RECAP: Bulldogs crumble late, fall to Barons

Tagged under: District 3, Gameday Hub

Joe Mays | September 15, 2018

The Bulldogs put together a solid effort Friday night in Manheim, outplaying the favored and more polished Barons for 36 minutes. Unfortunately, PA high school football games are a full 48 minutes and it was in the final stanza, the last 720 seconds of game time, that Wilson slipped. In a big way. Manheim Central, titans of Lancaster-Lebanon League Section 2 and one of the PIAA class 5A crown jewels, fought for all 4 quarters and emerged with a resilient 20-10 win over Section 1/6A kingpin Wilson.

Things were the exact opposite for at least the 1st half, and even most of the 3rd quarter. Wilson’s imposing – but young – line showed their strength, especially on defense, as the Bulldogs poked and corralled the Barons duo of junior QB Evan Simon and senior RB Tyler Flick. Neither of Central’s stars would finish with exquisite stats, but they’ll take the win. Simon completed just 3 of 16 passes for 57 yards, but two of them went for TDs – one to junior WR Jake Harbach (son of former Wilson Bulldog Chad Harbach) and another to junior WR Evan Hosler, who gave the Barons their first lead of the game at 11:51 of the 4th quarter.

Wilson got on the board first, 3-0, on a 22-yard field goal by sophomore PK Jack Wagner in the early 2nd quarter, after he missed a 31-yard attempt wide left on the Bulldogs second offensive series in the 1st. The set up for the games first points proved costly for the Bulldogs though as junior RB/LB/P Avanti Lockhart left with a leg injury. Despite the loss of Lockhart, the Bulldogs D forced a quick 3-and-out and would take a 10-0 lead shortly thereafter as senior RB Elijah Morales pushed his way into the end zone from 1-yard out.

Wilson QB Anthony Futrick (4) awaits the snap from center Adam Vanino (63) as RB Elijah Morales (2) looks on during the Bulldogs 20-10 loss at Manheim Central on Friday, September 14th, 2018. Morales would score Wilson’s lone TD on this play.

Manheim Central refused to panic and began to make some plays. The following Bulldogs offensive series ended on a strip sack of senior QB Anthony Futrick and just three plays later the Barons were on the board thanks to the Simon-to-Harbach connection. Wilson’s Matt Fry would block the PAT and the score would sit at 10-6 into halftime.

Both of Manheim Central’s 4th quarter TDs came after Wilson turnovers. Hosler’s TD occurred a few plays after Wilson’s Morales coughed up the ball trying to gain a few more yards following a reception, making it 13-10. Flick would get his lone score after a poor snap on a Bulldogs punt forced the reserve punter to scramble deep in his own territory. The Barons workhorse RB would crash his way across the goalline from 2 yards out with 9:56 left in the game. Wilson wouldn’t pose any threat the rest of the way as a result of a swarming Central defense that sacked Futrick six times, including four in the 4th alone.

Section play begins for each squad next Friday evening. The undefeated Manheim Central Barons (4-0) will stay at home next week to host LL2 foe Elizabethtown Area. Wilson will look to regroup at Gurski as they welcome in the Penn Manor Comets.

KEY STAT: I said it before but it’s worth repeating. Evan Simon was limited to 3 completions on 16 attempts for just 57 yards, yet the Barons won. That’s a solid team effort and a big reason why the Barons will be dangerous throughout the season.

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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