Solanco Runs by Mounts

The rain stopped prior to kickoff, but on a chilly night in which the weather was more suitable for smash-mouth football — weather where the players in the trenches love to show their stuff — Solanco was able to grind out a 39-0 (boxscore) Section Two win over Ephrata at War Memorial Field.

The Mules, despite a valiant effort from the Mounts, who held them to just 12 first-half points, were able to tally 544 yards on the ground, with Lancaster-Lebanon League leading rusher Eric Hopkins leading the way with 29 rushes for 216 yards and two scores.

Defense also played a big role, especially later in the game, as Solanco's Matt Wise and Alex Hughes had big interceptions.

Turning point: Perhaps the biggest one, too. Following an injury to Brandon Walton — in which he was attended to on the field for at least 15 minutes, then carted off by EMS to an ambulance — the Mounts weren't quite the same in the third quarter.

"It took a little wind out of the sails," said Ephrata coach Kris Miller. "It's an awful thing when that happens and it puts things into perspective that there are things more important than football."

Stars of the game: The Solanco offensive line of Jake Robinson, Jarrett Girvin, Nick Gross, Alex Hindman and Joey Gote for their blocking, Hopkins with his 216 yards and Ephrata punter Alex Rummel, who boomed a 57-yard punt and also had a 49-yarder.

Notable: Following the addition of 14 athletes to their roster including basketball standout Dilyn Becker, the Mountaineers newly infused talent did a fair job in helping keep the Mules in check.

It was an improvement from the previous three games, when the Mounts gave up a combined 182 points.

• Prev
• Next