NEFFSVILLE – At the start of the 2024 season, the Wilson Bulldogs took a chance on their new quarterback. They moved previously All-Lancaster-Lebanon League wide receiver Madyx Gruber under center to lead a team that was mostly unproven with just seven starters returning.
However, on Friday night against unbeaten Manheim Township, the Bulldogs chance they took back in the summer proved to be worth it.
The Bulldogs left no doubt in a 34-16 win over Manheim Township to lock up the Lancaster-Lebanon Section 1 title, their 30th League Championship in program history.
“We took a young team with very little experience, and they bought in right from the start of the year,” Wilson head coach Doug Dahms said. “We knew tonight was going to be tough with the talent Township has and our kids did a great job.”
The Bulldogs-Blue Streaks matchup has become one of the defining games each season in the Lancaster-Lebanon League and in District 3. The stakes were no different tonight with the Section 1 crown on the line and with the right movement in the ratings possibly the top seed in the District 3 6A tournament as well.
Like two prized fighters, each team came out with its best punch to start. Wilson (6-0, 9-1) methodically went 77 yards in 13 plays to take the initial lead of the game off a 1-yard plunge from running back Correll Akings. The Bulldogs converted a pair of fourth downs on the drive with the second being a 20-yard strike from Gruber to Christo Hunsicker to set up the Akings score.
The Blue Streaks (5-1, 9-1) turned its workhorse back, Declan Clancy, loose on their first drive and he needed just four runs to tie the score at seven with 4:25 left in the first quarter. Clancy seemed poised for another big night after racking up 62 yards on that first drive, but the Bulldogs defense responded by keeping him in check the rest of the night with just 75 yards the rest of the way.
“He (Clancy) had some big runs early, but we went back to basics and the kids just dug in and played well,” Dahms said. “Stopping him after our turnovers was really big and our kids played with a lot of heart across the board.”
Manheim Township was in position to take the lead for the first time as they reached the Bulldogs 13-yard line in the opening minutes of the second quarter. A delay of game and personal foul penalty put the Blue Streaks in an uncomfortable spot to where they needed to throw to the end zone twice from 30 yards out, both of which failed.
Wilson took advantage when Gruber hit Akings wide open in stride off a wheel route for a 65-yard touchdown pass that put Wilson up 14-7 at the 9:22-mark of the second quarter.
“Whenever our backs and receivers are not open I just use my legs and that gives them a better chance at getting open,” Gruber said. “I rolled to the left to buy time and saw Correll open off a busted coverage and he did the rest.”
Gruber’s mobility was equally as effective on the ground with timely runs that kept Wilson drives moving.
“Madyx is a unique individual,” Dahms said. “I always call him ‘squirrely’ and he does a nice job reading coverage and he is tough to bring down because he is so slippery. He throws the ball so effectively and he did what he had to do tonight.”
The Bulldogs defense staved off another red zone threat from the Blue Streaks following a fumble deep in their own territory by turning them over on downs. Wilson kept the momentum rolling by extending its lead to 22-7 following a 9-yard touchdown pass from Gruber to tight end Mike Glover with 2:35 left in the first half.
The success of Wilson in the first half started frustrating the Blue Streaks, who had trailed twice all season coming into the contest. Manheim Township was hit with five personal foul penalties in the first half and finished with 10 penalties for 128 yards.
Despite all the troubles, the Blue Streaks found itself back in the game when they scored on the opening drive of the second half to make it 22-13 following a 1-yard run by Taylor Veilleux. Manheim Township added a 21-yard field goal by Johnny Morales to pull within in a score entering the fourth quarter which came off a Bulldogs interception.
At this point, Wilson was in survival mode with a now stagnant offense that had one turnover and just a pair of first downs in the second half.
It was Gruber’s legs, however, and an acrobatic catch that saved Wilson’s night.
Gruber lofted a high floater to Brady Kline in double coverage who hauled in the pass and broke free for a 41-yard touchdown that put the Bulldogs up 28-16 with exactly seven minutes left in regulation.
“I am proud to be a part of a strong tight end group here and I just said to myself ‘I need to be Mike Glover,” Kline said. “It could be luck, skill, I do not know but it got me in the end zone and that is all that matters.”
Glover has emerged as a focal point in the Wilson offense during his breakout sophomore campaign with 29 catches for 468 yards and four touchdowns.
The Bulldogs turned to its defense to ice the game as they forced the Blue Streaks to go 4-and-out, stuffing Clancy on a wildcat run on 4th-and-1 from the 29-yard line. Gruber put the finishing touches on the Section Title with a 4-yard touchdown run and interception on defense.
“Our defense was the turning point,” Gruber said. “They played phenomenal all night and stopped a very talented offense.”
Gruber went 11-of-18 for 207 yards with four total touchdowns behind three through the air and one on the ground. He added 55 rushing yards on 16 carries in a three-headed rushing attack with Akings (52 yards) and Monty Greer (66 yards), who did the bulk of the work on the Bulldogs final scoring drive.
Wilson and Manheim Township have earned first-round byes as the top two seeds in District 3 6A, but it is yet to be determined on who will gain the elusive homefield advantage throughout the District Playoffs. The two rivals could very well meet again for a District Championship in three weeks.
“If that time comes we will be ready,” Dahms said. “As I told them, if it happens it always tougher to beat a team twice in one season. One step at a time and we will enjoy a little reset next weekend and be ready to go.”
| SCORE BY QUARTERS | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Final |
| Wilson | 7 | 15 | 0 | 12 | 34 |
| Manheim Twp. | 7 | 0 | 9 | 0 | 16 |
Scoring summary
| 1 | WIL | Akings, 1 run (Hunsicker kick) | 5:58 |
| 1 | MT | Clancy, 5 run (Morales kick) | 4:25 |
| 2 | WIL | Akings, 65 pass from Gruber (Hunsicker kick) | 9:22 |
| 2 | WIL | Glover, 9 pass from Gruber (Akings run) | 2:35 |
| 3 | MT | Veilleux, 1 run (Kick Failed) | 7:27 |
| 3 | MT | Morales, 21 FG | 0:15 |
| 4 | WIL | Kline, 41 pass from Gruber (Rush Failed) | 7:00 |
| 4 | WIL | Gruber, 4 run (Kick Failed) | 1:37 |
Team statistics
| Wilson | Manheim Twp. | |
| First downs | 19 | 15 |
| Rushes-yards | 41-169 | 31-154 |
| Passing yards | 207 | 158 |
| Total yards | 376 | 312 |
| Passes COMP-ATT-INT | 11-18-1 | 11-28-1 |
| Fumbles-lost | 1-1 | 1-1 |
| Punts-average | 3-39.3 | 3-35.0 |
| Penalties-yards | 7-64 | 10-128 |
Individual statistics
RUSHING
Wilson: Greer 9-62, Gruber 16-55, Akings 16-52
Manheim Twp: Clancy 27-137, Weisser 3-16, Veilleux 1-1
PASSING
Wilson: Gruber 11-18-1–207
Manheim Twp: Weisser 10-27-1—123, Dixon 1-1-0–35
RECEIVING
Wilson: Akings 3-79, Zullinger 2-17, Glover 2-13, Kline 1-41, Carpenter 1-35, Hunsicker 1-20, Dean 1-2
Manheim Twp: Feliciano 3-38, Alaimo 2-40, Dixon 2-20, Clancy 2-16, Haberbosch 1-35, Hill 1-9
INTERCEPTIONS
Wilson: Gruber
Manheim Twp: Capizzi
