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FOOTBALL: Time to get serious with L-L league play set to begin


The high school football regular season will turn four weeks old Friday night, but in many ways the 2015 campaign won't officially begin until the opening kickoffs at a stadium near you this week.

The first three weeks counted, no doubt, and were important in the grand scheme of things, but this Friday night the stakes will be raised indefinitely with the opening of league play.

That means the first steps toward — or away from — section or division titles will be taken this week.

With that in mind, let's take a quick look at where the six Lebanon County teams have been so far and where they may be headed for the remainder of the season.

ANNVILLE-CLEONA>>

Record: 3-0

This week: At Donegal

What's gone right: Well, the Little Dutchmen have yet to lose under first-year head coach Matt Gingrich, so plenty. Senior quarterback Adam Fox has been the big-play catalyst for an offense that has piled up 97 points and looks formidable enough to contend again for the Section Three title. Time will tell, but A-C has much to feel good about in the early stages of the Gingrich era.

What's gone wrong: As productive as the Little Dutchmen have been on offense, the defense has been a bit leaky, giving up 23 points per game to teams with a combined 2-7 record. Included in that total were the 36 points allowed to 1-2 Biglerville in a 39-36 season-opening overtime win. A-C will have to be better on that side of the ball if it is to knock off defending section champ Northern Lebanon.

Moving forward: A-C's got experience and playmakers, so there's no reason to count it out of the section title hunt if it can tighten up on defense. The Week 8 encounter at Northern Lebanon figures to be gigantic.

CEDAR CREST>>

This week: Home vs. Warwick

What's gone right: The Falcons were physical on offense and opportunistic on defense — two attributes they'd been lacking in recent years — in the season-opening Cedar Bowl win over Lebanon, their fourth straight in the series. With help from the power running of Justice Belleman, Cedar Crest is more equipped to deal with the rigors of Section One play than it has been in some time. It also doesn't hurt to have Evan Horn around making plays as a receiver and in the secondary. He made plenty last week, racking 16 tackles on defense while also hauling in four passes for 126 yards and a 77-yard touchdown to earn Section One Back of the Week honors.

What's gone wrong: Though it occurred against perennial powers Lower Dauphin and Manheim Central, Crest surrendered 35 and 30 points the last two weeks. That simply won't cut it in Section One. The Falcons, of course, know this. It's just a matter of fixing it.

Moving forward: There's a real chance to open up section play on a positive note with struggling Warwick coming to town this week, and the maturation of freshman QB Logan Horn should definitely be worth watching. So there is some reason for optimism as the Falcons make their way through the rest of the season.

ELCO >>

This week: Home vs. Pequea Valley

What's gone right: Although they're winless, it hasn't been all bad news for the Raiders thus far. They pushed a quality Palmyra club to the wall in a 30-22 Week 2 loss, and have developed a go-to power back in junior Tyler Horst, who rumbled for 177 yards and two touchdowns in last week's 20-19 loss to Lebanon. Don't sleep on Elco yet, better days could well be ahead in Myerstown.

What's gone wrong: A 30-8 opening-week loss to Hamburg was just not good, even with some players missing for disciplinary reasons. And Elco blew a 19-7 late third quarter lead to Lebanon last week, so it's a team that's got to learn how to finish opponents off. There is obviously still some work to do here.

Moving forward: Despite the rough start, Elco still has the ability to be a factor in the section race. Coupling Horst's tough running with QB Jeff Martin's big arm and experience makes the Raiders a team no Section Three opponent should overlook.

LEBANON >>

This week: Home vs. Cocalico

What's gone right: The Cedars showed guts and character in last week's come-from-behind win at Elco, so you've got to like their intangibles, at least as it relates to last week. And quarterback Cody Kissinger and running back Malik Hunter are both legitimate playmakers that must be accounted for by any defense.

What's gone wrong: The Cedar Bowl loss was a turnover-filled debacle, and Lebanon simply could not stop Northern Lebanon in Week 2, surrendering 52 points and a staggering 320 yards rushing. Ouch.

Moving forward: Section Two is a minefield of quality squads, so chances for the Cedars to find the win column may be few and far between in league play. But who knows? The Cedars looked to be out of the Elco game last week, too, and rallied for the win. But their work is definitely cut out for them.

NORTHERN LEBANON >>

This week: Home vs. Ephrata

What's gone right: Almost everything. On the heels of their Section Three title run last season, the Vikes have blasted their way to a 3-0 start by outscoring opponents by a 139-52 margin. Central Dauphin transfer Dylan Weaver has led a punishing ground game aided by the likes of linemen Matt Vines and Josiah Kerstetter, this week's Section Three Lineman of the Week. In short, Northern Lebanon looks primed for a section title defense. At the very least, the road to the section crown goes through Fredericksburg.

What's gone wrong: NL turned the ball over five times in last week's win at Hamburg, which obviously didn't please head coach Roy Wall. But other than that, there have been very few negatives to deal with in Fredericksburg.

Moving forward: As noted, Northern Lebanon is the undisputed team to beat in the section. Best of luck to the field. It won't be easy.

PALMYRA >>

This week: Home vs. Trinity

What's gone right: Football is fun again in Palmyra, with the Cougars off to a 3-0 start and looking better every week. A two-headed monster in the run game — Alon Rhette and Carl Reigle — has been the key to it all, but Palmyra has looked strong in all facets on the way to the unblemished start. We'll see if that continues.

What's gone wrong: Palmyra got a bit sloppy in the latter stages of the Week 2 win vs. Elco, and can ill afford to duplicate that kind of play. The Cougars aren't yet good enough to overcome self-inflicted wounds.

Moving forward: This week's Mid-Penn Capital Division opener with Trinity will tell a lot, but the Cougars certainly look like a division title and district playoff contender at the moment. At any rate, the dark days of 2012 and 2013, when Palmyra won just once, are long gone.