Solanco picks off another Section 4 contender
(This story was produced by LNP/Lancasteronline, and published in partnership with MikeDragoSports.com.)
By Jeff Reinhart — LNP/Lancasteronline
The play was right in front of Aden Herr, and Solanco’s senior linebacker didn’t miss it.
Herr picked off a pass and returned it 34 yards for a second-quarter touchdown and a 14-point lead for the Golden Mules, and Solanco’s defense held Cocalico’s lethal ground-and-pound rushing attack relatively in check Friday in a 21-7 non-league football win in Quarryville.
Solanco improved to 2-0 after outlasting Lampeter-Strasburg 40-35 last week. This is the Mules’ best start since a 4-0 getaway back in 2018. That’s also the last year Solanco went to the district playoffs.
After a hot start with a win over Warwick last week, Cocalico dipped to 1-1.
“Great start,” Herr said. “It feels amazing, actually. Now we have to stay focused and keep doing our jobs.”
There’s still a long way to go, obviously, but Solanco certainly has everyone’s attention after slaying a couple of District 3 heavyweights in its first two games.
Before Herr’s Pick-6 Solanco grabbed a 7-0 lead on its first possession, when Josiah Forren darted in from 2 yards out. That short drive was set up when Solanco’s Jaden Summers recovered a high punt snap.
It remained that way until the 8:20 mark of the second quarter, when Herr stepped in front of Josh Myer’s pass attempt and saw nothing but green grass in front of him; 34 yards later he bum-rushed the end zone and the Mules were up 14-0.
“I stuck with my guy, and he ended up throwing the ball right to me,” Herr said. “It was right there. I thought it lifted everyone up and it really got us going.”
“I’m really happy for Aden and I’m glad he got that pick-6,” Solanco coach Tony Cox said. “Our defense was huge. They did a great job. Cocalico has a great offense, and they can really run the ball. But I thought we stopped them when we needed to stop them. Our guys really stuck their noses in there and made tackles.”
Solanco capped a 21-0 half in style, when Brody Mellinger heaved a 58-yard TD pass to Noah Baber, who made an acrobatic grab along the sideline, and then outraced Cocalico’s secondary to the end zone. Baber’s PAT boot gave the Mules a three-TD lead at the break.
Solanco didn’t score in the second half, but the Mules made enough plays, chewed up enough yards on the ground, and milked enough clock to fend off Cocalico. The Eagles finally got on the board with 4:49 to play when Bryce Nash — who split the duties with Myer — flipped a 7-yard TD pass to Brayden Eppinette.
Neither team stuffed the stat sheet; Cocalico rushed for 197 yards, but 40 of those came on a keeper by Nash with time running out. Solanco had 110 yards on the ground, but Mellinger completed 3-of-4 passes for 88 yards, including his TD bomb to Baber. Solanco survived three turnovers, but forced four, including the punt snap.
Nick Defrancesco tacked on Solanco’s second interception of the game when he picked off Nash at the final buzzer to ice the Mules’ win.
“We knew last week that we weren’t the best team in the world, and that we had to keep improving,” Cocalico coach Bryan Strohl said. “We took a step back here. Ultimately it was a couple of big plays that hurt us. The pick-6 for sure. And their defense.
“When we play them, the team that executes the best on offense and is the most physical up-front wins. They beat us up on the perimeter and they beat us up inside. We never got into a rhythm. All credit to them for that.”