Warwick grounds Conestoga Valley, 21-10

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

By Bruce Morgan — LNP/Lancasteronline

Give Warwick’s defense a big pat on the back for the 21-10 win over Conestoga Valley in both teams’ Lancaster-Lebanon League Section 2 opener Friday night at Grosh Field in Lititz.

The Warriors obviously did their homework on the Bucks’ talented, fleet-footed Nick Tran, who ran for 476 yards and five touchdowns in CV’s first three games. Although the senior running back did break free for a 95-yard kickoff return in the third quarter, the Warriors (1-0 L-L, 2-2 overall) limited him to just 24 rushing yards on 15 carries for the night.

“I thought the defense played an outstanding football game, they really did,” Warriors coach Bob Locker said. “We did a lot of things very well.”

In fact, with Conestoga Valley (0-1, 2-2) trailing just 9-3 at the intermission, the Bucks managed just 10 yards of offense in the second half.

But the Warriors’ offense deserves a lot of credit for that. After receiving the second-half kickoff, Warwick proceeded to put together two ball-control, time-eating scoring drives of 10 and 18 plays. On the first of those, QB Jack Reed (17-27-1, 169 yards) hit Keldyn Loraw (5-59 receiving) for a 25-yard TD pass to put Warwick up 16-3.

The extra breathing room quickly evaporated, though, when Tran found an opening and went the distance, cutting the Warriors’ lead to 16-10 with 6:57 to go in the third.

That’s when Reed and Co. again played keep away, taking nearly eight minutes off the clock and driving to CV’s 10. But on a night when Warwick drew 10 penalties for 100 yards, including five holding calls, the drive stalled and Ian Jerchau kicked his second field goal, a 35-yarder, to make it 19-10.

Given the Warriors’ advantage in time of possession, CV didn’t run its first offensive play from scrimmage until the fourth, and that series ended with Harman McKnight sacking Bucks QB Macoy Kneisley. The punt snap then sailed high and through the end zone, resulting in a safety, and that all but sealed it.

Earlier, Reed’s 3-yard TD run and Jerchau’s 34-yard field goal put Warwick up 9-0 in the first quarter, and CV kicker David Irwin ended the half with a 22-yard field goal. Andrew McClune finished with 75 rushing yards to lead a Warriors ground game that gained 150 total yards.