Big, big, big win for Cocalico last Friday night, when the Eagles rallied to knock off Conestoga Valley 21-14 in a Section 2 game in Denver.
The victory did two things:
First, it knocked CV out of the Section 2 hunt and gave Manheim Central – a 47-0 winner over Lebanon – the outright section championship – the Barons’ 20th section crown. But who’s counting?
Second, it gave Cocalico some much-needed District 3 Triple-A power points, and likely bumped the Eagles into the top eight range, which would give them a home game in the first round of the playoffs.
Yep, playoffs – which begin next week.
After Cocalico’s win over CV, I caught up with Eagles’ QB/DB Matt Carty and FB Austin Hartman – who both came up large in the victory – and with coach Dave Gingrich, who was tickled that his D came up big against CV RB Kevin Kelley, who was held to his season-low output in rushing yards.
Those audio Podcast interviews are right here for your listening pleasure …
The first thing Cocalico coach Dave Gingrich did when I caught up with him late Friday was exhale.
He was thrilled with the defensive effort from his team, which held CV RB Kevin Kelley to a season-low 113 yards. Kelley came into the game with a league-best 1,685 yards and a league-high 22 TD runs, but Cocalico ‘held’ CV’s big back to 113 and no touchdowns – and his longest run from scrimmage was 11 yards.
Gingrich was quick to tip his cap to his defenders (the third-ranked unit in the L-L League, very quietly, by the way), including safety Matt Carty and DB Shiron Hudson, who each made huge interceptions in the fourth quarter to thwart CV drives.
We also chatted about the state of Cocalico’s team – the Eagles have been decimated with injuries, yet still have seven wins and a district bid – and how his team has hung in there all season.
You can listen to the Podcast with Coach Gingrich by clicking on the ‘play’ button above.
You can also download the interview and listen to it on your favorite mp3 device by clicking here.
Welcome back, Matt Carty.
Cocalico’s gritty senior QB/DB spent the last two and a half weeks on the sidelines nursing a leg injury he suffered in the Eagles’ 33-13 Week 6 loss to Lebanon.
Ryan Schweitzer stepped in and led Cocalico to a pair of victories, but Carty was back in there against Conestoga Valley last Friday night. And he looked – and played – just fine.
Carty gained 71 yards on six keepers and scored a TD – which tied the game. And he completed 5-of-10 passes for 73 yards; his 2-point pass to Jon Smoker put the Eagles up 21-14 in the fourth.
But it was his pick late in the fourth quarter that sealed the deal for the Eagles, who trailed 14-7 at the break but scored a pair of second-half TD and bumped off the Bucks.
I chatted with Mr. Carty after the game about getting back out on the field, about his clutch interception, and about where Cocalico stands with a week to go in the regular season and the playoffs on the horizon.
You can listen to the interview by clicking on the ‘play’ button above.
You can also download the Podcast and play it on your favorite mp3 device by clicking here.
Austin Hartman was ready to rumble.
Cocalico’s junior FB knew all about Conestoga Valley senior RB Kevin Kelley and his flashy numbers – 1,685 yards and 22 TD runs.
So Hartman took last Friday’s Section 2 game against the Buckskins as a challenge: How would he stack up against Kelley? And could he take the ball and make plays for the Eagles?
Hartman rose up to his challenge, rushing 15 times for a game-high 117 yards and he scored a pair of touchdowns in Cocalico’s 21-14 come-from-behind win over the Bucks.
Hartman ended up out-gaining Kelley 117-113, and his first TD (an 18-yarder up the gut) gave Cocalico a 7-0 lead, and his second TD (a 5-yard plunge) put the Eagles ahead for good in the fourth quarter.
Hartman has had a great three-week stretch. When Carty went down with a leg injury in Week 6, he’s stepped up and taken the ball. Through Week 9 he’s up to 1,246 yards – second-most behind Kelley – and he’s scored 17 TD, which are third-most in the L-L League.
I caught up with Hartman after the win over CV, and we chatted about his battle with Kelley, about the Eagles’ comeback, about having Carty back under center, and about where Cocalico is heading with a week to go in the regular season.
You can listen to the interview by clicking on the ‘play’ button above.
You can also download the Podcast and listen to it on your favorite mp3 player by clicking here.
