Lampeter-Strasburg’s top-rated D no match for McDevitt
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 John Walk — LNP/Lancasteronline
HARRISBURG – Jon Mellinger curled his fingers into fists and placed them on his hips. With rain coming down, he stood on the field amongst a pack of his Lampeter-Strasburg football teammates under the Friday night lights one last time.
The fifth-seeded Pioneers’ had just suffered a season-ending 43-7 defeat at top-seeded Bishop McDevitt in a District 3 Class 4A semifinal at Rocco Ortenzio Stadium.
“Most of us are never going to step on the football field again,” Mellinger said. “It’s a weird feeling.”
Mellinger was the Pioneers’ workhorse back all season, setting plenty of rushing records along the way. He accounted for Lampeter-Strasburg’s final touchdown in Friday’s loss.
“I’m most proud of making it back to McDevitt,” Mellinger said.
Mellinger was referring to Lampeter’s 7-0 loss at the same place in the district championship two years ago. It was a game Mellinger, then in the rotation of backs, listened to on the radio from home due to having surgery that day to correct a foot injury suffered the week before.
“When we were sophomores and lost in the district championship game to McDevitt, all we wanted was to make it back here to play them,” Mellinger said.
The Pioneers accomplished just that, although this district playoff matchup didn’t prove to be competitive.
Bishop McDevitt quarterback Stone Saunders, a Mount Joy resident and a University of Kentucky commit, completed 15-of-28 passes for 237 yards and two touchdowns, doing most of his damage by halftime, at which point the Crusaders led 23-0.
The Crusaders (11-0) tallied 251 rushing yards, most of them coming from back Nazir Jones-Davis (10 carries, 120 yards, 2 TDs) and Maurice Barnes (20 carries, 113 yards). Wide receiver Rico Scott, an Alabama recruit, had five catches for 113 yards and a score.
A Lampeter defense that came in holding opponents to 184 yards a game gave up nearly 500 to Bishop McDevitt, who will be going for the program’s third straight district crown when it hosts Manheim Central next week.
“That’s easily one of the fastest teams we’ve seen,” Lampeter coach Victor Ridenour said. “Their perimeter speed is phenomenal. They’re big up front on offense. Defensively they’re just as fast on that side of the ball. Their corners play good lockdown. Their front four can get there.”
Mellinger was held to 57 rushing yards on 13 carries, while the Pioneers completed just three passes for 42 yards.
“I’ve been playing since fifth grade,” Mellinger said. “We’ve been playing together forever. We were really good and won some championships back then. We thought we had a good team coming up.”
Lampeter finished 9-3, with all three losses coming to district finalists: Cocalico, Wyomissing and McDevitt.
“That’s nothing to hang your (head) about,” Ridenour said. “These kids battled.”
