They've won four of the last five Lancaster-Lebanon League team titles and six straight Section One crowns.

As usual, they have one of the league's best players in senior JD Dornes, and solid back-ups in junior John Kitsock and freshman Ryan Dornes.

They have the league's best girls' player in junior Mary Beth Palic.

And to top it off, they possess a deeply-rooted tradition, which has created a depth that's enabled them to annually rebound from key graduation losses without incident.

In short, the last team in the L-L Golf League in need of a gift is Manheim Township.

But the Blue Streaks recently got one anyway — and a big one at that.

This past spring, Craig Hornberger's family contemplated buying a house in the Manheim Township School District.

The Hornbergers eventually did.

And the second that news became official, the Blue Streaks officially became the landslide favorite to win their second straight L-L team title and their fifth in the last six years.

Season-opening matches in Sections Two and Three are set for Thursday at Foxchase and the Lancaster Host, respectively, before Section One gets under way Friday at Crossgates.

"We look pretty good on paper," Manheim Township coach Skip Walters acknowledged, "but it's just on paper. You can't deny (the talent the Streaks have), but you can't take it for granted either."

Still, with Hornberger in the fold, it could be interesting for the Streaks.

After all, all the Conestoga Valley transplant did last fall was win the District Three individual title as a sophomore, after finishing fourth in Section One in scoring average and seventh at the L-L Championships. All of which led to him being named to the Lancaster Newspapers All-League team for the second straight year.

As a freshman, Hornberger finished third at the L-L Championships and tied for third at districts.

He warmed up for his junior season this summer when, after finishing second and first, respectively, in the two Lancaster Junior Golf Tour events in which he competed, Hornberger tied for 18th at the Pennsylvania Junior Championship.

"Potentially a lot of good things can happen," Walters said. "I'm not counting anything ahead of time, but the potential is definitely there, there's no question."

Especially considering what Township had in the cupboard before Hornberger arrived, starting with JD Dornes.

After finishing second in the L-L Championships a year ago and fifth at districts, Dornes went on to finish an L-L League-best tied for eighth at the PIAA Championships.

He also finished eighth at the Pennsylvania Junior Championships and notched two wins and a fourth in the three LCJGT events in which he competed this summer.

Township, as usual, will have plenty of depth to back its two top guns in Palic, who won the LCJGT's Elite Girls Division points race in a landslide this summer; Kitsock, who was second in the LCJGT's season-ending Senior Boys' Division points standings; senior Dan Butler; sophomore Andy Butler; and freshman Ryan Dornes.

The competition that depth creates for earning starting spots in matches from one week to the next, Walters said, could also be beneficial in curbing any potential complacency that might otherwise arise.

"I think Township is going to be dominant as far as the league is concerned," Lancaster Mennonite coach Deryl Denlinger said. "They absolutely have to fall on their face not to win (the league title)."

And perhaps, their seventh straight Section One crown.

Conestoga Valley's Marc Oliveri, Penn Manor's Mark Dano and Warwick's Walt Pelensky could all factor into the Section One scoring mix, but the question is whether they'll get the necessary backing from their teammates to make a run at Township.

Following is a brief look at the L-L's other two sections:

Section Two

Again, finding a clear-cut favorite here is like trying to find your golf ball in four-feet-high fescue.

But as Solanco coach Greg Minnich assessed, "Until somebody beats L-S, they're still the team to beat."

The Pioneers have won five straight section titles, but the gap began to close a bit last year, when L-S edged Ephrata by only three wins and Cocalico by seven.

Meanwhile, with Aaron Fricke — the reigning Lancaster County Junior Golf Tour champion, who finished third in the section scoring race last year — fronting Garden Spot, and Connor Sheehan (eighth in scoring last year) fronting Solanco, those teams could make a push.

Could be another battle to the finish here.

Section Three

Lancaster Mennonite might still have enough in seniors Chris Keener and Kyle Leaman, and juniors Tuck Ryan, John Sauder and Andre Groff, to capture its eighth straight section title.

But it won't be easy.

"I think this is going to be our toughest test of past years," Denlinger said. "I would have been surprised if we hadn't won (the section title) those last seven years. This year, I wouldn't be surprised."

Mostly because of Lancaster Catholic, which was only four wins behind the Blazers last year and has some players to back its dangerous one-two punch of Robby Rowe and Will Quinn.

Rowe, who finished sixth in the LCJGT's Senior Boys Division points race this summer and third in the Section Three scoring race a year ago (76.57 avg.), recently won the George Crudden Memorial Junior Tournament.

jfulginiti@lnpnews.com