Copyright Reading Eagle
Different week, same result. Fourth-seeded Wyomissing defeated fifth-seeded Lampeter-Strasburg 23-6 in a District 3 Class 4A quarterfinal matchup Saturday afternoon at Bob Wolfrum Field. To close out the regular season, the Spartans (10-1) handled the Pioneers (7-4) with a 46-7 victory. Saturday’s game had the playoff atmosphere in the air as the rematch was more competitive, but Wyomissing once again came out on top. “They came out hard,” junior Justice Hardy said, crediting the Pioneers. “They played a heck of a game. It’s always hard to beat a team twice, but I know we had a chip on our shoulder. They ended our season last year, so we had to return the favor.” They may not have put up as many points this time, but their dominance was just as clear throughout the game. The Spartans’ defense and special teams came to play, blocking two field goal attempts, recording three sacks, and forcing two turnovers. “One of, if not the best defense I’ve ever played on,” Hardy said. “I have played with a bunch of Division 1 guys, especially my freshman year. But this team has something special. Everyone wants to just as much as the whole team, and everyone plays hard until they can’t play anymore.” But it was the Spartans’ offense that got things rolling. Wyomissing received the opening kickoff and immediately resumed their regularly scheduled program of pounding the rock. Chase Eisenhower, Justice Hardy, and Daniel Fleischood each contributed on the ground, picking up chunks of yardage until the Spartans crossed into Lampeter-Strasburg territory. The drive hit a bump with a false start and a dropped pass, but on 4th-and-9, the Spartans stayed unfazed. Brady Eisenhower dropped back and fired a perfectly placed 33-yard pass to his brother Chase in the end zone, giving the Spartans their first lead of the game. But the Pioneers came out with life, taking the ensuing kickoff all the way down into the Spartans’ red zone. However, the Spartans’ defense held firm, with Hardy sacking Asher Jones on third down and forcing a 41-yard field goal attempt from Peter Fiorello. “It’s a play we drew up later in the season, and we haven’t run it much,” Hardy said of the play call. “Coach Outland and Coach Siggins put us in the right position every single time. We step on a football field and and it’s all to that.” This time, the junior made another splash play, coming off the edge to block the kick and keep the score at 7–0. Following a three-and-out by the Spartans, the Pioneers regained possession and began chipping away yard by yard on the ground. Colby DeJessa and Mitchell Swarr alternated carries, slowly moving the Pioneers into Wyomissing territory. The drive finally stalled when Christian Kauffman sacked Jones on third down, chewing up seven and a half minutes off the clock. On their next possession, another promising drive was cut short when Hardy punched the ball out of Andre Flaud’s hands, giving the Spartans the ball back with four minutes remaining in the half. This time, the Spartans’ offense found its rhythm. Brady Eisenhower dropped back and fired a pass to Andrew DiFabrizio, who snatched the ball away from a cornerback in what looked like a sure interception. The play resulted in a 58-yard gain for Wyomissing. Four plays later, Keegan Maher drilled a 38-yard field goal, giving Wyomissing a 10–0 lead heading into halftime. Brady Eisenhower completed 3 of 5 passes for 101 yards and a touchdown, with no attempts in the second half. Meanwhile, the Spartans’ defense held the Pioneers to just 64 yards in the first half. Even with a two-score lead, Wyomissing knew the Pioneers weren’t going to roll over. And they proved it right after halftime, getting their offense rolling again on the ground. But whenever the Pioneers chose to drop back, bad things tended to happen This time, Asher Jones threw it directly to linebacker Zander Westwood, sitting in the hook-to-curl zone, who picked it off in the Pioneers’ territory. “We kind of tweaked a few things on defense, but kept the overall mindset like we did last game,” senior Tyler Niedrowski said. “Applying pressure is our strong suit with the guys we have on our team. And we kept that mindset in the second half.” It was the Chase Eisenhower show on their opening possession. The senior, playing his final game at Bob Wolfrum Field, took five consecutive carries, finishing the drive with a three-yard touchdown dive up the middle. The Spartans extended their lead to 17–0 with 5:35 remaining in the third quarter. Still, in football, three scores can happen in the blink of an eye, so the game was still up for grabs. But Wyomissing could taste blood in the water. Lampeter-Strasburg took 11 plays to reach the Wyomissing 16-yard line, showing little urgency despite the clock not being on their side. It was certainly some questionable clock management down the stretch from head coach Victor Ridenour. Jones was sacked for the third time in the game, this time by Diamante Strong off the edge, who celebrated the play afterward. Rather than risking going for it on fourth down, still down by two scores with 10 minutes remaining, regardless, Ridenour sent out his field-goal unit, putting his trust in All-State kicker Fiorello. But it was déjà vu. Marcus Armistead came off the edge and blocked the kick, with Hardy recovering the live ball. The electric playmaker weaved through a couple of defenders before racing into the open field, returning the ball 80 yards for a touchdown. Sadly for Hardy, the play was wiped out by a penalty, but no harm, no foul. On the very next play, senior Tyler Niedrowski had his number called for the first time all day, and made it count. Niedrowski took the handoff, hit the edge, stiff-armed defenders, and then had nothing but green grass ahead, taking it 94 yards to the end zone. “It feels amazing,” Niedrowski said on scoring in his last home game. “That exact kind of play happened last year in the District final. It was the fourth quarter, and we ran that same play. I cut back and I broke a long run, just like I did in this game. It’s just an amazing feeling. I’m so glad I got to end my career here on this field like that.” The crowd at Bob Wolfrum Field erupted, knowing Wyomissing had just punched their ticket back to the semifinals. “It meant something special for Tyler Niedrowski to get that in his last game he’s going to play on this field,” Hardy said, not caring about his touchdown getting called back. “That’s my best friend. Love that kid, and I’m so proud of him.” The Pioneers responded on their next possession, finishing an 8-play, 80-yard drive with a 3-yard touchdown reception by Brady Cunningham, who caught the ball in the flat. Wyomissing was able to drain the clock to wrap the ball game up. Chase Eisenhower finished with 107 all-purpose yards on 14 touches, scoring two touchdowns. On defense, Justice Hardy recorded a sack, a blocked field goal, and a forced fumble. In the final game of the season for the defending Class 4A champions, Colby DeJessa rushed for 78 yards on 21 carries, while Mitchell Swarr added 50 yards on 16 carries. Asher Jones completed 5 of 9 passes for 102 yards, throwing one touchdown and one interception. “We’re 0-0, our jobs are not finished,” Hardy said, looking forward. “We had a goal at the beginning of the season and the same goal throughout, no matter who we play. That’s a great team next week. So, we’re going to have our hands full, but we’re excited to prepare for it.” The Spartans will travel to face top-seeded Susquehanna Township next Friday night. The Indians, who are 11–0, advanced with a 50–13 victory over ELCO in their quarterfinal matchup. “Coach Wolfrum’s mindset is always, ‘You have to handle what’s in front of you. You can’t really look away,” Niedrowski said. “When we were in the huddle after the game, he said they run a spread offense, so a lot of passing. That means we have to bring it.”
