For a large portion of Friday evening, the paucity of power at Pioneer Stadium wasn't limited to just the essential electrical systems.

Trying to get back on track after an week-one upset loss to Cocalico, Lampeter-Strasburg foundered through three quarters and was fortunate to be holding a slim 14-7 lead.

Then linebacker Justin Taylor electrified his team — and the home faithful — by returning an interception for a 51-yard touchdown, and Lampeter-Strasburg was off and running.

The Pioneers wound up scoring another defensive TD on a 26-yard interception return by Seth Rolko on their way to a 26-7 triumph, evening their record at 1-1.

L-S scored three times in the last 4:22 of the fourth quarter to put the game away.

"I just liked the way we bounced back in the fourth quarter," said L-S coach John Manion. "Compared to a week ago, the same kind of game and we faded in the fourth (quarter), at least we showed that we're able to play a full four quarters."

L-S took the opening kickoff and gained two yards on two plays — and, on successive snaps, netted five yards on a roughing-the-passer penalty and holding penalty — before quarterback Brett Graeff rolled left and found running back Ron Zimmerman in a seam.

Zimmerman pulled in the pass and finished a 57-yard touchdown play, giving L-S a 7-0 lead just 1:51 into the game.

The success was a mirage, however, as the Pioneers went on to net 109 yards — and no points — on six possessions (27 offensive plays) over the next 32 minutes of game time.

Meanwhile, just 3:32 into the game, the power at Pioneer Stadium failed for the second time in the evening.

A balky breaker was to blame both times as the first delay — fifteen minutes before kickoff — caused an 18-minute wait.

The second time presented a fitful, 15-minute delay as the power came back to the pressbox and scoreboard, but not the stadium lights.

As one light standard, the Northwest one, began to respond, the power went out momentarily before everything came back on line.

Except the L-S offense.

Meanwhile, Penn Manor was slowly winning the battle of field position.

Just after a 92-yard TD sprint by Taylor was nullified on a holding penalty, Penn Manor took advantage of a short L-S punt to score its only touchdown.

Behind a solid lead block over left guard from fullback Brandon Spangler, Comet quarterback Michael Treier went 20 yards to the L-S 10.

On the next play he broke a keeper around the left corner to tie the game.

Penn Manor had two chances to take the lead in the third quarter.

Taking the opening kickoff, Manor moved to the L-S 29 before runningback Carl Christmas got popped after a 2-yard gain.

The ball squirted into the air and L-S recovered at its 20.

"That's two weeks in a row," said Comets' coach Todd Mealy. "You can't win football games if you turn the ball over."

On the Comets next possession, Trier (10-82) was shaken up and left the game. He did not return.

Sophomore P.J. Ream came on and passed Penn Manor to the L-S 16.

From the 10, Christmas scored on a toss play. Except, Penn Manor was flagged for procedure and penalized for delay of game on consecutive plays.

Penalties were a recurring theme of the game: L-S was flagged 9 times for 79 yards, Manor 9 for 60.

Two incompletions would turn the Comets away, never to darken the red zone again.

As the third quarter turned, Graeff tossed a 25-yard pass that just eluded the interception attempt of Christmas. Zach Halpin pulled the ball in at the Comet 45 and raced to the 1.

Joe Good bulled over from there to give L-S a 13-7 lead with 10:01 left to play.

On Penn Manor's sixth snap after the score, wide receiver Marc Rintz fell down running a pattern over the middle near midfield.

Ream's pass came right to Taylor.

"I just went for it," he said. "I cut upfield, saw an open field, touchdown.

"That put our defense in a good spot and we went back and scored again. That gave us a real big lift."

"He made a bad decision," Mealy said, "a sophomore mistake. We had 2-against-3 on one side, 1-on-1 on the other, and he picked the wrong side."

Three plays after L-S's kickoff, Anthony Cintron, a defensive terror all evening for the Pioneers, leveled Ream as he tried to throw.

Rolko settled under the fluttering quail at the PM 26 and took it to the house.

When Taylor intercepted Ream once more — at the L-S 45, with 4:36 left — the game was over.

CONTACT US: dbyrne@LNPnews.com