Unbeaten Lampeter-Strasburg thrashes Northern Lebanon
2024 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
LAMPETER — It didn’t take Lampeter-Strasburg very long to announce its presence with authority Thursday night.
Five plays into the Pioneers’ Lancaster-Lebanon League Section 4 clash with visiting Northern Lebanon, Lampeter-Strasburg was in the end zone for the first of seven times in the first half.
The Pioneers, as has become the norm so far this season, cruised and remained undefeated with a 56-3 victory over the Vikings, who played until the bitter end in a game that hit mercy-rule status late in the first half.
“That,” Northern Lebanon coach Jason Rice said, tipping his cap to Lampeter-Strasburg, “is a solid football team. They have play-makers all over the place, and they always seemed to be in the right position, no matter what plays we were throwing at them.”
There were plenty of heroes to go around for Lampeter-Strasburg, now 4-0 in league play, 7-0 overall, and at No. 1 in the District 3 Class 4A power ratings.
After a battle against Elco next week the Pioneers finish up against Section 4 co-leaders Twin Valley and Wyomissing.
Caileb Howse had an electric first half behind center; he clicked on 11-of-12 passes — including his first 10 attempts — for 153 yards with a pair of TD tosses. And he tacked on 129 rushing yards on just seven carries with a pair of TD keepers, including a scintillating, highlight-reel 65-yard jaunt, which made it 42-0 midway through the second quarter.
And Dominic Brown came up big on both sides of the ball for the Pioneers; he bolted for 89 yards on the ground with two TD runs, including a 1-yard plunge that made it 49-0 at the half, and he returned an interception 21 yards for a TD, which broke the Vikings’ backs late in the first quarter.
Howse, Brown, and the Pioneers’ offense would not have put up nearly 500 yards and 24 first downs — or be where they are in the section, district and state rankings — without the big boys up front; Lampeter-Strasburg’s offensive line has been superb.
Tackles Collin Shelley and Thad Wolf, guards Javon Brisma and Hudson Crutchfield, and center Carson Zook have been winning the battles up front, showing the way for backs like Howse and Brown to make plays.
“We always have a goal of getting a lot of pancake blocks, and just making holes,” Zook said. “We compete with each other every single rep in practice, and I think our camaraderie within our group is the best I’ve played with. Our goal is to get better each and every day, and each and every week. We take that goal very seriously.”
Their hard work is paying off. Lampeter-Strasburg gouged out 498 yards — 345 on the ground — and has flashed some fabulous run-pass balance through seven games.
“They’ve been really good, and they continue to get better and better every week,” Lampeter-Strasburg coach Victor Ridenour said about his O-line. “They take a lot of pride in what they do, and we don’t do what we do without those guys.”
Lampeter-Strasburg did quite a bit Thursday. Danny Weichler caught both of Howse’s TD passes, and backup quarterback Asher Jones capped the scoring with a 2-yard keeper in the fourth quarter.
“Our kids are extremely unselfish,” Ridenour said. “They don’t really care who is doing what. And that’s very refreshing.”
