RECAP: Bulldogs bite Streaks in LL Showdown

Tagged under: District 3, Gameday Hub

Joe Mays | September 29, 2018

The Wilson defense dominated and the offense controlled the ball enough to allow the Bulldogs to upset previously undefeated Manheim Township, 16-14, in Neffsville. Wilson, making their third trip to Kruis Field in 11 months, got clutch QB play from their much maligned first-year senior starter Anthony Futrick, who completed 11 of 18 passes for 165 yards, one touchdown, and two interceptions.

The game was a defensive struggle for nearly the entire first half as both defenses were stout. It was the Bulldogs offense that struck first, with Futrick finding junior WR Matt Fry in the endzone just before halftime for a 7-0 Wilson advantage.

The Streaks would get on the board late in the third quarter following the second of Futrick’s two interceptions – both of which were unlucky bounces. Manheim Township’s Cameron Horst would take a counter handoff from Harry Kirk and scamper 22-yards to tie the game at 7 with 3:40 remaining in the quarter.

The Wilson offense would answer right back. A beautiful play action pass from Futrick to junior WR Brady Gibble picked up 51-yards. Four plays later sophomore placekicker Jack Wagner nailed a 28-yard field goal to give the lead back to the Bulldogs, 10-7.

Manheim Township’s ensuing possession would end quickly thanks to sophomore CB Kaleb Brown. He picked off an errant Kirk pass and returned it all the way to the Streaks 1-yard line. Senior RB Elijah Morales would take it in for the Bulldogs on the very next play, giving Wilson a 16-7 lead (Wagner’s PAT was blocked) with 1:32 left in the third quarter.

The final scoreboard following Wilson’s 16-14 victory in Neffsville, PA, over the Manheim Township Blue Streaks on Friday, September 28th, 2018.

The Streaks weren’t out of it though. They fought back throughout the fourth quarter, with Kirk capping a 6-play drive with a 25-yard TD strike to Mickey Stokes, cutting the Wilson lead to just two with 5:06 to play. And that’s when Futrick stepped up.

Wilson needed to churn five minutes off the clock to seal the win and Futrick’s O nearly did that. Manheim Township didn’t get the ball back until 14 seconds remained, thanks to a field flipping connection between Futrick and Gilmore for 34 yards and a couple big runs from the QB to extend the Bulldogs final drive. When Wilson needed big time play from their QB, Futrick delivered. And thanks in part to his play – and the stellar effort of Ernie Wolber’s defense – Wilson managed to avenge their 2017 losses to the Streaks and get a giant monkey off their back.

The win improved the Bulldogs record to 4-2 Overall (2-0 League) while Manheim Township drops to 5-1 (1-1). Up next for Wilson are the Hempfield Black Knights in the final game of the 2018 Baseballtown Gridiron Classic to be played at FirstEnergy Stadium in Reading, PA, on Friday, October 5th. The Streaks look to get back into the win column at home against Warwick.

KEY STAT: The Bulldogs held onto the ball for 28:55, nearly 10 minutes longer than Manheim Township. The Wilson O wasn’t electrifying, and they made plenty of mistakes, but they were able to sustain a few drives and delivered when it mattered most.

PAFootballNews.com Contributor/Reporter Joe Mays is a 2003 Wilson High School alum and has been covering the Bulldogs football program since 2010. He rebooted the old WilsonTV program, The Bulldog Hour, prior to the 2015 football season and maintains a volunteer position with the team as Social Media Strategist/Outreach Coordinator/Historical Preservation Officer. Want to talk more about Wilson football or the Lancaster-Lebanon League? Find him on Twitter @CoachJoeMays or the podcast @BulldogHour.

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