Mechanicsburg earns third win

The "meaningless" high school football game is a misnomer.

Mechanicsburg's 28-25 triumph over Hershey last night is proof enough.

Based strictly on won-loss record, there weren't a whole lot of tassels attached to this Mid-Penn Keystone Division game. Between the two, Hershey (3-5 entering the game) and Mechanicsburg (2-6) had collected just five victories.

Division title? Playoffs? Not part of either team's conversations.

But on Senior Night at John H. Frederick Field at Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Park, the two attacked each other like dogs fighting over the wiener that had fallen off the grill.

Mechanicsburg took advantage of four Hershey first-half turnovers -- two fumbles on kick returns and two interceptions -- to build a 21-7 halftime lead that Hershey nearly erased with a strong second-half effort.

The first of those turnovers, a muffed punt at the Hershey 33 on the opening drive, was immediately cashed in when Mechanicsburg quarterback Jake Zeigler hit uncovered Tyler Chubb on a corner route.

Hershey came back to execute a seven-play, 80-yard drive (after a missed Mechanicsburg field goal) to tie it at 7-7. The touchdown was Kevin Kettl's 5-yard flip from Mike Wagner, but the big plays were runs of 33 and 30 yards by junior tailback Tyler Neal.

But Hershey unraveled. A pick by Mechanicsburg's Ben Anderson set up a 70-yard drive ended by Jason Statler's 4-yard score with 5:20 remaining in the half.

Hershey barely got its hands on the short kickoff, and the Wildcats' recovery led to Zeigler's 16-yard run at the 3:23 mark

"We shot ourselves in the foot in the first half," Hershey coach Bob "Gump" May said. "We challenged our kids to play better in the second half, and they did."

The Trojans laid into Mechanicsburg immediately, and got a brilliant 29-yard touchdown run by Neal that started out as a trap and ended up as a dance routine.

Hershey forced a three-and-out, and the Trojans moved from their own 33 to the Mechanicsburg 17 before fizzling, but Ed Stene ripped a strong 33-yard field goal to make it 21-17.

Mechanicsburg bounced back with a sharp drive that included the play of the game. Facing third-and-18 from the Hershey 46 because of an earlier holding penalty, Zeigler found running back Jason Misiti down the seam for 23 yards. The pass arrived at the same time as Hershey D-back Chris Walizer, but Misiti hung on.

Two plays later, Greg Drake ran another sharp corner route that turned around the Hershey coverage, and Zeigler laid it on the mark for a 21-yard score at the 10:01 mark.

"I saw [Drake] turn the guy around, and he ran a beautiful pattern," Zeigler said. "It was a beautiful play."

But Hershey wasn't done. The Trojans got a nice 33-yard return on a short kick by Harry Arndt, then punched in with 3:51 left on Neal's 1-yard run.

Zeigler, trying to kill time on an ensuing third-and-four, wildly threw the ball to the middle of the field, and Adam Goodspeed made a diving pick at the Mechanicsburg 34.

But the Trojans went just 6 yards, and Stene's 45-yard field-goal attempt with 1:23 left never had a fighting chance, going wide right and short.

ROD FRISCO: 255-8122 or rfrisco@patriot-news.com

Zeigler helps Wildcats past Hershey

By the Sentinel staff reports, October 31, 2006

HERSHEY - Quarterback Jake Zeigler passed for two scores and ran for another to help Mechanicsburg top Hershey 28-25 in a Mid-Penn Keystone Division makeup football game Monday.

In a game that was postponed from Friday, Zeigler helped stake the the Wildcats to a 21-7 halftime lead thanks to a 33-yard scoring pass to Tyler Chubb and a 16-yard run.

But the Trojans pulled within 21-17 after three quarters thanks to a 10-point third quarter. Zeigler then helped put the game away with a 21-yard pass to Greg Drake with 10:01 to play in the game. Hershey scored with 3:51 to play to pull within 28-25, but got no closer.

Zeigler completed 9-of-16 passes for 168 yards and added 76 yards rushing on eight carries. Drake had five catches for 81 yards.

Mechanicsburg (3-6 overall, 2-4 Keystone) closes its season at Middletown Friday.

WILDCATS 28, TROJANS 25

Hershey 7 0 10 8 - 25

Mechanicsburg 7 14 0 7 - 28

First Quarter
M - Tyler Chubb 33 pass from Jake Zeigler (TJ Hertzler kick), 10:32
H - Kevin Kettl 5 pass from Mike Wagner (Ed Stein kick), 1:00

Second Quarter

M -- Jason Statler 4 run (Hertzler kick), 5:20
M -- Zeigler 16 run (Hertler kick), 3:23

Third Quarter
H -- Tyler Neal 29 run (Stein kick), 9:33
H -- Stein 33 field goal, 2:24

Fourth Quarter
M -- Greg Drake 21 pass from Zeigler (Hertzler kick), 10:01
H -- 1 run Neal (Jayson Elmore pass), 3:51

Team Statistics H Mech
First downs 15 12
Rushes-yards 28-176 37-162
Passing 15-27-2 9-16-1
Passing yards 151 168
Punts-avg. 1-30 3-31
Penalties-yards 2-10 1-10
Fumbles-lost 3-2 1-0

Individual Statistics

RUSHING: Hershey, Neal 13-119; Arndt 8-40; Wagner 6-15; Otey 1-2 . Mechanicsburg, Zeigler 8-76; Jason Misiti 15-49; Statler 7-26; Tarik Leftenant 6-11; Jon Only 1-0.

PASSING: Hershey, Mike Wagner 15-27-2, for 151 yards. Mechanicsburg, Jake Zeigler 9-16-1, 168 yards..

RECEIVING: Hershey, Walizer 7-73; Kettl 3-22; Boyer 3-17; Wallace 1-26; Elmore 1-13 . Mechanicsburg, Drake 5-81; Chubb 1-33; Matt Morell 1-23; Misiti 1-23; Statler 1 - 8.

Hunt guides Red Land to win, playoff berth

Perhaps a full Mechanicsburg assembly could have extended Red Land's District 3-AAA playoff search by a week.

The youthful Wildcats had dented a few Mid-Penn Keystone Division defenses before, but a couple of magnified mistakes at critical junctures afforded just two victories in seven chances.

Learning on the fly can be difficult, and the host Patriots were more than willing to extend Mechanicsburg's on-field education last night at West Shore Stadium.

Thanks mainly to a compelling effort from quarterback Skyler Hunt, and a churning defensive front that owned the line of scrimmage, Red Land easily toppled the Wildcats 38-14 to lasso its first postseason berth in school history.

With Mechanicsburg's top rusher, Jason Misiti, hobbled and the Wildcats missing head coach Rich Lichtel, Hunt targeted 12 of 20 attempts for 150 yards and guided the Patriots to 28 second-half points.

It was redemption for Red Land's engineer, who struggled in last week's eight-point setback to division front-runner Susquehanna Twp.

"Our extra incentive came from that loss," Red Land coach Frank Gay said. "We qualified for the playoffs for the first time, and that's important. But we've got bigger aspirations than that. We're pleased, but we can't afford to be lethargic like we were in the first half."

Three of Red Land's five opening-half possessions started in Mechanicsburg territory, and the Patriots racked up 153 total yards to 89 for Mechanicsburg.

Still, Red Land (7-1, 4-1) managed a mere 10-0 edge at the break on a Matt Cox first-quarter plunge and a 31-yard field goal from Chad Christen just before the half.

Gay used the extended homecoming break to his advantage.

"I asked them, where was their passion?" Gay said. "We had a big gain in the second quarter and guys are walking down the field. But we settled in and got back to our assignments."

The adjustment was noticeable as Red Land took the opening second-half kickoff and moved 75 yards in 10 plays, highlighted by Hunt's 24-yard flea-flicker to Kyle Otstot to Mechanicsburg's 4. Brian Danner's blast right made it 17-0 with 7:41 left in the third.

Three minutes later, Cox lined up at fullback and parlayed a simple dive into Red Land's third touchdown.

"Our guys played tough and we're happy with their effort," said Jeff Costello, who called the Mechanicsburg offense and assumed head coaching duties for Lichtel (illness). "They certainly came out in the second half and slammed it down our throats."

The Wildcats (2-6, 1-4) finally broke through with 3:13 left in the third as Jake Zeigler's 46-yard streak to Greg Drake set up Misiti's 5-yard TD burst. Misiti (11-42), suffering an apparent leg injury on his sixth carry of the first quarter, rushed only twice in the second half.

Hunt would get two more scoring chances after Mechanicsburg fumbled on back-to-back possessions. The final one stuck.

Starting at the Wildcats 18, Hunt targeted Dan Klein, who collected a well-timed fade and stuck his left foot on the pylon with 9:47 to go. The reserves took care of the rest.

Linemen Aubrey Moore and Justin Weyant were just two defensive standouts that helped Red Land limit Mechanicsburg to 99 yards rushing on 25 attempts.

SCHOLASTIC NOTEBOOK

From start to finish, there is little doubt Red Land owned last night's 38-14 victory over Mechanicsburg at West Shore Stadium. The celebration, marking the school's first postseason invitation, should last a while, or at least until Friday's match with Keystone rival Gettysburg.

But Mechanicsburg certainly struggled offensively without well-liked skipper Rich Lichtel at the helm. Assistant coach Jeff Costello said Lichtel was desperate to make the game, but an illness prevented it.

Costello called the offense, while usual coordinator Chris Hakel called the shots on defense.

"Rich wanted to be here and when the team found out he couldn't make it, they really wanted to do well for him," Costello said.

ERIC F. EPLER: 255-8187 or eepler@patriot-news.com

Patriots rolling

By Brett Smith, October 21, 2006

Red Land may not have started its Keystone Division game against Mechanicsburg like a team that needed to win one game to secure a spot in the District 3-AAA playoffs.

But adjustments, a halftime speech, or maybe a tongue-lashing seemed to do the trick.

After the break, Red Land looked like a now 7-1, 4-1 team that was hungry to reach the postseason in its first year in its new division.

A 10-0 lead at halftime turned into a 38-14 score by the end when the Patriots' offense started finishing drives, something it didn't do for the most part in the first half.

“We came out a little flat tonight and didn't take advantage of some opportunities in the first half,” said Red Land head coach Frank Gay. “I think it's safe to say we were a little lackadaisical. I told our guys at halftime that we should be blowing this team out right now with the chances we had. Mechanicsburg is a team that can stay with you if you are making mistakes. We were able to come out in the second half and played hard and get the job done.”

“I can't say too much about that,” said Red Land's Matt Cox with a laugh about the halftime talk. “But we knew we needed to come out harder in the second half and we did. We were able to start moving the ball and finish drives. We were very motivated for this game. We knew if we could win this one, we qualified for playoffs. We've never been in district playoffs so this is big for us. But we need to keep moving forward. We've made the playoffs but we want to finish 9-1 to get the higher seed.”

It wasn't that Red Land looked like a completely different team offensively in the third and fourth quarters. The Patriots moved the ball in the first two quarters as well and scored on their second drive of the game with a 10-play drive that ended with a Cox run from one yard out.

On their second possession, they put together eight plays but stalled at Mechanicsburg's 48-yard line. That was followed by a six-play drive that resulted in a missed field goal. The chances were there.

A 31-yard field goal by Chad Christen with three seconds remaining in the first half made it a two-possession game.

Red Land came out rejuvenated to start the second half and did what it does best - pound the ball.

Brian Danner and Cox worked their way down the field with handoff after handoff. There was some trickery with a flea-flicker from Skyler Hunt to Kyle Otsot that put the Patriots in the red zone. From there, Danner scored on a two-yard run on the opening drive.

Before Mechanicsburg (2-6 overall, 1-4 Keystone) could recover, Cox found the end zone for the second time of the night, this time on a 14-yard run, making it 24-0.

The Wildcats didn't let that get them down, though.

Wildcats QB Jake Zeigler found Greg Drake twice through the air on the ensuing drive for a total of 74 yards, and Jason Misiti scored on a five-yard touchdown run to get Mechanicsburg's first points of the night.

Misiti finished with 46 rushing yards on eight carries. The senior opened the game with a 28-yard run, but never found his groove again after being injured early on.

Dan Klein got into the scoring action when he caught an 18-yard touchdown pass from Hunt in the fourth quarter. Klein finished the night with four catches for 39 yards.

Red Land scored its last touchdown when Junior Rodriguez broke open a 32-yard run with five minutes remaining in the game.

Sophomore quarterback Mike Poplaski came in for Mechanicsburg to get some time and looked impressive when he hit Matt Koveleski for a 23-yard touchdown in the final minutes.

“I wanted to come out and re-establish our defense tonight,” said Gay. “For the most part I think we did. There were a few exceptions when we were late on adjusting to some plays, but overall I thought we did well. Now we qualified for playoffs, but we're not happy with that. We have two big games left that we want to win.”

Red Land travels to Gettysburg next Friday while Mechanicsburg hosts Hershey.

PATRIOTS 38, WILDCATS 14

Mechanicsburg 0 0 7 7 -- 14

Red Land 7 3 14 14 -- 38

First Quarter

RL -- Matt Cox 1 run (Chad Christen kick), 4:27.

Second Quarter

RL -- Christen 31 field goal, :03.

Third Quarter

RL -- Brian Danner 2 run (Christen kick), 7:41.

RL -- Cox 14 run (Christen kick), 4:43

Mech -- Jason Misiti 5 run (Terry Hertzler kick), 3:13.

Fourth Quarter

RL -- Dan Klein 18 pass from Skyler Hunt (Christen kick), 9:47.

RL -- Junior Rodriguez 23 run (Christen kick), 1:54.

Mech -- Matt Koveleski 23 pass from Mike Poplaski (Hertzler kick), 1:54.

Team Statistics M RL

First downs 9 17

Rushes-yards 20-91 51-276

Passing 10-25-0 10-17-0

Passing yards 139 100

Punts-avg. 6-30 4-43

Penalties-yards 4-27 7-50

Fumbles-lost 3-3 1-1

Individual Statistics

RUSHING: Mechanicsburg, Jason Misiti 8-46; Tarik Leftenant 5-20; Jake Zeigler 5-14; Jason Statler 1-1; Jon Only 1-10. Red Land, Hunt 4-(-13); Cox 13-63; Danner 14-39; Kyle Boyer 3-15; Ryan Dill 2-49; Kyle Otsot 1-10; Mike Hackenberg 5-30; Junior Rodriguez 3-45; Scottie Acri 2-2; Ryan Sherry 1-10.

PASSING: Mechanicsburg, Zeigler 7-21-0, 99 yards; Mike Poplaski 3-4-0, 40 yards. Red Land, Hunt 10-17-0, 100 yards.

RECEIVING: Mechanicsburg, Statler 2-9; Leftenant 1-2; Ryan Gates 2-18; Greg Drake 3-75; Dan Mateja 1-12; Koveleski 1-23. Red Land, Klein 4-39; Otsot 3-42; Dill 2-9; Cox 1-10.

JV 'Cats Beat the Warriors 33-6

Evan Lewis threw for 203 yards and two TDs to lead the host Warriors (5-2, 3-1) to a Mid-Penn Keystone Division win over the Wildcats (2-5, 1-3). Storm Woerner, who had four catches for 68 yards, caught Lewis' first TD throw for 37 yards with nine seconds left in the first quarter. Zach Michael led the Warriors with six catches for 101 yards and a 42-yard reception with 8:05 left in the game. Gettysburg running back R.J. Vanbrakle rushed for 145 yards on 23 rushes and two touchdowns. The Warriors had a 13-0 edge before Mechanicsburg got on the scoreboard with 1:20 remaining in the first when Jake Zeigler connected on a 3-yard pass to Ryan Gates.

First Quarter
G - Storm Woerner 37 pass Evan Lewis, (Kick failed), 0:09
Second Quarter
G - R.J. Van Brakle 9 run, (Attempt failed), 6:08
M - Ryan Gates 27 pass from Jake Zeigler, (T.J. Hertzler kick), 1:20
G - Evan Lewis 23 field goal 0:00
Third Quarter
G - Justin Jones 16 run (Lewis kick), 7:49
G - Van Brakle 6 run (Lewis kick), 2:05
Fourth Quarter
M - Zeigler 3 run (Hertzler kick), 11:02
G - Zach Michael 42 pass from Lewis (Lewis kick), 8:06
M - Tarik Leftenant 71 run (Hertzler kick), 3:13  

Sipe, LD rebound from tough loss

For good reason, Colton Sipe was thrilled to renew Lower Dauphin's adopted team philosophy at Hersheypark Stadium.

Their "synergy" seemingly dissolved after a devastating loss to open the Mid-Penn Keystone slate, Sipe and his dedicated following used last night's second chance to erase any lasting effects. All at the expense of youthful Mechanicsburg.

Sipe fired a pair of touchdown passes and head coach Rob Klock's run-first offense chewed enough turf to control pace, leading the Falcons to a much-needed 24-14 triumph over the Wildcats.

Sipe's passing yardage totaled just 80, yet his 8-for-10 performance more than complemented 106 ground yards against a bone-bruising Wildcats defense. And Sipe's experience and tension level, aided by hard rusher Jordan Rosario, were vital.

"This was definitely a confidence restorer for [Sipe]," said Klock, who shuffled his personnel -- most notably wingback Kevin Gerhart -- after LD's 48-21 setback to Susquehanna Twp. last week.

"The idea was to put Kevin in different places to utilize his ability, and I wanted to get Jordan and [tailback Andrew Williams] some rushes. We were able to have some success because we played very physical."

The physical style helped Sipe engineer an 11-play drive on Lower Dauphin's first possession. Sipe delayed just long enough for Dalton Tonkin to release, and the 5-10, 180-pounder covered the final 11 yards, dragging two tacklers across the line.

Mechanicsburg answered, using nearly six minutes of the second quarter before Jason Statler broke through from the 4. Standout running back Jason Misiti, who barreled for 131 yards on 26 carries, accounted for 40 of Mechanicsburg's 66-yard response.

"We're young, and we make our share of mistakes. But our guys never gave up," Mechanicsburg skipper Rich Lichtel said. "It's kind of hard when LD is running the ball well."

Just before halftime, Jaratt Dill converted a short field goal to hand Lower Dauphin (3-2, 1-1) a 10-7 lead.

Midway through the third quarter, a Sipe-led offense and one ill-fated pass from opposing QB Jake Zeigler flat-lined the chances of the Wildcats (2-3, 1-1). Sipe, following a 30-yard kickoff return from Gerhart, steered the Falcons 56 yards in 11 plays. Rosario, posting 44 yards on 15 carries, covered the final 21 on five attempts.

Exactly one minute later, linebacker Nick Jennings intercepted Zeigler's pass to the flat and was finally brought down at Mechanicsburg's 12. Sipe wasted little time, targeting tight end Kyle Seaman all alone on Lower Dauphin's first play of the series. The Falcons led 24-7 with 4:27 left in the period.

"Anytime you can move the ball with the run, it's definitely a positive. It's makes you feel a lot better," Sipe said. "This week we tried to keep fixing the little things to make us better. It was a physical battle. You could see both teams really wanted to win."

Lichtel's crew fired one more bullet as Misiti capped a long drive with a 10-yard scamper with 12 ticks left in the third before the Wildcats stalled at Lower Dauphin's 13-yard line on their lone fourth-quarter possession.

Mechanicsburg's parting shot ended with Dillon Talley's pass breakup near the goal line.

ERIC F. EPLER: 255-8187 or eepler@patriot-news.com

FALCONS 24, WILDCATS 14

Mechanicsburg 0 7 7 0 - 14
Lower Dauphin 7 3 14 0 - 24

First Quarter
LD - Dalton Tonkin 11 pass from Colton Sipe (Jaratt Dill kick), 2:47

Second Quarter
M - Jason Statler 4 run (Ben Anderson kick), 3:27
LD - Dill 20 FG, 1:08

Third Quarter
LD - Jordan Rosario 1 run (Dill kick), 5:32
LD - Kyle Seaman 12 pass from Sipe (Dill kick), 4:27
M - Jason Misiti 9 run (Anderson kick), 0:12

Team Statistics M LD
First downs 15 10
Rushes-yards 38-167 30-105
Passing 7-14-1 8-10-0
Passing yards 81 80
Punts-avg. 2-34 1-59
Penalties-yards 9-70 7-66
Fumbles-lost 0-0 1-1

Individual Statistics
RUSHING: Mechanicsburg, Jason Misiti 26-135; Jake Zeigler 5-22; Jason Statler 4-6; Tarik Leftenant 3-4. Lower Dauphin, Jordan Rosario 14-42; Andrew Williams 5-26; Kevin Gerhart 5-11; Colton Sipe 2-12; Dalton Tonkin 2-3; Ray Nicaise 1-10; Josh Borreli 1-1.

PASSING: Mechanicsburg, Jake Zeigler 7-14-1, 81 yards. Lower Dauphin, Colton Sipe 8-10-0, 80 yards.

RECEIVING: Mechanicsburg, Jason Misiti 4-35; Ben Anderson 2-37; Greg Drake 1-9. Lower Dauphin, Kevin Gerhart 4-42; Kyle Seaman 1-12; Dalton Tonkin 1-11; Jeremy Hauck 1-10; Mike Rissmiller 1-5.

MECHANICSBURG 27, MIDDLETOWN 0

Motivated Wildcats roll

Saturday, September 23, 2006

BY JAMES PHILLIPS

Of The Patriot-News

During warmups last night before their Mid-Penn Conference Keystone Division opener against visiting Middletown , members of the Mechanicsburg Wildcats had that look in their eyes. 

Inspired. Motivated. Ready to roll. 

Mechanicsburg coach Rich Lichtel had surgery to mend his fractured spine Tuesday.

He showed up for practice Thursday. 

Last night at John H. Frederick Field at Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Park Stadium, Lichtel was on the sidelines, walking a little and sitting a lot. And you better believe his Wildcats appreciated every moment. 

Led by senior tailback Jason Misiti, the offensive line and a swarming defense, Mechanicsburg routed Middletown 27-0.

Misiti shook, rattled and rolled through the Blue Raiders to the tune of 166 yards and three touchdowns on 17 attempts to carry the offense. The Wildcats amassed 244 yards on the ground and 308 total. 

"Coach Lichtel is the heart and soul of our team," Misiti said. "He told us not to try and win the game for him, but everybody in that locker room knew that we had to win it for him. 

"For him to come back so soon after surgery for us ... everybody loves Coach Lichtel, and we dedicated this game to him. He really motivated us, and we went out and played a complete game." 

The O-line and fullback Jason Statler blew open gaping holes for Misiti as they gashed Middletown time and again. The Wildcats (2-2, 1-0) also forced five turnovers -- three fumble recoveries and two interceptions -- as they hit everything that moved in blue and gold. 

Seniors Anthony Ledford and Zack Kumler and sophomore Ryan Mentzer caused havoc in the Middletown backfield and harassed quarterback Kyle Bennett the entire game. 

Lichtel hinted before kickoff that he might disappear during some part of the game because he was on medication for his back. He stayed for the entire game, however, and witnessed a dominating performance from his Wildcats.

"This group definitely has some fire," Lichtel said. 

"These kids are going to be good, but right now I'm going to be patient with them. The line blocked well in the running game, and the defense came out fired up." 

Misiti scored on runs of 1, 20 and 55 yards, the latter capping a 13-point third quarter when he spun out of a tackle and outsprinted the Middletown secondary to the end zone. The other Wildcats score came on a 17-yard pass from Jake Zeigler to Tyler Chubb on a well-conceived screen play. 

Middletown (1-3, 0-1) had three trips into the red zone but miscues ruined any chance of getting on the scoreboard.

"With so many sophomores playing [eight on defense and offense], there come some inconsistencies," Middletown coach Roy O'Neill said. "We couldn't handle Mechanicsburg up front, and we couldn't protect our quarterback [three sacks].

"We battled until the end and never quit. They care, and I like that about this team. They will get better." 

Middletown did intercept Zeigler three times, but the Wildcats clamped down on defense to thwart any threat. 

"It was a total team effort," Misiti said. 

For Coach Lichtel. 

Mechanicsburg posts shutout

By Sam Butler, September 23, 2006

Thanks to an unrelenting defensive effort and the running of Jason Misiti, Mechanicsburg earned a 27-0 win over Mid-Penn Keystone Division opponent Middletown Friday at Frederick Field.

Misiti finished with 16 carries for 170 yards and three touchdowns.

The Wildcat defense made quite a statement against the mistake-prone Blue Raiders. Mechanicsburg swarmed the ball on every play and caused five turnovers, three fumbles and two interceptions. It also held Middletown to only 85 rushing yards on 23 carries.

“In every gave we've played our defense has shown up,” said Wildcats head coach Rich Lichtel. “I think defensively we usually play as a team. I think Mike Hellam (inside linebacker) stood out every week, and AJ Ledford at defensive end. I think we played well, I think we've jelled well as a defense. (Matt) Herwick, he's another guy I think stood out.”

However, the defense was a little prone to screen passes from Middletown quarterback Kyle Bennett (12-23-2 for 132 yards) to his wide receivers and running backs

“We noticed early we were successful on the screen plays,” said Blue Raiders head coach Roy O'Neill. “We felt our athletes could do better on the outsides than we were running inside.”

That success was quickly negated as the Mechanicsburg defense pestered Bennett into trying to make plays from the pocket while it collapsed around him.

“We made some mistakes on offense,” said O'Neill. “But that comes with the fact that we're a very young team. We tried to make the plays but couldn't hold on to the ball or we missed the receiver.”

Lichtel attributed the success of his defense to the effort put in by his coaching staff.

“Our defense has been coming strong all year,” said Lichtel. “A lot of credit goes to Chris Hackel, Jeff Costello, Tony Ruvito and Ben Shea. Chris Hackel is a great coach, he's a football genius. I know that that sounds like I'm saying a lot, but he is. The guy truly knows football. He's put together a package that's simple enough for kids but kind of complex enough to attack what other people do.”

On the other side of the ball, Mechanicsburg got a strong offensive effort from its O-line.

“It feels great,” said Misiti of his team's performance. “It's a confidence-builder. it gives us the confidence to go into next week. If we can produce the same things we did this week, we can produce it next week and the week after that, we're going to have a good season.”

Misiti opened the scoring in the first quarter when he crashed through the line for the TD.

“We're going to be patient,” said Lichtel. “Misiti is a good player. Jason Misiti and Tarik Leftenant (eight carries for 18 yards), a lot of their success is due to Jason Statler, our fullback. But we're not the wide-open spread team we've been, we can be. We have a young team.”

Misiti's second score came on a 20-yard scamper. He started inside, hit a hole, broke outside behind a block and broke the other way, ending with a Barry Sanders-esque spin move.

But capping off the night was the icing on the cake, a 55 yard run to end the scoring.

“That was my favorite play,” said Misiti. “I was supposed to take it outside, but that wasn't there. I saw a hole and hit it. Just as I was getting to the outside someone grabbed me and I broke that tackle and it was a race from there.”

Two Blue Raiders took nice lines to cut Misiti off before he reached the goal line but he barreled over them, capping off a good night with a smart, speedy, and powerful run. But Misiti realizes his accomplishments Friday would have nothing without the offensive line.

“Our O-line was the key,” said Misiti. “We worked on it in practice. Our key was to block them because the Northern game didn't go the way we wanted to. The O-line blocked great in practice. Statler, the fullback, he blocked excellent and that was the key to (Friday's) victory.”  

“Our line, I think, is getting better,” said Lichtel. “I think we're going to concentrate on being basic. It showed we were patient, and Misiti got in a groove and so did Statler. Our offensive line - Matt Fitzpatrick, Zack Kumler, Zack Fahnestock, Bobby Sheaffer, Andrew Shapro, Dan Estricher, Jones and Chubb - our tight ends, all of them factored in and I thought did a good job.”

The fourth Wildcat touchdown came when quarterback Jake Zeigler (6-10-2 96 yards) found an open Tyler Chubb (three catches. 53 yards) on a 17-yard play.

WILDCATS 27, BLUE RAIDERS 0

Middletown 0 0 0 0 - 0
Mechanicsburg 7 7 13 0 - 27

First Quarter
M - Jason Misiti 1 run (Ben Anderson kick), 5:25

Second Quarter
M - Tyler Chubb 17 pass from Jake Zeigler ( Anderson kick), 3:49

Third Quarter

M - Misiti 20 run (kick failed), 3:58
M - Misiti 55 run ( Anderson kick), :47

Team Statistics Mid Mech
First downs 10 15
Rushes-yards 23-85 37-210
Passing 12-23-2 6-10-2
Passing yards 132 96
Punts-avg 3-22.6 3-34.6
Penalties-yards 4-20 4-27
Fumbles-lost 4-3 1-0

Individual Statistics

RUSHING: Middletown , Chuckie Moyer 10-51; Kyle Bennett 6-21; Kyle Anthony 6-13; Nate Long 1-0. Mechanicsburg, Misiti 16-170; Jason Statler 10-37; Tarik Leftenant 8-18; Zeigler 3-15.

PASSING: Middletown , Bennett 12-23-2, 132 yards. Mechanicsburg, Zeigler 6-10-2, 96 yards.

RECEIVING: Middletown , Anthony 5-44; Synjin Baumbach 1-24; Marcus Hiles 1-21; James Lyles 2-19; Zack Smith 1-15; Moyer 2-9. Mechanicsburg, Chubb 3-53; Ryan Gates 2-28; Ben Anderson 1-15

Mechanicsburg rallies

CARLISLE - That young talent Mechanicsburg has in its stable is legitimate.

But it was an old war horse who remembers what it felt like to get smacked around last season that did the most damage to Carlisle last night at Ken Millen Stadium.

Wildcats senior running back Jason Misiti did a little bit of everything to propel Mechanicsburg past the Thundering Herd 28-14 in a what has to be considered at least a mild upset.

"We just wanted to win. That's it," said Misiti, who accounted for 230 all-purpose yards and scored a pair of touchdowns. "Last year at halftime, we were usually down something like four scores. This time it was only one. We knew we could score and come back.

"Being down only one touchdown at halftime was important."

Mechanicsburg owned the second half, scoring all 21 points to rally from a 14-7 halftime deficit.

And it started with the first series when Wildcats linebacker Mike Hellam stopped Thundering Herd quarterback Justin Malenich a yard short of a first down near midfield.

Carlisle coach Brett Ickes actually considered going for it on fourth down, but resisted the urge to gamble and punted the ball away.  Misiti returned the kick 58 yards, breaking several tackles and nearly going the distance before getting hauled down at the Carlisle 19.  Three plays later, sophomore quarterback Jake Zeigler rolled out on a run-pass option, spotted the open field and zipped 14 yards for the tying touchdown.

"We knew what we had at practice," Mechanicsburg coach Rich Lichtel said. "There's a good blend of kids who got their [butt] kicked last year and came out this year determined. And there's a sophomore group who knows how to win."  Carlisle's second possession of the third quarter was another three-and-out. You could feel the tide really starting to turn at this point.

Mechanicsburg, which has defeated Carlisle just twice in the last nine years and was blown out in each of the previous three contests, started to believe it could win this game.

"It's all about winning the line of scrimmage. In the second half our defense was on the field way too long," first-year Herd coach Ickes said. "Our kids got tired up front defensively, then we don't make tackles. We missed way too many tackles."  Twice on their second possession of the third quarter, the Wildcats ripped off big runs to set up the eventual winning touchdown.

That's right, Mechanicsburg rolling up serious yards on the ground.

Misiti's 40-yard burst on a simple toss sweep left on a third-and-seven play caught the Carlisle defense off guard.  On the next snap, freshman running back Tarik Leftenant blitzed outside and raced 32 yards to the 1-yard line to set up Jason Statler's short TD plunge.

"That first series when we shut them down and forced them to punt, you could see right there they were getting a little tired," said Misiti, who capped off the night with a tackle-breaking, 36-yard run midway through the final quarter to ice it.

"We dug down deep and capitalized."

September 5, 2006

Wildcats down Herd 28-14

By Jeffrey Kauffman, September 5, 2006

Mechanicsburg running back Jason Misiti breaks free for a 41-yard scoring run against Carlisle Monday night at Carlisle High School. (Curt Werner/Special to The Sentinel)

Mechanicsburg began the post Zach Frazer era with style Monday night thanks to a strong all-around effort from its new quarterback.

Sophomore quarterback Jake Ziegler, stepping in for the graduated Frazer, now a freshman at Notre Dame, sparked the Wildcats to a 28-14 win at Carlisle in a makeup game Monday night, the team's first win over the Thundering Herd since 1995.

Ziegler ran for a touchdown in his initial start at quarterback, intercepted a pass on defense, and made enough plays in critical situations in the second half to keep the weary Herd defense on the field. He completed a pass to Ben Anderson on a third-and-15 for 36 yards to keep a drive going in the second half.

“We just wanted to win,” said Mechanicsburg running back Jason Misiti, who ran for 90 yards and two scores. “It is us against the world because we are tired of always being doubted and we wanted to prove that we can beat good teams. It starts with coaching and then Jake is new to the team and he's picking it up in practice and I believe in him and the team believes in him because he is the leader on offense.”

“Our line has come back from last year big and strong and faster,” Wildcats head coach Rich Lichtel said. “Jake is going to be a good quarterback and he did some nice things tonight. This team has something special. They have been focused on this game for a year, not because it is Carlisle, but because we always lose this game. This team is determined to win and they show it in practice.”

After a scoreless first quarter punctuated by penalties and the usual first-game jitters by both teams, the Wildcats capitalized on their first possession in the second quarter.

Freshman Tarik Leftenent fielded a punt and cut right and was knocked out of bounds by Richard Bullis at the 25-yard line. Misiti ran through a tackle and around end only to be tackled at the 5-yard line. Two plays later, Misiti blasted through the middle for the score. Ben Anderson added the point for the 7-0 lead.

Carlisle (0-1) responded on a Justin Malinich pass to a crossing Steve Hoadley for a 57-yard gain. Jonathan Jackson then grabbed a Malinich pass in the right flat and sailed into the end zone. Herd soccer player Ivo Bilanovic added the extra point.

The Herd defense held on the next possession, forcing the Wildcats to punt the ball away. But the yellow flags came flying on the punt. A roughing-the-punter call gave the Wildcats the ball back, but Jackson tipped away a pass headed to Misiti and Hoadley came down with it for the interception.

A long drive ensued and Carlisle used the run and pass to move down the field. A Malinich pass toward Hoadley was headed for a score, but Wildcat defender grabbed Hoadley to prevent him from scoring. Hoadley made a one-handed grab of a pass that sailed behind him before Kahili Bunce bulled his way into the end zone from the 1 for the score. Bilanovic added the kick for a 14-7 lead.

The Wildcats' moved from their own 28 to the Herd 35 on the final possession of the half. Misiti caught a flare pass for 19 yards. A pass interference penalty added another 15.

Hoadley then picked off a long pass, but he was ruled to have come down on the sideline. Demetrious Thomas also picked one off but was ruled to be out of bounds as well.

The Herd had to punt on their first possession of the second half and Misiti split the first wave of defense and Bilanovic had to slow him down enough for the Herd defense to tackle him. Ziegler raced in from the 14 on a first-and-goal play. Anderson tied the game at 14 with his extra point.

On Mechanicsburg's next possession, Misiti raced around end for 41 yards and only a tackle by Matt Neumann saved a touchdown. Leftenent bulled through the tackles for 33 yards to the 1 where Jason Statler bulled in for the 7-point advantage.

Ziegler hit the crucial third down play for 36 yards to Anderson. Misiti took the hand-off on the ensuing play and broke through several tackles and raced 41 yards to paydirt. Anderson added the point for the final score.

The key factors in the game involved execution, special teams and desire. Mechanicsburg had more of all three factors. Misiti and Leftenent had yards after the initial hit on every carry. They ran through tackles and both added key yards on punt returns to set up field position and just generally appeared to want the game more than the Herd.

“The return yards were big because they set up the offense,” Misiti said. “The key was the first possession of the second half where we held them and made them punt and the return set us up. The line did a great job blocking and you can't run without a good line and we have a good line.”

Carlisle had five possessions in the second half and went four or less plays on four of the possessions, with the other drive going six plays.

“You talk about winning and losing and they started to own the line of scrimmage,” Herd head coach Brett Ickes said. “Our defense was on the field way too much in the second half. Misiti's punt return yards were crucial and we work on special teams a lot in practice. Special teams are a double-edged sword because you try to get your starters off the field and the young guys don't come through and you have to put your starters back out there and they get tired.

“Tonight, our special teams were terrible, but we did make some extra points to look at the bright side. That is high school football, you run the ball and keep your defense off the field, but our defense couldn't get off the field in the second half.”

Carlisle travels to Central Dauphin East for a Saturday night contest. Mechanicsburg hosts Spring Grove Friday night.

FRISCO'S PICKS

Patriot News Preview

MECHANICSBURG

Team Name: Wildcats

Power Rating: 33

LAST YEAR: 2-8, 0-6 in Keystone Division.

RETURNING STARTERS: 7 on offense, 7 on defense.

NOTEWORTHY: Rich Lichtel's club went 2-8 last season for only the second time in his 26 years.

ANDREW P. SHAY SAYS: Coming off a season where somewhat lofty expectations spiraled into a nightmare year for the Wildcats. Enough starters back to qualify as experienced, but will run with some young guns on occasion. Ground game will be the priority to start.

QUARTERBACKS: Notre Dame recruit Zach Fraser is busy learning the Irish playbook, so whoever wins the job will be a newbie as a starter. Mike Hellam (5-10, 210 jr) and Jake Ziegler (5-9, 150 so) are battling for the No. 1 spot. The winner won't be asked to win games early.

Rating: 2

RUNNING BACKS: Running the ball was an afterthought the last two years for the pass-happy Wildcats; they had only 279 yards a year ago. But with Jason Misiti (5-10, 195 sr) and Jason Statler (5-10, 210 jr) in the stable, ground yards are priority No. 1. Bread and butter.

Rating: 5

RECEIVERS: We won't tell you how many dropped passes this group had a year ago. It was a lot. Greg Drake (5-9, 160 sr) is the only starter back. He had 18 grabs in '05. Ben Anderson (5-10, 160 so) will play. Tyler Chubb (6-0, 185 sr) is the tight end. Deep group.

Rating: 3

OFFENSIVE LINE: This is where the hammer falls. Three returning starters from a line that was not-so-good a year ago. This bunch must carry the torch and improve. Zack Fahnestock (5-11, 200 sr), Andrew Shapro (6-0, 250 sr) and Zack Kumler (6-0, 250 sr) all started.

Rating: 4

DEFENSIVE LINE: Wildcats allowed nearly 225 yards a game on the ground. With three starters back up front, that number should go down. Statler moves from LB to NG. Chubb and Fahnestock return at defensive end. Dan Estricher (5-11, 220 jr) will also play

Rating: 2

LINEBACKERS: Hellam -- yes, the guy fighting for the quarterback job -- was a starting middle backer a year ago. He's the only starter back. Raheem West (5-10, 185 jr) saw some action. And Anderson will definitely play. Has to become the strength.

Rating: 3

SECONDARY: Misiti, who battled injury woes a year ago, led the secondary from his free safety spot. Drake also played a ton of minutes as well. Matt Hertweck (6-0, 170 sr) also saw time. Decent group, so should be solid again this season.

Rating: 4

SPECIAL TEAMS: When you convert only two extra points in a season, it doesn't matter who kicks. And the Wildcats are hunting for a kicker. Chubb will handle the punting duties. Just a little hint ... remember the name Tarik Leftenant (5-8, 165 fr).

Rating: 2

DEPTH: Anybody who follows prep pigskin knows how good the Wildcats' freshman team was a year ago. As they should, several of them will find their way onto the field in small doses. But the jump to varsity is bigger than one might think.

Rating: 2

COACHING: No more retirement talk from quarter-century veteran Rich Lichtel during his entertaining chats on the front porch in the evening. Lost a key assistant to Susquenita, but owns 43 more wins than losses during his tenure.

Rating: 6

Mechanicsburg Wildcats: At a glance

The Sentinel Preview

Classification —- AAA

Division —- Mid-Penn Keystone

Coach —- Rich Lichtel (26th year, 157-114-3)

Assistant coaches —- Chris Hackel (defensive coordinator/QB); Jeff Costello (OL/DL); Tony Rovito (secondary/WR); Ben Shay (RB/DE);

Last year —- 2-8 overall, 0-6 Keystone

Key players lost —- Zach Frazer, QB; Mike Scalese, OL/LB; Rick Schilling, OL/DL; Alex Alleman, DE; Josh Gaffey, WR.

Key players returning —- Jason Misiti, RB/WR/DB; Jason Statler, FB/NG; Matt Hertweck, WR/CB; Matt Champi, QB/DB; Mike Hellam LB; Greg Drake, WR/DB; Ryan Gates, WR; Zack Kumler OL/DL; Andrew Shapro, OL/DL; Zach Fahnestock, Center/DE; Tyler Chubb, DE/TE/WR/P.

Returning offensive starters (7) —- Misiti; Statler; Drake; Shapro; Fahnestock; Kumler; Gates.

Returning defensive starters (8) —- Drake; Hertweck; Statler; Chubb; Fahnestock; Kumler; Misiti.

Offensive alignment —- Multiple pro

Defensive alignment —- 50

Players to watch —- Jake Zeigler and Mike Hellam. Young quarterbacks with big shoes to fill.

Team strength —- Experience and youth

Team weakness —- Record 2-8

Predicted division finish —- Sixth.

Game to watch —- At Northern, Sept. 15. This game is becoming more of a rivalry matchup with each passing year. Expect nothing less this season.

Coach’s comments —- “We’ve have a lot of enthusiasm and team camaraderie I think that might be a strength.”

Ball carrier Tyler Chubb is tackled by teammate Zach Fahnestock. (Photos by Karissa Zimmer/The Sentinel)

Time for new QB in Mechanicsburg

Wildcats will have new look under center with the departure of Frazer.

By Alicia Johnson, Sentinel Reporter, 

It’s been two seasons since Mechanicsburg head coach Rich Lichtel had to think about filling the quarterback position. After all, the 26-year veteran had at his disposal one of the top quarterbacks in the state in Zach Frazer, who is now at Notre Dame. Things were a bit different this season when Lichtel had not one, but three quarterbacks to choose from.

Things were so close, Lichtel and his coaching staff didn’t decide until a week before their first game, against Carlisle, who would be heading up the offense.

“It’s a new season,” Lichtel says. “We have to establish a new tradition. That is what is great about football. Every year it’s a new chance.”

Lichtel hopes to get a spark from his young players, who were a part of the undefeated ninth grade team last season.

“They bring a winning spirit and that’s what you need,” he says.

1. Who won the starting QB job?

It came down to the wire, but sophomore Jake Zeigler is going to start the Wildcats’ opener against Carlisle. Backup quarterback Mike Hellam could see action against the Thundering Herd.

“(Zeigler) is going to be a good one,” Lichtel says. “Hellam is good too. We have two good quarterbacks that we can entrust to run the ship.

“Zeigler brings athleticism, he can run and throw.”

As if two quarterbacks weren’t enough, Lichtel has a 6-foot-3, 225-pound sophomore QB in Mike Poplaski who may also see some time on the field this season.

“Poppy has really improved,” Lichtel says. “He did well in both scrimmages, he’s learning.”

2. What keeps bringing you back?

Lichtel was supposed to retire two seasons ago when his Wildcats team upset No. 1 Gettysburg in the first round en route to the District 3-AAA championship. When he returned last year, many thought it was to just to see Frazer through his senior year. But with Frazer off to Notre Dame, Lichtel is back for another season.

Why?

“The health insurance,” jokes Lichtel. “To be honest I knew last year would be a struggle and it would be very difficult for a new coach coming in. As much as people might think that’s (crazy), that’s the truth. I didn’t want any new coach to have to go through that.”

3. What will the offense look like this season? Still going to throw?

Of course the politically correct football answer would be balance. Every coach wants balance, and Lichtel is no exception, but what makes him different is belief in sticking to a team’s strengths. Just what that is will take a while to figure out.

“We always work and strive to be able to run and throw the ball,” Lichtel says. “By the fifth game, we will find out what we our calling card is. By the fifth game we will kind of figure out what our strengths are and try to appeal to it.”

Just in case the Wildcats return to the passing game, they’ve got 10 players all fighting for those starting jobs.

4. Defense was a bit of a problem last season n has it been corrected? If not, what needs to happen?

The Wildcats gave up 223 rushing yards, 101 passing yards and 32 points a game. To remedy the problem, Lichtel handed the job over to quarterbacks coach and now defensive coordinator Chris Hackel.

“He simplified things,” Lichtel says. “Yet he came up with an aggressive defense. ... Our defense has done well in the first two scrimmages.”

Lichtel says that extra year of experience for all his players has helped improve the team’s defense.

5. What’s the biggest lesson you and your team learned last season?

The game of football is a tough teacher. Most lessons are learned the hard way, with lots of struggles and losses in between. If a team can make it through one of those gritty seasons, it’s often better at the end. With close to three decades of coaching on his resume, Lichtel still picks up a few lessons after a 2-8 season.

“The fact is that you can’t take anything for granted,” Lichtel says. “We came off a great year with great players but what happens the year before doesn’t mean what’s going to happen your year. You have to earn everything.

“Every year is a new year. Winning is not dependent upon the coach, winning is dependent upon the team closeness. You have years when you struggle and you have years when you have a bunch of kids determined to win.”

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