4th Down Magazine’s Game Balls for the week of November 6-7

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4th Down Magazine’s Game Balls for the week of November 6-7

Each week, our crew will dish out ‘Game Balls” to athletes who turned in impressive performances across our coverage area. Here are our selections for Week of November 6-7.

Jake Adams’s Game Balls

Daniel Shuster, QB, Camp Hill: The Shuster family now has three District 3 medals hanging somewhere, mabe above the fireplace. Daniel added to the collection, which included two from big bro Michael (who went on to walk-on at Penn State), with a steadying 274 yards and three touchdowns in Friday’s 21-7 upset win over York Catholic for the 2A crown. Shuster was 16-of-25, and his TD tosses went for 11, 53 and 24 yards. He now has more than 1,400 yards and 14 TDs this season. 

Sean Smith, RB-LB, Carlisle: Handing Smith the nod for becoming the first running back in Cumberland County to crack 1,000 yards on the season. Carlisle lost to Cumberland Valley 20-14 this weekend, but Smith rushed for 149 stripes and scored on a 1-yard dive. He’s now at 1,006 yards and 12 touchdowns this season.

Alex Erby, QB, Steel-High: It feels like the rookie has a hundred touchdowns already this season. It’s “only” 26. The freshman tossed six more, lighting up Muncy’s defense in a 50-43 win in the PIAA Class 1A first round. Erby’s 422 yards Friday also leaves him 70 shy of becoming the first in the Mid-Penn Conference to reach 2,000 this season. We have three more years of this to watch. Jeez.

Andy Shay’s Game Balls

Christian Doi, RB, Camp Hill: The junior had a rock solid game rushing and receiving in the District 3 Class 2A championship game victory over York Catholic. Being able to rush the ball with some efficiency sets up the Lions’ offense for success, and the 5-foot-7, 140-pound Doi came through catching the ball out of the backfield to post a monster game. Doi finished with 174 total yards (118 receiving, 56 rushing) and scored a touchdown in the Lions’ 21-7 victory.

Derek Wall, WR-DB-KR, Middletown: The senior was the best player on the field for the Blue Raiders in a loss to Wyomissing in the District 3 Class 3A championship game. His electric kickoff return in the first quarter covering 97 yards not only put six points on the board, it changed the trajectory of this game. Middletown still lost, but they were in deep trouble early already down 14-0 when Wall gave them a HUGE spark. He nearly broke another one, covering 50 yards before an excellent open-field tackle by the kicker saved a touchdown. Wall also stood out on defense, making tackles in space and recording a key pass break up in the second quarter. Overall he finished 193 return yards on three kickoff returns. No. 8 stood out.

Isaac Sines, QB, Cumberland Valley: The sophomore gave the Eagles a huge late-season boost to build on going forward by coming up with a big game in a season where winning games and scoring points has been tough for CV. Sines completed 11-of-18 passes for 134 yards, not eye-popping numbers but exactly what the Eagles are looking for from their QB in this offense. Most importantly, Sines threw a pair of touchdown passes, including the game-winner to Gavin Conklin with less than seven minutes to play in a victory over a Carlisle team that came in on a roll.

Adam Kulikowski Game Balls

Odell Greene, RB, Steel-High: While freshman teammate Alex Erby grabs a lot of the limelight slinging the rock, Greene “quietly” continues to perform at a high level. Chalk up another 240 stripes on 24 carries (a 10-yard average, by the way) for the senior Rollers back to help fuel a 50-43 victory against Muncy in the PIAA Class 1A first round. This young man is tough to bring down and has provided the thunder to the Steel-High attack night after night. 

Michael Bullock’s Game Balls

Alex Achenbach, RB, Williams Valley: Achenbach made his presence felt as the Vikings took one step closer to defending the District 11 Class 1A crown they claimed a season ago by turning back Mahanoy Area 27-22. While Achenbach’s primary influence came on the ground — the Williams Valley freshman rushed 21 times for 156 yards — he also kicked off the Vikes’ scoring when he hauled in a 40-yard touchdown reception.

Ezi Hite, OL-DL, Williams Valley: In addition to opening holes for a Williams Valley ground game that rushed for 235 yards and one touchdown, Hite was a constant up front defensively. In fact, Hite totaled a team-high 11 tackles in the Vikings’ 27-22 win over Mahanoy Area in the District 11 Class 1A semifinals. One of the 6-foot-2, 235-pound sophomore’s stops was the lone quarterback sack the Vikes managed.

Shea Morgan, WR-DB, Pine Grove: Another week, another post-game honor for Pine Grove’s senior two-way standout, who added to his single-season receptions record (56) by catching nine passes for 115 yards and one touchdown in a 43-6 win over Pequea Valley. Morgan’s productive outing on the flanks upped his career receptions total to 108 — another Pine Grove standard he now owns.

Brody Robinson, RB-LB and Josh Leininger, QB-DB, Pine Grove: Adding balance to the Cardinals’ attack, Robinson rushed 15 times for 145 yards and three touchdowns as Pine Grove popped Pequea Valley 43-6. Leininger, meanwhile, passed for 228 yards and three touchdowns as Frank Gaffney’s club piled up 475 offensive yards.

Vote Now: 4th Down Magazine’s Player of the Week presented by Crown Trophy of Harrisburg

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Vote Now: 4th Down Magazine’s Player of the Week presented by Crown Trophy of Harrisburg

By 4th Down staff:

Welcome to 4th Down Magazine’s vote for Player of the Week presented by Crown Trophy of Harrisburg (in Lemoyne).

The nominees for the week are listed below. Vote for the player with the most impressive performance.

The poll will remain open until Tuesday evening at 11 p.m. and voting is allowed once per hour. The winner will be announced Wednesday evening.

CrownTrophy HorizontalLogo Color HbgLemoyne 11 19

Daniel Shuster, QB, Camp Hill: Daniel now matches big bro Michael with a District 3 championship after guiding the Lions to a 21-7 win over York Catholic. Shuster threw for 274 yards on 16-of-25 passing, hitting Cam Ochs twice (11 and 53 yards) and Christian Doi once for scores (24 yards). Shuster also kicked all three PATs.

Christian Doi, RB, Camp Hill: It was also the multi-faceted play of Doi that helped the Lions clinch their 10th district crown. Doi rumbled for 58 yards on 16 carries but did even more damage with his hands, catching four passes for 114 yards. He also scored the game’s first TD on a 24-yard reception.

Isaac Sines, QB, Cumberland Valley: Some signs of life from the Eagles’ offense as Sines tossed two TDs, including a game-winner with 6:55 left to Gavin Conklin to complete a 20-14 comeback win over Carlisle. Sines’s TD passes went for 24 and 26 yards. He finished with 134 yards on 11-of-18 passing.

Nate Kirkwood, K, Greencastle-Antrim: The Blue Devils stunned East Pennsboro 23-21, scoring nine points in the final 50 seconds to win in comeback fashion. After successfully executing an onside kick following a TD pass that made it 21-20 (the two-point conversion failed), Kirkwood drilled an 18-yard winner with nine ticks left. He also made both PAT attempts.

Jamir Reynolds-Vasquez, RB, Cedar Cliff: The Colts were hardly friendly to next-door neighbor Red Land in a 33-10 win Friday. Reynolds-Vasquez finished with game highs of 22 carries and 134 yards, adding an early 5-yard TD run to put the Colts up 14-7.

Devin Wilson, RB/DB, Shippensburg: Wilson finished with less than 100 yards (96 to be precise), but his three scores of 4, 17 and 3 yards amounted to all but the point-after points in the Greyhounds’ 20-7 win over Susquehanna Township. Wilson rushed 17 times in the win.

Alex Erby, QB, Steel-High: Sure, his three INTs did not help the cause, especially in a shootout 50-43 win over Muncy in the PIAA Class 1A first round, but Erby continues to prove his an electric passer. The frosh finished 24-of-35 for a whopping 422 yards and six touchdowns (which covered 33, 59, 22, 55, 23 and 8 yards).

Odell Greene, RB, Steel-High: It took more than their electric rookie QB for the Rollers to pop Muncy 50-43 in the PIAA first round. Greene shredded Muncy for 240 yards on 24 carries (an average of 10 yards a pop) and scored a 25-yard TD in the second quarter that would prove crucial when Muncy made its run in the second half.

Damein Hammonds, WR, Steel-High: Someone had to catch all those Alex Erby Tds in Friday’s 50-43 win over Muncy. That job belonged to Hammonds, who hauled in four of them, including two in the first quarter, for 33, 59, 22 and 23 yards in the PIAA opener. Hammonds finished with an impressive 10 catches for 240 stripes.

Chance Eyler, QB, Waynesboro: The Indians may have lost 24-18 to West Perry, but Eyler did his best to mount a comeback, throwing TDs of 9 and 12 yards and rushing for a 1-yard TD late. He finished 17-of-22 for 229 passing yards (and an INT) and rushed seven times for 13 yards.

Lek Powell, QB, Bishop McDevitt: The senior was a flawless 11-for-11 passing, finishing with 190 yards and three scores, all before halftime, in the Crusaders’ 40-7 beatdown of Palmyra. He finished the night 18-of-21 for 275 stripes and hit Mario Easterly twice for scores.

Emmanuel O’Donell, WR, Juniata: The Indians fell inches short of knocking off Oil City in the PIAA Class 4A first round, losing 34-33. But O’Donell was electric, averaging 22.3 yards per reception (6 catches, 134 yards) and scoring on a 70-yard touchdown catch in the playoff game.

Jacob Condo, QB/LB, Juniata: Condo’s all-around effort helped the Indians come off the deck in the second half — Juniata trailed 26-7 at the break — and push District 10 champ Oil City to the max before falling 34-33 in their first state playoff game. Condo targeted 16 of his 29 aerials for 206 yards, authoring touchdown passes of 70 yards to Manny O’Donell and 5 yards to Caleb Seeger. The latter arrived with 31 seconds left, but the ensuing two-point try went for naught.

Bryce Enders, RB/LB, Halifax: The determined Enders played a lead role, rushing 21 times for 272 yards and touchdowns covering 52, 44, 60 and 9 yards as Halifax halted a 17-game losing streak by upending Trinity 37-32. Enders added one 12-yard pass reception and racked up seven tackles defensively — two quarterback sacks — in the Wildcats’ needed victory.

Bryce Herb, QB/DB, Williams Valley: Herb’s aerial theatrics enabled the host Vikings to hold off Mahanoy Area 27-22 and move into next weekend’s District 11 Class 1A championship game. Herb fired three touchdown passes, connecting with Alex Achenbach for a 40-yard score, Jake Herman for a 38-yard TD and Brady Evans on a 13-yard toss that provided the game-winning points.

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Sunday Morning QB: Camp Hill earns District 3-2A title; Governor Mifflin topples Mechanicsburg; Steel-High remains unbeaten; Lower Dauphin and CV notch wins and more

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Sunday Morning QB: Camp Hill earns District 3-2A title; Governor Mifflin topples Mechanicsburg; Steel-High remains unbeaten; Lower Dauphin and CV notch wins and more

By Andy Shay: 

Camp Hill claimed its 10th District 3 football championship in school history by taking out York Catholic in the Class 2A championship game.

First, congratulations to Camp Hill alum and head coach Tim Bigelow and his staff. Nothing is easy in the 2020 world of COVID-19 football, but when you have a short roster keeping it together takes everyone pulling on the same rope.

How about the Lions defense in the championship game? Playing that Capital Division schedule prepared Camp Hill’s defense for a big moment on the big stage. Holding the Fighting Irish to only seven points was a game-changer. The only touchdown they surrendered was on a trick play.

And how about the Lions offense grinding it out on the ground and using the talented right arm of quarterback Daniel Shuster to keep York Catholic off balance? That was big as well. I mean, the Lions had a drive in the second half that nearly drained 11 minutes off the clock.

Shuster finished with 275 passing yards and three touchdowns, Christian Doi had 174 total yards (118 receiving, 56 rushing) and caught a touchdown pass and that Lions defense delivered in spades.

Mechanicsburg ran into what a trusted Berks County football expert I know said is the best Governor Mifflin team he’s ever seen. I’ve seen a couple Mifflin squads that grabbed my attention, but I trust his judgment. Not only are the Mustangs that good with an FBS recruit at running back, they are dominant along the line of scrimmage and that’s a shortcoming in this matchup the Wildcats couldn’t hide. Mifflin dominated their District 3 Class 5A semifinal winning by 44 points. Don’t worry Mechanicsburg fans, Mifflin has done that to everybody this season. It has still been a stellar season for the Wildcats, and based on their schedule they plan to keep playing in 2020.

Northern wasn’t in bad shape Friday night against ELCO trailing 14-0 just before the half in their District 3 Class 4A semifinal. The Polar Bears put together a long drive just before intermission that stalled deep in Raiders territory. Northern lined up to kick a chip-shot field goal, after ELCO called three consecutive timeouts to ice the kicker, to try and cut the deficit to 14-3. ELCO blocked the kick, and Jake Williams took it 80 yards the other way for a touchdown that made it 21-0 for the Raiders on their way to a 42-7 victory.

Steel-High kept its perfect season intact by rolling District 4 champion Muncy in the PIAA Class 1A playoffs at Cottage Hill Saturday afternoon. This game was over by halftime as the Rollers raced to a 36-14 cushion at intermission. The explosion came early in this one. Odell Greene had 101 yards on nine carries and a TD; QB Alex Erby threw for 264 yards and four touchdowns; Damein Hammonds had five taches for 135 yards and three scores; and Mekhi Flowers added five grabs for 115 yards and a TD. All this was in the FIRST HALF. Muncy kept firing in the second half and made it very interesting down the stretch before falling 50-43.

Hershey dropped its first game of the season to a struggling Manheim Central squad that improved to 3-5 overall with a 24-21 victory. The Trojans’ downfall was third down on defense in the second half. They couldn’t get MC off the field. In the key drive that gave Manheim Central the lead 21-14, Hershey had the Barons in third-and-17, third-and-13 (really bad PI call against Hershey kept the drive alive) and third-and-7. The Barons converted all three. Then after slicing the deficit to 24-21 in the fourth quarter, Manheim Central converted three more third downs to run out the clock.

Good to see Bishop McDevitt back on the field after just missing the playoffs. The Crusaders cruised past Palmyra behind QB Lek Powell’s 275 yards and three touchdowns and WR Mario Easterly hauling in seven catches for 114 yards and a pair of scores to go along with a 66-yard punt return for a score.

Nice win by Cumberland Valley against a Carlisle team that was on a roll and looking to end its 15-game losing streak to the Eagles. Isaac Sines threw a pair of touchdowns, including the game-winner with 6:55 left to Gavin Conklin. Herd RB Sean Smith finished with 27 carries for 149 yards and a touchdown, but Carlisle turned it over three times on fumbles. Can’t give the ball away to the Eagles. They have a history of punishing teams that give them extra chances.

I was at the Wyomissing vs. Middletown District 3 Class 3A championship game Friday night. You can read my game story and Making The Grade take on the Spartans’ 38-16 victory. My biggest takeaway was Wyomissing is bigger, stronger and faster overall. That was it. The Blue Raiders did very little to hurt themselves and didn’t play a bad game at all.

Congratulations to Lower Dauphin coach Rob Klock and his Falcons for ending their 16-game losing streak with a victory over Mifflin County. You could see on film the Falcons were making strides this season. And it was rewarded against the Huskies. Klock has been down this road before with LD. He knows how to build it back up. Time and patience are required.

Greencastle-Antrim picked up a dramatic and crazy 23-21 victory over East Pennsboro Friday night. Adam Root hauled in a TD pass from Zack Cole with 50 seconds left to slice the Panthers’ lead to 21-20. The Blue Devils went for the win, but a run on the two-point try was stuffed by East Pennsboro. Then Greencastle recovered the onside kick, moved downfield and kicked an 18-yard field goal in the dying seconds to win it. CRAZY!!

My under-the-radar performance for this week goes to West Perry running back Trent Herrera. His 102 yards on 19 carries and two touchdowns in a 24-18 win over Waynesboro. It was the Mustangs’ first win of the season.

Making the Grade: Wyomissing 38, Middletown 16

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Making the Grade: Wyomissing 38, Middletown 16

By Andy Shay: 

Wyomissing started fast with 14 quick points in the District 3 Class 3A championship game with Middletown and never looked back.

This was the fifth consecutive year these two squads have met in the playoffs. The first three went to Middletown and now the Spartans have claimed two in a row.

There’s a lot to like about Wyomissing’s vintage Wing-T offense this season. But the hammer for this squad is a defense that flies to the ball and sets the edge with authority. Middletown had chances in the second quarter and the Spartans’ defense made the Blue Raiders go away quietly on their way to a 38-16 victory.

Time to hand out some grades.

WYOMISSING SPARTANS

Quarterback: All you need to know about the value of Zach Zechman running this offense is two of the three Spartans’ touchdowns in the first quarter came through the air. And both throws came under pressure. He didn’t attempt a pass the second half. Because he didn’t need to. He’s a weapon . Grade: A

Running Back: FB Evan Niedrowski is a load at 6-2, 240 pounds. And when he gets to the second level rolling downhill he forces guys to make tough choices when it comes to tackling him. He is not easy to get to the ground. Pounded his way to 167 yards on 20 carries with a dozen or so broken tackles. They have a nice variety of halfbacks (Wing-T term) that all fill a variety of roles. Niedrowski sets it all up, though. Grade: B+

Wide Receivers: Aiden Mack is a very good Wing-T blocking tight end, but they also use him in the passing game. He made a nice TD grab, but also dropped an easy one in the flat for a first down. They like to sweep those halfbacks out in the flats to catch passes and that’s hard to defend.  Grade: A

Offensive Line: Run blocking on the inside was superior. Early on Wyomissing had success with the counter play they dearly love. But Middletown adjusted and this group struggled to get that blocked after the first quarter. The key to a great night was the passing blocking. It was outstanding and giving Zechman time kept the Blue Raiders defense off balance. Grade: A

Defensive Line: They float a lot of guys in and out on the inside, but the result was the same. These guys get off blocks with a purpose and fly down the line of scrimmage with plenty of zip. Inside gap discipline was superior. Limited Middletown to 79 yards on 30 carries. Well done. Grade: A

Linebackers: Niedrowski is a fullback on offense and you can tell for a 240-pound dude he’s athletic as well. When he plays inside linebacker you can see his speed more clearly. He closes a gap. Thomas Grabowski, his partner in the middle has great instincts for where the play is going. Jack Feightner stood out to me on the outside. He was all over the field. Grade: A

Secondary: Middletown has some very respectable receivers and they were covered up and muted in terms of impact all game. Run support on the stretch plays outside was also very good. Grade: A

Special Teams: Kicker Aidan Cirulli has a big leg and pounds the ball through the uprights on extra points. Kick returns were solid, but they surrendered a 97-yard kickoff return for a TD and gave up another 50-yard return. And a bad punt snap cost them a safety. Grade: C-

MIDDLETOWN BLUE RAIDERS

Quarterback: First game for junior Tony Powell this season. Glad he made it back on the field in 2020. But man against a defense this fast and aggressive … it was a tough ask of any player with all the rust. I can’t imagine how tough it was for him. He didn’t get much help up front with time to throw, so his delivery of the ball was hurried. First game in the district final is just tough. Grade: C+

Running Back: On his second carry Tymir Jackson fumbled and it led to seven points that made it 14-0. He ran hard, but there wasn’t much room to roam inside the tackles. Finished with only 40 yards on 16 carries. Grade: C+

Wide Receivers: They tried every way in the playbook to get TE Tajae Broadie the ball. Wyomissing knew it too and had him covered up. Still managed five grabs, but only 29 yards. Finding open receivers more than five yards downfield didn’t happen. Grade: B-

Offensive Line: This was always going to be critical for the Blue Raiders to have any success and they struggled big-time against an attacking front that was just faster and stronger.  Grade: D

Defensive Line: Jackson had a couple tackles for a loss and had a quarterback hurry, but Broadie was pretty quiet on defense. The Wyomissing OL is elite at this level. Adjusted well to the counter play, though. Inside fullback runs were breaking the first wave too easy. Grade: B-

Linebackers: This group really struggled on the inside with fullback runs going for big yards with plenty of missed tackles. Outside they were burned early on a couple of those buck sweep counter Wing-T thingies before adjusting pretty well. But the damage had already been done. Grade: C

Secondary: I will say this, this group made a lot of tackles downfield and was the adjustment to make the counter play go away after it killed the Blue Raiders in the first quarter. Pass coverage was average, but tackling in space and run support was outstanding. Grade: B+

Special Teams: Derek Wall had 193 yards on three kickoff returns including a 97-yard return for a touchdown. Great night from him. Kick coverage overall was fine. That fake punt run that turned into a last punt that traveled six yards was a bad call to open the second half. Gave the Spartans a short field. Grade: B

Wyomissing stifles Middletown en route to a 38-16 victory in the District 3 Class 3A championship

Andy Shay
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Wyomissing stifles Middletown en route to a 38-16 victory in the District 3 Class 3A championship

By Andy Shay: 

For all of its exploits and weapons on offense, the key to Wyomissing claiming a District 3 Class 3A championship Friday night was what the Spartans did on defense to Middletown.

The speed of the Spartans’ defense simply overwhelmed the Blue Raiders offense and in the second quarter, when the game was still hanging in the balance, Wyomissing slammed the door.

Fullback Evan Niedrowski scored three touchdowns to pace Wyomissing to a 38-16 title clinching victory over Middletown at War Memorial Field.

Wyomissing’s defense held the Blue Raiders to fewer than 150 total yards and didn’t surrender a touchdown until the dying minutes in the fourth quarter.

The Blue Raiders’ other touchdown came on a 97-yard kickoff return by Derek Wall late in the first quarter that made it 14-7 after the Spartans zipped to an early 14-0 advantage.

“Give them a lot of credit. That’s a good football team there. We’ve been at it with them for five years and this is the best team they’ve had, obviously,” Middletown coach Brett Myers said. “We weren’t able to get the edges on them and their kids were running to the ball really well.”

Niedrowski, a 6-2, 240-pound beast to get to the ground who led all rushers with 167 yards on 20 carries, hauled in a nine-yard touchdown pass late in the first quarter to put the Spartans up 21-7.

Middletown was on the verge of getting rolled, but the Raiders battled back defensively in the second quarter and gave their offensive opportunities.

A safety on a botched punt snap by Wyomissing made it 21-9 less than 90 seconds into the second quarter, and Middletown was still very much alive and kicking.

The next three times Middletown had the ball it started at the Wyomissing 37, the Spartans’ 34 after a fumble recovery by Dylan Zettlemoyer, and its own 45-yard-line.

That’s when the Wyomissing defense came alive and salted this game away, yielding zero points, two first downs and 45 total yards of offense from those three possessions.

“They got off blocks so well. And some of their inside guys were faster than we thought and we couldn’t get to the edges and outrun them,” said Myers, whose club managed only 79 rushing yards on 30 carries. “Their big guys ran better than we thought. Their two inside linebackers and their three down defensive lineman got down the line pretty darn fast. Give them credit.”

Wyomissing         21-0-10-7 – 38

Middletown         7-2-0-7 – 16

First quarter

W-Aiden Mack 13 pass from Zach Zechman (Aidan Cirulli kick), 7:00

W-Jordan Auman 19 run (Cirulli kick), 2:48

M-Derek Wall 97 kickoff return (Tyson Leach kick), 2:33

W-Evan Niedrowski 14 pass from Zechman (Cirulli kick), 1:10

Second quarter

M-Safety, ball recovered in the end zone, 10:33

Third quarter

W-Niedrowski  13 run (Cirulli kick), 9:38 

W-FG Cirulli 29, 3:40

Fourth quarter

W-Niedrowski 3 run (Cirulli kick), 6:23

M-Tony Powell 14 run (Leach kick), 2:38

Team statistics           W                 MT

First downs                 16                    8

Rush-yards                  44-264             30-79

Comp-Att-Int              6-10-0           8-18-0

Passing yards                45                  65

Fumbles-lost              2-1                   1-1 

Punts-Avg.                  2-28.5                   5-29.2

Penalties-yards            4-33                 7-75

Individual statistics

RUSHING: Wyomissing, Evan Niedrowski 20-167, Jordan Auman 10-34, Amory Thompson 4-29, Jason Gartner 4-42, Thomas Grabowski 1-3, John Huber 3-13, Team 2-(minus-24); MIddletown, Tymir Jackson 16-40, Bryant Audric 4-12, Tajae Broadie 1-(minus-1), Julio Rodriguez 2-3, Tony Powell 6-24, Tim Wagner 1-(minus-1).

PASSING: Wyomissing, Zach Zechman 6-10-0—45; Middletown, Powell 7-17-0—59, Rodriguez, 1-1-0—6.

RECEIVING: Wyomissing, Niedrowski 2-21, Darren Brunner 2-17, Aiden Mack 2-7; Middletown, Broadie 5-29, Derek Wall 1-11, Wagner 2-25.

On its first possession of the second half Wyomissing had a short field and put the game out of reach when Niedrowski needed only two carries to cover 28 yards that pushed the Spartans’ lead to 28-9.

No flags for holding: Red Land football power couple, coaches Frank and Erin Gay, battle ‘Newlywed Game’ style

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No flags for holding: Red Land football power couple, coaches Frank and Erin Gay, battle ‘Newlywed Game’ style

By Geoff Morrow
For The Sentinel & 4th Down Magazine

You can’t put a ring on it unless you first pop the finger back into place.

Such is love the Frank and Erin Gay way.

Two intensely competitive individuals who have devoted their entire lives to participating in and coaching athletics, Frank and Erin didn’t connect until well into adulthood at Red Land High School, where Frank is the career coordinator in the guidance department, and Erin is a health and physical education teacher.

Their relationship blossomed over some vigorous pick-up basketball games at Red Land nearly 10 years ago. At one point, the feverish rivalry led to Frank accidentally dislocating Erin’s finger, which he then (lovingly?) placed back into its joint.

Frank, by way of Central Cambria High School and Juniata College (four-year starter at linebacker), and Erin, by way of West Perry High School and St. Bonaventure University (full scholarship, three-year starter in basketball), are both established, highly respected coaches of high school and youth sports.

A standout in football, wrestling and baseball at Central Cambria, Frank Gay was the longtime head football coach at Red Land, then took the same position at Camp Hill (2011-17) before returning to Red Land’s sideline in 2018.

Erin, an inductee to both the West Perry High School and West Shore halls of fame, starred (as Erin Sober) in basketball, softball and volleyball for the Mustangs, and she’s coached a wide variety of sports at various levels. She’s currently a middle school track and field coach and also the ninth grade boys basketball coach at Red Land.

The couple married in April 2015 on the front porch of their Newberry Township home and celebrated with a ceremony on the 50-yard line of the football stadium at Siebert Park in Camp Hill. This was after Frank proposed to Erin at center court at St. Bonaventure during halftime of an alumni game.Frank Gay 1 web

But some might say the relationship reached a new peak late this summer when, after years of bugging Frank to join his football staff, Erin was finally offered an assistant coach position on the first day of practice. Erin’s duties this season include conditioning, helping with receivers and defensive backs, handling paperwork, overseeing the scout team and helping Frank stay organized. It’s not glamorous work, but she’s doing it and has helped the Patriots to a 3-3 record heading into this week’s showdown with rival Cedar Cliff (7 p.m. Friday at West Shore Stadium).

Though they’re not exactly newlyweds, it’s certainly “new” territory for a husband and wife to both be coaching from the same football sideline. So, we decided to put them to the test with some game show-style questions:

(Note: Neither has seen the other’s answers. Until now. Some questions and answers have been edited for length and clarity, but editing was done carefully to avoid landing in the middle of two hyper-competitive adults who can outrun and out-lift pretty much all of us.)

Q: Frank’s most commonly used “coach” phrase during practice:
Frank: I have no idea.
Erin: I think he screams “Hustle!” about 20-25 times every practice. I can’t stand when players walk on the field.

Q: Erin’s most commonly used “coach” phrase:
Frank: Hustle.
Erin: There are so many to pick from.

Q: Who is most likely to start a sports argument, and who is most likely to win that argument:
Frank: I would start it. She says she will win, but I absolutely will win it!
Erin: I will definitely start it. If I start talking about sports and he doesn’t comment, I get mad and it turns into an argument. And I like to think that I win!

Q: Basketball, 1 vs. 1, game to 11, counting by 1’s and 2’s. What’s the final score, and who wins:
Frank: Well, it used to be me, but now that I have two new knees, she would win. But it would be close because it would get bloody! She would pay for each basket made!
Erin: Obviously I would win! We have played many times, and his only way of beating me is to either foul the crap out of me or he gets on this “out of his mind” streak. But I would definitely win, 11-5.

Q: Golf, 18 holes at Valley Green Golf Course, who wins:
Frank: I would win hands down! She can’t stay focused for 18 holes.
Erin: Golf is very serious for him! I would definitely lose. I would also use my foot wedge multiple times, pick it out of the sand or move the ball into a position that I like. I would play well for about six or seven holes, but then I would lose focus. Not Frank! All serious all the time on the golf course!

Q: Who is most likely to wake up in the middle of the night angry or frustrated over a missed call:
Frank: Me. I can’t sleep if something like that happens.
Erin: When my head hits the pillow, I am out! Frank, however, will wake up thinking about how he needs to fix something or excited about practice starting or the first game.

Q: Who is mostly likely to chew out an official:
Frank: Well, with her being an official, it would be me. She tries to stay loyal to her fraternity. In basketball, she can recite the exact rules. Hard to argue with that!
Erin: I got my first sideline warning at the McDevitt game. Ha! Frank spun around and yelled, “Who said something?” I have been known to have some words with officials. Frank will say something, but he normally lets it go. He will definitely chew out the player! But he has settled down more as he has gotten older.

Q: Worst temper when it comes to athletics:
Frank: Absolutely me. But I hardly ever cross the line. In 31 years, I have had only two 15-yard penalties.
Erin: Me! I am extremely competitive, and I HATE to lose. I rant and rave for a few days after a loss. Frank is better at letting it go and moving onto the next game.

Q: Who liked whom first, and who asked whom out first:
Frank: I think it was mutual. We have a ton in common. I asked her out.
Erin: I think it was mutual because we have so many similarities. Frank asked me to attend an athletic banquet with him, and he called it a date.

Q: Among dogs Lily and Hooper and cats Duncan and Midnight, who is most likely to fall asleep on or next to Erin on the couch:
Frank: Duncan.
Erin: Dunkin. He is my buddy.
Editor’s note: Same answer. Different spellings!

Q: Who is the most romantic, and what was your last grand romantic gesture:
Frank: Me! I tell her I love her every chance that I get!
Erin: Not me! Frank is probably more romantic, but not by much. Our ideas of dates are eating out at Giant and getting a salad, going to a sporting event, or going to Dick’s to shop. My last romantic idea was for Christmas last year: I bought him tickets to a Def Leppard concert, and he had to open five different presents leading up to the actual gift. Unfortunately, the concert got canceled because of COVID!

Q: Three words to describe your partner as a coach, then three words you would use to describe yourself as a coach:
Frank: Knows the game, competitive, demanding for Erin. … Competitive, demanding, passionate for me.
Erin: Passionate, knowledgeable, driven for Frank. … Intense, motivating, passionate for me.

News and Notes: Schuylkill League

4thdownmagazine
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News and Notes: Schuylkill League

By Michael Bullock: 

Tri-Valley to encounter familiar foe in District 11 playoffs

Sitting at No. 2 when District 11 wrapped up its Class 1A regular-season power rankings, Tri-Valley (4-1) will encounter the same Nativity program (5-3) when the semifinal round of the four-team event begins to unfold Friday at North Schuylkill. Yet while Jeff Sampson’s club popped the Green Wave 41-17 in last year’s semis, Pat Mason’s squad defeated Pottsville and pushed Williams Valley to the limit during the regular season. So, this scrap has lots of explosive potential. Tri-Valley rebounded from its loss to Williams Valley last weekend, unleashing a powerful ground game en route to a 41-10 conquest of Marian Catholic. Chase Herb fueled Tri-Valley’s rushing attack, collecting 177 yards and four touchdowns on 17 tries. Sampson’s Bulldogs also picked up 103 yards and another score from Jake Scheib, while Kameron Wetzel tacked up Tri-Valley’s final rushing TD. Caden Richards led Tri-Valley’s defensive effort, totaling eight stops — including two quarterback sacks. Nativity was tied with Jim Thorpe at the halftime break, but the Olympians broke the 7-7 deadlock and went on to a 35-13 victory. Thorpe also registered 10 tackles for loss and sacked Nativity quarterback Cody Miller a handful of times.

Williams Valley begins defense of its District 11-1A championship

Angling for a return trip to the District 11 Class 1A title game, Williams Valley will begin its quest for a second straight championship Friday night when Mahanoy Area pays a visit to Stauffenberg Field. Tim Savage’s Vikings (7-1) defeated the Golden Bears 28-20 during the regular season, as Bryce Herb passed for 293 yards and three touchdowns — Jesse Engle caught two and Logan Williard added one — while the combination of Herb, Hunter Wolfgang and Alex Achenbach added 144 yards on the ground. Jake Herman added five catches for 164 yards, and he also picked off three passes. Williams Valley, which forced seven turnovers, also watched Engle (12 tackles), Jackson Yoder (17 tackles) and Ezi Hite (15 tackles) recover fumbles. Savage’s Vikings last weekend secured their sixth straight victory, clipping Marian Catholic 41-10 as Herb passed for 179 yards and three scores. Achenbach also was productive, as the freshman banked 118 rushing yards and one TD. Mahanoy Area eased into the 11-1A semis by socking Shenandoah Valley 47-0.

Pine Grove to meet Lancaster-Lebanon League adversary

Although Pine Grove (2-6) did not qualify for the District 11 Class 3A playoffs, Frank Gaffney’s Cardinals will entertain Pequea Valley (1-5) in their regular-season finale. Josh Leininger passed for 167 yards and two touchdowns but also ran for 131 yards and one score, yet it wasn’t enough as Pine Grove tumbled 38-26 at Tamaqua. Both of Leininger’s touchdown passes went to Shea Morgan, who hauled in five passes for 110 yards. Morgan also rushed for a 50-yard touchdown on a fake punt. Friday’s scrap will give Morgan another chance to add to the single-season record (47) for receptions he set last weekend by passing Larry Zimmerman. Linebacker Brody Robinson recorded a single-game record 24 tackles — Robinson established the previous mark of 21 earlier this season — yet he also took over the single-season record set in 2004 by Chuck Brightbill. Pequea Valley will arrive in Pine Grove still stinging from a 29-28 overtime loss to Annville-Cleona. The Braves feature a two-pronged rushing attack fueled by Antonio Lazar and quarterback Nate Fisher. Fisher ran for three TDs and threw for a fourth in the loss to Annville-Cleona.

News and Notes: Mid-Penn Liberty

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News and Notes: Mid-Penn Liberty

By Michael Bullock: 

Each week during the 2020 season we’ll offer some news, notes, tidbits and opinions from each of the five divisions in the Mid-Penn Conference.


Juniata’s state tournament debut awaits

About to return to Altoona’s Mansion Park — the same venue at which Juniata downed Bellefonte 24-21 in last weekend’s District 6-9 Class 4A championship game — Kurt Condo’s surging Indians (5-1) will put their five-game winning streak on the line against District 10 winner Oil City (8-0) in a PIAA Class 4A opener. Juniata emerged in last weekend’s D6-9 final on Ben Wagner’s 24-yard field goal with just less than four minutes to play, points set up by the second of Zach Harr’s interceptions. QB Jacob Condo rushed for 103 yards, but he also threw for 62 yards and TD passes to Yaniel Ortiz and Jace White. Caleb Seeger added a long touchdown run for the resourceful Indians, who will be appearing in their first state tournament game. On tap is an explosive Oil City unit that wheeled past Harbor Creek 51-14 behind Sean Stack’s 208 rushing yards and four touchdowns. Cameron Russell added 137 yards on the ground for the Oilers, while QB Holden Stahl fired TD passes to Dakota Cole and J.T. Stahlman. Russell (117-1,483, 20 TDs) and Stack (59-666, 12) are both averaging 11 yards per carry or more, while Stahl has completed 28 of his 41 passes for 779 yards and 10 touchdowns. Cole and Stahlman have each logged five TD receptions, while averaging 22.1 and 37.2 yards per catch.

Upper Dauphin and Newport to meet … Monday

Victimized by the stop-and-start tempo that has impacted the 2020 regular season, Newport (2-2, 1-1) and Upper Dauphin (2-3, 2-1) will finally play their Mid-Penn Liberty contest Monday night at Katchmer Field. Todd Rothermel’s Buffaloes will be looking to halt a two-game skid that occurred in a span of four days — losses to Line Mountain (44-21) and Susquehanna Township ( (29-7) — but the ‘Port’s loss at Line Mountain was especially painful since the visitors were up 21-10 late in the opening half. What was troubling was the Buffs yielded more than 500 rushing yards to the Eagles, then conceded 400-plus offensive yards to Susquehanna Township. UD, which is skippered by former Newport DC Kent Smeltz, dropped a heartbreaking 43-42 contest to Fleetwood. Christian Snyder rushed for 180 yards and one score, while QB Tyler Cleveland and WR Hayden Harner each authored touchdown passes. Harner’s bomb to Kyle Casner (3-80) covered 70 yards. UD also played that game without versatile senior back Chance Crawford, who was injured against Halifax.

District championship hopes may be gone, but Line Mountain still at it

While Line Mountain’s bid for a District 4 Class 2A title may have been stopped cold by perennial hammer Southern Columbia, Brandon Carson’s Eagles (4-2) will try to bounce back when Boiling Springs (4-2) visits Ressler Field. Yielding 400 offensive yards to the powerful Tigers, Carson’s Eagles also found themselves trailing 49-0 until Garret Laudenslager ripped off a 23-yard touchdown run. Laudenslager wound up with 41 yards on eight carries, while QB Jacob Feese ran 22 times for 67 yards.  Boiling Springs also will be trying to rebound following a 47-7 loss to Wyomissing in the District 3 semifinals. Joey Menke and De’Von James combined for 121 rushing yards, while QB Colin Lunde added 92 yards through the air. One pertinent note: Boiling Springs blanked Camp Hill 35-0, the same Camp Hill squad that downed Line Mountain 35-28 in late September.

Susquenita hoping to run winning streak to four

Upbeat after surviving a 13-12 tussle with Trinity, Susquenita will ride its three-game winning streak into Newville for a scrap with Big Spring (3-3). Freshman QB Derek Gibney totaled 130 offensive yards — 86 came on the ground — and scored on short runs of 1 and 4 yards lead Scott Acri’s Blackhawks. Susquenita also goes into Friday night’s scrap having yielded just one offensive touchdown during its three-game streak — Trinity’s scores came on a pick-six and a fumble return — with that score posted by James Buchanan in a 40-6 reversal. Big Spring eased past Halifax 35-7 behind 155 rushing yards and one touchdown from Dillon Wakefield. … Other games on the schedule include: Trinity (0-6) at Halifax (0-5) and Northern Lebanon (0-7) at James Buchanan (0-4).

News and Notes: Mid-Penn Colonial

Andy Shay
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News and Notes: Mid-Penn Colonial

Each week during the 2020 season we’ll offer some news, notes, tidbits and opinions from each of the five divisions in the Mid-Penn Conference.

Northern looking to rebound:

 Northern has to climb off the deck after a gut-punch 22-0 loss to Waynesboro and be playoff ready for an ELCO team led by running quarterback Braden Bohannon. I say running quarterback because ELCO doesn’t throw even when you think it’s a passing situation. Third-and-seven is a running play. That’s just who they are. And nobody has slowed them down. Competition-wise I think the teams in this District 3 Class 4A semifinal are on fairly even footing in terms of their schedules. Overall, I think the Polar Bears and head coach Bill Miller have more weapons at their disposal. Northern’s defense has not played its best game and this would be a very good time to make that so. Posting fewer than 100 yards and getting shut out by a 3-2 team – full credit to Waynesboro is definitely in order – is not a good sign. It’s a crazy season, watch Northern go out and score 38 points and win going away. Gotta corral Bohannon first, though.

Tough task on tap for Mechanicsburg

Mechanicsburg knows they are up against it when they travel to face No. 1 seed Governor Mifflin Friday night in Shillington. They know FBS recruit Nick Singleton is an elite running back. The junior is the real deal. There’s more to the Mustangs, though, than Singleton. The big disadvantage for the Wildcats is along the line of scrimmage on both sides of the ball. That’s going to be key. All I know is the group of Wildcats has moxy, a quarterback who plays with the mentality of a linebacker and they will keep taking their shots no matter what. They are clear underdogs, but that was the case a year ago when they ventured to Warwick and gave the Warriors all they could handle in the first round. That will serve them well. It’s just hard to ignore how dominant Governor Mifflin has been this season. And I’m aware they play a very soft schedule. But they dropped 41 unanswered on Wilson in Week 1. That just is alarming to me.

News and Notes: Mid-Penn Capital

4thdownmagazine
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News and Notes: Mid-Penn Capital

By Andy Shay: 

Each week during the 2020 season we’ll offer some news, notes, tidbits and opinions from each of the five divisions in the Mid-Penn Conference.

Middletown and Wyomissing line up for the District 3 Class 3A title…again:

 For the fifth consecutive year Middletown will face off against Wyomissing in the District 3 Class 3A playoffs. This one is for the 2020 district championship. The Spartans have a more capable passing game led by QB Zach Zechman than in the previous four tilts. Wyo is still a ground-and-pound Wing-T outfit, but the sneaky good passing game could be critical. Middletown counters with a secondary that has all the pieces to handle a team that wants to throw. It’s tougher when that comes off the Wing-T. Both teams, as in every other game, will look to pound the ball down the other squads throat. Up front usually plays a role in this game and all I know is the Spartans have assembled a very large group of humans for a Class 3A team along the offensive line. Wyomissing is the clear favorite for sure.

Rollers use early season experience to fuel District 3 Class 1A title: 

In so many ways the game against Middletown and to a lesser degree but still important the contest with Camp Hill really helped Steel-High claim the District 3 Class 1A title on the road against Delone Catholic. It was a low-scoring affair in miserable weather conditions. The defense held the Squires to fewer than 50 yards and produced turnovers. And the Rollers showed again they are primarily a running team that can throw it all around the lot. Now it faces a 7-1 Muncy team in the PIAA playoffs that is a mirror image in many ways to the Rollers. One big difference, though. Steel-High is at home and has more overall team speed. This one could be wild in terms of the scoreboard, but it feels like the Rollers are a heavy favorite to move on.

Can extra rest for Camp Hill pay dividends in District 3 Class 2A championship:

Camp Hill needed to take a week before its upcoming District 3 Class 2A championship game with York Catholic because the Lions finished the game against Boiling Springs with fewer than 20 available players. That kind of explains the 35-0 loss to the Bubblers. Here’s hoping the rest served them well because York Catholic is physical and has a blazer in De’Kzeon Wyche who average 6.9 yards per carry. The Lions defense will be challenged. How much damage Daniel Shuster and that pass-happy offense can do will tell the story.

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