Annville-Cleona piles up 427 rushing yards to earn first win
2024 Berks football coverage
presented by UECU
(This story was produced by LNP/Lancasteronline, and published in partnership with MikeDragoSports.com.)
By David Bohr — LNP/Lancasteronline
ANNVILLE — Annville-Cleona got back on track Thursday night, picking up its first win with 48-20 over visiting Hanover in a non-league game.
For the second straight week the Dutchmen (1-1) did not punt. The offense racked up 427 rushing yards, similar to last week’s 39-36 loss at Biglerville. This time, though, the defense held up its end.
“Our offense was really good last week, and our offense was really good this week,” A-C coach Matt Gingrich said. “I guess I can tell you our linebackers got much better. Our defensive backs aren’t where they need to be yet.”
Already up 28-14 at halftime, A-C took control of the game quickly in the third period. Hanover (0-2) attempted an onside kick to start the half, but the Dutchmen recovered. Seven plays later, Annville-Cleona took a three-score lead when Bryce Keller scored on a 3-yard run.
“Yes, we talked about that,” Gingrich said about the onside kick attempt. “They had a penalty that moved the ball up, but we had a good idea it was coming.”
Keller added two more touchdown runs in the third quarter and finished with five. He had 16 carries for 165 yards.
His 56-yard touchdown run made it 42-14 with 6:12 left in the third quarter. On the next possession, he finished his night with a 13-yard run that pushed the lead to 48-14 with two seconds remaining in the third.
Jonathon Shay also had a big game, rushing 15 times for 118 yards and a touchdown. He also had the only two catches for the Dutchmen for 48 yards, including another score.
The Dutchmen scored on all four possessions of the first half, the first three of which involved a fourth-down conversion.
On A-C’s opening series, Shay caught a 27-yard pass from Keller to convert a 4th-and-5 from the Hanover 43. Two plays later, Keller scored on a 7-yard keeper to the left for a 7-6 lead with 7:03 left in the first quarter.
Keller converted a fourth down himself on the next possession, carrying for 5 yards on a 4th-and-1. This time Shay rushed in for the score on a 1-yard off-tackle play to the left, pushing the A-C lead to 13-6 with 2:14 remaining in the first quarter.
Down 14-13, the Dutchmen went for it on a 4th-and-3 from their 48 and were rewarded with an offside flag against Hanover. Three plays later, Keller had a 39-yard run to the 1-yard line, from where Keller ran in for his second touchdown. That made it 20-13 with 2:55 left in the half.
After a three-and-out for the Nighthawks, Shay burst through for a 49-yard run to the Hanover 23. Four plays after that, he caught a pass from Keller at the 1 and forced his way into the end zone for a 20-yard touchdown reception that made it 28-14 with seven seconds left in the half. The two-point conversion was provided by a Devon Englehart run.
