Week 3 scores: Northern Lebanon’s season high on offense falls short to Delone Catholic

FREDERICKSBURG — After four quarters of back-and-forth action, Northern Lebanon football fell to Delone Catholic in a tight 22-21 contest.

Throughout the game, both teams exchanged leads, and it led to a high-energy matchup that came down to the wire. Northern Lebanon’s head coach, Jason Rice, said that his team showed “relentless energy,” and that there’s positives to take from the squad’s fight.

“They were willing to do whatever it takes — all four quarters, these dudes fought with physicality,” Rice said. “The ability to respond to some adversity on offense, it was good to see.”

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After posting 10 points through its first two weeks, Northern Lebanon saw a clear improvement to its offensive success. The season-high scoring mark showed the upside of the Vikings’ offensive group, but it didn’t come easily.

With a few minutes remaining in the half, senior quarterback Kael Erdman was benched, and junior Bryan Mitzel took his place under center. With Erdman, the offense scored three consecutive field goals with a run on 30-plus yard kicks by Riley Messinger.

On the other side Delone Catholic’s rushing game saw a slow start, but Braden Smith’s big performance was undeniable. The Squires’ senior put up two touchdowns plus a two-point score and couldn’t be brought down single-handedly as the game went on.

Rice said both sides point to the line’s play needing to improve, and that his team intends to control the ground.

“The ability to relocate the line of scrimmage is going to be a big help for us. I still do want to run the ball,” Rice said. “(We’ll) continue to find ways to get Myles (Watson) the ball, and get the Ryan brothers the ball.”

After the switch at quarterback, Mitzel’s presence was felt immediately with a shifty run — followed up with a long touchdown pass by the junior.

Rice said opting to play Mitzel was about the offense’s matchup, as the O-line was allowing pressure up the middle in the first half.

"(We’re) just utilizing Bryan (Mitzel) and his athleticism to give us that aspect on offense,” Rice said. “It definitely gives us a different dynamic.”

Following Mitzel’s 23-yard touchdown pass to sophomore receiver Brady Ryan, the Vikings’ took a 15-7 lead. It was snubbed by a missed extra point due to a missed snap, and another missed point in the fourth quarter led to a total of two points the Vikings’ lost out on.

Mitzel was directing the offense after he came in, and even continued making plays at defensive back. In the fourth quarter, the junior athlete put another six on the Vikings’ board — with a run that saw him juke several Squires out.

His presence had an impact on the rushing game, as Watson finished with 94 yards and Mitzel contributed 37 himself along with 38 yards passing.

Going forward, Rice said there isn’t a decision yet on the team’s quarterback, but that the change at QB does bring a change of offense.

“(Mitzel) still finds himself moving around in the pocket,” Rice said. “Quick passes get him out of the pocket to throw.”

The Vikings’ relied on roll-out throws with Mitzel, and he continued to show his mobility. The team has fallen below a .500 winning percentage, but there’s plenty to show for it so far.

Although there’s uncertainty at quarterback, it seems the Vikings’ have solidified their defense at this point in the season. The group forced four turnovers against Delone Catholic, and has been a constant factor to this year’s team.

“Despite our record right now, you look at the scores in our first three weeks, our defense has kept us in this game,” Rice said. “I have the utmost confidence in our defense, their ability to fly around, be physical, hit hard, and that's what we've told them from the get-go.”

The past two weeks have seen some tough losses for the Vikings’ group, but Rice said his team will learn from the close outcomes.

“At the very least, we're going to play physical football on defense — they're showing it,” Rice said. “Eventually, we will get on the winning side of these games.”

Other Week 3 scores

Littlestown 27, Annville-Cleona 21

Warwick 19, Cedar Crest 3

Conrad Weiser 41, Lebanon 0

Hershey 34, Palmyra 13

ELCO 28, Lancaster Catholic 22

This article originally appeared on Lebanon Daily News: Week 3 scores: Northern Lebanon’s season high on offense falls short to Delone Catholic