Lampeter-Strasburg faced Thomas Jefferson in a PIAA Class 4A semifinal game Friday night. It was quarterback Caileb Howse that led the comeback win. The Pioneers scored 17 straight points to nip unbeaten Thomas Jefferson 20-16 and advance to their first state finals.
They will play Thursday night at 7 pm at Cumberland Valley’s Chapman Field in Mechanicsburg.
Key Moments:
Thomas Jefferson dominated the first half. Peter Fiorello started the scoring with a 19-yard field goal. It was all Jaguars in the first half. Their defense got a safety on the blocked punt and Tyler Eber had touchdown runs of 1 and 20. At halftime, the score was 16-3 Thomas Jefferson.
Coming out of halftime, the Pioneers needed a spark. They got it. Howse ran a 45-yard touchdown and threw a 70-yard pass to Christian Nolt to jolt L-S in the third quarter. The game was close with the score 17-16 Lampeter-Strasburg.
In fact, L-S scored 17 unanswered points, which included a 32-yard field goal by Fiorello that extended their lead to 20-16 late in the game.
The Pioneers’ defense stepped up by breaking up a pass intended for TJ’s Braden White on fourth down in the final minutes, sealing the game for LS.
Aftermath:
With this win, Lampeter-Strasburg advanced to the PIAA Class 4A championship game, where they will face Bonner-Prendie who defeated Southern Lehigh 55-26.
Scoring summary:
Lampeter-Strasburg 20, Thomas Jefferson 16
| Friday, November 29,2024 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Final |
| Lampeter-Strasburg | 3 | 0 | 14 | 3 | 20 |
| Thomas Jefferson | 2 | 14 | 0 | 0 | 16 |
1st Quarter:
LS – Peter Fiorello 19 yard field Goal
TJ – Safety
2nd Quarter:
TJ – Tyler Eber 1 yard run (Sam Wessel kick)
TJ – Tyler Eber 20 yard run (Sam Wessel kick)
3rd Quarter:
LS – Caileb Howse 45 run (Peter Fiorello kick)
LS – Christian Nolt 70 pass from Caileb Howse (Peter Fiorello kick)
4th Quarter:
LS – Peter Fiorello 32 yard Field Goal
