JEFFREY REINHART jreinhart@LNPnews.com
Took a different route for my Week 10 edition of 3 Stars.
Hope nobody minds, but here’s who I went with:
*** Ken Grove, head coach, Ephrata – A tip of the cap and a big hand shake to Coach Grove, who went out a winner in his final game as the Mountaineers’ coach. Ephrata topped Garden Spot 28-7 in Coach Grove’s swan song, and it was great to see him go out with a win after 18 seasons on Ephrata’s sideline. I know he didn’t finish up with a winning record, didn’t win any section titles and never went to Districts in those 18 seasons, but Coach Grove touched the lives of a heck of a lot of young men who came through that school and the football program. Enjoy your family, Coach Grove. And we hope to see you back on the sidelines somewhere really soon.
*** Mike Melnyk, head coach, Manheim Township – A tip of the cap and a big hand shake to Coach Melnyk, who guided the Blue Streaks to the first outright Section 1 championship in school history since 1977 – and Township was the only team to clinch an outright section title and go undefeated in league play in the L-L this season. That’s an awesome accomplishment.
*** Joe Pearson, head coach, Solanco – A tip of the cap and a big hand shake to Coach Pearson, who helped the Golden Mules finish tied for the Section 2 championship – Solanco’s first sniff of a section crown since a co-title in 1991. A lot of people had written the Mules off, especially with E-town running away with things. But when Cocalico sprang the upset and knocked off the Bears in Week 10, and when Solanco flew past Lebanon and also finished 6-1, the Mules joined E-town atop the Section 2 standings.
