Two Danes too much for Berks Catholic
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 Jason Guarente — LNP/Lancasteronline
DENVER — They answered the question the same way at the same time. How many people named Dane have they met in their lives?
“Just one,” they said.
Dane Horning and Dane Bollinger are good friends, hard-hitting linebackers and, in their latest performance Friday night, an offensive force for Cocalico.
One carried the ball. One helped open the holes.
Horning rushed for 201 yards and four touchdowns to lead Cocalico over Berks Catholic 42-14 in a Lancaster-Lebanon League Section 4 football game at Denver.
With Sam Steffey out due to injury, Horning provided a glimpse into next season. The 5-7, 185-pound sophomore is the heir apparent at fullback in the veer.
Cocalico’s future in the backfield looks as bright as its present.
“We kind of knew we had a quality backup for Sam,” coach Bryan Strohl said. “When you have an All-State kid returning, it’s hard to get too many chances. I’m sure he was ready for his time to shine. We all had faith in him.”
The Danes have heard comments about sharing a name for as long as they’ve been teammates. Horning’s first name is actually Paul. He goes by his middle name. Bollinger’s first name is really Dane.
The two are normally on opposite sides of the defense at linebacker. Whatever gains happen to slip through the rugged defensive line get stopped by those two.
“We’ve been playing backer since midgets together,” Bollinger said. “I know if I miss a tackle, he’ll clean it up. If he misses a tackle and overruns it or whatever, I’ll clean it up for him. It’s easy to play with him.”
Horning has been a fullback all through the ranks. Cocalico has a knack for developing the next player at each position. Fullback is one of the most important.
The sophomore carried 24 times and moved across the 200-yard mark with his final attempt: a 5-yard TD in the fourth quarter. The other scores were 1, 1 and 66 yards.
Bollinger poked fun at his friend about the long run. He thought Horning was going to get caught from behind.
Strohl said Cocalico didn’t have to make any changes to the offense with Steffey out. Horning was ready for his chance.
“I knew he could do that,” Bollinger said. “I’m excited for next year when he hopefully is running all over people. It’ll be a lot of fun.”
Bollinger can play just about anywhere on offense. He’s been a wide receiver, a tight end and even made an appearance himself at fullback to give Horning a brief rest.
The 5-7, 170-pound junior is at his best in the slot. Strohl said Bollinger ranks among the greatest blockers Cocalico has ever employed from that position.
The Eagles rushed for 417 yards without their No. 1 guy. Aaryn Longenecker, the big-play threat, did his usual damage. He delivered 154 yards and two touchdowns and broke off a 70-yard TD on his second carry.
Cocalico (6-0, 8-1) captured its eighth consecutive win and can lock up a bye in the District 3 Class 5A playoffs by defeating Conrad Weiser in Week 10. The Eagles are hopeful Steffey can return by the postseason, if not sooner.
Berks Catholic (3-3, 4-5) scored on Connor Pennington’s 12-yard reception and Michael Bradley’s 10-yard run. Cocalico led 28-0 before the Saints put their first points on the board.
Horning knows he was keeping the seat warm for Steffey with this effort. The backup will get his turn soon enough. He’s ready whenever Cocalico needs him.
“I’m thankful for the linemen that I have and for my teammates,” Horning said. “I just love being physical. I love running the ball.”
Cocalico has cornered the market on Danes. Two are better than one.
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Final | |
| Berks Catholic | 0 | 0 | 7 | 7 | 14 |
| Cocalico | 7 | 14 | 14 | 7 | 42 |
Scoring summary
| 1 | Cocalico | Longenecker, 70 run (Becker kick) | 4:30 |
| 2 | Cocalico | Horning, 1 run (Becker kick) | 7:16 |
| 2 | Cocalico | Horning, 66 run (Becker kick) | 2:22 |
| 3 | Cocalico | Longenecker, 11 run (Becker kick) | 7:31 |
| 3 | Berks Catholic | Pennington, 12 pass from Hess (Osorio kick) | 2:49 |
| 3 | Cocalico | Horning, 1 run (Dickson kick) | 0:04 |
| 4 | Berks Catholic | Bradley, 10 run (Osorio kick) | 9:55 |
| 4 | Cocalico | Horning, 5 run (Becker kick) | 3:09 |
Team statistics
| Berks Catholic | Cocalico | |
| First downs | 11 | 17 |
| Rushes-yards | 39-137 | 44-417 |
| Passing yards | 69 | 0 |
| Total yards | 206 | 417 |
| Passes | 6-13-0 | 0-0-0 |
| Fumbles-lost | 1-0 | 0-0 |
| Punts-average | 3-29.7 | 1-39 |
| Penalties-yards | 4-20 | 6-40 |
Individual statistics
RUSHING
Berks Catholic: Gumby 9-67, Garcia 8-28, Bradley 8-27, Rose 10-15, Hess 1-3, Pennington 3-(-3).
Cocalico: Horning 24-201, Longenecker 10-154, Myer 5-37, Bollinger 5-25.
PASSING
Berks Catholic: Hess 5-9-0—64, Suski 1-4-0—5.
RECEIVING
Berks Catholic: Kozik 2-32, Garcia 2-20, Pennington 2-17.
