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Dallastown RB Behrmann finds comfort zone


It was perhaps the most pressing question for Dallastown's football team before this season. Who would carry the load at tailback? The answer, it turns out, was a mostly unknown senior who had previously struggled with injuries. In the last three weeks, Ryan Behrmann has begun to entrench himself in the Wildcats' backfield. He busted a 60-yard score in a Week 4 win against West York. The next week, he exploded for 186 yards and a score against Northeastern. Last week, Behrmann posted another 112 yards in a 21-7 win over South Western. Dallastown (6-0) didn't so much as attempt a pass in the second half, relying instead on Behrmann, Adam Lawicki and Ben Kline to carry the load on the ground. Through six games, Behrmann leads the Wildcats with 531 yards, five touchdowns and a 5.9 per carry average. Not overwhelming, but then again Dallastown's offense isn't designed to post huge numbers. The Wildcats try to control the ball and grind down the clock, working in tandem with their rock-solid defense. Behrmann has done the job, and he's seen his workload increase accordingly. His 22 carries against South Western were a season high. "I'm better when I get into a rhythm," the 5-foot-11, 180-pound senior said last Friday. "He's running hard now," added Dallastown head coach Kevin Myers. "He was kind of skating along early in the season." Behrmann hadn't figured much into the team's plans the last two years. He broke his leg early in his sophomore season, and struggled with a separated shoulder last year. With last year's two leading rushers, Anthony DeFabio and Tyler Imhoff, having both graduated, Myers wasn't sure before the season who would replace their production. "Coming into the season that was one of the area of concern," the coach said. "We didn't have really any experience at tailback ." Certainly Behrmann isn't alone. Kline has been a source of big plays for the Wildcats offense -- running and receiving -- while Lawicki has been effective between the tackles. The Wildcats' offensive line has also come together in recent weeks, and could give Dallastown an edge Friday against a William Penn team that is thin up front.