LANCASTER — L-L League football camps open bright and early Monday morning.
What are the five biggest pressing questions heading into the season openers?
Here’s a section-by-section breakdown, starting with Section 1 …
1 — CAN WILSON DO IT YET AGAIN? The Bulldogs have won 36 Section 1 games in a row and the last five section championships in a row, giving Wilson 21 outright or shared Section 1 crowns. And the Bulldogs have had a winning season — get this — 37 years in a row. Yowza. For Wilson to continue that success, and to keep those streaks going, it must do it with just three returning starters: QB Matt Timochenko (who didn’t get the gig until late in the season in 2012), line thumper Madison Woodward and hit-machine LB Hunter Hatlee. Wilson has won with less-experienced talent returning. We’ll see if the new troops are ready right away; Bulldogs open with a road game at uber rival Governor Mifflin (which is completely loaded for bear) and then get a rematch of last year’s District 3 Class AAAA title game at Harrisburg in Week 2 before knocking heads with longtime rival Reading in Week 3. Then comes a dubious Section 1 slate, with heavyweights Lancaster Catholic in Week 7 and Penn Manor in Week 9 — both at home, on Wilson’s new turf surface in Gurski Stadium. I hate picking against Wilson. Honest, I really do. But methinks this is the season someone finally trips up the Bulldogs. Hey, it’s not like they’re never, ever going to lose another Section 1 football game between now and the end of time. On paper, this just happens to be the season that it looks like it’ll finally happen. Or will it? Time will tell.
WILSON COUNTDOWN TO CAMP PREVIEW
WILSON PRESEASON VIDEO INTERVIEWS
2 — CAN PENN MANOR BREAK THROUGH AND WIN SECTION GOLD? The Comets have been really, really close the last couple of seasons. Last year, in Millersville, Penn Manor had Wilson on the ropes, before the Bulldogs’ Dominic Nigrelli had a pick-six and Wilson hung on 14-7. Two years ago, Penn Manor was in the lead pack heading into Week 9, but dropped a 29-6 decision at Wilson and was denied again. Two weeks later, the Bulldogs decked the Comets 38-17 in West Lawn in a District 3 Class AAAA first-round playoff game. In 2010, Penn Manor hosted Wilson in Week 9 with just one section loss and dropped a 24-20 heartbreaker to the Bulldogs. So Penn Manor and Wilson are well aware of each other, and the Comets have plenty of motivation after some close calls here lately — especially last year, when Penn Manor was 8-0 going into the Wilson game. Really like the Comets’ physicality. Three thumpers instantly pop to mind: RB-LB Charles Bell, o-line stud Mitchell Sweigart and bruiser FB-LB Logan Kinser are all monsters. Keep an eye on junior QB Tanner Erisman. He got some mop-up duty behind dual-threat Adam Sahd last season. Coach Todd Mealy says Erisman could end up being the best pure pocket passer at Penn Manor since he took over. Interesting. Can’t say for sure if the Comets will be 8-0 again heading into their Week 9 trip to West Lawn. But after a couple of close calls, I can say for sure that they’ll be ultra ready for the Bulldogs this time around.
VIDEO: DOMINIC NIGRELLI INTERVIEW
3 — HOW WILL LANCASTER CATHOLIC FARE IN ITS FINAL SEASON IN SECTION 1? Two and done. There was a lot of fanfare when the Crusaders were bumped up to Section 1 for this two-year cycle. But Lancaster Catholic’s run ends this fall. New realignment numbers will put the Crusaders in Section 2 starting in 2014, so they’ll get one more crack at the Class AAAA heavyweights this fall. Lancaster Catholic more than held its own in its first Section 1/Class AAA excursion in 2012; the Crusaders won nine games, finished third in the section — behind Wilson and Penn Manor; Lancaster Catholic’s lone losses in league play — and went all the way to the district semifinals, falling to Bishop McDevitt. What can we expect for an encore? I say plenty. The Crusaders have some major beef in the trenches — stalwarts Ben Bauer, Thomas McIntyre and Keegan Sheedy will anchor that unit — have a couple of speed-demon backs — holdover Nassir Weaver and up-and-comer Randolph Speller can both scoot — and a sure-handed receiver in Charles Scarff. And McCaskey transfer C.J. Gantz appears to be settling in at QB quite nicely. A mighty tough Week 2 non-league match-up vs. Governor Mifflin should sharpen Lancaster Catholic for the Section 1 grind. Circle Week 5 vs. Penn Manor and Week 7 at Wilson. Those should be jim-dandies. If the Crusaders can steal one of those, they can win — or share — Section 1 honors. Wasn’t sure I could proclaim that after Lancaster Catholic lost L-L rushing champ Roman Clay and two-way terror Sean Titus to graduation. But there is a ton of talent on the Crusaders’ roster.
LANCASTER CATHOLIC COUNTDOWN TO CAMP PREVIEW
LANCASTER CATHOLIC PRESEASON VIDEO INTERVIEWS
VIDEO: RANDOLPH SPELLER INTERVIEW
VIDEO: ROMAN CLAY COMMITS TO KENT STATE
4 — WHO IS THE BEST OF THE REST? Everyone thought Hempfield was primed for a breakout season in 2012. The Black Knights knocked off Section 2 heavyweights Lampeter-Strasburg and Manheim Central right out of the chute for a rip-roaring 2-0 start and then … well, then the team suffered through some off-field issues and all heck broke loose. Hempfield lost its next six games in a row and ended up 1-6 in Section 1 and well out of the postseason picture. 1,000-yard back Joey Gamble is gone, but the Knights have some thumpers back in the middle — Joey Goodhart and Tanner Unger to name a few — to push some people around. … Manheim Township lost some firepower, including four-year starting QB Brennan Scott and his rocket arm and Big 33 wideout Tyler Karpinski. Year 2 of the Mark Evans Era in Neffsville is underway. Dude knows his stuff, and with a year under his belt with his new crew, thinking the Blue Streaks will continue to be right there. … Perhaps nobody lost more individual talent than McCaskey; the Red Tornado saw multi-sport talents Diante Cherry (Delaware) and Aaron Swinton (Big 33; William & Mary) sashay across the dais on graduation night in the spring. Those guys will be sorely missed. And QB Gantz transferred to Penn Manor. So there could be some growing pains in McCaskey camp. … Thinking Warwick might make some noise. Hearing good things about newbie QB Matt Pennypacker, and the Warriors annually have good interior lineman. … And will this be the season Cedar Crest sharpens its fangs and steps it up on defense? The Falcons certainly hope so. They’ve been in the basement far too long. Keep an eye on soph slot Evan Horn.
VIDEO: BRENNAN SCOTT INTERVIEW
VIDEO: TYLER KARPINSKI BIG 33 INTERVIEW
VIDEO: AARON SWINTON BIG 33 INTERVIEW
VIDEO: DIANTE CHERRY COMMITS TO DELAWARE
5 — WHO IS THE BEST ALL-AROUND PLAYER IN SECTION 1? We’ll give the nod to Penn Manor’s Charles Bell, the Comets’ rugged senior RB/LB. The Lancaster Catholic transfer has college scholarship offers from Delaware, Villanova, Towson, New Hampshire, Fordham and Robert Morris. Known more for his ball-hawking ‘backer skills coming into last season, Bell opened plenty of eyes with this bruising backfield prowess. If he got the touches, he could probably be a 1,000-yard back — while blowing people up on D. Expect plenty of big plays from the Comets’ two-way playmaker in the coming months. He’s a good one.