In a rush, Warriors top Ephrata
- 19 September 2009
As the saying goes: three running backs are better than one -- er, something like that.Warwick's rushing attack made its statement loud and clear Friday night in Lititz when a trio of carriers combined for 269 yards in a 18-7 [boxscore] non-league win over Ephrata.
The Warriors out-gained the Mounts 261-5 in the first half, then survived a fourth-quarter comeback attempt as they secured a fourth straight George Male Trophy -- awarded annually to the winner of one of Lancaster County's oldest gridiron rivalries.
Speedy halfbacks Andrew Newsome and Jeremy Breland set the tone in the first half before fullback Chris Schaffer ground down the Mounts -- and the clock -- in the second.
"Most teams try to prepare for one back," Newsome said afterward, clutching the game ball, "but we have three types of backs: power, speed and all that."
Newsome finished with a game-high 114 yards on 12 totes, including a 40-yard sprint to the end zone that put Warwick (2-1) up 12-0 in the second quarter.
Seniors Breland (13 carries, 86 yards) and Schaffer (15 carries, 65 yards) did most of their work in between the tackles.
"You can never simulate everybody in practice. With teams of the caliber we've been playing, you try and give your guys the best look possible," Ephrata coach Jim Vieland said. "But, in practice, it's just impossible to simulate the size and the speed of (our opponents) on Friday night."
Ephrata (0-3) played its third straight L-L League opponent and came away with a similar outcome on Friday night, after season-opening losses to Manheim Township and Lancaster Catholic.
Breland gained 47 yards on the Warriors' opening drive -- a nine-play march that ended when Jordan Donmoyer flung a 14-yard touchdown pass to tight end Steve Niemkiewicz. The Warriors had run on the first eight plays before using play-action for the score.
Then, it was Newsome's turn. Converted to halfback just a few weeks ago according Warriors' coach Bob Locker, the junior gained 104 first-half yards on only eight carries. He juked a linebacker, then raced past a pair of defensive backs for his touchdown that put Warwick up 12-0 with 4:54 left in the half.
"Jeremy Breland, he powered them down for me, and after that I guess they were just too tired, and I just did my job," Newsome said.
Despite not moving the chains even once in the first half, Ephrata managed to stay in the game. The Mounts stopped Warwick twice, on downs, then recovered a fumble -- all three times in their own territory.
In the fourth quarter, they cut the deficit to 18-7 when Lance Kopp found George Murray in the end zone with 7:12 on the clock. Linebacker Stephen Hendrickson set the Mounts up on the Warwick 5-yard line when he picked off an ill-advised throw from Donmoyer. Two plays later, Kopp scrambled away from a pair of Warriors and found his halfback for the 3-yard touchdown.
Breland botched the ensuing kickoff when he slipped on his own 2-yard line. Newsome bailed him out with a 15-yard run for a first down that sealed the Mounts' fate and hushed a large contingent of fans that made the trek from Ephrata.
We here at www.ephratamounts.com are proud sponsors of the Dodgeball for Diabetes tournament.