Unbeaten Lancaster Catholic crushed by West Perry

(This story was produced by LNP/Lancasteronline, and published in partnership with MikeDragoSports.com.)

By Dave Byrne — LNP/Lancasteronline

In the post-game huddle West Perry head coach Bob Boden likened next week’s potential likely District 3 3A title matchup with Wyomissing — which plays Hamburg Saturday — to David versus Goliath, with his Mustangs cast as David.

Friday night in Rossmere West Perry did its best Goliathan impression, crushing host Lancaster Catholic 63-20 in the 3A semifinals.

Behind a dominant offensive line the Mustangs (11-1) rushed 54 times for 468 yards, led 21-0 in the first quarter, 35-7 at halftime and triggered the mercy rule with 20 minutes to play.

“We talked, the last two weeks, about (how) we have to come out fast, be physical and get on people from the start,” said Boden. “We scored 21 in the first quarter, that was awesome.”

“They just took it to us from the first drive,” said Crusader coach Chris Maorino. “We got some things going and then we had a few unfortunate turnovers and we never got back on track.”

Quarterback Marcus Quaker rushed 10 times for 142 yards and two touchdowns – his second setting the mercy rule in motion; tailback Brad Hockenberry rushed nine times for 129 yards, scoring on dashes of 30, 44 and 19 yards. That effort gave the Mustangs the first 11-win season in school history.

“They were amazing tonight,” Hockenberry said, with a nod to tackles Jon Dilissio and Caleb Gutshall, guards Aiden Yocum and Foster Meek and center Conner Fliesher. “I couldn’t have done it without them.”

While Hockenberry pounded the ball between the tackles, Quaker was a factor getting to the boundary and then upfield.

“They do such a good job of creating angles and getting (Quaker) on the outside,” said Maorino. “With his speed, one wrong step by one of our linebackers and he had us.”

The Mustangs took the opening possession 63 yards in five snaps, Quaker scoring from 38 yards.

On Catholic’s first play of the game quarterback Will Cranford was intercepted by Dylan Gutshall at the Crusaders 45. Eleven plays later Derek Snook scored from the one.

The Crusaders (10-1) put together a nice eight-play drive to the Mustangs 13 on the next possession but fumbled, with Ian Goodling recovering for the Mustangs. Eight plays later Hockenberry scored from 30 yards and West Perry was up 21-0.

“Those two (turnovers),” said Maorino, “(in) the grand scheme I don’t know that would have been a difference here. We just couldn’t find a way to get them off the field.”

Down three scores, Catholic went for it on fourth-and-7 at their 49. Cranford’s pass to Jaevon Parker was incomplete, the Mustangs took over and Hockenberry was in the endzone from 44 yards three plays later.

The Crusaders cashed in a Mustang turnover late in the first half, Alex Cranford intercepting Quaker at the 35. On fourth-and-2 from the 43, Eli Cunningham (16 carries, 158 yards) broke a tackle at the line of scrimmage and another ten yards downfield before stiff-arming his way to a 57-yard score that lit Catholic’s side of the scoreboard.

The momentum was short-lived as Goodling broke a 51-yard kickoff return to the Catholic 27 and Hockenberry scored from the 19.

Quaker scored on a 22-yard run to open the second half and Jenson Hockenberry followed a short Catholic punt with a one-yard TD plunge.

Then the teams traded haymakers, Catholic scoring on Terrell Crowley’s 70-yard run, West Perry on a 35-yard run by Nolan Rathfon, Catholic on Will Cranford’s 65-yard TD pass to Parker (eight catches, 122 yards).

Taking over with 9:44 to play, the Mustangs burned all but 31 seconds off the running clock on a 14-play, 80-yard drive culminating in Jenson Hockenberry’s one-yard dive.

The lopsided loss can’t take away from what was a turnaround season for Catholic.

“We’ve come a long way,” said Maorino. “Most of the year, our guys have played above their heads and we won a lot of games that were 50/50 games.

“Our kids came to play,” he said, “we just ran into a team that was a little bit too much for us to handle tonight.”