Elizabethtown gives new head coach victory No. 1

(This story was produced by LNP/Lancasteronline, and published in partnership with MikeDragoSports.com.)

By Kyle Morgan — LNP/Lancasteronline

The Keith Stokes era of Elizabethtown football has officially arrived.

The Bears gave their first-year head coach a fantastic welcome gift in a Saturday morning backyard showdown against Donegal, blitzing the Indians for 434 yards en route to a 43-21 victory.

“It obviously feels good,” Stokes said. “Team win is more important than anything else. These guys work hard and are feeling overlooked. Hopefully, people know who we are now.”

The first half had plenty of fireworks for each side, both in points and in penalties; they combined for 12 flags and 108 yards. Donegal got things going with a nine-play opening drive, highlighted by a fourth-down pass from Landen Baughman to James Turbedsky for 16 yards and a 23-yard run by Jon Holmes. Noah Rohrer finished things off with a 5-yard touchdown run.

Elizabethtown didn’t wait long to strike back. On the first snap of the ensuing series, Braden Cummings hooked up with Cade Capello on a 50-yard reverse pass. A few plays later, Logan Lentz scored from 2 yards out to tie the game.

Rohrer kept up his hot start with a long kick return to the Bears 10. He would pick up a second 5-yard TD run shortly after.

The last possession of the first for Elizabethtown saw the Indians get hit with back-to-back personal fouls, followed by consecutive holding penalties on the Bears. Josh Rudy was undeterred, however, finding Cummings on a 36-yard TD throw, though a botched snap kept the game at 14-13.

After four straight scoring drives, one of the defenses finally got a stop; the Bears forced a three-and-out to close the first period. Early in the second, Rudy took a hard hit but was still able to connect with a streaking Cummings for a 46-yard TD. Lentz scored on a two-pointer from there to put the Bears in front.

Donegal went three-and-out again, allowing Elizabethtown to convert some clutch third downs, a 17-yard Rudy scramble and a 28-yard pass to Ian Brosey. Capello took a 22-yard screen to the house from there, with the Indians blocking the PAT.

Donegal had a shot for more points just before halftime after Rohrer completed a 32-yard halfback pass to Zeke Amaro, but the former went wide left on a 31-yard field goal attempt as the clock hit zeros.

The Bears put their foot to the floor at the start of the second half, chewing up over 7 minutes of game clock on a 14-play drive, ending with a 23-yard TD throw to Cummings from Rudy. Hayden Haver added a two-pointer as well.

The Indians rode Rohrer in response; he ran seven times for 51 yards on the next drive, including a 1-yard TD with 18 seconds left in the third.

Donegal tried a surprise onside kick afterward, but it failed to go 10 yards. Cummings made the Indians pay, juking out multiple defenders on a third-and-long catch to score from 33 yards out; Brady Breault hauled in a two-point pass. The Indians moved the ball into the red zone from there, but Cummings stamped out any comeback attempt with a fourth-down interception.

Cummings finished with five catches for 146 yards and a whopping four TDs, in addition to his 50-yard throw and INT.

Rudy was an efficient 18-of-22 for 250 yards and five TDs, plus 35 rushing yards, and Capello, who’s new to the wide receiver position after playing three years at RB, added a new dimension to the Bears’ scoring attack with 129 yards on 11 catches.

Lentz (13 carries, 59 yards, TD) and Haver (8 carries, 40 yards) chipped in on the ground. Impressively, Elizabthtown didn’t punt once; Donegal’s only defensive stops came on a turnover on downs late in the first half, and the end of the game.

“The biggest thing was us being able to run the ball,” Stokes said. “We weren’t getting 15 or 20 yards a clip, but it opened things up for the passing game. We were even-kilt, and we only touched the surface on what we can do.”

Rohrer accounted for all of Donegal’s points, finishing with 92 yards on 15 carries. Holmes had 41 yards on 9 carries.

Elizabethtown will head to McCaskey next week, while the Indians will take on York Suburban at home.

“One game at a time,” Stokes said. “The ball is funny sometimes; it don’t bounce the same way every time. We got to come in ready.”