HARRISBURG, Pa. – If you listen to head coach Glen McNamee, the Central Dauphin football story didn’t cease being written after the Rams claimed PIAA gold last December. It’s a story, he told his players, which is ever evolving and being written with each additional game.
Really, on the surface, what other themes and stories could CD fit in its masterpiece?
Saturday, the Rams found a new chapter to add to their work: it was titled heart and resiliency. Though it’s a chapter that might appear stranger than fiction unless you directly witnessed it.
Though it was limited to 205 total yards of offense and just a 6-of-17 day passing, Central Dauphin (6-1) rallied from 14 points down in the fourth quarter to defeat Harrisburg (5-2), 24-21, in overtime thanks to a Casey Hartzell 26-yard field goal from a sun-splashed Severance Field in Pennsylvania’s capitol city. The Rams didn’t clinch a conference championship with the victory, but did put itself in the drivers’ seat in advance of a key showdown next weekend with Cumberland Valley.
“This is Severance Field – it’s a big rivalry (with Harrisburg),” said McNamee. “This has become a big rivalry for us and this is a huge game.”
Though Harrisburg’s propensity for the big play kept it ahead for most of the game, it was Central Dauphin’s special teams and defense which kept the guests afloat and above water, though at times it seemed in doubt. And, as jet airplanes circled overhead bound for Harrisburg International Airport, it was Drew Scales who piloted the Rams in their furious comeback.
The Cougars, staked to a 21-7 lead, needed to convert a third down situation and opted to throw the ball with inside of five minutes left in regulation. Kyle Cook sent a pass bound for what appeared to be an intermediate route, but Scales picked the pass off and returned it 34 yards for a touchdown.
On the ensuing kickoff, the Harrisburg return team, thinking Hartzell’s boot would roll into the end zone, found itself snakebit as the ball rolled dead at the 3 yard line, which CD recovered. One play later, Scales was crashing into the end zone, and the Rams, down 14 points just 15 seconds prior, had stormed back to tie the game.
“Our kids have a ton of heart and resiliency,” McNamee said. “Those who follow the program closely know about it, but that gets put on display on a big stage like today.”
“I don’t know which play was bigger (the INT return or the kickoff recovery),” said Scales. “I don’t want to say that my play was bigger, because both plays were equally big.”
Harrisburg did have a chance to throw a ball up to the end zone with one second left in regulation, but Cook’s floating pass toward the end zone was incomplete.
In overtime, each team gets one possession from the 10-yard line. If the score remains tied, then the process is repeated until it is broken.
Harrisburg went three-and-out, then saw its field goal attempt blocked by who else – Scales – and Central Dauphin ran two plays to center Hartzell for his winning attempt.
“It’s nice to end with the field goal,” Hartzell said. “I kind of had a feeling it might come down to that (a field goal).”
But it wasn’t just the game-winner which made Hartzell’s day so well-rounded. He converted all three extra points he attempted. Two of his punts were downed inside the 5 yard line, including one which landed six inches from the goal line and bounced backward to the Cougar 3. He also booted a 62-yard punt in the second quarter.
“I really don’t know how I did that,” Hartzell admitted of his first punt.
Robert Martin III proved quite the weapon for the Cougars, who were without the services of Domonique Shurns, a senior running back. But Martin showed another piece to the Cougars’ lethally quick and speedy backfield – after Hartzell’s 62-yard punt, he galloped 97 yards for a touchdown and a 7-0 Cougar lead. He also caught a 75-yard touchdown pass – a short pass in the flat from Cook turned into a big play thanks to excellent downfield blocking.
In all, Martin rushed for 179 yards on 13 carries and caught three passes for 76 yards. A special performance, sure, but the Rams got an equally special performance from its special teams unit, which, in addition to Hartzell’s day and Scales’ blocked field goal, also included a blocked punt by blue-chipper Zayd Issah.
“We really worked hard on special teams (in practice) and they came through today,” McNamee said. “They (Harrisburg) had a very potent offense and we definitely had to prepare very hard for that team.”
Issah noted Harrisburg’s toughness and tenacity during the overtime coin toss.
“They said, ‘This is the 12th round,'” Issah said.
NOTES: Harrisburg’s loss Saturday snapped a five-game winning streak for the Cougars, who had not lost since Week 1 to archrival Bishop McDevitt. The Cougars’ two losses have come by a combined four points….Central Dauphin’s Brandon LaVia entered the game needing 53 yards passing for 4,000 in his career. He got exactly 53 yards, but did so on a 6-of-17 day with two interceptions……Harrisburg outrushed Central Dauphin 206-152 and outgained the Rams 397-205……Both the Rams and Cougars totaled four turnovers each – Harrisburg lost three fumbles and threw a pick while CD split its fumbles and interceptions 2-2.
Central Dauphin 0 0 7 14 3 – 24
Harrisburg 0 7 7 7 0 – 21
Scoring
2nd Qtr
H – Robert Martin III 97 run (Michael Duncan kick)
3rd Qtr
CD – Drew Scales 6 run (Casey Hartzell kick)
H – Martin III 75 pass from Kyle Cook (Duncan kick)
4th Qtr
H – Jalen Williams 1 run (Duncan kick)
CD – Scales 34 INT return (Hartzell kick)
CD – Scales 3 run (Hartzell kick)
Overtime
CD – FG, Hartzell 26
CD HBURG
Rushes-yds 41-152 27-206
Passing 6-17-2 14-25-1
Passing yds 53 191
Total offense 205 397
1st downs 11 13
Penalties 5-45 3-15
Turnovers 4 4
Individual statistics
RUSHING: CD: Drew Scales 33-142 2 TD; Zayd Issah 2-26; Brandon Lavia 4-minus-9; Steven McNeal 1-minus-1; TEAM 1-minus-6. HBURG: Robert Martin III 13-179 TD; Jalen Williams 5-17 TD; Kyle Cook 6-minus-11; Darian Davis-Ray 3-21.
PASSING: CD: LaVia 6-17-2-53. HBURG: Cook 14-25-1-191 TD.
RECEIVING: CD: Jordan Bowman 3-25; Andrew Burgwin 2-17; Scales 1-11. HBURG: Williams 5-25; De’Quan Ware 4-37; Martin 3-76; Marcel Brown Jr. 2-53.
