FOOTBALL: Manheim Central runs over Lebanon
MANHEIM >>
Match a versatile running attack against a defense that surrenders the most rushing yards per game in Section Two and you've got the formula for an offensive explosion.
With Dylan Nelson and Damon Camacho as the sparks, Manheim Central tore up the Elder Rettew turf for 455 yards rushing and nine touchdowns to hammer Lebanon 62-14 in a Section Two game Saturday afternoon in Manheim.
The game was postponed from Friday night due to the weather, which was cloudy for most of the game Saturday, the rain starting late in the fourth quarter.
Nelson and Camacho certainly had no trouble with their footing with Nelson (17 carries, 150 yards) accounting for five rushing TDs and Camacho (13-106) three as the Barons had a 55-14 lead at halftime, triggering the mercy rule for the second half.
"We attacked with the run because it's what we do best right now,'' said Manheim Central coach Dave Hahn. "We wanted to establish the run.''
Lebanon coach Gerry Yonchiuk called stopping the run the Cedars' Achilles' Heel.
"We'll throw someone for a loss on one play and then see them go 15 yards on the next play,'' he said. "I think we're fast and athletic and we work on being more physical every week. But when (opponents) run to the outside, we stand up and the physicality doesn't matter.''
Early in the first quarter, the Cedars (0-2 Section Two, 1-4 overall) matched scores with the Barons (2-0 Section Two, 4-1 overall).
Central, which scored TDs on its first eight drives (the ninth was stopped by halftime), went 63 yards in 12 plays to open the game, culminating in Nelson's first TD.
But Lebanon answered the score. On a third-and-10 from their own 32, Lebanon quarterback Cody Kissinger, in the clutches of would-be tacklers, got a pass to Jeremiah Beckley and the catch and run was good for a 68-yard touchdown pass.
A 38-yard kickoff return by Camacho set the Barons up at the Cedars' 41 and Camacho covered all 41 yards on the drive, going in from the 4.
But again, the Cedars had an answer. This time it was Malik Hunter who found clear sailing around the right end for 78 yards and a TD.
After missing the point-after on its first TD, Lebanon went for two and was successful, Kissinger hitting Jan Suarez-Torres for two points, tying the game at 14-14.
From there, the game turned one-sided, as the Barons took advantage three straight Lebanon turnovers, cashing in all three.
Suarez-Torres' dropped a backwards pass that Central's Gavin Guyer scooped up and returned 25 yards to set up a Nelson TD run.
Then Central's Harrison Myer picked off a Kissinger pass and in three plays Camacho was in to make it 35-14.
Guyer intercepted Kissinger (8-18-2, 127 yards) for his second takeaway of the game and Nelson had to go only four yards for another Central TD.
"At the beginning of the year, everyone talked about Damon and he's been great for us,'' Hahn said. "But now we have that 1-2 punch of Damon and Dylan and they are great workers and good athletes.''
Camacho and Nelson each added TD runs before the end of the first half.
"Our o-line just really let loose on them,'' Nelson said. "There were holes all over. The o-line opened them up wherever we had to go.''
Nelson and Camacho were beneficiaries of strong line play by the Barons, whose front five starters were composed of tackles Vanden Grube and DaShaun Neville, guards Elliot Martin and Garret Fittery and center Adam Kline.
"We wanted to approach the game at 100 percent and not take Lebanon lightly,'' Grube said. "We wanted to pound them and I'm pretty sure we did.''
Daniel Caricabeur replaced Kissinger at quarterback for the Cedars after halftime. Kissinger suffered injuries to his throwing hand and was removed from the game as a precaution.
Manheim Central 62, Lebanon 14
Lebanon14000—14Manheim Central213407—62
First Quarter
MC — Nelson 1 run (Adams kick)
L — Beckley 67 pass from Kissinger (kick failed)
MC — Camacho 4 run (Adams kick)
L — Hunter 78 run (Suarez Torres pass from Kissinger)
MC — Nelson 14 run (Adams kick)
Second Quarter
MC — Nelson 5 run (Adams kick)
MC — Camacho 6 run (Adams kick)
MC — Nelson 4 run (Adams kick)
MC — Nelson 19 run (kick failed)
MC — Camacho 11 run (Adams kick)
Fourth Quarter
MC — Barreto 9 run (Adams kick)
T2 — x
LMCFirst downs1223Rushes-yards25-10452-440Passing15-32-21-4-0Passing yards196-3Total yards300437Punts3-19.31-44.0Fumbles-lost1-10-0Penalties-yards0-07-60
Individual statistics
Rushing — L: Hunter 14-94, Kissinger 5-8, Caricabeur 6-2.
Passing — L: Kissinger 9-12-2-126, Caricabeur 6-13-0-70. MC:
Receiving — L: Suarez Torres 7-95, Beckley 3-71, Ortiz 2-19, Maldonado-Hernandez 2-13, Caricabeur 1-(-2).