Eagles defeat Mounts

Cocalico handled its business in typical fashion Friday night, running the ball and of course, scoring points.

The Eagles ran for 10 scores and got a pair of touchdown returns to defeat Ephrata 84-7 [boxscore] on what was the Mounts’ Senior Night.

Noah Palm and Brandon Brubaker combined for five scores for Cocalico. Ronald Zahm added two touchdowns, including a secondquarter interception return.

Ephrata backup quarterback Daniel Mantsevich threw a 43-yard touchdown pass to Cody Mountz late in the fourth quarter.

Turning point: Four minutes after Owen Zimmerman’s 39-yard punt return made the score 21-0, Zimmerman took a handoff up the middle and fumbled.

The ball bounced up into his outstretched arms, however, and he finished off a 43-yard touchdown scamper for a 35-0 lead.

Star of the game: Eagles defensive lineman Ben Fromm was a thorn in Ephrata’s side from the outset with a tackle for loss and a pair of sacks while the game was still close.

Cocalico’s offense ably took advantage of the resulting good field position to put the game away quickly.

Key statistic: Cocalico rushed for 294 yards on just 17 carries in the first half. Fourteen different ballcarriers toted the rock for the Eagles during the game.

Quotable: “It was nice that these (young) kids got 24 minutes in the second half,” Cocalico head coach Dave Gingrich said. “They played well. I like the fact that the kids who normally are out on the field were there supporting them and coaching them. We have 43 guys and they are all important.”