Be still my beating heart – football.

Real, live football.

Helmets. Shoulder pads. Referees. First-down markers. Pass patterns. Inside handoffs. Mouth pieces. Chin straps. Red 17! Red 17! Hut, hut.

I just got back from a real, live football game – OK, it was a scrimmage. A really good scrimmage, featuring two of the top programs in the L-L League — host Lampeter-Strasburg against Manheim Township. L-S is the reigning District 3 Triple-A champ and co-Section 3 winner; Township is the reigning outright Section 1 champ and reached the District 3 Quad-A semifinals last fall. So this was a real-deal, big boy scimmage. And wow, did it feel great to be out in that element again.

And a special thanks to L-S coach John Manion and Township coach Mike Melnyk, who gave me front-row, basically in-the-huddle, full field access. I was so close, I could smell the sweat. Check out my swell camera-phone pictures, won’t you.

It was a controlled scrimmage; no running clock. Each team ran 10 plays, no turnovers. And both teams worked in varsity and junior varsity players.

Before I type another word, let me say this – it was a scrimmage, for crying out loud. It didn’t count. Heck, nobody even kept statistics – not even me; incredible.

So none of what I write from here on out really means much. After one week of camp, Saturday’s scrimmage between L-S and Township was basically a glorified practice session.

But it was fun.

Some news, notes and thoughts …

I was pleasantly surprised by L-S. The Pioneers, who will be out to defend the District 3 Triple-A championship, got cleaned out by graduation. They only have a few holdover regulars from a year ago, but those kids played really well. … The Pioneers’ front four on D looked really good, particularly ends Christian DelRocini, a sophomore, and Zach Halpin, a junior. Both of those guys played some big minutes last year, and they’ve definitely picked up where they left off. … D-tackles Ryan Brown and Matt Maser, both seniors, also played well, and got in Township’s backfield a number of times. … New QB Blake Brubaker, a senior, had a pretty good grasp of the O, and he also played well from his safety spot, making a couple of big sticks. Coach Manion said he was impressed with Brubaker’s footwork, and I can see why. … RB Chad Frey (the lucky duck who will replace Justin Taylor as the feature back in the Pioneers’ Wing-T set) has some speed and good vision, and he’ll have one of the best blocking backs (returning starter Joe Good) in front of him. … L-S played a spunky game. I wasn’t sure what to expect, since the Pioneers lost so many great players from last year’s team. But it was very obvious early on that L-S has reloaded, and will definitely mean business. Yeah, yeah – I know it was a scrimmage. But L-S played really well.

Township lost all five starters from its offensive line, and those guys were studs. So everyone knew coming into this season that the Blue Streaks would be breaking in some new guys in the O trenches. This was their first true game action, and they didn’t have the greatest day ever. They did blow open a few holes, but not enough – and QB Jon Yuko had to scramble a few times. I know, I know. It was a scrimmage. … Without giving away the fort (it’s not like I was there scouting; I was observing), Township once again went to its “Razorback” package, with RB Dan Wertz and FB Nick Sizemore lining up all over the place in the backfield. Both of them took direct snaps, and a few times Yuko lined up in the slot. This is nothing new; I’m not spilling any beans here. The Streaks ran this package a year ago, and won the Section 1 title with a 7-0 record. … When the line played well against L-S, Wertz was able to bust a few nice runs. … Sizemore is fun to watch on D. He’s parked right in the middle at LB, and he’s free to roam and make plays. Early in the scrimmage, he decked an L-S ball-carrier so hard, you could probably hear the shoulder pads popping over in Neffsville. … I still think Township will be there in the end. But the o-line needs to pick it up a notch. Yeah, yeah. I know — It was a scrimmage.

After the scrimmage, I chatted with Township’s Wertz and Lampeter-Strasburg’s DelRocini. I’m hoping to have those interviews posted on Monday. So please check back for those.