LebCo High School Football: Week Four Preview

This week ushers in Week Four of the High School Football season. In the Lancaster Lebanon League, this means it is the first week of Section play. LebCoSports.com contributor Robert Griffiths takes a look at the matchups Annville-Cleona, Cedar Crest, ELCO, and Northern Lebanon will be facing. We then take a look at the opponents that Lebanon and Palmyra will face on Friday evening.

Week 3 Results

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Written by Robert Griffiths, LebCoSports.com Contributor

Cedar Crest (2-1) @ Penn Manor (0-3)

The Falcons will face off with Penn Manor in a critical game at Millersville University on Thursday night. Given the fact that Cedar Crest rolled over their first two opponents, averaging 45 points per game, their loss last week to Warwick was somewhat of a surprise. Unlike the Falcon’s first two games, the Warwick defense was able to prevent the Falcons from crossing the goal line. Cedar Crest made the job easier for Warwick by virtue of turnovers and missed opportunities, areas they will work to improve upon in Week 4.

It is vital that the Falcons restore their potent running game featuring Isaiah Zimmerman, who has gained 405 yards with 8.8 yards per carry and 4 TDs. At the same time, it forced Penn Manor to defend sideline to sideline with the accurate passing of Jackson Custer to a group of extremely talented receivers. If the Falcons get back to the form exhibited in the first two games, it could be a long night for Penn Manor.

ELCO (1-2) @ Twin Valley (3-0)

The first half of ELCO’s season schedule is far from a cakewalk. Both of their losses have been to teams that are thus far undefeated; Conrad Weiser and West York are both 3-0. In this week’s contest, ELCO is facing another undefeated team while traveling to Twin Valley. The Raiders then overcthoame a 14-point deficit to defeat Lancaster Catholic, shifting their offense to a veer that the Crusaders could not stop in the 2nd half of the contest.

More so than most games, the outcome of this contest will come down to ELCO’s defense. ELCO will have the difficult job of trying to stop Twin Valley QB Evan Myers. Myers has put up some impressive numbers so far, including completing over 70% of his passes for 505 yards and 5 TDs while running for an additional 214 yards. ELCO will need to put pressure on Myers while still closing off his running lanes. If ELCO ends up chasing Myers downfield, they will probably end up chasing Twin Valley on the scoreboard.

Annville-Cleona (1-2) vs Hamburg (2-1)

Regardless of records, the Dutchmen are consistently competitive. This Friday’s game with Hamburg will feature the potent running attack of Annville-Cleona against the relatively untested defense of the Hawks. One of Hamburg’s two wins includes a forfeit last week when Fairfield was not able to suit up a sufficient number of healthy players.

Hamburg’s ability to execute their defensive game plan against the Dutchman will be the deciding factor in determining the winner of this game. The Hawks will need to contain Annville-Cleona’s strong running game anchored by Jonathon Shay with 391 yards gained and 8.69 yards per carry, along with Bryce Keller’s 244 yards gained and 9 TDs, and Devon Englehart with 166 yards and 6.38 yards per carry. With Keller suffering an injury in Week 3, there is optimism that he will be able to return this week.

Northern Lebanon (1-2) @ Wyomissing (2-1)

The Vikings face a difficult task in traveling to Wyomissing on Saturday afternoon. The task will begin with executing a more potent and consistent offense. Offensively, Northern Lebanon has struggled so far this season, averaging only 166 yards per game and sitting at the bottom of the L-L League 2-A offensive stats. They rebounded slightly last week and lost a tight game against Delone Catholic, but Wyomissing will present a brand new set of challenges for the Vikings.

The one factor that stands out regarding Wyomissing is their earlier victory over traditional powerhouse Southern Columbia. Southern Columbia is the reigning 2023 PIAA 2-A State Champion. Wyomissing’s victory over Southern Columbia is a wake-up call to the entire conference.

This section was written by Dan Rau

Palmyra (1-2) @ Shippensburg (3-0)

The Cougars enter their third game of Keystone Division play with a trip to Shippensburg on Friday night. The Greyhounds are undefeated following wins over Big Spring, Hershey, and Waynesboro. The most relevant game on that list is Hershey, a team that Shippensburg defeated 28-13 in Week 2. Palmyra played Hershey hard in Week 3, but the Trojans put forth a consistent effort that resulted in them building a 21-0 lead with touchdowns in each of the 1st three quarters. That said, don’t let the record be a determining factor here, as Palmyra’s aggressive play-calling almost paid off had it not been for some big defensive plays that were made by Hershey. Look for this to be another Keystone battle, with the Cougars having a good chance to bring home the W.

Muhlenberg (2-1) @ Lebanon (0-3)

Muhlenberg has shown improvement after struggling last year. They will make for another tough matchup for the Cedars, who have undoubtedly struggled in the 1st three games of the season. Things have been made worse after Lebanon backup quarterback Wyatt Parker suffered a season-ending injury against Conrad Weiser. That said, the measure for Lebanon’s rebuild should not be measured by wins & losses. Instead, the Cedars must focus on finding victories within the game, regardless of the outcome. This game offers another opportunity for them to grow.

This game was originally scheduled to be played at Muhlenberg, but moved on Thursday morning due to field issues. It will now be played at Alumni Stadium.

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