Lancaster Lebanon 2022 Conference Preview: Sections 1&2 Edition

Tagged under: Conference Previews, District 3, News

Pat Weider | August 11, 2022

Cowritten by Carl Frederick

Section 1

Teams In Section: Reading, McCaskey, Hempfield, Manheim Township, Wilson, Penn Manor, Cedar Crest

Teams to beat for Section Title:

Wilson. Wilson has dominated Section 1 of LL and with the merger of the Berks league the only change is Reading joining the league, so Wilson should still have a good chance to win the section.
Cam Jones CB/WR- “Keep winning tradition alive of winning the section”.

Hempfield. Coach George Eager is building a strong program for the Black Nights. After beating Township last year and winning a playoff game Hempfield looks to win a section title.
Grant Hoover RB/LB- “I think we prepared in the offseason for this challenge of the season and we are ready. Being together as a whole and winning a section title is our goal”

Sleeper Teams:
Manheim Township. Township had a slightly down season for Coach Evans standards when they went 6-5 last year. Bringing back a ton of skill talent including QB Hayden Johnson should help them.

Penn Manor. After going 5-5 last season Penn Manor is feeling really optimistic that they can compete for a section title and make a playoff run. Coach John Brubaker is really happy of the progress of the team.
Coach Brubaker “ We want to be more competitive in section 1. We have a great senior group. The depth of the Seniors is really good. These kids have worked their tails off. We are further ahead than we have been in previous years”.

Cedar Crest. Just missed the playoffs last year, the Falcons will look to build off their late-season momentum which included victories over Hempfield and Penn Manor. Jay Huber is one of the top quarterbacks in the entire league and leads the charge hoping to spring Cedar Crest back into Districts.

Players to watch in Section:
Cam Jones Wilson CB/WR
Grant Hoover Hempfield RB/LB
Hayden Johnson Manheim Township QB
Landon Kennel WR Manheim Township
Matt Ramash McCaskey QB
Eli Warfel Penn Manor QB
Jay Huber Cedar Crest QB
Deyvid PalePale DE Hempfield
Amir Burdine QB Reading

New Head Coach:
Troy Godinet Reading. Coach Godinet got his first head coaching opportunity at Reading High School, where he is a graduate. He has been the Defensive Coordinator since 2018. Coach was a standout linebacker for the Red Knights and also excelled playing in the PSAC for Mansfield.
Coach Godinet “We call ourselves life changers. Working in the school helps with the relationships with the players. It feels good to be home”.

Section 2

Teams in the Section: Manheim Central, Warwick, Governor Mifflin, Conestoga Valley, Exeter, Muhlenberg, Lebanon

Teams to Beat for Section Title

Exeter: The Eagles took down some major foes in Districts last year and have a number of key returning players to run it back for 2022. With an explosive offense and opportunistic defense look for Exeter to be a serious contender for both the Section and District title this season.
Coach Bauer “We are hoping last year was a statement season for us. These guys have had great success. With the new league we will have some new rivalries. It is great for the kids. We will not sneak up on everyone this year.”

Governor Mifflin: Head Coach Jeff Lang and his squad are still smarting from last year’s shocking defeat at the hands of Exeter in the District 3 Championship game. While gone is All American Nick Singleton, the Mustangs still have a number of playmakers on both sides looking to capture championship gold.

Sleeper Teams:
Manheim Central: When you think of sleepers certainly Manheim Central doesn’t always come to mind with their long tradition of winning, but after last season they are. The Barons were knocked out of the first round of Districts by Exeter in 2021 and in not particularly close fashion. New quarterback Zac Hahn takes over and you know a team like Manheim Central is using this new merger as extra motivation.

Warwick: The Warriors have been at the top of Section 2 for the past several seasons, including sharing the title with the Barons and Cocalico in 2021. Veteran Coach Bob Locker leads a Warwick squad that gets to keep the rivalry with Manheim Central, but also welcomes new rivals in Mifflin and Exeter. Returning Quarterback Jack Reed knows the tall task at hand “Winning section again. We want to win it outright. Try to go all state back to back. We are looking forward to the competition in the section.”

Players to Watch in Section 2:
Jack Reed QB Warwick
Joey Schlaffer TE Exeter (Penn State Commit)
Ayden Martin WR/DB Governor Mifflin (Monmouth Commit)
Lucas Palange OT Exeter
Nick Tran WR Conestoga Valley
Blaze Watson RB Lebanon
Rocco Daugherty RB/LB Manheim Central

New Head Coach in Section 2:
Jon Scepanski Conestoga Valley. Coach Scepanski takes over for longtime Head Coach Gerad Novak and brings plenty of energy and experience. Compiling a respectable record over the last 9 seasons at Northeastern York (44-48), Coach Scepanski jumps into a squad that has arguably been placed in the deepest section of the entire LL league.

District 3 Schedules

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