilled talent the likes of Dorian Smith and Siroun Tillman to name a few, a bevy of the Indians’ playmakers appear to be back in the fold come 2024. And given how they fearlessly competed against Manheim Central throughout the entirety of Friday night, Susquehanna Township certainly appears to be a squad that deserves District 3’s utmost attention for years to come.

At this time a year ago, no one was thinking about the Cocalico Eagles. Okay, that’s really nothing more than a bad hyperbole that isn’t 100% accurate, but it’s not as if you could have found fault with those who may have given the team from Denver nothing more than just a passing glance last fall. After all, considering how they had slogged their way through a tough 3-4 record through the first seven weeks of the 2022 campaign, rest assured that the blue and white were found fighting for their postseason lives and then some heading into the final leg of the regular season. Of course, for those that know the story all too well and how it eventually culminates, rest assured that the Cocalico team that began the season compared to the team that ended it likely would not have recognized one another had they come together in a face-to-face meeting.

Granted, having the very last seat in the football version of musical chairs isn’t exactly the best way to try and make living. That said, sometimes all it takes is just a ticket to get in the door. In that regard, you best believe that the 2022 edition of Cocalico football made the most of that very opportunity during last year’s postseason run.

The #12 seed and a very unassuming 6-4 overall record. That’s what Cocalico entered the playoffs with once the calendar flipped to November. However, for those that call the District 3-5A neighborhood their home, they knew full well that this was an extremely dangerous squad was awarded a new lease on life, especially given how the Eagles had won their final three games of the regular season slate to secure that precious berth.

Once inside the District playoffs, the highlights were almost limitless.

Chief among them –save for the games in which either gold trophies and/or contests that the entire state of Pennsylvania was keenly aware of – was an absolute whitewash of unblemished #1 seed Solanco on the Mules’ home field to the tune of a 32-8 victory that somehow still wasn’t even as close as that score may lead one to believe. Oh, by the way, remember that aforementioned 3-4 record? One of those losses came at the hands of that very same Solanco team, 21-7. Not a bad way to illustrate an about face, eh? From there, the Eagles turned in their finest hour in the District title affair, an emphatic 34-14 romp over Exeter and their litany of Division 1 athletes, before eventually succumbing to the gargantuan powerhouse out Pittsburgh way known as Pine Richland in the state semifinals.

Of course, when you happen to bring back the lion’s share of the talent from one of the best teams in school history, chances are that people will now most certainly be talking about you these days. Well, if the Eagles somehow considered that one of their goals set forth during preseason camp to garner nothing but notoriety, they’ve certainly made good on that premise too.

Is it somehow possible for the current #3 seed in the 5A crop to be considered the betting favorite when it comes to perhaps going back-to-back in terms of District 3 supremacy? If it is, this is a Cocalico team in 2023 who have the means to fill out such a description on the surface. Hard to argue too when you consider that the Eagles entered Week 10 with an 8-1 overall record, all of which came in consecutive fashion, which is not for nothing by the way. Yeah, nearly going wire-to-wire is remarkable in and of itself, but when you dig deeper to see as what lies within those triumphs, being just one win away from lapping the field in Lancaster-Lebanon League Section Four play is most certainly an achievement more than deserving of being put up on a banner somewhere.

Simply put, it’s a grind every single week competing in what is arguably the best division found on this side of the state. Shoot, when you have upwards of three teams found occupying spots somewhere in the statewide rankings regardless of class at any one time, that’s hard to argue with. Even still, entering the final week of play, Cocalico found themselves a mere 48 minutes away from standing perfect against divisional foes in 2023 which included the likes of Wyomissing and Lampeter-Strasburg to name just a very select few. And while they don’t reside in the same section anymore, at least not this season mind you, good luck trying to convince anyone in this town that their dominating 48-28 win over longtime rival Manheim Central wasn’t the most enjoyable experience yet to date this season.

That said, even with a first-round bye in the upcoming playoffs all but etched into stone, the Eagles’ glitzy resume would have taken a significant dip provided they were sunk on a beautiful Friday night in Robesonia.

In keeping with the nautical theme, their opposition on this late October evening, Conrad Weiser, seemed to find themselves operating amongst choppy waters for most of this season. Granted, while the Scouts’ 2-7 overall record wasn’t what anyone in their camp had been hoping for coming into the year, that pair of wins also came inside this gauntlet of a division as they were able to top the likes of Octorara and Donegal respectively. And while it’s admittedly been a bit of an arduous move thus far into the Lancaster-Lebanon/Berks merger that went into effect last season, those with a keen sense of historical data and football knowledge recognize that this is a program more than capable of returning to its familiar, winning ways sooner rather than later. In fact, save for the likes of Governor Mifflin, Wilson and Wyomissing as programs that readily come to mind without much in the way of thought, you might be able to make an argument that Weiser has been one of Berks’ most productive and stable high school football programs located inside of the county limits.  And hey, what better way to get a bigger jump than upsetting a state-ranked team sailing right along before trying to right their own ship heading into what figures to be a pivotal offseason as the Scouts look to snap out of these pesky last two sub .500 seasons?

However, even despite taking more than a few undersea missiles fired against them on this night, Cocalico would indeed be able to stay above water albeit while having to work against a sensational effort put forth by Conrad Weiser in their final curtain call.

In many ways, perhaps it should have been rather evident that a hard-fought game figured to be afoot right from the outset. Easy to reconcile that notion seeing as how even despite Cocalico’s opening offensive series of the night contained its share of high points –most notably by a 15-yard carry thanks to the legs of sophomore running back Dane Horning who was able to move the sticks on a 3^rd & 7 play – the Eagles’ early mojo would promptly end soon afterwards on a rare Cocalico pass attempt. Actually, “attempt” might not even be the correct terminology to use seeing as how Conrad Weiser’s Eugene Booth was able to come off the edge, cause a fumble, before falling on the loose pill himself as the Scouts’ promising 6’0 250lb sophomore defensive end came away with the game’s first theft.

So, by this point, it would seem as if all the momentum would now be in Weiser’s favor, yes? Well, not exactly.

Sure, while it wasn’t as if the Scouts would mimic the same script as their opposition in turning the ball over on their initial offensive possession, a quick three-and-out nonetheless would be the last time the Scouts would enjoy playing with possession in the opening frame. No, seriously.

After already have gobbled up a shade over three minutes of game time their first foray with the football on Friday night, Cocalico proceeded to take over at their own 11-yard line with 7:19 left in the opening stanza and immediately went into a selfish mood. That said, while you never want to take points off the scoreboard –such as the case when Aaryn Longenecker’s 72-yard touchdown gallop down the Eagles’ sideline was nullified by an ill-timed holding call – it wasn’t exactly the worst thing in the world as time would show.

Instead of a lightning-fast offensive series, the Eagles began doing what they do best –imposing their will on the offensive line of scrimmage while lulling you asleep with their patented veer option attack. And with it, buoyed by litany of rushes from the likes of Longenecker, Horning, and quarterback Josh Myer to name a few, the Eagles were able to methodically plot their way down the field on this particular series, thanks in no small part to three successful third down conversion attempts along the way.

Now sure, while the first quarter horn would eventually sound with nothing have taken place as far as the scoreboard was concerned with the 0-0 stalemate, it was an opening dozen minutes that was without question dominated by the white-clad guests. If you need proof of that, just consider the fact that they had allowed their hosts just 1:27 worth of first quarter possession.

From there, with the bulk of the legwork having been compiled during this long, powerful advance, the second quarter would bear the fruit of the Eagles’ collective labor as a 3-yard Josh Myer quarterback keeper was good for the opening touchdown of the contest with Cocalico jumping out to the 7-0 advantage following senior placekicker, Todd Becker, booting the ball through the uprights with 11:28 left to play in the opening half.

Suffice to say, while it certainly wasn’t time to panic or anything like that, the Conrad Weiser sideline understandably had to feel as if this was a pivotal drive put forth right in front of them here. After all, based on their most recent experience, who was to say if they would even touch the ball any more inside the second quarter no less? Fortunately, as far as those who assembled on campus with their navy-colored script “Scouts” gear on this night, their team wouldn’t let them down.

While he may not receive a ton of attention seeing as how the Lancaster-Lebanon boasts a bevy of stat-stuffing ball carriers, Conrad Weiser’s Sevon Parham at the very least deserves to have a part in the conversation. Statistics on the season put to the side for a moment, the Scouts’ feature back was able to show off his ability in toting the rock on just the first few plays of this series in plain view as Parham proceeded to usher his troops forward with a pair of long gainers on the ground to this series kick-started.

Yet even when the Scouts were met with resistance, their fearlessness was display here too.

Case in point, with Weiser staring down the barrel of a 4^th & 3 attempt at the Cocalico 35-yard line, a magnificent scramble out of danger by way of Weiser junior quarterback, Donovan Gingrich, was good enough for the hosts to receive a fresh set of downs from which to work with. As it turned out though, they wouldn’t need any more than the very next one as Gingrich proceeded to loft a gorgeous ball into the night sky towards the waiting arms of fellow junior, Evan Rittle, as the Weiser wideout was able to win his one-on-one matchup in the corner of the endzone to not only get the Scouts on the board with a quick rebuttal, but they would find themselves back on level footing officially following Alex Malone’s PAT afterwards as the score remained deadlocked once again at 7-7 with 6:35 left in the half.

Now make no mistake about it. While Conrad Weiser had certainly brought the fight to Cocalico and had come out swinging in this their season finale, the Eagles certainly didn’t do themselves any additional favors in the penalty department. So much so in fact that they seemed to never really garner any tangible momentum throughout the first half. Case in point, while they would pick up a first down on a 3^rd & 10 play, a yellow flag innocently laying on the field to indicate a holding penalty brought everything back. Later, when Dane Horning was able to burst off a long run deep inside Weiser territory, a chop block threw the party into reverse. In a lot of ways, it seemed as if Cocalico had operated in the opening 24 minutes by taking two steps forward, but one step back as evidenced by their eight penalties accrued during the first half of this one. As a result, Weiser played the role of the proverbial fox hanging around the chicken coop with the assistance.

Still, as good teams do –and Cocalico certainly fits that description despite how much it may have appeared as if they were found sputtering — leaving the door open just a crack is sometimes just enough for them to come barging through. That would be a lesson Conrad Weiser would learn firsthand in the waning stages of the second quarter on Friday night.

After being held to an extremely brief offensive series that did not erase even 30 seconds off the clock inside of the final minute of the second quarter, a short Scouts’ punt at the conclusion of said series allowed Cocalico to set up shop at the Weiser 35-yard line with just 32 seconds left to go. And with Horning doing his part to help set the table with a 6-yard plunge to get things going which preceded a one-handed snag of a reception by Aaryn Longenecker which propelled the Eagles’ advance down to the Weiser 6-yard line following the 23-yard run after catch, the Scouts’ defense would stiffen over the ensuing few plays, effectively negating Cocalico from putting forth what could have been a lethal touchdown just before the first half expired. Regardless, in a game that suddenly felt as if points would be at a premium, a 22-yard field goal knocked home by Todd Becker on the final play of the half helped to send the visitors into the locker room with the slim 10-7 cushion.

Would it be hyperbolic to say that Conrad Weiser’s initial offensive drive coming out of the locker room was their most important series of the season? You could make the argument I suppose seeing as how this was their final showing with an excellent opportunity to send shockwaves around the entire commonwealth should they be able to snag this upset. Well, exaggerated cliché or not, Weiser wouldn’t disappoint coming out of the halftime recess.

While it was evident to even the naked eye that Cocalico’s sideline was fired up to put it mildly once the second half got underway, that fire would ever so surely be contained bit by bit. Of course, when you can put chunk plays on the table, that certainly doesn’t hurt matters. In that respect, a 15-yard Sevon Parham run on the first offensive play from scrimmage, a 15-yard screen play from Donovan Gingrich to Evan Rittle not long afterwards, and a 14-yard run by the aforementioned Parham right behind it got Weiser into a groove with the hosts now finding themselves right on the midfield stripe. Then, following another Gingrich to Rittle bubble screen which took Weiser all the way down to the Eagles’ 11-yard line, it was understandable if those on the far side of the field were found sweating bullets. But that metaphorical heat levied against them didn’t cool down in the least just two plays later once Gingrich was able to extend the play while moving the pocket out to his left before firing back across the middle and finding junior running back, Brody Morgan, for the 9-yard touchdown toss as the Alex Malone PAT added on top surely raised eyebrows around the local landscape seeing as how Weiser found themselves with ownership of the 14-10 lead over Cocalico with 8:22 to play in the third.

Undeterred. In a word, that was the most apropos way to describe Cocalico’s ensuing offensive series.

In fact, it took the Eagles not even two minutes to punch right back. And while the initial stages of this drive may have looked rather tame at times, such as the case when Josh Myer called his own number on a 3^rd & 3 play and got just enough to make the line to gain, a 50-yard bolt of lightning touchdown run tallied by Dane Horning on the very next play promptly gave the guests a score they sorely needed at that particular juncture to make it a 17-14 lead back in their favor following another successful Becker PAT with 6:25 now left to play in the frame.

Speaking of undeterred, it appeared for all the world that Conrad Weiser was seen stealing from out of the same dictionary on the Scouts’ ensuing offensive series following the Horning go-ahead score.

Here again, ignited by an early 19-yard scamper through the heart of the Cocalico defense by way of Sevon Parham, a successful third down conversion by Parham on a 3^rd & 1 play following a Cocalico offsides penalty not long afterwards moved the ball into Eagles’ territory at the 43-yard line.

Now, while not every game may have it so cleared defined, there are sometimes those plays above all others that unequivocally tilt momentum in one team’s favor. Game-changing plays if you will. Well, this game on Friday night had one such example.

Needless to say, Conrad Weiser was clearly in the midst of winding up to land a haymaker against Cocalico in attempt to steal the lead right back right then and there. That was of course until Dane Bollinger had anything to say about it though.

With his team looking for some sort of resistance to offer up defensively, the Eagles’ junior defensive back took matters into his own hands quite literally as Bollinger was able to track down what seemed to be a harmless “throw away” ball along the sidelines and getting not even two feet, more like ten toenails down inside the field of play to be more accurate, to secure the theft in Cocalico’s favor for a turnover that seemed to take all the air out of the greater Robesonia area limits.  And while the third quarter would later expire with the Eagles continuing to hold serve by virtue of that 17-14 cushion, the initial stages of Cocalico’s drive following Bollinger’s interception saw the visitors beginning to lean on their opposition in hopes of coming up with what might be considered a dagger of a score to put things out of reach.

So, with the Cocalico run game coming up with hard to swallow bites time after time, it seemed fitting that it took all of ten seconds inside the fourth quarter for the Eagles to force-feed another score, this one with Dane Horning having the honors once more in the form of an 11-yard touchdown run, upping the count to a 24-14 difference with 11:50 left to play.

Again, backs pushed firmly up against the wall, the time was now for Conrad Weiser to conjure up some sort of retaliation to stay within the fight.

Quite honestly, just as they had been able to do at most every turn when called upon all night long, the Scouts seemed no worse for the wear here either. Case in point, a Donovan Gingrich 32-yard touchdown gallop on a 3^rd & 7 play which kept the home team right in the thick of it….Until a piece of yellow cloth strewn on the pitch wiped the whole thing out as yet another bitter pill of which Weiser was asked to swallow, this one in the form of a holding penalty, put the Scouts’ drive in neutral. From there, neutral begat reverse as Horning took his turn showing off his exploits defensively as the two-way Eagle registered himself a sack to add to his stellar night of work to push Weiser even further backward. And while a nicely executed screen from Gingrich to Dylan Parr wasn’t enough to move the chains on a 3^rd & 10 play at the Eagles’ 15, it did appear to make it a much more manageable field goal attempt with Weiser needing to tally points of any variety to try and extend the game. Unfortunately, as far as the home patrons were concerned, a drive that initially had the earmarks of whittling the game down to a three-point margin ended with nothing whatsoever as a field goal attempt was blocked by the Cocalico special teams unit, giving the ball back to the Eagles with the chance to bleed every more precious time off the clock.

Not so.

For the specifics, it would be a Cocalico three-and-out following Weiser’s missed field goal try. Doing the punctuation, you ask? None other than Javien Rivera, another member of the Scouts’ talented underclassmen group, as the sophomore defensive back was able to come free and earn himself a sack which sent the Eagles’ punt team onto the field.

But while Conrad Weiser would certainly have to find points right here considering how it was getting late quickly on them so to speak, a stonewalled 4^th & 2 attempt at the Cocalico 35-yard line by the Eagles’ D would end the final Scouts’ threat on the evening as Cocalico was able to not only wipe the sweat beads off their collective brows from there on out, but they were also able to formally enjoy the collective fruits of their labor put forth during the regular season campaign as their 24-14 victory at nearby Conrad Weiser on Friday night would put the finishing touches on a perfect 7-0 journey through Section Four this season following a very game effort put forth from a utterly determined bunch of Scouts to cap it off.

NEXT UP: Now, Cocalico awaits their fate from a two-fold perspective. First, the Eagles will have to sit by and await to see what the final calculator spits out for them as far as their seed line in the upcoming District 3-5A tournament field is concerned. But regardless of whatever the number is placed next to their name, they will be on a bye week next week given how teams slotted #5 and below are tasked with suiting up against next week for the opening round of said playoffs. And while most will scoff at the notion of taking a respite while being in the groove of a season that has spanned the last 12 weeks now when you factor in preseason camps and the like, this week may end up being a blessing in disguise for the Eagles provided they take advantage of it. Rest assured, there are certainly plenty of loose ends to tie up as evidenced in their game against Weiser. Simply put, while it isn’t as if whatever pesky issues may have bubbled up to plague Cocalico this week couldn’t possibly be remedied if they had to turn around play next weekend, having the opportunity to work out the kinks without the threat of going home with one bad performance you’d have to figure would be the most desirable option.

For Conrad Weiser, while the 2023 train stopped here on Friday night with a 2-8 overall record once the dust had settled, it was a team that at least on this night, whether you call it cliché or not, had all the earmarks of a team that looked far better than a two-win crew. Yes, while the wins have been in short supply here in particular over the last few seasons, don’t surprised if those end up being the exception and not the norm moving forward. Want proof? How about the fact that literally all the Scouts’ 14 points on Friday were tallied by individuals who will return to don the navy-blue again next fall? And if you’re looking for more “meat and potatoes” aside from facts and figures, how about the fact that almost all of Weiser’s splash plays defensively were tallied by underclassmen there too, including more than a few by members of the sophomore class? Sure, while Conrad Weiser may not come into the 2024 season without a ton of fanfare, the Scouts are an incredibly young and talented group who took their turn gaining experience under the glare of the Friday night lights this year. After all, Weiser need only look at their opposition on this night for an example as to just how much a team’s narrative can change for the better over the course of just one year’s time.

It’s Week 9 of the high school football season this week which means only one thing—We are just a handful of days away from Week 10. Okay, okay. Yes, while most everyone has their eyes set on the final week of the regular season slate next weekend, especially inside the Lancaster-Lebanon League where either by divine intervention, good schedule-making, or just a concoction of the two working in tandem side-by-side, the matchups that await on the upcoming horizon across nearly each one of the conference’s five sections are arguably some of the best contests, at least on paper, that the 37-team mega group has put forth yet to date in 2023. Understandably, while you could make an argument that the final week of the season has been tantalizing going all the way back to preseason media days held during the dog days of summer, the penultimate week of the campaign might easily offer up just a mere whimper and pale in comparison. On the other hand, however, if you slip up here and now by totally blowing past this week altogether, it could be an unexpected death nail to your postseason aspirations. Rest assured, that was certainly not a description that the Wilson Bulldogs wanted to have levied against them following their game this week against up-and-coming McCaskey.

Quick poll question, but what were you doing in 1964? I mean shoot, how many of you were born? Or even your parents for that matter? As hard as it may be to believe, that was the last time in which the Wilson Bulldogs failed to finish a high school varsity football season below a .500 overall mark. You could insert any adjective or description of your choosing here to try and describe such a remarkable feat of success that spans generations, but we’ll go with the advent of full-fledged color television not yet being birthed into mass existence to try and settle on something apt. Suffice it to say, when you have such a storied history and know essentially nothing but success, even the slightest bit of turbulence can make the most ardent of supporters a little antsy. Just look at this particular season most specifically as to why some may have been finding squirming in their seats for proof of that.

In many ways, it feels as if any time that Wilson does not end a Friday autumn evening with more points than their opposition, that in and of itself can be newsworthy. Well, just imagine the scene in West Lawn whenever a 0-2 record out of the chute gets posted. Sure enough, the Dawgs’ 2023 season got off to a bit of a bumpy start all things considered as Wilson dropped their initial pairing against the likes of Roman Catholic and Central Dauphin respectively. Then again, it’s not exactly like the Cahillites and Rams will ever be confused for being lumped in with the Sisters of the Poor or anything like that. Even still, while occupying residency in the ever-competitive gauntlet that is District 3-6A football, power points are always, always at a premium. And the best way to try and make up that ground? Well, winning cures almost every ill in sports.

Sure enough, since their one-point 36-35 shortcoming against Central Dauphin all the way back on Labor Day weekend, Wilson has done nothing but find ways to win football games. Sometimes it involved a weekend break, such as the case of their 40-26 win over Cheltenham oddly played between both Friday and Monday nights (thanks, Mother Nature). Other times, it involved jumping out to an early lead before ultimately holding on in the waning stages, something tangible found in their 21-13 triumph on the road at Cedar Crest. Through it all, it brought the Bulldogs into Lancaster City on Friday night with a 6-2 overall record next to their name while still hot on the heels of their newest rival, Manheim Township, for the right to decide L-L Section One supremacy in outright fashion next week. Even still, stubbing their toe here might be more similar to amputation than that of a jammed extremity in terms of the pregame fanfare that figures to await with next week’s contest.

Suffice to say, the McCaskey Red Tornado were eagerly awaiting Wilson’s arrival on this night on their home turf to try and inflict such metaphorical anguish.

Sure, it’d be easy to gloss over the Tornado’s 2-6 overall record and not think much of it, but there’s way more meat on that bone than what meets the eye at first blush. First and foremost, McCaskey entered their home finale already in possession of one more victory than they were able to lay claim to throughout the entire 2022 season. But even more importantly, McCaskey was able to pick up their first win against a Section One foe for the first time since 2017 unbelievably enough when the Red Tornado were able to top Reading High in a knockdown, drag-out 34-28 overtime affair two weeks ago in the 101^st chapter of that age-old city series. And not for nothing, but you can’t ever go back to being the neighborhood bully without getting out of your own backyard first. With that in mind, that triumph over the Red Knights was so clearly one of the Red Tornado’s best wins in very recent memory in more ways than one. That, and when you also add in the fact that McCaskey head man Ben Thompson is only in his second year on the job in Tornado Alley, while it may be just small, incremental progress to some, every little tangible bit is worth its weight in gold when it comes to trying to turn around this program that likely sits near the very top of the list when talking about high school football programs in central Pennsylvania with the biggest potential upside.

So, while most of those outside of the Bulldogs’ program might already be thinking about where exactly they’ll park their blankets at Gurski Stadium next week when the unblemished Blue Streaks roll into town, the players and coaches on the inside knew far better than to overlook what was without much in the way of debate the best McCaskey squad they had gone up against in a number of years. And with this being a program that always has the means to rise up and strike with a dangerous amount of venom at a moment’s notice, it was also a 2023 Red Tornado cast in particular just lying in the weeds on this their senior night with the opportunity to author a signature win.

But by the end of the night, a new chapter would indeed be written about. As it turned out, it just so happened to be one that would go into the Wilson chronicles.

Despite a somewhat sluggish night to begin their night against McCaskey –something best evidenced by the visitors turning it over on downs in their initial foray with the football on Friday night – the rainy and raw night from there on out seemed to totally go in their favor. Weather fit for a bulldog if you will.

 After holding the Red Tornado to nary a first down on the hosts’ first offensive series of the night had it not been for the assistance found in an offsides penalty on a 3^rd & 5 play, Wilson would then take over at their own 26-yard line with just a hair over half the opening frame yet to be completed. And it became readily apparent that the main objective here was to lean on the legs of Correll Akings combined with the overall push exerted by the offensive line down in the trenches. That solid gameplan, especially seeing as how the Wilson sophomore running back proceeded to rip off a 16-yard gallop on the first play of the drive to get the offense cooking. From there, after a nice hookup from senior quarterback Tommy Hunsicker to Madyx Gruber over the middle that propelled the Dawgs’ advance down to the McCaskey 40-yard line, going right back to Akings proved to be the right recipe as a 13-yard jaunt around the right side of the line would follow suit, putting Wilson on the verge of entering the red zone. Fittingly, after a steady dose of Correll Akings runs right through the heart of the Red Tornado defensive unit the rest of the way, Akings was able to punctuate a drive he himself had largely played the leading role in as the 5’10 170lb 10^th grader’s 3-yard touchdown run combined with Christo Hunsicker’s PAT made it a 7-0 Wilson cushion which is precisely where things remained once the final 2:23 evaporated off the first quarter clock.

As is typically the case when talking about Wilson however, defense figures to be first and foremost at the top of the list in terms of discussion points. Of course, when you happen to assist in the Bulldogs’ gnarly defensive effort, such as the path McCaskey opted to choose by going for a deep shot on a 4^th & 5 play on their side of the field in the waning stages of the opening frame, that added boost certainly wouldn’t be something to be turned down from the Wilson perspective.

Sure enough, following the exchange in possession, the guests wasted little time in capitalizing on the Red Tornado’s decision.

As far as the specifics of it all, it would come in the form of a 23-yard bubble screen touchdown toss from Tommy Hunsicker to Edison Case as the Wilson senior duo made it a 14-0 buffer in the Bulldog’s favor just 44 seconds into the second stanza.

But in keeping with the theme of capitalizing on the opponent’s errors, that’s exactly what McCaskey was able to do in relatively short order.

Here again, while stymied by the handiwork of defensive coordinator Ernie Wolber’s unit following the aforementioned Hunsicker to Case touchdown, Wilson appeared poised yet again to perhaps matriculate their way down the field for another score. Well, not exactly.

With the natural grass surface looking more like an ice-skating rink and the pill looking like a bar of soap thanks to persistent and annoying rain that never seemed to leave the Barney Ewell Sports Complex on this night, a muffed Wilson punt gave the ball right back to the Tornado well into the Bulldogs’ side of the field. And with only 35 yards of which to navigate, McCaskey would indeed find the endzone on this drive as a wonderful 11-yard touchdown dart from the junior duo of quarterback Jalen Cintron to wideout DeAndre Jones in the corner of the endzone against tight Wilson coverage allowed the hosts to nibble into their existing deficit at 14-6 following the missed PAT with 8:21 still left to play before the half.

Yet for all the possible momentum it may have seemed as if McCaskey was able to garner, Wilson was right there to extinguish those possible flames.

After taking over at their own 25-yard line on their ensuing offensive possession, a bit of assistance found in the form of a late hit personal foul call whistled against McCaskey helped breathe some life into this Bulldogs’ series. In terms of the more traditional ways of moving the ball down the field however, that largely came in the form of a nice 30-yard scramble by Tommy Hunsicker once the coverage broke down as the senior quarterback was able to saunter his way down to the McCaskey 18-yard line following the long gainer. From there, Hunsicker opted to call his own number again on the very next play as another scramble of his choosing ushered the Bulldogs’ advance down to the Tornado 10. By that point, with a Wilson score appearing to be nothing if not imminent, a sweet 10-yard shovel pass touchdown from Hunsicker to Akings made it a 21-6 Wilson lead at that juncture with 5:21 left to go in the second quarter.

But that be more than enough time for Wilson to tally one more score before the intermission.

After holding McCaskey on downs yet again, this time on a 4^th & 2 play just a smidge past the Wilson 40-yard line, the Bulldogs offense trotted back onto the field. As fate would have it, they would need all of 57 seconds to go 62 yards to find the endzone one more time. Of course, it’s hard to accomplish such a feat without the aid of explosive plays. Well, in that regard, hang a star next to Edison Case’s name as his 63-yard touchdown reception that came complete with broken tackles and broken ankles along the way helped to vault Wilson into the 27-6 lead heading into the recess once the final two minutes bled off the second quarter clock from there on out.

Did we mention that Wilson’s defense is typically a very stout unit to try and negotiate against? If we hadn’t, here’s one more example to add to that rolodex.

Despite starting off with the football to begin the third quarter on Friday night, McCaskey would end up spotting Wilson some additional points as it turned out. The reason being that Madyx Gruber was able to climb the ladder from his defensive back position, snag the interception, and stroll across the chalk line 48 yards later as the junior’s pick 6 made it a 34-6 Wilson lead barely two minutes into the second half.

By this time, it was evident that the Wilson snowball was rolling downhill at a rate of speed that seemed darn near impossible to try and stop from the Tornado’s perspective.

Case in point, after taking over at the McCaskey 35-yard line their first time out of the field on offense once inside the third quarter, a long Correll Akings run moved this Wilson advance down to the McCaskey 6-yard within the blink of an eye. From there, the budding star’s 6-yard touchdown run, his third overall on the evening, allowed the mercy rule to take the proceedings home the rest of the way as the Bulldogs owned the 41-6 difference with 7:06 left in the third.

Not to be outdone though, particularly with this being their senior night after all, McCaskey senior’s class would certainly make the most of their opportunities with the time they had left at their disposal playing on their home field. And perhaps there was no better example of that than with Luis Santiago’s 87-yard touchdown gallop right through the heart of the Wilson defense as the senior earned himself a well-deserved, lifelong memory as his near end-to-end tote made it a 41-12 contest with 5:14 still to play in the third.

Speaking of senior running backs though, Wilson had one in their stable that was eager to show off his wears as well.

While the Wilson offensive backfield is typically very deep and talented on a perennial basis, it certainly appears to be that and then some this season with Correll Akings having the leading role, but Ahmir Welmaker not far behind. To be sure, just taking his performance on Friday night into account, it could be argued that Welmaker was the star of the show amongst all the Wilson cast members against McCaskey on Friday night. Case in point, the diminutive yet burly 5’6 145lb senior power back proceeded to both literally and figuratively ascend for a 15-yard scamper in one of his initial touches on Friday night as he was in a literal sense lifted off the ground inside the line of scrimmage fracas and carried across the line to gain, giving the Bulldogs a fresh set of downs inside the waning stages of the quarter. And once those final few minutes did eventually tick off, it showed Wilson just 12 minutes away from formally declaring it “Township Week” as they carried the 41-12 lead with them into the final dozen minutes.

And while Welmaker may have starred on the offensive side for Wilson in the second half, there were plenty of others on the other side of the ball that made the most of their opportunity to bask under the glow of the Friday night lights.

Chief among them, junior defensive lineman Chase Weachter tallying himself a sack which preceded a rude, direct meeting in the hole between Aydin Kramer and a McCaskey running back, two plays which allowed Wilson to set up shop at the McCaskey 15-yard line following yet another turnover on downs.

Fittingly, considering the workhorse that he had proven himself to be by that point, Ahmir Welmaker was able to draw the biggest round of applause of the entire night from the Bulldogs’ contingent as the senior’s 1-yard touchdown plunge drew plenty of rave reviews as Welmaker’s score made it a 47-12 difference with just inside of four minutes left to play.

However, that was still enough time for a McCaskey senior to savor the last few minutes left on his home field.

This time, those honors would be bestowed upon Victor Rodriguez as the senior wideout and cornerback was able to take the ensuing kickoff back to the house his 80-yard touchdown return was an apt punctuation mark to end this evening with as the final minutes had yet to run off the clock. And once they did, the neon lights emblazoned on the scoreboard at the end of the field told the story as Wilson was able to secure their 22^nd consecutive victory over McCaskey, this time in 47-20 fashion, as the Bulldogs can now finally set their sights on Manheim Township and that battle royale that awaits next Friday night on the outskirts of Reading. And oh, by the way, the win against McCaskey just so happened to be Wilson’s 600^th win in program history.

NEXT UP: As mentioned, we’re finally here. Throughout the preseason all the way through the regular season, odds figured that this would be the one that Lancaster-Lebanon Section One play would eventually come down to. Sure enough, with both the Blue Streaks and Bulldogs unbeaten in divisional play, the right to decide the section will come down to these next 48 minutes. And while Township has undoubtedly shown itself to be the class of District 3-6A thus far without much debate to really counter the notion with, make no mistake about it. This is a game that the Bulldogs should not and will not be intimidated by. When you have that, along with the fact that not only does Wilson typically become a better version of itself as the weeks throughout the season progress, the aspect of it all where the Bulldogs have yet to play their best game of the year should be reason enough to make this one appointment viewing next Friday night on the outskirts of Reading.

On the other side, while McCaskey wasn’t able to clamp down on Wilson on this night, this is so clearly a team, nay, a program that is headed in the right direction. Again, you must walk before you can run and the Red Tornado is doing precisely that with steps that are evident. And while there will be no postseason this year in Lancaster city, Week 10 offers the Red Tornado a wonderful opportunity to not only end the campaign on a high note but also turn some heads and serve notice along the way provided they can find a way to knock off Penn Manor across the city limits next Friday night on the campus of Millersville University considering that the Comets have been able to turn in arguably the best turnaround effort on the back half of the 2023 season throughout the entire L-L League. Regardless, while Red Tornado stock may be on the cheap at the moment, investing in them may very well prove to be a very wise long-term investment.

We all know this is a game that by its nature is woven in a very fine cyclical fabric. I dunno about you all, but maybe that’s why we all love it so much. It certainly is for me at least. And how could you not? What’s not to enjoy about the constant ebb and flow that comes part in parcel with every high school football season that routinely bears witness to different programs at different times rising to vistas perhaps up so high that their program has experienced before? That said, the cruelty of this Ferris wheel kind sport is that while you may be riding high enjoying the cotton candy this time around, your ticket may someday put you at the very bottom of the ride while waiting on what feels like a stubborn carnie refusing to pull the lever. And sometimes, it can be remarkable just how fast the narrative really can shift. In fact, just look at one potential matchup inside Lancaster-Lebanon Section Three play this week for proof of that.

Now, full disclaimer here, but absent of the whimsical preamble offered up above, it’s not as if either Twin Valley nor Solanco was (or is) going to go through any sort of a direct penthouse to outhouse situation from 2022 to 2023, or vice versa. Rest assured, these are a pair of programs that have long-term staying power naturally baked into their respective equations when it comes to the divisional landscape in any given year given previous history. Even still, it is nonetheless remarkable given how the narratives between both the Raiders and Golden Mules have shifted in a matter of just 364 days.

At this time a year ago heading into their Week 6 tilt against one another, it would be Solanco found riding high into Elverson as owners of a perfect 5-0 record. On the other hand, Twin Valley conversely came into the week scuffling a bit by comparison given how their resume stood just a game above .500 at 3-2. Regardless, records coming into the evening be damned it would have appeared given how the Raiders made the Mules sweat out every detail of a 32-25 final decision that night in late September over on the eastern edge of Berks County.

That said, from the month of October onward, both Twin Valley and Solanco experienced tremendous finishes in their own right.

From the Raiders’ side of things, Twin Valley was able to finish with a 4-1 record the rest of the way home following their loss against Solanco before succumbing to an eventual state champion, Bishop McDevitt, in the District 3-4A playoffs. Certainly no shame to be found there.

For Solanco, the Golden Mules were able to stay exactly that, golden, as Solanco proceeded to enjoy their best regular season since 2015 when they too ironically fell at the hands of you guessed it, Bishop McDevitt, that season. As far as the particulars of it all, Solanco would finish the 2022 campaign at a sultry 10-0 overall mark, scooping up the high-coveted #1-seed line in the 5A bracket of the District 3 field. However, much like that aforementioned memorable 2015 campaign, 2022 also end shorter than desired as Solanco fell victim to what became arguably Pennsylvania’s feel-good story across all classification levels last autumn during the postseason journey as #12-seed Cocalico rolled into Quarryville and left the place in ruins following their emphatic 32-8 victory that was never really in any sort of danger or doubt.

At the same time, it could largely be argued that neither season from either Twin Valley or Solanco was all that unexpected. In TV’s case, the Raiders were a young bunch who took their turn under the Friday night lights and came up with a pretty remarkable debut season in announcing themselves to the larger Lancaster-Lebanon League audience following the 37-team merger for all intents and purposes. In Solanco’s world, especially with the benefit of hindsight, you’d have to figure that 2022 was a year where the Mules put everything together. Why? Well, certainly having what could have been darn near an entire starting defense and offense unit purely in the form of numbers from the 2023 graduating class alone didn’t hurt matters.

But here again, with that original prevailing thought of names changing and faces leaving, the cyclical beast can make things look remarkably different in two sets of camps in a relatively short span of time.

Sure enough, coming into their Week 6 affair this time around, it would be Twin Valley who had the shoe on the other foot in the form of an unbeaten 5-0 record at the regular season’s halfway point in 2023. While we’re at it, you could reasonably make an argument that pound-for-pound, this may have been the L-L’s best outfit throughout the first half of the season. That’s a notion that certainly lends credence by virtue of the 49-point outings the Raiders had put on the scoreboard in each of their three successive outings ironically enough. And while you can’t truly do it, if you were to somehow remove a three-point 24-21 win at Hersheypark Stadium against Lower Dauphin back in Week 2 this season, Twin Valley had prevailed in each of their other contests by an average of nearly 38 points-per-game. Suffice it to say, while there have been impressive things put on tape in different factions from around the conference thus far in the season, the Raiders’ performance should rightly take a back seat to no one.

Now, on the other side of the coin, this fall has understandably been a bit different for the Solanco Golden Mules at this point. Not all that hard to figure perhaps when you realize and appreciate how so many senior leaders traded in helmets and shoulder pads for caps and gowns back in the early summer. Even still, this group of Mules have had their moments, something undoubtedly hallmarked by their dominating 33-0 triumph against Section One’s Penn Manor Comets. And granted, while Solanco’s 1-4 record coming into this week may be fairly unassuming to the masses, go ahead and ask around those who are in fluent in L-L football circles if they ever dare to underestimate a Solanco squad and their patented option-based attack. Run into anyone worth any sort of salt whatsoever and asks that question, you had better get nothing but a quick and resounding, “No.”

So, the task at hand for Twin Valley really was quite simple. Keep this high-powered train moving down the tracks while not falling prey to the Solanco trap in hopes of keeping pace with their fellow Section Three frontrunners in Ephrata and Garden Spot respectively as those two teams were found playing against each other on this very same night in the league’s lone matchup of the weekend pitting unbeaten teams against one another. And with the Raiders lining up against both of those two clubs over the course of the next two consecutive weeks, taking care of business in Quarryville on Friday night was nothing if not paramount.

But truth be told, Twin Valley quickly found themselves embattled in a dogfight all night long. And in keeping with the narrative of a train barreling down the tracks, had it not been for someone in the railyard flipping the tracks at the literal 47^th minute of the contest on Friday, the Raiders’ freight would’ve been derailed by the end of the night.

In the early going of this one, it was evident that Solanco wasn’t the least bit interested in serving as the next speedbump on what had been Twin Valley’s stellar journey up until this point. No, especially not when the Mules took the utmost joy and satisfaction in ushering the Raiders’ high-powered offense off the field in just three plays as the quick three-and-out gave way to the punishing Solanco ground and pound-methodology once on offense.

In fact, had it not been for a pair of back-breaking penalties whistled against the black-clad home team that negated some early momentum, it felt as if Solanco had just started to get lathered up and into a rhythm by going right at the heart of the Twin Valley defensive unit. Instead, after being forced to punt thanks in large part to said critical penalties, Twin Valley took over with excellent field position at the Solanco 35 following the short punt.

Suffice to say, the visitor’s second offensive series of the night would fare far better. Easy to recognize perhaps when a 32-yard seam route from junior quarterback Evan Myers to sophomore Drew Engle helped to get the party started on the initial play of the drive as the ball now rested just three yards outside the chalk line following the nice pitch and catch. From there, nary two plays later, Engle helped put the finishing touches on the damage he had helped inflict moments prior as his 1-yard touchdown plunge in addition to Sam Frey’s successful PAT made it a 7-0 Raiders’ lead with 5:51 left to play in the opening stanza.

Much like their counterparts, Solanco’s second offensive drive would be far more effective than its most recent predecessor as well.

On this series, much to the surprise of almost no one in attendance, the Mules leaned almost exclusively on their rushing attack. Okay, maybe not much in the way of dramatics there, but this particular drive helped demonstrate why it appears that Solanco is grooming the next great fullback in their vaunted option attack.

His name is Johnny Garcia, and he stands all 5’9 195lbs as a 10^th grader. But based upon the way this Solanco sophomore toted the rock on Friday time after time against unbeaten Twin Valley, this certainly looks and feels as if this will be the latest and greatest in the lineage of Golden Mules who have called that spot home in the Solanco backfield. Case in point, after a 19-yard pickup right up the gut, Garcia helped breathe some life into the Mules’ offensive attack with the ball now sitting nearly the midfield stripe for the first time in the ballgame. From there, Solanco gave the ball to their underclassman yet again as Garcia was able to barrel his way to a first down later on in the drive on a 3^rd & 3 play which saw Solanco move themselves down to the Twin Valley 37-yard line. And if it wasn’t Garcia the one carrying the mail, quarterback Austin Jarabak had no qualms either when it came to steering the controls of the Solanco offense as the junior signal caller was able to call his own number for a 14-yard gainer which propelled the Mules’ advance all the way down to the Raiders’ 6-yard line before the first quarter siren would later ring out with the visitors maintaining the 7-0 advantage, albeit while staring down the barrel of a physically-imposing Solanco march.

Yet here again, though, beset by untimely and costly penalties, the flirtatious Solanco drive would later be extinguished as a 4^th & Goal attempt at the Twin Valley 15-yard line would come up well short of reaching the endzone as the Mules turned it back over to the opposition.

However, fortunately for the hometown patrons who come out on this raw evening in late September, their Mules would make good on their next opportunity while in possession of the football.

Sure enough, after successfully staving off a missed 46-yard Twin Valley field goal attempt at the conclusion of the Raiders’ ensuing offensive drive following the turnover on downs, Solanco went right back to work 80 yards away from paydirt with 7:11 left to go before the halftime recess.

You know, it’s funny in some ways. While some programs like to guard their offensive scheme like that of nuclear secrets, there is literally zero mystery as to what Solanco wants to do every single Friday evening in the fall. Yet even when you know what’s coming down your proverbial throat, you still find yourself with a choking hazard. Case in point, this next Solanco march.

Despite starting off at their own 20-yard line, the Mules continued to pound that rock in the way they know best. Little surgical incisions came first. For example, a quaint second effort was run up the gut by the aforementioned Garcia on a third and short play which gave the hosts a fresh set of downs. Not long afterward, what you may consider a “bomb” in the Solanco rushing attack as a toss play to Kris Burgos was good for a 26-yard gainer while proceeding to take the ball back across the midfield stripe and down to the Twin Valley 47-yard line in one fell swoop. Then, never one to pass up the opportunity for some unsolicited graciousness such as the case when Twin Valley was whistled for a rougher the passer penalty just a few plays later, another pair of Garcia and Jarabak rushes put Solanco well inside the Raiders’ red zone. However, if there was an element of surprise and a perfect cherry on top to this textbook series, it was surely when the Mules went to the air and found their first points of the evening. Fortunately for them, the rarity of the forward pass worked wonders as a 9-yard dart across the middle in traffic from Jarabak to Bradley Weder was good for the Solanco touchdown which knotted things up at 7-apiece following Anthony Keys’ PAT with just 29 seconds left to play in the opening half.

Needless to say, the deadlocked halftime score that remained in place once those final few seconds evaporated off the second quarter clock surely raised some collective eyebrows both near and far purely based on the way it felt both teams came into the evening playing as of late.

But with the game still well within anyone’s reach, the first few minutes of the second half figured to prove pivotal for the eventual outcome of the game which would come just 24 minutes of game time later. In that regard, Twin Valley couldn’t have cared any less if it were an overused cliché or not. They were determined to make a quick third-quarter splash.

Regardless, the flash and sizzle of their offensive weaponry wouldn’t have been able to trudge onto the field had it not been for the work of their defensive mates to get things started coming out of the locker room. And while it may have seemed innocuous and unassuming at the time, Twin Valley’s Drew Engle was able to come up with a sensational open field tackle for loss to stymie any early down success on Solanco’s opening series. So, with Engle’s key tackle helping set the stage for a 3^rd & 18 attempts, the Solanco run attempt on the said play would end well shy of the line to gain, giving the Raiders the ball back at their own 38-yard line with not even three minutes having gone by in the third frame thus far.

Remember that flash and sizzle? Here it came. Perhaps in the most apropos way too.

For specifics, Twin Valley’s second scoring drive of the night would last all of one play over the course of 11 seconds as a 62-yard touchdown jaunt to the house courtesy of sophomore running back turned Mr. Everything on this night, Drew Engle, put the white and green back in front by a 14-7 count with 9:03 still to go before the third quarter wrapped itself up.

The fun however was only just beginning as it turned out.

Undeterred by the early second-half volley lobbed against them from their guests, Solanco kept their nose right to the proverbial grindstone.

Ironically, this time ignited by way of the pass, a 35-yard toss from Austin Jarabak to Kris Burgos propelled the Mules down to the Twin Valley 35-yard line courtesy of the junior finding the sophomore on the play to help get things rolling and in gear. Later, using his wheels instead of his trusty right arm, Jarabak proceeded to call his own number on a 3^rd& 1 play at the Raiders’ 25-yard line and pick up a baker’s dozen in terms of yardage in the process. However, besmirched by yellow flags yet again in the series, the ball was pushed further back despite Solanco almost being able to smell the fresh-cut grass of the endzone directly in front of them. Regardless, their scent remained strong like a bloodhound not long afterward seeing as how Jarabak was able to hook up with Austin Wenger down the Mules’ sideline as the senior wideout was able to trade in his perimeter blocking duties for a sweet one-handed grab while embattled in a fierce battle against his defender as the 26-yard touchdown strike between the two saw the score knotted up once more at 14-14 as Anthony Keys’ partially blocked PAT somehow found just enough forward momentum to lazily crawl over the crossbar with 4:59 left in the third by that point.

Do you like complimentary football by chance? Let’s have Solanco introduce it to you then.

Yes, not even 30 seconds after having worked themselves back onto level footing following the touchdown scored just moments earlier, Solanco was on the verge of enjoying their first lead of the evening.

No, no long time-consuming series would be required this time around. Hard to do that of course when Solanco’s Bradley Weder was able to sit on the Twin Valley pass route and jump it for the interception to set the Mules’ offense up with prime real estate which is precisely what the Solanco senior was able to do following his subsequent return down to the Raiders’ 22-yard line following the theft.

And using that same blend of pass and run which very likely kept Twin Valley off-balance defensively throughout much of the evening, an initial dose of Johnny Garcia plowing his way through the heart of the Raiders’ defensive unit on a 3^rd & 3 play at the 15-yard line to move the sticks ended up paving the way for Solanco’s third (yes, you read that correctly) touchdown throw of the night as Jarabak was able to find Wenger once more for the score, this time from 6 yards out, on a crucial 4^th & Goal attempt that was not only good for half a dozen yards, but half a dozen points, as well as the Mules, went in front, 20-14, following the blocked PAT with all of 57 seconds left in the penultimate period.

That was, um, plenty of time as Twin Valley’s offense was able to demonstrate not only throughout much of the evening but here too specifically.

Here again, behind the aid of yet another one-play series, the Raiders found themselves trailing for all of 19 seconds as it turned out once Twin Valley junior running back Evan Johnson was able to find a hole and promptly race off 63 yards into the distance all while leaving Solanco defenders behind in his wake as the ultra-quick jab not only quelled the momentum found hobnobbing over on the Mules’ sideline at the time, but it also saw the guests retake the lead, albeit by the slimmest of margins, 21-20, once the final quarter got underway in earnest.

For a while, it almost felt as if the team with the ball last was going to emerge as the eventual victor once the dust had finally settled. It surely felt that way to those who had assembled in Quarryville here too as the home-standing Mules began taking noticeable chunk plays out of the Raiders’ defense on their ensuing series offensively. Yet here again, just when it may have felt as if Solanco was making some significant hay, the yellow laundry that had fallen out of the referees’ pockets was nothing if not frustrating. Hard to argue when you consider that two penalties whistled against Solanco not only moved the ball back from their once dangerously threatening position but also simultaneously wiped out a pair of successful first-down conversion plays that came on back-to-back key third downs. So, with the Mules failing to pick up the six yards asked of them on a 4^th & 6 play following the cruel penalties having gone against them, it felt for all the world that Twin Valley was about to insert the dagger here before finally heading home unscathed.

Or so they hoped as it turned out.

Granted, while the Raiders would find more big gainers behind the labor exerted from their offensive line, most notably in the form of a sizable chunk play rattled off by Evan Johnson that traversed all the way down to the Solanco 39-yard line, trouble was afoot. Much to their chagrin, this would entirely be of the self-inflicted variety on the Twin Valley side as a fumbled snap out of the shotgun on a 3^rd & 6 play sent out the punting unit with the Golden Mules likely salivating at the opportunity of having a walk-off type win to cement some good vibes into the framework of this season.

As far as the record books will have it detailed it would be a drive that would begin back at their own 13-yard line with 5:40 remaining to be played. And after a quick 20-yard strike from Jarabak to Burgos on the first play to get Solanco in gear, an ardent Twin Valley defense would rise up and turn their hosts away following an incomplete pass on a 3^rd & 8 play on Solanco’s side of the field.

At least that’s what they thought was going to take place.

Instead, throwing caution to the wind, Solanco decided to go with the fake punt which could not have turned out any better in their regard seeing as how upback Cody Nolan was able to receive the direct snap and trek all the way down to the Twin Valley 35-yard line behind his wall of blockers following the trickeration as the Mules’ senior running back was able to make the most of his opportunity to shine bright with the game teetering on the razor’s edge by giving his fellow troops a fresh set of downs.

From there, following the handiwork of their battering ram fullback who bullied the Raiders’ defense all night long, Johnny Garcia, Solanco was able to methodically work their way down the field with no further gimmicks with a series of plays that could’ve broken even the toughest of spirits. In fact, Garcia was able to help engineer the Mules right to the precipice of the endzone with Twin Valley being forced to burn timeouts in an effort to help save the clock provided they be able to work with something on the subsequent offensive side.

Sneakily, while all Solanco’s touchdowns up until that point came via the air, there was more sneakiness afoot here in crunch time. Granted, this one may have been a tad more traditional for what the local football audience is accustomed to seeing from them by comparison sake as the Mules went away from the current formula of up-the-gut dives by teeing up the right side of the line as a sensational option pitch from Austin Jarabak to Kris Burgos was good for the 4-yard touchdown run on third and goal to put the hosts back in front as Burgos was able to stroll in completely unabated. Not only that, but their lead would balloon up to a clean seven following a successful 2-point conversion run courtesy of senior running back Michael Bangura, making it a 28-21 contest with all of 1:08 left to play.

Candidly, while the relatively short history of the Twin Valley football program may not be one for many historical moments that come with easily recognizable catchphrases, let us try one for size right here and now. Let’s go with, “The Drive.”

Suffice it to say, while time still remained on the scoreboard clock standing all the way down at the endzone of which Twin Valley had to navigate towards, it surely felt as if the Golden Mules were not only playing with the allowable allotment of 11 players defensively but more than a few extra given the way in which they had stolen momentum with their late-game scoring just moments earlier. So, after returning the ensuing kickoff back to their own 30-yard line, exactly one minute was emblazoned on the scoreboard’s neon lights. And after a pair of unsuccessful initial plays, not the least of which included what nearly was the game-clinching interception, Twin Valley had to dial something up on a 3^rd & 10 play at their own 30-yard and their unbeaten record, much less their aspirations of controlling their own destiny towards a possible section title, quickly slipping through their fingertips.

So, with everything on the line, the Raiders relied on the chemistry found between two of their foremost studs. Turns out the Raiders’ brain trust knows full well what they are working with in the laboratory in mixing and matching potent potions after all as a wheel route lofted high up in the night sky from Evan Myers to a streaking Evan Johnson down below who came screaming out of the backfield and past the defender assigned to him up in coverage while in full gallop without having to break stride was good for the 70-yard bolt of lightning touchdown play with the game-tying PAT upcoming with 25 ticks left in regulation by that point.

Well, until Solanco called timeout prior to make sure they had all their ducks in a row just to be safe that is.

Instead, after having time to mull it over on their own sideline during the brief respite, Twin Valley decided to keep with the mad scientist theme and go for broke, Yep, go for two and a chance to win or go down swinging. And while it may not have been as glamorous as a homerun hit over the fence in the final inning, it packed the same amount of punch as a ball hit off the sweet spot of a bat nonetheless as a powerful 2-point conversion run by way of 6’2 260lb senior fullback, Ean Winchester, his first and only tote of the rock the entire night, made it a jaw-dropping 29-28 reseizure of the scoreboard by Twin Valley with less than 30 seconds to play.

Unfortunately, as far as those who had more than done their part to try and will their home team to victory on this night against a tough unblemished foe hailing from afar were most concerned, there was no more magic left to be had from there on out as Twin Valley was able to dig deep and somehow pull off a miraculous 29-28 victory from the absolute depths of the fire to remain in full gallop with the lead pack in the division just when it surely felt as if they were about to stub their toe massively thanks to Solanco stepping directly on their foot.

“Give Solanco a lot of credit,” Twin Valley head coach Brett Myers was quick to mention following his team’s frantic victory against a fearless foe. “Solanco is the type of program that everyone wants to be like,” he acknowledged. “You come to Solanco, and you know what you’re getting. It’s going to be really, really hard-nosed football and nothing’s going to be easy. That’s what they did tonight, right? They deserve all the credit.”

“It’s funny because we compared (Solanco) to Lower Dauphin,” said Myers in regard to what was prior to this night his club’s stiffest head-to-head competition found thus far on the 2023 slate. “It’s an offensive, physical football team that has an identity. This team has an identity. We’re still trying to find ours as the season goes on,” the Raiders’ head man admitted of his own squad by comparison. “But from the first day of the season until the last day, (Solanco) has an identity.”

“What a great game though,” Myers would say as perhaps reality had finally settled in and the adrenaline from a wild victory that came complete with all the trimmings had perhaps subsided, even for just a tiny bit. “This is what it’s supposed to be all about. We’re out here in the middle of nowhere, it’s dark and hey, we’re still playing on grass here. This is what it’s supposed to be like in Pennsylvania high school football.”

As far as his own squad was concerned, the second-year head coach overseeing the Raiders’ rise knew what this type of courageous victory demonstrated both in the micro, but also in the macro.

“It shows that we have a little bit of fortitude, right? It shows that we can keep going,” said Myers. “When things weren’t going well, we showed a little bit of grit and we continued. That’s our goal every week. We’ve been asking our guys to finish now for weeks and today they finished. They could’ve quit. They could’ve said, ‘We lost. We have one series and its 3^rd & 10 and only 40 seconds left.’ But they continued to play and believed in each other and got it done.”

And continuing on that theme of fortitude, while there were plenty of examples to be had at various points throughout the contest, there was arguably no instance better evidenced than when Twin Valley opted to go for two inside of the final minute.

“We were kicking it,” Myers admitted of the original thought process prior to Solanco calling timeout following the 70-yard touchdown bomb that had put Twin Valley within a point. “I wanted to talk to the kids, and they wanted to run it,” he added of what was discussed on the Raiders’ sideline during the break in the action. “(His players) called the play. I didn’t call the play. They called the formation, they knew everything. All I asked them to do was to take a second and let me decide if we were going to call timeout and change it. It looked just like the way it did in practice, so we ran it.”

Yet while it may have been a very ordinary three-yard dive play with Ean Winchester having the honors under most circumstances, you can best believe that the ramifications of this particular moment along with the simple yet powerful message of letting the players have direct ownership of the decision-making process with the game on the line will be a snapshot in time remembered around Elverson for quite a while, especially when it kept the Raiders at a perfect 6-0 following a frantic 29-28 final triumph against a very game Solanco squad.

NEXT UP:  Now that they can finally wipe the sweat beads off their foreheads after surviving their trip to Lancaster County’s southern end, Twin Valley can look up and see themselves sitting right there on the top line of the L-L Section Three standings heading down the final quarter pole of the season. Speaking of that top line, it’ll be a first-place matchup in store next as the Raiders allow next-door neighbor Garden Spot to come eastward down PA Route 23 for a matchup between a pair of 6-0 squads following the Spartans’ earlier first-place affair against Ephrata on Friday night which saw Garden Spot prevail in a fairly convincing 42-22 final decision over in New Holland. While this all may be fairly new to the Twin Valley program in general, especially considering that the Raiders have never enjoyed more than seven victories in any of our seasons over the course of their relatively brief history, this is not new to their head coach.

If you recall, the Middletown Blue Raiders were a program that did one of the more improbable things in the last decade here—making three consecutive state championship game appearances from 2016 through 2018. The surveyor of those runs to Hershey to compete for gold. None other than multiple-time Pennsylvania Coach of the Year award winner turned current Twin Valley boss, Brett Myers. And while both Middletown and Twin Valley hail from the ranks of District 3, you could make an argument that it is a stark night and day difference between the two locales. Fortunately, though, the elements of football are tried and true no matter where you employ them as it turns out.

“Effort,” Myers said without any hesitation in his voice as to what has been a driving characteristic and a non-negotiable item in leading both programs. “Tomorrow morning when we start grading the film, there’s an execution piece and then there’s effort. If you don’t grade out on effort, you don’t play. The coach’s job is the execution. The players’ job is the effort. If you don’t do it, you aren’t playing,” he described bluntly. “To me, that’s the biggest thing. In the end, there’s the other stuff like running the ball and playing defense, but in the end, if you don’t play hard, you don’t win. If you watch tonight, although we might not have played all that well, we played hard.”

Okay, this one will understandably be a bitter pill to swallow if you fancy yourself as someone with a rooting interest on the Solanco side. Had they been able to hang on over the final 68 seconds and keep Twin Valley from authoring that final drive, you could have made an argument that a Solanco win over Twin Valley would have shared top honors for the biggest upset of the 2023 season thus far alongside Warwick’s Week 1 win over Cocalico. Unfortunately, it turned out to be a narrow one-point loss that now knocks the Mules down to a 1-5 overall mark. Even still, the best advice to give to Golden Mules’ opponents on the upcoming horizon is to try and get your shots in as best you know. Based upon what was put on display by the talented young players themselves who figure to reenter the fold for years to come along with the unmistakable identity that is the Solanco brand, the time for the Mules looking upward in the Section Three standings figures to be extremely short-lived. And in terms of their immediate outing coming up, the Mules find themselves with what looks to be an excellent opportunity to taste a victory against an Elizabethtown crew that enjoyed the sweet nectar of victory for the very first time on Friday night following their own 22-16 overtime victory over Daniel Boone.

It’s Week 5 of the Lancaster-Lebanon League high school football slate this week which (somehow) means we are already halfway home through the regular season gauntlet in 2023. In some cases, we’re halfway home towards a section title. For others, halfway home towards a potential playoff berth. And yes, for some, we’re halfway home towards the start of winter sports practices too unfortunately. However, for a very select few, this week in particular finds them halfway home towards chasing history in real-time.

And perhaps no team can illustrate the latter better than the Ephrata Mounts.

Yeah, short of sparing you all the finer details –most of which you are probably already well aware of—seeing Ephrata make it through the first four weeks of play totally unblemished while sporting a 4-0 record hasn’t been witnessed in quite a while. Like, in an entire generation type of “while.” Sure enough, heading into their home game against Daniel Boone this week at the friendly confines of “The War,” Ephrata would be vying for their first 5-0 start to a season since 1995. Factor that into the equation where the purple and yellow have been locked out of postseason play since even further back, 1987, and it’s easy to see why the town has understandably embraced this edition of Mounts’ football with nothing but open arms given how they have largely been starving for a winning product to boast outside of their own backyard for over 30 years now. And not for nothing, but this dramatic about-face that has come with Ephrata now fighting for space amongst their fellow brethren at the top of their respective division that has come to a head this year is even more remarkable considering how it wasn’t all that long when Ephrata was fighting against history in a much different way, the state’s all-time longest losing streak, that had spanned the better part of five consecutive seasons in the middle part of the last decade. Suffice to say, in just eight remarkable years at the helm of the program, head coach Kris Miller most certainly finds himself on the shortlist for “Best Coaching Jobs” in the 50+ years of league history if such an honor were to truly exist.

But beyond the whimsical storyline happening here, the Mounts have been playing some really sound football to start the campaign.

True to form, if you can somehow win in a variety of ways through just the first four weeks of play, Ephrata has already done so.

On opening night, the Mounts were able to hold off a valiant effort put forth from Red Lion as a tight 34-32 triumph against one the name brands from York County opened the door for a history-making 14-0 win over arguably their most heated rival, Warwick, as the shutout victory on the Warriors’ home field certainly felt even sweeter seeing how it signified the George Male Trophy staying put in the halls of Ephrata High School for two straight school years for the first time since the early 21^st century in a series that quite frankly had it not possessed such a strong historical significance, was fair game to be questioned as to if it was truly a productive game to remain scheduled for either side given how Warwick had so emphatically dominated the series, especially given a number of the final scores that were posted in their head-to-head meetings. In that respect, insert any karma-related phrase of your choosing here. But we’ll go with patience is virtue after all, eh?

From there, the Mounts’ propensity from shifting roles from the bullied to the bullies was never evidenced better than with their last two performances against the likes of Lebanon and Solanco respectively with Ephrata having eclipsed the 50-point barrier in each of those two victories that came complete with a complimentary defensive effort on both occasions. Simply put, there’s no been no accident or mystery here. Ephrata has become one of the L-L League’s best teams. Full stop.

But there would be another team in town on this night. One that really had no reason whatsoever to be all that intimated by Ephrata just looking at recent history in a vacuum.

For the Daniel Boone Blazers, the school notorious for donning the Carolina blue unis, this year is a bit of transition in terms of its football program. This year, the Blazers welcomed in first-year head coach J.D. Okuniewski who takes over the reigns from the trusting care of Rob Flowers who had steered the ship for the last few seasons. And in perhaps the most apropos way given how Boone is still a program that many L-L football fans are trying to become accustomed and familiar with since the Berks/L-L merger went into effect last year, the Blazers’ resume in ’23 looks like a bit of a wildcard in its own right. That said, the Mounts almost surely knew what they were getting into Friday night considering how the Blazers prevailed in a 33-14 contest two years ago before Ephrata returning the favor last year in a hard-fought 28-20 decision.

For starters, Daniel Boone would be found succumbing to rival Exeter in the form of a 42-7 final tally in the annual “Pig Iron Bowl” back on opening night. From there, the Blazers made another of the L-L’s most intriguing teams thus far, Conestoga Valley, sweat out a 28-21 outing back in Week 2. Then, come Week 3, Boone was able to put together undoubtedly their best showing to date with a resounding 51-14 win over Muhlenberg before stumbling last week to Garden Spot by four scores. But if the saying goes that no one washes the car quite like the owner, having an alum who wore the uniform not all that long ago in Okuniewski figures to bode well into the future for years to come up in Birdsboro. And what a better time to make legitimate waves than with this week right here in front of them should be able to knock Ephrata from the ranks of the unbeaten?

But as would become abundantly clear right from the jump, this Friday night outside of downtown Ephrata would prove without a shadow of a doubt as to why the first leg of the Mounts’ campaign has been anything but a fluke.

After taking the opening kickoff to begin the contest, the hosts methodically began working their way down the field against the opposition. To be quite frank, had it not be for a 3^rd & 6 conversion that resulted in a moving of the chains once senior quarterback Sam McCracken rolled right in the pocket and found Nick Keller for a 12-yard gainer that awarded the Mounts a fresh set of downs, there was little resistance that Ephrata experienced in their first foray with the ball. Case in point, a monstrous 36-yard chunk play just moments afterwards as McCracken found another fellow senior, Angel Collazo, as the big-body receiver was able to haul in the key catch that propelled the Ephrata attack down to the Daniel Boone 2-yard line. And from there, McCracken traded in the talent of his right arm for his pair of legs as McCracken’s 2-yard touchdown run made it an early 7-0 lead in the Mountaineers’ favor with 8:31 left in the opening frame following Evan Honberger’s PAT.

Then, on Daniel Boone’s first offensive play from scrimmage, it seemed as if the floodgates were about ready to burst.

Hard to argue when you consider that Ephrata senior linebacker Quintin Pfautz sat on the Blazers’ pass route and played volleyball with himself before scoring a diving interception for his efforts as Pfautz’s takeaway brought the Mounts’ offensive unit back on the field just 24 yard away from paydirt.

That said, much credit needed to be doled out in the Blazers’ favor as even though Boone found themselves pushed up against the wall and then some following their early giveaway, the visitors from the eastern end of Berks County were able to turn away the Mounts away on downs as a sensational play authored by Boone junior defensive back Ryan Poore on a 4^th & 14 attempt successfully thwarted the Ephrata threat following his magnificent pass breakup.

However, on their second offensive series of the game, Ephrata went right back on the attack.

That said, it wasn’t totally smooth sailing the entirety of the way for the Mounts this time around. No, with Daniel Boone doing yeoman’s work in terms of stopping the Ephrata running game to nothing more than small bits and pieces throughout the early portion of the contest. As a result, seeing Ephrata convert on the “money downs” figured to be the key to their success. Well, in that respect, the Mounts got rich on this series when you consider how a 4^th & 3 attempt led to the chain gang being on the move yet again as a McCracken 9-yard pitch and catch to Nick Keller not only gave Ephrata a fresh set, but it also put the hosts back on Boone’s side of the field. From there, following another third down conversion not long afterwards –this of the 1-yard variety as McCracken was able to call his own number—the final third down conversion proved far and away to be the most fruitful given how it would end in a 19-yard touchdown throw from McCracken to Jeremiah Knowles as the two team captains were able to find the purple-painted endzone on the final play of the opening stanza as Ephrata punctuated the opening dozen minutes with an exclamation mark in the form of a 14-0 cushion over this divisional foe.

Yet for as successful as the opening quarter had appeared to be given how it saw Ephrata roar out to an early lead, the second quarter would be much more lethal.

Granted, while the Blazers appeared to be making some hay over the course of their initial offensive series of the second period, not the least of which included Boone moving the ball across the Mounts’ side of the field, an emphatic tackle for loss on a Daniel Boone 4^th & 2 attempt that was swallowed up by junior all-everything ace, Brayden Brown, gave the ball right back to Ephrata’s potent weaponry.

Then, like dynamite, the Mounts suddenly saw themselves move all the way down to the Blazers’ 5-yard line as a 50-yard tunnel screen from McCracken to Knowles on the first play of the new drive officially put this one on the verge of being busted open for good. Fittingly, while he may have been chased down following his handiwork on the receiving side of things, Knowles was able to catch his breath just two plays later and promptly turn the jet sweep around the left side of the line in for six as the 8-yard touchdown run tallied by the Mounts’ senior made it a 21-0 ballgame now following Honberger’s third successful PAT of the still fairly young evening.

But after another quick Daniel Boone series offensively, the haymakers landed against the Blazers most certainly added up.

In fact, Ephrata’s next scoring series would last all of one play as a 34-yard touchdown heave from McCracken to Quintin Pfautz down the seam saw the hosts’ advantage swell up to a 28-0 difference in a matter of just six seconds as 5:42 remained showing on the first half clock following the score between this particular pair of Mounts’ captains.

Yet as if his night couldn’t have possibly gone any better by that point, Sam McCracken had one more ace up his sleeve before the opening half would draw to a close.

Hard to get much better for the Ephrata 6’1 senior triggerman given how it was announced over the loudspeaker not long after his third total touchdown of the first half that he had just become the school’s all-time leading passer in the aftermath of his most recent hookup with Pfautz. But if we’re talking encores here, his 9-yard fade route touchdown to Angel Collazo was so aesthetically pleasing that even the Daniel Boone defensive back who appeared to have excellent coverage on the play could do nothing more than to tap Collazo on the lid in a moment of appreciation as the Mounts were able to saunter into the locker room just 29 seconds of game time later while possessing a commanding 35-0 halftime cushion.

Regardless though, even the infant stages of the second half on Friday appeared to have no ill-effect whatsoever on the Ephrata machine as momentum remained heavily skewed in the Mountaineers’ favor, 20-minute halftime break or no.

In terms of the specifics of it all, the Mounts’ defensive unit was to make a resounding opening statement once inside the third quarter as Ephrata 6’5 senior defensive lineman Charlie Lydamore was able to bullrush his way through the Blazers’ offensive line and come away with physically dominating football play that resulted in a 4-yard loss for Boone with the third quarter not even a full-minute old yet. And so, with the Ephrata defense turning Boone away with a prompt three-and-out to begin the proceedings, the Mounts went right back to work offensively just an eyelash shy of the midfield stripe with still nine minutes and change left open in the third quarter.

But the ball wouldn’t stay in one place for very long.

No, especially not when one of the men of the hour, Angel Collazo, was able to rip off a huge chunk play on the ground all the way down to the Boone 8-yard line near the outset of the series. Then, Collazo’s big play helped set the table for Brayden Brown to follow suit almost immediately afterwards the Mounts’ 6’1 bruising back powered his way across the chalk line from 8 yards out as Brown’s score coupled with Honberger’s fifth successful PAT of the evening helped make it a 42-0 affair with not even half the third quarter having been evaporated off the clock by that point with 8:22 still showing.

Then, thanks to the advent of the Mercy Rule format that had already been triggered by that point, a running clock would help take us the rest of the way home in the third as Ephrata was out front and living large with a six-touchdown upper hand at 42-0 come the end of 36 minutes.

In the fourth quarter, even despite all the things that had gone against them up until that point, Daniel Boone admirably continued to show flashes.

Perhaps there was no greater evidence put forth to support that notion than with 6’2 190lb Fred Lacey barreling his way past the Ephrata defensive troops while toting the rock from his running back spot as not only did the Boone senior pick up the Blazers’ longest play of the evening from scrimmage, but after a late-hit personal foul along the sideline tacked on just for good measure, the visitors finally appeared posed to strike. And strike they would in the form of the aforementioned Lacey as his 2-yard touchdown jaunt finally allowed Boone to crack that pesky goose egg as Justin Aidukas’ PAT made it a 42-7 ballgame with 8:09 left to play.

Even still, despite the fact that the Ephrata starters had since checked out by that point, the sheer depth of the Mounts’ roster was on full display the rest of the way.

As if to be right on cue, Ephrata brought in the 2^nd quarterback found in their rotation, Caleb Grant, and experienced no drop-off whatsoever. If anything, the Mounts’ junior backup looked the part and then some in his time operating the controls. Of course, it’s easy to say that when you put the best play of the night on the entire highlight reel as Grant proceeded to do after taking off from inside the pocket and promptly zigzagging his way through the Daniel Boone defense for the 61-yard chunk play to advance the ball all the way down to the Blazers’ 3-yard line. From there, even despite a loss of yardage on the immediate play afterward, Grant seemed no worse for the wear as his beautiful 6-yard touchdown strike to Matt Ochieng in the corner of the endzone would be the final icing on this cake as the eventual 4:45 that bled off the fourth quarter clock seemed nothing more than the last couple minutes before a party would ensue as Ephrata would once again play the part of a mature team on this night by handling their business in a very direct and emphatic way given the 48-7 final score emblazoned on the scoreboard lights late Friday night.

“The big thing is that our focus has been to come out and start off hot,” an understandably excited Kris Miller offered in the postgame media gaggle. “Last year, when we played (Daniel Boone) our records were kind of similar and we let them hang around and hang around. But hey, that football team has a lot of great football players on it,” Miller would add of the opposition his team had just prevailed over. “(Boone) had been searching for an identity and we had a fear that this would be the week they were going to find it, so we had to make sure our kids were ready to go because all of this is new,” said Miller. “We’re not used to being in this situation, so you always worry about what is looming next week, are we going to come out flat, is there going to be a letdown game after what we’ve done? So, our focus was that this game had to be the most important thing in our minds and I was really happy with how the kids came out on the opening possession and then with Q (Quintin Pfautz) getting that interception.”

And not for nothing, but the one thing that is blatantly obvious to even the naked eye is that the Mounts boast an absolute embarrassment of riches found in the skill positions. In fact, with so many toys in the toy chest, Miller and the offensive brain trust can almost at any time play the game of “Who needs a touch?”

“We have so many playmakers,” Miller was quick to point out. “I was so happy to see Jeremiah (Knowles) make some plays tonight. He’s probably one of the best receivers we’ve had around here in a long time, and he hasn’t gotten a lot of touches because everyone has been scheming to take him away. It’s opened up Nick (Keller) and Angel (Collazo) the past few weeks and it was just a pick your poison with who we were going to go at. I’m just proud of the way our kids played.”

“Our offensive staff does such a great job with Coach Surgeoner, Coach Franck, Coach Niemeyer, Coach Clair, and all those guys with scheming up formations that put our kids in advantageous situations and then it becomes a case of which matchup do we like the best? (The coaches) do a good job of making sure the ball gets spread around and it’s nice that these kids aren’t selfish,” said Miller. “As long as we keep putting up points and moving the ball, they don’t care who gets the credit. What’s cool about it is when you look and see all those guys blocking for one another out on the perimeter. It’s just a great group of kids.”

“Our goal from the get-go when we started is that we have to get better each and every day,” the Mounts’ head coach would go on to mention after remaining perfect on the season. “If we do that, what we do on Friday nights is a byproduct of that work that we put in. We don’t want to get too far out in front of ourselves, start counting wins and doing things like that. It’s got to be getting better each and every day, taking care of our business. We’re our biggest opponent. We have to make sure we’re ready to go each and every week and then we’ll adapt to what the opponents do.”

And speaking of the next opponent, it’s going to be an old-fashioned donnybrook in Lancaster County next Friday night when this now mammoth conference finds its only matchup of unbeaten going head-to-head against one another in New Holland when Ephrata travels to Garden Spot to tangle for the top spot in the Section Three standings at the Week 6 checkpoint. Rest assured, given the history between these two neighboring schools, there’s a mutual appreciation for what the other side is doing at the moment.

“They are a great team. Z (Garden Spot head coach Matt Zamperini) always has those guys playing well,” Miller lauded of the Spartans. “It’s always been a close game. Last year it was three points and could have gone either way. We’ll have to get ready for them certainly.”

But again, with all of this being “new” in Mounts’ country, seeing Ephrata rise to the level of what awaits next week and finding itself on the very short list of best games found around the entire District 3 landscape, growth will come in the days leading up.

“We just have to talk about it and be honest about the situation with them,” Coach Miller said of what lies ahead this week for he and his squad and all the attention sure to follow. “This is what high school football is all about. When you look back at 2016, this team and where we’re at, getting a chance to play in a game like this? This is what it’s all about. I want the kids to enjoy this. At the end of the day, you only get three, or four years of this with playing high school football. You’ve got to enjoy every single second of it. But yeah, we’ve got to live up to playing in a big game because you don’t get to play in them all the time.”

Yet what might be the coolest part about all of this? Sure, while it’s been quite some time since the Ephrata Mounts have found themselves in a position like this, it wasn’t all that long ago when situations such as where the program finds itself right now probably didn’t even seem remotely possible or fathomable, even for the most ardent of purple-backers. Fortunately, having a head man who has seen both the depths of the valleys and the peaks of the summits, he can recognize and compartmentalize what has taken shape under his guidance for the better part of nearly a decade now.

 “We talk about that a lot,” Miller would add candidly of his early days on the job. “What’s important is that those kids in 2016 (his first year) that came out and played football, they kept this thing going. I told them back when they graduated that whatever success we may have down the road, it would be because of the stuff they were willing to do in those years when it was pretty rough. They showed up and played every single week even when we played opponents that had us outnumbered and kept this going. We will always appreciate them and all their efforts.”

“I will tell you this, it’s fun to be a part of this,” Miller would say in closing. “We try and keep things in perspective, but we’re 5-0 now for the first time since 1995. These kids weren’t even born or thought of then. Shoot, I was only 10 years old at the time,” he would say with a laugh. “But the last time we were 5-0, we finished 5-5. This all can change quickly, so enjoy every single moment of it. That’s for sure.”

NEXT UP: As mentioned, it’s a Game of the Week type of attention with the spotlight firmly placed on the Ephrata and Garden Spot battle coming up to headline the L-L’s Week 6 slate. As far as the Spartans’ perspective is concerned, they too are coming in riding a high at 5-0 following their Friday night 48-21 victory over Fleetwood as Coach Zamperini was able to nab his 75^th career victory while pacing the Garden Spot sidelines across a couple of different stints in the process. But make no mistake about it, whoever emerges in that matchup next week isn’t out of the woods of the divisional race by any stretch of the imagination. No, not when there is still a Twin Valley outfit found out there looming on the horizon for both of these two clubs on the homeward journey considering that the Raiders from Elverson are not only unblemished in their own right, but TV has also put up 49 points in each of the last three ballgames. Needless to say, Section Three is about to get very tantalizing over its final four weeks of play without a shadow of a doubt.

For Daniel Boone, the Blazers will have to take Friday night against Ephrata a lesson learned. Even still, it wasn’t as if Boone was totally outmatched across the board without much in the way of hope when it came to trying to knock off the Mounts. In fact, just looking at their upcoming schedule the rest of the way, don’t be surprised to see Boone perhaps secure a couple more wins, starting with a pivotal game next week against an 0-5 Elizabethtown outfit that has failed to hit double digits in all their games this season save for one when they were able to scrape 13 out against McCaskey back in Week 2. And if they can finish strong, especially in the first year of a new coach’s tenure no less, that could do wonders moving forward for the Blazers’ program down the line for years to come as they too work to find themselves with comfortable housing inside this loaded divisional neighborhood.

Over the totality of an entire high school football season, every week is precious in its own way.  Hard to argue that I suppose given that you only have a finite number of games in which you can play, short of taking matters into your own hands and playing beyond that allowed allotment and into the postseason of course.

And when we think of some of those weeks in particular, there are obviously a few that jump right to the top of the line. Week 1 because, well, why not, right? Everyone is undefeated and everyone is going to make it to Cumberland Valley for the state finals come December of course. Then, over the course of the next several weeks as everyone’s respective campaigns round into form for better or worse, Week 10 is usually not far behind in terms of its anticipation level given that stakes are at their absolute highest with divisional crowns and playoff bids of the like up for grabs in the regular season’s 11^th hour.

But don’t sleep on the middle portion of the slate either. That especially rings true if you fancy yourself a fan of the Lancaster-Lebanon League’s product.

In these parts, Week 4 is typically when the “going gets good” as they say in the vernacular. For it is this week in the L-L’s corner of the universe when section play begins and those frantic six-week jaunts to the finish line in its five respective divisions get underway in earnest. Not only that, but with three weeks’ worth of hay in the barn so to speak from a nonconference perspective for most teams in the conference by and large, those of us in the storytelling arena can’t help but also recognize that this week –perhaps above all others—is your proverbial “fork in the road” week where your season may really take off, or really take a dive in the exact opposite route. And wouldn’t you know it, but inside this week’s slate in Section Five specifically might’ve been one contest above all others around the local slate that defines this week to a T.

For Annville-Cleona, last season’s silver medalist in the 2A ranks of District 3 after falling to juggernaut Trinity in the title bout last November, it’s been an interesting three weeks to say the least. After a thorough shellacking of Hanover simply by looking at final tally that ended 52-19 in the Dutchmen’s favor in Week 1 at the friendly confines, the next two weeks would have to be defined as nothing if not tough sledding.

In their second outing, A-C fell victim to a school record-breaking performance from ELCO running back Jake Williams –his first of two consecutive performances of the like as it turned out– as the Dutchmen saw their neighboring rivals prevail in a commanding 49-7 decision before then venturing all the way out to Littlestown last week –about an hour and a half drive away as the crow flies—as a rare Thursday night affair got even weirder for A-C as an hour-long lightning delay preceded an eventual 33-21 Thunderbolts’ triumph in a night where perhaps it was apropos that the opposition had lived up to their namesake.

Suffice to say, for a program that quite frankly has molded itself into one of the quietest yet consistent producers of winning football inside the L-L League under the direction of head coach Matt Gingrich who has steered the ship marvelously since the departure of legendary boss Terry Lehman nearly a decade ago now, time was of the essence heading here into their next outing while trying to avoid a pesky three-game losing skid.

But that initial ask wouldn’t be so easy.

You like offense you say? Get yourself on over to I-78, Route 61, or some other road of your choosing, and type Hamburg High School into the GPS. You likely won’t leave disappointed. Yep, if you’re a fan of high-scoring attacks with passing yards more accurately tabulated by the bushel rather than the yard, the Hawks, at least through the first three weeks of 2023, are your team to check out.

Just try this on for size. From a yards-per-game perspective, there were only two teams inside the conference that had a better output than Hamburg thus far with the Hawks posting a sultry 400+ clip, including already eclipsing over 1,000 yards via the air in totality. Then, when you factor in the fact that the L-L League has become a 37-team behemoth, that statistic likely takes on an even greater illumination it’d be safe to say. And while the Hawks haven’t quite cracked the 50-point barrier up until this point in any one game this season, they’ve certainly been beating on the door given their 49 and 48-point showings against the likes of Halifax and Fairfield respectively. Not too bad for an encore in ’23 when you also remember that not only did Hamburg find itself right in the thick of the section title race right down until the final week last fall, but the Hawks graduated the likes of Ivy League quarterback Xander Menapace who is now at Columbia University, along with do-everything lineman Charles Sheppard who would’ve fit in at any section within the L-L League last fall and fared just fine given his unique skill set just to name a very select few from last year’s Hawks’ squad. So, if the first few weeks are to try and serve as any indication moving forward, the dynamic of Tyler Shuey at the controls along with fellas such as Mason Semmel and Ty Werley flanked to his outside on the perimeter, it looks to be quite the lethal combination for the rest of Section Five to tangle with from here on out.

However, as mentioned off top, no matter how you found yourself entering this night, whether you be trying to pick yourself up off the canvas, or just trying to keep yourself in first gear with the good vibes going, Friday night up on “Hawk Hill” in Berks County might very well go a long way in determining your future the rest of the way home this season. And if we’re going to apply that rationale, you can best believe that Annville-Cleona’s performance in this particular outing has the potential to be the biggest of springboards for them throughout the back half of the regular season provided they can replicate the same type of performance they put forth against Hamburg.

On a night when the Hamburg administration rolled out the proverbial red carpet and then some in honoring America’s bravest who walk amongst us in celebrating military and first responders that came complete with all the trimmings of a Blackhawk helicopter serving as the pregame flyover, the ground attack employed by Coach Gingrich and his brain trust on the Annville-Cleona sideline would’ve made the likes of General Patton and General Eisenhower green with envy. That said, A-C would have to wait their turn to impose their collective will once the game got underway.

With Hamburg’s high-flying attack getting the honors of toting the rock first, it looked as if the Hawks’ potent offensive attack was yet again in tip-top shape. Easy to say that when freshman running back Blaise Ernst breaks off an 11-yard scamper on the first play from scrimmage which precedes a successful 4^th & 3 conversions not long afterward as Tyler Shuey calls his own number to move the sticks. From there, with the Hawks appearing to get lathered up and into a rhythm offensively, it looked as if a score was imminent when Shuey was able to hook up senior wideout Cohen Correll for a 16-yard pitch and catch which moved the attack down to the A-C 22-yard line. But Hamburg’s early mojo would ultimately come up snake eyes in the end as the Dutchmen’s defense proceeded to hold the Hawks on downs from there on out as beautiful play was made by A-C junior defensive back, Dominic Casciotti, knocking away a daring Hamburg throw into the endzone on a 4^th & 14 play to punctuate the early stand for the Dutchmen D.

If we’re being honest here, almost everyone in attendance –or at least those who arrived equipped with the knowledge of what Annville-Cleona’s gameplan figured to be—knew full well what was coming. A steady dose of ground and pound. Sure enough, here came the lesson straight ahead at the Hamburg starting defensive troops.

Granted, while A-C was able to do some things on their initial foray with the football, not the least of which included a successful 4^th & 3 and subsequent 3^rd & 6 conversions picked up via the wheels of quarterback Cameron Connelly and running back Bryce Keller respectively, it would still prove to be a fruitful drive in some respects from the Dutchmen’s perspective regardless despite ultimately turning it over on downs seeing as how it would be a drive in which Hamburg’s TNT-like offense was sidelined for the better part of seven minutes of gameplay.

Sure enough, thanks in large part to A-C’s greediness in maintaining a large portion of the first quarter clock, the score remained deadlocked at 0-0 as both teams were able to enjoy just one full possession each between them before the first quarter horn blared out.

And while Hamburg would find themselves with ownership of the football at the tail-end of the opening frame and into the initial portions of the second quarter, the Hawks’ second offensive series would meet its demise in the form of an Annville-Cleona sack, giving the ball back to the A-C offensive unit at their own 20-yard line with only 50 seconds having expired off the second quarter clock. Only this time around, Annville-Cleona set their sights on crossing the goal line and never looking back.

Sure enough, much in the same vein as the drive that had preceded it, Annville-Cleona was able to keep the chains moving and the clock simultaneously melting by way of a litany of successful conversions when called upon. Case in point, a 4^th & 2 conversion when A-C senior signal caller Cameron Connelly was able to plunge ahead for just enough to keep the drive alive and well. Not long afterward, the chain gang kept walking down the field once senior Cael Harter was able to get in on the act with a dynamite run from his running back spot to also move the ball over the midfield stripe. Later, this time facing a third down in the form of a three-yard variety, a successful Connelly keeper plus a facemask call tacked on for good measure ushered the Dutchmen down the Hamburg 31-yard line. Of course, if you’re a team that leans almost exclusively on the running game, chances are that an occasional forward pass here and there would likely go in your favor. Well, in that regard, a magnificent lob down the sideline from Connelly to Harter –in triple coverage no less—seemed fitting considering that it allowed the visitors from Lebanon County to draw first blood as the 31-yard touchdown connection between the pair of A-C upperclassmen made it a 7-0 Dutchmen lead with 5:23 left before intermission following Mina Elzek’s successful PAT.

Okay, while spotting a club with the pension for sticking it on the ground as much as Annville-Cleona does may not be the best guidance, it was hardly time to panic on the Hamburg sideline. Never more did that become apparent than when Tyler Shuey was able to find Cohen Correll once again on the first play of this Hawks’ series as the 12-yard pickup seemed to get the hosts back in a groove with the ball now sitting at Hamburg’s own 38-yard line. However, that early flame would get extinguished by the A-C defensive unit.

And with a roll of the dice when faced with a 4^th & 5 attempt at their own 43-yard line just a few plays later, Hamburg’s gamble was not to be as a long pass cruelly just went off a receiver’s outstretched fingertips which suddenly meant that Annville-Cleona might be able to land a significant haymaker here provided they could take advantage.

Take advantage they would.

After helping to get this particular series off with a bang that came in the form of a 19-yard QB keeper from Connelly that quickly moved the Dutchmen threat down inside the red zone, Cael Harter did his part to move A-C ever closer as the 5’8 bruiser moved the pile down to the Hawks’ 5-yard line after a 5-yard gainer. From there, perhaps in the most fitting of ways possible given A-C’s propensity for picking up critical third and fourth down conversions it seemed at nearly every juncture during the first half of play in particular, a 5-yard Harter touchdown run on 3^rd & Goal upped the guests’ cushion to a 14-0 difference with just 1:18 left before intermission at that point.

Just enough time for Hamburg to land a much-needed volley back over the fence, however.

While most teams might shutter the operation at that point in time given how it felt to even the layman’s eye that the Dutchmen had the contest dictated on their terms, Hamburg would certainly try to steal a late half score provided they could find it.

Find they would.

That said, the task at hand for the Hawks grew considerably easier right from the jump once Ty Werley was able to navigate his way for a 46-yard pickup on the ensuing Annville-Cleona kickoff return following the touchdown. And by going back to their bread and butter of slinging the pill all around the field, Hamburg was able to get themselves inside the A-C red zone for the first time all night long coming on the heels of a pair of Shuey to Correll and Werley connections respectively with the ball then resting at A-C 18-yard line. So, with not a moment left to spare –well, technically 4.8 seconds—a what felt like game-saving, perhaps even game-altering Hamburg touchdown was tallied when Shuey was able to throw one up to Werley as the 18-yard TD reception not only cut the Dutchmen’s lead in half at 14-7, but it also provided the homestanding Hawks with a much-needed burst of adrenaline heading into the locker room courtesy of their late score with time winding down.

Needless to say, whether you subscribe to the book of cliches or not, Annville-Cleona’s opening drive to begin the third quarter figured to go a sizable way in determining the eventual outcome. Yet here again, leaning on their offensive line to help get the job done and pour the metaphorical cement to lay the foundation from there on out, the Dutchmen proceeded to draw up what might have been the textbook definition of an A-C march coming out of the recess.

Just like in the first half, even despite finding themselves staring down the barrel of third and (fairly) long conversions at times, the Dutchmen continued to stick with what they do best. And wouldn’t you know it, but after a 4^th & 1 sneak courtesy of Cameron Connelly to keep the A-C offense on the field, a rare Dutchmen pass from Connelly to Jonathon Shay not only powered their threat down to the Hamburg 16-yard line,  but it also brought with the idea of A-C potentially taking command as the converted 3^rd & 3 play from Connelly to Shay guided Annville-Cleona down inside prime real estate following the 32-yard reception against the Hamburg D. Then, stop me if you heard this before, but after an 11-yard sprint by Bryce Keller on a 3^rd & 5 play which moved A-C down to the 1-yard line, yet another successful third down conversion, this of the 3-yard variety, was good for six up on the scoreboard as the short QB keeper from Cameron Connelly netted A-C another touchdown as the guests saw their lead swell to a 21-7 count with nearly half the third quarter being taken away from Hamburg given the 6:06 left to go in the frame.

Speaking of taking away, that’s precisely what the Dutchmen’s defense did their next time out on the field too.

Sure, while Hamburg’s offense had largely been stalled for most of the night –not exactly due to their own shortcomings mind you given Annville-Cleona’s sheer domination in the time of possession category—it wasn’t as if the Hawks’ lacked the propensity for the big play. For proof of that, look no further than a 32-yard bomb from Tyler Shuey to Cohen Correll as the long hookup moved Hamburg out of the shadow of their own goalposts and onto the Dutchmen’s side of the field at the 48-yard line. However, speaking of the big play capabilities, Cael Harter came up with one of his own from the defensive back position later in the Hamburg series as the 5’8 senior snared an errant Hawks’ pass on a 3^rd & 13 attempt to not only thwart a Hamburg threat, but his interception also helped to pave the way for what was surely going to be a long, time-churning offensive onslaught from A-C offensively upcoming.

Yet while the worst kept secret on this night was what Annville-Cleona intended to do in terms of an offensive scheme, the occasional pass proved essential when the Dutchmen brought it out of the playbook. Case in point, a massive 3^rd& 8 conversion that ended in Jonathon Shay breaking what felt like countless would-be Hamburg tackles as the 19-yard connection through the air propelled the houseguests down to the opposition’s 25-yard line. Sure enough, while then going back to the option of trench warfare, A-C was able to bleed the final few minutes and change off the third quarter clock once and for all while also possessing the 21-7 lead with just a dozen minutes left to go.

Well, A-C needed all of four seconds once inside the final quarter to make it a 21-point difference on the whole as it turned out.

Yes, while staring down another third down attempt, this one specifically being 3^rd & Goal at the Hamburg 6, a 6-yard touchdown gallop across the chalk from Bryce Keller seemed to put this one out of reach following Mina Elzek’s fourth successful PAT of the picture-perfect evening as A-C found itself out in front by a 28-7 count with 11:56 still to go.

If ever the Hamburg offense was going to replicate some of those same vibes they were able to demonstrate on their final drive of the opening half, surely now would be a time befitting the occasion. And to their credit, the Hawks were indeed able to exercise some of their recent demons on this night as the hosts methodically moved down the field against A-C’s defensive unit. In fact, courtesy of a nice dose of run and pass plays sprinkled in, Hamburg eventually found themselves residing at the A-C 10-yard line on the heels of a nice quarterback draw play called for Shuey. From there, a pop pass from Shuey to a streaking Ty Werley hard-charging down the line picked up eight additional yards with the Hawks now sitting at A-C’s 2-yard line.

However, even despite their backs being up against the wall with the thought of Hamburg potentially tallying a game-continuing score as it were with time starting to tick down, Annville-Cleona’s D was to challenge and then some.

In terms of specifics, the Hawks would be able to only net one additional yard over the course of the next few plays as a back-breaking goal line stand was punctuated by all 11 found roaming on the defensive side of the ball from A-C as Hamburg was formally turned away following a failed 4^th & Goal try which awarded the ball back to the Annville-Cleona offense with just nine minutes left to go from there.

And while this drive wouldn’t net in points, it could nonetheless be deemed a success of sorts given that it chewed up an additional five minutes of gameplay.

But by that point, even though Hamburg would try their darndest to try and muster a scoring threat to try and extend the game as best they possibly could, the damage exerted over the course of the 33 minutes plus in which the Dutchmen possessed the football in this game proved to more than enough once the final gun was fired as Annville-Cleona picked up which hyperbole or not, may just end up saving their season considering how it was largely an emphatic 28-7 final count awarded in their favor against Hamburg when they absolutely had to have it.

In fact, it was such an impressive performance that it seemed to even catch those who know the team best a little off guard.

“How about that?” A-C head coach Matt Gingrich asked out loud after sending his players back to the locker room to get dressed and travel back home as if to be in a bit of bewilderment himself considering what his troops had just done out on the field. “I was really concerned after the last two weeks about what was going to happen the rest of the year just because we were so flat and there’s no Alex Long, there’s no Gavin Keller, there’s none of those old kids,” Gingrich admitted candidly while alluding to the last two outings which resulted in L’s. “This week, the kids did a great job. Shoot, then on Wednesday this week, our starting middle linebacker breaks his foot just running, and didn’t touch anyone. So yeah, I was super concerned about the progress of this team moving forward.”

Okay, fair point, but in just taking the last few quarters within a vacuum, it seems as if Annville-Cleona is finally putting the pieces back together when it comes to resembling their old selves.

“In our last game against Littlestown, we won the second half 14-0. (His players) came out, hair on fire, loud and boisterous, and carried it with. The last six quarters now, we’re 42-7,” Coach G was quick to point out. “If they play with that type of heart, we have the chance to at least be competitive. For that, I was just ecstatic.”

As mentioned though, aside from the black-and-white stats and the game tape that will come from the actual football side of things in this one, the mental fortitude displayed by those in Dutchmen camp this week needs to most certainly be recognized and appreciated.

“I would say that any coach that has been doing it this long is a psychologist more than a coach,” a quasi-Dr. Gingrich stated. “I love these kids to death. I yell at them, I hug them. I was doing all of that, but I just couldn’t seem to get to them. Then I realized they were so far in their own heads that I can’t get to them until they let me get to them,” he continued. “We did switch the game plan a little. We didn’t run many things. Normally we run triple option and we did not. We hunkered down and just tried to ground and pound. Everyone is going to say, ‘Oh you ground and pound all the time,’ but we didn’t look to even pitch the ball. We didn’t do any of that. We were just keeping it inside the tackles…This was the first game this year where I got in rhythm calling plays,” said Gingrich. “I tell (his players) all the time, I can’t call a play until you execute it. Not to say that we can’t run the play well, but if you execute your blocks, then I can see what the defense is doing. Today, we blocked really well.”

To put it mildly, for everything that Annville-Cleona had gone through over the course of the last two weeks, this game against Hamburg was one where all the chips were getting pushed to the center of the table whether they wanted to or not. Well, ante up.

“I did not tell the kids, didn’t tell them all week, but as we started the game, I said, ‘We’re going to win this game, or we’re going to lose it. I’m not going to go in between.’ So, we went for it on every fourth down. We went for it all the time. I was not going to punt. I didn’t care about any of that,” Gingrich said. “That’s more of a mindset for (his players) like, ‘Hey, we’re going to play.’ I think that paid off. I think they started realizing that and coming over saying we can do this.”

“This is a huge win,” Gingrich remarked in closing with not many souls left remaining on Hawk Hill at the time late on Friday night. “This might be one of the bigger wins in our program just in the sense of the last two weeks. My wife does not like me right now, nor does anyone near me, but they’ll like me tonight,” said Gingrich with a touch of his trademark dry humor. “The key then as big as this win is if there’s no growth from here, and I’m a Michael Jordan guy, so if this is the ceiling and not the floor moving forward, then it’s pointless.”

NEXT UP: In the afterglow of this potentially tectonic plate-altering victory within Section Five that went in Annville-Cleona’s favor this week, A-C will ready themselves for a date with the Columbia Crimson Tide next Friday night for what will be the finale of a four-game road swing before returning home to scoop up what they hope amounts to another divisional win once Kutztown comes calling on the 29^th before setting the table for what may very likely prove to be Section Five’s first headline matchup of the season when A-C ventures into Lancaster city to match up with the prohibitive favorite, Lancaster Catholic, as the Crusaders find themselves with ownership of a perfect 4-0 at the moment without largely being threatened based upon margin of victories.

On the Hamburg side, this setback will undoubtedly sting for a while given how it was so atypical from what the Hawks had put forth over the course of the initial three weeks of the campaign. But if we have learned one thing since the inception of the mega L-L/Berks merger that began last season, perhaps there is no division that has seen its residents benefit more in terms of competition and in turn potential long-term momentum than those programs found down in Section Five. And there is arguably no greater example of that than the Hamburg Hawks. Rest assured, a loss against Annville-Cleona or not, this has all the makings of a program that will find sturdy footing over the long haul provided that this current format remains in place. With that in mind, don’t be surprised to see the Hawks get right against Kutztown next weekend before getting their first crack against those aforementioned Crusaders on the 29th when Lancaster Catholic ventures all the way up to Hawk Hill for a key matchup. Needless to say, things appear to be going in the right direction up in the nether regions of Berks County for the red and white these days in the grand scheme of things.

Full disclosure here. We know this is a space solely dedicated to pigskin. But if you’re a fan of the high school sports scene in and around the Lancaster-Lebanon League, the truth of the matter is that if we get Cedar Crest and Warwick going against one another on the hardwood this winter in the league championship game, don’t be all that surprised considering both will be entering this coming season with some of the best odds of making it to that grand finale provided that Vegas had a vested interest in scholastic sports in central Pennsylvania. Now why do we make mention of a purely hypothetical matchup in an entirely different sport almost five months from now in this arena? Why because both rosters feature a bevy of multi-sport talent, but especially in football, at some of the most key positions no less. And in terms of both the Falcons’ and Warriors’ shared seasons exhibited on the gridiron thus far heading into Week 3 of the 2023 season, both Cedar Crest and Warwick had interesting narratives.

For the blue and white hailing from Lebanon County, Cedar Crest has turned in quite an impressive resume for themselves over the course of the first weeks of the season. Suppose it’s hard to find much of an argument to the thesis however when you turn in a pair of outings that end in you not only going 2-0 out of the chute, but also by a combined 57-7 clip against the likes of Philadelphia’s Northeast High and CD East out of the Mid-Penn for your first two opponents. Suffice to say, without putting the cart before the horse of course, but the Falcons certainly appear to be positioning themselves into a pesky foe that no one inside the ranks of L-L Section One will want to tangle with over the course of the next half dozen weeks provided they continue looking like this.

On the other sideline, it’s been a bit of a rollercoaster ride for Warwick quite frankly. For the high, the Warriors prevailed in a white-knuckle 17-14 affair back on opening night against a Cocalico ballclub not only fresh off an appearance in 5A state semifinals one year ago, but it was also an Eagles’ crew with a freshly minted Top 5 state ranking by some publications to start of 2023 as well. For the low, that came last week not only did the Warriors slip up against backyard rival Ephrata in back-to-back years for the first time in over two decades, but they did so on their home turf while also failing to crack the scoreboard as the Mounts left with the George Male Trophy in tow from Lititz last Friday night in 14-0 fashion.

So, call it what you will, but this week’s matchup between two teams coming in riding on completely different wavelengths left no shortage of storylines in ample supply. As it turned out, however, the ones we thought we had initially somehow paled in comparison to what would take place in actuality. Shoot, even Mother Nature felt the need to get in on the act herself.

On Friday night, with oodles of games taking place nearby either falling victim to being delayed or postponed completely, Cedar Crest and Warwick tried their best to dodge the lightning bolts and get things rolling. And for a moment, the plan appeared to be working.

Granted, despite a late start courtesy of the literal electricity in the air, the game did eventually kick-off. And after a trifecta of Cedar Crest first downs to begin the evening that came in the form of tosses from Falcons’ junior QB Jackson Custer to Aidan Schomp and Logan Oriel respectively along with Custer using his wheels to move the chains for the third of the bunch, Crest’s early mojo was halted just as quickly as it began as Friday night’s action was shelved for good following another nearby lightning strike not even three full minutes into the opening stanza. As a result, action would pick up bright and early on Saturday morning at 11 am with Cedar Crest resetting the table with a first down at the Warwick 30-yard line.

Now, while there wouldn’t be the need for keeping an eye on the skies on Saturday morning with the threat of severe weather from the night before being eliminated, the weather outside was downright miserable regardless. Simply put, the game would’ve felt more at home had it been played in a greenhouse as opposed to Warwick’s revamped Grosh Field with the combination of abundant sunshine mixing in with oppressive humidity. Nevertheless, Cedar Crest was able to withstand all the early curveballs thrown their way.
Or so it would seem.

Yes, while Jackson Custer would begin Saturday morning’s festivities in front of a sparse crowd that had reassembled itself in the bleachers with a 9-yard gallop on the first play from scrimmage, Warwick’s Care Quinn was able to wipe out the Falcons’ early momentum as the junior defensive back snared an interception to successfully extinguish the early Cedar Crest threat.

However, as would quickly become a theme in this sweltering first half, turnovers wouldn’t be hard to find.
Case in point, almost as quickly as had Warwick taken it away they gave it right back as a nice QB hurry turned strip fumble recovery by Cedar Crest’s Cameron Simone awarded the ball right back to the Falcons’ offensive troops thanks to the senior defensive lineman’s handiwork in pushing himself back into the pocket against the offensive line.

This time, the visitors would make good on their newfound prize.
For the honors, Cedar Crest let Fernando Marquez tote the rock which turned out to be a wise decision seeing as how the burly senior running back was able to bully his way into the endzone through would-be Warwick tacklers from seven yards out as Marquez’s TD made it a 6-0 Falcons’ cushion following the missed PAT with 6:15 left in the opening frame.

Then, as far as the remainder of the opening quarter was most concerned, the defenses stole the show.
In fact, both teams’ ensuing offense series would meet quick conclusions given how each ended on third down on a pair of sacks registered by either club in the form of Malachi Victor from Cedar Crest and Aiden Richey from Warwick getting the nod respectively. And if they weren’t ending drives in the traditional sense, the Falcons were more than comfortable doing so in a much greedier fashion, such as the case when senior DB Leo Tirado was able to highpoint an errant Warwick throw and come down with the interception that not only promptly ended a worrisome Warwick advance in Cedar Crest territory following a gutsy Falcons’ fake punt that went awry moments prior, but it also preserved their 6-0 advantage heading into the second twelve minutes.

Whether it be the early wakeup call and/or the aspect of playing in what felt like the Amazon jungle at times, but both sides struggled to get their offenses in gear for the rest of the opening half. In fact, not only did the 6-0 Cedar Crest lead hold firm as both teams retired to their locker rooms for the intermission, but both teams had to trudge into the recess feeling as if the game was there for the taking, even despite a litany of penalties whistled against either side which helped define the narrative of a relatively sloppy first half of play.
In some ways though, it might have seemed at first blush once the third quarter got underway that more of the same would be in store here too. Hard to find much of a counterargument to that considering how both teams saw their initial second-half offensive possessions end in three-and-outs.

However, on their second offensive series, Cedar Crest tried their best to deliver what could have easily felt like a knockout blow to the opposition.

Of course, given how treacherous it seemed for the offenses to try and operate all day long, a little assistance could certainly go a long way. Well, in that regard, the Falcons weren’t about to turn down a back-breaking offsides penalty whistled against Warwick with Cedar Crest facing a 4th & 3 at the Warriors’ 32-yard line. And with their new lease on life as far as this drive was most concerned following Warwick’s ill-timed eagerness, a pair of Jackson Custer to Owen Chernich pitches and catches not only gave the Falcons two more first downs, but it also ushered the ball all the way down to the Warwick 2-yard line. From there, while trying to negotiate past a hard-headed Warwick defensive unit that refused to budge over the course of the next few plays, Cedar Crest eventually found paydirt in the form of a 4-yard touchdown plunge across the chalk courtesy of another battering-ram type back found in Falcons’ backfield, Alex Abreu, as the senior’s successful tote made it a 13-0 ballgame in the visitors’ favor following Ethan Bowman’s PAT with 2:11 left in the third quarter by that point.

And a baker’s dozen would be exactly where the margin of separation would remain once the third quarter horn blared out as Cedar Crest appeared to be sitting pretty, especially with the Falcons back out on offense to start the final quarter following a quick Warwick three-and-out that ended with another Cedar Crest sack, this one courtesy of senior defensive lineman Tristan Long to help conclude the third quarter festivities.

Needless to say, if ever there was a time for some sort of spark that could potentially ignite the Warriors’ engine, the situation had arrived. But who says turning the key in the ignition must be the offense?

Here, with Cedar Crest inching ever closer to what would have certainly served as a decisive knockout blow given the way in which the Falcons were methodically inching themselves down the field, Warwick found the antidote in the form of a timely interception return by junior linebacker Jackson Shelby who rumbled his way all the way down to the Falcons’ 21-yard line with ball in hand. And while it wasn’t by initial design, the Warriors’ sideline couldn’t have cared any less in the end result as a tipped ball on a 3rd & 10 from Trevor Evans ricocheted off a couple of different hands before eventually wandering into the mitts of Keldyn Loraw as the 21-yard touchdown connection between the pair of Warwick seniors cut the once impressive Cedar Crest cushion down to a manageable 13-7 difference with 8:59 left to play following Tyler Schoffstall’s PAT.

That said, if you can get momentum, you’d be wise to try and keep it. In that regard, Warwick would assuredly pass that test with flying colors.

In fact, even despite all the fits and starts that had beset them up until that point on the day, all of those prior difficulties appeared so much easier to reconcile seeing as another Warwick interception would mean curtains on Cedar Crest’s ensuing offensive possession. Not only that, but this particular INT came complete with all the spoils of a Pick 6 as Warwick sophomore defensive back Bode Madara read his keys and snagged himself a 57-yard interception touchdown return that totally swung momentum in Warwick’s favor had that not already been apparent. However, even with the Warriors rolling downhill right then and there, the door remained open just ajar for Cedar Crest given how the PAT sailed no good, leaving it at a 13-13 stalemate with 5:55 left to play.

But the overall zaniness was only just getting ramped up by that point.

Flash forward to Warwick’s next offensive series after successfully holding Cedar Crest to a punt following the Madara theft. All would appear routine and ordinary with the Warriors being forced to line up for a punt, yes? Well, not exactly.

As if it could not have come at a more unfortunate time as far as the home patrons were most concerned, a high snap over the punter’s head not only meant that Warwick would fail to actually flip the field on the Falcons with time winding down, but it could have also spelled much greater disaster seeing as how the loose pill was ultimately pounced on at the Warwick 8-yard line with just 1:27 left to play and the Cedar Crest offensive troops trotting back onto the field to potentially put the game on ice.

Instead, however, it would be the Falcons’ offense that would be the ones freezing up.

Despite their backs being pushed firmly up against the wall, the Warwick starting defensive unit responded marvelously to the challenge in front of them. In fact, not only did the Warriors’ D fail to give nary a yard over the next couple of plays –despite giving up a touchdown run that was ultimately called back due to a penalty– but a bad snap on Cedar Crest’s potential game-winning field goal try led to a frantic incomplete pass to try and save face that eventually fell onto the blistering hot turf which meant that this wacky and wonky game was fittingly so good that it was going onward to overtime with the score deadlocked at 13-all.

In the first overtime, Warwick would be the one to draw first blood. And remember all the way back to the earlier theme of both these rosters featuring hoopers found all over the field? Well, the Warriors called upon two of their own then and there for an alley-oop play as a 9-yard fade route from Trevor Evans to Thomas Jeanes into the back corner of the endzone gave Warwick their first lead of the contest, 20-13, following another Tyler Schoffstall PAT after the touchdown.

So now, in do-or-die time, it was Cedar Crest who was forced to answer the dinner bell. Fortunately, for those who had come down from Lebanon County on this day, their white-clad heroes would respond in kind on 3rd & Goal as a 4-yard touchdown strike from Custer to Jack Waranavage, a pair of Falcons’ hoopers too if we’re playing along at home, meant that the game would continue onward to a second frame of overtime provided that the PAT would get booted through. And as if to be the epitome of how much of an adventure the day had gone in totality up until that point in almost all facets, a tipped ball on said PAT that then resembled a wounded duck somehow crept itself over the crossbar with just enough juice to make it a 20-20 contest as the Cedar Crest sideline undoubtedly wiped the sweat beads from their collective foreheads not just from the heat, but purely as a sign of relief as well with the battle waging on to overtime numero dos.

In the second session, the Warwick defense would successfully keep the Falcons from protruding from the endzone. As a result, a critical FG try was knocked home pure by Cedar Crest junior kicker Ethan Bowman who made it 23-20 Falcons with the Warriors being the ones to try and end this one right then and there.

And for a brief moment, it appeared as if the home team would indeed conclude the outing on their terms seeing how a nice Andrew McClune run with the rock ushered the Warwick attack right on the precipice of a 2-1 start to the season. However, with the margin for error between these two clubs being nothing if not nonexistent it seemed, that miscues could be fatal. In that regard, an ill-timed unsportsmanlike penalty against Warwick not only took the wind out of the Warriors’ sails by and large, but it more importantly moved the ball back near the 20-yard line for an offense that had struggled to get going all day long by and large. As a result, Warwick would indeed be kept out of the endzone over the course of the next several plays which meant that a freshman would be the one tasked with keeping the Saturday matinee alive and well. And like a thief in the middle of the night, Warwick’s Tyler Schoffstall responded to the gargantuan task before him in coldblooded fashion as the 5’6 137lb 9th grader showed the moxie of someone well beyond his years by knocking home the game-extending kick through the uprights to make it a 23-23 ballgame as the game careened toward its third OT session with neither side giving an inch in a metaphorical sense.

Once inside the third overtime, Warwick’s offense again couldn’t quite find its way to paydirt albeit with the ball starting out on the Falcons’ 10-yard line. And this time, the field goal operation wouldn’t be nearly as successful as a low snap on the try felt eerily similar to Cedar Crest’s attempt all the way back at the end of regulation seeing as how it not only took place in the exact same endzone, but it also led to a frantic scenario that eventually culminated in an incomplete pass and the Warriors coming up with nothing to show for their possession.

Suffice to say, if ever there was a time for Cedar Crest to get on out of here and bid the Warriors adieu, the opportunity in front of them now couldn’t have been served up on a much cleaner silver platter. And after going back to using the tried and true method of “ground and pound” football, the dam eventually burst once and for all as a 2-yard Fernando Marquez touchdown run –yes, one of the top returning guards on the hardwood this season in keeping with the day’s theme if you’re wondering—etched this one into stone as an impromptu Cedar Crest field storming aka bench storming to greet Marquez in the endzone signified the 29-23 final score now emblazoned in the red lights shown on the scoreboard as Cedar Crest kept it’s perfect record alive and well at 3-0 following a gritty, workmanlike, and downright heroic victory to stick with it given all the ebbs and flows that came within those 48+ minutes of play which could have easily tilted the game onto an entirely different axis at various points along the way.

As for the man in charge of it all? While there certainly is plenty to clean and address once he and the brain trust return to the lab this week, it was largely mission accomplished this weekend from the Falcons’ perspective seeing as how it culminated in a 3-0 record by the end of it all.

“Listen, a ton of credit to Warwick. You know they’re going to throw their kitchen sink of blitzes at you. They did. I don’t think they had another blitz they had left. We knew that, but it’s hard to prep for that and be ready for it. They got us rattled a little bit,” Cedar Crest head coach Rob Wildasin candidly admitted postgame while lauding the challenge the now-conquered opponent had brought to the table, or the kitchen table most specifically it would seem given the metaphor used.

“I think we just settled in,” Wildasin continued. “There’s so many things you can look back on and say, ‘We should have won it going away.’ Warwick is going to probably feel the same way. Both teams are going to feel like that. I felt like we had some control of things through the first quarters, but we lost it in the fourth quarter just by shooting ourselves in the foot and then Warwick really had the momentum even throughout overtime until the very end there…I’m on the winning side, but I easily could’ve been on the losing side of this one.”
But how does a team persevere and withstand the peaks and valleys not just of a football game, but a season as a whole? By being nothing but the definition of resilient. And if you’re one of those folks with knowledge of the local high school sports community as mentioned off the top, there is arguably no school overall that epitomizes that in spades better than Cedar Crest. Seems only right that this 2023 edition of the football team has that woven into their fiber too, yes?

“Our kids are tough,” the Falcons’ boss was quick to mention still in the afterglow of victory Saturday afternoon. “They grind. They just grind and they grind, and they grind,” Wildasin went on to say. “We’re never going to be cute and pretty. We don’t want to be. But we will work like crazy. Again, win or loss, I don’t see that changing about us. That’s something I’ll be proud of them forever about.”

And if we’re keeping score at home, let’s not lose sight of the fact that Cedar Crest accomplished its mission over the course of a two-day period, all while being away from the friendly confines of Earl Boltz Stadium at their place back in Cornwall.

“It’s hard being the away team in a situation like that to go home (Friday night) and come back,” said Wildasin. “I don’t want to say that was a factor because I don’t know if it was or think that it was, but it is hard. It’s hard in general. Listen, it’s what you have to do. But isn’t that what you love about football though? Like hey, ‘Let’s go do this.’ That’s part of the reason why I fell in love with the sport is the toughness of it. Not just physically, but mentally.”

“For both teams today, that was a mental grind,” Cedar Crest’s head coach continued while gracious with his time afterward donning a jet-black polo and long pants while continuing to stand on an artificial surface with the heat waves bouncing off of it visibly as if he were standing on some sort of gas stove. “That was a good football game. A tough football game. A lot of lessons to be learned on both sides. I kept waiting for one team to wilt. Didn’t seem to happen did it?”

No Coach, it didn’t, which most certainly serves as a testament to both clubs as you alluded to. But by the end of a good old-fashioned high school football game that seemed to contain just about everything, it would be your team who prevailed over the finish line to get the job done. For that, you enter league play unblemished.

NEXT UP: Following their win over Warwick here this week, Cedar Crest formally enters the Lancaster-Lebanon League Section One picture while toting that 3-0 record when the Falcons welcome Penn Manor to town next Friday night. And provided that Cedar Crest can get past the Comets to move to 4-0, the Falcons will get their first crack at one of the perceived “big boys” found inside the division when they tangle with Wilson back at home on the 22nd which certainly appears to be a tantalizing matchup albeit still two weeks away.
For Warwick, there is next to no time to be had licking wounds or anything of the like in Warriors’ camp. Over the course of the next several weeks, there are arguably few and far between with what appear to be more daunting challenges on the upcoming horizon when you consider that Warwick will face Conestoga Valley next week, a team just one point shy of having a perfect record in their own right thus far, Manheim Central, need we say more? Along with Exeter and Souderton in back-to-back fashions immediately afterward with both the Eagles and Indians owning combined 6-0 records through the season’s first three weeks. However, if they can figure things out and piece together some W’s while also factoring in what looks like a much more favorable slate down the homeward stretch just by initial comparison sake to the naked eye, there’s an opportunity for Warwick to once again reenter the postseason, but with a little of momentum at that.

On Friday night, in stadiums dotting high school campuses dotting all corners both near and far from around the state and every which way in between, hope sprang eternal. It was on this night that the renewal of a time-honored tradition –the high school football season- was ushered into existence for the 2023 calendar year. Now sure, while most everyone was nothing if not totally forward-focused on their upcoming campaign that was now staring right back at them, there were some matchups slated for opening night that would be next to impossible to illustrate had it not been their 2022 encounters. And in the wide world of the District 3 landscape, you’d have a tall task to find many others with a better backstory to rival that of Cumberland Valley and Manheim Township.

Let’s go back for a minute. Well, maybe not a minute. How about 366 days’ worth of minutes instead? There, way back on the opening night of the 2022 season, the Blue Streaks and Eagles waged a memorable skirmish against one another (not the least of which was due in part to the nearly hour-long lightning delay) that ended in a 31-27 final tally awarded in Cumberland Valley’s favor with plenty of twists and turns along the way.

Twists and turns you say? How about getting a second helping of these two 6A mid-state behemoths yet again then come postseason?

Yes, as if their first matchup wasn’t already good enough to stand alone based on its own merits, getting a fresh chance at redemption 77 days later wasn’t an offer anyone found inside Blue Streaks’ camp was willing to pass up on. Or, as they more candidly described it at the time, partaking in the initial leg of the “Revenge Tour.” But if the saying goes that revenge is a dish best-served cold, Township quickly found out that while this assignment may not have been cold in temperature necessarily, it was a chore equally as difficult to slice through as that of an undercooked steak.

In this their second matchup of the year, even more wonkiness was afoot. Granted, while a nighttime lightning delay just 13 days before Thanksgiving certainly would’ve been newsworthy –perhaps even a little alarming quite frankly—the zaniness this time around came in the form of Manheim Township finding themselves inside a 14-point hole, all of which transpired sans the appearance of the Blue Streaks’ offensive troops having taken a single snap from scrimmage yet until that point in the evening.

Suffice to say, Township would more than makeup for lost time throughout the course of the following 42 minutes of play however as the visitors proceeded to ring up 37 points from there on out, including what was certainly on the extremely short list of “Plays of the Year” in all of 2022 with Hayden Johnson’s go-ahead touchdown pass to Landon Kennel with 51 seconds left to play which put MT up for good en route to the final 37-31 decision that night in Mechanicsburg.

So yeah, if that (somewhat) brief synopsis of Cumberland Valley and Manheim Township’s head-to-head battles of the recent past –and we’re not even talking about the 2017 District 3 final either– wasn’t already enough to tantalize the palate, certainly the fact the rubber match between these two marquee brands that had now carried over from last season added just a little bit extra juice and added flavor to this already baked-in headliner matchup of opening weekend 2023 to say the least.

Yet in keeping with the theme of headlines, not only would Manheim Township take those honors this time around, but they would also enjoy the privilege of writing the beginning, middle, and end of this particular narrative.

As with most early-season contests, the initial few series exercised by both teams resembled a bit of a feeling-out process if you will. But after each side took their respective turns at punting the ball away to one another, Manheim Township began their second offensive series of the season at their own 28-yard line with 4:49 left to go in the opening frame and never looked back.

For starters, the drive was sparked by Streaks’ senior triggerman turned Lehigh commit, Hayden Johnson, using his wheels instead of his Picasso-like right arm as Johnson’s 11-yard scamper gave the home-standing Streaks their first bit of actualized momentum. From there, Johnson went back to the air and found his favorite target amongst Township’s embarrassment of riches found at the skill positions, All-State wideout Landon Kennel, as the future Monmouth Hawk hauled in a 21-yard reception from his fellow senior classmate with the Township attack now down at the CV 44 within the blink of an eye. Later, aided by a key pass interference call that moved the chains following a 3rd & 3 play, another third down conversion, this of the more traditional variety, came when Johnson dumped it off to Declan Clancy found wandering out of the backfield as the 9-yard pickup on 3rd & 6 put Township right on the doorstep of drawing first blood. Sure enough, the wait for said incision wouldn’t last very long as a 7-yard dart from Johnson to Kennel made it a 7-0 affair following Hunter Nguyen’s PAT which is precisely where the score remained once the eventual 29 seconds evaporated off the first quarter clock.

But for as much as it may have felt like the first quarter was played in a bit of malaise and overall sleepiness in terms of explosiveness, Manheim Township’s second quarter performance felt more like a rock concert played at full volume.

Truth be told, it couldn’t have started out much louder for the hosts as senior defensive back Nick Palumbo hauled in a magnificent interception on the very first play of the second stanza, allowing the Streaks’ offensive troops to set up shop at their own 33-yard line.

Cue the dynamite.

As is usually the case for Township, Hayden Johnson is the epitome of offensive efficiency. And while “game manager” has become a bit of a curse word in football circles, Manheim Township’s senior quarterback might be the best example of all when it comes to destroying that notion. While consistently taking what the defense gives him, along with rarely making anything resembling an egregious error, Johnson also knows when to take his appropriate shots. Such is the case here on this drive as his 42-yard strike into the mitts of senior wideout Antonio Vazquez quickly ushered the Township attack down to the Eagles’ 25-yard line. And speaking of shots, it was time for another not long thereafter as a 32-yard rope across the middle to Declan Clancy for the score put the Streaks up by a 14-0 count with 10:24 left to go in the opening half.

Then, following two more Cumberland Valley three-and-outs, Township just kept rolling downhill.

This time, however, the task at hand seemed relatively easier following a shanked CV punt which gave Township a fresh drive at the Cumberland Valley 18-yard line. And again, just like on their first scoring drive found earlier in the contest, Hayden Johnson’s legs were oh so valuable as his scramble on a 3rd & 7 technically picked up 14 yards –but it felt closer to that of 50—as his scamper out of danger set the ball within a whisker of the goal line. But while he might’ve come up just short one play prior, his efforts were handsomely rewarded on the very play as his 1-yard QB sneak made it a 21-0 count following Nguyen’s successful third PAT of the evening with 2:17 left before the break.

You say you like two-minute drills? Well, Township has that in their arsenal as well it would appear.

Here, taking over control at their own 29 with just 62 ticks left in the first half, up-tempo was the name of the game. To start it off, Johnson to Kennel promptly picked up 29 yards. Next play, Johnson to Asher Wolfe for 14 yards, and Manheim Township was suddenly on the verge of knocking the door down yet again. That said, Cumberland Valley’s defensive troops would provide some stout resistance over the course of the following few plays as it took Township converting a 4th & 2 attempt to keep this drive alive. For the life-saving efforts specifically, it was a 9-yard Johnson-to-Kennel connection that resuscitated the Streaks. And from there, an absolutely gorgeous 6-yard pitch and catch into the back corner of the endzone between the same duo made it a 27-0 affair following a botched PAT attempt as both teams retired to their respective dressing rooms with Manheim Township having exhibited a magnificent opening 24 minutes.

As it turned out, not even halftime would slow down the Blue Streaks.

In fact, it took Township all of two plays to find the endzone coming out of the break as a 12-yard run by Declan Clancy gave way to Clancy getting involved in the passing game once again as his second TD reception of the evening, this of the 56-yard variety, made it a clean 35-0 Blue Streaks’ cushion following a successful two-point play from Hayden Johnson to Nick Palumbo with not even 40 seconds having left the third quarter clock.

But make no mistake about it, while the Manheim Township offense can help sell the tickets, you simply could not undervalue the work of the Streaks’ defensive unit all night long on Friday by any stretch of the imagination. Ironically, in last season’s District 3 playoff bout between these two where it felt like defense was optional at times, there was no negotiating with Township’s defense this evening. Aided by a swarming assault that never let Cumberland Valley’s offense up for much air with solid efforts put on tape by the likes of Julian Larue, Declan Clancy, and Nick Palumbo to name just a very few, the starting 11 for Township defensively was the sole reason as to why they enjoyed the fruits of a 35-0 advantage heading into the final 12 minutes of play this matchup.

Finally, albeit much too late in terms of affecting the eventual outcome of how this one would play out, Cumberland Valley’s offense found its mojo once inside the final stanza.

Sparked by a 27-yard pass reception from junior quarterback Deagan Rardain to senior receiver Caiden Pines, the Eagles had finally at long last crossed the midfield stripe for the first time in the contest with the ball now resting at the Blue Streaks’ 34-yard line and 9:50 left to be played. And while Township wouldn’t exactly allow CV to hit paydirt by strolling in as they pleased, something best exemplified by a nice tackle courtesy of senior interior lineman Daniel Stroud in particular, an 18-yard jaunt by Bryce Staretz formally moved the Cumberland Valley attack down to the Township 3. From there, Staretz would be bestowed the honors as the Eagles’ senior running back mowed his way in for the 3-yard TD run which made it a 35-6 ballgame with 5:57 left to play as the ensuing PAT operation was snuffed out by the Township defensive crew.

Yet even here, with the end result being nothing more than a formality, Township’s defense continued to cut it loose.

Look no further than a sack tallied senior lineman Raydel Abad-Leon that preceded a subsequent tackle for loss, this one via another senior Streak found in the defensive line room, Alex McCloud, in the waning minutes for brief glimpses on just how dominant performance this was put forth by Manheim Township from kickoff to final buzzer that would end in a 35-6 final triumph over Cumberland Valley once the dust had finally settled on opening night 2023.

To put it mildly, save for the one mishap that came following a PAT inside the second quarter, Friday night was top-to-bottom a thorough performance put forth in all three phases from Manheim Township across the board. Of course, when you have the inherent advantage of having an FCS quarterback at the controls, sleep comes a little bit easier at night when that happens to be your cornerstone.

“Experience,” Manheim Township head coach Mark Evans said afterward when asked about the jump Hayden Johnson has taken just in this offseason alone. “It’s experience. It’s growth. It’s plying his craft. He works at it, and he’s driven,” Evans continued. “He’s an ultra-competitor. He wants perfection. When you have a kid like that, you really don’t have to do a lot because he’s harder on himself than we are.” That said, it’d be hard to find many cavities in a 23-26 performance that included five touchdowns –four of the throwing variety—to go along with what was also a devilishly undervalued punting performance put forth by Johnson on this night as well.

But as in the case of the ultimate team sport, one man cannot do it alone. It takes all 11 clicking at the same time to make the engine go. As an entire ensemble, Coach Evans has labeled this 2023 crew with the acronym of “T.O.P.”

“We have the talent. We have to maximize the opportunities in front of us. And most importantly, we have to continue to press on,” the Streaks’ boss said in describing the mantra. “Right now, that’s great. Go celebrate and enjoy the win, but we’re only as good as our next game. Have fun with it, and make good decisions, but come back tomorrow and be ready to work. We’ll be in the weight room at 8 am doing all that stuff and I think those things are what’s required as you want to go from good to great. We know we have a good team, and that’s not to sound arrogant or immodest, but we have to continue to do work if we want to pursue that greatness. Let’s chase greatness.”

NEXT UP: From here, Township will take their show on the road when they renew acquaintances with Dallastown next week, a team that gave defending Lancaster-Lebanon Section One champion Hempfield all they could handle on Friday night, before falling by a 16-14 count. If you’re looking for a headline to watch in that Week 2 battle taking place over in York County, keep an eye on how this stubborn Township D tries to keep a lid on Dallastown junior wide receiver Michael Scott, an intriguing prospect who is already on the radar of some notable Power 5 schools.
For Cumberland Valley on the other hand, it’s back to the drawing board come their date next week against Central York before diving head-first into the bed of nails that is the Mid-Penn Commonwealth come divisional play later in the season. And given that the Eagles had just gone up against arguably the top offense in the L-L League in Manheim Township, there may be no greater litmus test for their adventure next week against a Panthers crew that put up 45 points in a 45-35 duel against Central Dauphin on opening night.

Undeniably, one of the most fun and unique parts about this weekend in particular –the weekend that is the semifinal and final rounds of four of the six classes in the District 3 ranks – is that tantalizing matchups would likely abound given the sheer breadth of high-quality high school football volume that the mid-state has to offer. Well, maybe not necessarily in the 5A realm most specifically.

No, not to intimate in the least that Friday night’s matchup between Cocalico and Solanco would be a battle waged between two clubs that were not of high quality, but rather that this had strictly local flavor. Lancaster County flavor to be precise.

It’s funny in some ways. For years, Solanco and Cocalico were divisional playmates that could be found competing against one another while inside the same section of the Lancaster-Lebanon League. Sure, but that was before this year’s mega-merger between the L-L and the Berks leagues morphed into a gargantuan hodgepodge of 37 teams with some classic matchups going by the wayside all in the name of change. Ironically though, not even a change in scenery could keep these two squads –arguably the two most infamous Lancaster County football programs that feature a doctorate-level course in running a variation of the triple option – away from one another this year either as Solanco by way of Section Three was able to best Cocalico by way of Section Four to the tune of a 21-7 final triumph way back in Week 2 of the 2022 campaign.

And while the Golden Mules largely figured to be the prohibitive preseason darling to eventually emerge out of that pack from within Section Three, especially aided and abetted by what must feel like the entire male portion of the student body’s senior class occupying a spot on the school’s varsity football roster, that triumph over Cocalico would only be a precursor of things, namely in the form of wins, yet to come this season.

To be sure, Solanco has done a lot of winning this season. Like, literally nothing but winning. So much so in fact that the Mules ran the table throughout the regular season, finishing with a perfect 10-0 record to their name, all of which helped culminate in the eventual #1-seed that rightfully and justly earned in the District 3-5A field heading into postseason play. Now granted, although they were certainly pushed to the brink and then some last Friday night against by a very dangerous eighth-seeded Shippensburg bunch, the Mules’ eventual 42-35 vault against the Greyhounds propelled them into Friday’s Final Four against their old pals by way of Denver.

You know, this isn’t exactly rarefied air here for Cocalico. Sure, while the seed line may be different –frankly, a lot different from what Eagles’ teams of the recent past have entered the postseason with besides their name – having Cocalico continue to play football up until the week of Thanksgiving and potentially beyond seems just as commonplace as the sun rising in the east and set in the west. Like clockwork, Cocalico is consistently and undeniably one of the premier teams, nay brands, that call the L-L League their home. However, the unspoken birthright of Cocalico eventually slithering its way throughout the regular season and into the playoffs this year certainly felt like anything but a sure thing at times.

Oddly enough, and as strange as it is to type this out loud, the Eagles were dancing right on knife’s edge when it came to playing beyond Week 10 this season, especially heading into their October 14^th matchup against Donegal while sporting a rather unassuming 3-4 record heading into the final quarter pole of the season following a sound 38-14 defeat at the hands of Wyomissing the week prior. Since then, Cocalico has quickly become one of the most dangerous ballclubs on the eastern side of the Susquehanna.

Outscoring the opposition by an average 32-point margin of victory in the final three weeks to finish out the regular season slate, the Eagles were awarded an extremely misleading and equally dangerous #12-seed in the 5A field, quickly putting those around them on notice that this was anything but a ho-hum, ragtag Cinderella outfit to contend with. Case in point, their absolute thrashing of another L-L League foe, Elizabethtown, as the Bears’ loud and boisterous offensive arsenal was reduced to a mere whimper on their home field by virtue of Cocalico’s 42-2 eventual triumph over the #5 seed two weeks ago in the opening round of the 5A bracket. From there, the merry band of road warriors continued with their victorious conquests, taking down the aptly named Gettysburg Warriors last week by a 23-13 final count, all of which helped lay the groundwork for this high stakes semifinal round matchup that while intense, somehow also felt enrobed with a communal football family reunion of sorts between two all-too-familiar foes down in Quarryville on a bone-chilling Friday night.

But if this were to serve as an old-fashioned get-together, rest assured that the guests arrived with nothing but bad intentions.

To say that the defenses reigned supreme in the early going on Friday night would be nothing if not a gross understatement. In fact, each side’s respective staunchness on the defensive side of the line of scrimmage was on display right from the jump as the Solanco defense promptly stiffened on their initial trip out on the field, stymying a Cocalico 4^th & 1 attempt deep inside their own territory which awarded Solanco their first offensive series once they set up shop at the Eagles’ 33-yard line.

Here too though were the Cocalico defensive troops.

Just like their counterparts, the Mules’ first offensive series never got going in good form. Sure enough, after a tackle for loss complied by way of Cocalico defensive mates, Dane Bollinger and Owen Weaver respectively on a 3^rd & 17 play, Solanco was forced to punt it away on their opening drive which allowed Cocalico to go back on offense at their own 33.

Suffice to say, various fourth down stops and eventual punts were the main storyline that encapsulated the first quarter of play as neither team was able to generate a first down for themselves save for the final play from scrimmage inside the first period which bore witness to Cocalico’s Sam Steffey plowing his way forward for a 5-yard pickup which while innocent looking on the surface, proved to be the first bit of blood that either side appeared to draw out of the opposition as the quick-moving first stanza ended in a 0-0 stalemate.

As it turned out, however, the aforementioned first down run picked up by the Eagles’ junior running back may have opened the floodgates after all.

While facing a 3^rd & 8 at the midfield stripe inside the opening moments of the second quarter, Cocalico took to the air with a rare pass attempt which proved to be worth its weight in gold given that quarterback Josh Myer’s 15-yard toss to Dane Bollinger not only allowed the Eagles to move the sticks and get a fresh of downs, it also helped set up their bread and butter –running the football down the opponent’s throat.

True to form, small but noticeable incisions that came courtesy of Steffey’s legs helped to usher the white-clad visitors even further down the field as this drive began to round into form. And while Sam Steffey may have laid the groundwork, his quarterback, sophomore Josh Myer, was there to finish things off with a perfectly-timed delayed draw play on a key 3^rd & 2 which resulted in a 19-yard gainer that put Cocalico right on the precipice of their first score of the evening with the ball now resting at the Mules’ 6-yard line. Then, with the Eagles’ brain trust obviously liking what they just saw on the previous play, Myer was able to call his own number yet again as his 6-yard touchdown run allowed Cocalico to enjoy the 7-0 advantage following a Cole Roos PAT with 7:12 left to play in the opening half.

Not that Solanco’s ensuing offensive drive would exactly be defined as a “do or die” here with not even half the second quarter having expired at that juncture, but certainly coming up with points would be the most advantageous thing that the Mules could do at this particular point in time. Well, it certainly appeared as if they took that message to heart once they regained possession as a prompt 25-yard dash from Solanco senior all-state multi-threat, Elijah Cunningham, on the very first play of the series most assuredly got the Golden Mules’ offense out on the right foot to begin this drive. From there, following Cunningham’s gallop around the right side of the line, another senior in the Solanco rotation, Cole Harris, proceeded to play the role of a battering ram as his persistent, hard-earned chunk plays through the heart of the Cocalico defensive line eventually saw the Mules wind up at the Eagles’ 32-yard line. However, even though they were clearly moving downhill, the Cocalico defense was able to author up another essential defensive stop, eventually holding the Mules on downs coming on the heels of a 4^th & 3 stop courtesy of a timely tackle tallied by way of Cocalico senior two-way lineman, Chuckie Drain.

Fittingly, especially given the way in which both defensive units had performed up until that point in the opening half, it seemed nothing if not apropos for the opening 24 minutes to later run dry in the form of a 7-0 difference, a lead which was possessed by Cocalico.

As they often say, but particularly here with two teams that love to sit on leads if they can obtain them, the opening few minutes of the second half on Friday night would almost certainly prove to be vital in terms of the final outcome. Well, in that respect, Cocalico not only knew but then excelled in the assignment.

In fact, after holding Solanco to a three-and-out coming out of the halftime recess, the Eagles went right back to work at their own 42-yard line and just kept hammering away. Case in point, a pair of Josh Myer quarterback runs which allowed them to cross into Mules’ territory, the last of which came following a third-down conversion, as Cocalico found themselves residing on the Solanco 41-yard line. Then, with the dam appearing to break just so, a 37-yard scamper by Sam Steffey suddenly moved the Cocalico attack down to the Solanco 14-yard line following the junior’s run around the right side. From there, Steffey was able to reap the fruits of his earlier labor as his 12-yard touchdown run made it a 13-0 cushion in the Eagles’ favor after the PAT was blocked with 6:37 still left to play in the third frame.

While no one may have known it at the time, that exchange right there would be a harbinger of things yet to unfold.

Sure enough, after holding the potent Solanco offensive attack to yet another brief three-and-out, a one-play would be afoot for the Eagles. Here, with Steffey serving as a surgeon who would slice and incise his way through the Mules’ defense methodically all night long, Cocalico’s good doctor was able to rip off a 45-yard touchdown gallop would seem as it may have broken the Mules’ collective back as the lightning-quick series resulted in a 19-0 advantage in favor of the Eagles after the two-point try was no good, which is exactly where things would remain once the final 4:49 ticked off the third quarter clock.

Once inside the fourth quarter, if Steffey’s earlier touchdown which put the Eagles up by three scores hadn’t been enough to formally close the door at that point, Cocalico would nail it shut for good.

Yet again, with Steffey serving as the Eagles’ feature back, the holes being blown up the Cocalico offensive line only continued to grow larger in size and stature. In fact, the Eagles would proceed to march 65-yards down the field on this drive, all to the tune of plays occurring on the ground, as an eventual 1-yard Josh Myer quarterback touchdown keeper made it a 25-0 contest in favor of the guests with just 5:03 left to play.

Needless to say, the timing was paramount if Solanco had any last tricks up their sleeve to try and conjure up some sort of frantic late-game rally.

In that regard, the Mules were most certainly warm to the fight as a sensational kickoff return by way of junior defensive back, Landon Steele, allowed the Solanco offense to set up shop at the Eagles’ 36-yard line. As it turned out, that would be all the further they would need to travel before cracking that pesky goose egg as a gorgeous 36-yard bomb concocted by the Solanco senior duo of quarterback Brody Mellinger and wideout Elijah Cunningham on the first and only play of the series gave the Golden Mules a glimmer of hope as the difference stood at a 25-8 count following the successful two-point try with 4:46 left to play.

However, the Cocalico offense, mainly Sam Steffey, would arrive on the scene to put any lingering flames out once and for all.

On their ensuing offensive drive following the failed Solanco onsides kick which trickled its way out of bounds, the Eagles went right back to, you guessed it, the ground-and-pound attack.

Here, with the holes only continuing to bubble up even wider and wider, a 29-yard scoot by Steffey quickly ushered the advance down the Solanco 26-yard line. And given the way in which Cocalico had so soundly dominated this entire affair from start to finish in nearly every phase possible –not to mention a first-quarter Aaryn Longenecker 63-yard punt return touchdown which was called back due to a holding penalty – it seemed only fitting that the final punctuation mark on this evening would come in the form of a 6-yard Sam Steffey touchdown plunge, his third TD of the contest, as the #12-seed was able to not only right the wrongs of a 14-point defeat to this same talented Solanco squad that came two months earlier, but it also more importantly awarded them a spot in the District 3-5A title game against Exeter next Friday night by virtue of their 32-8 triumph here over Solanco.

“I thought our defense as a whole was just swarming,” Cocalico head coach Bryan Strohl said afterward in the wake of his team’s emphatic 25-point triumph, a victory that occurred yet again on the road. “When you play a triple-option offense, you have to be sound assignment-wise. I thought our kids did that,” he added. “They watched the film, paying attention to their keys, and we put that practice to work tonight which was really cool to see. The last time we played (Solanco), we only gave up something like 100 yards rushing, but we played so poorly offensively that night that looking back on it, I think I was so frustrated that I didn’t realize how well our defense had played, and they’ve played so well this entire year,” Strohl continued. “There were definitely things that we were afraid of going in, but we trust our kids and they definitely performed.”

Candidly, while those on the outside might be somewhat perplexed to still see a #12-seed not only be alive and kicking at this moment but downright thrashing the opposition heading into championship weekend, those with a keen knowledge of the local high school football landscape should be well aware that Cocalico, especially this 2022 Cocalico crew, is anything but a double-digit seed in actual reality.

“We felt that if we got into the playoffs, we could do something with it,” said Strohl of his camp’s outlook heading into those last few weeks of the regular season. “I don’t know if we quite imagined this, but we’ll see what happens from here on out,” he said with a smile. “We told our kids, ‘The seeds are what they are.’ Look, the four teams we lost to were 37-3 in the regular season. When you play that type of competition, you are going to be better at it. Were we frustrated at times we couldn’t win one of those big games? Yes, but it’s been nice to see these kids win some big games here in the playoffs…Their growth from the beginning of the year, even from mid-season until now, (his team) has started to see some good things happen, have started to believe, and the carryover has been awesome.”

Typically, the start of postseason play brings with it a renewal of sorts. A fresh start if you will. True enough, yes, but maybe that wasn’t exactly the case across the entire board on Friday night when it came time for the onset of the District 3-6A playoffs to get underway. Well, at least for one matchup that is. Instead, the similarities – even down to the conditions that Mother Nature would provide – were nothing if not eerily similar.

You know that phrase, “Absence makes the heart grow fonder?” It’s funny, but if you were to ask that same question to either Cumberland Valley or Manheim Township, not even 77 days apart could let them stay separated from one another any longer. You see, way back on opening night of the season, August 26^th to be exact, the Blue Streaks went west and began their season in earnest with anything but a layup when they found the Eagles waiting there for them on the other sideline that night. And while there has been hundreds of high school football games that have been played since that late August night, you’d be hard-pressed to find a much better contest than the one these two big-school juggernauts put on that would eventually culminate in 31-27 final verdict in favor of Cumberland Valley.

Since then, the idea of a potential rematch between the two in some form or fashion inside the 6A playoff bracket almost seemed preordained to occur.

Sticking with the Streaks for just a moment, following that opening night setback, Manheim Township proceeded to rip off a perfect 3-0 nonconference mark the rest of the way that featured triumphs against the likes of Dallastown, Harrisburg, and Spring-Ford respectively. Ironically then, although the use of the word “ironic” would certainly be up for debate within the Blue Streaks’ camp, the opening night of league play also came with its own share of shortcomings as Township fell just short of their archnemesis, Hempfield, to begin the Lancaster-Lebanon League Section One slate. Since then though, just as they were able to do in the nonleague portion, Manheim Township would then promptly rattle off a winning streak the rest of the way –four games in a row this time to be precise – before a Senior Night loss at home to another rival, Wilson, in the Streaks’ last time out. Simply put, the aspect of a Manheim Township crew marinating in the wake of a rare home loss for the better part of two weeks likely wouldn’t figure to be the most advantageous of situations for the opposition to try and handle.

Try on, Cumberland Valley.

Just like their season-opening playmates, the Eagles’ 2022 campaign featured many of the same mile markers the rest of the way. Chief among them, an unbeaten record against nonconference competition thanks to victories over Central York and hello, what’s this, a common opponent in District 1’s Spring-Ford? Then, just like Township, the Eagles got knocked off their perch early in the divisional season once they stubbed their toe against Harrisburg –the same team that Township was able to vanquish a few weeks earlier – before CV by and large handled the likes of CD East and Chambersburg with relative ease afterward, which preceded a two-game skid against two playoff teams in State College and Carlisle respectively before the Eagles were able to regain their mojo in the final week of the regular season which came courtesy of a 37-6 domination over Altoona on their Senior Night.

Suffice to say, for two teams that share a lot of the same characteristics, enormous suburban-based enrollment with football programs that irrefutably brand names locally, that also claim residency in two rival conferences in the Lancaster-Lebanon League and Mid-Penn Conference, could not have been more on display. So, from opening night of the season to opening night of the postseason, the timing was indeed apropos for Cumberland Valley and Manheim Township to renew acquaintances with one another. Literally, the air that hung above Chapman Field on the outskirts of Mechanicsburg could not have agreed more when you consider that the August 26^th contest featured a lengthy delay while trying to avoid downpours and lightning strikes which, yeah, try and figure this one out, likely would have to be done yet again 13 days shy of Thanksgiving thanks to the remnants of Hurricane Nicole who had traversed her way in from Florida up to the Susquehanna Valley?

And in the end, while the second edition of Cumberland Valley and Manheim Township in 2022 would take on the same familiar script as its predecessor in terms of a thrilling, white-knuckle finish, that was where the comparisons would stop. Instead, this time around, Manheim Township would be the ones to taste the sweet nectar of victory at the end of 48 grueling minutes.

You wouldn’t have suspected that however in terms of how the game began at least.

After receiving the opening kickoff to begin the contest, Cumberland Valley promptly ushered themselves down the field with relative ease on their initial offensive series on Friday night. The one doing the lion’s share of the damage? None other than CV’s bulldozing back, Bryce Staretz, as the Eagles’ junior hammer pounded his way through the interior of the Streaks’ defense with consistent chunks of yardage to get things started for the hosts. Case in point, his 12-yard galivant on a 3^rd & 5 play which advanced the CV attack down to the Blue Streaks’ 31-yard line. From there, that would be all the further the Eagles would have to travel as a beautiful 31-yard touchdown pass lobbed in the thick, humid air by way of Cumberland Valley senior quarterback, Isaac Sines, into the waiting hands of junior wideout, Caiden Pines, made quite the first impression as Sines’ PAT would follow suit to make it a 7-0 Eagles’ advantage just 2:17 into the contest.

Simply put, giving up that initial score wasn’t exactly the most opportune way to start if you were Manheim Township. Well, it quickly went from bad to worse in that respect.

On the ensuing kickoff, while the Streaks appeared to have set themselves up with respectable field position following a nice return, that all became nullified in short order as the ball was wrestled away just prior to the play being called dead with CV in turn falling on the loose pill while simultaneously setting up shop for themselves at the Township 48-yard line.

And on this drive, the Eagles showed off almost all their weaponry from an offensive perspective, dinking and dunking their way down the field in hopes of punching in yet another score.

Sines on a scramble to the Streaks’ 18. Sines finding Pines for a nice flip on the outside flanks to get down to the 9-yard line. Then, a Staretz bowling ball run to get down to the Township 3 was just some of the key plays which helped set the stage. Set the stage for what would amount to a 3-yard Sines touchdown keeper with his PAT added afterwards which made it a 14-0 Cumberland Valley cushion with 6:50 left to play in the opening stanza, all of which took place with the Township offensive unit having yet to take to the field.

Finally, as far as the guests were concerned, that would change once the Streaks returned the ensuing kickoff back to their own 32-yard line to begin their initial series.

Sure, while there were some in the L-L League that may have put up gaudier offensive stats as a whole this season, if there is a short list of offenses that defensive coordinators would prefer to scheme against, rest assured that the one the Blue Streaks’ claim would not land within that group. With Hayden Johnson pulling the strings, this can be the most lethal of the entire bunch. Turns out, Cumberland Valley would soon see why.

Needing a spark, the Blue Streaks’ quarterback did exactly that, finding a wide-open Asher Wolfe running unabated down the seam, as the 43-yard hookup between the junior tandem rolled Township all the way down to the Eagles’ 20-yard line within a flash. And while Township would have certainly wanted to cross the goal line, points of any kind were at a premium here, yes, albeit with much of the contest still left to be played. So, following a gang sack tallied by Cumberland Valley defensively on a 3^rd & 6 at the CV 16, the Streaks sent out junior kicker, Hunter Nguyen, who promptly delivered for his troops with a 35-yard boot through the uprights which made it a 14-3 affair in favor of Cumberland Valley with 3:19 still left in the first.

Granted, while not even nine minutes had gone by at this point, if there had been one prevailing theme that had seemed to emerge thus far, it was most certainly that Cumberland Valley’s offense could do whatever it wanted to give the output of their first two drives. And while this drive too would begin in similar fashion, it was evident that Manheim Township junior, Eli Rodriguez, had more than enough of that to stomach as the Streaks’ linebacker stormed his way through the Cumberland Valley offensive line and blew up the quarterback/running back mesh point, forcing a fumble recovery which culminated in a Township recovery right near the midfield stripe with the opening quarter ending soon thereafter with CV maintaining their 11-point cushion once all was said and done.

Like their previous offensive series, Manheim Township only continued to play downhill following their aforementioned theft courtesy of Rodriguez, picking up chunks of yardage at a time. For that, look to a key 3^rd & 2 conversion at the CV 13 which resulted in a Johnson scamper down to the Eagles’ 2 with Johnson proceeding to call his own number right then and there on the very next play as his 2-yard sneak for a touchdown clipped the CV lead down to four following at Nguyen PAT, 14-10, with 10:31 left in the opening half.

But they weren’t done there.

Finally, forcing a timely three-and-out of Cumberland Valley on the Eagles’ next series, Township went back to work while beginning the proceedings at their own 32-yard line.

Another drive is more precise incisions.

An 8-yard pass from Johnson to Nick Palumbo on a 3^rd & 4 to move the sticks. A 10-yard pass from Johnson to Antonio Vasquez to get down to the Cumberland Valley 31. A 7-yard rush up in the middle by Declan Clancy ushered the march down to the 18-yard line. As one can tell but just this snippet of plays alone, it was a series of methodical papercut-like moves which was the DNA of this Manheim Township drive. And to cap the 68-yard drive off once and for all? A 1-yard touchdown sneak by Hayden Johnson, his second in as many drives, as Township had rattled off 17 straight points to surge in front, 17-14, with 3:42 still left before halftime.

That Cumberland Valley offense? Yeah, while they may have been stymied last time out with a quick series, they too contain more than enough ammunition that can put even the stiffest of defenses on edge. On their ensuing drive, CV would push the Streaks over that proverbial edge once again.

While starting off at your own 9-yard line may not be the most advantageous way to try and make a living, a quick dart from Sines to Pines in the form of an 11-yard pickup on the first play of the series not only moved the sticks, but it also put a pep back in the Eagles’ collective step. And hey, not even staring down the barrel of a 3^rd & 6 did much in deterring CV either as a 22-yard hookup from Sines to Pines on that very play had the ball now resting on the Eagles’ 46-yard line. Then, following passes caught by Griffin Huffman, two by Tzuriel Ogunnnaike, and another to J.D Hunter, Cumberland Valley looked up and saw themselves at the Township 17. Ultimately, in the most fitting of ways possible, the maestro of it all, Isaac Sines, was able to offer the punctuation on this impressive series as the senior’s 6-yard touchdown run handed Cumberland Valley the crucial go-ahead, momentum-shifting score just 14 seconds before the intermission, as CV trotted off into the dressing room with ownership of the 21-17 lead.

That said, if Township’s first drive of the second half was to serve as any sort of indication, a microcosm of the entire night if you will, rest assured it meant that the Blue Streaks would refuse to blink.

Coming out of the recess, the Streaks suddenly found themselves eye-to-eye with a 3^rd & 6 at their own 32 to begin the third frame. No matter when you have Hayden Johnson behind center, arguably the most efficient quarterback in the mid-state, continuing to sling the ball all around the yard. Here too in this very instance as his 6-yard find to another junior, Antonio Vasquez, was just enough to move the sticks, allowing the Township drive to continue onward. Yet again, Johnson continued to remain white-hot with his dimes. First, a pass to, you guessed it, yet another junior, Landon Kennel, which gave the Blue Streaks another fresh set of downs. But the dinks and dunks morphed into nuclear bombs right then and there as a 46-yard toss all the way down to the Cumberland Valley 5-yard line hauled in by, one more 11^th grader, Nick Palumbo, put the Streaks on the precipice on going back on top. Turns out they wouldn’t have to wait long for that dream to come to fruition as a 3-yard touchdown plunge from Hayden Johnson, his third rushing TD of the contest, put Township back in front, 23-21, as the PAT was blocked with 7:39 left to play in the third.

At this point, if it wasn’t already clear enough, there was a heavyweight fight brewing between two worthy combatants facing off in the ring with one another. And while Township hit CV across the chin to start the third, the Eagles would immediately give their guests an uppercut right back.

Similar to their very first drive of the ballgame, Cumberland Valley began their initial series of the third quarter on their own side of the field, albeit 10 yards further back in this instance, before starting things off in earnest. For that, leaning on the legs of Bryce Staretz is certainly a good place to start, such as the case when the Eagles’ powerful back helped move the chains on a 3^rd & 1 play to get the ball past the emblazoned CV logo painted at the 50-yard line and into Manheim Township territory. From there, another successful third down conversion, this of the 3^rd & 8 variety, permitted the CV offense to remain on the field as a 12-yard toss from Isaac Sines to Griffin Huffman got the Eagles down to the Streaks’ 33. Then, Cumberland Valley needed to travel just five yards further before a 28-yard pitch and catch touchdown from the senior duo of Isaac Sines to J.D Hunter resulted in a timely Eagles’ score as Sines’ PAT made it 28-23 in favor which is where things would remain once the final 1:55 evaporated from the third quarter clock.

The fourth quarter? That should’ve come with a seat belt.

After forcing Township to punt on their series following the Sines to Hunter score, the Eagles appeared to be in business with their offense continuing to hum along at a rapid clip. Of course, it doesn’t hurt if you can get assistance in other areas, such as the case when Manheim Township was flagged for defensive pass interference on a 3^rd & 4 play, allowing the Eagles’ O to remain on the field.

However, the laundry gods giveth and taketh away.

Despite finding themselves on the precipice of cracking into the Manheim Township redzone, an ill-timed holding penalty whistled against Cumberland Valley amounted to a key 20-yard walk-off, ultimately forcing the Eagles into facing a 3^rd & 25 attempt shortly thereafter with the ball resting at the Streaks’ 45-yard line. And while a 15-yard pass from Sines to Hunter led to a 4^th & 10 try, a Sines scramble out of the pocket cruelly came just one yard shy of keeping the drive alive for Cumberland Valley, allowing Manheim Township to trot onto the field at their own 21-yard line with 6:51 left to play.

That’s when Manheim Township made a move.

Despite holding Cumberland Valley on downs just a moment earlier, it wasn’t all smooth sailing for the Blue Streaks following the change in possession. No, especially not when you consider that Township quickly found themselves up against a 3^rd & 4 attempt at their own 27. But the visitors would have a rebuttal for that as well, a 21-yard hookup on said play from Johnson to Ethan Dansereau, propelling Manheim Township just two yards shy of the midfield stripe. From there, Township opted to go away from hitting singles and doubles and went for the jugular. It would prove to be a wise decision in that respect as a 47-yard touchdown grab hauled in by Nick Palumbo running down the Eagles’ sideline gave the Streaks the slimmest of cushions, 29-28, following Hunter Nguyen’s PAT with 4:54 still left to play.

Your turn, Cumberland Valley.

Like their opposition, the Eagles would also refuse to flinch in the face of adversity all night long. For proof of that, look no further than a pair of key third down conversions on Cumberland Valley’s ensuing offensive series — all of which came courtesy of Isaac Sines’ handiwork, first in the form of a 10-yard throw on a 3^rd & 3 along with a 25-yard scramble on a 3^rd & 7 — to help get inside Township territory. And while their final third down conversion on this drive would ultimately fall by the wayside in the form of an incomplete pass, Cumberland Valley’s MVP was more than up for the challenge in his other role, specialist, as Isaac Sines’ 39-yard field goal attempt was not only tough as nails, but it also, more importantly, gave the lead right back to Cumberland Valley, 31-29, with just 1:42 left to play.

As far as the history books will show for posterity purposes, it was a 69-yard drive with 1:38 left on the clock.

That was the assignment still left in front of Manheim Township once the Streaks regained control while operating with that two-point deficit. First, assistance in any form would be most accepted in trying to achieve the task at hand. For that reason, the Blue Streaks gladly accepted the defensive holding call whistled against Cumberland Valley in the early stages of the drive, a penalty which helped Township gather their feet and settle down just a bit. Speaking of feet, as he had done all night long up until that point, Hayden Johnson’s wheels continued to remain on display as his scramble shortly thereafter moved the ball to the Cumberland Valley 45-yard line. From there, a pass on the outside to Asher Wolfe promptly put the ball on the 32-yard line.

In terms of Manheim Township’s football history, it remains unclear as to where this next play ranks in the annals. After all, this is a program not devoid of successes that coincidently won a district championship — against Cumberland Valley no less – just six years ago in thrilling, late-game fashion. Okay, aside from trying to figure out the numerical order as far as where it would rank, perhaps a name alone to describe it will suffice. How about it gets referred to as “The Catch”?

With momentum clearly residing on the Township sideline at this point in time, it almost seemed to be a matter of when, not if, the Streaks would find the endzone. Here. Right here they would.

With Hayden Johnson rolling out to his right to get a better view of things downfield, he saw his trusty target, Landon Kennel on a go route while engaged in a fierce one-on-one battle with a Cumberland Valley corner.

Keyword there, is trust.

And once Johnson saw what he wanted to see before chucking the ball downfield, Kennel proceeded to rise up and take the 50/50 ball all his own, ripping it away from the defender’s clutches, not to mention while also getting his feet down inside the pylon as well, as the frontrunner for Play of the Year nominee in L-L League football made it a 37-31 Manheim Township advantage following Johnson’s two-point conversion run in the immediate aftermath with just 51 seconds left to play.

Way more than enough time for Cumberland Valley to try and muster something up.

The downside to Kennel’s score from the Manheim Township angle? That it was apparently so exciting that the sideline couldn’t contain itself which in turn led to the Streaks being whistled for an unsportsmanlike penalty to would be administered on the kickoff which helped ultimately lead to the Eagles setting up shop at their own 39-yard line one final time.

First big play, Sines to Hunter down to the Township 46. Second big play, Sines to Hunter down to the Township 35. Third big play, Sines to Staretz down to the Township 27. Fourth big play, Sines eluding pressuring and running out of the pocket with a crucial scamper down to the Township 16. Simply put, without much of a sweat all things considered, Cumberland Valley was already knocking on the door for a walk-off victory inside the final minute. Those aspirations seemed all but a given once a Sines fired off another completion that came to within a whisker of the goal line. However, unfortunately as far as those residing in the home stands were concerned, the prolonged play had its downsides considering that the Eagles were tagged with a critical ineligible man downfield penalty, moving the proceedings all the way back to the Township 21-yard line with just three seconds left to go. And while Cumberland Valley would have one final go of it, the final play of the contest ended in a defensive rejection swatted down in the endzone by the Township secondary, ironically by Landon Kennel no less, as Manheim Township earned the right to be the last team standing in a 37-31 thriller over a fantastic Cumberland Valley crew in the opening round of the District 3-6A playoffs that will surely be recanted for years to come.

“Our kids never wavered. Our perseverance was incredible,” Manheim Township head coach Mark Evans said proudly after addressing his squad in the postgame scrum following the heart-stopper. “Our leadership was solid. We just kept chipping away and chipping away. That was a great high school football game.”

Part of the reason as to why he likely felt like it was such a memorable contest? Surely due to the fact that it featured courageous moments and mental fortitude displayed by both sides throughout, but especially his own following the early 14-0 hole they found themselves in before even beginning an offensive possession.

“Not all. Not with this group,” Evans said when asked if the early two-touchdown deficit led to some worrying glances on the Streaks’ sideline early on. “I’ve been around a lot of guys that would’ve folded, packed it in, but this group was down 10-0 to (Cumberland Valley) in Week 1 and never wavered. We just didn’t know how to play to win at that point. That’s what our message was at halftime. Playing to win, not playing not to lose. In the second half last time we played them, our kids in the fourth quarter started playing not to lose rather than playing to win. That was the message all week long as well. Our leadership and our experience had to be the difference makers. It was.”

Speaking of difference makers, hard to do much better than what Landon Kennel offered up with the game hanging in the balance on this night. However, don’t find fault if even he too was struggling to recall precisely everything surrounding the whirlwind moment that was the magnificent final catch for the go-ahead score.

“I had a go route and I saw (Hayden Johnson) rolling out. I know my quarterback has all the trust in the world in me. I knew he was going to throw it,” Kennel said of the snapshots leading up to his game-winning snag. “Honestly, I’m in awe. I’m in shock. I kind of forget what happened,” he added candidly.

So, what does it all mean? It means Hempfield vs Manheim Township Part II in the District 3-6A semifinal round. And if you’re wondering, both the players and coaches have a unified front in terms of their outlook heading into next Friday night against their biggest rival in Streaks’ camp.

“The retribution tour continues,” said Kennel without a hint of hesitation in his voice. “We just need to move on. Just another game. Gotta stay focused all week.”

As far as the head man? Again, the comparisons, even down to the uses of similes themselves, were plentiful.

“The redemption tour continues,” said Evans. “1-0. That’s all we can do. We also have to act like we’ve done this before. We didn’t do anything tonight but win a football game. We have to keep our heads about us and keep chipping away at this.”

In some ways, it’s almost funny. Yes, for as dynamite as the Week 10 slate across the Lancaster-Lebanon League ended up being considering this week given that it featured games with head-to-head divisional title implications nearly the entire way down the gamut from Sections One thru Five respectively, there was one matchup hiding in the brush that very same week that not many were paying attention to. Funny in the sense then that it had been a headline-stealer for the last two years most specifically.

Over the last two seasons, most every high school football fanatic in the mid-state had been clamoring to see Governor Mifflin and Warwick eventually do battle in what would have been postseason play being that the Berks League and L-L League had yet to formally merge into one at that juncture. In 2020, both the Mustangs and Warriors appeared to have their eventual matchup seem to all but be a certainty with both teams looking on from a distance against one another. Hard to argue too with both teams featuring offenses that were scoring points in bunches against the opposition, not to mention major college football talent found on both of their respective rosters. Suffice to say, the District 3-5A championship bout was shaping up to be one for the books.

Well, that was of course until it wasn’t.

Unfortunately, in the most 2020 of ways possible, a COVID outbreak at Warwick that game week meant that the much-anticipated contest would not only be called off, but perhaps most cruelly of all as far as those with a highly competitive drive on either side would surely admit, Governor Mifflin found themselves prevailing as District 3 champions by way of an unintended measure of a forfeit that was outside of anyone’s collective prevention.

Then, last year, the much-ballyhooed matchup finally came into view albeit a year later.

Granted, while it wouldn’t come in the form of the district title game, a playoff bout nonetheless between Warwick and Governor Mifflin proved memorable regardless in the sense that future Penn State Nittany Lion, Nick Singleton, would gallop for a record-setting 326-yard performance that came complete with seven touchdowns, all of which helped lead to an eventual 63-35 Mustangs’ triumph in Shillington.

However, for as much as Warwick and Governor Mifflin had rightly served as the arguably the most-anticipated game in all of District 3 football here of late, both the Mustangs’ and Warriors’ collective 2022 campaigns have been a bit of a deviation from those recent seasons.

Of course, when starting with Governor Mifflin, losing what many feel was the best high school football player in the United States in the aforementioned Singleton –who is quickly making good on those acclaims in becoming a household name in the multi-billion-dollar industry that is college football – is certainly a good place to start. However, even with he and his fellow senior departures, Governor Mifflin began the year ranked in the top 10 of the statewide rankings by most prognostications given what they had coming back in tow. That said, this year has admittedly been a bit of a struggle despite those preseason accolades as the Mustangs stumbled out of the gate with an 0-2 record before picking up their first win of the season against Boyertown in Week 3, but then proceeding to drop four of their next six contests before entering their regular season finale at Warwick on Friday night.

Speaking of those Warriors, has anyone in the entire state of Pennsylvania had a funkier season that than of the group hailing from Lititz? Hard to argue when you consider that a massive reconstruction project currently underway on the school’s campus along with the worldwide supply chain issues meant that the Warriors would play just two games physically on their home field, and even that miniscule number was up to interpretation heading into the season. However, rather than gripe and complain about their circumstances –surely remembering how just two years ago a championship game was taken out of from under them that not one could have prevented — the Warriors trudged onward and began life on the road this year before finally starting to find their mojo considering that they appeared to be playing their best football of the season heading into the final furlong of the regular season. For that, look no further than their current two-game winning streak which they brought with them into the curtain-closer against Mifflin.

And so, with a rare home game being awarded to them along with all that momentum achieved in their last two outings, surely Warwick wouldn’t let this opportunity pass them by. Well, thanks to good ol’ fashioned complimentary football, the Warriors ended a long and winding 2022 road with a clear and defining statement.

In terms of their initial offensive drive of the contest, things couldn’t have started out much better for the homestanding Warriors had they been given the opportunity to involve their very own scriptwriter into the process. Sure, while there was the initial, curious case of fielding the opening kickoff that almost seemed destined to eventually trickle harmlessly out of bounds which would have given Warwick stellar field position to begin the evening, the men in red had no qualms whatsoever about beginning with it at their own 11-yard line nonetheless.

And the one doing the bulk of the damage? None other than senior quarterback, Jack Reed.

For a player who most opposing defensive coordinators almost surely feel is still operating the controls of the offensive attack in Lititz for what feels like his 17^th-year now, Reed displayed all the intangibles that he has gained with such a litany of experience already under his belt on just Warwick’s first series alone. Case in point, Reed using his legs to elude the oncoming Governor Mifflin pursuit to move the sticks following a 3^rd & 3 pickup on their own 18-yard line, before then following that up with a 23-yard dart across the middle to junior tight end, Thomas Jeanes, on the very next play from scrimmage.

Speaking of third down conversions, those would be plentiful as Warwick’s opening salvo continued to gather steam.

First, a 3^rd & 1 pickup via the work of the Warriors’ offensive line as junior running back, Andrew McClune, was able to give Warwick a fresh set of downs with his jaunt between the tackles which preceded a 3^rd & 6 pickup from Reed to another fellow senior classmate, wideout Andrew Christophel, as the Warriors had suddenly moved their advance all the way down to the Governor Mifflin 36-yard line. From there, with Reed now starting to flash that moxie in terms of dissecting defenses that can only come with years of gained experience, a pair of connections to Christophel once more along with one to yet another senior, Brendon Snyder, suddenly propelled the Warriors down to the Mustangs’ 12-yard line.

And yet even when it may have appeared as if Governor Mifflin had the antidote to what Warwick was currently throwing at them, such as the case when Mustangs’ up-and-comer, sophomore Mykell Ford, tallied himself a sack from defensive line position to help take the wind out of Warwick’s collective sails, Mifflin’s eventual demise on this defensive series would come with yet another successful third down conversion authored by their opponent, Warwick’s fourth of the opening series, as a 3^rd & 9 ultimately ended with points as a 17-yard touchdown dime from Reed to Snyder in the corner of the endzone put the hosts up by a 6-0 count following the PAT being blocked as the Warriors had also been able to gobble up nearly nine minutes of game action with just 3:31 left to play in the opening period following their opening score.

Once the second quarter finally rolled around a short time later, Governor Mifflin was already moving the ball down the field via their primary weapon of choice – the ground and pound game.

Simply put, it was easy to see as to why considering Governor Mifflin senior quarterback, Delsin McNeil, was seen doing his best Houdini impression by eluding defenders in tight spaces throughout the entire evening while running the Mustangs’ option-based offensive attack. Fittingly, with he himself already tabulating the bulk of the visitor’s yards on their initial offensive series of the contest as well –including a 4^th & 1 quarterback sneak to extend the drive along with a scamper down to the Warriors’ 5-yard line not long afterwards – Governor Mifflin finally hit paydirt right then and there as a 5-yard touchdown run by sophomore running back, Travis Jenkins, gave the guests by way of Shillington their first lead of the evening, 7-6, following Jackson School’s PAT with 7:43 left to play in the opening half.

Little did they know it at the time, but that would prove to be Governor Mifflin’s final opportunity playing with a lead for the remainder of the season.

Ironically, for as sound and methodical as Warwick’s opening drive had been, the Warriors’ second foray with the ball was anything but. In fact, following another successful third down conversion, this of the 7-yard variety resulting in a Reed to McClune 40-yard pickup on said play which ushered the hosts down to the Mustangs’ 1-yard line in a flash, McClune was then able to finish out what he had a large hand in helping create as the junior’s 1-yard touchdown plunge on the very next play put Warwick up 13-7 following an Ian Jerchau PAT a mere 1:59 following Mifflin’s previous touchdown.

It would be a lead the Warriors would never relinquish.

But just as their adversaries had done themselves, Governor Mifflin was determined to punch Warwick right back following the Warriors’ go-ahead score moments prior.

Fortunately, as far as the patrons who had made their way over the Berks County line and into Lititz were most concerned, their Mustangs seemed destined to ultimately cross the chalk line themselves given how their ensuing offensive drive following the McClune touchdown seemed to develop. For proof of that, long no further than McNeil proceeding to pick up 16 of the Mustangs’ next 20 yards from scrimmage over the span of the next three plays as Mifflin then found themselves residing on Warwick’s side of the field with the ball now resting on the Warriors’ 40-yard line. And once Governor Mifflin junior fullback, Brandon Jones, was able to cash in on a 3^rd & 3 attempt at Warwick’s 33-yard line, the downhill running attack that the Mustangs love to employ against all comers might as well have served as coaching clinic tape.

Of course, that was before Warwick’s Jack Koons had anything to say about it of course.

With the Mustangs making no bones about how they wished to continue this march in earnest, the Warriors’ junior linebacker opted to take matters into his own hands to try and intervene. It turned out to be a smart decision on his part considering how his timely sack not only put a damper on Mifflin’s consistent body blows, but it also more importantly booted the Mustangs out of field goal territory, eventually helping to lead to a 4^th & 21 attempt for the white-clad guests with the ball now starting to flirt with the midfield stripe. And once the subsequent Mifflin pass on fourth down sailed incomplete, Warwick wisely opted to play it relatively safe inside the final 36 seconds of the opening half as the Warriors would carry a six-point advantage into the locker room by virtue of their ownership of a 13-7 cushion at the intermission.

Suffice to say, being able to score coming out of the halftime recess would be nothing if not optimal for Governor Mifflin once the third frame got underway. Well, as far as the first few plays were concerned, the Mustangs certainly appeared to be up for said proposition.

With Brandon Jones promptly picking up 10 yards at a clip from his fullback position to begin this initial drive for Mifflin, the visitors certainly seemed prime to strike. Well, that was of course until the Warwick defense had a rebuttal to make as a host of Warriors’ defenders surged through the Mifflin offensive line like knives through hot butter on a 4^th & 2 attempt at the Warwick 37-yard line, promptly halting the Mustangs dead in their tracks.

And while Warwick would not be able to generate anything in terms of points following their defensive stop, the Warriors’ offensive unit still had something up their sleeve before the third stanza was over with.

Yet again, just like their opening drive to begin the contest, Warwick’s next scoring march would prominently feature the legs of quarterback Jack Reed once they regained possession at the Governor Mifflin 48-yard line with 2:42 left to tick off the third quarter clock. Case in point, his 14-yard scramble out of the pocket which would usher the hosts down to the 21-yard line, before yet another Reed rush in evading the oncoming Mifflin defensive troops which gave the Warriors a fresh set of downs now inside the Mustangs’ red zone. And while Reed’s running ability helped lay a majority of the concrete to help lay the foundation on this drive, it would be those same skills utilized by backfield mate, Andrew McClune, which would serve as the punctuation as McClune’s 5-yard touchdown gallop upped the Warwick lead to a 19-7 difference which is where things remained just 9 seconds later once the third quarter eventually expired.

By this point, especially given how fast the game clock had been moving all night long, Governor Mifflin needed to score on their ensuing drive following the McClune touchdown should they continue to have any sort of aspirations of being within shouting distance heading into the final few minutes of play. However, those same chances grew exponentially even more slim following yet another Warwick defensive stand on downs which would finish off this ensuing Mustangs’ drive off as well, as Warwick went back out on offense eager to land that knockout punch.

Turns out they wouldn’t have to wait long at all for that TKO.

In fact, it took Warwick all of one play to get the job done as a 63-yard touchdown bomb lobbed over top of the Governor Mifflin secondary following the change in possession from Jack Reed to Brendon Snyder seemed to seal the deal for good as the Warriors’ senior tandem’s second such TD connection on the evening helped to make it a 25-7 Warwick lead following the failed two-point conversion attempt moments later with 8:57 still left to play in the contest.

Yet even with the outcome of the game seeming to serve as nothing but an eventual formality as the game clock continued to churn down even further from there, it was not as if the Warriors’ senior class was done making plays on the Grosh Field turf, especially given that this was their second chance all year long to do so. And perhaps the fitting of ways of possible –especially given the output he had been able to put on display from his wide receiver position on this night— it seemed apropos that Brendon Snyder’s defensive knockdown of a would-be Governor Mifflin touchdown pass in the waning minutes both literally and figurately served as the final death-nail in the Mustangs’ chances to try and rally around one last frantic charge, as the Warwick’s defensive unit so clearly rued the day for the nearly the entire 48 minutes on Friday night, eventually having their earnings translate into a 25-7 final verdict over Governor Mifflin in both team’s respective season finales.

UP NEXT: Simply put, 2022 was the not the season that anyone in and around Governor Mifflin’s camp had hoped, nor expected to see given the seismic highs that the program had been coming off of in just the last few seasons as the Mustangs went on to finish this campaign with a 3-7 overall mark. Okay, fair point perhaps, but if what was put on display on Friday night is to serve as any future indication, Governor Mifflin may not be all that far off in terms of returning up near the top of the divisional heap. Yes, while losing the senior talents of Ayden Martin and Delsin McNeil will certainly leave voids to fill heading into 2023 to name a small few, the stable of backs coming back into the fold next year for Mifflin’s always-potent rushing attack looks nothing if not promising given the likes of Brandon Jones and Travis Jenkins helping to carry the mail, along with a physical mismatch waiting to happen in Nolan Morris on the outside flanks whenever they do choose to put the ball the air. And while those are just a few names of returners who produced on this specific night in Lititz, a quick glance over the Mustangs’ roster which lists scores of underclassmen would lead one to believe that 2022 may be more of an aberration rather than the expectation as a program as proud as Mifflin’s simply won’t be content with continuing to reside near the middle to lower part of the collective pack. Simply put, hopefully those that got their shots in against the Mustangs did so in earnest this season as those windows of opportunities may just as quickly be closing right up.

For Warwick, the year that featured life being almost exclusively out on the road finished off with a bang considering that Friday night’s triumph over Mifflin made it three consecutive wins to end the season for the Warriors. And hey, in terms of those precious home game opportunities, Warwick finished with a perfect 2-0 mark in such outings. But for as weird and wonky as this season had understandably been for the Warriors’ football program, there is surely a sense of comfort that comes along with the offseason narrative heading into 2023 in that it feels like most every other year around these parts. That of course being that no longer is Warwick simply a “flash in the pan” type program. Yes, while there will be graduation losses that they will have to account for yet again –namely fellas like Jack Reed, Brendon Snyder, and Colin Winters as just three examples — the reserves of talent in the Warriors’ pipeline aren’t exactly in short supply either. No, not with guys the likes of Trevor Evans, Andrew McClune, Thomas Jeanes, and Jack Koons entering back into the fold come next season. And when you get right down to it, what more could a program possibly want? Like their counterparts whom they had just vanquished on Friday evening, the bar and overall standard for their program too has so clearly been elevated and raised that anything but an upper-tier finish might be viewed as somewhat of a “down” year. And if that doesn’t help to define progress and success working in tandem with one another, I’m not really sure what does.

When you get to the ninth week of the year come to the marathon — yet somehow also a sprint oddly enough — that is the high school football season, there are almost always storylines aplenty to go around on the slate, regardless of what the matchup between the two opposing sides may be. Granted, while the head-to-head brawls between two teams fighting it out for divisional title supremacy when coupled alongside those contests which feature two clubs fighting tooth and nail to snatch berths into the postseason typically steal the show –and rightfully so in many respects – that not to intimate in the slightest that the so-called “other” games between combatants are not deserving of the same limelight and attention.

Just take this week’s Lancaster-Lebanon League Section Five tussle between Hamburg and Northern Lebanon as example 1A. To bet on either team, sites such as slot gas138 are available.

This season, when the L-L League expanded into the 37-team behemoth that it is today, there figured to be programs that would certainly make a grand ol’ entrance when it came to making a name for themselves and carving out a new identity for their overall brand given the abrupt change in surroundings. And jeez, has anyone else epitomized that better than the Hamburg Hawks this season?

Throughout the first half of the year, it could not only be argued but easily argued in fact, that no scholastic team found inside the entire state of Pennsylvania had been playing a better brand of football than that of the red and white hailing from the intersection of Interstate of 78 and Route 61. Hard to argue too when you consider that not only had Hamburg been able to amass a 5-0 record immediately out of the chute to begin its 2022 campaign, but it had also done so while scoring at an absolutely silly 52 points-per-game clip in the process.

Of course, when you have such a sensational start, you then in turn create big games for yourself as a result. Case in point, the much-anticipated contest in Week 6 this season when Hamburg rolled into Lancaster city to tangle with Lancaster Catholic.

In that game, while Hamburg continued with its torrid offensive output is given their 35 points scored that evening in the Red Rose city, the Hawks simply ran out of time when it came to having a closing rebuttal to the Crusaders’ test once the final gun sounded as the hosts were able to send their guests back to the northern corner of Berks County with a 38-35 defeat that late September night.

But even following that ballyhooed section defeat, Hamburg continued to light up scoreboards in its next two contests which was best evidenced in combined 61-point outings while coming out of said affairs with a 1-1 clip that came in respective defeats of Pequea Valley when coupled with another hard-fought defeat last time out against Schuylkill Valley to the tune of 41-34 final verdict just one week ago. And through it all, as they prepared to dive head-first into its ninth assignment of the year against Northern Lebanon, the Hawks found themselves squarely on the bubble of their District 3-3A playoff chase with a 6-2 mark as they entered the evening while owning the fifth seed in the six-team bracket that will begin in earnest just 14 days from now.

On the opposing sideline, while Northern Lebanon’s postseason dreams and aspirations have gone by the wayside these last couple of weeks for certain, that’s not too in any way suggest that the Vikings were simply “playing out the string” the rest of the way if you will. You see, this is still the beginning of a relatively new era for Vikings’ football up in Fredericksburg.

In terms of starting off your tenure strong, place a giant check mark next to Jason Rice’s name as he and his squad embarked on their initial 2021 campaign with one another just one year ago. After coming off the gates with a head-turning 3-1 overall mark throughout the first four weeks of the year in ‘21, the Vikes did admittedly struggle down the stretch given their subsequent 1-5 record to close the campaign. Yet even with the wins being in relatively short supply down the final furlong of last year, Northern Lebanon was able to receive the football version of a blood transfusion when the Vikings’ overall body of work was deemed good enough for them to receive a precious bid into the District 3 tournament last season.

Suffice to say, there was good reason for optimism heading into 2022. And for a time, those good vibes and overall good juju seemed fitting as the Vikings found themselves on level ground with a 2-2 overall mark near the midway point of this season as well. Since then, however, perhaps eerily similar to 2021, the wins have been hard to come by down the final jaunt here as Northern Lebanon prepared for a dangerous Hamburg club while also having to juggle the ever-present effects of lugging around a four-game losing skid into its home finale as well.

But even still, especially in this instance here with a coaching staff still trying to imprint their idea of a long-sustaining culture which they almost certainly hope is akin to those of the Northern Lebanon teams near the middle to the latter part of the last decade who seemed to make winning section titles feel similar to that a birthright, each and every time out on the field and under the lights is of the utmost importance to grow and build. And hey, what is a better way to show proof that those building blocks are starting to be laid with cement than to throw what would be a heavy wet blanket onto Hamburg’s season while also sending the Vikings’ senior class out with a W on Senior Night?

But as would be readily apparent right from the get-go, the Hawks would prove themselves to be anything but hospitable houseguests.

In fact, Hamburg’s attack began from literally the very first play of the game. There, on the opening kickoff, junior wide receiver, Cohen Correll, ripped off a big return to begin the evening as the guests set up shop at their own 47-yard line. From there, following a long run up the gut of the Vikings’ defense courtesy of sophomore running back, Leland Moore, down to the NL 37-yard line, aided alongside a pass from senior quarterback, Xander Menapace to the aforementioned Correll, the Hawks suddenly found themselves situated on the Northern Lebanon 10-yard line within the blink of the eye. And yet, not even a holding penalty would stop the visitors on their opening march as a 20-yard touchdown jaunt from Moore opened the scoring as Hamburg raced out to a 7-0 lead following the PAT booted home by sophomore kicker, Eli Blatt, just 41 seconds into the contest.

The bad news for Northern Lebanon? Hamburg’s defense was up to snuff as well in the early going.

Despite seeing the Vikings also storm their way into enemy territory with their first touch on the night too, Mason Semmel and Bradley Zettlemoyer decided to have an impromptu meeting with one another in the Northern Lebanon backfield on a 3^rd & 15 with the ball situated at the Hamburg 38-yard line as the tandem sack by the two Hawks led to a forced fumble which was pounced upon by yet another sophomore in the Hamburg rotation, safety Tyler Shuey, as the timely takeaway allowed the Hawks to regain possession at their own 48-yard line.

And while Hamburg would surge into Vikings’ territory yet again on this drive too, a key defensive stop by way of the Northern Lebanon defensive troops inside the red zone on a 4^th & 2 attempt allowed the hosts to regain possession, albeit while taking over at their own 13-yard line.

However, Northern Lebanon probably felt like they were encountering a bad case of déjà vu.

On this drive, while Vikings were able to make some hay on this series as well, thanks in large part to a dart thrown by a freshman quarterback, Kael Erdman, into the arms of junior tight end, Luke Shaffer, as the pair was able to hook up for the 18-yard pitch and catch which helped usher the attack out of the shadow of their own goalposts and out to their own 33-yard line, another theft tallied by the Hawks defensively –also culminating in a Tyler Shuey fumble recovery for the second time in as many drives – gave the ball right back to the ever-potent Hamburg offensive unit with the ball resting at the Vikings’ 37-yard line.

This time around, Hamburg was able to recapture some of that same magic that they had enjoyed offensively to begin the night.

Ignited in no small way by a critical 4^th & 3 conversion which came via the legs of Xander Menapace to prolong the series, the senior triggerman would then help punctuate what he himself had helped initiate moments earlier as Menapace’s 26-yard touchdown scramble out of the pocket up the Hawks’ cushion to a 14-0 count following another Blatt PAT with 5:14 still left to play in the opening period.

 At this juncture, it was clear that Northern Lebanon needed to find some sort of rebuttal before things potentially went very sideways against them. Good news for the hometown patrons then as their Vikes proceeded to do exactly that.

Sparked with a nice return on the ensuing kickoff, NL sophomore return man, Myles Watson, continued to be the instrumental piece on special teams all evening long as he would then allow his offensive mates to set up shop at their own 46-yard line to begin their third drive of the evening.

And with their 9^th grader manning the controls of the offensive attack from behind center, Northern Lebanon was no worse for the wear. In fact, Erdman came out slinging the rock all around the yard on this drive as a 16-yard strike to Shaffer which was followed promptly with a 29-yard hookup to senior wideout, James Voight, quickly propelled the Vikings down to the Hamburg 17-yard line. From there, the connection from Erdman to Voight proved worth its weight in gold for Northern Lebanon as a means to conclude this particular series as the 13-yard touchdown between the pair lobbed into the back corner of the north endzone at Frederick Gahres Stadium cut the Hawks’ advantage in half following a PAT knocked home by sophomore kicker, Garrett Bohn, as Hamburg was able to maintain their 14-7 lead into the second frame once the final 1:08 ran off the first quarter clock.

In the second quarter, while Hamburg would have the brakes put on their offensive attack, at least early on, the Hawks were ultimately able to recapture that same potency.

Sure enough, after being stymied on their initial drive to begin the second frame, Hamburg went back out on offense eager to strike once they took back over possession at the Vikings’ 43-yard line with 9:38 left before recess.

Here, after being kickstarted with a 13-yard tote from their feature back on this night, Leland Moore, the white-clad Hawks immediately found themselves at the NL 30. Then, with the ground game clearly working in their favor, another Menapace QB run, this of the 8-yard variety on 3^rd & 1, moved the visitors down to the NL 13-yard line. From there, Moore was able to reap some well-earned fruits for his labor exerted all evening long in the form of nearly 40 carries by the time the night was over as the sophomore’s 10-yard touchdown run here made it a 21-7 affair in favor of Hamburg with 7:20 left before the break on the heels of Blatt’s third consecutive PAT of the contest.

Another short field you say? Why that would also end in yet another eventual Hamburg score.

After limiting Northern Lebanon to a three-and-out following Moore’s TD gallop, the Hawks would regain possession with the ball sitting right atop the midfield stripe before embarking on their ensuing offensive drive following the Moore touchdown gallop.

And while the running game might have stolen the show up until that point –at least in the form of actual scoring plays as far as Hamburg was concerned — the dimes thrown by Xander Menapace throughout were nonetheless impressive. Case in point, a dart with sophomore wideout, Ty Werley, being on the receiving end, as the slant pattern between the duo put the Hawks on the precipice of another score as they raced down to the Northern Lebanon 11-yard within a flash. But speaking of the running game, Hamburg has a not-so-secret weapon that they can unleash in short-yardage situations. Not-so-secret because it’s hard to hide the most physically imposing player on the field found in a senior two-way lineman, Charles Sheppard, but the 286lb stalwart was most certainly light on his feet for this task as Sheppard’s 6-yard touchdown run to conclude this drive upped the Hamburg lead to a 28-7 count with 2:46 left before the half which by and large felt like an early dagger to Northern Lebanon’s chances from there on out.

Um, yeah. Not really.

Needing to score, the Vikings were up to the challenge here as well.

In executing the two-minute drill with perfection almost down to the precise second, Northern Lebanon’s eventual 75-yard march in the final two minutes and change before the halftime intermission was nothing if not impressive.

To begin the proceedings, Erdman was able to find his favorite target all game long, James Voight, as the pair’s 24-yard pitch and catch allowed Northern Lebanon to race down to their 49-yard line with a jolt of momentum. From there, a bubble screen to you guessed it, James Voight, ushered the Vikings’ attack down to the Hamburg 39-yard line. There, with the chemistry between the two being nothing if not demonstrably in sync, the 38-yard touchdown throw from Erdman to Voight, the pair’s second such meeting in the endzone inside the first half, formally allowed the Vikings to trot up the steep asphalt incline from the field into the locker room with an extra pep in their collective step all while despite staring at a 28-13 deficit once halftime entertainment provided by the Hamburg marching unit went into effect just 39 seconds of game clock later.

That extra bounce in their gait? Yeah, Northern Lebanon didn’t lose it during the halftime respite either.

Here again, the yardage that Myles Watson was able to procure from his return specialist role on this evening was extremely pivotal to the Vikings’ collective success all game long. Case in point, another impressive return by the NL 10^th grader, this one inside Hawks’ territory to the 44-yard line, allowed Northern Lebanon to have yet another relatively short field to begin this drive as well. Ironically, just in the way the Vikings’ previous offensive drive was able to round into form via the Kael Erdman to James Voight lethal tandem, their 36-yard hookup on a key 3^rd & 3 play here not only moved the sticks, but it also vaulted the hosts all the way down to the Hamburg 1-yard line. And from there, even despite an impressive tackle for loss tallied by Hamburg’s Charles Sheppard on the ensuing play from scrimmage, a 5-yard touchdown run by Erdman would clip the Hamburg lead down to a much more manageable 28-19 difference with 9:32 still left to go in the third.

Big plays you say? Hamburg would like to participate.

After beginning their initial offensive drive of the second half with another short field following Cohen Correll’s kickoff return just a hair shy of the midfield stripe, Hamburg’s offense was not only well-rested but eager to pounce. And pounce they would as a 23-yard run up the gut via Leland Moore on a 3^rd & 3 propelled the Hawks down to the Northern Lebanon 30-yard line. From there, Xander Menapace continued to deal while working inside the pocket as his 17-yard hookup with fellow senior, Kevin McFarland, moved the Hamburg march down to the Vikings’ 13. And from there, the not-so-secret weapon worked his way into the fold once more as lineman Charles Sheppard’s 3-yard touchdown run, his second of the contest, allowed the Hawks to enjoy some much-needed breathing room at 34-19 with 6:45 still left in the third frame.

And try as they might, Northern Lebanon was about to bear witness to Hamburg seemingly putting this one away once and for all.

This time, not even the realization of starting a drive off 89 yards away from their endzone would do much of anything to deter this Hamburg drive as well. Sure enough, with Leland Moore continuing to carry the mail as had for much of the evening up until that point, a 38-yard connection from Menapace to Cohen Correll also sprinkled in allowed the Hawks to saunter down to the Northern Lebanon 16-yard line. From there, Correll would be able to reap the benefits of his earlier labor as well by ending up on the receiving end of a 5-yard touchdown reception from the right arm of Menapace shortly thereafter, upping the Hawks’ cushion to a 41-19 difference which is where things would remain over the final 1:22 of the third quarter.

But even when the game may have felt out of reach by this time, Northern Lebanon continued to fight and scrap.

For proof of that, look to the third and final touchdown toss between Kael Erdman to James Voight as their latest – seen here in the form of a 53-yard touchdown bomb – cut the Hamburg cushion down to a  41-27 gap, with 6:11 still left to play in the game.

However, that would be all the closer the hosts would get for the remainder of the evening as Hamburg promptly and wisely began to bleed and milk the game clock for each precious second on its ensuing offensive drive following Voight’s third TD grab, forcefully making the Vikings stare uphill from there on out. Of course, when you have the likes of Leland Moore residing in your running back room, a more than capable runner who performed more than admirably with the assignment that the Hawks’ coaching staff put in front of him as his handful of runs on Hamburg’s final drive not only moved the sticks for a fresh set of downs consistently, but it is also essentially put the game out of reach. Ironically, while Moore might have been the bell cow who helped moved his troops down the field on this series, it would be another yet another back in the Hawks’ deep rotation, senior Ronny Parra, who would culminate the drive in style with a 5-yard touchdown plunge to end the scoring once and for all, effectively allowing Hamburg to not only travel westward home on I-78 with a 48-27 triumph over Northern Lebanon now tucked away in their back pocket for their spoils, but it also kept the Hawks right in the thick of things as far as the District 3 tournament was most concerned heading into the final week of the regular season.

NEXT UP: As mentioned, this was an outing that Hamburg could ill afford to drop. And while the Hawks were found engaging in back-and-forth warfare against the Vikings on this night for quite some time, some key takeaways earlier in the first half largely proved to be the missing link for which ailed Northern Lebanon in terms of being able to claw even closed down the final furlong. Not bad when you can pair that with their potent offense, eh? Rest assured, the Hawks will need to have both facets –including special teams — clicking come next Friday night when they welcome the Columbia Crimson Tide into town next week in what feels like a mirror-image in terms of the stakes the Hawks found themselves in heading into this Friday night in Fredericksburg as well, in that a letdown and possible setback is a non-negotiable item of discussion.

For Northern Lebanon, while the Vikings saw their 21-point defeat at the hands of their Berks County brethren culminate in what is now a five-game losing skid, there is more than enough reason for the promise that brighter days within the NL football camp are likely rapidly approaching up on the horizon. And yes, while it is always hard to say goodbye to seniors classes each year –especially given the effort James Voight put up in his final curtain call in this one in particular– with more than capable underclassmen sprouting up at keys positions all over the field for the Vikings, this feels like a program that is on the verge of inflicting some serious damage upon the L-L League sooner rather than later, especially competing within the realm of Section Five. In short, the Vikings living up to their namesake by pillaging the competition just as they have done for years not all that long ago.

In some ways, particularly if you fancy yourself as a religious reader of these postgame recaps that I type up and submit on a weekly basis for the viewing pleasure of one and all (god bless your brave soul by the way), but if you know that I am going to be recapping a Manheim Central Barons’ game, you probably have a good idea on how the preamble will start. For example, the script would probably be something along the lines of some lengthy romanticized script about how the town of Manheim itself has quite literally forged an identity in and of itself based upon the exploits of its high school football program (it has) while also highlighting how their prowess on the statewide level begins in its own backyard when you consider the scores of Lancaster-Lebanon League section titles the program has claimed (um, it’s the type of success that other programs would drool over for just a morsel of), along with detailing their immense success in terms of competing at the District 3 level (the winningest program in that regard too). Sure, we could do that. But oddly enough, that might be doing the 2022 edition of the Barons a bit of a disservice. Granted, while they undoubtedly recognize and appreciate the privilege and nuance that comes with donning the script “Barons” on their lids every Friday night, this particular cast and crew through the first five weeks of this season deserve their own moment in the sun.

Coming into the year, albeit in a new and truly improved landscape that is Lancaster-Lebanon League Section Two this season, Manheim Central began the campaign as one of, if not the odds-on favorite to hoist the divisional hardware come Week 10 in the chilly autumn air just three days shy of Halloween. Spoiler alert- but if the first five weeks are to serve as any sort of indication here, those returns on initial investments have yielded rather nicely should you have partaken of the opportunity to do so. Case in point, in terms of the competition found on the Barons’ schedule thus far that can claim a Pennsylvania mailing address, the boys from “Football Town” have largely been untested through the halfway mark of the season given their average 46-3 score against commonwealth competition. In fact, Manheim Central needed to travel outside its borders –well, have said opposition travel across state lines on their behalf that is – as the Barons needed two overtimes to finally squelch Immaculata by way of New Jersey for a thrilling 44-43 triumph at the friendly confines of Elden Rettew back on Labor Day weekend. Suffice to say, even amid all the proud history that the program itself can rightly boast about, this latest ensemble has been turning heads too.

Speaking of success that spans over a prolonged period of time, while Muhlenberg may not have the lengthy list of glitzy titles that can rival that of Manheim Central’s resume historically (who can though really), it’s not as if the school from the right outside of Reading city is completely devoid of its accomplishments of course.

That said, while it admittedly has been a minute by and large for the Muhls in terms of competing amongst the upper echelon of programs from around the mid-state, one could reasonably argue that Muhlenberg was one of the highest-achieving programs from the late ’90s until the start of the 2010s, something perhaps best evidenced ironically enough by their three games against none other than Manheim Central during that span of time in the District 3 playoffs –two of which occurred in the championship round no less – with the Barons having emerged as the victor in all three affairs. And sure, while it’s been quite some time since the likes of Jordan Kipp have been calling the signals from behind center for the Muhls, perhaps the program’s new lease on life, yes, albeit while competing within the confines of the arduous neighborhood that is the new-look L-L Section Two grouping, the Muhls traversed their way into Manheim on Friday night just one game under .500 on the campaign with a 2-3 mark, including an emphatic 47-25 triumph over the Lebanon Cedars back in the fourth week of the season.

And with it, the stage was set for either one of two narratives to eventually take shape and round into form. Firstly, either Manheim Central would pick up right where they had left off coming into the night in terms of exuding their dominance against the opposition standing on the other sideline, or Muhlenberg would be able to take a giant step forward in respect to the pouring of the mold for the foundation of this newest chapter of Muhls’ football.

Well, it became readily apparent that it would be the former. In a very loud and resounding way no less.

To begin the contest on Friday night, Manheim Central started with the ball first and steadily and methodically began their operation on the patient that would be the Muhlenberg defensive unit with effective incisions. In fact, no sooner than Manheim Central junior quarterback, Zac Hahn began spraying the ball around the yard to the embarrassment of riches he has at his disposal in terms of a starting wide receiver crew on the first few plays of the evening, did the Barons finally put it on the ground. And eerily, just as was the case in the Barons’ game against Warwick last week, the first time that Manheim Central’s Brycen Armold stuck his foot in the ground and got vertical, his eventual journey into the endzone was all but sealed as the Barons’ junior running back promptly scampered 43-yards this time around for the MC touchdown just 1:27 into the contest as senior kicker Dylan Neff’s PAT made it a 7-0 Barons’ cushion before anyone in attendance really had a chance to sit down and get comfortable on the Elden Rettew bleachers.

Bless their hearts in trying to achieve that objective though because the patrons’ attention would quickly be diverted back to the field of play routinely on Friday night. For proof of that, just look to the next 1:05.

While getting down in a hole to Manheim Central to begin the game is far from ideal, so too is giving the ball right back to them, particularly with them perhaps taking over right on the doorstep of potentially cashing in on another score. Well, unfortunately for guests from Berks County, that is precisely what happened as a fumble on the Muhls’ first offensive play from scrimmage was promptly pounced upon by Manheim Central senior defensive end, Jaden Weit, effectively allowing the Barons’ O to set up shop and feel cozy while inside the Muhlenberg 10-yard line. And from there, Armold quickly picked up right where he had left off just moments’ prior as his latest TD run, this of the 6-yard variety, following the Weit fumble recovery made it a 14-0 Barons’ advantage following multi-sports star Abbie Reed’s PAT with 9:28 still left to play in the opening period.

But by then, the die had already been cast for this night would unfold from there on out.

Sure enough, after holding the Muhls to a three-and-out their next time with it, more ill-timed mishaps cruelly went against Muhlenberg. In this instance, a mishandled snap on the would-be punt would spell more doom as the Manheim Central special teams calvary quickly swarmed in, allowing MC to trot the offense back onto the field while at the Muhls’ 4-yard line.

Again, as he had done all game long up until that point, Brycen Armold would be the one to carry the Barons’ mail across the chalk line as his 3-yard touchdown run shortly thereafter upped the hosts’ advantage to a 21-0 count following Neff’s PAT this time around with 6:56 still left in the opening frame.

Then, after being stymied by yet another quick three and out offensively, Muhlenberg’s defense came back onto the field while staring up at the sizable three-touchdown hole they currently found themselves in.

That said, the misfortune of the early going up until that point didn’t seem to deter Darnell Evans all that much as the Muhls’ junior defensive end was able to register a determined 15-yard sack to his credit, effectively putting the Barons behind the sticks to begin the series. However, the good momentum and juju that came with Evans’ big defensive play was extinguished almost just as quickly considering just two plays later –on 3^rd & 23 no less – was Zach Hahn able to find fellow junior, wideout Bode Sipel, leaking behind the Muhlenberg secondary as the 11^th grade tandem was good enough for the 46-yard pitch and catch, setting MC up with a fresh set of downs with the ball just resting a gnat’s eyelash shy of the endzone. From there, Hahn went back up top when it came time for him to tally his first points of the evening personally as his 2-yard flip to senior running back, Rocco Daughtery, completed the Barons’ fourth score of the opening frame. And following Reed’s second successful venture on PAT duties, the hosts had suddenly created a gigantic 28-0 cushion for themselves with just over three minutes remaining still in the first quarter of play.

And yet again, simply nothing would seem to throw the Manheim Central machine to continue barreling down on the tracks.

After you guessed it, another three-and-out defensively, the Barons’ collective nose for the endzone remained up to snuff. In fact, after just one play on this ensuing offensive series was Manheim already knocking on the door of another score thanks to a 20-yard pitch and catch from Hahn to another talented wideout, Sonny Callahan, as the junior duo helped usher the Barons’ attack down to the Muhlenberg 17-yard line. From there, MC needed travel no further before finding paydirt as Hahn’s 17-yard strike to Sipel made it a 35-0 affair following Neff’s PAT which is where things would remain once the final 23 seconds eventually bled off the first quarter clock.

Ironically enough, the second quarter would begin on an even faster note than the quarter which had just preceded it. In fact, it took all of one play.

Yes, on the very first play of the new quarter, another Manheim Central fumble recovery, this one tallied by senior linebacker, Kahlen Watt, allowed the Barons to begin their offensive attack on the Muhls’ 40-yard line. And after a long pass along the sidelines from Hahn to Daugherty which put the Barons on the precipice of another touchdown with the ball now residing on the Muhlenberg 4-yard line, Manheim Central’s fifth score of the opening half was punctuated with a 4-yard dart into the back of the endzone via Zac Hahn into the waiting hands of Aaron Enterline, making it an incredible 42-0 difference with 10:38 still left to play before the halftime recess.

Finally, on their ensuing offensive series –and surely not a moment too soon as far the visitors had to be concerned – did Muhlenberg finally pick up their initial first down of the contest. For that, the Muhls turned to the powerful running style offered up by junior running back, Ulices Ramirez, as Ramirez’s long gallop up the heart of the Manheim Central defense put the Muhls on the verge of crossing the midfield stripe for the first time all night long. However, after being stymied following an unsuccessful 3^rd & 5 attempts at their own 48-yard line, it was time to punt it away once more to the potent Manheim Central troops.

Indeed, not even having a touchdown wiped off the board due to an ineligible man downfield would do much if anything to slow down the Barons’ ongoing onslaught on the ensuing series.

In fact, on the very next play following the yellow laundry which had littered the field on said penalty was Manheim Central able to find the endzone relatively undeterred as a 45-yard untouched sprint through the Muhls’ defense courtesy of Brycen Armold, the junior’s fourth touchdown run of the opening half, made it a 49-0 count following the Neff PAT with 5:09 left to go before the halftime break.

Still time on the clock you say? Well, plenty of time left to score at this rate.

This time, sustaining a drive would not be in the cards as far as the Barons were concerned. No, not when you have the ability and propensity to strike from anywhere on the field at a moment’s notice, such as the case here when a simple Hahn flick of the wrist down the field to Enterline led to the 67-yard touchdown completion between the two, on what turned out to be a one-play drive, a long touchdown play which had effectively served as the exclamation mark for an absolutely torrid first half of play authored by the Barons given the 55-0 lead they took with them into the halftime respite once the final 1:56 ticked off the second quarter clock from there.

In a sense, it seemed as if Manheim Central had made scoring such a habit up until that point that they in theory perhaps did not even need to touch the ball themselves in order for more points to be tallied in their favor. Ironically, that very theory would indeed be validated into fact inside the opening minutes of the third frame as no one from either team actually put the hands on the ball whatsoever as an errant snap of a would-be Muhlenberg punt trickled harmlessly out of the endzone for the safety, making it a 57-0 Manheim Central advantage just 1:58 into the second half.

And after getting the ball back on offense following the punt away following the aforementioned deuce, the Barons continued their more traditional residency inside the endzone as a 39-yard touchdown gallop on the ground by way of Jaden Weit was good enough to push Manheim Central past the 60-point threshold to the tune of a 64-0 buffer with 9:33 still left to play in the third at that point.

Once inside the fourth quarter, it appeared as if Muhlenberg may finally begun to show some signs of mounting a potential drive to potentially crack that pesky goose egg still listed under their name up on the scoreboard. That certainly seemed to be the case on a 16-yard completion thrown by senior trigger man, Drew Fidler, into the mitts of a fellow senior, Jayden Capellan, as the Muhls now found themselves at their own 43-yard line following the nice completion between the pair.

However, this march too would be met with an abrupt and unfortunate ending as well considering that a magnificent interception by Manheim Central’s Kylen Watson from his secondary position not only eliminated any Muhlenberg aspirations of scoring for the evening but the Barons’ junior defensive back long and winding subsequent return of the theft went down to the Muhls’ 13-yard line, so clearly laying the groundwork for another potential Manheim Central touchdown to perhaps come to fruition.

Sure enough, the home-standing still in attendance wouldn’t have to wait long for that validation as a 4-yard touchdown scamper by sophomore quarterback, Kadin Dabich, was good for the final score of the evening, a night so clearly bathed in Manheim Central maroon and white gave the eventual 70-0 triumph which the Barons were to post at the hands of Muhlenberg while also improving to 6-0 on the year as a whole.

NEXT UP: At this point, especially given what transpired over the course of 48 minutes on Friday night at Elden Rettew Stadium, does Manheim Central show any sorts of signs of perhaps slowing down whatsoever? And that’s a good thing too given that the Barons will line up next week against Lebanon, follow that up with a home date against old rival Conestoga Valley, before a two-game Berks County swing to close the regular season slate against the likes of Governor Mifflin and Exeter respectively, the latter of which is not so subtly shaping up to be one of the best in all of the state come Week 10 should both the Barons and Eagles continue on their respective warpaths each seem to be on provided that each can enter that contest pitting 9-0 records against one another for the right to settle Section Two once and for all. And with the Barons residing in the District 3-4A standings, there’s more than sufficient evidence put forth thus far to suggest and believe that Manheim Central will be playing football into Thanksgiving this year, potentially beyond that as well, making for yet another delay for the Barons’ wrestling and boys’ basketball –girls’ hoops too this year thanks to Abbie Reed —  having their full compliment of players once it’s time for the winter sports season to begin in earnest. But in these parts, they know what to expect in that regard and they truly do plan for it. In other words, keep a few pages open in that illustrious Manheim Central history book for the 2022 crew. They may have their own chapter to add before all is said and done this year.

On the other side, it’s obvious that this was and will be a painful loss for Muhlenberg to try and work themselves back from. But in the world of L-L Section Two football, time waits for no man which happens to be the case for the Muhls next Friday night when they tangle with Exeter in all Berks County matchup, the same Exeter squad which just defeated Warwick to the tune of a 47-7 final verdict this week no less. But as is the case with the building a proud program back up, here too with the current task that head coach John Lorchak finds himself on at the moment while in charge of the Muhls, it’s important to not necessarily got bogged down with what the final resume will end up looking like come to the end of 2022 in Muhlenberg. Instead, it will be the little things that count. The things others may perhaps gloss over and overlook. For instance, if the Muhls come out next week spitting fire while also remaining sound, disciplined, and focused, you’ll know right then and there that this is a high-character bunch if they can show that kind of mettle and resolve just seven days after suffering a 70-point defeat. But if you are into the more macro picture, there are still a few games on the Muhls’ remaining schedule for them to try and pick up some more victories before heading into the ultra-important offseason program regimen. After all, this new-look Section Two will be so much more valuable when Muhlenberg is that same potent tour de force that they were not all that long ago. Here’s to hoping those days are right around the corner, not just for the Muhls themselves, but for the betterment of the entire conference as a whole.

As crazy as it may be to say this out loud –or rather type it out loud as it were I suppose — Friday night somehow marked Week 4 of the high school football season in Pennsylvania. What does all that mean you ask? Well, short of trying to figure out where exactly it was that Father Time had escaped to, it also brought along the stone-cold fact that come seven days from now, we’ll be halfway through the 2022 campaign already. Indeed, where does the time go?

So, suffice to say, setting yourself for the final end-of-season of push could take on the utmost importance this particular Friday night given what’s sitting behind you in the rearview mirror, along with what obstacles still lie in your immediate pathway as the calendar trudges toward October. Case in point, the first-ever meeting on the gridiron was held on Friday night in Denver between Octorara and Cocalico.

For the visitors from Octorara, the program’s honeymoon phase with their entry into the Lancaster-Lebanon League which now spans a handful of seasons has seemed to be exactly that—a match made in heaven. In joining the L-L League, now, after finally playing similar-sized schools that were more akin to the Braves’ enrollment numbers, the Octorara football program finally found itself on solid and stable footing, highlighted by the program’s best-ever season that came to an untimely end against Northern York in the cruelest of fashions as the Braves fell just literally inches shy of overcoming the Polar Bears just one season ago in a 28-22 final decision of the District 3-4A playoffs.

But this year? Well, let’s just say the bouquets and chocolates may have gotten lost in the mail or returned to sender somewhere down around the hamlet of Atglen.

You see, as most around these parts are already aware, this year, in particular, is unique in that it marks the first year of the 37-team megaconference that the Lancaster-Lebanon League has suddenly morphed into by taking the 13 Berks County schools along for the ride. With it, while some changes have remained relatively tame by and large –such as Section One remaining firm save for Reading High entering into the mix – Section Four is altogether a different beast these days. In fact, some have called it the most competitive division found in the entire Commonwealth. Hard to argue with that notion when schools like Wyomissing, Berks Catholic, Lampeter-Strasburg, and Cocalico to name just a few get entered the equation. And wouldn’t you know it, but the unforgiving gauntlet that is Section Four suddenly became Octorara’s newfound residence overnight.  And with Friday night marking the first game of divisional play for the Braves, picking up a win in the northeastern corner of Lancaster County on Friday night would prove vital for this crew from Chester County given their 1-2 start of the gate thus far.

As far as the last team mentioned there in that breakdown of Section Four teams, do with it what you will, but can we call it a case of saving best for last?

Sure, there might be those who would take exception to that expression residing in Lampeter and the surrounding suburbs of Reading city certainly, but you’d be hard-pressed to find a program that has been as much as a sure thing as the Cocalico Eagles have been on the gridiron going back decades now. Granted, while this cast of Eagles surely won’t be phased by the competition that awaits their arrival over the course of the next couple of weeks down the line, the slate ahead is still nonetheless unforgiving. Ironically, speaking of unforgiving, Cocalico’s initial triumvirate of contests wasn’t exactly anything to sneeze at either. No, not when you open the chute against what had been a bubbling new section rival, Warwick, follow that up by going on the road to the nether regions of southern Lancaster County to square off with what may be Section Three’s best outfit in Solanco, then finish off a very pedestrian initial slate (he said tongue-in-cheek) by engaging in what is arguably the county’s fiercest of rivalries when Cocalico traded paint with Manheim Central last week. All in all, much like their counterparts in uniform on the opposite sideline on Friday night, the Eagles came out of the first two weeks with a 1-2 mark with their lone win coming against Warwick, meaning that the cast from Denver was staring the barrel of a three-game losing skid with many of their stiffest challenges yet to be waged.

Needless to say, it could have been argued that the bewitching hour for both the Braves and Eagles’ seasons had arrived at the top of the seven o’clock hour when they looked at one another eye-to-eye.

But if what transpired over the course of 48 minutes on Friday night is to serve as any sort of indication, not only did Cocalico fully grasp the magnitude of the moment and the task at hand, but they also appear to be well on their way in serving as a sharp and piercing thorn in the side of their fellow section foes the rest of the way in 2022. In other words, yes, what’s old is new again in this tiny sliver of the high school football universe.

To be sure, the evening could not have started out much better for the hosts had they hired their own scriptwriter to be kept on retainer.

After holding their white-clad guests to just three yards and out to begin the contest, the high-powered Eagles offense took to the field with their first opportunity to possess the ball, albeit while starting 70 aways from paydirt with not even two minutes having yet melted off the first quarter clock. And while Cocalico began to lay the groundwork for what figured to be a dominating night down in the mud and muck of the trenches, the ground and pound methodology appeared to take a back seat to the explosion that was an Aaryn Longenecker 53-yard touchdown scamper. Well, that was before yellow laundry back on the field brought an untimely end to the party.

No matter though.

Despite being negated for the moment in lieu of said holding call, a 3^rd & inches at the Octorara 29-yard line quickly culminated in not only a first down conversion but a touchdown as well in one fell swoop as a Josh Myer 29-yard touchdown jaunt on an option keeper made it a 7-0 Cocalico lead with 8:12 left to play in the opening period following a Cole Roos PAT, effectively culminating the Eagles’ initial 2:09 march.

But the Cocalico flag was just beginning to be unfurled.

Yes, while Octorara would be able to pick up their initial first down of the game following a quarterback keeper by way of the junior signal caller, Braeden Wood, on their ensuing offensive drive, the Braves offensive unit was stymied by the Eagles’ D shortly thereafter, meaning that Cocalico would set up shop this time at their own 31 following the Octorara punt.

Once again, no matter here either.

Combining the “three yards and a cloud of dust” version of running that came in witnessing Cocalico junior fullback, Sam Steffey, pound his way through the line, a 15-yard gainer by another junior found residing in the Eagles’ backfield, Aaryn Longenecker, was equally as appetizing when paired with a chunk play on the ground by one, Jacob Kohl, which ushered the hosts’ drive down to the Octorara 11-yard line behind of bevy of big bursts. From there, Steffey helped finished off what he himself had helped start earlier in the possession as his 6-yard touchdown plunge across the chalk made it a 14-0 Cocalico advantage following a Talen Popolis PAT this time around, which is precisely where things would remain throughout the final 52 seconds that were still left remaining in the first quarter of play.

In short, while Cocalico’s starting field position would probably be considered as less than stellar throughout the opening 12 minutes, that average proceeded to take a prompt nosedive following a sensational punt by Octorara sophomore punter, Chandler Stoltzfus, which pinned the Eagles back on their own 1-yard line following yet another Cocalico stop defensively.

Yet again though, this would prove to be a night in which Cocalico was simply operating on an entirely different plane regardless of where the Braves preferred, nay, wished for them to start.

Despite starting this drive 99 yards away from paydirt, the Eagles’ ability to sniff the endzone remained just as potent regardless of location. So much so in fact that this particular romp down the field would take the hosts all of three plays when it came to locating the endzone this time around as a pair of 47-yard gallops by way of senior running back, Tyler Angstadt, and quarterback Josh Myer respectively helped upped the Eagles’ cushion to a 21-0 count following the Roos PAT with Myer’s latter carry having the honors for his second touchdown of the still relatively young evening up until that point with 7:16 left to play in the opening half.

At this stage, it was readily apparent that Octorara needed some sort of good juju they could conjure up. And well, rather urgently quite frankly.

In that regard, Octorara sophomore linebacker Austin Kurtz certainly tried to do his best for troops by pouncing on a fumble which not only swung momentum in the direction of the Braves sideline somewhat but also more importantly stymied Cocalico. Well, at least for the time being that is.

Despite earning a new lease on life following the Kurtz takeaway, the Braves were limited to yet another three and out courtesy of the Cocalico defensive unit, meaning that the Cocalico would have the opportunity to land one more body blow heading into the halftime recess.

And truth be told, it would ironically be a drive that would begin with the Eagles’ best field position up until that point as a high snap on the Octorara punt spelled doom for the visitors, yet opportunity for Cocalico’s Mason Moore as the Eagles’ senior special teams man not only blocked the would-be Braves’ punt but recovered it as well, a change in momentum right back in Cocalico’s favor with the Eagles beginning this drive at Octorara’s 10-yard line.

Best starting field position of the night? Make that the quickest drive of the night while we’re at it given Aaryn Longenecker’s 10-yard scamper around the right side of the Eagles’ line, making it 28-0 in favor of Cocalico following the Popolis PAT as both squads retired to their dressing room just 53 seconds later for the halftime respite.

Coming out of the break though, Cocalico seemed to be more locomotive rather than a bird of prey.

In fact, it took these Eagles all of 2:21 to find the endzone once more to begin the third quarter proceedings as a 60-yard untouched, touchdown jaunt on a reverse carried all the home by senior wideout, Gavin Glass, promptly made it a 35-0 Cocalico bulge within a flash.

Defensively, the equally potent Eagles’ defensive unit from front to back seemed no worse for the wear coming out of the dressing room either. Especially given an emphatic quarterback sack tallied by Cocalico senior defensive lineman, Levi Bearinger, thwarting an Octorara 3^rd & 8 attempts, meaning that the Eagles would go back to work at the midfield stripe following the change in possession.

Remember Cocalico’s propensity to strike rather quickly? Yeah, Octorara certainly does now too.

Sure enough, it seemed as if no sooner had the ball been marked ready for play by the men stripes than was Cocalico saw celebrating another touchdown in the endzone. This time, yes, on another one-play drive, was the Eagles’ next score punctuated in style by a 50-yard touchdown run on the option keeper by junior quarterback, Bryce Nash, making it a 42-0 lead in favor of the home side with 7:34 left to play in the third.

Speaking of that Eagles’ D, they certainly hoped to remain nothing if rude party hosts over the course of the final 18 minutes and change left to play with the assistance of the mercy rule having been triggered into effect by that time in hopes of perhaps securing a shutout. That certainly remained evident and on display when Cocalico freshman linebacker, Dane Horning, collected himself a sack which concluded another brief Braves’ foray with the football before yet another punt back to the Eagles.

And while much of the contest up until that point was bathed in Cocalico blue and white, the Braves wouldn’t go down swinging without a fight.

Case in point, the Octorara defense falling on a loose ball suddenly laying on the natural grass surface at Eagle Stadium, giving the ball back to Braves’ offense with the opportunity to try and muster something up offensively.

Well, after a pair of nice end-around runs which traveled the span of 33 yards courtesy of the legs from Octorara’s Chandler Stoltzfus, the Braves found themselves finally knocking on the door once the final quarter rolled around, albeit while staring up and seeing a 42-0 deficit looking right back at them.

Finally, and not a moment too soon had they to be concerned, the guests were to burst through that wall once and for all on the opening play of the final stanza when Braeden Wood dropped back to pass and found a streaking Mason Colligan running down the seam past the Eagles’ defense as the 29-yard pitch and catch TD between the Octorara junior duo made it a 42-6 contest following the failed PAT with 11:42 still left to go.

Eleven minutes and change you say? Plenty of time for the young pups to try and start barking.

Simply stated, on the ensuing Eagles’ possession, Cocalico freshman Dane Horning quickly showed all those in attendance what he plans to do over the course of his next three years in donning an Eagles uniform.

Granted, while he had already tallied an aforementioned sack a little bit earlier, the 9^th grader’s prowess in terms of carrying the ball seemed equally effective as the fourth quarter wound down on Friday night. So much so in fact that after being able to successfully pick up a 3^rd & 5 in which he had helped prolonged this Eagles’ advance did his 27-yard touchdown jaunt in the immediate aftermath follow suit on the very next play, making it a 49-6 Cocalico cushion with 8:37 left to play.

But that wouldn’t be the last the masses would hear from Horning.

After successfully holding Octorara’s offense on downs on the heels of his earlier touchdown romp, the Cocalico young gun capped off yet another one-play Eagles’ march –their third such drive of the game — as Horning’s 45-yard burst into the endzone made it a 56-6 affair which is where things would remain over the span of the final four minutes of play on Friday night, effectively stamping Cocalico’s dominating display in permanent ink to the tune of a 50-point margin of victory in a game where the Eagles did not attempt one single forward pass.

NEXT UP: In a way, it’s almost funny. While everyone on the inside (and largely on the outside as well) knows quite well in terms of the L-L Section Four landscape this season, wins such as Cocalico’s over Octorara are ones that are to be savored and cherished. But wait, what’s that rule again? 24 hours to either celebrate or mourn, right? Hey, even if it’s not gospel per se, that might be a good jumping-off point for Cocalico to take with them into the remainder of this weekend as that arduous road to ho certainly gets no easier in seven days’ time when the Eagles make the trek down to Lampeter-Strasburg to visit a Pioneers team coming off an equally impressive triumph in their own right by blanking Donegal this week, 35-0 on the road. After that, the beasts just keep right on coming with a sneaky good game back at home against ELCO looming on the horizon in two weeks before a trip to Wyomissing, arguably the best team in their class inside the entire state, the week after that. But as mentioned earlier, don’t be fooled. If you want to pick against the Eagles, by our guest. Just understand and know full well that you are likely doing so entirely at your own peril.

For Octorara, if there is a bit of respite that comes in coming starting off the season at a 1-3 clip while also having to wage war inside a brutal division, perhaps it’s the fact that the Braves now find themselves on hosting duty for four of the next five weeks as Octorara will play the vast majority of their upcoming contests back at their familiar confines alongside state route 41. Of course, that is to say in respect to whom will be paying visits across the Chester County line those weeks when you speak on the likes of Conrad Weiser, L-S, Berks Catholic, and Wyomissing respectively, just a small sample size on just how arduous L-L Section Four figures to be the whole way home. And while no one really knows for certain how the rest of this season will shake itself out for Octorara, rest assured that this is a far better program than the one that had entered the league a few years ago, eager to finally find its way. Indeed, this is one program inside the swath of three dozen plus schools that now call this conference home that one can say is on the rise without a shadow of a doubt.

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 3^rd & 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 3^rd & 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 3^rd & 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 3^rd & 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.

It’s Labor Day weekend which usually means one of two things. First, it’s time –begrudgingly for some folks – to put the boogie boards, umbrellas and coolers away for good as it marks the unofficial death of summer. Secondly, while this long weekend may signify an untimely passing unless of course, you’ve been itching to get the fall decorations out of the closet I suppose, it also marks a rebirth. The rebirth of the football season.

Sure, while only a small handful of college football games have been played thus far, the NFL hasn’t even started yet, the high school football season in the state of Pennsylvania, on the other hand, has picked up the slack and is already starting to come into bloom. And granted, while Labor Day marks for what a vast majority of teams from around the state would be their second contest of the early season, whether you consider it to either be fair or foul to say this part out loud, some of these very same matchups contained within the Week 2 slate could easily be labeled as “season-defining” collisions. Just take York High at Hempfield for instance.

Do you hear that sound, Landisville? That’s the sound of the alarm blaring out in your neighborhood. Don’t worry though. It’s not meant to be a nerve-wracking type of alert mind you. After all, if there was ever a year for the Hempfield Black Knights to rise up and shake free its usual position of residing in the middle to lower ranks of the Lancaster-Lebanon League Section One rank and file and finally ascend to the upper crust of the divisional standings, 2022 certainly figures to be the year. Yes, while they lost the beloved services of one bowling ball turned quarterback from last year’s squad, Cam Harbaugh, the Black Knights certainly brought back a plethora of weapons from last year’s District 3 6A playoff crew, including the likes of tailback Grant Hoover, alongside wideouts Andy Garcia and Julian Morales to name just a select few as far as the skill positions are concerned. And while it may be just one week of returns submitted thus far, you’d have to like what Hempfield did their last time out in marauding over to York County and keeping a lid on the Dallastown offense throughout the span of 48 minutes, a Dallastown offense that possesses the likes of future Pitt Panther wideout Kenny Johnson no less, to the tune of a 30-13 triumph in rolling out of the chute with a 1-0 mark. Yep, while the ground outside their school may be parched and brown at the moment thanks to a drought courtesy of Mother Nature, the hopes for the football squad this year could probably flood the entire campus out.

Now, you want to hang with the elites in Section One you say, right? Okay, well here comes another monster in your nonconference schedule screaming straight ahead in your direction.

If ever the mantra of never judging a book by its cover were true, rest assured it would be placed upon this group of York High Bearcats that rolled into Georgelis Law Firm Stadium on a picturesque Friday night to engage in battle with their hosts.

You see, while their record might have displayed a pedestrian 0-1 mark coming into this week, this certainly wasn’t your ordinary lid-lifter that the ‘Cats partook of last week. So out of ordinary in the fact that it had been done before. That of course was the inaugural Peach Bowl Classic held last Friday and Saturday at Chambersburg High School. York’s assignment in Chambersburg? Oh, just one of your usual power brokers from the 6A WPIAL crop in Woodland Hills is all. Yeah, York didn’t really have an appetite for cupcakes to begin the campaign it would seem. And while they’d battle tooth and nail throughout, Woodland Hills would be just four points better on this day at least, prevailing in a white-knuckle 28-24 final decision. And if you’re into returning skill position players, how about a future Big 12 running back who will be toting the rock at this time next year in Morgantown, West Virginia in York High’s Jahiem White and a wily veteran operating behind center with the kind of high IQ that only a coach’s son could offer slinging the ball around the yard in quarterback Sam Stoner? Are we good with all that?

Needless to say, this wasn’t your run-of-the-mill second outing of the young season for either side on Friday night. Rest assured, with two sides the caliber of York High and Hempfield squaring off nose-to-nose with one another coupled with incredibly high hopes for the remaining eight weeks and beyond from this point forward, this upcoming 48-minute battle royale would most assuredly be a litmus test for both. And while it might have taken 47:48 to determine the eventual victor, it would prove to be the Black Knights who would shine the brightest on this wild and crazy night once the final gun fired.

In terms of starting things off, Hempfield couldn’t have drawn it up any better had they employed the services of a Hollywood scriptwriter.

After holding the high-powered Bearcats’ offense to a prompt three-and-out to begin the evening’s proceedings, the Black Knights’ offensive unit trotted out for the first time on their home turf this season, albeit not exactly the best of residences to call home considering they were tasked with trying to navigate 92 yards down the field following Sam Stoner’s wonderful pooch punt.

No matter.

With Grant Hoover appearing to pick up right where he left in the 2021 campaign, the Black Knights’ slippery, yet equally powerful feature back rattled off both what would have to be considered eye-popping runs –including a 23-yard gainer – with that of the more mundane variety which was perhaps just as effective as Hoover was constantly seen falling forward amongst a crowd whenever the Bearcats eventually slung him down to the ground. So, with Hoover and his offensive line cohorts largely helping to carry the mail on the Black Knights’ initial journey, the sensational opening salvo authored by Hempfield was later punctuated with a 3-yard touchdown keeper by way of quarterback, Jackson Landis, as the junior signal caller made it a 6-0 affair in favor of the hosts following the missed PAT with just 4:21 left to play in the opening frame.

If the methodology of Hempfield’s pregame plan was to limit York High’s offensive reps on Friday night, that notion worked like a charm. Of course, it always helps if you can get some unsolicited favors as well. In that regard, an IOU needed to write to the Bearcats’ offense in earnest following a fumble on York High’s second offensive play of their second series which was promptly pounced upon by Hempfield’s rapidly ascending junior defensive lineman, Deyvid Palepale, allowing the Knights’ offense to regain control at the York 40-yard line.

This time though, success would shine in the visitor’s favor.

While Hempfield had steadily and methodologically trudged its way forward on this drive too following their defensive theft, the Black Knights would pay dearly for feeling extra adventurous while residing on the precipice of what could have been an early knockout blow.

While staring at a 3^rd & goal at the York High 5-yard line, Hempfield opted to put the ball in the air rather than keep it on the ground for what one would have assumed would have been two more offensive plays. Instead, waiting there for the Black Knights’ tricks was York sophomore defensive back, David Warde, as Warde proceeded to skitter all the way home with his newfound prize as the 97-yard interception return for a touchdown knotted things up at 6-6 with 10:04 left to go before the intermission as the Bearcats’ two-point try came up empty.

Unflappable. That had to have been the word to describe exuded by the Black Knights following the gargantuan momentum shift that had just gone against them.

If there are any coaches that are looking for teachable tape in terms of how to execute the screen game, turning on the film from Hempfield’s first half, especially the second quarter on Friday evening, would be most instrumental. In fact, on two separate occasions on Hempfield’s offensive series following the Warde INT, magnificent screens executed on 3^rd & 7 and 3^rd & 3 to Andy Garcia and Grant Hoover respectively proved vital in terms of helping Hempfield enter in the red zone after beginning the drive at their own 38-yard line. Speaking of passes on third down, their latest would prove to be their most fruitful of all as a 3^rd & 7 from Landis to Hoover was good for the 12-yard scoring strike which capped off the gutty Black Knights’ response to adversity, making it a 13-6 ballgame in their favor following Cannon Biscoe’s PAT with 3:59 left before recess.

 However, York High would be equally as undeterred as Hempfield had just been.

Upon taking over at their own 31-yard line to begin this drive, the Bearcats’ O got in gear courtesy of Sam Stoner’s legs as the senior leader scampered out of the pocket while also crossing the midfield stripe as the long gainer put York on Hempfield’s 43-yard line within the blink of an eye. From there, using his signature left arm this time, Stoner was able to hook up with fellow senior, Jaheim White, as the 12th-grade duo ushered the York High attack down to the Knights’ 25-yard line. As it turned out, that would be all the further York would need to travel as a 25-yard dime through a crowded window from Stoner to David Warde, Warde’s second TD of the evening, allowed York High to trot into their dressing room likely feeling good about themselves despite what would be their one-point deficit, 13-12, once the final 31 seconds of the first half clock evaporated away following their second unsuccessful two-point attempt of the contest.

While it may have felt like déjà vu at the time, it wasn’t. No, rather this was just Hempfield going back to what had worked the best for them in the opening 24 minutes once they went out on offense to start the third quarter proceedings.

Using those same tactics of old-school football warfare that will forever hold true to form, the Black Knights’ blast to the past showed why you don’t always have to teach an old dog new tricks. Yes, while Hempfield would mix in the forward pass, such as the case when senior wideout, Andy Garcia, made a stupendous snag on a ball thrown behind him on a 3^rd & 6 to move the sticks, the ground, and pound package implemented by Hempfield was just as brutal.  Case in point, Jackson Landis calling his own number for an 11-yard pickup down to the York High 23-yard line shortly thereafter. Finally, keeping it on the ground would seal the deal for good yet again as a Grant Hoover 10-yard run, the second TD of his night, with a Cannon Biscoe PAT added on top put the Knights up 20-12 with 8:19 left to play in the third.

Suffice to say, while Hempfield would’ve just as easily preferred to drive something with the horsepower akin to that of a cement mixer on this night, the team on the other sideline had a Ferrari they were itching to take off the showroom floor. And once they regained control following the Hempfield score just a moment prior, the Bearcats’ found the left lane of the highway wide open and there for the taking.

In fact, it wouldn’t even take them four minutes to offer their rebuttal.

After slicing up the Black Knights’ D with a series of wonderful throws by way of Sam Stoner, a 12-yard galivant by Jaheim White down to the Hempfield 4-yard line got York High right on the verge of scoring yet again. There, eager to break through the clutches of what he had largely been held in check up until that point in the game, White would dash his way across the chalk for the 4-yard touchdown run. And with their first successful two-point try of the evening having been completed both literally and figuratively from Stoner to 6’6 senior wideout, Omarion Newson, following suit, we suddenly had a knotted-up affair at 20-20 with 4:45 left in the third stanza.

But this sports car was only starting to purr.

After holding Hempfield to what would be their first and only punt of the evening, York High went back out on offense with the ball resting at their own 26-yard line with 3:33 left to go in the quarter. And while York would reach the 50-yard line, a 3^rd & 14 was sitting there waiting for them. But just as he had done a variety of times throughout the first half of play, Sam Stoner’s legs proved to be chain movers as the senior’s scramble on said third and long ushered the Bearcats’ attack down to the Hempfield 31-yard line. Then, following a fearless slant by both quarterback and receiver across the middle to senior wideout, Quentin Price, York High found themselves in the Hempfield RedZone with the ball at the 15-yard line. Speaking of trying to dissect their way through the teeth of the Hempfield defense, the Bearcats’ brain trust opted for more of the same from there as a 15-yard dart across the middle yet again from Stoner to David Warde, Warde’s third touchdown of the night, gave York High their first lead of the ballgame, 26-20, following another failed two-point try with just 53 seconds left to go before the game entered its final frame.

But it wouldn’t be a quiet murmur of which Hempfield went into the fourth quarter. Not when you factor in a mammoth Grant Hoover all the way down to the Bearcats’ 1-yard line of course, which is exactly where Hempfield would begin the fourth quarter following the ceremonial flipping of the field for the onset of the new quarter which was about to commence.

Sure enough, one play is all it would take.

There, following Hoover’s chunk play just moments prior, a 1-yard quarterback keeper by way of Jackson Landis put Hempfield back in front following the PAT, 27-26, with just five seconds having bled off the fourth quarter clock.

And after holding York High to what would be a turnover on downs just a hair past the midfield emblem on the Bearcats’ ensuing offensive series, it appeared as if Hempfield could finally tally that precious knockout blow. However, even despite the fact that the Knights would chew up a whole bunch of clocks on its ensuing drive, a 4^th & 2 attempt was snuffed out by the Bearcats defensively, giving new life to the York High crew.

They wouldn’t disappoint.

Factually speaking, it took the ‘Cats all of one play to surge back in command as Jaheim White had somehow gotten lost from the Hempfield defense which proved costly as the 77-yard hookup from Stoner to White propelled York out to the 32-27 cushion with 3:31 left to go as the Bearcats’ two-point try fell just a knat’s eyelash away from being successful and crossing the goal line.

Then, with Hempfield proceeding to turn it over on downs in their own right to close out their next offensive possession, all hope appeared to be lost for the patrons of the home team. Well, maybe that should’ve been the case, but there was a dose of untapped magic still left for someone to find.

Yes, even though York High took over with a five-point lead needing just one first down to close this marvelous high school football game out, self-inflicted wounds were, by and large, the only thing that could’ve prevented a happy bus ride home across the Susquehanna for the guests.

Uh oh.

After getting hit with what was absolutely the last thing that the Bearcats needed to see, a dead ball personal foul call whistled against them, the task of simply picking up 10 yards and bringing out the victory formation the rest of the way quickly went up in smoke. Instead, the series would feature a 3^rd & 17, eventually leading to a 4^th & 12, as York High opted to punt the ball away to Hempfield at their own 46-yard line needing one final stop.

They wouldn’t get it.

Despite the fact that Hempfield was empty-handed in the timeout department, needing to travel 81 yards in 51 seconds, added in with the fact that what their offense had demonstrated up until that point rather rightly or wrongly was considered anything but “quick strike,” the task at hand seemed nothing if not arduous. But then again, if you want to take over in L-L Section One, here’s a great opportunity to show what you got.

While it was a big play out of the chute on this series, a Jackson Landis toss to Micah Gates along the Hempfield sideline which propelled the Knights to the York High 45-yard line, also would prove to be an excellent use of foreshadowing. Then, three plays later, after having picked up just three yards, a successful 3^rd & 7 from Landis to Julian Morales moved the sticks for a 13-yard gainer down to the Bearcats’ 29-yard line.

Remember the Landis to Gates hookup? Well, rest assured that York High certainly does, and probably will for years to come, as a wonderful post pattern executed by the Hempfield 6’0 junior wideout who wound up in the corner of the endzone received the reward of a lifetime with the game on the line, a lofted pass heaved in his direction by his fellow junior classmate as the eventual 29-yard touchdown strike between the pair with all of 12 seconds remaining put Hempfield up by a 35-32 count.

In the end though, while the contest seemed to take on the overall tenor and vibe that whoever would possess the ball last would likely triumph, that technically would not be the case after all as York High’s last-ditch effort with essentially no time left to work with went to no avail, effectively serving Hempfield with a landmark early season triumph as the Black Knights were able to escape with a thrilling three-point victory over a game York High Bearcats club, 35-32, which vaulted them out the Knights out a 2-0 record thus far in the early campaign.

Afterward, likely feeling gassed in the same way as if he too had just gone 48 minutes in that 6A heavyweight bout himself that had just taken place, Hempfield head man, George Eager, was nonetheless cognizant to decipher what his club had just accomplished.

“Pride,” Eager said without hesitation. “Just the idea of overcoming all that adversity. There were some things in the second half that put us in that position that we could have done better, timeout-wise by the coaching staff and things like that, but just that response. You talk about adversity. Every coach says it, but when it’s there, what do you do? Our guys responded. It feels just like a proud father moment,” Eager added with a smile while also having to talk over the cavern of noise that was still enveloping the home team’s sideline in the postgame fracas.

And sure, while this was a big win in and of itself, Eager and his crew know that while they’ll eat well this weekend, there are far bigger fish left for them to fry throughout these next eight weeks and beyond.

“I’ll be honest, and I know it’ll be a cliché, but we talk all the time about how tough our schedule is,” he stated. “We can’t look ahead simply because we can’t. We have to take this one game at a time. But we did say to ourselves, ‘Between Dallastown, York, or Central York, and I don’t mean this in any sort of disrespecting manner to the rest, but you figure one of those three is going to win York-Adams. Out of these first weeks, we’re going to play a playoff team. If we want to be one ourselves, we have to compete.’ Now, we’re just focused on Central York next week because again, they’re probably a playoff team too.”

Yet as mentioned, the earmarks are there, and evidence that the rebirth of the Hempfield football program is rapidly approaching if it’s not already lying not so peacefully in the weeds as of this moment. And if anyone would know that best, it would probably be someone with the resume of George Eager who has been just about everywhere the Hempfield administration needed him to be prior to taking over control of the program in Landisville when you consider that Eager cut his teeth on staffs at Manheim Township, Wilson, and Franklin & Marshall University, his alma mater. Suffice it to say, when he speaks, his players would be wise to bend an ear or two. Fortunately for him, they are.

 “We have a great senior class,” Eager said beaming with pride. “Everyone talks about the coaching staff, but these (seniors) were the first ones to be with us. This is my third year, so they’ve been with us for three years. Those who’ve stayed have bought in. There were many, many, many of their teammates that left. Many left because we demanded so much,” he added. “Many got out, but these guys stayed. Those that have stayed believed and it’s paid off because they are making the biggest of plays for us.”

NEXT UP: As Eager mentioned in the postgame media session, while Hempfield is out taking the L-L Section One title this season, the Black Knights will look to officially staking their claim as unofficial YAIAA Section One champs for the 2022 campaign when they take on Central York next week back at home in hopes of making it a 3-0 start before the true divisional slate begins in earnest with a date from McCaskey looming the week afterward.

For York High, the Bearcats left Lancaster County late on Friday night with a somewhat puzzling 0-2 record next to their name after the first 14 days of the season. Sure enough, as is the case when playing with the big boys in the 6A ranks, there’s nobody you can really dodge away from. Case in point, the Bearcats’ Week 3 opponent, the Carlisle Thundering Herd, a 2-0 outfit fresh out a dismantling of what has been arguably District 3’s best of franchises over the last couple of years, Governor Mifflin, in a 48-14 romp on Friday night.

There’s an old adage floated around in football circles that goes something along the lines of this. “The greatest improvement a team can make is between Week 1 & 2.” Fair point no doubt, but man alive. If the season openers for Annville-Cleona and ELCO respectively last week were to serve as any sort of indication, both squads would certainly be more than delighted if they could perform an encore against one another on Thursday night.

For Annville-Cleona, the recent shift that came about this year within the Lancaster-Lebanon League thanks to the introduction of the 13 programs by way of Berks County has most certainly breathed some added life into the Dutchmen football program. Then again, it would be nothing if not ignorant for that to be misconstrued as the program has been on some version of football life support prior to the Berks merger. After all, seeing A-C compete for section titles and District 3 playoff berths of the like is something that has been viewed on an almost perennial basis for quite some time, the latter of which got even more attractive this season given A-C’s move down to a AA school in the District 3 rank and file we should add. However, now with the seismic change in landscape, the Dutchmen can now most certainly look at every section opponent squarely in the eye and realize that they are on an entirely level playing field in terms of competing for division supremacy. In fact, you could entertain the argument that the crop of teams right now found residing in L-L Section Five is so even that the opportunity may be ripe for the picking in terms of one of those programs perhaps establishing firm, long-standing footing by getting out in front of the others and creating a mini-dynasty if you will in terms of scooping up the next handful of section titles in a show of force against the other combatants. And sure, while that’s putting the cart well before the horse at this juncture, if A-C could replicate some of that same firepower they exerted in a dominating Week 1 victory over Hanover which saw the Dutchmen rattle off more than 400 yards on the ground in a 55-point explosion at the hands of the Nighthawks last week, especially against one of the schools biggest rivals in ELCO on a short week no less, one could argue that no team in the behemoth 37-team mega-conference, regardless of being in Section One thru Five, had jumped out to a more impressive start to the campaign than that of Annville-Cleona.

Speaking of the change in divisional scenery, the road to ho for the ELCO Raiders is now in many ways remarkably different than that of their Thursday night counterparts.

To many high school football scribes both near and far, the revamped Section Four of the Lancaster-Lebanon League may be one of the toughest divisions found inside the state. Hard to argue with that notion when you have goliaths the likes of statewide powerbrokers Berks Catholic, Cocalico, Lampeter-Strasburg, and Wyomissing to name just a few found lurking around the neighborhood these days. That said, while a school like ELCO may not necessarily steal the spotlight and headlines in terms of a larger and broader audience when compared to that of their new cohorts, rest assured that those with a more intimate knowledge of the situation aren’t foolish enough to take the group from Myerstown for granted whatsoever.

For any program, objective numero uno is most certainly to establish identity. Good news there in that regard as ELCO has precisely that. While the Raiders may not routinely sweep the board in terms of having more natural, God-given talent across the entirety of its roster than that of their opposition on a weekly basis, Raiders’ head coach Bob Miller has instilled an unmistakable DNA that combines a potent running attack — sometimes never putting the ball in the air over the course of a game at all — with that of troops who will try to bludgeon your nose and physically outwork you over the span of 48 minutes. Suffice to say, that same tried and true formula continues to work wonders year over year. Case in point, ELCO’s 44-22 triumph over a similar-type program last Friday night, West York, to get the 2022 season started off with a bang.

And with both teams coming into their grudge match after having scored a combined 99-points between them in their season debuts –with the ever-important aspect of Lebanon County bragging rights on the line of course– the Thursday night appetizer for a weekend jam-packed with nothing but pigskin might have fit in just as well had it been listed on the main course list of the menu.

Yet while they may have felt famine and underfed throughout the first three-quarters of the evening, rest assured that ELCO ultimately gorged themselves come to the end of the night.

As mentioned though, it certainly did not start off that way for the Raiders. Case in point, a botched opening kickoff return to begin the contest which allowed Annville-Cleona to set up shop at the ELCO 25-yard line with nary a play from scrimmage taking place yet. However, thanks to the efforts of their defensive troops, the Raiders’ defense was able to bow their backs and avoid any damage being inflicted upon them following the Dutchmen’s missed field goal which concluded the opening series, allowing ELCO to wipe the early sweat beads away from their brow.

But while A-C may have been stymied on their initial march, the hosts came back with a vengeance the next time their got their paws on the football.

After holding ELCO to a quick three and out following the aforementioned missed field goal try, A-C took over at the Raiders’ 46-yard line with 8:21 remaining in the first and proceeded to chug like a locomotive.

And as is typically the case, the preferred mode of transportation for the Annville-Cleona offensive unit on this drive was by way of the ground as well. Sure enough, following a successful 3^rd & 3 quarterback keeper by way of senior trigger man, Gavin Keller, which gave A-C a fresh set of downs, a 20-yard burst courtesy of another fellow senior hiding in the Dutchmen backfield, tailback Phoenix Music, rumbling all the way down to the ELCO 15-yard line, ultimately helped set up an eventual 1-yard TD sneak by Keller, making it a 6-0 A-C lead which is where things remained for the final 5:20 of the opening stanza following the blocked PAT.

Nearing the waning stages of the first frame, however, the ELCO offense was able to shake free from some of its initial cobwebs and find a nice, sound rhythm.

For that, a sensational individual effort by Raiders’ running back, Jake Williams, who had worked himself free the oncoming A-C defensive soldiers for a 35-yard pickup down to the Annville-Cleona 12-yard line got the guests from nearby Myerstown in business. In fact, it took the white-clad guests all of 47 seconds to find paydirt once the second quarter got underway following Williams’ long scamper as a 10-yard TD toss from Dom Thornton to Elliot Kreider gave the Raiders their first lead of the evening, 7-6, following a Landon Kettle PAT with 11:07 remaining before the intermission.

Undeterred, however, Annville-Cleona seemed to have an immediate rebuttal.

In terms of immediate, how about the ensuing kickoff? There, a sensational kickoff return down the ELCO sideline by way of A-C senior running back/linebacker, Dominic Funk, allowed the hosts to begin their retaliation at the Raiders’ 38-yard line. That said, the eventual answer wouldn’t come easy for A-C. No, not when you consider that the Dutchmen had to navigate past a 4^th & 8 attempt shortly thereafter. However, Lady Luck shined upon A-C on the said play as a rare pass from Keller to sophomore tight end, Jonathon Shay, allowed A-C to move the sticks following the 16-yard pickup between the pair. Then, going back to their beloved bread and butter of the option attack, an 11-yard touchdown jaunt by Phoenix Music put the Dutchmen back in front, 12-7, following an unsuccessful two-point attempt with 7:15 left to go before the break.

Not to be left out, Annville-Cleona’s defense promptly decided to begin wreaking havoc in their own right their next time out on the field.

For that, a strip sack by A-C’s Damien Miller which led to an eventual fumble recovery by Darrian Holloway for the Dutchmen D, allowed the Annville-Cleona offense to take over at the ELCO 38-yard line. And while the Annville-Cleona offense would give the oblong pill right back following a botched quarterback-center exchange, the brooding and unwelcoming nature already exhibited by the A-C defense was on full display once again.

While takeaways are marvelous in their own right, points-off turnovers are something entirely different. Suffice to say, A-C’s Cameron Connelly found himself in an especially greedy mood his next time out on the pitch as evidenced by his 15-yard interception return for a score which created a 19-7 bulge up on the scoreboard following an Anthony Lucera PAT, a score while allowed the Dutchmen to sail into the halftime recess with the wind at their backs once the final 1:32 ticked off the first half clock.

In short, while Annville-Cleona had been able to keep ELCO at arm’s length throughout much of the contest up until that point, the overall sense that the Dutchmen had yet to formally slug a knockout blow to the opposition hung thick in the night air. Simply put, if the Raiders could just hang around and hang around as the game got later and later, coupled with a break and spark intermingled within that of course, ELCO would almost certainly find themselves right back in the hunt despite their current 12-point deficit. Well, with that in mind, let’s fast forward to the waning stages of the third period, shall we?

With time starting to bleed away inside the third, Annville-Cleona found themselves on the precipice of landing that TKO. With the ball just sitting five yards away from what surely felt like the death-nail in the Raiders’ excursion into enemy territory on this night, a glimmer of hope in the form of an ill-timed A-C fumble and subsequent recovery by the Raiders’ D breathed life into the ELCO troops. And just as he had done in the final moments of the first quarter as well, a crucial run through the Dutchmen’s defense by way of running back, Jake Williams, put an extra pep in the Raiders’ step once the final quarter got underway with his fellow teammates playing with a level of abandon and determination that could only be exercised while being totally unphased by an existing two-touchdown hole.

Speaking of Mr. Williams, he continued to be a 5’11 180lb thorn in A-C’s side all night long.

Following his long run to close the third, Williams proceeded to barrel his way over the Dutchmen’s defense, literally, leaving would-be tacklers behind in his wake as the Raiders’ offense found themselves on A-C’s side of the field with the ball resting on the ELCO 45-yard line. Ironically, while ELCO has and likely always will love to bully the opposition up front on the line scrimmage while bringing a hard-charging running attack in right behind the big boys up front, it was ironically a touchdown strike through the air which really put a lump in A-C’s collective throat.

Just as they did in the first half of play, a touchdown connection from the arm of Dom Thornton to the waiting hands of Elliot Kreider proved lethal as far as ELCO was concerned as the 56-yard scoring strike between the pair, their second such exchange of the contest, ushered the Raiders within five at 19-14 with 11:11 still left to play.

And if momentum is a key factor for you in determining how it can affect an outcome, rest assured that it was most certainly residing on ELCO’s sideline at that point in time.

After forcing A-C into a three and out on the Dutchmen’s ensuing offensive series following the ELCO score, the Raiders took over at the midfield stripe with 9:31 left to play and some unfinished business left to attend to.

Looking for Jake Williams? Yeah, so too was the A-C defense as well given Williams’ 25-yard burst up in the middle on ELCO’s initial offensive play on the new series. But yet again, here came the Raiders with a sudden aerial assault of sorts. Of course, having to get past a piece of yellow laundry innocently laying out on the natural grass surface was something altogether different as the unfortunate holding call whistled against the ELCO offense had not only wiped away what would have stood firm as the go-ahead Raiders’ score, but it also simultaneously set up a 3^rd & 15 attempt back on the A-C 30-yard line. And if that wasn’t already enough salt in the wound, what would have been another surefire touchdown had it not been for an overthrown pass on said third and long led to ELCO staring down the barrel of a dangerous fourth and long scenario.

No matter though for ELCO quarterback, Dom Thornton.

Putting aside the most recent frustration of what was surely felt following what had just happened in the previous two plays, Thornton came back with a gutty and determined scramble that could have just as easily served as a microcosm for the night as a whole as Thornton’s galivant through the Dutchmen defense on 4^th & 15 not only gave A-C a fresh set of downs, but it also put the ball on the A-C 8-yard line. From there, a 10-yard TD run by the man of the hour, Jake Williams, coupled with his two-point conversion attempt no less, allowed ELCO to surge out in front and take command, 22-19, with 5:33 left to play.

At this stage, things had suddenly gone from comfortable to precarious for Annville-Cleona in what had to feel like the blink of an eye. True, but while the Dutchmen’s boat had started to take on water at this point, they still had the means to shovel some of the liquid out. That is to say of course that the chore would be far from easy mind you. In fact, Annville-Cleona found themselves having to negotiate past a 4^th & 3 attempt at their own 37-yard line in a true do-or-die scenario as the game hung in the balance. Fortunately, as far as the hometown patrons were concerned, Phoenix Music proceeded to rip off a jolly-good tune as the senior’s long gainer down the A-C sideline propelled the Dutchmen all the way down to the Raiders’ 23-yard line.

But alas, just as they had struggled to do throughout much of the night, hold onto the football, A-C’s sixth fumble of the evening was by far its most damaging as the second of two key thefts for the ELCO defense on this night all but slammed the door on the Dutchmen’s chances.  For the slamming assignment, of course, the Raiders turned and handed the ball off to, you guessed it, Jake Williams, as Williams’ long run on an upcoming 3^rd & 3 put the game away for good for ELCO as the Raiders’ 12-point fourth quarter comeback was finally etched into stone by virtue of the 22-19 final count over their county counterparts from Annville-Cleona, whipping the Raiders’ traveling contingent into a frenzy in the aftermath of their unrelenting triumph.

Afterward, as one may have imagined, any and all parties who had been residing on the ELCO sidelines for the past two and a half hours were understandably effusive in showing their excitement for what they had just accomplished. Chief among them no less, Raiders’ head man, Bob Miller.

“That tells the story. These guys, there’s no quit in them,” said Miller with the utmost pride regarding his troops after addressing them directly in the postgame scrum. “They’re not putting their heads down, looking at the scoreboard, they play every single play. Mistakes are made, mistakes that we have to clean up, but there’s never a heart or an effort question.”

And truth be told, that same mindset never wavered on Thursday night, even despite everything that was working against them for what felt like a large portion of the contest.

“They’re freaking excited every play,” Miller continued of his team. “One of our things is to never look at the scoreboard. There was maybe a flat time or two tonight, but I don’t tell them. That’s not my job. I’m not the cheerleader. You guys need to provide excitement and energy for your teammates and hold your teammates out on the field accountable. I don’t ever feel like we have a ‘down’ sideline. There’s never any blame going around. We were pretty pumped up for a team that played for most of the night down.”

But if you had to find what may have been one determining catalyst as to why ELCO was able to surge ahead once and for all on Thursday against a rival aside from purely an X & O execution standpoint, one word just needs to be said- culture.

“This was a win that was demonstrative of their heart,” said the Raiders’ head man. “These guys have it. The brotherhood, man. They pick each other up after some of these mistakes saying, ‘We got it, we got it.’ I would say it was their brotherhood and their heart that did this.”

NEXT UP: Fresh off their newly minted 2-0 record, ELCO will continue to live life on the road in their quest to remain perfect in the early going as the Raiders travel to what used to be a fellow section foe, no longer, however, as the band of brothers will head southward to tangle with Columbia next Friday night on the eastern banks of the Susquehanna.

For Annville-Cleona, this loss will surely take some time to work through. Aside from the fact that it was the Dutchmen’s fourth consecutive loss to ELCO, the sting that comes with surrendering a 12-point fourth-quarter lead surely makes it that much more arduous. But as is life in high school football, there’s no off-ram to stand by the side of the road and take a breather when it comes to licking your wounds. Time waits for no man in this game and the Littlestown Thunderbolts certainly won’t plan on being very hospitable houseguests when they roll into Annville next Friday evening in what figures to be a key litmus test for demonstrating what the Dutchmen have in their collective tanks following this difficult setback.

If you’re a high school football fan living in central Pennsylvania unless of course you’ve been living under a rock for the last couple of years I suppose, you’ve probably already heard the news by now that the 13 football programs that as of just this past season who had made up the Berks County Interscholastic Athletic Association have since joined forces with the more than two dozen schools that already compete within the Lancaster-Lebanon League to form a mammoth 37-team high school super conference that will almost surely rub elbows with that of other illustrious and prideful leagues from around the state. Yet for all the newfangled changes that such a seismic shift has already brought about and will almost certainly continue to bring about within the local landscape of all things pigskin, perhaps the one common phrase that was uttered the most amongst those who have taken the time to digest such a large swath of teams suddenly getting intermingled in a hopper with one another almost overnight was that “Section One largely remains unchanged save for the addition of Reading High.”

Yes, while the Red Knights –the football program hailing from the largest high school in the entire state that is to say – are once again going to be competing inside Lancaster-Lebanon Section One once again for the first time since the 2009 season with the likes of Penn Manor, Manheim Township and rivals Wilson and McCaskey to name just a few, there is likely one school above all others within that pack that will likely take exception if Section One continues to operate in the status quo once again in 2022.

When you think of L-L Section One, it’s likely those same familiar names that jump to the surface of the discussion. You know, your Wilsons and Manheim Townships of the world, particularly of the last half-decade or so. And sure, while those same two squads along with the possibility of an up-and-coming Hempfield bunch likely figure to run with the lead pack in the division once again this season, the Cedar Crest Falcons would love nothing more than to tear down the balloons, devour the cake, and crash everyone’s party.

Quietly, almost too quietly, the group from the southern end of Lebanon city finished in a convoluted tie for second place in the division last season without much in the way of fanfare with a 5-4 overall mark, just nine games due to a COVID shutdown that nixed their game against Governor Mifflin. Granted, while losing a physical freak the likes of one Aadyn Richards at the tailback and linebacker position –the Section One Back of the Year no less– who walked across the stage for graduation a few months ago will leave a sizable void to fill, the cast of what were once young Falcons not all that long ago have since lost some of that green behind their collective ears and are now ready to make a splash and plant their flag at the summit of Section One once again. And if you know anything about the collective makeup of Cedar Crest athletics as a whole, proving outside doubters wrong is something they happen to take the utmost joy in. After all, while some schools may have chips on their shoulders, the Falcons routinely have something akin to that of what would come out of some sort of geological survey it would seem.

But before Cedar Crest has a chance to make noise by jumping into the pool with the other big boys in divisional play by going head-to-head against them in just a few short weeks, the nonconference slate the Falcons assembled for themselves for the 2022 campaign certainly didn’t come fresh from any bakery. No, there aren’t any cupcakes to be found here. Case in point, the lid-lifter of the season that came on a hot and steamy opening night in the metropolis of Cornwall, PA at Earl Boltz Stadium against Lincoln.

Full disclosure, but please don’t find fault with anyone around the greater Lebanon community if they happened to outwardly ask in the last couple of weeks, “Who is Lincoln?” Simply put, having an L-L League squad host a team hailing from the historic Philadelphia Public League is certainly not something seen all that often around these parts. But the Railsplitters, yes, the Railsplitters, aren’t your typical run-of-the-mill squad either. Suffice to say, if you can emerge out of “ The Pub” with a 7-1 overall record just as the Railsplitters were able to do last year, much less hold every opponent except for one to single digits with four shutouts added within that cluster of lights-out performances as well, that’s no fluke. And with a full complement of players who will keep opposing defensive coordinators up late at night all season long, there’s reason to believe that the program that one Sylvester Stallone once suited up for isn’t planning on slamming the breaks on this freight train of success any time soon.

So, for two teams that entered the evening with high hopes for the season that was about to get underway in earnest, the opportunity was ripe for the picking for someone to take a massive step forward right out of the starting blocks against a more than worthy opponent standing across from them on the opposite sideline. Yet while it may not have ended up being the most glitzy and glamorous span of play that they’ll put forward this season, Cedar Crest’s largely dominating display of ‘ball was good enough to catapult the Falcons to a 1-0 mark to start the season.

In the first quarter, it quickly became evident that one of Lincoln’s primary goals for the evening was to play a game of keep away from their hosts. To the Railsplitters’ credit, the plan seemed to be paying dividends in the early going on Friday night as a pair of first downs by way of tosses from 6’2 senior quarterback, Khani Knight, to the waiting hands of Rolling Davis and Nate Rivera respectively, helped moved the chains for the visitors from Philadelphia in the opening few minutes. However, the Railsplitters’ kryptonite seemed to be themselves despite their promising early and time-consuming first foray with the football as an untimely ineligible man downfield penalty eventually took the wind out their sails albeit while knocking on the door of entering the red zone, which would later lead to a punt following an incompletion on 3^rd & 18 at the midfield stripe.

Much like their counterparts on this night, the Falcons’ first drive of the 2022 campaign would also show similar flashes of brilliance and wherewithal before eventually coming to an end due to a self-inflicted wound.

Despite ushering their offense onto the field for the first time all year while inside the shadows of their own goalposts at their own 10-yard line, the Falcons promptly began moving outside of such a precarious position thanks to a well-rounded concoction of dinking and dunking. With senior trigger man Jay Huber operating at the controls, a nice blend of tosses to a willing and able Gabe Lewis on the outside flanks combined with a dose of powerful runs up the gut by way of powerful tailback, Izaiah Gonzalez, Cedar Crest seemed to find its rhythm early on. Fortunately for them, the good juju and positive vibes seemed to be extra fortuitous later on in the drive as a 3^rd & 20 at their own 42-yard line was ultimately converted, albeit in the most unorthodox of ways, as 5’11 sophomore wideout, Jack Waranavage, came up with the reception along the Falcons’ sideline, despite while being down on his back, as the tipped pill eventually found its way into his hands to prolong the Cedar Crest series by giving the Falcons a fresh set of downs. However, Waranavage’s heroics would prove to be short-lived as on the very next play from scrimmage, a Cedar Crest fumble recovered by the Railsplitters would end the Falcons’ impressive initial march.

And with a majority of the first frame already having been evaporated courtesy of both squads’ time-sucking drives, the first quarter would crescendo with the score still deadlocked, 0-0.

As one may have imagined with neither team being able to crack its proverbial goose egg inside the opening 12 minutes of play, stingy defensive play was the soup de jour in the early going on Friday night.

So much so in fact that Lincoln’s Samuel Scell had earned himself one heck of an impressive series from his rush end spot as the 5’11 senior Railsplitter tallied two sacks of his own to promptly thwart a Cedar Crest drive to just three plays and out near the midway mark of the second quarter.

Suffice it to say, with the game so clearly up for grabs at this juncture, having someone be able to come up with a momentum-shifting play for his respective side figured to serve as a catalyst for one of the two sides to finally gain some traction. In that case, enter Leo Tirado stage right.

While Lincoln seemed to be working its way into a groove of its own thanks to a steady dose of Scell runs up the gut following his pair of sacks defensively on the previous series, the Railsplitters then went away from the run game just briefly. There, unfortunately waiting for them was the cardinal sin of throwing late across the middle which proved to be Lincoln’s downfall at the moment as Cedar Crest’s 5’8 junior defensive back, Leo Tirado, saw the opportunity to seize the moment. And then seize the moment he would be screaming downhill to pluck the errant throw out of the night sky for a key interception that promptly breathed life into the Cedar Crest sideline.

And once they took over at their own 49-yard line following Tirado’s pick, the Falcons’ collective muscle helped seal the deal from there.

Behind a bevy of powerful totes from Izaiah Rodriguez, thanks in large part to the Cedar Crest offensive line beginning to expose some cracks of the Railsplitters’ interior forces, the Falcons were quickly on the doorstep. The “doorstep” as it would turn out would be the 6-yard line which is where junior running back, Fernando Marquez, entered the fray.

Despite coming off the bench cold without a carry to his name at that point in the contest, the second dose of the Falcons’ hammer backs more than made up for a lost time as Marquez’s 6-yard touchdown rumble cracked the scoring seal with Cedar Crest now out in front, 7-0, with 2:01 remaining before the intermission.

But as it turned out, two minutes and change was more than enough time for Cedar Crest to land another crunching body blow.

 After stymying Lincoln to a prompt three-and-out on the Railsplitters’ ensuing offensive series, the Falcons took over possession at their own 32-yard line a mere 30 seconds following the earlier touchdown. This time around, the Falcons went with their preferred mode of transportation given their nickname for their second score of the evening as a wonderfully-constructed screenplay through the air behind the backside of the oncoming Lincoln pass rush thanks to the senior duo of Jay Huber to Izaiah Gonzalez was good enough for the 11-yard scoring strike which appeared to serve as the back-breaker with Cedar Crest proceeding to trot off into the halftime dressing room while owning the 14-0 bulge on the scoreboard once the final 45 seconds ticked off the first half clock.

Much like they had done in the first half, both defenses kept a lid on the other’s offensive attacks once the third quarter got underway. And while successful defensive stands that would ultimately lead to punts seemed to encapsulate the initial stages of the third frame for either side, Cedar Crest had the antidote for curing that dry spell once again.

Granted, while the Falcons’ second offensive series coming out of the break looked like it may reach a similar conclusion to that of its most recent predecessor, ending without points albeit while operating inside Railsplitters’ territory, Cedar Crest obviously had other ideas about that.

Other ideas or not, staring down the barrel of a 4^th & 10 isn’t exactly the most comfortable way to try and make a living of it. No matter though. Not when you can dump the ball off to a back like Fernando Marquez that is to say. Case in point, Marquez bulldozing his way for a 12-yard pickup to move the sticks for the critical conversion to give the Falcons a fresh set of downs with the ball now resting on the Lincoln 18-yard line. From there, while Cedar Crest would pick up four yards over the next two plays from scrimmage, Jay Huber went back to the skies for his second TD toss of the night as a 14-yard scoring strike to fellow senior, Nolan Groff, then made it a 21-0 Falcons’ advantage as Groff’s second effort run after catch nearly seemed to put the game out of reach despite 4:24 still left to tick off the third quarter clock which is precisely where things would remain upon entering the final dozen minutes of play.

Ironically, while Lincoln’s last significant threat of an offensive attack hadn’t been seen since the first quarter, by and large, the Railsplitters tried their best to make up for lost time with the clock starting to serve as their primary enemy.

Yes, while it may it have taken them some time to finally crack the code of the Cedar Crest defensive troops up until that point when the Lincoln offensive unit can get churning, it can strike at a moment’s notice. In that regard, with their offense finally working into a groove and starting to click following a nice pitch and catch from Khani Knight to Nate Rivera for a 14-yard pickup which moved the ball down to Falcons’ 12-yard line, that was all the further the Railsplitters needed to travel as a Knight touchdown toss to Samuel Scell for the Lincoln 12-yard score made it a 21-6 affair following the unsuccessful two-point conversion attempt with 5:32 left to play.

But that wasn’t the last of it as far as Lincoln was concerned.

After a quick three-and-out following the Railsplitters’ touchdown, the white-clad visitors then took over at their own 21-yard line following the Cedar Crest punt.  And while it still wouldn’t be easy in terms of trying to solve the riddle known as Cedar Crest, a fact best evidenced by a 3^rd & 9 in which Lincoln quickly found themselves upon taking over, a key conversion on the said play by way of a strike from Knight to Rolling Davis then moved the chains for the Railsplitters on the 15-yard gainer which simultaneously moved the ball out to Lincoln’s own 37-yard line as well. Shortly thereafter, however, the first real breakdown displayed by Cedar Crest’s defense all night long would prove costly as a 43-yard touchdown throw from Knight to a zig-zagging Darius Hill across the Earl Boltz Stadium turf suddenly put the Railsplitters within reach at 21-12 with 2:12 still left to play.

Needless to say, the upcoming two-point conversion play that was about to take place would likely serve as to whether or not the final two minutes and change would be far more exciting than anyone in attendance could have imagined just moments earlier. Well, fortunately for the hometown patrons, many of whom nixed their traditional blue and gray attire for that of highlighter green in honor of the “Bright Out” taking place on this evening, they could head home breathing easy as the Railsplitters’ two-point try ended in running out wide that ended just shy of the chalk line, critically preserving Cedar Crest’s nine-point gap.

And with Lincoln’s ensuing onsides kick attempt resulting in Fernando Marquez pouncing on the bouncing pigskin while residing on the Falcons’ hands team, Cedar Crest was able to finish things off in the most desired of formations, the victory formation, as the Falcons began what they hope proves to be a fruitful and prosperous 2022 campaign with a 21-12 victory over Lincoln to move to 1-0 out of the gate to begin the year.

NEXT UP: For Cedar Crest, the nonconference dynamos just keep coming at them. Following their triumph on Friday night over Lincoln, another explosive unit with dynamite-like weapons all over the place comes to Cornwall next week, the CD East Panthers, fresh off a 31-12 victory in their own right over the lone new addition to the Falcons’ Section One slate this season, Reading High.

And how about this? If traveling nearly two hours outside of the city to face a hungry Cedar Crest outfit wasn’t already enough for the Railsplitters, Lincoln will now travel even further –much further — to face what is arguably one of the best high school football teams in the entire state of Pennsylvania next week regardless of classification level, Pittsburgh Central Catholic, as the Lincoln World Tour continues onward and upward.

In sports, much like in life, there’s an old familiar phrase that says, “Water eventually finds it level.” Yeah, true enough in terms of the earth science technicalities of things I suppose, but that’s not always the case in the world of playoff-era sports. Well, at least not particularly in the case of Friday night’s District 3-4A semifinal game between Kennard-Dale and Lampeter-Strasburg that is. Far from it actually.

To be totally fair though, when talking about what has evolved into the wild and wonderful world of Lampeter-Strasburg Football of recent memory, this whole song and dance has turned into something that surely like its old hat by now. In a sense, it’s remarkable really. For a program that hadn’t won its first District 3 title until the year 2007 -much less even won a playoff game period until that very same year ironically- the L-S program that the youth in both the Lampeter and Strasburg communities have grown up with have been engrossed with nothing but elite-level success. Winning seasons? That’s a layup. Competing for the L-L section title? Slam dunk.  Making the postseason? Easy money. Winning and going on a deep run once inside the playoffs? Ok, the road there is admittedly a bit more difficult indeed, but the Pioneers have basically run roughshod over the competition in whatever their respective classification be save for a small handful of worthy adversaries on a perennial basis. In fact, ever since the implementation of the six-classification system that the PIAA adopted and put into effect starting with the 2016 football season, L-S has failed to make it into at least the semifinal round of the 4A bracket only once. And since everyone’s retention span seems to last only as long as a Twitter timeline these days, let’s remember that the Pios are the current back-to-back District 3-4A champions, taking the title home with them in 2019 and 2020 respectively. And right on cue, here the Pioneers are yet again, swashbuckling their way into the final four once more, lugging a 10-1 overall record with them into their matchup against the visitors from the southernmost high school located in the entire state of Pennsylvania on Friday night. And oh by the way, if that wasn’t already enough, consider the fact that L-S hasn’t been held under the 50-point threshold in any contest since the very first day of October during this run. Um, yikes.

On the other side of the field, this is an entirely new world that the Kennard-Dale Rams have found themselves residing in this season. Much in the same vein as Lampeter-Strasburg’s aforementioned 2007 campaign, 2021 marks the first season in which the program hailing from Fawn Grove has been able to pick up the school’s first postseason victory. Not only that, but that win over Donegal last week wasn’t some one-off occurrence for this group of Rams. No, not when you consider the fact that it appeared to be a business as usual approach to the task at hand given that Kennard-Dale found themselves on the short end of the stick only once this year, coming in a two-point setback at the hands of Octorara on the opening night of the season, 18-16. But make no mistake about it, this year’s 10-1 overall record has been nothing short of a seismic shift in terms of on-field success relished in those parts.

As a whole, over the last decade or so, varsity football wins have been in short supply for Kennard-Dale. In fact, it wasn’t even all that usual to see the Rams finish the year with either an 0-fer or just one lone tally in the win column come season’s end typically. However, since head coach Chris Grube took over control of the program starting with the 2016 season, the steady yet meteoric rise exhibited by the Rams has been nothing short of remarkable. No longer an after-thought in York-Adams Division Two, Kennard-Dale has gradually morphed into a steady and consistent threat to their fellow brethren, a feat perhaps best exemplified by their 6-4 record at the end of the 2019 campaign- the program’s first winning record since 2009.

Yet to their credit, the bright lights and attention haven’t appeared to have had any effect on this squad despite all their newfound notoriety and publicity as the Rams have successfully kept their nose down and have gone about their business with nothing but flying colors. And at the end of the day, while many may have anticipated a semifinal round bout between two squads that would feature nothing but the bluest of blue bloods given the enormously high stakes, Kennard-Dale had no issue whatsoever when it came to bucking -or ramming if you will- that notion entirely. In short, the high waters of playoff football had not yet swallowed up Kennard-Dale and their magnificent run. Instead, the Rams’ ship had been able to rise along with the tide. Take that, science.

But much in the same way in which the Pioneers have been able to play this entire season, Lampeter-Strasburg was able to demonstrate over the course of the next 48 minutes as to why they are whole different force of nature altogether.

In fact, it didn’t the hosts long at all in terms of landing an early haymaker. To be more concise, the first punch was thrown on the second play from scrimmage on Friday night as an errant Kennard-Dale pass sailed its way into the mitts of senior defensive back, Giovanni Malatesta, as Malatesta’s 40-yard sprint following his theft allowed the Pioneers’ offensive troops to set up shop at the Rams’ 10-yard line. Speaking of two plays, that’s precisely how long it took L-S to find the end zone shortly thereafter as a 5-yard Payton Cunningham touchdown run allowed the Pios to draw first blood at 7-0 following Andrew Reidenbaugh’s PAT with 10:51 still left to play in the first quarter.

On K-D’s ensuing offensive series, the Rams were yet again met with strong resistance from the L-S defensive unit.

After having their 3^rd & 1 attempt get stuffed at the line of scrimmage courtesy of the local football terror known as Beau Heyser, a short Kennard-Dale punt appeared to spell doom for the visitors as L-S was able to take over at the Rams’ 30-yard line following the exchange in possession. But to their credit, the Kennard-Dale D was able to bow their necks and effectively block L-S from landing a potential knockout punch as the Pioneers were forced to settle for a field goal despite the short field as a 32-yard boot through the uprights by Reidenbaugh made it a 10-0 affair in favor of the hosts with 5:57 still left in the opening stanza.

Yet just when it had appeared that K-D may have been able to finally find their footing on Friday night, L-S wasn’t exactly interested in allowing the Rams’ momentum to carry on for very long after that.

On this drive, Kennard-Dale’s third offensive series of the ballgame, the Rams were finally able to pick up their initial first down of the evening thanks to a 4-yard run by junior running back, Garrett McCleary, effectively making the chain gang down on the field put forth their first traditional movement of the frigid evening. As mentioned though, the Pioneers’ defense continued to play the role of extremely rude party hosts to their opposition as an 8-yard sack courtesy of L-S sophomore edge rusher, Drexton Frank, quickly followed suit. Then, as if that wasn’t already enough, an interception snared by senior defensive back, Weston Weaver, allowed the Pios’ to then work on an extremely short field yet again following Weaver’s 34-yard interception return which provided the L-S offensive attack to begin their proceedings at the Rams’ 12-yard line.

But just as they had been able to do not all that long ago, the Kennard-Dale defense was able to protect their squadron from a gigantic momentum swing just when the Rams needed a breather the most.

All told, it wasn’t exactly all that easy though considering that L-S was able to plot their way down to the K-D 1-yard line. However, that lone yard proved to be all the difference as an inopportune L-S fumble, recovered by the Rams in the end zone, allowed Kennard-Dale to wipe the sweat beads off of their collective brows as the touchback not only saved them from allowing additional L-S points, but it also allowed them to start their offensive series at their own 20-yard line once the second period got underway with the Pioneers’ lead holding firm at a 10-0 count.

Granted, although it largely felt as if Lampeter-Strasburg had largely dominated the first dozen minutes of the evening, the effectiveness of Kennard-Dale’s defense rising to the challenge when the opportunities presented themselves simply could not be washed away. And yet again, just when they needed it once more, the K-D defense was able to save the Rams’ bacon inside the second frame as well.

On L-S’ first offensive series of the second quarter though, this wasn’t simply just a K-D defensive stop that had no frills. No, this was a moment in time where the Rams were able to play with reckless abandon. To start things off, K-D’s Jed Peters was able to secure himself a 16-yard sack as the Rams’ senior DB was able to put the Pios’ offense well behind the chains. From there, his defensive backfield mate was able to do him one better as an interception nabbed by fellow senior, Jacob Copenhaver, allowed the K-D offense to begin this series with the ball nearly resting on the midfield stripe.

But in this instance as well, the L-S defense had no desire in letting Kennard-Dale feel good about things, forcing the Rams to punt it away following yet another quick three and out.

Ironically, this next offensive series that was about to transpire would also mean that it would be L-S’ first with what they would had to have considered terrible field position given where all of their previous marches began previously. No matter though.

After getting this attack in gear by way of a 15-yard sprint out of the backfield by sophomore running back, Jonathan Mellinger, the Pios’ offense was back in gear with the ball now sitting at the L-S 45-yard line. From there, a key Berkeley Wagner to Beau Heyser connection on 3^rd & 2 was just enough to move the sticks, giving the Pioneers a fresh set of downs to work with. And as it turned out, that would be all the further L-S would need to travel before authoring yet another scoring strike as a gorgeous ball thrown by Wagner down the seam to Giovanni Malatesta was good for the 33-yard touchdown assault as Malatesta was able to come away with a magnificent over the shoulder catch while working amongst traffic. And with that touchdown bomb, L-S was able to see their advantage balloon to a 17-0 margin with 5:51 left to go in the opening half following the PAT.

If you’re sensing a theme here of L-S thwarting nearly every Kennard-Dale opportunity of getting into a rhythm here, you’re not wrong. In fact, let the Pioneers’ Hunter Hildenbrand allow you to fulfill the notion once more.

On the ensuing Kennard-Dale possession following the Malatesta touchdown grab, Hildenbrand was able to stave off yet another Rams’ threat by coming away with a diving interception right in front of the L-S bench. Then, after moving over to his wide receiver position while on offense following the takeaway, the L-S junior was able to cap off what he himself had helped create as a perfectly executed tunnel screen to Hildenbrand serving as the target was good enough for a 35-yard touchdown reception, effectively allowing the Pios to soar into the locker room with ownership of the 24-0 cushion once the final 32 seconds ticked off the second quarter clock.

In the third quarter, L-S went right back to work.

In a sense, for an offense that seems to have the ability to strike at any given moment in time, the Pioneers’ initial drive to start the second half was one where the black-clad guests put on their hardhats and continued to pound away. In fact, the march itself came complete with its own instances of successful third and fourth down conversions. Case in point, a 10-yard sprint from Malatesta on a 4^th & 3 attempt at the K-D 39-yard line which allowed the Pios’ offensive march to continue onward. From there, yet another bruising run on a 3^rd & 2 play helped sprung by the L-S offensive line ushered the L-S attack inside the Rams’ red zone. And finally, in an exclamation point manner, a Berkeley Wagner 19-yard touchdown stroll on the quarterback keeper helped pushed the L-S lead out to 31-0 with 6:56 left to play in the third, capping off the 60-yard plot down the field.

And over the course of the final six minutes and change, that is precisely where the margin would remain once the final quarter got underway.

Once inside the fourth quarter, it finally seemed as if Kennard-Dale may have finally been able to crack through the glass wall known as the L-S defense. After a nice handful of chain-moving runs thanks to the handiwork of Kennard-Dale sophomore running back, Hayden Klimm, it appeared as if the Rams would at long last be able to crack their goose egg up on the scoreboard. Instead, this drive too would be met with the strongest possible resistance given a sack tallied by way of Weston Weaver on a K-D reverse play to start things off. From there, it was time for yet another takeaway as an L-S strip sack fumble resulted in sophomore linebacker, Jackson Heeter, coming away with the loose pill to slam the door on what was arguably Kennard-Dale’s most successful march of the entire night.

And in the end, especially given the stellar body of work in which they had put forth over the course of the entire ballgame up until that point, the L-S shutout would remain intact once the dust had finally settled -the Pioneers’ fifth such performance this year alone- as the Pioneers were able to move on to their third straight district title game next week against Bishop McDevitt by virtue of their emphatic 31-0 performance against Kennard-Dale on Friday night.

Needless to say, given just how dominant this Lampeter-Strasburg team has been throughout the majority of this season -save for their opening week loss at the hands of Warwick perhaps- all signs point to this group of Pioneers being locked into the process and going about their business with the upmost attention to detail given the product they have routinely put out on the field come Friday evenings. Rest assured, it’s not something lost on the head man either.

“For the most part, yes,” Lampeter-Strasburg first-year head coach Victor Ridenour said when asked if this team has essentially been “on” in terms of their respect to the overall grind every day of the week heading into games this season. “We had one day this week where we had a decent practice, but I’d say our focus wasn’t where it typically is, but then they responded on Thursday with a great practice,” admitted Ridenour. “They’re not a team that’s going to let something like that slip by,” he added of his guys and their apparent laser-focus. “They knew they didn’t practice that well and they were able to refocus.”

And in the end, perhaps that’s the most telling part about this Lampeter-Strasburg program as a whole. Even when they may not necessarily be clicking on all cylinders, they still seem as if they are always head and shoulders above the competition found standing on the opposite sideline from them on a weekly basis. But to suffice to say, that will be put to the test and then some come next Friday night.

NEXT UP: So, who do the Pioneers draw in next week’s title fight? Why, none other than Bishop McDevitt of course. And to be fair, yet another L-S & McDevitt matchup appeared to be in the cards almost from the outset of this season given that both the Pioneers and Crusaders have largely been mirror-images of one another considering the sheer dominance they’ve been able to inflict upon almost all their respective opponents this entire season. Yet even though next week’s District 3-4A title has all the earmarks of a collision course matchup, Ridenour, much like his players, hasn’t been paying much attention to anything other than his team’s opponent on a weekly basis.

“I knew that they have a really good football team,” the L-S head coach said postgame of his next opponent in Bishop McDevitt. “They had a really good team last year and I know they feel slighted that they got left out of the playoffs and I can certainly understand that, but it’s literally week-to-week,” he added. “Our kids have done a great job of focusing on, ‘We’ve got to play this team this week.’ They don’t get themselves too far ahead at all and we don’t as a staff either. I haven’t looked at any McDevitt film,” Ridenour acknowledged. “I couldn’t tell you what they do other than remembering what they did a couple years ago when we played them.”

Regardless, surely both the L-S and Bishop McDevitt staffs respectively will work to compile stellar game plans over the next couple days ahead that will undoubtedly help this much-anticipated matchup live up to all its billing next Friday night at Rocco Ortenzio Stadium on the outskirts of the state’s capital city.

For Kennard-Dale, although Friday night’s loss at the hands of L-S was surely a bitter pill to swallow, the Rams’ 2021 success should most definitely be celebrated. For a team that not all that long ago struggled to win games period, K-D’s advancement to the final four of the district playoff bracket in such a short amount of time cannot be overstated enough. Hopefully, if nothing else, the 2021 campaign will help serve as the foundation and not the ceiling for a Kennard-Dale program that has more than paid its fair share of dues when it comes to enjoying the type of success in which they were able to compile this season.

At this time one year ago, this was the matchup everyone would’ve crawled across broken glass to see. And for good reason too. Last season, Warwick, bringing with them the best collection of talent that the school had ever seen in the history of its football program, was slated to head up to Shillington play in the District 3-5A championship game against Governor Mifflin, a squad also enjoying the fruits of their labor with one of the best teams that school had ever seen as well. Then, of course as everyone remembers, nothing ever happened.

In 2020, playing high school football in the middle of a global pandemic figured to get a little bit sideways along the way. Granted, while everyone knew what they had signed up for going into it in while assuming all the risks that came along with the opportunity to simply play, it’s hard to imagine anyone truly knew as to just how wonky things would actually get. Case in point, seeing a playoff game – a championship game- no less go by the wayside thanks to a COVID-19 outbreak that ended in a 1-0 Governor Mifflin victory thanks to the forfeit parameters set forth prior to the postseason. Needless to say, seeing what promised to be one of, if not the best game played inside all of District 3 last season end in a no contest, went over like a lead balloon for anyone who wanted to either watch in person, on a livestream, or check their Twitter for score updates thanks to limited attendance number also put into place as well in 2020. As it turned out, fresh off their uncontested triumph, Governor Mifflin would then fall in their next game -a phenomenal game it was no less- against nationally-recognized Pine-Richland in the state semifinal round to the eventual 5A state champions.

Speaking of uncontested, that’s pretty much been the prevailing theme of Governor Mifflin’s entire 2021 campaign thus far.

To say that this year’s edition of the Mustangs is an absolute behemoth might be a disservice quite honestly. Sure, while having what many in the business consider to be the best high school running back in the United States of America residing in your backfield is certainly a good place to start out of the blocks when speaking of senior, Penn State-bound, Nick Singleton, this is far from a one-trick pony. Or Mustang if you will. Make no mistake about it, Governor Mifflin has played a bully brand of football this season to absolute perfection. So much so in fact that each of the Mustangs’ pass attempts this entire season can probably be remembered with crystal-clear precision given how few attempts it is overall. All told, it adds up to a season-long body of work that has led many to proclaim that this Governor Mifflin squad is the best high school football team in the state of Pennsylvania this year, regardless of classification level, and regardless of falling victim to the hotly-contested private vs public argument as well. Hey, that alone deserves some of banner in and of itself, yes?

In terms of offensive prowess, it’s been a mercy rule special this fall in Shillington. In no game this season have the Mustangs scored less than 42 points. Gulp. In terms of margin of victory, no one has been able to even get within 23 points of the Mustangs either, an honor that gets bestowed upon Episcopal Academy, coming in what was Mifflin’s fifth game this season. In terms of Berks County as a whole, no opponent had been able to claw past the 21-point scoring threshold against the ‘Stangs, something that only Exeter can lay claim to back in early October. Suffice to say, even when putting the dizzying numbers and jaw-dropping figures aside, there’s a reason as to why the notion of seeing Governor Mifflin emerge out of the bowels of Hersheypark Stadium four weeks from now just moments before the state championship game is played on Friday night December 10^th seems to be something almost of destiny.

The thing about destiny though? It’s not always a sure-fire fact. Something the Warwick Warriors eagerly wanted to prove on Friday night at Governor Mifflin.

No matter how you slice it, this is without a shadow of a doubt the golden age of Warwick Warriors’ Football. For years, it seemed as if Warwick would forever be relegated to a role somewhat akin to that of spoiler in hopes of springing an occasional upset here or there that would send Lancaster-Lebanon Section One into some sort of chaos before ultimately finishing in the middle to lower part of the division. However, really from about the 2016 season on, the Warriors have turned into a serious and legitimate threat. No longer the cute little story, Warwick has been able to make good on maximizing some of the greatest athletic talent that the school in Lititz has ever seen walking around its hallways given the numerous list of Warriors who have gone to play college football at various levels, a feat that was typically seen as a one-off in years prior. And yes, while this year’s Warwick bunch is a little bit different than that of its most recent predecessor in 2020, the 2021 Warriors have more than demonstrated that this is now a program in the truest sense of the word.

To be frank though, it wasn’t always a rosy picture at times this season for Warwick. At one point, while staring down the barrel of a possible 2-4 record just past the midway point of the season, the Warriors were able to respond marvelously to the challenge put in front of them by rattling off a 4-1 record heading into their District 3-5A quarterfinal game against Governor Mifflin on Friday night to help back them away from the proverbial corner before eventually laying claim to a three-way share of the L-L Section Two title this year with Cocalico and Manheim Central respectively once the dust had finally settled.

And yes, while anyone in the Warriors’ camp would likely still give some sort of a bodily organ in order to rewind the clock if it meant having a chance of playing the 2020 game between the two sides as originally intended, Warwick was undoubtedly just as eager to finally get their chance at the high-powered Mustangs, even if it be a year later than everyone had originally planned.

However, as everyone in attendance quickly found out, it would be Governor Mifflin -namely Nick Singleton specifically- that was about to make up for lost time.

Speaking of quickly finding out, it became rather evident from the jump that Warwick wasn’t about to hold anything back in terms of leaving a stone unturned. So much so in fact that the Warriors opted to try an onside kick to begin the contest. That said, Warwick’s rolling of the dice came up snake eyes, allowing Governor Mifflin to set up shop at their 47-yard line to begin the game. Then, faced with a 3^rd & 2 at the Warwick 45-yard line still on their initial march, the Mustangs allowed senior bowling ball turned fullback, Aiden Gallen, to carry the mail for the hosts which he did quite well given his 19-yard pickup to move the sticks and give Governor Mifflin a fresh set of downs. From there, the Mustangs’ offensive brain trust turned to the best high school running back that the free world has to offer as Nick Singleton promptly rattled off a 13-yard scoot before finishing Mifflin’s opening drive off in style with a 13-yard touchdown rumble to open the scoring at 7-0 in favor of the Mustangs with just two minutes having elapsed off the first quarter clock.

To their credit though, Warwick was unphased by Governor Mifflin’s early romp down the field.

Using an absolutely superb offensive game plan to help get their troops in rhythm, the Warriors began employing a nice run/pass ratio while also sucking the play clock down to its absolute last millisecond. And oh yes, did we mention rolling the dice as well?

Yet again, Warwick left nothing chance on their initial offensive series of the game as well considering the Warriors opted to go for it on a 4^th & 3 attempt with the ball resting at the Mifflin 34-yard line. On said play, Warwick junior triggerman, Jack Reed, was able to hook up with his most reliable target all season long, Cooper Eckert, as the dangerous Warwick duo helped give the visitors a fresh set of downs with a 16-yard pitch and catch that moved the ball down to the Mustangs’ 18-yard line. From there, Reed continued to sizzle while operating within the pocket as he found a wide-open Ryan Fink who had been able to get himself free following the Governor Mifflin coverage bust, as the 14-yard touchdown dart allowed Warwick to knot things up at 7-7 with 4:49 left in the opening stanza.

Yet again, Warwick continued to feel extra frisky.

After attempting yet another onside kick, this one also to no avail, Governor Mifflin went back to work with the ball resting at their own 41-yard line. Ironically, for a team that doesn’t exactly go up top all that much, they typically prove lethal whenever they do. Case in point, Eden Johnson’s 44-yard lob down the Mifflin sideline into the waiting hands of Adrian McNeil, as the senior to junior connection helped move the ball all the way down to the Warwick 6-yard line within a flash. Then, on the very next play, Mifflin went right back to their bread and butter and proceeded to hand the ball off to Aiden Gallen as the senior’s 6-yard touchdown stroll capped off a 3-play Governor Mifflin series that allowed the Mustangs to go back in front at 14-7 just 55 seconds later following the Warwick score just moments earlier.

Yet again though, Warwick had an answer for the Governor Mifflin riddle.

After seeing that the ingredients that helped fuel their initial scoring drive had worked like a charm, the Warriors went right back to the same formula that helped them most recently. In fact, the drive was so eerily similar in some respects, largely due to the fact that Warwick was faced with yet another fourth down along the way. And just like in the drive that had preceded this one, a Warwick 4^th & 4 attempt was passed with flying colors -quite literally- as a long heave down the Warriors’ sideline from Reed to Eckert against one-on-one coverage was good enough for the gutsy chunk play that allowed Warwick to travel all the way down to the Mifflin 9-yard line. From there, the Warriors were able to punch right back with a 3-yard Christian Royer touchdown plunge which knotted things back up at 14-14 with 1:18 still left to play in the opening stanza.

From that point on however, the contest did an immediate and jaw-dropping turn.

On their previous offensive series, Governor Mifflin was able to find the end zone in just three plays from scrimmage following a short field helped engineered by way of a failed onside kick recovery by Warwick. And yet again, following the Warriors’ third unsuccessful onside kick try following this touchdown as well, the Mustangs were able to pounce on the loose pill and began the drive at their own 45-yard line. This time however, it took Governor Mifflin all of one play to find the end zone as a Nick Singleton 55-yard scamper was good for another Mustangs’ score -this one coming complete with an absolute leveling of a would-be Warwick defender along the way- as Singleton’s second score of the night made it a 21-14 Governor Mifflin cushion just 11 seconds later which is where things would indeed remain once the second quarter got underway.

Unfortunately, as far as the guests were concerned, the Warriors’ next drive would prove to be not nearly as successful as the two drives which had just preceded this one.

On their third offensive drive -first within the second stanza- the Warwick series was quickly put to rest thanks to a fumble recovery by way of Governor Mifflin senior defensive lineman, Kenndry Arias Hernandez, allowing the Mustangs’ offensive troops to go back to work with yet another short field put in front of them. As it turned out, this too would end in the same familiar result, a Nick Singleton touchdown, as Singleton’s 26-yard scamper this time around allowed Governor Mifflin to double-up Warwick at 28-14 with 10:48 left before the halftime recess.

By this time though, the Governor Mifflin snowball that was rolling downhill at a pace that Warwick simply couldn’t stop.

After Warwick was forced to punt following Singleton’s third touchdown of the contest just moments prior, the Mustangs’ offense trotted back onto the pitch with the ball resting quite comfortably at the midfield stripe. To their credit though, the Warriors’ defensive unit made the sledding more arduous than what the Mustangs had grown accustomed to in their most recent experiences. Granted, although they would surrender a bulldozing 31-yard pickup on the ground thanks to the handiwork of Gallen right out of the chute, Governor Mifflin was later tasked with having to navigate past a 4^th & 7 attempt at the Warwick 26-yard line. And although the Warwick D covered up the initial options magnificently, a broken play took shape that resulted in Mifflin senior quarterback, Eden Johnson, tucking and running with yardage that was good enough for the first down, moving the sticks and the Mustangs’ attack inside the Warwick red zone. Then, with the offensive line having gotten lathered up into a nice little groove of things, a 2-yard Nick Singleton run, his fourth touchdown of the first half, grew the Governor Mifflin lead up to 35-14 over their houseguests with 4:30 left before the half.

Then, after an unsuccessful fake punt deep inside their own territory on the heels of their ensuing offensive possession for the Warriors, yet another Governor Mifflin short field figured to spell doom for Warwick. Sure enough, it did.

As it turned out, Singleton’s fifth touchdown of the opening half came just a mere minute and change following his fourth as the future Penn State Nittany Lion capped off yet another Mustangs’ scoring drive, this time with an 18-yard jaunt, as the Governor Mifflin advantage had suddenly bubbled up to a commanding 42-14 buffer with 3:21 left before intermission.

But as Warwick was about to find out, that was more than enough time for Governor Mifflin to have one last strike in their arsenal.

After taking over on offense following what had now become an all too familiar narrative of the Warwick offense not being able to conjure up points in the same way in which they were able to right out of the gates on Friday night while surrendering the ball back to the opposition, Nick Singleton had one final highlight reel moment left to slap together from the game’s first 24 minutes.

With time running out and both teams surely eager to get back into their respective dressing rooms -albeit for two very different reasons more than likely- a Singleton 60-yard bolt of lightning touchdown run past the entire Warwick defensive unit with just seven seconds left in the first half of action allowed the Mustangs to absolutely glide into the halftime break with ownership of the 49-14 lead in their favor following their star running back’s sixth, yes sixth, touchdown of the first half of play.

Suffice to say, but by this time, the eventual outcome of the contest was all but a formality. However, much to their credit, Warwick continued to fight and claw all the way down to the finish line. And much in the same vein as their two scoring drives found inside the first half of play on Friday night, Warwick was able to find portions of that same magic at their disposal once the Warriors took possession of the ball coming out of the locker room for the second half.

While yet again seeming to use every possible ounce of the play clock at their disposal, the Warriors began to methodically plot their way down the field against the stingy and downright scary Governor Mifflin defensive unit. As far as the plays themselves, Jack Reed to Kyle Sapovchak tosses proved to be invaluable on this Warriors’ series as the quarterback/receiver tandem was able to establish a nice chemistry amongst themselves in helping the white-uniformed bunch get into a groove. Then, continuing with the aerial attack, a Reed to Cooper Eckert 11-yard touchdown toss allowed Warwick to enjoy some good mojo while also trimming the Governor Mifflin lead down to 49-21 with 4:28 left to play in the third frame.

Here again though, the Governor Mifflin ground-and-pound attacking style continued to be a wet blanket thrown on any Warwick momentum. In that respect, using Nick Singleton to help douse the flames with bitterly cold water is undoubtedly a good impetus to begin with. Sure enough, following a 57-yard run by the sensational star which kick-started the ensuing Governor Mifflin possession while simultaneously ushering the Mustangs inside the Warriors’ red zone, a 15-yard punctuation mark of a touchdown run at the conclusion of the drive authored by Aiden Gallen made it a 56-21 affair in favor of the hosts with 3:12 left in third which is where the scoring would remain once the game reached its final dozen minutes.

Yet fourth quarter or not, down big or not, Warwick just continued to punch. Case in point, a 3-yard touchdown run tallied by tough-as-nails sophomore tailback, Andrew McClune, as the Warriors were able to cut the Mustangs’ lead in half at 56-28 with 9:33 left in the game.

Let’s be honest here for a moment. Yeah, running for six touchdown runs is pretty good and all of that, but why not make it a cool seven just for good measure, you know? Well, perhaps that was the same exact notation that Governor Mifflin felt themselves considering what was about to take place.

Fittingly, this took all one play too. Fitting of course considering just how quick many of the Mustangs’ scoring drives had been up until that point while also factoring in Singleton’s pure, unbridled speed as well. So, in a perfect marriage of those two elements, a final Nick Singleton curtain call, this one good for a 65-yard ultra-quick dash, made it a seven-touchdown effort on the night -a single game achievement that will likely stand the test of time around these parts unless he of course chooses to break his own records in Mifflin’s remaining contests- as the Mustangs were able to open up a 63-28 lead with roughly nine minutes and change left to play.

But as had been the case so many times before up until this point, Warwick had one final rebuttal to offer up before the night was through.

In this their final scoring march of the evening, the Warriors were able to trudge their way down the field with nice, sizable plays at a time. First among the highlights was a Jack Reed to Ryan Fink pitch and catch to move the Warwick attack down the Mifflin 40-yard line. Next was a 10-yard toss from Reed to Sapovchak yet again, moving the sticks down to the Mustangs’ 30-yard line. Then, another 10-yard burst, this of the Andrew McClune running variety, allowed the Warriors to set up shop inside the Governor Mifflin red zone. From there, a Reed to Thomas Jeanes 10-yard touchdown pass was good for the final points of this bitterly cold evening as the sophomore wideout was able to play the role of offensive rebounder by snaring the high pass before toe-tapping his cleats in the back of the end zone, making it a 63-35 contest following the PAT.

However, for a night that featured scoring upon scoring upon scoring, those would prove to be the final points of the evening as Governor Mifflin was able to put together a simply mesmerizing effort -or just a regular night of work depending how you look at it given what they’ve been able to accomplish this entire season- as the Mustangs steamrolled into the District 3-5A semifinal round with a commanding 63-35 triumph over Warwick in Shillington.

“I’ll tell you what, (Warwick) came out to play football tonight,” Governor Mifflin head coach Jeff Lang said just moments after his team sang the school’s alma mater alongside the band. “Their offense really gave us some trouble here tonight,” Lang continued while lauding Warwick’s offensive weaponry. “Offensively, we knew (Jack Reed) was going to be really good. We thought we had a good game plan against it and (Warwick) still picked it apart, so we’ve got to get back to the drawing board, watch some film here and straighten some things out because that can’t happen again.”

As far as his star running back was concerned, Lang was eager to offer praise there as well.

“He did a heckuva job tonight, yes he did,” Lang said matter of factly regarding Singleton. “Is there anything he can’t do? I don’t know about that.”

Speaking of the man of hour, he too was not about to short change anyone where credit was due.

“Yeah, it feels good, but I couldn’t have done it without my linemen throwing the blocks, receivers throwing the blocks, quarterbacks making the great reads, coaches making great calls. It takes all of us,” said Singleton following his historic night.

“Probably as a leader really,” Singleton went on to say when asked where he thought he made the most improvement from last year to this year given that every set of eyes in attendance is always transfixed upon him on a Friday night. “Working on my speed, my strength, and vision around the whole field really.”

“I take a lot of pride in it,” he added of his overall craft. “I’ve been working out this whole summer really, working on my speed, so I’ve been working on it a lot.”

As far as the other side was concerned, the lopsided loss was surely a bitter pill to swallow. Even still, Warwick head coach Bob Locker remained steadfastly proud of the effort his troops had put forth, not just in this game, but throughout the entire season as well.

“During the week, we sensed that they were looking forward to this opportunity that they had earned,” the Warriors’ boss said postgame of his team’s eagerness of taking their shot at arguably the state’s best football squad. “The things we did tonight, the onside kicks, the fake punts, we were aware of the fact that we’d have to catch some breaks and get some extra possessions,” Locker said regarding his team’s fearless approach the entire night. “We talked about the fact that (Governor Mifflin) was the more talented team. If we could find a way to be the better team for three hours, that has to be your goal. We knew it would take some tricks and different wrinkles, so we just rolled the dice and said, ‘Let’s go.’’’

“At the end of the day, I’m going to look at the fact that we put up 35 and (Governor Mifflin) wasn’t subbing. We found some things to do, but it’s just that (Nick Singleton) makes defense really hard. There were times where we were right there, we had him boxed up, but he’s just that good,” he added of Singleton. “That’s a college kid playing on a high school field. I think he’s the best high school running back I’ve ever seen on the same field.”

In terms of high praise, whenever Bob Locker offers it, the dean of Lancaster-Lebanon League coaches, it speaks volumes. Needless to say, the kudos bestowed upon this Mustangs’ squad in particular caught the Warwick boss’ attention considering it’s been a 21-year run at the helm in Lititz.

“Yeah, Eleanor Roosevelt would be a good comparison,” said Locker when asked who this Governor Mifflin squad may have reminded him of from top to bottom in all his years along the way. Eleanor Roosevelt being the perennial powerhouse program out of Greenbelt, Maryland that routinely challenges for state championships and pumps out college football, even NFL-caliber talent, that came to Lititz in September 2000 fresh off a Maryland 4A state championship the year prior. “There’s no weaknesses,” he said of this year’s Mifflin bunch. “I thought we did a good job. We exploited some things we thought we could get offensively. But yeah, they don’t have a lot of weaknesses.”

In a twist of irony though, for all the high marks -and rightfully so- given to Governor Mifflin in the afterglow of their remarkable performance on Friday night, the fact remains that Governor Mifflin and Warwick will soon turn into divisional foes next season once the Berks/L-L League merger kicks into effect.

“It was weird in the fact that in 50 weeks we’ll either play here or down at our place. It’s going to be a whole new world,” said Locker of the 2022 high school football season that will begin in Berks, Lancaster, and Lebanon counties in just about eight months’ time. “It’ll take some adjusting, but as I said to some other people, there’s are pros and cons to the whole thing, but there’s going to be some really good football,” he added of the newly-formed, massive 37-team conglomerate. “Section Two is going to be stacked. It’ll be different, but it’s football. I think in the end it’s going to help preserve the game for the smaller schools and if you believe in football and the lessons it teaches you, as shepherds of the game, you kind have to do what you have to do.”

And in the end though, for this moment most specifically, Coach Locker could know with certainty than his team had emptied the tank on this night against Governor Mifflin.

“Our kids put the work in during the offseason. They practice hard all time. They want to be good. Yeah, I’m very proud of what they achieved this year. I go back to the fact that 17 out of 22 positions were vacated from last year’s team. Not a lot of teams can come back from that. I’m just proud of what they did.”

NEXT UP: For the Governor Mifflin Mustangs, the show just keeps rolling onward and upward. So, as a result of their dominating 63-35 performance at the hands of future sectional foe Warwick, the juggernaut from Berks County now sets their sights on a team built with the same type of makeup in a sense when they welcome the Spring Grove Rockets and their home run hitting running attack into town from the York-Adams League for 5A semifinal round clash next Friday night out on outskirts of Reading. And if you’re keeping track at home, that would mean that the state championship game would then be 21 days away at that point come next Friday evening. Not that I’m sayin’, but I’m just sayin’.

For Warwick, the loss against Mifflin means that the Warriors will take a bit of break from football activities before regrouping come the winter months as they prepare to set their sights on a revamped and extremely potent and deep L-L Section Two crop with the edition of some of the best football brands that Berks County has to offer that Locker eluded to come next season. If nothing else though, as the last few years have certainly proven, the Warriors should have no reason to feel intimidated or overmatched once they receive their final assignments for the 2022 slate. After all, the football program in Lititz has certainly metastasized into one that should feel they need to take a back seat to anyone, conference merger or no conference merger.

In some ways, it was rather fitting that Ephrata and Garden Spot happened to match up against one another on Friday night. You see, in this contest, perhaps more so than other games that either the Mounts or Spartans had played all year long up until this point respectively, did either squad probably feel as if they were looking into a mirror when they stood on opposite sidelines and peered into the eyes of the opposition.

Every now and then, you’ll occasionally hear some sort of phrase that usually goes along the lines of, “That team is much better than their record would indicate.” Ironically, you probably could probably paint this year’s edition of Garden Spot Football with that broad brush as well. Sure, while their 3-5 record which the Spartans carried with them into Friday night’s game might seem rather pedestrian to most folks on the surface, you’d be doing yourself and the team itself a disservice if you didn’t’ dive further into this Garden Spot squad. In fact, in the entirety of the Lancaster-Lebanon League, you’d be hard-pressed to find a team that has been playing much better ball in recent weeks than that of Garden Spot. In their last four outings, the Spartans have been able to rip off a 3-1 record –including two shutout victories during that stretch- with their only blemish coming at the hands of arguably one of the best teams in all levels of District 3 competition, Lampeter-Strasburg, a game in which Garden Spot truthfully looked like the better team for large portions of that very same contest. The factor that into the equation with their other four losses, outings in which they were competitive in by and large, and it’s easy to see that while the market rate for Garden Spot may be listed rather low at this moment in time, the Spartans will likely prove to be a sound investment in the next few years to come, especially with some of the talents which will be coming back into the fold next fall in New Holland. Suffice to say, the good vibes currently surrounding the football program at Garden Spot haven’t been this high since 2016, the last year in which the Spartans were a legitimate threat to snare a postseason bid.

For Ephrata this year, well, I mean, where do you start here? Ok, ok. Set aside the fact that the Mounts came into Friday night riding a two-game losing streak for a moment and just call a spade a spade. Let’s get one thing perfectly clear-the 2021 Mounts have helped form the narrative that Ephrata Football is no longer the cute little story to feel good about. No, this is a remarkably-improved program that is an entire solar system away from where they were just a few years ago. To be put it mildly, this is a program that now has venom and fangs. And yes, while that two-game swoon down the stretch will inevitably keep the Mountaineers absent from what would have been their first playoff appearance in almost two generations this year, the progress that this group has made in 2021 has been nothing short of immeasurable. In many ways, that is precisely why the Mounts’ trip down Route 322 and into New Holland on Friday evening may have been the most important game of Ephrata’s entire season. Yes, while obviously, it was the most important because it was the next one on the slate, cliché aside, Friday’s game against Garden Spot would surely prove to be the best momentum boost known to mankind should they be able to prevail against the up-and-coming Spartans, a victory that could gas Ephrata up with plenty of jet fuel as the program heads into arguably its most consequential offseason in school history as the Mounts figure to contend with, yes, high expectations next season in what will be a revamped L-L League.

So, aside from the fact that this L-L Section 3 tilt was a matchup between two of the fastest risers in the entire league, it was even more apropos than the game itself would be played inside a ridiculous nor’easter. Yes, with two programs that have unfortunately had to trudge their way through more than a few winless campaigns in the last handful of seasons than they’d care to remember, this has been a year in which both Ephrata and Garden Spot appears to have finally found some solid footing to stand upon. In some ways, a perfect storm had been brewing if you will.

On this night though, Garden Spot would make it abundantly clear that their strong late-season push was not any kind of strange anomaly.

In a game that figured it would be played inside a late October hurricane, running the ball was presumed to the preferred method of attack for either side. Well, in that regard, it must have been music to Ephrata’s collective ears considering that the Mounts possess one of the best backs in all the L-L League, junior Andre Weidman. Sure enough, on the Mounts’ opening march of the ballgame, Weidman took center stage and delivered a scintillating performance to begin the evening. So much so in fact that Weidman’s 52-yard touchdown scamper after getting past the initial line of would-be Garden Spot defenders helped raise the curtain on the scoring for the evening as the visitors quickly raced out to a 6-0 lead on their hosts after the failed 2-pt conversion attempt with 10:05 still left to play in the opening stanza.

Then, after a shared series of three and outs by either club on the next two offensive possessions respectively, it would be Garden Spot’s turn to get lathered up and find their offensive rhythm.

Granted, it certainly didn’t hurt the Spartans’ efforts that they found themselves working on a short field to start their initial scoring march of the evening, a short field that came courtesy of a blocked punt from their special teams unit. So, with the hosts taking over just outside the Ephrata red zone, the Spartans went back to their bread and butter that comes in a slightly different flavor than most other teams. That of course by using their quarterback duo.

If nothing else, it’s a pretty rare occurrence to have your best wide receiver also be the one that just so happened to be the one who handled the starting quarterback duties at the onset of the season, but that has proven to be one of the key ingredients behind Garden Spot’s climb down the stretch this season. And as fate would have it, the lethal tandem of Kye Harting to Tristin Sadowski was worth its weight in gold once again as the 11-yard pitch and catch between the two Spartan signal-callers allowed the Spartans to crack open their goose egg as a Walker Martin PAT which followed suit gave the Spartans their first lead of the evening at 7-6 with 6:25 left to go in the first.

Their first lead of the evening, yes, but a short-lived one to say the least.

Short-lived as far as Garden Spot was concerned considering that Ephrata’s Jeremiah Knowles promptly returned the ensuing kickoff back 94-yards to the house, a bolt of lightning created by the Mounts’ sophomore wideout which handed the lead right back to white-clad guests following a Chad Jones’ PAT, an exchange in momentum that put Ephrata back in front at 13-7 just 15 seconds later.

Undaunted though, Garden Spot would retaliate.

After a nice mixture of offensive play calls that helped lay the groundwork for the Spartans’ ensuing series following the Knowles kickoff return, a key Harting quarterback draw play helped push Garden Spot into Ephrata’s side of the field. From there, a beautifully-designed tunnel screen on a 3^rd & 17 play that used Ephrata’s aggressiveness against them was good for a 28-yard pickup to move the sticks when Harting was able to hook up with junior wide receiver, Zechariah Nagle, for a key conversion that put the Spot attack on the precipice of the red zone. Then, it was time for Garden Spot to turn to the run game which they did when the Spartans allowed senior power back, Joel Martin, to tote the rock all the way down to the Ephrata 4-yard line. Then, it was time to go all the way back to the last play page of the playbook considering the Spartans broke out their own version of the “Philly Special” as the Garden Spot QB tandem struck once again, this time though with Sadowski finding Harting on the receiving end for the 4-yard trick play TD to put the hosts back in front at 14-13 with 3:25 still left in the opening quarter.

That said, Ephrata began to take off on their own march down the field the next time they had the ball as well.

After getting ignited by a nice 43-yard kickoff return by their ace of a return man, Jeremiah Knowles, the Mounts proceeded to mix in a nice dose of both run and pass game to usher themselves down into Garden Spot territory as well. All told, the Mounts would get down to the Garden Spot 21-yard line but would advance no further. After getting behind the sticks which set them back nine yards later in the drive, an emphatic sack authored by Garden Spot’s Aiden McCloud on an Ephrata 4^th & long gave the ball back to the Spartans once the second quarter got underway with the Spartans’ lead being maintained by the slimmest of margins at 14-13.

To their credit though, the Ephrata defensive troops would rise up and hold the Spartans to a punt following their turnover on downs. And oh, by the way, did we mention Andre Weidman yet?

Following the Garden Spot punt, Ephrata found themselves trotting back onto the rain-soaked field on offense while starting at their own 24-yard line. Certainly not the most advantageous way to try and make a living while trying to navigate while inside a literal monsoon either. However, having Mr. Weidman residing in your backfield can make you breathe just a little bit easier no doubt. And right on cue, Weidman delivered what had to be one of the best runs of the entire season.

In terms of running back skills, vision and footwork are at the top of the priority list. Sure enough, Ephrata’s tailback proceeded to demonstrate both of those skills on his next carry by perfecting executing five jump-cuts against the Spartans’ defensive unit, zig-zagging his way on a 72-yard jaunt which immediately put Ephrata on the verge of a go-ahead score with the Mounts now setting up shop inside the Spartans’ 5-yard line. Unfortunately for Ephrata, Weidman’s magical run would not bleed into the Mounts’ next few plays however as they would not be able to penetrate any further against the Garden Spot D, instead of seeing a 22-yard field goal by Chad Jones put them back in front at 16-14 with 8:40 left in the opening half.

Yet again though, Garden Spot refused to yield.

After having their ensuing offensive series following the Ephrata field goal get started by a handful of Kye Harting in the quarterback run game, yet another fantastic screenplay drawn up by the Spartans’ offensive brain trust -this time of the bubble variety- saw the Garden Spot attack move inside the Ephrata red zone once Harting was able to find senior wideout, Derrick Lambert, for the long gainer to move the sticks. From there, the Garden Spot sophomore quarterback was able to continue his stellar first of football by tallying the Spartans’ go-ahead score with a 6-yard touchdown run to make it a 21-16 Garden Spot lead with 3:30 still left to tick off the second-quarter clock. Why a stellar first half? Simply the fact it was the first half of work that saw Kye Harting pass, catch, and run for touchdowns, a trifecta of TD’s that most quarterbacks never achieve in their entire careers.

Ironically, for a first-half that seemed to contain nothing but offensive volleys lobbed back and forth against one another, the five-point Garden Spot bulge would be where things would remain once the final three minutes and change would expire as both teams went inside to not only regroup but also dry off and warm their body temperatures up for the halftime recess on what was a downright miserable night in terms of playing conditions.

That said, whatever the message was that Garden Spot went over during the intermission should be bottled up and sold elsewhere as the Spartans proceeded to come out of the intermission on an absolute tear.

In many ways, the Spartans’ impressive final 24 minutes began on the defensive side of the ball. Well, perhaps by way of Tyler Hurst most specifically as the Garden Spot junior defensive lineman was able to earn himself a sack on Ephrata’s opening offensive drive to begin the second half. Then, on the very next play following his sack, Hurst was able to do himself one better by pouncing on a Mountaineers’ fumble, a recovery which allowed his offensive mates to set up shop at the Ephrata 48-yard line following the timely takeaway.

In the first half, Garden Spot went into the bag of tricks which had directly translated into a touchdown. Well, apparently the goodie bag was still rather deep considering that the Spartans were able to execute a fake punt after being held on downs following the Hurst fumble recovery. Rest assured, trickeration is certainly much easier when you can have two starting quarterbacks on the field at any given time. Case in point, a Tristin Sadowski pass on the fake punt play which wound up in the hands of Derrick Lambert, a key connection between the two seniors which was good for 18-yards and breathed new life into the Garden Spot possession. From there, it was time for a heavy of run with Joel Martin carrying the mail as the Spartans’ senior was able to finish the drive off in style with a 2-yard touchdown run to give the Spartans their largest lead of the evening at 28-16 with 4:38 to play in the third frame.

Their largest lead at the time, but a lead that will only grow from there on out.

On the very first play from scrimmage on the ensuing Ephrata series, an ill-timed fumble by the Mounts spelled doom for their hopes of coming away with a season-ending victory while simultaneously allowing Garden Spot the opportunity to blow this one wide open. Sure enough, that’s precisely what transpired.

Following Derrick Lambert’s fumble recovery which abruptly ended the ultra-brief Ephrata series, the Spartans could almost certainly smell blood in the water. In that respect, Joel Martin proceeded to play the role of a shark by rumbling untouched around the left side of the Garden Spot offensive line from 22-yards out to cross the chalk, a touchdown which made it a 35-16 affair in favor of Garden Spot with 2:38 remaining in the third.

Needing anything to help get their offense out of their current funk with time dwindling down inside the third quarter, Ephrata opted to try the wildcat. Truth be told, it proved to be a wise move considering that arguably the best pass of the entire evening was thrown by Andre Weidman, yes, the Mounts’ star tailback, as the junior lobbed a perfect pass into the waiting hands of Jeremiah Knowles found streaking down the Ephrata sideline, as Knowles’ stellar one-handed stab promptly moved the Ephrata march into Garden Spot’s side of the field with the ball now resting at the Spartans’ 41-yard line. However, even with the good mojo that was created with the Weidman to Knowles pitch and catch combo, this drive too would end prematurely with an Ephrata fumble deep inside Garden Spot territory, a back-breaker that gave the ball back to the Spartans once the final frame got underway.

Once inside the final dozen minutes on Friday night, Garden Spot began to flex their collective muscle.

As the game wore on, so too did the amount of Spartans’ chunk plays that came via the ground. Suffice to say, Garden Spot’s offensive series following the takeaway at the end of the third quarter was an offensive lineman’s dream. With the big boys up front doing all the heavy lifting, Garden Spot was able to methodically pound them down the field as the rain and wind only intensified. All told, it was a bruising 88-yard, a nearly six-minute march that culminated with a 1-yard quarterback sneak by Harting to put the Spartans up 42-16 with 6:10 left to play.

Once they got the ball back after forcing an Ephrata punt, it was more of the same.

After taking over just a hair past the midfield stripe to begin their final offensive drive, Garden Spot knew exactly what to do with it. Using a heavy dose of you guessed, the ground and pound method of warfare, the Spartans were ultimately able to tack on one last score for good measure with a 2-yard touchdown run by another senior power back, Tyler Gillenwater, making it a 49-16 Garden Spot lead with 1:35 left to go.

That said, aside from the aforementioned drive that began with Andre Weidman’s long pass down the sideline in the third quarter, arguably the next best series of offensive plays authored by the Mounts in the second half came via the hard and determined running by senior running back, Devon Litten, inside the final few minutes for a handful of plays that allowed Ephrata to close with a bit of an edge to themselves despite the lopsided score at the time.

However, once the dust -or rain- finally settled down, the final score ultimately told the story best regarding what had just transpired over the last 48 minutes as Garden Spot was able to cap their late-season finish off in style with an emphatic 49-16 triumph over their neighbors from Ephrata.

NEXT UP: Well, to be honest, we don’t really know here. For Garden Spot, the Spartans were supposed to have a makeup date with Donegal next week -a game postponed earlier in the year thanks to COVID- but the Indians are slated to make the District 3 playoff field which begins next Friday night. So, it remains to be seen as to whether or not Garden Spot will scramble in the next few days to try and find an opponent for next Friday night. However, if this does happen to be the last game the Spartans end up playing this season, what a statement it was. And yes, while no one can be totally sure what this seismic shift will look like in terms of Lancaster-Lebanon League football come next year with the addition of all the Berks League teams, the formula and groundwork in which it appears Garden Spot has been able to find over these final few weeks make them a legitimate shot at inflicting some serious damage upon their competition by this time a year from now.

Needless to say, Friday night’s performance was certainly not what Ephrata was looking to end on. All told, it amounts to a three-game losing skid that the Mounts finished the 2021 campaign with. Again though, perhaps the most important thing to remember here is that these last three games are what ultimately kept Ephrata from claiming a postseason bid this year. Shoot, just a few years ago, the Mounts were desperately trying to win a game period. So, in some respects, that right there proves just how far the Mounts have come in a short amount of time. When the true disappointment comes from just falling short of making the postseason, it’s clear that the bar has been raised with this program. And yes, while every offseason is instrumental in terms of the product you expect to have on the field throughout ten weeks of regular season play, the offseason will be particularly key to any sort of success that the Mounts are perhaps able to capture in 2022. To put it simply, pressure is a privilege. Well, whether you call it pressure or boil it down simply to “expectations,” Ephrata will be carrying those heading into next fall. And no matter how you slice it, that’s the epitome of a giant step in the right direction.

Funny how time can change and shift your outlook around on things every now and then. Yes, sometimes even a week can alter things quite dramatically, especially in the sport of high school football no less. Just look at Manheim Township and McCaskey for example.

As of seven days ago, the general storyline and buzz that it appeared would have ensnared the Blue Streaks’ trip to Lancaster city to tangle with the Red Tornado this Friday was all but a layup. Granted, while Township figured to have their hands full and then some with Hempfield -the Streaks’ most bitter rival of course- one may have assumed it would remain business as usual in a series owned by Township for the better part of nearly a decade now. Instead, at the end of what by all accounts was a spectacular display of scholastic football played between two stellar squads, the Black Knights earned the last laugh last Friday on Township’s home field last week, heading home to Landisville with a key 17-14 victory for their spoils. And just like that, any preconceived notion that Township would have continued sailing right along through L-L Section One and into this week’s game against McCaskey while carrying what would have been a five-game winning streak had it come to fruition, perhaps even being able to enter next week’s highly anticipated matchup against Wilson while riding a six-game winning streak should they be able to navigate the always explosive Red Tornado this week, was quickly put to bed.  Instead, the Streaks were forced to right ship the ship fast with almost no margin for error these last two weeks of the regular season after scoring their fewest points of the season thus far against their archrivals while also not allowing Hempfield to beat them twice as they prepped for McCaskey this week. Not only that, but Township also now figured to maybe even have one eye lurking on the Wilson/Hempfield score that was also ongoing nearby in terms of what they hope amounts to some sort of section title once again this year, albeit even a share if need be.

Ironically, their opponent this week also had their season narrative get changed somewhat given what they were able to do just seven days ago.

To put it mildly, it’s been a tough go of it here for McCaskey Football over the last several years with the wins being in short supply. This season, however, it appears as if the Red Tornado may have finally found something with which they can work and build upon for the future.  In some ways, that’s what makes this possible turnaround all the more unique and special considering the Red Tornado were left scrambling for a head coach literally just hours before preseason camp began this year after Sam London accepted an offer to go back to the collegiate ranks. Nonetheless, McCaskey was able to weather the early storms posed this season and get out of the gates to a 2-1 start, including a season-opening win against Reading that ended a 26-game losing skid at the time. Since then, however, the flagship high school of the state’s eighth-largest city stumbled with a three-game losing streak to follow, getting no closer than within four touchdowns of the competition during that time. That said, that’s why last week’s game against Penn Manor seems to serve as a true indicator of the strides this group of Red Tornado coaches and players have been able to make. In most years, those three consecutive setbacks could have easily been parlayed and climaxed to five throughout the final two weeks of the regular season. And yes, while McCaskey was undoubtedly left heart-broken at the way in which their game against Penn Manor ended last Friday night given that the Comets were able to score the go-ahead touchdown with less than a minute remaining, the fact that McCaskey was able to give Penn Manor all they could handle -a team that just as of a few weeks ago had very real and tangible aspirations of perhaps snagging the Section One crown this season- gives credence to the positive signs that appear to be taking hold at Tornado Alley these days.

So, who would be able to get their narrative back on track by late Friday evening in Lancaster? Would Manheim Township be able to dust themselves off the matt and respond with a strong showing against their backyard counterparts? Or, would McCaskey be able to continue their upward trajectory, perhaps even coming away with what would be the program’s biggest win in a generation.

Well, while it may not have been a masterpiece for all 48 minutes, Manheim Township left the city late Friday night with a clear and undeniable pep back in their collective step.

On their first drive of the evening, it looked as if the Streaks had arrived at McCaskey on a definitive mission. Ignited by a nice swing pass from Manheim Township sophomore quarterback, Hayden Johnson, to junior running back, Jake Laubach, while running behind a no-huddle offensive attack, the visitors quickly found themselves at the midfield stripe before anyone in attendance had a chance to settle into the metal bleachers. From there, a nice handful of runs by way of senior tailback, Isaiah Jones, the Streaks’ attack had ushered itself down even further into Red Tornado territory before a key 19-yard pitch and catch from Johnson to Ethan Dansereau on a 3^rd & 3 attempts from the McCaskey 29-yard line put Township right on the precipice of drawing first blood. Sure enough, they would make good on those aspirations, albeit in a unique way considering that senior offensive lineman, Alex Romano, was able to have the honors of tallying Township’s first score of the evening as the Streaks’ big man pounced on the loose pill in the end zone, effectively allowing Township to jump out in front at 7-0 with 9:34 left to play in the opening quarter.

Ask around, and almost anyone from within L-L football circles will tell you that McCaskey is always a dangerous foe because they always have homerun hitters at nearly all the skill positions on a perennial basis. In that respect, say hello to Red Tornado senior running back, Josiah Gray.

To say that Gray is lightning quick might be doing it a disserve given his blinding speed when left alone in the open field when he turns on the jets. So, when you have a nuclear weapon in your toolbox such as that which you can give the ball to who can absolutely go off whenever he seems to please, your game plan suddenly improves ten-fold if he is able to carry the mail on a repeated basis. True to form, that was clearly the intent on McCaskey’s opening offensive series as well. With an uncanny ability to run horizontally before deciding to cut upfield and get vertical on you, the McCaskey senior speedster showed off all of the tools in his arsenal with a steady dose of jet sweep action to wisely stretch the Township defensive out to where he could get some space out on the edge. In fact, on a jet sweep no less, Gray was able to blaze a path into the end zone for McCaskey’s immediate rebuttal to Township’s opening march with a 25-yard touchdown jaunt, knotting the score up at 7-7 following the successful PAT with 7:44 still left to go in the opening act.

Needless to say, the opening march that Township was able to put together could have easily been the wet blanket to be thrown over the McCaskey fire in the Tornado’s final home game of the season. But to their credit, the Tornado D answered the dinner bell marvelously on the Streaks’ next offensive possession by forcing Township to punt it away to McCaskey. And yes, while McCaskey would also have to punt it right back to their houseguests following a quick three and out in their own right, a bounding ball on the actual punt found its way like a magnet into the heels of an unsuspecting Manheim Township blocker, leading to a McCaskey fumble recovery which moved momentum back over to the Tornado sideline with the McCaskey offensive troops trotting back onto the field with the ball now resting just shy of the midfield stripe. From there, it appeared as if McCaskey had successfully cashed in on that momentum as a beautiful 34-yard dime thrown along the opposite sideline by Tornado junior triggerman, Ben Remash, into the waiting hands of senior wideout, Isaac Burks, gave the home side their first lead of the evening. However, yellow laundry dropped on the field quickly dashed those best-laid plans as the Tornado was whistled for an ill-timed, ineligible man downfield penalty, wiping out the McCaskey haymaker within the blink of the eye. In fact, a Red Tornado fumble shortly thereafter, recovered by Manheim Township’s Jake Laubach, effectively ended the McCaskey threat altogether. But no sooner had they taken it away did they give it right back as a tipped Township pass found inside the mitts of McCaskey senior defensive back, Zyaire Corteguera, slamming the door on this brief Township series as well. And while Corteguera’s interception late in the first quarter proceedings had stymied yet another possible Township attempt at retaking the lead, it also helped punctuate what had been a zany and wild opening 12 minutes of play between these two neighboring schools even despite the relatively tame and unassuming score with things knotted up at 7-7.

The second quarter though is where Township began to make their move.

On their first offensive possession of the second stanza, Township knew exactly what to do with it. After using a nice mix of well-designed delayed draws for Isaiah Jones to help him get going, the Streaks began methodically slicing and dicing their way via the ground to try and lean on McCaskey. That said, the plan seemed to work without much of a hitch considering Jake Laubach had the honors of toting the rock later in the drive, moving the ball all way down to the McCaskey 28-yard line following a horse-collar tackle at the end of his bruising run. Ironically, that was all the further both Township and Laubach would need to travel the rest of the way as the junior’s 28-yard touchdown sprint to the house put Township back in front at 14-7 with 7:54 left before the halftime break, capping off the man-sized, 92-yard march down the field authored by the visitors.

Then, after forcing McCaskey to punt at the end of the Red Tornado’s ensuing offensive possession, Manheim Township went into the bag of tricks.

After getting McCaskey lathered up and probably feeling a little bit greedy given the way in the Streaks had been able to pound the rock at them on their previous series, a perfectly executed flea-flicker play caught the Tornado sucking up trying to stop the run, only for the McCaskey defensive unit to turn their heads around and a see a nicely thrown ball over the top by Isaiah Jones to sophomore wide receiver, Landon Kennel, steamrolling this new Blue Streak drive into McCaskey territory with the attack all the way down to the Tornado 24-yard line. From there, Jones went back to one of his more traditional ways of inflicting pain on the opposition by taking another well-designed play, this time a swing pass out the backfield, en route to the 18-yard TD reception thrown from Johnson for a touchdown connection which put Township in charge at 21-7 with 4:44 left to play before the recess.

Speaking of tricks, Township continued to ride with that idea on the ensuing kickoff as the Streaks were able to pick up the onside kick following the Jones touchdown reception. And while the surprise series would eventually result in a punt back to McCaskey, it had largely flipped field position in the Streaks’ favor.

The only thing was, McCaskey was up to the challenge of flipping it right back.

After getting off to a somewhat ragged start after taking over at their own 9-yard line following the aforementioned punt just moments earlier, a pop pass to Basir Epps who came roaring down the line in motion gave the McCaskey senior athlete all the juice he needed as Epps’ long jaunt down the Tornado sideline set the hosts up at the Township 20-yard line within a flash. Fortunately, as far as Township was most concerned, that would largely prove to be all the threat would amount to as key sack on a McCaskey 4^th & 17 while located within no man’s land between a field goal and punting range thanks to Streaks’ senior defensive lineman, Tyrese Washington, slammed the door on this particular Red Tornado advance.

And while time was running out of the opening half of at play at that point, there was still an ample opportunity for Township to cash in once more. Sure enough, they would.

Sparked in this instance by a long bomb thrown from Johnson to Kennel, the Streaks went back to the hurry-up game and found themselves already owning real estate inside McCaskey territory after the quick connection between the pair. Then, Johnson went back to attacking via the method of an aerial assault as the sophomore’s second TD toss of the opening half, this time of the 30-yard variety to senior wideout, Michael Heckman, allowed the Streaks to saunter into the dressing room with ownership of the 28-7 advantage once the final 37 seconds evaporated off the second-quarter clock.

While it may have been a new half of football, it largely looked like the same Manheim Township team had emerged to play the final 24 minutes of football on Friday night as well.

Case in point, Michael Heckman pouncing on the loose pill following McCaskey’s opening offensive play of the third frame, setting the Streaks’ offense up with yet another golden opportunity to cash in on the matter following the fumble recovery. And with their offensive now starting to hum akin to that a finely-tuned machine, it shouldn’t have been much of a surprise to see Hayden Johnson and the Township offense pick up right where they had left off at the conclusion of the second quarter as a sweet 13-yard fade route to Landon Kennel made it a 35-7 Blue Streaks’ lead following the successful PAT with 9:57 left in the third.

Granted, while the McCaskey had largely been stymied by various fits and starts throughout the opening first half of play on Friday night, it was evident at times that the Red Tornado offense could pose a lethal threat from anywhere on the field. With that in mind, seeing Ben Remash hook up with senior wideout, Will Almeyda, probably shouldn’t have been much of a surprise at the onset of the ensuing McCaskey offensive series, a strike between the junior and senior tandem which put the Tornado march at the Township 33-yard line. From there, it was Basir Epps’ opportunity to finally make good on another one of his blinding runs that he had been able to display earlier in the contest as the Red Tornado senior was able to navigate his way into the end zone from 33-yards out to cut the Manheim Township lead back down to a much more modest 35-14 count just 37 seconds later.

If you’re starting to think there’s a theme at play here that would amount to each team seeming to score each and every time they possessed the football inside the second half, you wouldn’t be wrong. In fact, on Township’s ensuing offensive series, the Streaks wasted little to no time in their own right as a 48-yard touchdown lob thrown to a senior all-state receiver, Anthony Ivey, was arguably the best play of the entire evening. Not so much for the pitch and catch mind you, but for the utmost courage in which Hayden Johnson was able to display for all to witness after standing in and delivering a magnificent pass after possibly getting a filling or two knocked loose given how hard he was hit once he ultimately did release it, all of which amounted a timely score that upped the Township cushion to a 42-14 difference with 8:44 left in the third.

From there, it was rather evident that the Manheim Township defensive unit didn’t want to get left out of the mix given the way in which their offensive counterparts had started to flex their muscle.  In that regard, seeing Township junior defensive back, Shaddy Girgis, come up with a diving interception to thwart the ensuing McCaskey drive seemed apropos. So, with the Streaks’ offense returning back onto the field what felt like almost immediately, the Township offensive lean began to lean on their opposition. Case in point, a series of hard and determined runs by way of freshman running back, Declan Clancy, methodically helping power the Streaks’ attack down the field. A series of events that ultimately culminated in a 1-yard Jesus Perez touchdown jaunt as the Township senior running back helped make it a 49-14 Blue Streaks’ lead once the game finally entered its final dozen minutes.

Speaking of Perez, he was able to pick up right where he left on the previous series as his second touchdown run in as many drives, this one from 10-yards out on the first play of the final stanza, made it a 56-14 Streaks’ lead with 11:47 left.

But back and forth jabs by both of these offenses only continued to rage on the rest of the way home.

Shortly following Perez’s second TD run, it was Josiah Gray’s turn to show off once again as yet another blinding run via the sweep action resulted in a dizzying, toe-tapping 51-yard touchdown scamper down the Red Tornado sideline, as the Gray TD run made it a 56-21 affair just 1:58 later.

Of course, given all the fireworks and volleys back and forth that these two sides had thrown at each other in a contest that ended after a grand total of three hours and nine minutes in real-time, it seemed only fitting that we would have at least one more score tallied on the night, yes? In that regard, the final offensive honors of the evening went to Manheim Township quarterback, Eli Rodriguez, as the Streaks’ sophomore quarterback was able to call his own number and rumble in for the 36-yard touchdown run, making it a 62-21 Township lead with 7:20 left to go.

And while the two respective defenses largely weren’t the stars of the show, it was nothing if not rewarding to see them both rise up and end things in style late in the game on Friday night, particularly in the case of the Manheim Township defense given the punishing licks laid out on the final few minutes by way of Yonathan Bekele and Cooper Ankney from their linebacker spots respectively, efforts which helped close the curtain on a wild and long night of football played between Manheim Township and McCaskey in a game which ended in a 62-21 final decision in favor of the Blue Streaks.

NEXT UP: With Wilson’s late-game heroics on the road at Hempfield on Friday night, the stage has now been set for what most folks were clamoring for before the season itself even began -a Manheim Township & Wilson heavyweight brawl in the final week of the regular season to help decide some semblance of the Lancaster-Lebanon League Section One title next Friday night in Berks County. And sure, while there is certainly plenty of things to brush up and address in the next six days ahead in Blue Streaks’ camp, rest assured that this is one that will have their undivided and full attention. Typically, when Manheim Township and Wilson get together, it has turned into appointment-viewing. This year figures to be no different.

For McCaskey, while Friday night’s loss to Township will certainly get skewed by the naked eye that just looks at the final score and doesn’t do any digging, it’s worth reiterating that the Red Tornado more than held their own at times against one of District 3’s most premier franchises. Personally, as someone who has seen the Red Tornado play over the course of the last few years, this group does indeed seem to be head and shoulders above some of the recent McCaskey squads of the last couple of seasons in various areas. If nothing else, the appetite for this thing to get back on track is clearly evident given how full the stands were on McCaskey’s side on Friday night, along with a jam-packed Red Tornado student section, something not even all that prominent during the golden years of McCaskey success. In short, McCaskey has always been labeled as the “sleeping giant.” Well, it seems as if the giant may have finally had enough shut-eye.

Let’s start off with a question this week. What’s the best athletic department currently operating these days in the Lancaster-Lebanon League? If someone were to stop you in the street and ask that question, there are probably a few names that would immediately bubble up to the surface. Hempfield? Sure, having the second biggest enrollment in all of District 3 certainly helps them out a ton from a numbers perspective, especially when you consider they only trail Reading School District, literally the largest school district in the entire state of Pennsylvania. Manheim Central? No reason not to think of them considering the Barons can usually parlay their football success into success on the wrestling mat or baseball diamond, no doubt. McCaskey? Oh yeah, we’ve seen the Red Tornado throw their weight around from the fall to winter seasons here and there historically, but not so much of late. Lancaster Catholic? Of course, you always have to count on the Crusaders being a threat to do great damage, yes. Manheim Township or Warwick? Well, two suburban districts that are experiencing what feels like nothing but constant land and housing development also put them in a favorable position to take home the honor. But the most honest and truthful answer as to what athletic department locally is taking care of business at a head and shoulders level above all others right now? Lampeter-Strasburg.

I know, you may not have been thinking that way at first glance either. When you do a deep dive into the numbers, however, the results are nothing if not mesmerizing in support of that claim though. Whether it be the football or boys’ basketball teams that candidly always end up stealing the most headlines, the prowess on the girls’ side at L-S is honestly even better when you factor in the field hockey, lacrosse, and basketball teams of the last couple of years to name just a few programs performing at an exceptional level. And oh yeah, don’t forget about the softball team which is also literally the best team in the state at the moment. If you don’t believe me, they have the trophy to prove it. To be frank, the bar has been raised so high at an athletic level at L-S recently that it might honestly be considered a disappointment if any team –girls or boys—doesn’t end up making a postseason appearance at the very least. From there, as we’ve seen when looking at recent historical data, the Pios typically make deep, deep runs in the L-L, District 3, and PIAA tourneys from there, sometimes even walking away with the entire thing. On top of that, it also doesn’t hurt matters when you also have scores of high-level Division 1 athletes walking around the halls of the school either. So, with that in mind, seeing L-S Football get off to such a hot start this season really is not much of a surprise. In fact, maybe the most surprising thing about this year’s bunch is that they didn’t come into their week 8 game at Garden Spot with a perfect record.

Oh, that loss. It must feel like a lifetime ago in Pioneer country. Granted, while both L-S and Warwick lost an embarrassment of riches off last year’s clubs respectively, the prevailing thought was that surely L-S would be better suited to handle it and reload seeing as how the Lampeter-Strasburg football program has been able to establish itself as precisely that- a definitive football program that isn’t some flash in the pan, overnight success story. But on that week 1 night in Lititz earlier this year, the Pios got a rude and unwelcomed introduction to the 2021 season considering the final 45-22 count that ended up in the Warriors’ favor. Since then, however, the Pioneers of the last six weeks likely wouldn’t even recognize that week 1 version of themselves if it was looking back at them in a mirror.

Following their 23-point setback to begin the season, L-S has been on some kind of mission. Sure, they rang up a 6-0 record that span of time, yes, but the way they’ve done so is either welcoming or alarming depending on your rooting interest for L-S I suppose. In those six consecutive victories since the loss to Warwick, L-S has outscored their opponents by an average score of 37-5, including three shutouts—the last of which came against Donegal last week— for an added cherry on top. Suffice to say, while there are other teams clicking at an incredible pace right now around the state, there ain’t many other groups that are performing at that high a level.

Ironically, their opponent on Friday night might have been 1-A in terms of the hottest team in the L-L coming into this weekend.

Simply put, life’s been pretty good if you’re a Garden Spot Spartan of late. If you’re a player or coach, or even just fan in general, you have to be excited and appreciative that the district as a whole has shown a willingness and commitment to help you meet your needs and wants by awarding you with a massive new athletic facilities facelift that includes a much-needed hardwood floor in the main gym, along with a pristine new turf field inside the stadium that Garden Spot brass had been itching to show off heading into this season for the first time amongst other things. As far as the team that calls the brand-new, fast track it’s home, it’s admittedly been a bit of a mixed bag of results for the Spartans on the football field in 2021.

Although the wins were in short supply throughout the first quarter pole of the season, Garden Spot certainly had a puncher’s chance in all but one of their first four losses, including an agonizing 27-24 overtime loss in week 1 against nearby Route 23 neighbor, Twin Valley, to begin the campaign. However, starting with their week 5 game against Pequea Valley, Garden Spot must have found the secret sauce during that week of prep considering that the Spartans have been able to turn things around magnificently following their 0-4 start given that Spot came this week’s home game against L-S while riding a two-game winning streak. A winning streak which by the way came via the tune of two shutouts in a pair of contests that amounted to a combined final score of 92-0 following triumphs over PV and Lebanon respectively.

Needless to say, while the primary colors on display on Friday night in New Holland would be blue and white given their shared school colors, it would be another color, red, which would truthfully be the most important hue of the evening. Why red? Why who would be able to remain red-hot heading into the final two games of the regular season slate of course given both squads came into the night playing their best ball of the entire season of course. Granted, while it may not have ended up being their most stellar night of play so far this season, L-S ultimately sent a message to the rest of their listening audience that even an opposing team’s best counterpunch can essentially be shrugged off by this group of Pioneers.

Speaking of the counterpunch, Garden Spot came off the gates landing haymaker after haymaker to begin the contest. Case in point, the Spartans’ initial offensive drive of the contest which began with a bang given the first down runs picked up thanks to the efforts of Tristin Sadowski and Joel Martin respectively, a pair of scampers authored by the senior duo which ushered the hosts’ opening series out to near the midfield stripe. From there, almost before anyone inside the refurbished stadium had a chance to settle into their seats, Garden Spot sophomore quarterback, Kye Harting, called his own number and ran around the left end unabated all the way to the end zone, making his 44-yard touchdown jaunt serve notice to the visitors from Lampeter that this wasn’t going to be some leisurely stroll through the park considering the very early 7-0 Garden Spot lead with just over three minutes and change having ticked off the first-quarter clock.

Then, with their offensive already having provided a spark, the Spartans’ defensive troops were up to the task at hand as well. In fact, L-S’ opening offensive series ended rather abruptly after just three plays. Abruptly being the keyword there given a Garden Spot sack thanks to the handiwork of junior defensive lineman, Tyler Hurst, who brought the Pioneers’ punt team onto the field.

So, after taking over possession of the ball once more following the three and out posted by way of their defense, Garden Spot was out to prove that their previous series was no fluke. Sure enough, it wasn’t. And yes, while the Spartans’ second series wouldn’t end inside one of the newly-painted blue end zones with gray lettering written into it, a 42-yard field goal booted home on the right leg of the senior kicker, Walker Martin, made it an eyebrow-raising 10-0 advantage in favor of Garden Spot with 5:46 now left to play in the opening stanza.

As if that wasn’t already enough, the flow of the game which so clearly going in Garden Spot’s favor at that point in time only continued onward. In fact, after yet another L-S three and out following the Martin field goal, the Spartans took over once again while nearly knocking on the door of yet another score following the Pioneers’ short punt. This time, however, Garden Spot wouldn’t be able to inflict any more damage upon the scoreboard considering that the Spartans’ field goal attempt to go up by baker’s dozen was blocked, ending yet another promising Garden Spot march.

Needless to say, it was apparent at that point in time that the L-S offense needed to get things cranked into gear to at the very least make Garden Spot feel slightly less confident with the way in which the Spartans had literally dominated. Well, fortunately for the visitors, their offense would indeed get rolling.

In terms of the L-L’s best quarterback and wide receiver tandems, Berkeley Wagner to Beau Heyser must be among the very short list of nominees. Luckily –and not a moment too soon as far as the L-S contingent was certainly concerned—a Wagner to Heyser strike to the tune of 25-yards on the first play of the Pios’ third possession got the high-powered attack into motion. From there, L-S’ senior triggerman kept the ball in the sky as a Wagner to Austin Cole pitch and catch down the seam, plus a Garden Spot penalty added on top, quickly ushered the L-S attack all the way down to Spartans’ 20-yard line. So, with Wagner helping set the table as far as L-S being able to prance right down the field against the Garden Spot defense, it seemed apropos that he himself would have the honors of crossing the goal line first for the Pios on this night, something which he was able to do by way of his 16-yard quarterback keeper for a key touchdown with cut the Garden Spot lead down to a much more manageable 10-7 count which is where the score would remain once the final 1:23 ticked off the first-quarter clock.

If nothing else, the ultra-quick L-S rebuttal to Garden Spot’s early salvo had to make those in attendance feel as if the giant had been poked and prodded long enough and that the Pioneers would quickly take command of this game and run away with it. Oh, on the contrary, I’m afraid.

In fact, after what felt like yet another lightning-quick L-S offensive series that ended with a punt, it was the Garden Spot special team’s turn to enter the mix. Yes, after their defensive mates had been able to bow their necks and stave off another L-S series, the Spartans opted to bring the heat on the punt to see what would happen. In short, the plan went off without a hitch considering the punt itself was blocked, an occurrence that led to Garden Spot senior skill guy, Gavin T. Miller, scooping and scoring with the pigskin in his mitts from seven yards out, ballooning the Spartans’ lead back up to ten at 17-7 following a Walker Martin PAT with 11:06 left before the intermission.

By now, whether Lampeter-Strasburg had expected to find themselves in a dog fight, the Pioneers were now certainly right in the middle of one with Garden Spot currently playing a marvelous first half of football. However, from that moment on, L-S was able to turn things around and never look back.

Following what could have resulted in a devastating scoop and score from a mentality standpoint, the Pioneers answered the dinner bell marvelously in the drive that followed. That is to say of course that perhaps the most important play of the entire game wasn’t a play at all considering that Garden Spot jumped offsides on a 4^th & 4, allowing the L-S offense to trot back onto the field for a fresh set of downs. Then, with a new lease on life on their side, the Pios began dinking and dunking their way down the field with chunk plays at a time. The most instrumental play of the series however came on a 3^rd & 4 with the ball at the Garden Spot 37-yard line.

For some teams, throwing a one-on-one fade route down the sideline is an extremely low percentage play. Of course, if you have Beau Heyser at your disposal, shoot, just go ahead and throw that thing up. Needless to say, that’s exactly what Berkeley Wager proceeded to do with Heyser then coming down with the key grab, a pitch, and catch which ushered the Pios’ attack all the way down to the Spartans’ 8-yard line. From there, Wagner proceeded to play the role of Houdini by somehow eluding the chase of three oncoming Spartan defensive players in hot pursuit of a sack, instead of spinning out of the oncoming threat to find a wide-open safety blanket named Beau Heyser sitting all by his lonesome on his route in the end zone to help bail his quarterback out of trouble, a strike between the two which helped the guests get back within three at 17-14 with 7:15 before recess.

Then, with their defense rising up and forcing another Garden Spot punt on the ensuing series, the L-S offense continued to hum right along.

As far as their next scoring drive was concerned, L-S decided to feature a heavy dose of Giovanni Malatesta. Wise move there considering the Pios’ shifty senior running back was able to methodically slice and dice his way through the Spartans’ defensive troops to help bring the offensive attack down with him to the precipice of a go-ahead score for the guests. And hey, when you do a majority of the heavy lifting, you might as well get rewarded for it, right? Sure enough, Malatesta was able to tote the rock one more time on the drive, this time darting into the end zone from 17-yards out to give the Pioneers’ their initial lead of the evening at 22-17 with 2:29 remaining in the half following a successful 2pt run courtesy of L-S junior wideout, Hunter Hildenbrand.

It was rather self-explanatory at this point that the L-S snowball was racing downhill at an alarming rate as far as Garden Spot being able to contain it. The bad news for the hosts though was that the hits just kept on coming in the final two minutes and change.

Following a sack tallied by future Coastal Carolina Chanticleer, Nick Del Grande, which led to yet another Spartans’ punt, L-S took the reins back over while starting out at their own 38-yard line.

Sure, while staring at a 3^rd & 20 attempts while backed up inside your own territory certainly isn’t the most auspicious way to try and make a living, having Berkeley Wagner call his own number can also get you out of a lot of jams too. Case in point, the senior quarterback’s keeper for a 40-yard dash on said third and long which moved the L-S attack into the Garden Spot side of the field with the ball now resting at the Spartans’ 29-yard line. Then, following a long pass to Hildenbrand which got the Pios down to the 8-yard line, the Wagner to Heyser duo proved lethal again as another 8-yard scoring strike amongst the pair resulted in a backbreaking score just before the first half horn which sent L-S into the intermission with the ownership of the 29-17 cushion.

Granted, while L-S had all the momentum known to mankind at the end of the first 24 minutes, Garden Spot seemed up to challenge once the third began in earnest.

In fact, after holding the white-hot Pioneers’ offense to just three plays and out to begin the third frame, the Spartans went back on the offensive attack once they got the ball back. Speaking of which, a long pass play from Kye Harting to Tristin Sadowski certainly helped the cause as the ironic connection between the Spartans’ top two quarterbacks was good for a 21-yard gainer on 3^rd & 11, moving the Spot advance down to the L-S 29-yard line. From there, the Spartans would be able to navigate their way all the way down to the Pioneers’ 5-yard line following yet another Harting bomb, this time junior wideout, Blake Weaver, putting Garden Spot within a whisker of making things very interesting once again. Unfortunately, as far what felt like the entire town of New Holland was concerned given how many Spartan-backers had shown up on Friday night to support their team, that would be all the further the threat would go. Beset by key penalties later in the drive, the Spartans had to settle for a Walker Martin field which he proceeded to kick through the uprights per usual, a kick which trimmed the L-S lead back down to nine at 29-20 with 5:45 left to play in the third.

In short, the opening offensive series for L-S in the second half on Friday night was nothing more than a minor blip on the radar.

After being set up with marvelous field position following a long kickoff return by way of senior running back, Payton Cunningham, the Pios began their ensuing drive following the Martin field goal inside Garden Spot territory at the 40-yard line. From there, another personal foul penalty whistled against the Spartans moved L-S down to the 13-yard line. Then, with Wagner executing his stellar ball-handling skills when trying to decide whether to give or keep on his reads which had helped moved L-S down the field even further, a 1-yard Wagner touchdown run made it a 16-point affair in favor of L-S at 36-20 which is where things would remain following the 4:24 of the third quarter.

Once inside the final dozen minutes, L-S only continued to keep their foot on the gas.

In fact, on the first play from scrimmage once inside the final stanza, a nice run up the heart of the Garden Spot defense from sophomore running back, Jonathan Mellinger, L-S looked up and saw themselves ready to kick down the door again at the Spartans’ 16-yard line. Fittingly, seeing as how he helped move the attack down that far, Mellinger was able to have the honors of scoring the Pioneers’ next score with a 3-yard burst to give L-S the now gargantuan 43-20 buffer with 8:57 left to play.

Even still, with time running out and the outcome already having been decided, L-S’ offense showed no signs whatsoever of slowing down.

Ignited by a fantastic cut-back run against the grain by Payton Cunningham once again while dodging would-be Spartan defenders along the way on their ensuing offensive series, the Pioneers were on the doorstep once again at the Garden Spot 23-yard line. And much in the same vein as the drive which had preceded it as far as the running back who helped get down the field this far finishing things off in style, Cunningham too was able to reap the benefits of his hard-earned labor with a 3-yard touchdown plunge of his own, a run which helped put the exclamation mark on L-S’ dizzying 50-20 comeback victory over Garden Spot.

NEXT UP: Hmm. What to make that of that one if you’re in L-S’ camp? For starters, it must be comforting to know that even if you only have your off-speed pitch working any given night, you may end up being 30-points better than a divisional foe once all is said and done. To be sure, there are plenty of things L-S can take with them from Friday night’s triumph to brush up on as they head into the final two games of the regular-season slate. And yes, while next week’s game against a fast-rising Ephrata squad will help solve a lot of the unanswered questions as far as the L-L Section Three chase is concerned this season, make no mistake about it. This is an L-S team that has its sights set on bigger fish to fry. You know, the kind that can help get you to Hershey on a cold night in December? Yeah, suffice to say, if L-S is clicking on all cylinders on any given Friday night, this is a team that is a legitimate threat to make a run at a state title. A feat that once again, would be par for the course given the heights this program has now ascended to.

As far as Garden Spot is concerned, Friday night’s bout with L-S was impressive in its own right. In fact, for much of the first half, the Spartans appeared to be better the team out on the field against a mighty L-S squad, albeit that the scoreboard didn’t read in their favor to indicate that. That said, if Garden Spot can replicate that same kind of effort against the likes of Lancaster Catholic and Donegal to end the 2021 campaign, there is no reason not to believe that the Spartans don’t have a puncher’s chance at coming out victorious in either or both of those final two contests. Not only that, but with a roster, this year that appears heavy on the junior and sophomore flavor along with a new alignment coming next year with the Berks/L-L merger, keep an eye on what is happening in New Holland in the years to come. There’s good reason to buy what the Spartans are selling.

Without fail, each and every season brings with it those feel good stories that emerge from the early portion of the regular season slate regarding programs that appear to have finally turned a corner and put those dark and dreaded days of losing behind them once and for all. Well, far be it from me to say who exactly should take home the top honors in that category specifically this year, but I will certainly do everything in my power to suggest that Columbia and Northern Lebanon need to be on 2021’s short list of nominees.

In some ways, especially not all that long ago either, the idea of a “rebuild” would be something almost sacrilegious to even suggest up in Fredericksburg.  After all, from the years of 2013-2017, if there was one constant that everyone in Lancaster-Lebanon League football circles could set their clocks to, it would be the reality that the section title would eventually have to go through Northern Lebanon at some point in time. And with the likes of elite skill guys such as Isaac Ray, Christian and Dominic Trader, Mason Yost, and Luke Funck to name just a small handful roaming the field in those days, it was easy to see why the Vikings were perennially one of the best and most consistent programs that the L-L League had to offer. Since then however, a dramatic about face would quickly ensue.

For a school that had made winning on fall Friday nights nothing if not commonplace, it would take all the Vikings’ collective will and patience to persevere through just a pair of wins from the years of 2018-20. Suffice to say, the new blood that first-year head coach Jason Rice has infused into the Vikings’ psyche has proven to be exactly what the doctor ordered. In fact, it took the Vikings all of four weeks this season to eclipse that same number of wins as they had throughout the last three seasons combined when the Vikings came out victorious against the likes of Pine Grove, York Tech, and Lebanon respectively, storming out of the chute en route to a 3-1 record. However, since that victory over Lebanon three weeks ago now, the Vikings had gone on to stumble a bit given their setbacks at the hands of Lampeter-Strasburg and Annville-Cleona in the last two weeks by a combined final score of 83-in those two contests. And sure, while those two losses may have understandably cooled the heels of everyone in Vikings’ camp somewhat, the early returns on the Jason Rice era appear to be nothing but a positive investment for a program that surely wants nothing more than to proclaim once again that Northern Lebanon Football is back and better than ever.

The only issue with Northern Lebanon possibly snapping that pesky two-game losing streak on Friday night however? The fact that the Vikings would have to travel to Columbia to take on a Crimson Tide team that not only has morphed into one of the best stories in the L-L, but more importantly the idea that the Tide are also downright dangerous this year.

If you’re from around this part of Pennsylvania, you already know the drill here. Name me a better small town that rallies around its high school sports teams better than the tiny river town of Columbia, PA. There’s a few, sure. Steel-High certainly comes to mind, but pound for pound, there are very few schools that are as tradition-rich as the Columbia Crimson Tide. That said, it’s been awhile –almost certainly too long as far as some Tide-backers would be concerned I’m sure—that the enthusiasm surrounding the school’s football program has been as high as it is this year. Ironically, during those same recent years in which Northern Lebanon was running pretty much roughshod over their competition, Columbia was on the exact side of the fence, routinely struggling to find wins anywhere on the schedule, all while having to navigate numbers so low that the dreaded F-word, forfeit, seemed to be a possible topic of discussion heading into every single week. And that was before anyone had heard of the word COVID mind you. In fact, during a varsity game against Lancaster Catholic, the Tide were forced to end the game early due to a lack of available manpower. Wow. Hard to envision that reality these days, eh?

Ignited by senior triggerman Robert Footman, an equally-adept quarterback and he is off-guard on the Crimson Tide varsity basketball team, the 2021 edition of the Crimson Tide have made those days of losing a far, far distant memory. Simply put, aside from Columbia entering this Friday’s game against Northern Lebanon with a 4-1 overall mark which could legitimately speak for itself, perhaps no better example exists of just far the Tide have turned things around this year than with storylines coming out of two of those four victories.

First and foremost, Columbia’s dizzying 60-41 triumph over their arch nemesis in all things sports, Lancaster Catholic, which served as a true statement win for the program that the days of consistently playing second fiddle to their chief rival were now a thing of the past. But, as if that wasn’t already enough, you’d also have to look at last week’s road win at Octorara as well. Down bodies yet again –something that Columbia may always have to deal with in one way or another—the Tide dug down deep and found something even more special given their 48-46 win to topple the Braves last Friday night. To put it mildly, having to decline to finish a section game when compared to winning a section game on the road while dealing with the exact same elephant in the room are two instances that aren’t even in the same solar system with one another.

So, when two of the league’s best up and comers in Columbia and Northern Lebanon got together with each other high atop the banks of the Susquehanna in Columbia on Friday night, the question at hand whether or not Northern Lebanon to recapture that same upward trajectory which displayed out of the gate this season, or would the Crimson Tide continue to stay the course and remain white-hot?

Well, while their offensive attack may not have been clicking on all cylinders on this night, it’s hard to find fault with a 22-point margin of victory, something Columbia was able to lay claim to by virtue of their eventual 35-13 takedown of Northern Lebanon.

As mentioned, while Columbia primarily butters its bread by way of their explosive offensive prowess, it would prove to be the defenses from each side which rose up and stole the show in the opening 12 minutes of play. Case in point, the Vikings’ defensive troops standing tall right out of the gates and forcing the Crimson Tide to punt it away on their first series following a quick three and out. From there, once the Northern Lebanon offense took to the field for their first initial series of the contest, they too would be met with resistance, albeit while starting off with excellent field position, as Columbia sophomore linebacker, Jayden Boone, brought the heat and came in unabated right into the quarterback’s lap on a key 3^rd & 6 play for the Vikings, ultimately leading to Columbia retaking ownership of the football at their own 20-yard line following the exchange in possession.

Yet again however, Northern Lebanon proved to be an immovable object of sorts considering this Crimson Tide drive too would end in another punt, thanks in large part to Vikings’ star senior linebacker, Kalani Adams, registering a sack to end the Columbia threat, handing the ball back over to the Northern Lebanon offensive troops once more at their own 47-yard line.

If you’re starting to sense a theme here, you’re not wrong in thinking so. And yes, if you’re already curious, this Columbia defensive stand would end in, you guessed it, another Crimson Tide sack on a third down. This time, the honors went to Crimson Tide senior defensive tackle, Joel Ober, on a Northern Lebanon 3^rd & 15 attempt, effectively thwarting yet another short-lived Vikings’ drive.

By this time, it was fair to say that each side was desperately in search of sort of spark at this stage of the contest considering neither club it appeared could get anything started offensively. Well, in that respect, Columbia’s Demari Simms proved to be a fire-starter.

After fielding the ensuing punt following the Ober sack just moments earlier, the Columbia sophomore wideout proceeded to pick up excellent blocking downfield from his fellow Tide mates, as Simms’ electric punt return helped set the homestanding Tide up with excellent field position with the ball now resting at the Vikings’ 25-yard line right before the first quarter horn sounded with the score remaining deadlocked at a 0-0 affair.

In the second frame however, that’s where Columbia really made a dent in the scoreboard.

Undoubtedly ignited by the aforementioned Simms punt return, a Robert Footman quick sling pass out in the flat to fellow senior, wide receiver J’Von Collazo, quickly ushered the Crimson Tide attack down to the Northern Lebanon 11-yard line once the second quarter got underway. As it turned out, that was all the further the Crimson Tide offense would have to march as a unit considering Footman’s eventual 11-yard touchdown run just moments later, a TD run which was quickly capped off by a successful 2-pt conversion pass to Aiden Miller as well, made it an 8-0 Columbia lead just 15 seconds into the second period.

Ironically, just when it seemed as if perhaps Columbia’s offense began to get things in gear, so too did Northern Lebanon’s.

After taking over at their own 40-yard line following the ensuing kickoff return, a punishing run authored by Vikings’ junior running back, Grady Stichler, who proceeded to bully his way through Crimson Tide defenders, moved the visitor’s offensive threat all the way down to the Columbia 12-yard line. All told, Stichler’s jaunt would cover 48 yards in length, a bolt of energy that the Northern Lebanon offense sorely needed at the time. However, just as they had done at nearly every turn that had preceded this, Columbia’s defense would once again have none of it. In fact, the Vikings would only be able to travel just three more yards from there on out in the series before an eventual Northern Lebanon field goal attempt failed to travel through the uprights, allowing the Tide to wipe away the sweat beads from their collective brows.

So, while starting off 88-yards away from paydirt certainly isn’t the most advantageous way to try and make a living, the Tide offense would be undaunted by the challenge.

Facing a key 4^th & inches in the drive, a Robert Footman second-effort sneak helped move the sticks which allowed the Tide offense to remain on the field, a play which proved to be a key catalyst in the floodgates eventually opening wide. In fact, after extending the drive by way of his legs, Footman went back to slicing the Vikings’ defense by way of his Howitzer of an arm, tossing a first down pass to sophomore wideout, Artie Pointdexter, a strike which moved the Tide to the precipice of the midfield stripe with the ball residing at Vikings’ 48-yard line. From there, it was bombs away as a Footman alley-oop of a pass found the waiting hands of J’Von Collazo who had gotten loose behind the Northern Lebanon secondary, good for a 52-yard touchdown, which quickly made it a 14-0 affair in favor of the hosts following the failed 2-pt try with 6:43 left to play before intermission.

But as it turned out, the final six minutes and changed proved to be a Columbia sprint into the locker room.

After holding Northern Lebanon to negative yards on the Vikings’ ensuing offensive possession, the Tide would waste little time in finding the zone once again. In fact, it took Columbia all of one play to cross the chalk once they had the ball on offense as another Footman bomb, this one from 53-yards out to freshman wide out, Dominic Diaz-Ellis, put the Tide up by a 20-0 count following yet another unsuccessful 2-pt try with 4:56 now left before the break.

Then, with their offense clearly humming along by this point, it was time for the Tide defense to continue with the scintillating first half of play. Case in point, a Diaz-Ellis interception coming on the heels of his prior touchdown reception just moments earlier, as the freshman’s theft to slam the door on the ensuing Northern Lebanon drive helped set the Tide with excellent field position once again at the Northern Lebanon 30-yard line. Ironically however, while Columbia would not be able to make any hay on this possession in particular, the Tide would still get one last crack at it before the first half would expire thanks to yet another successful stand put forth by their defense. And this time, the Tide would indeed make good on this series and punch things in right before the second quarter buzzer as a Robert Footman 5-yard touchdown scramble and successful 2-pt toss to Demari Simms made it a 28-0 Crimson Tide lead at the halftime break.

Suffice to say, the first half was not something that will probably make it on to Northern Lebanon’s season highlight reel. However, to their credit, one group of Vikings went into the locker room at halftime on Friday night while a whole different group had clearly emerged to begin the second half of play.

In fact, following a magnificent run after catch thanks to the handiwork of Vikings’ wide receiver, Moises Gonzalez, on a 3^rd & 4 attempt right out the chute, the sophomore’s 74-yard lightning bolt of a touchdown reception gave Northern Lebanon some much-needed positive vibes with the third quarter still well in its infancy with the score now standing at 28-7 with 10:20 left to go in the third.

However, even despite the ultra-quick Gonzalez score to start the third quarter, the defenses continued to reign supreme throughout the remainder of the stanza, something best exemplified by Northern Lebanon senior defensive back, Tyler George, tallying an interception in his own right throughout the third quarter proceedings, eventually helping things culminate in a 28-7 score at the end of the third quarter.

Ironically, for a third quarter that seemed to be mired with both offensive attacks continuing to remain stuck in the mud, Columbia wasted little time –well, technically eight seconds- in proving that the fourth and final quarter would be different.

Sure enough, on the first offensive play of the final dozen minutes, a Footman to Diaz-Ellis touchdown pass from 5-yards out, Footman’s fifth total touchdown accounted for on the evening, made it a 35-7 Crimson Tide lead following a Joel Ober PAT where Footman, yes, the team’s quarterback, served as the long-snapper, with 11:52 to play.

To their credit though, Northern Lebanon would continue to keep punching despite the lopsided margin up on the scoreboard. For that, look no further than Kayden Clark’s interception, the Vikings’ second defensive takeaway in the second half, ending yet another possible Crimson Tide advance. As far as the offensive side of things was concerned, Northern Lebanon would continue to make gains there as well. In fact, following the Clark INT, the Vikings struck gold as a 47-yard pitch and catch touchdown from quarterback Ethan Ebersole to James Voight, Ebersole’s second TD pass of the night in this his first start for the Vikings this season, helped close the gap down to 35-13 with 6:40 still to play.

That said, that would prove to be all the further the guests from Fredericksburg would get on this night as Columbia went on to ride out the final six minutes and change en route to their 22-point triumph over a divisional foe.

“We came out of the first half up 28-0 and I think our guys kinda took it for granted a little bit and just went through the motions so to say,” a matter of fact Crimson Tide head coach Bud Kyle offered after addressing his troops in the postgame huddle Friday night. “We told them all week that Northern Lebanon wasn’t going to lie down for us. (Northern Lebanon) plays well, plays hard and they’re coached-up. We just came out for the second half I think a bit too cocky, so we’ll get back to it, see what we did wrong, and we’ll get better.”

All told though, you know you’re in pretty good shape as a program where a relatively average night output still translates to a three-score margin of victory against a team from within your own section. But make no mistake about it. This is a Crimson Tide program on the rise with the right man leading the way to where that should be expected.

“I was young, still am young, and was coaching in high school at Steel-High and you know, Columbia is kinda like Steel-High a little bit in a sense to where it’s a small town with a lot of history behind it,” Kyle went on to say big picture wise as to why he wanted to take over the reins of a Columbia program a few years ago that was struggling mightily to find its way at the time. “Coming in, I knew (Columbia) won something like four games in four years and a lot of people did say, ‘There’s nothing there, the kids aren’t committed.’ For me, I took that as disrespect,” said Kyle. “Our first year, we took our lumps, but we got better. We laid the blueprint down for guys that followed, and they’ve followed it. Now we’re seeing some success with it and the kids bought in. I’m proud of them because they stuck around. First year, going 0-10, they could’ve said, ‘I’m not playing anymore. Coach doesn’t know what he’s doing.’ But they stuck it out and we’re seeing the results of that hard work.”

NEXT UP: After taking care of Northern Lebanon on Friday night, the Tide now set their sights on another Lebanon County foe hailing from L-L Section Four, an equally-scorching Annville-Cleona squad that will come into next Friday night’s tussle fresh off a combined total 96 points scored in their last two games respectively. And yes, while Columbia is certainly out to claim the L-L Section Four title this season, the Tide also have their sights set on the District 3-2A field, a field of fellow competitors to where they have to like their chances should they continue to take care of business from here on out in the regular season. Then, should Columbia be fortunate enough to claim District 3 gold in football, the chances are equally as high, perhaps even higher, that the Crimson Tide basketball team might be able to do the exact same this winter as well. The one key catalyst found on both of those squads? Robert Footman. However, as Coach Kyle illustrated, the idea of Footman perhaps ending up on a Mount Rushmore of Crimson Tide greats once his playing days are over up on the hill doesn’t appear to be something going to the senior’s head.

“He’s a humble kid and he works hard,” said Kyle of his quarterback. “I’ve coached a lot of kids and he’s one of the few that doesn’t get rattled. He’s a team player and that’s what it’s going to take for us get where we want to go and to reach our goals, a leader like him who’s going to step up, take ownership of his mistakes, and then get better.”

For the Northern Lebanon contingent, it’s back to the lab this week to figure out how to snap this four-game losing skid all while preparing to take on ELCO next Friday night in Myerstown. But if the second half on Friday night was to serve as any indication, the groundwork and promise of Northern Lebanon continuing to build this program back up to size certainly appears to be there. In short, I personally would recommend buying Vikings’ stock now. I have a feeling you’ll be glad you did once you see the dividends come back in just a few years from now.

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 30^th 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 3^rd & 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 4^th down stop courtesy of Penn Manor senior linebacker Charlie Gonzalez registering a key sack on a Wilson 4^th & 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.

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 3^rd & 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 4^thdown 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 3^rd & 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.

In football, much like in life, sometimes all you really need is a spark. Well, Week 2 of the 2021 high school football season just happened to provide that very opportunity for two programs that were both in search of a jolt, Archbishop Carroll and Lancaster Catholic.

For the Crusaders of Lancaster Catholic, finding momentum would have been a chore almost unfathomable just a few years ago when you consider that the purple and gold routinely cast themselves as one of the Lancaster-Lebanon League’s premiere football franchises. However, even for all their enormous success in recent years, even a program built upon bedrock as strong as Lancaster Catholics was not immune to the weird and wonky season of COVID-19. The Crusaders reached the finish line last year with a 2-6 record to their name, including an atypical 0-6 start right out of the chute.

In Week 1 of this season, Lancaster Catholic once again struggled to start off on the right foot when they came away with a 24-7 defeat at the hands of York Catholic. Last week’s game against Delone Catholic was a bit of a crossroads game for the Crusaders’ program in a sense. The Crusaders’ backers left Crusader Stadium happy after a 14-7 triumph over the Squires last Friday night.

On the other side of the field, much of the same could also be said about Archbishop Carroll. Last season, in a COVID-shortened season, Carroll ended the year with a 2-3 overall record. The Patriots were awarded the opportunity to compete in the postseason last year after another Catholic League team, Neumann-Goretti, was forced to bow out with their own COVID issues. However, the Patriots fell to Danville 42-21 in that postseason contest.

This year, the Patriots found themselves at a bit of a crossroads last week coming off a 43-14 setback at the hands of Pope John Paul II in Week 1. Last week, Carroll lined up against Rock Creek Christian Academy out of Maryland, hoping to get things in gear for 2021 by going out of the commonwealth. Unlike their counterparts this week in Lancaster Catholic, Archbishop Carroll came out on the short end of a 42-0 affair against Rock Creek Christian, bringing an 0-2 record with them into Lancaster city on Friday evening as a result.

Would Lancaster Catholic keep things rolling against Archbishop Carroll heading into L-L section play, or would the Pats rise up and capture their own mojo as the season only intensifies from here on out?

Ask anyone involved in most any sport and they’ll likely tell you that getting off to a fast start is paramount. In that regard, hang a massive gold star next to Lancaster Catholic’s name in terms of Friday evening.

Ignited by a three and out by way of their defense, highlighted by a sack courtesy of Catholic’s Eddie Hauk which emphatically shut the door on Archbishop Carroll’s opening possession. The Crusaders were able to draw first blood and cash in on their opening drive thanks to a sweet 19-yard cutback touchdown run from senior running back, Tony Cruz, putting Catholic up 7-0 following Daniel Mueller’s PAT with 9:13 still left to play in the opening stanza.

But for as quick as Lancaster Catholic was able to strike, Archbishop Carroll was up to the task just as well.

The Patriots found themselves residing inside the Lancaster Catholic red zone following a 56-yard bubble screen connection from James Wright to Victor Taylor, setting Carroll up beautifully. Sure enough, Carroll’s counterpunch would come shortly thereafter.  A 15-yard touchdown toss in the back of the end zone from the sophomore duo of Wright to Jesse Ventre knotted things back up at 7-7 with 5:19 still left in the first quarter. Lancaster Catholic once leaned heavily on their defense as the opening quarter trudged along.

The Crusaders surrendered a 21-yard scamper up the gut from Spurio on Carroll’s next series. They then locked things back down as a 14-yard loss for the Patriots quickly followed suit, followed then by a sack courtesy of Lancaster Catholic junior defensive tackle, Eddie Dresch. The score remained deadlocked at 7-7 once the second quarter began.

Did we mention the Lancaster Catholic defense already? Yes, they came to play and then some in the opening half on Friday night. On the Patriots’ initial offensive series of the second quarter, the Crusaders rudely ended that drive as well, this time thanks to senior linebacker JJ Keck. Then, given the handiwork of their defense, the Crusaders went back out on offense and began to lean on the Patriots’ defensive troops.

As a result, Tony Cruz moved the Catholic offensive effort all the way down to the Carroll 10-yard line. From there, the Crusaders were able to churn out nine more yards before it was Terrell Crawley’s turn to find the end zone. The sophomore running back was able to cap off the aforementioned Lancaster Catholic takeaway with a one-yard touchdown plunge to make it a 14-7 affair with 6:17 left before intermission with the hosts once again out in front.

Momentum was clearly riding with Lancaster Catholic. So, why not continue to ride it? Fittingly, that’s exactly what the Crusaders proceeded to do.

After forcing Archbishop Carroll to punt once again on their ensuing possession, the Crusaders went back to what had helped them take the lead on both previous occasions—running the football.

In fact, Lancaster Catholic turned up the dial ten-fold once they got the ball back considering every play on their ensuing offensive possession came exclusively by way of the ground attack. With Cruz now ripping off chunks of yardage at the hands of the Carroll defense, the Crusaders were able to paint themselves a masterpiece in terms of a late half scoring drive considering they now found themselves up by two touchdowns thanks to a one-yard TD run from Cruz, his second of the opening half, with just 44 seconds left on the second-quarter clock.

It seemed as if Archbishop Carroll needed to scratch and claw for every yard they were able to pick up against the Crusaders’ defense throughout the opening two quarters on Friday night. In a sense, the Patriots’ best opportunities would have to come by way of the defense and/or special teams. That’s precisely what the visiting Patriots did to open the second half.

As if Lancaster Catholic’s last-minute touchdown drive wasn’t already damaging enough, the Crusaders had the ball as the third quarter began as well. Needless to say, the Patriots needed a stop. Sure enough, the Patriots had their wish granted with a key interception from the junior defensive back, Deveyon Hartage-Fitzgerald, for a massive boost that shut off down the Crusaders’ opening offensive series of the second half.

A sack by Lancaster Catholic junior linebacker, Hudson Hess, brought the Archbishop Carroll punting unit back onto the field at the conclusion of the drive, however, allowing the Crusaders’ faithful to exhale just a bit.

After they themselves were unable to negotiate past the Archbishop Carroll defense once again, it was Lancaster Catholic’s turn to punt it away. Well, so they thought.

A high snap on the would-be punt resulted in a Patriots’ touchdown as senior linebacker Mason Streko was able to pounce on the loose pill in the end zone, making it a 21-13 affair with 1:06 left to play in the third following another block, this time on the Carroll PAT tries.

Once the fourth quarter got underway, the game was now up for grabs. Lancaster Catholics still found themselves in a precarious position. Why? Getting negated on downs didn’t help matters, which is exactly what happened to the Crusaders to begin the final frame. So, with the ball back in their grasp once again, it was paramount that the Patriots have a long and fruitful march down the field. Long, yes. Fruitful, no.

To their credit though, the ensuing Carroll drive following the turnover on downs was almost magnificent in many ways. Aided by two crucial fourth-down conversions, thanks to Anthony Spurio and Josh Jones, the Pats would get no further than the Lancaster Catholic 41-yard line as back-to-back incompletions thrown by Carroll, let the Crusaders’ offense come trotting back onto the field.

The Crusaders were only able to muster four yards on their next three offensive plays, punting the ball back away to Archbishop Carroll with 1:42 now left on the clock.

With Archbishop Carroll once again with ownership of the football, the Pats found themselves staring down the barrel of a 3^rd & 10 turned 3^rd & 5 following Lancaster Catholic being offsides. Luckily, the Patriots were once again the beneficiaries of a Crusader pass interference penalty, effectively giving the visitors a fresh set of downs.

The Crusaders were downright stifling to the Carroll offensive attack, such as when Isiah Caine found himself playing in the Patriots’ backfield, as the Crusaders’ senior defensive tackle came up with a key sack. When it seemed as if Lancaster Catholic would finally end Archbishop Carroll’s late-game heroics, the Patriots just kept on punching.

With a 4^th & 19 attempts, incumbent junior quarterback, Andre Groce, fired a pass across the Crusaders’ defensive heart to senior wideout, Devon Southern, good enough for a first down. A lob thrown down the Crusaders’ sideline by Groce on 4^th & 5 shortly thereafter found a perfectly situated Deveyon Hartage-Fitzgerald, a 6’1 junior. He was able to saunter into the end zone, making it a jaw-dropping 21-19 ballgame with a mere ten seconds left. The Crusaders’ defense was able to stand tall on the Carroll two-point conversion attempt, stonewalling the Patriots’ attempt to tie and head into overtime no further than at the line of scrimmage.

At this point, the task became obvious for either side—recover the onside kick. However, neither team needed to do that seeing as how the ensuing Archbishop Carroll onside kick attempt trickled harmlessly out of bounds, allowing Lancaster Catholic ended the final ten seconds of the contest in the victory formation as a kneel-down officially put the finishing touches on the Crusaders’ gritty 21-19 triumph over a very game Archbishop Carroll squad.

NEXT UP: With their win over Carroll on Friday night, Lancaster Catholic now carries a pivotal two-game winning streak with them into a much-anticipated game next week against their fiercest of rivals, Columbia, in a game that will likely carry a lot of weight when it comes to determining the eventual landscape of the Lancaster-Lebanon League Section 3 picture this season.

For Archbishop Carroll, the Patriots will stay on the road once again next weekend when they too jump into conference play with a matchup against Cardinal O’Hara next Saturday afternoon in Catholic League-Blue Division action in search of their first win on the 2021 campaign.

No matter what the sport and no matter what the competition level, there are always some undeniable truths that always come to light when talking about the postseason. Chief among them, and perhaps the most tantalizing of all, is the prospect of rematches. And if we’re talking about the 5A level within District 3, there was arguably no team that entered the postseason hungrier at the chance of getting revenge than the Cedar Cliff Colts.

You see, if you were to hit the rewind button on your 2019 high school football season remote and flash all way back in Week 2 of this year, you’d find the Cocalico Eagles setting out on a westward trek to the western shore of the Susquehanna River for a rare Thursday night tussle with the homestanding Cedar Cliff Colts for a scholastic football contest that helped raise the curtain on Labor Day Weekend. But truth be told, it wasn’t much of a contest really.

On that night, one the best players ever to put on a Cocalico uniform, Noah Palm, ran over, around, and through the Colts’ defense, accounting for five total touchdowns from his quarterback spot. Speaking of defense, the Eagles’ ace of a safety was equally imposing in fulfilling that role as well, proving as to why he will be a New Hampshire Wildcat come this time next year, as Palm helped patrol the secondary and helped keep the lid on an explosive Cedar Cliff offense all night long. And once all was ultimately said and done at the end of that late summer night now 86 days ago, Palm and his Cocalico teammates had largely run roughshod over a tough group of Colts to the tune of an eye-popping 43-15 final count.

And while many may have left West Shore Stadium back on August 29^th thinking that the trajectory of both the Cocalico and Cedar Cliff seasons still yet to unfold resembled stark upward and downward arrows made famous by the New York Stock Exchange, the underlying fact of the matter was that the opportunity was ripe in terms of purchasing stock in both the Eagles and Colts from that point on.

Since their setback at the hands of Cocalico, arguably no one in District 3, certainly within 5A mind you, had been playing much better football coming into the weekend than the group hailing from Camp Hill. Aside from one more defeat, this coming against eventual District 3-6A semifinalist Harrisburg the very next week, Cedar Cliff became a tour de force from that point on, as the Colts bucked their way to nine consecutive victories. In fact, since the Harrisburg game, Cedar Cliff had largely rolled their opposition, averaging just a smidgen shy of 35 points per game, thanks in large part the school’s now all-time leading rusher who carries the Colts’ mail every day including Christmas, senior tail-back, Jaheim Morris. Through it all, the Colts were ultimately able to lay claim to the #2 seed in the District 3-5A bracket, all while likely simultaneously salivating at the prospect of another date with the #1 seed should the brackets hold serve.

Who was the top-seed you ask? Why none other than the Cocalico Eagles of course.

Sure, while some may have scoffed at the notion of a two-loss Eagles’ outfit securing the top spot, including over some other teams that went a perfect 10-0 throughout the entirely of the regular season in fact, it had likely appeared to some that this may have been one occasion where the mathematical formula had truly married up with the eye-test.

If you want to talk numbers, the Eagles will certainly entertain that conversation with you. How does a nice, round, even figure sound? Good? Okay, great. What is the number? How about 39? That’s right. 39 points per game is what Cocalico was averaging coming into their tussle with the hard-charging Colts. And when you factor in the hard reality that such a monstrous average is still nonetheless computed with a modest 7-point outing that the Eagles were only able to muster against Lancaster-Lebanon League bully, Manheim Township, that number somehow becomes even more staggering than it already is. And while the Eagles offense routinely steals the show, and rightly so given those types of astronomical numbers that would make even a NASA scientist blush, it was the Cocalico defense which was without a shadow of a doubt the key ingredient as to why the gang from Denver found themselves in a game of this magnitude.

Just last week, in a game in which Cocalico found themselves as the rare underdog underneath the bright lights and friendly confines of Eagle Stadium to fifth-seeded Warwick, the Cocalico defense troops rose to the challenge time after time after time, stifling the one of the state’s most prolific offensive units to a rather pedestrian 13-point outing, including negating a last-second Warrior Hail Mary attempt, en route to a resounding 21-13 semifinal round victory.

So, with the Colts having taken care of New Oxford and Exeter respectively in their first two postseason showings and Cocalico having gotten the better of Governor Mifflin and Warwick in their first two playoff outings as well, the stage was set for what promised to be a wildly entertaining District 3-5A championship tilt as the brackets did indeed result in chalk, with #2 Cedar Cliff getting off at the Denver exit of the Pennsylvania Turnpike for a heavyweight fight against the homestanding Eagles. Only this time however, there was far, far more riding on the line than that previous matchup nearly 90 days ago. Now, with a win, not only would the victor end the night by taking many celebratory pictures while posing with a new piece of hard-earned District 3 hardware that will ultimately be prominently displayed somewhere in the front of their school’s trophy case, but either the Colts or the Eagles would also find themselves just one more triumph shy of playing for the ultimate prize, a state championship.

Yet even though the calendar now read November, this one felt eerily similar to that of the game played way back on that late August night.

It didn’t even take that long for Cocalico to make such a resounding opening statement either. In fact, the Eagles needed all of two plays in order to find the end zone which is precisely what happened when sophomore running back Steven Flinton took off on a 59-yard gallop and didn’t stop until he had crossed the chalk line as the homestanding Eagles had quickly jumped their hosts, 7-0, a mere 38 seconds into the contest following Flinton’s long touchdown stroll.

From that point on, the eventual outcome was never really in doubt.

Needless to say, Cedar Cliff’s opening possession would not be nearly as successful as the one their hosts had just enjoyed. In fact, it would be far worse.

With the Cedar Cliff offense facing a 3^rd & 12 at their own 31-yard line, the Eagles’ defense rose to the challenge and not only stymied the Colts, they stole their dreams and aspirations along the way, as Eagles’ senior linebacker Cody Shay read his keys and nabbed the errant Colts’ pass and proceeded to race all the way back to the Colts’ 10-yard line with his newfound prize. From there, the Eagles muddled their way through their next series, if you want to call it that of course considering the sensational fashion in which their opening drive had just occurred. And while it wouldn’t take Cocalico two plays to reach the end zone on this series, they would only have to wait just one more play longer as senior quarterback Noah Palm’s 1-yard touchdown plunge allowed the Eagles to see their lead expand out to 14-0 after just five offensive plays from scrimmage with 9:11 still showing on the first quarter clock.

In short, Cedar Cliff needed something, anything really, in order to stop the bleeding and offer some sort of counterpunch to the early haymakers in which Cocalico had been able to land upon the Colts.  Thankfully for the Cedar Cliff contingent, it had appeared initially that the Colts had finally found some much-needed offensive mojo when Cedar Cliff junior quarterback, Gannon McMeans, was able to connect with senior wideout Jahiem Reynolds for the 16-yard pitch and catch which moved the sticks on a 3^rd & 13 play. And with Jaheim Morris serving as the Colts’ battering ram with a series of powerful runs peppered into the mix just for good measure, Cedar Cliff was finally able to make their way into Eagles’ territory for the first time. But alas, there was trouble afoot shortly thereafter as a high snap from center spelled doom for the Colts’ chances of picking up the 3^rd & 8 task placed before them, with Cocalico eventually taking over at their own 30-yard line following the Cedar Cliff punt.

If you’re already sensing a theme here of Cocalico scoring early and often, your feeling is certainly warranted. At least that’s certainly what the Colts’ defense largely had to be thinking as well after witnessing Noah Palm proceed to take off and race around the right side of the line on the option keeper for a 40-yard sprint on the first play of the Eagles’ ensuing offensive series. And with Palm already clearly in a groove, the Eagles’ triggerman continued his to show off his doctorate-level mastery of running the Veer attack, promptly calling his own number for a 27-yard touchdown burst, which gave the Eagles the now gargantuan 21-0 cushion with 2:39 still left in the opening period.

Unfortunately for Cedar Cliff, the narrative quickly went from bad to worse.

On the ensuing kickoff following Palm’s second touchdown of the young evening, the Colts coughed up the ball, only to bear witness to a swarm of Eagles swarm descend upon the loose pill as Cocalico was primed and ready to maul Cedar Cliff even more so following the turnover. That said, it appeared as though the Colts may have finally solved the riddle that was the Cocalico offense somewhat after senior defensive lineman Albert Rosado burst his way through the Eagles’ line and picked up a key tackle for loss, setting up a 3^rd & 5 play for the Cocalico offensive troops with the ball resting just outside the Cedar Cliff red zone. However, even despite the flash exhibited by way of the Cedar Cliff defense on the Rosado TFL, the Eagles were quickly rewarded with a fresh set of downs on the very next play with Steven Flinton taking the toss and navigating his way for an 8-yard pickup, putting the ball on the Cedar Cliff 15-yard line, while also moving the sticks in the Eagles’ favor once the first quarter eventually came to a close.

Once the second quarter got underway, Cocalico continued to exhibit no issues whatsoever in adding more points to their already emphatic lead. Case in point, Alex Mellinger’s 31-yard field goal through the uprights which capped off the Cocalico possession with the Eagles seeing their lead now swell to 24-0 with just 14 seconds having ticked off the second quarter clock.

Yet no matter whether it was a field goal or a touchdown, the band only continued to play on for Cocalico the remainder of the night.

After turning the Cedar Cliff offense away on a three and out, punctuated by a punishing stop at the line of scrimmage from Eagles’ senior lineman Brock Gingrich and several of closest friends donning blue jerseys and white helmets, the Cocalico offense went right back on the prowl following the Cedar Cliff punt.

If ever it felt like you could literally see a team just impose its collective will upon its opposition, it would be on this Cocalico series. Palm to Zahm for 15 yards. Austin Vang up the gut for 14 more yards. A toss to Steven Flinton for another 13 yards. Needless to say, the chunks of yardage were seemingly just melting away in favor of the Eagles like an ice cream cone on a hot summer’s day with Cocalico’s offense appropriately playing the role of the scorching-hot sun. And before anyone knew it, Cocalico had suddenly found itself celebrating in the end zone once again as Ronald Zahm’s 2-yard touchdown scamper made it a 31-0 affair in Cocalico’s favor with 6:22 still left to go before intermission.

Speaking of intermission, that likely couldn’t have come soon enough for Cedar Cliff.

Unfortunately for them however, the Colts were hit with another bout of the turnover bug before the first half was over with after seeing Noah Palm race up from his safety spot and jump on the loose pigskin for a timely fumble recovery which allowed the Eagles to set up shop at the Cedar Cliff 12-yard line. And just as had been able to do moments earlier, Ronald Zahm found his way into the end zone at the conclusion of this drive as well, allowing the Cocalico faithful to voice their roars of approval as the Eagles trotted off into the locker with a decisive 38-0 lead after the final eight seconds evaporated off the second quarter clock following the senior running back’s second consecutive touchdown tote.

Once the second half got underway, it was apparent that Cocalico still had fine-tuning yet to do before the night was over and done with.

So, with that in mind, the Eagles’ starting defense allowed just one Cedar Cliff first down on the Colts’ opening series coming out of the dressing room before bowing up and ultimately forcing a punt. And with Cocalico now setting up shop at their own 49-yard line following the exchange in possession, it appeared rather likely that another Eagles’ score would prove to be in the cards. Sure enough, thanks in large part to a handful of power runs administered to the Cedar Cliff defense by Cocalico sophomore running back Austin Vang, the Eagles’ offense already appeared to be lathered up once again following the halftime break. Indeed, that most certainly proved to be the case with Noah Palm promptly displaying his sensational ball-handling in running the Cocalico triple option attack for all to see, including a host of mystified Colts standing on the defensive side more importantly, as Palm darted his way into the end zone for a 35-yard touchdown jaunt which gave the Eagles a 45-0 lead with 5:14 left to play in a fast moving third period.

Once the game reached the fourth quarter and the outcome being nothing more than an official score to go into the history books as at this point in the proceedings, it was good to see Cedar Cliff round up the cavalry and mount one last charge despite knowing their memorable season just about set to expire. And perhaps it could not have ended in a more apropos way as Jaheim Morris took the handoff and proceeded to blaze his way into the end zone for the 12-yard touchdown run, trimming the Cocalico lead to 45-7 with 9:25 left to go.

Yet as mentioned, the damage inflicted by the Eagles right from the starting gun proved to be more than enough as Cocalico bullied their way past Cedar Cliff en route to capturing the District 3-5A title, along with securing a bid to next week’s state semifinal round in the second largest classification system in the process, 45-7.

“I’m kind of at a loss for words right now,” Cocalico head coach Dave Gingrich said while wearing a District 3 gold medal now draped around his neck. “That’s a great team over there,” Gingrich added of his team’s opposition on Friday night. “Cedar Cliff lost two games all year. They lost to us and they lost to Harrisburg, so it’s not like they lost to the JCPenny poster boys. That’s a quality team and for our kids to come out and play inspired football the way they did, I couldn’t be more proud of the group.”

And in terms of sheer Cocalico athletic history, regardless of the sport, the 2019 varsity football team is sure to be one that ranks up there with some of the very teams that the Eagles have ever fielded.

“Earlier in the week I went through the (Cocalico) gymnasium and counted all the district team championships that our school has had,” said Gingrich. “We’ve had eight. I went through the eight to the kids. Most were in the 70’s, a couple in the 80’s, and a couple in the 90’s. It’s very special to be number nine with this group of kids.”

Yet even though some may have presumed that Cocalico might have had a natural tendency to sleep on their opposition given the way in which the scoreboard proved to be so much in their favor following their Week 2 battle, it was clear that Cocalico still had plenty of retribution left to attain for following their earlier matchup with Cedar Cliff.

“I thought we would do a pretty good job defensively. I know those guys were a little embarrassed by what happened last time,” Gingrich said when referencing his defensive outfit. “I mean, we gave up 460 yards of offense. They took that personally. They didn’t like that. I thought we tried to come out and make a statement early. We just played with great emotion and execution. You could tell all week that they were ready to go.”

As Coach Gingrich had mentioned earlier in the postgame, his team’s victory on this cold, late November night had made them the ninth team in school history to have a district championship trophy housed somewhere in the Eagles’ athletic trophy case. And while it may only be the school’s third football crown, there have certainly been plenty of Cocalico football teams, particularly of recent memory, who have fallen just short of the precipice of history. But not this group. There’s just a subtle, secret sauce to this group which makes them inherently different.

“I think what this team has is that they have a belief and a love for one another,” said Gingrich. “They play really, really hard. And we’ve had a lot of other teams played really hard as well. They (2019 team) have a lot of confidence. They don’t get down on themselves. Bad play here, bad play there, bad series here, bad series there, they’re okay. Especially this last month. They’ve really, really been great and supportive to one another. It’s evident when you come out here and play the way we did. We just played such inspired football and I think everyone just does their job.”

But perhaps what made Friday night’s victory most unique and most rewarding was the fact that the Eagles were crowned as District 3 champions on their home field right in front of their hometown fans as opposed to winning a championship in an oft-less than intimate and relatively stale and corporate atmosphere that used to be offered when playing the District 3 championships inside venerable Hersheypark Stadium. If nothing else, it certainly makes the police and fire truck escort around the town of Denver occur that much sooner, such as it did once the procession got underway in the Eagle Stadium parking lot once all the pictures had been taken and the many offerings of congratulations had generously been handed out to the victors. Suffice to say, it was a scene not lost on the Eagles’ head man.

“Coaching football, I wouldn’t say its stressful. There’s a lot of energy, a lot of emotion, and a lot of things going on, but I’ve always been a big believer of community,” Gingrich said while witnessing the townspeople interact with their triumphant heroes. “It’s bigger than us.”

“Those Manheim Central games,” said Gingrich of Cocalico’s chief rival, “When you win, there’s nothing better. When you lose a Manheim Central game, you feel like you let your whole community down. We’ve done enough of that to where this was really, really special to me that we have finally given this community who has supported us for so long, we’ve given them something to cheer about.”

NEXT UP: With their win over Cedar Cliff on Friday night, Cocalico now sets sail for a date in the state semifinals against District 1 champion Cheltenham against a Panthers squad sure to be riding the high of Friday night’s dramatic 43-42 win over Academy Park, at a site and time to be determined later this weekend by the brass in the PIAA head office. That said, the venue will be one somewhere nearby Cocalico’s campus as it is District 3’s turn to host the game given the fact that Manheim Central was forced to load up and travel down to Wissahickon High School located in Ambler when the Barons tangled with Upper Dublin hailing from District 1 in the exact same game just one year ago.

For most every high school football player, there is simply nothing that can rival nor replicate the sheer joy and excitement that comes along with wearing the hometown colors and playing in front of your classmates underneath the bright Friday night lights. In fact, the atmosphere in and of itself is arguably just as instrumental, perhaps even more so than the game itself. Well, keyword being “most” high school football players that is.

If you’re a Wyomissing Spartan, you too dream of the day when you’ll be able to run out onto the field wearing the blue and white. The only thing is, you’re doing so while playing under the midday sun. You see, Wyomissing is unique to most other schools within the District 3 footprint in the sense that they are one of the only few who do not have lights, and they certainly don’t plan on installing any fixtures anytime soon, making a Friday night in this beautiful village located on the western banks of the Schuylkill River outside of Reading just another ho-hum night around downtown. But come Saturday afternoon at 1 o’clock, the natives turn off their televisions, emerge out of their homes, and venture a few blocks down the neighborhood to the esteemed “A Field” in order to watch their Spartans routinely fight for Berks Section 2 supremacy on an annual basis.

That said, Wyomissing’s home field advantage had suddenly become bigger and so much important than it had ever been before.

At the onset of the 2019 football season, the District 3 brass made the announcement that not only would a majority of the championship games no longer be held at Hersheypark Stadium for the foreseeable future, but #1 seeds would now host games all the way up until the championship round, a move which went away from the implementation of neutral sites enacted just last year. So, suffice to say, scratching and clawing your way to the pole position in whichever classification you reside in was far more essential than it had ever before in terms of District 3 playoff history.

And in terms of the District 3-3A field, there was one team, Wyomissing, that could prove to be the fly in everyone’s ointment.

For as much as coaches hate to buck long-running routines and abandoning a tried and true structure, anyone who found themselves entering the 3A field ultimately had to come to grips with the very real possibility of being forced to do so. Why? Well, thanks in part to their perfect 10-0 in the regular season, Wyomissing had rightfully earned the top spot for the duration of the playoffs should they continue to advance on round by round. Sure, while their glitzy and glamorous record was good enough to clearly stand alone on its own merit, the deeper resume that Wyo had been able to put together, especially that of late, gave plenty of credence as to why some publications had the Spartans ranked amongst the very best in state at the 3A level.

To say that the Spartans were coming into their semifinal game on Saturday afternoon while operating in high gear might not be enough to truly do it justice. No, not when you’ve only allowed one opponent in your previous six games to reach double digits. And surely not when you are coming off your best performance of the season, a win over your neighboring arch-rival in powerhouse Berks Catholic in emphatic 23-0 fashion, in the last scheduled meeting between the two schools for the immediate future.

Needless to say, the assignment placed in front of Annville-Cleona on Saturday was nothing if not stiff for the Dutchmen to try and pass.

When talking about the Dutchmen’s 2019 season thus far, it’s one that certainly has been filled with plenty of ups and downs. Among them, the high of winning a video game version of football come to life when A-C was able to top Columbia 70-43 back on Homecoming night for a victory which kept the Dutchmen with the lead pack inside the Lancaster-Lebanon Section 3 standings. Unfortunately, the Dutchmen were also forced to deal with the real-life adversity that comes with seeing three of your fellow classmates and teammates injured a car accident, which you can check more info here, something no one should ever have to go through, much less those who are still trying to decipher deeper meanings of the outside world around them. Yet to their credit, the Dutchmen were able to finish the season with a vengeance as A-C steamrolled into the postseason as winners of three of their final four regular season games. And through it all, everything eventually came to a head last week when Annville-Cleona was able to pick the first postseason win school history, thanks to the through domination of a historically strong Littlestown program, to the tune of a 39-12 final count.

So, with two teams entering the weekend coming off arguably two of their biggest wins posted in recent memory, sparks were sure to fly on a bone-chilling Saturday afternoon amongst the picturesque neighborhood one could only find in Wyomissing, Pennsylvania.

If Annville-Cleona were to pull off the upset on this day, the game plan for the Dutchmen really could not have been much simpler. Make the most of your opportunities and squeeze all the air out of the football that you possibly could in the process, essentially playing a miniature game of keep away in order to render Wyo’s high-flying offense harmless while resting on the sidelines. In that regard, A-C’s opening march could not have been scripted any better had head coach Matt Gingrich written the game up with his own pen and paper.

Besides methodically churning out the yards amidst the stout Wyo defense, something the A-C offense was able to do quite well in probing the middle of the line of scrimmage early on, the Dutchmen also reached deep into some of the last few pages of the playbook and found plenty of successful trick plays waiting for them to be implemented as well. Case in point, a 4^th & 5 near the midfield stripe when Annville-Cleona junior punter Mac Plummer took the snap and rifled a pass along the A-C sideline to a waiting Quamir Parker, as the 6’3 physically-imposing wide receiver hauled in the grab for the 30-yard pitch and catch which moved the Dutchmen attack down to the Wyomissing 30-yard line.  From there however, the Wyomissing defense ultimately stiffened, turning away the Dutchmen on downs with the Spartans taking over at their own 20-yard line.

As mentioned, although Annville-Cleona’s opening drive was not a success in terms of ultimately bearing fruit up on the scoreboard for the Dutchmen, it was nonetheless valuable in the sense that visitors from Lebanon County had sucked up nearly half of the first quarter clock in the process. The only problem with that rationale was it had clearly made the Wyomissing offense even more determined to get a crack at imposing their will against the Dutchmen D. And impose their will they most certainly did.

Much like their counterparts on Saturday afternoon, Wyomissing spent the early part of the game poking and prodding the interior line of scrimmage in hopes of eventually asserting dominance as the game moved along. Needless to say, it certainly doesn’t hurt with you have weapons the caliber of Max Hurleman and Evan Niedrowski you can call upon in order to assist in that effort. And with the Spartans’ version of thunder and lightning steadily churning out the yards bit by mighty bit, the A-C defense would eventually fall victim to the Wyomissing ground game as Hurleman took off on a 43-yard touchdown scamper, highlighted with a gorgeous cut-back against the grain, as the Wyomissing senior captain and running back opened the scoring with the hometown Spartans racing out to a 7-0 lead with 4:08 left to play in the first quarter.

And after a three and out posted by the Wyomissing defense on the Dutchmen’s second drive of the afternoon, the Spartans would get the ball back with an already lathered-up offense undoubtedly licking their chops at getting another opportunity to make the early hill even more steeper for Annville-Cleona to try and climb. Sure enough, the Spartans would do exactly that as a peppering of Even Niedrowski runs against the A-C defense was wisely topped off with a sprinkling of Jason Gartner just for good measure with the Wyomissing junior fullback racing his way into the end zone for the 34-yard touchdown run, making it a 14-0 lead in favor of the Spartans with 1:29 still left to go in the opening stanza.

Needing a score, any score really, Annville-Cleona went back to those old, dusty sheets of paper found in the very back of their run-oriented playbook as a means to squash the blatant momentum that Wyomissing was now clearly riding on. Fortunately for them, the card that they pulled out from under their sleeve proved to be an ace as an 84-yard touchdown bomb on the second play of the ensuing A-C possession, lobbed from A-C senior quarterback Junior Bours to Quamir Parker, allowed the Dutchmen to cut their deficit in half once the final 41 seconds ticked off the first quarter clock as Wyomissing carried a 14-7 lead with them into the second frame.

The funny this was, the Bours to Parker touchdown was a classic case of good news/bad news for the Dutchmen. The good news was clearly the fact that A-C had finally been able to drum something offensively and trim the early Wyomissing lead back down to size. The bad news however was the fact the Spartans’ offense was set to return to the field. And not even an early punch thrown back in their direction from the Dutchmen would do much in terms of slowing the Wyo offense down. At least not on this day however.

If Saturday’s game were to be boiled down to a small handful of plays that largely helped decide the eventual outcome, it wouldn’t be farfetched to suggest that the ensuing Wyomissing series came stuffed to the gills in terms of game-changing momentum swings. Yet for each time opportunity that came knocking for either side, it would prove to be the Spartans who answer the door after the first few chimes of the doorbell ring. Well, certainly Max Hurleman for sure.

With the Spartans staring down the barrel of a 3^rd & 13 at the A-C 45-yard line, an option pass thrown from Wyomissing junior quarterback Jordan Auman into the waiting hands of a streaking Hurleman not only moved the Wyo attack down deeper into Dutchmen territory, it also gave them a fresh set of downs after the 14-yard pitch and catch. Once again, the Spartans found themselves in a pinch shortly thereafter with Wyo being tasked with overcoming a 3^rd & 6 at the A-C 28-yard line. But when you have Hurleman at the ready, such situations are nothing more than mere obstacles. For proof, just look to Hurleman’s 19-yard pickup on said play, leaving a trail of would-be Dutchmen tacklers behind in his wake, allowing the ball to sniff the end zone once again with the Spartans now being just five short yards away. From there, Wyomissing allowed Evan Niedrowski to finish off what Hurleman had started as Niedrowski’s 5-yard touchdown plunge upped the Spartans’ lead to 21-7 with 8:32 left to play in the opening half.

Sensing blood starting to ooze out of the Dutchmen at this point, the Wyomissing sharks began to swarm and have an impromptu feast thanks to their offensive line helping set the table for such an occasion.

All game long, the Spartans leaned heavily on their troops stationed in the trenches as Wyo kept pounding and pounding the A-C defense by way of their punishing run attack, hoping that a burst in the dam would eventually take place. Sure enough, the water started to pour out of the A-C defense as another Wyomissing touchdown, this one courtesy of a 3-yard jaunt from Max Hurleman, gave the Spartans their biggest lead of the day up until that point with Wyo owning the 28-7 lead with 2:41 left in the half.

With the game already starting to teeter on the verge of quickly getting out of control in a hurry, it was essential that Annville-Cleona go into the intermission without surrendering any more points to their hosts before the second quarter came to an end. But after yielding to the Spartans’ defense with a three and out on their ensuing offensive series, the chances of halting Wyomissing from tacking on another score before recess appeared to lessen significantly.

Ironically, for a team that loves to pound the rock as much as the Spartans clearly do, the two-minute drill may not necessarily be something that would immediately jump to the forefront of everyone’s collective mind when thinking about the way in which Wyomissing goes about conducting their business. Ok, to be fair, it wasn’t officially the two-minute drill. It was 1:36 in all actuality.

With Wyomissing taking over at the midfield stripe with time running out in the game’s first half, the Spartans continued to depend heavily on their potent ground game. And with the football gods continuing to shine brightly upon them, an 18-yard bruising effort put forth by Evan Niedrowski moved the Spartans’ attack down to the fringes of the Annville-Cleona red zone. From there, a gigantic 22-yard pitch and catch from Jordan Auman to Jevin Tranquillo moved the Spartans all the way down to the A-C 2-yard line. At this point, it should have come as a surprise to no one that Wyo allowed Even Niedrowski to bully his way into the end zone from there, something that the junior fullback was able to do with 27 seconds left to go in the half, as the Spartans were able to tally one last back-breaking score just before the horn with Wyomissing sprinting off the field and into the dressing room with ownership of the commanding 35-7 advantage.

To say that Wyomissing’s offense was operating like a finely-tuned machine in the first half on Saturday afternoon would have been quite the understatement. After all, the Spartans were able to eventually reach the end zone each and every time they had possessed the ball in the opening half. And if ever the pendulum needed to swing back in Annville-Cleona’s favor in order for the Dutchmen to greatly increase the odds of having their season extend out to yet another week, it was most certainly coming out of the break with Wyomissing set to receive the second half kick. Unfortunately for the A-C audience, the minor break in the action did not appear to slow down the Wyomissing offense whatsoever.

In fact, it took the Spartans all of 2:07 in the third quarter to get back into the comfortable and cozy surroundings of the end zone once again as a 34-yard touchdown rumble, this one from Evan Niedrowski yet again, made it a 41-7 affair in favor of the homestanding Spartans after the PAT sailed wide left.

And while it likely would have been hard for anyone to truly believe it at the time given the way the first half had tilted heavily in favor of Wyomissing, the second half was about to turn into a full-fledged fireworks display.

Immediately following the Wyo touchdown which got the second half proceedings underway, the Dutchmen went back into their bag of tricks and came out with another jewel, this one an 82-yard double-pass touchdown from the arm of Tyler Long to the hands of Quamir Parker, as the Dutchmen were able to quickly erase the early second half volley tossed by the Spartans with things now standing at 41-14 in favor of Wyomissing with 8:11 left to go in the third.

Speaking of volleys however, Wyomissing was then able to lob yet another one into the Dutchmen camp on the Spartans’ ensuing drive when Jordan Auman was able to connect with Darren Brunner for the nifty 25-yard touchdown strike as the Spartans’ junior duo allowed Wyo to flirt with the opportunity of eclipsing the 50-point on the afternoon as Wyo had roared out in front, 48-14 with 5:57 still showing on the third quarter clock.

But that opportunity would have to wait however, at least for a little while longer, considering Annville-Cleona was on the move once again.  Ultimately, this Dutchmen march would have its destination eventually result in a trip to the end zone as well with A-C quarterback Junior Bours calling his own number and surging past the Wyomissing defensive line for the 2-yard touchdown plunge, making it a 48-21 ballgame with 50 seconds remaining in the third quarter.

As far as Wyomissing was concerned, patience was a virtue. What for? Well, on the Spartans’ ensuing offensive drive, the time had finally come for Wyo to pop the 50-point bubble. As far as the official proclamation was to be concerned, the celebratory occasion would be marked with a 32-yard sprint across the chalk by way of Wyomissing’s Amory Thompson, with the sophomore speed back propelling the Spartan troops out to a 55-21 lead with 7:33 left to go.

However, it would be another trick play authored by the Dutchmen, this one from Tyler Long to Caden Horning down the seam for 64-yard scoring strike, that would prove to be A-C’s final score of the season just 44 seconds following the previous Thompson touchdown stroll as the Dutchmen closed the gap down to 55-28 in the process.

Yet even with the outcome of the game already having been decided, the remaining six minutes and change provided more than enough of an opportunity for the Spartans to try and tack on yet another scoring play. Sure enough, the Spartans would indeed have the final word on Saturday afternoon as a 4-yard touchdown dive from Wyomissing sophomore fullback Jackson Miller ushered the top-seeded Spartans into next weekend’s District 3-3A title fight after sequestering a gutty bunch of Dutchmen, 62-28.

“We did everything we could,” a still upbeat and glowingly proud Annville-Cleona head coach Matt Gingrich said just moments after addressing his troops for the final time in 2019. “Those kids (his players) have nothing to be ashamed of. Again, we did everything we could. Hats off to (Wyomissing). They are a great team,” Gingrich said describing his team’s opponent on Saturday afternoon. “I hope they win the state championship so that we can say that we’re number two in the state.”

And as far as those trick plays were concerned? Well, certainly no sense in taking those into the offseason with you.

“I threw every trick play I had,” Gingrich added in a light-hearted moment. “There were nine trick plays and I think we completed all of them. All the ones I’ve been running for decades, all of them.”

But trick plays and jovial moments aside, the offense that Annville-Cleona runs on an annual basis is one that depends as much on precision and timing as it does on its pieces to be extremely unselfish in aiding the cause. Fortunately for the Dutchmen, this year’s team was comprised of nothing but the sort.

“Coach Wolfrum (Wyomissing’s head coach) has been coaching longer than these kids have been alive and me too,” said Gingrich. “(Wolfrum) said, ‘If I were to ever run an offense, I’d run triple option.’ Caden Horning could have probably had 70 catches on a spread team. Josh Speraw could have had the same thing and Quamir Parker probably would have been a 1,000-yard receiver, but they wouldn’t have scored 40 points a game and won seven games. We don’t have those types of kids. As a small school, you better run triple option or wing-t to try and grind it out…I’m happy they finally got what they deserve,” said Gingrich in regard to the sensational efforts put on display by several key members of the Annville-Cleona senior class in their final swan song. “They did great. I’m proud of them.”

NEXT UP: After dispatching Annville-Cleona on Saturday afternoon, Wyomissing will return back home to the friendly confines when they welcome three-time defending District 3-3A champion Middletown to Berks County for the right to write the latest chapter in the quasi rivalry between these two heavyweight juggernauts as the both the Spartans and Blue Raiders will spend this upcoming week prepping for what promises to be an all-out war next weekend with a trip to the state tournament riding on the line.

For Annville-Cleona, while the Dutchmen’s season may have come to a sudden and abrupt end on Saturday afternoon, the long-lasting memories that this year’s group was able lay upon not only the school itself, but the greater community of Annville at large is something far greater than any final score could ever indicate. Count A-C head coach Matt Gingrich amongst those that share in those same sentiments as well.

“Adversity,” Gingrich said almost immediately when asked what characteristic he will remember most about this year’s group. “And in the end, living up to expectations because there was a lot of adversity. The car accident, four starters out…. It started rough. We weren’t meshing well,” the A-C head man said harkening back to the beginning of the season. “But you know, they banded together, and they were resilient. This is where we hoped that they could have been. They were couple of players and a couple of plays away from going to a district final. I think if we would have gone, I think that we would have won.”

“Historic,” Gingrich added after considering one final adjective. “(Historic) because they were the first team to win a playoff game.”

When the leaves on the trees start to turn colors and the howling, brisk winds of autumn begin to reappear into our little slice of heaven here in the state of Pennsylvania, it usually means that our oldest nemesis, dreaded winter, is hot on our heels. But thoughts of freshly, laid white powder and slippery black ice aside, the seasonal turning of the guard also indicates that high school playoff football is right around the corner as well. Granted, unless you are a true sadist, everyone would much rather prefer the latter. And should you call yourself a high school football fan who also happens to occupy a residency somewhere within District 3’s massive footprint, chances are that you’ll inevitably hear someone ask the age-old question that usually goes a little something like this, “Is this the year where someone from York-Adams steps up and makes a statement in the postseason?”

Now, if you yourself are from around these parts and have stuck around long enough to at least grab a cup of coffee, you know that the York-Adams League is often much-maligned, whether it be fair or foul, routinely being the subject of many a punch line. Sure, while the league’s track record has been let’s just say less than stellar at this stage of the game historically, this year may be one example where history does not provide a true and accurate read on the future yet to unfold. Case in point, the York Suburban Trojans.

To say that this year’s Trojan squad has stepped up and stepped out from the shadows would be a sentiment best described as dramatically undersold. Yes, while not only did the 2019 Trojans enter this weekend with a winning record, a distinction that only this year’s team and two other Trojan squads within the last six years can lay claim to, they have been far better than that. Yeah, far better as in a perfect, 10-0 record to be more exact. And when you sit down and actually study their overall resume, it’s hard to find anything short of a pimple on the façade that the Trojans have been able to put forth so far this year.

Unbeaten record aside, the proficiency in which York Suburban has been able to conduct their business this season is nothing short of astounding. Consider this, while some teams struggle to not only find the end zone, much less first downs from time to time, the Trojans have seemed to have no issues whatsoever knowing where the large, painted portions of the football field are located every time they take the field considering that Suburban had scored no fewer than 30 points this season heading into their first playoff game at home on Friday night. Not only that, but the Trojans hadn’t exactly spent much time biting their fingernails either this year considering no team had been able to get within single digits of them once the final gun went off on a Friday night, with their closest margin of victory coming in an 11-point triumph against Gettysburg four weeks ago. And for all their efforts put forth to date, the Trojans were rewarded handsomely for their work in earning the #1 seed and homefield advantage in the District 3-4A field, a loaded bracket which features such esteemed names as Bishop McDevitt and Berks Catholic to name just a few.

But there was one other team still left residing in that very same bracket that was sure to pose plenty of problems for the remaining troops should they continue to advance into the later rounds. It just so happened that they were also York Suburban’s opening draw.

They compute the District 3 brackets by way of a mathematical formula. And while the formula in and of itself inherently contains many good qualities due to it being the end-all be-all when push ultimately comes to shove, there’s one category it simply cannot compute: The eye test. In that regard, the Excel spreadsheet clearly had never seen Lampeter-Strasburg take the field on and play on a Friday night recently.

In many ways, it was almost comical to see the Pioneers enter the postseason last week while donning the #8 car in the ten-team race. But, all that put to the side, L-S clearly wasted little time in proving that their #8 seed was wildly undervalued as the Pioneers raced past arguably the Lancaster-Lebanon League’s hottest team entering the postseason last week, the ELCO Raiders, to the tune of a 34-7 opening round triumph. And if that wasn’t already enough, L-S was able to do prevail last Friday night without the services of their top two quarterbacks listed on the depth chart in Sean McTaggart and Conner Nolt respectively. So, in many ways, the totality of the Pioneers’ 2019 campaign has largely looked and felt like just another successful fall on the gridiron given their proud history and perennial prowess with L-S seen storming into yet another year of playoff football with a 7-3 overall record to their name amidst the grueling, unforgiving grind of Lancaster-Lebanon League Section 2 football.

So, if nothing else, the stage had clearly been laid out on Friday night in York County for either the Pioneers or Spartans to not only advance onto next week’s semifinal round, but also for either side to make some noise and perhaps raise some eyebrows along the way depending on who were to prevail at the end of 48 minutes.

In the end however, while they were certainly challenged along the way, the Pioneers were able to venture into enemy territory on Friday night and claim the area as their own.

When playing deep behind enemy lines, getting off to a fast start is often a task that takes on the upmost importance. In that vein, L-S certainly payed close attention and didn’t deviate very far from the script considering the Pioneers were able to wedge the Trojans into an uncomfortable place, forcing York Suburban into a punting situation at the conclusion of the Trojans’ first drive of the evening, allowing the Pioneers to set up shop albeit underneath the shadows of their own goalposts.

Never to worry though, not when you have a lightning bolt coming out of the backfield like Alex Knapp at least. And right on cue, the 5’8 175lb L-S junior running back took the handoff and ran around the right side of the Pioneers’ offensive line, finding nothing green artificial turf laid out before him as Knapp’s 85-yard touchdown jaunt on L-S’ initial play from scrimmage gave the visiting Pioneers the 7-0 advantage with 8:12 left to play in the opening quarter.

After the initial haymaker landed by L-S, most everyone in attendance was curious to see as to how exactly the undefeated and #1 seeded Trojans would respond to an early bout with adversity. The good news there was that Suburban had the ability to call upon arguably the most dangerous running back in all the York-Adams League, Savion Harrison, in order to help stem the tide and provide the remedy. Sure enough, the shifty, elusive, and jitterbug of a senior tail back galloped out the gate for an 18-yard pickup on the first play of the Trojans’ ensuing series. Yet even with Harrison clearly possessing the ability to take one to the house at a moment’s notice, the early momentum generated on the York Suburban drive was quickly laid to rest, thanks in large part to a sack administered by L-S’ Christian Garver on a 4^th & 10, as the senior linebacker burst through the Trojan line and stole the hopes of dreams of a possible Suburban rebuttal all within the blink of an eye.

And while it would take the Pioneers considerably much longer than it had on their opening series of the ballgame, their second drive of the evening would also eventually end in the end zone as well.

That said, it wasn’t without its struggles however. Case in point, a 3^rd & 5 play at the York Suburban 42-yard line picked up by way of the jet sweep with Owen Fikkert toting the rock, as the 180lb junior running back dashed his way to a fresh set of downs with the Pioneers now finding themselves on the Trojans’ 35-yard line following Fikkert’s 7-yard scamper. From there, there were even more obstacles to overcome in the Pioneers’ march such as the case when junior running back Drew Harris was able to plow his way forward narrowly past the sticks on 4^th & 1 with L-S now flirting with the prospect of entering the red zone. And get in the red zone they would shortly thereafter as a magnificent screen pass drawn up by the Pioneers’ offensive brain-trust resulted in Conner Nolt hooking up with Beau Heyser for the chunk play which ushered L-S down to the York Suburban 6-yard line. But not even a false start penalty would get in their way as an 8-yard Alex Knapp touchdown run, his second of the young evening, propelled the visitors from Lancaster County out to the two-touchdown buffer with L-S jumping out in front 14-0 with 1:51 left to go in the first.

If their current situation had already felt like déjà vu given the events that just had preceded it moments earlier, it would certainly be hard to find fault with the Trojans for feeling that way. After all, having to regroup shortly following an Alex Knapp touchdown run was an assignment that York Suburban was forced to undertake on their previous offensive possession.  But the aura of having been here before likely took on an uncomfortable, yet all too familiar aspect considering Savion Harrison blew past the initial line of Lampeter-Strasburg defenders for a 43-yard jaunt which moved the Trojans down to the L-S 30-yard line after again, the first offensive play of the drive. Why all too familiar? Perhaps because L-S would once again hold York Suburban on downs on this drive as well following an absolutely magnificent play from the L-S linebacking corps breaking up a sure-fire York Suburban first down, allowing the Pioneers to regain possession at their own 25-yard following the exchange in possession.

This time however, the Trojans would be able to stand tall and refuse to yield to the high-flying Pioneers. Even still, it wasn’t exactly all that easy considering York Suburban was hit with another body blow on the ensuing L-S possession, a 3^rd & 11 conversion from Conner Nolt to Austin Stoltzfus, as the 13-yard pickup between the Pioneers’ junior duo moved the ball out near the midfield stripe. Fortunately for the Trojans however, Michael Bentivegna was there to thwart the L-S drive, making a sensational read from his defensive back spot to break up a key 3^rd & 14 play which resulted in an L-S punt back to York Suburban.

So, with the first half clock suddenly melting away quicker than an ice cream cone left unattended in the afternoon summer sun, authoring some sort of a scoring response was essential if York Suburban had any desires whatsoever of making a game of it past halftime. And with the man of the hour, Savion Harrison, ripping off large chunks of yards at a time against the L-S defense, none seeming to come any fewer than of the 5-yard variety, York Suburban began to methodically chart their way down the field. Yet even with Harrison shouldering most of the burden, the Trojans were forced to call upon other available resources during the drive such as when Suburban sophomore quarterback Cam Brewer was able to connect with senior wide receiver Max Reinecker on 4^th& 7 from the L-S 35-yard line for the easy pitch and catch along the Suburban sideline which breathed new life into the hard-charging Trojan offense. However, even for as well as the Suburban offense was clicking, without a shadow of a doubt the best it had up until that point, the sledding became that much more difficult after L-S junior defensive lineman Parker Owens barreled his way over the York Suburban offensive line for a hogtie-like sack which forced the Trojans to settle for the 31-yard field goal booted through the uprights by way of York Suburban senior kicker, Griffin Smith, making it a 14-3 L-S lead with 2:56 left to go before the intermission.

The thing was, that margin posted up on the scoreboard wouldn’t last for very long though. Oh no. More like 17 seconds to be exact.

On the ensuing kickoff following the Griffin Smith field goal, L-S senior tight end Jacob Kopelman found himself with the ball bounding into his hands and knowing exactly what to do with it as Kopelman rumbled and darted his way in for the 84-yard kickoff return touchdown which upped the Pioneers’ lead to 21-3 while simultaneously stealing any momentum away from York Suburban.

But they weren’t done there though.

With Savion Harrison once again doing the lion’s share of the work in running between the tackles on the ensuing York Suburban possession, this York Suburban drive too would eventually meet an untimely demise as well after a sack tallied by Parker Owens, his second in as many series, would then be compounded by an interception snared by L-S junior linebacker, Brady Cole.

Fortunately for the hometown Trojans and adorning fans, there would be no additional damage inflicted by Lampeter-Strasburg in the first half of play as the Pioneers would storm into the locker with decisive ownership of the 21-3 advantage.

Suffice to say, if York Suburban were to come back and make a game of it in the second half, getting off to a fast start in the infant stages of the second half became critically paramount. In that regard, things couldn’t have started off much better for the Trojans who reemerged from their dressing room with a steely-eyed focus. For proof, just consult the fact that the Trojans were able to hold the Pioneers to a three and out on the Pioneers’ first drive of the second half, something they had not yet been able to do all night long up until that point. And with Suburban now taking over at their own 36-yard line, their handiwork on the defensive side had clearly energized them offensively as well considering the Trojans suddenly found themselves with their deepest penetration of the game up until that point, the L-S 11-yard line, following a dance routine turned highlight reel run from none other than Savion Harrison. In many ways, it seemed only fitting that Harrison be the one to score the first York Suburban touchdown of the evening, with Harrison doing exactly that as the senior’s 2-yard burst up the gut trimmed the L-S back down to an eleven-point deficit at 21-10 with 5:47 left to play in the third.

Shortly thereafter, Lampeter-Strasburg suddenly found themselves standing in the middle of the tracks with a runaway freight train named York Suburban barreling toward them. In fact, it came with all the subtly of a loud locomotive quite honestly.

With L-S taking back over after having witnessed York Suburban tally their first touchdown of the night, the shoe was on the other foot this time as the Pioneers were tasked with having the answer the bell after seeing rocky waters come protruding upon their boat. But the waves only grew choppier and rougher in the immediate aftermath once York Suburban senior defensive lineman Devante Banks was able to come free and register back-to-back sacks to aid in the Trojans’ effort as the combined 10 and 9-yard losses forced L-S to undergo yet another punting scenario.

And much like they had been able to in their previous series, the York Suburban offense was able to keep firing on all cylinders and eventually find the end zone yet again, this time courtesy of a 55-yard bomb from Cam Brewer to Nate Banks on 3^rd & 10, as the nifty Banks run after catch and subsequent Brewer two-point plunge sliced the once impressive Pioneers’ advantage all the way down to a modest three point margin at 21-18 once the remaining 2:31 ticked off the third quarter clock.

Once the game entered the fourth quarter, there was absolutely no doubt to anyone in attendance as to who now controlled the game’s momentum. Sure enough, with the York Suburban defense rising up and holding L-S once again after three plays and out, the Trojans offense retook to the field with the opportunity to take their first lead of the night and possibly ride off into the sunset once everything was said and done. In fact, that prospect seemed to take on a much likely possibility once the Pioneers were dinged for jumping offsides on a hard count, allowing Suburban to claim a fresh set of downs which moved the ball past the midfield stripe and into L-S territory.

They say they big time players step up in big time game. Well, take a bow Logan Bradley. He certainly belongs in that category.

With the Pioneers clearly having their backs pushed up against the wall at this stage of the game, making any sort of play to stymie the York Suburban snowball was so dearly critical. And with the Trojans lining up for a 3^rd & 12 at the L-S 36-yard line later in the drive, Bradley was able to patrol the defensive backfield magnificently, jumping the Suburban route over the middle and stealing an interception as Bradley’s key theft kept danger away from L-S, at least for the moment. More to come from Bradley later.

After the Bradley takeaway, the Pios were seen moving the ball down the field and into York Suburban territory by way of a series of dinks and dunks, eventually reaching the Trojan 25-yard line while faced with having to overcome a 4^th & 5 play. Yet on said play, it would prove to be York Suburban’s turn to make a stand defensively which is precisely what Nate Banks was able to do, as the junior defensive back’s sensational pass break up gave the ball back to the Trojans 75 yards away from a possible go-ahead score.

At least for a very brief and fleeting moment that is.

On the very first play of the ensuing York Suburban possession, the Trojans coughed it up, seeing a swarm of L-S Pioneers in turn jump on the loose pill for an enormous takeaway which gave the ball back to the visitors from Lampeter now 28 yards away from possibly putting a nail in the coffin. And after a pair of Owen Fikkert and Drew Harris runs which moved the L-S cause down inside the Suburban 10-yard line, incumbent L-S quarterback, junior Conner Nolt, called his own number and plowed his way across the goal line as Nolt’s 7-yard touchdown run upped the Pioneers’ lead to 27-18 after the failed two-point conversion play with 4:12 left to play in the contest.

If York Suburban had any remaining magic left somewhere else in the tank, now was certainly the time to bring it out as the Trojans now found themselves down by two scores with time running out on their incredible season. Remember Logan Bradley? Well, the unfortunate part for York Suburban was that he had other ideas as to how this one would ultimately shake out.

With the Pioneers bringing the heat from every which corner given their ability to now pin their ears back and go all-out and bring the heat, a play which had almost resulted in a sack for L-S quickly turned out far better than they could have ever imagined as an errant and ill-advised Trojans’ pass while within the clasps of the oncoming Pioneer troops resulted in yet another Bradley interception, his second in the game’s final stanza, as the L-S defense came up aces once more with the game and their season standing delicately on the line.

And after drawing York Suburban offsides by way of the hard count on a 4^th & 2 play following the Bradley interception, the Pioneers were eventually able to run out the clock the rest of the way, marching onto the District 3-4A Final Four next week by virtue of their 27-18 hard-fought triumph over a scrappy York Suburban outfit.

“The defense in that fourth quarter,” the L-L longest tenured coach, L-S’ John Manion, said simply following his team’s wild quarterfinal round victory. “It did not go well for us in the third quarter with the three turnovers in three successive drives. (York Suburban) left a short field twice for us and we finally converted. Our offense was struggling all night.”

“We’ve been proud of them all year for that,” Manion continued while lauding the perseverance of his group. “That’s we were a little frustrated they (his players) were giving in to the adversity midgame. That just isn’t our M.O. It was very nice to see them step it back up in the fourth quarter.”

Yet while holding off a hard-charging team during the middle part of the season is one thing, it’s a whole different thing altogether considering you now find yourself in a “lose or go home” scenario each time you take the field from here on out in the postseason. And even for all their successes yet to date, Friday night’s victory was also newfound territory of sorts for this core group of L-S Pioneers to claim ownership of, an achievement certainly not lost on their head coach.

“Not in that way where they had to hang on and come back strong. Not this year,” Manion said when asked if Friday’s victory was anything he had seen out of his team thus far. “This was a whole new thing. Hostile environment, a team that had every bit of momentum, and our defense held in and made some big plays when it mattered.”

NEXT UP: So, with L-S moving on to the semifinal round after their road win over York Suburban, the Pioneers find themselves pitted against a familiar foe of sorts when look across the field and see Bishop McDevitt standing on the opposite sideline from them on the Crusaders’ home field next week on the outskirts of Harrisburg for the right to play in the District 4A championship game. And if you were to ask the head Pioneer, he wouldn’t pass that opportunity up for anything.

“I’m just looking forward to another week of work with these guys,” Manion said regarding the week ahead. “It’s a fun group to coach. Hopefully we just come back healthy and ready to play next week and keep this upset train going.”

As hard it may be to believe, ten weeks of regular season high school football across the state of Pennsylvania have now come and gone, all seemingly within the blink of an eye. Now sure, while the regular season features plenty of thrills and heart-stopping moments to offer in its own right, the simple fact of the matter is that nothing can appease the palate and truly compare quite like all the intrigue and excitement that comes with playoff football. And if storylines and subplots are more your forte, well, boy oh boy, did the 6A bracket in District 3 come packed with plenty of that for fans to chew on.

When looking at the “big boy” division of high school football around the mid-state, even before the season officially got underway, most pundits largely agreed that Manheim Township was without question one of the preseason favorites to wind up taking home the gold medals and accompanying gold trophy come mid-November. To their credit, the Blue Streaks have certainly looked the part and then some season en route to a 10-0 overall mark which included wins over Central Dauphin, Cocalico, Wilson, and Warwick to name just a few. Yet even for all of their unquestioned prowess exhibited this season, should the brackets remain as chalk until the championship round, Township will eventually find themselves preparing for a trip northward into Berks County in two weeks’ time.

Yes, while some would undoubtedly like to cry either fair or foul, the simple fact of the matter is that District 3’s only 6A outfit found themselves residing on the #2 line once the official brackets were unveiled for all to witness at the onset of this week. Who got the top seed you may ask? None other than the Wilson Bulldogs.

Truth be told, seeing Wilson sit atop the top perch in the area’s largest classification system is not a new or novel concept here. In fact, if you really were to get right down to it, the short list of other programs who can lay claim to such a storied and illustrious history such as the one boasted by the Bulldogs is exactly that —short.  But make no mistake, Wilson didn’t lay claim to the #1 spot this season off history alone. Well, sort of in a way, considering that the Bulldogs were able to wrap up another successful season which culminated in an 9-1 overall campaign through the first ten weeks of the year. Their only cavity? A 30-16 setback at the hands of the aforementioned Manheim Township Blue Streaks back on homecoming night in late September. And that right there is the sole, underlying reason as to what seemed drew the ire of so many who thought the calculation-based power rating system was fundamentally unjust and needed to be reevaluated.  But take a deeper dive below the surface and you’ll soon see that Wilson’s work on the phone lines and in the backrooms of the school’s athletic offices is just part of the reason as to what enabled the Bulldogs to claim homefield advantage throughout this year’s postseason.

Why? Well, if one were to truly to take an honest look at Wilson’s scheduling this year, it’s hardly anything to sneeze at. And while it’s sometimes true when they say that organizing such a rigorous schedule so far in advance can sometimes come at your own detriment, let’s face it, not every program is Wilson either.

In fact, of Wilson’s nine wins this season, came six came against teams who would eventually be able to reach the postseason whether it be in the District 3 5A or 6A field, or even the 6A division of District 1 courtesy of their win over Spring-Ford in the third week of the season. Needless to say, the Bulldogs were certainly “battle-tested” heading into their playoff opener on Friday night.

But this wouldn’t be your typical #1 vs #8 lid-lifter. Oh no. Far, far from it in fact.

Standing opposite of the Bulldogs on Friday night stood the Chambersburg Trojans. And if you were to judge the Trojans’ book solely based on their eighth-seeded cover, that would prove to be a drastic and ill-informed miscalculation.

Speaking of teams that tested themselves against the likes of an absolutely gnarly regular season slate, one need not look much further than Chambersburg considering the Trojans were forced to trudge through seven grueling weeks of Mid-Penn Commonwealth football, eventually coming out the other side with a 4-3 record to their name. In their three losses, the Trojans came just up a combined 17 points shy against the likes of State College, Harrisburg and Central Dauphin respectively, three outfits who essentially create an abbreviated “who’s who” rolodex of Mid-Penn football.  But nip-and-tuck losses aside, the Trojans put together perhaps the finest hour of any District 3-6A squad this season when the Chambersburg traveled to Cumberland Valley, another venerable name in the Mid-Penn family tree, shutting out the Eagles en route to a resounding 30-0 triumph, ironically on the very same night that Wilson slipped up against Manheim Township. And not only that, but the Trojans also battled Manheim Township tooth and nail in last season’s opening round of the District 3 playoffs, eventually succumbing to the Blue Streaks, 20-17. So, needless to say, there was plenty of evidence laid out upon the table to suggest that this one would likely shape up be a true four quarter affair with the outcome likely being left undecided until the very end considering the resumes that both the Bulldogs and Trojans brought with them into Gurski Stadium on a chilly and blustery evening.

In the end however, four quarters would not be needed. Oh no. Far, far from it in fact.

But it certainly did not start out that way mind you. In terms of making a dramatic opening statement, the visiting Trojans likely could not have scripted a much more effective first quarter if they tried.

After taking the opening kickoff, Chambersburg quickly got their offense in gear on the second play from scrimmage when senior quarterback Brady Stumbaugh went up top to find fellow senior, wideout Tyler Luther, for the 13-yard pitch and catch which moved the Trojans’ advance out to their own 39-yard line. Just a few plays later, three to be exact, the Trojans would be able to navigate their way into the endzone when senior running back Keyshawn Jones took off through a gaping hole generated by his offensive line, effectively capping off the impressive Chambersburg march with a 53-yard touchdown jaunt that would have stood in flag football, giving the Trojans the early 6-0 cushion after the PAT sailed wide with just 1:59 having ticked off the first quarter clock.

Needing to score in their own right in order to stop the early bleeding, Wilson wasted little time in doing so considering the Bulldogs suddenly found themselves residing on the Trojans’ 30-yard line after the first play of the ensuing series which came by way of a monstrous Mason Lenart run with a facemask call tacked on just for good measure. Yet even for as promising as Wilson’s opening drive had appeared to be during its infancy, the Bulldogs’ early mojo eventually hit the skids thanks to the Trojans rising up defensively and halting the Wilson attack on downs, giving the ball back to an already fired up Chambersburg offense.

Needless to say, if Chambersburg were to be able to move the ball down the field and cap things off with yet another touchdown in the early going, not only would heads turn around the District 3 landscape, but an added boost of belief would undoubtedly be instilled on the Trojans’ sideline. Sure enough, aided behind a steady diet of Keyshawn Jones runs and an occasional toss up top just to keep the Bulldogs off balance and honest, Chambersburg would indeed start churning out the yards against the stingy Wilson defense.  Speaking of those pass plays, perhaps none was more critical on the Trojans’ second drive of the evening than when Brady Stumbaugh was able to hook up with fellow senior classmate, tight end Terrell Williams, for the 22-yard strike over the middle which ushered the white-clad Trojans all the way down to the Bulldogs’ 24-yard line, effectively sending the message that Wilson had better be prepared for a dogfight all night long. From there, Chambersburg would only need to travel six more yards before finding paydirt as an easy 18-yard pitch and catch touchdown from Stumbaugh to junior wide receiver Sam Vessah on a 3^rd & 4 play gave the Trojans the 13-0 advantage with just four seconds left to go in the opening stanza as a shocked hush fell across the Wilson side following the 12-play Chambersburg march.

For as bad as the opening 12 minutes had appeared to treat the homestanding Bulldogs, things couldn’t have gotten much worse right? Right? Well, not necessarily considering the Bulldogs would then put the ball on the turf on their ensuing series, seeing Chambersburg’s Terrell Williams pounce on the loose pill, giving the ball back to the Trojans’ offense which was already well into a steady groove. Yet momentum aside, the Trojans would be stymied on their third series of the night following the early takeaway, yielding to the Bulldogs on a three and out authored by the Wilson defense.

Once again though, Wilson would find the sledding to be extremely difficult against the Trojans’ defense which left the Bulldogs searching for any possible solutions considering the Bulldogs opted to go into the deepest pages of the playbook on their following drive by employing a fake punt which would ultimately come up short, giving the ball back once again to the Trojan offense with the opportunity to possibly take a three-touchdown advantage.

From that point on however, the game that everyone had been watching up until that time would quickly become a distant memory.

With the Trojans facing a 3^rd & 6 at their own 46-yard line on the Chambersburg series which followed the stand coming on the heels of the fake punt, the Wilson defense was able to rush free, collapsing the pocket and forcing a strip sack which would culminate in Bulldog junior linebacker Ethan Capitano picking up the football, giving Wilson that spark that the Bulldogs were so desperately searching for up until that point.

That spark would soon turn into an all-out blaze on the first play from scrimmage following the Wilson takeaway when junior quarterback Kaleb Brown was able to connect with senior wideout Brady Gibble for the 24-yard touchdown toss, a critical play that would not only trim he Trojans’ lead down to size at 13-7 with 3:37 left to go in the opening half, but it would also give the Bulldogs that tangible, precious jolt of energy in order to get themselves in gear.

And with the Trojans going three and out on their ensuing offensive series following the Brown-Gibble touchdown, the Wilson snowball was quickly racing downhill at a speed for which Chambersburg could not seem to counter.

Even though Wilson would start off their next series deep in their own territory considering the Bulldogs set up shop at their own 26-yard line with time winding down in the opening half, clearly no one had bothered to relay that message to Wilson triggerman Kaleb Brown. To say that Brown shouldered most of the burden on Wilson’s late half series would be a dramatic understatement. In fact, speaking of shoulders, the Bulldogs’ 6’0 175lb dynamo would lower his on an RPO option on said drive, popping off the helmet of a would-be Trojan tackler in the process, marching the Bulldogs past the midfield stripe and into Chambersburg territory down to the Trojans’ 45-yard line. So, with Brown doing a majority of the legwork in the early stages, it seemed apropos to also work in a steady mix of Avanti Lockhart runs on the drive as well just for an added touch of zest, the last of which moved the Wilson attack down to the Chambersburg 8-yard line. From there, the drive would finish in the most fitting way possible with an 8-yard Kaleb Brown touchdown run, sending the two teams into the intermission deadlocked at 13-13 after the PAT sailed wide once the final 19 seconds evaporated off the second quarter clock.

Despite the score, it was clear to everyone in attendance that Wilson had stolen the momentum away from their guests in the waning stages of the second quarter and simply refused to give it back. And with that in mind, it likely came as a surprise to no one that Wilson quickly picked up right where they had left off once the third quarter got underway.

They wouldn’t have to wait very long either. Not when Wilson junior running back Mason Lenart ran the second half opening kickoff all the way down to the Chambersburg 46-yard line that is, a play which clearly delivered the message to the Trojans that they would be in for an extra-long bus ride home should they not be able to stem the tide immediately. But sure enough, the waves just came rolling in, crashing against the Trojans’ shore after the Chambersburg defense was fed a steady diet of Avanti Lockhart runs, including a 30-yard gallop by the Bulldogs’ 6’2 210lb senior bully of a running back which propelled the Wilson advance down to the Trojans’ 10-yard line. From there, Lockhart was able to finish the deed in style with a 10-yard touchdown burst up the middle, giving the Bulldogs their first lead of the night at 20-13 following the Jack Wagner PAT with just 56 seconds having elapsed off the third quarter clock.

But it quickly went from bad to worse for Chambersburg.

After being stuffed for nary a yard on 3^rd & 2 on their ensuing offensive series, the Trojans decided to roll the dice by going for it on 4^th & 2. Yet with two hammers such as Anthony Koper and Adam Vanino helping patrol the Bulldogs’ defense, it almost seemed expected to witness the senior duo have an impromptu meeting in the Chambersburg backfield on said play, stuffing the Trojans’ bid for a swipe at stealing the momentum, giving the ball back to the Wilson offense at their own 45-yard line.

Given the preceding events that had just taken place, one might have expected to see the Bulldogs once again reach the endzone on their offensive series following yet another successful defensive stand. Sure enough, that would indeed take place, thanks in large part to a magnificent diving reception by Wilson senior wide receiver Matt Fry on 3^rd & 14, a play which moved the Bulldogs down to the fringes of the Chambersburg redzone following the 24-yard reception. And with Kaleb Brown once again calling his own number, including a 12-yard burst which moved the Bulldogs down the Trojans’ 6-yard line, an Avanti Lockhart 2-yard touchdown plunge up the middle gave the Bulldogs now 27 unanswered points with the Bulldogs’ lead now comfortably standing at 27-13 with 3:54 left to play in the third quarter.

But their third quarter work was far from over.

Following another successful stand thanks to their handiwork on the defensive side of the ball, the Wilson offense was soon able to create even more breathing room up on the scoreboard on their ensuing offensive series. And with the Bulldogs now setting up shop 60 yards away from the red-painted endzone, seeing Mason Lenart take off on a 28-yard dead sprint was just another back-breaking play for which the Trojans were forced to work through with the Bulldogs seemingly being able to do absolutely no wrong at this point in the proceedings. From there, the Trojans’ open wound would turn into all-out gash following a 14-yard touchdown pass from Kaleb Brown out in the flat to a waiting Avanti Lockhart with Lockhart being able to barrel his way into the endzone the rest of the way, giving the Wilson the 34-13 lead with 1:32 now left to go in the third stanza.

To say that the sharks were seen circling around the Trojans’ boat at this point on Friday night would have been a fair and accurate statement to make. So, with that mind, Wilson senior defensive lineman Anthony Koper took his turn resembling the ocean’s most ferocious beast by pouncing on a Chambersburg fumble on the Trojans’ first play of their ensuing offensive series, giving the Bulldogs yet another short field from which to navigate past. And with Kaleb Brown being able to hook up with Brady Gibble for a 14-yard strike on the first offensive play of the drive, the abbreviated Wilson scoring drive was capped off once and for all with a 3-yard Mason Lenart touchdown run, upping the Wilson cushion to 41-13 with just 21 seconds left to play in the third frame, a quarter of play that had arguably been Wilson’s finest throughout the entirety of the season thus far.

While Mason Lenart routinely receives much of his publicity thanks to his work done while residing in the Bulldogs’ offensive backfield, the junior’s ability to crash a party on the defensive side of the ball is also just as formidable. And almost as if to be right on cue, Lenart was able to snag an errant Chambersburg pass on the Trojans’ ensuing offensive series once the fourth quarter got underway, running the ball all the way back to Trojans’ 30-yard line following the 25-yard interception return.

Yet even despite another short field, the damage and sheer chaos inflicted by the Bulldogs throughout the first three quarters proved to be more than enough as Wilson eventually saw themselves advance onto the semifinal round of the District 3-6A playoffs following a resounding 41-13 victory over a wildly under-seeded Chambersburg outfit on Friday night.

NEXT UP: With their opening round win over Chambersburg now behind them, the Bulldogs can kick their feet up on Saturday and await to see who their opponent will be come next Friday night back at the friendly confines of Gurski Stadium when Wilson will host either Central York or Harrisburg in a game to be decided on Saturday afternoon in the state’s capital city.

For Chambersburg, their memorable season unfortunately met an untimely end late Friday night in an unfamiliar location, two hours away from home in Berks County. But Friday’s night’s setback aside, the Trojans’ now departing senior class should continue to raise their collective heads high knowing that they helped turn and shape the long-term narrative of Chambersburg football for years to come. After all, it was only two short years ago when the Trojans were dealing with the long and arduous process of experiencing a winless 0-10 season. And while football offers no moral victories, following up an 0-10 campaign with back-to-back playoff appearances is certainly a solid mix of concrete for which Chambersburg can certainly build upon thanks to the foundation laid by this year’s quintessential laundry list of senior Trojans.

It’s funny sometimes how life has a way of meandering its way back around full circle. In many ways, high school football is also quite capable of providing a prevailing sense of deja vu. Should you need proof, just look back 364 days ago to when ELCO and Columbia last met up against one another on the football field.

In that game nearly one calendar year ago to the day, the Raiders traveled south to the banks of the Susquehanna to tangle with the upstart Crimson Tide, all while finding themselves in a true “do or die” scenario. In many respects, the situation really could not have been any simpler for the Raiders that dreary, damp evening up on “The Hill.” Should ELCO have hiccupped and stumbled against Columbia, they were almost sure to be locked out of the District 3 playoff field which was scheduled to get underway the very next week. To their credit, the Raiders truly maximized the most of their opportunity, ultimately squashing Columbia to the tune of a 50-28 triumph. And perhaps the most staggering part of the entire evening? ELCO threw the ball only one time. One. And it came on a two-point conversion no less.

Sure enough, this Friday night would present itself in the very same fashion for the home-standing Raiders.

In terms of the entire Lancaster-Lebanon League when measured from top to bottom, there arguably was no hotter team coming into the final night of the regular season than ELCO. Why? Well, for one, the Raiders entered their date with Columbia while riding a six-game winning streak. Secondly, in their last five victories, ELCO was seen prevailing by an average of nearly 23 points. Needless to say, when you find yourself winning by four scores every time you step on the field as of late, it certainly appears that you’re hitting your stride at exactly the right time.  And for all their recent work, the Raiders entered the night residing on the #10 seed line in the 4A field: The absolute last ticket into the dance.

But it wasn’t always that way.

For as well as ELCO had been playing coming into the weekend, it could also be argued that no one in the L-L League experienced two harder gut-punches out of the gate than the Raiders considering their 0-2 start to the season — with both losses cruelly coming at the bitter end to Susquenita and Lebanon respectively—before ELCO eventually dipped to 0-3 following a 28-7 setback against eventual Section 3 champion, Lancaster Catholic. Yet even through their early season difficulties, those in Raiders’ camp remained steadfast on keeping the ship afloat and pointed in the right direction.

“Those games were tight,” ELCO head coach Rob Miller said harkening back to week 4 practices earlier this season. “It was never like we got pounded or there were problems. We just lost a couple close ballgames. The fact that we (coaches) didn’t have to pick them up is a testament to the leadership of the kids that we have.”

Yet while most of the focus may have solely focused on how the Raiders would handle their “playoffs” beginning a bit earlier than most other teams given their current situation, the Crimson Tide would be the furthest thing from a pushover for ELCO to toy around with, especially given the intensity Columbia was sure to bring with them considering the manner in which last year’s affair went down. But last year aside however, this has proven to be a Columbia squad through the first nine weeks of the season that has reinvigorated the phrase, “basketball on grass.”

Yes, aside from the fact many of Columbia’s skill position players will soon be lacing up the sneaks once again and rediscovering themselves back into the Tide’s trademark 2-3 zone — for an upcoming basketball season with very high aspirations too I might add — the numbers in which Columbia had been putting up on the scoreboards around the league this year had been nothing short of mind-boggling. In all, the Tide had not scored fewer than 19 points in any one game this season. Okay, while maybe that doesn’t move the needle all that much for some, consider the fact that the Tide entered the night while riding a two-game winning streak. A streak which oh by the way saw them score a combined total of 114 points in that pair of triumphs. And even though Columbia’s postseason aspirations were considerably far murkier than ELCO’s heading into the night, it certainly appeared that a track meet was about to ensue on Friday night south of Myerstown.

And what a track meet it was.

As far as ELCO was concerned, it took the Raiders all of one play to reach the endzone when junior quarterback turned part-time utility man, Braden Bohannon, took the dive from the fullback position right up the heart of the Columbia defense for the ultra-quick, 75-yard touchdown burst on the first play from scrimmage, giving the Raiders the early 6-0 cushion after the PAT sailed wide just 15 seconds into the contest.

But as would be the case throughout the evening, Columbia would have a rebuttal to ELCO’s early success.

Although it was far lengthier compared to ELCO’s first march of the evening, it would still prove to be just as fruitful. Part of the reason for its longevity would be a direct reflection on the Crimson Tide being able to pick up countless third and fourth down conversions along the way. The first of said conversions came by way of Columbia senior quarterback Matt McCleary calling his own number to move the chains on a short 4^th & 1 from the Tide’s own 44-yard line. From there, McCleary showed off his trademark passing ability, hooking up with senior wideout Ryan Redding for the 7-yard pitch and catch on a 3^rd & 1 attempt, prolonging the Tide attack down to the Raiders’ 39-yard line.

Yet that wouldn’t be the last that those in attendance would hear from the McCleary-Redding duo. As almost as if to be right on cue with Columbia staring at a 4^th & 9 attempt from the ELCO 37-yard line, the Crimson Tide entrusted the prolific senior combination to help move the chains. Sure enough, that is exactly what took place when McCleary found a wide-open Redding who had leaked out behind the ELCO secondary for the 37-yard touchdown strike, making it a 6-6 affair with 7:35 left in the first after the Tide’s PAT also sailed wide of the uprights.

What you can do, we can do better. Although that might not always be the methodology in high school football, that narrative quickly seemed to be taking shape on Friday evening.

On ELCO’s ensuing drive following the Columbia answer, the Raiders began methodically moving the ball down the field behind a solid mixture of runs from both Braden Bohannon and fellow quarterback Cole Thomas. And after a quick burst up the gut from Erik Williams, the Raiders suddenly found themselves knocking on the door again, with the ball now sitting at the Tide 3-yard line. From there, Bohannon was able to cap the march off in style with a 1-yard touchdown plunge which allowed ELCO to regain control at 13-6 following the PAT booted home by Reece Shuey with 2:51 left to play in an already electric first quarter of play.

But just as they had done before, Columbia continued to remain unphased by ELCO’s early successes.

In fact, after a dynamite run from Crimson Tide junior running back Justin Elliott with a personal foul added on top against ELCO, Columbia had immediately reentered Raider territory after just one play as the Tide now set up shop at the ELCO 40-yard line. But it wasn’t always calm waters for the Tide on this drive. Yes, even despite their early prosperity on the series, Columbia was faced with the upmost form of adversity coming in a 4^th & 18 attempt from the Raiders’ 38-yard line later on in the drive. Incredibly enough however, Columbia dialed up the perfect play call for such an occasion as McCleary was able to find junior wideout Keegin Zink for the 18-yard hookup to extend the Crimson Tide drive on the first play of the second stanza. From there, McCleary kept attacking through the air with a magnificent slant to Ryan Redding, moving the Tide down to the ELCO 5. And with McCleary piloting the attack the entire way, it seemed apropos that he be the one to finish things off which he did with a 5-yard touchdown run which cut the ELCO lead down to the slimmest of margins at 13-12 after the failed two-point conversion attempt with 10:12 left in the first half.

At this point, the fans in attendance had been treated to a tennis match of sorts considering each team had been able to find the endzone on each of their first two drives respectively. But that quickly was about to change.

Even still, it likely didn’t appear that way considering ELCO took over at the midfield stripe following the ensuing Columbia squib kick. However, the Raiders’ drive would meet an untimely end as an ELCO fumble was quickly pounced on by Columbia’s Ryan Redding, giving the Crimson Tide the ball back at their own 45-yard line.

From there, the Tide wasted little time in retaking the lead as McCleary was able to lob a perfect pass down the middle to a streaking Michael Poole for the 55-yard touchdown bomb on the first play of the drive, allowing Columbia to go back out in front. Or so they thought. Despite the white-clad celebration now taking place in the endzone, there was also a celebration taking place on the ELCO sidelines considering an ill-timed holding call whistled against the Tide brought the preceding events all the way back, squelching the Crimson Tide’s newfound mojo. Sure enough, the Tide would be unable to regain their traction following the holding call as an interception shortly thereafter authored by ELCO senior defensive back Evan Huey along the Columbia sideline allowed the Raiders to retake possession at their own 37-yard line.

But with defense clearly being a premium given the manner in which both teams were seen going up and down the field through much of the first half on Friday night, Columbia was able to come up with a vital stop on the ensuing ELCO series as a sack registered by Crimson Tide junior Darnell Tucker on 3^rd & 20 helped give the visitors excellent field position on the change of possession with Columbia starting off at their own 45-yard line.

For as much as Columbia is knowing for chucking the ball all over the yard, the Crimson Tide also boasts a lightning bolt of a running back in junior jitterbug, Justin Elliott. And with Elliott showing off his exploits earlier in the contest, the Tide continued to ride their stellar back on the first few plays on the ensuing Tide drive which clearly got Columbia started off on the right foot, allowing Columbia to regain their offensive rhythm. From there, the Tide’s bread and butter air attack continued to be in high demand as a McCleary dart to Darnell Tucker moved Columbia down to the ELCO 25-yard line. So, with Elliott already having gotten lathered up and into a groove, it understandable to see him bursting around the left side of the line for a 15-yard scamper which moved the Tide inside the ELCO 10-yard line, making a Crimson Tide touchdown feel imminent. Sure enough, Columbia was able to find the endzone as a 10-yard touchdown toss from McCleary to junior Demetrius Diaz, McCleary’s third overall touchdown of the young evening, propelled the Tide out to 18-13 advantage after the failed two-point conversion attempt, which is precisely where things would remain when the two teams retired to their respective dressing rooms once the final 1:58 ticked off the first half clock.

It’s often been said in football that the first drive of the second half is the most important. Yet oft-used cliché or not, that couldn’t have been truer for ELCO once the third quarter got underway. In essence, if the Raiders allowed the Tide to punch in another score, their chances for winning and clinching that desired playoff bid would drop significantly. So, with that in mind, the Raiders needed their best defensive series of the year. No understatement needed.

Even still, no one needed to tell Columbia how important their first drive out of the break would be either. And with Columbia eager to make things interesting in their own right in terms of perhaps snatching up a playoff spot in the 2A field, the Tide put together a promising march. How promising you ask? Consider the fact that the Tide was able to pick up a 3^rd & 28 along the way when McCleary was able to find senior receiver Julius Martinez for the long strike which moved Columbia down to the Raiders’ 24-yard line. From there, the Crimson Tide continued to move, getting all the way down the ELCO 13-yard line. But needing a stand, the ELCO defense dug deep. And with their season hanging in the balance, the Raiders refused to give even an inch from then on as a marvelous deflection from ELCO junior linebacker Jordan Fernandez on a 3^rd & 10 pass across the middle set up a 4^th & 10 attempt which would sail incomplete, allowing the ELCO troops to wipe the sweat off their collective foreheads for the moment as the Raiders took over albeit deep in their own territory.

So, with the Raiders having dodged a massive bullet coming out of the intermission, a subsequent ELCO score would do wonders for helping set the narrative the rest of the way home. And a Raider touchdown certainly seemed to be in the works with senior bruiser Erik Williams taking the option pitch and screaming around the left side of the line for the long run down all the way down to the Columbia 39-yard line as the ELCO snowball was now picking up a full head of steam. Yet even for all the momentum that the hosts had clearly engineered, Columbia too was able to dig deep and find something inside themselves as well considering a Titanic-like sack tallied by Crimson Tide senior Matt Gambler which set up a 3^rd & 23 attempt for the Raiders who now found themselves residing on their own 47-yard line. However, the once-promising ELCO drive quickly went from bad to worse as an interception collected by Columbia’s Keegin Zink on said 3^rd & 23 allowed momentum to shift back over to the Crimson Tide sideline once the fourth quarter got underway.

With just 12 minutes left to go, it went without saying that any Columbia-generated score the rest of the way would spell doom for ELCO’s prospects of extending their season at least one more week. But Columbia didn’t care. They had arrived in Lebanon County with bad intentions.

All game long, the Crimson Tide’s ability to remain on the field despite the numerous third and fourth downs put forth against them truly was staggering. And with that in mind, it didn’t seem all that farfetched to witness the Crimson Tide keep their drive alive on a 4^th & 4 attempt which is precisely what happened when Matt McCleary was able to connect with Darnell Tucker for the 6-yard pitch and catch, moving the Tide advance down to the ELCO 23-yard line. So, with the Tide facing another lengthy third down, this one of the 3^rd & 11 variety, Columbia was able to extend their march courtesy of a defensive pass interference call whistled against the Raiders, giving the Crimson Tide a fresh set of downs with the ball now resting at the Raiders’ 11-yard line. If you’re sensing a prevailing theme here, you’d probably suspect that Columbia would be able to make good on their upcoming 3^rd& 6 attempt at the Raiders’ 7-yard line. Yes indeed. On said play, Matt McCleary was able to find his favorite target, Ryan Redding, for the 7-yard touchdown strike between the lethal tandem which allowed the Crimson Tide to go up by a monstrous 24-13 count with 9:44 left after the failed two-point conversion attempt.

Despite their less than desirable current predicament, ELCO still had two critical weapons left in their toolbox that would enable them to start chiseling away at the 11-point Crimson Tide lead. First, an undying belief in one another to overcome whatever is placed before them. Secondly, the never say die attitude of Braden Bohannon.

And with the two working in perfect harmony with one another, Bohannon began shouldering most of the burden on the Raiders’ ensuing drive, collecting chunks of yards at will, all while refusing to go down on first, second, and even third contact. But perhaps no bigger play of the evening was registered than on an ELCO 4^th & 5 attempt with the ball sitting at Crimson Tide’s 18-yard line. With everyone in the house knowing what was about to take place, it didn’t seem to matter one bit as Bohannon got the rock and rumbled all the way down to the ELCO 6-yard line, giving those in attendance a belief that perhaps ELCO could pull this off. To say that belief took a giant step forward would be a bit of an understatement once Erik Williams dashed into the endzone for the 4-yard touchdown run with a subsequent Bohannon run on the two-point conversion attempt added on top, a flurry of scoring which immediately erased the Crimson Tide advantage down to a modest three points at 24-21 with 5:10 left to go.

Remember that aforementioned thought of ELCO coming up with their biggest and most important stand of the season? Well, never did that ring truer than with Columbia’s ensuing drive following the ELCO score. And with their season on the brink, the Raiders’ defense was able to come up with a perfectly-timed three and out, giving the ball back to the ELCO offense near the midfield stripe following the Columbia punt.

Ironically, even though ELCO still found themselves having to navigate half the field all while lugging around a three-point deficit, it seemed that the Raiders had been able to impose their will on their previous possession, making an upcoming Raider touchdown feel all but a certain. With that in mind, a 12-yard burst up the gut by Braden Bohannon on the first play of the drive ushered the ELCO attack all the way down to the Columbia 33-yard line. From there, the Raiders’ offensive line and backfield continued to feast as powerful run up the heart of the Crimson Tide defense courtesy of sophomore running back Luke Williams moved the ELCO attack down inside the Columbia redzone to the 14-yard line. And with the Raiders facing a 3^rd & 10 at the 14-yard line, guess who, Braden Bohannon, dashed his way up in the middle untouched for the ELCO touchdown run, creating a deafening roar from the ELCO bleachers as their Raiders had gone back in front by four at 28-24 following the PAT with just 1:32 left to go.

But as was to be expected, getting out of dodge likely would be anything but easy for ELCO the rest of the way home. In fact, those same fans who had been roaring following the Bohannon touchdown scamper just moments earlier likely were seen biting their fingernails immediately afterwards considering a long kickoff return mustered by Columbia freshman Steven Rivas and additional personal foul dinged against ELCO on top of everything, putting the ball at the Raiders’ 44-yard line heading into the final minute.

As mentioned, Columbia’s propensity to pick up countless long third and fourth down conversions all night long had been a prevailing theme throughout the entirety of the contest. So, with the Tide facing a 3^rd & 16 attempt at the ELCO 48-yard line, a 15-yard toss from McCleary to Michael Poole set up a 4^th & 1 attempt which McCleary was able to pick up via the sneak, giving the Tide a fresh set of downs with the ball now resting at the ELCO 34-yard line. But in an ironic and totally fitting twist of fate, the Crimson Tide’s aspirations of heading home with a victory and eagerly refreshing the District 3 website on a minute-by-minute basis to await their own postseason fate would not be needed as ELCO’s man of the hour, Braden Bohannon, was able to snare an errant Columbia pass for the game-saving interception in the endzone from his safety spot, capping off what had been a wildly entertaining and memorable high school football game, with the Raiders going to prevail in a 28-24 final decision over a very game Columbia group.

“Thanking God,” an understandably fired up ELCO head coach Rob Miller said after ditching his game-worn gray hoodie in favor of a t-shirt despite the chilly conditions just moments following his team’s dramatic triumph. “For real. Faith has been a big part of our season. To have faith in each another at a time like that at halftime where things aren’t going so well. We come out in the third quarter, things weren’t going so well. They just pulled together,” Miller added proudly of his playoff-bound squad.

“It’s interesting because the kids pick up their intensity as the game is going on and going on. There’s no falter. No blaming. Kids are getting penalties, no one yells at them. They’re all patting each other on the back. It’s unbelievable the faith they have in each other in a game like that because that’s tight for high school kids.”

In many ways, Friday night helped serve as a microcosm for ELCO’s season entire season considering that the Raiders needed to dig themselves out from underneath a hole, whether it be an 0-3 start, or a 24-13 deficit with 9:44 left in their season. To be sure, it was an achievement not lost on the Raiders’ head man.

“That’s exactly what it is,” Miller said echoing that sentiment. “These kids stand up. It challenges them. What we said at practice yesterday was, ‘Where do you want to be on Monday? Turning in your equipment, or coming back here and enjoying each other?’ We talked about why. We wanted to come back because we love each other. They truly love each other. To face adversity like that, you better love each other. You better really mean it if you want to come back and boy did they rise up to the occasion and make it happen.”

NEXT UP: With their bid to the playoffs all but an official formality at this point, ELCO will now set their sights on an opponent to be determined next weekend, with some early projections showing the Raiders loading up the buses and making the short trek up to Hershey to tangle with the Milton Hershey Spartans. But perhaps no better line was uttered all night long regarding a team’s playoffs chances than when Coach Miller said, “No, we’re definitely going back. I’m calling it. If we don’t, then we just ended on one hell of a game.”

For Columbia, the Crimson Tide’s season now concludes following their hard-fought game against ELCO. And while the Tide will be left out of the postseason scene yet again this season, the strides that this year’s group has made will leave a lasting impact for years to come on the Columbia high school football program. After all, it wasn’t all that long ago that the Tide were forced to literally end games before the scoreboard clock read zeroes due to a lack of bodies. They say that winning cures all. But if nothing else, the winning and high-flying offense generated by this year’s Columbia squad will almost certainly be the catalyst which inspires and attracts future youngsters to join the Crimson Tide football program. And when you get right down to it, that’s not such a bad legacy to leave behind.

When high school football coaches, players, and fans alike look up and see that the penultimate week of the regular season has suddenly arrived, seemingly out of nowhere, it’s far from hyperbole to suggest that time is of the upmost essence. For both the Donegal Indians and Lancaster Catholic Crusaders, Friday’s night affair between the two programs would prove to have notion ring true in spades.

Before the season began, most of those with a general sense of understanding concerning the Lancaster-Lebanon League had an inkling that the race to the finish line in Section 3 would serve as the truest form of a marathon sure to last all year long. And with just one week left remaining on the regular season schedule, there were indeed several thoroughbreds still jockeying for top-billing in the frantic, mad dash to the end. Why? Well, literally half of the teams who reside within Section 3 found themselves within one game of the leader, Lancaster Catholic, heading into Friday night. Chief among them, the Donegal Indians.

When Indians came together for the start of fall camp way back in the heat and sweltering humidity that only August can offer, most on the outside of Mount Joy’s town limits likely felt a little uneasy about what Donegal would be able to bring to the table in 2019. It’s understandable too given the fact that the Indians were tasked with unenviable assignment of replacing literally their entire backfield of their famed Wing-T offense, a methodology of offense that is fundamentally based on timing and precise execution. However, even with plenty of new faces in the form of Trent Weaver, Joe Fox, Garrett Blake and Mason Ober now taking over the lion’s share of the responsibilities this season, the aforementioned four along with their fellow offensive brethren responded admirably to the challenge en route to a 5-3 overall mark, including averaging a shade over 35 points per game in their five triumphs. For their work, the Indians found themselves not only one game out of first place in the Section 3 standings, but also residing on the proverbial cut-line of the District 3-4A playoff race with Donegal pegged at the #11 spot in the ten-team field entering Friday evening.

Speaking of the playoffs, making this year’s District 3-3A field certainly won’t cause Lancaster Catholic any sleepless nights heading down the stretch considering the Crusaders entered the weekend at the #3 spot in their respective six-team bracket. But simply making the field is far the end-all, be-all for Catholic this season. No, not when you raced out of the gates to a perfect 10-0 mark in the regular season last year, only to see yourself get tripped up in the very first game of the postseason, on your home turf no less, albeit to a feisty Bermudian Springs outfit. And in a twist of fate almost as expected as the morning sun rising in the east given the recent remarkable success exhibited by their program, here the Crusaders sat once again, somehow seemingly flying under the radar as it were, with Catholic owning a 7-1 overall mark heading into their matchup against Donegal.

But with Catholic already tantalizingly close to capturing another section title, the Crusaders weren’t about to let this opportunity slip. At least not on this night.

Truth be told, it didn’t take very long at all for that notion to be put on display for all to see.

After receiving the opening kickoff, the Crusaders wasted little to no time in authoring an effective first march. And with senior running back Jeff Harley shouldering most of the burden, including galivanting for a 23-yard run which ushered the Catholic advance down to the Donegal 39-yard line, the tone had already been set for the remainder of the contest. From there, the Crusaders to lean on the strong-willed efforts of Harley with the Crusaders’ lightning bolt of a tailback coming up aces at seemingly every turn as Harley once again took off running and didn’t stop until he had crossed the chalk as Harley’s 31-yard touchdown scamper allowed Lancaster Catholic to draw first blood as the Crusaders bolted out to a 7-0 lead with 9:23 left to go in the opening quarter.

For as emphatic an effort as the Crusaders’ offense was able to put together right out of the chute on Friday night, so too did the Catholic defense. In fact, it took them all of two plays to make a dramatic entrance.

On Donegal’s second play from scrimmage, Lancaster Catholic junior defensive back, Nevin Roman, quickly put a stop to any additional Indian damage by diving to snare an interception which gave the ball back to the already white-hot and lathered-up Lancaster Catholic offense.

To say that Lancaster Catholic’s first drive was a success would be an understatement. To say that their second drive was an equally successful march would also be putting it rather mildly. That said, the Crusaders were not immune to facing their own fair share of adversity. And perhaps no better example helped illustrate that notion than with Lancaster Catholic facing a 3^rd & 15 at the Donegal 42-yard line. On said play, the Crusaders’ senior quarterback, Gavin Sullivan, took the snap out of the shotgun, rolled to his right and extended the play magnificently before firing a pass down the Catholic sideline into the hands of sophomore wideout, J.J. Keck, as the nifty third down conversion helped moved the Crusaders’ drive all the way down to the Donegal 13-yard line within the blink of an eye. So, with Sullivan clearly invigorated by his handiwork through the air, the Crusaders’ 6’2 160lb dual threat triggerman called his own number on a quarterback draw before reaching the Indians’ 5-yard line after the 8-yard rumble. From there, the objective was rather simple: Give the ball to Harley and watch him go. Sure enough, that is precisely what happened next as Harley was able to dash his way in for his second touchdown of the evening, upping the Lancaster Catholic advantage to 13-0 with 5:38 left to play in the opening stanza after the PAT was blocked.

Once again, as it would prove to be throughout the entirety of the evening in fact, any momentum that the Indians tried to muster was halted in every which way by the Lancaster Catholic defensive troops.

On the ensuing drive following Harley’s second touchdown run, it appeared that perhaps Donegal had finally found something against the stingy Catholic defense when junior running back Garrett Blake barreled his way around the right side of the line en route to a 19-yard pickup which moved Donegal out to their own 39-yard line. However, much to the chagrin for the folks who had traveled into Lancaster city from nearby Mount Joy, they were far from as joyous as their town’s namesake would suggest shortly thereafter as this Donegal drive would also hit the skids, thanks in large part to a bone-crushing sack tallied by Lancaster Catholic sophomore linebacker, Tony Cruz. And with this drive ultimately ending in yet another Donegal punt, the Crusaders went back to work at their own 16-yard line following the exchange in possession with the first quarter set to expire.

On their third possession of the night, early indications appear to lean towards Lancaster Catholic eventually ending this drive in the same manner as its two predecessors, with celebrations in the endzone, but it was not to be. With Harley and fellow senior battering-ram of a running back, Alex Cruz, inflicting the early damage against the Donegal defense, Garrett Blake had clearly had enough of being subjected to that as the Indians’ multifaceted running back turned defensive back read the tunnel screen perfectly, snagging the interception as the Indians were set to take over with their best field position of the night with the ball now resting at their own 45-yard line.

But if you’re sensing a prevailing theme here, you are not mistaken. Yes, this drive too would eventually hit the skids thanks to the efforts from the Lancaster Catholic defensive troops as a 3^rd & 6 pass sailed incomplete, giving the ball back to the Crusaders at their own 15-yard line following the Donegal punt.

As mentioned, Lancaster Catholic’s third series on Friday night did not end with such rave reviews as their previous two marches. So, with a keen interest in going back to the basics and riding the bell of the ball who they had brought with them to the dance in the first place, running back Jeff Harley, the Crusaders let their sensational back tote the rock and jitterbug his way all over the Indians’ defense en route to eventually ushering the Lancaster Catholic charge all the way down to the Donegal 9-yard line. Unfortunately for the Crusaders and their contingent, their emphatic march down the field would eventually be halted by their own undoing as the mustard-clad Crusaders were hit with unsportsmanlike conduct and holding calls shortly thereafter, thus ending the momentum that appeared all but certain to eventually end with Catholic tacking on another touchdown. That said, the Crusaders were still able to end the preceding events with points however as Lancaster Catholic sophomore kicker. Daniel Mueller, was able to boot home the 32-yard field goal which allowed Catholic to enjoy the 16-0 cushion with 5:22 left to play in the opening half.

Yet even despite their current advantage, it was obvious that Lancaster Catholic still felt like there was work left to accomplish in the waning stages of the first half. And after taking over at the Donegal 44-yard line following another successful stand courtesy of their defense, the Crusaders went right back to work offensively, eager to end the drive by tallying one more score before the intermission.

Although it may not have been in the most conventional of manners best exhibited by the Crusaders employing the once famous “Wildcat,” Lancaster Catholic would indeed make good on their late-half intentions as a bruising 3-yard touchdown run courtesy of Alex Cruz allowed the Crusaders to head into the halftime recess as owners of the 23-0 lead once the final 44 seconds eventually bled off the second quarter clock.

For as many fireworks as Lancaster Catholic was able to put together in the first half, the Donegal defense had clearly solved what ailed them back in the locker room as the Indians were largely able to put a lid on the Crusaders’ high-powered offense the rest of the way. So, when looking for Lancaster Catholic highlights in the second half, in third quarter most specifically, one should then turn to the Crusaders’ defense.

Speaking of clamping down on an opponent, that is exactly what Catholic was able to do throughout the entirety of the evening at large. In fact, the second half would not look much different as the Crusaders’ defense simply refused to be penetrated at every turn, perhaps best personified by Catholic’s Mason McClair rising up from his defensive back spot and winning his one-on-one matchup against a Donegal receiver as the sophomore defensive back earned himself an interception which successfully thwarted the tricky Donegal flea-flicker on the Indians’ second offensive drive of the second half.

From there, the Catholic defense continued to play lights out as the Crusaders refused to yield to the Indians on Donegal’s ensuing offensive possession as Catholic senior linebacker, Henry Gartley, brought the heat and collected a sack, thus ending the once-promising Donegal drive with an exclamation mark on the Indians’ 4^th & 9 attempt.

In many ways, it would have seemed rather fitting to have the Lancaster Catholic defense eventually end up scoring as well given the way they had played throughout the entirety of the evening. And almost as if to be right on cue, that is precisely what happened when senior Trey Wells blasted his way through the Donegal offensive line, forcing a fumble from his defensive line spot, before seeing the ball harmlessly trickle out of the back of the endzone for the Crusader deuce which gave the Crusaders a four-score advantage at 25-0 with time starting to run out.

Yet even though time was indeed winding down, that was more than enough time for Jeff Harley to make one more dramatic play before the evening was over and done with.

And he wouldn’t have to wait very long either. On the ensuing kickoff following the safety engineered by Wells, Harley received the kick just past the midfield stripe before taking off right up the heart of the Donegal coverage unit and not stopping until he had crossed into the endzone as Harley’s 56-yard kickoff return for a touchdown made it a 32-0 Lancaster Catholic affair with 8:35 left to go.

So, with the damage already having been more than enough throughout the first 40 minutes, 32-0 is exactly where things would remain once the scoreboard clock read all zeroes at end of a chilly Friday night, as Lancaster Catholic was able to clinch at least of a share of back-to-back Lancaster Lebanon League Section 3 titles thanks to their resounding shutout victory over a very game Donegal squad.

Needless to say, there was plenty of praise to go around such an emphatic performance put together by the entire Lancaster Catholic squad on Friday night from top to bottom. Chief among them, the defense.

“I think that the defense that we put together is designed to defend that (Wing-T) offense, so we were pretty confident with the kind of defensive effort we were going to get tonight,” Lancaster Catholic second-year head coach Todd Mealy said afterwards regarding the Crusaders’ effort in pitching a shutout on Friday night. “We didn’t think that we’d shut them out, but we thought that maybe we could keep them to a few scores. We were concerned those scores would be on big plays.”

“We changed some things in the secondary both personnel-wise and with the techniques we teach, so we adjusted those mid-season,” Mealy went on to add. “Hats off to the coaching staff for being able to be pragmatic during the season to find out that something’s not working and say, ‘Let’s do something different.’ I trust our ability to teach the kids how to do it and for them to execute it. I think we’re peaking at the right time.”

Defense aside, the magnificent performance put together by Jeff Harley from his running back spot on Friday night was not one to get lost in the shuffle either. Sure enough, his head coach whole-heartedly agreed.

“Last year, he was limited as a back. He was really out on the perimeter,” said Mealy of Harley. “This year, he’s been able to add running between the tackles to his game. It’s made him a better player and now he’s contributing on the defensive side as well. He’s taking pride in that. He takes just as much pride in being a corner as he does running the football.”

As mentioned, while the 32-0 shutout victory was glitzy enough in its own right, the fact that it allowed Lancaster Catholic to capture at least a piece of yet another section title added another glossy finish to the Crusaders’ performance put together against Donegal. But make no mistake about it. The message heading into Friday night was strictly business.

“It does mean something, but here’s the thing. We don’t talk about it at all,” said Mealy about claiming another section title in the annals of Catholic’s storied history. “What we talked about was Donegal. We talked about Donegal and the message that those coaches were giving their kids how (Donegal) have a shot to win the section title, but they have to beat us and they’d have to win out. So, we talked about (Donegal), but we know our kids know.”

“It doesn’t come out of our mouths,” said Mealy regarding the philosophy offered from the Crusaders’ coaching brass. “That’s just how we’ve always approached it. So, it does make a game like this one anti-climactic just because we’re not saying to each other, ‘Hey, if we win, we lock down a section title.’ That’s just not how we approach it.”

NEXT UP: Following their impressive stone-walling of a solid Donegal outfit, the Crusaders will now look forward to next Friday night back at home for Senior Night when the Crusaders welcome Pequea Valley to their new, palatial estate nestled in their own quaint little neighborhood found inside Lancaster city. From there, the Crusaders will fix and tinker with some final few adjustments before venturing off into what they hope is another long postseason run. Needless to say, it’s an assignment that this year’s group of hungry Crusaders is eager to make good on.

“It’s just tough to do that because it’s a new team,” Mealy said when asked if this year’s group felt compelled to in some ways “fix” the untimely end to the Crusaders’ season just one year ago. “We had a third of our team disappear because of graduation and transfers,” added Mealy. “This was for the most part a different offense and a different defense in terms of personnel that we’re putting on the field, so that loss in the playoffs last year stung a little bit more to only a small number of the players.”

“One of the things I said to (the team) at the end of the season was that I kind of wished we would have lost in the regular season and had not gone 10-0 because now we have a little bit more urgency. We’re peaking now. Last year, I don’t think we peaked at the end of the year because nothing happened to us in the middle of the season that kind of kicked us in the butt and didn’t have us focus more than what we were accustomed to doing. So, a loss in the middle of the season (to Lebanon) this year was good for us.”

With their game now with Lancaster Catholic now behind them, the Indians must now prepare for one last guaranteed game this season when Donegal returns home for Northern Lebanon. Should they win, the Indians will likely have to ask for additional outside help from other pockets of the District 3 football landscape if they are to snag a playoff spot in 2019.

For as many rivalries as the Lancaster-Lebanon League has to offer, only a very select few have the attractiveness of having a trophy up for grabs. Yet for those that do, there is simply none better than “The Milk Jug.”

In a sense, it signifies two of the most fundamental elements of Lancaster County, Pennsylvania: Agriculture and Friday night football. And in all seriousness, you can’t find two better schools within the L-L League better suited to have the honor of fighting over the prestigious milk jug than Lampeter-Strasburg and Solanco.

Aside from the gentle rolling hills and vast farmlands within the borders of both school districts found within the southern end of the county, the football played between the Pioneers and Golden Mules takes a back seat to no one considering both programs routinely find themselves in the upper echelon of the Section 2 standings perennially. And this year yet again appears to be no different for either program.

Coming into 2019, hopes were once again sky-high in Lampeter for another successful season by their Pioneers. And for good reason too considering junior signal-caller Sean McTaggart was set to reenter the fold under the center following a scintillating sophomore season leading the Pioneers. Unfortunately, some in the Pioneers’ camp might have found themselves tempering expectations somewhat after L-S’ stud quarterback went down with a season-ending injury in Week 1 against Spring Grove.

No matter though when head coach John Manion and the L-S staff then handed the keys of the high-powered L-S offense over to incumbent QB, Conner Nolt.

Through the first seven weeks of the season, Nolt has indeed flourished while directing the Pioneers’ attack. In fact, under the junior QB’s direction, L-S rolled out of the gates to a torrid 5-0 start this season before ultimately getting tripped up in back-to-back weeks entering Friday night’s contest against Hempfield and Manheim Central respectively. Yet even through it all, L-S continues to remain as one of tallest of giants residing in the District 3-4A playoff picture with the Pioneers comfortably sitting amidst the crowded scene as they headed into Friday’s tilt against their neighbors to the south.

Speaking of those neighboring foes hailing from just down the road in Quarryville, they too entered Friday night by carrying a 5-2 overall mark with them. And although the Mules’ 2019 campaign has been appeared to be somewhat more like a roller coaster when compared side-by-side with L-S, Solanco figures yet again to be angling towards another postseason appearance this season, undoubtedly making for an incredibly tough foe right out of the box for some unfortunate District 3-5A outfit that is tasked to line up opposite of them.

But playoff discussion and possibilities set to the side for just a moment, there was much more pressing matters to tend to on Friday night at JK Mechanical Field in Lampeter. Namely where the Milk Jug would claim residence for the next 365 days. And although it took until the fourth quarter for the picture to ultimately become crystalized, L-S would end up sending the Golden Mules out to pasture by night’s end.

When watching the Lampeter-Strasburg offense go to work, one thing quickly becomes apparent. That being that the Pioneers clearly love to go on the attack and use up-tempo. So, with that in mind, it probably should have come as a surprise to no one in attendance that it took L-S all of 1:06 to draw first blood on Friday night. However, that is precisely what happened when Conner Nolt dropped back to pass with the Pioneers facing 3^rd & 9 at their own 36-yard line before finding a wide-open Austin Stoltzfus blazing past the Solanco secondary as the L-S junior duo accounted for the 64-yard touchdown bomb right out of the chute, propelling L-S out to the 7-0 advantage with still 10:54 left to play in the opening quarter.  More from the Nolt-Stoltzfus tandem coming later.

Ironically, for as few secrets as L-S keeps close to the vest, so too does Solanco. In fact, you need not know nothing more about the manner in which the Golden Mules conduct their business than considering this. Solanco threw just four passes on Friday night. Needless to say, Solanco loves to get their offensive line lathered up while sticking the football in the gut in one of their trademark stalwarts residing in the backfield. Sure enough, 2019 appears to be no different in that regard considering the Golden Mules boast an absolute bully at fullback this season in senior battering-ram, Nick Yannutz. And with Yannutz shouldering most of the load on the ensuing series, Solanco’s first of the ballgame, the Golden Mules were able to trudge forward down inside the L-S redzone. From there however, the sledding proved to be far more difficult as the Golden Mules were ultimately turned away on downs following a pair of magnificent stops authored by the L-S defensive troops on 3^rd & 3 and 4^th & 2 successively.

For as high as the L-S offense was undoubtedly feeling considering their emphatic opening argument offered on the first series of the night, their second series would end with an equally as loud thud when the Pioneers put the ball ground with Solanco’s Caden Fuller pouncing on the loose pill, as the Golden Mules’ junior defensive lineman gave the ball back to his offensive mates with the ball now resting on the L-S 42-yard following the takeaway.

While many teams like to take deep shots at the endzone right away following such a drastic shift in momentum, Solanco chose to stick to their bread and butter of pounding the rock at will. Turns out that the football gods would shine upon them as the Mules were rewarded in doing so as Yannutz promptly bolted for an 18-yard gallop up the gut on the first play of the Solanco drive. Yet again however, the Solanco offense would have a hard time negotiating with the L-S defense over the next handful of plays as the Mules were turned away once more, this time courtesy of a Pioneer takeaway, as L-S junior linebacker Brady Cole darted in unabated into the Solanco backfield, forced a fumble, before senior linebacker Christian Garver fell on the loose pigskin, giving the ball back to the L-S offense at their own 44-yard line following the change in possession.

On this next drive, L-S would once again remember the directions to the endzone.

After getting off to a solid start on the first play of the drive thanks to a 12-yard quarterback draw courtesy of Conner Nolt, Nolt then took to the air before finding junior wideout Alex Knapp racing along the Solanco sideline for a nice pitch and catch which ushered the Pioneers’ attack down even further into Golden Mule territory. From there, Nolt was able to make good on his second TD of the still relatively young evening as the Pioneers’ junior triggerman hooked up with Beau Heyser sitting out in the flat with the sophomore tight end being able to do the rest from there as the 33-yard Nolt to Heyser touchdown strike allowed L-S to enjoy a two touchdown cushion at 14-0 with 1:18 left in the opening stanza.

With Solanco now staring up at the scoreboard and seeing themselves in a 14-point hole, there figured to really only be one feasible way in order for the Mules to go about eating the elephant if you will: Give the ball to Nick Yannutz and chew that deficit down to size, bit by manageable bit. Sure enough, the reliable formula ended up working like a charm on the Mules’ ensuing series as Yannutz once again provided the heavy lifting, surging the Solanco march down to the L-S 1-yard line behind a litany of powerful runs administered earlier in the drive. Ironically enough however, senior Grady Unger would earn the spoils of Yannutz’s hard running as Unger’s 1-yard quarterback sneak got Solanco on the board with the score now standing at 14-6 in favor of L-S with 9:33 left in the half after the PAT try was no good.

And in an ironic twist of fate that perhaps no one truly saw coming given the first half’s previous events, the eight-point Pioneer advantage is exactly where things would remain when the two squads retired to their locker rooms for the halftime intermission.

While Solanco would end up getting the ball first coming out of the recess, their possession would prove to be short-lived. Why? Thanks to yet another takeaway compiled by the L-S defense of course with junior linebacker Brady Cole stealing this one, a turnover which gave the ball back to the potent L-S offense with a relatively short field from which to work with the ball sitting at Golden Mules’ 36-yard line.

Yet for as hot as the L-S offense looked to be on their opening drive of the contest, their initial series of the second half would prove to be far less than fruitful than its predecessor as the Pioneers would be able to pick up nary five yards on the drive, ultimately giving it back to Solanco on downs after a 4^th & 8 attempt sailed incomplete.

So, with Solanco now receiving a gift courtesy of the hard work attributed to their work defensively, the Mules’ offense went right back to what they know best. You guessed it, giving the ball to Nick Yannutz. Yet for as hard as all 11 members of the Solanco offense were working in tandem, they would not be an outfit opposed to turning down any extra help offered by L-S. In that regard, Solanco received a massive gift on the drive as the Pioneers were dinged with an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty following a stop on 3^rd & 19 with the ball deep inside Solanco territory. And while the penalty itself would not be enough to give the Mules a fresh set of downs outright, quarterback Grady Unger had no quarrels moving the sticks himself whatsoever as Unger’s successful sneak on 4^th & 2 allowed Solanco to keep the drive alive. From there, Yannutz continued to provide the yeoman’s work on the series as Solanco’s senior fullback rumbled his way for a nine-yard gain on 3^rd & 5 shortly thereafter, moving the Mules down to the Pioneers’ 23-yard line. Seems only fitting that Yannutz should find the endzone at this point, right? As if to be right on cue, Yannutz then blasted his way up the heart of the L-S defense for the 16-yard touchdown jaunt with a gritty Grady Unger dive on the two-point conversion try added on top, knotting things up at 14-14 with 2:57 left in the third quarter.

That’s when L-S proceeded to turn the lights out.

With Solanco refusing to make any bones about how what they planned to do for the remaining quarter and change, it was a paramount that the Pioneers find some sort of footing heading down the stretch in order to possibly create some distance between themselves and their pesky houseguests. Oh boy would they ever. About 27 unanswered points worth as a matter of fact.

Following a sensational kick return by L-S’ Austin Stoltzfus following the Solanco score, the Lampeter-Strasburg offense continued to play fast. And while aided by a monstrous 3^rd & 1 conversion courtesy of senior running back Bryan McKim toting the rock in the infant stages of the Pioneers’ ensuing possession, Conner Nolt proceeded to up top for his third touchdown toss of the evening, this one to Alex Knapp, as the lethal Nolt-Knapp pairing from 41 yards out allowed L-S to go back in front just 1:47 following the previous Solanco touchdown.

But they weren’t done there.

Following an unsuccessful fake punt attempted by the Mules at the tail-end of their ensuing series, Nolt and his fellow L-S offensive counterparts appeared to put the game on ice right then and there as Nolt teamed up with Austin Stoltzfus once again for a gorgeous 55-yard touchdown strike across the middle with the Pioneers tasked with a 3^rd & 18, good for the pair’s second touchdown connection of the evening, putting L-S back on top by two scores at 28-14 with 8:48 left to play following the PAT try tallied by Andrew Reidenbaugh.

And for as well as the L-S offense had now appeared to be humming along following Nolt’s fourth touchdown toss of the ballgame, it seemed only fitting that the L-S defense get in on the act as well. In that regard, enter Christian Garver to center stage as the senior rose up from his defensive line spot, snagged the interception, then promptly dashed in for the 32-yard pick 6 which put L-S up 34-14 just 30 seconds later after the unsuccessful PAT try.

From there, L-S would be able to add one more down the homeward stretch a mere five minutes later as a powerful 5-yard touchdown blast right up the gut of the Solanco defense from L-S’ Bryan McKim ending the scoring on the night with the Pioneers now comfortably out in front, 41-14.

Yet while Solanco would continue to rally the troops and mount up for one last drive inside the final 3:43 on Friday night, the Pioneers would be the ones to fittingly punctuate the previous two hours of action as senior defensive back Jacob Kopelman had the honors by snaring an interception on the game’s final play, capping L-S’ acquisition of the Milk Jug in 2019 with an resounding exclamation mark as the Pioneers were able to prevail in a 41-14 decision over their archrivals.

NEXT UP: After securing the prestigious Milk Jug on Friday against Solanco, the Pioneers will be tasked with the assignment of becoming road warriors over the final two weeks of the regular season as L-S will play away from Lampeter in their next two outings against E-Town and Cocalico respectively. No worries though. If L-S is able to handle their business much in the same vein in which we have grown accustomed to seeing from the Pioneers the last several years, L-S will very likely to be returning to the friendly confines of JK Mechanical in a few short weeks. This time in a District 3 playoff game.

For Solanco, there certainly cannot be any rest for the weary for those in the Golden Mules’ camp. Why? After their setback against L-S on Friday night, the Mules will finish their final three-week gauntlet against arguably the two best programs that Lancaster-Lebanon Section 2 has to offer, Cocalico and Manheim Central in successive fashion, before the Mules hope to saddle up for another game in the postseason three weeks from now.

The Hatfield family versus the McCoy family. The Montagues versus the Capulets. The Yankees versus the Red Sox. Red versus blue. Good versus evil. Alright, alright. Maybe that last one is a tad bit excessive, but depending on which side of the Lancaster Airport you find yourself living on, you might find it rather hard to refute.

In terms of Lancaster-Lebanon League rivalries, there may not be one that is more passionate and hotly contested than when Warwick and Manheim Township line up across from one another. Distance-wise, there likely isn’t a battle in the L-L League housed within a shorter distance than the five-mile proximity that separates the Warriors’ and Blue Streaks’ respective homebases. Add that to the fact that some parts of both school districts share a Lititz, Pennsylvania mailing address, and it’s darn near physically impossible for factions of either fanbase to go even a day without somehow running into one other. In fact, the rivalry has become so inherently centralized that the winner’s prize has quickly morphed into to a postgame victory celebration held at the McDonald’s franchise on Route 501 with plenty of McFlurries to go around. That is if the ice cream machine isn’t broken of course.

Yet even for how familiar Warwick and Manheim Township had viewed one another, no one involved in either side of the rivalry looked at each other quite like they did on Friday night at Grosh Field.

For Manheim Township, let’s just be perfectly honest here for a moment: They fully expected to be right here in this very position.

Coming into this weekend with a perfect 6-0 record to their name, the Streaks were fresh off back-to-back thumpings of Cocalico and Wilson—- both on the road no less—–for arguably the most impressive two-week consecutive stretch of play from any scholastic team put together thus far in the entire state. That said, the third, final, and by far juiciest week of their jaw-dropping road triumvirate brought them northward to tangle with Warrior counterparts for a matchup that had Warwick licking their chops for weeks.

For as much as Manheim Township expected to be jostling for the #1 seed in the upcoming District 3-6A playoffs, so too did Warwick in the 5A field. The funny and somewhat ironic part of it was, that wasn’t always the case.

You see, when looking at the Warriors’ football program, one needs to look just a handful of years back to find far more lean years that truly served as more the norm around these parts.

If you’re a recent transplant to this part of the state, you might find it impossible to fathom the fact that Warwick was once a team fighting to find upwards of three wins a year given the video game numbers and blue-chip recruits now seen on the Warriors’ home sidelines, but it’s true. In fact, just four short years ago, when this crop of seniors roamed the halls as eighth graders at nearby Warwick Middle School, the Warwick football program campaign posted a far less excitable 2-8 campaign in 2015. Since then however, it’s been an unprecedented ascension to the ranks of the elite.

Speaking of that group of seniors, consider this. It could easily be argued that they have had a hand in three of the school’s biggest wins ever given a destruction of powerhouse Wilson last season, claiming the school’s first ever playoff victory last year in a deluge against Palmyra, combined with the Warriors’ first victory over Manheim Central for the first time this century in a game played just three weeks ago. Needless to say, earning a fourth notch in that already bedazzled belt would provide for quite the achievement.

So, with both teams coming into the evening while hovering well within the Top 5 of the state rankings in both the 6A and 5A respectively as proclaimed by a variety of publications, Warwick was set to host the week’s premiere high school football inside the entire state of Pennsylvania for the first time ever in an evening that was saturated with anticipation. So much so in fact, that Penn State head coach James Franklin decided to show up as well.

Coming into the contest, Manheim Township likely had a list of goals they had complied in order for the Streaks to ultimately prevail on Friday night. Chief of among them, starting fast. Well, in that case, the message from the coaching staff was bought into hook, line and sinker.

In terms of an initial series, one could not draw up one much better than Township’s opening march of the ballgame. Aided by their first gut-check of the night in the form of a 3^rd & 6 conversion from senior quarterback Harry Kirk to fellow senior wideout Brett Benjamin which moved the Blue Streaks’ charge out to their own 40-yard line after a 20-yard pickup, Township would find difficulty in negotiating against the Warwick defensive unit over the next few plays. Good thing though that the Manheim Township playbook has a few extra pages contained in the back of it.

Staring at a 4^th & 6 just past their own 40-yard line, senior wide receiver turned part-time punter Mickey Stokes lined up in punt formation after the Blue Streaks’ first series had officially hit the skids. Yet even though Stokes routinely wears two hats for the Blue Streaks on Friday night, perhaps it’s time he soon adds a third to his wardrobe: Quarterback.

On said play, Stokes took the snap and fired a strike over the middle to senior tight end Sam Emge which kept the drive alive as the Streaks advanced across the midfield stripe to the Warriors’ 42-yard line following the first monstrous 14-yard pickup.

“Something we saw on film,” said Manheim Township head coach Mark Evans. “That was something we worked on all week to take advantage of. (Warwick) did what we thought they were going to and that’s hats off to Mark McCracken our special teams coordinator.”

“Our special teams play has been a solid phase of the game that you have to win every week,” Evans added. “You have to win special teams every week and we’ve got a lot of guys that are doing a great job on special teams.”

But they weren’t done there. Shortly thereafter, the Township offensive brain-trust dialed up a magnificent screen play in the face of the oncoming Warwick onslaught as Kirk found Jaden Floyd rolling out of the backfield with the senior duo accounting for the 14-yard gainer which moved the Township attack down to the Warwick 26-yard line. And after another third down conversion — this one to Jaden Floyd yet again protruding out of the backfield —- the Blue Streaks found themselves residing on the Warwick 4-yard line. From there, senior running back Bryce Casey was able to do the honors with the 4-yard touchdown plunge, putting the Streaks up 7-0 with 5:26 left to play in the opening quarter. Yes, that’s correct. Manheim Township had just marched 80 yards behind several key conversions and had gobbled up over half the quarter in doing so. If that’s not picture-perfect, you’d be hard pressed to offer something any better.

So, with the Blue Streaks clearly feeling especially greedy given the manner in which they had been able to hog the ball on their opening series, it was time for Township’s vaunted defense to finally take the field against perhaps the most explosive offense this side of the Susquehanna. Good news for the folks from down the road in Neffsville, that unit was just fine as well.

In fact, after holding the Warriors to a three and out on their opening possession of the night, Township then set up shop at their own 30-yard line after the exchange in possession following the successful stand offered from their defensive counterparts.

Yet again, the Township kept the pedal down.

Thanks in large part to another defensive conversion, this one in the form of a 3^rd & 5 toss thrown from Kirk to Emge once again which picked up 12 yards, the Streaks then handed the keys to arguably the best running back in the entire L-L League, Jaden Floyd. Right on cue, Floyd took the handoff from Kirk and raced around the left side of the dominant Township offensive line and bolted for a 48-yard pickup which put the ball on the Warwick 1-yard line. From there, Kirk was able to call his own number as the 1-yard quarterback sneak gave Township the 14-0 advantage with 1:31 left to play in the first quarter as a silent hush fell over the partisan Warwick crowd.

With their defense likely starting to suck wind while trying to corral the Manheim Township for nearly the entirety of the first quarter, it became paramount that the Warwick offense quickly bring something to the table in the face of the Blue Streaks’ snowball which was quickly speeding downhill at them. Fortunately for them, they found something.

In fact, on the first play of the ensuing series, junior quarterback Joey McCracken was able to connect with senior wideout Conor Adams for the 27-yard hitch which ushered the Warriors’ attack down to their own 43-yard line. From there, the McCracken to Adams proved fruitful once more as the 9-yard hookup between the two on 3^rd & 7 pushed Warwick past the midfield line for the first time all night with the ball now resting at the Township 47-yard line. Shortly thereafter, another McCracken to Adams toss moved the ball down to the Township 36 as the first quarter clock would eventually expire.

Once the second quarter got underway however, the Warwick offense found the sledding against the Township D to be far more unforgiving.

In fact, even despite the fact that the Warriors’ offense was able to sneak inside the redzone and get as far down as the Blue Streaks’ 16-yard line, the Township defense was able to rise up and stuff the Warriors on downs after a fourth down screen pass was stopped short of the line to gain.

So, with the Township offense having pitched a perfect game thus far, the question begged as to whether or not the Streaks would continue their scintillating play on that side of the ball. Long story short, that would be a resounding, “Yup.”

After taking over at their own 17-yard line following the turnover on downs, Harry Kirk dashed out to the Warwick 40-yard on the first play of the series on the quarterback keeper for a play that served notice to those in attendance that taking down Township is a task not designed for the faint of heart.

That being said, the Warwick defense did rise to the occasion on this drive as key five-yard tackle for loss tallied by junior linebacker Caleb Schmitz forced the Streaks into yet another third down scenario. Ironically, while moving the chains on third down had clearly been a strength for Township all night up until that point, the Streaks would fall three yards short of the line to gain which set up a 4^th & 3 at the Warwick 33-yard line. Well, at least they had been perfect on fourth down though right?

Deciding to roll the dice, Township kept the offense out on the field for the biggest play yet in the still relatively young evening. In doing so, the Streaks were rewarded handsomely as Kirk found a wide-open Brett Benjamin underneath, as the 21-yard Kirk to Benjamin hookup moved the ball down to the Warriors’ 12-yard line. And with Kirk and the offense humming like a finely-tuned machine, a 13-yard touchdown dart from Kirk to senior wideout Nate Carpenter quickly put the visitors from Neffsville up by three scores at 21-0 with 6:30 left in the first half.

Over the course of the next few drives, both sides would take turns falling victim to their defensive opposition —Township for the first time all evening after a sack tallied by Warwick’s Nolan Rucci on 3^rd & 9 on the Blue Streaks’ ensuing possession —- before Township would saddle up and mount one last drive before the first half horn. However, the Streaks’ final drive of the first half perhaps provided the Warriors with some momentum heading into the break as the 34-yard Manheim Township field goal would be blocked on the final play of the second quarter, effectively sending both sides into their respective dressing rooms following an emphatic statement authored by the Streaks in the opening 24 minutes given their 21-0 cushion.

Coming out of the break, it was time for Warwick to offer some sort of a rebuttal.

After witnessing Manheim Township go into their bag of tricks on the Streaks’ opening series of the night, Warwick decided to do the same coming out of the intermission. Staring at a 4^th & 4 at the Township 48-yard line, Warwick punter Conor Adams fired a pass out in the flat to a waiting Preston Johnson, as the fake punt gave Warriors an added boost of momentum with the ball now residing on the Streaks’ 37-yard line. From there, the Warwick attack would move down as far as the Township 4-yard line before the Streaks’ defense would once again rise up and stiffen, ultimately holding the Warriors on downs.

But the Warriors were soon given a new lease on life.

Despite their successful defensive stand, the Township offense took over deep within the shadows of their own goalposts. Needless to say, turning the ball over here could prove to be deadly. And almost as if to be right on cue, that is precisely what happened.

On 3^rd & 1 at their own 17-yard line, a Manheim Township fumble was quickly pounced on by Warwick’s Caleb Schmitz, giving the Warriors an extremely short field from which to work with. This time, the Warriors were ultimately able to cash in.

Aided in the drive by a key 4^th & 3 conversion by way of the quarterback scramble from Joey McCracken, the Warriors ultimately found paydirt as a 4-yard touchdown plunge from junior running back Colton Miller got the Warriors on the board at 21-7 with 2:45 left in the third. And after a three and out contributed by their staunch defense, momentum appeared to be switching sidelines and sliding over the Warriors’ bench as the third quarter events wound down.

But it was not to be.

Despite taking over at their own 45-yard following the exchange in possession, an equally ill-timed Warwick fumble gave the ball back to Manheim Township at the Warwick 47-yard line as the game then moved into the final quarter. Fortunately for the homestanding Warriors, the ensuing Township drive would not result in any additional Blue Streak damage as the Warwick defense would end up holding on downs, setting up shop now at their own 26-yard line.

Without the shadow of a doubt, Warwick needed to find the endzone on this drive. Pronto too if they could muster it. So, the Warriors’ offense trotted out onto the Grosh Field turf knowing full-well the task at hand. And while every literal inch was truly earned, Warwick would eventually move out across the midfield line before reaching the Township 45-yard following a gigantic 4^th & 8 conversion from the tried and true McCracken-Adams duo with the Warriors’ offense now starting to pick up steam. From there, Joey McCracken called his own number on the very next play from scrimmage and raced down to the Township 25-yard line for 20 more yards of additional real estate. After that though, the Township defense would surrender nary a yard as the Warwick drive was eventually put to a close following a magnificent tipped pass from Manheim Township senior Tyler Kurtz while operating from his linebacker spot on 4^th & 10.

Yet even though Township had just now taken over after successfully halting a possible Warwick scoring punch, the Blue Streaks’ offense would also be stymied as well on their ensuing possession following the turnover on downs as Township ended up punting it away to Warwick with the Warriors clearly needing to punch it in ASAP.

In short, it would prove to be an assignment won by the Blue Streaks’ defense as a key sack on the Warriors’ ensuing possession by Township senior linebacker Josh Emge helped spell doom for the Warwick offense in a drive that too would also eventually end on downs with Township taking over at the Warriors’ 26-yard line.

From there, Jaden Floyd ended up capping off the evening with a resounding exclamation mark for Manheim Township on this night as Floyd’s 4-yard touchdown burst and subsequent casual toss of a would-be Warwick defender in the endzone seemed to serve as an iconic microcosmic for Manheim Township’s resounding 28-7 triumph which kept the Blue Streaks perfect on the year while also knocking their archrivals from the ranks of the unbeaten on Friday night as the postgame masses quickly jettisoned off to the nearby McDonald’s to celebrate.

“I don’t eat McDonald’s,” a happy Mark Evans said with a wide smile after addressing his troops for the final time on Friday night. “When I do though, it tastes like caviar. It’s like that rare moment where McDonald’s tastes really, really good. Maybe I’ll have some McDonald’s, but not right now though.”

Okay. All jovial matters aside, this was an absolute statement made by Township over their backyard rivals in the Warriors’ house on Friday night. Not that only that, but it capped off maybe the most ridiculous three-week stretch of games that any squad could’ve been asked to play.

“Operation hat-trick is now successfully completed,” Coach Evans added triumphantly. “We’re road warriors. We went on the road against three #1 seeds in their District 3 classification at the time against three unbeatens. Tomorrow maybe we’ll take a step back and take a little bit of a breather, but we can’t stop.”

“Again, that goes back to the fact that we got a little complacent in the second half (against Warwick) so now we’ve got to go back to work. It’s good. That keeps us grounded.”

NEXT UP: While many will likely see Township’s win over Warwick as the Blue Streaks’ final challenge of the regular season before they storm off into the postseason, the true fact of the matter is that the upcoming schedule really does not get any easier whatsoever given the fact that the 6-1 Cedar Crest Falcons come calling to Neffsville next Friday night. And if you’ve spent any sort of time around the L-L League, you know full-well that Cedar Crest is a school that thrives and relishes for situations such as the assignment placed before them up next on the docket where most would be quick to count them out. Not Township however. The Falcons are sure to have their full attention in practice this week. If nothing else though, the opportunity to raise the bar even further in the Blue Streaks’ camp still exists.

“I still don’t think we’ve played a complete game yet,” said Evans. “The scary part is that’s there’s better in there somewhere. That’s also the good part. We have something to keep working for and keep striving for. I don’t think you’ll ever get the perfect game, but you sure as heck gotta work for it.”

For Warwick, the schedule maker didn’t exactly do them any favors either considering the Warriors must now right the ship when they pack up the yellow school buses and head northward into Berks County to tangle with the Wilson Bulldogs next Friday night in West Lawn. And aside from the weekend worth of festivities that the Bulldogs will have planned for certain factions of their esteemed alumni, revenge will likely be on everyone’s mind considering the record-setting numbers Warwick was able to put up on the Bulldogs last year en route to their first victory over Wilson in over a decade.

If you’ve followed sports for any length of time, chances are that you’ve probably heard a phrase somewhere along the lines of, “Each team and each year is different.” And yes, while that is fundamentally and undeniably true at its core, there are always exceptions to any rule. In that regard, please do not find fault with neither Northern Lebanon or Pequea Valley if their Week 6 meeting in Kinzers on Friday night somehow felt eerily similar to the battle waged between the two schools last year in Fredericksburg.

On that night, now 364 days ago, both the Vikings and Braves found themselves on the short ends of collective 0-10 sticks respectively, as each side brought identical 0-5 records to the table. Sure enough, the first half of the 2019 season has once again been proven to be all too unforgiving for both squads with each undoubtedly witnessing their season narratives take on the same shared plotlines considering both sides arrived to Pequea Valley high school on Friday night hungry, nay, starving for the opportunity to collect their first win of the season while also looking to gain some added fuel and momentum heading into the final three weeks of the season.

And if the theme of déjà vu was to truly come full circle as far as last season’s war between Northern Lebanon and Pequea Valley on the gridiron was most specifically concerned, it would certainly be the Northern Lebanon Vikings who would be most eager in having history repeat itself.

You see, in that aforementioned Week 6 matchup going back to last season, Northern Lebanon was able to ride a stellar defensive performance en route to a 20-6 triumph, a victory which ironically had been the Vikings’ last to date.  From the Pequea Valley perspective, they too would be looking to taste the sweet nectar of victory for the first time this season as well. The only key difference being that the Braves had yet to come out victorious in a varsity high school football contest since Week 10 of the 2017 season.

So, needless to say, Friday’s affair offered up the opportunity for one of these two mentally-tough programs to deservedly have their moment in the sun come evening’s end.

But on this night however, the Vikings were truly able to pillage.

Even still, things did not necessarily get off to the cleanest of starts for the visitors from Lebanon County. In fact, after the first play from scrimmage, Pequea Valley immediately found themselves residing inside the Northern Lebanon redzone following a 52-yard jaunt by Tony Lazar as the Braves’ stud running back ushered the PV charge down to the Northern Lebanon 10-yard line.

Just then however, things quickly went haywire for the Pequea Valley contingent.

After being stymied over the course of the next handful of plays following the Lazar gallop, Pequea Valley suddenly found themselves staring down the barrel of a 3^rd & Goal from the Vikings’ 11-yard line. And like a thief operating under the cloak of darkness, Northern Lebanon senior linebacker Nickols Winters was able to come up a key takeaway by way of a fumble recovery, handing the ball to the Vikings’ offensive troops, albeit deep in their own territory to start things off.

For as much as Northern Lebanon has appeared to struggle this season to those on the outside given their 0-5 mark entering the night, their offense certainly showed all the signs of a much more polished unit than one might initially think. Almost as if sparked right out of the chute by such naysayers behind the efforts of a vastly underrated and underappreciated senior quarterback in Ethan Borcky, the Northern Lebanon offense quickly began plodding their way down the field on their first offensive series of the night. And if big plays are more your fancy, this Vikings’ offensive crew can do that as well.

Facing their first fourth down of the evening in the form of a 4^th & 4 at their own 45-yard line in the game’s initial test of mettle, Borcky launched a pass across the middle of the field into the waiting hands — well hand actually — of Nate Leedy-Reidel, as the Vikings’ senior split end was able to make a magnificent one-handed grab en route to the endzone as the senior duo of Borcky to Leedy-Reidel allowed Northern Lebanon to strike first, putting the Vikings up 8-0 following the two-point conversion run by Chase Bressler with 7:35 remaining in the opening quarter of play.

From there, Northern Lebanon continued to play complimentary football.

Undoubtedly inspired by the handiwork of their defensive mates who thwarted the ensuing Pequea Valley series in the form of a three and out, the Vikings went right back to work offensively at their own 49-yard line.

Sure enough, the Northern Lebanon offense was able to navigate their way past the Braves’ defense on this drive as well with Chase Bressler having the honors this time around with a 3-yard touchdown plunge which saw the Vikings’ lead swell to 15-0 with 4:18 now left to play on the first quarter clock.

At this time, it quickly became apparent to everyone in attendance that Pequea Valley needed to offer up some sort of rebuttal if the homestanding Braves had any aspirations of sticking around in the wake of Northern Lebanon’s early uppercuts.

To their credit, the Braves did indeed begin moving the ball down the field, thanks in large part to a 31-yard connection across the middle from Pequea Valley quarterback Collin Bailey to Collin Rohrer on 3^rd & 10 which ushered the PV march down to the Vikings’ 25-yard line. However, even with all the momentum that had quickly been generated following the PV conversion, the Northern Lebanon defensive unit was more than up to the task as best evidenced by the Vikings allowing nary nine more yards the remainder of the drive. So, with the Braves faced with a 4^th & 6 amidst the stiffening of the NL defense, Pequea Valley called upon the field goal unit to help them crack the goose egg currently displayed under their name up on the scoreboard.

Once again, the man of the hour, Northern Lebanon’s Chase Bressler, continued to steal the show.

If he wasn’t already busy enough scoring touchdowns and running in two-point conversion attempts on Friday night as it was, Bressler was an absolute thorn in Pequea Valley’s side from his linebacker spot as well. And as if to be signaled right on cue, Bressler promptly charged through the Braves’ offensive line on said field goal attempt, blocking the kick, before ultimately pouncing on the loose pill himself, as Bressler’s field goal block allowed the Northern Lebanon offense to go right back to work at their own 38-yard line.

No issues there.

It would take Northern Lebanon all of one play to put another score up the board as Ethan Borcky lobbed a picture-perfect pass into the night sky before hitting Alex Folmer in stride as the 62-yard touchdown bomb from Borcky to Folmer allowed the Vikings to increase their lead to 22-0 with 1:26 left in the first quarter following the Tyler Boltz PAT.

While the Northern Lebanon offense likely stole the show —- and rightfully so given the fireworks they were able to display in the opening 12 minutes —- the Vikings’ defense was equally as gnarly for Pequea Valley to try and contend with.

Over the course of the next two offensive possessions for PV, both Brave drives would end courtesy of Northern Lebanon sophomore defensive lineman, Kalani Adams. On the first, the 6’0 195lb tour de force was able to collect a sack on third and long, only to then follow that up with a fumble recovery on the ensuing defensive series, giving Northern Lebanon the ball back deep in PV territory.

With having such a relatively short field from which to work with combined with a laser-focused offensive unit already in tow, it seemed inevitable that Northern Lebanon would be able to tack on yet another touchdown given the circumstances.

Although it was not exactly the definition of the word “easy,” the Vikings were indeed able to do precisely that as a 21-yard jaunt by, you guessed it, Chase Bressler, helped moved the ball down to the Braves’ three-yard line on a key 3^rd & 10 play on the Vikings’ next offensive series. From there, Alex Folmer was able to finish what Bressler had started as Folmer’s three-yard touchdown run and subsequent PAT booted through up the uprights by Tyler Boltz gave Northern Lebanon the comfortable 29-0 cushion which is where things would remain after the final 7:40 ticked off the first half clock.

To their credit, Pequea Valley had certainly seemed to come out of the halftime recess inspired.

After holding the white-hot Vikings’ offense to a three and out coming out of the break, the Braves found themselves with their best starting field position of the night when they took over at the Northern Lebanon 26-yard line following a nice punt return and personal foul tacked on at the end of the run just for good measure against the Vikings for 15 more additional yards.

To say that Tony Lazar did most of the heavy lifting on the next Pequea Valley offensive series would be a bit of an understatement. Although he himself would not end up culminating the drive by celebrating in the endzone with the pigskin crutched under his right arm, Lazar’s legs were without a shadow of a doubt the main reason as to why the Braves were ultimately able to find their first touchdown of the evening as back-to-back runs by Lazar pushed the Pequea Valley advance down to the Vikings’ one-yard line. From there, quarterback Nate Fisher was able to call his own number on the quarterback sneak which allowed Pequea Valley to cut into the Northern Lebanon lead at 29-6 following the unsuccessful two-point conversion with 9:07 left to play in the third.

But Lazar’s stellar play was not just limited to the offensive side of the ball either.

In fact, Lazar would end up being the one to end the ensuing Northern Lebanon offensive possession with a diving interception from his defensive back spot, giving the ball back to the Pequea Valley offense just 31 yards away from possibly tacking on another score with momentum now clearly residing on their sideline.

However, even with the added boost of momentum, Kalani Adams once again had the antidote for the Pequea Valley offense as the up-and-coming defensive stalwart continued his stellar night of play in the trenches, ending the Braves’ series with a sack on a 4^th & 3 to give the ball back to his offensive mates.

And with the third quarter now winding down, Northern Lebanon found themselves on the move once again.

While the situation might have originally seemed dire given the fact that the Vikings were tasked with a 4^th & 14 at the Pequea Valley 18 following a monstrous sack tallied by PV’s Luke Brown, the NL offensive brain-trust dialed up a perfect screen play in the face of the oncoming Pequea Valley defense, as the Ethan Borcky to Alex Folmer screen put the Vikings’ attack on the PV three-yard line.

From there, Folmer was able to cash in on the ground with a one-yard scamper on the option play to push the Northern Lebanon lead up to a sizeable 30-point threshold at 36-6 after just four seconds had elapsed off the fourth quarter clock.

Yet even with the outcome of the contest largely a formality at this point, Pequea Valley continued to fight until the bitter end, an achievement best exemplified by a 54-yard touchdown strike through the air from Nate Fisher to Carter Rohrer and successful two-point conversion run by Fisher tallied on top to help the Braves make a dent into the Northern Lebanon lead at 36-14 with 4:14 still left to go.

But by then, the damage had already been done. And with it, a happy group of Vikings were finally given the rightful opportunity to finally trot off the field with their collective heads held high following the Vikings’ 36-14 conquest over Pequea Valley, a victory which marked the program’s first in nearly one calendar year.

“It’s great,” an understandably excited Northern Lebanon head coach Roy Wall said while watching his team leave the field happy for the first time on Friday night. “It’s good to get the win. I hope it’s not the last one we get this year. We said to focus on the second half (of the season),” Wall added. “We’re 1-0 in the second half now and we’ll see what we have from here.”

“We expect to win every game. We’re just really young,” said the Vikings’ boss summing up the season thus far. “We have literally three sophomores on our offensive line. Our skill position guys are all seniors, but all of our interior linemen on the both the offensive and defensive lines and linebackers, we’re really young. Like younger than you would think,” Wall said with a chuckle. “So, hopefully those guys grow up a bit by next year and we’ll be much more competitive.”

But make no mistake about it, this certainly isn’t the last time Northern Lebanon hopes to find themselves in the winner’s circle in 2019.

“Many years ago, I coached with Al Kopacz at Hanover Area and he said, ‘The success of a good season is defined by this: Win all the games you’re supposed to and one or two more.’ We won the game we’re supposed to,” said Wall. “We’ll see what else we do.”

NEXT UP: After collecting their first win of the year on Friday night against Pequea Valley, Northern Lebanon now sets their sights on a red-hot Lebanon team at home next Friday night and a Cedars bunch coming off two impressive victories in back-to-back fashion against Lancaster Catholic and Columbia respectively to set up a juicy Lebanon County tussle.

For Pequea Valley, it’s back to the grind as the Braves will be on the road for three of their remaining four contests from here on out, starting off with next week’s trip to Annville-Cleona.

They are most commonly referred to as “trap games.” You know, they’re those sometimes mysterious, anxiety-filled games that tend to crop up on the schedule often sandwiched somewhere in between two Titanic-like contests that serve as monumental bookends. The scariest part of the matter?  Undoubtedly it’s the fact that not any one program is truly immune to falling into the general malaise that can sometimes come with either getting caught looking out the rearview mirror — or even the windshield for that matter – all while failing to place two hands firmly on the steering wheel, putting the gas pedal down to the floorboard, and taking care of the immediate task at hand.

As far as the Wilson Bulldogs were concerned, Friday night’s trip to Millersville seemed to come with all the trimmings of a scenario drenched in the aforementioned.

When you think of some of the top programs that dot the Lancaster-Lebanon League football landscape, any conversation that fails to put Wilson at or near the top of the list needs a serious reevaluation. In terms of sheer history, you can’t do much better than the iconic franchise that hails from West Lawn. Yes, the only member of the Lancaster-Lebanon League that ironically does not call either one of those two counties home.

Like clockwork, high expectations and equally high excitement levels seemingly run stride for stride at the dawn of every season for those with a vested interest in the Bulldogs vaunted program. And quite honestly, how could they not when you factor in the already overcrowded trophy case, the unbeaten seasons lumped upon unbeaten seasons, the small army of former ‘Dawgs who suit up every Saturday across all the various levels of the collegiate ranks, and of course the very select few who have gone on to find fame and fortune at the ultimate level, the National Football League. And wouldn’t you know it, the overall forecast for Wilson’s 2019 season, the 75^th campaign in their already-storied history, appeared to have all the makings of yet another special run through the autumn months.

When looking at Wilson’s schedule for the 2019 slate, there were several games which caught the eye and truly popped out like sore thumbs. However, there were arguably none more that truly resonated than the two home games inside a three week stretch with contests marked against Manheim Central and Manheim Township respectively. For good reason too when consider the fact that the Barons were able to upend the Bulldogs in Manheim just one season ago en route to the PIAA-5A state finals last December. Oh yeah, then there’s also that September 27^th home date against the Blue Streaks and a game that would likely go an awfully long way in determining L-L Section 1 supremacy this season when coupled with the significant underpinnings of possibly determining homefield advantage throughout the District 3-6A playoff race as well.

As far as the first event was concerned, mission accomplished in a big way for Wilson last Friday night as the Bulldogs feasted upon the bewildered Barons, getting their sweet revenge dating back to last year in an eye-popping 49-14 takedown of a fellow Pennsylvania high school football powerhouse.

However, standing in between those gigantic two contests was a trip to Chryst Field on the campus of Millersville University and a date to tangle with the Penn Manor Comets.

For Penn Manor, the 2019 campaign has already provided the Comets with a wave of emotions even though the season is still shy of being one month old. Going back on opening night, the Comets were able to stampede their way to Witmer and come out the other side with an 19-13 road victory against the Conestoga Valley Buckskins, a win which had already tied Penn Manor’s entire season output from just one year ago.

Since then however, the massive ongoing reconstruction project currently underway on the Penn Manor campus has appeared to serve as an apropos metaphor for the school’s football team given their three consecutive setbacks since the CV contest, two of which have come in a combined total margin of defeat tallying 100-7.

Yet even for all of their recent struggles, the Comets knew that when they stepped into the dressing room on Friday night that they had the rightful opportunity to wash and scrub away all of that recent frustration should they be able to rise up and snatch a signature victory away from Wilson for a Comets program frothing at the mouth to return to the prosperity enjoyed during the Todd Mealy era not all that long ago in the earlier part of the decade.

Yet even after encountering some early speedbumps thrown in their path by the hometown Comets, this too would prove to be a night dominated by the visitors from West Lawn.

On Penn Manor’s opening offensive series, the Comets’ initial march of the evening was put to an untimely halt just three plays into the drive when an errant Penn Manor pass was tipped into the sure-hands of Wilson defensive back Eli Rotenberg as the Bulldogs’ senior secondary man raced all the way down to the Comets’ 29-yard line with his new prize, setting Wilson up with a golden opportunity to deliver a quick haymaker. And truth be told, most in attendance more than likely felt that Rotenberg’s early theft was a surefire sign of the events yet to unfold.

Not if you were to ask the Penn Manor defense however.

Despite succumbing to a handful of powerful Avanti Lockhart runs which opened up the initial offensive series of the night for the Bulldogs that steadily moved the ball down the field bit by bit when coupled with the surrendering a 3^rd & 2 from the nine yard line which was picked up when Wilson junior quarterback Kaleb Brown found a waiting Eli Rotenberg who sat down on his route at the Comets’ four yard line for a fresh set of downs, the Penn Manor defense finally found its footing. In fact, the Bulldogs would only be able to travel just one yard further on the drive as the Penn Manor defensive unit stood tall, forcing a 21-yard field goal booted through the uprights by Wilson junior kicker Jack Wagner which gave Wilson the early 3-0 lead with 7:51 to play in the opening quarter.

After holding the Comets to a three and out on their ensuing offensive series, the Wilson offense returned to the field eager to find the endzone and establish some early breathing room between themselves and their hosts. In short, the Penn Manor defense continued to have a differing opinion.

In fact, the Penn Manor defense remained rock-solid with their backs pinned up against the wall on Wilson’s next offensive series as the Comets were to hold the Bulldogs on downs as a terrific stop authored by two of the Comets’ tri captains on 4^th & 1, senior defensive back Josh Gibson and junior linebacker Nick Baker respectively, gave the hometown team some early mojo with the Penn Manor offense trotting back onto the field at the Bulldogs’ 49 yard line.

While the Penn Manor offense was finally able to generate some yards on their own merit their next time with the football, the Comets were certainly were more than willing to accept some additional help courtesy of the Wilson defensive unit as well when the Bulldogs were dinged with jumping offsides on the hard-count, along with a key roughing the passer penalty which moved the ball down well into Bulldog territory. And after a magnificent drawn up screen pass from junior quarterback Luke Braas to fellow junior running back Isaiah Stoltzfus which picked up 21 yards, the Comets now found themselves residing on the Bulldogs’ one-yard line. From there, Stoltzfus was able to lay claim to the honors as the 5’10 174lb tailback plowed his way into the endzone and promptly added a two-point conversion run on top of it to give the Comets the early, surprising 8-3 advantage over Wilson with 3:08 left to go in the first quarter.

From that point on however, Wilson took off and never really looked back.

In fact, it would take the Bulldogs all of one play to make that abundantly clear as a 52-yard scamper down the field by way of Wilson triggerman Kaleb Brown ushered the white and red clad visitors all the way down to the Penn Manor eight-yard line on the ensuing series. And after picking up three more yards on the drive, Brown was able to put the Bulldogs back on top for good with a five-yard TD toss to fellow junior wideout Troy Corson, giving Wilson the upper-hand once again at 10-8 just 1:01 later.

After a series successful defensive stands between the sides in the waning moments of the first quarter and into the early portion of the second quarter, Wilson regained possession in the infant stages of the second frame with desire to make good on that earlier aspiration of generating some early separation up on the scoreboard.

Well, thanks to the efforts of Avanti Lockhart, they quickly would.

After a sweet play on the opening play of the drive co-signed by the dynamic junior duo of Kaleb Brown to Troy Corson which propelled the Bulldogs down to the Penn Manor 33-yard line, that is all the further that the Wilson troops would need to travel before Lockhart burst through the hole opened up by his stout offensive line, made a vicious cut-back against the grain, and found nothing but green artificial turf waiting for him on the backside of the Penn Manor defense as the Bulldogs’ 210lb senior running back barreled his way to paydirt with a 33-yard touchdown jaunt which gave Wilson the 17-8 cushion with 9:38 left to play in the opening half.

From there, it appeared that the floodgates had at long last finally opened up in Wilson’s favor.

After stuffing the Penn Manor offense following the Lockhart touchdown, the Wilson offense picked up right where they had just left off their next time out. Behind a successful method of dinking and dunking their way down the field their next time with the football, the opportunity for a long touchdown toss was finally ripe for the taking as Kaleb Brown promptly hurled a 32-yard bomb to Brady Gibble, with the senior wideout winning his one-on-one battle in the corner of the endzone, as the gorgeous Brown to Gibble touchdown toss now gave Wilson the 24-8 lead with 7:14 to play in the first half.

As the remainder of the second quarter trudged along, it would prove to be much of the same script written by the Bulldogs.

After forcing Penn Manor into yet another punting situation on the Comets’ next offensive series thanks to the sack efforts of Wilson junior linebacker Ethan Capitano on 3^rd & 11, the Bulldogs went back to work with their offense looking to make good on one last scoring march before the intermission.

Spoiler alert: They would.

After finding a wide-open Avanti Lockhart standing all by his lonesome out in the flat on the opening play of drive, the Bulldogs had suddenly advanced all the way down to the Penn Manor 35-yard line as the Bulldogs’ senior muscle of a running back was able to bulldoze his way through the Penn Manor defense to signify the drive’s early jab. Yet even despite being met with resistance from the Comets’ defensive unit in the ensuing few plays however, the Bulldogs went back to their most recent fruitful results of going up top and were immediately rewarded in doing so as a 36-yard touchdown strike thrown from Kaleb Brown to Brady Gibble, the pair’s second touchdown combination of the night, sent Wilson into the break with the commanding 31-8 lead as the final 24 seconds eventually ticked off the second quarter clock.

Needless to say, the time was now if Penn Manor was to offer up any sort of resistance in the wake of the ongoing Wilson salvo the Comets now found themselves forced under heading into the second half. To their credit, they certainly recognized the opportunity as the Comets came out of the locker room by opening it up and turning to an onsides kick to begin the half. Unfortunately for them however, the Bulldogs’ special teams unit seemed up to the task as Wilson senior wideout Alex Gibble diagnosed the situation perfectly and quickly pounced on the loose pigskin, giving the Wilson offense a short field to work with only 42 yards standing between them and yet another score.

Following a sweet 22-yard connection from Kaleb Brown to Eli Rotenberg which got the Bulldogs’ offense in gear on the first play of the drive, Avanti Lockhart was there to pick up the remaining pieces as Lockhart’s 20-yard touchdown jaunt and subsequent Jack Wagner PAT gave the Bulldogs a 38-8 lead just 46 seconds into the second stanza.

For any team, playing complimentary football is the ultimate goal each and every time they step onto the field. In that regard, you’d be hard-pressed to find a much better example of that notion more feverishly at work than with Wilson’s offensive and defensive troops in the third quarter on Friday night.

After forcing Penn Manor into yet another punting situation on the Comets’ opening drive of the second half, thanks in large part to the sack efforts of Bulldogs’ junior linebacker Ethan Ashcroft, the Wilson offense returned to the field while clearly inspired by the work turned in by their defensive mates. In fact, it would take the Bulldogs all of one play to make that crystal clear as a 44-yard lightning bolt of a touchdown run from junior running back Mason Lenart on the next Wilson series propelled the ‘Dawgs to a 45-8 perch over Penn Manor with 9:40 left to play in the third quarter.

Yet even despite the fact that the outcome of the contest was largely decided once the game entered into the fourth and final quarter, it became abundantly clear that the Comets had no desires whatsoever in terms of allowing Wilson to simply waltz their way back home up Route 222 the rest of the way.

In the opening stages of the fourth quarter, the Penn Manor offense found themselves with a golden opportunity to finally squelch the ongoing 42-0 salvo which the Bulldogs found themselves on as a muffed Wilson punt gave the ball back to the Comets’ offense just 21 yards away. From there, after negotiating 11 yards against the Bulldogs’ defense in the first few plays of the series, the Comets were finally able to silence the Wilson blitzkrieg as a 10-yard touchdown toss from Luke Braas to junior wideout Kyle Murr — and subsequent two-point conversion run from Isaiah Stoltzfus added on top — trimmed the Wilson lead down to 45-16 with 10:05 left to play.

The only thing was, somebody forgot to tell Wilson to comply and stop scoring as well.

On the ensuing Wilson possession, arguably two of the Bulldogs’ best plays all evening long were turned in by the hard-charging efforts of running back Gavin Lenart as the Wilson sophomore burst loose for a pair of long runs, much to the visible delight of his teammates on the sideline, as a 47-yard burst from the 5’8 185lb tailback moved the ball down to the Penn Manor one-yard line. From there, junior quarterback Nick Williams was able to call his own number as Williams’ one-yard touchdown run on the draw play pushed Wilson over the 50-point threshold with their lead now standing at 51-16 following the missed PAT with 7:22 still left to tick off the game clock.

As mentioned however, Penn Manor refused to simply go away quietly with though the deck was clearly stacked against them in terms of making some sort of Herculean-type comeback effort. Even still, the Comets were likely able to find some positives down the homeward stretch of Friday night’s contest. Case in point, yet another touchdown combination from Luke Braas to Kyle Murr, the pair’s second in as many drives, as the 26-yard touchdown lob between the Comets’ dynamic junior duo closed out scoring on the night, but not before another Isaiah Stoltzfus two-point conversion out of the swing-gate formation, ultimately sending Wilson home as 51-24 winners over Penn Manor on a picture-perfect Football Friday night in Lancaster County.

Don’t be mistaken however. Even though Wilson was able to lay claim to a what may have seemed like a resounding 27-point victory, there will still be a laundry list of work left waiting for the Bulldogs to take care of this week at practice leading up next Friday night’s clash of the titans in West Lawn.

“They’re kids and no matter how much you try to push the issue of it’s football where emotion means so much, we came out as a flat as a pancake,” a humble Wilson head coach Doug Dahms offered up afterwards. “You could see it. I thought we just played sluggish the whole game.”

“But,” he added quickly, “We were able to get it done.”

NEXT UP: With their win section-opening win over Penn Manor now behind them, Wilson now must get locked-in for an enormous matchup against Manheim Township back home next Friday night at the friendly confines of Gurski Stadium. In short, if you want a scouting report on the Blue Streaks, simply look no further than their 56-7 triumph on the road at Cocalico this week, arguably the best team in District 3-5A field this season, for just how much weaponry the Streaks will be bringing with them on Friday evening. Undoubtedly, when you combine an unbeaten Wilson squad with an unbeaten Township bunch, it will arguably be the best game taking place in the entire state of Pennsylvania next weekend.

As far as Penn Manor is concerned, the Comets must now go back to that drawing board in order to find something that will stick as the Comets prepare for another home date next week when they place host to neighboring McCaskey in an L-L Section 1 tussle and a Tornado squad likely eyeing-up a fantastic opportunity to finally give first-year head coach Sam London his first win as head man of the Red Tornado.

For any performer, being called upon for an encore is something that everyone strives for no matter what the profession. After completing the original set in such a dramatic fashion that leaves the fans in attendance begging for more, it’s understandable why so many equate it to the highest levels of an adrenaline rush. A true “natural high” if you will. In high school football, it really is no different. Take the Warwick Warriors for example.

Without the shadow of a doubt, this was a season that Lancaster-Lebanon League football fans — Warwick fans in particular — were eagerly awaiting for with great promise and the upmost levels of anticipation. And why not? Coming off an emotionally-charged roller coaster season both on and off the field, the Warriors achieved a first in school history in 2018 by laying claim to the school’s first postseason victory in a through and complete 64-0 drubbing of Palmyra on a quagmire-like Grosh Field on a rain-soaked night in the opening round of the District 3-5A playoffs. Yet even though the Warriors’ memorable ride would eventually come to an untimely end the very next week on the road at Cedar Cliff, the Warriors were slated to return arguably the most talented roster in school history headlined by a record-setting quarterback with an unbelievably high ceiling, an all-state wide receiver with the speed that rivals that of Secretariat, and a five-star offensive lineman who will have to tip his letter carrier handsomely at Christmas given the tons of high-profile recruiting letters he appears to be receiving on a daily basis. But even with Joey McCracken, Trey Glass and Nolan Rucci all reentering the fold respectively this season, the Warriors have proven that they are far from a three-trick pony throughout the first part of the regular season. Even still, it’s a feat that unfortunately does not come without its pain given the season-ending ACL injury suffered by Glass in the opening game of the season against Ephrata. And after two impressive showings out of the chute against Ephrata and Garden Spot respectively in the form of cumulative final scores tallying 117-13, the “big one” still loomed on the calendar the very next week.

Whichever GPS you fancy, the distance between Lititz and Manheim, Pennsylvania is roughly five miles as the crow flies. Sure, that may sound like a relatively short distance, but the distance between the Barons and Warriors on the football field has been anything but. Although the series took a bit of a hiatus for a small handful of years, there simply was no escaping the fact that Manheim Central, a smaller school mind you, had not lost to Warwick since 1983.

That was of course until last week.

Behind a stifling defense and an absolutely magnificent performance authored by the Warriors’ offense last week, Warwick was finally able to break their Manheim Central hex at long last with an unforgettable 37-7 domination of Manheim Central for arguably the biggest win in school history. But even for all the good vibes and storming of the field aside, the challenges of a high school football schedule breaks for no one. And with that, the Warriors still had not yet started on their next objective, claiming the L-L Section 1 championship this season. In that regard, their first assignment brought them to Landisville on Friday night to tangle with Hempfield.

Speaking of encores, last week was one that the homestanding Black Knights would rather soon forget. After another back and forth battle with Central York — the second waged between the two programs in as many years — Hempfield unfortunately found themselves coming just within a whisker of tripping up the Panthers yet again this season in a 30-28 setback suffered on the road. Regardless, one need only ask someone with experience competing in the Lancaster-Lebanon League as to just how potent and the dangerous the Black Knights are on an annual basis, something perhaps best exhibited by their resounding 26-3 triumph over Dallastown in Week 1. So, needless to say, Hempfield was looking to replicate some of that very same magic experienced in their first game back at the friendly confines of Georgelis Law Firm Stadium since that opening night victory over the Wildcats after coming up empty-handed on the road at Manheim Central and in the aforementioned contest against Central York.

However, it quickly became apparent that this too would be a night that would belong to the Warriors once again.

But it certainly did not start out that way mind you.

After Warwick won the opening coin flip and decided to defer, the Black Knights opened up shop at their own 25-yard line. Following the opening kickoff return, the Black Knights needed to travel only seven yards before junior running back Tanner Hess took off around the right side of the line and motored his all the way down along the Hempfield sideline and into the endzone as Hess’ 68-yard lightning bolt of a touchdown run created an audible hush over the Warwick crowd as their hosts had just jumped out to the early 7-0 lead just 1:29 into the contest.

No matter.

When working with a smorgasbord of talent similar to the kind that the Warwick offense is able to boast, having the ability to score within the blink of an eye is never really out of the realm of possibility.  Sure enough, that is precisely what happened on the Warriors’ opening series.

After a 52-yard toss by way of the fake bubble and subsequent go route from junior quarterback to Joey McCracken to senior wideout Conor Adams, the white-clad Warriors suddenly found themselves knocking on the door at the Hempfield 22-yard line following the first of many lethal hookups from McCracken to Adams on the evening. More from those two later assuredly. Yet even though they were able to make a dramatic splash on their initial offensive play, Warwick’s opening drive of the ballgame was not without its difficulties as well. Case in point, a fourth & four which the Warriors faced later in the series from the Hempfield 16-yard line. Remember that McCracken to Adams duo? If you were a part of the Warwick offensive brain-trust on Friday night you most certainly did. And seemingly right on cue, McCracken was able to locate and hit Adams out in the flat for the 10-yard strike to move the sticks and usher Warwick down to the Black Knights’ 6-yard line which gave the visitors from Lititz a fresh set of downs. From there, the Warriors went away from the glitz and glamour of the aerial attack momentarily and opted for the black and blue method of pounding the rock between the tackles to ultimately get the job done as junior running back Colton Miller was able to do just that with a 6-yard jaunt across the chalk line to knot things back up at 7-7 following the Tanner Haines PAT with 8:17 still left to go in the opening quarter.

While both offenses took their respective turns shining in the spotlight through the early going on Friday night, it would prove to be both the Warwick and Hempfield defenses who would then take center stage over the course of the next few possessions as both the Black Knight and Warrior defensive troops authored successful stands throughout much of the remainder of the opening stanza. But just when it may have appeared that a defensive slugfest was about to take shape, the Warrior offense spearheaded by Joey McCracken and his fellow dynamic ‘mates quickly proved to those in attendance as to why they are arguably the most potent phase of football found on this side of the state.

Sure, while the bulk of Warwick’s damage is traditionally done through the skies, the Warriors’ offensive line understandably has no quarrels whatsoever about knocking their opposition backward when asked to run-block. And on the first play of the Warriors’ final drive of the first quarter, the Warwick road-graders got their wish as a bulldozing run from Colton Miller behind the stout Warwick O-line immediately got the Warriors back on the Hempfield side of the field to the 27-yard line following the powerful 33-yard exercise in physicality from the 6’2 201lb tailback. From there, Warwick went back to their familiar, cozy safety blanket of chucking the rock into the air — and being rewarded nicely for the decision — as a 23-yard touchdown strike from McCracken to Adams gave the Warriors’ their first lead of the night at 14-7 with just 50 seconds left to play in the first quarter.

From there, the Warwick offense could proceed back onto the field following yet another successful stand by way of their relentless, attacking defense after the Hempfield offense came up empty-handed. And after taking over at their own 41-yard line following the Hempfield punt, the Warwick offense began to poke and prod their way into the Black Knights’ defense with a series of incisions thrown from McCracken into the waiting hands of recipients such as junior wide receiver Kai Cipalla and fellow junior wideout Caleb Schmitz. So, with the air attack proving worth its weight in gold as it allowed the Warriors to move right down the field in dink and dunk fashion, it seemed only fitting that a receiver have the honors in terms of capping the drive off.

Once again, let us harken back to the firm of McCracken and Adams.

With their offense now clicking following back-to-back sideline routes with Schmitz being on the receiving end, McCracken then found Conor Adams for the pair’s second touchdown combination of the night, this one from 13-yards out, as the Warriors then saw their lead swell to 21-7 with 7:24 still left to go in the opening half.

7:24? That might as well be considered pocket change.

After yet another stand by way of their defensive troops, the Warwick offense then trotted back onto the field eager to inflict more damage up on the scoreboard. Turns out they wouldn’t have to travel all that far on this possession as the Warriors went back to work at the Hempfield 42-yard line following the change in possession. And after yet another long jaunt by Colton Miller which quickly had the Warriors knocking on the door of the redzone once again with the ball at the 27-yard line, Miller would be able to complete the heavy lifting the rest of the way as Miller’s 18-yard touchdown, his second of the evening, upped the Warwick advantage to 27-7 with 3:39 left in the half following the missed PAT.

Needless to say, the Warwick offense was now humming right along at peak proficiency. Equally so was that of the Warriors’ defense. The only thing was, the Warwick D didn’t really have any tangible evidence given the disparity in terms of points scored when compared to their prolific offense. Well, that argument would quickly be turned upside down right then and there.

On Hempfield’s ensuing offensive possession following the second Miller TD jaunt of the night which put the Warriors up by 20, senior defensive back Justin Gerhart was able to read his keys to perfection before jumping the route and coming up the subsequent Pick 6 which propelled Warwick out to the now commanding 34-7 cushion with 3:26 left to play in the half.

Yet even though the Warriors be done in terms of adding any more neon to the scoreboard for the remainder of the opening half, there was still time for some additional highlights in the waning stages of the second quarter such as a diving interception thanks to the efforts of senior linebacker Austin Bufis successfully thwarted the final Hempfield drive of the half, a takeaway which sent the visiting Warriors into the dressing room with 34-7 lead and 34 unanswered points to their name.

Coming out of the break, the Warwick offense had first dibs with the football and wasted little to no time in picking up right where they had left off in the first half.

After a big chunk play by way of the bubble screen from McCracken to Schmitz which got the drive underway and put the Warriors back into Hempfield territory right out of the chute following the 26-yard reception, McCracken went back to his favorite target on Friday night, Conor Adams, as the two hooked up for their third touchdown pairing of the brisk, early autumn evening as the 35-yard toss from McCracken to Adams via the slant pattern put Warwick up 41-7 with 9:55 left in the third.

After holding the Hempfield offense on downs with the game now making its way into the middle of the third quarter, the Warwick starting offense was called upon to answer the dinner bell one more time before the night was through. While it may not have always been a thing of beauty from start to finish, the ensuing Warwick drive was ultimately able to get a second lease on life following both a literal and figurative basketball lob thrown from Joey McCracken to Caleb Schmitz, as the two key members from last season’s Lancaster-Lebanon League silver medalist Warwick hoops squad accounted for the 30-yard toss on third and 15 to give the Warriors a fresh set of downs just past the midfield stripe with the ball now resting at the Hempfield 44-yard line. From there, McCracken was able to find yet another reliable target in Thatcher Miller as the 6’3 202lb junior tight end hauled in a reception which sped the Warriors’ offensive charge down to the Hempfield 22-yard line as the third quarter would eventually expire.

Speaking of wasting little to no time, perhaps there was no better illustration of that very notion than with the opening play of the final period.

Finding themselves sitting on the verge of reentering the redzone with the final 12:00 set to get underway, McCracken proceeded to throw caution to the wind quite literally with an absolute picturesque, teardrop dime in the very back of the endzone to the aforementioned Schmitz, as the 22-yard touchdown toss, McCracken’s fourth of the contest, allowed Warwick to enjoy the 48-7 cushion with 11:52 still left to go.

Even with the outcome of the game undoubtedly decided up until that point, there was still more than ample time for core nucleus of the Warriors’ squad to get their rightful opportunity to shine under the Friday night lights. And shine they would.

With time running out what would soon become Warwick’s fourth consecutive victory, Christian Royer was able to provide the Warrior faithful with just a small but favorable glimpse of the future yet to take place with a resounding 53-yard touchdown scamper after wisely bouncing it outside after seeing a traffic jam in his immediate pathway, as the 5’9 170lb sophomore running back darted into the endzone for the final score of the evening, a final score which sent Warwick back home a winner by virtue of their decisive 55-7 triumph over Hempfield.

On the macro, Friday night was one met with great anticipation not just for Warwick fans, but for fans from around the area as well given the always prevalent possibility of a “mental letdown” following such a historic victory just one week before. On the micro though, Friday night ironically provided all those with remaining questions as to how it appears Warwick will end up handling success and high expectations along with the bullseye that will surely be placed upon their backs that will only grow larger and larger by the week as the season moves along.

“Very happy with the response,” veteran Warwick head coach Bob Locker said after seeing his squad spot Hempfield a 7-0 lead in the early going on Friday night. “We really didn’t flinch or anything. We just went down the field, moved the football, answered, and then the defense got their feet…I’m just glad to see the kids respond the way they did. That was good to see.”

Okay. Mental part? Check. With that already in tow, the talent visible to the naked eye alone makes Warwick a formidable force from here on out not just in L-L Section 1, but within the District 3-5A field and beyond as well.

“He’s a really good quarterback,” Locker said with a chuckle and a wry smile in a matter-of-fact way in regard to his junior signal-caller. “I don’t think a lot of people know how good he really is. We know because we see him all the time, but he dropped some dimes on people that were in-stride and were where they needed to be. He does some things really well.”

“He runs hard,” Locker added when also asked about his workhorse running back Colton Miller on Friday night. “The thing we like about him is that he’s always leaning forward. There’s never negative yardage after contact. There’s always positive yards after contact.”

But skill aside, producing fireworks on a seemingly weekly basis is not something that comes overnight. Something this year’s group of Warriors appears to have acknowledged and accepted hook, line and sinker.

“Joey (McCracken), the wideouts and the running backs, we all spend a lot of time,” said Locker of the offseason regimen to create such cohesiveness amongst the group. “We start in like December/January just doing stuff. We meet regularly. They (the players) create a body of work and get together on their own. They’re very familiar with each other. And then throw in the offensive line which I think continues to grow and get better every week.”

“So far, we find ways to score. We find ways to move the football. We share the football. A lot of people get touches. There’s a lot to be thankful for. There really is.”

“We have room to grow,” Locker went on to add lastly. “We understand that down the road there’s some games looming, but right now, the only game that matters is the next week and we’ll go from there.”

NEXT UP: Speaking of the next game, standing in line next for Warwick to try and corral is the Red Tornado of McCaskey in Lancaster city against a Tornado squad that is eagerly chomping at the bit to pick up their first win of the season following their 49-20 defeat at the hands of Cedar Crest on Friday night. Needless to say, tripping up a Warwick team that is currently ranked inside the Top 5 of some statewide publications released this past week would prove to be quite an achievement and a program-changing victory should the always-dangerous Red Tornado be primed and ready for an upset.

For Hempfield, it’s back to the drawing board in hopes of finally snapping this three-game skid which the Black Knights currently find themselves riding on. Unfortunately, the immediate road ahead does not appear to be all that more favorable as the Knights will find themselves boarding the buses and heading northward to Lebanon County as they prepare to tangle with the aforementioned Cedar Crest Falcons, a squad that is dangerously and sneakily flying under the radar while currently boasting a perfect 4-0 unblemished record to their name.

They often say that the world of high school sports is a cyclical one. In other words, most every program is never truly immune to the peaks and valleys that many often experience and ultimately go through as various waves of students work their way through the hallways and onto the athletic fields over the span of time. So, in its purest essence, it certainly seems fair to say that the only constant in high school sports is change.

As one can imagine, and perhaps even experienced in their own playing days themselves, not every group is carved out from the exact same cookie-cutter mold. Quite often, the results yielded can vary just as wildly as the changes in the seasons. In that regard, don’t be so surprised if you find yourself bumping into Annville-Cleona head coach Matt Gingrich and Ephrata head coach Kris Miller on the street or in the supermarket around town these days and find them singing a few lines from “Celebration” by Kool and the Gang.

Coming into the season, the 2019 campaign appeared to be one destined for a crescendo-like effect for Annville-Cleona. Entering the year having won none fewer than six games a season in their scholastic football careers, this veteran-laden group of proven and seasoned Dutchmen appeared to have all the trimmings of a team ripe for taking the section crown back from Lancaster-Lebanon Section 3 powerhouse, Lancaster Catholic, especially considering the fact that the Dutchmen finished the 2018 race hot on the Crusaders’ heels inside the Section 3 standings in posting a 7-2 record in Section 3 with an embarrassment of riches set to reenter the fold once again for A-C.

On the other side, a true renaissance is currently underway for the Ephrata Mounts football program from top to bottom. For years, five to be exact, the Mounts experienced nothing but pure, unbridled frustration given the five straight 0-10 seasons which Ephrata was forced to trudge through from 2013-2017.

But that all changed on Saturday September 1^st, 2018.

On that day, the football gods finally shined brightly upon the Mounts as everything appeared to go Ephrata’s way in a 61-14 shellacking of Northern Lebanon, a game which was moved away from Northern Lebanon’s campus and down to Ephrata given the torrential downpours experienced the night before, for a true hometown victory which finally put the much-needed punctuation mark on the Mounts’ ongoing 52-game losing streak at the time.

However, that wouldn’t be the last the world would hear from the Mounts.

Following their historic win over Northern Lebanon, the Mounts fought tooth and nail just six days later, ironically enough against Annville-Cleona as fate would have it, before the Dutchmen ultimately prevailed courtesy of a last-second Hail Mary to top Ephrata 41-35. But from the Annville-Cleona loss on, Ephrata went on to finish the year by winning four of their last seven, even flirting with the District 3 playoff bubble down the final furlong, a sight nonetheless remarkable given the Mounts’ most recently collected resumes. And with a deep talent pool from which to play with that has just now started to emerge following a successful tenure down in the youth ranks, it appears that the Mounts have finally arrived in terms of not only competing, but now also truly battling for section supremacy.

So, with all that being said, it should have come as no surprise to no one that Friday night’s tussle at War Memorial Field between Annville-Cleona and the homestanding Mounts provided the winner with an opportunity to sit at the top of the Section 3 standings at 2-0 alongside the aforementioned Lancaster Catholic Crusaders come night’s end, in a matchup between two teams ready to make a big leap at challenging the throne.

In a game that was dripping with so much intrigue coming into the evening, the opportunity for fireworks to be dialed up between the two sides appeared to be rather favorable. Well, it wouldn’t take very long for Annville-Cleona in offering up a firm stamp in order to validate that very notion.

After starting off at the Ephrata 49-yard line on their opening possession of the evening following a targeting call whistled against the Mounts on the game’s opening kickoff, Annville-Cleona began the evening by turning to their bread and butter of running the football. And after just two plays of keeping it on the ground, the Dutchmen already found themselves knocking on the door at the Ephrata 11-yard after a long gainer on the quarterback keeper from A-C senior triggerman, Junior Bours. From there, the Dutchmen needed just two more plays to finally cross the chalk line as a 16-yard Trevor Porche touchdown burst up the gut gave the visitors from Annville the early 7-0 advantage with just 56 seconds having ticked off the first quarter clock.

From then on, volleys were seemingly traded back and forth at will for the rest of the evening.

After setting up shop at their own 20-yard line on their opening series of the night, Ephrata was able to move the ball down the field with a methodical gameplan of dinking and dunking their way past the A-C defense before the Mounts were faced with a 3^rd& 18 attempt on their own side of the field following a nice tackle for loss authored by A-C’s Evan Heilman. Yet even when finding themselves placed well behind the sticks, the next play from scrimmage provided a glimpse into the events yet to unfold as Ephrata senior quarterback Caden Keefer executed the perfect play call of running a screen against the swarming Dutchmen defenders as Keefer was able to connect with junior wideout Brock Boyer for the 61-yard pitch and catch combination for the Ephrata touchdown, allowing the Mounts to tie things up at 7-7 with 7:02 left to play in the opening stanza.

Yet even for as well as their offense had been playing up until that point in the ball, the Ephrata defense was equally as stingy in the early going on Friday night.

After forcing Annville-Cleona into a three & out following a successful goal line stand administered by the A-C defense on Ephrata’s second series of the ballgame, the Dutchmen lined up to punt it away to the already scorching-hot Ephrata offense. That was of course until Sammy Knowles got into the fray as the 5’8 senior defensive back raced in from his spot on the Mounts’ coverage unit to block the would-be Annville-Cleona punt, having the ball bounce harmlessly out of the back of the endzone for the impromptu safety, giving the Mounts their first lead of the contest at 9-7 with just 54 seconds left to tick off the first quarter clock.

Remember that white-hot Ephrata offense? Yeah, not much would slow it down on Friday night. Not even a brief break in between quarters.

Once the second period got underway, Caden Keefer and the Ephrata offense continued to remain on the prowl, seemingly picking up large chunks of yardage as they pleased against the A-C defense. But for as conventional and ho-hum as things appeared to be for the Mounts’ offense, Ephrata’s offensive staff reached deep into their bag of tricks and came up with a hook & ladder play shortly thereafter on the Mounts’ next drive as Keefer found a waiting Sammy Knowles, who then pitched it to a streaking Tyler Nelson, as the junior offensive lineman started a massive party in the endzone as the 25-yard Keefer to Knowles to Nelson touchdown gave Ephrata the 16-7 cushion with 9:09 still left to play in the first half.

At this stage of the game, it had appeared that nothing much could slow down the Ephrata offense. That is of course except for the Mounts themselves.

Following a three & out authored by their defense on the ensuing Annville-Cleona offensive series, the Mounts found themselves setting up shop near the midfield stripe once again with the opportunity to land yet another upper-cut. However, just when everything had to be going rather swimmingly for the Mounts, trouble was afoot as an ill-timed Ephrata fumble bounded up in the arms of Annville-Cleona’s Tyler Long, as the Dutchmen’s senior defensive back raced 46 yards back to the Ephrata 5-yard line, giving A-C the golden opportunity to punch right back.

However, in football, much like in life, the game giveth and the game taketh away.

Unable to solve the riddle of the Ephrata defense through the first two plays of the series, Annville-Cleona found themselves staring at a third and goal at the Mounts’ 7-yard line. Yet even when it had seemed as if a Dutchmen touchdown was surley in the cards, Ephrata’s Castor Shuman was there to say, “No sir,” as the Mounts’ 5’10 junior defensive back snagged the A-C fade in the corner of the endzone while isolated on his own island in one-on-one coverage, emphatically silencing the A-C charge right at the doorstep.

So, with an added boost of momentum thanks in large part to the work of their defense, the Mounts’ offense went right back to work at their own 20-yard line with six minutes and change left to go in the opening half. And after a beautiful swing pass tossed from Caden Keefer to a hard-charging Miracle Wratto who had emerged out of the Ephrata backfield, the Mounts suddenly found themselves knocking on A-C’s door with the ball now resting at the Dutchmen’s 33-yard line. Ironically, not even a pair of third down attempts could mow down the Mounts on this series as a Keefer dump-down pass to senior wideout Tucker Parmer kept the drive alive for the Mounts before Keefer called his own number on 3^rd& 8 before getting tripped up at the A-C 5-yard line following the 13-yard scamper. From there, Richard Greer had the honors as the powerfully-built 5’11 168lb sophomore running back bulldozed his way across the goal line for the 5-yard touchdown run, giving Ephrata the 23-7 advantage with 2:08 left to play in the half.

Needless to say, the time was now if Annville-Cleona had any remaining aspirations of reeling Ephrata back into their grasp as the game neared its intermission. Thankfully for the visitors from Lebanon County, they were able to do precisely that.

After being thrown into a 16-point hole, the Dutchmen were able to claw back out in seemingly no time whatsoever as an ultra-quick Junior Bours to Caden Horning connection got the ensuing Annville-Cleona drive kick-started after just one play. From there, Bours went right back to the friendly skies as he found Tyler Long racing down the Dutchmen sideline for 47-yard touchdown bomb just before the first half horn, allowing Annville-Cleona to whittle the Ephrata lead back down to a much more manageable nine-point deficit at 23-14 heading into the half.

That is of course what everyone in attendance likely thought as well.

Even despite the fact that the Bours to Long touchdown strike took place with only 1:19 set to melt off the first half clock, that proved to be more than enough time for the Ephrata offense to strike. At least on Friday night it was.

After taking over at their own 28-yard following the ensuing kickoff, Ephrata quarterback Caden Keefer continued his stellar first half of play by going back up top to Sammy Knowles as the Mounts’ dynamic senior duo accounted for a 22-yard chunk play right out of the chute as the Mounts now suddenly found themselves residing on the midfield stripe. From there, Knowles continued to work his way open against the A-C defense as the 5’8 senior wideout was found strolling down the Annville-Cleona sideline before hauling in the 39-yard touchdown lob thrown by Keefer as the Mounts proceeded to steal momentum right back from their guests with Ephrata darting into the halftime dressing room with firm ownership of the 30-14 advantage.

Unfortunately for the Dutchmen, there didn’t appear to be much impeding the progress of the Ephrata offensive steamroller on this night. Not even a halftime respite.

Coming out the break, the Mounts authored an absolutely picture-perfect drive, chewing up 80 yards of offense while spitting out nearly half of the third quarter clock once all was said and done, as a 29-yard touchdown reception from Keefer to Knowles put Ephrata in front, 37-14 with 7:35 showing on the third quarter clock.

But just as they had during a critical juncture back in the first half, Annville-Cleona was able to put together an answer just when they needed it most.

After a 33-yard pitch and catch from A-C senior quarterback Junior Bours to Evan Heilman got the ensuing Dutchmen drive underway, another sweet toss from Bours, this one to fellow senior Romeo Varela, put the Dutchmen back on the Mounts’ doorstep with the ball now resting at the 5-yard line. Fittingly, for as much as his handiwork had allowed Annville-Cleona to effectively march that far down the field up until that point, Junior Bours would then have the honors of finishing things off as his 1-yard touchdown via the quarterback sneak closed the Ephrata lead down to a 37-20 count following the unsuccessful two-point conversion with 5:37 left in the third.

Just then, it was time for a miracle. Both literally and figuratively.

After taking over at their own 27-yard line following the Bours touchdown, Ephrata’s dazzling junior running back, named none other than Miracle Wratto, proceeded to take off around the left side of the line and found nothing but green, artificial turf in his unimpeded pathway as the 73-yard Wratto touchdown jaunt gave Ephrata the immediate rebuttal after just one play from scrimmage, putting the Mounts up 44-20 just 34 seconds later.

Yet even with time quickly winding down on third quarter proceedings, Ephrata felt as if they still had more work left to do.

After a scintillating three and out thanks to the efforts of their defensive mates, the Ephrata offense trotted back out onto the field as the Mounts found themselves 69 yards away from paydirt. They would.

After another Keefer strike through the air, this one to 5’10 freshman running back Andre Weidman, the Mounts had quickly and effectively marched their way down to the A-C 38-yard line. And after a Keefer to Richard Greer pass then ushered the Mounts down to the Dutchmen 15-yard line, Miracle Wratto was able to finish things off once again for the Ephrata offense as Wratto’s 9-yard touchdown run, his second in as many possessions, propelled Ephrata out to the gargantuan 51-20 lead before the final 15 seconds eventually bled off the third quarter clock.

However, even with the outcome of the game now largely decided, Ephrata continued to press their foot firmly down to the floorboard as the game moved into the final 12 minutes.

On the very first play of the final quarter no less, the stage continued to belong to the Mounts as junior defensive back Brock Boyer was able to read his keys before rising up and snaring the errant A-C pass, giving the ball back to the Mounts, albeit deep in their own territory at the 25-yard line.

No matter.

After yet another masterful series engineered by Caden Keefer and the Ephrata offense, Miracle Wratto was able to claim his third consecutive touchdown of the ballgame, this one of the 16-yard variety, as the Ephrata advantage now swelled to 58-20 with 5:39 left to play in the contest.

And although Annville-Cleona would eventually close out the scoring thanks to a marvelous 19-yard touchdown run from sophomore running back Chase Maguire on the final play from scrimmage, the damage inflicted by the Mounts had already proved too large to overcome as the Mounts celebrated by proudly singing the alma mater with one another in front of a still-packed house at War Memorial Field as the final score posted up on the scoreboard continued to blaze brightly into the night sky, 58-26.

“After last year the way that game ended (against Annville-Cleona), to have a chance to win the football game, not getting it done and letting them score on a Hail Mary, we were determined all week to not let it get to that point,” an understandably elated Ephrata head coach Kris Miller said afterwards on Friday night. “We knew that if we could get up by two scores that we felt like we could hold on and just hold that momentum.”

“When you play a team like that and the speed at which they play, it takes a series to get up to speed,” said Miller of his team’s response following the early jab thrown by Annville-Cleona in the opening minutes. “But our kids bounced back, scored a touchdown, and then we had momentum the whole time it felt like. It was nice to see the kids have that enthusiasm and stay with it and understand the situation.”

In a way, the early going on Friday night could have easily served as a microcosm when describing the Mounts’ season up until this point. After all, a lot of offseason chatter around the L-L League centered around the Ephrata program and their impending rise this season which could have easily been derailed and scrubbed away following a 61-0 setback at the hands of archrival Warwick on the opening night of the season. But not this group. They’re different. In a good way.

“They understood that it was just one of ten,” Miller said of the mindset regarding his ballclub following the Warwick game. “Warwick is a really good football team. They wore us out. Afterwards, we said, ‘We have to get better and not let that happen.’ We also had to understand that it’s just one of ten,” added Miller. “There was stuff that we did well that we built on and we were able to fine-tune some of the things that we didn’t do so well. Now we have kids playing with confidence.”

“This team has done an unbelievable job of buying in to what we’re doing. They could have very easily in years 1 and 2 just packed it in and say, ‘Forget this.’ Everything we’ve thrown at them this year with the team-building stuff, doing a book study, all of those things, they’ve bought in to it and we’re starting to develop some mental toughness.”

NEXT UP: Following their monstrous win on Friday night against Annville-Cleona, the Ephrata Mounts now find themselves entering into uncharted waters of sorts next Friday night when the Purple and Yellow load up the buses and head into Lancaster city next week for a Titantic-sized matchup against Lancaster Catholic on the road for another intense battle inside the L-L Section 3 race. But if you think the Mounts will spend any great length of time reading their press clippings garnered from this one, guess again.

“That’s what I told the kids,” Miller said of the impending matchup against the Crusaders. “I told them that we’re going to enjoy this tonight. We’ll enjoy it when we come in tomorrow morning at 9 o’clock to run. Then, at 11 o’clock when we leave here for the weekend, it’s on to Lancaster Catholic.”

For Annville-Cleona, the Dutchmen must now pick up the pieces and regroup heading into the next few weeks as A-C preps to take on fellow Lebanon County rival Northern Lebanon next Friday night before embarking on a critical two-week stretch against Columbia and Lancaster Catholic respectively in two back-to-back ballgames that will greatly determine as to how exactly Annville-Cleona will factor into the Section 3 championship race from here on out.

Death, taxes and preseason predictions. Okay, maybe that isn’t exactly the same phrase, but in the world of high school football, it still rings true.  This year, when speaking on the topics of the Lancaster-Lebanon League Section 1 and the District 3-6A field most specifically, the conversation begins and ends with the Manheim Township Blue Streaks. And for good reason.

All things considered, most teams would be quite envious when a “rebuilding” year consists of a three-team share of a division title and a semifinal appearance in the district playoffs. Yet incredibly enough, those are the heights that Manheim Township head coach Mark Evans and his staff have now elevated the Blue Streaks’ program to.

If you’re from around these parts, chances are that you already know the story here. Over the last handful of years, Manheim Township was steadily and persistently risen from the ranks of a program that could spring the occasional landmark upset and be pesky enough to finish in the middle of the pack in terms of the L-L Section 1 race. They are now a full-fledged behemoth that could not only hang with some of the best teams in all corners of the District 3 landscape, but ultimately win the “big boy” division of central Pennsylvania high school football as they did in 2017. When you get right down to it, you had better believe that a program architect such as Coach Evans understands the importance of having this year’s core group grow up watching tangible Township success take place both on and off the field.

“That’s the culture piece,” said Evans. “Culture eats strategy for breakfast any day of the week. I truly believe that this group is benefiting from that 2017 team, which finished teams off early and allowed younger kids to get a taste of what it’s all about.”

“It’s that taste,” Evans added. “It’s like that taste of chocolate. Once you taste it, it tastes pretty good and you want more of it. If you want to continue what you’re doing, then you darn well better get out there and work. That’s what they’re doing. It’s a talented group. That talented group has been growing through the program and had their opportunities because of other people.”

But while many were quick to coin the 2017 Blue Streaks as a “once in a generation” type outfit, the undeniable undercurrent for long-term prosperity was already churning well below the surface in Neffsville, not yet visible to the naked eye.  Sure enough, here we are just two years later with the ridiculously deep and ultra-talented Blue Streaks figuring to be one of the favorites to capture both the Lancaster-Lebanon League Section 1 and District 3-6A crowns once again, the latter of which would put the Streaks just two wins away from claiming the school’s first state championship.

Whether you consider it cliché or not, it’s still essentially pointless in terms of truly predicting who will make it to Hershey in early December for the season’s grand finale. For Township most specifically, step number two in their 2019 journey brought them to York County on Friday night for a matchup with the Dallastown Wildcats,. This program also routinely finds itself duking it out for division titles and snagging District 3 playoff berths in their own right.

When trying to slay a giant such as Manheim Township, getting off to a fast start is paramount. In that regard, put a huge check mark next to Dallastown’s name on Friday evening.

Dallastown quarterback, Gabe Hall, was able to connect with tight end Cashiss Day along the Township sideline early in their opening drive, the Wildcats quickly found themselves in Blue Streak territory as the D-Town senior duo accounted for a monster 66-yard chunk play.

The air attack didn’t stop there. On third and 11 from the Township 21-yard line, Hall was able to find senior wideout Kahleed Gray for an ultra-quick Dallastown touchdown, putting the Wildcats up 7-0 with just 1:45 having ticked off the first quarter clock.

Yet even with early momentum riding with Dallastown, it would prove to be Manheim Township’s night the rest of the way.

Following the ensuing kickoff, the Blue Streaks set up shop at their own 39-yard line. Township was there to author an even better effort than Dallastown, as the Streaks went 61 yards in just one play. Senior running back Jaden Floyd was able to bounce it off of the left side before finding nothing but green in front of him as Floyd’s 61-yard TD jaunt allowed the Streaks to make the score 7-7 with 9:51 left in the opening stanza.

“It was kind of like okay, you just poked the bear,” Township head coach Mark Evans said in regard to the early haymaker thrown by Dallastown in the early going on Friday night. “Now it’s time for us to wake up. Let’s go.”

Message received loud and clear.

Dallastown was again be able to move the ball through the air on their ensuing drive.  They advanced the ball across the midfield stripe to the Township 45-yard line. The Wildcats’ march would be met with resistance the rest of the way by the Manheim Township defense. This was highlighted by a key stop short of the sticks from Township defensive back Jonathan Engel on a third and ten later on the drive. This forced Dallastown to punt away.

From there, Township never looked out the rearview mirror the rest of the night. Senior quarterback Harry Kirk was able to connect with Jaden Floyd out of the backfield for a 21-yard connection on third and six deep in Blue Streak territory. This successfully moved the ball out near midfield.

Floyd was then able to follow up with another hard-charging run. His 29-yard scamper off the right side led the Township charge all the way down to the Dallastown nine-yard line.

While it was Floyd who was able to inflict a bulk of the damage on the drive, it was Bryce Casey who ultimately finished things off. The Township senior running back was able to complete the 88-yard Manheim Township drive with a three-yard touchdown run. This  put the visitors up 14-7 with 1:20 left to go in the first quarter.

Following a Dallastown fumble on the kickoff,  the Blue Streaks found themselves now just 20 yards away from gaining a possible two touchdown cushion. Needless to say, they would.

Following a powerful 13-yard run by, you guessed it, Jaden Floyd, Harry Kirk was able to finish things off from there as the Colgate Raider commit called his own number from seven yards out. He executed the quarterback draw to put the Streaks up 21-7 as the first quarter clock expired just 39 seconds later.

While the opening moments of Friday night’s affair may have seemed like cause for concern for the Manheim Township contingent given the way Dallastown was able to advance the ball down the field, those concerns were likely just as quickly washed away given the effort and results put forth the by the Streaks’ D for the rest of the evening. All game long, Manheim Township defenders were consistently seen flying to the football, usually arriving with bad intentions, forcing the Wildcats’ offensive troops to fight and claw for literally every yard. Take the ensuing Dallastown drive for example.

On 3^rd& 6 at their own 25-yard line, Township senior defensive lineman Ben Mann and fellow senior linebacker Sam Emge had a meeting at the quarterback for the drive-killing sack, ending the Dallastown drive before it could even really get going.

The Blue Streaks were given yet another short field from which to work with following a nice punt return by way of sophomore wideout Elijah Fonseca which put the ball at the Wildcats’ 40-yard line, the Streaks were able to punch it in yet again following a 1-yard quarterback sneak from Kirk which put the Streaks up now 28-7 with 9:12 left to go in the first half.

With blood now clearly visible oozing out in the water by the bucket-load, the sharks known as the Manheim Township defensive unit quickly began to feast.

After a monster sack administered by senior Grayson Kuhn from his defensive line position which set up a Dallastown 3^rd& 20 from their own 18-yard line, senior defensive back Matt Mikulka was able to read his keys perfectly and snag an errant Wildcats’ throw as Mikulka’s diving takeaway gave Township another short field as Harry Kirk and the offense trotted back onto the field just 20 yards away from adding another score.

Spoiler alert: They would.

After a sweet 18-yard pass from Kirk to a streaking Ben Mann down the seam to get the drive underway, the Streaks now found themselves just one yard away yet again. Since the ability to have Kirk use his 6’2 205lb frame seemed to be rather effective the last time they called upon a quarterback sneak, the Township offensive brain-trust went right back to the very same well as the second 1-yard touchdown sneak from Kirk on the evening made it 35 unanswered points from Manheim Township, making it a 35-7 ballgame with 6:38 left in the half.

Another drive, another Township theft.

Clearly the Mikulka interception on the last Dallastown offensive series proved to be rather contagious for the Township defense troops as senior defensive back Nathan Carpenter was able to nab an interception of his own on the following drive, giving the ball back to Township in Dallastown territory yet again.

And while all touchdowns are a thing of beauty, if your team happens to on the receiving-end of them of course, there was arguably none prettier out of Township’s selection of eight on Friday night than their next one.

Facing a 3^rd& 19 at the Dallastown 39-yard line, Manheim Township 6’4 senior wideout Mickey Stokes was able to climb the ladder against one-on-one coverage on the outside, beating his defender at the summit and coming down with the 39-yard TD grab on the beautiful lob thrown by Kirk, putting the Streaks up by the mind-boggling 42-7 advantage with 5:25 left in the half given the manner in which things got underway.

Yet even while Township would ultimately not be able to add any more neon up on the scoreboard for the duration of the first half, the Streaks’ defense continued to play with their collective hair on fire for the remaining five minutes and change. Perhaps nothing exemplified this more than by Bryce Casey’s tandem of sacks on Dallastown’s final possession of the first half, effectively sending the Blue Streaks into the dressing room with 42 unanswered points as the proceedings now stood at 42-7.

Unfortunately for Dallastown, the intermission appeared to be futile in terms of taking any wind out of the Manheim Township sails.

Coming out of the break, the Township offense, namely the offensive line, continued to remain white-hot as a determined 23-yard pickup by Bryce Casey on a 3^rd& 3 attempt up the gut on the Streaks’ first offensive series of the half now had the ball resting at the midfield stripe. Shortly thereafter, Jaden Floyd began toting the rock once again with Floyd later being rewarded handsomely for his efforts as a gorgeous, yet somehow simultaneously vicious one-cut touchdown run from 38-yards out propelled the Blue Streaks to a 49-7 advantage with 8:41 showing on the third quarter clock.

Following a Dallastown three & out on their opening possession of the second half, the Manheim Township reserves began to work their way into the fold. But don’t let the depth chart fool you. The Blue Streaks can come at you in waves with no real significant drop off in terms of talent.

Never more was that on display for all to see than with Township’s ensuing offensive possession with senior running back Andre Smith receiving his opportunity to take the reins. Suffice to say, Smith did not disappoint as a handful of barreling runs from the 6’0 208lb menace paved the way for junior running back Shamir Alberto to cap things off with an 11-yard touchdown gallop on the final play of the third quarter with Township holding serve at 56-7.

From there, Manheim Township was able to handle their business and keep a lid on the Wildcats’ offense the rest of the way as Manheim Township had clearly and effectively showed all of their weaponry over the course of 48 minutes by virtue of their 49-point triumph.

“(Dallastown) was throwing their punches,” Township head coach Mark Evans said afterward. “We weathered the storm. We had a of couple miscues in the secondary early on, but take nothing away from Dallastown. I thought (Gabe Hall) threw a nice ball.”

“We had a good week of practice,” Evans went on to say. “We knew what we had to accomplish tonight. We knew that (Dallastown) was going to give us a heck of a punch. We were ready for it.”

NEXT UP: With a 2-0 start already to their name, Manheim Township will look to pick up right where have left off in the first two weeks of this season when the Blue Streaks return home for a renewal in their annual rivalry with Central Dauphin in a game that is sure to be played inside a phone booth between two of District 3-6A’s best franchises.

For Dallastown, the Wildcats will look to pick up the pieces with their record now standing at 0-2 following back-to-back setbacks to two Lancaster-Lebanon League Section 1 opponents in Hempfield and Manheim Township respectively as the Wildcats continue their unofficial tour through the L-L League with a trip to Millersville to tangle with Penn Manor next on the docket Friday night.

In high school football, there are teams and then there are programs. When speaking on the Cocalico Eagles, rest assured that they comfortably fall into the “program” category.

Every year, the narrative surrounding the program from Denver largely feels the same. A tough-as-nails, no-nonsense team that seems to enter the starting blocks surrounded by a thick fog of question marks that ultimately overachieves in some respects and fights tooth and nail for every inch and in turn, Lancaster-Lebanon League Section 2 and District 3 supremacy. And wouldn’t you know it, the storyline that encapsulated the 2019 Eagles appeared to fit snugly into that very same mold.

Now sure, while Cocalico entered this fall without the services of graduating studs such as Garrett Longenecker, Danny Engle, Austin Landers and Ben Sola just to name a few, the cupboard wasn’t exactly bare when head coach Dave Gingrich reassembled his troops at the start of fall camp. And while it is admittedly a light number in terms of seniors on this year’s roster, what they lack in quantity they certainly make up for in quality. Just look no further than the likes of quarterback Noah Palm, a New Hampshire commit, Brock Gingrich, an all-state lineman this past season, and Ronald Zahm, a running back equipped with jetpacks for legs, all who reenter the fold for Cocalico yet again this season.

So, while some on the outside fringes of the Lancaster-Lebanon League may be quick to point to Manheim Central yet again this season in terms of the L-L Section 2 and District 3-5A odds on favorite while paying no mind to any of the other teams stacked behind them, those native to these parts have seen this old familiar movie a time or two before. Discount Cocalico and you’ll likely pay dearly in your friendly inner-office wagers come November.

And while it’s still probably too early to get a truly definitive read on what a return investment on Cocalico will ultimately end up looking like this season, the early signs appear to be quite favorable considering the Eagles’ victory crusade at Conrad Weiser to begin the 2019 season campaign in the form of a 42-15 triumph last weekend, a game highlighted by Noah Palm’s dazzling five touchdown performance.

Sure enough, Cocalico found themselves back on the road a mere six days later with a trip to perennial Mid-Penn stalwart Cedar Cliff next on the docket, and a program that found itself just one game shy of playing Cocalico last season when the Colts were bounced in the District 3-5A semifinal round against Manheim Central who went on to best Cocalico one week later in the championship tilt.

So, with two of central Pennsylvania’s most revered and highly respected programs set to tee it up, Thursday night at West Shore Stadium was sure to provide fireworks aplenty as the Colts and Eagles officially kicked off the long Labor Day weekend.

Following a Cocalico punt on the Eagles’ opening possession of the ballgame, Cedar Cliff promptly went right to work their first time with the football by turning to their bread and butter of handing it off to senior battering-ram running back, Jaheim Morris. And with Morris and the Colts’ offense up to their usual tricks while also getting a 15-yard facemask called whistled against Cocalico added into their opening effort, the Colts quickly found themselves flirting with the aspect of entering the Eagles’ redzone their first time with the ball. However, with their backs both literally and figuratively pushed up against the wall, the Cocalico defense proved up to the task at hand, eventually forcing the Cedar Cliff offensive troops into a 4^th& 19 attempt.

Say hello to Ronald Zahm.

While Zahm routinely gets most of his accolades due to his propensity for making game-changing plays when coming out of the offensive backfield for Cocalico, Zahm proved to be equally effective from his perch in the defensive backfield as well on Thursday night. And right on cue, the 6’0 senior rose up and stole the errant Cedar Cliff pass on the aforementioned 4^th& 19 attempt, returning with his newfound prize out to the Eagles’ own 23-yard line.

That wouldn’t be the last time the West Shore would hear from Zahm.

While aided by way of a roughing the passer called against Cedar Cliff on Cocalico’s ensuing offensive possession, the visitors from Denver continued to inflict harm on the Colts’ defense on the very next play as sophomore running back Steven Flinton dashed all the way down to the Cedar Cliff 17-yard line, good for a 23-yard pickup.

Yet even with mojo clearly riding alongside at that time, the Eagles were promptly met with resistance from the Cedar Cliff defense as the Colts eventually would force Cocalico into a 3^rd& 13 try with the ball sitting 15 yards away from the chalk of the goal line.

No matter.

Following a timeout to gather the troops and discuss the play yet to be called, the Cocalico braintrust landed on a slant play to Ronald Zahm. Nice choice, considering Noah Palm was able to find Zahm for the 15-yard pitch and catch touchdown as the Eagles successfully drew first blood at 7-0 before the first quarter eventually reached its climax.

Sometimes in football, its simply better to be lucky than good. While Cocalico undoubtedly checks the box of the latter, they were blessed with a good bit of fortune at the end of the ensuing Cedar Cliff offensive possession as well.

With the Colts set to punt the ball back Cocalico following another successful stand put forth by the Eagles’ defense, a low snap would lead to the Colts’ punter having his knee unfortunately graze the fieldturf at West Shore Stadium in an effort to collect the bounding and bouncing pigskin, officially marking the play dead with Cocalico now sitting just 17 yards away from tacking on another score.

Rest assured, they would.

It wouldn’t take them very long either. After the Eagles were able to negotiate three initial yards at the onset of the drive, senior quarterback Noah Palm was able to sashay his way into the endzone as Palm’s second TD night, this one coming on a 14-yard option keeper, propelled Cocalico out to the 14-0 advantage with 10:33 left to play in the first half.

Needless to say, Cedar Cliff needed to offer a rebuttal. Pronto.

For a while, the chances of seeing the Colts respond and punch back appeared rather strong following a handful of powerful runs administered by Jaheim Morris when coupled with a gorgeous pass play from junior quarterback Gannon McMeans to senior wideout Ashton Gombola, which ushered the Colts’ effort all the way down to the Cocalico 7-yard line.

Oh yeah, Noah Palm also plays defense too.

With Cedar Cliff appearing to be on the verge of answering back to get back within a score of their guests, Palm immediately said no more by coming up from his safety spot, ripping the ball out for the clutch of the Cedar Cliff running back, and then promptly racing back to the house for the 90-yard defensive scoop and score to put Cocalico in early command at 20-0 with 7:21 left in the opening half after the PAT try sailed wide as a noticeable hush from the home stands was quickly countered with jubilation from the visiting bleachers just across the way.

This next time around however, Cedar Cliff would their answer.

With Jaheim Morris carrying the bulk of the load again, the Colts’ powerfully-built senior running back would eventually be able to reap the rewards of his hard work up to that point by toting the rock and scurrying 20 yards up the gut for the first Cedar Cliff touchdown of the evening as the Colts were able to narrow the Cocalico lead back down to 14 at 20-7 with 5:42 left showing on the second quarter clock.

For that brief moment, it had appeared as if Cedar Cliff was right back in the thick of things. As Noah Palm and Cocalico offense would quickly prove however, that was not to be the case.

After becoming the beneficiaries of yet another personal foul called whistled against Cedar Cliff on their next offensive series, the Eagles’ offense appeared to be back operating in high gear later on in the drive as a successful sneak from Palm on 4^th& 1 allowed the Cocalico drive to stay alive. From there, Palm went to the skies where he would find a streaking Trey Griffin racing down the seam as the senior duo was able to collect 27 yards on the play, allowing Cocalico to now set up shop at the Cedar Cliff 11-yard line. And while leaning on their tried and true method of running the ball right at the opposition, the Eagles would shortly find themselves just one yard away from tallying yet another score. Sure enough, the Eagles would indeed punch it across as sophomore running back Austin Vang was able to get into the action with a 1-yard TD plunge to make it 28-7 in favor of Cocalico following the successful two-point conversion as the Eagles raced off the field and into intermission just 38 seconds later with ownership of the somewhat surprising 28-7 advantage at the break.

New half, same ole’ Cocalico.

After coming out of the halftime break and offering up another successful defensive stand, the Eagles were out to show that their offense had experienced no ill-effects of the mandated respite when action would later resume. And while they would eventually be forced into a punting situation, that is all it would prove to be. A rather harmless situation in fact.

While it’s already been well-noted that Noah Palm stars in both the offensive and defensive backfields for Cocalico, he also just so happens to be the Eagles’ punter as well. So, if you are thinking that another Noah Palm splash play in the works here, you’d be correct.

After seeing something available to pillage in the Cedar Cliff return formation, Palm quickly took off running from his punting spot, darting off for the 22-yard gainer to push the Eagles across the midfield stripe and give the Eagles a fresh set of downs. But he wasn’t done there.

Give the ball to Palm and let him have the keys? Not a bad idea there either.

In fact, on the very next play, Palm was off to the races as his 46-yard touchdown run on the QB keeper allowed the Eagles to see their lead swell up to 36-7 with 6:33 left to go in the third quarter following Palm’s successful 2-point conversion pass play to Trey Griffin in the back of the endzone.

And while Cedar Cliff would later take advantage of a Cocalico miscue as the Eagles coughed up the football relatively deep in their own territory in the form of a 16-yard TD strike from Gannon McMeans to Ashton Gombola which closed the gap down to 36-14 with 38 seconds left to go in the third stanza, the damage inflicted by Cocalico over the course of the previous 36 minutes had appeared to be too much for the Colts to overcome the rest of the way home.

But even with the outcome not appearing to be in question anymore for the rest of the night, there was still more than enough time for Noah Palm to contribute one more highlight play to his already long reel thus far in 2019.

In their opening game a week ago, Noah Palm was able to account for a grand total of five touchdowns. Just six days later, Palm would again make it another five TD night as his fifth and final one of this evening was perhaps the most ho-hum of all, as Palm’s 78-yard touchdown dash on the option keeper closed out the scoring for the duration of the evening as Cocalico had successfully put the rest of the Lancaster-Lebanon League and District 3 audiences on notice by virtue of the their 43-14 road triumph over Cedar Cliff on Thursday night.

“I’m a straight shooter and I tell our guys the truth,” Cocalico head coach Dave Gingrich said in the glow of his team’s victory on Thursday night. “I said to our guys that we’re going to go up there Thursday night and you’re going to see a big, physical team of 70-75 kids. When we got here tonight, I said ‘Guys, I lied to you.’ They have like 86 (players).”

“We have 44 players which includes two kickers who are not position players and six freshmen,” Gingrich went on to say in reference his team’s roster make up. “When you take 40 kids going against 86, those aren’t good odds, but we’ll play hard and for the most part we’re disciplined.”

And having a stud quarterback who loves the game of football and all the necessary dirt, grit, and grime involved in the total overall process who runs the show doesn’t exactly hurt either.

“He’s just so competitive and he loves to practice too,” the Eagles’ head man said of his star triggerman, Noah Palm. “In practice, we have to watch what he does because he’s out there jumping, diving and doing this and that…..He’s like a little kid in a big boy’s body. He’s very good. Very, very, good.”

NEXT UP: Cocalico will certainly look to keep their early season dominance in full effect next Friday night when the Eagles play their home opener in Eagle Stadium against Governor Mifflin, a squad who coincidently fell at home to Cedar Cliff 18-13 last week and could very likely be staring 0-3 in the face next weekend in Denver should the Mustangs fall short against bitter rival Wilson this Friday night.

For Cedar Cliff, the good vibes experienced in their win at Governor Mifflin last week were likely totally washed away following their 29-point loss at home to Cocalico. However, the Colts will have very little time to lick their wounds considering their next opponent is quite possibly the best team on this side of the state as the Colts welcome the vaunted Harrisburg Cougars to West Shore Stadium next Saturday morning.

To say that every high school football team that plays in the state of Pennsylvania was looking forward to Friday night would be nothing if not a gross understatement. After all, this is the time of the season when the bright rays of eternal optimism shine their brightest given the dawn of a season while a perfect, unblemished record is promised to everyone as they all start off on the five-month marathon which will ultimately culminate in the crowning of six new state champions at Hersheypark Stadium come early December.  But while teams from every corner of the commonwealth woke up on Friday to the promise a brand-new season rising like the morning sun, it would be equally accurate to say that a certain few programs began the 2019 campaign with perhaps a little more reason for excitement than most.

Take the McCaskey Red Tornado for example.

For the Red Tornado and their always adorning fans, the recent “glory days” if you will from the early 2000’s that included legendary names such as Perry Patterson (Syracuse), Niquan Lee (Delaware), and Joel Holler (Penn State & Delaware) suiting up on Friday evenings, those nights likely seem like they are a distant, far off memory at this point. And sure, while the road has almost always seemed like it’s been littered with its fair share of potholes throughout the last decade or so, Friday night in Lancaster city marked the beginning of a new era for McCaskey football. The Sam London era.

Granted, a coaching change at the top of the Red Tornado program is not exactly something that is a new theme here considering London became the fourth McCaskey head coach in the last 10 years when he accepted the position in late February, but if the Red Tornado brass got it right, something they truly feel when referencing Coach London, the McCaskey program likely won’t have to wait long until they are back where they belong in terms of competing for Lancaster-Lebanon League Section 1 titles on a yearly basis considering Red Tornado football is the literal definition of a sleeping giant or powder-keg waiting on an alchemist to concoct the perfect potion in order to explode.

But for all the excitement that encapsulated Friday evening inside Lancaster General Health-Penn Medicine Stadium, there was business to attend to. Serious business.

Standing in the way of Coach London and his troops collecting their first win on Friday night stood the Red Lion Lions, a program that has unapologetically always seemed to hover at or near the top of the YAIAA Division 1 standings in recent years, ultimately turning those successful jaunts through the regular season into District 3 playoff appearances. So yes, needless to say, London and the Red Tornado were jumping head-first into the deep end to start their season.

And if Friday is to serve as any indication, special things may once again be in store for Red Lion this season.

Sparked by a 3 & out generated by their gnarly defense right out of the chute, the Lions took over at the McCaskey 46-yard line and promptly began moving right down the field. In fact, Red Lion would march all the way down to the McCaskey 2-yard line before running into trouble when their creative flea flicker play was intercepted thanks to the heads up play by McCaskey’s Isaiah Thomas which thwarted the Lions’ early momentum.

But by then, the tone for the rest of the duration of the evening had already been set.

On the ensuing McCaskey possession, Randy Fizer quickly returned the favor for Red Lion as the Lions’ rangy defensive back snagged the errant Red Tornado pass and raced all the way back to the house with it. Or so he and everyone else in attendance had thought.

Yet even despite the fact that Fizer’s interception was called back for an illegal block which was whistled against the Lions, Red Lion went right back to work by establishing their punishing ground game. It would prove to be a wise decision too as the Lions would find eventually paydirt after a 2-yard touchdown plunge from senior battering ram Devyn Guerreri, making it a 7-0 Red Lion advantage with 7:44 to play in the opening quarter.

Ironically enough, the next few minutes would nearly be a carbon copy for both sides.

Following another McCaskey turnover, this one taken away via junior defensive lineman Kairen Gordon-Bey falling on the loose pill, the Lions found themselves setting up shop once again inside McCaskey territory with the ball comfortably resting at the Red Tornado 42-yard line eager with the Lions eager to pounce once again.

And pounce they would.

It would take Red Lion all of three plays to find the endzone for the second time on the young evening with Guerreri shouldering the burden both literally and figuratively on every single play of the drive as the 5’1 190lb brute eventually plowed his way across the goal line from 9-yards out to make it a 13-0 affair with 5:11 left in the first in favor of the visitors from York County following the PAT block.

While Devyn Guerreri largely was the most visible stud in terms of making things happen for Red Lion on the offensive side of the ball in the early going on Friday night, equally imposing was Randy Fizer for the Lions in the other two facets of the game.

As mentioned, Fizer had already returned an interception back to the house from his secondary spot which unfortunately was taken off the board thanks to an unfortunate case of laundry sitting on the field. And wouldn’t you know it, Fizer would once again have his handiwork wiped away as the 6’1 junior swiss army knife of a player for Red Lion saw his punt return for a touchdown in the waning stages of the opening stanza removed from the scoreboard thanks to yet another penalty flag tallied against the Lions.

No worries.

Although the Red Lion offense now had to trot back onto the field following the illegal block on the Fizer punt return, it simply allowed them to flex their collective muscle by way of the ground game.

With the ball now sitting at the McCaskey 26-yard line, the Lions’ offensive staff found themselves calling upon Guerreri to carry the load once more.

Good choice.

After just a small handful of plays, Red Lion found themselves celebrating in the endzone once again following a 14-yard touchdown jaunt from Devyn Guerreri, his third of the evening at that point, as the Lions’ advantage had quickly swelled to 19-0 with 11:17 left to go in the opening half.

From there, say hello once again to Randy Fizer.

On the ensuing McCaskey offensive possession, Fizer continued to create havoc for McCaskey by picking off another errant Red Tornado pass, giving the ball back to his fellow offensive mates with the dam just about ready to burst.

And burst it would.

Following a handful of successful quarterback draws from senior triggerman Nic Shultz, the 5’11 signal-caller would then proceed to up top where he would find Fizer for another Red Lion score as the nifty 13-yard bubble screen from the firm of Shultz & Fizer led to a 26-0 Red Lion bulge on the scoreboard with 7:12 left in the first half.

Another McCaskey offensive series, another Red Lion takeaway.

With the Red Tornado offensive struggling to even tread water against the fierce Red Lion defensive troops, the hill only continued to get steeper to climb for the hosts following a fumble recovery by Lions’ senior defensive lineman Bailey Royer, giving the ball back to Red Lion at the McCaskey 12-yard line.

Give the ball to Devyn Guerreri? Yeah, good idea.

Shortly following the Lions’ takeway, Guerreri was able to bolt his way up the gut from 12-yards out untouched as the Red Lion lead quickly increased to 33-0 with 6:45 left in the second quarter.

Yet even with the first half clock slowly melting away from there on out, that would prove to be more than enough time for the Lions to author yet another score before the break.

After a handful of the successful third down conversion on their ensuing offensive possession which included Nic Shultz hooking up with Guerreri and Fizer respectively through the air, Red Lion was able to tally another touchdown with the second quarter clock running out as Shultz found senior wideout Gerald Zapata for the gorgeous 7-yard fade in the corner of the endzone to up the Red Lion lead to 39-0 with just 15 seconds to go in what had been a dominating exercise of Red Lion football in the first half of action.

Yet even while the lead and more importantly, the mental mindset that Red Lion was able to establish in the first half was likely too big for the Red Tornado to eventually overcome, McCaskey continued to press on until the bitter end before eventually nabbing two touchdowns for their efforts in the fourth quarter on Friday night.

The first of which came on the defensive side of the ball as 6’0 senior athlete Ben Desmarais was able to rumble in from 44-yards out on the scoop and score to get the Red Tornado on the board for the first time this season, making it a 39-7 ballgame with 9:51 left to play following the successful PAT from junior placekicker Sam Hershey.

Fittingly, the second and final McCaskey score of the night come via the offense as 5’9 sophomore running back Bassir Epps was able to dart his way in from 23-yards out along the Red Lion sideline to trim the Lions’ advantage down to 39-14 with a shade over two minutes left to go.

But by that time, the damage inflicted by Red Lion in the first half had indeed proved too much for McCaskey to rally past as the Lions were able to impose their will on Friday night, earning a 39-14 triumph for their efforts to start the year off on a good note at 1-0.

NEXT UP: For Red Lion, the message appears to be relatively simple. Try and replicate pretty much an exact carbon copy of the same things seen visible this coming Friday night when the Lions load up the buses once again for a date with Waynesboro with the chance to keep their early perfect record intact.

On the other side, the road over the six days appears to be anything but easy as McCaskey will find themselves having to regroup and make the necessary changes come next Friday night for the annual renewal of their city series with York as the Bearcats come racing into Lancaster, a team that truly tested their mettle this past weekend by traveling out to Pittsburgh to tangle with mighty Pittsburgh Central Catholic.