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.
Hershey challenging for a District 5A playoff berth:
*The 4-0 Hershey Trojans are on the District 3 Class 5A playoff bubble entering the final weeks. I have the breakdown for you based on the latest District 3 power ratings where Hershey is currently sixth. First, the Trojans need to beat winless Lower Dauphin and get to 5-0. That’s all they can control. Second, Hershey will get some help from a couple Colonial Division teams. Waynesboro is currently fourth and Mechanicsburg is fifth. Guess who square off Friday night at John H. Frederick Field? Mechanicsburg hosts Waynesboro. So the winner is in and the loser is out. The real help needs to come from Gettysburg. New Oxford, the No. 3 team in the power ratings, travels to Gettysburg. Hershey needs the Warriors to beat the Colonials. Gettysburg is 3-1, losing only to York Suburban two weeks ago 27-18. New Oxford is 4-0 and drubbed that same York Suburban squad 38-6 last week. To sum it up, Hershey needs to win and hope Gettysburg knocks off New Oxford. Otherwise the Trojans are out.
Keystone division top heavy:
Like the Commonwealth Division, the crew from the Keystone is top heavy this strange season with Hershey and Bishop McDevitt each 4-0. The other five teams, Red Land, Cedar Cliff, Mifflin County, Lower Dauphin and Palmyra, are a combined 4-14 overall.
Bishop McDevitt QB firing on all cylinders:
Bishop McDevitt quarterback Lek Powell has thrown nine touchdown passes and posted more than 500 yards through the air his last two games against Cedar Cliff and Cumberland Valley. That’s impressive. Crusaders appear bound for the District 3 Class 4A playoffs with an aerial game in tow.
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.
Carlisle playing tough against Commonwealth foes:
Carlisle gave State College all it could handle in the Mid-Penn Conference version of Monday Night Football. The game was moved because of possible COVID-19 issues around the State High program that made playing last Friday a no-go. All knotted up at 21 at the half, Little Lions QB Conrad Moore accounted for a pair of touchdowns to open up a 35-21 cushion on their way to a 38-29 victory. Carlisle was powered by Ezeekai Thomas and Sean Smith, who combined for nearly 250 yards on the ground. Smith had a game-high 145 yards and also added 43 yards through the air with a rushing TD. The Thundering Herd acquitted themselves admirably the last eight quarters against Central Dauphin and State College.
Harrisburg searching for one more game:
As of writing this, Harrisburg is still in search of a fourth game to possibly qualify for the District 3 Championships. The Cougars played Williamsport on Tuesday evening, winning 41-0. Harrisburg has until the Oct. 26 deadline to find opponent No. 4. Commonwealth Division mate Carlisle had an opening after the Thundering Herd lost its scheduled game with Altoona to the District 6 Championships. Carlisle opted to play Cedar Cliff instead of Harrisburg with its open date.
Offensive firepower limiting several Commonwealth teams:
Only three teams in the Commonwealth Division own winning records ﹘ Central Dauphin, Harrisburg and State College. The other five are .500 or below. Offense has been the big problem. CD East and Cumberland Valley have scored a combined 59 points in eight games, and Chambersburg has only 64 points in its four outings. It’s impossible to compete scoring fewer than 10 points a game.
Rams’ Shamarr Joppy making an impact:
Central Dauphin’s Shamarr Joppy had himself a game against Altoona. The senior carried only twice but led the Rams in rushing with 86 yards and a touchdown. He also had three tackles, two tackles for a loss, 1.5 sacks and forced a fumble on defense. That’s some major impact right there. CD had nearly 300 yards rushing, but nobody had more than Joppy’s 86 in the win over Altoona. The Rams have so many options and spread it around.
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 fourth 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 Oct. 16-17 of the regular season.
Jake Adams’s Game Balls
Defensive backs, Mechanicsburg: Partial credit to a defensive line that was sharp on the pass rush despite not recording a sack. The Wildcats’ defensive backs benefited greatly and set up the potent offense with five interceptions from five different players in Friday’s 40-7 win at Susquehanna Township. Yes … five players picked off Donald Leach in a blowout. Those names: James Anderson, Taylor Shearer, Nick Morrison, Sam DeLuca and Caleb Brubaker. Mechanicsburg has 11 picks already this season. I imagine that leads the Mid-Penn.
Micah Brubaker, QB, Mechanicsburg: Yes, I’m going with the rare two-fer. It’d be unfair to exclude Brubaker following the best game of his season. He’s been on this list before for lesser performances, so his 16-of-22, 224-yard night passing deserves a game ball. Brubaker fired three touchdowns, all of which were impressive in their accuracy and daring, and ran for another while accumulating more than 70 yards on the ground. He’s been superbly accurate all year and dangerous in so many ways for the unbeaten Wildcats.
Gavin Feliciano, K, Red Land: Let’s give a kicker some props. Feliciano knocked two field goals through the uprights during a 20-7 win over Lower Dauphin, giving him three for the season. His longest of the night was a 37-yarder. He also has six extra points this season, giving him 15 points so far this season.
Andy Shay’s Game Balls
Sy Burgos, RB, East Pennsboro: The 5-foot-7, 170-pound junior exploded in the second half and sparked a dramatic comeback for the now 3-1 East Pennsboro. How ‘bout them Panthers!! Burgos and company trailed Waynesboro 28-14 at halftime and by a point (28-27) heading into the fourth quarter. East Pennsboro won going away after rolling up 26 unanswered in the second half. Burgos scored three of the Panthers’ four second-half touchdowns, including the game winner on a 69-yard scamper with 6:49 to play. He finished with four touchdowns runs on only seven carries ﹘ pretty good touch-to-touchdown ratio, I’d say ﹘ and had 116 yards for a nifty 16.6 yards per carry average. His other touchdown runs covered 8, 12 and 28 yards. Four touchdowns on seven carries always gets a game ball.
Tajae Broadie, DE-FB, Middletown: At 6-4 and 220 pounds the Blue Raiders’ athletic junior is hard to miss on the field watching warm-ups. He’s bigger than a couple of Middletown’s offensive lineman, and the cruel part for opponents is they hand him the ball as a fullback. Broadie is the most diversely talented player on the field most nights, and when a guy performs at or beyond those expectations it’s a joy to watch. His impact for the Blue Raiders is on both sides of the ball, and to beat Boiling Springs the Blue Raiders needed him to deliver. And Broadie did just that by accounting for 84 total yards (62 rushing, 22 receiving) offensively on 12 touches (10 carries, 2 receptions) in the 20-16 victory. He also had a sack, terrorized the Bubblers QB when he dropped back to pass all game, forced a fumble and blocked an extra point on special teams. That’s an all-around game right there.
Brycen Hassinger, QB, Mifflin County: Nobody had run the ball with any success against Hershey this season until the 6-2, 190-pound senior carved up the Trojans for 155 yards. The Huskies still fell to Hershey 24-14, but it took a stellar goal-line stand by the Trojans defense to keep Hassinger and company at a comfortable distance. Mifflin County runs the veer, and with the QB pulling the trigger and making those reads, the offense goes as he goes. Eclipsing the 150-yard mark and scoring a touchdown against a defense that has given up next to nothing on the ground all seasonis a special game and deserves a game ball. The final result is irrelevant when you are the player on the field who had the biggest impact on the game for your team.
Adam Kulikowski’s Game Balls
Cam Ochs, WR, Camp Hill: This cat has quickly become the favorite target of senior QB Daniel Shuster–and for good reason. The lanky wideout showed off some soft hands with a dazzling one-hand grab on a 62-yard touchdown reception against Steel-High. He finished the afternoon with 174 stripes on five receptions in the 36-26 loss to the Rollers.
Tymir Jackson, RB-DT, Middletown: The Bubblers defensive front seven likely needed ice baths after Friday night’s battle against the Blue Raiders. That’s what happens when you face off against a bruising back like the 5-11, 220-pound Jackson. The senior battered Boilings Springs 29 times for 175 yards and a touchdown in the Blue Raiders’ 20-16 victory against its Capital Division foe.
Michael Bullock’s Game Balls
Aiden Wiest, RB, Upper Dauphin: One of three Trojans backs to rush for 100 or more yards — there nearly was a fourth — Wiest rolled up 167 yards on just 10 attempts and scored three times as UD outran Halifax 38-28 in Mid-Penn Liberty play. UD’s ground game piled up 483 yards on 42 attempts (11.5 ypc) and totaled five touchdowns. Wiest also caught one pass for 22 yards as the Trojans totaled 600-plus yards of offense.
Manny O’Donell, WR, Juniata: O’Donell was a factor on the flanks, catching four passes for 73 yards and touchdowns covering 24 and 22 yards as the Indians downed Lancaster Catholic 28-20 in overtime. Both of O’Donell’s scores arrived in the first half as Kurt Condo’s bunch opened a 14-10 lead on the road.
Ryan Stahl, WR-DB, Halifax: Stahl showed why he’s Halifax’s Swiss Army knife, as the multi-talented senior caught 11 passes for 129 yards and one touchdown in the Wildcats’ 38-28 loss to Upper Dauphin. Also completed his lone pass for a 19-yard TD while making 14 stops on the defensive side of the ball.
Jackson Yoder, C-ILB, Williams Valley: Yoder totaled 13 tackles from his inside backer spot — including one for a loss — as the Vikings trimmed Schuylkill Haven 22-7 in Schuylkill 2 action. Yoder also was part of an offensive front that opened enough holes so freshman Alex Achenbach could roll up 100-plus yards and one score.
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 Wednesday at noon and voting is allowed once per hour. The winner will be announced Wednesday evening.
Tajae Broadie, DE-FB, Middletown: The 6-4, 220-pound junior accounted for 84 total yards (62 rushing, 22 receiving) offensively on 12 touches (10 carries, 2 receptions) in the 20-16 victory over Boiling Springs. Also had a sack, a forced fumble and blocked an extra point on special teams.
Tymir Jackson, RB-DT, Middletown: The 5-11, 220-pound senior carried 29 times for 175 yards and a touchdown run covering 18 in the Blue Raiders’ 20-16 victory over Boiling Springs.
Sy Burgos, RB, East Pennsboro: The 5-7, 170-pound junior exploded in the fourth quarter in a 40-28 victory over Waynesboro. Two of his four touchdown runs, covering 12 and 69 yards, came in the fourth quarter when the Panthers outscored the Indians 19-0. Finished with game-high 116 yards on only seven carries.
Lek Powell, QB, Bishop McDevitt: The 6-0, 180-pound senior threw for 197 yards and four touchdowns in a 45-10 victory over Cumberland Valley. Powell has thrown for more than 500 yards with nine touchdown passes the last two games in wins over the Eagles and Cedar Cliff.
Odell Greene, RB, Steel-High: When you run for 275 yards on 31 carries, and take four of those handoffs to the house in a 36-26 win over Camp Hill, you tend to deserve a nod for this list. Greene scored on runs of 51, 17, 21 and 9 yards, the last securing the win.
Daniel Shuster, QB, Camp Hill: What a shootout. The senior signal caller finished with 412 yards on 20-of-42 passing. While Shuster did throw three interceptions in the Lions’ 36-26 loss to Steel-High, he did fire four TDs to four different receivers, all of which went for at least 28 yards.
Cam Ochs, WR, Camp Hill: One of four receivers to haul in a TD for the Lions during a 36-26 loss Saturday to Steel-High, Ochs finished with five receptions, 174 yards and a 62-yard TD.
Micah Brubaker, QB, Mechanicsburg: A regular in these parts, Brubaker had arguably his best game of the season, finishing 16-of-22 for 224 yards and three scores (one going for 76 yards) while rushing 11 times for 76 stripes and a first-quarter TD. He has the Wildcats flying high at 4-0 after a 40-7 win over Susquehanna Township.
Caleb Brubaker, WR-DB, Mechanicsburg: Hey, look! The other twin! Caleb makes the cut after a seven-catch, 101-yard night that including two impressive TD grabs of 16 and 17 yards. He also had one of the Wildcats’ five INTs in the 40-7 win over Susquehanna Township.
Kiev Gregg, RB, Harrisburg: Mission accomplished. Gregg scored four times, all in the first half, to trip the mercy rule clock in the second half during a 49-0 win over J.P. McCaskey. Gregg played just 24 minutes, but scored on runs of 1, 27, 2 and 2 yards and finished with 11 carries and 77 yards.
Trenten Smith, WR-DB, Cedar Cliff: Smith Jr. scored on both sides of the ball and finished with six catches for 65 yards during a 42-0 whitewash of Palmyra. His two scores came in the first half, the first a 21-yard reception and the second a pick-6 before halftime.
Jacob Feese, QB-LB, Line Mountain: Feese directed Line Mountain’s attack wonderfully, rushing for 142 yards on 14 carries and scoring four first-half touchdowns on runs of 48, 1, 2 and 23 yards. Also threw for 99 yards (6-of-10, 0 picks) as the Eagles popped Northwest 47-20 for their third straight victory.
Jesse Engle, TE-LB, Williams Valley: Engle was dominant defensively as the Vikings clipped Schuylkill 2 playmate Schuylkill Haven 22-7. In addition to making 12 stops from his inside ‘backer position — including one quarterback sack — the 6-1, 225-pounder returned an interception 40 yards for Williams Valley’s first score.
Chase Herb, RB-DE, Tri-Valley: Herb continued to stand out as Tri-Valley ran its record to 3-0 with a 47-7 thumping of Marian Catholic. Herb cracked 200 yards rushing for the second consecutive weekend, collecting 210 yards on 18 carries and scoring on runs of 1, 10 and 20 yards.
Shea Morgan, WR-DB, Pine Grove: Morgan had another big night in space, catching touchdown passes of 8, 51 and 8 yards as the Cardinals walloped Panther Valley 49-6. Morgan also converted all seven of his placement attempts.
Christian Snyder, RB-LB, Upper Dauphin: Snyder uncorked a terrific two-way effort as Upper Dauphin evened its mark at 2-2 with a 38-28 triumph at Halifax. Snyder rushed 16 times for 109 yards and one score, but was just as effective defensively as he piled up 13 tackles — including one for a loss.
Good morning, and hello East Pennsboro Panthers. The Panthers are riding a three-game winning streak under first-year coach John Denniston and get to be part of the conversation in the crazy Mid-Penn Colonial Division.
Taking out previously undefeated Waynesboro by double digits is attention worthy. Storming back from two touchdowns down at halftime to zip past the Indians takes it to another level.
This is how I see the Panthers to date in 2020:
New head coach and all the stuff that comes with that was a factor in getting rolled 37-7 in the opener by unbeaten Northern. The result makes sense.
Nice bounce back with some offensive pop to outscore Fleetwood to get win No. 1 for coach.
Kept the momentum going into Week 3 and used a fast start to the tune of 28 first-half points to outgun winless West Perry. Another solid win.
This one, though, is a bit shocking ﹘ not so much in the result but how it came about.
Despite leading by two touchdowns at halftime, Waynesboro didn’t have much say in the outcome of this game. It was always the Panthers’ result to get. Waynesboro used a pair of special teams gems to build their lead ﹘ a blocked punt recovered in the end zone for a touchdown and a 97-yard kickoff return.
This victory was all about East Pennsboro’s defense locking down the Indians and giving the Panthers’ offense enough chances to get rolling in the second half.
How do you give up two special teams daggers and win going away? You hold the opposition to fewer than 100 total yards, hog the ball, limit the snaps to only 36 and only allow 2.8 yards per play from those snaps.
The Panthers’ defense had seven tackles for a loss, a sack and an interception. Of course, they were helped out by Sy Burgos and Devin Shepherd each climbing over 100 yards with five combined touchdowns.
For the record, I took a peek at the District 3 power rankings. I quickly shut it down after I saw what was going on in Class 5A. Look, I’m grateful we are playing football in 2020, right. And the format of limited brackets is the right decision.
But as it sits right now Mechanicsburg would not make the limited Class 5A field. Yeah, that’s all I have to say about that.
Micah Brubaker and that Mechanicsburg offense continue to roll. After tossing a second consecutive 40-plus spot on the board against Susquehanna Township, the Wildcats have now scored 151 points in four games. The hidden key is probably a defense that is surrendering only 10 points a game. Brubaker had another “typical Micah” game with 283 total yards (214 passing, 69 rushing) and four touchdowns.
Boiling Springs strolled into War Memorial Field in Middletown with an undefeated record and something to prove. Yes, the Bubblers fell 20-16 to the Blue Raiders in a splendid football game. I would argue despite the loss the Bubblers proved they are a quality team in 2020.
Middletown coach Brett Myers agreed, and he knows what it looks like.
“That’s a really good football team we just beat,” Myers said. “Give them credit.”
Boiling Springs has a trio of backs that each fill those critical roles in the Wing-T nicely, the OL has improved greatly and the defense ﹘ despite giving up 253 rushing yards to Middletown, which was always going to happen because the Blue Raiders are also good ﹘ showed some grit with a couple goal-line stands. When it comes to my eye test, the Bubblers pass and have the look of a playoff team.
This score ﹘ Central Dauphin 49, Altoona 20 ﹘ tells me that despite going down by four touchdowns Altoona played well. It was a one-score game at halftime before the Rams lit the fuse and pulled away.
That’s what CD can do at any time, though. They are explosive. Solid road win for the undefeated Rams. Malachi Bowman had a TD reception and returned a kickoff 84 yards to the house. Lots and lots of weapons for CD makes them nearly impossible to slow down.
Bishop McDevitt quarterback Lek Powell has thrown nine touchdowns the last two games after tossing four in the Crusaders’ drubbing of Cumberland Valley. He went for 330 yards and five touchdowns the week prior in the win over Cedar Cliff. And my bad on saying he had an interception against the Colts. I was wrong. My stat sheet let me down.
The Northern Polar Bears went to 4-0 with a narrow victory over Greencastle-Antrim. When it comes to Northern, they have the right stuff on offense triggered by QB Jordan Heisey, and his key pieces are all showing up, too. They have a solid kicking game ﹘ that always comes in handy. I’m not sure about the Polar Bears defense, though. They surrendered 27 points to the Blue Devils, a squad that had scored only once in the previous eight quarters, and have allowed 20 or more points to each of its last three opponents ﹘ who combined have exactly two wins. Hey, 4-0 is all that matters, right?
Hershey stayed the course and is 4-0 for the first time since 2011 when it started the season 7-0 before getting steamrolled by Bishop McDevitt. It wasn’t easy to hold off struggling Mifflin County. That goal-line stand by the Trojans defense was HUGE. QB Jackson Bouslough had a nifty 7-yard TD run and tossed a pair of touchdowns.
My under-the-radar performance of the week goes to Red Land RB-LB Dylan Rodenhaber. This is his first year as a running back, and he’s a much better linebacker than he is a running back. I’m a big fan of his play on defense. But out of necessity he’s forced to carry the load for a Patriots offense that struggles to score points.
In the victory over winless Lower Dauphin he carried it 23 times for 116 yards. The defense helped out with a pair of interceptions, and Parker Lawler took a blocked punt 19 yards to the end zone for a critical Red Land touchdown. Rodenhaber runs hard and does most of his work between the tackles. Never underestimate the value of a grinder playing out of position by necessity and still producing.
All you can ask for if you are Boiling Springs is a shot to win it in the fourth quarter against a team like Middletown. And the Bubblers had it Friday night. They could not throw the ball with any success at all, and that was a difference maker when you have to 50 yards in less than two minutes to get a win.
Middletown deserved to win the game because they were the more complete team. Both clubs ran the ball extremely well, and each defense came up with stands when it mattered. Boiling Springs made two huge stands in the shadow of its own goal line to stay in the game.
Boiling Springs gave the Blue Raiders their best shot. And Middletown absorbed it and still found a way to claim a 20-16 victory in a very well played game.
Time to hand out some grades.
BOILING SPRINGS BUBBLERS
Quarterback: When you go 0-for-8 passing on the night, most of the blame is going to fall on the quarterback. Not in this case. Junior Colin Lunde literally had no time to throw. Not even a short out. The pressure was in his grill almost immediately. I mean, the Bubblers are a Wing-T squad. Passing is not their bread and butter. But you gotta get something out of it to beat Middletown. I will put the first play of the game, an out route that was wide open for a big gain, on Lunde, though. The other seven he was not at fault. Grade: C
Running Back: Nice trio for the Wing-T offense at their disposal, and they each play a specific role. De’Von James, Joseph Menke and fullback Aidan Metzger give the Bubblers plenty of punch and ability to work inside or outside. I found myself wanting Metzger to get the ball a little more than his 12 carries, but that’s the right number. After ripping off 98 yards on 10 carries the first half, Menke had only two carries the second half. Blame the Bubblers running only nine plays the first 19 minutes of the second half. The trio accounted for 210 yards and a couple touchdowns. Grade: A-
Wide Receivers: When you don’t complete a pass and run the Wing-T offense, well, that kind of leaves a gap when it comes to evaluation on this night. Grade: Incomplete
Offensive Line: For me this is tricky. When it came to run blocking they were more than up to the task. The inside stuff worked well, and the edge blocking was splendid and really was a difference maker. But that pass blocking was atrocious. There’s no other way to put it. I know a couple of the dudes on the other side of the ball are studs. But your quarterback needs more than a second after he sets to look downfield. And that happened only once. I get the Wing-T is all about run blocking and being efficient. And for that it was an above-the-board grade with flying colors. The other part … well, it was a difference maker that hurt. Grade: B-
Defensive Line: When Middletown has a 210-pound running back, and you stop the Blue Raiders when they have first-and-goal at the 1 and on the next possession buck up and get another turnover on downs at your own 10-yard line, well, that’s something to hang your hat on. It was impressive to watch that kind of grind from this defensive front. They did surrender more than 250 yards on the ground, but those stands overshadowed the rest in my book. Grade: A-
Linebackers: Junior Aidan Metzger and sophomore Trey McCardell aren’t the biggest guys, but the Bubblers have a couple solid inside guys for now and the future. They are both solid tacklers, and they had to be on this night. Those are a couple of man-sized backs coming at you. Joseph Menke off the edge at OLB is sneaky good, although I think he was the one caught on that jet sweep TD for the Blue Raiders. I like what I saw out of this group. Grade: A
Secondary: There was more than the 40-yard touchdown pass that didn’t hit for Middletown. Two other deep shots were poor throws or would have been big plays. The receiver was wide open. And there was a fourth-down pass under in the gap that was too wide open. Nobody was covering the drag receiver at all. A good passing team will give this secondary fits. Overall it was a struggle. Grade: C-
Special Teams: Kicker Jack Laing had a nice 32-yard field goal. The blocked extra point wasn’t his fault. Up front the boys didn’t do their job. Averaging less than 30 yards a punt swings field position, kick coverage on kickoffs I saw too many missed tackles. Second blocked punt in as many weeks for Joseph Menke Grade: B
MIDDLETOWN BLUE RAIDERS
Quarterback: That was one beautiful throw by Julio Rodriguez on that 40-yard touchdown pass. He had another one over the middle he just missed or that would have been another big play. The receiver was wide open, he just led him too much. He had plenty of time to throw, so his OL gets credit for that. He’s the No. 2 guy, not the one they want under center in a perfect world, but he was efficient and delivered two clutch throws.. Grade: B-
Running Back: Tymir Jackson was a horse. 20 carries in the second half, and he just kept slamming his 210-pound frame inside the tackles all night. Finished with a game-high 175 yards and had a touchdown on a nifty 18-yard run. And having Tajae Broadie as the second option at a physical and athletic 220 pounds is a weapon. He made would-be tacklers miss all night. Coach Brett Myers was right about lousy play calling at the goal line. That wasn’t Jackson’s fault down there. It was the same play and Boiling Springs stopped it. Grade: A
Wide Receivers: Julian Nester and Terrell Daniels are good. Really, there’s not much more to say. They have ZERO problem getting open, and each has those soft hands you can’t really teach or coach. They will be heard from more later if the Blue Raiders get their starting QB back. They are both go-to guys. Grade: A
Offensive Line: They are not a powerhouse by any means, and the best way to describe them is a work in progress with an infusion of new talent learning the ropes. They got shoved around when it became tight quarters at the goal line. And the backs Middletown has helped them. Pass blocking was very good, though. The QB was never under any stress. Grade: B
Defensive Line: It starts with Tajae Broadie and Tymir Jackson. Not only are those guys weapons on offense, they are terrors on defense. Boiling Springs needed a little bit out of its passing game to upset the Blue Raiders. This duo made sure it didn’t happen by making sure there wasn’t an extra second to throw the ball. Run defense was efficient against the Wing-T. It’s a tough sled to push in terms of consistency on defense up front. Grade: A-
Linebackers: Jayson Stoner and Jeremy Wells had respectable games inside. They made enough key stops and splash plays to earn a respectable mark on this night. Overall, though, the LB’s were out of position too much and over running plays way too often in the first half. I saw a few too many missed tackles, too. Grade: B-
Secondary: So the other team doesn’t complete a pass in eight attempts so the secondary did its job, right? Honestly, they didn’t have much to do because the pressure from the DL was so intense it wrecked any attempt to pass. I didn’t see many guys open, though. Run support was above board, though. Corner Julian Nester made two or three outstanding solo tackles in the open field on an island when it mattered. His technique was rock solid. Grade: A
Special Teams: So the kicking game when it comes to extra points and kickoffs is going to be a SERIOUS work in progress. That’s pretty obvious. Kick coverage was shaky. Terrell Daniels did bomb a 49-yard punt the first time he dropped back, the second one was blocked and his edge protector let him down. Grade: C
MIDDLETOWN — There was never any doubt Friday night that Boiling Springs was in over its head against Middletown at War Memorial Field.
The Blue Raiders still won the football game, but it took a couple first-half gifts from the Bubblers and a big night from senior running back Tymir Jackson for Middletown to subdue Boiling Springs.
In a game where Boiling Springs actually had the last shot to win the game, it was the Middletown defense that came up with a big stop in a tight spot to preserve a 20-16 Mid-Penn Capital Division victory.
“I think this was a testimony to the hard work our kids have put in and how far we’ve come. This is a great measuring stick for us. Middletown has been the bully on the block for however long,” Boiling Springs head coach Brad Zell said. “For us to get where we want to get, you have to go through them. And we brought it tonight. That was a battle.”
Two mistakes in the first half haunted the Bubblers in this one, and took six critical points off the board in a tight game. Joey Menke, who finished with a team-high 101 yards on 12 carries, had a 37-yard touchdown called back for a false start with Boiling Springs trailing 13-3.
Later in that same drive the Bubblers had first-and-goal at the 2-yard line and Trey McCardell fumbled.
“That’s a really good football team we just beat. Give them credit,” Middletown head coach Brett Myers said. “It was good for us to compete against a physical team after not playing for two weeks.”
Middletown led 13-10 at the half and dominated the second half behind the running of Jackson, who finished with 175 yards on 29 carries and scored one touchdown.
The Raiders took the second half kickoff and marched to the Bubblers’ 1-yard line with first-and-goal. Jackson, who is a physical 5-foot-11, 210-pound battering ram, was turned away by the Boiling Springs defense for the first of its two second-half stands.
After the Bubblers punted, Middletown again ventured deep into Boiling Springs territory looking for the knockout punch to make it a two-score game only to be denied by the Bubblers defense.
“You look at the backs they have, to stop them inside the 10-yard line twice, that’s pretty impressive. I’m very happy with that,” Zell said. “I can’t fault our guys one bit. That was a heckuva football game.”
The third time was a charm for Middletown, though, when Byant Audrie raced 21 yards around right end on a jet sweep for a touchdown that put the Blue Raiders up with 4:44 to play.
“I called bad plays. I call the goal line stuff, and I just called bad plays,” Myers said. “We’re still not in a groove yet, we haven’t found our groove offensively.”
Boiling Springs didn’t go away quietly down 10 points with less than five minutes to play. The Bubblers, who had the ball twice and ran only nine plays the first 19 minutes of the second half, raced 54 yards in less than three minutes to make it 20-16. De’Von James capped the drive with a 5-yard scamper.
Then it got really interesting when Douglas Bear recovered a deflected onsides kick to set the Bubblers up at midfield with 1:43 to play. But the inability to complete a pass all night ended up being a huge difference maker, and when Boiling Springs had to throw it just wasn’t in the cards.
“Their pressure when we tried to pass … it might have been the difference in the game, really,” Zell said. “We had those two mistakes in the first half, and those hurt. But we battled back and didn’t let them kill us. You have to throw against a team like that. And we couldn’t get that part of our game going tonight.”
BLUE RAIDERS 20, BUBBLERS 16
Boiling Springs 3-7-0-6—16
Middletown 7-6-0-7—20
Scoring summary
First quarter
BoS-FG Jack Laing 32, 7:09
M-Julian Nester 40 pass from Julio Rodriguez (Nolan Sessa kick), :11
Second quarter
M-Tymir Jackson 18 run (kick failed), 7:43
BoS-Joseph Menke 45 run (Laing kick), :49
Third quarter
None
Fourth quarter
M-Byant Audrie 10 run (Collin Shaffer kick), 4:52
BoS-De’Von James 5 run (kick blocked), 1:48
Team stats BoS M
First downs 13 19
Rush-yards 47-238 46-253
Passing 0 87
Comp-Att-Int 0-8-0 6-11-0
Fumbles-lost 1-1 0-0
Punts-Avg. 4-29 1-49
Penalties-Yards 3-35 5-55
Individual statistics
RUSHING: Boiling Springs, Joseph Menke 12-101, Aidan Metzger 12-57, De’Von James 15-52, Trey McCardell 6-21, Colin Lunde 2-7; Middletown, Tymir Jackson 29-175, Tajae Broadie 10-62, Byant Audrie 4-15, Jaydon Wotring 1-3, Team 2-(minus-2).
PASSING: Boiling Springs, Lunde 0-8-0—0; Middletown, Julio Rodriguez 6-11-0—87.
BOILING SPRINGS (3-0) at MIDDLETOWN (1-1) 7 p.m. Friday, War Memorial Field, Middletown
THE BUBBLERS: Grinding out first downs via the run would normally fall into the “don’t do it” category when squaring off with Middletown, but here’s the rub. The Blue Raiders are still in the development phase, particularly up front, on defense. Second, the Bubblers have been really good at running the football in their unblemished start. RBs Joey Menke and De’Von James are averaging a silly 9.6 and 9.9 yards per carry. The duo has combined for 541 yards and 11 touchdowns. Junior FB Aidan Metzger actually leads the team in carries and he’s breaking for 60-plus yards per contest. So, QB Colin Lunde has only attempted 15 passes but does have a pair of TD tosses. If Middletown can’t at least slow those first three competitors, forget it. It’s also worth noting that Boiling Springs popped Big Spring last week with a modest 226 total yards of offense. That means Brad Zell’s crew is producing in multiple phases. Against the Bulldogs, it was MLB Jaydan Barrick hitting paydirt with a pick-6 and blocked punt return. Fellow LBs Doug Bear and Menke can be disruptive.
THE BLUE RAIDERS: Well, Brett Myers & Co. should be good and rested for the Bubblers’ vaunted Wing-T. After week 3 opponent Camp Hill had to shut down due to a positive COVID-19 case in the district, Middletown scrambled for find a replacement. Several area programs advertised as open to all comers but ultimately turned the Raiders down. So, it’s a pretty simple scenario moving forward. Middletown needs a 3-1 mark to have a chance to make the D3 Class 3A field. And, it appears the Raiders must pocket those wins without QB Tony Powell (arm), who is not quite ready to return. RB Tymir Jackson can carry a heavy load, but it’s clear the Raiders need a lot more success in the passing game to balance the attack. Back-up Julio Rodriguez has stepped in, but the Raiders managed just 13 passing yards in a 43-21 loss to Steel-High last time out. Getting the ball into the hands of Jackson, Tajae Broadie, Julian Nester and others is key. Tackling-leader Audric Bryant and other top stoppers Jayson Stoner and Dylon Zettlemoyer need more strong minutes.
THE SERIES: In the last 10 meetings, Middletown holds a 7-3 series edge and has won five straight. Middletown is averaging 46.8 points in the current winning streak. Boiling Springs last tasted victory over the Blue Raiders in 2014, winning 28-13 at War Memorial Field.
DOWN & DISTANCE: With the District 3 deadline looming, a Boiling Springs victory would all but guarantee the Bubblers a spot in the 3A circuit. Boiling Springs currently owns a slight lead over Wyomissing for the first of four seeds. Win or lose, Middletown, standing third in 3A, could potentially play the Bubblers again in the postseason.
