Through the first three weeks of the football season, Ephrata scored a grand total of seven points.

 

Friday night at home in the Section Two opener against Lebanon, the Mounts more than made up for their lack of offensive success in the first three games.

 

Led by junior running back Blake Weaver, who rushed for 162 yards and three touchdowns on 16 carries, the Mounts' Veer attack rolled up 359 yards on the ground to get their first win of the season, 41-13 [box score].

 

Ephrata (1-0, 1-3) wasted little time after Jeremy Kachel returned the opening kickoff 59 yards to the Cedar 22. Then, on the first play from scrimmage, Weaver went around left end for the 22-yard score.

 

Koty Keefer (14-76 rushing) then finished off the first quarter with a two-yard plunge to make it 13-0.

 

The teams then traded scores as Lebanon QB Mark Pyles (16-31-1 passing, 182 yards) hooked up with Jeronimo Rodriguez on a 13-yard touchdown pass before Justin Mease ran 41 yards for Ephrata's third TD to make it 20-6 at the half.

 

The Mounts then put it in overdrive in the second half, as Weaver scored on runs of 35 and 49 yards while Keefer added a two-yard scoring run to make it 41-6 and invoke the Mercy Rule.

 

The Cedars (0-1, 0-4) added a late touchdown as Pyles hit Nick Negron on a 58-yard bomb with 7:32 to go.