How far has Penn Manor's football team progressed this season?

Before the Comets walked off the field Friday night, they made comments like this …

"We didn't win it the way we wanted to," running back Sean Noll said.

And this …

"We didn't play like a team that should be unbeaten," coach Todd Mealy added.

Penn Manor's 9-6 victory over Reading at Millersville's Chryst Field proved that the Comets could win even when they didn't play particularly well.

Considering they were 1-9 last season and on no one's radar as a contender, that's a giant leap forward for the program.

Penn Manor lost four fumbles and committed six penalties and still improved to 5-0 overall and 2-0 in Section One of the Lancaster-Lebanon League.

The Comets continued to carve out their niche as the league's biggest surprise.

"We played really sloppy," Noll said. "But I'll take 5-0 any day. I'll take a win any day."

Penn Manor dominated this game everywhere but on the scoreboard. It had 15 first downs compared to Reading's four and the Red Knights were held to 123 yards of total offense.

Noll was the difference maker. The 6-foot-1, 190-pound running back carried 21 times for 156 yards and scored Penn Manor's lone touchdown on a 4-yard run in the first quarter.

Turnovers kept Penn Manor from pulling away. The Comets' biggest gaffe was a fumble inside their own 5-yard line that set up Reading's only score.

Fruquan Gaston rushed for a 1-yard touchdown with 6:30 left in the third quarter. Reading missed the extra-point kick and trailed 7-6.

Reading had four more possessions with a chance to drive for the go-ahead touchdown or field goal, but managed 45 yards and only one first down.

Even when the score seemed precarious, Penn Manor's defense was in control.

"Defensively, we played solid," Mealy said. "We kept everything in front of us. We prevented big plays. To be a good defense, you can't give up big plays. They have some threats and we contained them."

Reading wasn't able to take advantage of its speed by getting players into open space. The Knights' longest drive was 18 yards.

"We're just a little short on the offensive side," said first-year Reading coach Preston McKnight, whose team fell to 1-4 overall and 0-2 in Section One.

"Right now we just don't seem to have kids to run the offense we want to run. As a team we struggle with that. We're not making good reads with the ball."

Penn Manor's impressive record, which includes wins over Solanco and Hempfield, has put its goals in sight far sooner than anyone could have expected.

"It's a complete turnaround," said Noll, who dedicated the win to teammate Tyler Musser — who was in the hospital and unable to attend Friday night's game.

"Districts were a far, far away dream. Now we're district playoff contenders. It's great."

So it wasn't a masterpiece for Penn Manor.

It was still a win.

E-mail: jguarente@lnpnews.com