Brandon Zimmerman, Cocalico win defensive battle with Ephrata
2024 Berks football coverage presented by
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(This story was produced by LNP/Lancasteronline, and published in partnership with MikeDragoSports.com.)
By Brian Rippey — LNP/Lancasteronline
EPHRATA — Cocalico defensive back Brandon Zimmerman was on an island with Ephrata’s top receiver with the outcome of the backyard rivalry hanging in the balance.
Zimmerman was able to knock the ball away from Ephrata’s Nate Conover in the end zone Friday night to preserve a 10-7 non-league win for Cocalico, allowing the Eagles to win the Ephrata Review Cup for the ninth straight time.
“I just knew on fourth down we couldn’t let them win,” Zimmerman said. “I had to make a play on the ball. I did not want to go home a loser.”
Cocalico (5-2) went home a winner for the fourth straight time and solidified its spot in the District 3 Class 5A playoff race. Ephrata (3-4) is now on the outside looking in as the 12-team playoff field takes shape with three weeks left in the regular season.
But neither Cocalico coach Bryan Strohl nor Ephrata coach Kris Miller were thinking about the postseason after their knock-down, drag-out game went down the wire.
Both teams had scoring opportunities in a scoreless second half. Ephrata’s Evan Honberger was just short on a 43-yard field-goal attempt in the third quarter.
Cocalico followed with a long drive that carried over into the fourth quarter but lost a fumble to squander that chance.
“I felt like we moved the ball, we just couldn’t punch it in,” Strohl said. “We had a key turnover at one point, a penalty or two put us behind the sticks. Those are the things we have to fix.”
Ephrata also struggled with penalties. After coming up with the turnover, Ephrata was facing a third-and-30 from its own 30. The Mountaineers were penalized eight times for 78 yards.
“We have some penalties that are happening at the wrong times,” Miller said. “That hurts you. That’s something we’ve got to do a better job of and not have those self-inflicted wounds.”
Cocalico took a 10-0 lead in the first half. Talen Popolis hit a 30-yard field goal in the final minute of the first quarter. Four minutes into the second, Dane Horning busted a 30-yard run up the middle to the end zone.
But Ephrata came right back. Just two plays later, Brayden Brown broke several tackles and rambled 76 yards for a score to make it 10-7 with just over 7 minutes left in the first half.
That’s where the scoring ended thanks to turnovers, penalties and Zimmerman’s pass breakup on a throw to the end zone by Ephrata quarterback Caleb Grant.
“We leave it up to our defense,” Zimmerman said.
Grant and Brown both finished with more than 100 yards rushing. Brown carried 10 times for 106 yards. Grant had 103 yards on 16 carries.
Horning finished with a team-high 96 yards rushing on 13 carries for Cocalico, which won without completing a pass.
“This is a great rivalry,” Strohl said. “It’s nice to bring that Review Cup back home again.”
