JEFFREY REINHART jreinhart@LNPnews.com
I hated like heck missing the Manheim Touchdown Club banquet Thursday night, but I had to cover the L-L League girls’ lacrosse championship — which was cool. At the banquet, Lampeter-Strasburg senior standout Justin Taylor was named the L-L League Football Player of the Year, edging out Ephrata’s Blake Crowther and Warwick’s Jon Resch for the award. I was able to put together this story, recapping all the awards from the MTC banquet:
Justin Taylor had a memorable season on the football field last fall.
Lampeter-Strasburg’s speedy senior rushed for more than 1,600 yards, scored a school-record 29 touchdowns and accounted for an eye-popping 239 points, helping the Pioneers win the District 3 Triple-A title and advance to the final four in the state playoffs.
Taylor was a Second-Team Associated Press All-State pick, and he also took home three awards from the Lancaster-Lebanon League, including Outstanding Back of the Year.
Thursday night, he got another trophy for his personal stash.
Taylor was honored as the Manheim Touchdown Club’s L-L League Player of Year at the club’s 10th Annual MTC Awards Banquet at the Lancaster Host Resort and Conference Center.
Local media tabbed Taylor, a Shippensburg University recruit, over Warwick quarterback Jon Resch and Ephrata two-way standout Blake Crowther.
Syracuse football coach Greg Robinson, who coached former McCaskey standout quarterback Perry Patterson, was the keynote speaker Thursday night.
The Manheim Touchdown Club also honored a pair of college players with Lancaster roots:
Former Manheim Central and University of Delaware lineman Mike Byrne, who recently signed a free-agent deal with the Miami Dolphins, was named the Division I/I-AA Player of the Year.
And former Manheim Township standout George Eager, who caught 70 passes for Franklin & Marshall last fall, was named the Division III Player of the Year.
This year’s A. Landis Brackbill Scholarship Award winners were also introduced at the banquet. Penn Manor’s Alie Girvin and Northern Lebanon’s Travis Dresch received those coveted student/athlete awards.
Meanwhile, Manheim Central Scholarship Awards were given to Greg Eyer, Scott Garber, Justin Myer, Bekah Roland, Alex Schweitzer and Tyler Wenger.
Also Thursday, Grand Valley State offensive lineman Brandon Barnes was recognized as the Gene Upshaw Division II Lineman of the Year winner.
