Hempfield preparing for L-S

This week’s L-L Beat “Game of the week” takes place in Landisville when Hempfield hosts Lampeter-Strasburg in a non-league game to kick off the 2013 season. Hempfield senior lineman Joey Goodhart knows that L-S will be a good measuring stick to start this season.

“They’re always a solid team and well-coached. They’re a tough team and don’t let up. Intensity. Intensity. Intensity,” he said. “It’s going to be a hard-hitting game. They know how to hit so we got to be ready physically and mentally.”

Head coach Ron Zeiber believes his team will have to play mistake-free football to be successful this Friday.

“We’re going to need to be consistent against them. They play a very aggressive defensive front. They come at you,” he said.  “If you can be consistent against that and prevent the turnovers, keep moving the ball, understand what they’re doing, make the correct reads in the passing game; you can be successful. It takes a lot of focus.”

Senior quarterback Michael Edwards will take his first snaps as the Black Knights full-time starter on Friday but doesn’t expect to see anything different from the Pioneers Friday night.

“For the past two years, they’ve given us a tough run so I expect nothing less out of that team,” he said. “This summer we’ve really worked hard so I expect us to come out with a bit of a fire. It’s a home opener so that’s big. We’re been preparing for them all week and we’ll continue to do that until Friday.”

After a disappointing and drama-filled 2012 season, Hempfield players are visually anxious to get the 2013 season underway

“We feel like we have something to prove because we didn’t prove it last year so we’re ready to come out and show what Hempfield is all about and what we’re made of,” Goodhart said.