Cocalico takes out top-seeded Solanco, set to play for 5A title at Exeter
(This story was produced by LNP/Lancasteronline, and published in partnership with MikeDragoSports.com.)
By Jason Guarente — LNP/Lancasteronline
QUARRYVILLE — The only way to solve Solanco this season was to out-muscle the Golden Mules up front. That was easier said than done. Eleven teams tried and all of them failed.
Cocalico was one of those 11. The Eagles were ready for their second chance.
A dominant defensive line, anchored by Chuckie Drain and Owen Weaver on the outside with Logan Brubaker and Derrick Belzince in the middle, won the battle up front. That’s why, this time, the Eagles won the game.
No. 12 Cocalico stunned top-seeded Solanco 32-8 in a District 3 Class 5A football semifinal at Quarryville Friday night. The Eagles will travel to No. 2 Exeter and play for district gold next week.
“I thought our defense as a whole was just swarming,” Cocalico coach Bryan Strohl said. “When you play a Triple-Option offense, you have to be sound assignment wise. I thought our kids did that. They watched film, paid attention to those keys and put that into practice.”
The numbers were hard to believe.
Solanco (11-1), which imposed its will on opponents through a perfect regular and one district playoff game, was held to 85 yards rushing and five first downs. The Mules averaged 2.9 yards per carry.
Two of Solanco’s first-half drives stalled when it was unable to reach the sticks on fourth-and-short. Those conversions were usually automatic for the Mules.
Solanco tried to avoid running at Drain, a 5-foot-11, 215-pound senior who was a wrecking ball at the line of scrimmage. Drain and Weaver began flipping sides before the ball was snapped. The defensive ends were trying to create confusion. The adjustment, made by line coach Casey Kerschner, worked.
“Chuckie attracts double-teams and triple-teams,” Weaver said. “He doesn’t take enough credit. He’s a beast. It’s tackle for loss after tackle for loss. He gets off blocks and creates opportunities for the rest of us.”
Cocalico held Solanco scoreless until Brody Mellinger connected with Elijah Cunningham for a touchdown pass with 4:46 left in the fourth quarter.
It was a complete defensive performance. Weaver forced a fumble and recovered it. Timothy Porter made a touchdown-saving tackle on Cunningham when it was still close in the first half. Drain was the difference maker. He seemed to have his helmet in on every play.
“Chuckie is just on a different level sometimes,” Strohl said. “It was pretty cool to see him have that success. He’s a great leader. The kids follow. His play is part of that. So is how he handles the locker room and everything in there.”
Cocalico was ahead 7-0 at halftime after Josh Myer’s 3-yard touchdown run in the second quarter. The Eagles scored the first three TDs of the second half to make it 25-0.
Sam Steffey rushed 30 times for 250 yards and three scores. The 5-9, 185-pound junior delivered touchdown runs of 12, 45 and 6 yards.
Cocalico (9-4) was the final team to sneak into the Class 5A field. The Eagles have upset No. 5 Elizabethtown, No. 4 Gettysburg and Solanco on the road. All three wins were by double digits.
“We felt like if we could get in the playoffs we could do something with it,” Strohl said. “I don’t know if we could have imagined this.”
It didn’t matter that Solanco was undefeated or that it beat Cocalico 21-7 when the teams clashed on his field 11 weeks ago.
What mattered is which team played better on this night. That was the Eagles. Even they might not have predicted it.
“At the beginning of the year, with the young bucks we had, I would have told you we weren’t going anywhere,” Drain said. “With the way we’ve improved during the season, this has become a really good team.”
Cocalico is going places now. The Eagles are going to play for a district title.
