Lampeter-Strasburg’s title hopes picked off by Bonner-Prendergast
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Bonner-Prendergast 40, Lampeter-Strasburg 14
Lampeter-Strasburg enjoyed a perfect regular season and some terrific comebacks during the postseason to reach its first PIAA championship game.
Once there, the Pioneers were far from perfect, especially their clutch quarterback Caileb Howse who was intercepted three times in the first half, helping Bonner-Prendergast pull away for a 40-14 victory in the Class 4A title game Thursday at Chapman Field in Mechanicsburg.
It was the first PIAA championship for Bonner-Prendergast.
Howse didn’t throw an interception over his first 14 games and 169 attempts this season but saw his first throw picked off.
His last throw of the first half turned into a 60-yard interception return for a touchdown by Brett Johnson to put the Pioneers (14-1) in a 27-14 hole. All three of his interceptions came in the first half.
Lampeter-Strasburg had not allowed more than 27 points in a game this season, a 30-27 overtime win over Wyomissing in the state quarterfinals. Bonner had 27 points by halftime.
The Friars (12-2) led 14-0 late in the first quarter, the second score coming when Saleem Frink recovered teammate Mick Johnson’s fumble at the 1 and tumbled into the end zone with it.
The Pioneers came right back, tying the game with a pair of Dominic Brown touchdowns, the first on a 28-yard pass from Howse, the second on a 6-yard run.
Bonner-Prendergast took the lead for good four plays later on Johnson’s 4-yard TD run.
Howse ended up 1-for-6 with three interceptions; he also lost the ball on a fumble. His lone completion was the touchdown pass to Brown.
Howse ran for 91 yards, on 24 carries. Brown carried 22 times for 77 yards.
Bonner outgained Lampeter 363-196 in total yards.
Bonner quarterback N Campbell completed 13-of-21 passes for 162 yards, often keeping plays alive with his feet.
Johnson ran for 111 yards on 24 carries and scored four touchdowns.
Linebacker Emory Fluhr had 18 tackles for the Pioneers.
Lampeter-Strasburg was bidding to become just the third state champ from the Lancaster-Lebanon League.
The Pioneers are the fifth L-L program to play for a championship following Wilson, Conestoga Valley, Manheim Central, and Lancaster Catholic. Only the Barons and Crusaders have won.
The Bulldogs were the first team from the league to make it to a state championship game, in 1989.
Lancaster Catholic won the 2A championship in 2009 and 2011, both under Bruce Harbach, who’s currently the head coach at Schuylkill Valley.
Manheim Central has made four title-game appearances, winning its only title in a classic: It beat Pine-Richland 39-38 in two overtimes in 2003. The Barons lost in their most recent appearance, 2018, against Penn Hills.
Lampeter-Strasburg needed to pull off several comebacks in the playoffs to reach the final game, none great than its District 3 championship win over Wyomissing. Howse converted a clutch fourth-and-13 pass on the final drive to set up the tying touchdown and PAT with 28 second left in regulation.
Once in overtime the Pioneers blocked a field goal attempt – the first against Wyomissing all season — then won it on the next play when Peter Fiorello booted his third field goal for a 30-27 win.
In the state semifinals the Pioneers trailed Thomas Jefferson 16-3 at half before Howse sparked them to a 20-16 victory.
