One team is on the move.

The other hopes to be.

Tonight, Lampeter-Strasburg and Hempfield kick off their respective 2010 grid campaigns in a nonleague game at Pioneer Field.

It's one of 20 games on the Lancaster-Lebanon League schedule this weekend as the high school football season gets underway. Coming off what can be called its most successful campaign ever — Lancaster Catholic and Manheim Central won district titles and went on to play for state championships — the L-L has the look of a league in transition.

L-S has jumped from Section Three to Section Two; Ephrata from Section Two to Section One.

Hempfield, hurt by a revolving door at the quarterback position last season en route to a 4-6 finish, hopes to move back into contention in Section One.

New regimes have taken over at McCaskey, Columbia and Northern Lebanon; new schemes are in place at several other programs.

A season of change in the L-L? No doubt. And L-S coach John Manion is aware of the challenges that lie ahead.

"The big task," he said, "may be keeping ourselves focused on the task at hand."

Black Knights boss Bob Forgrave agreed.

"We have kids with decent ability," he said. "But you never know until they get out under the lights how they're going to perform."

Game To Watch

Hempfield at L-S: It's been years since these two programs have butted helmets — "I know I've never coached against Hempfield," said Manion, now in his 13th season at L-S — and the newness of this potential rivalry adds intrigue to this opener.

The Pioneers are not strangers to Section One competition. They played Penn Manor in Week Two last year and scrimmaged Ephrata and Manheim Township this summer.

"We've always played up," Manion noted.

Indeed. They're so accustomed to doing so you might call it a known factor. It's the unknown that has Manion pondering what may lie ahead tonight on the floor of Pioneer Field.

"The challenge is we don't know what they've been holding back," he said of the Black Knights' scrimmages. "We had a couple of things we were holding back, so maybe they did, too."

One element of their game the Pioneers haven't held back is the talent of returning First-Team All-Star Christian DelRocini.

A year ago at this time, he was competing for the QB position. Moved to tight end, the 6-foot-2, 200-pound senior flourished, posting team-high numbers with 21 catches for 346 yards and scoring seven touchdowns.

This year, DelRocini will make another move, from defensive end to outside linebacker in the Pioneer's 3-3 Stack.

"We've had a lot of good players, but no one who could play as many positions," Manion said. "Chris can play the line and skill positions. He's our go-to guy on both sides of the ball."

DelRocini helps key a receiving corps that includes returning players in senior wideouts Ethan Martin and Jon Pugliese, junior QB Nate Shank, senior running back Andrew Stover and his backfield mate, junior Jordan Groff.

Manion also points to two-way tackle Dan Makauskas as a player who has been a standout in summer camp.

"He's really been impressive," Manion said of the 6-0, 255-pound senior. Makauskas is expected to help anchor front lines that, because they lack depth and varsity experience, will be seeking continuity as the season progresses.

Continuity is something the Black Knights seek as well. Their unsettled QB position of a year ago is something Forgrave looks to avoid repeating.

This year, the Knights will have two QBs — Andrew Dzurik, a 6-2, 195-pound junior, and Michael Murr, a 5-11, 165-pound sophomore — to run their Multiple Option offense.

Forgrave said Murr will start tonight, and that Dzurik will see playing time as well.

"I feel like we have two quarterbacks," Forgrave said. "We'll see them in game situations, see how they read, how they react."

Forgrave said the Knights only have "four or five" seniors, meaning the player evaluations that highlighted scrimmages with Governor Mifflin and Red Lion continue tonight.

Defensive end Neil Clarkin, linebacker Julian Alicea and safety Joe Santos, three of the aforementioned seniors, are among those being counted on to help contain the Pioneers' Wing-T attack.

"They'll run traps, counters, waggles, and if you're not disciplined," Forgrave said, "they'll break a long run against you."

Call it one more bit of intrigue to a game not lacking in the same.

egruver@lnpnews.com