Lower Dauphin won't forget 2013, when the courageous Falcons shook off Cumberland Valley for the District 3-AAAA title. A lot has changed since that historic season ended in December, but the mission has not. Can the Falcons band together once again and give us a repeat performance? Below is Lower Dauphin's Countdown to kickoff preview.
School Name:Lower Dauphin Falcons
Coach: Rob Klock
Last Year: 13-2, 6-1 in Keystone
Last 5 years: 27-29
Returning Starters: 4 on offense, 5 on defense
Key Players: DE-TE Ben Ross; WR-S-P Adam Domovich; OL-DL Quentin Horting; OL-DL JR Borreli; OL-DL Omi Ramos; WR-DB Adam Zeiders; FB-LB Jake Brinser; RB-OLB David Hamaty; RB-OLB George Hatalowich; QB Tommy Klock.
Offense Overview: Let's be clear here. When the Falcons were landing all those haymakers a season ago, it was the defensive push that most remember. And even though Klock has said his team will do much more than pound the ball, that will be up to incoming QB Tommy Klock.
The best news for the relative greenhorn is the QB plays with discipline and toughness, two things Lower Dauphin absolutely needs from its leader. And if that leadership is a tad slow to materialize, you can always just run right behind proven blockers Horting, Ramos and Borreli. This trio has serious chops. We'll have to come up with a nickname for the two Adams outside: We're popping this last-name anagram, “Schmooze Divider.” OK, we'll work on it.
Defense Overview: Rubber meet road. The 12th-year skipper won't have an easy time restoring that 2013 unit that pinned back its ears – the Falcons allowed a meager 163 points in 15 games – and pocketed 30 sacks.
But combustable DE Ross and Brinser had their mitts on a few dozen of those rips, and the Falcons are expecting rising talents Jarrod Smith and Hatalowich to dig in hard. That's what departed seniors Trey Klock (Georgia Tech), Dalton Yentsch and Ryan Lilliock did so well during the District 3-AAAA title run.
This group won't be different in terms of scrambling to the football and wrapping up. Kyle Walker and Zeiders will be just fine on the corners, with the athletic Domovich, also a preseason all-state punter, perched in centerfield.
Biggest Game: October 17 vs. Hershey. When you can hit driver-wedge to your opponents' turf, we call that a rivalry.
More Lower Dauphin Falcons: 2014 schedule | 2014 roster
EPLER'S CRYSTAL BALL: It's difficult to project another deep run to the PIAA semifinals for Lower Dauphin. How could you after watching all that dynamic play and all those pulsating fourth-quarter minutes? It was such a fun ride.
Of course, the Falcons are hell bent on repeating and, make no mistake, this is another wide-open district in Class AAAA. To spice things up, the coach's son is now running the show and presents a little different look than outgoing seniors Troy Spencer and Jason Shellenberger. That means a heavier percentage of passes to compliment LD's power-gap scheme. Life without smash kicker Joe Julius will be interesting, too. It's subplots galore.
More: Complete Countdown to Kickoff coverage