Just as accurate as Friday's forecast calling for a downpour was Warwick's quarterback, Jon Resch.

The senior signal-caller made a little rain of his own, throwing for 297 yards and three touchdowns to lead the Warriors past Penn Manor, 38-19, Friday night in Millersville.

"If it's dry? I think we could have thrown a little better," Resch joked. "Our wideouts did a great job of getting open and getting into space and catching the ball. Our linemen did a nice job. I had three to four seconds to throw the ball."

Despite the win, Warwick (5-1 L-L League, 8-1 overall) received some bad news as Manheim Township (6-0, 8-1) beat Wilson, 26-7, to clinch a share of the Section One title. The Blue Streaks close the regular season next week against Penn Manor, while Warwick hosts McCaskey.

But having already locked up a District Three playoff berth, Warwick will just readjust its goals.

"Now we talk about changing our goals as we go," said Warriors coach Bob Locker. "Now one of our goals is to have a home district game. Warwick has never had a home district game, and I think that would be a phenomenal thing for these kids."

Friday night didn't begin as planned for Warwick, as the Comets (0-6, 1-8), behind the legs of Carl Christmas (35 carries, 158 yards) assembled a 12-play drive that stalled when Mike Treier (3-of-12 passing, 74 yards) was picked off by Caleb Hart at the Warrior 2-yard line.

Penn Manor rebounded on the next series when Christmas hit paydirt from 25 yards out to give the Comets an early 7-0 lead.

"We ask a lot of Carl," Comets coach Todd Mealy admitted. "He plays both ways and doesn't come off of the field. He's our workhorse."

"Penn Manor came out and smacked us in the mouth," Locker said. "I give them credit, they came out ready to play."

Warwick answered with a three-yard jaunt by Eric Resch (21-49 rushing) and a 23-yard touchdown pass from Jon Resch to Matt Fitzpatrick to take a 14-7 lead into the locker room.

Warwick made it 17-7 on a 28-yard field goal by Fitzpatrick before Penn Manor cut into the lead with a 15-yard run from Treier.

Sensing that the Comets had zeroed in on their running game, the Warriors decided to alter their game plan and let Jon Resch win the game with his arm.

Resch responded with back-to-back scoring strikes to Randy Yost (4 catches, 102 yards) of 51 and 30 yards to go up 31-13.

"Penn Manor, I believe, came in thinking they can shut down our run. Which they did," explained Jon Resch. "Being able to pass the ball when you need to and being able to have the time to pass the ball is good."

The Comets blew another chance to catch up with Warwick when Treier was intercepted at the Warrior 11-yard line by Fitzpatrick.

Treier made up for that when he blocked a Warrior punt and Zach Fisher fell on it on Warwick's 14. Christmas scored three plays later on a two-yard run up the middle.

Eric Resch finally put the game out of reach, cashing in a 27-yard scamper with 1:22 remaining.

Throwing to six different receivers led by Zach Snyder (5-124), Resch said he believes the Warriors' offense is firing on all cylinders as they prepare for the playoffs.

"All four of our starting wideouts had catches and two of our tight ends," he said. "Being able to have that many weapons on offense is just hard to stop."

E-mail: mblymier@lnpnews.com