Wyomissing bracing for Howse call
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Bob Wolfrum will grouse about the difficulties of defending a dual-threat quarterback such as Lampeter-Strasburg’s Caileb Howse but deep down he relishes the challenge.
Big games, such as Wyomissing’s Lancaster-Lebanon League Section 4 showdown against the Pioneers Saturday at 1:30 at Wolfrum Field, are what the Spartans’ legendary football coach thrives on.
They don’t get much bigger than this, at least not in the regular season.
Wyomissing (6-0, 8-1), ranked No. 2 in the state in Class 4A, is looking for its second Section 4 title since joining the league three years ago, and to extend its home winning streak to 37 games.
Lampeter-Strasburg (6-0, 9-0), ranked No. 4 in 4A, seeks its first section title in three years and looks to make history in the process: The Pioneers have never finished a regular season 10-0.
There’s no secret about what the Spartans need to do to win: Contain Howse.
He ran wild last week, scoring a staggering seven touchdowns and rushing 323 yards in a 62-14 victory over Twin Valley — incredible numbers against any team, jaw-dropping against a team that had been ranked No. 1 in the league in total defense.
“I didn’t expect that,” Wolfrum said of Howse’s electrifying performance and the Pioneers’ ability to stack up 601 total yards against the Raiders, a team Wyomissing had beaten 34-24 the week before.
“I didn’t see it going that way,” Lampeter coach Victor Ridenour said of the onslaught at Twin Valley. “I think most people didn’t see it going that way. It was just one of those nights when things really went in favor.”
The 6-foot, 200-pound Howse has been one of the amazing breakout stories in the league this season. He battled for the Pioneers’ starting quarterback job last year but came in second to Trent Wagner, who ended up earning all-league honors.
Howse played running back, safety, and special teams and waited for his chance to bust out. He’s done it, with 1,148 passing yards and 1,030 rushing yards – the first quarterback in the league to both pass and rush for 1,000 yards this season.
He’s been an accurate passer, too, completing nearly 69 percent of his throws — and without an interception.
“You could see glimpses of (this) throughout his career,” Ridenour said. “He’s sneaky fast. If you were to look at him you wouldn’t expect him to be able to run that way. He’s a good athlete, an extremely hard worker. He puts his nose down and gets after it.”
The Spartans won their first two encounters against the Pioneers with their defense. They stuffed them 21-0 two years ago, allowing just 81 total yards and five first downs. Last year they won 18-13, holding Lampeter scoreless until the final five minutes.
“We’ve been pretty successful against them with our defense,” Wolfrum said. “That doesn’t mean it’s gonna be that way this week. We feel confident that we’re not gonna let ’em run outside at will. It comes down to who has the better players and who plays better that day.”
You can bet Wyo’s defensive staff has been working overtime this week to come up with some wrinkles they can throw at Howse and a team that leads the league in scoring (44.2 points) and is ranked No. 2 in total offense (406 yards per game).
“I think our (players) know how handle (what) we throw at ’em, so that we can defend any different kind of offense that they see,” Wolfrum said. “They’ve done a really nice job with that.”
Wyomissing is ranked No. 3 in the league in rush defense and No. 5 in total defense. Only one team has run for more than 200 yards against it.
Howse isn’t Lampeter’s only threat. Running back Dominic Brown has scored 18 touchdowns and is closing in on 1,000 rushing yards. Senior tight end Emory Fluhr has 19 receptions and is getting PSAC looks, as are Brown and Howse. They’ve also got an all-league placekicker in Peter Fiorello.
Howse, of course, is the main worry.
“He’s got some speed, and he’s also pretty physical,” Wolfrum said. “Once he gets on the edge he’s tough.”
Ridenour says his defense will have challenges of its own. Lampeter has not faced a true Wing-T offense this season; getting ready for one that runs as efficiently as Wyomissing’s in just a few practices is a challenge.
“They’re tough to prepare for because it’s hard to get a look in practice that’s anywhere close to what they’re gonna give you on the field,” he said. “There’s no secret to what they’re going to try to do: They’re going to run the ball at you and they’re gonna play great defense and they’re gonna try to get you out of your game.”
Lampeter-Strasburg has won nine or more games in six straight seasons. It won District 3 championships in 2019 and 2020, returned to the championship game in 2021 and has reached the district semis the last two years.
The Pioneers also offer a physical element, which Wolfrum always looks forward to.
“We scrimmaged ’em a couple years ago, and we’ve played ’em the last two, and they’ve all been slobber-knockers,” he said. “They come to play, and so do our kids. All three (game) were really neat to be a part of.”
