Pioneers Get Back on Track, Shutout Penn Manor


Full attendance, intense student sections, and the bands bringing the energy. Welcome back to Friday nights in West Lampeter. After a season-opening loss to a very good Warwick team, the Pioneers were back in action against the Penn Manor Comets. The Comets opened their season with a surprising win over local rivals Conestoga Valley.  


After a first quarter of batted-down passes and failed third-down conversions, the Pioneers needed some creativity to get the offense moving. QB Berkeley Wagner handed it off to wideout Hunter Hildenbrand on what was a seemingly innocent jet sweep play call, until Hildenbrand set his feet and chucked the ball 40 yards downfield to Dante Gilot, coming just short of the endzone. Jonathan Mellinger would punch it in on the next play. 


It was full steam ahead from there, with the Pioneer ground-attack accounting for 3 more TDs over the course of the game. Andrew Reidenbaugh added 3 points on a late field goal, and the defense held strong for their first shutout of the season. 


Some of the issues from last week's loss at Warwick lingered, with the team giving up over 100 free yards on penalties. In general, the Pioneers looked more efficient offensively, and simply dominant defensively. "We didn't make as many mistakes on either side of the ball. We played pretty well on both sides of the ball. We executed, the kids were excited to play and they really got after it." Head Coach Victor Ridenour said. 



With the win, Ridenour has earned his first win as the head man for the Pioneers. Next up for L-S is a short trip to Conestoga Valley for the (mostly) annual Lampeter Bowl. The Buckskins are 1-1 on the young season, losing to Penn Manor and coming back late to defeat Garden Spot. 

By Logan Moyer, LS News Editor-in-Chief
Photos by Logan Thompson, LS News President




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