Conrad Weiser used season-ending loss to Cocalico to fuel run at Section 3 title

By Mike Drago Last updated Oct 17, 2024

Conrad Weiser Scouts. (Brad Drey/Purdon photography)

2024 Berks football coverage presented by

Utilities Employees Credit Union

A strong showing in a season-ending loss to Cocalico last year ignited Conrad Weiser’s bounce-back this season.

A win over that same team Friday will virtually complete the Scouts’ turnaround season and make them a Lancaster-Lebanon League champion for the first time.

Conrad Weiser has never beaten Cocalico but it gave an Eagles team on the way to a second straight District 3 Class 5A championship a scare; the Scouts led 14-10 in the third quarter before giving up a pair of touchdowns.

It was recorded as a loss for the Scouts but in reality it was a win for the program, which had stumbled to a second straight losing season.

“That gave us all the momentum we needed,” senior defensive end Mason Gechter said, looking back to that 24-14 loss. “Our coaches saw it; we all saw it. Cocalico was one of the best teams on our schedule last year and we played ’em toe-to-toe. That just gave us all the confidence going into this year.”

The Scouts have not lost since.

“That (game) drove us in the offseason,” Weiser coach Alan Moyer said.

The Scouts used their success against the Eagles to ignite a renewed dedication to the game. They worked vigorously in the offseason to get stronger and faster and the results have been stunning: an 8-0 start, the best in the program since a 10-0 regular season in 1996. They’re unbeaten in Section 3, winning their five league game by an average of 23.2 points.

Cocalico quarterback Josh Myer. (Chris Knight/LNP photo)

A win over the Eagles (4-0, 6-2) will clinch the Section 3 title. Cocalico can claim the section with wins over Weiser and against Fleetwood in next week’s regular season finale.

Gechter admits he didn’t expect to see the Scouts in this position. He knew his team would be improved but didn’t envision playing for a championship.

“Coming into the season we had high hopes,” he said. “This is as high as the hopes can get, being 8-0, playing for a championship. It’s a great spot to be in.”

Bryan Strohl will tell you he didn’t see his Cocalico team in this spot, either. It graduated 20 seniors and 15 all-league picks, among them Section 4 Defensive Back of the Year and all-league running back Aaron Longenecker.

On top of that the Eagles opened the season without their best player, All-State linebacker Dane Bollinger, who had ACL surgery in the spring.

Longtime Lancaster-Lebanon League kingpin Manheim Central was regarded as the preseason favorite; Garden Spot, the Section 3 co-champ a year ago, was considered a top contender.

Those two faded, clearing a path to the top for the Scouts and the Eagles.

Cocalico took it on the chin twice in the first three weeks, losing to New Oxford and Lampeter-Strasburg. The picture looked glum.

Of course, no one knew at the time that those two teams would be undefeated at this point of the season. Or that Bollinger would make sure a rapid return, rejoining the lineup at midseason.

Cocalico had three returning offensive line starters to lean on and an experienced, winning quarterback in Josh Myer to follow. The program has shown its depth and the Eagles, as usual, are getting prepped for a big game late in the season.

“If you had said (after those early losses) we’d be 6-2 and unbeaten in the section I would’ve taken it in a heartbeat,” said Strohl. “I’m thrilled with where we’re at.”

Cocalico’s longtime strength – the precision with which it runs its Triple Option offense – again has been the backbone of its playoff run.

Myer hasn’t completed a pass in over a month but the Eagles keep on rolling. They are averaging 280 rushing yards per game, second-most in the league. The offense is not quite as productive as in past years but it’s been enough to help them string together five straight wins.

Conrad Weiser’s most difficult game this season came against Solanco, which runs the same offense. The Mules led 14-7 and 21-14 before the Scouts figured out how to stop them and won going away, 56-35. Still, Solanco rushed for 369 yards and cranked out 19 first downs.

The Scouts are hoping that game helped prepare them.

“I think we learned a lot from that game,” said senior defensive end Ashton Kiebach. “Everyone’s watching film this week (to prepare).”

The Scouts have the better record, the better stats, and have done better against their Section 3 opponents than the Eagles.

What they won’t have Friday is their full lineup. Their 21-7 win over Warwick last week proved costly as three key players – representing four starting positions – were lost for the season with injuries: Leading receiver Evan Rittle, leading rusher Javien Rivera, and starting defensive back and backup tailback Jonathan McQuillen will watch this showdown from the sidelines.

“Those are some of our key guys,” Gechter said, “but we have depth. Our guys are well-coached; we know what we’re doing. We’re ready to go.”

“Hey, no excuses,” Moyer said. “You’ve got to go out and win some hardware. These kids have been through a lot of adversity. They pulled together and function as a team. As Coach (Ferdie) Kuczala always said: ‘A good team finds a way to win.’ ”