LEBANON AT CEDAR CREST
FRIDAY, 7 P.M. IN EARL BOLTZ STADIUM
RECORDS: First game.
THE CEDARS: Lebanon lugs the L-L League’s longest current losing streak into the 2013 lid-lifter; the Cedars went 0-10 last fall and desperately want to get that taste out of their mouths. With 17 starters back, including dandy QB-LB Mark Pyles, Lebanon has the goods to break though. They’re hoping it’s against Cedar Crest, which won the Cedar Bowl 67-0 in last year’s season opener. Pyles, who passed for 1,400 yards and 9 TD last year, has a flock of receivers at his disposal in the “Air Raid”, particularly Jeremy De La Cruz, who caught 60 passes last year. Lebanon allowed a jaw-dropping 48 points per game last season, and that number must come way, way down if the Cedars want a reversal of fortune this time around.
LEBANON COUNTDOWN TO CAMP PREVIEW
THE FALCONS: Plenty of optimism in Cedar Crest’s camp, with 16 total starters back, including some really good athletes in key skill spots. Expect the Falcons to score plenty of points out of their spread scheme, piloted by Gage Ocker with weapons like RBs Grant Boehler and Damon Edwards, WR Denzel Pierre and slot-man Evan Horn. There are some thumpers here, too, like C Hunter Wise, OT Ryan Muller and OG Austin Elliott to protect Ocker. We have the feeling you’re going to enjoy the Falcons’ O output. But if they don’t clean it up on D — where they allowed 43 points per game last year — Cedar Crest could struggle. Again. On paper at least, it looks like the Falcons have the players to get this sucker turned around, and they’d love to get it started against their neighborhood rivals.
CEDAR CREST COUNTDOWN TO CAMP PREVIEW
THE CRUX: Lebanon’s stable of wideouts — De La Cruz, Nick Negron, Jeronimo Rodriguez, Xavier Baez and Taj Cintron — against Cedar Crest’s secondary, spearheaded by Edwards, Pierre and Horn. Keep an eye on the skies over Boltz Stadium.
REINHART SAYS: History says there should be plenty of points on the board in this one. Not pegging another 67-0 game here, but we’ll give the nod to the home-standing Falcons (-14).