Last week was an unusual one for the Lions with no Friday night football because the game at York High was moved to Saturday.
While we at Red Lion understood the move was for the right reasons, and we support the decision completely, it did make for a change of routine for the Lions.
Because of it, the first half of Saturday’s game wasn’t up to the level of play displayed by Lions so far in 2016.
It wasn’t a totally new experience for coach Jesse Shay, who was an assistant coach at Bishop McDevitt, when Saturday home games were the norm.
“I thought maybe we would be a little better prepared for it only because I experienced it every other week. It was a very sloppy first half,” Shay said.
Even with a 14-point halftime lead, a sharp message awaited the Lions in the locker room.
“We were lethargic, had no energy and going through the motions. We knew this was the game every coach was going to come to and we would be scouted by everybody,” said Shay.
The players took the halftime message to heart and came alive with a 28-point third quarter and 49-7 victory past the Bearcats.
“We really talked about the fact that any time you play football you get the chance to play better,” said Shay. “I thought we wasted the first half and the kids realized that as well. We came out more focused and on our job and responsibilities.”
The highlight of the second half was when mountain man Nick Argento scored on a 5-yard touchdown run, causing the sideline to go crazy.
Red Lion’s defense was once again stellar, and Zach Crossland returned an interception 50 yards for a touchdown. The Lions D has allowed only 24 points in their first four games.
“The offense is putting up points, so that clearly gets the headlines. They are doing their job as well. Defensive coordinator JD Granger is doing a great job.”
Up next is a Division I game against Northeastern. The Bobcats were racking up points during a season-opening three game win streak, but lost their first game of the season, 28-27 when Central York overcame a 20-point deficit for the upset.
Here is the Bobcats roster.
