Top players to watch in Section 3 of the Lancaster-Lebanon League
2024 Berks football coverage
presented by UECU
No argument, Garden Spot graduated the most dynamic player in Section 3 of the Lancaster-Lebanon League.
Quarterback Kye Harting ran, passed, and willed the Spartans to nine wins as he rushed for 1,137 yards and 12 TDs and passed for 1,898 yards and 33 scores.
The Section 3 Offensive Back of the Year is gone but the Spartans still have plenty of firepower remaining, what with 10 returning all-league players, far more than any other team.
Section 3 has gone through a wild transition since last season with Ephrata and Elizabethtown moving up to Section 2 and Daniel Boone and Twin Valley moving to Section 4. Manheim Central, Warwick, Cocalico and Conrad Weiser take their spots in the section most affected by league-wide realignment.
Garden Spot, which shared the section title with Ephrata and Twin Valley, remains well-fortified to chase another title, what with the return of five first-team all-league picks, including Section 3 Receiver of the Year Trent Hoober and defensive back AJ Hurst.
Conrad Weiser wasn’t a factor in Section 4 last season but enters its new venue well-stocked, with Section 4 Receiver of the Year Evan Rittle and quarterback Donovan Gingrich.
Manheim Central, the Section 2 champ, and Cocalico, the Section 4 champ, each sustained heavy graduation losses but programs of their caliber don’t rebuild, they reload.
Warwick returns just one all-league pick, Fleetwood, Cocalico and Solanco just two apiece.
Here’s your first look at the top players in Section 3 for the 2024 season. Later this week we’ll take a look at the top players in Section 2.
(This is part three of a five-part series and a collaboration between LNP/Lancaster On-Line and MikeDragoSports.com. Jeff Reinhart of LNP contributed player capsules.)
Dane Bollinger
RB/LB
Cocalico
Ball-hawking ’backer spearhead the Eagles’ D during Cocalico’s spirited run to its second straight District 3 Class 5A title and return trip to the state semifinals.
Bollinger gave up his body for 129 tackles, with 17 sticks for losses, two sacks, an interception, six pass breakups and a pair of blocked punts.
His honors: Section 4 first-team all-league at linebacker and first-team PA Football News All-State.
Not the biggest dude, but he’ll chase you down and drop you like a ton of bricks.
(Jonathan Klein/LPN)
Jace Conrad
WR
Garden Spot
Conrad came into his own on the flanks last fall with 46 receptions for 619 yards and seven TD grabs as the Spartans shared the Section 3 title and went back to the district playoffs.
First-team all-league wideout has great hands. Possession-type receiver. Pinpoint route-runner. Conrad will have Trenton Hoober as his flank mate again this season, giving Garden Spot an incredible 1-2 receiving punch.
The Spartans will be breaking in a new, as yet undetermined, quarterback. Whoever it is will have Conrad and Hoober as vet safety valves.
Brodie Daugherty
LB
Manheim Central
Swarmed his way to a whopping 113 tackles last fall, helping the Barons win the Section 2 title and return to the District 3 Class 4A title game for the second year in a row.
Daugherty, a first-team all-league pick, will help anchor a Manheim Central defense that ranked No. 3 in the entire league last season against the run.
The Barons will again be chiseled on that side of the ball.
Donovan Gingrich
QB/P
Conrad Weiser
Gingrich gives the Scouts one of the most experienced quarterbacks in the section, and perhaps the most athletic.
He started behind center as a sophomore and threw for 1,044 yards, with 10 TDs. He just missed the 1,000-yard plateau last season when he completed 47.3 percent of his passes for 963 yards and 10 TDs. That netted him second-team all-league credentials.
Gingrich was named first-team all-league punter after averaging 32 yards per kick, with a long of 56. His strength was directional kicking, with the ability to keep the ball away from dangerous return men.
Gingrich is a basketball standout who was one of Berks’ top perimeter shooters last season and is on the cusp of 1,000 career points.
His best prospects are likely on the football field where an efficient senior season could lead to college offers.
Trenton Hoober
WR/DB
Garden Spot
Part of the Spartans’ all-league receiving duo along with Jace Conrad.
Hoober was Garden Spot’s home-run threat last fall with 33 catches for 688 yards, good for an 18.4 average. His 14 TD grabs were third-most in the league behind Manheim Central’s Aaron Enterline and Manheim Township’s Landon Kennel, who had 25 apiece.
Hoober, who totaled 973 all-purpose yards, also took care of business from his spot at defensive back, making 31 tackles with 12 pass breakups and five picks.
His haul: Section 3 Receiver of the Year, plus first-team all-league nods on offense and defense. Flank defenders, you better be on your toes if you’re lined up against this guy. If he sees green, he’s gone.Â
Johnny Garcia
FB
Solanco
If you run the Flexbone that means a lot of work for your fullback. Hello, Mr. Garcia.
He took the rock 227 times last fall, batter-ramming his way for 1,371 yards and 13 TD runs.
He earned first-team all-league status for his bell-cow efforts.
Garcia helped the Mules churn out 3,018 rushing yards.
He’ll be back to do more between-the-tackles damage this season. He’s tough to bring down. Better wrap and tackle if you get Garcia in your crosshairs.
Tyler Groff
C/DT
Manheim Central
When you chat Barons’ football over the years you think of rugged O- and D-lines. It’s their bread and butter, especially offensively.
Say hello to Manheim Central’s line-of-scrimmage anchor. Groff is back to man the trenches, and he’ll switch from tackle — where he earned second-team all-leaguer honors and a Big 37 team nod — to center. It’ll all start with him.
Last fall Groff helped the Barons gouge out 2,428 rushing yards, averaging 44 points and 410 yards a game, as they took the Section 2 title and went back to the District 3 Class 4A championship game.
Groff tacked on 25 tackles from his spot at defensive tackle.
Battle-tested vet. Tough customer. Line leader.
Owen Hursh
DE
Warwick
Hursh really came into his own in 2023 as one of the Warriors’ top edge rushers and tackle-makers.
Hursh’s efforts were rewarded handsomely with a first-team all-league nod at D-end as Warwick gave everyone headaches in the Section 2 race.
Hursh will be back to spearhead the D once again this fall, when the Warriors set up shop in Section 3.
(Chris Knight/LNP photo)
A.J. Hurst
WR/DB
Garden Spot
It was a heck of a two-way season last fall for Hurst, who was all over the place on offense and defense.
His sparkling numbers: 22 catches for 367 yards with eight TD snags as the No. 3 receiver behind Jace Conrad and Trenton Hoober. On defense he made 70 tackles, with four hits for losses, five pass breakups, four forced fumbles and five interceptions from his spot at defensive back.
Hurst was a first-team all-league pick at D-back, and he picked up an honorable mention section nod at receiver.
He also served as the Spartans’ backup quarterback; now that Section 3 Offensive Back of the Year Kye Harding is gone we’ll see if Hurst gets more snaps this time around.
Josh Myer
QB
Cocalico
Myer’s stats will never blow you away, but his bottom line numbers certainly will.
Myer, the Eagles’ pitch-man quarterback, has guided his team to back-to-back District 3 Class 5A championships and consecutive state semifinal trips.
Last fall he lowered his shoulder for 820 rushing yards with 12 TD keepers. The Eagles very rarely throw the ball out of their Flexbone; Myer had 19 completions for 373 yards with four TD tosses.
Can he help guide Cocalico to a District 3 three-peat? We shall see. He certainly has the moxie and the field-general skills to lead the way.
Evan Rittle
WR/S/LS
Conrad Weiser
Rittle is a unique all-around talent who earned first-team all-league honors on offense, defense and special teams as a junior, the only player in Section 4 to pull off that feat.
He was Receiver of the Year in the run-happy section, catching a section-high 38 balls, many of them contested. He pulled in a section-high seven TDs and averaged 11.0 yards per catch. He had a season-high 10 receptions against Elco.
The 5-11, 165-pounder was active from his spot at safety, making 53 tackles with two forced fumbles.
He earned all-league honors as a long snapper, where he was flawless on his snaps and also got downfield quickly to make plays in coverage.
Rittle is a standout baseball player who was one of the league’s top leadoff batters and a relief pitchers.
Zion Rolon
LB
Manheim Central
The Barons’ stick-meister can absolutely lower the boom on opposing runners.
Rolon made his presence felt last fall when he piled up 88 bone-jarring tackles, with four sacks plus a blocked field goal.
He was an honorable mention pick in Section 2.
Rolon will team with Brodie Daugherty to give Manheim Central a hard-hitting 1-2 combo in the middle. They’ll bring the noise. Rolon is a hammer; you don’t want to be the nail if he’s got you in his sights.
Others to watch
- Kris Burgos-Wise, RB/CB, Solanco
- Quinn Care, WR/DB, Warwick
- Joe Cruz, DT, Garden Spot
- Tom Dattoli, DT, Cocalico
- Max Davis, LB, Garden Spot
- Brandon Delgrosso, T/DT, Fleetwood
- Kyle Denlinger, DE, Garden Spot
- Jason Dougherty, DL, Manheim Central
- Brayden Eppinette, RB, Cocalico
- Gabe Forren, RB/DB, Solanco
- Hunter Garber, G, Manheim Central
- Mason Gechter, TE/DE, Conrad Weiser
- Jack Heckman, G/DE, Conrad Weiser
- Cody Hess, WR/CB, Manheim Central
- Kaleb Holl, G, Conrad Weiser
- Dane Horning, RB/LB, Cocalico
- Cole Humphreys, LB, Garden Spot
- Austin Jarabak, QB, Solanco
- Gabe Martin, RB, Garden Spot
- Zach Martin, PK, Garden Spot
- Tristan McFarland, ATH/LB, Fleetwood
- Jayvior Morales, FS, Manheim Central
- Tommy O’Neil, T, Garden Spot
- Jason Petion, RB/LB, Fleetwood
- Gabe Sanchez, RB/LB, Warwick
- Tyler Schoffstahl, PK, Warwick
- Cullen Witmer, G/DE, Garden Spot
