Penn Manor pulls away from Reading High for Section 1 win
(This story was produced by LNP/Lancasteronline, and published in partnership with MikeDragoSports.com.)
By Michael Pollis — LNP/Lancasteronline
Penn Manor used a 27-point third quarter to blow open a close game and cruise to a 36-7 victory over Reading High in a Lancaster-Lebanon League Section 1 game Friday night at Millersville.
The Red Knights (0-2, 2-3) trailed just 9-0 at halftime but saw the Comets (2-0, 3-2) pounce on a pair of turnovers to break the game open. Penn Manor had three defensive touchdowns.
Reading quarterback Amier Burdine ran for 93 yards but completed just 4-of-13 passes and was picked off twice.
The Comets scored three times in the first minute-and-a-half of the third quarter.
Quarterback Eli Warfel got the party started with a 35-yard touchdown sprint right down the middle of the field.
From there, the defense and special teams took over. Two straight kickoffs pinned the Red Knights (2-3, 0-2) inside their own 10-yard-line and each time the Penn Manor defense capitalized with turnovers that were turned into defensive touchdowns.
The first came when Sekai Lewis scooped up a fumbled pitch and rambled into the end zone and the second when linebacker Jordan Martin ripped the ball out of a ballcarrier’s hands and rambled 20 yards for a score, marking the third touchdown of the night for the Comet defense.
Running back Jonathan Osman finished off the third quarter onslaught with a 56-yard run.
The first half saw a defensive slugfest as Reading and Penn Manor took turns fending off the opposing offenses, albeit in different ways.
The Comets defense took the more traditional route, dominating at the line of scrimmage, stifling the Reading run game and shutting down the passing attack. In all, the Red Knights went three-and-out on their first three drives, netting 9 total yards on eight runs and four incompletions.
The Reading defense took more of a bend-but-don’t-break approach while forcing timely turnovers and coming up with huge stops.
After forcing a fumble on the Comets’ first play from scrimmage, Reading allowed a 34-yard run by Noah Bolin. Two plays later, however, the Knights defense forced a second fumble.
Later in the first quarter, after allowing Penn Manor to drive to its 3-yard line thanks to a 31-yard run by DeShaun Stanley, the Reading defense came up with a huge stand, forcing two straight losses on running plays followed by an incompletion in the end zone.
The Comets were forced to settle for a field goal, which was booted through by Peter Skiadas.
Appropriately enough, the first touchdown of the night was also scored by the defense. Late in the first half, Comets linebacker Osman stepped in front of a Reading pass and returned it 30 yards for a touchdown.
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Final | |
| Reading High | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 7 |
| Penn Manor | 0 | 9 | 27 | 0 | 36 |
Scoring summary
| 2 | Penn Manor | Skiadas, 25 FG |
| 2 | Penn Manor | Osman, 30 interception return (kick failed) |
| 3 | Penn Manor | Warfel, 35 run (Skiadas kick) |
| 3 | Penn Manor | Lewis, 3 fumble return (Skiadas kick) |
| 3 | Penn Manor | Martin, 20 fumble return (Skiadas kick) |
| 3 | Penn Manor | Osman, 56 run (kick failed) |
| 4 | Reading High | Roman, 1 run (Murcia kick) |
Team statistics
| Reading High | Penn Manor | |
| First downs | 10 | 10 |
| Rushes-yards | 38-190 | 28-225 |
| Passing yards | 25 | 4 |
| Total yards | 215 | 229 |
| Passes | 4-13-2 | 1-6-0 |
| Fumbles-lost | 3-2 | 3-0 |
| Punts-average | 11 | 20 |
| Penalties-yards | 6-45 | 6-40 |
Individual statistics
RUSHING
Reading High: Burdine 15-93, Roman 12-61, C. Small 2-14, Hernandez 1-5,
D. Small 4-4, Valle 2-(-1), Rodriguez 1-(-7).
Penn Manor: Osman 5-65, Bolin 10-64, Warfel 5-45, Stanley 3-45, Smith 2-6, Fornier 2-(-4).
PASSING
Reading High: Burdine 4-13-2–25.
Penn Manor: Warfel 1-6-0–4.
RECEIVING
Reading High: Drayton 1-12, Rodriguez 1-9, Philistin 1-3, Roman 1-1.
Penn Manor: Wesley 1-6.