Mounts blast Vikings

FREDERICKSBURG — After both teams suffered Week One blowout losses, Ephrata and Northern Lebanon were looking to answer some questions heading into Friday’s Lancaster- Lebanon League Section Three opener.

As it turned out, Ephrata seemed to have figured some things out while it was back to the drawing board for the Vikings.

Ephrata quarterback Caden Keefer passed for 168 yards and three scores while running back Richard Greer added three first-half touchdowns as the Mounts (1-0 Section Three, 1-1 overall) rolled to a convincing 57-18 [boxscore] victory over the Vikings.

“Even after last week, we still are a good football team,” Ephrata coach Kris Miller said. “We didn’t play our best football last week, but we were able to clean up some stuff. We still made some mistakes tonight but it’s early in the season and we’ll have to clean up those things as we get further along into section play. But overall, it was a pretty good night for us.”

Turning point: On the game’s first play from scrimmage, Ephrata’s Tucker Parmer intercepted Northern Lebanon QB Ethan Borcky in Viking territory. That pick led to the Mounts’ first touchdown, a 12-yard touchdown pass by Keefer to Greer, and helped them gain the early momentum and a stranglehold on the game.

Star of the game:

The Ephrata offense. The Mounts scored touchdowns on each of their first seven possessions to open up the big lead.

The Mounts were extremely balanced on that side of the ball, rushing for 258 yards and five scores while throwing for 171 yards and three more touchdowns.

Key statistic: Ephrata running back Miracle Wratto rushed for 95 yards and a touchdown, all in the second half. On the defensive side of the ball, Ephrata sacked Borcky five times and held the Vikings (0-1, 0-2) to just 26 yards on the ground until Chase Bressler broke off a 63-yard touchdown run on Northern Lebanon’s final offensive play. Borcky did have a nice night through the air, going 14 for 19 for 190 yards and two scores.

Quotable: “Even when we got behind the sticks we were able to make plays offensively tonight and find a way to not get frustrated in long situations,” Miller said. “Then we got that momentum and we were able to just keep going and going and going, and the defense kept giving the ball back to our offense. We really got on a roll, which was nice to see.”

Up next: After two straight road games, Ephrata heads home for the first time Friday night, when the Mounts host Annville-Cleona in a 7 p.m. start at War Memorial Field. The Vikings will take the long bus ride to Octorara for their first away game of the season, also beginning at 7 p.m.

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