LANCASTER — The L-L League Quarterback Club has weighed in with its Week 2 Players of the Week picks.
And there’s a familiar name at the top of the list.
SECTION 1
BACK OF THE WEEK: Charles Bell, senior RB-LB, Penn Manor — Bell made the list for the second week in a row, after ripping stuff up in the Comets’ 28-14 win over Lampeter-Strasburg. Against the Pioneers, Bell carried 17 times for 133 yards, caught seven passes for 110 yards and scored three touchdowns for the second game in a row. On defense, he chipped in with eight tackles — one for a loss — as Penn Manor improved to 2-0. In two games, Bell has 23 rushes for 205 yards and four TD, plus 10 catches for 155 yards and a pair of TD grabs.
PODCAST: CHARLES BELL INTERVIEW
LINEMAN OF THE WEEK: Austin Maguire, junior OG-DT, Warwick — According to the folks at the L-L QB Club, Maguire had an “excellent game blocking on offense” and had a “solid performance on defense” in the Warriors’ 35-16 victory over Conestoga Valley. A look inside the numbers reveals Maguire, a sturdy 6-2, 230-pounder, was a key cog on an offensive line that helped Warwick gouge out 221 rushing yards and 322 total yards as the Warriors earned their first victory. Warwick’s D, with Maguire at tackle, forced two turnovers and held the Bucks to two TD.
SECTION 2
BACK OF THE WEEK: Mark Pyles, senior QB-LB, Lebanon — What a night for Pyles and the Cedars, who topped Northern Lebanon 40-39 in OT, snapping Lebanon’s 11-game losing streak. Pyles was awesome on both sides of the ball: On offense, he completed 17-of-27 passes for 207 yards and threw a school-record six TD passes — five to Nicholas Negron, including the score in OT. Pyles then hit Negron for the game-winning 2-point pass. On defense, Pyles racked up 18 total tackles, as the Cedars dented the W column for the first time since Week 10 in 2011.
LINEMAN OF THE WEEK: Chad Zunich, junior OG-DT, Manheim Central — According to the L-L QB Club folks, the 6-3, 310-pounder produced “dominating offensive blocking” and had a “strong performance on defense plugging holes” in the Barons’ 52-19 runaway over Hempfield. The numbers certainly back that up: On offense, Zunich and his o-line playmates helped Manheim Central pile up 333 rushing yards and 461 total yards against Hempfield, which jumped out to a 12-0 lead before the Barons rallied. On defense, Zunich and Co. held the Black Knights to 195 yards and forced three turnovers as Manheim Central improved to 2-0.
VIDEO: MANHEIM CENTRAL VS. HEMPFIELD HIGHLIGHTS
SECTION 3
BACK OF THE WEEK: Connor Ness, junior QB-DB, Donegal — How’s this for a debut: In his first action playing behind center for the Indians, the 6-1, 195-pounder clicked on 12-of-15 attempts for 238 yards and he threw TD passes, including the game-winner with time running out in Donegal’s 27-24 win over Fleetwood — the Indians’ first win this season. After hitting Jarrod Smith and Tommy Walker for scores, Ness connected with Connor Maxwell for the go-ahead score with 3 seconds to play to win it for Donegal.
LINEMAN OF THE WEEK: Richmond Owusua, senior d-tackle, Annville-Cleona — On a night marred by an in-game skirmish, the Little Dutchmen’s 6-0, 200-pounder had a dominating performance in A-C’s 25-22 setback against Hamburg. Owusua was in on 15 tackles, he broke up a pass and he registered a sack for Annville-Cleona, which slipped to 0-2.
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