JEFFREY REINHART jreinhart@LNPnews.com
Week 10. The finale. Not sure where the last nine weeks of my life went, but we have arrived at the last game of the regular season. I actually got my basketball stuff out the other day. Ugh. Here’s my Week 10 preview. Again, I was a bit pressed for time this week because of all the other fall sports. Oh, and Week 9 didn’t end until Monday. Thanks. Read on and enjoy:
SECTION 1
THE GAME: Penn Manor (0-6 Section 1, 1-8 overall) @ Manheim Township (6-0 Section 1, 8-1 overall), Friday, 7 p.m. (Radio: WPDC-AM 1600).
LAST WEEK: Penn Manor dropped a 38-19 decision to Warwick; Township clinched at least a tie for the Section 1 championship with an ultra clutch 26-7 wet-and-wild win over Wilson.
LAST YEAR: Manheim Township 49, Penn Manor 34 in Millersville.
IMPLICATIONS: Township is No. 2 in Quad-A, and has already locked up a spot in the District 3 playoffs (for the third year in a row; Township fell to State College 51-20 in the first round in 2005, and lost to section foe McCaskey 13-12 last year, also in the first round), and the Blue Streaks can clinch their first outright Section 1 championship since 1977 with a victory. If Township falls, and if Warwick beats McCaskey, Township and Warwick would share the Section 1 crown. If Township falls to Penn Manor and McCaskey beats Warwick, the Streaks would still be the outright champs. Township also won outright Section 1 titles in 1973 and 1976, and shared titles in 1982 and two years ago, with Hempfield.
KEY STATS: Penn Manor is a -15 in turnover ratio, last in Section 1; Township is second in the league in total defense, giving up just 180.6 yards a game. You might have heard about the D show the Streaks put on last Friday against Wilson. It was breathtaking.
ABOUT PENN MANOR: Looking to finish strong and toss a slippery monkey wrench into the Section 1 race. If the Comets, who are riding a six-game losing streak, can somehow bump off Township, it would cost the Streaks sole possession of the section hardware (if Warwick takes care of business against McCaskey). … Up and down first season for first-year coach Todd Mealy, who is still implementing his system and putting his fingerprints on the program. … RB Carl Christmas has 999 rushing yards – 8th-best in the league. He leads Section 1 in rushing.
ABOUT TOWNSHIP: Streaks are No. 3 in Reinhart’s Rankings. … Squashed Wilson in the rain last Friday, holding the Bulldogs to just 66 rushing yards and 107 total yards. Thought it would be a fumble-fest, but I was incorrect. Just one forced fumble in the game. But the passing games were, um, not good. … RB Dan Wertz has a good shot at 1,000 yards in the regular season. The ‘Razorback’ package specialist is sitting on 885 yards, so he’ll need 115 against Penn Manor.
QUOTABLE: Penn Manor coach Todd Mealy – “It would be nice to knock off the team at the top. It would give our seniors something to go out on. … Township’s defense has been playing extremely well, and offensively they’ve been consistent. We’ll have our hands full.”
Township coach Mike Melnyk – “Penn Manor is a very capable team, and I think Coach Mealy has done a nice job keeping his kids playing hard. … Christmas is at or near the top of the section in rushing because he is a very tough, shifty back. … They go right at you and stick to their game play. … Penn Manor has been hit with a bunch of injuries, but they pound the ball at you, and they challenge you at the line of scrimmage on offense and defense. So we’re preparing for a very physical game.”
THE GAME: McCaskey (3-3 Section 1, 3-6 overall) @ Warwick (5-1 Section 1, 8-1 overall), Friday, 7 p.m. (TV: Blue Ridge Cable).
LAST WEEK: McCaskey held off Cedar Crest 18-13; Warwick topped Penn Manor 38-19.
LAST YEAR: McCaskey 35, Warwick 21 in Lancaster.
IMPLICATIONS: Warwick is ranked No. 7, and has already locked up a District 3 Quad-A playoff spot (for the second year in a row; Warwick fell to Central Dauphin 31-17 in a first-round game last year), and the Warriors need a victory over McCaskey and for Penn Manor to knock off Township to force a tie for the Section 1 title. Warwick hasn’t won a section crown since sharing the 1997 Section 1 title with Wilson. The Warriors won three outright Section 2 championships in a row from 1977-79.
KEY STATS: Red Tornado is last in the section in first downs (81), punting average (27.8 on 30 boots), penalties (71 for 528 yards), points scored (112) and turnovers (23); Warwick is cranking out 356.8 yards a game – fourth-best in the L-L League.
ABOUT McCASKEY: Injuries once again are wrecking McCaskey. Stud senior RB Jerome LaRue, who has shown some flashes of brilliance this year, missed the second half of the Cedar Crest game with an apparent hip injury. … LaRue returned a kick 90 yards for a TD against Cedar Crest before going down. … Tornado has rushed for 896 yards, second-least in the league.
ABOUT WARWICK: Warriors are No. 4 in Reinhart’s Rankings. … The rain didn’t seem to bother the Warriors’ attack last Friday, as QB Jon Resch continued his torrid senior season with three more TD tosses, and Eric Resch has been gritty on the ground with 918 yards and 13 TD. He’s second in the section in rushing (Christmas) and should go over 1,000 yards against McCaskey. … Warwick leads Section 1 in first downs (142) least amount of punts (17), points scored (284) and turnover ratio (+5). … WR Zach Snyder is up to 55 catches (second in the league) for 908 yards (tops in the league). Snyder, Matt Fitzpatrick and Randy Yost – Warwick’s trio of wideouts – have seven TD grabs apiece. That’s a cool stat.
QUOTABLE: McCaskey coach Scott Feldman – “Usually I would say we match up well with a team like Warwick. But with only 27 players left, I’m not so sure. We’ll see what happens.”
Warwick coach Bob Locker – “For us, this is a playoff game, because if we win, we get a home playoff game. These guys are trying to become the first Warwick team since 1979 to win nine games, and only five teams in the history of the program have won nine games. So a ninth win would put this into a historical prospective. That’s special to the school. And a ninth win would get us a home district game, which would be huge.”
THE GAME: Reading (3-3 Section 1, 3-6 overall) @ Wilson (4-2 Section 1, 6-3 overall), Friday, 7 p.m.
LAST WEEK: Reading rocked Hempfield 46-21; Wilson fell to Township 26-7 and was eliminated from section-championship contention.
LAST YEAR: Wilson 45, Reading 14 in Reading.
IMPLICATIONS: With six wins, Wilson looks safe for the District 3 Quad-A playoffs (Bulldogs are ranked 13th), but another loss would very likely mean a road game in the first round for the Bulldogs, who lost to backyard rival Governor Mifflin in the semifinals last year after beating York High and McCaskey in the first two rounds. Wilson was not in Districts in 2005, and lost to Carlisle in the semifinals in 2004. Wilson’s last trip to a district final was in 2002, when the Bulldogs fell to Central Dauphin 35-33. Wilson’s last district title was in 1999, when the Bulldogs slammed Cumberland Valley 47-0. It was Wilson’s third district title (1989, 1990). At No. 13, it would behoove Wilson to win; a loss could mean some serious math and a sleepless Friday night waiting for results.
KEY STATS: Reading QB Malcolm Williams, a Temple recruit, has rushed for 339 yards and seven TDs in the last two games – both victories; Wilson continues to lead the league in total defense, giving up just 137.1 yards a game, and the Bulldogs are No. 1 in the league against the rush (752 yards) and the pass (482). That’s pretty gnarly – in a non-stoner dude kinda way, of course.
ABOUT READING: Williams needs 24 yards to become just the third player in the history of the program to rush for 2,000-career yards. Thought there would be more guys in that group, so that’s a terrific milestone for Williams.
ABOUT WILSON: Looking to rebound after last Friday’s 26-7 loss at Township, eliminating the Bulldogs from the section-championship chase. So we will have a new champ in Section 1 this season. … One of only three teams in the league that has yet to give up at least 1,000 total yards rushing, and at least 1,000 total yards passing. If you said Manheim Township and Lancaster Catholic were the others, take a little extra out of petty cash.
QUOTABLE: Reading senior QB Malcolm Williams (to the Reading Eagle) after he rushed for 185 yards and scored on TD runs of 63, 21, 51 and 51, respectively, last Friday in the Red Knights’ 46-21 win over Hempfield – “Last year we were blown out by them (45-0 at Hempfield), and I didn’t want to let that happen again. I came out and played as hard as I could, and we were able to come out with a victory.”
Wilson coach Doug Dahms – “We need to bounce back, and Reading is a huge backyard rival. Offensively, Williams is as dangerous as you can get. And if they don’t turn the ball over, they’re 6-3 instead of 3-6. … They are very scary. We’ll need to stop the big plays to beat them.”
THE GAME: Cedar Crest (1-5 Section 1, 2-7 overall) @ Hempfield (2-4 Section 1, 3-6 overall), Friday, 7 p.m.
LAST WEEK: Cedar Crest fell to McCaskey 18-13; Hempfield fell to Reading 46-21.
LAST YEAR: Hempfield 42, Cedar Crest 0 in Lebanon … it was Hempfield’s second shutout in a row to end the season. The Black Knights went just 2-5 in Section 1 and 3-7 overall last year, but closed in a flourish. In Week 9, Hempfield routed Reading 45-0, then followed that up with the 42-0 win at Cedar Crest, outscoring its opponents 87-0 over the final two weeks.
IMPLICATIONS: None. Hempfield was hanging on by a thread for a spot in the District 3 Quad-A playoffs (Knights are still ranked 21st), but the loss at Reading all but eliminated the Knights, who were looking to get back to Districts for the first time since 2005, when they fell to Bishop McDevitt 31-30 in an electrifying semifinal game.
KEY STATS: Hempfield has passed for 306 yards – least in the league; Cedar Crest continues to lead Section 1 in punting, averaging 37.5 yards per boot. I think I’ve now officially beaten that stat to death. Hey, it’s a cool stat. What can I tell you?
ABOUT CEDAR CREST: Falcons are looking for a fast finish and to triple their win total from a year ago, when they went 1-9. … Scoring margin of -135 is last in the section.
ABOUT HEMPFIELD: Bumming a bit after being bounced from the district chase last Friday, but looking to finish strong for the second year in a row. Knights polished off 2006 in style, shutting out Reading 45-0 and Cedar Crest 42-0. I’m now repeating myself. Sorry.
QUOTABLE: Cedar Crest coach Mike Robinson – “Hempfield has an excellent defense, and I wouldn’t expect anything less from Coach Forgrave. He does a great job preparing his kids to play each week. They have definitely played teams well, and could have easily come out of many games with a different result. … The team that makes the fewest errors and executes on offense should come out on top in this one.”
Hempfield coach Bob Forgrave – “We have to stop their fullback (Kyle Youtz, who has 400-plus rushing yards), their waggle, their sweep and their sprint-out pass.”
SECTION 2
THE GAME: Elizabethtown (6-0 Section 2, 9-0 overall) @ Cocalico (4-2 Section 2, 6-3 overall), Friday, 7 p.m.
LAST WEEK: E-town took out 20 years of frustration and clobbered Manheim Central 56-14; Cocalico held off Garden Spot 21-17.
LAST YEAR: E-town 21, Cocalico 20 in E-town.
IMPLICATIONS: Quite a few, so listen up – E-town clinches its first outright Section 2 title since 1986 with a win, and will also lock up the No. 1 seed in the District 3 Triple-A playoffs with a W. The Bears are currently ranked No. 1 there, and have a pretty hefty lead. A loss on Friday might keep them at No. 1, but they’d love a win to lock up the top spot and the two home games (should they win) that come with it. Cocalico, which can knock E-town out of sole possession of first with a win (and a Solanco victory over Lebanon), is currently 13th in the district Triple-A rankings, and would need a win to solidify that spot. Eagles are probably still safe with a win, but they don’t want to drop much further, or they could get E-town again next week. There are way too many scenarios in Triple-A. It’s giving me a headache, so I’m moving on …
KEY STATS: E-town is second in the league in total offense (393.3 yards a game), and is third in the league in total defense (193.3 yards a game); Cocalico has pounded out 2,533 rushing yards, second-most in the league.
ABOUT E-TOWN: Bears are No. 1 in Reinhart’s Rankings, and that’s a much cooler ranking than that District 3 mumbo-jumbo any day, right? … RB Jordan Hallman went absolutely bananas against Central, piling up 312 rushing yards and five TDs. At one point, he scored on three touches in a row. We had him for 301 yards in the press box, but the official stat guy had Hallman at 312. So that’s what I went with in the stat packs. Oh by the way, Hallman was the New Era Player of the Week – I gave him the award on the spot, and did a rare post-game New Era Five Questions with Jordan, who was a good sport. … QB Preston Faith still hasn’t thrown a pick through nine weeks. … Did the Bears really rush for 560 yards, get 640 total yards, and pile up 30 first downs against Central? Holy cow.
ABOUT COCALICO: Promised you I’d find this stat, and I did – the Eagles’ Kyle Keller (1,084 yards on a league-high 213 carries, 5 TD) and Kyle Fisher (1,034 yards, league-high 18 TD) both cracked the 1,000-yard club last Saturday, becoming the first L-L League teammates since 2004 to rush for at least 1,000 yards in the same season. Cedar Crest’s Kyle McConnell (1,134) and Tobias Robinson (1,080) pulled off the feat in ’04. Now you know.
QUOTABLE: E-town coach Jeff Polites – “Cocalico pounds the ball. I haven’t seen a team come off the ball like them in a long time. They do nice things with formations, so there’s a lot of things to look at and prepare for. We’ll have to slow them down and eliminate big plays. … We’ve had some motivation coming into pretty much every game, but our kids realize what’s a stake here. So I’m sure they’ll be ready to come out and play hard.”
Cocalico coach Dave Gingrich – “Wow, what can I say that hasn’t already been said? I don’t see a weakness. E-town is an awesome offense machine, and defensively they are quick and aggressive. We’ll have to be at our very best to compete.”
THE GAME: Manheim Central (4-2 Section 2, 5-4 overall) @ Conestoga Valley (0-6 Section 2, 1-8 overall), Friday, 7:30 p.m.
LAST WEEK: Central (pick a word, any word) E-town 56-14; CV lost to Lebanon 21-12.
LAST YEAR: CV 12, Central 7 in Manheim, giving CV its first outright Section 2 championship since 1985. CV also won outright Section 2 crowns in 1974, 1981 and 1983, and shared titles in 1972, 1982, 1984, 1991 and 1997. The victory also snapped CV’s 18-game losing skid against Central, which dated back to 1991 – which, if you’re wondering, was the last year the Barons didn’t qualify for Districts. Man, last year’s game seems like ions ago, considering how far CV has slipped this season, and what’s going on at Manheim.
IMPLICATIONS: This game doesn’t have the same juice as last year (it would register a flat-line on the pulse-o-meter) but it’s still one of the best rivalry games in the league. The Buckskins are looking for back-to-back wins against their archrivals, and are looking to avoid going 0-7 in the section, one year after going 7-0. Here’s your stat of the week: Did some research, and I wasn’t able to find any teams that went 0-7 the year after going 7-0. The two biggest drop-offs I could find were Cocalico, which went 0-7-1 in Section 3 in 1990, after going 7-1 in 1989; and Lebanon Catholic went 1-5-1 in 1983 in Section 3, after sharing the section title with a 6-1 mark in 1982. So unless someone unearths that stat, it looks like CV could become the first L-L team to go 7-0 one year, then 0-7 the next. And you know the Barons would love to be the team to pin that one on them.
KEY STATS: Central has been flagged just 28 times, least in Section 2; CV is last in the section in scoring margin (-135) and in turnover ratio (-14).
ABOUT CENTRAL: Barons are looking to pick up the pieces after getting waxed at Elizabethtown on Monday night. It was not a pretty game for Central, which has four losses in a season for the first time since 1984. Man, Reagan was the president then. … FB/LB Joe Gruber (ankle) is out for the season.
ABOUT CV: Buckskins have turned the ball over 24 times, including 14 fumbles lost, both at the bottom of the section. Sorry, no cheery stats for either of the teams, really.
QUOTABLE: Central coach Mike Williams (to the New Era) just minutes after his team absorbed that 56-14 loss at E-town – “At this point, I’m not sure where we are. It’s like we’re not even a football team at this point. The future doesn’t look very good for us this season at this point, and that’s disappointing.”
CV coach Gerad Novak – “Central is upset, but good and ready to play CV on Friday night.”
THE GAME: Lebanon (2-4 Section 2, 2-7 overall) @ Solanco (5-1 Section 2, 6-3 overall), Friday, 7:30 p.m.
LAST WEEK: Lebanon topped CV 21-12; Solanco defeated Ephrata 28-14.
LAST YEAR: Solanco 46, Lebanon 34 in a shootout in Lebanon.
IMPLICATIONS: Looks like Solanco is a stone-cold lock for Districts with six wins, and a seventh would likely improve the Golden Mules’ seed. Right now Solanco is 11th, so the Mules are looking at a road game in the first round, but it will be Solanco’s first trip to Districts since 1991 (a Quad-A loss to McCaskey). Lebanon would like to close out the season with two wins in a row – and make Solanco sweat it out for a district seed.
KEY STATS: Lebanon is 23rd out of 24 in the league in rushing defense (2,344 yards against) and total defense (374.4 yards a game); Solanco has forced a section-best 15 fumbles, and leads Section 2 with a +14 turnover ratio.
ABOUT LEBANON: Junior QB James Capello leads the league in completions (151) and he’s third in the league in passing yards (1,737). … Dual-threat pass-catchers Jordan Clentimack (49-663, 9 TD) and Duran Ramos (44-445, 1 TD) have combined for 93 grabs for 1,108 yards. … Enjoy that bus ride to and from Quarryville, fellas.
ABOUT SOLANCO: Mules need a win and a Cocalico victory to force a tie with Elizabethtown for the section title. … Solanco is eighth in the league in total D, giving up just 266.3 yards a game, and, as mentioned, they’ve been terrific in the takeaway department. … Yep, Districts. Believe it.
QUOTABLE: Lebanon coach Gerry Yonchiuk – “Solanco is a very good football team. They’re very tough on both the offensive and defensive lines, and Mike Brooks (513 rushing yards, 3 TD; 18 catches, 4 TD) is an absolute burner. Our team goal is to approach this game as a playoff spoiler.”
Solanco coach Joe Pearson – “We need to focus on doing the little things on both sides of the ball, and we need to keep people in front of us and continue to get pressure. We need to hold on to the ball and keep them off the field … they have good athletes and can score points from anywhere.”
THE GAME: Garden Spot (2-4 Section 2, 3-6 overall) @ Ephrata (1-5 Section 2, 1-8 overall), Friday, 7:30 p.m.
LAST WEEK: Garden Spot fell to Cocalico 21-17; Ephrata lost to Solanco 28-14.
LAST YEAR: Ephrata 14, Garden Spot 10 … and the Spartans finished 5-5 and still made the District 3 Triple-A playoffs.
IMPLICATIONS: Tried really hard to find one, but couldn’t. Garden Spot is ranked 24th in Triple-A, so the Spartans would need a win and some major miracles to go dancing. Keep your fingers and toes crossed, New Holland. Ephrata is looking to send coach Ken Grove out a winner. Grove is stepping down after 18 years on the Mounts’ sideline. This will be his final game calling the shots for Ephrata, so it’s the end of an era.
KEY STATS: Garden Spot is still thriving in the turnover ratio department. The Spartans have forced 27 turnovers, most in the section, and are a +11; Ephrata is eighth in the league in total O, cranking out 323.8 yards a game.
ABOUT GARDEN SPOT: Senior QB Tyler Horst (knee) missed last week’s game against Cocalico, and he won’t play in the season finale, either. Weston Martin stepped in and completed 12-of-22 passes for 232 yards against Cocalico. Hello. … WR Sean Beahan is fourth in the league in receptions (46 – for 731 yards, 8 TD). … Spartans have rushed for just 815 yards – least in the league.
ABOUT EPHRATA: As mentioned, this will be Grove’s final game on the Mounts’ sideline. He announced before the season that he would step down, and the finale is upon us. … Can’t believe how snake-bitten these guys have been, with at least four games going right down to the wire. … I know they’re 1-8, but the section MVP might be QB Blake Crowther, who has rushed for 1,058 yards and 16 TDs and passed for 779 yards and three scores. He’s also excelled at safety. What a season for him.
QUOTABLE: Garden Spot coach Matt Zamperini – “Ephrata is the best 1-8 team I’ve ever seen. They have some quality players up front, and Crowther is as tough as they come. We have to play good defense and be more consistent on offense. A win is as important for us now as it ever was.”
Ephrata coach Ken Grove – “It feels like any other game, honestly, because as time has gone on, I’ve known this will be the last one and I’m OK with that. I’m going to let the kids know one last time about how passionate I am about football and about coaching, and hopefully they’ll carry that out to the field. If we play with passion – that’s always been my key ingredient – then I’ll be very happy with that.”
SECTION 3
THE GAME: Lancaster Catholic (6-0 Section 3, 8-1 overall) @ Northern Lebanon (3-3 Section 3, 6-3 overall), Friday, 7 p.m. (Radio: WLBR-AM 1270).
LAST WEEK: Catholic blanked rival Columbia 24-0; Northern Lebanon dropped its third game in a row, a 23-6 decision to Donegal.
LAST YEAR: Catholic 45, Northern Lebanon 0 in Lancaster … the Crusaders wrapped up their second Section 3 championship in a row, and will try and make it three on Friday.
IMPLICATIONS: Catholic clinches its third outright Section 3 title in a row with a victory. Cocalico, with Phil Kauffman at the helm, won four Section 3 titles in a row from 1994-97, going 32-0 over that stretch. … The Crusaders are ranked No. 2 in Double-A, so a win would likely lock them into that spot. If Trinity, undefeated and ranked No. 1, falls, it could get interesting. Stay tuned. Trinity, by the way, is the only team that beat Catholic this season (by a point, on opening night; not that Catholic is holding a grudge or anything). Northern Lebanon is right on the bubble – No. 16 in Triple-A, and with Hamburg (6-3) breathing down the Vikings’ neck, they’re probably going to need a win to be safe. You think when they were 6-0 the Vikings thought they’d need a win in Week 10 to make Districts. Um, I’m guessing no.
KEY STATS: Catholic has won 23 Section 3 games in a row, and can clinch its third straight 7-0 sojourn through Section 3 with a win on Friday; Northern Lebanon is sixth in the league in total defense, yielding 236.6 yards a game.
ABOUT CATHOLIC: Crusaders are No. 2 in Reinhart’s Rankings. … D stepped up large in 24-0 win over Columbia last Sunday. Yeah, Sunday. It was weird covering a game on a Sunday afternoon, must admit. But it was darn nice that the PA guy kept announcing NFL scores. Nice touch. … Was awesome to finally get to see Catholic and Columbia live this season. … Crusaders are No. 9 in Double-A in the Harrisburg Patriot-News state rankings.
ABOUT NORTHERN LEBANON: After a blazing 6-0 start, the Vikings have lost three in a row. Here’s all you need to know: First six games, Northern Lebanon outscored its opponents 249-41. In its last three games, Northern Lebanon has been outscored 78-32.
QUOTABLE: Catholic senior WR/DB Kevin Gibbons (to the New Era) after the Crusaders took care of Columbia 24-0 on Sunday – “We control our own destiny. We have an opportunity to win our third straight (outright) section championship, and that’s never been done at Lancaster Catholic.”
Northern Lebanon coach Jack Beidler – “Catholic is a very good football team. They have many athletes with great size, and they’ve improved each week. And their defense has good speed.”
THE GAME: Donegal (4-2 Section 3, 6-3 overall) @ Lampeter-Strasburg (5-1 Section 3, 7-2 overall), Friday, 7:30 p.m.
LAST WEEK: Donegal topped Northern Lebanon 23-6; L-S steamrolled Pequea Valley 57-6.
LAST YEAR: L-S 20, Donegal 6 in Mount Joy.
IMPLICATONS: L-S needs a victory and for Catholic to fall to Northern Lebanon to force a tie for the Section 3 championship. Both teams are fighting for spots in the Triple-A playoffs; L-S is currently No. 9 and Donegal is No. 15, making the Indians more of a bubble team. L-S would love a win and to somehow bump up to No. 8 and get a home game. If Donegal loses, it will probably need some help.
KEY STATS: Donegal has rushed for 2,652 yards – most in the league; L-S is third in the league in total offense, gouging out 367.0 yards a game.
ABOUT DONEGAL: Hanging on a by a thread in the district race, so the Indians could use a win here. … Three-pronged backfield of Blaine Miller (1,156 yards, 13 TD), Marty Moore (507 yards, 8 TD) and Nick Herbert (437, 5 TD) have been lights out.
ABOUT L-S: Senior RB Justin Taylor is averaging 14.8 yards a carry, best among backs with 400-plus yards rushing. On Monday against Pequea Valley, Taylor touched the ball three times – and scored on long TD runs on each. Only one other RB in the league is averaging double-digits per carry: E-town’s Jordan Hallman (10.7 per rush), who carved up Central for a league-high 312 yards and five TDs on Monday.
QUOTABLE: Donegal coach Bill Groff – “Lampeter-Strasburg’s record speaks for itself. They are very balanced offensively, and they’re aggressive and disciplined on defense. And Taylor is a grade ‘A’ player and he can go coast-to-coast. We’ll need to bring our best game in order to win.”
L-S coach John Manion – “Donegal has a very good team, and Blaine Miller is the key to their success. But their other backs are solid runners as well. Their line is aggressive and opens big holes for all their backs. All I can say about this week’s game is to be ready for a hard-hitting, well played football games by two good football team with a lot on the line.”
THE GAME: Elco (1-5 Section 3, 3-6 overall) @ Pequea Valley (0-6 Section 3, 0-9 overall), Friday, 7 p.m.
LAST WEEK: Elco edged Annville-Cleona 20-13; Pequea Valley fell to L-S 57-6.
LAST YEAR: Elco 53, Pequea Valley 8 in Myerstown.
IMPLICATIONS: Pequea Valley is trying to avoid going 0-10. That’s all I got here.
KEY STATS: Elco is a +9 in turnover ratio; Pequea Valley is last in the league in total defense, allowing 423.2 yards a game.
ABOUT ELCO: Raiders are one of five teams that has allowed at least 2,000 yards rushing (2,037). Wow, I’m reaching. … Dual-threat QB Arron Achey did not have a sophomore slump: He’s rushed for 635 yards and four TDs and passed for 778 yards and six scores.
ABOUT PEQUEA VALLEY: Braves have given up 2,737 rushing yards, most in the league. … PV has punted 43 times – most in the league. … WR Sean Persch leads the league in receptions (60) and he’s second in receiving yards (855). I’ll give you his season totals for all-purpose yards next week. I hope Section 3 coaches find a way to get this kid on an all-section team. He had a whopper of a season.
QUOTABLE: Pequea Valley coach Curtis Waltman – “Elco is a very good team, even though their record might now show it. They are well coached and they’ve hung tough with the best teams in Section 3. … I’m sure we’re going to get a heavy dose of Achey. He makes their offense go, and their defense is sound.”
THE GAME: Columbia (4-2 Section 3, 7-2 overall) vs. Annville-Cleona (1-5 Section 3, 2-7 overall) @ Cedar Crest, Saturday, 10:30 a.m.
LAST WEEK: Columbia came up on the short end of a 24-0 decision to Lancaster Catholic; A-C fell to cross-town rival Elco 20-13.
LAST YEAR: A-C 21, Columbia 20 in Columbia in OT. … but the (then-injury-riddled) Crimson Tide still qualified for the District 3 Double-A playoffs.
IMPLICATIONS: Columbia is No. 4 in Double-A, and would like to stay there so it hosts a first-round playoff game. That would mean one more game this season for my dad, who is Columbia’s PA guy. Now you know.
KEY STATS: Columbia leads the league in total offense, generating 422.6 yards a game; at the other end of the spectrum, A-C is last in the league in total offense, averaging 207.0 yards a game.
ABOUT COLUMBIA: Tide is looking to snap back after tough 24-0 loss at Catholic on Sunday. Section title is out of reach, but a top-4 seed and a home district game is on the line, so a win would be peachy. And remember: Columbia lost this game last year – at home. … RB Ben Guiles, held to 41 yards against Catholic, still leads the league in rushing (1,354 yards, 17 TD), and he should win the rushing title if he has his “usual” game, and unless someone behind him goes bananas on Friday. Stay tuned. … WR Colby Tuell has a league-high 10 TD grabs.
ABOUT A-C: RB Andrew Batula has been great since returning to the lineup after an early-season injury. He rushed for 126 yards and a TD on Monday against Elco, and he’s up to 568 yards and four scores. He’d probably be close to a 1,000-yard guy if not for the injury bugaboo. … At last! This is A-C’s last ‘home’ game at a neutral field. After two years on the road, the Dutchmen are slated to be in their refurbished home stadium next fall – as far as you know. If not, we might have to talk coach Terry Lehman in from the ledge. Actually, they’ve been pretty good troupers about the whole situation, which was refreshing.
QUOTABLE: Columbia coach Jason Shoff (to the New Era) after the Tide’s 24-0 loss to Catholic – “Our goal now is to get refocused and get ready for Districts. If things go well, we could see this team (Catholic) again, and get another chance at them. Hopefully both teams get pretty deep in Districts, and we can get a rematch in the district championship game. We’d love to get them again.”
A-C coach Terry Lehman – “I’m sure Columbia will be mad remembering last year’s overtime loss to us … but we’ll have to play a super game to beat them. They have such a balanced offense and many skill players. We’ll do what we can and give them the best game we can. We have nothing to lose.”
