Conestoga’s running game too much for Penncrest to overcome

TREDYFFRN — Parke Schweiter knew that for his Conestoga Pioneers to hold on the slim lead and get the victory over a game Penncrest squad, the Pioneers would have to run the football and eat up the reamaing seven minutes of clock in the fourth period.

All Schweiter did was rush the ball 10 times in the 11-play drive, garnering 65 yards and breaking free for a 30-yard clinching touchdown, his third of the game as Conestoga remained undefeated and held off Penncrest, 40-28 in a key Central League matchup Friday night. Conestoga left just 1:42 on the clock after the grueling drive that featured all running plays.

“It was all my offensive line on that last drive,’ Scweiter said. “They just got physical and got me some holes to run through and I just did my job. they were great all night and i just tried to do my assignment. This was a total team win.’

Conestoga (3-0 Central League, 4-0 overall), looked like it was going to blow the Lions (1-2,1-3) out of Teamer Field as it outscored Penncrest 12-0 at halftime, going on two long drives, one of 14 plays, the other for 13 plays. Quarterback Tim Miller hit Martin Dorsey with a 15-yard touchdown pass and Schweiter ran another in from 3 yards out. At intermission the lions had just 25 yards of total offense while the Pioneers had 230 yards.

“This was a team win,’ Dorsey said. “They beat us pretty good last year so we wanted to come out and do a good job and we did that. offense, defense, special teams all did their job tonight.’

Dorsey had seven catches for 97 yardst, but in the second half, the Lions cooled off the splendid receiver and started to garner some offense of their own.

Down 20-0, after the Pioneers went on a scoring drive to start the second half that was capped by a electrifying 45-yard touchdown run by Corey Manning, Penncrest decided to fight back. And fight back the Lions did. Penncrest scored 28 points in the second half behind the running of Joe Quintilliano. the Lions sophomore scored two rushing touchdowns and had a splendid 75-yard run in the third period to set up his second score.

So, Penncrest had closed to within 34-28 after quarterback Dan Fisher hit Bobby McCafferty with a 30-yard touchdown pass and then ran in the two-point conversion himself with 7:37 to play in the fourth period.

That is when the Conestoga offensive line and Schweitewr took over the game and decided the outcome against a bigger Penncrest front wall.

“I have said that our young offensive line has gotten better and better each week,’ Conestoga head coach John Vogan said. “That game they just played against a very big, physical front line and linebackers was really good football. And Tim Miller did a great job for us.

“Last year Tim got beat up pretty good in a very disappointing loss to Penncrest. He got sacked and sacked and was really beat up and tonight the kids said they were going to go out and protect him and they did. And Parke Schweiter did great job and our fullbacks blocked great the whole night. We got a team win and now we go to Springfield next week for a big challenge. But, it was real good to get this one.’

Penncrest fell to 1-3 and Lions head coach Rick Stroup talked about the first half that put his Lions in a hole.

“We just could not get anything going offensively in the first half,’ Stroup said. “And we could not get stops to get off the field. But the kids came back in the second half and battled their butts off. Conestoga is a good team. That is why they are 4-0.’