Greencastle-Antrim Blue Devils complete perfect football season
For the first time in the history of Greencastle-Antrim High School football, a team has gone undefeated in the regular season. The 2010 version completed the feat Friday night on Kaley Field by cutting down the Big Spring Bulldogs 41-3.
The win not made history for finishing off the unblemished mark, it delivered the Mid-Penn Conference Colonial Division title and the Blue Devils also upped their stock in the District 3-AAA playoff picture. While the Devils were icing the perfect regular season Lampeter-Strasburg dropped its final regular season game. The result was the two swapped first and second in the power rating for the playoffs. G-A will be the top seed and will take on the as-yet-undecided 16th seed. That game will be played Friday, Nov. 12 on Kaley Field.
G-A got on the board first thanks to a 3-yard touchdown run from Devin Schaeffer at the 10:25 mark in the first quarter. Big Spring took possession of the ball and drove down the field toward the end zone. The Devils’ stingy defense held them to a field goal with 3:46 left to play in the first quarter in what would be the Bulldogs’ only score. With 4:03 left to play in the first half, the Blue Devils went for it on fourth and goal from the 3-yard line. The Bulldogs held and G-A turned the ball over on downs. GA's defense kept the Bulldogs deep in their own territory and forced a punt. With 54 seconds left to play in the half, Denton Cordell scored from 5 yards out to send the teams to halftime with G-A up 14-3.
Winning the battle of field position to end the first half gave G-A solid momentum that more than carried into the second half. Tyler Szaflarski scored from 4 yards out at the 6:11 mark in the third quarter. That run put him over 1,000 yards rushing on the year. Senior Chad Miller scored next for G-A when he streaked 30 yards to the endzone with 3:48 left to play in the third. On Big Spring's next possession, Denton Cordell intercepted his ninth pass of the season and returned it 31 yards for a touchdown. The Devils’ final score of the game came from Denver Cordell's 39-yard run with 11:06 to play in the game. Big Spring looked on the verge of scoring with 3:36 left to play in the game, but Trentin Dixon intercepted the pass in the endzone to hold the Bulldogs to the field goal as their only score.
G-A ran for 364 yards behind the offensive line of Nate Hykes, Gerardo Juarez, Eric Metz, Denton Ensminger, Kevin Castellar and Cody Ezolt. Denver Cordell carried the ball 11 times for 156 yards and a score. Szaflarski finished the night with 117 yards and a TD. Chad Miller rushed for 38 yards and a score while Denton Cordell had 29 yards rushing and a TD. Jake Statler had 15 yards on the ground and Schaeffer ran for 9 yards and a TD. Luke Bitner converted five PATs. Schaeffer was 3-for-6, passing for 52 yards. His targets were Denton Cordell for 34 yards and Szaflarski had an 18 yard grab.
The defense was once again swarming with many of the tackles being made by a gang of Blue Devils. Ian Spencer finished the night with eight tackles, while Schaeffer had seven. Denton Cordell had six, followed by Ensminger with five. Recording four tackles apiece were Denver Cordell, Szaflarski and Frank Juarez. Denton Cordell and Dixon each had an interception.
This was the final regular season game for seniors Denton Ensminger, Chad Miller, Ben Harp, Devin Schaeffer, Cody George, Jake Statler, Josh Pluta, Jordan Ladzinski, Joe Dominick, Seth Izer, Kevin Castellar, Eric Metz, Brandon Davis, Gerardo Juarez, Trentin Dixon and Cody Ezolt.
A ceremony following the game included the presentation of a sign signifying the championship for the 2010. Division championship teams from 1998 and 2008 were also honored.