Penn Manor is trying to rewrite its football history.

And two weeks into the season, the Comets are succeeding.

Penn Manor is 2-0 after blanking Lampeter-Strasburg 17-0 Friday night in Millersville.

"We've been teaching a lot of history of our football team," PM coach Todd Mealy explained. "We haven't went 2-0 since I think '97. We haven't won more than five games since 1986, and there's a lot that this program is trying to overcome."

After building some momentum early in the game, the Pioneers (0-2) saw things slip away thanks in part to special teams miscues.

L-S drove inside the Penn Manor 20 on its first possession, but gave the ball away on downs when the Comets' Aaron Frederick deflected a pass in the end zone.

Two Pioneer fumbles on punt returns — recovered by Penn Manor's Justin Diffenbaugh and Zach Fisher, respectively — kept a pair of Comet drives alive and led to a 39-yard field goal by Josh Bitner for a 3-0 first-quarter lead.

"I thought the field position could have been ours," L-S coach John Manion said. "Once we gave it to them, the momentum goes to them, and they're a good football team. They're going to execute when they get those chances."

Penn Manor made it 10-0 in the second quarter when Cody Booth used his 6-foot, 5-inch frame to his advantage, outleaping the Pioneers' Jon Carlson and Jon Pugliese in the end zone for a 21-yard TD catch.

Patrick Rehm, who entered the game when starting quarterback Mike Treier left with an injured ankle, hit Booth on the play.

Brandon Spangler's four-yard touchdown plunge in the fourth quarter gave the Comets all the point they would need.

The Penn Manor defense held L-S to 89 total yards. Fisher recorded a pair of sacks for the Comets, while Jake Rebman and Booth added one each.

"The obvious thing is that we have to work on pass protection," said Manion.

Joe Good was the lone bright spot for L-S, gaining 92 yards on 14 carries.

For Mealy and his staff, now in their second year in Millersville, the quick start to the season proves that the Comets' program is turning around — but it still needs some tweaks.

"Starting out 2-0, we're pleased. We're not satisfied," Mealy said. "We're playing well on defense; there's a lot we need to fix on offense. But, we're going to get better week-to-week.

"The kids have bought everything that this coaching staff is selling to them. And we're seeing the fruits or our labor."

E-mail: mblymier@lnpnews.com