Ephrata turns the tables on Garden Spot, advances in districts
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
NEW HOLLAND — No one was sure that Ephrata quarterback Sam McCracken could keep going. His ankle hurt and his coach faced a tough decision.
Kris Miller watched McCracken warm up during halftime. Then Miller made up his mind.
“He’s a senior,” the coach said. “He’s been here before. He’s earned the right. I told him, ‘You get one series. We’ll see how it goes.’”
McCracken threw a 44-yard touchdown pass to finish that first series. He played the rest of the game.
Fifth-seeded Ephrata knocked off No. 4 Garden Spot 31-10 in the District Three Class 5A quarterfinals at New Holland Friday night. One week after the Mounts won the first district playoff game in school history, they doubled their total.
McCracken completed 16-of-25 passes for 277 yards and four touchdowns. All of those TDs were deep strikes. He connected with Angel Collazo for 44 and 35 yards and Nick Keller for 44 and 47 yards.
Ephrata (11-1) turned the tables on Garden Spot after losing 42-22 on this field in Week 6 in a Lancaster-Lebanon League Section 3 gam.
“Sam did such a great job of throwing the ball deep,” Miller said. “The last game he was so amped up. He overthrew everybody. We said, ‘Relax and be yourself. Put some air under it. We’ve got some fast guys. Let them run under it.’”
The final two touchdowns came after McCracken rolled his ankle while being tackled late in the first half. He sat out Ephrata’s final possession before intermission.
Jeremiah Knowles, one of McCracken’s favorite targets, saw the QB talking to the trainer at halftime. Knowles was concerned.
“Are you coming back out?” the receiver asked.
“I’m not gonna let you guys down,” McCracken answered.
McCracken’s heart was telling him he had no choice but to gut out those last two quarters. His ankle was arguing otherwise.
“There was a little doubt in my mind,” McCracken said. “It did hurt pretty bad. I tried to come out and play my best. I played pretty good I thought.”
One sequence in the second quarter changed the trajectory of the game.
McCracken found Collazo to break the scoreless tie with 9:20 left. Ephrata then recovered an onside kick. McCracken and Collazo immediately connected again.
The Mounts scored 14 points in 7 seconds. Garden Spot never fully recovered. The onside kick was a bold gamble that worked.
“The ball’s not round,” Miller said. “It takes funny bounces. I’m thankful it bounced our way.”
Kye Harting rushed for 83 yards and passed for 122 yards in his final game for Garden Spot (9-2), which suffered its seventh consecutive district loss dating back to 2008. The Spartans’ lone touchdown came on Trenton Hoober’s 47-yard reception.
Ephrata has reached 11 wins for the first time. The Mounts will play No. 8 Hershey at War Memorial Field in the semifinals next week.
Five years after ending a 52-game losing streak, Ephrata is one of the district’s final four teams.
“I don’t know if I would have believed you if you would have said that when I started,” Miller said. “I was optimistic. But that’s a heckuva thing to do.”
McCracken limped around the turf during the postgame celebration. He hobbled over to the sideline to hear his school’s fight song. Then he hobbled over to his team’s huddle. He could barely lift himself up from one knee to walk off the field.
It seemed miraculous that McCracken was able to play.
“I don’t even know how to explain it right now,” he said. “It hasn’t hit me yet. Tomorrow morning I’ll feel it.”
McCracken will feel all of it. The joy and the pain.
