I grabbed a few minutes with EAHS Athletic Director Shane Piper prior to Wednesday's boys basketball game, and he gave me a quick update on the district's search for a new head football coach.
Piper said the district has gone through the first round of interviewing candidates and has narrowed it down to its finalists. No word on who those finalists are or how many of them there are.
In the next week or so, the next round of interviewing will be done with the finalists, and Piper hopes to have a new head coach recommended to the school board at its March meeting.
Looks like they are entering the home stretch of finding a candidate. Of course, when I hear anything else, I'll keep you all updated.
I don't know much about what's going on with the search for a new head coach of the EAHS varsity football program, but I did talk to E-town AD Shane Piper a little bit before the boys basketball game on Tuesday night.
I found out that the application process is complete, and that there were numerous applicants from Pennsylvania and from other states as well. As far as I know, the first round of interviews (conducted by a committee) will be held sometime this month. After that, there will be another round of interviews in early February and Piper hopes to have a coach in place by the end of February or the beginning of March.
He couldn't give me any specific names of the applicants, but said that there are no clear cut favorites at this time, which makes sense since they haven't done interviews yet.
So the next step will be the first round of interviews. If I can get any specific information after that, I'll be sure to pass it along.
Elizabethtown Area High School senior Alex Kirchner has been named to Pennsylvania Football News' All-State team. Kirchner was chosen as an honorable mention guard for his stellar play on E-town's offensive line this season.
Congrats to Alex, a terrific player who is well-deserving.
I just got off the phone with Jeff Polites, and he has decided to step down as head coach of the Elizabethtown Area High School football program. I wanted to get this post up ASAP for you, so here is a transcript of the interview I just did with Jeff. I'll do more of a "story" later and in next week's print edition of the Chronicle. But for now, here's the transcript:
On why he decided to submit his letter of resignation: "I've been thinking about it for the last couple of years and I'm just to the point now where I'm ready for a change. The hard part is when you make that change and you're so close to the kids and the parents, you want to stick around for them because you care about them and you want to see them through."
On his relationship with his assistant coaches: "Of the lists of negatives and the lists of positives, the coaching staff was a top positive. It's rare that you have a group of guys like we have here. We're all friends and we do stuff outside of football. And it's not just one or two of us, it's everybody. They're like brothers and they're good friends. It's tough. Real tough."
On what it was like to tell the players of his decision: "It was quick. It was emotional for me and it was tough to look at them. They were surprised. You spend so much time with those kids, it's like they're your own kids."
On some of the things that stand out over his tenure: "The advice I got when I first started coached is in five or seven years, that's when you want to start looking around. And through my career I looked around a little bit, but over the last five years, I haven't looked anywhere because we really had some good things going here."
"This was my first head coaching job. They took a chance on me, and I didn't have any experience as a head coach. I worked under two coaches at Middletown and they were great guys and taught me how to get a quality football program going, how to treat people and to be an example for young me."
"The kids my first year, they were real special. they were the ones that turned things around. Every year after that, our records were all over the place, and all those teams had some great kids on it. you just go through your mind with some of the names and the things they're doing now as adults is impressive."
On his future plans: "I love teaching here. The kids are excellent. The administration is fantastic to work for and the staff is great to work with. I just want to wait and see what's out there and see what happens. I could teach here forever if they'll let me."
On the program at the younger levels: "The Boys Club has done a nice job the last couple of years doing the things that we've taught and that's going to benefit the program. The junior highs, Coach Livingston is an excellent teacher. It's a real nice staff for someone to come into and work hard."
That's all for now. Polites was E-town's head coach since 1998, 11 seasons. He had a career record of 57-56 and led the team to the District Three playoffs the last two seasons. This year, the Bears went 6-5 and lost in the first round of the Quad-A playoffs to eventual district champ Wilson.
Last year will probably be remembered as Polites' most successful. E-town started 9-0, shared the Section Two title and won a district triple-A playoff game before falling to L-S in the second round.
On a personal note, I think this is a big loss for the program. Jeff was a great coach and is an even better person. He treats everyone (players, parents, managers, coaches, even media schlubs like me) with respect and has always been extremely gracious when it comes to giving interviews, even after tough losses. He has built a very good program at E-town, and hopefully that can continue.
And now the search begins for a new head coach. I'll try and keep you updated on that as I get news on it.
(E-town's all-stars were, back row from left, Shane Rosenberry, Alex Kircher and Conrad Heisey. Front row, from left, Jared Danneker, David Kennedy and Kyle McNeil. Not pictured is Mitch Weidman.) The E-town football team had seven players named to the Lancaster-Lebanon League Section Two all-star team. Here are the players and some stats for you to munch on.
First team offense: Alex Kirchner, G. Kirchner was the anchor of E-town's offensive line this year. He was a tenacious blocker, often opening up holes for backs and following them downfield, clearing a path the whole way.
Conrad Heisey, RB. Heisey led the Bears with 941 yards on 138 carries with 9 touchdowns. Very tough RB who was never stopped by the first tackler.
First team defense: Kirchner, DT. Kirchner was third on the team with 67 tackles and had a team-high nine sacks. He was a beast on defense and never stopped working hard.
Shane Rosenberry, ILB. Rosenberry was the team's best linebacker, racking up a team-high 105 tackles. He was second in sacks (3), first in fumbles forced (3) and first in fumble recoveries (4), and was pretty much the heart and soul of the defense.
Second team offense: Mitch Weidman, RB. Weidman was second on the team with 632 yards on 99 carries and had seven rushing touchdown. He also had a team high 21 catches for 284 yards and one receiving touchdown. He's only a junior and will be E-town's best offensive weapon next year.
Honorable Mention: Kyle McNeil, QB. McNeil went 87-160 for 1,372 yards with 15 touchdowns and 11 interceptions this year. He also ran for 115 yards and touchdown. Good poise and strong arm. Always gave the Bears a chance to win.
Rosenberry, RB. When he wasn't racking heads on defense, he was running over defenders at fullback. Ran for 564 yards on 111 carries and a team-high 10 rushing TDs.
David Kennedy, LB. Keep your eye on this pit bull next year. He was second on the team with 70 tackles, had one sack, two fumble recoveries and an interception. Oh, and he scored a defensive TD too.
Jared Danneker, OLB. Fourth on the team with 54 tackles. Really got stronger as the year went on and had a nose for the football. Also had a sack, a pick and a fumble recovery.
Weidman, DB. Weidman had 2 picks and was fifth on the team with 46 tackles. Good height and great speed will make him a dual threat next year.
(Senior members of the E-town football team talk before the team banquet last night).
I was invited to attend the E-town football banquet last night, and I have to say, it was really great. The banquet committee had the high school cafeteria decorated wonderfully. They even cut out a lot of the football articles I had written this year and had them on display at the entrance, which definitely made it more awesome (or awful, depending on how what you think of my writing). Seriously, though, thanks to them for inviting me and for doing a great job transforming the cafeteria. It looked great.
If you've never been to a football banquet (this was my first one in E-town), the seniors are seated in front of everyone else at a head table. Behind each of them, their jersey hung with their names added to the back. In front of them was a mini E-town helmet complete with their number on the back. Very, very cool. It's definitely something they'll always treasure. I sure wish I got those back in high school. I just got a certificate and a pat on the back while we dined on chicken patties leftover from that afternoon's lunch. Good times.
Senior wide receiver/defensive back Steven Nunez served as the emcee for the start of the banquet, introducing EASD Superintendent Amy Slamp and EAHS Athletic Director Shane Piper before turning the microphone over to head coach Jeff Polites. Jeff did a great job of mixing in humor and offering heart-felt memories of all 14 seniors. He also recognized some cheerleaders, the assistant coaches, the game managers, the trainers and the many other people that make up the Elizabethtown football family.
The food was also great – especially the ham loaf.
After dinner, Polites introduced head junior high coach Ray Livingston, who talked about his teams' season and thanked his coaches. After that, head JV coach Eric Clair (who has been with Polites during all 11 of his seasons as head coach) talked about the JV squad and talked to the seniors a bit.
The varsity was last, and Polites kicked it off with some awards. Here are the awards and their recipient. Academic Awards – named after former EAHS player Steve Sczobocan (sorry Steve, if I spelled that wrong). This award goes to the player with the highest GPA in each grade for grades 10 through 12. Grade 10 winner was Joe Martin. Grade 11 winner was Zach Myers. Grade 12 winner was Evan Good (for the third straight year, I believe.)
Ironman Awards. These are given to players who have perfect attendance for all team functions. And considering the amount of meetings, film studies, practices, etc. football teams do, there was an incredible amount of winners here, which goes hand-in-hand with the Bears' recent successes. The winners were: Dylan Allison, Steven Nunez, Kyle McNeil, Ryan Heistand, David Kennedy, Alex Kirchner, Tyler Clark, Conrad Heisey, Shane Rosenberry, Zach Myers, Josh McMasters, Andy Breault, Andrew Haldeman, Mitch Light, Jared Danneker, Tyler Miller, Travis Eppley, Mike Rehrer, Brock Rutherford, Joe Martin, Brendan Kain and Jamie Guzman.
Polites then handed out varsity letters or pins to all of the underclassmen who earned them.
Finally, he spoke of the 14 seniors. They were: Nate Clarke, Tyler Miller, Jeremi Jones, Kyle McNeil, Larrian Payne, Conrad Heisey, Shane Long, Shane Rosenberry, Jamie Kehler, Alex Kirchner, Evan Good, Corey Hutchinson, Josh McMasters and Steven Nunez.
One by one, Polites called them up to the podium, where he shared a story about each and what that player meant to the team. This was my favorite part of the banquet. The night is essentially all about the seniors and the way Polites recognized them was very special.
The evening ended with a great highlight tape compiled by Bill Hunking, who takes photos for the team. He had tons and tons of absolutely AMAZING photos of players, coaches, trainers, ball boys, cheerleaders, you name it, all set to music. He also mixed in some video, which was shot by Dwayne Hernley. There was also a special segment at the end dedicated to the seniors. There was one baby picture, the player's individual team photo, the parent's night photo, one action shot and then one video clip for all the seniors. Amazing job.
All in all, it was a great night and I think the football program for allowing me to attend and witness it.
The 2008 EAHS football team had a great season, reaching the district playoffs for the second straight year. Instead of reading my ramblings on the team, here is a slideshow of the season. All photos were taken by Bill Hunking and Chris Bradley, both volunteers who I could not possibly thank enough for their great work. Enjoy.
Well, it's playoff time already. Tonight, the Bears travel to West Lawn to take on the No. 1 ranked and undefeated Wilson Bulldogs in the first round of the District Three Quad-A playoffs. I caught up with E-town head coach Jeff Polites today to chat a little about tonight's big game. Here is the first playoff edition of Five Downs with Coach Polites. Enjoy.
First Down: How do you prepare for a defense as good as Wilson's? How you think your offense will give them trouble? Coach Polites: We have an attack that is tough to defend with all the possible ball carriers and pass catchers. This will give us an advantage over most defensive schemes.
Second Down: How important is it for your kids to realize that they can play with Wilson? And how do you get them to believe that? Coach Polites: That is the most important thing of all. Nothing else will matter if we can not get over the mental hurdle. We have been preaching all week about the game is played on the field and our effort and execution of the game plan is the only thing we can control.
Third Down: Does this seem like a game that will be won or lost at the line of scrimmage? Coach Polites: Most games are won or lost at the line of scrimmage. Tonight it will be even more important to match the intensity at the line of scrimmage.
Fourth Down: How do you think your returning team leaders will use last year's playoff run to their advantage? Coach Polites: It is always nice to draw from prior experience to help us eliminate any hesitation. Hopefully this will be another step in being a consistent postseason team.
Fifth Down: Is it more difficult to prepare for a team that you've only seen on film? Coach Polites: I like playing a team that we are unfamiliar with. It gives us another experience at a different offense and defense. It is our opportunity to challenge ourselves against a quality opponent.
Oops...wrong Wilson. Sorry. There. That's better. OK, so by now we all know that Wilson is the No. 1 seed in the district and that they're undefeated. The task is certainly not going to be an easy one for the Bears, but one they will be up for. So let's take a look at their opponent. First, here are some quick, bulleted points on The Dawgs.
• Wilson's starting defense hasn't allowed a touchdown in EIGHT games. • Wilson's defense as a whole hasn't allowed a point in nine quarters. • They inflicted the mercy rule on 7 of their 10 opponents, and 6 of the 7 Section One foes. • Wilson is allowing just 7.2 points per game and 160 yards of offense per game (a ridiculous number), and they are the No. 1 ranked rush defense and overall defense in the Lancaster-Lebanon League. • They have outscored opponents 396-72. Wow. • Their schedule this year included wins over district-qualifiers Governor Mifflin, Manheim Central, Downingtown East, Hempfield, Penn Manor and Warwick. • They have forced 26 takeaways.
Stats: Offensive leaders: QB: Steve Huber, 53-101, 774 yards, 7 TD, 2 INT. Missed some time in the first half of the season with a knee injury. RB: Zacc Groff, 112 carries, 955 yards, 15 TD. He's their gamebreaker. FB: Dylan Stopper, 60 carries, 428 yards, 15 TD. Bruiser with a nose for the end zone. WR: Alex Fegley, 26 catches, 519 yards, 11 TD. Nearly half of his catches are for touchdowns. Amazing.
Defense: We already went over what to expect from Wilson's D. Stuff the run, pin you back, pin you back, make you punt from deep in your own territory, give the offense a short field to work with. Repeat. Here's who to keep an eye on in that defense: LB Colton Weaver. Arguably the best defender in the league. He'll be all over the place. LB Pat Zerbe and LB Jordan Holbert. Two tough, fast kids who will be playing football at the next level. Linebacker High School, huh? Tomorrow (or possibly later today, depending on if I can get this technical glitch fixed) we'll look at E-town's stats, chat with Coach Polites and I'll give you my thoughts on the game.
OK everyone, here are the official brackets for your enjoyment. I'll list the games below, but you can open the brackets yourself by clicking here.
No. 16 E-town (6-4) at No. 1 Wilson (10-0), 7 p.m., Nov. 7. No. 9 Muhlenberg (7-3) at No. 8 Hempfield (8-2), 7 p.m., Nov. 7. (Winner of these two games meet in the quarterfinals).
No. 13 Red Land (6-4) at No. 4 York (9-1), 7 p.m., Nov. 7. No. 12 Red Lion (6-4) at No. 5 Bishop McDevitt, 1 p.m., Nov. 8. (Winner of these two games meet in the quarterfinals).
No. 15 Warwick (6-4) at No. 2 Cumberland Valley (9-1), 7 p.m., Nov. 7. No. 10 Dallastown (7-3) at No. 7 Penn Manor (8-2), date and time TBD. (Winner of these two games meet in the quarterfinals).
No. 14 Harrisburg (6-4) at No. 3 Central York (9-1), 7 p.m., Nov. 8. No. 11 Central Dauphin (7-3) at No. 6 Governor Mifflin (8-2), 7 p.m., Nov. 7. (Winner of these two games meet in the quarterfinals).
There you have it. Plenty more on the E-town/Wilson matchup coming this week...
OK, today's action is complete, and Harrisburg won and McDevitt lost, which shakes up the picture a little bit. Here are you first round Quad-A District Three Football match ups:
Friday, Nov. 7, 7 p.m. No. 16 Elizabethtown (6-4) at No. 1 Wilson (10-0) No. 9 Muhlenberg (7-3) @ No. 8 Hempfield (8-2) No. 13 Red Land (6-4) @ No. 4 York (9-1) No. 14 Harrisburg (6-4) @ No. 3 Central York (9-1) No. 11 Central Dauphin (7-3) @ No. 6 Governor Mifflin (6-2) No. 10 Dallastown (7-3) @ No. 7 Penn Manor (8-2) No. 15. Warwick (6-4) @ No. 2 Cumberland Valley (9-1).
So there you have it. And in case you were curious, here's the rest of the matchups for E-town's fellow section two teams, which will all be in the Triple-A bracket. All these games will be at 7 p.m. next Friday. No. 12 Elco (6-4) @ No. 5 Manheim Central (8-2) No. 13 Susquehanna Township (5-5) @ No. 4 Cocalico (9-1) No. 10 Garden Spot (6-4) @ No. 7 Lebanon (7-3)
Don't know the final yet, but the last score I saw was 42-0 Harrisburg at HALFTIME. So, odds are Harrisburg won today, which means the Bears will play top ranked and unbeaten Wilson in the first round of the District Three Quad A playoffs. Again, not official, when I have those, I'll post 'em. But that's what I know right now as I watch the Gators get revenge on Georgia.
I stink at math, so I really wouldn't even attempt to predict the District Three Quad-A playoff brackets, but Rod Frisco over at the Patriot-News is much better at the calculations, and he predicts the way the Quad-A brackets will shape up following Bishop McDevitt and Harrisburg's games today. You can check it out by clicking here.
Here's basically how it shakes out for the Bears. (They are in, by the way).
1. If Harrisburg wins today (the are playing Altoona as I type this), E-town will likely be the No. 16 seed in the district, which would mean a matchup with No. 1 seed Wilson, who is a perfect 10-0.
2. If Harrisburg loses to Altoona, the Bears would likely be the No. 15 seed, which would mean a date with No. 2 Cumberland Valley, who is 9-1.
Those seem to be the two most likely scenarios for E-town, so it all hinges on the Harrisburg game today. Remember, this is not official, and when the official brackets are released, you can find them here immediately. That could me later tonight, or tomorrow.
OK gang, let me just start by saying that I do not know the first round District Three playoff matchups yet. There are still some games to be played tomorrow (most notably Bishop McDevitt), so the bracket won't be finalized until then. Of course, when it is, you can find it here, because I will post it immediately.
For those who spent the night with the kids trick or treating or handing out candy, the Bears lost to Lebanon 28-21 tonight. It was a good game throughout, with both teams coming out firing and running to a 14-14 tie at the end of the first quarter. But then the defenses showed up and slowed down the offenses. Lebanon picked off three passes in the first half and that went a long way to them holding off the Bears. E-town ended up turning the ball over 4 times, but still had a chance to win. That tells me two things: 1. Lebanon cannot expect to have a ton of success in the playoffs with forcing 4 turnovers and not blowing a team out. 2. E-town can hang its hats on having that many TOs and still finding itself in the game late in the fourth. That said, the Bears absolutely can't turn it over that many times in the playoffs, or they won't make it far.
So, yeah, based on my calculations (for what it's worth), the Bears are in. I think they would've been in no matter what, but Township's loss to Hempfield definitely helped the cause. If I were to pose and early GUESS on who the Bears would play next week, I'll say McDevitt or Cumberland Valley, but I'm leaning toward McDevitt. Don't hold me to that, but that's my thought. We'll know for sure after tomorrow.
E-town did an OK job limiting the Lebanon offense tonight. Any time you keep the Cedars from scoring inside the 5, you're doing something. E-town did it twice. But turnovers killed the Bears tonight. Much like video killed the radio star. I'll get more into the game after we know who E-town will play next week, though. But let me just say this. Lebanon QB James Capello impressed me tonight. He did make a couple bad throws, but the 44-yard TD pass he threw to Jordan Clentimack off his back foot with pressure in his face might be the best throw I've ever seen a high school kid make. The kid can play. Probably not major DI, but he's got I-AA stuff.
Again, more on the brackets as soon as I get them. Don't stray too far, they'll be here soon.
Off to bed for me.....good night and, as always, stay classy Elizabethtown.
This week, the 6-3 Bears welcome the 6-3 Lebanon Cedars to round out the regular season. E-town is in good shape for the playoffs and should be in win or lose, but can cement their place and possibly improve their seeding with a win. I caught up with head coach Jeff Polites about tonight's regular season finale.
First Down: How are you guys injury-wise? Coach Polites: We have 3 of the 5 that were out last week. We should be totally healthy for the first round of the playoffs.
Second Down: You've faced several good passing teams all year, but how is Lebanon different from them? Coach Polites: Lebanon runs a similar offense to most of the teams in the league. They seem to get a lot more offensive plays than the others.
Third Down: How do you plan to contain quarterback James Capello's ability to beat you with his arm and his legs? (Note: Capello has more than 2,200 passing yards and 800 rushing yards). Coach Polites: We must keep him in the pocket with the DE's and pressure him up the middle with the tackles and LBs.
Fourth Down: Is the running game and chewing time of the clock even more important this week with the caliber of Lebanon's offense? Coach Polites: That is our plan every week and it is very important this week.
Fifth Down: You could still get into the playoffs with a win or a loss tonight, but how important is it to the players to win and control their own destiny? Coach Polites: We should be in no matter the result tonight. We are looking for a 7-3 regular season record. That will be our main focus tonight.
District Three Week 9 Power Rankings and Playoff Thoughts
Wow, is it really week 10 already? Boy, this football season has absolutely flown by. But here we are staring dead into the face of the last week of the regular season with district playoffs on the horizon. Before we get started, though, here are the District Three Class AAAA power rankings after nine weeks. Remember, the top 16 teams get into next week's district playoffs.
1. Wilson, 9-0 record, 144 average points, 1,300 total power points. 2. York, 9-0, 118, 1,070. 3. Bishop McDevitt, 8-1, 115, 1,040. 4. Cumberland Valley, 8-1, 113, 1,020. 5. Central York, 8-1, 108, 980. 6. Muhlenberg, 7-2, 100, 900. 7. Penn Manor, 7-2, 97, 880. 8. Central Dauphin, 7-2, 94, 850. 9. Dallastown, 7-2, 92, 830. 9. Governor Mifflin, 7-2, 92, 830. 9. Hempfield, 7-2, 92, 830. 12. Red Land, 6-3, 78, 710. 13. Elizabethtown, 6-3, 76, 690. 13. Warwick, 6-3, 76, 690. 15. Harrisburg, 5-4, 66, 600. 15. Manheim Township, 5-4, 66, 600. 17. Red Lion, 5-4, 64, 580.
So, as you can see, the Bears are currently locked into that No. 13 slot, meaning they would play Bishop McDevitt or Cumberland Valley in the first round if the rankings remained the same, and depending on how the tiebreaker with Warwick pans out. Red Lion is just on the outside looking in and needs a win and a loss by Township or Harrisburg to get in.
My take is that E-town will get in win or lose this week. However, getting in with a loss isn't as much of a guarantee, especially if Harrisburg, Township and Red Lion all win. That would mean it would come down to some Friday evening math to figure out who gets in and who doesn't. But a win by E-town seals up a district playoff berth. Again, though, they could still make it with a loss, but they might need a little bit of help, which is not something any team wants to rely on.
If E-town does get in, though, they are very likely looking at a road game on either Friday, Nov. 7 or Saturday, Nov. 8. Check back here over the weekend and as SOON as the brackets are released, I'll post them.
In fact, I've got lots of goodies for you today, so come back and check us out in a little bit.
Tonight, the Elizabethtown Area High School football team travels to Ephrata's War Memorial Field to take on the winless Mounts. E-town is coming off of two straight losses, but is still 5-3 and ranked 13th in the latest District Three Class AAAA rankings. Here is the latest installment of five downs with EAHS head coach Jeff Polites.
First Down: How did the players respond this week after the Central game? Coach Polites: We had a great week of practice and they are ready to get back to our winning ways.
Second Down: I know the offensive line is dinged up, but is this a good week to get their confidence back? Coach Polites: They are a tough group of kids and are looking forward to the challenges this week.
Third Down: Have you had to preach to the players not to look past Ephrata, or is the focus there? Coach Polites: They remember last year in a similar type of game when they out played us. The players have really concentrated on our improvement more than our opponent.
Fourth Down: What did you see from last week's film that you corrected this week? Coach Polites: We were out of position on defense for most of the game, which gave them opportunities that we could have eliminated. We went back to very basic defensive alignments and reads.
Fifth Down: I know you don't like to look past any week, but is it setting in to the team and coaches the importance of finishing strong in order to make the playoffs? Coach Polites: We would like to get some momentum going if we are fortunate to make into districts.
Well, despite losing two straight games, the Bears are still in the running for a District Three Quad-A playoff berth with two games left in the regular season. Here are the power rankings. Remember, the top 16 will get in.
1. Wilson – 8-0, 133 power points. 2. Bishop McDevitt – 8-0, 125. 3. West York – 8-0, 113. 4. Cumberland Valley – 7-1, 106. 5. Penn Manor – 7-1, 105. 6. Central York – 7-1, 100. 7. Muhlenberg – 6-2, 91. 8. Governor Mifflin – 6-2, 87. 9. Central Dauphin – 6-2, 86. 10. Dallastown – 6-2, 85. 10. Warwick – 6-2, 85. 12. Hempfield – 6-2, 81. 13. Elizabethtown – 5-3, 71. 13. Red Land – 5-3, 71. 15. Red Lion – 5-3, 70. 16. Manheim Township – 4-4, 61.
If the season ended today, the Bears would play Cumberland Valley in the first round of the playoffs. If E-town wins out and goes 7-3, it could get a higher seed, but is likely looking at a road game in the first round.
Here's how E-town's Section Two opponents stack up in the Triple A rankings. 3. Cocalico – 7-1, 122. 6. Manheim Central – 6-2, 102. 7. Lebanon – 6-2, 98. 10. Garden Spot – 5-3, 86. 17. Solanco – 4-4, 57 (Mules just 3 power points out of final playoff spot right now.)
Well, tonight's the night. E-town. Manheim Central. 7 p.m. Be there.
E-town head coach Jeff Polites was nice enough to answer a few questions about tonight's huge game. Here you go:
First Down: All section games are huge, but with Central being a game up in the standings on you, how big is this one tonight? Coach Polites: It is a big game. The kids have worked very hard to create this atmosphere and make this game a big one. They are looking forward to tonight.
Second Down: How have the players responded so far from last week's tough loss? Coach Polites: They had a great week of practice. It is nice to have a big game like this right now. The team is really focused and ready to play.
Third Down: Is Alex Kirchner going to play tonight? (He injured his knee last week). Coach Polites: Alex will play and he will pressure the QB.
Fourth Down: Does playing Central fire the kids up any more? Coach Polites: They have heard about this opportunity all their life and tonight it comes true for them. The excitement is like none I have ever seen before.
Fifth Down: Central is a tough environment to play in. how important is it to jump out to an early lead on the road tonight? Coach Polites: We can only control inside the lines one play at a time. Their field is exactly the same size as ours. Our fans will be crazy, so there will be no home field advantage.
Here are the District Three Quad-A power rankings after Week 7. The top 16 make the playoffs, so that's what's listed. If you would like to view the full rankings, click here.
1. Wilson, 7-0, 127 points. 2. Bishop McDevitt, 7-0, 124. 3. Penn Manor, 7-0, 115. 4. West York, 7-0, 110. 5. Cumberland Valley, 6-1, 98. 6. Central York, 6-1, 92. 7. Muhlenberg, 5-2, 85. 8. Central Dauphin, 5-2, 84. 9. Dallastown, 5-2, 82. 9. Governor Mifflin, 5-2, 82. 11. Elizabethtown, 5-2, 80. 12. Hempfield, 5-2, 75. 13. Warwick, 5-2, 71. 14. Manheim Township, 4-3, 67. 14. Red Lion, 4-3, 67. 16. Cedar Cliff, 4-3, 67.
If the season ended today, which it does not obviously, E-town would play Central York in the first round of the playoffs.
Here's how E-town's Section Two rivals stack up in the AAA rankings: 3. Cocalico, 6-1, 115. 6. Garden Spot, 5-2, 94. 6. Lebanon, 5-2, 94. 9. Manheim Central, 5-2, 90. 19. Solanco, 3-4, 48.
Hungry this morning? That's cool, because I'm about to feed you a bunch of stats. Here are the EAHS football team's stats through the first 7 games heading into tonight's HUGE showdown with Central.
This week, the Bears welcome in Cocalico in a key Section Two matchup. Here is the latest installment of Five Downs with Coach Polites:
First Down: Is there any sort of revenge factor on the players' minds after losing to Cocalico last year? Coach: Not at all. We are only playing for this year. Last season is in the past and we have not referred to that game at all. Our focus is on this year's game.
Second Down: How are you planning to slow down (Cocalico RB) Kyle Fisher both on offense and on kick returns? Coach: We will not kick to him at all on special teams and he is usually the pitch man on their option. We will have a defender assigned to him every play.
Third Down: Cocalico is the top rushing team in the league, but you guys were very stout against the run last week. Is the defense confident in their ability to contain the Cocalico's rush? Coach: The kids are excited to put our defense against the top running team. They are taking it as a personal challenge.
Fourth Down: How important is it for your offense to sustain drives and chew up the clock when it has the ball? Coach: That has been our game plan all season and we will keep doing that.
Fifth Down: What the atmosphere like on the practice field and in the locker room this week? Coach: The practices have been upbeat. Every week is approached like a championship game.
I know, I know, it's still too early to look at these power rankings. But we have them, so why not post them, right? Anyway, here are the District 3 Class AAAA power rankings after the first six weeks. The Bears are still in the top 10, but these ranking could change drastically as we start down the homestretch of the season. Remember, the top 16 teams make the playoffs, so we'll just list the top 16 right now. If the season ended today, which it obviously does not, the Bears would get either Central York or Dallastown in the first round of the playoffs. E-town is currently the lowest ranked 5-1 team in the district at this classification, probably because all of their section games are against AAA teams, which really isn't their fault.
Here you go: Class AAAA 1. Bishop McDevitt (6-0) – 123 points. 1. Wilson (6-0) – 123 points. 3. Penn Manor (6-0) – 108 points. 4. York (6-0) – 100 points. 5. Muhlenberg (5-1) – 96 points. 6. Cumberland Valley (5-1) – 95 points. 7. Central York (5-1) – 93 points. 7. Dallastown (5-1) – 93 points. 9. E-town (5-1) – 91 points. 10. Central Dauphin (4-2) – 76 points. 10. Manheim Township (4-2) – 76 points. 12. Governor Mifflin (4-2) – 71 points. 13. Red Land (4-2) – 70 points. 14. Hempfield (4-2) – 68 points. 15. Warwick (4-2) – 66 points. 16. Cedar Cliff (3-3) – 55 points. 16. Red Lion (3-3) – 55 points.
And in case you were curious, here's how E-town's other section opponents stack up in the district rankings. Remember, they are all Class AAA except for the Bears. 4. Cocalico (5-1) – 101 points. 9. Garden Spot (4-2) – 85 points 9. Lebanon (4-2) – 85 points. 9. Manheim Central (4-2) – 85 points. 15. Solanco (3-3) – 55 points. CV and Ephrata are both winless and at the bottom of the rankings.
This week, the 4-1/2-0 Bears host the 4-1/2-0 Garden Spot Spartans. Both teams are tied for first place in Section Two, so this is a big game to say the least. Here's what head coach Jeff Polites had to say about tonight's game.
First Down: Does the fact that you've played a good passing team already (Muhlenberg) help your secondary with slowing down Garden Spot's attack?
Coach: We have had numerous opportunities this season to defend the pass. Our non-league teams really prepared us for many different types of offenses
Second Down: Most of your team leaders are pretty used to playing in big games after last year. Will that help you this Friday night?
Coach: I think that those experiences and the fact that we played in close games already this season will give us an advantage in that area. We know that our kids can respond under pressure.
Third Down: What's the biggest key to disrupting Garden Spot's passing attack?
Coach: Pressure on the QB is always a plus when you play a passing team. We will try to get that pressure with the front four then send LB's if necessary. Our skilled kids in the secondary will be a great help with the pass rush.
Fourth Down: How much will the offensive line and the offense as a whole use last week's performance to build off?
Coach: It is great to have a solid performance to use as an example of what we want every week out of that group. Our line is looking to be consistent for the remainder of the schedule.
Fifth Down: Considering your next three games, how important is it to get a win this week going into Cocalico and Central?
Coach: One week at a time. We will start to look at Cocalico and Manheim when they are our next opponent.
It's still pretty early in the season, but the first District Three and Six football power rankings have been released, so here you go. Remember, E-town is up to Class AAAA this season (they were AAA last year), and are the only Section Two team that is Quad-A.
1. Bishop McDevit – 120 points. 2. Wilson – 114. 3. Muhlenberg – 110. 4. Penn Manor – 108. 5. Dallastown – 104. 6. York – 100. 7. Cumberland Valley – 88. 8. Red Land – 84. t9. Central York – 82. t9. E-town – 82. t9. Hempfield – 82. t12. Central Dauphin – 68. t12. Manheim Township – 68. 14. Cedar Cliff – 66. 15. Governor Mifflin – 64. 16. Warwick – 58.
And just in case you were curious, there are five Section Two teams in the top 16 of Class AAA. Here's how E-town's section rivals sit right now in the power rankings. t4. Garden Spot – 100 t4. Lebanon – 100 t8. Cocalico – 92 12. Manheim Central – 74 t14. Solanco – 44.
(Conrad Heisey had himself a ballgame on Friday night.)
Welcome everyone to Monday Morning quarterback. I couldn't do this on Saturday because the wife and I went out of town for the night to celebrate our third wedding anniversary. We went to Baltimore and, I've got to say, that the Inner Harbor is one of the most beautiful places to spend an evening. Of course I grew up right outside there, but I still love going there.
And Sunday, well, I spent my day watching this:
Yes, my beloved Redskins stomping the Cowboys. Not bad times. Good time.
OK, without further ado, here is some quick analysis on the Bears dominating 39-13 win over Conestoga Valley Friday night. OFFENSE: E-town got off to a little bit of a slow start offensively. Kyle McNeil did hit Steven Nunez on a 31-yard pitch and catch to start the game for the Bears, but they didn't run all over CV in the first half like I thought they would. That said, they did set the tone for a dominating second half by pounding the run and pounding it often, with a few passes mixed in to keep the defense honest.
Conrad Heisey had a heck of a game and the best individual rushing effort for the Bears this season. After getting only 34 yards in the first half, Heisey erupted for 200 in the second half. He had touchdown runs of 43 and 80 yards in the half. In the second half, Heisey had seven total carries, six of which went for at least 14 yards. Wow. His carries in the second half looked like this: 14 yards, 43 yards (TD), 19 yards, 3 yards, 15 yards, 26 yards, 80 yards (TD). That is some serious production right there. He finished with 234 yards on 13 carries with three touchdowns and an 18 yards per carry average. 18! Wow.
Shane Rosenberry had another good game, running for 75 yards on 12 carries. Rosy is such a tough runner. He was literally carrying CV defenders for 6 or 7 yards every time he touched the ball. He's an extremely physical player and he pounds defenders. That kind of wear and tear can tire out a defense, making it a little easier for backs like Heisey and Mitch Weidman to break away for long runs.
Speaking of Weidman, he had 65 yards on 10 carries and two touchdowns. He's a change-of-pace back from Heisey and Weidman and will usually get the ball on a jet sweep to try and get to the outside and outrun everyone, where guys like Rosenberry and Heisey will pound the middle. But it works for E-town. All three are great complements to each other.
Want one major reason why E-town is 3-1? Look no further than the play of these three backs. Here's their season stats so far. •Rosenberry, 54 carries, 357 yards, 6.6 yards per carry average, 5 TD. • Heisey, 48 carries, 445 yards, 9.2 yards per carry average, 6 TD. • Weidman, 34 carries, 230 yards, 6.7 yards per carry average, 3 TD. For those scoring at home, that's 1,032 rushing yards, 14 TDs and a 7.5 yards per carry average for those three through four games. Not too shabby.
E-town only threw one pass in the second half and, considering they led 32-0 at one point, that's all they really needed to throw. In the first half, McNeil went 3-7 for 83 yards with a TD and an interception. He forced a few throws into heavy coverage, but did a good job for the most part. He really didn't need to do much with the running game clicking as well as it did. It's been nice to see the emergence of Josh McMasters the past two weeks. He had a good game against Solanco and made a nice grab for a TD Friday night. McNeil placed the ball perfectly over two defenders in the back of the end zone and McMasters did a great job of controlling the ball and keeping his feet in to make the play.
In all, E-town cranked out 505 total yards – 422 rushing and 83 passing.
DEFENSE: CV had an interesting game plan. After throwing the ball a bunch in their previous games, the Buckskins came out and ran it. Nearly every single play. CV did not throw a pass in the first half, which was interesting. They were content to hand it to tailback Kevin Kelley or sneak it with quarterbacks Alex Dienner and Adam Heiselman throughout. And the E-town defense did a good job of keeping them from getting in the end zone. CV did do a good job of moving the chains, but it simply couldn't get any drives extended. They had 96 yards on the first half, all on runs. In the second half, they passed 6 times, completing three for 61 yards. They ran for 104 yards in the second half and finished with 200 total rushing yards. Again, though, that won't get the job done when you are trailing by 31 points.
Shane Rosenberry and Alex Kirchner were everywhere on defense. I had Rosenberry for 14 tackles and a fumble recovery, and Kirchner for 11 tackles and a sack. David Kennedy was also a monster, recording eight tackles. I thought E-town did a good job containing CV's playmakers like Kelley and not giving up any big plays downfield. CV has a reputation for running some gadget plays, but only did that once Friday night, a 36-yard reverse pass from Julian Morales to Stefan Sensenig.
SPECIAL TEAMS: Shane Long showed off his leg strength, kicking touchbacks on his first three kickoffs of the night – an impressive feat.
E-town failed to convert on three PATs. They fumbled the hold on one extra point, missed a two point conversion and had one blocked. It didn't come back to haunt them here, but it could be something they can't afford the next three weeks with Garden Spot, Cocalico and Central on the schedule.
They also allowed a long return on a kickoff to Kelley, something they seem to do once a game so far. Again, it's nothing to be overly concerned about since they have yet to allow a return for a TD, but it's just something to keep an eye on.
OVERALL: All in all, it was a very impressive night for the Bears. It's a luxury to get some of your second string guys in with more than 8 minutes to play, and the Bears were able to do that.
After getting pushed around a little bit last week in Solanco, the offensive line played very, very well. Holes were everywhere for Heisey and company to run through, and McNeil had a nice pocket to throw from. The blocking downfield was also great. On Heisey's 80-yard TD run, it was a footrace between him and Alex Kirchner for the last 40 yards or so. Kirchner is an offensive lineman. For E-town. Heisey did beat him by a yard or 2 though. All kidding aside, it's that kind of downfield blocking that leads to 500 yards of offense and a blowout win.
We'll see what E-town is made of the next three weeks. This three game stretch will essentially make or break the Bears' season. Let's start by showing you the current Section Two standings: E-town: 4-1 overall, 2-0 section Garden Spot: 4-1 overall, 2-0 section. Manheim Centra: 3-2 overall, 2-0 section. Cocalico: 4-1 overall, 1-1 section. Lebanon: 4-1 overall, 1-1 section. Solanco: 2-3 overall, 0-2 section. CV: 0-5 overall, 0-2 section. Ephrata: 0-5 overall, 0-2 section.
And here is E-town's schedule for the next three weeks. Friday, Oct. 3, vs. Garden Spot. Friday, Oct. 10, vs. Cocalico. Friday, Oct. 17, at Manheim Central.
Garden Spot handed previously unbeaten Lebanon a 35-21 loss this week, and Cocalico's only loss in the section was to Central two weeks ago. The Barons beat Solanco on Saturday afternoon.
How good is Section Two? Well, E-town is the only Class AAAA team in the section. Three teams from Section Two are in the top 10 in the District Three Class AAA rankings and Central is in the top 12. Wow. Garden Spot is No. 5, Lebanon No. 6 and Cocalico No. 8. Central is No. 12.
The Bears, meanwhile, are the No. 10 team in the district in Class AAAA, behind 5-0 teams like Bishop McDevitt, Wilson, Muhlenberg, Penn Manor, Dallastown and York William Penn. So yeah, these next three weeks are important.
Later this week, I'll have a full preview of the E-town/Garden Spot showdown and also be sure to check back for Five Downs with Coach Polites for five keys for the Bears this week.
Because I'm feeling jovial today, here is a slideshow of E-town football's season so far. All photos by Chris Bradley and Bill Hunking. A huge thanks to Bill and Chris for all of your help with these. They do this out of the goodness of their hearts and are truly a blessing to my paper and this blog.
Here is the latest installment of Five Downs with Coach Polites.
This week, the Bears (3-1 overall, 1-0 section) travel to take on Conestoga Valley (0-4, 0-1) on Friday night at 7 p.m.
First Down: How have the players responded with a short week of practice? Do you think it will hurt them tomorrow night?
Coach: We had a great week of practice. The short week should not effect our play.
Second Down: How do you keep the team from not looking past CV? Coach: It is our job to get our kids to play to potential. We have not done that this year, so our goal is to play four solid quarters. We focused more on our improvement than on the record of our opponent.
Third Down: Is this an important game to get the offense's confidence back after facing that tough Solanco D last week?
Coach: Yes, that is our main goal this week. We have to get our offense comfortable again and scoring TDs when we cross the 50 yard line. Fourth Down: Has the offensive line come together a little more this week? Coach: I have seen the most improvement in that group this week. They are a proud group and I can't wait to see their performance.
Fifth Down: What are CV's biggest strengths and how do you plan to counter that?
Coach: They get the ball to their athletes on the open field and beat you one on one. We have to limit the number of times they put us in a bad matchup.
Hungry for some states? I thought you might be. I just went through my stat sheets and added up some numbers through the first three weeks. So here are some E-town individual stats and where they rank among the league leaders:
Passing: Kyle McNeil, 17-27, 364 yards, 6 TD, 4 INT, third-ranked passer in the L-L League. (Top ranked passer, Penn Manor's P.J. Rhem)
Receiving (leader is Tyler Purvis, of Lancaster Catholic, with 15 catches for 304 yards and 3 TDs). Jeremi Jones, 5 catches, 133 yards, 4 TD, 26.6 average. From what I can tell, Jones leads the L-L League in touchdown receptions. Only one of his catches was not a TD, a three-yard completion against Muhlenberg. Steven Nunez, 3 catches, 98 yards, 1 TD, 32.6 average. Mitch Weidman, 5 catches, 88 yards, 17.6 average.
Team Offensive numbers: E-town is averaging 362 yards per game, fourth best in the league. Two of the top three are Section Two teams: 1. Cocalico, 463; 2. Lebanon, 461.7; 3. Hempfield 366.3.
DEFENSE: Top seven tacklers: Shane Rosenberry, 26 Shaun Buller, 18 David Kennedy, 17 Alex Kirchner, 15 Jared Danneker, 13 Brendan Kain, 11
Team Defense: The Bears are giving up an average of 273 yards per game, which puts them at 12th in the L-L League, right around the middle of the pack. They are allowing an average of 19 points per game. Here are the top 5 defenses in the league, in terms of yards allowed per game: 1. Penn Manor, 145.3; 2. Catholic, 155.3; 3. Solanco, 162.3; 4. Wilson, 186; 5. Northern Lebanon, 191.
The Bears roll into Solanco Saturday night for both teams' Section Two opener. Both teams are 2-1 and coming off of wins last week. This is also a matchup of last year's Section Two co-champions. Should be a good one. Here's the latest installment of Five Downs with Coach Polites, for your enjoyment.
First Down: Solanco is playing its first home game of the year in it's newly refurbished stadium. How do you expect to counter their adrenaline of playing at home for the first time?
Coach: We need to score early and control the ball. If we can get to the point where we are playing consistent E-town football, the external items will not matter much.
Second Down: How big of a lift was last week's win heading into section play?
Coach:It was a great lift for us. We had a lot of things to work on from the film and the kids came out with a good purpose this week.
Third Down: What are the pros and cons of playing a Saturday game?
Coach: The good thing is that we get an extra day to prepare for our opponent. The bad thing is that next week is a shortened preparation period for the coaches.
Fourth Down: How do you think your nonleague schedule helped you prepare for battle in Section 2?
Coach: Our non-league schedule was probably one of the toughest in the section. It will pay great dividends for us when we play our league opponents especially in tight games.
Fifth Down: What does the offense need to do to put some points on the board against Solanco's stout defense?
Coach: Play assignment football in reference to our blocking assignments. We must continue to gain positive yards on first down and move the chains with solid offensive line play.
OK, I didn't have room in this week's print edition for my weekly football game preview, so I decided to put it up here. If this is your first time in The Bears Den, I hope you found us OK. Welcome, and take your time to explore. Here's a glimpse at Saturday night's game between E-town and Solanco. Wondering why it's Saturday night? Because this is the week of the Solanco Fair, and the fair ends on Friday night. So rather than have conflicting events (and a ton of traffic), it was scheduled as a Saturday game. Now you know, and knowing is half the battle. GAME DETAILS: Elizabethtown Bears (2-1 overall) at Solanco Golden Mules (2-1 overall), 7 p.m., Saturday, Sept. 20.
WEATHER FORECAST: Clear, low of 51. Chance of rain, 20 percent.
SEASONS AT A GLANCE:
Solanco: The Golden Mules are coming off of two straight wins, both in Monday night games, including their first shutout since 2002. Solanco started the season with a tough 14-13 loss to Penn Manor, but rebounded to beat Kennard-Dale 12-7 in week two and Oxford 25-0 last Monday, rounding out nonleague play at 2-1.
E-town: The Bears are also flying high, coming off a last-minute 28-27 win over Manheim Township. E-town started the year with a dominating 53-7 win over J.P. McCaskey and dropped a 28-27 decision in overtime to Muhlenberg in week two. E-town also got through nonleague play at 2-1.
E-TOWN ON OFFENSE: The Bears are coming off a very physical matchup with Manheim Township, but one in which they found success on the ground and in the air. E-town had 191 rushing yards and 152 passing yards against the Streaks last week. The Bears spread the ball around on the ground to backs Shane Rosenberry, Conrad Heisey and Mitch Weidman, and will likely do more of the same against Solanco.
E-town will use its running game to set the tempo of the game, control the clock and set up quarterback Kyle McNeil and the passing game. McNeil's favorite target is senior Jeremi Jones, who already has four touchdown receptions, and caught the game-winning 76-yard score against Township. The Bears are still a run-dominant offense, but they are a threat to strike with a deep pass at any time, with McNeil's strong arm and Jones and fellow wideout Steven Nunez's speed.
Defense has been Solanco's strength so far this year. The Mules have allowed just 21 points in three games and are big and strong up front. And they're full of confidence after shutting out Oxford last week. Their defensive line is anchored by senior guard Bryan Boulden, but it's the linebackers that spearhead the defensive attack. Solanco returns five of them this year, including outside linebackers Jared Cartwright and Trevor Marsh and inside linebackers Mike Buffington and Sam Johnson.
The secondary is young (Solanco lost all three defensive back starters to graduation last year), but it is starting to come together. The Mules have yet to allow 100 yards passing in a game and McNeil has thrown for more than 100 yards in his last two games – so something has to give there. The Bears will take their shots downfield and test Solanco's secondary, and the weather calls for a clear night, which means the ball will be easier for McNeil to throw.
Players to watch: Jones and Nunez. E-town's two main wide receivers have shown big play ability already this year, and they'll be going up against a stout, but relatively inexperienced Solanco secondary. Rushing yards figure to be hard to come by so the Bears could find some big plays downfield in the air. To do so, Jones and Nunez will need to run good routs and make plays with the ball in their hands, which they both can do very well.
E-TOWN ON DEFENSE:
Solanco spreads the ball around extremely well and has a deep, diverse compliment of running backs. That said, Solanco is still a run-heavy team, so expect E-town to load up to stop the run.
The Mules' best runner is probably B.J. Enck, who had more than 100 yards and three touchdowns against Oxford. But expect John Kirk, Ryan Kutz, Jordan Elvey and Brock Snider to all see carries as well. Because they have so many capable running backs, the E-town defense is going to have to be ready for any one of them to get the ball at any given time. E-town cannot key on any one back for an extended period of time, because the ball could go anywhere.
Also, Solanco gets starting quarterback Ben Miller back, so the passing threat will be there as well.
In order to be successful, E-town will need good pressure from Alex Kirchner, Shaun Buller and the defensive line in order to squeeze the running backs into E-town's aggressive linebacking unit. If the Bears win the battle in the trenches, Solanco's offensive unit will find it tough to put points on the scoreboard. E-town allowed 27 points last week, but the defense played tough late in the game, coming up with a huge stop to give the offense a chance to win.
Player to watch: David Kennedy, LB. Solanco will be trying to come up with ways to keep middle linebacker Shane Rosenberry from hurting them. If they key on Rosenberry, Kennedy will be there to cash in. He is quick and physical and has been a terror for opposing offenses. Watch for Kennedy to be among the team leaders in tackles. Saturday night, he has to follow Rosenberry's lead and read the play at the line and try and anticipate and attack.
E-TOWN ON SPECIAL TEAMS:
The Bears are coming off of a very good special teams effort last week, converting on every extra point attempt and forcing a fumble on the second half kickoff.
If E-town can match what it did last week, the Bears will be fine in the special teams department. Its only Achilles heel in special teams had been converting extra points, and the Bears may have put that problem to bed last week. Kicker Shane Long looked excellent on all four extra point attempts, including his last one, which was moved back 10 yards due to penalties. Long's kickoffs have also looked good and the Bears have been doing a good job on kick coverage.
E-town's return game is also good, with Jones handling the bulk of the punt return duties and Heisey and Weidman deep on kickoffs. All of the Bears' returners are quick and skilled and can turn field position can turn in an instant.
Player to watch: Long. In the last two weeks, E-town has a one-point loss and a one-point win. Think extra points are important? But Long's confidence should be high after a fine performance last week. He'll be kicking in dry weather Saturday night on brand new turf, which should only make him better.
OVERALL:
What a way to start section play – a match up of the reigning Section Two co-champions. Solanco will be extremely fired up, playing its first home game of the year under brand new lights on on top of a new playing surface. E-town must match Solanco's intensity from the opening whistle. If the Bears can get an early lead, it could take the Solanco crowd out of the game and help the Bears take control.
In this game, expect a hard-hitting battle at the line of scrimmage and two teams trying to cram the ball down the other's throat. E-town's offense is more prolific than Solanco's and definitely has more of a passing threat, but the Solanco defense is very stout and physical. They will come up and hit the Bears in the mouth, but E-town has taken on two pretty good teams in Muhlenberg and Manheim Township in the last two weeks, so they are battle-tested.
E-town has played a tougher non-conference schedule, but the Mules have had to deal with two straight games on Monday and are coming off of a shorter practice week than the Bears are. Don't expect too much fatigue this early in the season from a short work week, though.
It appears that the Bears simply have more weapons than Solanco, but the Mules won't take anything lying down and they'll counter everything E-town has with whatever it takes to out-muscle the Bears. This is a key week for both teams, because they will know a lot about where they stand in the gauntlet that is Section Two after it's over.
My apologies, Den Dwellers, for not getting this post up on Saturday as I promised. I planned on doing it, until I stumbled on tickets to the Phillies-Brewers game on Saturday afternoon. I thought I might still have time, but that was before I realized how far away Philly was. Sheesh. So most of my day was driving, and then watching some baseball, and then driving some more. It was a good game though and, I have to admit, a little strange. Being a life-long Orioles fan, it was weird to be at a professional baseball game that actually meant something – since the Orioles haven't had a winning season in 11 years. It was also the first pro baseball game I've ever been to without the Orioles playing. Pretty bizarre. I felt like a Martian at Citizens Bank. And I kept looking out to the stands in right field expecting to see the B&O Warehouse that is at Oriole Park. But a fun day nonetheless. And on Sunday...well, Sunday is NFL day for me and I don't do anything but sit on my recliner and watch the games (thank you DirecTV and the NFL Ticket).
Anyway, back on track here... So here is this week's Saturday Morning Quarterback, two days late. Shame on me. Oh, quick reminder before I forget, the Bears play Solanco this week on Saturday, so this will be Sunday Morning Quarterback next week (guess I'll just have to get up early and post before the NFL starts. Sacrifices, dear readers, sacrifices. I owe you one).
What a game this was. After last week against Muhlenberg, I didn't think there was any way I'd see a more exciting E-town football game this season, but I was wrong. The Bears had another heart-stopper, but this time E-town was able to come out on top. It was everything I thought it would be – a physical, back and forth game between two good teams.
E-town's Offense: Another week, another solid performance for one of the Lancaster-Lebanon League's highest-scoring offenses. The Bears came in to the game with the most points in the league at 80 and now are third in the L-L with 108 (Lebanon is 1st with 122 and Cocalico second with 111). That said, I think E-town's strength of schedule so far is much harder than what Cocalico or Lebanon has faced.
Before we get into specifics, here's some basic numbers for you: E-town had 191 team rushing yards and 152 passing yards, which is 343 total yards of offense. And they scored four touchdowns against a Manheim Township team that had allowed a total of three points in two games coming in.
The running game was strong once again against a stout Blue Streak defense. Township did hit the Bears hard and held E-town to 4 or less yards on 30 of the Bears' carries, but E-town kept coming at them and was able to break several big plays. Shane Rosenberry led E-town with 121 yards on 18 carries with a 6.7 yards-per-carry average and 2 touchdowns (he now has five this season). Rosenberry was exactly the type of runner the Bears needed against Township's physical defense. He bulldozed defenders a couple times and had a few long runs, including one for 32 yards, one for 46 yards and one for 14. Conrad Heisey also had runs of 11 and 14 yards and Mitch Weidman broke one for 42 yards in the first half.
The threat of that big gain helped the passing attack and got E-town into scoring position and kept drives going several times.
The conditions didn't exactly favor the passing game, but both teams found big plays through the air late in the game that decided the outcome. Kyle McNeil was effective, going 5 for 10 in the rain and hit Mitch Weidman on a 47 yard bomb in the first half. Of course, he found Jeremi Jones for 2 TDs, one on a 10 yard inside post and the other on a beautiful 76 yard bomb that turned out to be the game winner. McNeil has all of the tools to be one of the best QBs in the area. He's big and strong, sees the field very well and is calm in the pocket. Oh, and he's got a cannon for a right arm. That helps. He did make a few poor decisions and it cost him two interceptions, but when the game was on the line, he made the plays when he needed to. The throw to Jones to win the game was spectacular. McNeil put it right where he needed to and Jones, who is quickly becoming the Bears' biggest receiving threat with four TDs in three games, somehow found enough footing on a nasty field to make three Township defenders miss on his way to the end zone.
E-town appeared to have the deep ball open several times during the game, but just came up short a few times before the completion to Jones that sent Thompson Field into a frenzy. The Bears are going to be able to churn out 200 yards on the ground every game, that much is a given, but if the passing game continues to develop, defenses are going to have a tough time slowing this E-town attack down.
E-town's Defense: For three quarters, E-town played some of its best defense of the season. Township had 11 yards in the first quarter, but the game was tied at 7-7 after the Streaks returned a fumble 61 yards for a score. Township's only offensive touchdown of the first half came when they got the ball at the 10 after an interception, and it took them four downs to get it in from there. Shaun Buller made a great play to block the extra point, which turned out to be huge in the game.
Going into their first possession of the fourth quarter, Township had managed just 77 yards of total offense. The defensive line and the linebackers were doing an excellent job of reading Township's spread offense and coming up to stop the run. It also seemed that Township slipped and fell a lot more than E-town.
Township got 40 yards on its first play of the fourth, on a halfback option pass, and Dan Wertz took it in from there, carrying the ball four straight times to get into the end zone.
The Streaks ran the exact same option pass on the first play of its next possession, this time resulting in an 82-yard touchdown throw. But other than those two plays, the E-town defense was in control. And they stepped up when it mattered the most.
After the long TD, E-town fumbled (although it appeared Township was offsides on the play, but it wasn't called) and the Streaks got the ball back with a six point lead and 3:55 on the clock. Wertz carried three straight times for nine yards, setting up a fourth-and-1 at the 24. Township elected to give the ball to Nick Sizemore on the fourth down play, and he was stuffed by Dylan Allison short of the first down marker. One play later, McNeil hit Jones for the game winner.
In all, E-town held Township to 244 yards of offense, which is a good day for any defense. They also forced a turnover and got a sack, which was by Alex Kirchner on fourth down to seal the win.
E-town's Special Teams: What a complete difference the special teams were this week. Shane Long looked excellent on extra points, going 4-for-4, and he needed every one of them as the Bears only won by one point. Shoot, that reminds me, I didn't even tell you the score – E-town won 28-27 in case you didn't know.
Long has a great leg and looked to be more comfortable out there, getting to the ball quickly on those PATs and crushing them through the uprights. There was some drama on the last PAT attempt, but Long squashed that quickly. After the Jones TD, the Bears were called for offsides and then for illegal procedure, pushing the kick back to the 13 and making it about a 30-yard extra-point try. But Long crushed it through. It would've been good from at least another 15 yards.
Another big turning point in the game came on the second half kickoff. Rosenberry forced a fumble on the return and it was recovered by Tyler Miller. The Bears took advantage with a 22-yard drive that ended with a touchdown pass from McNeil to Jones and gave E-town a 21-13 lead at the time. The coverage unit was excellent, keeping Township's return game bottled up for the most part.
Josh McMaster punted three times for a 33-yard average, which is pretty good on a rainy night. No bad snaps + no dropped kicks + no blocked PATs + a fumble forced = one good night for the special teams.
Did E-town make mistakes? Sure. They turned the ball over three times and that really kept Township in the game for the most part. But those kinds of things are going to happen in high school football. What matters at the end of the day is that E-town is 2-1 heading into section play after facing three Class AAAA teams to start the year.
Now comes the teeth of the football season. Section Two is loaded with good teams and it's going to be a fun battle to watch for the next seven weeks.
Here are the section standings heading into section play next week, plus next week's slate of Section Two games. Cocalico.....3-0 Lebanon......3-0 E-town.......2-1 Garden Spot..2-1 Solanco......1-1 (Their game Friday at Oxford was moved to tonight). Central......1-2 Ephrata......0-3 CV...........0-3
Games: The Bears play Saturday night, so you could check out some other Section Two action on Friday night. Tonight, Solanco at Oxford, 6 p.m. Friday, Ephrata at Lebanon, 7 p.m. Friday, Garden Spot at CV, 7 p.m. Friday, Central at Cocalico, 7 p.m. (this one should be a dandy). Saturday, E-town at Solanco, 7 p.m. (match up of the two reigning section co-champions).
The Bears play hosts to Manheim Township tomorrow night at 7 p.m. at Thompson Field. I caught up with E-town head coach Jeff Polites today to get his take on the game. Here is the second installment of Five Downs with Coach Polites. Enjoy.
First Down: In practice this week, how has the team responded after last week's loss? Coach: The response was fantastic. We realized how close we were to beating a good team and took great pride in making our game better in all areas.
Second Down: What kind of game do you expect against Township? Coach: I expect a tough, hard-hitting game. Our kids play very physical defense and (Township) has not given up a touchdown this season. It could be another exciting night at home.
Third Down: What's the defensive game plan against Township and its "Razorback" offense? Coach: We have faced the same offense against McCaskey and Muhlenberg, they just did not have a specific name for it. Our kids are well prepared for their offensive sets and plays.
Fourth Down: On offense, how do you deal with their missile of a linbacker, Nick Sizemore? Coach: He is their main defender. He makes plays all over the field and is very physical. We need to make sure he is accounted for in all our blocking schemes.
Fifth Down: How important is it to win this game and get some confidence heading into section play? Coach: This is the third of our rescheduling tough non-league games. We want to head into league play at 2-1. It is very important for us to clean up our mistakes from the first two games so we can focus on the little things next week.
Here are some scores from around the section in Week 2:
Lancaster Catholic 44 - Ephrata 7 Cocalico 35 - Exeter 21 Wilson 20 - Manheim Central 15 Lebanon 38 - Spring Grove 32 Warwick 35 - CV 0 Hempfield 28 - Garden Spot 14 Muhlenberg 28 - E-town 27
Section Two standings after 2 weeks: Lebanon.........2-0 Cocalico........2-0 Garden Spot.....1-1 Manheim Central.1-1 E-town..........1-1 Solanco.........0-1 CV..............0-2 Ephrata.........0-2
Notes: • E-town has scored 80 points in the first two weeks, more than any other team in the entire L-L League. Lebanon is second with 77. • Manheim Township (who plays E-town Friday) has allowed the fewest number of points (3) in the L-L League this year.
I'm catching up on stuff for this week's print edition, but wanted to check in quickly and introduce a new segment to the blog – Saturday morning quarterback. Every Saturday, I'll check in and give my thoughts on every aspect of the EAHS football game from the night before. I was a little lazy this week and didn't post immediately followed E-town's thriller against Muhlenberg, but the SMQ will give me a chance to digest the game and break it down.
Here's a little info. on last Friday's game. This thing will be more expansive in the coming weeks. Like I said earlier, I'm swamped with the print edition today, so here's an abbreviated version of it:
Overall: This was one of the most entertaining high school football games I've covered in my time here. Perhaps the only one that was more dramatic was when Garden Spot beat the Bears on a Hail Mary at the end of the game on Homecoming two years ago.
Both teams played well, but both teams made their share of mistakes too. Muhlenberg got beat deep a couple of times against E-town's passing game, and the Bears had some problems slowing down Muhlenberg's quick passing game and stopping the run.
This one was a knock-down, drag out battle. And you have to give Muhlenberg credit for coming back after trailing 13-0 in the first quarter. The Muhls stuck to their game plan and the defense dug in and held E-town scoreless for the second and third quarters, which is no easy task. The Bears had a bit of trouble running the ball by their standards. They finished with 200 yards on the ground as a team, but with only a 4.5 yards per carry average, and had three runs of more than 10 yards. But there were quite a few times that the Bears' runners were stopped for no gain or even lost yardage on key third and fourth downs that kept them from sustaining drives.
E-town's offense: We already pretty much went over the running game. It was a steady diet of Shane Rosenberry, Conrad Heisey and Mitch Weidman, with each getting a 20-plus yard run and all getting at least 60 yards. Weidman scored E-town's only rushing touchdown on a nice 29-yard run in the fourth quarter on a third down. He's got game-breaker skills.
The offensive line had its hands full all night with Muhlenberg's huge defensive front. The Muhls were blowing E-town off the line for the most part, and held E-town's three feature backs to 10 runs of 1 yard or less, including three runs for negative yardage. They also got to QB Kyle McNeil quite a bit, sacking him four times.
Speaking of McNeil, the passing game looked very good. McNeil was 9-for-12 for 158 yards with three TDs and one interception. He hit Steven Nunez on a 57-yard TD strike on E-town's first possession and had several other balls that were perfectly thrown, including a huge two-point conversion to Jeremi Jones that made it 21-14 E-town in the fourth quarter. If teams aren't careful with E-town and just decide to load up to stop the run, the Bears will burn them deep with the passing game. McNeil has show fantastic touch and arm strength so far, and Jones and Nunez can go get the ball with the best of them. If McNeil keeps burning defenses, that'll open up the run game later.
E-town's defense: It seemed like E-town had trouble with Muhlenberg's quick passes and running game pretty much all night long. The Bears did get pressure on QB Nate Daniels to make up for it though, as Alex Kirchner and Shaun Buller each had two sacks, and Rosenberry had one sack. But Daniels and the Muhls just looked like a good football team. They have a lot of weapons, and they know how to use them. They're going to be a tough team out there in Berks County. Daniels and company also showed that they don't get flustered, despite trailing by two touchdowns in the first quarter on the road. All in all, E-town did a decent job, but got confused a few times and gave up some big plays to the Muhls. Again though, it seemed like Muhlenberg's running backs were getting 8-12 yards a lot of times, which is something you usually just don't see from an Elizabethtown defense.
Muhlenberg also converted on a bunch of third downs, going 6-for-11 on third down plays, which is better than 50 percent.
However, despite what could be considered an "off" night by the E-town defense, they still were in the game throughout and had a chance to win.
E-town's special teams: Here's the bottom line for the Bears' special teams. They have to find a way to convert their PATs. Period. End of sentence. E-town has scored 12 touchdowns in the first two games.
• Of the 12 TDs, they have successfully made four PAT attempts. • 2 of the 12 attempts have been blocked (one in each game). • 2 more were nearly blocked and were subsequently missed. • The Bears have gone for two-point conversions four times, and are 2-for-4 on those.
Missed kicks happen, and there's not much you can do about that. However, blocked PATs shouldn't happen very often, and it's happened to E-town two straight weeks now, forcing them to attempt two-point conversions. They've got to block better on those PAT attempts, or it is going to come back to haunt them again.
That said, I think head coach Jeff Polites' decision to go for two in overtime was absolutely the right call. It's not a knock on the kicking game, but the bottom line is that he had to go with what he felt was his team's best chance to succeed in that moment, and he felt that a conversion attempt had a higher chance of success than a PAT.
OK, that's all for now, but I'll check in later with a look at the E-town vs. Manheim Township game, and plus some news and notes on EAHS field hockey, boys soccer, the Wall of Honor and the upcoming Pep Rally Bonfire....
I wanted to try something new here at The Bears Den this football season, and E-town head coach Jeff Polites has been kind enough to help me out. Before every E-town football game this season, we'll run something called Five Downs with Coach Polites. I'll send Jeff five quick questions about that week's game, and I'll post it every Thursday. Many thanks to Jeff for making this thing happen. Hopefully it'll give you some more insight on the game.
Up first is this week's matchup with Muhlenberg, this Friday at 7 p.m. at Thompson Field. Enjoy.
First down: How do you plan to slow down Muhlenberg's passing attack?
Coach: We plan on changing coverages often to confuse their offense. We will move and adjust so we have good matchups with their best players, as well as limiting their time to throw with linebacker pressure.
Second down: Was it a help for your team to attend camp with them? (E-town attended its summer team camp at LVC with the Muhls.)
Coach: It was helpful for both teams since it is the first time we will play. There is not an advantage to one team or the other.
Third down: What was the practice atmosphere like this week?
Coach: It has been an excellent week of practice so far. We had an extra day to prepare with the whole team since the JVs played on Saturday. The players are excited for this challenge.
Fourth down: How will playing at home for the first time help the team this week?
Coach: We like to think of our home field a special place to play. We seem to play better at home, so it will definitely be to our advantage for the first time playing Muhlenberg
Fifth down: What do you think is the biggest key to victory?
Coach: We must eliminate their big plays and make them drive the ball. On offense, we need to be mistake free and control the ball with sustained drives and score while limiting their opportunities on offense.
Here are the week one finals from around the area....
E-town 53 - McCaskey 7
Manheim Township 53 - Ephrata 0
Wilson 35 - Governor Mifflin 14
Penn Manor 14 - Solanco 13
Cocalico 35 - Lampeter-Strasburg 21
Trinity 20 - Lancaster Catholic 0
Garden Spot 17 - Warwick 14
Manheim Central 32 - Susquehannock 10
Hempfield 41 - Conestoga Valley 13
Eastern York 20 - Columbia 14
Daniel Boone 40 - Donegal 0
Elco 21 - Hamburg 20
Annville-Cleona 27 - Palmyra 15
York 49 - Readin 13
Northern Lebanon 27 - Pine Grove 0
Lebanon 39 - Cedar Crest 7
Upper Dauphin 41 - Pequea Valley 20
And your Section Two standings after Week One: E-town..............................1-0 Cocalico............................1-0 Manheim Central...............1-0 Lebanon............................1-0 Garden Spot......................1-0 Solanco.............................0-1 Ephrata.............................0-1 Conestoga Valley..............0-1
Well. That settles that. Just got back from Lancaster, where E-town laid a whoopin' on the Red Tornado of J.P. McCaskey, 53-7. This one got ugly quick and was pretty much over by halftime. A few notes from the game.
E-town's defense was ferocious. The Bears hit the Tornado in the mouth and by the second half, it looked like McCaskey didn't want any more punishment. The D was led by linebacker Shane Rosenberry, who had six tackles, a forced fumble, a fumble recover and a pass deflection. In all, E-town forced six turnovers (five fumbles, one interception), and scored a touchdown, a 28 yard fumble recovery by David Kennedy. The Bears laid some serious wood tonight, which is a good sign for them in the first game of the year.
On offense, E-town did what E-town does – run the ball down the opponent's throat. They were led by the two-headed attack of Rosenberry and Conrad Heisey. Rosenberry had 84 yards and three TD's (all in the first half), averaging 7.6 yards per carry. Heisey had a great game too, running for a team-high 94 yards and three TD's, averaging 10.4 yards per carry. The offensive line did a good job tonight in their first real action. Only Alex Kirchner is a returning starter on that line (since Evan Good is out for the year with a knee injury), and the Bears rotated a lot of kids through on the line all game long, and they opened holes all night long. Mitch Weidman added 53 yards on the ground as E-town racked up 248 rushing yards as a team.
Rosenberry had a good 35 yard TD run to open the scoring, bulldozing a few tacklers on his way to paydirt. And Heisey's third TD run was electric. He broke at least 3 or 4 tackles downfield, spun away from a defender and had a 39 yard TD run.
The passing game was sharp, although used little. QB Kyle McNeil was 3 for 5 for 54 yards, a TD (to Jeremi Jones) and a pick. Steven Nunez made a fantastic one-handed diving catch for 27 yards on the first play of the game.
If there was any doubt that E-town's defense, which lost nine starters from last year, can hit hard and hang with a fast Quad-A team, the Bears began to erase it tonight. But it is a long season, and it was only one game. But it was a dominant effort from the blue and white tonight. After allowing a long touchdown on McCaskey's first possession to tie the game, the Bears didn't allow any more points, forced six turnovers and scored a touchdown. That's making the necessary adjustments, folks.
The most positive sign for the Bears was that so many players made plays tonight. Their two feature backs went for 178 yards and six TDs, and more than 17 (17!) players made a tackle on defense or special teams. That's a total team effort.
Spirits will be high heading into next week's home opener against Muhlenberg, which will provide a good test for the Bears. But so far, so good for E-town.
Countdown to football: Jeff Polites talks about the season
Lancaster Newspapers has launched a brand new Web site today, and let me tell you, kudos to them, because it is very well done. It's all about Lancaster-Lebanon League sports and is very thorough. Check it out at www.lancsports.com, although don't stop visiting your friendly neighborhood blogger here at The Bears Den.
They have some video previews of L-L football teams up there, and here is E-town head coach Jeff Polites talking about this year's team.
Well, here we go sports fans. High school football starts tomorrow night. Finally. So let's get cranking with the first game preview of the season. Ah...welcome back football. The Den missed you.
There are plenty of questions around the L-L League that will begin to be answered tomorrow night. But the only one people in Elizabethtown probably care about is simple – can the Bears repeat what they did last year? Hey, don't look at me, I don't have that answer. I can only tell you that the Bears will sure as heck give it all they have to win 10 games and get back to the district playoffs again.
E-town's schedule looks a tiny bit different this year, since the Bears jumped from Class AAA to Class AAAA in the offseason. So their first three games will be against J.P. McCaskey, Muhlenberg and Manheim Township. The Bears played the Streaks last year, and beat them 20-10 – Townships only regular season loss of the year. But E-town hasn't played McCaskey since '91, when they tied them 0-0. So there isn't a lot of familiarity between the two – especially not as much as when the Bears always opened with Middletown and Lower Dauphin. Then the Bears knew what to expect. This year, all they have is film to go on. Let's take a quick look at both teams.
McCaskey: Went 3-7 overall and 3-4 in Section One last year...run the spread option on offense and the 4-3 on defense... Offense: If there is one thing the Tornado always has, it's speed, especially at wide receiver. Brandon Williams and Leequan LaRue are both big and fast. LaRue is listed at 6 feet, but is only 150 pounds. Williams is 6-3, 200 pounds and will be McCaskey's biggest threat downfield. He's tough to stop.
But who is going to throw to them? That's the question. Last season's starter, Adrian Westbrook, returns this year, but had a slight knee injury in the preseason and will split time with junior Nate Shaeffer. Not every system is built for two QBs, so it'll be interesting to see if McCaskey can keep moving without skipping a beat when Shaeffer is brought in.
McCaskey lost their best running back, Jerome LaRue, to graduation and will look to Tyler Schmalhofer and Dajuan Simms to pick up the slack there. Neither are listed as very big, but have plenty of speed. McCaskey only averaged 233 yards of offense per game last year (near the bottom of the league), so they'll have their hands full with a potent E-town defense.
Defense: McCaskey lost three linebackers to graduation and had the 12th best defense in the league last year. The Tornado are very young along both the offensive and defensive lines. Their line will be relied on the keep E-town's running game from chewing up the clock.
E-town: By now, you know what they did last year. 10-2, section co-champs, won a district game, started 9-0, etc. etc. etc. Offense: It all starts with the line for E-town. This year's group is bigger than last year, but time will tell if they are as fast or as tough. Losing starting tackle Evan Good for the season hurts, but as head coach Jeff Polites says, "That's why you coach all the kids, not just the starters." Someone will have to step in there to open up holes for the backs and keep quarterback Kyle McNeil off of his back.
The running game will dictate the game, especially with McCaskey's weakness on the defensive line and their inexperience at linebacker. The Tornado will get a steady diet of Conrad Heisey, bruiser Shane Rosenberry, and newcomer Mitch Weidman (who could have himself quite a season. Just a hunch). If the Bears get that running game going early and are controlling the ball for 5 or 6 minutes (that's clock minutes, not real-time minutes) at a time, they'll be tough to beat.
This is also a good test for McNeil. McCaskey has quickness in the secondary, so McNeil will have to get his chemistry right with his new receivers (watch out for Mount Calvary transfer Jeremi Jones) to keep the Tornado from loading up in the box to stop the run. The Bears will throw the ball quite a bit.
Defense: The biggest way that McCaskey can beat E-town is by airing the ball out to Williams. So what's the best way to stop that from happening? Get to the quarterback. That's where Alex Kirchner and the defensive line come in. Kirchner is ridiculously fast and if he's matched up against an inexperienced lineman, he'll have a field day. The Bears fly from sideline to sideline extremely well and should be able to limit McCaskey's speed, unless the Tornado find a hole and run straight down the field. If they try to zig zag, Shane Rosenberry will eat them for dinner.
My take: I think this will be a great game, and the first of three very difficult early season tests for the Bears. Muhlenberg and Township loom after this week (and you just know Township wants revenge), so it'll be important for the Bears to start with a win. I really think that E-town has enough to get back to the postseason this year. Sure, they might not put up the same gaudy offensive numbers that they did last year, but a win is a win – whether its 14-7 or, say, 56-14.
McCaskey coach Scott Feldman is working hard to change the attitude on his team. They unraveled last year and finished with only 20 players or so on the roster. If E-town gets out to an early lead, we'll see if last year's bickering and fighting on the Tornado sideline returns. If it does, they are cooked. But if they keep their heads and battle, this one will be a battle. I think Feldman has taken the right steps to get McCaskey's attitude back to where it was a few years ago.
FINAL PREDICTION: E-town 35 - McCaskey 14. It comes down to line play. McCaskey is depleted at d-line and LB, which is going to make it tough to stop E-town's Wing-T.
(E-town will be led by senior captains, from left, Shane Rosenberry, Kyle McNeil and Alex Kirchner.)
Head Coach: Jeff Polites, 11th season.
2007 Record: 10-2 overall, 6-1 Section Two. Section Two co-champions. Beat Shippensburg 35-7 in District Three Class AAA quarterfinals. Lost to Lampeter-Strasburg 21-0 in District Three Class AAA semifinals.
Key Returners: Shane Rosenberry, senior, FB/LB (209 rushing yards, six touchdowns; 156 tackles, four sacks, two fumble recoveries in 2007); Conrad Heisey, senior, HB/LB (794 rushing yards, five touchdowns; six tackles in 2007); Alex Kirchner, senior, G/DE (88 tackles, two sacks, three fumble recoveries in 2007); Kyle McNeil, senior, QB (538 passing yards, eight touchdowns in 2007).
These four players were all very productive for the Bears during their 2007 playoff season, and Polites expects that to continue and also for them to step up as seniors and be the leaders of the team.
“They are providing great leadership for this team. We expect them to be the players who provide most of our production,” he said.
Rosenberry was a force at linebacker last season, leading the team with 156 tackles in just 12 games, an average of 13 tackles per game. He was a second team all-section linebacker last year. He will be the quarterback of the defense from middle linebacker and is a game-changer on defense. On offense, Rosenberry carried the ball only 47 times last year, but still had six rushing touchdowns, third most on the team. He will likely see more carries this year, with the departure of running backs Andrew Weller and Jordan Hallman. He is a bruising running back and E-town will likely feed him the ball when it needs to pick up some tough yards.
Heisey led the team in carries last season and will likely be the feature running back again this year. He was an honorable mention all-section running back as a junior and will be handling the bulk of the carries for the Bears. Also, look for Heisey to have a more prominent role on defense this season, unless the Bears decide to use him sparingly at linebacker to keep him fresh on offense.
Kirchner will be the anchor of both the offensive and defensive lines. For a lineman, Kirchner is extremely quick off the snap and will be the key to protecting quarterback Kyle McNeil and opening holes for Heisey, Rosenberry and company. On defense, he had the most tackles of any lineman last year and will likely repeat that feat. He’ll be in the backfield plenty of times to blow up running plays or disrupt the quarterback’s timing. He also has a nose for the football and led the squad in fumble recoveries last year. Kirchner was a first team all-section defensive lineman and honorable mention at guard last year.
After splitting time with Preston Faith at quarterback last year, McNeil steps in for his first full-season as a starter. He completed nearly 58 percent of his passes last year, and has very good arm strength. McNeil said that, because of the amount of playing time he received last year, he is very comfortable in the offense this season. The Bears will grind the clock on the ground quite a bit, but when a passing play is called, McNeil can air it out and hurt defenses.
Many of these players saw some time at the varsity level last year, but will be relied on to step into full-time roles this season.
On the offensive and defensive lines, the Bears welcome in Kehler, Buller and Eppley, who are all more than 200 pounds. Kehler will pair with Kirchner at the other guard spot on the offensive line and will also play a lot of defensive end. Eppley steps in at center and Buller will be the team’s best tackle with the loss of Evan Good, who suffered and injury in preseason and is likely out for the year. Their line play will be key for the Bears, who love running the football.
Weidman is a speedy junior who should see a lot of carries on offense, and will likely be used for several purposes, similar to the way Hallman was featured in the offense last season. He will also be stepping in at free safety on defense.
McMaster, Nunez and Jones, who is a transfer from Mount Calvary Christian School, will be the team’s top pass catchers. McMaster and Nunez each saw time in the offense last season and are capable of giving McNeil good targets to hit. Jones has a lot of speed and will burn defenses deep if they aren’t careful with him. All in all, it’s an athletic group of receivers. Myers gives the team a tough tight end and will be in on a lot of tackles at linebacker.
Danneker and Kennedy each saw limited carries last season, but will be needed to give the team more weapons on offense this season. They also will both be used at linebacker on defense.
Polites said that because a lot of this group was able to get on the field for the Bears last year, their transition to impact players should be quick.
“This groups provides us with quality that we are excited to see step in and perform immediately,” he said.
Key Losses: Nate Koach, WR/DB (44 catches, 705 yards, eight touchdowns; 61 tackles, four interceptions, two fumble recoveries in 2007); Andrew Weller, HB/LB (710 rushing yards, seven rushing touchdowns, three receiving touchdowns; 70 tackles, one interception in 2007); Sean McMullen, C/LB (155 tackles, nine sacks in 2007); Oliver Thayer, OLB (50 tackles, two interceptions, one fumble recovery in 2007); Preston Faith, QB/DB (787 passing yards, eight touchdowns; 48 tackles in 2007); Jordan Hallman, HB/DB (1,192 rushing yards, 14 rushing touchdowns, 326 receiving yards, five receiving touchdowns; 23 tackles, one interception in 2007); Evan Good, senior, T/T, injury.
When you think of the great season E-town had in 2007, these six graduating players will likely be the first six to pop into your mind. Each had fantastic production on both sides of the ball and would be difficult for any team to replace.
Koach was the team’s top receiver, accounting for 51 percent of the team’s receiving yards. He also led them in interceptions and was a first team all-section receiver and second team defensive back.
Weller was the team’s third-leading rusher and among its leaders in tackles. He was a first team all-section linebacker and honorable mention running back.
McMullen was second on the team in tackles and led them in sacks, and also anchored the offensive line. He was first team all-section at both center and linebacker.
Thayer was a starting linebacker who was very tough, recording 50 tackles and grabbing two picks.
Faith was the Bears’ starting quarterback for the past three seasons and was honorable mention all-section at quarterback last year. He was also a starting defensive back.
Hallman was E-town’s most explosive offensive weapon last year, crossing the 1,000 yard mark rushing and was the team’s second-leading receiver. He was also an outstanding defensive back and was an all-section running back, punter, kick returner and defensive back).
While these players left their mark on the program with their statistics, Polites said this year’s group will carry on their example of hard work and preparation.
“The 2007 seniors were great leaders and set a wonderful example of how to prepare for a long season,” he said.
Good was slated to be E-town’s starting tackle on both the offensive and defensive lines before suffering an injury in the preseason that will likely force him to miss his senior season. Before his injury, Good was, along with Kirchner, one of the anchors of both lines. His injury will force a younger, more inexperienced lineman to step in and fill his shoes.
Strengths: Leadership, running game, athleticism.
The Bears certainly don’t want to forget about what they accomplished last year, but the seniors – namely Rosenberry, McNeil, Kirchner and Heisey – are anxious to continue what last year’s team started. And they are doing that by firing up the team during practice, working hard and maintaining a high level of intensity.
E-town’s strength on offense, as it often is, will be the running game. Heisey and Rosenberry will lead that charge. Both are experienced runners who know how and when to hit holes and get downfield as quickly as possible.
E-town may have lost a lot of starters to graduation, especially on defense, but the players that the Bears will plug in are athletic and strong, which will go a long way for them.
Weakness: Depth.
Depth could become an issue for E-town early in the season. With the large amount of seniors it lost, younger players need to get up to varsity speed quickly for the Bears to come roaring out of the gate. This problem shouldn’t persist for long, as the coaching staff will work out the depth chart quickly. But for the first game or two, E-town’s reserve players need to be ready to play whenever their number is called.
On defense, the Bears will be playing a lot of players who, while many of them saw the field last year, didn’t see it as extensively as the starters did. But the coaching staff is convinced that those players have the talent to play – and play well – at the varsity level.
Outlook: The Bears come into the season with the target of defending section champions (along with Solanco) on their backs, which means every team they play is going to leave it all on the field to try and knock E-town off.
On paper, it appears that the Bears will be weaker on defense, since only Rosenberry and Kirchner are returning starters from that stout 2007 unit. But at the recent Lancaster-Lebanon League football media day, Polites said he doesn’t get caught up in those kinds of numbers. He said they have plenty of capable players who could have started if they were seniors (E-town gives starting nods to seniors usually when there is a competition at a position with an underclassman). But the Bears have two major reasons to believe that they have what it takes to repeat last season’s stellar defensive performance, in which the Bears had the best defense in the section and the fourth-best in the L-L League – Rosenberry and Kirchner.
Both will be inflict a ton of damage to opposing quarterbacks and ball carriers and will spearhead a hard-nosed defensive attack. The Bears fly sideline-to-sideline very well on defense and, despite the nine new starters, will be able to limit scoring and create turnovers.
On offense, the running game is pretty much intact – led by workhorse Heisey. It will be interesting to see how the offensive line can jell early in the season, especially with the loss of Good leaving Kirchner as the only returning starter on the line. The line is certainly bigger than last year’s group, but time will tell if they can match the moxie and toughness that the Bears’ line displayed in 2007.
McNeil looks poised to have a big season. He has the size and arm strength to be an excellent quarterback in E-town’s Wing-T offense, but he too will need some time to get chemistry with his new receivers. He’ll face a McCaskey team in the team’s opener that finished in the middle of the road in the league in team defense last year, but the Tornado has a lot of speed. McNeil’s comfort level and decision making in the Bears’ first two or three games will set the tone for the season.
E-town had the second-ranked offense in the L-L League last year and, although they lost some very good skill players, still return a solid nucleus with a firm grasp on Polites’ Wing-T system that will put up its share of points.
The Bears have moved to Class AAAA this year, meaning they will play J.P. McCaskey, Muhlenberg and Manheim Township in their three nonleague games to start the season, but then it is right back to the grind that is Section Two.
E-town’s section is loaded with good teams, and it’ll be a battle every Friday for the Bears to repeat as section champions. Cocalico is filled with speed and handed the Bears their only regular season loss a year ago. Manheim Central looks like they will be back to playing their usual style of Baron football. Solanco, Ephrata, Garden Spot, Conestoga Valley and Lebanon are also all fairly strong and present different challenges and strengths that E-town will need to counter.
At the end of the day, though, E-town has been to the top of the Section Two mountain and knows what it needs to do to get back there. They have a solid group of playmakers almost everywhere you look and will be in the section title and district playoff races when late-October rolls around.
On Saturday, I got up early (yes, 9 a.m. on a Saturday is early for me) and headed over to Thompson Field for E-town's first scrimmage of the year against Cedar Crest.
There really isn't a whole lot to report on. I mean, it was only the first scrimmage, but it was nice to be back at Thompson and see some people hitting each other again. Football, welcome back, old friend. The Den missed you. The teams started things out with running 10 plays each on offense, and then rotating through second string and JV teams to get everyone 10 plays.
On the projected first team varsity offense's possession, the running game looked solid, but I could still see some rust in the passing game. Nothing major, just typical preseason stuff you'll see at any level of the game. Give them a few weeks to get some chemistry and there is definite potential there. QB Kyle McNeil looked like he saw the field well. Again, though, E-town's running game (notably Conrad Heisey, Shane Rosenberry and Mitch Weidman) looked good, hitting holes quickly. And if the running game looks good, that means the O-line is playing well. You can see the size difference from last year's line.
Defensively, the first team looked fast and aggressive, similar to last year. They go sideline-to-sideline well and forced an eventual interception by Steven Nunez on Cedar Crest's first possession.
Zach Myers broke a touchdown run from more than 60 yards in the varsity offense's second possession.
After the JV got some work in, they sent the first teams back out again for two 12-minute running quarters, with first downs and all – more like a real game than the first 10 plays.
E-town punted on it's first possession, but Shane Rosenberry had one of the biggest hits of the day on third down. McNeil rolled out to his left to throw and Rosenberry (who plays FB) stayed in on protection. A Cedar Crest lineman broke free and had McNeil sized up, but Rosenberry came from nowhere to lay him out, garnering some "oooohhs" from the crowd.
When Cedar Crest had the ball, Alex Kirchner became a menace. The Falcons had good starting field position at the 20, but Kirchner lived in the backfield, and came up with a third down sack to stop them.
On the first play for the Bears in their second possession, the Bears ran an inside reverse to Weidman, who broke a long 80 yard TD run. I have a feeling that Weidman will be used mainly the way the Bears used Jordan Hallman last year. Weidman is a little bigger than Hallman and maybe not quite as fast (yet, but he's only a junior), but he has tons of upside.
That's about all I had time to stick around for, but it felt nice to be back around some football again. Hey, only 11 days until the first regular season game. It'll be here in no time.
After a long summer of virtually no posts here at the Bears Den, today we officially kick off the fall sports season.
As I type this, E-town athletes are on the practice fields sweating through two-a-days in hopes of coming away with some hardware this fall. And as they do that, I figured I'd post the schedules of each EAHS varsity. Remember to start visiting here more often, because the posting will be more frequent with sports getting underway. I've included scrimmages on these schedules in case you want to get out and see some preseason action. I'll be at the football scrimmage on Saturday morning and will post something here (not in the print edition of the paper) on that game.
OK, here they are...and welcome back fall. Good to have you.
FOOTBALL All home games played at Thompson Field Preseason: Saturday, Aug. 16, vs. Cedar Crest (scrimmage), 9 a.m. Friday, Aug. 22, at East Pennsboro Area (scrimmage), 6 p.m. Regular season (section games in bold): Friday, Aug. 29, at J.P. McCaskey, 7 p.m. Friday, Sept. 5, vs. Muhlenberg, 7 p.m. Friday, Sept. 12, vs. Manheim Township (Hall of Fame induction), 7 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 20, at Solanco, 7 p.m. Friday, Sept. 26, at Conestoga Valley, 7 p.m. Friday, Oct. 3, vs. Garden Spot, 7 p.m. Friday, Oct. 10, vs. Cocalico (Homecoming), 7 p.m. Friday, Oct. 17, at Manheim Central, 7 p.m. Friday, Oct. 24, at Ephrata, 7 p.m. Friday, Oct. 31, vs. Lebanon (Senior/Parent Night), 7 p.m. The Bears have something special planned for each home game, but I'll save that for another blog entry.
FIELD HOCKEY All home games played at Jane Hoover Field Preseason: Saturday, Aug. 16, Scrimmage Play Day, 8:30 a.m. Wednesday, Aug. 20, at Donegal (scrimmage), 4 p.m. Regular season: Friday, Aug. 29, at Exeter Township, noon. Saturday, Aug. 30, vs. Central Dauphin, 10 a.m. Thursday, Sept. 4, vs. Cedar Crest, 4:15 p.m. Friday, Sept. 5, vs. Tulpehocken, 4 p.m. Monday, Sept. 8, vs. Warwick, 4:15 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 10, vs. Manheim Township, 4:15 p.m. Friday, Sept. 12, at Penn Manor, 4:15 p.m. Monday, Sept. 15, vs. Hempfield, 4:15 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 17, at J.P. McCaskey, 4:15 p.m. Friday, Sept. 19, vs. Conestoga Valley, 4:15 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 23, at Cedar Crest, 6 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 25, at Warwick, 4:15 p.m. Monday, Sept. 29, at Manheim Township, 4:15 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 1, vs. Penn Manor, 4 p.m. Friday, Oct. 3, at Hempfield, 4 p.m. Monday, Oct. 6, vs. J.P. McCaskey (Senior/Parent Night), 4 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 8, at Conestoga Valley, 4 p.m. Notable dates: Saturday, Oct. 11, League playoffs begin. Thursday, Oct. 16, L-L Championship game. Friday, Oct. 17, District playoffs begin. Saturday, Nov. 1, District Championship game.
BOYS SOCCER Home games played at Field No. 4 (behind East High Elementary) and at Thompson Field. Preseason: Monday, Aug. 18, at Hershey (scrimmage), 3:45 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 26, vs. Lower Dauphin (scrimmage), 4:15 p.m., field 4. Regular Season: Tuesday, Sept. 2, at Garden Spot, 7 p.m. Friday, Sept. 5, vs. Ephrata, 4 p.m., field 4. Monday, Sept. 8, vs. Warwick, 7 p.m., Thompson Field. Wednesday, Sept. 10, at Cedar Crest, 7:30 p.m. Friday, Sept. 12, vs. Manheim Township, 4 p.m. field 4. Tuesday, Sept. 16, at Solanco, 4 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 18, vs. Lebanon, 7 p.m., Thompson Field. Saturday, Sept. 20, at Conestoga Valley, 10 a.m. Tuesday, Sept. 23, at Penn Manor, 7 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 25, vs. Hempfield, 7 p.m., Thompson Field. Monday, Sept. 29, at J.P. McCaskey, 4 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 1, vs. Garden Spot, 4 p.m., field 4. Saturday, Oct. 4, at Ephrata, 7 p.m. Monday, Oct. 6, vs. Solanco, 4 p.m., field 4 Wednesday, Oct. 8, at Lebanon, 4 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 11, vs. Conestoga Valley (Senior/Parent Night), 2:30 p.m., at Elizabethtown College. Notable Dates: Tuesday, Oct. 14, League playoffs begin. Saturday, Oct. 18, L-L Championship game. Monday, Oct. 20, District playoffs begin. Saturday, Nov. 1, District Championship game.
GIRLS VOLLEYBALL All home matches at Daubert Gymnasium Preseason: Tuesday, Aug. 19, at Elco (scrimmage), 5 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 26, vs. Lower Dauphin (scrimmage), 4 p.m. Regular Season: Saturday, Aug. 30, at Lancaster Mennonite Tournament, TBA. Tuesday, Sept. 2, vs. Garden Spot, 7 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 4, vs. Ephrata, 7 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 9, at Lebanon, 7 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 11, at Manheim Central, 7 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 13, at Falcon Classic, TBA, Cedar Crest High School. Tuesday, Sept. 16, vs. Conestoga Valley, 7p.m. Thursday, Sept. 18, at Solanco, 7 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 20, at Cedar Cliff Tournament, TBA. Monday, Sept. 22, vs. Middletown, 7 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 23, at Garden Spot, 7 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 30, at Ephrata, 7 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 7, vs. Lebanon, 7 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 9, at Conestoga Valley, 7 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 14, vs. Solanco, 7 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 16, vs. Lampeter-Strasburg (Senior/Parent Night), 7 p.m. Notable Dates: Tuesday, Oct. 28, District playoffs begin. Saturday, Nov. 1, District Championship match.
GOLF All home matches at Sunset Golf Course Regular Season: Tuesday, Aug. 19, L-L Match at Crossgates Country Club, 11 a.m. Thursday, Aug. 21, home L-L Match, 12:30 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 27, L-L Match at Host Country Club, 1 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 4, L-L Match at Overlook Golf Course, 2 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 10, L-L Match at Fairview Golf Course, 12:30 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 16, L-L Match at Conestoga Country Club, 1 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 24, L-L Match at Overlook Golf Course, 12:30 p.m. Monday, Sept. 29, L-L Tournament at Host Country Club, 9 a.m. Notable Dates: Friday, Oct. 10 and Saturday, Oct. 11, District Three tournament at Briarwood Golf Club, 9 a.m. Monday, Oct. 13, Regional Tournament at Golden Oaks Golf Club, 9 a.m.
GIRLS TENNIS All home matches at EAHS Tennis Courts Preseason: Monday, Aug. 18, at Pequea Valley (scrimmage), 4 p.m. Friday, Aug. 22, at Lampeter-Strasburg (scrimmage), 10 a.m. Regular Season: Tuesday, Aug. 26, vs. Donegal, 4 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 28, vs. Columbia, 4 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 2, vs. Penn Manor, 4 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 4, at Hempfield, 4 p.m. Friday, Sept. 5, vs. Warwick, 4 p.m. Monday, Sept. 8, at Manheim Township, 4 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 10, vs. Conestoga Valley, 4 p.m. Friday, Sept. 12, at Cedar Crest, 4 p.m. Monday, Sept. 15, at Ephrata, 4 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 18, at Garden Spot, 4 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 23, vs. Solanco, 4 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 25, vs. J.P. McCaskey (Senior/Parent Night), 4 p.m. Notable Dates: Oct. 2-6, L-L Flight Tournament. Oct. 10, District Team Tournament. Oct 11 and 13, District Singles Tournament. Oct. 14 and 18, District Doubles Tournament.
Cross Country All home meets run at E-town course, starting behind Thompson Field. Note: Dates, locations and times are for both boys and girls teams. Preseason: Friday, Aug. 22, Tri-Meet Scrimmage at Lower Dauphin, 3 p.m. Regular Season: Friday, Aug. 29, at Hershey, 4:30 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 2, L-L Meet at Penn Manor, 4:30 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 6, Cross Country Relay Meet at Manor Middle School, 8:45 a.m. Tuesday, Sept. 9, L-L Meet at South Hills Park, 4 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 16, home L-L Meet, 4:30 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 23, L-L Meet at Donegal High, 4:30 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 27, Carlisle Cross Country Invitational, 11:15 a.m. Tuesday, Sept. 30, L-L Meet at Warwick High, 4:30 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 7, L-L Meet at Hempfield High, 4:30 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 14, L-L Run at Ephrata War Memorial Field, 5 p.m. Notable Date: Saturday, Oct. 25, District Three Meet.
There you have it. Check back soon for previews on each of these teams in the coming weeks.
Former E-town football coach Jack Cassebaum is being honored again. This time, it's by the Big 33. Coach Cass will be inducted into the Big 33 Pennsylvania Sports Hall of Fame tomorrow morning at 10 a.m. at the Hershey Lodge. He will also be introduced at halftime of the Big 33 game on Saturday night at Hersheypark Stadium.
I'll be doing a feature on Cass for this week's print edition of the Chronicle and will be sure to post it here as well. Congratulations to Coach Cassebaum on the honor – which is very well deserved.
EAHS standout tailback/punter/kick returner/wide receiver/defensive back/etc, etc, etc. Jordan Hallman (above) has accepted a scholarship offer to play football next season at East Stroudsburg University. Hallman will likely be used like he was at E-town – lined up wide and wind up in the backfield, with coaches trying to get him the ball any way possible.
Congrats to Jordan, a great kid who deserves this opportunity.
The EAHS football team had one of the most memorable seasons in recent history, going 10-2, winning Section Two and making the District Three playoffs, and recently 12 players from the team were named Lancaster-Lebanon League Section Two all-stars.
Pictured are, front row from left, Travis Leber (honorable mention, DE), Sean McMullen (first team, C, ILB), Andrew Weller (first team OLB, honorable mention RB), Chris Burger (second team, T) and Preston Faith (honorable mention, QB). Back row, from left, are Conrad Heisey (honorable mention, RB), Anthony Durante (second team, G), Nate Koach (first team WR, second team DB), Jordan Hallman (first team RB and P, second team KR and DB), Alex Kirchner (first team DL, honorable mention G), and Shane Rosenberry (second team, ILB).
Head coach Jeff Polites was also named Section Two coach of the year.
Throughout the E-town locker room last night after the Bears disposed of Shippensburg 35-7, one thing was clear – the team got back to playing E-town football last night.
Coming off of their first loss of the season last week, the Bears responded with a dominate performance, controlling the ball on the ground and flying around on defense, just what they did every week in the first 9 weeks of the season.
The offense was clicking again, led by Conrad Heisey and Jordan Hallman on the ground. Hallman isn't 100 percent because of a hamstring injury, but was still able to reel off more than 100 yards on the ground, catch a long TD pass from Kyle McNeil and return the second half kickoff 40-some yards, setting up a touchdown. Shane Rosenberry (more on him in a moment) got into the mix on offense and scored a TD, and Andrew Weller played well also. Heisey is a monster running the football. He churns out at least 5 to 6 yards per carry and will always hit you with a 40-yarder at some point. Before you know it, he's over 100 yards for the game with a couple of TDs. You can't say enough about his tough running style.
McNeil was impressive to me last night. He hit Nate Koach (who had a monster game, by the way and is quickly becoming one of the most reliable targets in the district) on a beautiful touch pass down the right sideline and hit Hallman in stride for a 24 yard TD pass.
On defense, Rosenberry was everywhere. This kid is a phenomenal athlete who makes play after play after play on the football field. The Bears gave up a long TD run, but all in all were very stout. Koach's interception early in the game was a big momentum boost for the team.
The Bears weren't perfect however. A fumbled snap, a pick and a few failed third and fourth down conversions happened, and probably cost the Bears at least 14 points. They'll have to clean those mistakes up as they go deeper into the playoffs.
But all was well in Thompson Stadium last night.
E-town now gets L-S on Friday. As always, I'll have a preview in this week's paper and will also post it here later in the week.
Sorry I couldn't update the blog live during the game (if anyone was waiting for that ), I couldn't get a wireless signal in the press box at E-town last night.
That's all for now. Enjoy your Saturday folks, and be sure to root for my Redskins tomorrow against those Eagles.
A few notes before I give you my preview for tomorrow night's big game: • I'm taking my laptop tomorrow night, and will try and post live updates from the game to the blog (if I can get a wireless signal in the press box). In fact, I'm going to attempt to do this for every Bears playoff game from here on out. That way if you decide not to brave the elements tomorrow night (it's supposed to be not very pretty), and you can't get 1600 AM on your radio, well you'll have a place to stay up on what's going on. • I'm still baffled that the borough won't bend on their rule and let Market St. be decked out in blue and white for tomorrow night. I want to thank those who made signs and asked local businesses downtown to hang them out. They look great, and we have two in our windows at our brand, spankin' new Chronicle office. • Wondering if the school district is going to get some portable bathrooms to Thompson Field for tomorrow night, they will need them if the crowd is the same as the Central game. • If I were going to buy a ticket to this game, I'd save myself the headache tomorrow night and take advantage of the ticket presale at the high school tomorrow from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Maybe that's just me.
Okay, here's the preview I wrote for this week's game. Get comfy, it's pretty long.
GAME DETAILS: No. 15 Shippensburg Greyhounds (7-3 overall, 4-1 Mid-Penn Colonial Division) at No. 2 Elizabethtown Bears (9-1 overall, 4-1 Section Two). First round, District Three Class AAA playoffs. Friday, Nov. 9, 7 p.m., Thompson Stadium, Elizabethtown Area High School.
WEATHER FORECAST: Cloudy, lows in the mid 30s. Chance of rain, 30 percent.
SEASONS AT A GLANCE: Shippensburg: The Greyhounds jumped out to a 6-0 start at the beginning of the season, but come into Friday night's playoff game after losing three of their last four games. Shippensburg fell to Pius X and Greencastle-Antrim on Oct. 5 and 12, bounced back to beat West Perry by three and then fell to top-seeded Northern last week 35-21. Ship finished second in the Mid-Penn Colonial Division to undefeated Northern. They are the No. 15 seed in the district. E-town: The Bears had their chance for a perfect regular season and a No. 1 seed in the district ended last week when they lost to Cocalico 35-21. E-town finished 9-1 overall and shared the Section Two crown with Solanco. They are the No. 2 seed in the districts. The winner of this game will play the winner of Lampeter-Strasburg vs. Conrad Weiser.
E-TOWN ON OFFENSE: The Bears had one of their worst offensive games on Friday night against Cocalico. E-town found itself in an early hole and just didn't have the ability to dictate the pace of the game that it usually does. But the Bears will have had six full days to lick their wounds and come into Friday's game rested. The Bears are dealing with a few minor injuries, including running back Jordan Hallman's hamstring. Hallman will play, but it's difficult to say right now if he will have the same explosiveness he's had all season long. Shippensburg's biggest weakness is considered its linebackers. They're inexperienced and have to deal with E-town's plethora of running backs coming at them every which way. When the Bears have the ball, expect them to establish the running game and stick to it until the Greyhounds prove they can stop it. If Hallman isn't 100 percent, it certainly throws a monkey wrench into E-town's offensive gameplan, but expect Conrad Heisey and Andrew Weller to get the bulk of the carries and for fullback Shane Rosenberry to perhaps get some more touches. E-town's offensive line is surely itching to get back out on the playing field and prove how well they can block for their running backs, especially after losing last week. The offense for the Bears also hinges on the success of the running game, but that's the case this Friday perhaps more than the average game. Shippensburg runs the same style of ball-control offense that the Bears do, so the longer the E-town offense can stay on the field, the fresher its defense will be. If the Bears can jump out to a lead, it will make it that much tougher for Shippensburg to catch them, because it doesn't have the kind of quick-strike offense that can make up a lot of points quickly. PLAYER TO WATCH: Running back Conrad Heisey. Heisey has quietly become E-town's workhorse this season. If Hallman is unable to be his usual explosive self due to a hamstring injury, Heisey must be able to pick up the slack and continue to run with power and determination. When Heisey gets past the initial wave of defenders, he has consistently shown the ability to drag defenders in the second wave three or four yards before going down. He needs to be the player who keeps the chains moving and who can break off some big runs for the Bears, too.
E-TOWN ON DEFENSE: Shippensburg operates in the Wing-T just like the Bears do, so nothing the Greyhounds run should catch E-town by surprise. Ship's offense is led by 1,000-yard back Ethan Naylor (second in the Mid-Penn in rushing with 1,153 yards and 11 TDs) and Jermayne Webber (548 yards, two TDs). They'll be looking for holes behind a terrific offensive line. Ship's line returns four starters – Shayne Clark, Tim Saphore, Cody Helman and Cody Lehman – all of whom are more than 6-foot. Clark and Saphore are the biggest of the four, at 6'3", 260 pounds and 6'2", 265 pounds, respectively. E-town's defensive line is going to have to line up and go head to head with these experienced linemen, who won't be surprised by much. The Greyhounds also have a three-year starter at quarterback in Craig Van Scyoc (1,138 yards, 12 TD, 11 INT). He will be looking for 6'4" wideout Loren Horst (287 yards, six TD) on the rare occasion that Ship throws the football (the Grayhounds average about 14 passes per game). Van Scyoc has been prone to interceptions, so the defensive line and linebackers will be looking to get pressure on him when he drops back to pass to force him into mistakes. Horst will likely be shadowed by E-town safety Nate Koach, who is also 6'4." But E-town's success hinges on its ability to stop the Shippensburg running attack. Van Scyoc isn't a running threat like Ephrata's Blake Crowther. The Greyhounds pound it with Naylor and Webber behind their excellent offensive line. But Ship's two backs are also very fast, so it'll be up to the E-town linebackers to cover sideline to sideline and limit their ability to break runs to the outside. PLAYERS TO WATCH: E-town defensive linemen Alex Kirchner, Josh Sabulsky, Zac Distasio and Anthony Durante. It's up to these four to handle Ship's monsters on the offensive line. They need to hit them right in the mouth from the opening whistle and never stop for four straight quarters. If they can close the holes Naylor and Webber have to run through and allow their linebackers to come up and hit them for short gains or losses, that will for Shippensburg to throw the ball more. If that happens, E-town has the Greyhounds right where it wants them.
E-TOWN ON SPECIAL TEAMS: E-town corrected its problems on kickoffs for the most part last week against Cocalico. They need to keep the ball in bounds on kickoffs and limit Shippensburg's return yardage. When the Bears have been forced to punt, which hasn't been often, Hallman has been crushing the ball. He can turn field position quickly with his ability to punt more than 45 yards. However, it will be interesting to see if his hamstring injury affects his punting or, for that matter, his ability to return punts and kickoffs. If Hallman's leg acts up, Heisey will be the primary return man on kickoffs and Koach will handle punt return duties. PLAYERS TO WATCH: Koach and Heisey. They will likely handle most of the kick returning. Long returns always have a way of firing up the offense and giving your team more momentum, so they'll certainly be looking to break a few. However, Hallman handled the vast majority of the returns this year, so the two will have to be careful not to mishandle the ball and turn it over.
PREDICTION: It will certainly be interesting to see how the Bears are able to bounce back from their first loss of the season. The first nine weeks, nearly every thing went right for Elizabethtown. Last week, almost nothing did. How the team is able to respond to its first defeat will say a lot about how well it will do in these playoffs. The Bears had a playoff berth sewn up before Cocalico, but still had plenty to play for (No. 1 seed, section title and a 10-0 season just to name a few). However, things just didn't go E-town's way Friday night. But the Bears have to put it behind them immediately if they are going to beat Shippensburg. They cannot linger on that loss, or they could find themselves in a world of trouble against the Greyhounds. There is a lot similar about these two teams, but when you look at overall talent and depth, the Bears have the advantage. Ship really only played three playoff-caliber teams this year and lost to all three of them. E-town has more running backs capable of hurting you and a clear advantage on defense. Knowing the psyche of this team and its coaches, it's safe to assume the taste of defeat won't hurt the Bears, but only make them hungrier. Losing to Cocalico could have been a blessing in disguise for the Bears. Plus, it was a bit of a mirage. That game had all the makings of an upset – one team coming off an emotional win, on short rest, in front of another team's home fans and the last game for that team's seniors. Consider the loss more of a speed bump in E-town's road than a pothole. The Bears are still the team that has score more than 200 points than their opponents and dominated the league for the first nine weeks. Now they're at home, with the pressure of going undefeated off of them and in the playoffs. The first 10 weeks are behind them and mean nothing now. It's a one game season from here on out. Hallman's injury, however severe it might be, certainly could affect the Bears, but the depth that this team has is unbelievable and they do have the ability to win this game without him at 100 percent. Granted, they probably can't win many games in the playoffs without their premier playmaker at full speed, but they should be able to get by Shippensburg. Watch for E-town to come out playing with a renewed fire and passion and looking to make a statement against Shippensburg. But this is the playoffs and no team gets in without being fiercely talented. The Greyhounds certainly have the ability to win this game if the Bears overlook them. I see E-town exploiting Shippensburg's weak defensive front for a ton of rushing yards and controlling the game on the ground – which is just what they like to do.
Just glancing over the bracket, here's what it looks like. You can download it also at:
http://district3.piaa.org/
E-town's half includes Ship, L-S, Conrad Weiser, Red Land, Central, Hershey and Cocalico. If the Bears win they will play the winner of the L-S - Weiser game and if they win that, they'll get whoever comes out of the Red Land/Central/Hershey/Cocalico half for the right to play in the district final. If I were to pick games, I'd pick them to face Red Land. In fact, here's my projections:
1st Round Winners: Northern, Greencastle-Antrim, Gettysburg, W. York, E-town, L-S, Red Land, Cocalico.
Quarterfinal Winners: Northern, W. York, E-town, Red Land.
Here are your official Class AAA playoff pairings. Sorry I didn't get this up sooner – our Internet has been acting up. I know, I know, likely excuse...but it's true.
The Bears finish at 9-1 and dropped from the top seed in the district to the No. 2 seed, which means they should get more than one home playoff game. Northern York moves up to grab the top seed after going 10-0. Red Land, Gettysburg and West York round out the top five, all finishing at 9-1. I'm still looking inot Shippensburg, and will post more on them when I get it.
All of these games are Friday night at 7 p.m. 16 Hamburg (7-1) at 1 Northern York (10-0) 15 Shippensburg at 2 E-town (9-1) 14 Manheim Central (6-4) at 3 Red Land (9-1) 13 Northern Lebanon (7-3) at 4. Gettysburg (9-1) 12. Solanco (7-3) at 5. West York (9-1) 11. Cocalico (7-3) at 6. Hershey (8-2) 10. Conrad Weiser (7-3) at 7. Lampeter-Strasburg (8-2) 9. Daniel Boone (7-3) at 8. Greencastle-Antrim (8-2).
My picks for round one: Northern over Hamburg; E-town over Ship; Red Land over Central; Gettysburg over Northern Lebanon; West York over Solanco; Cocalico over Hershey; L-S over Conrad Weiser; Daniel Boone over Greencastle.
I know the Bears are dealing with a few injuries after Friday night's game. I saw Jordan Hallman limping noticeably after the game and will post more on any injuries when it becomes available to me.
For those of you wondering about other local teams not in Class AAA, here is how their playoffs will look Friday night. Class AAAA. Manheim Township finished as the No. 2 seed, and will get 6-4 Red Lion. Wilson (7-3) is the 12 seed and gets 5th-seeded Altoona. Warwick (9-1) is the 7-seed and will battle 7-3 Central Dauphin. 9-1 got Wilson a 7 seed? WOW.
Class AA Lancaster Catholic finished 8-2 and earned the 2 seed. They'll take on 7-3 Juniata. Columbia also went 8-2 and is the No. 3 seed. They'll do battle with 7-3 Delone Catholic.
E-town's bid for the program's first undefeated season in 50 years was ended last night in Denver, as Kyle Fisher and the Cocalico Eagles beat the Bears 35-21 in both teams' regular season finale.
Tough game for the Bears last night, and just one of those were the other team played better than them on that night. Cocalico did a great job of controlling the ball and chewing up the clock, keeping E-town's offense on the sideline. The Bears also had their hands full with Fisher. He had more than 100 yards receiving and rushing and was a thorn in E-town's side all night. He had an 80+ yard TD catch and a 60+ yard TD run that put the Bears away. Cocalico runs the veer, and E-town's defense had problems stopping it all night long.
So the Bears finish at 9-1, certainly nothing to hang their heads over, and a share of the Section Two crown. Undefeated would have been nice, but they still are in the district playoffs and will have a home game on Friday night.
It looks like E-town will do battle with 7-3 Shippensburg. I don't know a whole lot about Ship at this point, but I'll do some research and try and keep you updated on whatever I find out about them. I'll also have a preview of the game in this week's Chronicle.
Again, losing your first game of the year in the regular season finale is a tough pill to swallow. But the Bears have to forget it right now. It's not important anymore. The district rankings, the state rankings, all of that means nothing at this point. All that matters is the next game. Shippensburg. That's it.
Coming off an emotional win over Manheim Central and playing on short rest had to be tough on the players. I doubt they had enough time to recover physically and emotionally to be the same team they were for the first 9 weeks. But it doesn't matter now, it's in the past. 9-1 is great by any stretch. A district home playoff game (maybe more) is great. A section title is great.
It's important to focus on the positives going into the postseason. Dwelling on negatives does nothing in terms of making the team play better. So great regular season for the Bears.
Here's hoping they can make a great run in postseason. I think they can.
There's no other word to describe it. I'm assuming all of you were at Thompson Stadium tonight (the announced attendance was nearly 5,000), but for those who weren't or didn't listen to it on the radio, let me be the first to tell you – the Elizabethtown Bears completely destroyed the Manheim Central Barons in every single aspect of a varsity football game. That sentence hasn't been written in 2 decades, maybe more.
Just going off the top of my head (I'll have the official numbers tomorrow) but the Bears had more than 600 yards of offense and scored 56 points. Jordan Hallman, who somehow amazes me week in and week out, went out and ran for five touchdowns and more than 300 yards. That's three good games for most backs. Not Hallman. Also, I'm 98 percent sure that game puts him over the 1,000 yard mark, but I'll know for sure tomorrow. You just can't say enough about this kid. Yes, the offensive line (more on them in a minute) gets it started by opening holes, but he patiently waits for them around the line of scrimmage and then explodes through them. His acceleration is unmatched in the district and if he's even, he's leavin'. He's also one of the nicest, humblest kids you'd ever meet. The ultimate team player. And you can say that about everyone in the blue and white. They are all doing what they're doing for the team. They honestly don't care who scores the TDs or who makes the fumble recovery, as long as someone on their team is doing it.
Chris Burger, Alex Kircher, Sean McMullen, Evan Good and Anthony Durante played as well tonight as I've ever seen them play. Hallman, Conrad Heisey and Andrew Weller weren't getting touched until they were 5 yards downfield.
And the defense refused to let up. They hit Central in the mouth all night long. When the Bears needed it, the passing game with Preston Faith, Kyle McNeil and Nate Koach was there. The Bears really clicked on all cylinders and, when they do that, I dare to say that there is no one in District Three Class AAA that's on their level. Last week against Ephrata, they didn't play their best. Tonight, they nearly did and they beat their archrivals by 42 points.
Maybe now they'll get some love in the Patriot News rankings.
Plenty more on this game coming in Thursday's edition of the Chronicle.
Well, well, well, the time is finally here. For weeks, we've looked forward to this matchup. Elizabethtown. Manheim Central. Tonight.
There haven't been many football games in this town that have stirred up the kind of buzz this one tonight has, and I think we're all in for a heck of a show. The atmosphere at Thompson Stadium is sure to be electric. Expect a hard-hitting, in your face game with a lot of big plays offensively, defensively and on special teams. Perfect football weather out there tonight.
Enjoy the game and remember to check the Chronicle this week and the blog right here for the best in-depth coverage and analysis of the Showdown in Elizabethtown tonight.
There's nothing left but for the players to decide this one on the field.
Weather alert: E-town vs. Manheim Central football game
I know you are all wondering what's going to happen with tomorrow night's big football game. I was at the field tonight and I can tell you that it's not in the greatest shape in the world. I imagine it wouldn't take much to push the game back.
As soon as I know if a decision is made, you'll know it. Right here, on From the Sidelines. So check back tomorrow, early and often and I'll get you the info as soon as I have it. Hey, it's what I do.
My opinion (not that it really matters) is that it'll be tough for them to play on a field if the rain that is supposed to be coming comes. The field is already in questionable shape, and the district has to take into consideration that they have to keep it in the best shape possible for not only the Central game, but for some possible home district playoff games. If that means moving the game to Monday, then it's for the best in the long run.
There's only one problem I foresee. The fact that, if the two teams are forced to play on Monday, it gives them both a short week to prepare for their final opponents. Not sure who Central has in week 10, but I know E-town has Cocalico, and they ain't no cupcake. How's that for good grammar?
Long story short, I'll keep you updated, you can count on it.
For your enjoyment, here are the latest District Three and Six football power rankings. As you may or may not have noticed in this week's issue of the Chronicle, I wrote that the Bears were tied with Red Land at the top of the District. Well, they're not. My apologies, as the Bears are still at the top of the heap – all by themselves. Donegal has made an appearance in the top 20, coming in 20th.
Also, the Patriot-News released its updated state rankings too. It still amazes me that the Bears aren't getting any love from Harrisburg. Class AAA 1. Thomas Jefferson (District 7), 8-0. 2. Berwick (2), 7-1. 3. Red Land (3), 8-0. 4. West Scranton (2), 7-1. 5. Montour (7), 8-0. 6. Titusville (10), 7-0. 7. Unionville (1), 8-0. 8. Chartiers Valley (7), 6-2. 9. Pine-Richland (7), 7-1. 10. Gettysburg (3), 7-1.
E-town did get honorable mention, but how in the world can TWO district three teams be ranked ahead of them in the state rankings? Makes no sense to me. Something tells me that if Central were 8-0, they'd be ranked in the top 3. Maybe if the Bears beat Central tomorrow night and go to 9-0 they might get some love.
Well, it wasn't exactly ideal conditions tonight, but the Bears pulled out a 20-19 win over Ephrata tonight.
I'll have plenty more on this game tomorrow, but that's pretty much it for tonight. If you were there and you survived the 30 min lightning delay and the rain, you already know what went down at Thompson Stadium tonight. If you didn't go, or left early, I'll have the scoop for you manana.
Hello out there in cyberspace. Since we didn't have space for our normal football preview in the Chronicle this week, I'm bringing it to you online. Here goes:
Game Details: Ephrata Mounts (1-6 overall, 1-3 section) at Elizabethtown Bears (7-0 overall, 4-0 section), 7 p.m. tonight, Elizabethtown Area High School.
Seasons at a glance: Ephrata: It's been a tough go so far for the Mounts, as they are off to a 1-6 start. But their record is a little bit misleading. Ephrata is a solid football team and has been on the short end of some very, very tough losses this year. Don't let that 1-6 mark fool you.
E-town: By now, you all know about the Bears. 7-0 overall. 4-0 section. Top-ranked team in District Three. Yeah, they're pretty good. Here's something I noticed the other day that I thought was odd. Red Land is ranked No. 2 in the District 3 and 6 Rankings (behind the Bears), but are the No. 3 team in the PIAA Class AAA state rankings, while E-town isn't even in the top 10. How does that make sense? The Bears have more power points and have beaten some darn good teams (Township, Solanco, LD, etc). Just seems to me that the Bears should be up there if Red Land is the number 3 team in the state. Some fun numbers on the Bears: They've scored 252 points in 7 games (36 ppg avg.) and have allowed just 60 (8.5 ppg). They're scoring differential is a ridiculous +192. Wow.
E-town on offense: Ephrata likes to stack the line on defense and take away the running game. Well, best of luck, because few teams run the ball as efficiently as the Bears. Look at their top three backs' yards per carry average: Jordan Hallman – 8.9, Andrew Weller – 8.4, Conrad Heisey – 6.9. Those are extremely efficient numbers that prove just how potent the Bears' backfield is. It's going to take a heck of an effort from Ephrata to keep the E-town offense from holding onto the ball for long drives and moving the chains. They're tough to tackle as well. Meanwhile, the Bears really couldn't get any better play from the quarterback position. Starter Preston Faith has yet to throw an interception this year (61 attempts), and junior Kyle McNeil is getting better every single week. Both have QB ratings well over 100. PLAYERS TO WATCH: The three headed monster of Hallman, Heisey, and Weller. The more yards they can pick up on the ground, the more the Bears can chew up the clock on offense. And the longer E-town can keep Ephrata's potent offense on the sideline the better.
E-town on defense: The Mounts are the second-best offense in the section (behind guess who) and quarterback Blake Crowther is one of the most dynamic, exciting players in the league. He is third in the section in rushing (777 yards) and has also thrown for more than 600 yards. He's accounted for 12 touchdowns and has kicked six PATs, so he pretty much does it all for the Mounts. Against a team that has a running quarterback, it's important for the opposing linebackers to be able to cover sideline-to-sideling quickly to limit running room (at least that's how I do it when I'm playing Madden against the Tennessee Titans). So Sean McMullen, Shane Rosenberry, Andrew Weller and Oliver Thayer will need to be on Crowther like C.C. Sabathia on a tub of butter pecan ice cream. There's your difference to the game, boys and girls, contain Crowther and beat Ephrata. Sounds easy enough from behind a keyboard. PLAYERS TO WATCH: The linebackers, or as I have dubbed them, The Hit Squad.
E-town on special teams: Looks like it's going to be wet out there tonight, so E-town will need Peter Davis to do his best to get kickoffs deep despite what might be slippery footing. There could be some shanked punts and kickoffs tonight with the weather. We'll see how which team makes a big mistake and if the other will be able to capitalize on it. PLAYERS TO WATCH: E-town's kick coverage unit. They must keep the Ephrata offense pinned back in their own zone as far as possible.
Prediction: C'mon, you guys know me by now. I picked these Bears to beat Manheim Township, do you really think I'm going to pick them to lose to a 1-6 team, at home, on Homecoming? Nah. E-town will win. I don't know much, but I do know this – Ephrata is much better than their record. They're not 1-6 bad. No way.
Crowther is a heck of a player, but he can't do it all himself and I think E-town has too much talent and too good of a scheme defensively and will limit him. I just don't see how Ephrata can beat E-town unless the Bears beat themselves. If they completely self destruct and everything goes wrong for them, the Mounts have a chance.
With the wet weather, it's all about running the football and, while Ephrata's Crowther, Woody Miller and Joel Yoder can certainly run it, I'm taking Weller, Heisey, Hallman and Rosenberry.
If the season ended today, which it obviously does not, the Bears would play Cocalico. Just something to keep in mind: the Bears also play Cocalico in the last game of the regular season. Could be interesting.
Check back tomorrow for a preview of the E-town-Ephrata homecoming game.
Well, it wasn't easy in the first half, but the E-town football team showed resiliency tonight and pulled away from Garden Spot in the fourth quarter. The Bears scored five touchdowns in the fourth and dispensed of the Spartans 42-14 to move to 7-0 overall and 4-0 in the section.
I'm no expert when it comes to clinching district playoff spots, but I believe the Bears have officially locked up a berth with tonight's win.
The first half was very weird. Garden Spot got every break and it looked like the game had all the makings of an upset. The Bears were going in for a touchdown, fumbled at the goal line and it was recovered by GS. Garden Spot took the lead on a pass that was broken up well by Nate Koach, but fell right into the hands of Spartan receiver Sean Beahan. Every break went Garden Spot's way in the first half, and the Bears found themselves, gasp, trailing 7-6 for the first time since the Manheim Township game. But Kyle McNeil came in late in the second quarter and orchestrated a nice drive, hooking up with Koach for a TD with seconds remaining. Koach made a great play to come down with the ball and get into the end zone on the throw, and the Bears took the lead for good.
E-town's defense was dominant again, scoring on a long fumble return (I believe it was 41 yards off the top of my head) by Shane Rosenberry. Shaun Buller also had a fumble recovery on a kickoff that set up a Conrad Heisey 1-yard TD plunge.
I think E-town having to scratch and claw their way back in it after a less than impressive first half was just what this Bears team needed. Call it a little bit of a wake up call if you want, but E-town definitely responded impressively in the fourth quarter. That's what good teams do. They win the fourth quarter. The Bears consider themselves a second-half team, and that is what championship-caliber teams are.
This one got ugly in a hurry, which proves how capable the Bears are of pulling away from inferior teams playing above their heads quickly. E-town might play a sloppy half or a sloppy quarter, but this team will not play poorly for four quarters, you can guarantee that. And that's why they'll beat a lot of teams. They don't give up, and they don't stop coming at you.
Their 35-point fourth quarter will give the team tons of confidence heading into next week's homecoming game against Blake Crowther and Ephrata.
I also think Columbia knocked off Northern Lebanon tonight, which would make E-town the only undefeated team in the Lancaster-Lebanon League.
Football Friday is about to start, so I'll know for sure then.
If the season ended today, E-town, Northern Lebanon, L-S, Manheim Central and Solanco would be in the playoffs from the L-L League, with Garden Spot and Cocalico on the outside looking in.
The top-ranked Bears face No. 17 Garden Spot this Friday. More on that game tomorrow.
Memo to the rest of the teams in the L-L League and District Three:
Look out for the Bears.
Signed, This lowly blogger.
I tell you what folks, I just got back from Thompson Stadium (how's this for a quick E-town update?) and, I know most of you were there and saw it for yourselves, but E-town is absolutely a force to be reckoned with.
They dominated a pretty darn good Solanco football team tonight and dismantled the Mules 40-7. You want proof of dominance? How's this – in the last three games, E-town has outscored its opponents....let's see, carry the 1, add the 9.....136 to 19. Yeah, read that again.
Unbelievable. I'll have more on this game tomorrow or Monday (I don't blog on Sundays, I watch football. Sorry). But just know this, E-town is legit and if there were any questions about how good they really were before tonight, the Bears answered them. Emphatically.
Tonight will be a special night for the entire Elizabethtown football program (past and present) and all of its followers (which is most of the town, judging by the sign I saw today at Hoss's).
The 1957 EHS team which, as most of you know, was the only undefeated team in program history will be having a reunion of sorts with the current Bears tonight at 7:30 in the high school cafeteria. It's nice to know that the kids playing and the current coaching staff understand the historical significance of the '57 team and that they are embracing it. The "Meet the Teams" night is open to the public, so I want to encourage everyone to come on by and check this event out. Just Tivo My Name is Earl and The Office, which is what I'll be doing.
I had the pleasure of sitting down with some of the 1957 players for a story I wrote in the Chronicle two weeks ago and, let me tell you, they are an enjoyable, entertaining bunch. I'm a sucker for sports history, which may explain why I watch ESPN Classic constantly (which also explains why there are two TVs in my house...). And I can't get enough of these guys. I could sit and listen to them recount stories of that magical season all night long. It's amazing that they can remember specific plays of specific games that happened 50 years ago, and I can't even remember what I had for dinner last night.
They are truly a remarkable group of men, as is the current EAHS team. They will also be honored at tomorrow night's football game as inductees into the EASD Athletic Wall of Honor, but come out tonight and you'll have a chance to talk to some of them in a more intimate setting.
On Mondays, I'll take a quick look back at weekend EAHS action, and update you on how the Bears fared in different sports. Here's the first edition of "The weekend that was":
Another week, another win for the Bears football team. This one was ugly by halftime. E-town's defense looked great against the Buckskins, who were without their best running back – Kevin Kelley, suspended for disciplinary actions by the CV coach. But the Bears knocked CV's starting quarterback out early in the first quarter, and the Bucks' offense had no chance against Sean McMullen and that ferocious E-town defense. CV turned the ball over a lot and made a ton of mistakes, setting up the E-town offense in good field position all night long. Credit to the Bears too, they capitalized on good field position every single time. Kyle McNeil looked very good at quarterback in limited action. Starter Preston Faith continued his strong play too, and still has yet to throw an interception this season.
Down in Quarryville, Solanco handed Manheim its first section loss of the season, setting up a big battle this Friday night when the Mules come to E-town with both teams 2-0 in the section. Before Friday, the talk around town was that the Central game on Oct. 26 was the game of the year for the Bears, but I'd argue that this Friday's game is more important for E-town. Not that they have anything to prove, but a win over the Mules will go a long way in keeping the Bears as the team to beat in the Section, and do a lot for their District Three power ranking.
In field hockey, E-town lost a close game to undefeated Ephrata, 1-0 on Friday. You have to give credit to E-town for keeping the section's best offense to just one goal and to goalie Becca Bigler, who made 13 saves against the Mounts. A win against Ephrata would have pulled the Bears into third place in front of Manheim Central, but instead E-town is sitting at 4-3, 1 point behind the Barons for third and three behind L-S for second. I don't see anyone catching Ephrata in the section, but E-town could still make some waves. They play Central at home on Wednesday, and then go to L-S on Friday. Two wins there, and the Bears could find themselves in the league playoffs and in second place in Section Two. They've got to find a way to score more goals though.
In soccer, the E-town boys were pretty much handled by Manheim Township on Thursday, but are still tied for second place with CV at 6-3-1. Ephrata leads the section at 6-1-3, but can still be caught by the Bears or the Buckskins. CV should get a win tonight against Cedar Crest, while E-town has a much more difficult task ahead of them – the 7-1-2 Black Knights of Hempfield. This is a big week for E-town and will pretty much make or break them. After Hempfield tonight, they play at Ephrata on Wednesday (a game they can certainly win), and will host CV on Friday at 4. A 2-1 week puts the Bears in good playoff position, if they go 1-2, they'll need a strong finish and some help to have a hope at the section crown. Peter Davis and this offense can score with anyone, though, so the Bears are never out of a game.
Also, congratulations to the E-town Girls Cross Country team, who finished fifth overall and second out of AAA teams at this weekend's Carlisle Invitational. The turnaround of the girls team has been amazing. Just a couple of years ago, they didn't even have enough runners to compete as a team. Now, they are looking for a winning season. Great job by coach John Spittal and the seniors on the team making the Bears resectable again.
OK, I know that the E-town/CV football game tonight isn't exactly a "backyard" game like the title says, but I was going for alliteration. Close enough.
Big game tonight for the Bears, but then, when you are 4-0 every game becomes a big game until you lose. This E-town football team is the talk of the town, and I'd be interested to know if the players and coaches are feeling some additional pressure from their record. Imagine if they are 8-0 going into the Central game on Oct. 26? Now's that's pressure. But true championship teams don't feel pressure. They just play their game and let the results speak for themselves.
Honestly, I think E-town should win this game fairly handily. The Bears have a presence about them now, and that could spook a young team like CV, who has a ton of sophomores playing. I can't quite put my finger on it, but this team seems to be playing with a purpose. Just talking to the players and coaches, they have a way about them that feels very focused and committed to playing every game, heck, every snap, like it's the last play of the state championship game. There is no letdown in this bunch. They're going to give you everything they have on every single play and, with the talent they have all over the place, it's working. Kudos to Jeff Polites and his staff on getting the team ready for battle every week, and props to the players for respecting the coaching staff and working hard to not let them down.
The question I'm asking myself is, can they go 10-0? Is it too early to talk about that as a possibility? I know Polites won't even think about that. He takes the season one game at a time, which is the best approach for doing something special. But what do you guys think? Tell me in the comments if you think they can go unbeaten, how far they might go in the playoffs, and who you think can beat this team.
If anything else, it should be a fun ride as we get into October.
