Lampeter-Strasburg dominated the line of scrimmage on both sides of the ball, opening up gaping holes on offense, and stifling host Ephrata's running game Friday night en route to a 31-6 [box score] victory.

 

"With so many upperclassmen at the skill positions, our seniors have been a calming influence up front," Lampeter-Strasburg head coach John Manion said.

 

Their domination began on the opening drive when Ryan Lawler rattled off 33 yards on two carries before he punched it in from two yards out.

 

"Burford finds cracks, and Lawler opens things up for us with his big plays," stated Manion.

 

L-S (2-0 Section Two, 3-2 overall) continued to chew up yards on the ground throughout the game, but the Ephrata defense did toughen up and make it much tougher after the first drive. In fact, the Pioneers' second touchdown drive needed two fourth-down conversions.

 

The first was a gift as Ephrata (1-1, 1-4) jumped offside on fourth and three. The second was the biggest play of the first half. On fourth and 20, quarterback Collin Shank raced to his right, and then threw back across the field to Ross Souders, who raced 36 yards down the sideline before being tracked down at the Ephrata 2. Shank plunged in to score two plays later.

 

Pioneer kicker Matt Wright continued his strong season, blasting a 21-yard field goal early in the second quarter to give L-S a 10-0 lead.

 

The Mounts began to battle back in the third quarter, sparked by a 32-yard pass on a fake punt from quarterback/punter Bobby Nye to Josh Gehman, setting up first and goal at the 8-yard line.

 

Nye raced around the end from four yards out for the touchdown.

 

L-S answered immediately, however, when Lawler barreled through the right side of the line, broke two tackles, and raced 47 yards to the end zone.

 

Things went from bad to worse for Ephrata in the fourth quarter. A muffed snap on a punt gave L-S first and goal from the 6. Lawler punched it in on the next play for a 31-6 lead.

 

A solid Mountaineer drive to open up the second half ended in disappointment when the Mounts muffed a snap on third down and then fumbled a handoff on fourth down at the L-S 19-yard line.