Manheim Central rebounds with win over Susquehannock
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 Jeff Reinhart — LNP/Lancasteronline
GLEN ROCK — All gas. No brakes.
That is the motto for Manheim Central’s football team this season. When the Barons had the ball Thursday night, they put the pedal to the metal — and barely tapped the brakes — and ended up motoring past Susquehannock 28-7 in a non-league game about two miles from the Maryland line.
Central (3-1) had to pull some teeth to get the win; the Warriors (2-2) hogged the ball, milked the clock — they had a third-quarter possession that took more than eight minutes off the clock — and tested the Barons’ patience throughout.
But Central’s quick-strike offense ended up amassing 462 yards, and Central’s defense rose to the occasion multiple times in the second half.
It was a much-needed victory for the Barons, who fell to rival Cocalico by a 48-28 count just five days ago. Central allowed 475 rushing yards against the Eagles, and the Barons spent the short week cramming for the Warriors’ run game.
“When we had the ball, we moved in non-stop,” Central coach Dave Hahn said. “It seemed like they had the ball the whole time. . . We needed to flush last week (vs. Cocalico). Last week there were a lot of unfortunate circumstances. We needed to flush it and move on from it and get ready for this game. As this game went on, we found our footing and we started doing Baron things, and we ended up strong in the end.”
Central ended up spending most of the game on defense, chasing Susquehannock RB Mike Fox, who came into the game with 495 rushing yards. They held him to 92 yards.
It didn’t take the Barons very long to take the lead; Zac Hahn zipped a 10-yard TD strike to Cody Hess and it was 7-0 with 7:48 to go in the first quarter.
But the Warriors, determined to move the sticks and watch the clock dwindle, never went away, getting the equalizer when Josh Pecunes had a 1-yard QB sneak and it was 7-7 with 5:15 to go in the first half.
Central — stepping on the gas and quickly shifting gears — punched right back when Hahn heaved a 29-yard TD dart to Aaron Enterline, who caught the pass in stride in the end zone and the Barons had a 14-7 lead at the half.
After Susquehannock hogged the ball for nearly the entire third quarter, Central opened up some breathing room when Brycen Armold scooted nine yards up the gut, and the Barons grabbed a 21-7 cushion with 6:27 to play.
Later, Central delivered the dagger when Hahn lobbed a perfectly placed 75-yard TD bomb to Enterline, who beat his man near midfield and went the distance for a 28-7 leads with 4:10 to go.
Both teams had great opportunities for scores but were denied. In the first half, Susquehannock had first and goal at Central’s 6 but fumbled the ball away.
In the second half, after Susquehannock played keep-away, converting a pair of fourth-down conversions along the way, the Barons blocked a Warriors’ field goal attempt, and Central’s Bode Sipel scooped up the bouncing ball and raced 80 yards for a TD.
But there was an inadvertent whistle and the play was called back.
Hahn clicked on 18-of-22 passes for 284 yards with the three TD flips. Enterline caught seven passes for 168 yards with a pair of TD grabs. And Armold rushed for 152 yards, including 54 yards on the drive when he capped it with his 9-yard dash.