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Showing posts from October, 2020

Pioneers Enter History Books, Finish Regular Season Undefeated

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Looking for a tune-up preparing for the semifinals of the District 3 4-A playoffs, the Pioneers welcomed the Northern Lebanon Vikings in a L-L League mandated crossover game. The Pioneers needed to win the game to secure their first undefeated regular season in the 49-year history of the program.  Austin Stoltzfus makes catch for a touchdown (Jon Klein) The Pioneer offense started off the game with a bang after Austin Stoltzfus made an amazing catch on a deep ball thrown by Sean McTaggart. They never looked back from there, scoring 56 more unanswered points. On the next drive for the Vikings, Beau Heyser jumped a route and returned an interception 38 yards to give the Pioneers a two score lead. Later in the quarter, Sean McTaggart escaped the Viking pass rush and scrambled for a 21 yard TD run. Conner Nolt also blocked a kick for the 2nd consecutive week, this time a punt that was recovered by Elijah Carr for a touchdown.  In the final three quarters of the game, many of the backups go

Pioneers March Into Ephrata and Clinch Section 3 Title

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It's a good time to be a Pioneer. With the football team's 54-16 win over the Ephrata Mountaineers, they become the 5th L-S team to win a section title this fall (joining the girls' tennis, field hockey, golf, and boys' cross country teams). It is the 8th section title all time and the first since 2015 to arrive in West Lampeter.  Section 3 Trophy being held by players. After a flurry of turnovers that included interceptions by Conner Nolt and Berkeley Wagner, Ephrata opened scoring after Owen Morrongiello tackled Sean McTaggart in the end zone resulting in a safety, giving the Mounts a 2-0 lead. This was the first time that the team had been trailing in a game since September 25th against the Lebanon Cedars.  Early in the 2nd quarter, Andrew Reidenbaugh put a 30 yarder through the uprights to give the Pioneers a one point lead. The Pioneers never looked back from there, scoring 44 more consecutive points throughout the 2nd and 3rd quarter. Alex Knapp, Sean McTaggart, D

Cross Country League Meet: Both Teams Qualify for Districts

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On Tuesday and Wednesday, the boys' and girls' cross country teams headed to Ephrata for the L-L League Meet. The meet yielded positive results both team-wise and individually for the Pioneers.  Luke Smith, Luka Vranich, Nate Eberly, Colin Whitaker, Parker Stoner, David Pritchard, Adrian Elia, and Ben Devine (pictured left to right) On Tuesday, the boys' team finished 5th overall, much improved from last year's 13th place result. Colin Whitaker was the top finisher for the Pioneers at 13th place and was also the first freshman to finish overall. Whitaker finished with a time of 17:15. Parker Stoner, Adrian Elia, Luka Vranich, and David Pritchard rounded out the team's top 5. Penn Manor's Graham Thomas won the meet with an impressive time of 16:07. Hempfield won the team title by an impressive margin of 15 points.  Emma Drouillard, Aubrey Magagna, Morgan Wright, Selah Drouillard, Megan Stratton, Tori Smith, Molly Wissler, and Jaclyn Martin (pictured left to right

The Show Must Go On. Fall Play tickets NOW on sale!

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The show must go on, and despite COVID-19's best attempt, this year will be no different.  The Lampeter-Strasburg Thespian Society is proud to announce this year's fall play-- 10 Ways to Survive Life in a Quarantine,  a short comedy by Don Zolidis.  Well, technically, there is one difference. The show is presented via live stream so you can enjoy it from the comfort of your own couch. Tickets are only $5 and can be purchased through Eventbrite. Purchase Information Friday, November 13 at 7 pm https://www.eventbrite.com/e/123712027003 Saturday, November 14 at 2 pm https://www.eventbrite.com/e/124301913369 Saturday, November 14 at 7 pm https://www.eventbrite.com/e/124294511229 10 Ways to Survive Life in a Quarantine Synopsis If you’re spending a long time at home, it can be challenging to keep yourself occupied. Luckily, 10 Ways to Survive Life in a Quarantine is full of handy solutions, from putting on a musical with your dog to becoming an announcer for a made-up spor

Pioneers Keep Rolling, Nearly Blanks Garden Spot

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On Friday night, the Pioneer football team took on the Spartans from Garden Spot. Going into the game, the Pioneers were ranked 4th in the state among 4A teams and 1st in the district ahead of Bishop McDevitt, Cocalico, and Berks Catholic. The Pioneer offense continues to fly high, now averaging about 44 points per contest. The defense has also been spectacular, allowing under 10 points and about 180 yards per game.  The Pioneers opened scoring just 3 minutes into the game after a big 26-yard reception by Beau Heyser after a beautiful throw from QB Sean McTaggart. McTaggart currently has the highest QB rating among eligible Section 3 players. The Pioneers are now making somewhat of a habit out of blocking punts, this week by Conner Nolt.  After a fumble recovery by Alex Knapp, Sean McTaggart threw for his 2nd TD of the night, this time finding Ian Herr. Near the beginning of the second quarter, the duo of Brady Cole and Parker Owens continued their reign of terror over opposing offense

Cross Country: Boys Clinch Section Title, Girls Split

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On Tuesday afternoon, the Boys and Girls Cross Country teams took on the Donegal Indians and the ELCO Raiders in Myerstown. It was a very good day to run, as the course was relatively flat and the temperature was around 60 degrees. The race was very important as the Donegal boys and the L-S boys both held records of 9-0 going into the meet, meaning that the winner would hoist the L-L League Section 2 trophy.   Adrian Elia and Parker Stoner finish race vs Manheim Central and Cocalico (Logan Thompson) Freshman Colin Whitaker won the boys race with a time of 16:30. Brock Overlander led the way for Donegal and Trenton Brubaker led the way for ELCO, with times of 16:55 and 17:17 respectively. Parker Stoner, Adrian Elia, Luka Vranich, and Nate Eberly rounded out the scoring five for the Pioneers. The Pioneers defeated the Indians by a score of 21-36 and the Raiders at a 20-39 scoreline.  All was not lost for the Indians, as their girls team also won the Section championship by defeating the

Boys Soccer: Late Goal Propels Pioneers Over Bears

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On Monday night, the Lampeter-Strasburg Pioneers and the Elizabethtown Bears fought through the elements under the lights at Shultz Transportation Field. The Pioneers won the first meeting between the two teams by a score of 4-3 on September 28th.  Ryker Holsinger controls the ball in the match vs. McCaskey (Logan Thompson) Just five minutes into the game, a beautiful shot from Elizabethtown's David Fry put the Bears up 1-0. The Pioneers then took control of the game, knocking on the door many times until Landon Rice rolled one into the net, equalizing the score at 1 with about 8 and a half minutes remaining in the first half. The assist on the goal went to Ryker Holsinger.  The Bears were carded twice in the second half, both yellows. One card was given to Wyatt Rachael, and the other was given to Luke Brumm. The latter led to a penalty that was not converted after a shot by Landon Rice was saved by Elizabethtown goalkeeper Donny Henriques. Henriques finished the night with six sa

Pioneers Fire On All Cylinders, Move to 4-0 after defeating Donegal

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The Pioneers picked up right where they left off from last Friday's 48-0 demolition of the Lancaster Catholic Crusaders. All aspects of the game were working tonight for the Pioneers. The offense put up 42 points, the defense forced 4 turnovers and had many TFLs, and the special team group blocked a punt leading to a touchdown.  The Pioneers scored on the first drive of the game after a 2-yard touchdown run from Austin Stoltzfus. L-S scored again on the next drive as Drew Harris ran untouched to the end zone on a big 30 yard gain. With just 30 seconds remaining in the 1st quarter, Beau Heyser swatted a punt attempt by Garrett Blake and returned it for a touchdown. An interception by Brady Cole led to another quick score, this time an Alex Knapp touchdown reception.  On the drive after Cole's interception, Berkeley Wagner joined the takeaway club by forcing another interception from Donegal QB Trent Weaver. Drew Harris extended the L-S lead to 35 by running for his 2nd touchdown

Boys Soccer: Pioneers suffer first defeat of season

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Last night, the Lampeter-Strasburg Boys Soccer team loss 2-1 to McCaskey. The loss was a difficult one as the Pioneers had been undefeated. The team now has an overall record of 3-1-1. The boys will face off against the Red Tornadoes again before the end of the season. Good luck! Photos by Logan Thompson, LS News photographer

Field Hockey: Pioneers Shutout Barons on Senior Night

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On a very windy Wednesday night at JK Mechanical Stadium, the Pioneer field hockey team took on the Manheim Central Barons. As part of Senior Night festivities, Chloe Blantz, Daisy Frank, Ema Hollinger, Elizabeth Horner, Kiley Turner, and the Baron Seniors were honored before the game. In their first meeting this season on September 24th, the Pioneers won 5-0 on Manheim's turf. The Pioneers controlled possession throughout a mostly uneventful first half. The only highlight of the first half was a Chloe Blantz goal in the second quarter. Brooke Zuber and the Pioneer defense was great throughout the first half, denying the Barons opportunities to put points on the board. In the third quarter, Daisy Frank converted a penalty after Chloe Blantz drew a foul. In the fourth quarter, the Pioneers extended the lead to four. The first goal was scored by Elizabeth Horner shortly after a corner. The second goal was scored by Daisy Frank with about five minutes remaining in the game. The final

Girls Soccer: Pioneers Play Out Draw With Barons on Senior Night

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Even after 100 minutes of hard-fought action between the Pioneer and Baron girls' soccer teams, neither side was able to push a goal across the line as the game ended in a 0-0 draw. The last meeting between the Pioneers and the Barons ended in a 1-0 victory for L-S on September 26th, 2019. 2020 L-S Girls' Soccer Seniors (via L-S Girls' Soccer Facebook) Seniors Emily Snyder, Sofia Bua, Lily Stoltzfus, Lane Kopelman, Kendall Hadesty, Lizzy Deardorff, Gwenn Spotts, and Danielle DiPace were honored before the game, as it was senior night. The Pioneers controlled possession throughout most of the first half, but were unable to put the ball in the net due to solid play from Baron defenders and goalkeeper Shauna Lukus. It was some more of the same in the second half, with the only good scoring opportunities for either team coming late in regulation. The Barons had a good chance to score with about 5 minutes remaining but a handball from Hannah Adair killed the attack. The Pioneers

Herr and Frank Crowned Homecoming King and Queen

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During halftime of the Pioneers' game against the Lancaster Catholic Crusaders, the Homecoming King and Queen were crowned. Ian Herr was crowned King, while Daisy Frank was crowned Queen. Elijah Carr and Bradey Cunningham were first and second runner-ups for King, while Kiana Sweger and Lizzie Deardorff were first and second runner-ups for Queen.  Ian Herr and Daisy Frank (via @LSPioneers on twitter) Students voted on the King and Queen this past week, choosing one out of eight candidates for both King and Queen. The King candidates were Elijah Carr, Bradey Cunningham, Drew Harris, Ian Herr, Jon Klein, Colin McDonald, and Austin Stoltzfus. The Queen candidates were Lizzie Deardorff, Sophie DiCamillo, Daisy Frank, Olivia Harris, Lane Kopelman, Kiana Sweger, Kylee Waller, and Nasya Warfel. Ian plans to attend a four-year college to study engineering and play football. Daisy will be attending Syracuse University, where she will study exercise science and play on the field hockey te

Pioneers Blow Out Crusaders in Home Opener

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On Homecoming night, the Pioneers came to play. Shortly after the opening kickoff by Andrew Reidenbaugh, the Pioneer defense forced a 3&out against Lancaster Catholic, leading to a big 25-yard punt return by Alex Knapp. The Pioneers then scored on their first offensive play, a 26-yard run by Austin Stoltzfus on an end around play call. The two teams traded punts multiple times until Drew Harris found the end zone late in the first quarter. In the second quarter, Conner Nolt swooped in to catch his 3rd interception of the season deep in Crusader territory, which was turned into a touchdown by Sean McTaggart on a QB keeper. The Pioneers then added to the lead with a pair of touchdown receptions by Ian Herr, who was named Homecoming King during the halftime ceremony. One of Herr's touchdowns was set up by a Parker Owens interception after a bad throw by Mason McClair, who was pressured by Evan Sellers. McTaggart added to the L-S lead early in the second half, scoring on a QB keepe