MECHANICSBURG 24  NORTHERN 21

Mechanicsburg rallies past Northern

By L.D. Kerstetter, November 6, 1999

Mechanicsburg was down on their home field 21-7 to the Polar Bears just 2:52 into the second quarter, but came all the way back to defeat Northern 24-21.

Zlatko Dizdarevich booted the game-winning field goal with only 17 seconds left on the clock to complete a big double for him in two days. Dizdarevich was named Commonwealth Division's soccer player of the year for 1999 in a coach's poll Thursday.

Mechanicsburg sophomore running back Dan Lewis led the way for the Wildcats with 212 yards rushing and two touchdowns. Polar Bear junior quarterback Anthony Lerew matched Lewis with 211 yards passing and two touchdowns.

Wildcat senior Robert Smith made the big play to set up a chance for the winning field goal. Smith broke through the line with just 1:20 left, cut to the left, and raced down the sidelines. Northern's Zach Shuman made what was at the time a game-saving tackle on Smith's 32-yard scamper to the Polar Bear 34-yard line.

"It was a sprint draw, off tackle," Smith said. "I had one guy to beat and then nothing but daylight. They tried to crowd the line of scrimmage, which meant that once we cleared the line, there was open field."

"This was a close team. We all came in during the summer and lifted together. This was the first year for these seniors to have a winning season ever, and that's going back to junior high. Everybody did their part."

The game was meaningless as far as standings go. Northern was 6-3 and won the Colonial Division with a 5-0 record while Mechanicsburg was also 6-3 but only 3-2 in Capital Division play. Both teams, though, were playing for pride.

"We started with 25 seniors and now, look around the locker room," said Mechanicsburg's Rich Lichtel. "There are only 14 left. This was these kids' first winning season and I'm very happy for them. They showed a lot of grit.

"I look at these kids like my own children. But I told them to go home to their own parents and thank them. This season couldn't have happened without their support."

The game started just like it should have, with both teams pulling out all the stops and using everything in their arsenals to try to pull this win in. The Wildcats came out with a double reverse with the last ball-handler being quarterback Aaron Bruno. Bruno then looked to pass and found Jason Mumper wide open 30 yards down field. But he couldn't hold on.

Not to be outdone, Northern used a double pass. Lerew hit receiver Brock Benson with a lateral and then threw downfield for a 13-yard gain to tight end Ryan Thomas.

Both Wildcat lines dominated. The offensive line was doing a great job opening holes for Lewis, Smith (78 yards rushing) and sophomore Peter Thomas (79 yards). On the other side of the ball, Mechanicsburg threw Polar Bear ball carriers for 12 losses on the night, with a total net rushing of -36 yards. Northern had much more success protecting its quarterback, especially in the first half.

Mechanicsburg drew first blood. With one Bruno completion and good runs from Lewis and Smith, the Wildcats drove down the field midway through the first period and capped the drive with an 18-yard Lewis touchdown run.

On the ensuing kickoff, Northern's Adam Rees did not handle the ball cleanly and fumbled. But he picked it up quickly and raced to the sideline. The Wildcats, hesitated, surprised by the quick change of events and could not catch the shifty, speedy Rees. The 82-yard kickoff return tied the first-quarter score at 7-7.

Mechanicsburg gave the Polar Bears a gift when they fumbled near midfield. The Wildcats had three lost fumbles in the game. Northern took advantage, with Lerew hitting 6-foot-8 Ryan Thomas (6 catches for 51 yards) with a 5-yard touchdown.

52 seconds later Northern was doing it again, taking a 21-7 lead when Brock Benson (5 catches for 108 yards) maneuvered his way 25 yards down the field and into the end zone.

"It was an out pattern, and once I got around the first defender, I just headed toward the end zone," Benson said as he limped off the field. "It was really big to win our division. But we wanted this one. We battled the whole time."

"This was just about pride tonight. They were a lot larger than us. But our coaches put us in a position to win this game and deserve credit for preparing us so well."

Mechanicsburg's front continued to wear down the smaller Polar Bears. Ben Bowman, Travis Brown, Grant Preston and Graham Eggleston were big on both sides of the ball. Dave Hellman, Thomas, and wideout/safety Andrew Thompson also contributed to the efforts on both offense and defense.

But the real big guy on the Wildcat defense was noseguard Kyle Burton. The emotional senior had seven tackles, with four sacks.

"This is one of the best experiences of my life," Burton said. "We were really close as a team. We would go out to eat together and hang out together.

"Northern had a good passing attack and played very hard. This season was a really big accomplishment for us. We were told by a lot of teams that we really hit hard, even Cumberland Valley."

Mechanicsburg started its comeback late in the first half with a 26-yard Lewis touchdown run. Lewis used a great stiff-arm to make himself enough room to get around the corner. But the extra point was blocked, making the halftime score an uneven 21-13. Northern's defense was giving it everything they had, despite being undersized. The one real big guy, basketball-player Thomas, led with eight tackles and a sack.

Northern's Shuman had six tackles and a sack, including the temporary game-saver on Smith. Freshman Tyler Rees had five tackles and a sack and hit hard. So did undersized Ken Rider from his safety position.

Benson led all tacklers with nine. Jordan Brooking and Jerry Miller, who had an interception, also played hard for Northern. But the legs got tired over the long haul against bigger soldiers.

"This team gave its heart and soul all year long," said successful first-year Northern coach Rick Mauck. "This team came to play every week. We're disappointed, sure. Our kids thought this would be a great capper to our season. The effort tonight was huge.

"This game was full of good, clean hitting and good sportsmanship from both sides all the way. This is what high school football is all about."

Bruno's sneak for a TD and Lewis' two-point conversion run tied the game at 21 apiece midway in the third period. It remained that way until Dizdarevich's field goal with just 17 seconds left. The Bears got the ball back one more time with good field position at their own 46. But two Hail Mary passes fell incomplete.

October 30, 1999

Mechanicsburg 25, Palmyra 0

Dan Lewis picked up 138 yards on 24 carries, including a pair of touchdowns, as Mechanicsburg closed out Capital Division play with a 25-0 victory over Palmyra Friday night.

Running back mate Robert Smith found the end zone twice as well in the victory. The Wildcats finished the division schedule with a 3-2 record.

Mechanicsburg's rush defense held the Cougars to just 19 yards rushing on the ground and 111 yards of total offense.

After a scoreless first quarter, Lewis picked up the only score of the half with 37 seconds left, plunging in from 5 yards away. The Wildcats added 19 more unanswered points in the second half.

Mechanicsburg (6-3, 3-2) finishes the season against Northern next week.

MECHANICSBURG 35  HERSHEY  0

Ball-control offense paces Wildcat win

By Keith Lehman, October 23, 1999

The Mechanicsburg Wildcats go into every game looking to control the football on offense by utilizing the talents of running backs Dan Lewis and Robert Smith. That philosophy gains importance when the opponent has a gun-slinging quarterback by the name of Jared Hostetler, headed to West Virginia University on a football scholarship.

The Wildcats rushed 45 times for 304 yards, more than doubling Hostetler's 141 passing yards to defeat the Hershey Trojans 35-0 on Homecoming night at Memorial Park in Mechanicsburg.

The win improved the Wildcats to 5-3 overall, 2-2 in the Capital Division.

"A good running game does two things," said Mechanicsburg coach Rich Lichtel "No. 1, it eats clock and No. 2, it beats them up physically to take away from their offense because they have a lot of kids that play both ways."

And beat them up they did. Alternating back and forth from the tailback most of the night, the two-headed monster of Lewis and Smith pounded at the Hershey defense and appeared to wear it down in the second half. The two running backs combined for 37 rushes for 238 yards and four touchdowns.

"Coach (Lichtel) does a great job of using both of us," said Lewis. "We have a great line and (fullback) Peter Thomas blocks great. It doesn't matter how many yards I get. I just come into every game looking to run hard."

It didn't take long for Mechanicsburg to capitalize on the first of five Hershey turnovers. Jim Serafin intercepted a Hostetler pass intended for Radee Skipworth and returned the football to the Trojan 17-yard line. After a three-yard run from Smith, Lewis took his first carry of the night on a sprint draw, bounced it outside, and raced 14 yards for the game's first touchdown. Josh Green added the extra point and the Wildcats had an early 7-0 lead.

Again Hershey threatened to score behind Hostetler's passing and fullback Josh Bauer's running. On third-and-three from the Mechanicsburg 24-yard line, Graham Eggleston forced Hostetler to pitch the ball early on an option play. The pitch man had slipped and fell down, so Dave Hellam pounced on the loose ball to foil another drive.

From there, the Wildcats embarked on their longest drive of the night, a 10-play 70-yard drive that culminated in a Smith's 3-yard run. Green added the PAT for a 14-0 lead. The key play of the drive was a 17-yard reverse on third-and-10 by wide receiver Andrew Thompson.

Both teams threatened the goal line in the second quarter, but the defenses forced turnovers to prevent the other team from scoring.

After recovering a fumble in its own end zone, Hershey took over on its 20 with 1:08 to go. On third-and-11, Hershey called timeout to stop the clock. Hershey coach Bob "Gump" May came on the field irate about a "non-call" on an apparent late hit, and picked up an unsportsmanlike penalty. The Trojans ran out the clock and went to the locker room trailing only 14-0 and very much in the game.

The penalty seemed to fire up the Trojans after the half, who stuffed the Wildcats on the first three plays forcing a punt. However, a Hershey linebacker broke through the line and roughed punter Eggleston. The penalty gave Mechanicsburg a first down on their own 40.

The Wildcats marched right down the field. Lewis cut back against the grain on a toss sweep and outraced the Trojan secondary 39 yards to paydirt. The extra point gave the Wilcats a 21-0 lead, but more importantly seemed to discourage any hope of a Hershey comeback.

"That penalty (on the punt) really took the wind out of our sails," May said. "Our kid made a stupid mistake. It set the tempo for the rest of the game."

With a 21-0 lead, it was time for that ball-control offense to kick into high gear. The Wildcats continued to dominate the line of scrimmage on both sides of the ball. Total plays in the third quarter seemed to indicate that dominance: Mechanicsburg ran 20 plays to Hershey's seven. One of those plays was Peter Thomas scoring on an 11-yard run on a fullback trap to make the score 28-0.

A 23-yard run by Lewis early in the fourth quarter concluded the scoring, and Mechanicsburg had itself an impressive 35-0 shutout against a very good offensive football team. The defense limited Hostetler to 3-of-11 passing for only 17 yards in the second half.

"It really wasn't a good night to throw," said Lichtel. "We felt we could run the ball. Hershey has scrappy kids and are a dangerous football team. Dan Lewis and Robert Smith were great. I'll put those two up against anybody."

"To shut them out is a credit to our defense," Lichtel said. " Ben Bowman has played great and did tonight. He's one of the premiere linebackers in the area."

May was equally impressed with the Mechanicsburg defense.

"It was a combination of them handing us our lunch and us making mistakes," he said. "Our worst fears came true (the turnovers). Give Mechanicsburg credit, they really did a nice job."

Ball control and keeping the other team's star quarterback off the field. Hmm. Are you listening, Joe Paterno?

MIDDLETOWN 24   MECHANICSBURG 14  

Mechanicsburg burned by deep passes

By Bill Tull, October 17, 1999

Dominating a football game usually leads to a win.

Mechanicsburg handled the dominating part of Saturday's game against Middletown, controlling both the offensive and defensive lines for the first three quarters of the game. But the Blue Raiders showed that big plays can be used for more than just a highlight reel, connecting on touchdown passes of 78 and 58 yards en route to a 24-14 win over the Wildcats.

"We moved the football pretty much at will and we controlled them defensively," Mechanicsburg head coach Rich Lichtel said. "Two third-and-15 situations, and they get two touchdowns."

Middletown's usually sporadic passing game found its way onto the field and played a huge part in the win. Raiders quarterback Kyle Keating threw for 237 yards and hit Ryan Grigsby with the two scores to keep Mechanicsburg's defense guessing between pass and run most of the game.

"You can't be one-dimensional unless you got guys like 300-pound linemen, and we have good-sized linemen but they (Mechanicsburg) are huge too," Middletown head coach Mike Donghia said. "We have a good running game and all, and all year we've been using the running game because it's been working. The passing game came through for us big-time today."

That's not to say that Blue Raider tailback Vinnie Courts and fullback Adam Shaffer didn't get their fill of the football, combining for 33 carries in the game. But Keating really did a number on the Wildcat secondary.

"They beat a good corner in Andrew Thompson on the first one," Lichtel said.

Mechanicsburg was the one doing the beating from the opening kickoff. Running backs Dan Lewis and Robert Smith led the ground game into Raider territory with seven consecutive runs to the Middletown 33-yard line. From there, junior quarterback Aaron Bruno went down the right side, where Thompson won the jump ball in the end zone for the first score.

The deficit was the first all season for the undefeated Raiders.

That deficit didn't last long, though. Middletown took its opening offensive possession and chipped away at the Mechanicsburg defense. The turning point of the game may have been early in the first quarter, when Keating, after three straight incompletions, brought his team to the line in a three-wide formation on fourth-and-10 at the Wildcats' 31-yard line.

Mechanicsburg thought a punt was coming, but a baffled Wildcat squad gave up a 14-yard reception to Andy Achenbach for the first down, swinging the momentum back to the home team.

"They have a punt formation that they use where they can pass too, but to be honest with you, I didn't expect them to pull that that early," Lichtel said.

For Donghia, the timing couldn't have been better. That wouldn't be the only time he gambled, but every time the Raider coach came out smelling like a rose.

"It was a gamble, but I said going right into it that we have confidence in our kids to make those plays," Donghia said.

Courts capped the 16-play drive with a 1-yard plunge for the score.

The defenses highlighted the rest of the first and over half of the second quarter. That is until Grigsby got past Thompson. The Wildcat defender seemed to have his hand on the football, but the Raider receiver came away with it and sprinted the rest of the sideline for the score. Middletown led 14-7 at the break.

The Wildcats' ability to move the football but inability to put points on the board haunted them throughout the first half. Every time Mechanicsburg was stopped offensively in the first half, it was in Raider territory. That problem followed the Wildcats back onto the field a few times in the second half as well.

"There were good possibilities for us to come back because we were running the football at will on them," Lichtel said. "The bottom line is that we have a good offense that doesn't score a lot of points."

Mechanicsburg held twice defensively to start the third quarter and got the running attack moving the ball again. After a pass interference call stopped the ball at the 35-yard line, Lewis picked up 18, 20 and 15 yards on his next three carries to cap a six-play, 80-yard drive to tie the game.

But the big-play bug would strike again.

On the ensuing drive, Keating completed 4-of-5 passes, the last a 58-yarder to Grigsby for the score to regain a seven-point advantage. The Raiders held the ball offensively for over 5 minutes on their next possession, and Shawn Cooper kicked through a 25-yard field goal and the Raiders never looked back.

"Today I thought we played a good game but we also played a really good football team. I'm not disappointed," Lichtel said. "We are proud of the effort our kids gave."

The win keeps alive the Capital Division championship showdown of unbeatens for Middletown and state-ranked West Perry Oct. 30. The Raiders, however, can't look that far ahead, because they face Palmyra next week. Mechanicsburg (4-3, 1-2 Capital) will be back home Friday against Hershey.

MECHANICSBURG 14   BIG SPRING 0

Mechanicsburg drops Big Spring

By L.D. Kerstetter, October 9, 1999

Mechanicsburg's Robert Smith, left, carries the ball into a sea of defenders during Friday's game against Big Spring at Big Spring High School. (Curt Werner/Special to The Sentinel) Mechanicsburg came out of Newville Friday night with a sometimes sluggish, sometimes impressive 14-0 win over a physical Big Spring team.

The nondivision game improves Mechanicsburg's overall record to 4-2 with a 1-1 record in Mid-Penn Capital Division play. The Wildcats travel to Middletown Oct. 16 for a 2 p.m. game.

Big Spring falls to 2-4. Despite an overall losing record, the Bulldogs remain unbeaten in the Colonial Division at 2-0. They, too, have a big upcoming game, hosting Greencastle next Friday.

"We're still 2-0 in the division and that's a positive," Bulldog coach Bob Baker Jr. said. "Greencastle is one heck of a football team. They have two very good running backs.

"I'm satisfied with our effort. I'm not satisfied with the outcome. But we did some real good things out there. We had two great goal-line stands. We'll pick up next week on the good things and try to improve on the bad."

The first break in this game went to Big Spring when Wildcat Aaron Bruno fumbled the first snap from center on the opening play from scrimmage. It would be one of the few mistakes Bruno would make in a very impressive effort.

Big Spring drove 25 yards on nine plays, all runs from the tandem backfield of Pat Deihl and Jeremiah Barrett. The drive stalled at the 8-yard line and the Bulldogs were forced to try a field goal. They missed the 26-yard attempt.

Mechanicsburg's ensuing drive went 49 yards with a highlight-film, one-handed catch by tight end Graham Eggleston for 27 yards. The Wildcats' drive stalled, too, and Bulldog Nick Morrison blocked Eggleston's punt attempt for a 31 yard loss. Big Spring had another opportunity and let it slip between its fingers.

Neither team seemed to want to take charge offensively, although Mechanicsburg had a decided yardage advantage. Eggleston (seven assisted tackles and an interception), tough Ben Bowman (10 tackles), Grant Preston, and Travis Brown did some real hard work in the very physical interior of the Wildcat line.

The Bulldogs likewise got good defensive play on the interior. Morrison finished with 11 tackle assists as did linebacker mate Andy McElwee, who was a force most of the night. Steve Mentzer and Fred Wall each contributed eight tackles. Wall also recovered a fumble.

At the 8:00 mark in the first quarter, Trent Walker took a punt on his own 8-yard line and ran all the way back into his own end zone with Wildcats all around in hot pursuit. Walker outran everybody and didn't stop running until he was standing in the opposite end zone.

Like most of Big Spring's night, this play had one major flaw n- a clipping penalty all the way back at the Bulldog's 31 yard-line. It was the one kind of play that could easily have changed the complexion of the game for the Bulldogs.

"We made a lot of bad plays," said Mentzer. "We figured they would run a lot more than they did. I think coach was pleased with our effort overall. But we're going to have to practice hard all week to get ready for Greencastle."

Mechanicsburg's Bruno started to get hot, connecting on passes to four different receivers in the second period. He also mixed in the running game with Robert Smith and sophomore Dan Lewis. Bruno would finish the first half completing 7 of 8 passes for 125 yards. But it was running back Smith who got the only score with just 1:29 left in the first half.

Amazingly, the Wildcats got the ball back and drove to the 1-foot line when Bruno hit Jason Mumper with a 17-yard strike. Only a hard hit by Bulldog Scott McCullough saved the touchdown. With only five seconds to go in the half, Mechanicsburg went with the run to try and get touchdown number two. McCullough was there again, with another impressive hit to prevent the score.

"We moved the ball very well," Mechanicsburg coach Rich Lichtel said. "They packed it in at the goal line and, don't kid yourself, they're a very physical team. I was a little stubborn, too.

"Our line didn't play very well against West Perry. But we answered the call tonight. We have two good backs in Smith and Lewis, who is just a sophomore. We also figured we could throw the ball against them."

Lichtel was surprised at both the passing totals of Bruno (184 yards) and the rushing yards by Lewis (116). But neither team was finishing in the end zone, as both defenses played hard and made key plays when they had to. The question was: who would come out in the second half and take charge?

"We do have some size up front and we were pretty disappointed how the first half went," said Mechanicsburg's Eggleston. "None of us knew what was wrong with us.

"Coach didn't say too much in the locker room at halftime. He left the seniors to take over. We talked for a while and our defense came out and dominated in the second half. We had great intensity and focus."

Shutting anyone out is a major effort. Thomas came out angry to start the second half and made two crunching tackles behind the line of scrimmage. So did Kyle Burton, who had a monster sack that pumped up the whole team.

Mechanicsburg finally started to wear the Bulldog defense down. They had spent a lot of time on the field, and Bruno finally made them pay with a TD pass of 19-yards to Andrew Thompson.

"You can't take anything away from Mechanicsburg," Baker said. "They are a very physical team. We have a lot of kids going both ways and maybe they got tired. That's never an excuse, though. But we'll have to take a look at our conditioning."

The Bulldogs dug down and put together another heroic goal-line stand, led by Wall, McElwee, Morrison, and safety Deihl. But it was a smoking hit by Mentler that halted the fourth down running attempt by Lewis. The score remained 14-0 and reachable.

WEST PERRY 34   MECHANICSBURG 0  

Mustangs follow Smith's lead

By Jeff Pratt, October 2, 1999

West Perry defensive tackle Derek Puchalsky, right, turns up field after intercepting a pass during the second quarter of Friday's game vs. Mechanicsburg at Memorial Park. (Wally Shank/The Sentinel)

It's hard to watch the West Perry Mustangs and not say they're Musa Smith's football team.

The senior tailback has dazzled this year, and it was no different Friday night at Mechanicsburg's Memorial Park. Smith broke three long touchdown runs (44, 54 and 64 yards) and added a fourth TD in a 34-0 blowout win over the Wildcats.

Musa Smith left, Musa Smith right and Musa Smith up the middle. It was Musa everywhere as he ran his season rushing total to 929 yards.

"Musa's big for us, no doubt about it," West Perry head coach Al Ream said. "The kids love Musa, he loves this team."

The difference for the undefeated Mustangs (5-0 overall, 2-0 in the Capital Division) is that Smith isn't the team. He says he leads by example. A more apt description is that Smith plays the match that sparks West Perry's fire.

Fueled by their senior's big runs, West Perry manhandled a very good Mechanicsburg team (3-2, 1-1) in the Mid-Penn Capital Division showdown.

The Mustangs did it with passing on Ray Sweger's 26-yard scoring throw to wideout Brandon Grunden.

They did it with defense, holding a Wildcat ground game that has averaged 208 yards per game to just 44 yards on 26 carries and six first downs. West Perry's D also turned in three interceptions, the big one coming from tackle Derek Puchalsky.

See, it really wasn't Musa Smith everywhere, it just seemed like it.

Ream says the key to any game is gaining control of the momentum. Smith is the weapon he uses to do that. The rest of the Mustangs follow suit to feed the fire.

"I think we can do this every time if we play every play at 110 percent," Smith said. "I just play the game. I think I lead by example, not by words or anything like that."

Smith's example started with just over 9 minutes remaining in the first quarter. He took a pitch to the left side of the field and out-raced six Mechanicsburg defenders to the corner, busting down the sideline for a 44-yard score and a 6-0 lead.

That advantage stood for the next two Wildcat series, which totaled just 10 yards. Mechanicsburg finally broke loose for its first first downs of the game with under nine minutes remaining in the half.

Quarterback Aaron Bruno completed back-to-back passes, but then the Wildcats tried to get fancy. Bruno lateraled the ball to Jim Serafin in the left flat, and Serafin tried for a downfield pass to Robert Smith.

But Musa Smith, there's that name again, broke free from his safety spot to pick off the short pass and return it to the Mechanicsburg 39-yard line.

Three plays later, West Perry's offense played off Smith's lead.

"We know everyone lines up to stop Musa," Ream said. "That means the play-action pass will be open when the cornerbacks and safeties start creeping up."

Sweger started the play by faking the handoff to Smith up the middle, then hiding the ball on his hip for a few seconds as the Wildcat defense bit on the run. Grunden broke free down the right sideline, and Sweger hit him in stride at the 5-yard line on the way to the end zone.

"We can definitely feel (when the defensive backs are playing up)," Smith said. "The coaches do a job calling the right plays."

Leading 13-0, West Perry's defense stepped forward on the very next series to push the momentum further on their side.

After returning the kickoff to its 21-yard line, Mechanicsburg (11 carries for 12 yards to that point) sent in its four-wide-receiver set for a passing play.

Bruno took the snap and rolled back, looking for a pass to fullback Kyle Burton in the middle of the field. The ball bounced off Burton's shoulder pads and ricochetted straight back toward the line of scrimmage.

Puchalsky was waiting.

"I turned around to go after the receiver," Puchalsky said. "The ball was tipped up and it fell right in my hands. I was like, `Wow.'"

Puchalsky made like a running back, reversing field and rumbling 14 yards to the Wildcat 8-yard line. Two Musa Smith runs gave West Perry a 20-0 lead at the half.

The Mustangs made sure they kept Mechanicsburg down.

"Momentum is always the key," Ream said. "We were able to come out in the second half and take the ball right down the field and score. That's a momentum-breaker for them."

When you're talking momentum, you're talking Musa Smith. Facing third-and-1 at his own 46-yard line, Smith took the carry through the middle looking for a first down. Instead, he added 53 more yards for a 54-yard scoring play and 27-0 lead.

"I like the pitch outside, but I'm just looking for whatever my linemen give me. I just have to give thanks to them," Smith said.

Puchalsky, Andy Bender, Mike Metzgar, Josh Sweigard and Luke Davis plowed the way for Smith throughout the night, helping the Mustangs run for a team rushing total of 319 yards on 47 carries. Eleven different players ran the ball.

Of course, Smith was the lead Mustang.

"If we can open up the holes for Musa, he's the type of power runner who can break it down field," Puchalsky said.

And West Perry will surely follow.

September 25, 1999

Mechanicsburg 19, Susquehanna Township 6

Robert Smith and Dan Lewis each ran for over 100 yards as the Mechanicsburg Wildcats topped Susquehanna Township in a Mid-Penn Capital Division matchup Friday.

All 25 points scored in the game came in the first half, and all but 18 in the first quarter.

Indians quarterback Joe Murray threw for 189 yards, but it was not enough, as the Wildcats held their hosts to a meager 36 rushing yards.

Aaron Bruno was an efficient 7-for-16, including a 13-yard scoring pass to tight end Graham Eggleston for Mechanicsburg (3-1, 1-0). Smith rushed for the Wildcats' other two scores.

MECHANICSBURG 39   SHIPPENSBURG 8

Wildcats find running game in 39-8 win

By Keith Lehman, September 18, 1999

The Mechanicsburg Wildcats used a potent running game and a stellar defense to defeat visiting Shippensburg 39-8 at Memorial Park Friday night in a nondivision matchup.

The running game produced 308 total yards, 201 by sophomore running back Dan Lewis, while the defense held Shippensburg to 181 total yards and picked off five passes.

After returning the opening kickoff to the Ship 47nyard line, the Wildcats used six-straight runs to get into the end zone, the last a 16nyard dash by Lewis. The PAT was wide right and the Wildcats led 6n0.

On their next possession, the Wildcats again went to the ground game, scoring in only five plays capped off by a 31nyard run by Lewis. The pass attempt for the two-point conversion failed and with 3:59 remaining the lead was 12-0.

After both teams exchanged punts, Wildcat Peter Thomas broke through the line and sacked Greyhound quarterback Todd Martin back at his own 15-yard line, forcing a punt. Mechanicsburg took advantage of the good field position and scored on Robert Smith's two-yard run to take an 18-0 lead with 3:06 remaining in the second quarter.

Another one-yard touchdown run by Smith put the Wildcats up front 25-0 at halftime.

"We come out and try to dictate to the defense what we are going to do," Mechanicsburg coach Rich Lichtel said. "We use the sweep to open up the middle for our isolation and belly plays. Once they adjust to our sweep, we'll run a reverse off it to slow pursuit."

In the second half, the Wildcats continued to play great defense to set up their offense in great field position. With third and 12 from the Ship 17nyard line, Mechanicsburg used a well-designed middle screen to score.

As quarterback Aaron Bruno dropped back, he looked to his right as if to set up a screen to his tailback, Lewis. As the defense flowed toward Lewis, Bruno came back to fullback Robert Smith, who followed his blockers to the endzone.

"We can throw the ball." Lichtel said. "Bruno threw for 1,500 yards last year. However, when you can run the ball, you have a better chance to win. We're a very physical team. These kids will hit and come after you. Obviously, Dan Lewis and Robert Smith complement each other very well."

Another touchdown by Lewis gave the Wildcats a 39-0 lead heading into the fourth quarter. Shippensburg did manage to get on the board with a 30nyard screen pass to Shawn Baker to account for the final score of 39-8. The touchdown pass was Baker's first catch of the night.

"Andrew Thompson always takes the other team's best receiver." Lichtel said, "Tonight he shut down Baker. Our defense and our running game are our cornerstones, and we have great senior leadership."

Shippensburg coach Chance Powell was impressed with the play of the Wildcats.

"They have tough running backs," Powell said "Their line got ther job done. They just handled us up front and did a good job on their assignments. I thought we would be able to run the ball better because of the safety shading toward Baker."

As for next week, Powell said "We need to get back to running the football and we have to throw the ball better."

The 1-2 Greyhounds will host James Buchanan and the 2-1 Wildcats will travel to Susquehanna Township to play the Indians.

MECHANICSBURG 21   CARLISLE 20

Wildcats hang tough for win

By John Y. Wehmueller,  September 11, 1999

Mechanicsburg defenders Ryan Wirt (22) and Dan Paull (50) bring down Carlisle QB Mike Miltenberger Friday night. (Jason Minick/The Sentinel) The clock read 2:10 remaining in the game, and Carlisle celebrated a touchdown that pulled them within one point of host Mechanicsburg, 21n20.

Kick, or go for two?

Thundering Herd coach Brent Stroh decided to send sophomore Mike Provenzano to attempt the point after. With Carlisle lined up to kick and a player short, Kevin Miltenberger streaked onto the field just before the ball was snapped.

Flags went flying, and amidst the confusion, the kick sailed wide.

Penalty declined. Ballgame.

"The kid hit 10 in a row in practice," Stroh said. "It's a pressure situation, and he's still young."

Provenzano also missed his only other extra point attempt Friday, but he is not Carlisle's normal place kicker. That would be Chris Bowers.

Bowers was the Herd's leading rusher in the game, but a nagging injury made Stroh decide to use him exclusively at running back.

So why not go for two?

"We go over special teams time and time again," Stroh said. "We went over it twice tonight before the game."

The Herd's two missed extra points, critical as they were, did not really cost them the game. Carlisle's offense dominated the time of possession battle, especially in the second half. But fumbles proved costly.

"We made poor mistakes on offense," mobile junior quarterback Mike Miltenberger said. "We just didn't have our heads in the game or something, I don't know."

Down 7-6 late in the first half, Carlisle put together a 6:45 second drive that took them from their own 20 to the Wildcat six.

On second-and-goal, Stroh called for the option. Mechanicsburg got good penetration and appeared to wrap up Mike Miltenberger behind the line of scrimmage. But before he went down, Miltenberger pitched the ball, directly into a wall of Wildcat defenders.

"I was trying to make something happen that I shouldn't have," Miltenberger said.

Tim Hoffman came out of the pack with the ball and raced 95 yards into the end zone. A clipping penalty brought the ball all the way back to the Mechanicsburg 43.

The Wildcats scored five plays later to take an eight-point advantage into halftime.

Carlisle's second fumble proved even more costly. The Herd tied the game late in the third quarter behind their other quarterback, Allen Beardmore, and forced a Wildcat punt on the ensuing drive.

But on Carlisle's second play, Mechanicsburg stripped Beardmore of the ball. Hoffman fell on it, and the Wildcats punched it home to regain the lead.

Despite the loss, Stroh was proud of the way his squad responded after the second fumble.

"We came back, we answered the bell," he said. "You can't question our heart. You can't question our resolve."

The Wildcats also made their share of mistakes, committing penalties at bad times, like the clipping call.

They also racked up three roughing-the-passer calls, one that came on thirdnandn11 and extended the Thundering Herd's final touchdown drive.

"We've got an aggressive defense," Mechanicsburg coach Rich Lichtel said. "It's kind of like you're caught in the middle."

Despite Carlisle's numerical advantage in total yards and time of possession, Lichtel was happy with his team's performance, especially in the running game. Robert Smith carried the ball 21 times for 103 yards and Dan Lewis pitched in 32 yards on seven carries.

"We've been working real hard on it," Lichtel said of his team's traditional Achilles' heel. "I thought our line dominated, on both sides of the football."

Part of the reason Carlisle moved the ball on his defense, Lichtel said, was a first-half injury to linebacker Dave Hellam that kept him out of the rest of the game. That forced Lichtel to shift his defensive alignments around.

Injuries were also a story on the other sideline, especially with the 144-pound Miltenberger. As planned under Carlisle's two-quarterback system, Miltenberger entered the game at quarterback on the Herd's first drive of the second quarter.

On his second play, Mechanicsburg leveled Miltenberger right after he released a pass. Beardmore, the starter, re-entered and drove Carlisle to the Wildcat 29, where Miltenberger checked in.

After Beardmore played the third quarter, Miltenberger got another chance early in the fourth. Again on his second play from scrimmage, Miltenberger released a pass and got clobbered. This time, he did not return.

After the game, a clearly rattled Miltenberger could say only that it was his jaw. Stroh said he thought Miltenberger probably didn't know what day it was.

Beardmore was shaken up himself only three plays later, pressing freshman Aaron Bouder into service. But Beardmore returned after missing only one play.

Regardless of the mistakes and injuries Carlisle suffered, Lichtel felt the win a good one for his squad. His defense bent a little more than he would have liked, he admitted, but he credited that unit with preserving a win.

On the other side of the field, Stroh took nothing away from Lichtel's squad. But did he feel like he maybe had the better team Friday?

"You know what, I do," Stroh said. "I did last week, too.

"We're not an 0-2 football team."

CUMBERLAND VALLEY 33   MECHANICSBURG 7 

CV holds off Mechanicsburg, 33-7

By L.D. Kerstetter, September 4, 1999

Cumberland Valley won its nonnconference opener against Mechanicsburg 33-7 — an outcome pretty much as expected.

What wasn't expected was the physical presence and no-quit attitude that the Wildcats brought to this year's first game. In years gone by, it was customary for Mechanicsburg to get down by an insurmountable margin and then throw in the towel toward the end of the game.

This is the new and improved version of Wildcat football. The Eagles were impressed by the physicality with which their geographical rivals performed.

"It's always the great unknown in the first game of the season," Cumberland Valley head coach Tim Rimpfel said. "I think Mechanicsburg can be a very good team. They didn't back down from us one bit. You've got to give them credit.

"We did a lot of good things out there. We kept their offense off the field like we wanted to. I'm especially proud of our line play."

Mechanicsburg is actually bigger than the Eagles along the line of scrimmage. This turned out to be some old time, rock'em, sock'em football with very few frills or dazzling plays, and the Wildcats held their own with the physical play.

The Mechanicsburg defense did a nice job on the first three series, despite going down 3n0 on a 29nyard Jesse Neumyer field goal. People like Dan Paull, Ben Bowman and Graham Eggleston reacted well at the line of scrimmage and closed holes quickly.

Then came a freakish play that the Mechanicsburg defense didn't deserve. A host of Wildcats hit CV running back Brad Duppstadt hard, forcing the ball loose. But an alert Dan Walsh, one of the Eagle guards, caught the fumble on the fly and raced like a halfback the remaining 41 yards for the score before anyone even knew what happened.

"That's the kind of breaks that the good teams always seem to get," Mechanicsburg coach Rich Lichtel said, "and that's not sour grapes. That's just the way it is. And I think we'll get our share of breaks this year.

"Our defensive line did a great job. We were still in a position to get back into this game late in the third quarter down 26n7. But another fumble stopped our drive. It's a long year. We'll get our chances."

Mechanicsburg also did a good job stringing the sweeps out and pursuing. Tough sophomore linebacker Peter Thomas and defensive backs Ryan Wirt and Tim Hoffman played hard. So did lineman Matt Kiker, who registered a sack, and linebacker Dave Hellam, who recovered a fumble.

Cumberland Valley met the challenge with some strong line play of its own. Leading the way were people like Walsh and Mike McCarthy, who got one of the Wildcat fumbles, and Noah Mumma. Rimpfel had a special choice for comment.

"Colin Donleavy started last year at guard at about 180 pounds," he said. "He's got great technique as a blocker. When we got all those injuries, he had to play linebacker, too, and did a great job. Now we just hope Tony (Bushman's) injury is not too serious."

The Eagles had some bad luck injurynwise. Standout Jon Sauve went down late in the first period with a knee injury, but returned in the third and fourth quarters to try it out. He scored a touchdown on a 3-yard run 1:20 into the fourth quarter and butted some heads from his linebacker slot.

CV has a set of linebackers that you will never see elsewhere. It's innyournface football all the way, led by Neumyer, Walsh and Sauve. Jon Philipkosky played a hardnnosed game at monster, making some big hits and recovering a fumble.

The Eagles set a standard on the ground with Neumyer carrying the biggest load, responding with 130 yards and one touchdown. He also kicked a second field goal from 38nyards and just missed a 50nyarder that was slightly tipped. He played fullback, quarterback, caught a pass, played linebacker, kicked off, kicked field goals and extra points, and punted.

"I ran fullback all through camp this year," the senior Penn State recruit said. "Since I played it as a sophomore, it all came back to me, just like riding a bike. I'll do whatever they need me to do. If Bob (Hassler) is doing well at quarterback and the running backs are all playing well, I'll just play linebacker if that's what coach wants."

Right behind him was Duppstadt with 55 yards rushing and three receptions for 29nyards, including a 5nyard touchdown. He is the player who gets the call wide when Neumyer and Bushman are not carrying the ball in the interior.

"When we go double (almost like the old Tnformation or wingnT), we're trying to make them chose sides," said Duppstadt. "Then we get to the line of scrimmage and we run off audibles.

"Mechanicsburg was very physical. They're going to win some games. Just all these knee injuries — it gets scary."

Mechanicsburg got on the board midway in the third when the offensive line began to assert itself and sophomore back Dan Lewis followed suit. It was the second of three good drives the Wildcats had, including one nonhuddle series. Lewis finished it off with a 31nyard scamper.

"We have a couple of running backs that run hard," Lichtel said. "Robert Smith and Lewis never quit. We're in a position to make some moves this year." The Wildcats host Carlisle next week.

But, in the end, it was CV's day, as it so often is. Jared Ebersole, Adam McLaughlin, Sean Dougherty and Jason Clapper all had their moments for the Eagles, who travel to South Western next Friday.