Conrad Weiser hoping improved defense shows up again against Elco
2024 Berks football coverage
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Conrad Weiser played its first game – and earned its first win – against Elco in 1969.
The Scouts and Raiders met every season thereafter for the next three decades, often in a season-opener, before the series was discontinued in 2003.
Since it resumed three years ago the series has been hotter than ever, the Scouts pulling out close wins in 2021 and 2022 before the Raiders returned serve last year, scoring the tiebreaking touchdown with a minute left for a 28-21 victory.
“We battled them,” said Weiser coach Alan Moyer on the eve of Thursday’s non-league meeting at Myerstown. “I thought we played them pretty well. We kept (Jake) Williams in check for most of the time. They used some other weapons and they got us in the end.”
The game will be Livestreamed Thursday at 7 by Mike Drago Sports, which is offering a special free view (the regular price to purchase a game is $7.99). Click here to find a link for the game.
This is one of four games involving Lancaster-Lebanon League teams Thursday. Daniel Boone is at Schuylkill Valley at 8; Annville-Cleona hosgts Hanover at 7; and Manheim Township plays at Central York at 7.
Several schools in the league have gone to Thursday games heading into Labor Day weekend.
This Elco team looks a lot different than the one that won last year’s game when quarterback Steven Rosado capped a 10-play, five-minute drive with a 1-yard TD run.
The biggest reason, of course, is the graduation of All-State running back Jake Williams, who rushed for more than 2,400 yards and scored 30 TDs last season.
The Raiders are now striving for a more balanced offensive attack. Rosado, who attempted just 59 passes last season in a starting role, threw 19 passes last week in a 33-6 loss at West York.
“They’re spreading you out more now,” Moyer said. “Hopefully our defense shows up like they did last week. We were very happy with the improved defensive play, (the way) guys were flying around. We’re gonna need them to step it up on Thursday night.”
Defense was a sore spot for the Scouts last season but not in their opener, a 21-7 win over Abington. They allowed just nine first downs and 81 rushing yards and got a score when Dylan Parr returned an interception 36 yards early in the fourth quarter for a 21-7 lead.
With nine starters back on that side of the ball Moyer was hoping to see improvement.
“They didn’t move the ball on us at all,” he said. “They had one long play in the first half; other than that they didn’t really move the ball.”
Moyer is hoping to see better results on offense. The Scouts were bogged down by two turnovers and 10 penalties against Abington; they didn’t score an offensive touchdown in the second half.
“We moved the ball pretty consistently,” Moyer said. “We just didn’t get it in the end zone. We had a TD called back (by penalty) on a screen pass. Kind of shot ourselves in the foot.”
Donovan Gingrich, a third-year starter at quarterback, completed 7-of-13 passes for 107 yards for Weiser.
The Scouts have a veteran team, with 15 starters back, but so do the Raiders. They have a huge senior class, with 27 players. That should be a benefit, though it didn’t show up last week.
Raiders coach Bob Miller said penalties and a lack of focus hurt his team. The Raiders trailed 33-0 before scoring in the fourth quarter.
Weiser and Elco met in league play the past two seasons. Weiser moved up to Section 3 for this season; Elco remains in Section 4.
The Scouts won 22-21 in 2022 when Gingrich completed a 14-yard TD pass to Trey Dianna with 1:02 remaining; the same combination hooked up on the two-point conversion. The Scouts won 35-32 in 2021.
Weiser leads the series 24-11.
The Scouts won the first meeting 29-0, part of a successful debut season that saw them finish 3-5.