Coach Weider’s @Go_Rout Coaches Notebook: 5 Questions with Columbia QB Robert Footman and much more

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Pat Weider | September 20, 2021

Player of the Week: Robert Footman of Columbia. He had himself a big game against Lancaster Catholic in a 60-42 win. Footman had 5 passing touchdowns and 2 rushing touchdowns and almost 400 yards passing and 100 yards rushing. What a fantastic performance by him. 

5 Questions with Robert Footman:

1) How does it feel to score 60 points and get the big win against Lancaster Catholic? 

It feels amazing. We have put in a lot of hard work and preparation for this game. Little mistake but we held our heads high and keep going. 

2) On the 1st offensive series you fumbled and Catholic scooped it up and returned it for a touchdown. Tell me what were you thinking after that happened? 

I was a little nervous going into this because I knew how good of a game it could be. I just held my head high and I have a next play mentality. 

3) How do you feel about the start? 3-1 is really impressive start? 

I feel like our team is playing amazing. Taking steps to the next level. Beating a 2-1 team is an impressive win for us. 

4) Can you talk about your offensive line and the help they give you upfront? 

They are doing great. They have one of the best defensive linemen in the area with Isaiah Caine and they were able to do a great job blocking him and their other defensive lineman.  

5) Can you talk about Coach Kyle and the impact he had on your life? 

It feels to be back after years of losing records. It feels good to make history and I am happy Coach Kyle is our coach.  

Coach of the week: George Eager of Hempfield. Hempfield has had a brutal first 4 games. The first 4 games they played were against really good teams. They beat (3-1) Dallastown, lost to (4-0) Manheim Central, lost to (3-0) Central York, and then beat (2-2) Exeter on a come from behind win. Great job by Eager to keep his team focused and get the win this week. Next up Warwick, who will be another tough game for the Black Nights. 

Team of the week: Penn Manor. An unbelievable win for the Comets Friday night. They won it on a hail mary at the end of regulation. Penn Manor is 3-1 and looks like it could be in the mix in section one. Coach Brubaker has been building a program the last few years and this year is paying dividends. 

Play of the week: All verticals. This is a staple you see at high school, college, and pro levels. The idea is simple, you want to take a shot deep. You can use all verticals with 4 receivers out in the pattern, or limit it to one or two options and sometimes use it off of play-action. I love doing this play on 1st and 10 and see if you can complete a big play. 

Football has 4 downs, so here are 4 thoughts from what I saw, watched, and heard this week:

1) Andrew Weidman of Ephrata continues to be really impressive. This week he rushed for 133 yards on 25 carries and a touchdown. He is also one of the league-leading rushers in the league. Friday will be a fun matchup when Columbia visits Ephrata. A match-up of two 3-1 team. 

2) Big bounce-back week for section 1 teams in the LL. Hempfield, Wilson, Penn Manor, and Manheim Township all won.  It will be a fascinating race when the section play begins next week. Cedar Crest had Covid issues and had to cancel their game against Governor Mifflin. 

3) Huge game by Anthony Bourassa of Cocalico. He rushed for 313 yards and 3 touchdowns in a win for Cocalico over Garden Spot. Manheim Central looks really good in section 2 with their 4-0 start, but don’t count out Cocalico. 

4) Manheim Township got a big bounce-back win on Friday and they were led by Penn State commit Anthony Ivey. How about 13 catches for 175 yards and 2 touchdowns. Impressive effort by Ivey.  

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