Week 1 was jam

Jun 14, 2023

Lampeter-Strasburg team members carry the milk jug after receiving it from Solanco team members after Lampeter-Strasburg wins an annual “Milk Jug” rivalry game at Solanco high school in Quarryville Friday Aug. 25, 2023.

Still wrapping my head around all the Week 1 final scores, highlights, stat stuff and accomplishments. And my noggin is spinning. What an opening night around the league, as the 37 teams survived 28 games on Friday.

Stay tuned for my Helmet Sticker winners and the top individual performances from Week 1. For now, here are some items that grabbed my attention on Friday …

1. Remember those camp QB battles? There’s always plenty of anticipation when the starting QB gig is on the line, and of the teams that were still making their QB selection heading into Week 1, here’s how it all shook down … Instead of going with a pair of untested sophomores, Penn Manor played vet Kyle Furnier behind center against Conestoga Valley. He hadn’t taken all that many varsity snaps either, mind you. But he knows the Comets’ ground-and-pound attack. It was not a great opening night for PM; the Buckskins’ held the Comets’ O to just 83 total yards and CV pitched a 27-0 shutout for a quick 1-0 getaway. Back to the drawing board next week for PM, which will host 1-0 Lampeter-Strasburg, which is fresh off reclaiming the Milk Jug with a win at Solanco. … Reading gave the keys to its O to Kayson Fritz. But like PM, the Red Knights also struggled to get anything going offensively, although Fritz did heave an 81-yard TD pass to Xavier Beatty. Reading hosts 0-1 Muhlenberg for the Battle of the Border trophy next. The Muhls lost a stinger in OT to Octorara. … Exeter skipper Matt Bauer said he might play Nate Pashley and Riley Martinez behind center, and he did. And it worked out A-OK: Martinez had a pair of TD flips and a TD keeper and Pashley completed both of his attempts and he caught a pass, and that combo helped the Eagles crank out 417 yards in their 42-7 romp over Daniel Boone to retain the Pig Iron Bowl trophy yet again. Exeter is at Boyertown next. … Lebanon went with newbie Kareem Stoner behind center, and he zipped a TD pass to Malachi Briddell. But the Cedars managed just 44 rushing yards, and Paul Trace came on to take some snaps, hitting of 4-of-6 passes in Lebanon’s 51-7 setback against Palmyra — the Cedars’ 23rd straight loss. They’ll try and snap that skid Thursday when 1-0 Garden Spot comes calling. … Governor Mifflin also played two quarterbacks, with Javien Pletz and Bryce Wunderlich sharing the duties. The Veer-heavy Mustangs don’t throw the ball much, and they didn’t vs. Spring-Ford; Pletz and Wunderlich were a combined 1-for-2 with a pick, and Mifflin fell to the Rams 49-19. Mustangs host Carlisle next. … Elizabethtown also played both of its newbie quarterbacks: Brayden Huber and Trent Kauffman combined for a 22-for-41 night for 159 yards, but the Bears were blanked by Donegal 27-0. E-town will hit the big city on Friday to visit McCaskey, which also dropped its opener. … Elco tabbed Steven Rosado, and helped the Raiders waffle West York 42-18. He completed both of his passes up top, but Elco went ground-and-pound, grinding out 311 rushing yards. More on that in a second. Keep reading. … Columbia went with a freshman; ninth-grader Cameron McClair earned the keys to the Crimson Tide’s O. But Columbia dropped the Battle of the Bridge rivalry tilt at Eastern York by a 46-0 count. Columbia is at Hanover next. … Pequea Valley went dual-quarterbacks, with Myles Furlong and Anthony Stoltzfus both taking snaps. The Braves piled up 205 rushing yards, but were 0-for-8 with a pick through the air. Still, PV hung tough, and took Biglerville to the wire before falling 14-7. Brave Bowl is next for PV, which is at 1-0 Octorara next Saturday at 11 a.m. in Atglen. … We’ll see where all of those QB situations stand in Week 2.

2. Five L-L League backs galloped for 200 or more yards in Week 1. That’s certainly a great start for those guys — and for the O-line protectors who opened up a lot of holes. For them on Friday. The list: Brycen Armold, last year’s L-L League leading rusher, picked up right where he left off with a 256-yard night in Manheim Central’s 56-0 whitewash W over West Chester East. He had three TD bolts, including a 94-yard sprint … Twin Valley’s Evan Johnson scampered for 251 yards with a pair of scores, including a 58-yard jaunt, in the Raiders’ 44-13 triumph over Schuylkill Valley. … Elco’s Jake Williams sashayed for 234 yards on just eight carries — 29.3 yards per pop — with four TD runs, and he returned a kickoff for another TD for good measure. … Annville-Cleona’s Bryce Keller rumbled for 208 yards on 30 workmanlike carries — and the Dutchmen rushed for 465 stripes in all — with a 10-yard TD run in a 52-18 victory. … And Ephrata’s Brayden Brown — Andre Weidman’s understudy last fall for the Mountaineers — ran for 205 yards, including a 37-yard TD dash, in Ephrata’s nip-and-tuck 34-32 dub over Red Lion.

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3. Five L-L League trigger-men went up top for 200 or more air yards in Week 1. Here’s that list: Hamburg’s Tyler Shuey stole the show, clicking on 10-of-14 passes for 356 yards with four TD strikes. He averaged 35.6 yards per completion and 25.4 yards per attempt — and he hit Ty Werley five times for 254 yards and three scores — in the Hawks’ 49-19 win over Halifax. … Jackson Landis aired it out for 282 yards in Hempfield’s 16-10 come-from-behind, gut-check victory over Dallastown. … Manheim Township’s Hayden Johnson threw for 281 yards with four TD tosses in the Blue Streaks’ 35-6 mercy-rule win over Cumberland Valley. We have Johnson at 4,921 career passing yards — just 79 shy of joining the 5,000-yard club. Township is at Dallastown next. The Wildcats will be looking to pick up the pieces — and quickly — after a sucker-punch loss at Hempfield. … Manheim Central’s Zac Hahn hit on 13-of-14 passes for 230 yards with five TD strikes in the Barons’ 56-0 romp over West Chester East. Three of those scoring throws landed in Aaron Enterline’s hands. … Ephrata’s Sam McCracken passed for 225 yards with three TD flips in the Mounts’ win over Red Lion, as Ephrata produced a 200-yard rusher and a 200-yard passer — ditto for Manheim Central — in its victory. … Two L-L League quarterbacks had a perfect completion percentage in Week 1. Neither put a huge yardage number, but still; Cedar Crest’s Jackson Custer was 8-for-8 with a TD toss in the Falcons’ 24-0 W over Northeast Philly — Michael Rivera is smiling — and Lancaster Catholic’s David Stefanow was 5-for-5, including a TD pass, in the Crusaders’ 48-12 win over York Catholic, as 11 L-L League teams scored 40 or points and four league teams — Cedar Crest, Conestoga Valley, Manheim Central and Donegal — won via shutout in Week 1. … Penn Manor, Elizabethtown and Columbia were the only three L-L League teams not to score in Week 1.

Again, plenty coming right around the bend, including Helmet Sticker winners and top individual performances from Week 1 … on top of cranking up the Week 2 hype machine. Don’t forget: There are four Thursday games coming up, plus a Saturday clash.

TWITTER: @JeffReinhart77

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