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Mounts Pull Away from Spartans

26 September 2020
Written by Eric Stark – LNP

Something had to give.

If Garden Spot won Friday, it would break a 25-game losing streak. If Ephrata won, it would start afresh. After winning four games in a row to end last season, Ephrata lost a heartbreaker to Elco last week by a point.

One way or another, this week, someone would start a new streak.

The Spartans’ losing streak now stands at 26 games as the Mountaineers pulled away in the second half for a 21-10 Lancaster-Lebanon League Section Three victory Friday night at Ephrata War Memorial Field.

After a scoreless first quarter, the Spartans (0-2) got on the scoreboard first as quarterback Jesse Martin tucked the ball back on a keeper to dash up the middle for a 3-yard touchdown.

Ephrata (1-1) tied the game a 7-7 on a 25-yard fade pass from quarterback Joey Gunzenhauser to Brock Boyer in the right corner of the end zone.

The Mounts took the lead for good when Gunzenhauser lofted an 18-yard pass in the front corner of the end zone to Andre Weidman with 8:05 remaining in the third quarter.

Walker Martin’s 46-yard field goal cut Ephrata’s lead to 14-10, but Richard Greer sealed the win for the Mounts with 1-yard run, capping a 10-play drive. The final score was set up by a 47-yard kickoff return by Weidman.

Turning point: Ephrata’s punt midway through the third quarter bounced off a Spartan player and was recovered by the Mounts’ Elijah Knowles on the Garden Spot 32. Five plays later, the Mounts scored on Gunzenhauser’s pass to Weidman.

Star of the game: Brock Boyer had three catches for 89 yards and a touchdown and also intercepted a pass when the Spartans were driving with 1:22 left in the third quarter. The Spartans rushed the ball 36 times for 163 yards. The Mounts had 143 yards on 34 carries.

Key statistic: In his first start of the year, Gunzenhauser, filling at quarterback for the injured Miracle Wratto, completed 6 of 15 passes for 109 yards and two scores. He threw TD strikes of 25 and 18 yards, respectively, and also threw a laser down the right sideline to Boyer for 42 yards.