Heisey helps E-town hold off Ephrata
- 25 October 2008
A butterfly bandage covered the gash on Conrad Heisey's chin. The injury was picked up at the end of his 30-yard, fourth-quarter kickoff return.It was symbolic, in a way, as Heisey gashed the Ephrata defense in a 28-21 [boxscore] win Friday night at Ephrata's War Memorial Stadium.
Sliding over to the fullback spot in place of Shane Rosenberry -- whose play was limited to defense -- Heisey picked up 110 yards and two touchdowns on 15 carries -- along with three returns for 59 yards -- and led the Bears (4-2 league, 6-3 overall) to a second-half comeback that kept their District Three playoff hopes alive.
Down 14-12 at halftime, E-town put together back-to-back scoring drives of 79 yards and 67 yards to take command.
Broc Rutherford pulled in a 3-yard pass from Kyle McNeil with 4:25 left in the third quarter to cap the first drive.
Heisey burst off right tackle for a 19-yard score on the first play of the fourth quarter, finishing the second drive.
With the Mountaineers (0-6, 0-9) playing way better than their record before an appreciative Homecoming crowd, E-town had its hands full.
"They played a really great game," said Heisey. "For the past couple years, Ephrata's always played us tough."
"We warned our kids about (Ephrata)" said Bears coach Jeff Polites, who allowed his team might have been a little flat after back-to-back losses to Cocalico and Manheim Central.
"These kids haven't lost two games in a row for three years," he said. "It was tough for us."
The Bears broke on top on Mitch Weidman's 13-yard run, capping a 6-play, 62-yard opening possession.
But Ephrata answered as quarterback Lance Kopp engineered a 13-play, 78-yard drive, mixing in runs by George Murray (23-117, 2 TDs) with passes to wideout Greg Forstater (9 catches, 138 yards).
Kopp (18-28-1, 186 yards) found Forstater on a 31-yard fade pattern to the left corner of the end zone and when Chris Fassnacht converted the PAT kick, the Mounts led.
The Bears went back ahead on Heisey's 13-yard run in the second quarter, but Steven Nunez dropped McNeil's PAT pass.
Getting the ball back with just over five minutes in the half , Kopp directed an 10-play, 73-yard march capped by Murray's 1-yard plunge over right guard with 33 seconds left.
The Mounts' fate might have been sealed on the opening possession of the second half when they drove to the E-town 21 -- largely on a 43-yard burst by Murray -- only to surrender the ball on downs.
E-town answered with its two TD drives -- with McNeil finding Rutherford and Nunez on PAT passes -- and the Mounts were down two scores.
That became one score when Murray finished off a 10-play, 78-yard drive with a 3-yard TD, with plenty of time -- 8:03 -- left.
But Kopp was intercepted at midfield and then, after E-town fumbled at the Ephrata 20 while driving for an insurance score, the Mounts moved to the Bears' 43 before Kopp's hurried fourth-and-3 pass fell short of fullback Brody Myers.
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