Brycen Armold runs for 6 TDs in Manheim rout

(This story was produced by LNP/Lancasteronline, and published in partnership with MikeDragoSports.com.)

By Bruce Morgan — LNP/Lancasteronline

Mikey Bentivegna grabbed headlines last week for York Suburban.

Understandably so, as the senior running back gobbled up 382 yards and scored six touchdowns in the Trojans’ 41-6 win over Donegal in a first-round District Three playoff win.

That earned No. 7-seeded York Suburban a match-up against a Manheim Central team which just happens to have an electric back of its own in Brycen Armold.

Friday Armold stole the show, finding big seams in the Trojans’ defense on his way to 250 yards on the ground and six TDs in the second-seeded Barons’ 63-14 victory in the District 3 Class 4A quarterfinals at Rettew Field.

It was Manheim Central’s 60th win in district playoff history.

“The offensive line makes huge holes, so once you can get to that secondary level, make a cut and just see where the open field is, that’s pretty much what it is,” said Armold, who scored on runs of 5, 10, 46, 41, 27 and 41 yards. “You’ve got to make guys miss.”

The Barons’ junior running back, who leads the Lancaster-Lebanon League with 31 touchdowns, is knocking on the door of a 2,000-yard rushing season. He he will get his chance next Friday night in the semifinals when Manheim Central hosts third-seeded Lampeter-Strasburg, a 52-6 winner over Susquehanna Township.

With Armold doing most of his damage in the first half, running for 206 yards, Manheim Central (10-1) scored on seven of its eight possessions and led 49-7 at the break. With an excellent average starting field position of their own 49-yard line in the first half, the Barons showed their quick-strike explosiveness, needing four plays or fewer on five of their scoring drives.

In all, Manheim Central gained 390 of its 542 total yards on the ground, with Jaden Weit chipping in with 105 yards and an 80-yard TD run.

“I think we can drive the ball when we need to, but we get plays where there’s a crease and that’s the thing about explosive players,” Baron coach Dave Hahn said. “Brycen can hit a seam and he’s gone. Jaden (Weit) can hit a seam and he’s gone. You could get Bode Sipel or Aaron (Enterline) in the open field and they’re gone.”

Meanwhile, the Barons’ swarming defense frustrated Bentivegna in the opening half, limiting him to 25 rushing yards on 14 attempts.

“We couldn’t let him get started,” Hahn said. “We had a lot of success early by bottling him up, making him cut back, getting guys up field fast and making him redirect and then everybody was there. We did that really well early, not so well in the second half.”

In the end, Bentivegna rushed for 126 yards on 25 carries, and the Trojans struck for a pair of long touchdowns on quarterback Rylan Bratton’s 84-yard, second-quarter pass to Alex Kefauver and a 66-yard fourth-quarter aerial to Dakota Shue. Bratton finished 11-of-23 for 250 yards with two picks.

Manheim Central quarterback Zac Hahn (8-of-9, 132 yards) added two touchdown passes — a 58-yard dart to Bode Sipel and a 44-yard strike to Rocco Daugherty down the left sideline.