It’s back – Reinhart’s 3 Stars … my top three performers from each week in L-L League football.
Several clutch performances from Week 1 of the new season last Friday, so I had to put my thinking cap on right out of the chute.
I could have gone several different ways. But after making my final list and checking it more than twice, here’s who I came up with for this season’s first edition of Reinhart’s 3 Stars …
Arron Achey, junior quarterback, Elco – What an incredible start for the Raiders’ dual threat signal-caller, who wrecked Hamburg on Friday.
Check these stats out: Achey had 15 keepers for 174 yards (that’s 11.6 yards per pop, by the way) and he scored all three of Elco’s touchdowns on the ground – all three in the second half, when the Raiders rallied from a 20-0 halftime deficit to stun Hamburg.
Achey had a 57-yard TD run to finally put Elco on the board in the third quarter.
He followed that up with a pair of fourth-quarter TDs, the first a 23-yard run to make is 21-14, the second a 6-yard TD keeper with 1:58 to go in regulation to tie the game at 20-all.
Kyle Wenger’s PAT kick gave Elco the lead for good, and the Raiders – behind Achey’s happy feet – pulled off the stunning comeback.
If you recall, Elco had a difficult time putting teams away last season, leading several times at the half before succumbing on the way to a 4-6 season.
So the Raiders turned the tables in Week 1, and when Achey scored three times in the second half, it was Elco that did the rallying this time around.
Jeremy Knosp, senior quarterback, Manheim Central – When this kid is healthy, he’s one of the best signal-callers in the league. But his health has been a major issue the last two seasons.
Friday against Susquehannock, Knosp, finally healthy, got this season off to a roaring start, leading the Barons to a 32-10 victory with his right arm and with his feet.
Knosp completed 13-of-22 passes (59 percent) for 226 yards and a pair of TD tosses (12 yards to Casey Ebersole and 17 yards to Justin Gorman), and he also rushed for 131 yards on 15 keepers and scored a pair of TDs on runs of 3 and 29 yards, respectively.
It was the kind of start the Barons were hoping for, as they tallied 574 yards of total offense and, more importantly, earned a win – a must, considering Central is at Wilson on Friday and hosts Lancaster Catholic in Week 3.
If Knosp stays healthy, expect big things from the Barons.
James Capello, senior quarterback, Lebanon – The pilot of the Cedars’ “Air Raid” was feeling it in the Cedar Bowl on Opening Night, when Lebanon topped cross-town rival Cedar Crest 39-7.
Capello was dynamite in all facets, completing 14-of-21 passes for 173 yards and a TD (a 34-yard strike to Colton Muraira) and he also piled up 167 rushing yards on 17 keepers and scored a pair of TDs on 58 and 14-yard runs, respectively.
It was just what the doctor ordered for Lebanon, which not only got a much-needed win, but did well on D, which was the Cedars’ Achilles last season. Lebanon didn’t allow Cedar Crest to score until the fourth quarter.
