Stingy Cocalico defense blocks Wyo’s path to Section 4 title, ends record winning streak

By mikedragosports Last updated Oct 8, 2023

Wyomissing's Derek Macrina can't find running room against Cocalico. (Tim Macrina photo)

2023 Berks football coverage presented by

Utilities Employees Credit Union

By Mike Drago — MikeDragoSports.com Managing Editor

DENVER – Bob Wolfrum realized right away Friday, after seeing his Wyomissing football team go three-and-out on its first possession, that the Spartans’ perfect season could be in jeopardy.

“We found out in the first series we just couldn’t block what we were trying to do,” he said.

Cocalico’s rock-solid defense – ranked No. 1 in the Lancaster-Lebanon League against the run – turned the Spartans back time after time, limited them to six first downs and ended the longest regular season winning streak in Berks football history with a decisive 34-14 victory.

“I thought our offense could move the ball,” said Wolfrum. “We couldn’t (find) any answers for their defense.”

The Eagles (4-0, 6-1) had the answer man: It was senior Aaryn Longenecker. He ran for three touchdowns and scored a fourth on a Pick Six in the final minutes to punctuate Cocalico’s dominance and give it sole possession of first place in Section 4 of the Lancaster-Lebanon League.

Longenecker scored on runs of 28, 15 and 30 yards as the Eagles found a weakness in Wyomissing’s defense, exploiting the edges with power sweeps that sprung him for each of his offensive scores.

“They caught us with some formation stuff (they hadn’t shown much),” Wolfrum said. “They loaded two guys on the wing side and got that toss.”

Cocalico quarterback Josh Myer checked off at the line constantly and put his team in good position to find the weak spots in a Wyomissing defense that was playing without outside linebacker Collin Niedrowski.

The Eagles didn’t complete a pass in the game but didn’t need to, rushing for 267 yards and converting on each of its three fourth-down tries, including Josh Steffey’s 2-yard TD run on fourth-and-inches with 2:35 left in the third quarter. That put Cocalico up 21-7.

The Spartans (3-1, 6-1) got a Chase Eisenhower touchdown in the opening minutes of the third quarter to pull within 14-7 but never could sustain anything offensively.

That score was set up by Jeremiah Diaz’s 73-yard kickoff return to the 17. Later Diaz returned a pooch kickoff 41 yards to the 25 but the Eagles stuffed the Spartans and forced a turnover on downs.

Until Marvin Armistead broke off a 57-yard scoring run in the final minute Wyomissing had just one run longer than 7 yards the whole night. It had averaged more than that per carry through the first six games, when it led the league in rushing at 343 yards per game. The Spartans got less than half that against the league’s No. 1 run defense. They had just 44 rushing yards through three quarters.

“We couldn’t block ’em with any consistency all night long,” Wolfrum said. “They are really quick. They’re not the biggest team in the world but they’re very physical. We couldn’t count on anything in the run game.”

Cocalico’s Aaryn Longenecker scored four TDs against Wyomissing. (Tim Marcina photo)

Cocalico won the District 3 Class 5A championship last year and has a better team this season. It has won six straight by controlling the line and pounding the ball and did that effectively against a program that had won a Berks-record 41 straight regular season games and was ranked No. 2 in the state in Class 3A.

Wyomissing hadn’t lost in the regular season since Oct. 27, 2018, against Berks Catholic.

“We’ve gotta win the line of scrimmage and against a team like that who wants to pummel it at you, I thought our defense withstood them,” said Cocalico coach Bryan Strohl, “and I thought offensively we were able to get a push. They knew we were gonna run the ball, but it didn’t matter.”

Cocalico went up two scores just before the half when Longenecker struck for his second score on a 15-yard run off a toss around the right edge. Longenecker appeared to lose the ball at the goal line and Wyomissing players signaled that they recovered it but the Eagles were credited with a touchdown and led 14-0 just 33 seconds before halftime.

Cocalico essentially put the game away with its longest drive of the night: 11 plays, 82 yards, 6 minutes and 31 seconds, ending with Longenecker’s 30-yard run. That made it 27-7 with 6:33 remaining in the game. It cranked out five first downs on that possession – one less than Wyomissing had in the game.

“I thought our defense played great most of the night,” Wolfrum said. “They really couldn’t run their option. They beat us just out-manning us on the corner there (with) a couple of those pitches. And then they started controlling the ball, just pounding the line.

“We hung in there as well we could, but when your defense is on the field all night eventually they’re gonna break down.”

It would be hard to imagine Cocalico losing again in the regular season: It finishes league play with Donegal (2-5), Berks Catholic (3-4) and Conrad Weiser (2-5). The Eagles’ second section title in three years and fourth in eight years seems inevitable, especially with how well they are playing right now.

The Spartans, meanwhile, will shift their focus to districts and a bid for a fifth straight Class 3A title.

“Nobody ever likes to lose,” Wolfrum said, “but it’s a good lesson. We’ll come out of this the better for it, although it doesn’t feel great right now.”

Chase Eisenhower (21) and Derek Macrina (23) wrap up Cocalico’s Aaryn Longenecker. (Tim Marcina photo)

	1	2	3	4	Final
Wyomissing	0	0	7	7	14
Cocalico	0	14	7	13	34

Scoring summary

2	Cocalico	Longenecker, 28 run (Becker kick)	6:14
2	Cocalico	Longenecker, 15 run (Becker kick)	0:33
3	Wyomissing	Eisenhower, 6 run (Maher kick)	10:29
3	Cocalico	Steffey, 2 run (Becker kick)	2:35
4	Cocalico	Longenecker, 30 run (kick failed)	6:33
4	Cocalico	Longenecker, 54 interception return (Becker kick)	2:19
4	Wyomissing	Marv. Armistead, 57 run (Maher kick)	0:42

Team statistics

	Wyomissing	Cocalico
First downs	6	14
Rushes-yards	33-135	43-261
Passing yards	27	0
Total yards	162	261
Passes	4-10-1	0-4-1
Fumbles-lost	1-0	2-1
Punts-average	4-34.2	3-35.3
Penalties-yards	6-57	1-10