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.
Capital Division faring well in the playoffs:
Three playoff teams for the Capital Division — Middletown, Steel-High and Camp Hill. Two of those squads have claimed District 3 titles. Steel-High won the Class 1A crown two weeks ago, and last Friday night the Lions upset York Catholic 21-7 in the Class 2A championship game. I call it an upset and that might ruffle the feathers of the Lions and their fans, but they were the underdogs. Camp Hill has only 28 players on its roster and numbers issues are just a way of life for the Lions. But they were able to get all the right players healthy and in the positions Tim Bigelow and his staff wanted for the game with York Catholic. Here’s the crazy part: Camp Hill is known as a team that likes to throw the ball all over the yard with strong-arm QB Daniel Shuster pulling the trigger. Against the Fighting Irish, Camp Hill grabbed the lead then went on a nearly 11-minute drive to ice the game away. I mean, York Catholic had only 32 offensive snaps the entire game. That’s a crazy number. Next up for Camp Hill is Bishop McDevitt Wyncote at home Friday night in a PIAA Class 2A quarterfinal.
Rollers clicking on the ground and through the air:
I keep hearing Steel-High is a running team. You don’t score 50 a game if you are a running team unless you are Southern Columbia. The Rollers are a very good running team, but they can go up-and-down the field with the best of them and that’s what happened Saturday at Cottage Hill against Muncy in a PIAA Class 1A game. The teams combined for 93 points (50-43 Rollers win) and more than 1,100 yards of total offense was put up. Quick, when was the last high school game where you saw the two teams combined for more than 120 total offensive snaps? No wonder it was 50-43. The halftime score was 36-14 Rollers, so 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 catches for 135 yards and three scores; and Mekhi Flowers added five grabs for 115 yards and a TD. All this was their numbers in the first half. Crazy.
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.
Battle for Keystone Division on tap:
Neither Hershey nor Bishop McDevitt earned a berth in the District 3 playoffs this year despite each boasting an unbeaten record at the playoff deadline. That’s how it goes in 2020. BUT … there is football left to be played, and the Crusaders and Trojans are scheduled to play Friday night at Hershey High School for the Keystone Division title. This game was wiped out by COVID-19 a couple weeks ago, and each team had a warm-up game last week to get ready. Hershey is coming off its first loss to Manheim Central in a game where the inability to get off the field on third down the second half and too many penalties ended up being the difference in a three-point loss. McDevitt rolled Palmyra while shaking off the COVID-19 week off rust. The biggest question in this one is can Hershey’s defense, which has been well above board compared to a year ago, slow down Crusaders QB Lek Powell? The senior has thrown for more than 1,500 yards in only six games and is completing like 64% of his passes. Hershey is not shy about taking shots in the passing game, and hits on more than they miss it seems. This is a very intriguing contest.
Lower Dauphin breaks 16-game losing streak:
Congratulations to the Lower Dauphin Falcons and head coach Rob Klock on ending their 16-game losing streak. You could see this win coming. The Falcons had been hanging around in a couple games recently, and it was just a matter of time. Klock has been down this path before as LD’s head coach. He knows how to build something. I’m just not sure when he opted to come back last year if he was fully aware of how far down the ladder he was going to start. The Falcons weren’t even competitive last year. This year they are better and have a win on their ledger. I wouldn’t bet against Klock bringing this program all the way back in a couple years.
Chance Eyler had a breakout game, tossing a career-high 229 yards in Friday’s 24-18 loss to West Perry.
The effort was enough to claim one of our last Player of the Week honors of this strange, truncated 2020 season.
Eyler’s stat line — 17-of-22, 229 yards, TD passes of 9 and 12 yards, an interception and seven carries for 13 yards — is the best of his career as well. The senior’s previous career high was 106 yards earlier this season.
Eyler now has 532 yards through the air in his final campaign, including six touchdowns, on. 48-of-87 passing. He also has 173 yards and two TDs on the ground.
Eyler has led the Indians to a 4-3 record.
He picked up 678 votes this week, 35.4% of the 1,915 votes cast. His only close competition was Shippensburg QR/DB Devin Wilson, who garnered 560 votes (29.2%). Halifax RB/LB Bryce Enders finished third with 281 votes (14.7%).
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.
CD East not afraid to take on new challenges:
This is just my humble opinion, but nobody has epitomized this strange and difficult season mired by the COVID-19 pandemic like CD East. The Panthers, led by Aaron Blanding, have not won a game this season and have struggled big-time on offense. They were willing to play anybody, anywhere early in the season. And after a week off, they are back at it for game No. 8 this season against Mechanicsburg at The Speedway. The Wildcats were a Class 5A playoff team and had an available date after getting bounced by Governor Mifflin last week. It should surprise nobody that CD East, a team that hasn’t scored a point in its last two games, stepped forward to grab the game. Wins and losses matter, but this season getting in eight games is a victory, too.
I like this grab-a-game and construct your schedule on the fly mentality. Now, it won’t work during normal times, but it is producing some fun matchups. Carlisle has to be irked after fumbling away an opportunity to beat Cumberland Valley last week, especially now that the Herd’s season is over following an outbreak of COVID-19 cases within the district. Cumberland Valley, a better version of the Eagles now than at any other point this season, are playing Cedar Cliff from the Keystone Division.
Each week, we’re scouring the Mid-Penn, Lancaster-Lebanon, York, and Berks conferences to determine the top 11 teams in the area regardless of classification. Take a look at which teams made the cut in our seventh edition of 2020. Disagree, let us know on Twitter (@4thdownmag) and Facebook.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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
