Mounts overcome Donegal

Quarterback Caden Keefer and running back Richard Greer powered visiting Ephrata past Donegal, 27-20 [boxscore], on Friday night in Mount Joy.

The Ephrata duo led a game-winning, 17-play drive in the fourth quarter, spanning eight minutes of game clock and culminating in Greer’s 3-yard touchdown for a 21-20 lead with 3:01 to play.

On Donegal’s subsequent possession, Greer recovered a fumble to hinder the Indians’ comeback hopes.

Donegal took an early 14-0 lead courtesy of a pair of Dalton Mullhausen runs. Later, Zion Gibbs broke a 14-14 tie with a 61-yard touchdown early in the fourth quarter before Ephrata rallied.

Turning point: Trailing by eight with 2:42 remaining in the second quarter, the Mountaineers marched 54 yards on 12 plays, capped by Keefer’s 2-yard touchdown on the final play of the half.

The drive was set up by Brock Boyer’s fake-punt pass to Castor Shuman, with Keefer (9 for 18, 131 yards) completing passes to Boyer, Shuman and Greer before the score.

Star of the game:

Keefer rushed 33 times for 114 yards and two touchdowns. His first score, a 7-yard burst, narrowed the Mountaineer deficit to 14-6 with 5:01 left in the second quarter.

Key statistic: Ephratawas4for6onfourth down, converting twice on the drive before the half, once on the gamewinning drive and finally when Keefer hit Samuel Knowles for a 38-yard score to extend the final margin of victory to seven.

Quotable: “We knew that scoring before the half was going to be huge,” Keefer said. “Greer had a big catch and got down to the goal line. Our offense got set and we quick spiked it, and we knew we had one play to get in and we got it.”