PREVIEW: 2011 Regular Season, Game 5

CEDAR CREST FALCONS (0-1, 0-4)
@ 
WILSON BULLDOGS (1-0, 3-1)
 

Where: Gurski Stadium, West Lawn, PA 
When: 7:00 PM, Friday, September 30th

HOW'D THEY GET HERE?

• The Bulldogs are coming of yet another inspiring performance, a 34-13 victory over McCaskey in their Lancaster-Lebanon Section 1 opener. The score makes the game seem closer than it really was; Wilson starters were done in the 3rd with a 34-0 lead. The win stretched the Bulldogs record to 3-1, with the only loss coming in the season opener at rival Governor Mifflin in OT. The Bulldogs have won 3 straight thanks mostly to their stellar defensive play. Wilson is only giving up about 100 total yards per game to opponents in the past 3 games, all Wilson wins. The contributions of Rodney Gillin cannot be overlooked, either. After missing Game 1, Gillin has rushed 61 times for 409 yards and 7 TDs in the teams' 3 victories. If Las Vegas were placing lines & bets on high school football (just to clarify, they're not) the Bulldogs would more than likely be favored entering every game the next 3 weeks (vs Cedar Crest, @ Hempfield, vs Ephrata). The next big test comes October 21st at Manheim Township. First things first - a Bulldogs victory over Cedar Crest this Friday.
• The Falcons (0-1, 0-4) have struggled mightily for the past decade. After strong teams in the late '90s and very early 200s, the Falcons have mustered little. Since the 2004 season Cedar Crest has posted just two none-losing seasons - 6-4 in 2004 & 5-5 in 2005. Since the '05 season the Falcons have not won more than 4 games, with two 1-9 seasons (2006 & 2010) and two 2-8 seasons (2007 & 2008). Unfortunately for them the 2011 season has been like recent history. They lost in Week 1 to Lebanon, 47-13; Week 2 at Conrad Weiser, 37-21; Week 3 at Hershey, 44-23; and last week in their L-L Section 1 opener vs Warwick, 45-34. They aren't completely devoid of talent however. WR Daulton Ritter is QB Garrett Levengood's favorite target. They also have some size in the trenches. Shoudl be a good one this Friday at Gurski Stadium!

MATCH-UP HISTORY

• The Falcons haven't fared well historically in this gridiron battle. Wilson has faced only Governor Mifflin more times than Cedar Crest; the Bulldogs have played the Falcons 53 times prior to this Friday's game. And Wilson has won 46 times, including last year's 43-13 win in Lebanon. Cedar Crest has not defeated the Bulldogs since the 2001 season, a 21-0 shutout victory that ended Wilson's 35 game home winning streak.

Helmet images courtesy PA Helmet Project.

Bulldogs in the NFL: 2011 Week 3

For the second straight week three former Bulldogs participated in NFL games. Here is how they fared...

• Kerry Collins, QB, Indianapolis Colts (Class of 1990) - Kerry was 13 of 29 for 93 yards in the loss on Sunday night to the Pittsburgh Steelers, the Colts 3rd L this year. Collins was knocked out of the game with what is thought to have been a concussion and is questionable to participate in Indianapolis' Week 4 game at Tampa Bay.

• John Gilmore, TE, New Orleans Saints (Class of 1997) - Inactive for the teams week 1 loss to the Packers, John has participated in each of the teams past two contests - both Saints victories. New Orleans defeated the Houston Texans this past Sunday and John played in two TE sets as well as on special teams. He did not catch a pass. Gilmore and his Saints teammates travel to Jacksonville this Sunday.

• Chad Henne, QB, Miami Dolphins (Class of 2004) -Chad rebounded from his below average game versus the Texans in Week 2 with a solid personal outing in Week 3 against the Browns. Though Miami eventually lost the game, 17-16, Chad threw 29 times (19 completions) for 255 yards and 1 TD. Unfortunately the team sits at 0-3 with a trip to San Diego this Sunday.

RECAP: Gillin, 'dogs Defense Take Down McCaskey

The Bulldogs victory over the Red Tornado on Friday, September 23rd, 2011, in Lancaster, was a muddy mess. PHOTO: Lee Vivian [EasternPAfootball.com]

"Defense wins championships" is an old football phrase but it could certainly be true for the 2011 Bulldogs. After getting slashed in the opener by the Mustangs, the Wilson defense has stepped up big time. In their 34-13 victory over J. P. McCaskey Friday evening in the pouring rain, the Bulldogs defense gave up just 3 first downs & 99 total yards - and much of that came against 2nd & 3rd string players after the game was well in-hand. The game was each teams first Lancaster-Lebanon Section 1 game. The Wilson win was their 3rd straight while McCaskey lost for the fourth time in a row.

Of course it wasn't just the Wilson defense that was dominant Friday night on the muddy Lancaster field. The offensive line opened up some large holes for star RB Rodney Gillin, who rushed 27 times for 177 yards & 3 TDs. Gillin also caught a 7-yard TD pass from QB Seth Klein, who was asked to throw the ball just 9 times (5 completions) due to the conditions.

Mud-covered RB Rodney Gillin rushes vs J. P. McCaskey on Friday, September 23rd, 2011, in Lancaster, PA. PHOTO: Lee Vivian [EasternPAfootball.com]

Wilson led 21-0 at halftime and 34-0 midway through the 3rd quarter before the starters & upperclassmen gave way to the J.V. squad.

That's 10 straight strong quarters of football from the Bulldogs, who struggled in the first game-and-a-half at Governor Mifflin & Manheim Central. Up next? Another L-L Section 1 match with the Cedar Crest Falcons.

SOME NOTEWORTHY WILSON STATS

TEAM 

OFFENSE

First Downs: 20

Rushing Attempts / Yards / TDs: 57 / 284 / 4

Passing Attempts / Yards / TDs: 9 / 24 / 1

Total Yards: 238

Penalties / Yards: 3 / 25

DEFENSE

First Downs Allowed: 3

Rushing Attempts / Yards / TDs Allowed: 23 / 27 / 0

Passing Attempts / Yards / TDs Allowed: 14 / 72 / 1

Total Yards Allowed: 99

INDIVIDUAL

OFFENSE

Passing: Klein - 5 of 9, 24 yards, 1 TD, 0 INTs

Rushing: Gillin - 27 carries, 177 yards, 3 TDs, 0 fumbles

Receiving: Gillin - 1 catch, 7 yards, 1 TD

DEFENSE

Tackles: Joseph, Shields, & Rothrock - 3

Interceptions: Rivera - 1

Photos from the Game by Lee Vivian [EASTERNPAFOOTBALL.COM]
Gillin powers Wilson to win over McCaskey [READING EAGLE]
Statistics [BERKS GAMEDAY]

PREVIEW: 2011 Regular Season, Game 4

WILSON BULLDOGS (2-1, 0-0)

@

J. P. MCCASKEY RED TORNADO (0-3, 0-0)

Where: McCaskey Stadium, Lancaster, PA

When: 7:00 PM, Friday, September 23rd

HOW'D THEY GET HERE?

• Wilson is coming off their best full-game, all-around performance of the young season, having throttled Reading in Week 3, 41-0. The Bulldogs were clicking in all facets of the game, scoring on offense, defense, and special teams, while holding the visiting Red Knights to just 55 total yards of offense. The momentum seems to have started in the 2nd half of the Manheim Central game in Week 2, where the defense stepped up and the offense responded and the Bulldogs eventually left Manheim with a W. The inexperienced squad seems to be gaining strength as we start league match-ups with a talented and possibly overlooked McCaskey team that is better than their record.
• McCaskey has had a rough 3 weeks. Their non-league slate has been quite a challenge, perhaps even more than expected. They opened with a loss on the road against a tough Coatesville squad (currently 3-0), 47-27. They opened their home schedule in Week 2 with a 41-33 loss to William Penn, which was somewhat surprising. Finally in last weeks rivalry game at Lancaster Catholic, the Red Tornado fell to the Crusaders, 56-28. McCaskey has an electric offense with dynamic skill players though they did lose all-purpose player Aaron Swinton to injury. Depth may also be an issue as the McCaskey squad is small in numbers.

MATCH-UP HISTORY

• This will be the 38th meeting between the two schools. Wilson holds the series edge, 29-7-1, including last years victory in West Lawn, 34-7. The Red Tornado last defeated the Bulldogs in 2003, 31-14, at home. In the last game at McCaskey (2009), Wilson held on for a 24-14 victory.

Helmet images courtesy PA Helmet Project.

Reinhart Rundown: Week 4 Info

I've praised the work of Jeff Reinhart at Lancaster-Lebanon League News before in this space & I've decided to make it a weekly feature. See, Jeff publishes so much awesome material that it would be overkill to highlight each of his articles with a post about it. From now on I will gather it all in one post, summarize his items, and direct you to them. Let's get started with all his stuff on L-L Week 4...

First, Jeff's weekly live chat. While I missed it this week (held Wednesday at 7:00 PM) I did read the archive & found a few Wilson questions which were answered by Jeff. First commenter "Doug Boas" asked a simple question - Who else beats Wilson?

Jeff doesn't seem to think it'll happen. However, he has warned of McCaskey (this weeks foe) and one other team. Commenter "Steve" figured out who that "other team" is...

 

As I mentioned previously, Jeff likes Manheim Township as a prime Section 1 challenger for the Bulldogs. He reiterates that here.

Certainly tune in to Jeff's weekly live chats & ask Wilson-related questions. They usually occur on Wednesday evenings. Moving on...

On Monday's Jeff publishes his L-L rankings, which combines all 3 sections into one big list of the Top 5. Following week 3's dismantling of Reading, Wilson lands at #2 just behind Lancaster Catholic.

Jeff's other weekly posts include a video preview & individual game capsules. Here's what he had to say about this week's match-up with McCaskey...

ABOUT WILSON: Bulldogs have 11 takeaways – tops in the L-L League. And plus-5 turnover ratio is tied for No. 2 in the league. … No. 1 defense in the league, yielding 183.0 yards per game. And tops in the league in rushing defense with just 231 yards against on the ground. … Two non-offensive TD in win over Reading: Rodney Gillin returned a punt 68 yards for a score and LB Junior Joseph took a fumble 52 yards to the house. … Putting a bow on the Wilson-Reading series: Bulldogs now have four Mercy Rule wins in a row over the Red Knights, and have outscored Reading 101-0 in the last two games and 162-19 in the last three games.

See Jeff's full preview of the game here.

Bulldogs in the NFL: 2011 Week 2

Three former Bulldogs participated in NFL games in Week 2. Below is how they fared...

• Kerry Collins, QB, Indianapolis Colts (Class of 1990) - The Colts opened their 2011 home slate of games with a loss to the Cleveland Browns, 27-19. Wilson alum Collins completed 19 of 38 pass attempts for 191 yards with 1 TD & 1 INT. The Colts (0-2) will host the Steelers (1-1) on Sunday Night Football this week.

• John Gilmore, TE, New Orleans Saints (Class of 1997) - The Saints played their first home game of 2011 against the defending NFC North Champions, the Chicago Bears (one of John's former teams). The Saints rebounded from their opening week loss to the Packers by beating Chicago, 30-13. Former Bulldogs star Gilmore was active in Week 2 but did not catch a pass. The Saints (1-1) host the Houston Texans (2-0) on Sunday at 1:00 PM.

• Chad Henne, QB, Miami Dolphins (Class of 2004) - The Dolphins are off to a slow start. After dropping an offensive slugfest to the rival Patriots in Week 1, Miami faltered against the Texans, 23-13. Wilson alum Henne threw 30 passes, completing 12 for 170 yards with 1 TD and 1 INT (off a deflection). The offensive line has looked below average while backs & receivers continually drop passes. Things must come together quickly. Miami (0-2) travels to Cleveland (1-1) for a 1:00 PM showdown with the Browns this Sunday.

RECAP: Complete Effort Propels Wilson to Victory Over Reading

Photo: Joe Mays

Each phase of the game is equally important. Just ask the Bulldogs. Wilson scored TDs on offense, defense, and special teams on their way to a 41-0 romp over cross-town rival Reading last Friday night in West Lawn. The Bulldogs home opener went about as good as they could have possibly hoped.

It was over at halftime, basically. After putting up 21 points in the 1st quarter, Wilson added another 20 in the 2nd. A missed extra point was their only blemish. Senior QB Seth Klein looked solid for the first time all season, throwing 10 completions for just over 100 yards and 2 TDs - both to senior WR Jake Morgan. Senior RB Rodney Gillin didn't see too much action, rushing just 7 times for 32 yards, including 1 TD. However he made a big impact - literally - on defense & special teams, routinely popping opponents.

Oh, yeah, he also had a punt return TD which was downright electric. Words can't even begin to describe his combination of moves, speed, and power that he demonstrated on the 1st quarter special teams TD.

With the 41-0 lead at half, the starters took a seat. The second and third units took over and, while they didn't add to the scoreboard, they didn't give up points either. Plenty of promising sophomores played and the future of Wilson football looks bright.

The defense was dominant for the entire game, picking up right where they left off in the second half versus Manheim Central. Total yards surrendered to an athletic Reading team? 55. Boom. RBs had nowhere to run and the QBs were constantly under pressure. It was actually the defense that got Wilson on the board first, too. Junior DE/LB Junior Joseph ripped the ball out of the Reading RBs hands and returned it for the opening TD.

Junior DE/LB Junior Joseph returns a fumble to give the Wilson Bulldogs a 7-0 lead over the Reading Red Knights on Friday, September 16th, 2011.  Photo: Joe Mays

The team was certainly firing on all cylinders this past Friday - hopefully they can do the same in a few days in Lancaster for their first league game of the season.

SOME NOTEWORTHY WILSON STATS

TEAM 

OFFENSE

First Downs: 17

Rushing Attempts / Yards / TDs: 32 / 183 / 2

Passing Attempts / Yards / TDs: 22 / 121 / 2

Total Yards: 304

Penalties / Yards: 4 / 35

DEFENSE

First Downs Allowed: 3

Rushing Attempts / Yards / TDs Allowed: 24 / 16 / 0

Passing Attempts / Yards / TDs Allowed: 5 / 19 / 0

Total Yards Allowed: 55

INDIVIDUAL

OFFENSE

Passing: Klein - 10 of 15, 102 yards, 2 TDs, 0 INTs

Rushing: Brooks - 2 carries, 41 yards, 0 TDs, 0 fumbles

Receiving: Morgan - 3 catches, 35 yards, 2 TDs

DEFENSE

Tackles: Moyer - 7

Interceptions: none

Klein, Wilson look fine in rout of Red Knights [READING EAGLE]

Statistics [BERKS GAMEDAY]