When the clock ran out Friday night, it became official. All of Red Lion could celebrate. The Lions accomplished what they set out to do:
Our boys finished the regular season with an unbeaten 10-0 record.
Defeating rival Dallastown (27-7) to do it, only made the moment more special and the way the team handled everything to this point has caught the eye of coach Jesse Shay.
“That really goes to the focus of the kids. I can say what a great job the assist coaches did - and they did a great job - it’s really up to the kids and what they did.
“We talked about do you want to remembered as a great team, or a historical team? These kids trust each other and know what they are capable of doing. I know I am not going to have to get the kids mentally ready for the playoffs. Against Dallastown they knew what was on line.”
And it took all of 47 seconds to get things rolling when Dylan Gurreri went 72 yards on the second play from scrimmage.
The Lions added two more scores before the end of the first quarter and put the game out of reach with another touchdown reception by Taylor Uberti in the third.
“We scored on our first drive at least seven of the 10 games, which talk about a momentum setter. What nice about it is (early scores) are not so much for us, but it’s an immediate deflator for the other team,” said Shay.
On top of the offensive showing, the stellar Lions defense held the Wildcats to only 142 yards and seven points.
Red Lion will host Central Dauphin East in this week’s District 3 Class 6A quarterfinal, 7 p.m., Friday at Horn Field. The Panthers enter the Lions’ Den with a 6-4 record that includes a win against perennial power Bishop McDevitt.
Shay said that CD East uses a two-quarterback rotation, that thrives, led by sophomore Kane Everson, who topped 1,000 yards passing.
“It’s the first time I can look at our team and say we have the size to compete with their line. Just speed everywhere. We are certainly going to have to play assignment football. We are 10-0 for a reason and I don’t look at us being underdogs coming in. But this is certainly the best team we have played all year and we’re going to have to play like it.”
Here is the CD East roster.
