Lampeter-Strasburg finishes with a flourish in win over Cocalico
2024 Berks football coverage
presented by UECU
(This story was produced by LNP/Lancasteronline, and published in partnership with MikeDragoSports.com.)
By Jeff Reinhart — LNP/Lancasteronline
The game was still very much hanging in the balance when Cocalico had the ball and was setting sail on a drive, down seven with 10:59 to go.
In a matter of seconds there was a pass. And a catch. And a big stick. And a fumble. Lampeter-Strasburg’s Dominic Brown scooped it up and the Pioneers had the ball. Two plays later, L-S landed the knockout punch.
Caileb Howse’s third TD keeper of the game — an electrifying 23-yard run around left end early in the fourth quarter — iced the Pioneers’ 35-14 victory over the Eagles in a non-league clash between L-L League blood-blue programs at Lampeter.
“That definitely turned the momentum around completely,” Howse said about the turnover/touchdown. “After that, it sparked our energy, and we didn’t feel like we were going to be stopped.”
L-S wasn’t.
“Our kids are pretty resilient,” Pioneers coach Victor Ridenour said. “They dug in and they found ways to make plays. That turnover was huge, and we were able to punch it in. That was a big play for us.”
“Turnovers are killers, and that was big,” Cocalico coach Bryan Strohl said. “We had some momentum, but we gave it back to them, and they punched it in. That was a big spot.”
Howse was superb. The first-year starting QB clicked on 11-of-15 passes for 202 yards. He rushed for 80-plus yards, with those three TDs. Most importantly, L-S didn’t turn the ball over and Howse wasn’t sacked.
Add it all up, and that’s a glittering 3-0 getaway for the Pioneers. They beat Solanco in the Milk Jug trophy game, Warwick and now Cocalico, which dipped to 1-2 and dropped its second game in a row after a 21-0 setback last week at New Oxford.
The Eagles are dealing with a cornucopia of injuries, including the loss of two-way standout Dane Bollinger, who hasn’t played a down while recovering from a knee injury.
Against L-S, Cocalico shifted several linemen to new spots, and one starter up front got hurt in the first quarter and didn’t return.
Still, the Eagles hung tough, and tied it at 14-14 on Dane Horning’s 3-yard burst with 7:28 to go in the third quarter. His 22-yard run set up the TD, and Cocalico finished a drive for the first time since its opening possession.
The Eagles took nearly eight minutes off the clock to open the game, with QB Josh Myer zooming 31 yards on fourth down for a quick 7-0 lead.
L-S punched right back, with Howse darting 7 yards for a game-tying TD. Later, Brown’s 5-yard TD run — set up by Howse’s 34-yard pass to Emory Fluhr — gave the Pioneers a 14-7 lead at the break.
Howse’s 5-yard TD run with 1:35 to go in the third gave L-S a 21-14 lead. His 39-yard pass to Fluhr set up the go-ahead score.
Cocalico appeared poised to answer back. But the fumble, Brown’s recovery and Howse’s TD sealed it.
L-S tacked on a game-icing TD with 1:36 to go on Brown’s 3-yard plunge.
“I thought we went toe-to-toe with them for three quarters,” Strohl said. “All the credit to them. They’re a tough, physical team. And they also have the ability to throw the ball on you. They definitely mixed it up defensively and they really flied to the ball.”
And emerged 3-0 heading into next Friday’s section openers, when L-S travels to Donegal for a Section 4 showdown. Cocalico will look to snap a two-game slide in its Section 3 opener at home against Garden Spot.
