Ephrata tops Manheim Central again for milestone win
2025 Berks football coverage presented by
Utilities Employees Credit Union
(This story was produced by LNP/Lancasteronline, and published in partnership with MikeDragoSports.com.)
By Jason Guarente — LNP/Lancasteronline
MANHEIM — The chant was noticeable even though it quickly faded away. Four words every sports fan has heard a hundred times before: “This is our house.”
| Final | |
| Ephrata | 17 |
| Manheim Central | 6 |
For Ephrata to say it here, on Manheim Central’s home field, was no longer unthinkable. It was a sign of the times.
“I didn’t hear it,” senior lineman Jackson Nolt said. “I wish I did. I would’ve been chanting along with them.”
Ephrata went 16 years without beating Central in football before last season. The Mountaineers did it again Friday night. It was a 17-6 decision in non-league play at Rettew Stadium.
The win brought a milestone. It was No. 400 in Ephrata’s history.
“I don’t think a lot of the kids knew about it until the end of the game when we talked about it here in the huddle,” head coach Kris Miller said. “It’s huge for our alumni and our community. That’s what this is all about.”
Ephrata’s fans filled the entire visitors section of the bleachers. The students, dressed in pink, were a large portion of the crowd.
When the final seconds ticked off the clock, the players ran toward that pink cluster to begin their celebration. The opponent and the big, round number were secondary to something else. A feeling of personal satisfaction.
“It’s winning a football game that’s just amazing,” Nolt said. “It’s winning alongside all my brothers.”
This effort was “gritty” as quarterback Carson Martin put it. It was “hard-fought” to use Miller’s words. Ephrata trailed 6-3 at halftime and was struggling to produce the offensive plays it needed. One came in the closing minutes of the third quarter.
Martin threw an up-for-grabs pass to Josiah Grant who hauled it in for a 19-yard touchdown. That put Ephrata ahead 10-6. Grant wasn’t open on the play. Far from it. Martin decided to throw it anyway.
“He’s 6-foot-3 and he can jump like crazy,” Martin said. “I saw the matchup and I’m like, ‘He’s gonna go get that. That’s basically what he’s there for.”
Grant, who didn’t play football until eighth grade, made the catch despite a pass interference penalty. In a game where every yard was contested, something extraordinary was required to create some points.
“That was huge,” Miller said. “It allowed us to catch our breath for a second. To say, ‘We’re all right.’”
Ephrata only managed 12 first downs and most of those were at the end. The Mounts had 70 yards on the ground and 114 through the air.
Evan Honberger delivered a 39-yard field goal that would’ve been good from much farther late in the first half. The senior has to be on the short list of best kickers in the Lancaster-Lebanon League.
Ephrata added another touchdown early in the fourth. Martin connected with Elijah Frain, who used his back to shield the defender and secure a 10-yard connection.
Central (1-1), after scoring 47 points against West Philadelphia in Week 1, couldn’t muster much offense. The Barons’ TD came on Logan Geib’s 7-yard run after they were given a short field because of a fourth down stop. Central was held to 100 net yards and seven first downs.
Ephrata (2-0) ended a 36-year playoff drought when it reached the District 3 Class 5A championship game two years back. The Mounts are off to a fast start in pursuit of another postseason appearance.
As they gathered together for the postgame speech, the players erupted in another chant. Six words this time: “It’s great … to be … a Mountaineer.”
“It’s especially great tonight,” Miller said with a smile.
“100 percent,” Nolt added. “I will always bleed purple and gold.”
The bus pulled out of Central’s parking lot about 45 minutes later. It was time for Ephrata to head home and start working on No. 401.
