Mounts Keep Right on Rolling

For the first time since 1995 the Ephrata Mountaineers are 4-0 in football.

Ephrata opened Lancaster- Lebanon League Section Three play with a convincing 55-29 victory over Solanco on Friday night in Quarryville.

The Mounts took advantage of three key mistakes by the Mules, scoring 17 points, broke a long kickoff turn for a touchdown and made a key defensive stand early in the second quarter that turned momentum their way.

With Ephrata leading 15-7 at the beginning of the second quarter the Golden Mules (0-1 L-L, 1-3 overall) drove to the Mounts’ 10, second-and 2.

Jeremiah Knowles stopped Gabe Forren for no gain on a toss play. Austin Jarabak threw incomplete to Landon Steele in the end zone and Brayden Brown stoned John Garcia for no gain on fourth down as the Mounts stood firm.

“It was mostly up front,” said Brown, tipping his helmet to the efforts of Mac-Gyver Balmer, Charlie Lydamore and Jackson Nolt, who made the middle virtually unpassable for the Mules.

“We were pretty confident in our offense, and we knew their offense was hard to stop,” Mounts coach Kris Miller said. “We just had to find a way to get a couple of stops.”

The Mounts’ Nick Keller made a fantastic catch, good for 55 yards, covered like a blanket by Austin Wenger and Kris Burgos, to flip the field before Evan Honberger kicked a 32-yard field goal to up the lead to 18-7.

The Mules burned 7:17 off the clock on an 18-play, 79yard march with Jarabak finding Burgos for an 11-yard touchdown with 25 seconds left in the half. Garcia (29 carries, 96 yards) ran in the 2-point PAT to draw the Mules to 18-15.

The elation lasted 12 seconds as Keller took the ensuing kickoff 75 yards to the house. Solanco took over at its 20 as Honberger’s kickoff went through the end zone. Jarabak lost the handle on the first down snap, Lydamore covered the ball and Honberger split the uprights to take a 28-15 lead at halftime.

“That’s a huge 10-point swing that we weren’t anticipating,” said Miller.

“We’re just very young, inexperienced,” Mules coach Tony Cox said. “I told them (at the half), ‘You guys gotta focus on the little things.’ ” The Mules took the first possession of the second half to their 34, but Forren fumbled in the backfield, Angel Collazo recovered at the 37, then took a jet sweep down the left sideline on the first play from scrimmage for a touchdown and 34-15 lead.

Following an 18-yard Solanco punt — the only punt of the game — Brayden Brown (9122, 2 TDs) burst 30 yards to the Mules’ 18. Five plays later quarterback Sam McCracken (7-50 rushing 2 TDs; 7-10, 107 yards passing) outraced the defense to the left pylon for a 41-15 lead at the end of three quarters.

McCracken got his second score of the night, a 1-yard plunge, with just under eight minutes to play, then the game got interesting.

Solanco put together an eight-play, 68-yard scoring drive with Garcia scoring from the 9. The Mounts botched a punt try, with Mc-Cracken tackled at the one for an 18-yard loss. Garcia took it in from the one with 4:20 to play, narrowing the deficit to 48-29. Collazo (4-107, 2 TDs) took another sweep 59 yards to close the scoring.

“They never gave up, and I told them I was proud of that,” Cox recalled. “They kept plugging away, and that’s what I want them to do. Keep plugging away and get the little wins.”

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