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Breaking down Red Lion-Dallastown


We will have all the coverage you could want from Dallastown tonight, where the Wildcats and Red Lion will clash with a Division I title on the line. Both Steve Navaroli and I will be in attendence, and we'll be posting live tweets on the GameTimePA feed in addition to our post-game coverage. You can also watch a live stream of the game on GameTimePA.com. As you count down the hours until tonight's 7 p.m. kickoff, here's a brief primer on both teams. First up, the Lions... RED LION (7-2, 3-1 in Division I)Key win: Manheim Township, 27-21 (OT) Key loss: Spring Grove, 36-14 Keys to the game: Lions coach Pat Conrad said his team's strategy is twofold. First, win the field position battle, in order to make Dallastown's grind-it-out offense drive the length of the field. Second, Red Lion can't commit turnovers on offense. The Wildcats have a habit of turning their opponents mistakes against them, and Red Lion cannot afford to beat itself. Player to watch: Branden Kessler, WR/DB. At receiver, the 6-foot-3 senior is a matchup nightmare for cornerbacks. Kessler's 646 receiving yards are third in the YAIAA, and he has seven touchdowns grabs. The best way to attack Dallastown's defense is likely through the air, and Kessler will be a handful to stop. Oh, Kessler is pretty good on defense, too. He leads the team in both tackles (54) and interceptions (3). My take: I'll be interested to see how much success Red Lion has in the passing game. Dallastown has only played one other passing offense comparable to Red Lion, that being West York in Week 4. In that game, Bulldogs QB Kaden Hepler completed 17-of-31 passes for 148 yards and an interception. Not bad, but also not great. The Lions have a comparable quarterback and taller receivers, and that passing offense is why I think they have a chance in this game. If the Lions can hit a big play or two, they could be in business. Chances are you're not going to drive 80 yards against Dallastown. DALLASTOWN (9-0, 4-0 in Division I)Key win: Spring Grove, 21-0; West York, 21-14 Key loss: None Keys to the game: First and foremost, stopping Red Lion's aforementioned passing attack. Dallastown has to pressure Klinefelter, and do its best to prevent any big plays. On offense, Dallastown needs to win the battle up front against Red Lion's massive line. The Wildcats' ground attack has a tendency to sputter early in games, so we'll see how quickly Dallastown can get going. Player to watch: Ryan Behrmann, RB/K. The Wildcats offense could use a big night from the senior, who leads the team in rushing (745 yards, 8 TDs). But Behrmann never got going two weeks ago against Central, and was shut down for three quarters last week against Spring Grove. Dallastown has other capable backs, but Behrmann is the go-to guy. Behrmann's contributions at kicker could also prove vital. Special teams have often played a big role in the outcome of this rivalry game, and a field goal could make the difference. Behrmann has a decent leg, and has been pretty reliable on extra points and shot field goals this season. My take: I keep waiting for a breakout performance from Dallastown's passing game. Maybe that just isn't coming, but Josh Luckenbaugh is a good quarterback who manages the game well and has a decent arm. Maybe this is the game for him? More likely, Dallastown sticks with the running game that has gotten it here. After all, it's worked so far. As for defending Red Lion's passing attack, I expect the Wildcats to employ a similar style as the one they seemed to use against West York: Keep the passes in front of them, and deny any back-breaking deep balls. Getting injured defensive end Bobby Esiaba back (he's a gametime decision) would be huge. There's no better way to disrupt that passing attack than to pressure Klinefelter. Finally, Dallastown coach Kevin Myers made a point during our chat tonight to say how often special teams has played a role in this game. The Wildcats have an extremely dangerous return guy in Andrew Heird, who ran a punt back against South Western earlier this year. Maybe he can come up with a game-changing play?