November 4, 2000

Greencastle 55, Mechanicsburg 27

A 14-point second quarter gave Greencastle a 21-7 halftime lead, and Mechanicsburg never recovered as the Blue Devils and senior tailback Mike Jemison ended the 2000 season with a 55-27 defeat of the Wildcats.

Jemison, who will head to Pitt next season, ran 30 times for 222 yards and scored seven of Greencastle's eight touchdowns in the win. None of Jemison's touchdowns were big plays, except the 56-yards pass he caught from quarterback Joe Windle in the fourth quarter.

The Wildcats were never able to dent the Blue Devil lead more than a touchdown at a time. Every touchdown by running back Dan Lewis or quarterback Aaron Bruno was answered with a Jemison score. Lewis ended the night with two touchdowns and 83 yards rushing on 14 carries.

The Wildcats end the season at 3-7 overall, 2-6 in the Mid-Penn Capital Division.

PALMYRA 24  MECHANICSBURG 21

Mechanicsburg's rally falls short

By L.D. Kerstetter, October 28, 2000

Mechanicsburg made a valiant comeback, scoring the last 14 points of the game, but came up short in a 24-21 loss to Palmyra in a Mid-Penn Capital Division game Friday night at John H. Frederick Field in Mechanicsburg.

"It was a case of too little, too late," said Wildcat head coach Rich Lichtel. "I'm not going to name names. But two of our starters were ineligible and that could have been the difference of three points. This has been happening all year. We have four losses by a total of 11 points."

The Wildcats came out flat, despite this being the last home game for all the seniors. You couldn't tell from the first possession, though, with three first downs behind the power running of tailback Dan Lewis. The line did a good job of making a crack for Lewis to get started. A 12-yard sack of Mechanicsburg quarterback Aaron Bruno ended the drive.

Palmyra (5-4, 3-2) started with three successful running plays, the first two by sophomore running back Joe Brockington and the other by quarterback Gabe Bell. Then, the big surprise n- fullback Matt Bleiler ran a simple off-tackle left and kept on running for a 78-yard touchdown.

Mechanicsburg (3-6, 2-3) seemed a little stunned. After Bruno ran the kickoff back 40 yards, the offense couldn't move the ball. On the other side of the ball, sophomore Brockington proved to be a handful, following some good line play, particularly by the two tackles.

It took until the early moments of the second half for the Cougars to get their second score. They drove with a mixture of Brockington runs and Bell passes. Brockington finished the drive with a short TD.

Again, the Wildcats got a great kickoff return, this one a 41-yarder by Lewis. This time they did take advantage, with Lewis' short touchdown run making the score 14-7.

On the ensuing possession, Palmyra stalled at its own 44-yard line when Cougar coach Joe Buehler decided to go for it on fourth-and-1, but the pass play didn't work.

The ball went over to the Wildcats at the 44-yard line with a great opportunity to get the tying score and totally steal the momentum. But the Mechanicsburg offense wasn't clicking, and the Wildcats quickly turned the ball back over to Palmyra off a Bruno interception on the first play.

The Mechanicsburg defense started to stand its ground against the Cougar running attack. Wildcats Dave Hellam, Peter Thomas, Kyle Mason, and Jack Dreibelbis made most of the stops. But those players are linebackers and defensive backs, so the stops were being made past the line of scrimmage every down.

Mechanicsburg went three and out late in the half, giving the Cougars the ball back with less than a minute to go. Instead of sitting on the 14-7 lead, Palmyra thought it would give the long pass a shot instead. The unthinkable happened. Wright got deep on the Wildcat defense and scored a 57-yard touchdown off the Bell's throw with just 22 seconds left in the half.

"Palmyra took advantage of us in the first half," Lichtel said. "That bomb at the end of the half really hurt. But our defense picked it up in the second half. They controlled Palmyra's running game. They showed a lot of character."

That they did. After ringing up 164 rushing yards in the first half, the Cougars managed just 70 yards rushing and no yards passing in the second half.

The Wildcats stopped the Cougars on their opening series of the third quarter. But Mechanicsburg fumbled on the first play of its first offensive series.

The defense did come up big again, stuffing the Cougar offense at the 11-yard line and forcing them to kick a field goal.

That made the score 24-7 less than four minutes into the second half. But the Wildcats were not ready to quit just yet.

Hellam hit the Cougars hard from his middle linebacker position, leading the team with 11 tackles. Grant Preston, Mason (a sack and two QB hurries), Tony Rogers, Peter and Eston Heller all got their names called for being in on numerous tackles.

"The first half, we were too anxious. We were over-pursuing," said Hellam. "He (Brockington) was a hesitation runner. So that worked against our pursuit. The second half we came out and settled down."

While Palmyra didn't turn the ball over at all, Mechanicsburg turned the ball over three times, once insignificantly at the end of the first half on a Hail Mary pass.

The Wildcats put together an excellent drive of 68 yards. Lewis accounted for 40 of those yards. Bruno's 10-yard TD-pass to junior Dave Bushey featured a nice clearout by Bushey and a nice soft touch by Bruno.

It was time for the defense to make a play. Instead, it looked like they were going to get the clincher, driving to the 2-yard line on the back of Brockington runs. With first-and-goal at the 2-yard line, Mechanicsburg stopped three running plays with a 5-yard penalty thrown in against the Cougars. Hellam, Jon Black, and Rogers were big on the stand. Then, on fourth-and-goal, Mason broke through on quarterback Bell before he even had time to look down field.

Starting on about the 4-yard line, Mechanicsburg began a long journey that ended in a touchdown, pulling them within 24-21. Lewis made four hard, yardage-chewing runs. Bruno got red-hot, using Bushey and Dave Adamchick as his targets.

Bushey got the score from 10 yards out on another play where Bruno moved around in the pocket, buying some time until Bushey could get open. There was 1:30 left.

"The pattern was there. I was just trying to find a place to sit down in, just find a hole where the defense wasn't and Aaron could see me," Bushey said. "You have to keep trying to you find a place. I did that, and then he found me."

Mechanicsburg tried an on-sides kick, but Palmyra's Corky Hallman scooped up the ball and returned it to the Wildcat 15-yard line. Mechanicsburg had just one timeout left, and time ran out before it could get the ball back.

The Wildcats travel to Greencastle next Friday.

October 21, 2000

Mechancisburg 28, Susquehanna Township 14

This time, Mechanicsburg responded in the second half.

The Wildcats picked up their second straight win after a rough start, downing Susquehanna Township 28-14 Friday in a Capital Division game.

Mechanicsburg led 14-7 at the half, but Township tied things up with a score at the 7:04 mark of the third quarter. But the Wildcats answered with Dave Ademchick's 10-yard scoring pass from quarterback Aaron Bruno 5 minutes later, and put the game away on Dan Lewis' 3-yard scoring run with 1:49 left in the game.

Lewis carried 27 times for 70 yards and three TDs and Bruno completed 14-of-22 passes for 146 yards.

The Wildcats (3-5, 2-2) host Palmyra next week.

Wildcats get big victory

By Pete Conrad, October 14, 2000

After a string of wrenching losses to quality opponents Mechanicsburg could be for given for feeling snake-bitten Dan Lewis, however, saw to it personally that there would be no late disappointment for the Wildcats' homecoming Friday night.

The Mechanicsburg tailback rolled up 237 rushing yards or 33 carries, and the Wildcats manhandled West Perry on both sides of the ball in 41-6 Mid-Penn Capital Division win at Memorial Park Field in Mechanicsburg.

"I'm tired, but it feels good," said Lewis. "We've been capable of winning, but we haven't been mentally tough enough. Tonight, our leaders came through, we sucked it up, and we finally won. Our offensive line was excellent tonight, I couldn't have asked for anything more. They've been capable all year, and tonight they stepped up."

"We've dominated the last two weeks, but we've shot our-selves in the foot and had some bad luck," said Mechanicsburg head coach Rich Lichtel. "Obviously, it feels good to win big on homecoming."

West Perry, depleted by injuries to four veteran starters, made a valiant attempt to hang on through a scoreless first 10 minutes. But the Wildcats gradually gained the edge in the battle for field position, thanks to the powerful running of Lewis and some stifling defensive play.

Late in the quarter, a defensive stop and Dan Serafin's 21-yard punt return to the West Perry 35 put the Wildcats in business. After handing off to Lewis into the belly of the Mustang defense on four of the next five plays, quarterback Aaron Bruno bootlegged around the right end for the score. The point-after failed, leaving the score 6-0.

Mechanicsburg (2-5, 1-3) kicked it into gear a bit more midway through the second quarter when Lewis capped a seven-play, 85-yard drive with a 3-yard plunge. The successful two-point conversion made it 14-0.

After the Wildcat defense again forced a punt, Lewis ripped off consecutive runs of 14 and 52 yards, setting up Andrew Bathon's 3-yard leap to the end zone.

At that point, Mechanics-burg's defense surrendered just one first down, that on a fake punt; West Perry's best runner, Todd Updegraff, had been forced into emergency quarter-back duty ; and Lewis and the Mechanicsburg running game chewed up chunks of yardage and time each time they touched the ball. The situation was grim for the Mustangs.

"With the injuries, we're undermanned, and we're just trying to do the little things," said West Perry head coach Al Ream. "We're frustrated because our season isn't going as we'd planned.

"We're young. We played sophomores in the secondary, and sophomores make mistakes."

Despite the youth and the injuries, West Perry did make a bid to get back in the game. The Mustangs (1-6, 0-3) averted disaster when Mechanicsburg fumbled inside the West Perry 5-yard line late in the first half.

Then, after a good return of Mechanicsburg's second-half kick off that gave the Mustangs field position outside their own 45-yard line, Updegraff hit split end Clay Merris on a crossing route for 30 yards. Two plays later tailback Brian Kimmel scored from 17.

The comeback bid was short lived, however. Following that touchdown, Mechanicsburg took over at its 20-yard line and embarked on an 80-yard drive. Lewis carried seven times on the drive for 46 yards and finished it with a 2-yard run.

Thirty seconds later the Wild-cat defense made it an official rout. Updegraff, under duress, threw blindly across the field on an attempted screen pass. Linebacker Erick Hoffman stepped in front of the intended receiver, picked it off, and scampered 14 yards untouched for the score.

Wildcat fullback Peter a 6-yard run in garbage time for the final 41-6 tally.

"With their physical size, they were able to move us off the ball, and that's often where the game is won," said Ream. "We'll keep working hard, and attempt to improve in the areas where we're inexperienced."

Indeed, Mechanicsburg asserted its dominance early in the second quarter when its offensive line began opening huge holes for Lewis to run through.

"Our line has been maligned," said Lichtel. "We have some inexperience, so we simplified our blocking scheme, basically said we have a good line, they can move, their tough, just let them come off the ball."

The changes worked, as Mechanicsburg topped 300 yards on the ground.

The Wildcats also showed big improvement on the defensive side of the ball.

"Big Spring's passing game kept drives alive for them last week," said Lichtel, "so we made some changes in the secondary. "We recognized that West Perry had struggled with the passing game, but we basically upped the tempo with our blitz packages and said we would go after their quarterback, whomever it was."

The results were impressive: under 100 yards of total offense allowed, four first downs allowed, and two interceptions. Mechanicsburg will try to build on the homecoming momentum when it travels to Susquehanna Township next Friday.

Big Spring works overtime

By Keith Lehman, October 7, 2000

After each game this season, Big Spring head football coach Bob Baker Jr. has consistently praised his team for their work ethic and the fact that his team never quits in a football game. Last week, the Bulldogs came from behind in the second half to upset a very good East Pennsboro team. Last night, the Bulldogs again roared back from a 20-6 halftime deficit to beat the Mechanicsburg Wildcats 28-27 in overtime.

"The kids had their backs against the wall," said Baker. "I can't say enough about these kids. They did a great job. I'm just so proud of them."

And with good reason. The Bulldogs (3-3, 1-1 Colonial) made play after play in the second half just to send the game into overtime. With just over six minutes to go in the third quarter and the Bulldogs trailing 20-6, senior quarterback Mark Hagenbuch ripped off five straight completions, with the last one being a 10-yard touchdown pass to halfback Trent Walker to pull the Bulldogs to within 20-12. Hagenbuch threw for 68 yards on the drive that appeared to energize the Bulldog sideline.

Then, a special teams play gave the Bulldogs the push it needed. After a drive stalled at the Big Spring 41-yard line, Bulldog punter Mark Rutz kicked a high, floating punt that Wildcat return man Dan Lewis couldn't quite catch up to. The football took a Bulldog roll and ended up at the Wildcat 7-yard line.

On third-and-ten from the seven, cornerback Colby Rickabaugh came up to stop Lewwis just short of a first down and the Wildcats had to punt. This enabled the Bulldog offense to set up shop on the Wildcat 39-yard line. Walker broke the third play from scrimmage for 26 yards and a touchdown to pull the Bulldogs within two at 20-18. Then, Hagenbuch found split end Rickabaugh on a slant for the critical two-point conversion and the game was tied at 20-20.

"The punt hurt," said Mechanicsburg coach Rich Lichtel. "But he (Walker) turned around and broke that big run anyway."

But the Bulldogs hadn't escaped to overtime just yet. The Wildcats took over with over six minutes in the game and began hammering at the Bulldog defense. On third-and-eight, quarterback Aaron Bruno found senior wide receiver Jack Dreibelbis for 10 yards and a key first down. From there, the Wildcat offense started picking up steam. Mixing it up with fullback Peter Thomas and tailback Dan Lewis, the Wildcats drove to the Bulldog 21. However, on third and fourth downs, two carries by Lewis gained nothing and the Bulldog defense had held. The Bulldogs were able to run four more plays before time expired but couldn't get across midfield.

Big Spring won the toss for overtime and chose to play defense first. On the first play, Bruno used a great fake to Lewis and scampered around right end for the 10-yard touchdown. Bobby Phillips added the PAT and the Wildcats led 27-20 with Big Spring's possession to follow.

A toss to Walker gained nine and set up second-and-goal at the one. On the next play, Walker leaped over left tackle to get into the endzone and pull the Bulldogs to within one. From there, the Bulldogs set up for the two-point conversion, perhaps partially influenced by Walker's two previous misses.

After a timeout to discuss the play, Baker settled on sending Walker over the left side again and he scored easily to give the Bulldogs the 28-27 victory.

"We talked about it in the huddle," said Walker of the two-point play. "The 'O-line' said 'Run it' so we ran it. They did a great job opening holes the second half, and Covalt (fullback Chris) was great."

Walker was pretty good too. He ran 23 times for 131 yards, caught 5 balls for 74 yards, compiled 74 return yards, and scored three touchdowns and a two-point conversion. His response?

"I have to hit my extra points."

For most of the game it didn't appear as though those misses would matter because the Wildcats came out of the locker room fired up. They took the opening kickoff 70 yards on 11 plays capped by a Lewis 6-yd touchdown run and ate up over five minutes of the first quarter clock.

The Bulldogs went three-and-out and the Wildcats went to work again. This time they went 62 yards on six plays with Lewis scoring from eight yards out giving the Wildcats a 12-0 lead and appeared to be on their way to a victory. Lewis was the workhorse for the Wildcats carrying the ball 30 times for 135 yards.

For the Wildcats (1-5, 0-2) it was an all-to-familiar scenario. Two weeks in a row the Wildcats were done in by two-point conversions. Last week it was Hershey that scored late to beat Mechanicsburg.

"We played better," said Lichtel. "I'm proud of our kids, though. We're just not a very lucky team. We were up 20-6. We needed to go for the jugular. Give Big Spring credit. They showed character coming back."

It was like deja vu for the Bulldogs. One week after a late comeback defeated East Penn, they did it again. "We were confident the whole game," said Walker. "It's nothing new. We did it last week. We have to start getting on a roll earlier."

Hagenbuch agreed.

"We thought we could do it. We just stepped it up in the second half."

The second half was all Bulldogs. After allowing three sacks in the first half, the offensive line picked up the Wildcat rush much more effectively, and appeared to wear the defense down. "We discussed blocking down at half," said Baker. "They weren't sending more than we could block. Physically, I think we played harder. We talk about being in shape. It looks like it worked out for us this week."

Big Spring hosts winless James Buchanan for their homecoming next week. Mechanicsburg hosts West Perry for their homecoming next week as well. Both kickoffs are at 7:30 p.m.

September 30, 2000

Hershey 15, Mechanicsburg 14

A 51-yard Mechanicsburg field goal attempt fell short with 9 seconds left in the game as Hershey scored a 15-14 victory over the visiting Wildcats in Capital Division play Friday.

The Wildcats took a 14-0 lead into the final quarter, but Hershey (2-3, 1-1) scored twice and converted on a two-point play with 4:19 left to play in the game. Mechanicsburg drove to the Trojan 25, but quarterback Aaron Bruno got sacked, forcing the 51-yard field goal try.

Wildcat Dan Lewis had a strong game, rushing for 125 yards on 17 carries and scoring the first touchdown. Bruno completed 9-of-11 passes for 72 yards, and teammate Jim Serafin scored on a fumble recovery.

Mechanicsburg (1-4, 0-2 Capital) hosts Big Spring in a crossover game Friday.

Are you ready for football?

By Bill Wolfe, September 1, 2000

Cumberland Valley's Sean Dougherty, shown here against Cedar Cliff last season, should have a big impact in tonight's CV-Mechanicsburg matchup. (Sentinel file photo) With death and taxes being the only sure things, it's a risk labeling anything else a certainty.

But what the heck, let's do it anyway.

Must See TV? Puh-lease. We've got "Must See CV," as in CV at Mechanicsburg, tonight's potentially explosive opener to the 2000 Mid-Penn Conference football season. If you leave now, you might get a seat.

There are other games around the area for sure, but none pack the same punch as this one. Cumberland Valley, bolstered by the addition of five quality transfers, will roll into Memorial Park tonight, where a hungry Wildcat squad, the deepest and best Mechanicsburg team in perhaps two decades, awaits.

Have you started the car yet?

What are you waiting for?

Rarely does a game between two teams in the same league generate this much hype in the first week of the season, but on paper these are two exceptional squads loaded with big-time talent.

Host Mechanicsburg, an early favorite to at least make a run at the District 3-AAA title, returns 13 starters from last season. Included in that group is third-year starting quarterback Aaron Bruno and junior tailback Dan Lewis, who last year rushed for 1,295 yards and 13 touchdowns. They lead the Wildcat returnees, but there's no noticeable dropoff as the list goes on.

The offensive line includes Grant Preston, Matt Kiker and Kyle Mason, all back from a year ago and ready to pop Lewis and backup sophomore tailback Andrew Bathon loose for big yardage. New starters Tim Kortze and Travis Brown help this group tip the scales at over 1,300 pounds.

And when the Wildcats aren't pushing the ball down the field, they'll be trying to get it back with a tough-as-nails defense led by linebacker Peter Thomas, a junior who will open some eyes before the season is over.

Cumberland Valley, as usual, counters with some playmakers of its own, and all eyes will be on senior transfer quarterback Steve Stoner Jr. to see how well he has adapted to coach Tim Rimpfel's version of the Wing-T.

If Stoner, who Rimpfel says is fine after experiencing shoulder problems last week, comes out firing and is able to keep the Mechanicsburg secondary — a potential Wildcat weak spot — honest, then running backs Sean Dougherty and Jon Phillipkosky should have room to run. That is, if the CV offensive line — which is the Eagles' potential Achilles' heel — can open holes.

So, while both sides have some question marks, there will be enough studs on hand to produce a classic Mid-Penn war. To hear the coaches tell it, however, it's the other team that looks great.

"It's a big game. They're loaded," Rimpfel says. "They have the size and speed and experience to be an excellent team, maybe [coach Rich Lichtel's] best team."

Lichtel, whose Wildcats haven't beaten the Eagles since 1983, hands it back to Rimpfel.

"I've been coaching for 20 years, and it'a always an uphill battle when you play CV," he says. "They're like a machine."

Lichtel has spent the summer cautioning anyone who would listen that week one is far too early to get an accurate read on a team. Despite his wait-and-see approach, he knows enough about the air surrounding this game to make the extra effort to keep his players relaxed.

"Our kids are pretty under control," he says. "They very healthy and have an air of confidence, but we tell them not to get too hung up on who we're playing."

Rimpfel, on the other hand, must build some confidence after his team's performance in a recent scrimmage.

"We had our confidence attacked by last week's scrimmage at McCaskey," he says. "We hope the kids come out and play like CV players of the past. But right now that's an unknown."

Lichtel doesn't think so.

"CV will always do certain things, little things that never change," he says. "They're very well coached."

Good coaching isn't the only thing they possess. History — and no one has history the way CV has history — favors the Eagles.

Despite having some quality teams over the last 17 years, Mechanicsburg has been unable to lift the eagle off its back. Even the 1986 team, which won the District 3 crown, suffered a 20-7 whupping by the Eagles in week two. The long string of losses could present a psychological barrier for the Wildcats.

But if it doesn't, and the Wildcats ignore history, this one could be special.

"It's a backyard rivalry," says Lichtel. "And we tell our players never to concede anything."

They might not concede much, but the Wildcats front six on defense will have to exploit CV's thin offensive line if they want to stop the bleeding of the last 17 years.

For the Eagles, weathering an early Mechanicsburg storm in front of a hostile crowd will be key. After that, they will have to force Bruno to throw. A strong Eagle secondary can then assert some control.

Time to put on the pads

By Bill Wolfe, August 15, 2000 

Carlisle football coach Brent Stroh talks to his players before morning practice Monday at Carlisle High School. Area high school football teams officially opened the 2000 season Monday. (Jason Minick/The Sentinel)

What a difference a year makes.

One year ago the first day of high school football practice looked like it was scripted by Dante.

Temperatures hovered near the century mark. Fields, grassless and baked to concrete by a relentless sun, yielded clouds of dust so thick they broke into chunks when they hit the ground.

And that was during morning workouts.

Not so Monday.

Under far more pleasant circumstances, area high school football players took to their respective fields Monday on the first official practice day of the 2000 season.

Every player hit the ground running. Some hit the ground after running.

There were two-a-days, three-a-days and run-all-days, and when it was over coaches surveyed the rubble.

"We opened the weight room three nights a week during the summer," said Carlisle head coach Brent Stroh. "We offered lifting, running and passing drills, and you can see the ones who were here and the ones who weren't."

Stroh wasn't the only coach who noticed some players running on empty.

"We had some linemen huffing and puffing a little more than they should have been," said Tim Rimpfel, head coach at Cumberland Valley.

Despite the occasional straggler, most local coaches came away satisfied with the effort they witnessed.

"I thought the attitude was pretty good," Stroh said. "We look at attitude, discipline and conditioning, and I was pleased today."

"We're looking pretty good," Big Spring head coach Bob Baker Jr. said as he prepared to lead his Bulldogs out for their afternoon session. "As coaches, we always want or expect more than what we get, and we're never satisfied, but I thought the kids looked good this morning. Hopefully that will carry over into this afternoon."

As good as players may look during a morning practice, it's the grind of the two, sometimes three, practices a day that wears on the mind as much as the body. And as grueling as that regimen might sound, coaches know it's what separates the real players from those who aren't as committed.

"It's a chance to make a decision about how serious they are," Mechanicsburg head coach Rich Lichtel said. "Some kids think they want to play. We ran them pretty good this morning; we'll see how many don't come back this afternoon."

Lichtel, who had 65 prospective Wildcats out the first day, realizes the number of players a coach sees the first morning rarely matches the number who suit up on opening night. And while some coaches, particularly those at smaller schools, fret over numbers, Lichtel doesn't lose sleep over them.

"We hover around 65 the first week," he said. "By the end of the second week we might have 55, but big numbers don't mean much if some of the kids don't really want to play. I prefer smaller teams with kids who want to play football."

Red Land coach John Weaver echoes Lichtel.

"We are a little down in numbers, but fewer kids means kids get more reps," Weaver said. "There's less standing around. We feel like we got a lot more done today."

Rimpfel, whose teams traditionally suit up a large number of players, saw 80 charges on the field yesterday. And he doesn't expect that number to dwindle much.

"We have 80, but we had 100 back in January when we started lifting," Rimpfel said. "Hopefully anybody whose going to go has already gone."

Down the road at Carlisle, 53 boys filled out the roster, and Stroh, entering his fifth year as head coach, hopes to have 53 still standing in November.

"I hope we don't lose anybody. We want every kid to stick with it and give his all to the program."

Charlie Bender, the fourth-year head coach at Boiling Springs, has seen his numbers grow every season. From a low of 28 three years ago, the Bubblers have nearly doubled their turnout. Bender associates the growth with what he sees as a turnaround in the Bubblers' onfield success.

"We like to improve on our numbers every year. We had 46 kids today," Bender said. "I think we're headed in the right direction. There wasn't really a winning tradition when we started here, but we're building one."

While coaches might differ in their opinions about the importance of early season numbers, they are nearly unanimous in their support for something else: outside competition, as early as they can get it.

The first Saturday of practice is traditionally reserved for intersquad scrimmages, the first chance for players to see and hit someone in a different colored uniform. For coaches, it's the all-important first chance to evaluate their talent.

"We're in a tri-scrimmage with Mechanicsburg and Northern Lebanon Saturday," said Northern head coach Rick Mauck. "It gives us a chance to get the video going so we can get back Monday and start working on things."

Until then, teams will have to be content with "going live" against their own, and every coach shares a different philosophy on how much live contact to include in their early practices.

Carlisle players were in the thick of live, intrasquad action during their afternoon session, while Mauck's Polar Bears kept the live action above the waist.

"We worked on some live blocking and some hands on stuff, but we didn't scrimmage," Mauck said.

Jeff Boger's Trinity Shamrocks got down to business early.

"We hit a little bit," Boger said. "The kids seemed very interested in that. We needed to be more aggressive defensively, and the kids were ready for it."

The kids were ready for it, but what about the coaches?

"The last time I looked at the clock, it was 1:55 a.m.," said Big Spring's Baker. "I never know what to expect the first day, but in five years here I haven't slept the night before."

Monday night, it's unlikely any of his players had the same problem.

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