CEDAR CREST AT HERSHEY
7 p.m. FRIDAY, HERSHEYPARK STADIUM
RECORDS: Cedar Crest 1-1; Hershey 2-0
THE FALCONS: Stayed right with Lower Dauphin to the bitter end last week, falling 31-28. Hanging with the LD Falcons all four quarters says a little something about where Crest is this season. QB Gage Ocker, who is built more like a fullback at 6-2 and 220 pounds, managed only 38 yards last week. But he did have a 35-yard TD run in the fourth quarter to put some heat on LD. In two games the running QB has 199 yards on 15 carries with five touchdowns. RB Grant Boehler managed nearly five yards a carry on 12 attempts last week with one score. Crest needs a second option to take some of the attention of Ocker. Despite losing by only three points, LD’s offense had its way with the Crest defense.
THE TROJANS: No surprise Hershey is 2-0 considering it hasn’t turned the ball over once in eight quarters. At this level, taking care of the pigskin always elevates the opportunity for success. RB Jailen Harmon went off against Elizabethtown last week with four touchdowns. The senior returned a kickoff 87 yards, caught of pair of TD passes from QB Jesse Campbell of 11 and 70 yards and also had a 41-yard run for a touchdown. Bet the Falcons have been watching some film on him. Campbell, as a running QB, is smooth. And RB Nick Kroutch runs hard in between the tackles and gets more yards than it appears. The Trojans have a seasoned OL that is opening up holes. And the run game looks sound. The defense, in the words of head coach Mark Painter, is a bend, but don’t break outfit.
THE CRUX: Each club will want to run the ball as a priority to establish itself. Hershey has been successful twice. This one comes down to the Hershey offensive line against the Cedar Crest defensive line. Controlling the clock is part of the formula for success in the land of chocolate. Third-down conversion will be big. The team that wins that battle will most likely prevail.
SHAY SAYS: Cedar Crest (-2) is better than the previous couple of years and this will most likely be a tight squeeze all the way. Campbell has a presence that will help the Trojans in a tight spot. He did it in Week 1. Something tells me if has to do it again he will. I smell 3-0 for the Trojans.
SHAY ON TWITTER: @APShay
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