JEFFREY REINHART jreinhart@LNPnews.com
Audio Podcast preview interviews below with Wilson coach Doug Dahms and Elizabethtown coach Jeff Polites
THE GAME: No. 16 Elizabethtown Bears (6-4 overall) @ No. 1 Wilson Bulldogs (10-0 overall), Friday, 7 p.m.
WINNER GETS: No. 8 Hempfield (8-2) or No. 9 Muhlenberg (7-3) in the quarterfinals.
THE COACHES: Elizabethtown’s Jeff Polites is in his 9th season and he is 48-44 overall. … Wilson’s Doug Dahms is in his 3rd season and he is 30-6 overall.
ELIZABETHTOWN RESULTS: @ McCaskey (W 53-7), Muhlenberg (L 28-27), Manheim Township (W 28-27), @ Solanco (W 13-7), @ Conestoga Valley (W 39-13), Garden Spot (W 35-19), Cocalico (L 35-34), @ Manheim Central (L 28-19), @ Ephrata (W 28-21), Lebanon (L 28-21). … Lost three of last four heading into Districts. … Schedule included district-qualifiers Muhlenberg, Garden Spot, Cocalico, Manheim Central and Lebanon. Elizabethtown went 1-4 against that foursome. … Four losses are by a grand total of 18 points.
WILSON RESULTS: Governor Mifflin (W 35-14), Manheim Central (W 20-15), @ Downingtown East (W 34-0), McCaskey (W 44-7), @ Cedar Crest (W 55-14), Hempfield (W 45-13), @ Reading (W 46-6), Manheim Township (W 51-3), @ Penn Manor (W 42-0), @ Warwick (W 24-0). … Ran the table during the regular season (only 10-0 team in the L-L League, and one of only three 10-0 teams in District 3, joining Mechanicsburg in Triple-A and Steel-High in Single-A; all three earned a No. 1 seed), and has shutout its last two opponents. Bulldogs haven’t given up a point since Manheim Township kicked a field goal in the third quarter in Week 8, and Wilson has allowed just 9 points in its last 16 quarters. … Most points the ‘Dawgs have given up in a game this season: 15 in Week 2 to Manheim Central. … Mercy-Rule victories over McCaskey, Cedar Crest, Hempfield, Reading, Manheim Township and Penn Manor. … Schedule included district-qualifiers Governor Mifflin, Manheim Central, Downingtown East, Hempfield, Penn Manor and Warwick. Wilson went 6-0 against that group.
COMMON OPPONENTS: McCaskey and Manheim Township – Elizabethtown and Wilson both won against the Red Tornado and the Blue Streaks.
ELIZABETHTOWN STAT PACK: Leading rusher – Conrad Heisey (124 carries for 873 yards, 7.0 avg., 9 TD); Leading passer – Kyle McNeil (71-of-141 for 1,186 yards, 14 TD, 10 picks); Leading receiver – Mitch Weidman (19 catches for 306 yards, 16.1 avg., 2 TD); Total offense – 364.7 yards per game (5th in L-L League); Total defense – 308.2 yards per game (12th in L-L League).
WILSON STAT PACK: Leading rusher – Zacc Groff (112 carries for 945 yards, 8.4 avg., 15 TD); Leading passer – Steve Huber (53-of-101 for 774 yards, 7 TD, 2 picks); Leading receiver – Alex Fegley (26 catches for 510 yards, 19.6 avg., 8 TD); Total offense – 342.4 yards per game (7th in L-L League); Total defense – 166.5 yards per game (1st in L-L League).
NOTABLE: Elizabethtown went 4-3 and finished in a tie for third place in Section 2 of the L-L League. … Wilson went 7-0 and won the outright Section 1 championship in the L-L League. … Wilson and Elizabethtown hooked up two times when the Bulldogs bumped down to Section 2 for two years in the late 90s. Wilson won both games – 36-26 in 1998 in Elizabethtown and 20-14 in 1999 in West Lawn. … Wilson is ranked fourth in Quad-A in the Harrisburg Patriot-News state poll.
ABOUT ELIZABETHTOWN: This is the Bears’ first trip to the Quad-A playoffs, after making five appearances in the Triple-A playoffs, including last year, when Elizabethtown fell to eventual champ Lampeter-Strasburg in the second round at home. … Bears went to back-to-back title games in Triple-A in 1986 (lost to Middletown) and 1987 (lost to Bishop McDevitt), and went to the finals again in 1989 (lost to Manheim Central). … Outscored opponents 297-213 (plus-84 scoring margin). … 16 giveaways and 20 takeaways for a plus-4 turnover margin. … 53 penalties for 356 yards. … 164 first downs, which is tied for fourth-most in the L-L League with (wait for it) Wilson.
Click on the ‘play’ button above to listen to my Podcast interview with Elizabethtown coach Jeff Polites.
You can also download the interview and play it on your favorite mp3 device by clicking here.
ABOUT WILSON: This is the Bulldogs’ 15th trip to the Quad-A playoffs, and Wilson won district championships in 1989 (over Cedar Cliff), 1990 (over Cumberland Valley) and 1999 (over Cumberland Valley). The ‘Dawgs also made the finals in 1996 (lost to Cedar Cliff) and in 2002 (lost to Central Dauphin). … Captured 17th section championship – 11 outright and six co-crowns – and ‘Dawgs have won nine Section 1 titles in the last 14 years. … Also wrapped up ninth 10-0 regular season in program history. … Wilson allowed just 729 rushing yards during the regular season, least in the L-L League. … Outscored opponents 396-72 (plus-324 scoring margin is No. 1 in the L-L League). … 10 giveaways and 26 takeaways for a plus-16 turnover margin, No. 1 in the L-L League. … 47 penalties for 356 yards. … 164 first downs are tied for fourth-most in the L-League with first-round opponent Elizabethtown.
Click on the ‘play’ button above to listen to my Podcast interview with Wilson coach Doug Dahms.
You can also download the interview and play it on your favorite mp3 device by clicking here.
