Sean McBryan

Harrisburg’s football tradition is a powerhouse that spans generations.

Sophomore lineman Kevin Brown, whose father played for the Cougars and West Virginia, and junior quarterback Shawn Lee Jr., whose father played for the Cougars and Penn State, continued that tradition Saturday afternoon in a 28-21 victory over Central York in District 3 Class 6A semifinal at Severance Field.

“I didn’t play football until I was 14 and was fooling around with other sports like cycling and tennis,” Brown said. “I loved football my whole life, but my dad didn’t want me to play peewee because the poor technique can get ingrained in your head and you aren’t fully developed. I always watched my dad’s highlight tapes though.”

Brown, at 6-5, 250 pounds, will be following in his father’s Division 1 footsteps with offers already from Boston College, Kent State, Penn State, Pitt, Syracuse, Temple, UNLV, and West Virginia.

Lee Jr. scored on an 80-yard run on the first play of the game then two more in the third quarter as Brown dominated in the trenches on both sides of the ball and the No. 2 Cougars (11-1) moved on to face No. 1 Manheim Township in the district final for the second season in a row.

“On the first play?” Brown said of Lee Jr.’s opening touchdown run. “I was like, ‘Yeah!’ I’m going to take a seat on the bench and get ready for defense.”

Brown plays both offensive tackle and defensive end, while Lee Jr. plays quarterback, cornerback, and punter.

“It’s a mentality thing,” Brown said of playing both sides of the ball. “Our weight-room coach is all about mentality. He shows us these videos and stuff about turning it up, flipping a switch, and having a never-ending battery. We have so many players that play both ways.”

The Cougars defeated Manheim Township 44-6 in the championship last year and are looking for their third consecutive district championship, but fell 38-6 to the Blue Streaks in Week 3 this season.

“We’ll have extreme focus when we get to practice [in preparation for Manheim Township],” Brown said. “I’m hoping we all hold each other accountable. No slip-ups. Mistakes can happen [like in Week 3] but we just have to get up and try again.”

It’s the second season in a row the Cougars have knocked the Panthers (11-1) out of the district playoffs after beating them 44-7 in the semifinals last year.

Lee Jr., who has offers from NC State, Kent State, and Iowa State, dashed 80 yards for the first score of the game just 13 seconds in.

The Panthers returned the ensuing kickoff down to Harrisburg’s 13 before settling for a 24-yard field goal.

Malachi Ramnath then scored on a 33-yard TD reception from Brooklyn Nace and Pitt commit Juelz Goff ran in the 2-point conversion to give Central York an 11-7 lead with 56 seconds left in the first quarter.

The Cougars responded by getting their running game busy behind their big offensive line.

“We have one of the best lines in the state,” Brown said. “We all work together as brothers, call out the Mikes, and get the job done.”

Nehemiah Ewell scored on a 2-yard plunge and Lee Jr. ran in the two-point conversion to make it 15-11 with 4:59 left in the second quarter, a score that held at the break.

Lee Jr. scored on runs of 5 and 47 yards in the third quarter as Harrisburg built a 28-11 lead.

“We turned up in the second half,” Brown said. “Some of the blitzes they were showing in the first half were confusing us and we addressed it at halftime.”

Central York gave itself a chance in the fourth after Goff scored on a 10-yard run with 2:55 left, the Panthers recovered an onside kick, and Matthew Parker knocked in a 30-yard field goal with 1:04 left, but Harrisburg recovered the next onside kick and ran out the clock.

Harrisburg has five district championships tied for ninth all-time with Middletown behind Manheim Central (18), Bishop McDevitt and Steel-High (16), Cumberland Valley (13), Wyomissing (12), Camp Hill (11), Delone Catholic (8), Wilson (7), and Lancaster Catholic (6).

Final	1st	2nd	3rd	4th	Final
Central York	11	0	0	10	21
Harrisburg	7	8	13	0	28

Scoring Summary:

First quarter:
H: Shawn Lee Jr. 80-yard run (Gideon Fasayna kick) 11:47
CY: Matthew Parker 24-yard field goal 9:26
CY: Joel Polanco 33-yard pass from Brooklyn Nace (Juelz Goff run) :56

Second quarter:
H: Nehemiah Ewell 4-yard run (Shawn Lee Jr. run)

Third quarter:
H: Shawn Lee Jr. 9-yard run (Gideon Fasayna kick) 7:31
H: Shawn Lee Jr. 47-yard run (kick failed) 3:27

Fourth quarter:
CY: Goff 10-yard run (Matthew Parker kick)  2:55
CY: Matthew Parker 25-yard field goal 1:04

Manheim Township quarterback and Lehigh commit Hayden Johnson broke the program record for career passing yards, moved into fourth on the all-time Lancaster-Lebanon League yardage list, and lifted the top-seeded Blue Streaks to a 37-27 victory over No. 4 Cumberland Valley Friday night in a District 3 Class 6A semifinal in Neffsville.

Johnson passed for 283 yards and three scores — two to Monmouth commit Landon Kennel — to move his total touchdown passes on the season to 47 with zero interceptions. Johnson also rushed for a team-high 90 yards.

“We’re starting a new group up front and [Johnson] is responsible for making the right reads and helping them get in the right position,” said Manheim Township head coach Mark Evans, who picked up his 100th win with the Blue Streaks Friday. “His work ethic is second to none. He’s got a Power 5 arm and Lehigh is getting a steal. If he doesn’t compete to be a starter right off the bat there I’ll be shocked.”

Manheim Township moves on to face either No. 2 Harrisburg or No. 3 Central York, which play Saturday at 1 p.m., in the district championship. It’s the second straight appearance for the Blue Streaks, who fell to Harrisburg 44-6 last season but beat the Cougars 38-6 in Week 3 this season.

“It’s definitely been a key motivator for our team and it’s just good to be back and know that we have the opportunity in our hands,” Johnson said of returning to the district final. “We can control our outcome and we know it’s the biggest game of our lives. Whether it’s Harrisburg or Central York, we know it’s going to be a really good team. We have to prepare and come out and play our game for sure.”

The Blue Streaks (12-0) last won a district championship in 2017, a 24-21 victory over Cumberland Valley.

Manheim Township has had Cumberland Valley’s number as of late, knocking the Mechanicsburg side out of the district playoffs for the second season in a row. The Blue Streaks beat the Eagles 37-31 in last year’s quarterfinals and beat them 35-6 in Week 1.

But the Eagles (7-5) was a different squad coming into Friday as winners of six consecutive games after a 1-4 start.

“We knew they were going to be a different team,” Johnson said. “We knew they were on a hot streak. We just had to switch the game plan a little bit.”

Johnson hit a wide-open Lex Haberbosch for a 35-yard score with 9:27 left in the first quarter on a trick play where the ball was pitched back to the quarterback after a double reverse.
Don Rodriguez picked off Cumberland Valley QB Grant Shepley and returned it 31 yards for a score on the next possession to give Manheim Township 14-0 just 4:13 into the game.

Bryce Staretz, who finished with 166 yards, pounded in a 2-yard score with 4:39 left to get the Eagles on the board. Staretz had a 64-yard run on the drive to set Cumberland Valley up inside the Township 10.

Johnson hit Kennel for a 7-yard TD strike with 58.4 seconds left in the first quarter to give the Blue Streaks a 20-7 lead.

Shepley hit Caiden Pines, who finished with 156 receiving yards, for a 46-yard TD 1:26 into the second quarter to make it a one-score game.

Township responded with Taylor Veilleux’s 1-yard score with 7:45 left to cap a six-play, 82-yard drive. Johnson dazzled on the drive with his escapability in the pocket and a 67-yard strike to Daryus Dixon.

The Blue Streaks pulled ahead 34-13 after Johnson hit Kennel for a 6-yard TD with 3:05 left.

The Eagles put together a crucial 86-yard drive capped by Staretz’ 6-yard score with 36.5 seconds left before the break. Shepley hit Pines for a 45-yard gain on the drive.

Cumberland Valley got the ball to start the second half and capitalized on Shepley’s 9-yard TD pass to Adam Somerville with 5:55 left in the third quarter to again draw within a score.

After punts by each team, the Blue Streaks moved the ball down to the Cumberland Valley 8 before the drive stalled. Hunter Nguyen knocked in a 25-yard field goal to extend the lead to 37-27 with 4:55 left in the game.

Township’s Nick Palumbo recovered a fumble after Cumberland Valley got down to the 30 and the Blue Streaks picked up two first downs before they were able to run out the clock and clinch their second straight appearance in the district final.

“We’re excited to be back there,” Johnson said. “We just have to put it all out on the field.”

STATS:
Manheim Township
Passing: Johnson 16-20-0–283 (3 TDs).
Rushing: Johnson 12-90, Clancy 17-61, Veilleux 1-1 (TD), Acudi 1-0, Team 1-(-2).
Receiving: Kennel 5-42 (2 TDs), Haberbosch 3-61 (TD), Palumbo 2-42, Wolfe 2-28, Clancy 2-27, Dixon 1-67, Vazquez 1-16.
Penalty: 7-67.
Punt-avg: 1-24.
First downs: 20.
Fumbles-lost: 2-1.

Cumberland Valley
Passing: Shepley 9-18-1–186 (2 TDs).
Rushing: Staretz 25-166 (2 TDs), Lloyd 1-4, Green 1-0, Shepley 2-(-2).
Receiving: Pines 6-156 (TD), Buzalka 1-16, Somerville 1-9 (TD), Green 1-5.
Penalty: 7-57.
Punt-avg: 2-35.
First downs: 13.
Fumbles-lost: 3-1.

Scoring Summary
Manheim Township (12-0) 20 14 0 3 – 37
Cumberland Valley (7-5) 7 12 8 0 – 27

1st Quarter
MT-Haberbosch 35 pass from Johnson (Nguyen kick) – 9:27
MT-Rodriguez 31 interception return (Nguyen kick) – 7:47
CV-Staretz 2 run (Rice kick) – 4:39
MT-Kennel 7 pass from Johnson (Nguyen kick blocked) – 0:58

2nd Quarter
CV-Pines 46 pass from Shepley (Rice kick blocked) – 10:34
MT-Veilleux 1 run (Nguyen kick) – 7:45
MT-Kennel 6 pass from Johnson (Nguyen kick) – 3:05
CV-Staretz 6 run (Rice kick missed) – 0:36

3rd Quarter
CV-Somerville 9 pass from Shepley (Staretz run) – 5:55

4th Quarter
MT-Nguyen 25 FG – 4:55

There were many future college football players on War Veterans Memorial Field in Harrisburg Saturday afternoon and all of them made plays.

It resulted in a back-and-forth shootout that Steelton-Highspire eventually won 42-37 over Trinity in a battle between Mid-Penn Capital opponents.

“Some of my best friends are on Trinity,” said Steel-High quarterback Alex Erby, who holds the all-time Pennsylvania high school football records for passing yards and touchdowns. “We might talk a little trash when we play but at the end of the day, I grew up with a lot of those kids. We make each other better.”

Erby will decide between Maryland, Minnesota, and Navy for where he will attend college and continue to play football at the next level on October 30. His brother, lineman Andrew Erby Jr., committed to Ohio two days ago.

Wide receiver Durrell Ceasar Jr. just picked up an offer from Shippensburg and running back Ronald Burnette certainly has the skills to play at the next level.

Burnette rushed for 176 yards and two touchdowns; Ceasar Jr. had a 76-yard touchdown reception, a 76-yard fumble recovery for a touchdown and an interception; and Erby threw for 139 yards and a touchdown.

Trinity running back Messiah Mickens is a Penn State commit and accumulated 167 all-purpose yards and two touchdowns.

The talent on the field created fireworks.

Trinity scored first on Christian Joy’s 21-yard TD run with 7:39 left in the first quarter after a roughing the punter penalty on fourth down moved the chains for the Shamrocks.

Steel-High lost a fumble on the next possession, but Ceasar Jr. intercepted a pass and appeared to return it for an 80-yard pick-six. The referees called the ball back to the 20 after an inadvertent whistle stopped the play.

It didn’t matter. Burnette answered with a 1-yard touchdown plunge to cap the 9-play, 80-yard drive with 6 seconds left in the first.

Ceasar Jr. returned a Mickens fumble for a 76-yard touchdown with 6:23 left in the second quarter and Caleb Wray hit Tanie Young on a slant route for a 19-yard with 1:05 left for the Shamrocks (4-1, 6-3).

The teams went into halftime tied 14-14.

The teams exploded in the third with Wray hitting Mickens for a 69-yard touchdown with 8:05 left, Jaeion Perry punching in a 4-yard score after Burnette’s 76-yard run with 7:34 left, Wray again hitting Young for a 45-yard score with 5:35 left, and then the most jaw-dropping play of the afternoon.

With the Rollers (5-0, 9-0) trailing 27-21 and the undefeated season on the line, Erby scrambled out left to his dominate hand, stiff-armed a defender, and unleashed a bomb to Ceasar Jr. who had gotten behind the Trinity safety.

Ceasar Jr. ran the rest of the way for a 76-yard touchdown to give the Rollers a 28-27 lead with 4:42 left in the third.

“The read was supposed to be backside,” Erby said. “I started scrambling out and saw Durrell. I was like, ‘I gotta break this.’ I gave a stiff arm and threw it as far as I could down field. Durrell Ceasar is a playmaker and I just tried to get him the ball.”

The play was a huge momentum shift, but Mickens and the Shamrocks answered with a 9-yard touchdown run on their next drive.

Burnette scored on a 2-yard run and Kameron Chisholm on a 64-yard run to make it 42-34 with 7:54 left in the game.

Kieran Finegan knocked in a 19-yard field goal for Trinity with 3:50 remaining.

The Shamrocks got the ball back with 22 seconds left at their own 43 after blocking a Steel-High punt but ran out of time to score the winning touchdown.

Steel-High heads to fellow unbeaten West Perry next week and finishes its regular season on November 4 against Halifax.

Trinity hosts Halifax next week to conclude its regular season.

STATS:

Steelton-Highspire

Passing: Erby 10-11-0–139 (TD).

Rushing: Burnette 26-176 (2 TDs), Chisholm 3-70 (TD), Fuller 1-26, Perry 2-4 (TD), Erby 5-7.

Receiving: Ceasar Jr. 4-70 (TD), Perry 2-26, Evans III 2-23, Legrande 1-19, Chisholm 1-3.

Penalty: 14-126.

Punt-avg: 5-32.2

First downs: 14.

Fumbles-lost: 1-1.

Trinity

Passing: Wray 10-22-1–199 (3 TDs).

Rushing: Joy 11-106 (TD), Mickens 21-70 (TD), Wray 5-2, Team 1-(-1).

Receiving: Young 4-83 (2 TDs), Mickens 3-97 (TD), Cappawana 3-19.

Penalty: 8-65.

Punt-avg: 3-30.7.

First downs: 17.

Fumbles-lost: 4-1.

Scoring Summary

Steelton-Highspire (9-0) 7 7 14 14 – 42

Trinity (6-3) 7 7 20 3 – 37

1st Quarter

T-Joy 21 run (Finegan kick) – 7:39

SH-Burnette 1 run (Hernandez kick) – 0:06

2nd Quarter

SH-Ceasar Jr. 76 fumble return (Hernandez kick) – 6:23

T-Young 19 pass from Wray – 1:05

3rd Quarter

T-Mickens 69 pass from Wray (kick blocked) – 8:05

SH-Perry 4 run (Hernandez kick) – 7:34

T-Young 45 pass from Wray (Finegan kick) – 5:35

SH-Ceasar Jr. 76 pass from Erby (Hernandez kick) – 4:42

T-Mickens 9 run (Finegan kick) – 3:13

4th Quarter

SH-Burnette 2 run (Hernandez kick) – 9:51

SH-Chisholm 64 run (Hernandez kick) – 7:54

T-Finegan 19 FG – 3:50

Wyomissing freshman Justice Hardy is the latest stud running back to be part of head coach Bob Wolfrum’s Wing-T formation.

Hardy raced to an 83-yard touchdown to turn the momentum in the Spartans’ favor and finished with 108 yards on seven carries as Wyomissing defeated Conrad Weiser 35-14 Friday afternoon in a Lancaster-Lebanon League Section 4 game at the newly minted Bob Wolfrum Stadium.

“As a kid, I remember playing on the A-field and just looking up to all the older players,” Hardy said. “Everyone’s taking me in really well this season. I didn’t know it would go this well, but the coaches are very patient with me and it’s a great feeling.”

Wyomissing held a post-game ceremony to officially commemorate the former A-field in honor of Wolfrum, the Spartans’ legendary head coach who won his 357th game Friday.

“It’s amazing playing for coach Wolfrum,” Hardy said. “He’s probably the best coach in Pennsylvania. He’s hard on all of us, but it makes us all better and stronger. He’s just a great coach.”

The 73-year-old Wolfrum has been a part of Wyomissing football for 50 years and head coach for 37. He trails only Southern Columbia’s Jim Roth in wins by an active Pennsylvania high school football head coach and is sixth all-time behind Roth (489), George Curry (455 – Lake Lehman, Berwick, Wyoming Valley West), Jack Henzes Jr. (444 – Dunmore), Jim Render (406 – Carrolton (OH), Uniontown, Upper St. Clair), and Don Bailey (375 – Forest Hills).

“I’ve known I wanted to be a coach ever since I was a little kid,” Wolfrum said. “My dad was a coach and he used to take me to his practices when it worked out. I was the age of our ball boys. I knew from that point on this is what I wanted to do.”

Wyomissing has had its greatest success within the past decade or so, winning a state title in 2012 and appearing in the state championship in 2020 and 2021. Wolfrum has coached NFL players in linebacker Alex Anzalone, the main cog in the state champion squad and current Detroit Lion, guard Ross Tucker, and quarterback Matt Lytle.

He’s recently coached current and future Penn State linemen in J’ven Williams and Caleb Brewer with James Franklin making various helicopter trips to Wyomissing lately.

“If you figure 20 seniors per year, it’s about 1,000 guys that have come through here while I was here,” Wolfrum said. “It’s been an honor to coach every single one. I know there’s been some kids that think I don’t like them because I yell at them. But really that means I do like them and I’m just trying to help them get better.”

The Spartans’ 41-game regular season winning streak came to an end last week in 34-14 loss against section opponent Cocalico; the last time Wyomissing had lost in the regular season was October 27, 2018.

Wyomissing rebounded Friday notwithstanding Conrad Weiser’s tough effort. The Scouts moved the ball effectively, but just couldn’t capitalize on scoring opportunities.

Neither the Spartans (4-1, 7-1) or Scouts (2-3, 2-6) scored in the first quarter.

Drew Forrey broke away for a 35-yard TD with 8:06 left in the second quarter. The ensuing PAT missed and the Spartans led 6-0.
The Scouts drove down the field with a heavy dose of running back Sevon Parham, who rushed for a game-high 139 yards, but a fumble recovered by Forrey at the 19 halted the drive.

After the Spartans lost a few yards on their first play of the next drive, Hardy burst for his 83-yard score and Logan Hyde hit Ethan Brower for the two-point conversion to put Wyo up 14-0.

Weiser’s Donovan Gingrich found Evan Rittle for a diving touchdown reception in the far right of the end zone to put the Scouts on the board with no time remaining before halftime.

The teams only took a 3:00 halftime break since they went to their locker rooms with 32 seconds remaining in the first half after Forrey suffered a serious leg injury and was taken off the field on a cart and transported to an ambulance/hospital.

Brower caught a 31-yard TD pass from Hyde with 6:10 left, Marvin Armistead rushed for a 15-yard TD with 3:08 left, and Collin Niedrowski pounded in a 2-yard score with 42 seconds left in the third quarter as the Spartans exploded for a 35-7 advantage.

Gingrich scored on a 1-yard QB sneak with 3:33 left in the game.

STATS:
Conrad Weiser
Passing: Gingrich 1-9-1–3 (TD).
Rushing: Parham 24-139, Conde 4-21, McGarrigle 2-7, Rivera 3-3, Robinson 1-3, Rittle 1-2, Gingrich 8-(-3) (TD).
Receiving: Rittle 1-3 (TD).
Penalty: 3-25.
Punt-avg: 3-27.6.
First downs: 11.
Fumbles-lost: 5-1.

Wyomissing
Passing: Hyde 4-7-0–62 (TD).
Rushing: Hardy 7-108 (TD), Jones 10-75, Eisenhower 7-32, Forrey 4-28 (TD), Hyde 1-21, Marv. Armistead 2-19 (TD), C. Niedrowski 3-13 (TD), Diaz 3-12, Macrina 2-6 T. Niedrowski 1-2, Aguelles 1-2, Reason 3-0, Team 1-(-22).
Receiving: Brower 2-40 (TD), Eisenhower 1-14, Jones 1-8.
Penalty: 6-49.
Punt-avg: 2-31.
First downs: 13.
Fumbles-lost: 2-1.

Scoring Summary
Wyomissing (7-1) 0 14 21 0- 35
Conrad Weiser (2-6) 0 7 0 7 – 14

2nd Quarter
W-Forrey 35 run (kick failed) – 8:06
W-Hardy 83 run (Brower pass from Hyde) – 3:02
CW-Rittle 3 pass from Gingrich (Gingrich kick) – 0:00

3rd Quarter
W-Brower 31 pass from Hyde (Maher kick) – 6:10
W-Marv. Armistead 15 run (Maher kick) – 3:08
W-C. Niedrowski 2 run (Maher kick) – 0:42

4th Quarter
CW- Gingrich 1 run (Gingrich kick) – 3:33

Annville-Cleona and Elco each rushed for over 300 yards in their Week 1 blowout victories and the question coming into Thursday’s backyard showdown consisted of which team would be able to stop the run.

Elco senior Jake Williams provided a swift answer to that question.

Williams, the 5-10, 185-pound running back, rushed 21 times for 306 yards and five touchdowns as the Raiders cruised to a 49-7 victory over the Dutchmen in a non-league matchup in Myerstown.

“We have a massive team,” Williams said of his offensive line, which is led by junior tackle Brayden Malloy (6-3, 245 pounds) and sophomore guard Paul Williams (6-3, 235 pounds). “They give it their all and block super good.”

The win is Elco’s fifth straight in the series against Annville-Cleona, which won’t be continued for the foreseeable future as the Dutchmen have been replaced by Northern Lebanon on the Raiders’ schedule.

“It wasn’t as personal for me,” Williams said. “I’m friends with a few guys on Annville. But I know there’s always been some beef between Annville and Elco. I know some guys wanted to end the rivalry and win really badly.”

Elco’s burly line opened plenty of holes all night for Williams, who showcased his speed, change of direction, and elusiveness once he got to the second level.

Williams scored his first touchdown on a 25-yard run just 8 seconds into the second quarter following a scoreless first.

The Raiders forced a three-and-out and Williams took a pitch 47 yards to the house to put Elco up 14-0 with 9:58 left in the first half.

Timothy Montijo answered with a 61-yard touchdown for the Dutchmen 24 seconds later, but that would be Annville-Cleona’s best play of the day.

Williams scored on a 14-yard run with 8:13 left, a 20-yarder with 7:03 left, and a 12-yarder with 1:53 left to make it 35-7 at halftime.

Junior quarterback Steven Rosado scored on an 8-yard run with 4:48 left in the third quarter, the only score in the period.

Austin Yesko finished Elco’s scoring with a 6-yard plunge with 4:23 left in the game.

Williams won Lancaster-Lebanon League Section 4 Back of the Year last season and is on pace to put up even more impressive numbers. He now has 10 total touchdowns through the first two weeks of the year; he had four TD runs and a 90-yard punt return in the Week 1 42-18 win over West York.
Elco hosts Columbia and Annville-Cleona travels to Littlestown in Week 3 before getting section play started in Week 4.

STATS:
Annville-Cleona
Passing: Connelly 4-6-0–20.
Rushing: Montijo 15-104 (TD), Navarro 5-37, Mase 3-18, Shay 3-7, Holloway 1-4, Harter 3-(-2), Connelly 3-(-7).
Receiving: Shay 3-15, Watson 1-5.
Penalty: 4-25.
Punt-avg: 4-32.3.
First downs: 6.
Fumbles-lost: 3-1.

Elco
Passing: Rosado 2-2-0–35, Bicher 0-1-0–0.
Rushing: Williams 21-306 (5 TDs), Rosado 6-39 (TD), Yesko 5-29 (TD), Frederick 2-11, Kreider 3-8, Bicher 3-2.
Receiving: Miller 1-29, Kreider 1-6.
Penalty: 2-10.
Punt-avg: 1-34.
First downs: 20.
Fumbles-lost: 2-0.

Scoring Summary
Elco (2-0) 0 35 7 7- 49
Annville-Cleona (1-1) 0 7 0 0 – 7

2nd Quarter
E- Williams 25 run (Gensamer kick) – 11:52
E – Williams 47 run (Gensamer kick) – 9:58
AC – Montijo 61 run (Elzek kick) – 9:34
E – Williams 14 run (Gensamer kick) – 8:13
E – Williams 20 run (Gensamer kick) – 7:03
E – Williams 12 run (Gensamer kick) – 1:53

3rd Quarter
E – Rosado 8 run (Gensamer kick) – 4:48

4th Quarter
E – Yesko 6 run (Gensamer kick) – 4:23

Steelton-Highspire quarterback Alex Erby lofted the ball into the air as wideout Jaeion Perry ran his route to the back right corner off the end zone.

Perry secured the ball, got two feet in, and scored the deciding touchdown with four seconds left in the game to propel the Rollers to a 42-35 thrilling victory over Northern Lehigh in a PIAA Class 1A quarterfinal Saturday afternoon at War Veterans Memorial Stadium in Steelton.

“I was running to the back corner and [Erby] always told me he was going to put it on the outside,” Perry said. “I just turned my body and caught it.”

The Rollers wouldn’t have been in a position to win on their final drive without junior running back Ronald Burnette, who rushed for 222 yards and three touchdowns.

“I felt confident,” Burnette said. “We prepared very well throughout the offseason. We were prepared to be here. We knew we were going to be here by the end of the season. Our coaches make sure we prepare everything and the way the team plays together, the chemistry is there. We have each other’s backs.”

The District 3 champion Rollers (12-1) move on to face District 4 champion Canton for a chance to play in the state final for the second time in three years. The Rollers won the state championship 32-20 over Jeannette in 2020.

The matchup against Canton is a rematch of last season’s PIAA first-round game which the Warriors won 32-27. Canton went on to lose to eventual champion Bishop Guilfoyle 20-7 in the semifinals.

The Erbys (quarterback Alex, lineman Andrew Jr., and head coach Andrew) were all key parts of that state championship squad; the two younger Erby were freshmen that season.

Burnette wasn’t on the roster that year and began the year as a backup to senior Jakhai Noss, who’s no longer with the team. It’s going to be special playing for a chance to get back to the state title game as a key player.

“It’s going to feel amazing honestly,” Burnette said. “Especially the opportunity to play with these guys because I haven’t played for Steel-High my whole life. But I’ve always known these guys. It was like one day we’re all going to get to play together. Now that day is here and we’re making it big time.”

After forcing a turnover on downs, Nick Frame hit Austin Smyth for a 31-yard touchdown to finish a 90-yard drive and give the Bulldogs (12-2) a 6-0 lead with 4:25 left in the first quarter.

Burnette rushed for 44 yards on Steel-High’s next possession including an 8-yard TD run to make it 7-6 with 2:21 left in the first.

Alexander Jimenez-Wittong scored from the 2 on fourth down with 8:39 left in the first half as the Bulldogs regained the lead.

Durrell Ceasar Jr. returned the ensuing kickoff 67 yards to the 8 and Erby ran it in from the 3 three plays later to tie the game at 14 with 7:05 left. That score held at halftime.

Jimenez-Wittong scored again from the 2 to end Northern Lehigh’s first drive of the third to give the Bulldogs a 21-14 advantage.

The Rollers had two 15-yard penalties that backed them up on the next drive and they had to punt. Steel-High held the Bulldogs on fourth down at its own 31 and Burnette dashed 43 yards to the 26 on the next play. Erby then converted a fourth down with his legs to put the ball at the 5 as the third quarter came to an end.

Burnette then ran in for his second TD of the day from the 5 on the first play of the fourth quarter to tie it at 21.

Steel-High then forced a three-and-out and Daquan McCraw had a 25-yard punt return to set the Rollers up at Northern Lehigh’s 21. Burnette scored his third touchdown from the 16 a few plays later and the Rollers went up 28-21.

The Bulldogs responded with an 11-play, 69-yard drive that Frame finished with a 1-yard TD plunge. Northern Lehigh still trailed 28-27 after the PAT was missed with 3:47 remaining in the game.

The Rollers recovered the onside kick at the 49 and Burnette’s 37-yard run put them at the 12. Erby shuffled the ball to McCraw for an 8-yard touchdown to make it 35-27, but the short 56-second drive allowed the Bulldogs time for an opportunity to tie.

Northern Lehigh did just that, going 70 yards in 11 plays. Frame hit Smyth for their second TD connection and Jimenez-Wittong converted the two-point conversion to make it 35-35 with 27 seconds left in the game.

Erby, Burnette, and Perry then came through in the clutch. Burnette ran for 18 yards in two plays and Erby hit Perry three straight times for 39 yards including the game-winning 20-yard TD in the back corner of the end zone with four seconds left.

STATS:
Steelton-Highspire
Passing: Erby 13-17-0–146 (2 TDs).
Rushing: Burnette 22-222 (3 TDs), McCraw 3-29, Erby 6-24 (TD), Perry 1-6.
Receiving: Perry 5-68 (TD), Ceasar Jr. 3-35, McCraw 3-30 (TD), Burnette 1-8, Kochvar 1-5.
Penalty: 14-175.
Punt-avg: 1-37.
First downs: 21.
Fumbles-lost: 0-0.

Northern Lehigh
Passing: Frame 7-12-1–125 (2 TDs).
Rushing: Jimenez-Wittong 17-99 (3 TDs), Frame 13-65, Ramos 10-42, Abidelli 12-41, Tosh 2-4.
Receiving: Smyth 4-62 (2 TDs), Jimenez-Wittong 2-28, Ramos 1-35.
Penalty: 5-39.
Punt-avg: 1-14.
First downs: 27.
Fumbles-lost: 2-0.

Scoring Summary
Steelton-Highspire (12-1) 7 7 0 28 – 42
Northern Lehigh (12-2) 6 8 7 14 – 35
1st Quarter
NL-Smyth 31 pass from Frame (Moffitt kick missed) – 4:25
SH-Burnette 8 run (Hernandez kick) – 2:21
2nd Quarter
NL- Jimenez-Wittong 2 run (Ramos run) – 8:39
SH-Erby 3 run (Hernandez kick) – 7:05
3rd Quarter
NL-Jimenez-Wittong 2 run (Moffitt kick) – 7:42
4th Quarter
SH-Burnette 5 run (Hernandez kick) – 11:54
SH-Burnette 16 run (Hernandez kick) – 9:29
NL-Frame 1 run (Frame run failed) – 3:47
SH-McCraw 8 pass from Erby (Hernandez kick) – 2:51
NL-Smyth 8 pass from Frame (Jimenez-Wittong run) – 0:27
SH-Perry 20 pass from Erby (Hernandez kick) – 0:04

Harrisburg has been Wilson’s kryptonite in the district playoffs for years. That trend continued as the Cougars knocked out the Bulldogs 32-21 Saturday afternoon at Severance Field in Harrisburg in a District 3 Class 6A football quarterfinal.

Harrisburg has now beaten Wilson in the last four district playoffs: the 2018 and 2019 semifinals, last season’s championship game, and Saturday.

“We just keep matching up,” Harrisburg head coach Cal Everett said about the district games against Wilson. “We might as well just get each other on the regular season schedule. It just keeps happening, the luck of the draw. It was the seeding this year that we matched up in the first round today. But it’s a good challenge.”

Mahkai Hopkins rushed for 163 yards and two touchdowns and Terrell Reynolds had four sacks to lead the third-seeded Cougars (8-2) as they advanced to face No. 2 Central York, which defeated York High 51-44 on Friday, in the semifinals next week.

“They’re a good team and they play us tough every year,” Hopkins said of Wilson, Harrisburg’s perennial district opponent. “We know we have to stick to the game plan because it’s going to be a hard-fought game to win up front.”

Hopkins, at 6-1, 240 pounds, is as big or bigger than many of the O-linemen. Getting him to the ground is no easy task and he picks up extra yardage on the majority of his runs.

“A little bit of both,” Hopkins said on whether those extra yards come from the weight room or mindset. “It’s the weight room, but it’s also about how much you want it.”

Harrisburg rushed for 312 yards to Wilson’s 109. Quarterback Shawn Lee added 84 rushing yards and Temple commit Kyle Williams rushed for 70.

Harrisburg’s defense also did its part in limiting Holy Crosscommit Cam Jones. The Wilson jack-of-all-trades was held in check to 34 rushing yards, 51 receiving yards, and 14 return yards.

“Coming in, you know, we just wanted to stop No. 1 Cam Jones,” Reynolds said. “Hell of a player. That was the mindset. We started off strong in the first quarter and came out sluggish in the second quarter. We can’t get complacent and he ran it up on us. At halftime, we made game plans and came back out in the second half and executed.”

Harrisburg jumped out to a 12-0 lead with Kyle Williams juking his way to a 10-yard screen-pass touchdown with 7:53 left in the first quarter and diving over the pile for a 2-yard rushing score with 39 seconds left.

Jones scored on a 3-yard run to get the Bulldogs on the board with 8:37 left in the second quarter and the momentum began to shift.

Wilson forced a punt, but then Zakii Lewis picked off Tom Hunsicker inside the 10 after a long Bulldogs drive.

Williams took off for a 29-yard gain to the 43 on the Cougars’ next drive before Landon Farrell forced a fumble that Eddie Case recovered for Wilson.

Hunsicker rebounded from the interception and hit Case for a 38-yard score off a beautiful throw and catch to give Wilson a 14-12 lead at halftime.

After punts on each team’s first possession of the second half, Kymir Williams recovered a Hunsicker fumble forced by Ameer Grandberry at midfield.

Lee finished the eight-play drive with a 7-yard touchdown run to give the lead back to the Cougars 18-14 at the end of the third.

Reynolds got one of his four sacks at the beginning of the fourth quarter to force a 4th-and-17 and Wilson punt.

Lee rolled out of the pocket and scrambled for a 30-yard gain down to the 2 on 4th-and-5 and Hopkins pounded it into the end zone on the next play to make it 26-14 with 7:24 left.

Hunsicker kept the Bulldogs’ hopes alive when he found Austin Valukevich for an 18-yard gain on 4th-and-17. The junior gunslinger then found Eddie Case for a 30-yard TD strike to pull Wilson within a score at 26-21 with 5:10 left.

The Bulldogs (8-3) attempted an onside kick that failed and the Cougars had possession at the 48.

After an 8-yard run by Lee, Hopkins went 40 yards in two plays to secure the 32-21 victory with 3:43 left.

 

STATS:

Harrisburg

Passing: Lee 7-9-0–37 (1 TD).

Rushing: Hopkins 23-163 (2 TDs), Lee 15-84 (TD), Williams 11-70 (TD), Team 1-(-5).

Receiving: Williams 5-26 (TD), Coke 1-6, Grandberry 1-5.

Penalty: 10-91.

Punt-avg: 2-52.

First downs: 18.

Fumbles-lost: 1-1.

Wilson 

Passing: Hunsicker 13-22-2–223 (2 TDs).

Rushing: Hunsicker 15-74, Jones 11-34 (TD), Harding 2-1.

Receiving: Valukevich 4-62, Jones 4-51, Case 2-68 (2 TDs), Fernandez 1-20, Cooper 1-14, Harding 1-8.

Penalty: 6-57.

Punt-avg: 3-28.6

First downs: 19.

Fumbles-lost: 1-1.

Scoring Summary

Harrisburg (8-2) 12 0 6 14 – 32

Wilson (8-3) 0 14 0 7 – 21

1st Quarter

H-Williams 10 pass from Lee (Williams run failed) – 7:53

H-Williams 2 run (Lee pass failed) – 0:39

2nd Quarter

W-Jones 3 run (Rada kick) – 8:37

W-Case 38 pass from Hunsicker (Rada kick) – 0:56

3rd Quarter

H-Lee 7 run (Williams run failed) – 0:31

4th Quarter

H-Hopkins 2 run (Lee run) – 7:24

W-Case 30 pass from Hunsicker (Rada kick) – 5:10

H-Hopkins 23 run (Lee run failed) – 3:43

Steelton-Highspire and West Perry offenses average over 40 points per game.

It was likely that a different aspect of the game would have to be the difference in deciding the Mid-Penn Capital division title game between the Steamrollers and Mustangs Saturday afternoon at a sunny War Veterans Memorial Stadium in Steelton.

That proved to be the case as the teams combined for 87 total points Saturday.

It ended up being the Rollers’ winning the turnover battle 3-1, including a sensational one-handed interception by defensive back Daquan McCraw, and Steel-High pulled away for a 53-34 victory after jumping out to an early four-score lead.

McCraw’s interception came after the Rollers (6-0, 8-1) already held a 14-0 advantage, and although he returned it to the 24, a penalty gave Steel-High the ball at the 50. It didn’t matter.

Alex Erby hit Jaeiron Perry and Durrell Ceasar for gains of 23 and 25 and Ronald Burnette scored from the 5 to make it 21-0 with 4:10 left in the first quarter.

“It kind of came out of nowhere,” McCraw said of the interception. “I had a mindset the whole game that if the ball was in the air, I’m going to be the one to go get it on offense and defense. I ended up getting that pick and it changed the whole momentum of the entire game.”

Tylishaun Parker recovered the short opening kickoff and Erby found Perry for a 10-yard touchdown four plays later. After Steel-High forced the Mustangs (5-1, 9-1) to punt, the Rollers embarked on an eight-play, 74-yard drive capped by Burnette’s 7-yard TD.

Following the score after McCraw’s interception, the Mustangs turned it over on downs and Erby immediately hit Perry for 42 yards down to the 3. Burnette tacked on another to make it 27-0 with 1:47 left in the first quarter.

West Perry answered with a quick-strike 55-yarder from Quaker to Derek Snook to make it 27-7 just 21 seconds later.

Erby hit Perry for a 30-yard TD with 8:24 left in the first half to extend the lead to 34-7.

Derek Snook caught a 26-yard pass and had a 20-yard run for the West Perry offense on the next drive, which Tucker Ziegler finished with a 1-yard plunge to make it 34-14 at the 4:45 mark.

Then McCraw made his second one-handed catch on a 60-yard bomb from Erby just 1:13 into the third quarter and the Rollers were back up by 27.

McCraw wasn’t wearing gloves today, switching it up after he’s had some problems with drops occasionally this season.

“Everybody’s been in my ear about it,” McCraw said. “You know, I just took it into consideration. I was like alright, let me see what it’s like without the gloves today. It just happened so quick. As soon as it hit my hands I just knew that was my ball.”

The Mustangs didn’t go out without a fight.

Marcus Quaker hit Ian Goodling for a 43-yard TD with 5:27 left in the third and found him again from 29 yards away to make it 41-27 just 2:17 later.

But Erby, who finished with 380 passing yards and four TDs, and his receivers were relentless through the air and Burnette, who finished with 104 rushing yards and four TDs, continued to churn out tough yardage on the ground for Steel-High.

Erby hit Ceasar for a 30-yard TD with 44 seconds left before the fourth.

Quaker scored a 3-yard rushing TD with 8:26 left in the game, but Burnette finished a 52-yard drive with a 2-yard TD to seal a 53-34 victory for the Rollers with 5:40 left.

Steel-High will face Fairfield in the District 3 Class 1A championship with the winner moving on to states.

“We want to prepare the right way for all of our opponents,” McCraw said. “Of course we do want to come out on top next week, make it farther down the road in playoffs and into states.”

The Mid-Penn Capital title is back in the Rollers’ hands after falling to Boiling Springs last year.

The loss is a bitter one for West Perry, which will be the No. 3 seed in the District 3 Class 3A tournament. The Mustangs have steadily improved from 2-5 to 5-6 to 9-1 the past three seasons.

 

Bamm Appleby’s senior season was in jeopardy; he was set to play quarterback at Middletown before the Blue Raiders’ season was canceled due to the well-known hazing incidents.

Fortunately for Appleby, and Steelton-Highspire, he was able to transfer to the school and suit up for the legendary Mid-Penn Capital football program.

He’s not playing quarterback since junior quarterback Alex Erby, who has multiple Division 1 offers, is on the roster.

Appleby moved to a flex role in the offense and got a few carries, caught a pass, and converted a two-point conversion.

“Oh, it’s fun,” Appleby said of the new role. “I mean I always thought I was kinda more of a defensive player than offensive. I was never really like a true quarterback at Middletown and I’m just glad [Steel-High] is utilizing me as best as they can. It’s just really fun to go out there and play with them.”

The Rollers (4-0, 5-1) certainly had a fun Saturday afternoon in a 71-20 victory over Mid-Penn Capital division-mate Camp Hill at War Veterans Memorial Stadium, which featured a snazzy new scoreboard for the first time in Steelton.

The 6-1, 175-pounder’s most valuable asset has always arguably been in the defensive secondary, which he played at Middletown and proved Saturday with three interceptions.

One would think he’d see a lot of time as a DB wherever he decides to play next season as Appleby holds offers from Lebanon Valley, Misericordia, and Ursinus.

Steel-High didn’t take long to start rolling as Erby hit Tylishaun Parker for a 34-yard shuffle-pass score off a jet sweep to make it 7-0 just 1:01 into the game. Erby then hit Durrell Ceasar Jr. for a 25-yard screen-pass TD with 6:02 left. Appleby then got his first pick and returned it 22 yards for a score and the Rollers were up 21-0 with 4:19 left.

The Lions (1-2, 5-2) showed life when Drew Branstetter hit Mike Shartle on an out route for a 1-yard score with 28 seconds left in the first.

But Erby put more points on the board, this time with his legs from 13 yards out to make it 27-6 with 9:33 left in the second quarter.

“I’ve been running outside all summer long. That’s one part of my game that I improved,” Erby said on his rushing.

Erby then hit Taevon Legrande for a 10-yard TD with 3:22 left before halftime bringing his first-half touchdown total to four.

The high-profile QB was wearing a Penn State headband after the game.

“It’s a little something,” he said. “It’s a little gift from (former Steel-High and Central Dauphin East standout and current Penn Stater) Mehki Flowers. But they’re one of my top schools right now and recruit me real heavy. I just got off the phone with their OC last night.

“Duke’s still at the top, Maryland, the list goes on. I still got to take a bunch of visits next fall so I’m just beyond blessed to be in this position.”

Back to Saturday, Branstetter again threw a 1-yarder for a TD, this time to Noah Doi, to again give Lion’s life at 35-14 with 1:34 left in the first half.

Parker responded with a 40-yard scamper for the Rollers just 37 seconds later.

Appleby then picked off Branstetter on the first drive of the third and Erby threw a 22-yard TD to Asa Kochvar 48 seconds into the quarter.

Appleby got his third pick of the game on the next drive and Andrew Erby Jr., the 6-4, 275-pound lineman, finished a 59-yard drive with a 1-yard pounder to extend the lead to 56-14 with 6:54 left in the third.

Erby hit Ceasar Jr., who finished with 119 receiving yards, for his second TD from 41 yards away 3:24 later and the quarter ended with Steel-High ahead 63-14.

Drayton Saunders then picked off Hayden Ziegler for a 25-yard pick-six for the Rollers and Talan Foster scored on a 10-yard run for the Lions in the fourth.

The Rollers are now tied for the division lead at 4-0 with West Perry, who looms as the final game of the season. They’ll face winless Mid-Penn Liberty member Newport and then Capital foe Trinity (3-1, 4-3) first.

“I mean that’s obviously a game that we look up to,” Erby said of the West Perry game. “But we still got a tough road ahead of us. We still have to go to Trinity and Newport. We just got to take one game at a time.”

“We’re gonna keep coming out every hour of practice and just put in the work,” Appleby said. “It’s great energy every practice, great film sessions. We’re just ready to go.”

 

STATS:

Steelton-Highspire

Passing: Erby 16-22-0–270 (5 TDs).

Rushing: Perry 8-79, Parker 6-77 (TD), Erby 2-14 (TD), Evans III 2-9, McCraw 2-7, Martin 2-4, Appleby 4-1, Erby Jr. 1-1 (TD), Y. Ceasar 3-(-1).

Receiving: D. Ceasar Jr. 6-119 (2 TDs), Martin 3-41 (TD), McCraw 3-35, Parker 1-34 (TD), Perry 1-16, Appleby 1-15, Legrande 1-10 (TD).

Penalty: 9-82

Punt-avg: 0-0.

First downs: 15.

Fumbles-lost: 3-1.

Camp Hill

Passing: Bransetter 15-29-3–223 (2 TDs), Ziegler 1-2-1–9, Doi 0-1-0–0.

Rushing: Serdar 4-27, Foster 5-14 (TD), Moore 5-1, Becker 1-(-2), Ziegler 1-(-7), Doi 4-(-12), Branstetter 6-(-30).

Receiving: Corbin 4-77, Moore 3-45, Long 2-76, Becker 2-16, Doi 2-8 (TD), Stauffer 1-9, Shartle 1-1 (TD), Serdar 1-0.

Penalties: 4-35.

Punt-avg: 1-26.

First downs: 11.

Fumbles-lost: 1-1.

Scoring Summary

Steelton-Highspire (4-0, 5-1) 21 21 21 8 – 71

Camp Hill (1-2, 5-2) 6 8 0 6 – 20

1st Quarter

SH-Parker 34 pass from Erby (Hernandez kick) – 10:59

SH-Ceasar Jr. 25 pass from Erby (Hernandez kick) – 6:02

SH-Appleby 22 interception return (Hernandez kick) – 4:19

CH-Shartle 1 pass from Branstetter (Ellis kick blocked) – 0:28

2nd Quarter

SH-Erby 13 run (Hernandez kick blocked) – 9:33

SH-Legrande 10 pass from Erby (Appleby run) – 3:22

CH-Doi 1 pass from Branstetter (Moore run) – 1:34

SH-Parker 40 run (Hernandez kick) – 0:57

3rd Quarter

SH-Kochvar 22 pass from Erby (Hernandez kick) – 11:12

SH-Erby Jr. 1 run (Hernandez kick) – 6:54

SH-Ceasar Jr. 41 pass from Erby (Hernandez kick) – 3:30

4th Quarter

SH-Saunders 25 interception return (Y. Ceasar pass to Jackson) – 9:34

CH-Foster 10 run (Ziegler pass failed) – 5:16

Do-it-all quarterback Isaac Sines and the Cumberland Valley Eagles rebounded after their first loss of the season last week with a commanding 38-14 Mid-Penn Commonwealth victory over Chambersburg Thursday night at Chapman Field in Mechanicsburg.

Sines scored two rushing touchdowns, threw another, kicked a 32-yard field goal, and made all five PATs for Cumberland Valley.

“It’s my role [to be versatile],” Sines said. “But I think the players around me really just let me do that and help me out. I might be scoring the points but it’s really them helping me out.”

The Eagles (2-1, 5-1) had only four days to prepare after coming off a 30-14 defeat to division-foe Harrisburg last Saturday, which was their first loss of the season.

“We know we lost to a good Harrisburg team and it was a short week,” Sines said. “So we really had to practice, watch film, and really do it well, 10 times better than we usually do. I think we had a great week of practice. The energy was there. We had a few mistakes tonight that I think we’ll fix this week going into [Central Dauphin] and just got to keep working.”

There were few mistakes for Cumberland Valley in the first half as it had no penalties, no punts, picked up 11 first downs to Chambersburg’s five, and led the Trojans (0-3, 2-4) 24-0 at the half.

Sines had a hand in all 24 of those points.

He ran for 19 yards on the first play from scrimmage, then hit Caiden Pines for 13 yards on the next play. Sines found J.D. Hunter for a 28-yard TD to make it 7-0 just 1:18 into the game.

After forcing a Chambersburg punt, the Eagles capitalized on a short field with a 36-yard drive that concluded with Sines pounding it in from the 1 to make 14-0 with 6:10 left in the first quarter.

The Trojans put together a nice drive to get down to the Eagles’ 18, but Pines picked off a Riley Harmon pass at the 8.

Bryce Staretz had runs of 19 and 31 and Sines had an 18-yarder to put the Eagles in scoring range. Sines knocked through a 32-yard field goal to make it 17-0 with 42 seconds off the clock in the second quarter.

Anthony Bruscino’s first of three sacks on the day halted the Trojans’ next drive forcing a turnover on downs.

Josh Wagenheim got involved in the rushing with three straight carries totaling 31 yards to put the Eagles on the 1. Sines pounded it in on the next play to give Cumberland Valley a 24-0 lead with 5:19 left before halftime.

Sophomore running back Antonio Harrison finally got Chambersburg on the board with a 2-yard TD run with 3:40 left in the third quarter.

Jermere Jones hit Jai’tavius Kelly for a 41-yard strike to Cumberland Valley’s 9 on the fourth play of the final quarter; Jones found Kelly again for a 14-yard TD after a false start backed the Trojans up. Chambersburg was within striking distance at 24-14 with 9:00 left in the game.

But then Hunter returned the ensuing kickoff 90 yards, after he had an 85-yarder last week, to push the lead back to 17 at 31-14 with 8:44 left in the game.

A 3-and-out gave the Eagles the ball back and Wagenheim scored on a 27-yard run to put the game away with 6:37 left.

Wagenheim led the way with 83 rushing yards, Staretz had 77, and Sines had 49 as the Eagles rushed for 264 yards on the ground.

Dayre Senft had 53 rushing yards, Harrison had 40 rushing yards, and Kelly had 55 receiving yards for Chambersburg.

Cumberland Valley is off to Central Dauphin next week; Chambersburg hosts Altoona.

 

STATS:

Cumberland Valley

Passing: Sines 4-8-0–58 (TD).

Rushing: Wagenheim 8-83 (TD), Staretz 8-77, Sines 11-49 (2 TD), Huffman 1-19, Hunter 5-18, Pines 2-8, Rardain 3-7, Barbacci 2-3.

Receiving: Staretz 2-17, Hunter 1-28 (TD), Pines 1-13.

Penalty: 3-25.

Punt-avg: 3-24.6.

First downs: 14.

Fumbles-lost: 1-1.

Chambersburg

Passing: Jones 5-11-0–64 (TD), Harmon 6-9-1–47.

Rushing: Senft 14-53, Harrison 3-40 (TD), Jones 6-9, Harmon 10-7, Kelly 1-(-4).

Receiving: Jean 3-19, Pinnock 3-17, Kelly 2-55 (TD), Parker 2-15, Folmar 1-5.

Punt-avg: 4-32.8.

First downs: 10.

Fumbles-lost: 0-0.

Scoring Summary

Cumberland Valley (2-1, 5-1) 14 10 0 14 – 38

Chambersburg (0-3, 2-4) 0 0 7 7 – 14

1st Quarter

CV-Hunter 28 pass from Sines (Sines kick) – 10:42

CV- Sines 1 run (Sines kick) – 6:10

2nd Quarter

CV-Sines 32 FG – 11:18

CV-Sines 1 run (Sines kick) – 5:19

3rd Quarter

C-Harrison 2 run (Humelsine kick) – 3:40

4th Quarter

CV-Kelly 14 pass from Jones (Humelsine kick) – 9:00

C-Hunter 90 kickoff return (Sines kick) – 8:44

CV-Wagenheim 27 run (Sines kick) – 6:37

Two heavyweight Mid-Penn Commonwealth opponents reared their heads at each other Saturday afternoon at a sunny Severance Field in Harrisburg.

Harrisburg defeated Cumberland Valley 30-14 behind a staunch defense and a plethora of rushing talent with different strengths.

Temple commit and shifty Kyle Williams rushed for 137 yards and two touchdowns, bruising Mahkai Hopkins rushed for 138 yards and a score, and the Cougars’ “dark side” defense held the undefeated Eagles to 21 points below their season average.

“The dark side,” Williams said about the defense. “We call them the dark side, we love that defense. So just having that dark-side mentality. We know what [Cumberland Valley] does so just stressing to stop that and preparation.”

Hopkins, who’s 6-1, 240 pounds, plays linebacker on that defense. Terrell Reynolds, who’s 6-2, 245 pounds, plays end and had a sack Saturday. Then there are the speedsters in the secondary including sophomore Quincy Brannon, who had an interception. It’s a recipe for disaster for opposing offenses.

For the most part, the Eagles (1-1, 4-1) handled it well, but in the end, the Cougars (2-0, 3-1) pulled away to hand them their first loss of the season.

“It felt good to have a team win,” Brannon said. “We needed this one. We played as a team and played great today. I’m proud.”

The first quarter ended scoreless with the longest play coming on a 13-yard pass from Harrisburg quarterback Shawn Lee to Ameer Grandberry.

The second quarter was more prosperous for the Cougars. After a Cumberland Valley punt put the ball at their own 42, Williams darted 49 yards to the 6 on third down and scored on the next play. Hopkins pounded the 2-point conversion in to make it 8-0 with 6:02 left.

Brannon then picked off a pass from Isaac Sines 52 seconds later and Harrisburg was in business at the Cumberland Valley 26.

Lee finished off the short, four-play drive with a 1-yard plunge to make it 14-0 with 2:26 left before halftime.

Cumberland Valley responded in the third quarter when Bryce Staretz ran 42 yards to the end zone with 3:22 left to pull the Eagles within a touchdown.

It appeared the Cougars would impose their will in the fourth when Hopkins ended a long drive with a 14-yard TD up the gut with 6:58 left to push the lead to 22-7.

But on the ensuing kickoff, JD Hunter returned it 85 yards to the house and the Eagles were within striking distance at 22-14.

Williams eventually put the game away with his second TD, this time from 4 yards, with 2:04 remaining.

“It’s a big confidence boost but we’re not getting satisfied off this,” Williams said. “We’re adding more fuel to the fire. This win helps us out a lot but we’re still hungry.”

STATS:

Harrisburg

Passing: Lee 17-20-0–98.

Rushing: Hopkins 19-138 (TD), Williams 17-137 (2 TD), Lee 7-16 (TD), Prather 1-(-1).

Receiving: Grandberry 7-42, Williams 4-25, Coke 3-12, Jones 2-16, Hopkins 1-3.

Penalty: 5-35.

Punt-avg: 2-48.5.

First downs: 18.

Fumbles-lost: 0-0.

Cumberland Valley

Passing: Sines 2-5-1–19.

Rushing: Staretz 12-71 (TD), Hunter 9-40, Sines 12-32, Wagenheim 2-9.

Receiving: Somerville 1-11, Hunter 1-8.

Punt-avg: 6-38.8

First downs: 5.

Fumbles-lost: 0-0.

Scoring Summary

Harrisburg (2-0, 3-1) 0 14 0 16 – 30

Cumberland Valley (1-1, 4-1) 0 0 7 7 – 14

2nd Quarter

H-Williams 6 run (Hopkins run) – 6:02

H-Lee 1 run (Williams run failed) – 2:26

3rd Quarter

CV-Staretz 42 run (Sines kick) – 3:22

4th Quarter

H-Hopkins 14 run (Williams run) – 6:58

CV- Hunter 85 kickoff return (Sines kick) – 6:43

H-Williams 4 run (Jones run) – 2:04

Dakota Campbell will do whatever it takes to win and against an undefeated opponent Thursday night in Enola he proved that.

Campbell contributed in all facets of the game and the Panthers upended Greencastle-Antrim 30-13 to pick up their first win in the Mid-Penn Colonial.

The 5-11, 180-pound senior is listed as a QB/RB/LB/K/P on the roster; he finished with a rushing touchdown, field goal, three PATs, a reception, three punts (that averaged 47 yards and all fell within the 20), and led the team in tackles (8 total, 1.5 for loss).

“Whatever the coach tells me,” Campbell said of his favorite position to play. “I love kicking but if I can help on offense and defense, I always do it. Just whatever the coaches tell me to do. I’m going to do what needs to be done.”

Thursday, with sporadic horizontal rainfall coming down and a chilly autumn night making itself welcome, grit and effort needed to be done.

It started with Campbell’s 38-yard field goal with 9:09 left in the first quarter to give the Panthers (1-1, 4-1) a 3-0 lead after Greencastle-Antrim’s first drive ended after a Tavon Cooper fumble.

The Blue Devils (1-1, 4-1) responded nicely with an 80-yard drive, 43 of which came on the ground from Cooper, that ended with a 1-yard plunge from quarterback Logan Alvey to make it 7-3 with 6:12 left.

Then Aaron Angelo took the ensuing kickoff 85 yards for the score and it was 10-7 Panthers with 5:58 left in the first.

East Pennsboro’s defense forced a punt on the next drive and took over at the Blue Devils’ 34. Quarterback Keith Oates ran 33 yards and then plunged in from the 1 on the next play to make it 16-7 with 3:28 left in the first.

The Panthers’ defense forced another punt. A 50-yard run by Angelo put them on the 13. Campbell finished the drive with a 5-yard TD run to make it 23-7 with 14 seconds left, still in the first quarter, which practically sealed the game.

No team scored in the second or third quarters.

Oates tacked on another rushing TD, this time from 18 yards, with 6:23 left in the game.

Logan Alvey hits Seth Stouffer for a 35-yard TD pass to make it 30-13 with 5:07 left.

Alvey finished with 147 passing yards and Stouffer with 66 receiving yards. Austin Wyand had 61 receiving yards.

Angelo finished with 109, Oates with 66, and Campbell with 53 rushing yards for the Panthers. Angelo also had a sack.

It’s a morale-building win for the Panthers, who felt they didn’t come to play in a 27-11 loss last week to division foe Gettysburg.

“We knew [the Blue Devils] were about as good as last week’s team, Gettysburg,” Campbell said. “Last week we came in a little flat and just didn’t really play well overall. We just kind of focused on execution and on defense, everybody filling in their gaps and knowing their job.”

After Greencastle-Antrim’s stud running back Cooper had 43 yards on the Blue Devils’ second drive, he only had 62 the rest of the way. The Panther defense also forced him into three lost fumbles. Cooper finished with 105 rushing yards, but only on 4.6 yards per carry. Cooper had been averaging 126 YPG and 8.4 YPC.

As much as the Panthers took it to the Blue Devils, the G-A side also shot itself in the foot. Its total reached four turnovers as East Pennsboro also picked off a pass and also had nine penalties for 80 yards.

Campbell and the Panthers didn’t look too much into beating an undefeated team.

“Each week and each game it’s a 0-0 record,” he said. “We don’t really look at the numbers and what they’re predicting. We just watch the film and know what we need to do to get the win.”

At the halfway point of the high school football season, an undefeated record may not be a telling sign of things to come. But a win over such a team could be a morale builder for a team coming off a loss and a catalyst for a good finish to end the season.

The East Penn coaches talked about finishing strong in the last half of the season as the Panthers have gone 1-3 in their final four games the past three seasons.

Campbell, who picked up a Division II offer from West Virginia Wesleyan back in August, hopes to lead the team to a more prosperous finish and also wants to get his own exposure.

“Just get as much attention as possible while helping the team as much as possible,” Campbell said. “Ultimately it’s not about me, it’s just about the team.”

East Pennsboro heads to Mechanicsburg next Friday; Greencastle-Antrim heads to Northern York.

STATS:

East Pennsboro

Passing: Oates 2-5-2–27.

Rushing: Angelo 14-109, Oates 6-66 (2 TDs), Campbell 14-53 (TD), Sanderson 3-13, Holmes 4-6, Team 1-0, Gossard 2-0.

Receiving: Campbell 1-22, Swope 1-5.

Penalty: 6-65.

Punt-avg: 3-47.

First downs: 15.

Fumbles-lost: 0-0.

Greencastle-Antrim

Passing: Alvey 16-21-1–147 (TD).

Rushing: Cooper 23-105, Wyand 6-8, Shifflett 2-5, Brookens 1-3, Kline 2-3, Alvey 4-(-12).

Receiving: Stouffer 4-66 (TD), Wyand 8-61, Wright 1-9, Cooper 1-5, Ebay 1-5, Kline 1-1.

Penalties: 9-80.

Punt-avg: 5-40.8

First downs: 16.

Fumbles-lost: 4-3.

Scoring Summary

East Pennsboro (1-1, 4-1) 23 0 0 7 – 30

Greencastle-Antrim (1-1, 4-1) 7 0 0 6 – 13

1st Quarter

EP-Campbell 38 FG – 9:09

GA-Alvey 1 run (Eby kick) – 6:12

EP-Angelo 85 kick return (Campbell kick) – 5:58

EP-Oates 1 run (Campbell kick failed) – 3:28

EP- Campbell 5 run (Campbell kick) – 0:14

4th Quarter

EP-Oates 18 run (Campbell kick) – 6:23

GA-Stouffer 35 pass from Alvey (Alvey pass to Cooper failed) – 5:07

Bishop McDevitt started the game flat with a multitude of penalties and allowed Palmyra’s defense to get pressure on the quarterback.

In the end, the Crusaders, which may be listed on sites such as 겜블시티, cruised to a 49-3 Mid Penn Keystone victory as their stellar stash of playmakers proved to be too explosive for the Cougars to contain Thursday night at Buck Swank Stadium.

The big win is nice but getting the penalties under control is something that will need to be cleaned up if the Crusaders (1-0, 2-1) wish to make it back to and win the PIAA Class 4A title game, which it narrowly lost 34-27 last season against Aliquippa.

The sloppy start allowed the Cougars (0-1, 1-3) to take a 3-0 lead on a 25-yard field goal by Matt Bordner with 6:43 left in the first quarter.

The Crusaders finally responded with a 12-play, 80-yard drive that was capped with an 11-yard touchdown on a nice slant route by Tyshawn Russell and a bullet pass from sophomore quarterback Stone Saunders.

And now the good for Bishop McDevitt: Minnesota commit Marquese Williams and a stout defense.

After the Crusaders’ defense forced a three-and-out, yet another penalty backed them up to their own 6. Williams had enough and dashed 94 yards down the left sideline to make it 14-3 with 1:31 left in the quarter. It opened the floodgates.

“Basically I’m trying to stay sharp and perform so I can showcase my skills,” Williams said about what he is trying to accomplish this season after already having his commitment taken care of. “I gotta continue to showcase my skills for who I’m committed to. I just come out here, make sure I execute, and have a good relationship with my lineman because they’re a big part of that execution.

“I really don’t focus on the committed part. I focus more on McDevitt and the team because we want to win a state championship. Obviously we got to clean up the penalties and all that but we’ll be straight.”

Williams then scored on runs of 43 and 9 yards in the second quarter to expand the lead to 28-3. The senior running back had 194 rushing yards and three touchdowns in the first half.

It’s arguably Williams’ most prolific first half as a Crusader up there with his 137-yard, four-touchdown first half last season against Lower Dauphin.

His 9-yard touchdown run was set up by fellow back Cyncir Bowers’ 71-yard run. Bowers has offers from Bowling Green, Fordham, Long Island, Monmouth, North Carolina A&T, Old Dominion (where former McDevitt WR Mario Easterly currently plays and which just beat Virginia Tech), and Richmond. Bowers is one of the many lethal playmakers on the Bishop McDevitt offense.

“It helps out a lot,” Williams said of having another talented player in the backfield with him. “It takes off the pressure. It’s good to have that second person to dominate with me by my side. He’s a pretty good back. We don’t hate on each other. We feed off each other.”

McDevitt defensive back Chase Regan then picked off an Ethan Lodish pass and returned it for 44 yards to make it 35-3. James Madison commit Riley Robell had a sack for the Crusaders on the next possession to help force another three-and-out. Then three straight passes from Saunders to Cyncir Bowers gained 38 yards and Bowers pounded it in the end zone from the 2. It was 42-3 with 45.3 seconds left in the first half.

Neither team scored in the third quarter with the running clock in effect.

Rico Scott, who has offers from a medley of Division I you-name-its, got into the scoring action with a 28-yard touchdown reception off a shuffle pass on a jet sweep to conclude the scoring for the game just 9 seconds into the fourth quarter.

Williams finished with 216 rushing yards and three touchdowns, Saunders had 240 passing yards and two touchdowns, Scott had 114 receiving yards and a touchdown, Russell had 62 receiving yards and a touchdown, and Bowers had 75 rushing yards and a touchdown and 55 receiving yards.

McDevitt finished with over 15 penalties totaling over 150 yards. The defense totaled 14 tackles for a loss and held the Palmyra offense to 30 total yards.

The Crusaders have rebounded after a Week 1 loss to Imhotep with a 56-7 win over La Salle and this win. Their Week 2 game against West Toronto Prep was scrapped due to COVID. Next up: Cedar Cliff at home next Friday.

Palmyra travels to Mifflin County looking to continue improving under first-year head coach Chris Pavone.

 

STATS:

Bishop McDevitt

Passing: Saunders 18-26-0–240 (2 TD).

Rushing: Williams 11-216 (3 TD), Bowers 3-75 (TD), Barnes 3-6, Saunders 3-(-14).

Receiving: Scott 8-114 (TD), Russell 5-62 (TD), Bowers 4-55, Smalls 1-9.

Penalty: 16-178.

Punt-avg: 1-20.

First downs: 16.

Fumbles-lost: 2-0.

Palmyra

Passing: Lodish 6-16-1–41, Kowalski 0-1-0–0.

Rushing: Gooden 1-2, Lodish 2-1, Figueroa 20-(-3), Koennecke 2-(-3), Kleinfelter 2-(-8).

Receiving: McDannell 2-23, Kleinfelter 3-11, Readinger 1-7.

Penalties: 8-66.

Punt-avg: 5-26.4..

First downs: 5.

Fumbles-lost: 1-0.

Scoring Summary

Bishop McDevitt (2-1) 14 28 0 7 – 49

Palmyra (1-3) 3 0 0 0 – 3

1st Quarter

P-Bordner 25 FG – 6:43

BM-Russell 11 pass from Saunders (Roman kick) – 3:07

BM-Williams 94 run (Roman kick) – 1:31

2nd Quarter

BM-Williams 43 run (Roman kick) – 7:11

BM-Williams 9 run (Roman kick) – 5:10

BM-Regan 44 interception (Roman kick) – 2:55

BM-Bowers 2 run (Roman kick) – :45.3

4th Quarter

BM-Scott 28 pass from Saunders (Roman kick) – 11:51

The defense was a huge part of Imhotep’s 19-14 win over Bishop McDevitt at Chambersburg’s Peach Bowl, but the 82-yard touchdown blast by sophomore and Georgia commit Jabree Wallace-Coleman set the tone.

With Division I athletes scattered across both rosters, Wallace-Coleman’s huge run shined through. He went almost the entire distance and threw a McDevitt defender out of his way en route to the score.

“I’ve been thinking about that play all week,” Wallace-Coleman said. “Because earlier this week 24/7 came out with rankings for my class and they said there were 100 people better than me. I was just trying to show them that they were not.”

Wallace-Coleman’s lengthy score made it 13-0 with 6:53 left in the second quarter after quarterback Mikal Davis hit Johann Hennigan for an 11-yard score with 4:12 left in the first.

The Georgia commits’ touchdown broke the game open. McDevitt didn’t go out easily.

Highly regarded prospect Stone Saunders hit Tyshawn Russell for a 34-yard touchdown with 6:44 left in the third to make it 13-7 and that score held to the end of the quarter.

Rahmir Stewart pounded it in for a score with 8:53 left in the fourth to make it 19-7 for the Panthers. It looked like it was over.

Then, Jaire Rawlison returned a Wallace-Coleman fumble 39 yards for a touchdown and it was 19-14 with 3:20 left. That’s when Imhotep grinded it out and ran out the clock, including a big first down run from Coleman.

“I was going through it for a little bit but my teammates they like my family,” Wallace-Coleman said. ”They help me. They pick me up and told me to go get my money back. That’s what I did.”

The game had extra meaning for the Panthers, of which many members were talking about how the Crusaders were talking about putting up 40 points leading up to the game. Wallace-Coleman had a Bishop McDevitt championship photo in his Twitter header leading up to the game.

“That was disrespectful,” Wallace-Coleman said of the pregame banter.

The Panthers controlled throughout and were only threatened after the fumble return for a TD. They then closed the game out with the rushing game and defense. The D-I talent on the defensive side of the ball helped.

“I’m just trying to win states,” Wallace-Coleman said. “[I want to] get my jukes better, and get a little faster.”

Overall, the game was a beautiful showcase between two teams, and players, destined for success at the district, state, and professional levels.

It was the first week of football, or Week 0 as some like to call it, but the talent was evident on both sides. Check back in for Week 11.

Imhotep heads to Archbishop Spalding and McDevitt to West Toronto Prep next weekend.

Scoring Summary

Imhotep Charter (1-0) 7 6 0 6 – 19

Bishop McDevitt (0-1) 0 0 7 7 – 14

1st Quarter

I-Hennigan 11 pass from Davis (Woseley kick) – 4:12

2nd Quarter

I-Wallace-Coleman 82 run (Woseley kick blocked) – 6:53

3rd Quarter

BM-Russell pass from Saunders (Roman kick) – 6:44

4th Quarter

I-Stewart 7 run (2-point failed) – 8:53

BM-Rawlison 39 fumble return (Roman kick) – 3:20

The 2021-22 Lancaster-Lebanon League football season officially concluded Tuesday night at Manheim Central’s Elden Rettew Stadium.

The North all-stars defeated the South 27-17 in the Manheim Touchdown Club’s 20th annual Tri-County All-Star Football Game with top seniors from Berks, Lancaster, and Lebanon counties.

Hempfield quarterback Cam Harbaugh (Valparaiso) took home MVP honors for the winning side by orchestrating the offense for most of the game and scoring two touchdowns on the ground.

He took his final moment on a high school football field to have fun and also had something to prove.

“I was just trying to have fun,” Harbaugh said. “But I was also trying to win as a team and prove how good of a player I am too.”

The 6-1, 210-pound signal-caller was versatile during his time at Hempfield, showing the ability to both run and pass, something he will carry with him to Indiana.

“I’ve talked to [Valparaiso head] coach [Landon] Fox a little about the run game and future of me doing that as a QB,” Harbaugh said. “I’ll really do whatever the coaches want me to do.”

Harbaugh scored the first points of the day on a 6-yard run with 8:46 left in the first quarter and the North was up 7-0.

Columbia quarterback Robert Footman (Millersville), who was announced Manheim Football Club L-L Player of the Year at halftime, led the South on a drive that ended in a 32-yard field goal from Garden Spot kicker Walker Martin (Buffalo) to make it 7-3 with 7:27 left in the second quarter, a score that remained to end the half.

At halftime, Footman beat out Harbaugh and Manheim Central quarterback Judd Novak (Kutztown) for L-L Player of the Year and Lampeter-Strasburg lineman Nick Del Grande (Coastal Carolina) beat out Cocalico’s Ryan Brubaker (South Carolina) and Manheim Central’s Jeff Hauser for L-L Lineman of the Year.

The action started to look more like an all-star game in the second half as the South started with an onside kick and recovered.

Cocalico running back Anthony Bourassa scored on a 34-yard run with 7:07 left in the third and the South took the lead at 10-7.

The North got the ball back and executed some trickery of its own when Harbaugh secured a 33-yard reception from Elizabethtown wide receiver Pat Gilhool on a Philly Special-like play. Harbaugh dashed in for a 2-yard score with 3:51 left in the third after a 24-yard run by Cedar Crest’s Aadyn Richards put the North in the red zone. The North regained the lead at 14-10.

“I wasn’t too nervous I’d drop it,” Harbaugh said of the wide-open reception he made on the trick play. “We ran it twice at Hempfield throughout my career and I caught both of those so I was pretty confident.”

Richards tacked on another score with a 1-yard touchdown run with 5:57 left in the game.

Wilson quarterback Brad Hoffman, who won MVP honors for the South, hit Garden Spot wide receiver Derrick Lambert (Grove City) for a 10-yard score with 2:15 left and they had a chance only down 20-17.

But the onside kick didn’t work this time, they actually did recover but got called for a penalty since the ball didn’t go far enough, and the North embarked on a short-field drive to seal it.

Palmyra running back Richie Kowalski ran it in for a 6-yard touchdown with 1:30 left and the teams settled on a 27-17 final.

It’s the last time these seniors will step on the field as high school football players, a bittersweet moment even if college football is in many of their futures.

“It’s exciting for the next chapter but it’s also sad too,” Harbaugh said. “I made a lot of memories and a lot of friends. It’s sad, but also exciting to be able to build toward the future.”

Full stats – Courtesy of LNP Correspondent Daryl Simione

Bishop McDevitt held off Bishop Shanahan for a 28-21 victory in the PIAA Class 4A semifinals Friday night at Coatesville High School.

The District 3 champion Crusaders (12-1) move on to face District 7 champion Aliquippa, a 41-16 winner over Jersey Shore, in the title game in Hershey. It’s the first state championship game for the Crusaders since 2013.

The Crusaders did it by being backed with big plays from its stars, such as Old Dominion commit Mario Easterly and coveted DI-prospect Marquese Williams, but a tipped pass and pick-6 both by linebacker Nate Kinsey for a 29-yard touchdown extended the lead to the largest of the game at 28-14 with 7:08 remaining in the third quarter.

Bishop Shanahan quarterback Cooper Jordan, who made plays with his arm and legs all day for the Eagles (11-4), returned the ensuing kickoff for 91 yards after his fellow returner pitched it to him on a reverse and the Eagles were within a score.

Bishop Shanahan ended up punting on its next three drives, with punter Zane Domsohn putting the Crusaders in difficult field position, but Bishop McDevitt started to chew the clock with Williams, who had 106 rushing yards, and Cyncir Bowers, who finished with 53.

The Eagles had a final opportunity from their own 37 with 2:55 after forcing the Crusaders to punt, but their final effort on fourth-and-10 from Bishop McDevitt’s 27 ended in a 3-yard run.

Bishop Shanahan running back and linebacker Brandon Choi, who holds offers from Dayton, Penn, and Fordham, scored the game’s first touchdown on a 13-yard reception to make it 7-0 with 5:48 left in the first quarter.

Cooper Jordan finds Brandon Choi for a 13-yard TD with 5:48 left in 1Q. Eagles are up 7-0. @EPAFootball pic.twitter.com/AFCu8Sd8vA

— Sean McBryan (@SeanMcBryan) December 4, 2021

Easterly caught a 16-yard pass from Stone Saunders to tie it at 7 with 2:05 left.

Jordan scored on a 7-yard run with 7:32 left in the second quarter and the Eagles retook the lead at 14-7.

Cooper Jordan pounds it in from the 7 and Bishop Shanahan is up 14-7 with 7:32 left in the 2Q. @EPAFootball pic.twitter.com/sIwGDd0Aff

— Sean McBryan (@SeanMcBryan) December 4, 2021

Williams, a junior who holds offers from 22 DI schools including Notre Dame, Penn State, Michigan State, and Cincinnati, burst for a 25-yard score with 4:09 left in the half. Choi got through to block the extra point and Bishop Shanahan still led 14-13.

After a 3-and-out to begin the third quarter, the Eagles punted to Easterly who took it 38 yards to the 13. The Crusaders scored three plays later on Bowers’ 4-yard run and converted the two-point conversion to make it 21-14, and it felt like the momentum was beginning to shift.

A 38-yard punt return by Mario Easterly puts McDevitt in the redzone. Cyncir Bowers ends the drive with a 4-yard TD. Crusaders up 21-14 after converting 2-point conversion with 9:11 left in 3Q. @EPAFootball pic.twitter.com/8xHFpufY9K

— Sean McBryan (@SeanMcBryan) December 4, 2021

“I mean I thought I was going to score,” Easterly said with a laugh. “My eyes were in the end zone but I had so many blockers in front of me and it was just them and the sideline and I had nowhere else to go. It was great though, set us up for a touchdown.”

Bishop Shanahan took over on offense and that’s when Bishop McDevitt senior backer Kinsey swatted Jordan’s pass and caught his own deflection going 29 yards to the house to push the lead to 28-14 with 7:08 left in the third.

“Once I saw that ball go up I got it,” Kinsey said. “I saw the end zone in front of me and knew I had to get that touchdown for the team. It felt amazing.”

Easterly had been to this point in his career as a freshman, but came out on the losing end to the tune of a 48-7 drumming to Cathedral Prep. The Crusaders last won a state title in 1995. Needless to say this one meant a lot to Easterly, Kinsey and the rest of the team.

“I just wanted to go out with a bang,” Easterly said. “My senior year I wanted to do what a lot of McDevitt teams haven’t done in the past: Go to a state championship. We haven’t won a state championship in so long so just to be here my senior year is crazy.”

Any thoughts on Hershey?

“I’m super pumped we worked so hard for this,” Kinsey said. “We deserve this and I think we can do it. I know Aliquippa is a good team, but we’re a good team too.”

“It’s going to be fun, man,” Easterly said. “Stay tuned. That’s all I got to say.”

STATS:

Bishop Shanahan
Passing: Jordan 12-24-1–126 (TD), Whitehill 1-1-0–4.
Rushing: Jordan 14-45 (TD), McGrory 4-15, Romano 1-11, Choi 4-10, Whitehill 5-5.
Receiving: Kapczynski 4-45, McGrory 4-41, Romano 2-14, Choi 1-13 (TD), Whitehill 1-13, Jordan 1-4.
Penalty: 5-45.
Punt-avg: 6-37.7.
First downs: 13.
Fumbles-lost: 2-0.

Bishop McDevitt
Passing: Saunders 5-11-1–90 (TD).
Rushing: Williams 22-106 (TD), Bowers 11-53 (TD), Easterly 1-(-3), Saunders 1-(-10).
Receiving: Easterly 3-35 (TD), Foster 1-38, Scott 1-17.
Penalties: 12-113.
Punt-avg: 5-35.2.
First downs: 11.
Fumbles-lost: 1-0.

Scoring Summary
Bishop McDevitt 7 6 15 0 — 28
Bishop Shanahan 7 7 7 0 — 21

1st Quarter
BS-Choi 13 pass from Jordan (Domsohn kick) – 5:48
McD-Easterly 16 pass from Saunders (Chiha kick) – 2:05

2nd Quarter
BS-Jordan 7 run (Domsohn kick) – 7:32
McD-Williams 25 run (Chiha kick blocked) – 4:09

3rd Quarter
McD-Bowers 4 run (Easterly pass from Saunders) – 9:11
McD-Kinsey 29 INT (Chiha kick) – 7:08
BS-Jordan 91 kick return (Domsohn kick) – 6:52

The Harrisburg and Wilson football teams both wanted to do the same thing. Each had power running games, skilled and beefy offensive lines, and wanted to get early leads and control the clock.

Harrisburg entered the game with an eight-game winning streak; Wilson had won seven in a row including an upset of top-seeded Central York last week.

Harrisburg outgained Wilson by three measly yards; the grind-it-out game’s largest lead reached only four points.

It was a freshman quarterback, Harrisburg’s Shawn Lee, who scored the two touchdowns for the Cougars that propelled them to a 14-10 victory and a District 3 Class 6A championship trophy, the program’s first since 2018 and fourth overall.

“I’m trying to keep it calm, cool and collected until after we leave,” Lee said with a smile. “We had a young team and we have a lot to work on still. But this is a milestone we wanted to reach and we achieved it. It’s time to just keep going.”

The Bulldogs (9-4) started strongly picking up the first five first downs of the game and scored the only points of the first half, a 24-yard field goal from Ben Rada with 1:17 left in the first quarter.

Harrisburg’s bruising running back Mahkai Hopkins got going in the second half after tallying only six yards on three carries in the first. He had 38 rushing yards on the Cougars’ (12-1) opening drive in the third, setting up Lee to sneak in his first touchdown from 1 to give Harrisburg a 7-3 lead with 6:26 left in the quarter.

Wilson running back Jadyn Jones, who finished with 99 rushing yards, answered with a 16-yard touchdown on the next drive as the Bulldogs regained a 10-7 lead with 2:19 left in the third.

Lee fumbled on the Cougars’ next possession and Wilson had an opportunity from the Harrisburg 29 to add to the lead. The Bulldogs gained a single yard on the drive and turned it over on downs.

Hopkins ran 40 yards to Wilson’s 32-yard-line on the next play, then picked up 25 yards on five more carries to put the ball on the 7.

Lee ran around the left side for a 7-yard score on a quarterback option, a perfect play call by Harrisburg head coach Calvin Everett after pounding it up the middle with Hopkins the entirety of the drive. Harrisburg led 14-10 with 9:24 remaining in the game.

“When you got a running back as big as Mahkai (6-2, 230), most people gotta crash to tackle him,” Lee said. “We left the option open for me to run too.”

Each team punted on their next drives and Wilson forced Harrisburg to punt again with :55 left in the game. The Bulldogs got to the 47, but didn’t have enough time to advance further.

Hopkins finished with 125 rushing yards, Kyle Williams 58 all-purpose yards, and Lee the two rushing scores.

The Cougars head to the PIAA Class 6A quarterfinals to host State College, a 28-19 victor over Delaware Valley in the opening round of the state tournament.

“Just winning,” Lee said about his goals at states. “Even being there is a great opportunity.”

 

STATS:

Harrisburg

Passing: Lee 6-12-1–55.

Rushing: Hopkins 25-125, Williams 5-31, Lee 6-6 (2TD), Cook 1-(-4).

Receiving: Williams 4-27, Grandberry 1-18, Waters 1-10.

Penalty: 11-75

Punt-avg: 5-18.2

First downs: 13.

Fumbles-lost: 1-1.

Wilson

Passing: Hoffman 8-14-0–66.

Rushing: J. Jones 21-99 (TD), Hoffman 19-43, Flite 1-2.

Receiving: Flite 3-43, Jones 2-11, Drake 1-10, Lenhart 1-6, Dendall 1-(-4).

Penalties: 6-40.

Punt-avg: 3-23.6.

First downs: 12.

Fumbles-lost: 0-0.

Scoring Summary

Harrisburg (12-1) 0 0 7 7– 14

Wilson (9-4) 3 0 7 0– 10

1st Quarter

W-Rada 24 FG – 1:17

3rd Quarter

H-Lee 1 run (Hopkins kick) – 6:26

W-J.Jones 16 run (Rada kick) – 2:19

4th Quarter

H-Lee 7 run (Hopkins kick) – 9:24

 

Here come the Bulldogs @EPAFootball pic.twitter.com/DfyWsllhhz

— Sean McBryan (@SeanMcBryan) November 20, 2021

Here come the Cougars @EPAFootball pic.twitter.com/0BjARBx0vg

— Sean McBryan (@SeanMcBryan) November 20, 2021

Shawn Lee with 1-yard QB sneak and Cougars take 7-3 lead with 6:26 left in 3Q. @EPAFootball pic.twitter.com/KiQYnMN2Zi

— Sean McBryan (@SeanMcBryan) November 20, 2021

Jadyn Jones with a 16-yard TD run and Wilson is up 10-7 with 2:19 left in 3Q. @EPAFootball pic.twitter.com/mVqlyVywjR

— Sean McBryan (@SeanMcBryan) November 20, 2021

Shawn Lee scores again on a QB option from 7 yards and Harrisburg leads 14-10 with 9:24 left in the game. Wonderful play call as the Cougars had been pounding it up the middle all drive. @EPAFootball pic.twitter.com/IbRzm4aZk8

— Sean McBryan (@SeanMcBryan) November 20, 2021

The 2021 District 3 Class 6A champions. @EPAFootball pic.twitter.com/nQyJLnqKVJ

— Sean McBryan (@SeanMcBryan) November 20, 2021

Top-seeded Steelton-Highspire defeated No. 2 Delone Catholic 42-20 to win the District 3 Class 1A title in back-to-back seasons Saturday afternoon at Veterans Memorial Field in Harrisburg.

Daivin Pryor rushed for 118 yards and a score and also had a receiving touchdown and an interception to lead the Rollers (8-2) to their second consecutive title.

Steel-High went undefeated last season and won the PIAA Class 1A state title. It started this season 7-0 before two straight losses to Big Spring 49-14 and Boiling Springs 29-28 put a damper on the end of the regular season.

The Rollers put those losses behind them in the district final.

“My mindset was to just get out here and win this week,” Pryor said. “We had a good team coming in here that really wanted it badly. A couple of years back they beat us on this field and then we went out there and beat them on their field. They came back, so we wanted to do it again.”

The Squires (6-5) beat Steel-High 39-27 in a 2019 district semifinal; the Rollers evened the score in 2020 with a 23-13 victory in the district final.

Losing a Division I talent like Penn State commit Mehki Flowers, who transferred to Central Dauphin East after helping Steel-High win the state title last season, would put a strain on any team. The Rollers showed the capability of performing on the same level, averaging 55 points per game in their 7-0 start. The 35-point loss to Big Spring and a one-point heartbreaker to Boiling Springs to end the season hurt, but the Rollers showed moxie in rebounding in the district final.

“It all was a long process,” Pryor said on attempting to match what Steel-High did in 2020. “It started back in the summer and spring. We had to work, watch the film, go in the weight room. Every practice we were here working hard. In the end, we had to execute and that’s what we did.”

It didn’t start ideally for the Rollers and Pryor as the running back fumbled on the first possession and Delone Catholic’s Brady Dettinburn recovered at the 15. Dettinburn eventually ran it in from 5 yards out and the Squires went up 7-0 with 10:01 left in the first.

Alex Erby hit Tyrone Moore on a 28-yard pass to tie it with 3:12 left.

Pryor got the only score of the second quarter with a 5-yard run to make it 13-7 with 42.3 seconds left in the half.

Erby hit Jaieon Perry for a 12-yard score with 9:14 left in the third and it seemed as though Steel-High was about to roll with a 21-7 lead.

Delone Catholic responded with a 68-yard pass from Ryder Noel to Gage Zimmerman and the Squires were back within a score at 21-14.

It was all Rollers from there.

Jakhai Noss pounded it in from 5 yards out with 1:31 left in the third. Erby hit Rell Ceaser Jr. for a 10-yard touchdown with 6:48 left in the fourth. Erby hit Pryor for a 21-yard score with 4:49 in the fourth and the scoreboard read 42-14.

Noel hit Dylan Staub for a 13-yard TD with 1:03 left in the game for an empty score.

The Rollers will play District 4 Class 1A champ Canton next week in the first round of the PIAA state tournament.

Is another state championship on the mind?

“Yessir,” Pryor said with a smile.

 

STATS:

Steelton-Highspire

Passing: Erby 6-11-1–82 (4 TD).

Rushing: Pryor 20-118 (TD), Noss 14-59 (TD), Ceaser Jr. 2-9, Moore 1-7, Erby 4-(-8). Total: 41-185 (2 TD).

Receiving: Moore 3-39 (TD), Pryor 1-21 (TD), Perry 1-12 (TD), Ceaser Jr. 1-10 (TD).

Penalty: 4-25.

Punt-avg: 3-36.6.

First downs: 12.

Fumbles-lost: 3-1.

Delone Catholic

Passing: Noel 8-12-1–116 (2 TD).

Rushing: Keller 12-50, Staub 9-26, Dettinburn 8-17 (TD), Noel 14-1. Team: 43-94 (TD).

Receiving: Staub 4-41 (TD), Zimmerman 2-81 (TD), Dettinburn 1-5, Keller 1-(-11).

Penalties: 7-46.

Punt-avg: 4-29.8.

First downs: 7.

Fumbles-lost: 2-1.

Scoring Summary

Steelton-Highspire (8-2) 7 6 16 13 – 42

Delone Catholic (6-5) 7 0 7 6– 20

1st Quarter

DC-Dettinburn 5 run (Emeigh kick) – 10:01

SH-Moore 28 pass from Erby (Moore kick) – 3:12

2nd Quarter

SH-Pryor 5 run (Moore kick missed) – :42.3

3rd Quarter

SH-Perry 12 pass from Erby (Pryor run) – 9:14

DC-Zimmerman 68 pass from Noel (Emeigh kick) – 6:04

SH-Noss 10 run (Pryor run) – 1:31

4th Quarter

SH-Ceaser Jr. 10 pass from Erby (Moore kick) – 6:48

SH-Pryor 21 pass from Erby (Moore kick missed) – 4:49

DC-Staub 13 pass from Noel (Noel pass failed) – 1:03

Brad Zell arrived as the Boiling Springs head coach four seasons ago; he inherited a team that went winless in 2016 and 2017. It happened again in 2019.

Seniors Colin Lunde, Aidan Metzger, and Joey Menke have gotten minutes on the Bubblers’ varsity squad since they were freshmen, which was the same year Zell arrived.

The team turned it around in a COVID-shortened 2021 season, going 4-1 and making the District playoffs for the first time since 2015. This weekend showed last year wasn’t a fluke and the team has put the losing seasons behind them.

On Saturday afternoon in Harrisburg, those three players accounted for all four of Boiling Springs’ touchdowns in a 29-28 thrilling victory over Mid-Penn Capital rival Steelton-Highspire to give the Bubblers the outright league title.

“It’s the whole mentality,” Lunde said on what has changed in the program. “We’re just winners, you know? We’re not going to settle for anything less. We give it our all every week. Our standards are just higher.”

The Bubblers (5-0, 9-1) did not settle Saturday, continuously fighting back against 14-7, 21-14, and 28-21 deficits.

Steel-High’s Daivin Pryor dashed for an 80-yard touchdown with 3:33 left in the game to put the Rollers (3-2, 7-2) up 28-21. Pryor finished the day with 201 rushing yards and two touchdowns; he also caught an 8-yard TD pass.

On the next drive, Lunde converted a 4th-and-1 on a QB sneak at Steel-High’s 32. He hit Menke for a 31-yard pass to get the ball on the 1 on the next play. Then Metzger pounded it in, but the Bubblers were still down 28-27.

How much thought did Zell put into going for two?

“None,” Zell said. “None at all. My kids didn’t come here to tie. We came here to win.”

Lunde found junior tight end Blake Develan in the right side of the endzone for the game-winning conversion with 59.8 seconds left in the game. The Bubblers forced a turnover on downs on the Rollers’ next offensive possession and Lunde kneeled it out for the win.

Lunde had 120 passing yards and scores through the air and on the ground, Menke had 97 rushing yards and touchdown and Metzger scored the touchdown to give the Bubblers the opportunity to tie or win at the end.

“We just kept going,” Lunde said. “We never gave in. It would’ve been really easy to throw in the towel after that big play (by Pryor) in the fourth quarter.”

The Bubblers churned out 172 yards on the ground, thanks to a Wing T system Zell brought with him after his time spent at Cumberland Valley.

“I brought what I learned under coach Rimpfel, who just passed away, during my time at CV,” Zell said. “I learned from the best. We are running his Wing T. It’s good to see the kids prosper in a consistent system for four years.”

Zell gave the kids a system they could believe in and they have done the rest.

“The kids have put in a heck of a lot of work,” Zell said. “They are in the weight room three or four times a day. This senior class has been here as long as I have so we are linked together. They believed in what we were telling them and they’re starting to believe in themselves too.”

They have every reason to believe, especially after this thrilling victory over a team that went undefeated and won a state title last season in Steel-High.

“It was a helluva football game, win or lose,” Zell said. “This is good for us. Steel-High is always a tough out. They bring it every week. They provide us with some difficulties because of their speed and their quarterback is a stud. This win is good for our confidence.”

It has all culminated in the Bubblers winning a league title with the district playoffs on the horizon.

“It’s a huge step and milestone for us,” Lunde said on winning the Mid-Penn Capital title. “It means a lot. It’s really big for the community overall.”

STATS:

Boiling Springs

Passing: Lunde 4-8-0–120 (TD).

Rushing: Menke 17-97 (TD), Laing 11-57, Metzger 9-16 (TD), Lunde 3-2 (TD).

Receiving: Delevan 2-43 (TD), Garvey 1-46, Menke 1-31.

Penalty: 4-31.

Punt-avg: 5-41.8.

First downs: 11.

Fumbles-lost: 0-0.

Steel-High

Passing: Erby 11-20-1–146 (2 TD), Moore 1-1-0–45, Pryor 0-1-0–0. Sacks: 3-(-16).

Rushing: Pryor 27-201 (2 TD), Noss 10-75, Bratton 2-10, Perry 2-9, Erby 1-(-12).

Receiving: Ceaser Jr. 6-155 (TD), Moore 4-19, Perry 1-9, Pryor 1-8 (TD).

Penalties: 8-65.

Punt-avg: 2-36.5.

First downs: 15.

Fumbles-lost: 1-0.

Scoring Summary

Boiling Springs (5-0, 9-1) 7 0 7 15 – 29

Steelton-Highspire (3-2, 7-2) 6 8 7 7 – 28

1st Quarter

BS-Menke 9 run (Laing kick) – 6:55

SH-Pryor 8 pass from Erby (Moore kick failed) – 3:42

2nd Quarter

SH-Ceaser Jr. 40 pass from Erby (Pryor run) – 8:21

3rd Quarter

BS-Delevan 33 pass from Lunde (Laing kick) – 9:29

SH-Pryor 2 run (Moore kick) – :59.7

4th Quarter

BS-Lunde 1 run (Laing kick) – 10:50

SH-Pryor 80 run (Moore kick) – 3:33

BS-Metzger 1 run (Delevan pass from Lunde) – :59.8

 

Steelton-Highspire quarterback Alex Erby is only a sophomore and has a resume that would make a senior jealous.

Already a state champion and program record-holder in passing yards, passing touchdowns, passing yards in a single game and passing touchdown in a single game, Erby added to that resume Saturday in the Rollers’ 26-0 victory over Mid Penn Capital opponent Middletown at War Memorial Field.

He threw for three touchdowns, all in the second half, but more notably for 255 yards which broke the all-time record for career passing yards in Steel-High history.

“I just gotta give props to my O-line,” Erby said. “They’ve been the key to my success. Also the hard work. We are right back at it on Sundays. It’s a dog mentality and we’re going to keep pushing.”

Last season, Penn State recruit Mehki Flowers was on the team giving Erby a prized recruit at wideout. He’s spreading the ball around more this season. Three players caught touchdowns Saturday. Tyrone Moore had 10 catches for 112 yards and a score. Rell Ceaser Jr. had five grabs for 79 yards and a score. Jaeion Perry had four receptions for 64 yards and a score.

“It’s definitely a lot harder not having Mehki, Damein Hammonds and Odell Greene,” Erby said. “We all just have to keep getting better every week, execute and keep growing as a team.”

The Rollers (1-0, 5-0) got off to a slow start Saturday, halted by five penalties, three punts and an Erby interception in the first half.

The Blue Raiders (0-1, 2-3) weren’t much better with five penalties and five punts.

The teams were scoreless at the break, the first game of the season that the Rollers were tested. Their four previous victories were by 77, 55, 61 and 34 points.

“We realized (Middletown) was a really good team with good players that could potentially play at the college level,” Erby said. “I was keeping my composure and just trying to help the team calm down (at halftime). I could tell we were getting a little riled up. We’ve been through this before though, so we just had to keep pushing.”

And push they did.

Daivin Pryor rushed for 34 yards on Steel-High’s first drive of the second half and finished it with an 8-yard touchdown. Pryor finished with 22 carries for 128 yards for the Rollers.

Next were two 41-yard touchdown strikes from Erby, one to Ceaser with 1:52 left in the third and the second to Perry as time expired in the quarter.

Suddenly the Rollers were leading 19-0 heading to the fourth.

Erby put the nail in the coffin with a 4-yard touchdown pass to Moore with 2:02 left in the game.

Erby’s dad, Andrew Sr., is the Steel-High head coach and his brother, Andrew Erby Jr., is a starting defensive tackle, which the sophomore sensation thinks has its pros and cons.

“It can be a good and a bad thing sometimes,” Alex said with a smile. “I’ll get yelled at for throwing into double-coverage on my pick, but it’s good because I can sit down with my dad every night and prepare for the week.”

The Erby trio will be preparing to go 2-0 in the Mid Penn Capital division when they face Trinity next week.

 

Harrisburg’s Kyle Williams is a name to watch out for.

The 6-foot, 175-pound junior can do it all offensively as a wide receiver and running back and also plays in the Cougars’ secondary on defense.

“It really comes naturally,” Williams said of his versatility. “I work on all skills, not just one position. Once everything comes together, results come.”

That happened Saturday afternoon as Williams rushed for 159 yards and a score and had 101 receiving yards with a touchdown reception in Harrisburg’s 34-14 victory over Carlisle in a Mid-Penn Commonwealth tilt at Severance Field.

The Cougars (1-0, 4-1) were coming off a 49-13 defeat to Gov. Mifflin, the state’s top ranked team in Class 5A.

“We just put it in the past and made sure we knew what we could do,” Williams said. “Clear our minds and come back to work. We knew this week was going to be all work. Just play Cougar football.”

The Thundering Herd (0-2, 3-2) started the game with a drive that got into the red zone, but a fumble was lost to Harrisburg for a bit of foreshadowing of how the game would go.

Williams caught a 10-yard touchdown pass from Zakii Lewis with 30 seconds left in the first quarter to put the Cougars up 7-0. The duo also connected for a 42-yard gain earlier in the quarter.

Williams scored again on a 1-yard TD run with 5:10 left in the first half. He had a 42-yard run and 17-yard reception on a drive that went 75 yards in 13 plays.

Carlisle made it a game when Jeremiah Hargrove forced a fumble on a sack of Lewis and Thomas Nelson returned it five yards for a touchdown to make it 13-7 toward the end of the half.

That’s the closest the Thundering Herd would get.

The Cougars controlled the clock in the third quarter and Mahkai Hopkins’ 3-yard touchdown run capped a 15-play, 75-yard drive that chewed the majority of the quarter.

Anthony Day picked off a pass from Louis Shank and returned it 42 yards for a score and the Cougars’ went up 27-7 with :25 left in the third.

Lewis hit Justin Cook for a 12-yard touchdown with 9:40 left in the game. A 30-yard dash by Williams sparked the drive.

“I just want to do what I can do not just for myself but for the team to get a win,” Williams said. “Whatever I can do to contribute to getting the win is what I do.”

Hopkins finished with 54 yards on 18 carries and a touchdown; Lewis went 14 for 21 with 147 passing yards, two touchdowns and an interception.

Jeremiah Snyder rushed five times for 64 yards for Carlisle.

Both teams will again have league games next week as Harrisburg travels to face Altoona and Carlisle hosts Chambersburg.

“We want to win the Commonwealth,” Williams said. “That’s our goal. I want to go undefeated in the division.”

Williams and the Cougars are off to a good start.

Scoring Summary

Harrisburg (4-1) 7 6 14 0 7-34

Carlisle (3-2) 0 7 0 7 -14

1st Quarter

H-Kyle Williams 10 pass fro Zakii Lewis (Hopkins kick)

2nd quarter

H-Kyle Williams 1 run (Hopkins kick blocked)

C-Thomas Nelson 5 fumble return (Godjin kick)

3rd Quarter

H-Mahkai Hopkins 3 run (Hopkins kick)

H-Anthony Day 42 interception return (Hopkins kick)

4th Quarter

H-Justin Cook 12 pass from Zakii Lewis (Hopkins kick)

C-Jeremiah Hargrove 39 pass from Ezeekai Thomas (Godjin kick)

Harrisburg and Manheim Township were a perfect match. Both teams’ opponents for this week, Bishop McDevitt and Central Dauphin were unable to play due to COVID-19 outbreaks. In a move that made perfect sense, the Cougars and Blue Streaks decided to match up on two days’ notice. The game did not disappoint.

Harrisburg junior running back Makhai Hopkins ran for 143 yards and scored two touchdowns, most notably on a 1-yard plunge on fourth down in overtime to give the Cougars a 20-17 victory over the Blue Streaks Saturday in Neffsville.

“We like to run the ball,” Hopkins said. “We like to get behind the line and pound the rock.”

The Blue Streaks (1-2) scored first when Penn State commit Anthony Ivey caught a 12-yard pass from Hayden Johnson with 2:05 left in the first quarter.

Justin Cook returned the ensuing kickoff for 90 yards and the Cougars (3-0) tied it 7-7 at the 1:52 mark.

Neither team scored in the second quarter. Harrisburg was hurt by penalties on multiple drives; Manheim Township was hurt by an interception and a sack.

The first drives for each team in the third quarter resulted in punts. The Cougars finally broke through to take the lead on a drive catalyzed by a 32-yard pass from Shawn Lee to Labron Jones that took the ball to the 12. They eventually got down to the 1 and Hopkins slammed into the endzone to give Harrisburg a 14-7 lead with 2:24 left.

Manheim Township’s second and final possession in the third quarter ended with its second 3-and-out; the Blue Streaks punted with 1:31 left.

A 40-yard pass from Lee to Jovani Maldonado and a 15-yard unsportsmanlike conduct penalty gave Harrisburg possession within striking distance at the 24 as the third quarter expired.

The Blue Streaks showed grit and stopped the Cougars on 4th-and-8 from the 22 with 9:11 left in the fourth quarter. Then Johnson hit Shaddy Girgis for a 57-yard strike to the Harrisburg 15. Johnson found Ivey for an eight-yard touchdown pass a few plays later and the game was tied 14-14 with 5:24 left.

Hayden Johnson finds Anthony Ivey for an 8-yard score to tie up the game 14-14 with 5:24 left. @EPAFootball pic.twitter.com/lrJmAovGjc

— Sean McBryan (@SeanMcBryan) September 11, 2021

Harrisburg drove all the way down to the 12 before failing to convert on fourth down.

Michael Heckman with a big stick to bring up 4th down after a long drive for Harrisburg to the 12. Nearing 3 minutes left. Tied 14-14. Cougars going for it. @EPAFootball pic.twitter.com/Jf4U357qlt

— Sean McBryan (@SeanMcBryan) September 11, 2021

Manheim Township started a drive in the final minutes before Cook intercepted Johnson on a deep ball lofted for Ivey with 35 seconds left.

Justin Cook intercepts a pass intended for Anthony Ivey with 35 seconds left in the game. Cougars take over at their own 5. @EPAFootball pic.twitter.com/LEF41n5kwI

— Sean McBryan (@SeanMcBryan) September 11, 2021

After a brief drive by the Cougars, they took a knee to run out the clock and go to overtime. In the extra period, the teams would each get a chance to score from the 10-yard-line. Manheim Township received the first chance and were held to a field goal after two incompletions and a sack.

Harrisburg went back to what worked for them all game: pounding the rock. Finally, Hopkins slammed into the endzone from the 1 to give the Cougars the victory.

FINAL: Mahkai Hopkins runs it in from 1 yard on 4th down and Harrisburg wins 20-17 over Manheim Township in an incredibly hard-fought game. @EPAFootball pic.twitter.com/UD7tXgGhIm

— Sean McBryan (@SeanMcBryan) September 11, 2021

“I told them to feed me,” Hopkins said. “Give me the ball and I’ll get into the end zone.”

The Cougars have grinded out three wins by a combined 18 points this season.

“They’re a bunch of young guys,” Harrisburg head coach Calvin Everett said. “They’re making their mistakes. That’s not a surprise at all. I definitely expected that. They’re learning and they’re maturing as they play. One thing I can say is they’re going to fight to the end.”

Scoring Summary

Harrisburg (3-0) 7 0 7 0 6-20
Manheim Township (1-2) 7 0 0 7 3-17
1st Quarter
MT-Anthony Ivey 12 pass from Hayden Johnson (O’Gorman kick)
H-Justin Cook 90 kickoff return (Hopkins kick)
3rd Quarter
H-Mahkai Hopkins 1 run (Hopkins kick)
4th Quarter
MT-Anthony Ivey 8 pass from Hayden Johnson (O’Gorman kick)
Overtime
MT-Matt O’Gorman FG
H-Mahkai Hopkins 1 run (no PAT attempted)

Diohnny Ruiz scored on a 64-yard screen pass and runs of 58 and 14 yards in the first half as the Hamburg Hawks defeated the York Tech Spartans 47-20 Saturday afternoon in York.

Ruiz scored on the screen pass with 10:59 left in the first quarter.

“He has another gear,” Hamburg head coach Jeff Chillot said of Ruiz. “When he looks like he might be tackled, he can get out of stuff because he has really good leg strength and escapability, and he’s quick. Even if someone’s not blocking, we feel confident he can break a tackle, and then he can obviously take it to the house and make big plays out of it. He works hard, does everything you ask him to do. He’s earned what he’s done based on what he does in the offseason.”

About four minutes later, Pierce Mason took a handoff 24 yards for another touchdown to give the Hawks (1-0) a 13-0 lead.

On the next possession, the Spartans (0-1) drove 42 yards, including a fourth-down conversion, to the Hawks’ 15-yard-line, but a fumble by Ja’mar Johnson gave Hamburg the ball back at the end of the quarter. Ruiz recovered the fumble.

In the second quarter, the Hawks picked up where they left off as freshman Aiden Readinger scored on a 16-yard dash with 11:06 left to make it 19-0. Anthony Torres blocked the extra point for York Tech.

The Spartans went 3-and-out on the next possession and punted the ball through the endzone. Four straight offensive penalties on Hamburg made it 3rd-and-11 from their own 42 when Ruiz sprinted for the 58-yard touchdown run. Nicholas Hix hit the PAT and the Hawks led 26-0.

“My brother (Derek Ruiz) and wide receivers had good blocks and I just saw green,” Ruiz said. “So I just took off.”

Johnson scrambled and found Torres for a 56-yard touchdown with 3:02 left in the half to get the Spartans on the board.

Hamburg quarterback Xander Menapace took over the next drive, rushing for 15 and hitting Tristan Baer for a 17-yard gain and Kevin McFarland for 10 yards. Ruiz did the rest, taking it in from 14 yards out with 1:43 left, and the Hawks took a 33-6 lead into halftime.

The third quarter belonged to Baer, who scored on a 32-yard run with 8:21 left and a 49-yard screen pass with 5:48 left. A 15-yard unsportsmanlike conduct on the Hawks following the touchdown left York Tech with great field position, and the Spartans capitalized with a drive ending in a two-yard touchdown run by Torres to make it 47-12.

Hamburg played their second string in the fourth quarter, and a botched snap gave the Spartans the ball on their own 35. Bailey Eberwein took a pitch 35 yards, and Torres converted the two-point conversion, for the final score of the game with 7:38 left.

Menapace finished 8/13 with 167 yards and two touchdowns, Ruiz had four carries for 90 yards and two touchdowns and two catches for 72 yards and a touchdown, and Baer had four carries for 67 yards and a touchdown and two catches for 66 yards and a touchdown for Hamburg.

Johnson finished 2/4 with 67 yards and a touchdown while rushing 12 times for 51 yards, Torres had seven carries for 38 yards and a touchdown and the 56-yard touchdown reception, and Eberwein had seven carries for 101 yards and a touchdown for York Tech.

Hamburg first-year head coach Jeff Chillot, who coached for 12 seasons at Schuylkill Valley, picked up his first win with his new team.

“It feels great,” Chillot said. “I feel great for the kids. They’ve had a long and hot camp, as everyone has. It’s great to just come out and play football, in a normal football sense, and get a win. There’s nothing like winning a football game. The players came ready to play.”

“It feels pretty good to have everyone back, especially fans,” Ruiz said. “We have one win under our belt. It feels pretty good. Now we are moving onto next week.”

York Tech was playing with heavy hearts as Ronald Lake, a senior captain, unexpectedly passed away in his sleep July 31. A moment of silence was held in his remembrance to begin the game. Lake made two interceptions in a 14-13 win over Hanover last season that broke the Spartans’ 35-game losing streak.

York Tech next faces Octorara this Saturday at 11 a.m. in York; Hamburg hosts Northern Lebanon Friday at 7 p.m.

 

Scoring Summary

Hamburg (1-0) 13 20 14 0-47

York Tech (0-1) 0 6 6 8-20

1st Quarter

HAM– Diohnny Ruiz 64 pass from Xander Menapace (Hix missed kick)

HAM-Pierce Mason 24 run (Hix kick)

2nd Quarter

HAM-Aiden Reading 16 run (Hix kick blocked)

HAM-Diohnny Ruiz 58 run (Hix kick)

YT-Anthony Torres 56 pass from Ja’mar Johnson (Two-point failed)

HAM-Diohnny Ruiz 14 run (Hix kick)

3rd Quarter

HAM-Tristan Baer 32 run (Hix kick)

HAM-Tristan Baer 49 pass from Xander Menapce (Hix kick)

YT-Anthony Torres 2 run (Two-point failed)

4th Quarter

YT-Bailey Eberwein 65 run (Two-point success)