Ephrata's defense stops CV
- 18 September 2010
As he stood on the sidelines Friday night watching his offense squander away one golden opportunity after another in the second half, Ephrata coach Jim Vieland said he couldn't help but get that feeling.It's been said that you only get so many chances, and Vieland knew his guys were running out of them.
Fortunately for the Mountaineers, Ephrata's defense was holding one more golden opportunity -- to shine -- in the tank.
Ephrata's goal-line stand with just over two minutes left in the fourth quarter was the difference Friday night at War Memorial Field, where the Mounts held on for a 7-3 [boxscore] nonleague victory over Conestoga Valley in a defensive tug-of-war.
A week after stunning heavily-favored Cocalico, 21-20, Ephrata (2-1) -- perhaps to the surprise of some -- will take a winning record into next week's L-L League Section One opener against Manheim Township back at the War.
"Our defense stepped up big," Ephrata senior running back/defensive back Zach Sandoe said. "We did it when we had to do it. And I think we grew as a defense tonight."
Still trailing 7-3 with 8:28 left in the fourth quarter, CV (0-3) embarked on a massive, 12-play, 84-yard drive that gave it a first-and-goal at the Mounts' 3-yard line.
And suddenly, it was crunch time for Ephrata's defense.
After getting hit for a one-yard loss on first down, Buckskins senior tailback Kris Milburn carried three yards to the 1 one play later.
But after back-to-back dives over the middle by Milburn were stuffed by the Mounts' defensive front with just over two minutes remaining, Ephrata had escaped the threat.
CV eventually regained possession at its own 47-yard line with 29 seconds left, but after an 10-yard completion from Alex Dienner to Diaire Brison got the Bucks to the Ephrata 43, Dienner had a pair of Hail Mary passes fall incomplete to end it.
"It's heart-wrenching," CV coach Tom Nichols said afterward. "I thought our defense played great and I thought our offense played really well."
By game's end, the Bucks had 14 first downs to Ephrata's seven and a 208-159 advantage in total yards.
But after Mounts quarterback Jeremy Franck scored on a one-yard keeper to give Ephrata a 7-0 lead 1:45 into the second quarter, a 28-yard field goal from Robbie Cardina with 51 seconds left in the first half was all CV managed to put on the board.
Meanwhile, Ephrata had plenty of opportunities to blow it open in the second half.
After Cardina inadvertently downed his knee while fielding a low snap on a punt attempt early in the third quarter, Ephrata took over at the CV 23 only to go four-and-out.
One possession later, the Mounts had a second down at the CV 12. But after a Franck sack and incompletion, Tim Murray missed a 31-yard field goal attempt.
Taking over at the CV 44 on its first possession of the fourth quarter, Ephrata eventually got a first down at the Bucks 19, only to have that drive stall four plays later.
"We just didn't take advantage of our opportunities," Vieland said.
Good thing the defense did.
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