What we know now about Section 2 of the Lancaster-Lebanon League
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There appears to be little margin for error in Section 2 of the Lancaster-Lebanon League. Just look at the standings after three weeks: Four teams are unbeaten, two others are 2-1.
Exeter, Conestoga Valley, and Ephrata are ranked 1-2-3 in the District 3 Class 5A power ratings; Muhlenberg is No. 5. Governor Mifflin is No. 3 in 6A. Those five teams are a combined 16-2 as they open league play Friday.
“Coming up the next few weeks it’s going to be a dog fight,” said Ephrata coach Kris Miller. “We’re going to be picking each other off. It’s setting up to be an exciting run.”
Exeter appeared to be the clear-cut favorite coming into the season and it has not disappointed, outscoring its opponents 112-3 in the first half of its three games to date.
The Eagles, however, lost quarterback Riley Martinez on the first series of their second game with a shoulder injury and he could be out for an extended time. Martinez is a college-level talent and a difference-maker. Can the Eagles win their second Section 2 title in three seasons without him?
Mifflin coach Nick Morrissey has little doubt.
“They’re still head and shoulders the class of our section,” he said without hesitation. “What they have up front separates them from the rest of the pack. Their front seven offensively and defensively, it’s just . . . big time.”
The Eagles will go with Jake Hafter at quarterback. He filled in for the final seven weeks last season when Martinez was knocked out and Exeter ended up in the District 3 Class 5A championship game.
“Even with the loss of their quarterback, they’re still hitting on all cylinders,” said Muhlenberg coach Rob Flowers.
“(With) the physicality of that team and their (overall) strength, they’ll be able to adapt their style” said Ephrata coach Kris Miller. “They’re still formidable.”
League play opens with a bang as Ephrata plays at Conestoga Valley; Mifflin opens at Exeter.
Here’s a closer look at the top contenders:
Exeter (3-0)
The Eagles showed last year they could win without Martinez and they’ve shown it the last two weeks, beating Boyertown 28-10 and Pleasant Valley 42-0.
Last week they turned to their big offensive line and tailback Leo Brown, who rushed for 140 yards and four TDs in the first half.
When Martinez went out last season the Eagles used Hafer at quarterback and often went to a Wildcat formation, with All-State tailback Jayden Zandier taking direct snaps – and sometimes throwing the ball.
They’re likely to do something similar this year, with Brown or perhaps wide receiver Jayden Ware, who has played quarterback in the past, in the Wildcat QB role.
“You put great athletes like that behind their line, and their two massive tight ends, and good things usually can happen for you,” said Mifflin coach Nick Morrissey.
Eagles coach Matt Bauer once played half a season with a converted tight end, Gabe Schappell, at quarterback after his starter went down with an injury. He and his staff know how to adapt on the fly – while continuing to win.
“No one is lowering any expectations,” Bauer said of playing without Martinez. “Jake’s shown he can do it. The kids believe in him. They’re supporting him, and they’re supporting each other. Everyone wants to continue business as usual.”
Exeter opens league play at home Friday against Gov. Mifflin, a team it has beaten four straight seasons. They’ll face a big Week 6 challenge at Ephrata and could again be playing for first place in Week 9 at Conestoga Valley.
The Eagles saw the section title slip away last season when Zandier was denied on a two-point conversion attempt in the final seconds of a controversial 28-27 loss.
Conestoga Valley (3-0)
The Buckskins graduated 11 all-league picks, including the Section 2 Receiver of the Year, Defensive Lineman of the Year, and Defensive Back of the Year, but they’ve hardly blinked the first three weeks.
They have outscored their first three opponents by a combined 116-6.
Granted, their schedule has been anything but robust: Penn Manor, McCaskey and Dover have combined for one win – and have been shut out four times.
“(They) have not slowed up a beat,” Muhlenberg coach Rob Flowers said of the Bucks, “they’re still doing what they do.”
That starts with all-league quarterback Sawyer Esbenshade, who has thrown for 478 yards and a league-leading eight touchdowns (to five different receivers).
With Martinez out, Esbenshade is arguably the top quarterback in the league.
We’ll find out how good the Buckskins are right off the bat as they open play against Ephrata, which is also unbeaten.
The rest of the Bucks’ biggest challenges come late in the season, in Week 7 at Governor Mifflin, Week 9 against Exeter and perhaps in Week 10 at Muhlenberg.
Ephrata (3-0)
No one should sleep on the Mounts, especially after an impressive start that’s seen them win tight games against Manheim Central (17-6) and Garden Spot (40-31).
Not that long ago they were a .500 team in Section 3, then the smallest of the league’s three sections. In 2023 they shared the Section 3 title (in the newly reconfigured five-section league) and last year returned to the district playoffs.
They’re headed back after their second 3-0 start in three years.
They have gotten strong play from first-year starting quarterback Carson Martin, who’s thrown for 502 yards and a league-leading eight TDs.
When he went out last week with an apparent injury wide receiver Malachi Knowles stepped in and threw a 62-yard bomb, then ran 75 yards for a score, each extending the Mounts’ lead to 13 points.
Ephrata coach Kris Miller likes the grit and versatility his team has show the past two weeks.
“We played two very physical football teams in Central and Garden Spot, and it was nice to see our kids respond,” Miller said. “Central was a grind-it-out type of game, a defensive struggle. Garden Spot was more of a shootout. We adapted (to each). In our section (you have to do that because) there’s so many contrasting styles.”
The Mounts will know where they stand in the section race by Week 6, when they play Exeter. If they’re still unbeaten after that they may be looking at their second section title in three years.