Audio Podcast preview interview below with Manheim Central coach Mike Williams
JEFFREY REINHART jreinhart@LNPnews.com
THE GAME: No. 5 Manheim Central Barons (10-2 overall) @ No. 1 Mechanicsburg Wildcats (12-0 overall), Friday, 7 p.m.
LAST WEEK: Manheim Central topped L-L League Section 2 rival and No. 4 seed Cocalico 26-7. … Mechanicsburg dropped No. 9 Daniel Boone 31-7.
WINNER GETS: No. 3 West York (11-1) or No. 10 Garden Spot (8-4) in the District 3 Triple-A title game, next Friday at 7 p.m. in Hersheypark Stadium.
NOTABLE: This is just the third meeting between the Barons and the Wildcats, and Manheim Central leads 2-0 – both in District 3 Triple-A playoff games. … The Barons won 42-7 in a first-round game in 1994 at Manheim Township, and they won 27-7 in the championship game in 2004 in Hersheypark Stadium.
THE COACHES: Manheim Central’s Mike Williams is in his 28th season and he is 286-58-3 overall. Williams has more victories than any other coach in District 3 football history. … Mechanicsburg’s Chris Hakel is in his 1st season and he is 12-0 overall. Hakel, a Mechanicsburg grad, replaced the late Rich Lichtel.
MANHEIM CENTRAL RESULTS: Susquehannock (W 32-10), @ Wilson (L 20-15), Lancaster Catholic (L 21-8), @ Cocalico (W 56-33), Solanco (W 24-14), @ Ephrata (W 61-14), Conestoga Valley (W 34-7), Elizabethtown (W 28-19), @ Lebanon (W 33-28), @ Garden Spot (W 24-19), Elco (W 45-14), @ Cocalico (W 26-7). … Barons are flying, winners of nine in a row since the back-to-back non-league losses to Wilson (12-0) and Lancaster Catholic (11-1). Bulldogs are the 1-seed in Quad-A and Catholic, the 1-seed in Double-A, is in the district title-game on Friday. … Six of Barons’ 10 regular-season foes made the District 3 playoffs.
MECHANICSBURG RESULTS: @ Carlisle (W 28-0), Hershey (W 28-14), @ Susquehanna Township (W 14-13), Northern York (W 23-21), Waynesboro (W 45-6), @ Shippensburg (W 56-6), Big Spring (W 49-10), @ Gettysburg (W 35-14), James Buchanan (W 48-14), Red Land (W 14-7), East Pennsboro (W 35-7), Daniel Boone (W 31-7). … Just 2 of 10 regular-season opponents qualified for the District 3 playoffs, and Wildcats’ opponents are a combined 19-77 through two rounds of the postseason.
COMMON OPPONENTS: None.
MANHEIM CENTRAL STAT PACK: Leading rusher – Joe Gruber (127 carries for 731 yards, 5.8 avg., 7 TD); Leading passers – Jeremy Knosp (102-of-185 for 1,802 yards, 13 TD, 6 picks), Justin Gorman (39-of-65 for 671 yards, 5 TD, 3 picks); Leading receiver – Dakota Royer (50 catches for 1,045 yards, 20.9 avg., 5 TD); Team offense – 393.2 yards per game (3rd in the L-L League); Team defense – 237.7 (5th in the L-L League).
MECHANICSBURG STAT PACK: Leading rusher – Tarik Leftenant (188 carries for 1,217 yards, 6.5 avg., 18 TD); Leading passer – Jake Zeigler (73-of-123 for 1,112 yards, 15 TD, 4 picks); Leading receiver – Ben Anderson (20 catches for 339 yards, 17.0 avg., 5 TD); Team offense – 311.7 yards per game; Team defense – 201.9 yards per game.
ABOUT MANHEIM CENTRAL: Barons have won a record 15 District 3 Triple-A championships, including 10 in a row from 1992-2001, but haven’t won a crown since 2005. … Flamed out in the first round last year (first first-round exit since 2002) after falling to South Western in the 2006 semifinals. … Outscored opponents 386-206. … Just a minus-5 in turnover ratio, with 23 giveaways; has picked off 15 passes on D. … League-high 91 penalties for league-high 769 yards in march-offs. … 34.3 average on 33 punts. … 201 first downs. … Since taking over as the starting QB when Jeremy Knosp went down with a shoulder injury, Justin Gorman is 34-of-49 (69 percent) for 617 yards with five TD passes against just two picks in three starts – all wins. Gorman also added a 99-yard TD run in the quarterfinal win over rival Cocalico.
Click on the ‘play’ button above to listen to my interview with Manheim Central coach Mike Williams.
You can also download the Podcast and play it on your favorite mp3 device by clicking here.
ABOUT MECHANICSBURG: Won the District 3 Quad-A title in 1986 (over Carlisle), and reached the District 3 Triple-A title game in 1983 (lost to Steel-High) and, as mentioned, in 2004 (lost to Manheim Central). … Super bounce-back season after going 1-6 in the Mid-Penn Keystone Division and 3-7 overall a year ago. The team also had to cope with the death of their coach, Rich Lichtel. … Converted TE Tyler Bullock, now an anchor on the o-line, is a UConn recruit. … QB Jake Zeigler, a third-year starter, is the team’s second-leading rusher (436 yards, 7.0 avg., 6 TD). He won’t throw very much; his season-high for completions is 10, and he hasn’t hit that number since Week 3. … WR Adam Tuttle (19 catches, 15.9 avg., 3 TD) compliments Ben Anderson on the other flank. … Outscored opponents 406-119. … Plus-23 in turnover ratio with 33 takeaways.
MORE MULTI-MEDIA LINKS:
Manheim Central junior Dakota Royer highlights on YouTube
Manheim Central junior Dakota Royer “In his own Words” interview
My Section 2 season preview with Manheim Central cap
D3 opener vs. Elco preview cap, with Coach Williams interview
D3 quarterfinal vs. Cocalico preview cap, with Coach Williams interview
