FOOTBALL: Lampeter-Strasburg storms past Conestoga Valley, 54-7
LAMPETER- Friday's game between Lampeter Strasburg (2-1) and Conestoga Valley (1-2) had the billing of an offensive fireworks show.
Unfortunately for the Buckskins, the only pyrotechnics going off were coming from the L-S offense.
The Pioneers struck early and often as quarterback Collin "Bear" Shank went 15-of-22 for 260 yards and five touchdowns, pushing L-S to a 54-7 victory to claim the another Lampeter Bowl win.
Coming into Friday's game, Conestoga Valley was averaging 52 points per game but the Pioneers defense showed up big; sacking Buckskins quarterback Grant Stoltzfus seven times (eight total in game) and throwing the CV offense out of sync.
The Buckskins lone score came early in the second quarter when Stoltzfus hooked up with Tyler Humphreville on a fifty-seven-yard pass to make the score, 21-7.
"We saw they tend to pass quick so if we kept our coverage and gave our defensive line some time to get to him, it would click," junior defensive back/ receiver Chad Gaudino said.
Stoltzfus ended the game completing 13-of-25 passes for 191 yards (145 yards below his average) and a single touchdown.
"There were some coverage sacks too. I think the whole unit played well together," Pioneers coach John Manion said. "Sometimes we were on him (Stoltzfus) quick and sometimes we covered well. I can't say enough about the entire eleven."
The Pioneers would strike two more times in the final six minutes of the half to extend their lead to 34-7.
At halftime, Shank had three touchdown passes (Caleb Lopez, George Grau, Gaudino) including a twenty-five-yard dart to Gaudino with 2:54 remaining in the half.
"I just wanted to get to the endzone. I knew Bear could throw that ball and the line did their job," Gaudino said. "I knew we could get the job done and capitalize on the momentum."
L-S picked up right where they left off when Shank hit Gaudino again on a twenty-seven-yard touchdown pass two minutes into the third quarter.
"We told each other that it was 0-0 (at halftime) and it was a whole new ball game," Gaudino said. "We needed to keep pushing each other on offense and defense and not let up at all."
Gaudino finished the game with 4 catches for 83 yards and two touchdowns. He also rushed for 40 yards and scored a rushing touchdown in the second quarter.
L-S tailback Shane Lawler rushed for a game-high 75 yards with a three-yard touchdown run in the first quarter.
A thirty-six-yard touchdown pass to Darren Metz three minutes later gave the Pioneers a 47-7 lead and sparked a running clock for the remainder of the game and an early exit for Shank.
A Dan Reidenbaugh touchdown run from the one-yard-line midway through the fourth quarter proved to be the final act in the Pioneers' dazzling display of offense.
"We were happy that our offense got in gear. We have way too many weapons to not being putting up more than 20 points," Manion said. "Offensively, we've been looking for more than just big plays but big drives. That was probably the best thing of the night; we weren't just scoring on the long ones."
The Pioneers will now look ahead to Week 4 when they travel to Quarreyville to take on Solanco (2-0) as Section Two play opens up next week.
Despite his team's success on Friday night, Manion pulled no punches on how he feels about playing Solanco next week.
"I think they're the best team in the section," he said. "We're going to have to show that we're right there with them but it's going to be a tough week."