Game of the Week: Wilson (3-1) vs. Cedar Crest (3-1)
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Wilson (3-1) vs. Cedar Crest (3-1)
Kick: Friday, 7, at Gurski Stadium.
Section 1 records: Bulldogs 1-0, Falcons 1-0.
Series: Bulldogs lead 50-4-1.
Last season: Wilson won 21-13.
2023 recap: The Bulldogs were outgained in total yardage and turned it over three times in the second half but held on as Edison Case came up with an interception in the end zone with 2:40 left. Correll Akings run for a TD and turned a short pass into a 35-yard score just before halftime. The Falcons, looking to reach 5-0, made it a one-possession game with a score late in the third quarter but couldn’t get into the end zone again.
Fast fact: Wilson has shut Cedar Crest out 14 times in 55 meetings, including five straight years, from 1983-87.
Bulldogs update: First-year QB Madyx Gruber has engineered the top-ranked offense in Section 1 of the Lancaster-Lebanon League by completing 66 percent of his passes and running for 165 yards and 3 scores. . . Averaging 384 yards per game, second-most in the entire league to Twin Valley. . . Gruber, a converted WR, threw 4 TDs in last week’s 50-6 win over Reading High. . . He has thrown for 648 yards. . . Correll Akings leads team with 337 rushing yards. . . Soph Monty Greer is averaging 10.9 yards per carry. . . Soph TE Michael Glover leads team with 16 receptions. . . Defense allowing just 78 rushing yards per game. . . Christo Hunsicker has kicked a pair of FGs, thrown a TD pass, and is second on team with 29 tackles. . . He leads team with 3 sacks. . . Soph LB EJ Brownback leads team with 30 tackles and 6 tackles for loss. . . Listed as one of 5 Teams To Watch in PennLive.com Class 6A state rankings.
Did you know? The Bulldogs have won 20 straight games in the series. The Falcons’ last win came in 2001, at Gurski Stadium, 21-0. That was the only shutout during Chad Henne’s four seasons as Wilson quarterback.
Falcons update: Off to a strong start despite graduating 11 all-league players and seeing long-time head coach Rob Wildasin resign following last season. . . Long-time assistant and Defensive Coordinator Nick Lambros stepped in and has seen his team average nearly 38 points per game. . . They have won by 29, 38, and 51 points but took a puzzling 19-3 loss to Warwick in Week 3. . . QB Jackson Custer, one of just a handful of return starters, has thrown for 353 yards and 5 TDs and rushed for 194 yards and 2 scores. . . WR Jack Waranavage, a second-team all-league pick last season, has 11 receptions for 251 yards and 3 TDs. . . Junior WR Cam Tirado also has 11 catches. . . Soph RB Isaiah Zimmerman leads team with 513 yards; he’s averaging 8.8 yards per carry. . . Blitzed Penn Manor 58-7 last week, gouging the Comets for 338 first-half yards and 470 total yards. . . Turned it over 7 times and committed a safety in loss at Warwick. . . Forced 6 turnovers in 45-7 win over Spring Grove. . . Rushing for 224 yards per game . . . Allowing only 109 per game on the ground. . . Winning margin: 25.5. . . Bolstered by roster that includes 28 seniors. . . Finished 8-3 last season, losing to eventual champ Harrisburg in opening round of districts.
Series flashback: Cedar Crest stunned Wilson 25-6 in a 1995 District 3 Class AAAA semifinal at Shirk Stadium – two weeks after the Bulldogs beat the Falcons 20-6. The unbeaten, Section 1 champion Bulldogs turned it over four times while the Section 1 runner-up Falcons played error-free ball. That snapped a 21-game winning streak in the series by the Bulldogs.
