Manheim Township's Dillon O'Dell finds running room in the Penn Manor defense during Friday night's game in Neffsville. O'Dell rushed for 89 of his 110 yards after halftime as the Blue Streaks leaned on a grind-it-out approach to seal their victory.
Township quarterback Brennan Scott looks for a receiver against Penn Manor.
Penn Manor players (left) Logan Kinser and Eli Marcelino try to run down Township's Chase Miller on the opening kickoff.
Penn Manor's Brandon Stone tries to ward off Township's Tyler Karpinski.
Penn Manor quarterback Austin Sahd tries to get off a throw while being pressured by Township's Simon Williams.
Manheim Township-Penn Manor was, in effect, an elimination bout to see who gets to challenge Section One heavyweight Wilson for the title.
And it was Township that won on all cards Friday night, 36-22, after landing repeated body blows in the second half.
Brennan Scott threw a 26-yard touchdown pass to Kyle Bushong with 7:48 left, snapping a 22-22 tie, but it was the Streaks' ground game that carried the day, and allowed them to stay in a tie atop the section with the Bulldogs, each at 4-0 in league play, and 6-1 overall. The two teams meet next Friday in Neffsville.
"They wore us out," Comets coach Todd Mealy said. "They just pounded."
Outplayed in the first half, the Streaks ran the ball on 24 of their 27 second-half snaps, and gained 141 of the 169 rushing yards they had in the game. They used the Razorback (i.e., Wildcat) formation at times, and there were other occasions when Marques Gant, a 275-pound senior guard, lined up in the backfield as a lead blocker.
But this was simply a matter of an offensive line imposing its will.
"We just wanted to pound it out," senior tackle Clayton Hoffmaster said. "We took out all the bells and whistles and just ran it. That's what we do best."
Dillon O'Dell rushed for 89 of his 110 yards after intermission, and Scott Sallade had 66 of his 73, including a pair of touchdowns — the last a 25-yarder with 1:58 left to ice it.
"It was a fun night — a really fun night," said Hoffmaster, who is normally joined up front by tackle Mark Sourber, center Mike Farley, Gant and the other guard, Gavin Johnson. Jordan Mayes also rotates in at guard when Gant is employed in the backfield, and the Streaks used a lot of two-tight end sets Friday.
"We simplified it (in the second half)," Township coach Mike Melnyk said. "We put the game in the hands of our offensive line, and they wore them down a little bit."
Penn Manor (2-2, 4-3) led just 12-10 at the half, but had outgained the Streaks 173-111, while limiting Township to 28 yards on 13 rushes.
The Comets made it 15-10 on a field goal by Brian Sloss early in the third quarter, only to see Sallade cap a seven-play, 71-yard drive with a 12-yard run, and Chase Miller return a punt 86 yards for a TD.
Scott, filling in for Andy Woolley at kicker, missed both extra points. It was later learned that he was using the wrong tee. The usual one had been misplaced.
At any rate, the lead stood at 22-15. Manor tied it when Adam Sahd connected with Dylan Weber on a 16-yard touchdown pass two plays into the fourth quarter, but here came the Streaks again.
O'Dell, who carried 15 times in all, began the ensuing 68-yard march with six straight runs, picking up 41 yards. And on third-and-nine at the Manor 26 Scott audibled and lofted a gorgeous back-shoulder fade to Bushong on the left sideline. He then tiptoed the last few yards past cornerback Brandon Stone, and into the end zone.
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