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Big 2nd half lifts Solanco over Cedar Crest, 38-21


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The Solanco train is on the right track and going full steam ahead.

A week after upsetting Lampeter-Strasburg on the road, the Mules returned home Friday night and stormed past Cedar Crest, 38-21 in an L-L Section 2 football game.

Eric Hopkins had another big night for Solanco, rushing for 230 yards and two touchdowns, while adding a nine-yard TD catch. In the last two weeks, Hopkins has rushed for 598 yards and has scored eight touchdowns.

After a Hopkins six-yard TD run put Solanco (3-4, 2-2) up 7-0 with 3:24 left in the opening quarter, the Falcons (4-3, 2-2) ran off 21 unanswered points.

On the first play after the Hopkins TD, Crest quarterback Logan Horn hooked up with Tate Seyfert for a 66-yard score. On the first play of their next possession, Horn and Seyfert connected again, this time a 39-yard strike put the Falcons up 14-7.

The duo added a third TD strike in the second quarter before Solanco got a 28-yard field goal from Evan Salisbury and the nine-yard TD pass from Joel McGuire to Hopkins to get the Mules within 21-17 at the break.

Turning point: Solanco opened the third quarter with a 15-play scoring drive that ate 6:53 off the clock. McGuire’s 1-yard TD plunge capped the drive and gave the Mules a 24-21 lead. It was the first of three second-half touchdowns by the Mules.

Players of the game: Hopkins is a no-brainer for the Mules and Seyfert gets the nod for the Falcons. Seyfert hauled in four passes for 148 yards and three touchdowns, rushed three times for 56 yards and had a TD-saving tackle when Hopkins broke free for a 68-yard scamper in the second quarter.

Key statistic: The Solanco defense pitched a shutout over the final 34 minutes. In the second half, the Falcons had only 48 total yards of offense and ran only 16 plays. Solanco’s offense, meanwhile, ran 36 plays after the break.

Up next: The Falcons return home for a clash with Manheim Central, while the Mules hit the road to Ephrata.

 Solanco 38, Cedar Crest 21

Cedar Crest _ 14 _ 7 _ 0 _ 0 _ — _ 21

Solanco _ 7 _ 10 _ 7 _ 14 _ — _ 38

First Quarter

S — Hopkins 6 run (Camby kick)

CC — Seyfert 66 pass from Horn (Ryland kick)

CC — Seyfert 39 pass from Horn (Ryland kick)

Second Quarter

CC — Seyfert 34 pass from Horn (Ryland kick)

S — Salisbury 26 field goal

S — Hopkins 9 pass from McGuire (Camby kick)

Third Quarter

S— McGuire 1 run (Camby kick)

Fourth Quarter

S — Hopkins 29 run (Camby kick)

S — McGuire 1 run (Camby kick)

Team Statistics

_ Crest _ Sol

First downs _ 13 _ 16

Rushes-yards _ 21-128 _ 51-391

Passing _ 7-16-1 _ 2-2-0

Passing yards _ 172 _ 34

Total yards _ 300 _ 425

Punts _ 2-41.0 _ 3-31.7

Fumbles-lost _ 2-1 _ 4-0

Penalties-yards _ 3-20 _ 9-75