High school football season wrap-ups

By Eric Brandner November 14, 2002

Here is a capsule breakdown for seven of the 14 Sentinel area football teams that have completed their seasons. The remaining capsules will run in next week's tab

MECHANICSBURG WILDCATS

Record: 6-4

Division finish: Third, Capital Division (4-2)

Leading passer: Ryan Melick, Jr., QB (76-160-12, 892 yards, 6 TD)

Leading receiver: Matt Trusch, Sr., WR (16 rec., 137 yards, 2 TD)

Leading rusher: Andrew Bathon, Sr., RB (220 car, 1,066 yards, 10 TD)

Offensive MVP: Andrew Bathon. Bathon led The Sentinel area in rushing attempts and was second to CV's Dan Lawlor in yards. His size and agility made him one of the most bruising runners in the Mid-Penn.

Defensive MVP: Andrew Bathon, LB, and Dan Bathon, Sr., DL. These two Bathon triplets made life in the box miserable for opponents. "(Dan Bathon) is very, very underestimated," head coach Rich Lichtel said. "It took two people to block him the second half of the year." Dan was the defensive MVP of the East-West All-Star game. He scored a defensive touchdown on a fumble recovery and created another defensive touchdown when he deflected an Aaron Bouder pass to Andrew, who caught it and ran for the score in the Wildcats' 26-21 loss to Carlisle.

Biggest surprise: Young linebackers Ian Thomas and Josh Koontz. "(They were) flying to the ball and hitting with intensity," Lichtel said. "They got better each week."

Biggest disappointment: Turnovers, turnovers and more turnovers early in the season. "We had opportunities to win and we just made some stupid mistakes," Lichtel said. The Wildcats saw three fumbles returned for touchdowns against Gettysburg and also fumbled seven times in a 20-10 loss to Capital Division champ Lower Dauphin.

Summing it up: "I thought we had a good season," Lichtel said. "We lost a lot of good players and leadership from the year before. We knew we were going to have growing pains." The Wildcats will have to replace a 1,000-yard back for the second consecutive year in 2003. Nonetheless, winning four out of their last five games has to be an encouraging sign. Junior Tom Eisenhart, Koontz and Thomas should provide a good defensive core to build on.

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Mechanicsburg 18, Middletown 7
Mechanicsburg defeated Middletown 18-7 Friday night. No further details were reported

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Playing it out for memories

By Eric Brandner October 31, 2002

Mechanicsburg running back Andrew Bathon will be one of many seniors who close out their high school careers Friday night. (Curt Werner/Special to The Sentinel)

 

Andrew Bathon gets tired.

You would too if you had to carry the football 37 times in one game. He gets a handoff, takes three or four hits, then gets back up and takes the ball right into the line on the next play.

"I don't feel any injuries that night," Bathon says, "but when I get up in the morning, (I feel) so many injuries.

"We have weight (lifting) Saturday morning. But normally I can't lift anything in the mornings so I just get in the Whirlpool."

Bathon, who ran for 164 yards in Mechanicsburg's 14-7 overtime victory over Hershey Friday, is one area player who's still giving his all despite being out of the playoff picture.

"It's really tough because I've been playing with these guys since pee-wee football," the Wildcats' senior says. "So it's really upsetting to see the end coming. Last year we were (in the playoffs) so we didn't know when the last game was going to come."

But the end will come for Bathon and several other area seniors when the clock hits :00 Friday night.

Despite the knowledge the season is about to end, Mechanicsburg head coach Rich Lichtel said this year's team has the same fight-till-the-end attitude as last year's Capital Division championship squad.

"There's not much difference," Lichtel says. "We knew we had a lot of young kids coming in. Their attitude is that (Middletown) is sort of a playoff."

Mechanicsburg quarterback Ryan Melick (3) is tackled by Carlisle's Luke McKenzie during the Thundering Herd's victory over the Wildcats on Oct. 14. Both teams will play their last game of the season Friday night. (Curt Werner/Special to The Sentinel)

Lichtel has reason to be optimistic. The Wildcats (5-4) overcame tough weather conditions Friday to take a 14-7 overtime victory against Hershey.

"Those conditions were horrible to play in," Lichtel says, "but these kids have been resilient all year. Even when we had turnovers and gave them the ball in scoring position, our kids kept playing hard."

John Weaver has a similar accomplishment to build on at Red Land. The Patriots are coming off a 17-7 victory over Williamsport where they were able to contain U.S. Army All-American running back Darrell Blackman, a 2,000-yard rusher for the season.

"That was awfully exciting," Weaver says. "It was certainly our best defensive performance of the year."

The Patriots' held Blackman to 97 yards rushing on 25 carries; a far cry from the Williamsport back's usual output, which has included three separate 300-yard performances this season.

"Obviously I think the field conditions played into our favor," Weaver says, "but that doesn't diminish what the kids did. We just got a lot of people around the football.

"It was a very exciting performance against a kid who is recognized on a national level."

And while the playoffs may have been out of the question since mid-season at Shippensburg, even the Greyhounds still have goals to focus on.

"They've kept their focus real well throughout the year," Ship head coach Eric Faust says. "We've set season-wide goals, some of which are still attainable."

Faust said a major goal was to cut the number of points allowed in half. Last season, the Greyhounds surrendered 449 points to opposing offenses. Going into Friday's contest at Greencastle, Ship has surrendered 222 points. So while they've significantly improved defensively, the Greyhounds must hold the Blue Devils to a safety or less to reach their goal.

"My defensive players are very aware of (the situation)," Faust said.

Emotion and pride could rule the night for Carlisle. The Thundering Herd want to have a good showing in their final game, which will eventually be replayed on CN8 on Nov. 7 at 2 p.m.

"We don't want to look bad on television and if we win we have a .500 record which is higher than most people predicted us to finish," Stroh says.

According to Stroh, the Herd will have a closed-door meeting before the last game of the season, where seniors and coaches address their teammates.

"For our seniors, it's the last time they're going to play. A lot of them ever," Stroh says. "We have a (closed-door meeting) we do. That can be a highly emotional situation for the kids and the coaches as well. It's tough to say goodbye to some of those kids."

Having something to play for is key for teams who are out of the playoff picture - especially for high school students who have many activities in their lives besides football.

"At this stage of the season, sometimes athletes are looking for reasons to forget about football," Weaver says. "(So) it's very pleasing that kids keep getting better."

While Weaver has been to the playoffs with different programs, the Patriots have never had a taste of pos-season action.

"I've been fortunate to be involved in playoffs in other programs, but Red Land's never been to a playoff," Weaver says. "They've never experienced that before so they don't know what they're missing. Once they get a taste of the playoffs, life will never be the same."

But the fourth-year coach said his players are gradually developing a mentality of wanting to be in big games at the end of the year.

"This is maybe the first year that they're starting to think beyond the Cedar Cliff (rivalry)," Weaver says. "That was always their championship. Now they're starting to think about other teams and other games. So even though we're not going to a playoff, I think the thinking is starting to move in the right direction."

And moving in the right direction for most area coaches means sticking with the game plan they've had all season.

"You kind of want to look at your players for next year, but you still have loyalty to the seniors who've stuck with you," Faust says. "You have some little things you want to throw out there, but nothing out of the ordinary."

Stroh agrees.

"As a coach, the temptation is to put to many things in and not do very well," he says.

While some coaches play it straight, Red Land has taken a few more chances. The Patriots have thrown out trick plays in each of their last two games, including a halfback pass by Robin Summey to Korey Farrow for a 16-yard game-winning touchdown against Carlisle on Oct. 18.

"The only temptation is to be a little more daring and not hold anything back," Weaver says. "As far as switching personnel, absolutely not. Some people might say you have to prepare for next year, but we're still looking to put our best effort together and we're certainly not disappointed with what we've done."

And being proud of their performance is the driving force behind each of these teams.

"You've got to give it all you've got," Bathon says. "You have to savor every moment you have out there. You don't want to be asking that question of 'what if?' in the future.

"I know I'm going to be looking back on these games thinking 'did I give it everything I had?'"

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Wildcats pull out OT win

By L.D. Kerstetter October 26, 2002

Ryan Melick (3) of Mechanicsburg carries the ball with an unidentified Hershey defender giving chase as Mechanicsburg's Andrew Bathon (31) goes for the block in the Wildcats' overtime win Friday night. (Curt Werner/Special to The Sentinel)

It may have been the shortest ball senior Jon Boles ever picked out of the air. It may have been the most important.

Mechanicsburg celebrated the seniors Friday night at rain-drenched John H. Frederick Stadium with a 14-7 overtime victory over Mid-Penn Capital Conference foe Hershey, and the final score occurred on the most unusual of circumstances.

Andrew Bathon (37 carries for 164 yards and one touchdown) barelled into the stacked-up Hershey defense at the goal line; the ball was knocked loose and went flying 10-feet into the air before landing in the waiting arms of Boles.

"It looked like everything was going in slow motion as the ball came to me," said Boles. "Stuff like that happens for a reason, but I don't know what it is. But you can't put too much importance in one play. It was a team effort the whole game."

Add in the irony of work-horse Andrew Bathon, on the verge of a 1,000-yard rushing season (982 yards) despite missing two full games, being the one to fumble the ball right to Boles for the score. As it is said, luck happens when preparation meets opportunity.

Andy Bathon rushed 37 of the 43 planned running plays used by the Wildcats. He was an active participant on 38 of the 53 plays from scrimmage. He also punted three times.

"Our line came out blocking early tonight," said a bloodied and mud-covered Bathon. "It was the seniors' last game on this field and we gave our all on every play. We had a little luck. God must have been on our side tonight."

Bathon followed his blocks with lowered shoulders all night and, like his predecessor Dan Lewis, wouldn't allow anyone the luxury of an arm tackle. Credit goes to those big no-names on the offensive line, Mike Mutterspaugh, Kevin Hellam and Bathon's tough lead blocker, Jason Manotti.

These weather conditions bring the knowledge that even one mistake -- one muffed snap or a running play thrown for a loss -- can ruin a sustained drive. Both teams faced that monster all night long: Second-and-12 is immensely different than 2nd-and-7 when a completed pass is a luxury.

By the time Bathon scored his touchdown to give Mechanicsburg a 7-0 lead seven minutes into the second quarter, he had already gained 77 yards on 23 carries. Conditions made any score important, but the first was especially big.

Josh Koontz, Dan Bathon (9 tackles and a fumble recovery), and Tom Eisenhart (8 tackles and a fumble recovery) led the Mechanicsburg defense, which found a tougher challenge in this Hershey squad than may be anticipated at first glance.

Returning to the Trojan line-up was tough running back Matt Otey, who rushed for 73 yards despite being hit at every opportunity by the gang-tackling Wildcat defense.

Possession time favored the Wildcats in the first half, 16 minutes to 8. Hershey did not gain a first down after its first possession until five minutes had elapsed in the second half.

That first down came on the Trojans' 45-yard touchdown drive in the third quarter, which tied the game. The highlight was a terrific 18-yard scramble by Hershey quarterback Brock Smith to the Mechanicsburg 16-yard line.

Both teams exchanged good defensive series, as it became more and more difficult to find an offensive rhythm. John Godlasky, Ryan Cooley, and Justin Backus all hit double digits in tackles for the Wildcats. Cooley also had two sacks.

Manotti (six tackles with a sack), Ryan Melick (seven tackles), Ian Thomas and Mutterspaugh (5 tackles apiece) came on in the second half to help the defensive effort.

Koontz broke up two passes in the fourth quarter to go with his team-leading 11 tackles.

"It felt good to be a part of getting this win for the seniors, being their last game here," said Koontz, just a sophomore.

Late in the fourth quarter, both teams began preparing for what looked like the inevitable overtime session.

Mechanicsburg got the ball with just over two minutes left in regulation, but the murmur of the crowd was all about holding on to the ball and playing it safe. They tried.

On third down, Melick was hit by Hershey linebacker Backus almost before he got possession of the snap, and the quarterback coughed up the football on Mechanicsburg's own 17-yard line. It was certainly close enough for a Trojan field goal try, but with 1:46 left, they would try to get just a little bit closer.

The karma truly was with the Wildcats on this night. Hershey quarterback Smith muffed the ensuing snap, and Dan Bathon recovered. Mechanicsburg ran out the remaining time on the clock.

The Trojans won the overtime coin toss and chose to get the ball second. Overtime in high school football gives each offense four tries to score from the 10-yard line.

Melick lost seven yards on the Wildcats' first overtime play. Then Manotti was held to no gain. Melick and Matt Trusch came up big on third down when they combined for a 16-yard pass play to the 1-yard line. Mechanicsburg coach Rich Lichtel wasted no time in deciding to go for the touchdown in lieu of a field goal try.

That led to the pile-up on Andrew Bathon's run and the Boles pop-up fumble recovery for the touchdown. Mechanicsburg's defense then broke up three attempted pass plays and stuffed Otey's rush for no gain.

A much improved Hershey team dropped its 7th game in a row after winning its first two. Mechanicsburg raises its record to 5-4 overall and 3-2 in the Mid-Penn Capital Division. They close out their season next Friday at Middletown.

Trusch celebrates birthday in style

By Wes McElroy October 5, 2002

Please feel free to sing at home:

"Happy Birthday to me... Happy Birthday to me.

Happy Birthday to me... Happy Birthday to me."

That was the tune rolling through the mind of Mechanicsburg senior Matt Trusch during Friday night's homecoming game against Susquehanna Township.

Besides running for homecoming king, Trusch had a birthday party on John H. Frederick Field at Memorial Park Stadium in the Wildcats' 42-7 victory. He intercepted two passes, ran one back for a touchdown and helped lead a defense that held the Indians total minus-6 yards rushing in the second half.

"It felt real good to be back tonight," said Trusch, who missed the past two seasons with a shoulder injury. "We really tried to set the tone by using our defense."

Trusch and the defense did not see the field until the middle of the first quarter. Mechanicsburg's offense consumed the clock on an 11-play, 80-yard opening drive that took up over six minutes in the first quarter and was extended twice by Township penalties inside the Wildcat 30-yard line. The drive resulted in Ryan Melick finding tight end Josh Kootnz in the end zone from 11 yards out.

"I am proud of our whole team," Wildcats head coach Richard Lichtel said. "Our defense set the tone and our offense moved the ball."

The Mechanicsburg defense reached the scoreboard with 7:14 left in the half when Tim Bathon collected a tipped Ryan Gaither pass and returned it 29 yards for a 14-0 lead.

But following the kickoff and a quarterback change, Indian Pete Kishpaugh took the next snap around the left side of the line and went untouched for 72 yards down the sideline to quiet the excited homecoming crowd.

"Susquehanna has a very good offense," Lichtel said about his opponent's quick scoring response. "You can check their stats and just see. You saw what (Kishpaugh) did on that touchdown. He went around with ease."

Mechanicsburg's Dan Bathon responded just as quickly as he picked up a mishandled snap with 13 seconds left in the half and walked into the end zone to give the Wildcats a 14-point lead going into the half.

"Our kids have the best character," said Lichtel. "And we have had a tough three weeks. We have been there and realized that when you turn over the ball you don't win."

Adding to his quiet but effective secondary play in the first half, Trusch decided to help the secondary put its name in the spotlight again. The senior collected his first interception late in the third quarter at the Indians 35.

Lichtel called Trusch's number one play later on a 5-yard scoring pass.

"I had a bad game last week," said Trusch. "So I kind of thought with homecoming and my birthday tonight that I had this feeling I would have a good night."

The Wildcat defensive line and linebackers helped matters by holding Township to negative yards rushing in the second half, and turning in three sacks in the third quarter.

"We were looking towards their veers and options and it helped shut them down," said Trusch, who also ended the game entering as the second string quarterback.

Following a 3-yard touchdown run by Jason Manotti for a 35-7 lead, the Wildcats gave their teammate his birthday present. The defense threw several blocks as Trusch followed behind for 45 yards with his second interception and second touchdown of the night.

And to cap the eventful night off, Trusch did what any person on his birthday would do -- think toward the future and forget the past.

"This did feel real good tonight," said Trusch. "But we all know now, we have to go undefeated for the rest of the season."

September 30, 2002

Lower Dauphin 20, Mechanicsburg 10

Friday night's Capital Division game between Mechanicsburg and Lower Dauphin stirred up a little controversy as the Falcons won on their home field.

"It was 12-10 (in favor of LD) in the fourth quarter," said Mechanicsburg coach Rich Lichtel. "We had just scored and had momentum. We threw a 10-yard pass. The kid who caught it was down. One official called down, the other called fumble. (Lower Dauphin) had a short drive to make it 18-10 and then they went for two."

Steve Cocciardi kicked a 37-yard field goal and an extra point for the Wildcats. Andy Bathon rushed for 139 yards and scored Mechanicsburg's only touchdown.

"Dan Bathon had a real good game on the defensive line," Lichtel said. "He made some big hits."

September 21, 2002

Gettysburg 27, Mechanicsburg 3

Mechanicsburg fumbled five times Friday night and Gettysburg returned three of the recoveries for scores in a 27-3 win in Capital Division play.

Eli Epperson returned a fumble 18 yards for a score in the first quarter for the Warriors (4-0 overall, 1-0 division), and Brett Miller added a pair of 22-yard fumble returns for scores in the fourth quarter. Gettysburg's Brandon Tyler added 138 yards rushing on 21 carries in the win.

Andy Bathon led the Wildcat offense with 102 yards on 20 carries.

Mechanicsburg (2-2 overall, 0-1 division) plays at Lower Dauphin next Friday.

Northern blanks Wildcats

By L.D. Kerstetter September 14, 2002

There's one thing that can be said about Northern; they know how to celebrate an event.

Although the Northern football field has been called the Robert F. Bostic Stadium for many years, it was officially dedicated last night in a speech by Northern athletic director Jerry Schwille. The Northern football team carried the excitement onto the field, beating favored Mechanicsburg, 7-0, with a blitzing, relentless defense.

Polar Bear running back Shane Eslinger scored the game's only touchdown 1:28 into the final quarter with a quick cutback from the seven yard-line. All three Northern running backs (Eslinger, Eric Davis, and Josh Benson) rushed for 64-yards or better.

"That's the theme of our offense this year," Eslinger said. "We probably have the best trio of backs in the area. With a young quarterback, we're trying to run the ball a lot."

On the other side of the ledger, Andrew Bathon had another outstanding all-around game. He totaled 177 total yards (47 rushing, 67 receiving, 26 on a pass completion, and 38 on two kickoff returns). He also had two huge sacks of Northern QB Rutherford.

Northern never let Mechanicsburg get comfortable on offense, by blitzing with different people from different positions and punishing the ball-carriers every time they touched the ball. The Polar Bears' defense gave away little ground, and only got tougher the closer the Wildcats got to the goal-line. Tyler Rees again led the way with three sacks and a fumble recovery, while often taking on two blockers.

"Any way you look at it, it's 7-0, and you don't see very many shutouts any more," said an ecstatic Northern coach Rick Mauck. "I have to give all the credit for the defensive schemes to assistant coach Tom Wise and, of course, the players for executing.

"Our kids, going into a beautiful new high school and a brand new stadium had something to be pumped up about."

Northern marched methodically up and down the field, using all three running backs in tandem or in wing-back and split backs formations. The blocking was solid and the Polar Bears drained the clock on long drives. But they, too, shot themselves in the foot when they got near enough to make a serious scoring threat.

"It was so close in the first half," Mauck said. "We just couldn't finish those opportunities. But then, Mechanicsburg could say the same thing."

The Polar Bears dominated the middle of the line, led by under-sized linebacker Mark Murphy, with eight tackles. Defensive end Shawn McGeehan made lots of big plays, including two sacks, a fumble recovery, and a forced fumble. He had seven tackles.

"I have containment duties on one play out of four," McGeehan said. "I'm not really looking for something or keying on anyone. I just play according to what defense is called."

Midway through the first half, the Wildcats had a great scoring opportunity -- on the defensive side of the ball. Andy Bathon tipped a Rutherford pass high in the air, where a waiting Tom Eisenhart (8 tackles) stood. He had nothing but open field in front of him, but dropped the ball.

Mechanicsburg's defense had something to say in the game, too. Ian Thomas, little brother of graduated linebacking great Peter, had 14 tackles and tipped two passes. Dan Bathon hit hard and had six tackles. Matt Trusch (6 tackles), Jason Manotti (5 tackles), and Andrew Crobak (6 tackles) also helped keep Northern away from the goal line.

It appeared to start a trend: both teams had trouble holding onto the football, with three consecutive plays -- one by Mechanicsburg and two by Northern -- ending in fumbles.

The big drive for Northern began at their own 27-yard line. Davis led off with a 23-yard run. Benson carried twice for six yards on the drive, then Davis picked up eight more.

Eslinger's 11-yard run got the ball to the Wildcat 26. Runs by Eslinger, Benson and Davis got the ball to 7-yard line, setting up Eslinger's game-winning touchdown.

The Wildcats are now 2-1 overall and host Capital Division favorite Gettysburg to open divisional play for both teams. Northern, 3-0 overall, will next host Greencastle/Antrim in a Colonial Division game

Wildcats improve to 2-0

By Wes McElroy

Andy Bathon piled 119 yards of offense and two touchdowns Friday night to help Mechanicsburg hold off Big Spring 28-14 at Memorial Park. (Jason Minickl/The Sentinel)

Mechanicsburg's Andy Bathon appeared as if he had taken on the entire Big Spring team following Friday night's Mid-Penn nondivision game at Memorial Park.

And in some ways, Bathon had.

The senior recorded a hard-earned 119 yards of total offense, including two touchdowns, and led a defense that spent a majority of the second half on the field in Mechanicsburg's 28-14 win. That was in addition to his special teams performance that featured two punts of 50 yards or better.

"Andy is a warrior," Wildcat head coach Richard Lichtel said. "He is a running back that takes a pounding. He is a great receiver and a leader on defense. He sells out and gives us everything."

Mechanicsburg needed Bathon's everything as it almost watched a 21-7 halftime lead slip away against the Bulldogs.

"We moved the ball the first half real well," Lichtel said. "Our offense just got complacent in the second."

Following an interception on the second play of the game, Mechanicsburg quarterback Ryan Melick settled down on his next series and took off 51 yards after dodging pressure to set up Bathon's 7-yard touchdown run.

Big Spring answered back as the Bulldogs used a roughing-the-kicker penalty and third-down pass interference call to advance inside Mechanicsburg's 5-yard line. That allowed Jason Leonard to connect with Cody Stum to tie the game early.

Mechanicsburg then set the tone for the rest of the first half as Melick led a seven-play, 80-yard drive that resulted in a 55-yard touchdown pass to Josh Koontz.

Three plays later, Matt Trusch picked off Jason Leonard's pass and returned it 36 yards to set up Melick's second scoring pass and Bathon's second touchdown of the night on a 5-yard pass in the right corner of the end zone.

"I played with these guys for years, they know me," said Bathon. "Somebody had to take charge tonight, I figured why not me."

But with 9 minutes left, Bathon's touchdown was the last glimmer of offense on the night for Mechanicsburg.

"We are a young team and we are going to make mistakes," Lichtel said. "But we don't lose our resiliency."

Neither did Big Spring.

Ryan Leonard replaced brother Jason at QB in the second quarter, and both Leonards rotated series for the remainder of the night. Jason Leonard opened the second half by connecting with Stum again on screen pass that the wide receiver took 78 yards to bring the Bulldogs within a touchdown.

"Our kids believe in themselves and their team," Big Spring head coach Bob Baker Jr. said. "We have two good quarterbacks who both deserve to play and a defense that played great in the second half."

Moments later, Big Spring had a chance to tie and go ahead, but could not seize the opportunity.

After forcing Mechanicsburg to go three and out, the Bulldogs recovered the ball after a botched snap at the Wildcats 20. After failing to take advantage, the Bulldogs got the ball back again at the same spot on a fumble off a missed pitch.

Enter Andy Bathon.

Both times the linebacker led a charge that did not allow Big Spring to advance much farther, which led to a blocked field goal on the later of the two series.

"Bottom line is that we have a lot of character," said Lichtel. "We didn't get our heads down. We put up a wall, and over and over they kept coming back."

After completely shutting down Mechanicsburg's passing game and holding Bathon out of the end zone in the second half, Big Spring's defense made the final two quarters a defensive battle.

"I thought our kids really stepped on defense," said Baker. "We just couldn't get it in the end zone."

Following a Bathon 53-yard punt that backed Big Spring up to its 12-yard line, the Bulldogs dominated the ground on one last drive as Brian Dorsey and Neal Sutliff moved the team to midfield.

But with 4:13 left to play, Bathon fell on a mishandled snap between quarterback Ryan Leonard and the center. With under a minute left to play, Tom Eisenhart stepped in front of a Ryan Leonard pass and returned it 41 yards.

"We showed our character tonight," Lichtel said. "And our character is our resiliency."

A. Bathon's two TDs help lift Wildcats

by L.D. Kerstetter, August 31, 2002

Mechanicsburg got some early reprieves from East Pennsboro penalties, then shot the Panthers' offense down the rest of the way for a comfortable 17-7 win Friday night at John H. Frederick Field.

Wildcats tailback Andrew Bathon did a nice job stepping into the shoes of graduated 2,000-yard running back Dan Lewis. Bathon rushed for 89 yards and two second-quarter touchdowns against a physical Panther defense.

"It was sure nice to get those two scores early," Bathon said. "We knew the defense was going to win or lose this game. We knew they had a good passing attack with (Jason) DeLutis at quarterback and (Ross) Wheeler receiving."

The Mechanicsburg defense was the key to the game. After a slow start, the Wildcats held the Panther offense scoreless (East Penn's defense scored its only touchdown). Further, East Penn managed only minus-17 yards rushing in the second half on seven carries.

Wheeler was the key for the Panthers, and the coaching staff tried to get him as many touches as they possibly could.

Conversely, the Wildcats tried to keep the ball out of his hands, punting and kicking away from him whenever possible and shutting him out on the receiving end until the fourth quarter.

Bathon was the Wildcat offense on the first series, carrying the ball five times and picking up one first down. The ensuing punt by Bathon was ticketed to go deep into the southern corner of the East Penn end of the field.

But Wheeler got to the drifting punt at the 2-yard line. The Panther crowd moaned, thinking Wheeler had made a serious error in judgment. If it were anyone else, it would have been.

Wheeler turned and ran toward the East Pennsboro side of the field, breaking two arm-tackles and avoiding two others. Up the sidelines he went, with key blocks from Brett Jones and Brian Joyce. It was a 98-yard punt return for a touchdown, ugh, except for the little yellow flag 91 yards to the rear.

Surprisingly, East Pennsboro did not let the penalty break its stride. The Panthers came back with a ground assault and line blocking that was very impressive.

There was lots of running room, and Kyle Avery, John Lawley (lost due to injury after just one carry of 11 yards), and Jesse Kostelac took full advantage. They drove to the Mechanicsburg 3-yard line and then, the worst of all things, they fumbled, with Wildcat linebacker Ian Thomas recovering.

Those two plays, along with some crucial penalties at key points in the first half, broke the Panthers' spirit.

"Yeah, it was the momentum switch on those plays that killed us," said East Penn head coach Todd Stuter. "But after the penalty on the punt return, we drove the ball right back down the field.

"Then the fumble. I think they figured out what we were doing in the first half. We had a lot of confidence early on. Losing Lawley early hurt us."

Early in the second quarter, East Pennsboro committed a crucial penalty when someone didn't remember if they belonged on the punt return team or not. The penalty gave the Wildcats new life with a first down.

The very next play, Mechanicsburg tight end Jon Boles took a perfect Ryan Melick pass in stride for a huge 69-yard gain. Three plays and a Panther face-mask penalty later, Andy Bathon scored.

After a three-and-out series for East Penn, Mechanicsburg blocked the punt. The Wildcats were in business again and Bathon scored his second touchdown after a short 6-yard drive. The half ended with the Wildcats in charge 14-0.

After the run wouldn't work to start the second half, the Panthers took to the air. Quarterback DeLutis, despite throwing three interceptions, looked very good at the helm and threw well. The first interception was a tip at the line and the second, one of two by Tim Bathon, was a beautiful step-in-front move by the safety. DeLutis threw for 122 yards, 68 of them in the fourth quarter to the always-dangerous Wheeler.

"The coaches told me to stay with Wheeler and watch his knee bend," said Tim Bathon. He explained that it was the knees that told him whether Wheeler would whirl and come back to the ball or keep running upfield.

"I also tried to watch the football. I caught both my interceptions in my hands and then let that pass slip through," he said.

"I told Tim that no coach could teach him more than he learned on his own out here today," Wildcat coach Rich Lichtel said with a wry smile. "Tim did a great job on the best receiver in the whole Harrisburg area, and that includes AAAA teams. Our defense is tough. Our offense is probably still two weeks away."

Andy Bathon had six tackles, including a sack. Mike Mutterspaugh blocked up the middle of the line and assisted on five tackles.

He also harassed DeLutis and got to him one time. The Wildcats are right back at home next Friday to host Big Spring.

East Penn also had some standout defenders. Cleon Aiken and Chad Smart combined for 12 tackles, including three sacks, and blocked one pass attempt.

Alex Mackavage and Todd Hatten assisted on eight tackles each and filled holes quickly. The Panthers host Susquehannock Friday.

WILDCATS 17, PANTHERS 7
East Pennsboro 0 0 0 7 -- 7
Mechanicsburg 0 14 0 3 -- 14
Second Quarter
M -- Andrew Bathon 1 run (Steve Cachardi kick), 2:55
M -- A. Bathon 1 run (Cachardi kick), 5:40
Fourth Quarter
M -- Cachardi 35 field goal, 1:19
EP -- Kyle Avery 4 fumble return (Dan Nightengale kick), 8:27
Team Statistics EP M First Downs 12 9 Rushes/Yards 27-84 28-111 Passing 10-21-3 6-11-0 Passing Yards 122 134 Punts/Avg. 5-22.0 4-43.0 Penalties/Yards 4-27 4-30 Fumbles/Lost 6-1 1-0 Individual Statistics RUSHING: East Pennsboro, Kyle Avery 10-34; Ross Wheeler 4-27; Jesse Kostelac 6-22; John Lawley 1-11; Jason DeLutis 6-(-10). Mechanicsburg, Andrew Bathon 27-89; Ryan Melick 7-14; Jason Manotti 3-7; Tom Eisenhart 1-1.

PASSING: East Pennsboro, DeLutis 10-21-3-122. Mechanicsburg, Melick 6-10-0-134; Matt Trusch 0-1-0-0.

RECEIVING: East Pennsboro, Wheeler 5-68; Alex Mackavage 2-22; Sean Sanderson 2-20; Avery 1-12. Mechanicsburg, Jon Boles 2-92; Matt Trusch 2-28; A. Bathon 2-14.

It didn't take Mechanicsburg long to find the end zone in its scrimmage against Lebanon Friday night.

The Wildcats forced the Cedars to punt on their first possession and then promptly drove 50 yards in two plays for a touchdown. Andrew Bathon took a handoff from quarterback Ryan Melick for the first 25 yards of the drive. Bathon followed that up with a 25-yard reception from Melick for the score.

Mechanicsburg head coach Rich Lichtel said his defense played well, holding the Cedars scoreless in the first half.

"We were really sharp early," Lichtel said. "They didn't have a first down on the first four or five possessions."

Lebanon finally got on the scoreboard in the second half. The Cedars pounded away through the Mechanicsburg defense for their only touchdown of the game.

"They had a real nice drive on us," Lichtel said. "It was just blue collar. Same kid running on us and he went hard."

While Lebanon kept the ball on the ground, Lichtel tried to work on the Wildcats' passing game. The Mechanicsburg offense had trouble with penalties and miscues for most of the evening.

"We had some nice plays, but we had some motion penalties and a shotgun snap over the head," Lichtel said. "(They're) things you can iron out early."

"We wanted to work on our passing game. They blitzed and we weren't quite ready for it."

Mechanicsburg takes on East Pennsboro next Friday.

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