Mounts Revel in Strong Outing

MYERSTOWN – They are the unsung heroes of every football game. Their jerseys are the dirtiest.

And the men in the trenches wouldn’t have it any other way.

In a 28-7 nonleague football win over Elco on Friday night, it was those men — Frank Riggs, Deric Hoover, Cole Seiger, James Ellis, Marquis Greer and Cole Freeman — who played both ways, that were the difference makers for Ephrata (3-1).

Especially one — Hoover.

He watched Elco QB Cole Thomas go into the shotgun with just over two minutes left in the third quarter and promptly took the ball to the end zone on a pick-six.

“From what I could tell, it was a screen. I got through and read his eyes,” Hoover said. “That was probably the peak of my high school career. It was amazing. Respect for all linemen out there. Just keep doing what you do.”

It made it a 20-7 game, before Chad Jones’ PAT, and then a few minutes later, Andre Weidman (25-133) plowed through for a 20-yard score for the final points of the night.

“We talked all year that we have to finish this,” Ephrata coach Kris Miller said. This is one of those games we wanted to win badly. It’s a huge program win. It’s a huge win after what we did last week against Warwick and the number of kids we lost last week.”

After being pinned deep by a 53-yard punt, Elco did show resilience in the second quarter when the Raiders (1-2) went 87 yards on a drive that took up most of the second-quarter. Thomas found tight end Aidon Fritsch for his first touchdown of the year from 20 yards out with just under a minute until half.

But Anthony Stidham’s first score of the year, with 7:50 left in the third, took away momentum, before Hoover’s big play.

For the Raiders, Zach Williams was a workhorse, with 27 carries for 134 yards.

Player of the game

Fritsch put forth a tremendous effort for Elco on both sides of the ball with a touchdown and saving one on defense. Sam McCracken, in his first start, made two incredible throws for scores.

But this one goes hands down to the Mountaineers’ Hoover. His interception for a score, his scond of the year on defense, cemented the Mounts’ win.

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