Plucky Dutchmen will be a tough out for rampaging Saints
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Matt Gingrich has consciously limited the amount of video he’s shown his Annville-Cleona football team this week. He doesn’t want them to get demoralized ahead of Friday’s Lancaster-Lebanon League Section 5 championship game at Forino Sports Complex.
“Berks Catholic is outrageously talented,” the Dutchmen coach said. “(You watch film and) it’s long touchdown run after long touchdown run. Berks Catholic is back to (being) the old Berks Catholic.”
When the Saints were at their best, when they won four District 3 titles from 2013-17, few teams could stop their explosive running game. Their backfield was loaded with Division I prospects: Brandon George and the Lutz brothers, Isaac and Cooper.
The Saints no longer feature those big-time names and they don’t light up the scoreboard with the same ferocity but they’ve been one of the most productive offenses in the league this season and have dominated their Section 5 competition, winning league games by an average of 35 points. They’re ranked No. 3 in the league in total offense and No. 1 in rushing.
They don’t have anyone close to 1,000 rushing yards but they spread the ball around and have a stable of backs who can go the distance. Xavier Gerald is averaging 11.9 yards per carry, Coy Koller 9.0, Jeremiah Camara 8.8 and Aidan Curley 8.3.
Their most explosive back, Owen Schalk, hasn’t played the last three games because of a shoulder injury.
Combined, those five average better than 10 yards a pop.
“That’s a product of our offensive line,” Saints coach Dave Stahler said of a unit led by 2024 Section 5 Lineman of the Year Palmer Reber, a senior tackle, and all-league pick Eric Bennethum, a junior guard.
Senior Anthony Zatorski, a return starter, is the other tackle. Senior Peter Schmehl and sophomore Colton Drumheller split time at guard; Drumheller and freshman Jack McKeone split reps at center.
“We knew (coming into the season) the strength of our team was our offensive/defensive lines,” Stahler said, “and we’ve been able to play with a level of physicality. Those guys have done a great job all year on both sides that lets you become competitive.”
The Saints (5-0, 7-2) have won six straight since a 48-41 Week 3 loss to Class 4A Bethlehem Catholic. Their only other loss came in the season-opener to Twin Valley, which is unbeaten ranked No. 3 in the state in 4A.
The Saints expected to be playing for a section championship this season. The Dutchmen (5-0, 8-1)? Not so much.
They have one of the youngest teams in the section and were pretty much dismissed in the preseason. Not one Section 5 coach picked them to finish higher than fourth in the eight-team section, not even Gingrich.
“If you would’ve told us (before the season) we’d be 8-1 I would’ve shaken hands and called it a day,” he said. “I would’ve been as happy as could be.”
The Dutchmen haven’t had a season quite like this since . . . well, maybe never. They haven’t won eight games in the regular season since 2014. They haven’t won nine or more since 1990.
It’s not just the number of victories but the way they’re winning them: Six have come by nine points or less, three by three points or less,
They held off Hanover 10-7 in Week 2 when sophomore Danny Shay intercepted a pass in the end zone with three minutes left. In Week 6 they trailed Kutztown 39-35 before Devon Englehart broke off a 46-yard run with 4:10 left. The next week they stopped a two-point conversion in the final seconds to hold off Lancaster Catholic 21-20.
| SECTION 5 | League | Overall | PF | PA |
| Annville-Cleona | 6-0 | 8-1 | 230 | 143 |
| Berks Catholic | 6-0 | 7-2 | 342 | 152 |
| Schuylkill Valley | 4-2 | 5-4 | 223 | 206 |
| Columbia | 3-3 | 4-5 | 193 | 213 |
| Lancaster Catholic | 3-3 | 5-4 | 249 | 171 |
| Pequea Valley | 1-5 | 3-6 | 101 | 211 |
| Hamburg | 1-5 | 2-7 | 114 | 287 |
| Kutztown | 0-6 | 1-8 | 251 | 326 |
Last week they came up with a first-half goal-line stand against Schuylkill Valley and held on for a 14-7 win.
“We found a lot of ways to lose close games last year,” Gingrich said. “This team is the exact opposite. It’s really awesome to be around a team (where you believe) if a game’s close at the end we’re gonna win.”
The Dutchmen have small backs but a big offensive line that’s made their Triple-Option attack effective. John Ditzler, a 5-3 sophomore, took over at quarterback in Week 4 after an injury; he’s been a highly effective game-manager who limits turnovers.
Englehart, a 5-4 junior, is the fullback and closing in on 1,000 yards. Senior Jon Moran is the pitch man and a threat to go the distance; he’s averaging 9.7 yards per carry.
The defense hasn’t posted eye-opening numbers but it’s managed to make big plays at big times. Stand-up end Hudson Sellers has been a force, with 13 sacks and 25 tackles for loss. He’s a disrupter the Saints will have to account for.
There’s much more on the line than just the Section 5 championship. The teams are ranked 1-2 in the District 3 Class 3A power ratings. The winner will be the No. 1 seed, get a first-round bye, and a home game in the semifinals. The loser could fall to No. 3 and miss out on the second bye, though that’s not a certainty; the loser could still end up No. 2 in the power ratings.
Gingrich gladly accepts the underdog role.
“The goal is to keep it close,” he said. “If we can, I have a lot of faith that (my guys are) gonna pull it out, because they have all year.”
Stahler is aware all those close wins make the Dutchmen dangerous; they appear to be a team where the whole is greater than the sum of its parts.
“We tell the kids you’ve gotta do a lot of stuff right to get a win,” he said, “and they’re done it now eight times, so they’re a good football team.”
