Top-seeded Annville-Cleona taken out by Camp Hill
2023 Berks football coverage presented by
Utilities Employees Credit Union
(This story was produced by LNP/Lancasteronline, and published in partnership with MikeDragoSports.com.)
By Dave Byrne — LNP/Lancasteronline
LEBANON — Everyone in Lebanon’s Alumni Stadium knew Camp Hill was going to throw the football Friday night. Knowing it and stopping it are quite different things.
Camp Hill’s Drew Branstetter completed 22-of-32 passes for 257 yards, a meaningless interception and four touchdowns as Camp Hill defeated Annville-Cleona 35-14 in a District 3 Class 2A semifinal.
Branstetter threw a 6-yard TD pass to Noah Doi and a pair of 4-yard scores to Kobe Moore as the fourth-seeded Lions (6-5) opened a 21-0 lead five minutes into the second quarter.
“We didn’t do a great job of lining up defensively,” Dutchmen coach Matt Gingrich said. “That was a shock to me, because we’ve done a great job with that all year.”
The top-seeded Dutchmen (7-4) played so far back off the line of scrimmage, Branstetter feasted on short swing passes and the occasional screen. Luke Becker caught seven balls for 93 yards to pace the passing attack. Doi (4-72, TD), Moore (5-37, 2 TDs), Tommy Corbin (4-26) and Alex Long (2-29, TD) also got into the swing of things.
“They had some top-shelf talent,” said Gingrich, “and we did not have the ability to cover that top-shelf talent.”
The Lions came out throwing as Branstetter completed 4-of-5, including Doi’s 6-yard snag.
In a classic battle of opposites the Dutchmen came out running the ball, as they had done all year with great success. They moved from their 38 to the Lions’ 35 before turning the ball over on downs.
It took Branstetter three plays to find the end zone with a 33-yard completion to Doi, Moore’s 28-yard run and 4-yard TD.
After an exchange of punts, Branstetter completed 8-of-9, moving the Lions from their 29. Moore pulled in his second 4-yard TD, and it was 21-0.
Meanwhile, using a run blitz that delivered more stops than offsides penalties — they had four — the Lions shut down A-C’s run game, holding the Dutchmen to 128 yards on 50 carries.
“Up front we really didn’t block well,” Gingrich allowed.
“We put a lot of pressure on them, we really rely on them and they have really come through,” Gingrich said of his line. “When we’ve lost this year, our line has gotten beat.”
Looking to loosen up the Lions’ defense, the Dutchmen went to trickery as the second quarter wound down. Taking over at his own 32 after a punt, A-C quarterback Cameron Connelly handed off to Cash Watson on what developed as a sweep.
Watson tossed to Wyatt Mase coming the other direction, Mase paused and found Jonathan Shay wide open. Shay outraced the secondary to complete a 68-yard catch-and-run, putting the Dutchmen on the board at halftime.
Losing a fumble on the second play of the second half put the Dutchmen in a hole and the Lions capitalized on Branstetter’s 17-yard TD to Long. Annville responded with a 17-play, 67-yard possession capped by Bryce Keller’s 2-yard plunge.
As the fourth quarter began Branstetter eluded two tacklers in the backfield and several more as he wound his way through the secondary for a 31-yard TD romp that all but iced the victory.
The Dutchmen fashioned a 12-play 65-yard march, burning off five precious minutes off the clock. The drive took them to the doorstep, before fumbling at the goal line. Doi grabbed the loose football and ran 99-plus yards to the end zone, only to have it called back on an illegal block.
The Dutchmen could do nothing after forcing a punt and the Lions ran out the clock.
“They did a great job,” Gingrich said of the Lions. “There was nothing that we weren’t expecting. We just didn’t handle it.”
