Cocalico survives Fleetwood upset bid
2024 Berks football coverage presented by
Utilities Employees Credit Union
By Pete Beck — MikeDragoSports.com correspondent
For Cocalico coach Bryan Strohl, Friday’s 21-17 Lancaster-Lebanon League Section 3 victory over Fleetwood was another chapter in a book that is drawing to a close far too quickly for his liking.
Trailing by a field goal late in the fourth quarter the Eagles (5-1, 7-3) were able to block a punt and turn it into points two plays later when senior quarterback Josh Myer took a keeper 37 yards for the go-ahead score.
| Section 3 | ||
| Conrad Weiser | 6-0 | 10-0 |
| Cocalico | 5-1 | 7-3 |
| Warwick | 4-2 | 5-5 |
| Garden Spot | 3-3 | 4-5 |
| Solanco | 3-3 | 5-5 |
| Manheim | 1-5 | 3-7 |
| Fleetwood | 0-6 | 3-7 |
Over the course of two consecutive District 3 Class 5A championship seasons Strohl has grown accustomed to Myer’s tenacity and leadership, and he isn’t ready to finish their story any time soon.
“We’ve been through 50 games together now,” said Strohl of his quarterback. “I think sometimes I take for granted the competitor that he is. We’re going to enjoy every game that we’ve got left.”
The first three and a half quarters of Friday’s game weren’t very enjoyable for Cocalico. At times, it was able to flash a dynamic Triple-Option ground attack that ground out 305 rushing yards, but the Eagles’ drives consistently stalled, leaving them with little to show for their effort.
The Tigers (0-6, 3-7), to their credit, put up a determined fight on Senior Night. They were able to stifle the majority of Cocalico’s inside blocking schemes, limiting fullback Dane Horning to just 68 yards on 23 carries.
Tigers quarterback Chase McMonagle kept his team moving. He found senior wideout Davyan Moore for an 83-yard touchdown midway through the second quarter. McMonagle also conducted a solid drive to set up Gryffin Cappellano 45-yard field goal, longest in program history, before the half to cut the Eagles lead to four.
Fleetwood opened the second half with a 21-yard touchdown pass from McGonagle to Moore for a 17-14 lead.
Fleetwood showed resilience and held on to its lead but one missed tackle allowed Myer, who rushed for 207 yards and two touchdowns, to turn the page on the story of this game, taking the lead for good with 6:47 left in the fourth quarter.
Both Myer and Horning eclipsed the 1,000-yard mark.
Strohl would like to add more chapters to this story; the Eagles will get a chance next week in the District 3 Tournament.
“I told the guys before the game that sometimes you take things for granted,” said Strohl. “I think sometimes I take for granted the time we have with them. I also take for granted some of the kids we get to coach.”
As for the Tigers, their season is over; they won’t qualify for postseason play after winning an Eastern Conference championship last year.
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Final | |
| Cocalico | 7 | 7 | 0 | 7 | 21 |
| Fleetwood | 0 | 10 | 7 | 0 | 17 |
Scoring summary
| 1 | Cocalico | Horning, 1 run (Popolis kick) | 4:07 |
| 2 | Cocalico | Myer, 33 run (Popolis kick) | 10:29 |
| 2 | Fleetwood | Moore, 83 pass from McMonagle (Cappellano kick) | 6:17 |
| 2 | Fleetwood | Cappellano, 45 FG | 2:51 |
| 3 | Fleetwood | Moore, 21 pass from McMonagle | 10:12 |
| 4 | Cocalico | Myer, 37 run (Popolis kick) | 6:47 |
Team statistics
| Cocalico | Fleetwood | |
| First downs | 15 | 4 |
| Rushes-yards | 57-305 | 16-(-2) |
| Passing yards | 0 | 186 |
| Total yards | 305 | 184 |
| Passes | 0-2-1 | 7-17-1 |
| Fumbles-lost | 1-1 | 0-0 |
| Punts-average | 3-36.33 | 5-27.4 |
| Penalties-yards | 4-20 | 5-35 |
Individual statistics
RUSHING
Cocalico: Myer 23-207, Horning 23-68, Rigney 4-17, Breneman 1-8, Zimmerman 2-4, Team 2-(-2), Bollinger 2-(-2).
Fleetwood: Kummerer 8-15, Petition 2-2, McFarland 2-1, Hare 1-1, McMonagle 3-(-21).
PASSING
Cocalico: Myer 0-2-1–0
Fleetwood: McMonagle 7-17-1–186.
RECEIVING
Fleetwood: Moore 3-112, Domenech 2-27, McFarland 1-38, Ryan 1-9.
INTERCEPTIONS
Cocalico: Breneman.
Fleetwood: Killian.
MISSED FIELD GOALS
Cocalico: Popolis 36.
