Mcdevitt Vs Mechanicsburg… A D3 5A Semifinal preview
Tagged under: District 3, pfn
Quincy Piper | November 15, 2024
Bishop McDevitt
**5th ranked in 5A** 10-2 (7-2)
Although not the statistical juggernaut his first three seasons had been, 2024 has been a successful year for the Crusaders and their Southeastern Conference-bound signal-caller Stone Saunders . With 39 touchdowns through the air so far, 13 of those have gone to his leading receiver, Dominic Diaz-Ellis, who has racked up 1,040 yards. Another key target in the McDevitt aerial attack is sophomore speedster Jontai Quick, who has 931 yards and 12 touchdowns. The junior tandem of Nazir Jones-Davis (1,049 yards and 12 touchdowns) and Maurice Barnes (716 yards and 7 touchdowns) lead the ground game. Two other key contributors on the ground are Jerome Larue Jr. (288 yards and 4 touchdowns) and Stone Saunders himself (111 yards and 4 touchdowns). On defense, the Crusaders are led by senior tight end/defensive end Liam Lawler, who has 13 tackles for loss, 9.5 sacks, and 9 quarterback hurries.
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**Mechanicsburg** 11-0 (9-0)
**10th in 5A**
Coach Dave Heckard and the Wildcats are newcomers to this level, making their first foray into the District 3 semifinals since before the pandemic. In his first year on the sidelines, Heckard has led a senior-laden team to this point. Quarterbacking the Wildcats is Eli Raider, who has passed for 1,944 yards and 29 touchdowns, completing 70% of his passes. The bulk of those yards have gone to do-it-all senior Josh Smith, who has been a primary playmaker. Mechanicsburg runs the ball nearly twice as much as they pass, and they’re in good hands in that department. Senior running back Isaac Dollman leads the way with 911 yards and 11 touchdowns on just 77 carries. Behind him is quarterback Eli Raider with 433 rushing yards and 8 touchdowns on 58 carries, along with senior Dominick Baker, who has added 336 yards and 1 touchdown. On defense, the Wildcats are anchored by defensive tackle Colin Stare and defensive end Drake Dawson, each with 5 tackles for loss and 2 sacks.
**Outlook**
If the Wildcats can bottle up the McDevitt offense like they have against all 11 opponents so far this season, this game should be interesting. However, if Stone Saunders and the Crusaders get rolling, they’re very difficult to stop.
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