Streaks outlast Ephrata
- 02 September 2006
As he stood under the home-stand bleachers to avoid the lingering remnants of Tropical Storm Ernesto that circled overhead, two letters stood out to Manheim Township football coach Mike Melnyk Friday night.First, there was the C -- more accurately, the C-minus -- which he used to grade his team's opening-night performance.
Second, and way more important though, was the "W." The one that gets registered in the standings.
Despite rainy conditions that hindered senior quarterback Pat Bostick and the Blue Streaks' air attack, not to mention a gritty all-around performance from Ephrata, Township held on to secure a 13-10 (boxscore ) non-league victory over the Mountaineers in Neffsville.
Despite earning a first down at the Township 7-yard line with 57 seconds left in the game, Ephrata's chances officially unraveled two plays later when junior quarterback Blake Crowther had a short pass toward the right sideline picked off by Township senior linebacker Matt McDonald with 25 seconds left.
McDonald returned the interception 88 yards down the sideline for what appeared to be a touchdown, before an illegal block call negated the score and gave Township the ball at its own 15.
Regardless, 14.2 seconds and a knee by Bostick later, Township still had something to celebrate.
"We're not going to apologize to anyone for beating them by three," Melnyk said afterward. "I told my kids, 'I've been on the other side (in close games) with the "L" next to me a couple of times in the past, and I'd much rather be on this side.'
"We didn't play our best game, but we still won the football game."
Even if Melnyk's troops were out-gained 261-205 in total offense. And even if they did have a whopping 19:56 disadvantage in time of possession by game's end (33:28 for Ephrata, 13:32 for Township).
In fact, after Blue Streaks kicker David Soldner and Ephrata kicker Joel Yoder each hit 27-yard field goals in the first half that left the game tied 3-3 at the break, much of the Mounts' possession edge came in a pair of huge drives in the final two quarters.
After Soldner nailed a 26-yard field goal to put the Streaks ahead 6-3, 2:10 into the second half, Ephrata ate up 9:27 during an 18-play, 80-yard drive that culminated in Crowther's one-yard plunge -- giving the Mounts their first lead of the night, 10-6.
All but 10 yards of that drive came via Ephrata's option attack, which -- led by Crowther (game-best 126 yards on 29 carries) -- picked up 229 yards on 54 carries by game's end.
"It wasn't anything we haven't practiced (defensively)," Melnyk said. "(Ephrata) just executed better on offense than we did on defense."
Fortunately for Township, Bostick (9-for-17, 99 yards) and Co. did execute offensively when they touched the ball in the second half. The last of those series -- a seven-play, 59-yard drive early in the fourth quarter that ended with a 16-yard TD run by senior tailback Matt Minnick (team-best 12 rushes, 66 yards) -- put the Streaks in front for good, 13-10, with 8:46 remaining.
Thanks to 30 yards on eight carries by Crowther, Township's lead was still in jeopardy after Ephrata traveled 72 yards on 17 plays to second-and-goal at the Streaks' 6 with 30.7 seconds left. But Crowther's desperation pass under heavy pressure was pulled out of the air by McDonald one play later.
"We've had a lot of these close games the last couple of years," Ephrata coach Ken Grove said. "We need to start winning some of them."
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