Week 7 Glance: Running against unbeaten Eagles no Small task for Muhls
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Every time Muhlenberg’s Cameron Small hits the hole or makes contact with a defender at the second level he realizes the hard work he put in during the offseason is paying off.
“It’s easier for me to break tackles and get to (the next level),” said Small, who’s playing tailback at 180 pounds this season, up 15 from his sophomore season. “I feel I hit the hole harder and it’s easier for me to gain yards.”
Small has rushed for league-leading 1,021 yards and scored 14 touchdowns. In six games he has already surpassed his preseason goals.
| L-L rushing leaders | ||
| Cameron Small | Muhlenberg | 1,021 |
| Declan Clancy | Manheim Twp. | 981 |
| Johnny Garcia | Solanco | 893 |
| Grady Garner | Gov. Mifflin | 833 |
| Brandon Way | Lanc. Cath. | 821 |
| Jayden Zandier | Exeter | 782 |
| Isaiah Zimmerman | Cedar Crest | 737 |
| Jonathan Shay | Ann.-Cleona | 700 |
“Now I’ve gotta set myself new goals,” he said.
Small has been one of the centerpieces of a big turnaround season in Laureldale. After winning just once a year ago the Muhls (1-2, 3-3) are in position to earn a game in Week 11.
Getting back over .500 this week will be a chore. Muhlenberg heads to Exeter for a Lancaster-Lebanon League Section 2 game Friday. The yards, and points, will not come so easily for Small.
The Eagles (3-0, 6-0) are ranked No. 2 in the league in total defense and No. 5 against the rush. Only one running back, Gov. Mifflin’s Grady Garner, has topped 100 yards against them. They have held two opponents (Daniel Boone and Lebanon) to negative rushing yards.
Oh, and this: Exeter is allowing 4.3 points per game, second-fewest in the state. Only Class 1A Clairton, which has strung together five straight shutouts, has allowed less points.
“No game’s an easy game,” reasoned Small, who realizes gaining ground against Exeter’s defense will be his biggest challenge of the season.
In other key games this week:
- Wilson (2-0, 5-1) hosts Hempfield (2-1, 3-3) as it looks its fourth straight win and to remain tied for first place in Section 1 with Manheim Township. The Black Knights lost 38-0 at Township two weeks ago. The Bulldogs are coming off a 43-20 win at Gov. Mifflin, a game which saw Madyx Gruber tie a program record by throwing five touchdown passes.
- Fleetwood (0-2, 3-3) puts its revamped offense to the test at Warwick (2-1, 3-3), which will offer one of the league’s stingiest defense. The Warriors have allowed just three TDs over their last four games and are coming off a 21-6 win over Garden Spot. The Tigers are sending junior Chase McMonagle out for his third start; he threw for 211 yards in his debut against Garden Spot and 312 last week in a win over overmatched Kennard-Dale.
- Conrad Weiser (3-0, 6-0) is bidding for its first 7-0 start in more than a decade when it plays at Garden Spot (1-2, 3-3). Quarterback Donovan Gingrich is coming off the biggest game of his career after passing for 196 yards and three TDs and running for 146 yards in a 56-35 win over Solanco. The Spartans may be without quarterback AJ Hurst, who was helped off the field with an apparent knee injury in a 21-6 loss to Warwick last week. Hurst has thrown for 1,171 yards and 14 TDs.
- Gov. Mifflin (1-1, 3-3) and fullback Grady Garner will be tested against the strong defense of Conestoga Valley (2-0, 6-0), which has allowed six TDs in six weeks. Garner is fourth in the league with 833 rushing yards and leads the league with 15 TDs after breaking free for one last week in a 43-20 loss to Wilson.
Small played behind Alexis Alvarado, an all-league running back, at Reading High last season. He started at safety but got limited touches in the backfield. He showed his ability on the few he got, averaging 7.3 yards per carry and leading the team with four rushing touchdowns.
He transferred, along with older brother Dequan, last November. They, along with defensive back Fred Lacey, who transferred from Daniel Boone, have been big factors in Muhlenberg’s turnaround.
“I’m just making it work, doing my best,” Cameron Small said of playing in a new program. “I feel I’m a better player (than last year). In the offseason I worked harder, trained better, and got closer to my teammates. We lifted every day. I took that very seriously.”
Small came within 2 yards of the program rushing record when he went off for 295 yards in a Week 3 win over Daniel Boone. He had another huge game last week against Elizabethtown, going for 257 yards. That made him the league’s first 1,000-yard rusher.
“Cam’s just a special player,” said Lacey. “He’s just a ‘dawg.’ He just works day in, day out. When we make playoffs, he’s gonna get us there; he’s gonna win us the game.”
Muhlenberg hasn’t played a postseason game in seven years. Getting back will be a challenge. After playing Exeter the Muhls face Ephrata (3-3), Academy Park (3-3), and Conestoga Valley (6-0). And they won’t have any home games: Their newly renovated turf field was deemed unsafe to play in late August and they have had to move home games off campus.
Making the postseason won’t be anything new for Exeter: It has clinched its 14th straight winning season and has made districts in every full season since 2011.
The Eagles are ranked No. 7 in a crowded District 3 Class 5A race that includes six unbeaten teams plus Bishop McDevitt, the defending Class 4A champ, which is ranked No. 7 in the state.
The Eagles have mercy-ruled five of six teams, outscored their opponents 90-6 in the first quarter and have led at halftime by an average of 29.1 points.
