Last year, Penn Manor ran over Solanco 34-7 to open the season en route to the first district playoff berth in program history.
This year, it was Solanco doing the running as the tandem of running back Mike Brooks and Ben Miller led the Mules to a 27-14 win at Biemesderfer Stadium Friday night.
Making things tough for Penn Manor were four lost fumbles on the night.
"We made mistakes," said new Comets' head coach Todd Mealy. "We're not good enough to turn the ball over four times. If we can eliminate those mistakes, we'll compete with any team we play."
On Manor's first play from scrimmage, junior running back Carl Christmas, a transfer from McCaskey, rushed for two yards before a hit jarred the ball loose, and Solanco's Dustin Collins covered it on the Penn Manor 25.
It took Solanco just three plays to capitalize when senior running back Patrick Nieto ran it in from a yard out to give the Mules an early 7-0 lead.
Comets' junior quarterback Mike Treier, one of just three returning offensive starters, helped Penn Manor respond. On the second play of the ensuing possession, Treier tucked the ball and ran 63 yards down the left sideline to make it 7-6.
On its first possession of the second quarter, Solanco pieced together a seven-play, 71-yard drive. Miller was a integral part of the drive, running twice for 12 yards and completing a pair of passes, including a short screen pass to Brooks, who took it 20 yards for a touchdown.
"Brooks is a phenomenal athlete," said Solanco head coach Joe Pearson. "He's 5-5, 135 soaking wet, but that kid is a football player. When you have a kid like that, you use him, and we have guys that complement him."
Brooks returned a kickoff 90 yards late in the first half, but a pair of blocks in the back, brought the return back. The penalties were two of several costly penalties for the Mules.
"It's a mental thing," Pearson said of the penalties. "That's something we're going to spend some time on."
Despite the penalties, the Solanco offense enjoyed success on Night One, sparked by the Brooks-Miller pairing.
Miller was the workhorse for the Mules, carrying the ball 17 times for 39 yards, while Brooks provided the flash, rushing just eight times for 72 yards. Brooks had rushes of 20 and 35 yards on a drive in the second quarter only to see the Comet defense step up with a big fourth-down stop at the 10.
"They (Solanco) have some athletes out there," Mealy said. "Where we're vulnerable is going against speed … that's just a hurdle we'll have to get over."
Treier was just as impressive for the Comets, gathering 151 yards of total offense, including a 73-yard touchdown pass to junior tight end Cody Booth in the second quarter.
"That's very accurate," Pearson said of the similarities between his team and last year's Penn Manor team. "That (district playoffs) is where we want to get."
And with Miller and Brooks leading the way, anything could happen.
E-mail: wwelliver@lnpnews.com