myerstownherald.com

By GARY SIEGRIST
You would think Annville-Cleona would be surprised to be playing a late-October game in Myerstown which will keep the winner in the race for the Lancaster-Lebanon League Section Three championship.
You might even think that the Little Dutchmen might be a little in awe of the importance their meeting with Elco has taken shape.
Little could have predicted such during the early parts of this 2009 football season. Back when the relatively inexperienced A-C was struggling and Elco was seemingly preparing for one final “Dancing with the Stars” dream matchup with Lancaster Catholic on Nov. 6.
So maybe it’s good that Mother Nature threw the Dutchmen a curve ball during the week they were to prepare for a meeting between two teams trying to keep pace with Catholic and Lampeter-Strasburg.
Monday night, A-C came from behind for a 21-14 win at Columbia in a game washed out by last weekend’s rainfall.
That leaves merely three — or call it 2 ½ — days to prepare for its now biggest game of the season.
“The way it has played out,” said veteran Dutchmen coach Terry Lehman on Tuesday night, “we’re acually still a little sore from Monday night. It’s gonna be a fast week, so I don’t even know if it will sink in (how big of a game this has become). This week is really gonna be a blur.”
It won’t be a blur for the Raiders, who received a wake-up call two weeks ago courtesy of the Pioneers. Thanks to a blowout win over Pequea Valley on Friday, Elco has already begun to regroup from that initial loss of the season.
“I think that is now behind us,” said Raider coach Mark Evans of the 40-14 road loss to L-S. “And I think we have learned from it. We learned that we have to be mentally and physically ready to play each and every time we step onto the football field.”
The mental part hasn’t been a problem most of the year for the Little Dutchmen.
It’s the physical part which has been a challenge. Already very inexperienced when the season began, A-C has battled through injuries to both its starting quarterback and its best running back.
Rickey Snyder has battled a recurring ankle injury to post big numbers on the ground. Monday night, Snyder rushed for 149 yards on 34 carries.
And Tyson Hayes has become more and more comfortable replacing Jordan James at quarterback. Hayes had a both a touchdown pass and a game-winning QB sneak in the fourth quarter at Columbia.
“We played a tough non-league schedule, and basically had all new skill people except for Rickey,” said Lehman of the Dutchmen’s slow start. “Add to that the injuries and new quarterback, it has made us change our whole offensive attack.
“We didn’t just throw Tyson to the wolves. We have kind of controlled things as he has gone along. But he’s now at the point where he may be ready to let loose.”
It all blends to make an interesting dynamic for a game which Elco will honor the alumni of the 40 years Elco football has now been in existence. As if this game needed any more, Lehman is part of that group.
“We are proud to have the ‘Dean of Lebanon County coaches’ as part of the Elco football history,” said Evans with a chuckle. “He just loves when I call him that.”
Lehman didn’t mention it.
“We’ll be there, and we’ll play hard,” he said. “What happens, happens.”
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Game: Annville-Cleona (3-4, 3-1) at Elco (6-1, 3-1)
Where: Elco High School Stadium, 7 p.m.
Last year: Elco 49, Annville-Cleona 42
If you’re A-C: As Terry Lehman has suggested, the short week caused be the Columbia postponement could be a positive. The Dutchmen played well during it’s other big Section III showdown in Lebanon County this season, before dropping a 21-7 decision at Northern Lebanon. And his surprising team doesn’t have a lot of time to contemplate the magnitude of this one. But anytime you have dealt with the injuries A-C has had, short weeks become a question mark.
If you’re Elco: After the L-S game Mark Evans put it to his team as only he could: “Pain of discipline or pain of regret? You choose. You can either move forward now or live in regret.” The Raiders moved forward last week, but against a considerably weaker opponent it will face on Friday. This will be the real test of how much the Raiders have recovered. Not to mention it is make-or-break time as far as the Section III title and District III AAA playoff implications are concerned. There has never been a greater need for that “complete game” Evans always speaks about.
The pick: Elco 38, Annville-Cleona 19