HERSHEY, Pa. – After a 2-3 start to its season, the Millersburg Indians went on a nice run, an eight-game winning streak, along with the school’s first District 3 football championship.
Speaking of runs, Bishop McCort literally ran over Millersburg.
The Crushers (13-0) pounded the Indians (10-4) into submission, amassing 218 yards rushing in a convincing 33-6 victory in a PIAA “A” state quarterfinal game from a snowy Hersheypark Stadium.
With the victory, McCort will play District 11 representative Tri-Valley, a 35-32 victor over Southern Columbia, next Friday night at State College’s Memorial Stadium, with a 7 p.m. slated kickoff.
Millersburg head coach Roy Wall said McCort was able to do what it wanted throughout the game.
“They came out and executed their game plan,” Wall said.
Make that offensively and defensively. Really, the only mishaps for McCort were injuries to Josh Seidel (hip) and Dane Domonkos (separated shoulder) and a blocked 42-yard field goal attempt. Neither player returned to the game, though Seidel could have if the situation warranted it.
McCort set the tone right off the bat, taking the opening kickoff 54 yards in 11 plays. Chaz Merriman (18 rush, 66 yards) capped the drive with a three-yard run, and the Crushers led, 7-0.
Millersburg went three-and-out, and kicked a punt that traveled minus-1 yard. McCort capitalized on the next play, as Josh Seidel (9 rush, 64 yards) scored on a 22-yard run, pushing the red and gold’s lead to 14-0.
Dane Domonkos (10 rush, 67 yards) extended the Crushers’ lead early in the second quarter with a 65-yard punt return for a touchdown. Moments earlier, he had a 42-yard field goal attempt blocked, but Millersburg did nothing with the opportunity.
McCort capped its first half spurt with two field goals – a 37 yarder by Domonkos and a 21 yarder by Andrew Penksa. The Crusher lead stood at 27-0 at halftime.
Millersburg, meanwhile, could do nothing offensively for much of the game. The Indians didn’t register a first down until the fourth quarter, and at one point in the final stanza, had only 19 carries for 4 yards, 15 total yards of offense, and 1 first down.
McCort head coach Ken Salem was impressed.
“We said we wanted to get better each week, and I think we did,” Salem said. “To hold Millersburg to one first down with our (first-string) defense is quite an effort.”
Millersburg finished the game with 86 rushing yards on 26 carries, but its passing attack failed the maroon and white this day. Between quarterback Justin Roach and Jared Wolfgang, Millersburg went a combined 4-of-18 for 43 yards. Roach completed all four passes, but also threw three interceptions.
Luke James capped the Crusher scoring early in the third quarter with a one-yard run on a fourth-and-goal. James finished with 22 yards on four attempts.
Millersburg put a drive together against the McCort reserve defense. Nolan Allman ripped off a 40-yard run to the Crusher 8, and James Miller (5 rush, 16 yards) scored on an 8-yard run to break the shutout.
Allman led the Indians with 41 rushing yards on just two carries. Andrew Acker, the Indians’ bruising fullback and 700-yard rusher, added 37 yards on nine carries.
NOTE: This is McCort’s first PIAA semi-finals appearance since 2001, when the Crushers were flattened by WPIAL champion Washington. The Prexies then won the PIAA title over Pen Argyl one week later.
