(This story was updated to accurately reflect the most current information.)
Luke Frey spotted the opening right before the snap. The New Oxford quarterback noticed that receiver Brayden Billman had an opening as the two lined up to open the fourth quarter against West York.
The Colonials were already well ahead of the Bulldogs and en route to a share of their third straight Division II title, but Frey wanted to top off his already productive night with one final heave. He dropped back, connected on the pass and watched as Billman sprinted 86 yards downfield and into the end zone. Frey's pass to Billman was the Colonials' final score of the night, which wrapped up a 41-14 win over the Bulldogs.
"Our concept there is actually for Brody (Holmes), Brayden is just supposed to run off the outside backer, but they were lined up wrong," Frey said. "Me and him recognized that, so I just put it up for him and he made a play."
For the first quarter, New Oxford and West York tested each other and looked for an opening. They traded punts for the first 12 minutes of the game.
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But Clayton Nieves, the Colonials' routine rushing threat, didn't let the deadlock last long. He broke out for a 27-yard touchdown on the first play of the second quarter − his first of two scores − and opened the night for the Colonials. Frey passed for three touchdowns, two of which ended in Billman's hands. Brady Miller kicked two field goals, one of which he nailed from 41 yards away.
Come halftime, New Oxford had built up a 24-point lead and shuttered West York out of the end zone.
"West York, hands down, has the best defensive line that we faced the last four or five weeks," New Oxford coach Jason Warner said. "It was nice to have Luke back there, get him back in the swing of things. And obviously, you see how impactful our receiving corps can be when they're when called upon."
The Colonials didn't let up. Billman and Nieves each scored again after halftime, and Miller kicked another field goal in the third quarter for good measure.
West York didn't let itself shut down, however. Freshman quarterback Jensen Ferber broke their scoring drought in the third with a 63-yard pass to Janziel Torres, and he added on another score in the waning minutes of the game after connecting with Jamen Garnett from 9 yards out.
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Kennard-Dale 42, York Suburban 14: Rams coach Chris Grube spent the preseason installing a new offensive scheme behind his new quarterback. But when that QB broke his collarbone on the second play of the first Div. II game of the season, Grube had to go to Plan B.
“We bounced around a couple quarterbacks,” Grube said. “Clayton Neff had an incredible night for us, he had a great game. More than 100 yards in the air and more than 150 on the ground. He really played his heart out.”
Neff scored touchdowns on a pair of 1-yard runs and a third on 11 yards to lead the Rams. He was also one of two Kennard-Dale players to break runs greater than 45 yards when he went 48 yards to set up a score.
David Smith broke a 49-yard run on a previous possession, but that wasn’t even his most impressive scamper. That came on the first play of the game when he took the opening kickoff and ran 90 yards for a score. He also returned a punt 42 yards to finish with more than 200 all-purpose yards.
York Suburban struggled to find its offensive footing. The Trojans put their first successful drive together midway through the second quarter. Rylan Bratton put York Suburban on the board with a 1-yard run to pull within a touchdown.
He got the Rams to bite on a fake handoff to start in the third quarter and took the ball 31 yards for the tying touchdown.
“I’ve seen [Bratton] play for the last four years, and he’s a special kid,” Grube said of the Suburban quarterback. “I admire him because he stayed with his kids, with that school. I think it’s important for people to know that he stayed with his teammates.”
Neff scored his final two touchdowns, and Jack McShane went in from the 5 to give the Rams their last score.
The win keeps the Rams’ hopes alive for an outside chance at a playoff spot. They will have to close the season with wins over Dover and Susquehannock to have keep that chance.
“Dover is a good football team,” Grube said. “And Susquehannock is our rival game. That Week 10 game could be the one to determine who gets in the playoffs.”
Bermudian Springs 49, York Catholic 7: Brayden Heller, Eddie Sebright and Jack Gautsch each scored two touchdowns apiece as the Eagles cruised to their seventh straight win overall and fifth win in Division III.
Central York 63, Red Lion 16: The Panthers scored on their opening drive and never looked back. They scored all but one of their nine touchdowns in the first half and ran down the running clock after halftime.
Dallastown 37, Dover 14: The Eagles held a slight lead at the half after scoring on a kick return and a touchdown pass, but the Wildcats responded with 27 unanswered points in the second half to retake the lead and clock their seventh win of the year.
Delone Catholic 14, Littlestown 0: The Squires and the Thunderbolts held each other to a scoreless draw through the first half. Braden Smith broke the deadlock for the Squires with a touchdown in the third quarter, and Zach Staub added onto the lead with just over three minutes left in the game.
Eastern York 17, Susquehannock 3: Susquehannock took an early lead after Ian Bailey kicked a field goal, but Eastern York hit back quick. Demarcus Murray scored on a 6-yard pass from Quinn Bramble, Quez Robinson hit the end zone after a 25-yard completion and Landon Heiland kicked a field goal, while the Knights' defense held the Warriors scoreless for the rest of the night.
South Western 55, Northeastern 6: The Mustangs outscored themselves in their last two games and posted their largest margin of victory on the year as they notched their second win in Division I.
Spring Grove 45, York High 24: The Rockets maintained a consistent lead all night and clocked the Bearcats to slide into a tie for second place in the Division I standings.
Biglerville 7, Hanover 0: The Canners improved to 6-2 overall and 3-2 in Division III play after holding back the Nighthawks.
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